#sigourney weaver is a powerhouse

[echofades]

I give you my story, Alice, to add to yours, because you have a voice, a great big beautiful voice, and now is the time to use it. THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART (2023)

[explolalola]

Once again, I am forced to defend the character of Buttercup in The Princess Bride. She's really not as bad as some folks claim - she's a courageous young woman who does the best with the situations she gets stuck in.

She is kidnapped by three strange men, who are presumably dangerous. She's a young, unarmed woman with every right to be scared. What does she do? She talks back to them. Then she jumps off their boat in the middle of the night to try to escape from them. (It's not her fault she didn't know about the eels. The point is that she did something brave in an attempt to save her life.)

Suddenly, she's rescued from the three men and taken by this mysterious Man in Black. Is he a threat? She doesn't know. He seems dangerous.

Then she realizes he's the Dread Pirate Roberts - the man responsible for killing the only man she's ever loved. She tells him "You can die slowly, cut into a thousand pieces." She looks into the eyes of the biggest, baddest pirate around and tells him off. When he banters with her, she says "You mock my pain." and "You mocked me once, never do it again! I died that day!" (Damn, that's a good line.) before telling him "You can die, too, for all I care." and pushes this man down a hill.

Of course, he turns out to BE Westley - her long lost love - and they run into the Fire Swamp to escape the Prince chasing them. But it doesn't work out - he finds them anyways. Archers are positioned, ready to kill them both. Buttercup has to do something - her love is about to die. Westley is ready to fight to the death, but Buttercup can't stand to see that. She does the only thing that's within her power - she negotiates. She tells the Prince that she will go with him if Westley is allowed to live. It's not HER fault that the Prince doesn't keep his word. She has nothing else to bargain with except herself. She makes a difficult decision - better that Westley LIVE than die pointlessly. She makes a terrible sacrifice by agreeing to marry the Prince. (We see how it weighs upon her with her dream sequence and the Ancient Booer.)

Now she's in the castle, taken by the Prince. Oh wait, the King dies, so HE is the ruler of the land now - the most powerful man around. She's still a young, unarmed woman - what does she do? She talks back to him.

She sticks up for Westley, telling him that they are "joined by the bonds of love. And you cannot track that, not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords.” She tells Humperdink that not even HE is powerful or talented enough to break that bond. The most powerful man in the world and she has the courage to look him in the eye and say this to him.

When all looks lost - when she realizes Humperdink betrayed her trust and Westley is probably dead despite her sacrifice, she sees only one way out. There's nothing left to bargain and she feels all is lost. I'm not saying it's a wise decision for her to want to off herself, but it's understandable. This is a bleak moment for her.

This is not a weak woman - she's standing up to grown men with weapons who have power over her. She's brave and courageous the whole way through.

Is she the most interesting character in the move? No - but she's surrounded by a powerhouse of characters with brilliant acting, so YES she does get out shined. But for what her character is, she's a great character. She's a damsel in distress, but she's courageous enough to speak up for herself, defend her beloved, and take action if needed. She is a young, unarmed woman with no power - what the hell do you expect her to do? Not every female character has to be Sigourney Weaver, duck taping two guns together to go fight the alien queen. Leave Buttercup alone.

[toomuchlovereviews]

Vamps (2012)

⭐️⭐️ .5

Listen. I wanted to be obsessed with this one, but it did not deliver for me. Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter AND Sigourney Weaver didn’t deliver on this??? There must have been an error in the chain of command because there is no way that all three of these powerhouses could fall so flat.

I genuinely didn’t care about these characters or anything that happened to them. Sorry.

But, I do firmly believe that Krysten Ritter being a vampire makes so much sense.

Watch this if:

if you are scraping the bottom of the barrel for vampire films

desperate for Krysten Ritter (so fair)

Similar titles:

Bit (2019) (gay vampire girl gang)

Don’t Trust the B— in Apt 23 (2012-2014) (Krysten is so hot in this one, oh lord)

What We Do In The Shadows (2014, 2019-present) (I think that this was the Vibe this film was trying to go for)

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Avatar: The Way of the Water

The art of world building in cinema has almost been none existent for a very long time. Sure you can say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done that for the past 12 years, but that is something that is adapted from already published source material. Star Wars was one of those franchises that kept creating more to expand the universe, but it seems to be stuck in a certain timeline. What I'm talking about is the ability to take something completely original and truly explore a world that is nothing like anything you've ever seen. In 2009, we all were introduced to such an idea and were blown away by the amount of creativity and beauty the first Avatar film had given us. It ended with the promise of endless possibilities of what the world of Pandora could show us in its ever expansive landscapes of jungle, mountains and oceans. To say that this new installment continues to dazzle and fulfills that promise of something new is an understatement. The last time I could honestly say that I felt as if I was living in a new world and didn't want to leave was the original Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This film lets you live in its vast aquatic part of the world and you get to see creatures and other types of life that has influences from our own world, but it is still breath taking. I almost felt like I was watching a nature documentary that featured many spiritual elements and a commentary on the horrific nature of human poachers of sea life. Now there are some familiar story elements about being a teenage outcast amongst other teens and races, respecting nature and connecting with it, but somehow this film finds a way to bring back that charm and wonder factor in many fresh ways.

Sam Worthington returns as Jake Sully now fully living a new life as chief of the Omaticaya. I loved that he is one with the Na'vi and he has truly come into his own as a leader and now a father of 5. He is even more compelling as he navigates trying to fight for his people while understanding that family is the only thing that is worth protecting. Zoe Saldana returns as his wife Neytiri and she was even more excellent and powerful than before. Her chemistry with Jake was so heartfelt and you see their loving relationship blossom. She really gets to kick some ass the latter half of the film and her physicality was astounding. Stephan Lang returns as his father Colonel Miles Quaritch and he has never been more sinister. He is on a revenge quest and he was relentless and yet so magnetic on screen. Cliff Curits is always excellent as the chief of the reef people clan of Metkayina Tonowari, he was powerful. Kate Winslet was amazing and equally powerful as his wife Ronal. Together they were a powerhouse of leadership and their connection to the sea was wonderful to behold. I loved that they were a representation of the Māori people.

Even though Jake and Neytiri are the leads in the film, it was truly about the coming of age story of their children. Jamie Flatters was great as their oldest son Neteyam. He fulfills the older brother role very well and I liked his constant protective nature of his siblings. He wasn't too overbearing, but there was conflict in the right moments. Britain Dalton was great as the younger brother Lo'ak and I related to his status of being the sort of reckless black sheep of the family. His intentions are good as he tries to get people to understand him, but not everyone would listen. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss was cute the youngest sister Tuktirey and she wasn't as annoying as I feared she would be as she constantly finds herself in some form of danger. Sigourney Weaver was outstanding as Kiri the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine played by Weaver in the first film. I loved that the spiritual element of the story was given to her as she showcases the most beautiful and tranquil nature of the sea. She is different from the rest and she tangles with that as goes on a personal search for answers about her lineage. Jack Champion as Miles "Spider" Socorro was great and I loved the chemistry he had with the other kids. He gets to learn the best and worst parts of humanity while retaining his identity with the Na'vi. His story repeats the same beats of the first film, but luckily they’re rushed a bit and have a different feel to them given the circumstances he’s in.  

The score by composer Simon Franglen was excellent and added to the beauty and wonder of the world. His use of the themes by late composer James Horner were all correct and I loved his take on the emotional beats of the film. The same attention to detail to the visuals from the first film continues here and breaks new ground on what is possible in the world of CGI and motion capture. I saw this film in IMAX 3D with high frame rate, but it wasn't consistently at that speed which I didn't mind. There was a constant switch between 48 frames per second and the standard 24 fps and the 48 fps was reserved for the more epic action scenes and sweeping shots. It could be jarring for those not expecting the switch, but I was completely fine as it added to the nature doc feel to the underwater sequences and the smoothness of the 3D. Like I said before, I felt that I have now lived in a new world that I didn't know that I needed to explore and yet there's so much more to see. Director James Cameron is a true visionary and creative genius that has delivered again something truly magical and expansive. If you loved the first film, then get ready to go back to Pandora and witness that same childlike wonderment you first felt. This is definitely one of the most gorgeous films of the year and definitely one of the best of 2022. There hasn't been a film that felt like it needed to be seen in 3D for a long time and this film requires you to truly experience it in 3D. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!  

[butmakeitgayblog]

Yeehaw movie anon again, glad to know it wasn’t just me not clicking w/the film. What about the possession one, Devil’s hand I think? Did you like it?

I kept thinking how it was some sort of cw’s death characters club and I actually giggled with her and Finn at the end (boi really be damned by the narrative around her, huh?)

I agree that she is the better performer in her projects (saint x I’m looking at you, too) so I’m really excited about TLFOAH cos it looks actually good.

I liked it alright, but it was just your average spooky movie ya know. Nothing to write home about. She looked so tiny in it tho 🥹istg that dude I just... I hate him? I hate him, yeah. But I do think it's hilarious that 1. Her characters have been directly responsible for his death TWICE like what is that 🥴 and 2. Apparently he called Clexa happening before anyone else did. So. Minor redeeming quality there. But anyway, overall meh it was an alright movie for what it was. It's watchable, which is a step up from AVS

And I am also very excited for TLFOAH but also read a review that says the same goddamn shit that I was scared of, which is that YET A-FUCKING-GAIN her acting (and Sigourney Weaver's) are great despite lackluster writing, shitty editing, and, it sounds, like a director who can't pull an actual vision for their project out of their own ass with two hands and a flashlight 😒 I mean I reserve my own judgement of course maybe I'll like it, but the reviews for Saint X turned out to be true and just GAH fuck this is why writers should be paid more and allowed to work longer on projects. Stop this rushed bullshit. Stop. You take intriguing stories with powerhouse actors and chop them off at the knees to save a buck and I fucking hate it

[danisnotmyname]

Plus, as I am a firm believer that Sigourney Weaver characters are best when they’re lesbians or bisexuals, Cisserus also has a harem of the most beautiful boys and girls. Though it’s more of a free range harem, as yes, they’re majority the ones she turns. Basically she either comes to them or they come to her. And aside from the odd accident at a Rite, it’s pretty awesome.

Sigourney is such a powerhouse actor, she can play anything 🫠

The harem idea is not healthy for me…too hot!!!

If you’re interested to organize your ideas into a fic, I’m down to put it on my reading list:)

[kemari100million]

#Attuned (2024) Meet our Director Laramie Dennis. She has previously worked on the hit tv series Project Runway for more than 100 + episodes and HBO's new hit TV series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Season 1

Laramie Dennis is a director and writer committed to telling honest, unexpected stories about complex female characters. Her latest is a micro-budget feature entitled WHERE IN THE HELL, an unlikely road movie set in a not-quite-post-pandemic world, that she's developing with Pipeline Media. LIFE ON sMARS, inspired by a real-life NASA experiment, recently earned her a spot at THROUGH HER LENS: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program, along with a development grant from The Tribeca Film Institute. Laramie's shorts have screened at Eve, NewFilmmakers (LA + NYC), San Francisco Frozen, the Vancouver International Film Festival, and the Short Film Corner at Cannes. Before moving to Los Angeles, she spent a decade in New York developing and directing plays, most notably at Jim Simpson and Sigourney Weaver's Flea Theater, where she was a resident director, and at "the downtown powerhouse" Soho Rep. She has a BA in English and Theater from Wesleyan University, and an MFA in Film & Television Production from USC.

#90210XX

[technopvnk]

› ACCESSING #TECHNOPVNK: an independent, highly private, mutually exclusive original character multimuse, designed to aid the mun in developing the characters inherent to their upcoming original work. this blog will feature potentially mature themes, and is strictly 18+ only. administrated by jadzia, 9teen, they & them. a bare-bones roster can be found under the cut.

⁰¹ CARRD. ⁰² PROMO. ⁰³ INTEREST TRACKER.

* faceclaims are used as a general ballpark and should not be read as one-to-one equivalent.

EVE TANAKA, THE HAS-BEEN - erika ishii. buff, japanese-american and covered in tattoos - notably, faux-cybernetics that run from her lefthand side shave down her shoulderblade. california raised bartender and FORMER VIDEO GAME CHAMP. may have cheated at tourneys with a little spell or two.

MARIN MORELLI, THE EGOT - lady gaga. intense italian heritage. olive-skinned, brunette, petite powerhouse. superstar. her practice deals in radio waves/broadcast signals, making sure her songs stick in people’s heads, that her performances stay with them for years.

ISAAC FORRESTER - thomas brodie-sangster. tan, sandy blond, gangly and tall. audhd, extremely maximalist and cluttered. sworn off technology altogether except for where it impacts his work - if you need him, write him a letter. WORKS IN RADAR. his company supplies several military powers. his parents shared a fascination with asimov.

MANRAJ "MANNY" KAPOOR, THE TECH GIANT - rahul kohli. british-indian. suave, confident, mega-rich - and utterly uninterested in the spotlight. his brother handles the public-facing aspects of their company, which is a leading producer of smarthome technology. he's a mystery that certain interested parties are just dying to solve, but no one can ever seem to get a clear photo of the man, let alone any useful information.

SERENITY JONES, THE WITCH - florence welch/sigourney weaver. irish as all hell. pale, middle-aged redhead, shot through with sunspots. hippie. prepper. magic shop owner. in the process of passing her practice on to her daughter, and doomsaying to anyone who'll listen about the upcoming end of the world.

[scaredycatscreeches]

31 Days of Horror! Day Nine: Alien

I finally did it! I watched the sci-fi horror classic! And I loved every second.

A movie with so many unnecessary deaths -- if only the crew had listened to Ellen Ripley -- Alien was directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O'Bannon.

Sigourney Weaver plays Ellen Ripley, third-in-command of the Nostromo. The crew is awakened when Mother, the ship's computer intercepts a distress call that leads the crew to bring aboard something dangerous.

I really don't know if I have anything to say about this film that hasn't been said before. I can only imagine what it would've been like to go into that movie blind and not knowing anything. The chest-bursting, Ripley being a badass, Ash being an android.

That being said, Ellen Ripley is one of the most fantastic survivors ever, and Sigourney Weaver is a fucking powerhouse in this role. The movie is still tense and scary despite me knowing most of the major twist.

Everyone in the film is amazing (despite the characters' lack of... brains. Because I am sorry, how do people not listen to Ripley!)

[aycias]

alycia: i didn't think you were the type. you are too kind for that, but i do appreciate the gesture of letting me know. it's very cute. no way! that's awesome. if you want any recommendations on things to do while you are there just let me know. i can introduce you to all of the local spots that only the natives are familiar with. i think sigourney weaver has been my favorite person to work with so far. she is a powerhouse and it was truly a 'pinch me' moment. alycia: i watched the classics; halloween, friday the 13th, nightmare on elm street. i even tossed in trick r treat, because it's one of the most underrated horror films in my opinion. kind of a bummer that you missed out on halloween this year, but that definitely gives you room to go all out next year. sounds like a plan. my schedule is pretty much clear for the rest of the year, so once you are done being a badass movie star we can finally have that movie night. it's been my ultimate dream to have a home with a movie theater in it. maybe once a do a couple more films i'll manage to make that dream come true.

paul: i know, but i would never ghost so just had to make it known that gladiator press has been stealing my time. press is going great - i'm actually over in your homeland right now. shh, it was good. who has been your favorite person to work with so far? paul: what movies did you watch? i didn't get to celebrate this year due to work but that just means i'll have to go all out next year. as soon as i'm back in the states, you'll be the first to know. i was already excited for the night but that just makes it 10x better. nothing beats buttery theater popcorn. maybe i can find a store that sells dipping dots. make it feel like a real night out at the theater.

[abcnewspr]

ABC NEWS ANNOUNCES ‘20/20’ SPECIAL EDITION EXPLORING THE MAKING OF ‘AVATAR’ FRANCHISE THROUGH THE EYES OF LEGENDARY DIRECTOR JAMES CAMERON

Program Features Interviews With ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Cast Members Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Sam Worthington and More 

‘Avatar: The Deep Dive, A Special Edition of 20/20’ Airs Tuesday, Dec. 13 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC, Next Day on Hulu 

*ABC News 

ABC News announced “Avatar: The Deep Dive, A Special Edition of 20/20,” a new primetime special edition of “20/20” that features exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the powerhouse film franchise through the eyes of legendary director James Cameron. In a revealing interview with ABC News contributor Chris Connelly, Cameron recounted the world’s reaction to the first-of-its-kind film “Avatar” more than a decade ago, his challenges making the highly anticipated sequel, “Avatar: Way of the Water,” and his plans for three additional installments.  

The one-hour special also includes interviews with stars Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Sam Worthington and Stephen Lang, who describe their experiences working with Cameron and the signature motion-capture technology. Weaver, who is returning as a new adolescent character, explains how it felt to play one of the youngest characters in the sequel and how she tapped into her own childhood for the role. Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet talks about her long-awaited reunion with the director and why she was eager to join the project, playing one of the leaders of an undersea Pandora clan. In rare behind-the-scenes footage, the cast is seen undergoing months of intensive free-diving training with renowned free-diving expert Kirk Krack to give full underwater performances. 

The program also introduces the next generation of actors joining the “Avatar” world, including Jamie Flatters, Bailey Bass, Jack Champion and Trinity Bliss, who open up about joining the legendary franchise. Additional interviews include producer Jon Landau, casting director Margery Simkin and more.  

In celebration of the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water” on Dec. 16, Disney and “Avatar” launched the global “Keep Our Oceans Amazing” campaign to raise awareness of the challenges facing our oceans and marine life. The campaign will support The Nature Conservancy and its work to protect 10 of the world’s oceans’ amazing animals and their habitats, connected to the beauty of Pandora — the imaginary setting of “Avatar.” To learn more about “Keep Our Oceans Amazing”, please visit www.Avatar.com/KeepOurOceansAmazing. “Avatar: The Deep Dive, A Special Edition of 20/20” airs Tuesday, Dec. 13 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC, next day on Hulu. 

Avatar: The Deep Dive, A Special Edition of 20/20” is produced by ABC News. Matt Lombardi is the executive producer. Janice Johnston is the senior executive producer of 20/20.  

COPYRIGHT ©2022 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All photography is copyrighted material and is for editorial use only. Images are not to be archived, altered, duplicated, resold, retransmitted or used for any other purposes without written permission of ABC. Images are distributed to the press in order to publicize current programming. Any other usage must be licensed. Photos posted for Web use must be at the low resolution of 72dpi, no larger than 2x3 in size. 

For more information, follow ABC News PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

-- ABC -- 

[lets-get-kraken-boys]

Kraken !!! Who your fave character In Dead By Daylight? For design I’m stuck between scream ( I like that’s he’s cape floats if that makes sense XD ) or the oni🤔( he got a cool design lol ) but I’m scared of scream and michael myers since their both fast and you can’t hear them! 😱🌺anon ( also hope your doing ok dearie and drinking plenty of water UWU )

OH 🌺 Anon, this is a phenomenal ask! DBD is one of my favorite horror games and has been for a few years now! Personally, I prefer to play Killer. I love the power 😈 Plus, most of my favorite characters are in that bracket.

The ones you like are all amazing, you truly have immaculate taste~! Ghostie is an INCREDIBLE Killer (I mean, he’s an OG for a reason). Super scary when you’re the survivor and you’ve gotta survive against a good Ghostface. I totally get you about the cape! He’s got an amazing character design. Great aesthetics 🖤🔪🩸 I’ve been scared shitless more than a few times by Myers’ stealthiness. He’s genuinely terrifying at times, but it’s so cute when you’ve got a chill Micheal and they do funny shenanigans with you & your team around the map.

~*• For Killers •*~

Gosh, I am so in love with Pyramid Head, Nemesis, and the Oni. They are just such powerhouses on the field and those are my fav characters to play & see get played by others! It’s no secret that I’ve had a MASSIVE crush on P-Head for more than a few years now 😳 He’s just…the perfect man (monster?). Strong, stubborn, absolutely shredded, doesn’t talk back, could slice me in half…🥴 yeah, he’s the best. Same goes for Nemesis, HE IS A TOTAL BADASS! I am so glad they chose him from RE [Resident Evil] over any of the other threats. He’s a phenomenal killer. AND THE ONI! I love how menacing he is! My favorite hunk 💖 Honorable mentions are Demogorgon & Trickster!

I also love Huntress & the Hag! The Huntress is 100% mommy; best milkers on the field (second to P-Head). IDK what it is about the Hag, but her backstory is super interesting to me. She is one of the only Killers that is genuinely scary to me & I love it. Her muck just makes her all the creepier (and, ya know, the fact that she’s a gremlin cannibal LOL). Also SADOKA OMG 😱 She is hella scary. Like, I came close to pissing myself when I first saw her in action! I’ve loved the Ring for awhile, so it is AMAZING to see one of your fav horror antagonists as a playable character in a video game. Honorable mentions are Spirit, Nurse, Pig, & Plague!

If I was given the chance to ask the DBD team to add one killer & one survivor to the game, I would get on my hands and knees to plead Ripley & the Xenomorph are included. Alien is my favorite franchise of all time (I wrote for many months & got an A for a History research essay about feminism in the Alien movies. It is my fav series LOL) and I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING SCARIER THAN THAT XENOMORPH. It is my favorite Killer of any series in the whole world, IT WOULD BE THE BEST KILLER. PLUS RIPLEY? THE SMARTEST AND BEST PROTECTOR?? A.K.A MISS GORGEOUS & TALENTED SIGOURNEY WEAVER HERSELF??? The most badass woman in all of film history?! Yeah, she’d be a kickass survivor. No debate needed. And they could add a spaceship-like map & make it all spookie! How fun would that be?

~*• For Survivors •*~

Ummm there aren’t really too many that catch my eye like the hunters do. However! Some of my favs to play are Jane, Cheryl, Jill, & Feng! CAUSE THE WOMEN OF THAT GAME ARE LEAGUES BETTER THAN THE MEN! I said what I said because it is true, I am not wrong 😚💖

DBD is awesome! Thank you for asking about my opinions! Love you, and I hope you have a great day! ��💖

With Love,

Kraken 🐙

[tabloidtoc]

Entertainment Weekly, May

Cover 1 of 3: The 2021 Oscars Issue -- Viola Davis

Page 2: Contents, the other covers with Chloe Zhao and Regina King

Page 6: Cold Open -- a bunch of random jibberish I can't even begin to classify

Page 16: The Must List -- The Underground Railroad

Page 18: The Department of Truth, The Mosquito Coast

Page 19: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, Together Together

Page 20: Jakob's Wife, Frank of Ireland Q&A with Brian and Domhnall Gleeson

Page 22: Role Call -- Josh Duhamel

Page 23: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Resident Evil Village

Page 24: My Must List -- Brian Tyree Henry

Page 27: Oscars 2021

Page 28: The Race Is On

Page 29: Dick Johnson Is Dead

Page 30: The Powerhouse -- with her record-breaking best actress nod for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Viola Davis proves she's Oscar royalty

Page 33: Riz Ahmed -- the Sound of Metal star on inhabiting a demanding role, and how the film uses sound to take the audience on his character's harrowing journey

Page 34: The Revelation -- Right after winning an Academy Award for her acting, Regina King directed her debut feature film, One Night in Miami to three Oscar nominations. Is there anything this woman can't do?

Page 38: The Front-Runner -- Chloe Zhao has already made Oscars history, now the Nomadland director is poised for a triumphant finish

Page 41: Carey Mulligan -- the Promising Young Woman nominee reveals how she broke the film's tension with costar Bo Burnham by singing a rendition of Paris Hilton's Stars Are Blind

Page 43: Original Screenplay -- The Trial of the Chicago 7

Page 44: Around the Table -- Making History -- how four of this year's Oscar-nominated films radically confront and reframe Black history in America -- Judas and the Black Messiah, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, One Night in Miami and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Page 45: Maria Bakalova -- how the Bulgarian breakout unleashed her inner wild child and found her character's heart during a pivotal scene in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Page 46: 5-Minute Oral History -- West Side Story -- in honor of its 60th anniversary, stars Rita Moreno and George Chakiris look back on their 1962 Oscar wins

Page 49: Daniel Kaluuya -- the two-time Oscar nominee on the power and responsibility of taking on revolutionary icon Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah

Page 52: Fire Starter -- how Angelina Jolie blazed a trail with Taylor Sheridan for the upcoming firefighting film Those Who Wish Me Dead, her first action film in more than a decade

Page 56: Romancing the Screen -- record breaker Bridgerton proved the power that love could have on the small screen. By satisfying audiences' pent-up lust, it became a cultural phenomenon: spawning a TikTok musical, landing star Rene-Jean Page an SNL hosting gig, and catapulting Julia Quinn's 20-year-old source material to the top of the New York Times best-seller list for the very first time, but will the Bridgerton Effect make Hollywood finally fall in love with romance novels?

Page 60: Demi's New Groove -- after detailing her harrowing 2018 overdose in a recent documentary, Demi Lovato returns with a newfound sense of stability and her first album of new material in four years

Page 66: Stand Up & Step Up -- For EW's Around the Table, Chloe Bennet, Dianne Doan, Daniel Dae Kim, Hari Kondabolu, Olivia Munn and George Takei discuss the rise violence against Asians, their experience as Asian artists, and how Hollywood can help crush stereotypes and be more inclusive

Page 70: News + Reviews

Page 71: TV -- whatever happened to the Men of Tomorrow? Everywhere you look there are supermen behaving badly. Is this a bold new era in superhero storytelling or cheap cynicism on steroids?

Page 77: Movies -- Bad Romance -- Amanda Seyfried and James Norton talk about their tragically doomed marriage in Things Heard and Seen

Page 78: Women Who Kick Ass -- Jodie Turner-Smith -- she's got a juicy role opposite Michael B. Jordan in Without Remorse and will lead Netflix's upcoming The Witcher prequel. Meet Hollywood's most exciting new action star

Page 79: Childlike Wonder -- David Oyelowo goes behind the camera for his mystical directorial debut The Water Man

Page 80: Three provocative new indies explore the beauty and pain of contemporary romance -- Monday, Hope, The Killing of Two Lovers

Page 81: My Favorite Shot, Oscars edition -- Tom Hooper in The King's Speech -- the filmmaker revisits a scene on the tenth anniversary of Speech's four Oscar wins, including Best Picture and Director

Page 82: Parental Guidance -- your crib sheet on the best entertainment for kids, from toddlers to tweens -- Q&A with Danny McBride -- the Righteous Gemstone shines in The Mitchells vs. the Machines as a luddite dad trying to save the world and his family

Page 84: TV -- First Look -- Never Have I Ever -- the comedy's second season is bringing in the big guns, casting Common as Nalini's love interest

Page 85: License to Thrill -- after smashing the charts with Drivers License, Olivia Rodrigo is ready for her High School Musical: The Musical: The Series character to follow in her footsteps in season 2

Page 86: Cruel Summer

Page 87: The Transformation -- Oh, Boy! It took five years, but Nasim Pedrad's new TBS comedy Chad has finally made it to TV. Here, Pedrad details her transformation into an awkward 14-year-old boy

Page 88: The Nevers

Page 89: First Look -- Solos -- from creator David Weil, this futuristic anthology series explores the depths of human connection through the lens of eight remote characters

Page 90: First Look -- Hacks -- after four decades in showbiz, Jean Smart is living out some Hollywood dreams in her new series

* Strike a Final Pose -- FX is about to say goodbye to its her-story-making Pose. Here's why season 3 offered a proper ending

Page 91: Global Viewing -- these three series all debuting on Earth Day offer new insights into nature and science, with a little help from David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg and Sigourney Weaver: Life in Color with David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World, Secrets of Whales

Page 94: What to Watch

Page 98: Music -- Hungry Heart -- after a devastating 2018, Eric Church left Nashville and made his favorite project ever which is the three-part Heart & Soul in a restaurant

Page 100: Bebe Rexha

* My Hometown -- Saweetie by the Bay -- the My Type rapper makes hella sure to add a little bit of California into everything she makes

Page 101: Greta Van Fleet

Page 102: Jhay Cortez -- meet the 28-year-old who co-wrote Cardi B's I Like It, and whose sophomore album Timelezz drops later this year

Page 104: Books -- Seoul Food -- singer-turned-author Michelle Zauner, who goes by the moniker Japanese Breakfast, paints a vivid portrait of identity, loss, and a mother's love in her memoir Crying in H Mart

Page 106: Pop Culture of My Life -- Leslie Jordan -- the actor and Instagram star is releasing a new essay, How Y'all Doing? Here, he divulges his own Southern charm

Page 108: The Air Up There -- with Great Circle, best-selling novelist Maggie Shipstead puts a smartly feminist spin on the old-fashioned adventure tale

Page 109: A Lot Like Love -- in the short-story collection Love in Color, British-Nigerian author Bolu Babalola smashes the patriarchy of the classic folktale

Page 111: Broken Horses: A Memoir by Brandi Carlile

Page 112: The Bullseye

[dingoes8myrp]

Alien Franchise Thoughts

This weekend I happened to catch and rewatch Alien: Covenant. Right after that I caught and rewatched Aliens. This was sheerly through channel surfing luck that I watched these movies in this order. But, in doing so I connected some dots and had some realizations that gave me a new appreciation for the prequel series.

A Bit of Background

I can’t remember if I saw Alien or The Terminator first, so Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor get equal billing for being “the first” female action heroes I ever encountered. Prior to them I’d seen Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis watching action films with my dad. So seeing not Tom Skerrit’s Captain Dallas or John Hurt’s Kane but Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley take on the role of Action Hero was essential to my development as an eleven-year-old girl. I’m not even exaggerating for the sake of drama. Watching Ripley in Alien was one of the first examples I saw in media of a woman in a role I’d only seen taken on by male characters before. For this reason alone, the original Alien holds a special place in my heart.

The Original Series

I have mixed feelings about the franchise as a whole. I loved Alien and Aliens to me was just as good and is one of the few sequels that measures up to the original. It lost me at Alien 3 when they killed off Newt and Hicks in the opening crash land. Forcing Ripley into the “sole survivor” role becomes formulaic here and… honestly I’ve had no desire to rewatch Alien 3 and completely forget the entire plot other than the fact that it takes place in a prison setting and Ripley had to shave her head. And they killed off Ripley! I remember being very upset all around at Alien 3 and I think I mentally disowned it.

Alien: Resurrection brought me back around because Ripley was back! And there was Winona Ryder! However, Ripley wasn’t the same Ripley we remembered. She was some clone or hybrid or… I don’t really know what they were going for there. But, I looked at this film as a standalone almost AU installment and I’m actually very okay with it. Not my favorite by a longshot, but a slight redemption from Alien 3’s mess.

Alien vs. Predator

No. Just no. Denied. Why? What even? WHY?!

I’ve seen a few of these movies and if you’re a fan of big monsters fighting one another with a bunch of random humans caught in the middle, these movies might be your jam. If you’re a Predator or an Alien fan, though, it kind of doesn’t fit in with either in my opinion.

The Prequels

When I watched Prometheus I hadn’t done any research on it at all, so I had no idea it had anything to do with the Alien franchise. I saw a space-themed action-horror film with Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace, and Michael Fassbender involved and I was IN, man. Honorable mention to Logan Marshall-Green, who is also awesome but I didn't catch in the trailers. So he was a nice surprise.

The opening scene was unworldly and gorgeous, much like the opening of The Mists of Avalon, which is a weird comparison, I know. But I was enchanted by this opening scene much like I was as I watched Morgaine Le Fey float through the mist that served as a doorway to a magical world. We see an unknown being on an alien planet perform a mysterious ritual and then plummet into the water. The first clue was the title card, which even then I thought “Oh, cool! They did the Alien thing!” but hadn’t connected it as directly related. I’d just thought it was a subtle nod because of the Ridley Scott connection.

I loved Prometheus as a film. I had a very similar reaction to it that I had to the original Alien movie. We had an ensemble of characters, all with their own personalities and enough development to make us care. Noomi Rapace became the reluctant hero as opposed to the expected Charlize Theron, who had been in the Ripley role (“He’s not coming on my ship.”). As the Alien clues dropped, I picked them up and quickly (excitedly) realized the film was somehow connected – it had to be. For me, that was just the cherry on top of a fantastic film.

Alien: Covenant made me feel much like Alien 3 did. The ending of Prometheus had been hopeful, echoing both the endings of Alien and Aliens. Our hero Elizabeth Shaw had survived and would bring android David along to find the Engineers and get her answers. Ridley Scott himself spoke about a possible sequel involving Elizabeth and David trying to do just that.

And then we got Alien: Covenant. Elizabeth and David were nowhere to be found and instead we were (hastily) introduced to an entire new crew of characters whose development was severely lacking in the film. We don’t even know everyone’s paired up in romantic couples until people start dying. When David did finally appear to rescue everyone I was excited. Yes! Finally, a tie-in to Prometheus. And then we learn Elizabeth died suspiciously and the franchise is turned over to David. To say I was infuriated would be an understatement.

I was more excited about the project Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn spoke about at a comic-con panel that would’ve followed Alien and Aliens (and maybe retconned some stuff) than I was about whatever Ridley Scott did next (I still kind of am, if I’m honest). Why would someone take a franchise helmed by a powerhouse female action hero and then make its lead an insane android and his pet virus? Why would I want to follow this asshole instead of Shaw, Daniels, or even Vickers?

Final Analysis

Watching Aliens right on the heels of Alien: Covenant made it easier for me to make some connections and parallels. In Aliens, a group of marines attempts to travel to a space colony that lost contact to see what’s going on. Ripley is brought along (with Burke, that shit) as a consultant “just in case” (even though everyone treats her like she has a case of the vapors when she tells them about the xenomorphs). The premise makes little sense on the outset. However, when we later learn Burke’s true motivation it makes perfect sense. Burke believes Ripley, although he makes a show of the opposite. And he wants to bag an alien to bring home and sell to the highest bidder. When the soldiers start stomping carelessly around blowing holes in things with there big dumb weapons, it’s infuriating to the audience, knowing what we know. However, it’s also infuriating to Ripley and we’re reminded why she’s there. These are soldiers who, of course, have no idea what to do with an alien species and probably aren’t used to exploring alien environments.

This is very similar to what’s going on in Alien: Covenant. Not made clear in the film due to the character development scenes (such as “the last supper” prologue) being cut, this crew are explorers and colonists. They’re not astronauts or scientists. A few of the characters appear to be military escorts or officers. Of course they’re tromping around without a care in the world. They don’t know any better. Their captain, Jake Bronson, dies mid-journey and his second-in-command, Billy Crudup’s Oram, is super insecure about his new position. This is frequently shown in his interactions with Katherine Waterson’s No First Name Daniels, who was also Bronson’s wife. Daniels has a comradery and respect with the crew not present with Oram. So, when Oram has to start making decisions he’s acting more on his insecurity and his need to Do Something and be taken seriously than acting on the information and advice he’s given. Also, once we know the relationships between characters everyone’s bizarre anti-survival behavior makes a ton of sense. After a certain point in the film, everyone has lost a spouse and/or a ton of friends. Everyone is grieving, scared, and not at all trained to be doing what they’re doing, and they don’t have a Ripley on board to help guide them. “Game over, man! Game over!”

Yeah, Alien: Covenant is what happens when you make every character a Hudson.

Watching Ripley’s reaction to Bishop in Aliens reminded me how iffy Ash the A.I. was in Alien. You know, he got all murdery and everything.

Then I remembered – oh, yeah – Alien: Covenant is a prequel. This means David is an A.I. precursor of some kind to Ash… which means he’s a faulty A.I. Also, Ripley encountered creatures and situations no one had discovered before to our knowledge (due to everyone’s reaction to Ripley’s story in Aliens). This ultimately means no one can make it out of these prequels alive or it compromises Ripley’s established story.

David is a faulty A.I., which hasn’t yet been experienced by anyone living who has encountered androids in space exploration if we go by the example of Ash in Alien. Failsafes haven’t been given to androids yet to limit their emotional depths or put rules in place to prevent them from harming humans. He’s creating creatures that are new. No one knows they exist, so no one is prepared for them (just like the crew of the Nostromo wasn’t prepared for the xenomorphs in Alien). Even heavily trained soldiers, scientists, and astronauts will be encountering deadly things they don’t know are out there: a highly intelligent rogue A.I. capable of experiencing emotion and evolution, mutated weaponized creatures unlike anything they’ve ever seen before, and an alien virus that mutates its host and is undetectably ingested.

Guys, ain’t nobody emerging as the lone heroic survivor of anything in this franchise (except the fucking xenomorph).

Having digested and accepted that information, I am grimly awaiting what happens next, and I really hope with all my giddy little heart that theorized Aliens sequel Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn teased is going to happen. I’ll even take a video game version.

Hicks and Newt deserved better and I stand by that.

[prince-septimus]

So this is way too many could you jus pick a few or just the ones you like better? Dude you don't need to do them all there is so many there

Sigourney Weaver Miranda Otto Jamie Lee Curtis Michelle Gomez Paul Rudd Ian McKellen Pauline McLynn Hailey Atwell Arnold Schwarzenegger Russel Crowe

anon i hope you know how hard this made me laugh. 10 actors. you sent me 10 actors. oh my god im sdjhvsjfhd. but i take this as a challenge and im going to do every single one of them except miranda otto (ive only seen her in lotr and sabrina), michelle gomez (only seen doctor who and sabrina), russell crowe, and pauline mclynn

okay buckle in bc. this is a lot. 

send me an ask about actors! (also hey idk why the link is not showing the questions that go with the post but scroll down and youll find them on my blog!) (or just look here obv)

Sigourney Weaver

the first thing I saw them in: you again or galaxy quest

why I like them: how can i not love sigourney?? shes a powerhouse

my favorite role of theirs: her role in galaxy quest!

my least favorite role of theirs: tbh i didnt care for defenders in the least bit but her role in it. i could go without it.

a role I’d like to see them in: god idk. she’s done just about everything at this point

who I’d like them to work with: again, shes worked with so many wonderful people already!

Jamie Lee Curtis

the first thing I saw them in: halloween or freaky friday

why I like them: another badass queen of film. her and sigourney are an absolute dream team honestly

my favorite role of theirs: her role in knives out is just chef’s kiss

my least favorite role of theirs: dont have one!

a role I’d like to see them in: i just want her to do everything. shes so good

who I’d like them to work with: maybe im just thinking hard about sigourney in working girl but i think jamie and harrison ford would be a good duo in a movie! or just give me josh harnett as her son in another movie

Paul Rudd

the first thing I saw them in: halloween 6

why I like them: okay literally i saw him in halloween 6 and just decided i love him idk that was like 6 years ago

my favorite role of theirs: clueless

my least favorite role of theirs: i could do without this is 40 

a role I’d like to see them in: i loved the little prince so i think some more animated roles would be neat!!

who I’d like them to work with: idk what they would do but can i have paul rudd and paul bettany do some stuff together (besides avengers of course)

Ian McKellen

the first thing I saw them in: x-men

why I like them: ian mckellen is so important to film and stage, and he was important to me when i came out. when i came out i didnt know of many gay actors except him and raul esparza (who is bi). eventually i would be introduced to the likes of lee pace and luke evans and so on, but ian mckellen will always be the first for me

my favorite role of theirs: i really love him as cogsworth and that pairing with ewan mcgregor in the live action beauty and the beast, but ian also says some of my favorite movie lines ever as the narrator in stardust

my least favorite role of theirs: the da vinci code

a role I’d like to see them in: hes done everything at this point, hasnt he?

who I’d like them to work with: again. hes just about worked with everyone

Hayley Atwell

the first thing I saw them in: captain america: the first avenger

why I like them: i just think shes absolutely gorgeous and she has the kind of attitude i wish i had

my favorite role of theirs: peggy carter you own my heart 

my least favorite role of theirs: none!

a role I’d like to see them in: im not too sure, maybe a role in some sort of drama as a teacher or something. like mona lisa smile but a little grittier if that makes sense

who I’d like them to work with: i think hayley and florence pugh could do something cool together

Arnold Schwarznegger 

the first thing I saw them in: batman & robin

why I like them: im not actually his biggest fan, but not bc i think hes bad or anything, hes just not an actor i watched a lot!

my favorite role of theirs: kindergarten cop

my least favorite role of theirs: none!

a role I’d like to see them in: idk

who I’d like them to work with: idk why but the thought of him and jason statham just doing like a dynamic duo action movie would be cool

[filmstruck]

Strap Yourself in for a SHOCK (’77) by Nathaniel Thompson

A lot of horror fans turn their noses up at what we now call “jump scares.” You know, the kind of thing designed to make audiences jump out of their seat, whether it’s a cheap one (like a screeching cat jumping out of a cabinet) or a perfectly executed classic, like that gag at the end of CARRIE (’76). However, there’s a certain art to winding up your viewer to the breaking point and then pushing them over the edge when they least expect it; after all, movies are, at their core, designed to get a reaction out of the person watching them. Why is startling someone any cheaper than making them laugh, cry or bite their fingernails?

All of which brings me to SCHOCK (’77), or just plain old SHOCK in English. This was the final big-screen feature credited to the great Mario Bava, whom I covered earlier with one of his stronger thrillers, THE EVIL EYE (’63). SHOCK was a film that took a long time to find a modicum of critical respect, primarily because it was released to American theaters as BEYOND THE DOOR II, designed to cash in on the unrelated (and highly lucrative) 1974 EXORCIST (’73) imitation, BEYOND THE DOOR. The two films do share a single actor, little David Colin Jr., so perhaps that was enough incentive for distributor Film Ventures International to tie them together.

So back to jump scares. Bava is known as a master stylist and the godfather of the Italian horror film, something being celebrated on FilmStruck with a sampling ranging from his very first credited feature, BLACK SUNDAY (’60), through this one. What isn’t acknowledged even remotely enough is how skilled Bava was at crafting genuine, blood-freezing moments of terror in the middle of all that gorgeous lighting and opulent décor; heck, his one anthology film, BLACK SABBATH (’63), is chock full of them. For my money, SHOCK contains the greatest one of them all, an ingenious bit of cinematic sleight of hand during the climax that still makes audiences recoil and pounce out of their seats. It’s a simple but brutally effective idea, and don’t worry, I won’t spoil it here; let’s just say it involves a hallway. It’s a brilliant moment as jolting as the more infamous seat-jumper scares in WAIT UNTIL DARK (’67) and SUSPIRIA (’77), and what’s especially noteworthy here is the way the moment is absolutely earned by gradually turning the screws on the viewer for over an hour. It’s like the classic frog in a slowly boiling pot scenario; you don’t realize how much you’re being played until it’s too late and there’s no chance to turn away from the screen. That’s also why compilations of great scare moments in movies really don’t work since the context that built up around those nightmarish frames of celluloid – the entire framework that makes it possible – is utterly removed. That’s especially evident with this film since that moment was prominently used in the trailer and TV spots, but it doesn’t work at all when chopped down to a five-second “gotcha” snippet in a promo. Trust me, don’t watch anything else connected to this film (except the hosted intro on FilmStruck – that one’s safe!) and go in as cold as possible.

In addition to its ruthless, scary efficiency, this film is also remarkable for featuring one of the all-time great female horror performances. A seasoned theatrical actress, Daria Nicolodi is best known for her collaborations with Dario Argento like DEEP RED (’75), TENEBRAE (’82) and OPERA (’87), as well as writing SUSPIRIA. She’s an absolute powerhouse here with a role that requires her to display harrowing levels of hysteria, arousal, suspicion, maternal affection and even full-tilt madness, sometimes all within the span of a single scene. Horror films have long been a fertile ground for iconic female performances (though only Jodie Foster and Kathy Bates have taken home Oscars for performances in the genre… so far). Just look at the formidable turns by such actresses as Catherine Deneuve, Mia Farrow, Ellen Burstyn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nicole Kidman, Sigourney Weaver, Sissy Spacek… and that’s just for starters. I’d happily put Nicolodi’s turn here with such esteemed company, and Bava really knows how to make the most out of her striking, unusual face. Just look at the arresting sequence in which a presumed nightmare goes really haywire as she lies in bed staring at the camera and her hair snakes forward to the camera, then swirls back and forth in slow motion to the accompaniment of that eerie, dreamy electronic score by Italian band Libra. (Contrary to long-standing rumors, Goblin wasn’t behind the soundtrack here but one of members at the time, Maurizio Guarini, did play in Libra.) Nicolodi doesn’t even have a single line of dialogue in this scene, but her facial expressions are perfectly in synch with Bava’s vision, the results of which are an indelible slice of carnally-infused fear. Not surprisingly, he brought her back for his very last project, the hour-long “La Venere d’Ille” for the Italian TV anthology series, I GIOCHI DEL DIAVOLO (THE DEVIL’S GAMES, ’81).

Bava also isn’t afraid to go into some dangerous waters here that most American filmmakers wouldn’t even consider touching. The premise of SHOCK is that Nicolodi plays a recently married woman who comes to believe that her son is possessed by his father, a deceased junkie who had dragged her into vaguely depicted indulgences. The scenes of her son behaving in a physically aggressive manner, whether suddenly pinning her to the ground or vandalizing her underwear, are deeply uncomfortable on purpose and give the story enough ambiguity to let you wonder whether all of it is 100% real or the delusional plunge into darkness by a woman desperately trying to bury the torments of her past. Either way you choose to read it, this is a daring, challenging way for Bava to close out his movie career… and as I promised, at least once it’ll have you leaping out of your seat.