#niro as i said before

[owlobservation]

Itoshi Sae Egoist Bible Profile (2022)

"I'll see for myself... what kind of forward this country can produce."

Itoshi Rin's older brother. He's selected as one of the New Generation World 11. The Genius Midfielder!

-Profile Data-

Birthdate: October, 10th.

Age: 18 (Third year high school)

Zodiac sign: Libra.

Birthplace: Kanagawa Prefecture (Kamakura City)

Family structure: Father, mother, himself, younger brother.

Height: 180 cm.

Foot size: 26.5 cm.

Blood type: A.

Previous team before he returned to Japan: Re Ale Youth FC.

Dominant foot: Left.

Favorite Soccer Player: Álvaro Recoba. "The left-footed player who creates rainbow on the pitch."*

Age started playing soccer: 1 years old. "Before I knew it, I was already playing soccer."

Nickname: Treasure of Japan.

Strengths: Being able to see things objectively. "I'm often told that I'm a dry person but who cares."

Weaknesses: I don't know anything except about soccer. "Don't live like this, you guys."

Favorite food: Salted kombucha. "Because I can return back to zero."**

Disliked food: French fries. "It's so delicious that I could die, but it's also so unhealthy that I could die."

Best rice accompaniment: Salted kelp. "They don't have it in Spain so I got it sent from my parents' home."

Hobby: Analyzing data of soccer players and teams. "It's nice to see things visualized as numbers."

Favorite season: The end of summer. "I feel like the whole world has become lonely."

Favorite show: Chibi Maruko-chan. "It reminds me of my parents' home."

Favorite music: Suisei by Tofubeats feat. Seira Kariya. "I listen it to cool down."

Favorite movie: Taxi Driver. "This De Niro guy is the coolest."

Favorite manga: Gegege no Kitaro

Character color: Azuki Red.

Favorite animal: Seagull. "I like migratory birds that don't stay in one place."

Favorite brands: All the brands that sponsor me. "They have good eyes for betting on me."

Best subjects: No idea because I didn't really pay attention in class and only focused on soccer. "I've never seen my report card."

Fetish: Butt. "You can tell an athlete's ability by the shape of their butt."

What makes you happy: A play beyond my imagination.

What makes you sad: Being forced to carry the weight of Japanese soccer on my shoulders. "Yes, I'm talking about you guys."

The first time someone confessed to you: I don't even remember which one was the first time, dumbass.

Last year's valentine day chocolates: Around 2.000. "My manager told me."

Sleep time: 8 hours. (7 hours+1 hour nap)

Where do you wash first in the bath?: Bangs' hairline.

Mushroom or Bamboo shoots?: Depending on the mood.

What made you cry recently?: Why would I tell you, idiot.

At what age did you stop receiving presents from Santa?: 10 years old.***

What did you ask for a Christmas present from Santa?: My undiscovered talent.

What would you do on your last day on earth?: Give the world's best striker the world's best pass.

What would you do if you receive 100 million yen?: I'm not interested. It's just a small change.

What do you do on your days off?: Gazing at the sea.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daily life at Blue Lock

"I haven't been there yet."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sae's Ranking

1. Ranked #3 The Best at Study****

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Initial Character Sketch by Kaneshiro

Genius Midfielder. Very Sadist (Do-S)

I can't read the rest of the notes... sorry....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

*Álvaro Recoba (El Chino) is a midfielder from Uruguay known for his "rainbow-like" curved kicks.

**Return back to zero=being refreshed.

***In early 2021 twitter Q&A, he said he stopped getting Christmas presents when Rin stopped believing in Santa. His answer is revised in Egoist Bible to just "10 years old."

****The title/ranking is "Who Can Study Well". Sae is the #3 person who is very good at studying (benkyou 勉強).

Check Sae's updated profile from the second volume of Egoist Bible for more!

[darlingshane]

Summary: Karen has sworn to never date anyone in the workplace ever again, but it's a rule that she might need to break when she starts her new job at Castle Motors as a marketing consultant.

CW: au - romantic comedy, fluff, crack, slow burn, friendship, drinking, workplace relationships, eventual romance, happy ending, frank and maria are divorced but have a good relationship. (and marketing, a lot of marketing.)

Word Count: 12,1k (first 10 chapters only)

A/N: This is based on a drabble I wrote a few years ago of the same title here (it was kind of a mess so don't check it out, just read this one instead). I always wanted to turn it into a longer fic. I'm working on the last couple of chapters, and it'll be done soon. You won't have to wait long to see those posted.

— Links: AO3 // Kastle Masterlist.

Excerpt from my favorite chapter (7):

When Karen had pitched the idea of putting Frank in front of the camera, she knew it was a gamble. Frank was the kind of CEO who preferred to stay behind the scenes, letting his work and the company speak for itself. But Karen was convinced that showcasing Frank as the face of the company would resonate with the public, making Castle Motors not just a brand, but a brand with a story and a leader people could trust.

Frank, however, had been less than enthusiastic. “Karen, my face isn’t exactly camera-friendly,” he had said with a wry smile. “Broken nose, giant head, satellite ears…”

“Stop it, you look like a young De Niro.” Karen chuckled but persisted, knowing that his rough-around-the-edges appearance and straightforward personality were precisely what would make him relatable and authentic. People didn’t need another polished, cookie-cutter CEO—they needed someone real.

Now, as she watched Frank fidget with the collar of his suit, Karen could tell he was out of his element. He’d been through makeup, his hair was slicked back, and the tailored suit, while well-fitted, seemed to restrict him. He looked like a man wearing someone else’s skin.

She approached him, her eyes scanning the nervous energy in his posture. “You okay?” she asked softly.

Frank sighed, glancing around at the crew bustling about. “This just isn’t me, Karen. I don’t feel right in this get-up.”

Karen smiled, understanding his discomfort. “You don’t have to be someone else, Frank. That’s not what this is about. We want people to see you—the real Frank Castle. Not some polished version.”

She reached out, tugging gently at the lapels of his suit jacket. “What if we lose the jacket and tie? Maybe unbutton a couple of buttons, get you back to feeling like yourself?”

Frank hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, that might help.”

He slipped off the jacket, draping it over a nearby chair, and loosened his tie before pulling it off completely. Karen stepped closer, reaching up to unbutton the top two buttons of his dress shirt. As she did, she noticed how his broad chest and strong shoulders seemed to relax with the simple act.

— You can read the rest on AO3.

[petermorwood]

In light of all the renewed interest about Martin Scorsese’s long-overlooked “Goncharov” (1973), has anyone noticed the element which repeats in his later and much better known film “Taxi Driver” (1976)?

It’s The Gun As Protagonist Accessory.

In “Goncharov” it’s right there on the poster, held by Robert de Niro: that’s a Thompson M1921 with 50-round drum magazine, the classic gangster gun, the Chicago Typewriter, the gun that made the Twenties roar.

This weapon has appeared in many gangster movies, most famously in the original “Scarface” (1932) where Tony Camonte (Paul Muni), encounters one for the first time when it’s used in a murder attempt against him and all but falls in love with the thing.

“When this gives orders, people listen!”

In “Taxi Driver” it’s an enormous revolver, a Smith & Wesson M29 similar to the one carried by Dirty Harry, though here made even more imposing with an 8” barrel (Harry’s was only 6”).  Scorsese is making a visual comment about the way his anti-hero Travis Bickle (Robert de Niro again) compensates for perceived inadequacy.

I’m not making any observations about trigger discipline. Really. No. I’m not.

Anyway, if Bickle could be associated with the clock motif in “Goncharov” the clock in question would be a cuckoo, so playing around indoors with this hand-cannon is no more than might be expected.

“You talkin’ to me...?”

There’s even a piece on the soundtrack, accompanying the gun’s introduction, entitled “The .44 Magnum Is A Monster.” (YouTube link.)

Having said that, it’s worth noting that in the final confrontation – when Bickle proves himself a more than adequate hero by rescuing underage Iris (Jodie Foster) from her life of sex slavery – the huge revolver plays a less significant role than expected from the way it’s been set up. Bickle defeats his opponents with much smaller handguns and even cold steel in the form of a boot knife.

This hero has overcome his monster in more ways than one.  

The Thompson plays a much more prominent role in “Scarface” than in “Goncharov”. Rather than a villain’s perverse secondary love interest, there it’s built up as a necessary adjunct of brutal power, which then fades into the background of relationships presented (this was released in 1973 after all) as improper if not actually warped.

“Ice-Pick Joe” Morelli’s (John Cazales) preference for a penetrating weapon rather than a gun (also favoured by real-life mobster Abe “Kid Twist” Reles)...

... is a pointer (sorry) at aspects of his character which couldn’t yet be stated clearly on-screen. What remains obvious through Scorsese’s direction and the excellent performances of his actors is that human failings are more destructive than any mere weapon.

It’s a masterful inversion of Chekov’s Gun, the premise where “a gun shown hung on the wall (for which read “any plot element given extra emphasis”) must be fired (used) before the performance ends”.

I haven’t been able to find actual screenshots from the film so these are representative images, but I hope they’ll show how, by utilising "Goncharov”’s recurrent clock motif to segue from Ambrosini (Al Pacino) winding one of his cherished antique timepieces...

... to Lo Straniero (de Niro) winding the clockwork drive of his Thompson gun’s drum magazine (incidentally an action seldom seen in films)...

...Scorsese manipulates his audience into believing that the film will culminate in a classic head-to-head gunfight.

That’s how Brian de Palma, a much less subtle director, ends his 1983 “Scarface” remake, with Tony Montana (Al Pacino) inviting his enemies to “Say hello to my little friend!”, the grenade-launcher attached to his automatic rifle.

Though “Goncharov” does feature some firearms action (it’s a gangster film after all), Scorsese leaves most its guns on the wall as a distraction until his audience realises, as the movie’s climax approaches, that destructive violence can take place as quietly and irreversibly as the passage of time marked out by a ticking clock in a darkened room.

[fastlikealambo]

(spoilers below for killers of the flower moon)

just got home from seeing killers of the flower moon and here are thoughts no one asked for

leonardo dicaprio looks like a sweaty thumb this entire film and is easily out acted by just about everyone around him

robert de niro gives the best portrayal of satan on the big screen I've ever seen

the trailer did a great job of misdirecting you into thinking leonardo dicaprio's character is this man with torn loyalties and love in his heart when really ernest bukhart is an eroding popeye's biscuit who deserved the electric chair.

this movie should have been completely from the perspective of mollie burkhart and the osage people, every time the focus was not on the osage I checked out, too much time was devoted playing ' I got somebody for you to murder" telephone.

despite the fact that she is imo severely underutilized, this is lily gladstone's film, you can't take your eyes off her and as I said before, this movie dips when she is not on camera.

I understand it would not have been authentic to the story but I think they should have included a seven to ten minute scene of mollie throat punching ernest because again, FUCK YOU ERNEST YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID

go see this film, it is long but it is very good and in times like these where every single historical event that doesn't show certain people as the victors is up for erasure and distortion these films are not just art to provide entertainment, education, and discourse, they are evidence.

[zorlok-if]

Sharing the the dark theme's mobile UI and what I consider to be one of the cooler features of my Goncharov game jam entry (now called Creating Goncharov).

Early on the game asks you to sign into your work computer. If you input a certain name, well... the game adjusts accordingly.

IDs/transcriptions in alt text and below pictures.

[image 1: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a passage designed to look like a computer sign-in screen. The name that's been entered is "Martin Scorsese". /end ID]

[image 2: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a passage designed to look like an email. The email is titled "New Assignment" and is being sent from "Boss" to "Martin Scorsese". The body of the email reads: "Good morning, Mr. Scorsese. I have a very exciting opportunity for you. Later today I'll be pitching a new film—specifically a Goncharov remake—to a group of investors and, of course, I've chosen you to put that pitch together. My meeting is at 11:00 so hopefully you've arrived at work early. If, for whatever reason, you don't think you're the right fit for this project, let me know asap. I can easily find someone else for the job, but we don't have any time to waste. We are all very excited to present you with this opportunity and look forward to seeing what you'll do with this project! Let me know your response as soon as you finish" /end ID]

[image 3: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a narrative passage. The passage reads "You stare at the computer screen for a long while. "Of course I've chosen you." Why of course? You are a prolific director and any project attached to your name is certain to wow investors, but there's one big problem. You haven't seen Goncharov. You haven't even heard of Goncharov before. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Your Martin Scorsese, you can make a masterpiece out of anything. You'll figure something out. Even if you don't have a good idea for the plot, you can always call up Rob and Al, see if you can get them onboard. No investor would turn down a film with Scorsese, De Niro, and Pacino attached to it. You reply to your boss." /end ID]

[image 4: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a passage designed to look like an email. The email is titled "RE: New Assignment" and is being sent from "Martin Scorsese" to "Boss". The body of the email reads: "Good morning to you as well. I'd like to thank you for thinking of me for this project. I can certainly fit it into my busy schedule. You mentioned that you had more details, I urge you to send those along so we can get this ball rolling as soon as possible. This movie won't make itself. Yours, Martin Scorsese" /end ID]

[image 5: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a passage designed to look like an email. The email is titled "RE: New Assignment" and is being sent from "Boss" to "Martin Scorsese". "Al B" has been CC'd. The body of the email reads: "Fantastic! And thank you for responding so promptly. The details are as follows: You need to craft a pitch for a 2023 adaptation of your 1973 classic, Goncharov. We aren't asking you to stray too far from the original. Goncharov is already a masterpiece and our audiences already adore it. This is meant to be a celebration more than anything in honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary. We are very excited to see what you will do given the opportunity to remake Goncharov with access to modern technology, new perspectives you've gained over the years, and (if this pitch goes well) a much bigger budget than you would have had at the start of your career." /end ID]

[image 6: The continuation of the last email described. The email continues: "Deepest apologies for only reaching out to you now, but I'll remind you that unfortunately we only have until 11:00. If possible, I'd also like to go over your ideas and thoughts before I present them to the potential investors, so the earlier you can get this pitch to me, the better. Anyways, go work your magic. Not that it'll be difficult; as Roger Ebert said, "Goncharov is the greatest mafia movie ever made." Whatever you do, I'm sure it will be fantastic." /end ID]

[image 7: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a narrative passage. The passage reads "Wait. That can't be right. You read the email again. No, you read that correctly. They definitely said that Goncharov was your movie. Is that... possible? Could you really have forgotten about one of your own films. I mean it was 1973, apparently. You aren't as young as you once were and maybe it's been so long that you've somehow... forgot? No, that can't be it. If you made a film that Roger Ebert called "the"—what was it? You check the email again. "The greatest mafia movie ever made," you would definitely remember that. Right? ...Right?" /end ID]

[image 8: A cycling choice from the game Creating Goncharov. It reads "Yeah, you know your own body of work. They must be mistaken somehow or there has to be some kind of miscommunication. You did not make Goncharov. You're 99.99% sure." /end ID]

[image 9: A cycling choice from the game Creating Goncharov. It reads "Maybe... maybe not. They're probably mistaken or there's some kind of miscommunication, but you're 80% sure that you did not make Goncharov." /end ID]

[image 10: A cycling choice from the game Creating Goncharov. It reads "No. You have no idea. That was fifty years ago, it's entirely possible that you made Goncharov and have no memory of it." /end ID]

[bess3714]

Batman and Robin #7

Comic Series: Batman and Robin

Issue Number: 07

Title: Cult of Man-Bat: Part One

Writer(s): Joshua Williamson

Artist(s): Simone Di Meo

Colorist(s): Giovanna Niro

Letterer(s): Steve Wands

I’m an endless optimist which is why I’m still reading this series even though nothing ever happens. What exactly is Shush supposed to be doing again? There’s some kind of evil plot, I think? Can’t remember, don’t care.

I’m happy to see Flatline back! I think she’s fun, and a little teen romance is adorable, plus I’m hoping it will inject some much-needed energy into this comic. Unfortunately, the pages of catch-up between Damian and Nika were slow and meandering and, dare I say, boring. It could have been heavily abbreviated.

A gripe I had that was specific to this issue was where Damian and Nika were discussing Damian's relationship with Bruce, and Damian says that "We have had some... rough moments, but it has been good since I moved back in with him." I just wish that we would have seen some actual rough moments, but as I've said before, Williamson has pretty much skipped over anything that could be interesting in favor of making Damian and Bruce get along pretty much from the get-go with very minimal conflict. Their only real argument was over Damian going to school, and Damian ended up wanting to go to school anyway because of Principal Stone, aka Mistress Harsh, aka Shush. I'm back to my old "it's too nice" complaint.

It’s a little funny re-reading my review of the first issue of this series where I gushed about the art, because my opinion has really changed. I still like the jewel tones, but the more I’ve read it, the harder I’ve found it to read. The panel layouts are sometimes confusing, and most of the time there’s just too much going on for your eyes to easily follow the action. The panels on top of a full image page have gotten a little old.

Wow, this was a really pessimistic review. I do like the comic, it's just that the longer I read it, the more glaring the things I dislike get. The addition of Flatline is one I'm excited for, I think she's fun, and the little glimpse at the real reason why she was in Gotham intrigues me.

Why You Should Read This:

If you really like Damian, and you want to see a fun teen romance.

[oathbreakerapologist]

I wonder if it turned out that Orin got pregnant by a Ghost, what would they do and how would they behave (especially Orin, given her character) And I was wondering what Sarevok meant in the dialogue with the dark urge, that Orin had treated him badly🤔

Oh, god, neither of them should be allowed to be parents.

That's not to say I haven't thought about it. You know, I'm usually not the sort of person that thinks much about characters having children (I can't say I've ever really thought about it much before for any other characters in which I've been interested), but the possibility of the two of them having a child together has haunted me for quite a while now, primarily for the reason that it's One Simple Thing that could make their already deeply messed up situation significantly worse.

From a purely practical perspective, neither Ghost nor Orin would particularly enjoy having a child around. Ghost is too self-interested, impatient, and easily repulsed to deal with a child, especially an infant. And Orin, based on her own childhood, has plenty of reasons to be suspicious of the consequences of having a child; as it grew up, she would grow increasingly fearful that Bhaal would come to prefer her child over her, an event which history tells would likely end in Orin's demise. But aside from that, I also can't imagine that she'd be a good parent, given that she never experienced much parenting herself.

That being said, I think they both desperately fantasize about conceiving a child together. A lot has already been said about the apparent innate Bhaalspawn urge to propagate more Bhaalspawn, so I've little to add on to that thread; suffice to say that the two of them talked quite a lot about it, primarily while having sex.

There were several years before the betrayal when Niro and Orin were rawing each other regularly. Barring other causes of infertility, it's pretty remarkable that they didn't actually conceive a child during that time, and I believe that that's no accident or matter of luck. No matter how appealing she personally found the idea of conceiving a child, I think that Orin was responsible for preventing them from actually doing so (though I'm not sure she did so intentionally).

(What follows is fully my own take on Orin; I make no claims to this being rooted in her canon, even more so than usual.) I think Orin does not have a biological sex, by which I mean that when she was born, she possessed no recognizable external sex characteristics, and in the years before she could control her shapeshifting particularly well, her apparent biological sex changed regularly enough that she had no clear "true" sex. By the time she reached maturity, biological sex was completely arbitrary to her. Her body often appears to have a biological sex, but sometimes it doesn't, and she mixes and matches parts as she pleases. I believe her control over her sex extends to her internal reproductive organs, which she lacks by default, but which might be possessed by forms she takes on.

(As an aside, I think it's an interesting duality that, in my own personal canon, Orin has a gender but lacks a sex, while Niro has a sex but lacks a gender.)

In the time before the betrayal, I think that she chose not to possess internal reproductive organs for much of the time that she was having potentially-conceptive sex with Niro. I'm not sure how conscious that choice was; it may have been an internal decision she didn't even realize she'd made, motivated by that deep-seated fear of the potentially life-ending consequences of bearing a Bhaalspawn child.

I don't think the possibility of them having a child is fully off the table in the Ghost-returns-to-Orin canon. It'd be a long ways down the road, certainly, but I think there are circumstances under which they could both end up drifting down that path. Those circumstances would almost certainly be messy.

They'd absolutely have an interesting-looking kid, though.

As for the question about Sarevok's lines regarding the relationship between the Dark Urge and Orin: as a general rule, I'm very willing to believe that the statements made by characters in game, particularly known villains, are motivated statements that are not necessarily true. When the Dark Urge is speaking to Sarevok in game, Sarevok appears to have an interest in encouraging a conflict between them and Orin. It is my opinion that that is sufficient motivation for him to say what he believes will help incite that conflict, namely, sowing seeds of vengeance in the mind of one who seems not to remember very much about the truth of that relationship. I think my overall thesis here is that (1) it is perfectly reasonable that Sarevok said to Ghost that Orin treated him badly if Sarevok is lying, and (2) Sarevok has very clear reasons to lie and no clear reasons not to lie in that scenario.

[justforbooks]

Steve Wright, who has died aged 69, helped to redefine the role of a disc jockey when he established his BBC Radio 1 afternoon show in the 1980s. To the usual formula of linking almost back-to-back music, he added gossip, trivia, guests from the world of entertainment such as Paul McCartney and Warren Beatty, and a general feeling of chaos that became known as the “zoo” format. It made him the most popular UK radio presenter of the era, with audiences of more than eight million.

“The show’s a little bit of everything you fancy,” he said. “I invented the format myself. It’s a tabloid newspaper of the airwaves – fast, fun and packed with info. Something for everyone.”

Some of the regular “guests��� or “listeners” phoning in – including Mr Angry, Gervaise the hairdresser and Damian the social worker – were fictional spoof characters voiced by actors, while Phil Cornwell, whom Wright described as “a crazed, inspired genius”, provided impersonations of David Bowie, John Lennon, Robert De Niro, the Rolling Stones and others. Cornwell’s interactions with the DJ were improvised. A compulsive collector of information, Wright was particularly fond of the “factoids” and bizarre true stories he dug up to entertain his listeners.

Alongside the showbiz guests, Wright was also trusted by politicians, although things did not always go well. On one occasion he was waiting in the prime minister’s study at 10 Downing Street, preparing to conduct an interview with John Major, when he spotted two paracetamol tablets on a table. As he was suffering from a headache himself, he popped them into his mouth.

“When Mr Major walked in, I think he spotted the empty packets – because there was an immediate atmosphere,” recalled Wright. “He wouldn’t really loosen up. I asked him what clothes he liked to wear and he said, ‘Er, um, casual.’ I asked what sort of casual, but he wouldn’t be drawn.” However, Wright did elicit the revelation that the prime minister’s favourite record was the Marty Robbins western ballad El Paso. “A very strange song indeed,” observed the DJ.

Wright first took to the Radio 1 airwaves with a Saturday evening show in 1980 and, within weeks, was presenting Top of the Pops on BBC television. Then, he hosted the Saturday mid-morning show before switching to his long-running post-lunch weekday slot in a programme eventually titled Steve Wright in the Afternoon (1981-93).

At the beginning of 1994 he moved to the flagship Radio 1 breakfast show, titled Steve Wright in the Morning, in a bid by the BBC to halt declining ratings. He added 250,000 listeners within four months and kept a steady audience of seven million while audiences for other shows plummeted. Nevertheless, Wright walked out on his £165,0000-a-year job in 1995 – following differences with Matthew Bannister, the recently appointed controller of Radio 1 – and joined Talk Radio for an unhappy few months.

He was back at the BBC in 1996, switching to Radio 2 to present a Saturday show and launch Steve Wright’s Sunday Love Songs, a mix of classic songs, dedications and real-life romance stories, before returning to familiar territory in 1999 with Steve Wright in the Afternoon. When his departure from the afternoon slot was announced in 2022, he handed over typically graciously, saying “Now, I’ve been doing this programme for 24 years at Radio 2, and so how can I possibly complain? Really, I can’t hog the slot for ever, so let’s give somebody else a go.”

Wright was born in Greenwich, south-east London, and brought up in New Cross, the son of Richard Wright, who managed a Burton’s menswear store, and his wife, June (nee Saunders). Following the family’s move to Southend-on-Sea, Essex, Steve attended Eastwood high school, where he broadcast on school radio over a speaker system from the stock cupboard.

Leaving with three O-levels, he went through jobs as a shipping insurance company clerk, telephone engineer and backstage theatre worker, as well as running his own jingles business. He also had an unsuccessful stint singing on the club circuit, and worked in hospital radio in his spare time.

Joining the BBC in the early 70s, he spent three years working in its pop record library, digging out vinyl discs for DJs to play, followed by a period as a researcher in radio. He left in 1975 to host a show on Radio Atlantis in Belgium, then worked as a reporter and presenter on LBC in London.

In 1976, he moved to the newly launched commercial station Radio 210 in Reading, making promotional trailers and jingles before hosting his own show – he and a fellow 210 DJ, Mike Read, also contributed a pop column to the local newspaper, the Reading Chronicle. Wright switched to Radio Luxembourg three years later and returned to the BBC in 1980.

Radio fame brought Wright television appearances not just on Top of the Pops (1980-89), but also as a panellist on gameshows such as Blankety Blank (1987-89) and That’s Showbusiness (1990-93). He then became the presenter of Home Truths (1994), with celebrities answering general knowledge questions and revealing skeletons in their closet, and Steve Wright’s People Show (1994-95), featuring celebrity guests. From 1997 until 2009, he narrated the Top of the Pops archive footage programme TOTP2.

On radio, Wright’s other shows included Wright Around the World for the BBC World Service (1999-2003) and Radio 2’s Pick of the Pops (2022-24), and he continued to present Sunday Love Songs until his death.

He was appointed MBE in this year’s new year honours list.

In 1985, Wright married Cyndi Robinson; they divorced in 1999. He is survived by their children, Tom and Lucy, his father and his brother, Laurence.

🔔 Steve (Stephen Richard) Wright, radio and television presenter, born 26 August 1954; died 12 February 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[cctinsleybaxter]

Furiosa thots!!! Putting under a readmore since it only just came out and i don't want to dissuade people from going. I find it kinda funny I find it kinda sad (I lowkey hated it but the war rig scene made me go stupid aaaa)

Stuff I liked:

Pacing and sound design. Was really skeptical of the 2+ hour runtime but it went by quick and plotting made sense

Costuming! Any time a practical effect or something textured is onscreen (which is not always. bodes well for the 'stuff i hated' section) is awesome; I don't care if it looks stupid or doesn't make sense it's a pleasure to have in class.

Arm backstory

This car

I went in thinking 'sigh well they're never going to beat robert de niro exploding that helicopter in midnight run' and then the war rig scene happened; I was going crazy!!! I loved it from beginning to end. I actually gasped because I'd noticed the grey mass of cloth being used as a flag at the first encampment and thought 'that's my favorite thing they've shown so far' (i was going to say prop but idk that it was practical); WELCOME BACK GREY CLOTH

Chris Hemsworth was somehow my favorite performance, I felt like he nailed the combination of goofy/ridiculous and scary/threatening

Stuff I didn't like:

George Miller uses bible allegories and imagery like he's the fucking Ultraman guy (Eiji Tsuburaya.) Why make posts about how fascinated you are by 'the japanese' using catholic imagery when we got that egregious crucifixion setup. Australians are culpable.

We don't learn anything about furiosa as a person that can't already be gleaned from Fury Road. I do think this does a pretty admirable job of storytelling for a prequel, we learn about what happened to Furiosa and we (sort of) get the character development that led her to take the wives with her, but I wish it'd been a brand new character's story

I like Anya Taylor-Joy and disagree with people saying this was a miscast because she can't act and is only suited to play models (misogyny takes many forms...), but I do think she's best in roles with a lot of speaking and micro-expressions, so playing a woman who barely speaks or emotes and will later become charlize theron just wasn't it. I'm also legitimately worried about how skinny she is rn

Stuff I hated:

This movie looked like absolute garbage in comparison to the rest of the mad maxes; even the ones I think are irredeemably bad. The combination of whatever frame rate they were using and the CGI was just. Ugh.

Scene transitions (so many fades to black) and montage (specifically thinking about the sped-up footage of them assembling the rig, Furiosa's Lion King dream sequence, and 'the horrors of war') were a hot mess

Framing dementus's anarcho-fascism as worse than immortan joe's regular fascism is such a misstep it casts a shadow over the whole movie. Yeah the hedonist with the working class accent who hates art and is too stupid/selfish to run a territory yadda yadda. It's very Stephen King villain, which would be fine!, but Fury Road had such good politics it just felt tired

You're telling me that a woman who spent her childhood kidnapped and threatened with rape (interesting that said threat only comes from individual extra bad guys btw; both evil men-dominated societies accept slavery and rape but condemn pedophilia) falls for her male coworker and mentor figure. You're telling me this is a compelling relationship between two victims of the same system. You're telling me you filmed it like a YA dystopian romance. You're telling me her backstory is that she showed a guy her most treasured and vulnerable possession, a seed from the fruit she plucked before being taken from eden and losing her innocence, and he bade her keep it by putting his big-ass yaoi hand over hers, and that's what solidified their trust. You're telling me she doesn't once speak to a woman who isn't her mom. Can we die? Can we go to the wasteland?

[jgf444]

Mavericks Chapter 2

{Visual: We cut to the inside of a dark room, where a short, light-skinned, and slightly puggy man, about 5’3, with a thick white mustache that covers most of his face in a hazmat suit is examining a blue ball of pure light under a see-through metal glass alone. He grabs a metal stick and, lifting the glass, gently pokes the blue ball, causing it to exert a bit of lightning-style energy, and knocks the stick out of the man’s hand. He writes something in a notebook and seals the glass when rapid knocking is heard. He is caught off-guard and quickly gets to taking off the hazmat suit]

Dr. Niro Walt:

“C-Coming! Give me a second, please!

[Visual: Niro runs over to the door with a number pad where he rapidly presses buttons until the pad morphs into a small scanner saying “Insert eye here”. He does so, and the machine quickly scans the eye before a “beep” noise is heard and the door opens to reveal a middle-aged white man in a black suit and jeans. He’s broadly built, at 6’5 with thick shoulders, a slim muscular frame, slicked-back black hair, and a scar on his left cheek. He smiles at Niro, who nervously smiles back]

CEO Hans Wicker:

“Niro!”

Niro:

“Wicker!… I was not expecting you.”

Hans:

“Understandable. I see you are hard at work.”

Niro:

“Very much so. If I knew you were coming so soon, I would have prepared a better-looking laboratory. “

[Visual: Niro flips a switch, which reveals a large and spacious, but very dirty looking room with machines wires and parts scattered all over the  place and multiple wires and cybernetic equipment holding a tube which contains the blue core]

Niro:

“My sincere apologies, si-

Hans:

“Sorry will not help with the Dual Cores Project, Mr. Walt. Speaking of which, how good are they doing?”

Niro:

“Well, the blue core is functional and healthy enough and the energy readings from it are very high, and honestly, it feels like-“

[Visual: Hans walks past Niro as he speaks and coughs loudly, interrupting the doctor as he turns to Hans inspecting the core with a disappointed look on his face]

Hans:

“Niro, I’ll be honest with you for a minute, I was never really a math wiz in high school, always struggled a lot with Geometry. But if my memory serves me correctly, there’s just one core here. *chuckles* Don’t tell me that an entire half of a project I’ve spent hundreds of millions on, just happened to vanish into thin air.”

Niro:

“Ah, yes. The red core is kept in a more secure and stable part of the facility, being overwatched by Saner, and-“

Hans:

“And why is that, exactly? Thought they were being kept in the same room together.

Niro:

“W-well, the red core is a lot more volatile and oddly more aggressive than the blue one, so we naturally had to take precautions for the safety of the employees and scientists.”

Hans

“...Take me to it.” 

Niro:

“What?”

Hans:

“Take me to the red one.”

Niro (worried):

“I…can’t do that.”

Hans:

“Excuse me?”

[Visual: Hans walks over the Niro as he tries to explain the situation]

Niro:

“I-I’m sorry sir, but the board of directors told me specifically not to allow personnel to interact with the red core unless they are granted specific access.”

[Hans puts his hand on the nervous Niro’s shoulders and chuckles a bit]

Hans:

“Walt. Buddy. Pal. I understand perfectly clearly what the board members said. But, then again, I’m not just some random employee of the month , am I?”

Niro:

“Hans, I think they also meant high-ranking members-“

Hans:

*sighs* “Niro, I’m gonna give this to you straight. If you like your job here at I.E.E, you’re gonna let me see the red one.”

Niro:

“A..Are you threatening me?”

Hans:

“No. If I was threatening you, I would pull out a gun out of my pocket and force you to surrender what measly salary you’re paid. I am simply exerting my authority and power over you in order to force a situation where you give me what I want or you face severe consequences. Show me the other core, Doctor.”

[Visual: Niro looks slightly shocked, then seems to think for a bit]

Niro:

“Fine.”

Hans:

“Great! I knew you would see my side of things. Also, if you don’t mind, I brought a fan of yours along.”

[Visual:A girl, looking no more than 17 years old, is about 5’11, white skin, lithe physical appearance with soft curves, and purple eyes with black long hair in a free wavy style, is wearing a white scientist coat with a black t-shirt, thin glasses, and gray jeans.  She carries a large bag as she enters the room in a rush, looking like she ran all the way there.]

Nara Wicker (out of breath):

“S-sorry I’m *cough* late, dad.”

Hans:

“It’s okay, sweetie. I just wanted you to meet someone.”

[Visual: Nara’s eyes lit up at the sight of Dr. Niro, and she goes over to shake his hand feverishly.]

Nara:

“You’re the actual Dr. Walt?! I-uh-..I am Nara Walker, I am an engineer and software student in Aurora Tech, and I have actually gotten every book you have wrote in my bag here, let me just-“

[Visual: She accidentally drops some of the books on the floor and quickly scrambles to pick them up. Hans smiles at Niro.]

Hans:

 “Ahh. Clumsy isn’t she?”

Niro:

“She certainly does seem motivated enough. Very nice girl. Smart for her age too.”

Hans

“ I’ve noticed. Speaking of which, I do remember promising her about showing the ‘special project’ the company ha-”

Niro(resigned):

“Yes yes, I will show the red core. Follow me please.”

[Visual: We cut to an almost abnormally thin and rather old (think 59) white man with black hair, about 6’2 tall, with large dark circular spectacles and a black coat with a white shirt underneath, with thin white pants and black shoes, closely studying a large red ball of seemingly calm energy inside a transparent container of glass, except it is fortified with a formidable amount of gray armor, it has turrets trained on the glass from all sides, and a squadron of trained soldiers covered head to toe in all black protective gear which hides their faces and bodies, all white have modern looking assault rifles trained on the glass while the man works. He presses a button on a pad in front of him, which causes two robotic hands to sprout inside the glass with the energy ball. The hands move to touch the ball, which causes it to exert an energy throughout the glass, disintegrating the two hands. This is when the trio of characters from the last scene come in.]

Hans:

“Veno.”

Veno Saner:

“Hans. Good to see you. And you have brought Miss Nara along as well.”

Nara:

“Hi Veno.”

Niro:

“Veno, my colleague. Good to see yo-“

[Visual: Niro goes to handshake Veno, who ignores him and goes over to Hans. Niro sighs. While Hans and Vino talk, Nara notices the red core and is amazed by it and attempts to interact  with it, while the guards try to prevent her from doing so.]

Hans:

“How’s the work?”

Veno:

“I wish I could say it was better. All our tests have  done nothing but just prove that the red core is more hostile than any other type of core we have in the facility. Not even the cores extracted from the most aggressive of androids are this volatile. Putting it in a different environment is a highly dangerous prospect. I’m afraid we will need more time and money before we can properly test it. “

Hans:

“Time is not something we have much of, Veno. I want this thing ready soon, both of the cores should be ready in time for the guys up top to see it. I will not be humiliated by telling them that the cores ‘need more time’. I will not be made a joke by your lack of progress, Saner.

Veno:

“Why not delay the presentation? Stall the directors with a…a product teaser or something. There’s a new vacuum the company’s releasing, use it to distract the-“

Hans:

“Just know that I will be using any core that I feel like the Aurora Civilian Protection Unit needs, regardless of its status or behavior. I just hope for your sake, both of them are stable by that time.”

Veno:

“…I have a dampening agent in my personal lab. We can use it for the red one, but it will weaken it a bit.”

Hans:

“…No. Just try and docile it without the agent. We need it at max power for a full effect. The ACPU needs a strong core. It will get one.”

[Visual: Hans walks over the glass holding the red core and puts his hand on the surface. He smiles slowly.]

Hans:

“Oh yeah. You are going to make me a legend. Soon.”

[Visual: The cores lets out a small burst of electricity, somehow affecting Hans’ hand and causing him to suddenly take it off the glass.]

Hans:

“…Fiesty one.”

[lol-jackles]

I love your musings on the movie industry and actresses. I am interested in your opinion about Tom Holland, if you know anything about him as an actor. I think he's going through a rough patch. A couple years ago he was the most successful and promising young actor. At this point, his career path is very questionable. Several failed projects, including his latest TV series, which he produced himself. Critics trashed him. And on the whole, they don't like him much. I attribute this to an inappropriate remark about Martin Scorsese. He wasn't rude or disrespectful, but still his words were taken by many in a bad light. Now he has returned to the theater. But judging by the record-breaking two hours of ticket sales, I think he's still loved by his fans. But I still don't understand why he's doing so badly with his projects. At the moment he has plans for another spider sequel, possibly uncharted 2 and a Fred Astaire biographical movie. And none of these projects have any definite shooting dates or even a nominally finished plot.

I've only seen a few of Tom Holland's non-Spiderman films and he seemed miscast in those, however, he still gave very good performances.  The great Christopher Lee once said, "Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time, but the trick is never to be terrible in them."

The great Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in the stinker Frankenstein featuring the great Robert Di Niro as the monster. Kennth was also the best thing about the Harry Potter movies as Professor Lovelock. Meryl Streep's performance was praised in Mama Mia for her energy and commitment, despite the overall critical reception of the movie. Denzel Washington pretty much made a career out of elevating projects from the depths of mediocrity into something approaching watchability, and sometimes, even quality.

Tom's current career trajectory reminds me of Michael J. Fox's dark, experimental phase as a traumatized solider and a drug addict mourning the death of his mother and marriage before returning to what he does best: funny everyman. If I was his manager, I would advise him to hire Channing Tatum's agent and take inspiration from Hugh Jackman and embrace his singing and dancing skills and natural comedic timing, so his Fred Astaire project is a good idea. Tom can still do drama and action that is silly and fun. Point Break is silly and also one of the greatest action movies of the 20th century, and it was one of the first clues that Keanu Reeve’s career trajectory is going to be less “Tiger Beat”, and more “walking away from explosions, looking directly at the camera”.

[dr4k3n0]

Memories

A/n: This is kind of a weird backstory in a way that I made up.. But yea enjoy.

Synopsis: You regain your memories of your life with Vash.

Tw: Blood?

Word Count: 2.5k

The sun shone through the small kitchen window, and the aroma of cookies and baked goods took over the small home. With flour and ingredients spewed everywhere, you laughed with the small child as you smeared a bit of flour on their nose. She pouted before running over to a tall figure in red behind the counter as he laughed. Gently wiping the flour off the child's nose, he smiled before putting her down and walking over to you. Kissing you gently, the child made a small gagging noise before you smiled at her and picked her up. 

"Mama wake up!" The child said in a voice that sounded nothing like theirs. 

She repeated it again before you began to wake up. 

You open your eyes to Meryl standing above you. 

"Finally," she said rolling her eyes. Looking around the room and stretching, you feel disappointed realizing it was only a dream. 

I'm having dreams about him now, huh?  You thought. Getting out of bed, you put on your clothes before joining Meryl outside. You walk down the narrow passageway as Meryl talked about the new job you had both gotten while you thought about the dream you had. Who was the figure in red? And why are you having dreams about him now? Who is he?  You continued to think.  Merly snapped her fingers in front of your face snapping you out of your thoughts. 

"What sorry -" You said smiling at her and rubbing the back of your neck shyly. 

Meryl had been your best friend for a while now, you'd known her for most of your college years and you've been friends since. You both had recently gotten a job to write an article about something interesting. You were supposed to go with someone named, Roberto De Niro. Continuing to walk, you made it to where you were supposed to meet your upper-rank supervisor. Meryl introduced herself first while you went after her awkwardly. 

"I'm Meryl," She said shaking his hand. 

"My names Y/n," You said awkwardly without shaking his hand. 

The man rolled his eyes before taking a puff on his cigarette. 

He sighed before saying, "Let's go interns," As he walked to the passenger side of the car.  

Meryl hopped into the driver's seat while you sat in the back. 

The car began to move as you made yourself comfortable in the back. The staticky radio played some random audio while Meryl and Roberto talked a bit in the front. In the back of your mind, the memories of the figure in red flooded your mind as you tried to figure out what this all meant. Is he someone you've met before? Why do you keep having dreams about him? The thoughts flooded your mind as you thought deeply about what these dreams were meaning. With the small bumps of the car and the static in the background, it slowly lolled you to sleep. 

This time you were out walking along a small trail on a road. The figure in red was beside you, you were able to make out his blonde spikey hair but his face was blurred. You should feel a metallic feeling in your hand as you looked down to see the metal arm where his right arm should be located. He looked down at you before hugging you tightly. 

"You'll find me soon my love.." The figure whispered in a calm soothing voice. 

"Wait! What do you mean!?" you shouted as his figure disappeared and everything faded into blackness. 

You slowly opened your eyes and saw that you were still driving. 

You looked out the window again still confused about the dream and what the figure said. 

"What's that?" Meryl said as something caught her eye.  

Looking to where she pointed she began driving over to it to Roberto's dismay. Arriving at what she saw, you saw corpses hanging upside down with a person in a red coat beside them. Getting out of the car she walks up to the corpses with you following close behind her. She walks up to the one in the red and touches the metallic hand. It soon falls off as she quickly tries to put it back on. 

"Whoops... there it goes again," A small voice was heard. Meryl freezes before dropping the arm and running behind you. 

Hearing the familiar voice, you watch the figure as birds swarm around the person tied up and he laughs creepily. Your eyes widen as you see the blonde spikey hair. 

"Wait come back- please! Can you untie me..-?" The figure says desperately. 

You walk up to the figure while Meryl soon hides behind Roberto. Untying the knot at his feet, the figure falls to the ground. 

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" You said holding your hand out for him to take. He smiles before standing up and dusting the sand off of his hair and coat. Watching him closely, you watch as his figure matches the one in your dream almost perfectly but you decide to back up cautiously back to Meryl and Roberto. Soon seeing a group of riders in the distance, they ask you if you've seen a man a wanted with 60 billion double dollars on his head. Meryl told them that he went the other way, as they rode off in the direction she told them. That couldn't be him, could it?

(A/n: I'm doing a time skip because I don't feel like recapping all of TS 💀)

Being a few weeks since you've met the infamous Vash the Stampede, you've come to recruit one more member with the name of Nickolas D. Wolfwood. You all began to travel together. Every day it became a routine to somehow doge the raining gunfire. Even though it was hectic, you began to get a lot of sudden flashbacks and the figure became more clear and looked perfectly like Vash. 

You couldn't explain the flashbacks... all you could remember from them is being in some sort of cell and seeing a smaller Vash without the coat and a strange haircut. Every time it appeared you remembered more and more but only bits and pieces. And the dreams became more vivid and vibrant and the red figure admitted his name was Vash. 

You began to think that maybe, it was just a small crush that you had on him. But it still didn't explain why he was in your dreams before you even met him. All of the little actions he did for you sent butterflies into your stomach. Currently, you were all camping out in the sands with light from a fire and the moon. 

Meryl and Nickolas were bickering again while Vash and Roberto watched on probably making bets on who would win. You began to think more of the flashbacks you had been having before hearing a "lookout" and everything went black. 

You suddenly woke up and everything was black around you. Looking around in the blackness, a trail of lights suddenly appears out of nowhere. You ponder whether you should go to them before ultimately deciding to go to them cautiously. As you got closer and closer to the first one, you saw Vash and his twin with a woman you remembered as Rem. Your smaller figure was sitting beside her before the others got up to play tag. Urging the smaller you to join in, you get up before running after the 2 figures. 

The light disappears as you soon walk to the next one. The second showed Vash, you, and his twin, in a ship speeding down to a planet's surface. It then showed how Vash's twin, Nai/Knives caused the crash. The third light showed your figure following footsteps in a dust storm before finally seeing Vash's collapsed figure and running to it. Your smaller figure kneeled beside him worriedly as riders showed up in the distance. The light disappeared again and you moved on to the fourth one. 

This time, you saw the small Vash with your small figure curled up together and a woman you knew to be, Laida came in a placed a blanket on top of you both. Laida then joined a man in the hallway before shutting the door and leaving. The fifth light showed a slightly older Vash and you and you both were healing the diseased plants. Vash's and your figure had your forehead pressed against the glass as the beautiful flower rested theirs on yours from behind the glass. Soon another light appeared and you ran towards it, eager to see what this one would be. 

Walking up to it, you see the older Vash fighting to protect you and Laida from his twin that had knives growing out of his feet and hands. You watched as Vash made the blackhole (Pretty sure that's what it was called, I can't remember the fancy name..) and was able to shock his twin for a moment before slicing off his arm. The next one showed with Vash as he had just gotten his new metallic arm. He moved his fingers around getting used to the new part of his body before your figure rushed in and hugged him. The light disappears again and you go to the next light. 

The next one was of you both walking hand in hand in the desert collecting firewood and heading back to a camp. Your figures set down the wood which happened to be more sticks than big chunks of wood, while you both sat in the sand beside each other. With Vash's hand wrapped around your waist and him quickly kissing your cheek, flustering the younger you while he laughed. This light disappeared too as you went on to the next light. It showed you battling Knives as you got a lot of head injuries. We were talking about getting slammed into walls and falling off of walls after being thrown into them. 

Being a little disappointed that you weren't really a match against him, you watch as knives grab your hair as Vash finally arrives. Not being able to hear what Vash was saying, his figure looked upset while Knives only smirked. He quickly hit your head harshly with one of his knives knocking you unconscious. Knives disappear before Vash runs to you quickly making sure you were still alive as he hugged your figure in tears. All the lights disappeared and it was dark again. 

Taking all of this in, a new light not as bright as the others soon appeared. You walked towards it as it showed you in a room with an IV in your arm with Laida and Brad walking outside a moment as Vash entered. This time, you were able to hear what he said. 

"I'm going to leave.. You'll be safer if I wasn't around you.. This is goodbye for now," His figure said as he leaned down kissing your lips before walking out of the room on the brink of tears. 

The light disappeared and you have left in the dark again. It all makes sense now.. the memories, the dreams, it all made sense now.. tears left your eyes in sadness but also of joy as you felt the darkness fade away.

Suddenly, your eyes open as you gasp for air. "Their awake!" Meryl exclaimed. 

Looking around for Vash you sit up and hit your head on something above you. You look up seeing that you bumped your head on Vash's chin before realizing you were laying on his lap. 

You smile before hugging Vash tightly and whispering in his ear, "I remember.." His eyes shoot open widely as he cups your face to look at you. 

"Are you serious right now?! You're not messing with me?!" He said excitedly. 

You nodded happily. "I'm sorry that I forgot," You said resting your forehead against his. 

"I'm sorry I left you alone.. I thought it would be best for you to not be around me so that you would be safe," He said sadly. 

Savoring the moment you soon heard a small sound of someone clearing their throat before you turned and looked at the person who made the noise.  

"So uhm.. mind telling us what that was about..-?" Meryl said, still shocked at what she just witnessed.

 You sat embarrassed as your cheeks began to heat up before Vash cut in, "Long story short, she lost her memory and you hitting her in the head with the can, made her remember things. The end." Vash said smiling at them. 

"Wait, wait, wait, you hit me in the head with a can?!" You yelled. 

Meryl and Nickolas quickly pointed at each other blaming the other for it. You sighed as they bickered again while snuggling into Vash's side. 

"I missed this," he sighed happily. 

"What do you mean?" You asked confused. 

"I missed you. I don't know if you remembered all of it but, we've known each other since we were kids I was with you all the time. Being without you for so long, felt boring and empty." He replied. 

"Oh.." was all you replied with.  

"I'm not blaming you for losing your memories Y/n.. I'm just glad you remember now," He said as he squeezes your waist lovingly.

"Hey, can I do something?" He asked looking at you. 

Looking up at him, you nodded and smiled before he stood up and held out a hand for you. He leads you to a small sand dune away from the camp high enough to get a good look at the "stars". You looked up at the sky in awe, he smiled before kissing the top of your head. Looking up at him, he backs off shyly as you smile at him. 

"Sorry- it became a habit for me.." He said looking down.

 You rolled your eyes at his behavior before walking up to him and cupping his face with your hands. 

"And this became a habit for me," You said quickly before pulling him in for a kiss. 

His eyes widened not used to this feeling. He smiled into the kiss as you pulled away from him smiling. 

"You stole my heart again.. even if you already did back then I fell in love with you all over again," You said quietly so that only he could hear. 

He smiled before saying, "Heh, still got it am I right?" 

You chuckled before saying "Sure blondie," Before pecking his lips one more time. 

Standing up straight Vash hugged you from behind before saying,  "I've missed this feeling.." Before burying his head in the crook of your neck. 

You leaned into him as you ran your hands through his hair before saying, "Me too.."

[misskattylashes]

One Man Band Track by Track Review

Right, so I have listened to the album twice. Miles wasn’t lying when he said it was banger after banger. But while the music is upbeat the lyrics are in places dark. Touching on self-doubt, insecurity and loneliness. For me OMB is the yin to CDG's yang. Both confessional (depending on your beliefs – both largely about the same person) but while CDG is an album of heartbreak, OMB is an album of hope. It seems Miles has found himself, and judging by the last track, he has someone who loves and understands him. And well, it all kinds of explains why he is so happy these days.

Troubled Son

This song could essentially be called I am approaching middle age and I am coming to terms with the person I am. Good and bad. Musically this track always reminds me of The Strokes.

Lyrically, despite beating himself up a bit, it is a song of hope. Once you face your own demons you can start to battle them.

This is the song that will get people singing at gigs. The lyrics are relatable to so many of us and it would be quite cathartic sharing the fact you’re a bit fucked up with several thousand people doing the same thing.

The Best is Yet To Come

Miles has admitted this is a song about being on the lash with his mates Big Lou and Romeo. Musically the driving rhythm and backing vocals are reminiscent at times of Queens of the Stone Age. Hard to explain, but this track is the most traditional Miles Kane and could have quite easily come from an earlier album.

One Man Band

Can I just start by saying there are not enough words to describe how much I love this song! Another song of self-reflection. I promise not to make too many comparisons to You Know Who, but as I have said before, the characterisation reminds me a lot of the character in Mr Schwartz. The performer who puts on the front to entertain people and make them happy, whilst hiding a lonely interior. But whilst Mr Schwartz is heart felt ballad. Miles being Miles. One Man Band sounds like sunshine.

Never Taking Me Alive

The most bonkers track on the album. Musically driven by surf guitar, lyrically an excuse for Miles to sing about his Italian American Heroes – De Niro, Pacino and Sinatra. This is a hype song. The sort of song you stick on on your way to a job interview, to pump you up.

Heartbreaks (The New Sensation)

Probably the weakest track, but still a banger. It evokes the image of a former girlfriend back in Miles’ mod day (retro boy trying to chase away time). With its Motown beat, this could have fitted easily into Change The Show. I mean it is a feel good banger, so to say it is the weakest shows how brilliant all the other tracks are.

The Wonder

Okay, anyone who follows me knows who I think The Wonder is about. So I won’t linger on that. In a nutshell, a song about realising a former lover and all the complications they bring is worth it, and this time you are going to put your fears aside and take a chance. The highlight for me are the rich backing vocals at the end, elevating it to almost gospel level.

Baggio

The happiest song in the world. I have analysed this before. In a nutshell, little Miles Kane is enthralled by Roberto Baggio and his flamboyance and realised its fine to be yourself. It is also a tale of hoping to reconnect with a lost love (cough cough)

Ransom

A mellow track about being afraid of falling in love because he is positive he is going to get heartbroken. However the object of his affections has hold of his cynical heart and he can’t afford the ransom, meaning he can’t escape them. A plea for them to be tender with him because he is trying to find a way. The final refrain being ‘cos I’d anything for you’. Whoever they are he loves them big time!

Doubles

I'm sorry but this is a Milex song. A happy upbeat song with Miles telling ‘the person’ that he is scared but he is missing his ‘Two player high’ but he will wait for this person. The middle eight lyrics ‘Never say never, never say never again, never say never I wanna know where it ends, I’m never in doubt when my heart starts to fall, there’s nothing in my life that I have wanted more, anymore’ ahhhh. This is also a sort of dancing in your bedroom alone song. Or maybe that’s just me.

Heal

This is the epic track of the album. With a heavy, rich musical arrangement, it is like the sequel to the Coup de Grace album. Where Miles was heartbroken, disillusioned with life in LA and at his lowest ebb. He acknowledges he needed time to heal to get to the place where he is now. Once again, gospel style backing vocals elevate the track to the next level. It is another song of hope. Facing up to the fact that we all have to endure the shit times in life to become the people we are.

Scared of love

A sweet acoustic ballad, where Miles opens his heart to his lover. Telling them he is sorry for holding back, but they sweetly tell him they understand because they know he is scared of love. Another song of hope. It would seem he has found love and whoever they are, they are there for him to help him fight his demons.

In no way does the last track inspire a fan fic in me.

Total score 5/5

[albiclalepsza]

New York City in the Summer of 1979 - a foreword to The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concert on CD/DVD

I showed up in New York City in the Summer of 1979 and asked a friend who had a tiny apartment on West 90th Street if I could sleep on his couch for a few months while I try to pursue my dream of becoming a fillmmaker. He said yes but... he didn't have a couch. Luckily we found one down the block that was left out with the trash and we hauled it up to our 2nd floor walkup. We dubbed the apartment "the roach motel" and it would be my home for a little while as I set out on my journey. I was 22 years old and began looking for work as a production assistant.

Working on film sets of NY was how I learned my craft. The city looked very different back then. Abandoned buildings and vacant lots on the Upper West Side surrounded our "roach motel". NYC was in disarray but it was exciting and electric. In the Summer of '79, William Freidkin was shooting Cruising with Pacino in the West Village, John Cassavettes was making Gloria with Gena Rowlands, Brian De Palma had Dressed To Kill, Sidney Lumet was shooting Just Tell Me What You Want, and right around the corner from my humble apartment, Scorsese and De Niro were quietly making Raging Bull on Columbus Avenue and 89th Street.

In 1979, NYC was where art was being created 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Films were being made by a new generation of independents. The graffiti of Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiiat and many other artists was on every wall and subway station. Music from punk to disco was exploding in downtown clubs and out onto the streets, changing fashion, language and attitudes.

The city was a mess. It was broke, it was dangerous, but it was alive and filled with young people with a dream. It was a great time and place to be a filmmaker in training. After few day jobs as a production assistant on a couple of movies, I got a call for a position on a music documentary that was in the works. It sounded unbelievable - I was to be right in front of the stage during 5 sold out concerts at Madison Square Garden, on a headset, coordinating between a cameraman and the director. If that wasn't enough, I soon found out the headliner for two of the nights was to be my beloved home state rockers, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. And I was going to be paid 50$ a day for this! I had made it! Dream come true!

Our film crew had a meeting the day before the shows to try to map out who would be where. There were 8 camera crews, but only 2 would be in the pit in front of the stage. Each camera crew had an operator, a camera assistant and a production assistant. All crews were operating hand-held, 16mm cameras that needed to be slated to sync up with the separately recorded sound. Each roll of film was only good for about 9 minutes of shooting before rolling out and then needed a hand thread re-load. This was low tech, old school, documentary movie making at its most challenging. This was FILM. The decisive moment. No second chances. Get the shot or you've missed it forever. No digital cameras that never run out, no giant techno-cranes swooping in, no robotic cable cams flying across the stage, and of course no cell phones. the audience didn't even have still cameras. They were completely locked into what was happening on stage. In the moment.

We all were. This film was 100% hand-made by our crew. It was 100% discovered on the spot. The camera operators had to improvise every second. We captured the moment in its purest form. The music and the energy on stage told us where to go and what to shoot. And in the case of Bruce and the band that energy was almost impossible to keep up with. There are times in the film when the camera crew was either reloading or simply couldn't get to a solo in time (apologies to Stevie for not covering his brilliant guitar solo on "Jungleland"). Several times the action on stage was so fast that out cameras couldn't keep up.

The film you're about to see was shot over two nights. Friday, September 21, 1979, was the first live show for Bruce and the band in the NYC area since the Palladium and The Capitol Theater more than a year before. In 1979 the band was in the studio recording The River album, still looking for their first Top 10 single. There had not been ANY live peformances in 1979. There had never been a Bruce and The E Street Band concert captured live on film this way. It was all about to happen now in Madison Square Garden, the world's most famous arena.

Night two, Saturday September 22, was the evening leading to Bruce's 30th birthday. Magic was in the air. The energy on stage and from the crowd was beyond measure and description. I had been to many great Bruce/ E Street shows before and since but as you will see, that night in The Garden has to be at at the top of the list. Pure adrenalin. "That rush moment that you live for" was about to unfold. As Bruce turned from 29 to 30 years old in front of 20,000 screaming fans at MSG we witness one of the greatest live rock shows on the world's biggest stage.

My crew's position was in the pit, center/stage right, meaning right in between Clarence and Bruce. The Saturday night show opened with poet and songwriter Gil-Scot Heron, then reggae musician Peter Tosh in a cloud of pot smoke. Next a beautiful set by the great Bonnie Raitt followed by kick-ass Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.

But the crowd and the night belonged to Bruce. There was a short break to prepare the stage for Bruce and the band - Roy, Max, Danny, Steve and Clarence.

The anticipation was building. Chants of "BRUUUUUUUCE" had been filling the Garden all evening. We got our camera ready. The first few shots of the film are the Garden crowd. Then a close up of yours truly in the pit in front of the stage, headset on, big smile, ready to roll. This is not the language of a conventional concert film. This film is raw. Camera operators responding to the energy and emotion in the moment. True cinema verité. The best of documentary filmmaking. No rehearsal. No stage marks. No choreography. No plan. We show up and shoot. Whatever will happen on stage no one knows. There was magic in the room those two nights. I will never forget it. I'm so glad it's been rescued from the archives for all to share. Enjoy the show. And belated happy 30th birthday, Bruce.

All my best, Jon Kilik

[zappedbyzabka]

Joanie becomes a model during high school. Gets to wear all the fashionable clothes, walk on stages, and everyone wants her on their arm for every event and outing. People write songs for her, she gets to ride in fast cars, eat fancy food she doesn't like, but the best time she has is when she gets to go home and her cobras fall over themselves to welcome her home and please her.

As it should be tbh, she’s been through enough. And who could say no to this angel? (actually a devilish gamine.)

Like I said before, she makes connections. Knows how to charm rich people (and when she makes a mistake, smiling coyly or giving a pouty little “I’m sorry” can work wonders if they don’t know her personally.) Simply bewitches with her whole coquettish mask. Uses her manners when it suits her then goes home later and manspreads on the couch. (Is all that room between her feet tempting for her Cobras to kneel between? Always. Whether they want her hands caressing their scalp with their cheek pressed to her silky thigh or want strands ripped out by her while they drown between her legs.)

She was scouted by modeling agents more than once.

Once at the mall when she was kicking it with the Cobras, and another time at a banquet.

And She was told often that she should be a model, but she usually just scoffed thinking people were either just being kind or trying to get in her pants.

Then she really started doing it, and boy did she grow a fanbase (and get some of her own money🙏)

Love letters from guys, girls, and those in between and over. It’s fun to be a heartthrob and tease.

She runs wild at concerts. Every single rockstar she loved, she met, or tries to meet...which isn’t as hard when you’re a cute vixen in a bunch of ads, some where you’re in a skirted bikini with your mile-long legs out.

( Actors too: Val Kilmer, Robert De Niro, Jason Gedrick, etc. The more she met, the more she could meet.)

Obviously, she’s had a song written about her, and the Cobras theorize that there’s even more she isn’t aware of, she thinks that’s unrealistic.

“You have four people—at the very least—that treat you like a queen; is it really that farfetched?”

Le Mans...Jaguars...Porches... Every kind of car and scene—she loves the fast ones. She’s ridden with literal race car drivers and unsurprisingly, has been in monster trucks.

Livin’ the lavish life.

All these things, and still what she loves and needs most is the feeling of coming home to her Cobras and lounging in their love.

[fandomtransmandom]

Bill Hader's Favorite Movies of 2023🎥

I still haven’t seen “Poor Things” or “All of Us Strangers,” both of which I hear are great. That said:

“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” — I think this came out in 2022, but I saw it this year and loved it. It turned me on to her photography, which is phenomenal.

“Anatomy of a Fall” — That couple fighting in the kitchen was so well written, directed, and acted I thought I was going to have a panic attack. And Milo Machado Graner’s performance is beautiful.

“Beau is Afraid” — This felt like the nightmare a nervous guy has before he visits his overbearing mother. One of the boldest American films I’ve seen in years. Kylie Rodgers drinking that paint! Jesus…

“The Boy and the Heron” — A legend! I like how he animates gusts of wind.

“El Conde” — Ed Lachman’s cinematography is gorgeous. And the visual effects are very well done.

“Evil Dead Rise” — I’m a sucker for “The Evil Dead” movies. I’ll never look at a cheese grater the same again.

“Fallen Leaves” — Simple and beautiful storytelling. Their first date is one of my favorite scenes of the year.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” — One of my heroes adapting one of my favorite contemporary authors, I went in with big expectations and was completely knocked out. Scorsese somehow continues to discover new moves in his storytelling. I’ve never seen a love story like this in his movies. And the banality of evil that De Niro portrays I haven’t seen either; it’s usually Biblical evil! It’s very inspiring. And it was nice seeing the light and the land of my home state faithfully captured on film.

“May December” — Unbelievable performances from everyone. Natalie Portman’s recreation of the letter! Stoned Charles Melton on the roof! And Julianne Moore continues to prove she might be the best living actor in the world. I’ve always been a huge Todd Haynes fan, and this is one of his best.

“Showing Up” — Kelly Reichart is a national treasure. Her films have the simplicity/complexity of a great short story. I love the sound in her movies. A campfire in one of her movies sounds different from campfires in most movies (although I don’t think there’s a campfire in this one).

“Talk to Me” — What a great idea for a horror movie! I said, “Oh no” out loud multiple times while watching it alone in my house.

“The Zone of Interest” — I can honestly say I’ve loved every movie Jonathan Glazer has made — all four of them! He’s so confident in his instincts. Like that opening title! The static camera. The sound design. The music! All the withholding. It adds up to an experience I’ve never had watching a movie. And all I do is lay around like a slob watching movies, so that’s really saying something.

Thank you @martymcdie88mph for bringing this to my attention❤️