#rouge 1987

[dailylesliec]

[TRANSLATION] Art and Piece Issue 16 - Stanley Kwan about Leslie Cheung

“Seeing Leslie with my own eyes made me realise there really are some guys in this world who are truly beautiful.”

BORN ELEGANT AND FLAMBOYANT TO THE END

Stanley Kwan - Director of "Rouge"

I am Stanley Kwan. I directed the film “Rouge, " where Gor- gor and Mui Jeh (Anita) starred. I really miss having these old friends around - just watching their movies or listening to their music brings all the memories back. Leslie and Anita both had their Unique Elegance and were a perfect match for Rouge. I saw Leslie’s most beautiful side, and at the same time bore witness to the trembling of his two hands.

I first worked with Gor-gor in “Nomad” directed by Patrick Tam. I was the assistant director. Seeing Leslie with my own eyes made me realise there really are some guys in this world who are truly beautiful. I was initially not attached to “Rouge” - Golden Harvest had initially set Terry Tong as the director and even the cast had been finalised, with the actors being Anita, Adam Cheng, Andy Lau and Cherie Chung. But the script took too much time, and Director Tong had other projects to attend to. Excluding Anita, the whole cast left one by one as well, and I took over the film. I thought long and hard about who could play Master Twelve. At the time Ekin Cheng was just starting out. After seeing him work with Lawrence Ng, I wondered if I should cast Lawrence for the role. Ah Mui saw me struggling and suggested, “What if I tell Mr Ho (TN: the film producer & founder of Golden Harvest) that I’ll do a movie for Cinema City in exchange for Leslie doing this film?”

Leslie was very creative. As an example, he and Anita were really close, so in a scene where they were smoking opium, he put his hand on her chest. He knew she wouldn’t object or say anything, and she too thought that was what the scene needed. I could feel the tacit understanding between the two of them - it was easy to see working on “Rouge”, and I found that they didn’t even need to discuss much. In 2001, I began work on a film titled “Scenery Against the Light”. Both Leslie and Anita expressed their interest in the story and contents of the film, but I’ve never been efficient in working on scripts. By 2002 when I reached out to both of them again, they both had their own issues even before the script was ready. I was shocked.

I usually saw Leslie on occasions where a few of us were doing a gathering at his house or an event arranged by Florence, but we’d always talk. We had a lot in common to talk about, not necessarily deeply personal things like family, but we talked a lot about our personal feelings and thoughts about living, including our careers: Leslie also “suffered” a lot to get to where he was in his career. The first time I found out about his hands trembling was at a dinner gathering too. Originally, “Lust, Caution” was going to be directed by Edward Yang instead of Ang Lee. He thought Leslie was really suitable for the role, so I arranged a dinner gathering for him in late 2002.

The dinner was very casual and we kept talking even after the meal had ended. Leslie tucked his hands under his thighs. His whole body was trembling. He was paying attention, but his attentiveness... it was almost like he was in a trance. After Director Yang left, I asked Leslie why he was so nervous. Leslie said he wasn’t scared of Edward Yang, but I still saw his shaking hands. He never explained why.

That incident is nowhere near my most unforgettable memory of Leslie though. The most vivid picture in my mind is the scene in “Rouge” where he turns around and smiles after walking up the stairs. When I watched the playback, a voice behind me suddenly asked, “Really pretty, right?” Before I turned around, I could already tell it was Leslie’s voice. It really was very pretty - that elegant, playful feeling was really something else. He was brilliant.

His brilliance remains unchanged even throughout these 20 years. Be it Leslie or Anita, fans are still willing to see them as friends. I, too, don’t think they’re that far from us. It’s just like they went abroad to study, to live, to spend their days. When the 4K restored version of “Rouge” was broadcast in cinemas earlier, I went to go watch it again. It really feels like I didn’t film the movie thirty-something years ago. It’s like I was still filming last week.

Translated by me (@dailylesliec on Twitter/Tumblr), do not repost without credit. If you like this translation, consider following me or buying me a Ko-fi. For the formatted PDF version of this article, click here.

[lewadjamalam]

rouge 1987

[neoyan]

胭脂扣 导演 关锦鹏

[sacredwhores]

Stanley Kwan - Rouge (1987)

[theersatzcowboy]

Rouge / 胭脂扣 (1987)

Love doesn’t end with death, it just transforms. Two taken-too-soon Cantopop icons (and real-life close friends) bring real intimacy to this gorgeous ghost / love story, which switches between 1930s and 1980s Hong Kong.

Director: Stanley Kwan

Cinematographer: Bill Wong

Starring: Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Alex Man, Irene Wan

[planetmarxshmellow]

Haven't posted in a hot minute 🐧

[aurazoo]

taking myself on a movie date

[rwpohl]

meditationen über don quijote s. 05 - 101, Ästhetik in der Straßenbahn, José Ortega y Gasset, bd. 224 "volk und welt spektrum", Verlag Volk und Welt Berlin 1987

[manderley]

Anita Mui & Leslie Cheung in Rouge (1987) -  胭脂扣

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Queen - The Show Must Go On 1991

Innuendo is the fourteenth studio album by the British rockband Queen, released on 4 February 1991. It was the band's last album to be released in lead singer Freddie Mercury's lifetime. It reached the number 1 spot on the UK album charts for two weeks, and also peaked at number 1 in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, staying at the top for three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, and eight weeks, respectively. It was the first Queen album to go Gold in the US upon its release since The Works in 1984.

The album was recorded between March 1989 and November 1990. In the spring of 1987, Mercury had been diagnosed with AIDS, although he kept his illness a secret from the public and denied numerous media reports that he was seriously ill. The band and producers were aiming for a November or December release date in order to catch the crucial Christmas market, but Mercury's declining health meant that the release of the album did not take place until February. Nine months after the album was released, Mercury died of AIDS-derived bronchopneumonia.

"The Show Must Go On" was written by Brian May, based on a chord sequence he had been working on. May decided to use the sequence, and both he and Mercury decided the theme of the lyrics and wrote the first verse together. From then on May finished the lyrics, completed the vocal melody and wrote the bridge, inspired by Pachelbel's Canon. The song chronicles the effort of Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his life. When the band recorded the song in 1990, Mercury's condition had deteriorated to the point that May had concerns as to whether he was physically capable of singing it. May recalls; "I said, 'Fred, I don't know if this is going to be possible to sing.' And he went, 'I'll fucking do it, darling' — vodka down — and went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal".

The song was initially not released as a single as part of promotion for the Innuendo album, but was released in October 1991 as the band launched their Greatest Hits II album. The video for the song featured a compilation of clips from all their videos since 1982. Due to Mercury's critical health at the time of its production, a fresh appearance by the band in a video was not possible.

"The Show Must Go On" was released as a single in the UK on 14 October 1991, just six weeks before Mercury died. Following his death on 24 November 1991, the song re-entered the British charts and spent as many weeks in the top 75 (five) as it did upon its original release, initially reaching a peak of 16. In 1992, the song was released as a double A-side with "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the US and reached number 2 in the US.

It was first played live on 20 April 1992, during The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performed by the three remaining members of Queen, with Elton John singing lead vocals and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi playing rhythm guitar. A different live version featuring Elton John on vocals later appeared on Queen's Greatest Hits III album.

Since its release, the song has appeared on television and film, including Moulin Rouge!.

"The Show Must Go On" received a total of 85,2% yes votes! Previous Queen polls: #29 "Mustapha"

[talesfromthecrypts]

FAVOURITE FIRST WATCHES OF SEPTEMBER

tagged by @celine-song (yay!!)

The Substance (2024) dir. Coralie Fargeat

Dinner in America (2020) dir. Adam Rehmeier

Rouge (1987) dir. Stanley Kwan

Oddity (2024) dir. Damian McCarthy

Rebel Ridge (2024) dir. Jeremy Saulnier

The Night of the Hunted (1980) dir. Jean Rollin

tagging @meduseld, @marks-hoffman, @hellboys, @andfangs

[ezgurple]

hello!! is there a Mona Lisa in your au? shes one of my all-time favorite TMNT characters (both the 2012 and 1987 versions) and since youre my favorite TMNT artist, im super curious about what she'd look like in your style :D

yesss but no 🤨 im still not sure on how i want mona lisa to be in my au yet, and since i have no idea i cant rlly come up with one design... all i have is this old thingy and i dont rlly like it

idk wut do u guys think???? I NEED ideasss.. someone awhile back said it would be cute to make her similar to rouge the bat •_• ?? shrugz

[mysticheathenn]

How Are You Outgrowing Your Oldself?

Hi, Hexlings!

This pick-a-card reading is about who are you becoming by releasing your old self and the many blessings that come with releasing your old self. This is a Patreon Reading for all tiers.

Remember to take what resonates and leave what does not. This reading does not supplement your need to seek professional help and is for entertainment purposes.

Take your time when choosing your pile. Ask yourself the question and choose the picture that you can’t stop looking at. Listen to your intuition.

Extended Patreon Includes:

How are you outgrowing your old self?

What changes will occur from releasing your old self?

Extra Messages

MasterList

Patreon Link

Ko-Fi Donations

Sidenote: Love reading will be posted tomorrow

Who are you now? Tarot: 4 of Cups, Death, 8 of Swords, Queen of Wands (reversed), 5 of Wands, Ace of Swords (reversed)

This is my mental pile and when I mean mental I am not speaking crazy...unless you feel that way then carry on. When I say mental I mean you are constantly always in your head and not for the better. The phrase "I'm thinking" as someone says "That can't be good" may refer to you whenever you think because it's never a good thing. You're either dealing with imposter syndrome, self-doubt, low self-esteem, lack mentality, or just a doubt in your overall being as if you were placed on this earth to just exist and die. That's not true pile l. Some of you probably resist change because you fear success or failure. Some of this may have been residing in you since childhood/adolescence. While others of you this has been developing constantly over time as an adult just festering waiting to pop. Waiting for you to break. But then some of you are just comfortable in your little corner...Cinderella may have been your favorite movie or you probably resonate with her a lot, growing up in a "Be seen and not heard" household. The Song "In My Own Little Corner - Brandy (Cinderella) song is playing in my head Link to Song. The thing is I feel a lot of you have amazing dreams, ideas, and goals that you want to achieve but won't go after it because of what others or worse yourself have implanted in your head. You were meant for change,. You are not meant to be hidden in a corner because "No one puts baby in the corner" - Dirty Dancing (1987 Link to clip) If you haven't seen the original you are missing out. I feel the movie will speak to you, especially the main female character. Patreon Post Link

Pile ll:

Who are you now? Tarot: 10 of Pentacles, 9 of Pentacles, The Magician (reversed), Page of Cups, 4 of Wands, 5 of Cups (reversed)

Two different energies in this group...first one is "All About the Benjamins Baby" (Song Clip) is the phrase I heard in my head. Some of you possibly could have gone through a breakup or at least someone betrayed you whether it's your trust, or just hurt you in general that you closed yourself off to love and happiness and started chasing money instead. IF this isn't you then you are part of the very few who believe that they can't have it all. Similar to pile one but with different energy. Believing that the house with the picket fence dog and kids is not in your future, financial abundance is not in your future and etc. But overall I am getting the vibe that this pile is trying to get their money up. Fuck love and happiness, you can cry in a Ferrari or private jet later when you get your money up. I feel you pile ll I definitely feel you on that. Yea some of you something or someone betrayed you because the quote from Moulin Rouge movie "Betrayal. When love is for the highest bidder, there can be no trust. Without trust, there can be no love." just played in my head (Link to clip) (Sidenote: Amazing movie, be warned it is a musical and a tearjerker). Overall you don't know how and who to trust. Whichever side you are on if you are all about the benjamins you don't know how to trust others anymore and on your "demon time" , city girls, hot girl summer, era or those who agree more on not believing good things will happen for them you don't know how to trust yourself, god, the divine, universe, etc. You are operating in an energy that you truly don't believe or is who you are. Some of you probably listen to the music but don't fully resonate with the lyrics because you are a lover and giver at heart. Patreon Post Link

Pile lll:

Who are you now? Tarot: King of Swords, Ace of Swords, Page of Swords, 5 of Swords, 3 of Swords (reversed), Ace of Pentacles (reversed)

"It's all in my head. I think about it over and over again" - Over and Over by Nelly Ft Time McGraw (Song Link). Omg pile lll I hate being in your energy right now because I feel anxious, depressed, and just so many other mental things. You literally have nothing but swords in your deck and one pentacle. In case you aren't into tarot swords is all about the mental (beliefs, attitude, consciousness, etc). It's like you are constantly thinking a mile a minute. You never shut off your brain it's one thing or another. Either way, you are your own enemy. No one else. You remind me of another reading I did recently so this message may still be for some of you who didn't hear the first time this message came around. You are causing your depression, anxiety, etc. You are your own competition and nobody else is even though you believe that you have competition. You really don't you might be the type of person who hates going to public places like the gym or grocery shopping because you feel everyone is judging you or thinking about you when in reality they are thinking about what are they going to do later on or if they need to take a poop. Social anxiety is definitely here in this pile (remember I'm not a doctor so take head to any mental disorders or illness I mention). I See perfectionism as well. This may stem from parents growing up not accepting anything less than 100% on anything you did. Storytime: I had a friend who made a 95 on a test and his dad asked where is the other 5 points. You may have grown up in that kind of environment that led to this or this could have developed over time once you joined the workforce and had bosses and etc in your face constantly telling you horrible things, etc. I am going to say this to you pile lll. Do the thing. Do it scared. Do it unprepared. Do it with no experience. Do it. Do it. Do it. Nike that hoe. It will bring you abundance but you will never know because you are constantly overthinking everything and dealing with perfectionism. Patreon Post Link

I hope you enjoyed this reading. Thanks to everyone who likes, reblogs my posts, and joins my Patreon. I always appreciate you <3.

Until Next time stay blessed and be safe.

[la-femme-au-collier-vert]

IWTV Season 2 Sources & References

(The 1st 4 were cited by the Writer’s Room)

The Ethnic Avante-Garde: Minority Cultures and World Revolution by Steven S. Lee

Paris Journal 1944-1955 by Janet Flanner (Genet)

The Vampire: A Casebook by Alan Dundes

Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery

The Fly cited by Jacob Anderson

King Lear by Shakespeare cited by Rolin Jones

Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin

Sebastien Melmoth by Oscar Wilde

Amadeus (1984)

The Lost Boys (1987)

Gaslight (1944)

Batman

Casablanca (1942)

Now, Voyager (1942)

The Third Man (1949) cited by Levan Akin

An American in Paris by George Gershwin (1928) cited by Daniel Hart

Moulin Rouge (2001)

The Phantom of the Opera

Les Vampires (1915)

Dracula (1931) credit to @vampchronicles_ on twt

Le Triomphe de L’amour by Pierre de Marivaux

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin cited by Jacob Anderson

Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean Paul Sartre

Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Vampire’s Kiss (1988) credit to @talesfromthecrypts

Les Morts ont tous le Meme Peau by Boris Vian credit to @greedandenby

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Barclay Beckett credit to @rorscachisgay on twt

An Enemy of the People by Ibsen

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Vie de Voltaire by Marquis Condorcet

Simone de Beauvoir: A Critical Introduction by Edward Fullbrook and Kate Fullbrook credit to @iwtvfanevents

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes credit to @iwtvfanevents

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Artists and Salons Referenced:

R-26

Palma Vecchio

Andre Fougeron

Elsa Triollet

Fred Stein

Lisette Model

Gordon Parks

Miguel Barcelo

Taxidermied Javelina by Chris Roberts-Antieau

Ai WeiWei (wallpaper)

David Hockney (Lemons)

Wols 

The Kiss of Judas by Jakob Smits

Salome by Louis Icart

Ophelia by John Everett Millais

Shelter by Peter Macon

The Kiss by Edvard Munch

The Vampire or Love and Pain by Edvard Munch credit @iwtvasart

Ruiter on Horse by Reiger Stolk credit @ iwtvasart

Portrait of Frank Burty Haviland by Modigliani credit @iwtvasart

Self-Seers II (Death and Man) by Egon Schiele credit to @90sgreggaraki

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters by Goya

Movie & Play Posters on set (in chronological order by year):

Tarzan and his Mate (1934)

Avec le Sourire (1936)

Les Deux Gosses (1936)

Le Jour Se Leve (1939) about a man who commits murder as a result of a love triangle and locks himself in his apartment recounting the details as the police attempt to arrest him. Credit to @laisofhyccara

Nuit de Décembre (1940)

Mademoiselle Swing (1942) about a girl who follows a troupe of swing musicians to Paris.

Les Enfents du Paradis (1945) about a woman with many suitors including an actor and an aristocrat.

Fantomas (1946) about a sadistic criminal mastermind. This version includes a hideout in the catacombs where he traps people.

Quai des Orfevres (1947) watch here

Monsieur Vincent (1947)

Le Cafe du Cadran (1947) about a wife’s affair with a violinist.

La Kermesse Rouge (1947) film about a jealous artist who locks up his younger wife and a fire breaks out while she’s trapped.

Morts Sans Sepulture by Jean-Paul Sartre (play) also published in English translations as “The Victors” or “Men Without Shadows” about resistance fighters captured by Vichy soldiers struggling not to give up information.

Mon Faust by Paul Valery (play)

Musical Influences:: @greedandenby collected all music used in Season 2 here.

Henry Cowell

Meredith Monk

Howling’ Wolf

Shirley Temple

Jason Lindner Big Band

The Teeth

Carlos Salzedo

Alice Coltrane

Thelonius Monk

David Lang

Caroline Shaw

Gadfly by Shostakovich (for Raglan James)

musical career of Martha Argerich

Season 1 here (these lists are updated regularly)

Season 3 here

[proxylynn]

[In 1987, Litwak's Family Fun Center and Arcade on Route 83 got a new game... "Danger Dan, the Action Man!" This was a knockoff of "The Adventures of Bayou Billy" but with some tweaks to make it its own thing.

The plot: Daniel Storm, otherwise known as Danger Dan, has been boasting of his exploits and bravado much to his girl-friend's, Lynn, annoyance. A rouge gang, in retaliation for hearing Dan trash-talking them, kidnaps Lynsie in order to lure Dan into putting his money where his mouth is. Dan's quest to save Lynsie consists of ten stages that take him across the country, as he battles thugs and eventually arrives at the gang's HQ to come face-to-face with the big boss himself.

A normal by-the-book "rescue the damsel" type game which was the standard in that era and one that wasn't too hard to either. Which, for a time, kept it fairly popular with kids as the ease of difficulty made it less frustrating when GAME OVERs happened. But by the 1990s, older kids started to turn away from such games. Rescue the Girl games were seen as lame, and when the character lore didn't match, it made things worse.

"Lynsie "Lynn" is Dan's partner and crush. A soft-spoken brawler with a heart of gold; she met Dan rather awkwardly...Saving him when he was ganged up on after running his mouth to a group of bikers. Taking pity on him and thinking his smugness was kind of endearing, she acts as the peacekeeper to Dan's pride so he isn't beaten to a pulp daily."

This made no sense to players considering the game had her waiting at the end of every stage, in a room, by herself, and merely taken away again when Dan reached the end. She was built up to be strong but the game made her helpless, used like bait dangled to keep Dan going as if she was a reward.

By 1993, "Danger Dan, the Action Man!" was unplugged and removed from the arcade after the game had softlocked in a state that even resetting couldn't fix. To the people of the arcade, it was sad to see one of the older games go. But the reality was way sadder than any would know.]

[In the game was a different story. Lore and programming clashed as Lynsie and Dan were the opposite of what the game implied. They weren't friends, that died after the first year the game was plugged in. Hell, Dan resented Lynsie, the idea that she was stronger than him but he had to save her pissed him off. Lynsie hated her situation, feeling helpless as her program made her timid and prone to being easily intimidated. Something Dan would take advantage of to keep her under control and in the game while he would go out to socialize.

Things only got worse when the players started making comments about the inconsistency and making criticizing remarks. This only made Dan more abusive and degrading to Lynsie. But there's only so much pressure a mind can take before snapping. After hearing another snarky player complain about how she was bad for just letting herself be taken then followed by Dan reinforcing how she was pathetic and only good for just standing around, she broke. She broke free of her program and of the level, running from Dan while the player could only question what was going on till the screen froze when she hit Dan into objects he couldn't interact with during gameplay.

Once in Game Central Station, she was lost and sought help, but none would go near her. In the years of her isolation, Dan had made a good reputation for himself with the other games and painted her poorly. That and, she was in the dark about an incident that happened shortly before her game was brought in. So when she tried to tell her side, she'd be shot down for either slandering Dan or for "going Turbo".

Homeless and now in a strange place with people who don't trust her, she isolated herself to avoid persecution, delving deep into places not frequented. It was there in the bowels of Game Central Station that she would be found by another in a similar state as her... Turbo. At first, his plan was to gain her trust and use her as a disposable tool, something to make his own situation a little better till he could find something better. But as the years went by, that idea changed. She changed. She grew bitter that the others dismissed her without bothering to understand her side. So when Turbo offered her a chance to take part in his plans, she took it.

Out of her game, her forced submissive program was gone and her true strength came out. She didn't back down to him when he got snippy and called him out when it was clear he was doing/did something wrong. Yet when it came to hearing him out about what happened with RoadBlasters she, to his surprise, didn't think less of him. Sure, she ragged on him for doing something so impulsive and reckless, that was a given, but that's it. And when she opened up about what happened to her he genuinely felt sympathy, and coming from him that was something. He came to respect her.

One day in 1997, the news spread of a new racing game coming to the arcade. This was the moment Turbo was waiting for, the reason he had been learning a thing or two about coding from the missions he'd been sending her out on to gather information. So while other games were busy with their own worlds, the moment that "Sugar Rush" was plugged in, the pair immediately sneaked into the game and took it over before any players had a chance to play it. This was a chance to start over. To reinvent themselves. To have lives they can be happy with. Turbo, with his love of importance and pride, became King Candy, the top racer and monarch of the kingdom. Lynsie, wanting to be useful but avoiding player attention, became Lindell Coco, the royal maid and secret enforcer of the King.

And it worked. With everyone's memories locked up, the pair were just normal parts of the game. No more hiding. No more lurking in the shadows. No more feeling empty and disconnected. They had a game to call home. This was THEIR game. And all it took was to ruin the life of a little princess whose home they now occupied as theirs.

Sure hope nothing bad happens.]

{Once again, I created a self-insert with a fucked up history. Why do I do this to versions of myself?! *sigh* For Lynn's design; I wanted to go for strong but approachably warm. She's sweet but miserable, masking her pain with a smile. With Lin; I took some aspects of my original concept, the redesign sketch from my friend @cdream25, and the uncanniness of Victorian porcelain maid dolls. She is almost eerily nice, sugarcoating her actions while being snarky and cold when pushed.

I like the idea of her being protective Turbo/King Candy and harboring feelings for him but is uncertain if the feelings are real or not, unsure if what she feels is just due to being with him for so long or if he coded her this way when they implemented themselves into the game. Like, Turbo found her and saw vulnerability, using their isolation and familiarity to mold her into making him her prerogative. Considering he reprogrammed Sugar Rush to all connect to him, it would be so like him to do so with her too. So it's an internal turmoil.

Speaking of which, she is connected to him in the code (represented by the candy wrapper bow), so when he glitches out as he does in the movie she does too. I kinda envision this leading to her having a fight with Calhoun when her true identity is revealed, because, why not have two powerful women fight? Double boss fight, that's why! I haven't settled on how her fate goes, whether she dies or not, but that's not important to me at the moment. I hope to thoughts that have read this far that you like this wacky gal of mine.}

{For a bonus, the raw pics of them so you can see all the details.}

[illdowhatiwantthanks]

HOT 100 HCs: Emily Prentiss

Friends. Colleagues. I am starting a new thing (but not ending any old things, don't worry babes). I'm calling it HOT 100 Headcanons. Basically, I've created playlists for characters that include all the songs that they love and/or have shaped them in some way. I take cues from the canon characters (for example, canon Emily was a rocker in high school, so her playlist includes quite a bit of rock).

I don't know if anyone else will enjoy this or care about it and, frankly, I don't care. I really enjoyed making it, and I really do believe it's doing deep dives like this that help you really get to know a character (or your HC of them, anyway). Enjoy, if you're into that kind of thing!

HOT 100 HCs: Emily Prentiss

Note(s): When I think of the Criminal Minds characters, I always think of them as being Elite Team-age in the present. If Paget Brewster’s age roughly equals Emily’s, then Emily joined the BAU when she was 36/37. If we move the Elite Team timeline up so it starts in 2024, she’d have been born in 1987. That’s the date I work from when calculating these Hot 100 Lists.

(Also, the first parentheses is the date the song was released. The second is the age Emily was when it was released.)

Nat King Cole, “Nature Boy” (March 29, 1948) (N/A)

Emily’s grandfather didn’t have tapes or CDs at his chalet in the French Alps, but he did have a turntable, and Nat King Cole was one of his favorites to spin. Now it always reminds Emily of him. She still likes to spin Nat King Cole and dance with you in the living room.

2. Édith Piaf, “Milord” (May 8, 1949) (N/A)

Another record straight from her grandfather’s house. They listened to a lot of Édith Piaf, but this was her favorite as a little girl. She thought it was funny, and it helped her learn how to do uvular trills, since French wasn’t her first language.

3. Juliette Gréco, “Sur les quais du vieux Paris” (October 1951) (N/A)

Little Emily didn’t get to go to Paris much, mostly just as a stopover on the way to her grandfather’s. But whenever her grandfather brought her back to her mom, he’d take her around Paris for a day, and she always thought it was the most magical place in the world.

4. Georges Brassens, “Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit” (February 2, 1956) (N/A)

Her grandfather played classical-style guitar and loved the work of Georges Brassens. He often played it and sang for Emily. Georges Brassens was a significantly better singer than her grandfather was, but sometimes Emily wishes she had a recording of her grandfather instead of Brassens. Nevertheless, listening to it still reminds her of sitting with him on the hillsides while he played.

5. Léo Ferré, “L’affiche rouge” (February 1961) (N/A)

Another favorite of Emily’s grandfather. He was a star of French chanson, a folk music tradition driven heavily by lyrics, almost like poetry put to music. Her grandfather would sometimes read her the poems first and then play her the songs afterward.

6. Marie Laforêt, “Marie douceur, Marie colère” (1966) (N/A)

One of Emily’s first favorite rock songs. She heard this version long before she even knew who Mick Jagger was and, to this day, she could defend in a dissertation-length essay why Marie Laforêt’s lyrics are better than the original.

7. Jacqueline Taieb, “Le cœur au bout des doigts” (1967) (N/A)

A dancing-in-the-living-room standby for Emily at her grandfather’s.

8. Patty Pravo, “La bambola” (May 1968) (N/A)

Emily didn’t discover this one until she lived in Italy, but it’s a perfect sad song, great for dramatically belting in your room or in the car. Which is exactly what she did for months after the asshole of a boy who knocked her up dropped her and she had to go through the abortion process almost alone.

9. Maxime Le Forestier, “San Francisco” (1971) (N/A)

One of the “newest” records her grandfather owned. He only conceded to buying it because Maxime Le Forestier covered so much of Georges Brassens’ work. He ended up loving it. Emily’s first instinct is still to pronounce “San Francisco” like Le Forestier does in this song.

10. Meat Loaf, “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (October 21, 1977) (N/A)

Inexplicably, Meat Loaf is one of the only English-speaking artists that Emily’s grandfather liked.

11. Lio, “Le Banana Split” (November 1979) (N/A)

Her grandfather hated this song so much, but she loved it, so he bought it for her anyway. Teeny baby Emily could not get enough of the word “banana,” in any language.

12. Grover Washington, Jr., “Just the Two of Us (feat. Bill Withers)” (1980) (N/A)

Emily’s mom loves Bill Withers. One of Emily’s best memories of childhood is dancing to this song with her mom. Now her favorite memory is dancing to it with you at your wedding.

13. Yazoo, “Only You” (August 16, 1982) (N/A)

A regular on Emily’s mom’s boom box when Emily was young.

14. Metallica, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (July 27, 1984) (N/A)

Discovered during *Emily's teen rock era.*

15. Madonna, “Into the Groove” (July 15, 1985) (N/A)

Emily’s mom is a big Madonna fan, so there was a lot of Madonna in little Emily’s house.

16. Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Cities in Dust” (April 21, 1986) (N/A)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

17. Berlin, “Take My Breath Away” (May 13, 1986) (N/A)

Top Gun was Emily’s mom’s favorite movie for a solid decade of her childhood, so Emily was very familiar with the music. This song was her favorite.

18. Alannah Myles, “Black Velvet” (March 14, 1989) (1)

Emily will tell you that she remembers being young and trying on her mom’s makeup in front of the mirror to this song.

19. Metallica, “Enter Sandman” (August 12, 1991) (3)

Discovered during *Emily's teen rock era.*

20. Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (September 26, 1991) (3)

Didn’t discover Nirvana until her teen years, but Nevermind remains one of her favorite albums of all time.

21. Lara Fabian, “Je Suis Malade” (1994) (6)

Tiny little Emily heard this in a café in Paris with her mom and begged her mom to buy it on vinyl so she could bring it to her grandfather’s. Her mom obliged, mostly to shut her up, and Emily spent all summer listening to it. It was the first song that ever gave her chills. She still knows every word, still loves to belt it in the car, and still swears up and down that Lara Fabian’s version is better than Celine Dion’s.

22. Tori Amos, “Cornflake Girl” (January 31, 1994) (6)

Emily’s mom went through a real Tori Amos phase. Little Emily genuinely thought this song was about cereal and asked her mom to play it over and over again.

23. Beck, “Loser” (March 1, 1994) (6)

Little Emily loved the slide guitar and that the song said “loser,” which her mom did not let her call anyone.

24. Bush, “Comedown” (December 6, 1994) (7)

Emily was late to discover a lot of ‘90s and 2000s rock because it was hard to access non-mainstream American music abroad, but when iTunes came around when she was 13 or 14, she spent an ungodly amount of her mom’s money buying songs and albums, including this one.

25. Collective Soul, “December” (March 15, 1995) (7)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

26. April March, “Le Temps de l’amour” (October 20, 1995) (8)

Another favorite from her French summers. A sneak peak of later punk rock Emily.

27. April March, “Chick Habit” (October 20, 1995) (8)

Emily lords it over every gay she knows that she knew this song from the original album and not from But I’m a Cheerleader. But she does love But I’m a Cheerleader… This was her favorite CD for a solid year or more.

28. The Smashing Pumpkins, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” (October 23, 1995) (8)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

29. OMC, “How Bizarre” (January 1, 1996) (8)

A favorite track on Emily’s favorite CD, Now That’s What I Call Music! 3.

30. Backstreet Boys, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” (May 6, 1996) (8)

All the kids knew this one, in any country Emily visited or lived in.

31. Khaled, “Aïcha” (November 1996) (9)

Emily’s mom was the U.S. ambassador to Oman for a few years during Emily’s childhood. Emily learned Arabic quickly and tried very hard, as she did in all the places she lived, to fit in seamlessly with the people around her. So, of course, the songs she sang and danced to with her friends were the ones popular in Oman at the time.

32. Third Eye Blind, “Jumper” (April 8, 1997)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

33. Rachid Taha, “Ya Rayah” (August 5, 1997) (9)

Another favorite of Emily and her friends during her time in Oman. They even had a little choreographed dance they did all together.

34. Will Smith, “Miami” (October 3, 1997) (9)

Tiny Emily genuinely thought she was the baddest little bitch in the world for knowing all these lyrics, despite having never been to Miami or a club or anything.

35. Britney Spears, “...Baby One More Time” (January 12, 1999) (9)

Honestly, what ‘90s kid didn’t have a formative moment with a Britney Spears song?

36. Buena Vista Social Club, “Chan Chan” (September 16, 1997) (9)

Emily was an adult when she discovered Buena Vista Social Club, but they’re one of her very favorites on vinyl now. She started listening to them while she learned Spanish in college.

37. Green Day, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” (October 4, 1997) (9)

Discovered during *Emily’s teenage rock era*

38. Hakim, “Wala Wahed” (1998) (10)

Emily’s mom was transferred to Cairo in 1998, where Emily had to start over again–but thankfully not with a completely new language. She really liked sha’bi music, and her best friend’s dad played drums in a jeel band.

39. Less Than Jake, “All My Best Friends Are Metalheads” (January 1, 1998) (11)

One of Emily’s earlier alt finds. She loved it.

40. Cher, “Believe” (October 19, 1998) (11)

Another favorite of Emily’s mom’s. On repeat in little Emily’s kitchen in Cairo.

41. Alaa Zalzali, “Akli Tar” (1999) (11)

Emily was obsessed with this song and the whole album because it combined two languages she knew and loved: Arabic and French.

42. Crazy Town, “Butterfly” (November 4, 1999) (12)

Emily loved this song so much, and she jokes that looking back it should have been a huge flag that she was gay.

43. A Perfect Circle, “Judith” (January 1, 2000) (12)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

44. Anastacia, “I’m Outta Love” (February 29, 2000) (12)

Even Emily’s hard little rock heart still loved a pop anthem.

45. Pascale Machaalani, “Nour El Chams” (June 25, 2000) (12)

All the girls in Cairo wanted to be Pascale Machaalani. Think of her as the Beyoncé of Emily’s preteen years.

46. Rage Against The Machine, “Renegades” (December 5, 2000) (13)

One of the first rock songs Emily discovered and fell in love with. She still knows all the words.

47. Staind, “Outside” (May 22, 2001) (13)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

48. System of a Down, “Toxicity” (September 4, 2001) (13)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

49. Noir Désir, “La vent nous portera” (September 11, 2001) (13)

Even when she lived in the Middle East, Emily still spent summers with her grandfather in France. As always, he’d let her have a day in Paris when she flew in, and she always visited a music store to buy all the new French alt albums she could find.

50. Hoobastank, “Crawling In The Dark” (November 20, 2001) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

51. Saliva, “Always” (January 1, 2002) (14)

Emily’s mom considered sending her to therapy because she listened to this song so much.

52. Seether, “Driven Under” (January 1, 2002) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

53. Seether, “Fine Again” (January 1, 2002) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

54. Sum 41, “The Hell Song” (January 1, 2002) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

55. Mango, “La rondine” (July 9, 2002) (14)

Wildly popular while Emily lived in Italy. Think of him as the Peter Gabriel of Italian music.

56. Chevelle, “The Red” (October 8, 2002) (14)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

57. Audioslave, “Cochise” (November 17, 2002) (15)

Italy Emily was baby rocker Emily, but she wasn’t very external about it because the Catholic church was not a fan.

58. Evanescence, “Bring Me To Life” (March 4, 2003) (15)

Another song that was on repeat for Emily post-abortion. Sweet baby Emily was so depressed and honestly really needed to go to therapy. She wouldn’t say she likes the song now, exactly, but it brings her back to a specific time and place that were very formative for her.

59. Linkin Park, “Lying from You” (March 25, 2003) (15)

A classic teenager Linkin Park moment.

60. The Darkness, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” (July 7, 2003) (15)

*Emily’s teenage rock era*

61. Three Days Grace, “I Hate Everything About You” (July 22, 2003) (15)

Emily will tell you that this song is what she felt like most of the time in Italy, trying really hard to fit in, trying to like boys, really liking girls, all-in-all having a terrible time.

62. Jet, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” (September 15, 2003) (15)

Emily jokes that this one also should have been a dead giveaway that she liked girls.

63. Keane, “Somewhere Only We Know” (May 10, 2004) (16)

She will never admit it, but this song still makes her cry.

64. Seether, “Remedy” (January 1, 2005) (17)

Emily is a little embarrassed about liking Seether so much, but she really does.

65. Negrita, “Rotolando Verso Sud” (January 21, 2005) (17)

A favorite of Emily’s after she and her mom moved back to the States in 2004. She felt very out of place, which makes sense considering she’d grown up across several countries. She found a lot of comfort in listening to music in her other languages, since she didn’t really get to hear it spoken anymore.

66. Negramaro, “Estate” (February 7, 2005) (17)

By this point, Emily's deep in her rebellious rocker phase. Because it’s Emily, her dramatic rocker music is in several languages, though.

67. System of a Down, “Lonely Day” (November 22, 2005) (18)

Technically not a teenager anymore, an adult. But now her music taste is pretty solidly set on rock (with some variations here and there).

68. Rihanna, “SOS” (April 10, 2006) (18)

Not usually a big pop fan, but she has a huge soft spot for Rihanna. Particularly this song because she says that’s how obsessive she is about you. It always makes you laugh.

69. AFI, “Prelude 12/21” (June 6, 2006) (18)

She’s a drama queen, she just won’t admit it.

70. My Chemical Romance, “Teenagers” (19)

*Emily’s adult rock era*

71. Fall Out Boy, “Thnks fr th Mmrs” (January 1, 2007) (19)

Yes, even Emily likes listening to Fall Out Boy sometimes.

72. Avril Lavigne, “Girlfriend” (April 17, 2007) (19)

Okay, but who doesn’t love Avril Lavigne?

73. Linkin Park, “Given Up” (May 14, 2007) (19)

Adult Emily still loves Linkin Park. It’s nostalgic now.

74. Vampire Weekend, “A-Punk” (January 29, 2008) (20)

*Emily’s adult rock era* (but make it less dramatic and depressing than usual)

75. Max Gazzè, “Il Solito Sesso” (February 29, 2008) (20)

Sure, she’s in college, but she still loves Italian music and keeps up with her friends from Italy. Plus, she’s starting to accept that she likes girls, and the girls love it when she speaks Italian.

76. Katy Perry, “I Kissed a Girl” (June 17, 2008) (20)

Loves this song for very obvious reasons. Plus, when this came out there wasn’t really much queer girl music and Emily was in her feral, fresh-out-of-the-closet baby lesbian era.

77. Halestorm, “Mz. Hyde” (April 9, 2012) (24)

Oof. Big ol’ crush on Lzzy Hale.

78. Superheaven, “Youngest Daughter” (April 5, 2013) (25)

Once a rocker, always a rocker.

79. Indila, “Tourner Dans Le Vide” (February 24, 2014) (26)

Emily is a huge fan of Indila because her music sounds like a combination of French and Arabic, and it reminds of her childhood.

80. Highly Suspect, “Lydia” (July 17, 2015) (27)

Big fan of Highly Suspect.

81. K. Flay, “Blood In The Cut” (April 17, 2017) (29)

Hearkening back to her dramatic-ass punk-rock youth.

82. Polo & Pan, “Cœur croisé” (May 19, 2017) (29)

Emily loves Polo & Pan. They’re her go-to for international air travel. Something about their music just feels like whimsy and adventure to her.

83. Pomme, “Ceux qui rêvent” (October 6, 2017) (29)

Emily is a dramatic French woman at heart, and you love her for it.

84. Beck, “Dreams” (October 13, 2017) (30)

Beck? Of course she loves Beck. She’s loved Beck since “Loser” came out when she was six.

85. Death Cab for Cutie, “Northern Lights” (August 17, 2018) (30)

For when she’s in her feels.

86. Muse, “Pressure (feat. UCLA Bruin Marching Band)” (November 9, 2018) (31)

It’s Muse. Duh.

87. Alice Merton, “Roots” (January 29, 2019) (31)

Loves this because (a) it’s a fun song and (b) she really relates to the lyrics.

88. Vanille, “Suivre le soleil” (June 7, 2019) (31)

Her go-to for when you’re driving on vacation in the French Riviera. Coincidentally, you don’t know that she’s ever been more attractive driving a convertible with a sun hat on blaring French music that she knows all the words too while treating you to a vacation on the Mediterranean Sea.

89. The Black Keys, “Go” (June 28, 2019) (31)

The Black Keys lean a little blues-rock for Emily usually, but their music is just so damn catchy. Plus, you love them, and that makes her love them.

90. Harry Styles, “Watermelon Sugar” (December 13, 2019)

Loves this song for one reason and one reason only: she heard it was about eating a girl out. She hasn’t heard Billie Eilish’s “LUNCH” yet and, honestly, you’re afraid to show her.

91. The Strokes, “Why Are Sundays So Depressing” (April 10, 2020)

She loves The Strokes. And, also, she thinks Sundays are depressing because she knows she’ll have to leave you and go back to work the next day.

92. cleopatrick, “THE DRAKE” (March 11, 2021) (33)

A current fave. Plus she likes that their Spotify artist description is just “guitar band.” She thinks that’s hilarious.

93. Halestorm, “Back From The Dead” (August 18, 2021) (33)

Emily is, through and through, a Lzzy Hale girl. She was 21 when their first album came out and had a massive crush on Lzzy.  Didn’t know if she wanted to be her or be with her. Lowkey still doesn’t know. You tease her about it relentlessly.

94. Muse, “Will Of The People” (June 1, 2022) (34)

Muse, because duh.

95. Madelline, “dopamine - Version Française” (May 12, 2023) (35)

Still a sucker for French pop all these years later.

96. KennyHoopla, “YOU NEEDED A HIT//” (May 19, 2023) (35)

KennyHoopla brings her straight back to her 2000s rock roots, and she’s obsessed.

97. Mother Mother, “To My Heart” (September 15, 2023) (35)

A new discovery for Emily, but she’s really into them right now.

98. Mammothor, “Inside Out” (December 15, 2023) (36)

*Emily’s adult rock era*

99. St. Vincent, “Broken Man” (February 29, 2024) (36)

Emily loves St. Vincent. She’s not much of a concert person, but you did take her to see St. Vincent for her birthday once and she was over the moon.

100. Doña Manteca, “Tengo una Debilidad” (May 10, 2024) (36)

You found them on TikTok before their album came out and sent it to her. She pre-ordered their album on vinyl, and it’s her favorite thing to dance with you to right now.