#so far this is my favourite film of 2022

[cinemagal]

DON’T WORRY DARLING (2022) dir. Olivia Wilde

[dribs-and-drabbles]

I can't help thinking about how the casting of Be My Favourite, which at first (and second after the recast) felt so odd, could actually be very cleverly intentional.

When the first trailer was presented at GMMTV Live 2022 we all collectively lost our shit at the casting of Krist and Mike. Not only for the backlash Krist (potentially wrongly) received after SOTUS but also for pairing him with Mike. Two actors who had been in bl pairs before but not for a while and who weren't predicted to do any again soon.

But then Mike got replaced (for whatever reason), and by yet another person who no one saw coming, Gawin. Again, an actor not shy of a few bl pairings but who hadn't lead a show yet and who seemed pretty reserved and not the obvious choice to do another bl.

And looking at Krist/Kawi and Gawin/Pisaeng sat together at the end of ep 7, it hit me that they don't seem like an obvious paring.

And they're really not. They've not even worked together on a series before (as far as I could see on mdl) let alone built up a friendship/relationship on the 'promotional circuit' compared to other newer pairings (I'm thinking Ohm/Nanon before Bad Buddy, or Perth/Chimon going into Never Let Me Go and now Dangerous Romance, who it's easy to picture together from the get go.) And also compare this to Krist and Aye, who have worked together in three other series prior to filming Be My Favourite - and recently too.

So it feels like the show wants us to see the Kawi/Pearmai pairing as the obvious one - just as Kawi does.

It wants us to see the Kawi/Pisaeng pairing as a little odd, or unimaginable - just as Kawi did (and is kidding himself that he still does).

And I love that because, as it's taking time for Kawi (and Pisaeng) to get used to the idea of them as a couple, we also get to do the same thing at the same time.

Their pairing is growing for us as it's growing for them.

And in some ways it's making me feel closer to their journey.

(shout out to @grapejuicegay for our dm discussions about the show)

[sargeantposting]

A little earlier in the F2 season, we caught up with Williams Racing Academy Driver Logan Sargeant.

Wanting to get to know him just a little bit better, and with a big date in Austin now on the horizon, we tasked him with answering 22 questions about racing and life in general.

Here’s what he had to say…

What race day rituals do you have?

If weekends are going well, I tend to stick with the same underwear for each day. Before you worry, they’re different pairs! I have a Friday, Saturday, Sunday set. But if it’s not going well, I have to make a change!

What's your go-to coffee order?

Latte, but it's a double espresso before quali.

What's the inspiration behind your racing number?

This year it’s six because I can’t choose in F2, but when I am allowed to pick, it would be No3. Three for Dale Earnhardt, an all-out American hero.

Your favourite drink?

I’ve only just turned 21… but it’s water, of course.

If you had to cook one main course to impress a loved one, what would it be?

Oooo… I’m not much of a cook, but I can tell you what I would order in! I love a good prime rib.

What’s your favourite film?

Love the Jump Streets, but I’ve got a lot of time for Step Brothers. But if I had to choose out of the two, I’d go Jump Streets. I suppose I have to choose which one?! But 21 and 22 are both pretty good. Ah, I can’t decide.

Who is the toughest rival you've come up against so far?

It’s got to be the battle in Formula 3 between myself and Oscar Piastri.

Your favourite cheat meal?

Fortunately I have a quick metabolism, so they come relatively often… my American roots mean it would have to be a nice, juicy burger.

How many attempts did it take to pass your driving test?

Just one, which is apparently pretty rare for racing drivers! That’s including the practical and the theory.

Which track are you most looking forward to in 2022?

It’s got to be Monaco, but I’m looking forward to seeing the F1 team in Miami.

You can choose one song only to listen to before a race, what is it?

Lose Yourself - Eminem.

Is there one circuit not on your calendar that you'd love to race at?

Obviously it’s either Miami or Austin; to have a home race would be amazing. That said, I’d love to race at Suzuka some day.

Who is your favourite sports team outside of F1?

Anything Miami! We’re talking Heat, Dolphins, Marlins, Inter Miami… they’ve all got my support.

Least favourite exercise your trainer set for you in the offseason?

I’d say it’s got to be all the extra cardio I had to do to get ready for F2.

What's a better feeling, nailing a quali lap or executing a late overtake?

I saw what Nicky and Alex said to this answer and I have to agree. Nailing a quali lap all day long. It’s my favourite part of a weekend, I love putting it all on the line.

Is there anyone you idolised when growing up?

In racing, my first hero when I was a kid was, funnily enough, Jeff Gordon. I just loved watching him and the way he fought on track.

Favourite sport that's not F1?

At the moment, I’d have to say NFL. But it switches between that and the NBA.

If you could invite anyone in the world to a dinner party, which three people would you choose and why?

I would invite Leo DiCaprio, I feel he’s kind of cool. Then let’s also invite Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt. Let’s make it an A-List movie night!

What is your favourite Grand Prix?

Well, I could be biased and say Austin. I mean, how can you argue against 450,000 fans across the three days last year? That was pretty awesome. But I’ve got to say I love Silverstone as well.

What's been your favourite moment of your career so far?

My rookie race in Macau where I finished third. Definitely, 100%, hands down my favourite track in the world.

One word to describe how you're feeling about the 2022 season?

Confident.

One word that best describes Williams Racing to you?

Supportive.

[justzawe]

Zawe Ashton on resilience, tackling complex roles and the fight for on-screen representation

The actress took to the stage at the 2023 Bazaar Summit

When Zawe Ashton looks back at her career so far, she’s a little surprised: not at her own success, but at how she’s managed to navigate a notoriously tough industry so well. “When I talk about what I’ve been through, I think, why have I kept going?” the actress and writer told the audience at the 2023 Bazaar At Work Summit, at which she was a headline speaker. “I wonder if, to even become an actor, there needs to be something inside you that is already a little bit fractured. I think there’s something within me that somehow knows this level of crazy. When it gets really hard is when I feel my strongest or most determined.”

Anyone who has watched and loved the cult favourite TV show Fresh Meat will be very thankful indeed that Ashton did keep going. Her character – the straight-talking, drug-taking, chain-smoking and anti-establishment Vod Nordstrom – was a highlight of Jesse Armstrong’s hit series. The popularity of the sitcom-style show (and particularly of Vod) made Ashton a household name and, to this day, it’s a role she’s proud of playing. “Vod was very left-field, free-thinking and probably, I would say, a queer character without that being made explicit,” she said. “Fresh Meat was 11 years ago now, but there’s still a whole new wave of people who come up to me – lots of young actresses, of every ethnicity – who say thank you to me for being smelly, unlikeable, strange and punky, because there aren’t a wealth of women who are doing that on screen.”

Ashton clearly feels passionate about portraying real women in her work. In 2019, she published a fictionalised memoir, Character Breakdown, the title of which refers to the couple of lines an actor will receive with a script, which describe who the character is – for women, these mini biographies are often laughably simplistic and purely aesthetic. “They go from one extreme to another,” Ashton sighed with disbelief. “Where do we draw the line? If you’re not seeing women’s humanity, if you’re not seeing a full human life when you’re thinking about the ways in which you’re putting these descriptions together, then you’re not valuing women. And that’s a much bigger conversation than my industry.”

Throughout her career, Ashton has fought to play complex roles and has always emphasised the importance of making multi-faceted women of every ethnicity visible on screen. When she took the role of Vod, “growing up as a young, biracial girl in Hackney,” she was “willing to do whatever it took to make that character as edgy and authentic as I felt she could be, so that it would invite anyone not seeing that kind of representation to feel really seen”. In 2022, Ashton scored a role in the period drama Mr Malcom’s List, which was a seminal moment for her – and one which she credits to the success of Bridgerton's diverse casting. “I had never seen any actor who looked like me invited to the table to perform [something like that],” she said. “I hadn’t known necessarily that I was hurting so much, until I saw that representation happen and the success of it take everyone by storm.”

Since then, Ashton has continued to push the envelope. This year, she played villain Dar-Benn – a role traditionally written as male – in The Marvels, opposite Brie Larson as Carol Danvers. “The process of learning stunts and fighting is probably one of the most empowering things I’ve done!” she laughed. “But when I thought the film was finished, I got pregnant and had my baby. And then they told me to come back and reshoot basically the whole movie. That has been the biggest journey for me: my physical wellness, my ability to endure, to mentally switch back into that place postpartum and come back to kick some ass again.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, a boundary-breaking superhero feels like Ashton’s best-suited role to date. (x)

[jean-dieu]

9 People You Want to Know Better

tagged by @arendaes, and @dujour13, thank you!!

Three ships:

Raphaël and Sosiel. YES it's my ship and I don't care. I just love the idea of these two together, they're just perfect. I'm craving tooth-rotting fluff rn and I enjoy imagining their little life post crusade, or their awkward yet heartfelt first days together. Soften that Inquisitor, Sosiel!

@dujour13 's Sia and Woljif! Chaotic boyfriends gonna cause chaos. Also, Woljif being happy is <3

@silversiren1101's Regill and Mino, counterbalancing the chaotic boyfriends with the lawful lovers hehe 3

Last Song:

Powerwolf's new album, Wake up the Wicked. Fucking love that band. They're so epic and goofy.

Last Movie:

Im westen nichts neues (2022). The book and the 1930 film are dear to my heart, so I had to see the new version (and I loved it too despite the differences).

Currently Reading:

Any papers published by Mark Riedl I love doing a PhD thesis hahaha this is a cry for help

Night Lords Trilogy by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Love the Night Lords, one of my favourite Space Marine Chapter along the Blood Angels and Emperor's Children, and so far, I love the book.

Currently Watching:

Nothing, I don't watch TV shows.

Currently Eating:

Macarons.

Currently Craving:

Energy to work on my PhD thesis.

Favorite Color:

Dark Green

Favorite Flavor:

Strawberry

Current Obsession:

Absolutely unhinged about Raphaël and Sosiel rn.

Last thing I googled:

"Olympic medals France 2024"

Favorite season:

Autumn!!! Colder but not too cold, LEAVES, spoopy and creppy, not as much allergy, less sun, cozy.

Skill I’d like to learn:

Sewing!! I bought a sewing machine last year and I'd love to get better. For now It's very basic, but I'm still proud I manage to fix a few clothes + do my tabard for a LARP event.

Best advice:

the world is a better place with you in it

tagging some people! @dmagedgoods @spyridonya @fantastic-mr-corvid @molochka-koshka @three-of-crows @yunessa @starlightcleric (DM me if you don't want to be tagged again!)

[pebble-of-gold]

WOO 2023

Lets talk about my top 10 films that came out in 2022! I watched a lot of films last year!

1. Everything everywhere all at once

I could write essays on this movie but putting it simply I watched this film in theatres 5 times. There was nothing in this movie that dissapointed me. Its an incredible example of nihilism vs existentialism and I cried 3/5 times i saw it. I now own it on dvd.

2. Bullet train

Bullet train I saw ever so slightly less coming in at 4 cinema visits! Fantastic visuals and soundtrack. Wonderful casting and a fabulously written script! One of my favourite examples of a film that is just fun to watch. I'll be honest on the 3rd and 4th time I was a bit bored but theres not as much going on to rewatch as EEAAO.

3. Black panther: Wakanda forever

I started crying and I dont know if I stopped? An incredibly touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman and a heartbreaking reminder of who we've lost. I think this is the best marvel movie since endgame honestly.

4. The unbearable weight of massive talent

Nick Cage is unironically one of my favourite actors and him and pedro pascal have created an amazing piece of media here. It is so funny and thats all it needs to be! Its just 2 guys getting to know eachother. Fair enough theres some action and spy shit going on but with that removed it is just pure fun.

5. NOPE

A slightly controversial one I know, However, I will never get over the wacky inflatable arm tube men. Im not even joking. They are what made me want to see the film in the first place! No but an excellent example of terror vs fear and a perfect film to discuss questions like "how far should you go for the shot" and issues like exploitation of animals.

6. Three thousand years of longing.

First and foremost its Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba enough said. This movie is gorgeous. The cinematography is beautiful and the costumes the makeup the set design the props my word they did not dissapoint! The message of the film is largely isolation but also behind that theres a sense of love is eternal and how much would you do for love. I couldn't recommend this film more.

7. Matilda

Ok this one is the music and choreography for me. It's a fun film and i loce the set design for it. The costume for mrs wormwood is to die for and I want it all. Theres not a huge moral like the others on the list its a good example of what goes around comes around and good prevails. The camerawork is amazing too.

8. The Menu

Everyone in this film is an awful person EXCEPT Anya Taylor Joy's Character and I live for it. The pacing is wonderful, the camerawork again fantastic and the characterisation!!! There is so much tension and it keeps building until you reach the climax its a wonderful. I like to think the film is about anti capitalism and the death of creatives due to the preassure of critics.

9. The banshees of inisherin

My favourite type of media is where nothing happens but SO MUCH happens. (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead is a wonderful example of this) and Banshees is an amazing example of that. At its core its about loss and lobelyness. Plus It has a RELATIVELY ACCURATE autistic character and thats my favourite part.

10. Don't worry darling

DON'T BOO ME DON'T YOU DARE. OK I ENJOYED IT. SOMEONE HAD TO! HARRY'S ACTING WASN'T EVEN THAT BAD YES IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH SHIT GOING ON CAN YOU BLAME HIM! plus I was living for the drama of DWD and no it was not at all about feminism or the female orgasm but it was about control and it was a fantastic film to showcase that.

Honorable mentions go to:

Where the crawdads sing, Batman, The bad guys, Sing 2, violent night, JJK:0, Multiverse of madness.

Thor does not get an honorable mention and I will not see avatar 2 because I want it to flop.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: August 2024

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. The summer is waning. But the monthly media posts carry on. Here's how I spent the month of August.

……….FILM……….

Wendell & Wild (2022) I don't want this to be one of the last major stop-motion film to ever be made, but the filmmakers put so many stories into this that I wonder if they thought this was their last shot. Essentially a 12-course meal from a great restaurant: the accomplishment is impressive but the whole is overstuffed and some of the smaller portions were undercooked.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) The lightly surreal elements of the movie were great, but there's a point late in the story when that surreality kills all of the momentum.

Spice World (1997) Still holds up.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Still amazed at how well this pulls off what it seeks to do. But maybe I'm biased because I love practical effects, puppets, and action scenes that serve the narrative. We may not get another D&D movie but I'm glad we have this one.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Based on other live-action multiverses, I went in with modest expectations, and this was a pleasant surprise. Maybe it's because it continues to do what Deadpool does well. Thoroughly entertaining in the moment.

……….TELEVISION……….

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Episode 1.14 to 1.20) It's been a couple of years since I stopped watching (mid season!) but luckily one of the episodes was essentially a recap of what's happened so far. Really ramping up in the abstract and the philosophical and I'm a big fan. These kids are meeeeeeeessed up.

Made for Love (Episode 2.01 to 2.08) I only really caught the first season in pieces but I knew enough going into this season that it really clicked! It hit me the same way early Black Mirror episodes felt, only with more humour, depth, and nuance. It's a real shame there's no plans for season 3.

……….YOUTUBE……….

I think this will be a Short Video by Matthew Colville A really great reflection on making art in the social age, the algorithm, communities/audiences, and how these can clash with the natural impulses of creativity. VIDEO

I'm What the Culture Feeling (The full story of Kendrick Vs. Drake) by F.D. Signifier Almost 3.5 hours but for someone like me (who knows next to nothing of this world, these artists, or this conflict) it expertly breaks it all down to paint a complete picture. Really great watch. VIDEO

……….READING……….

Cards On the Table by Agatha Christie (Complete) Top-tier Christie. The premise is so fun, and while I know the multiple detectives appear in other stories, it's a nice introduction to these characters. This book made me want to learn how to play Bridge.

The People of the Black Circle and A Witch Shall Be Born by Robert E. Howard (Complete) I have this collection of Conan stories and after a years-long break, decided to read a few more. Both great! The latter puts Conan in an almost supporting role and it's fun to see him take on a secondary role to the story. Keeps it interesting. And the former is such a classic pulp story (cults, magic clothing, a giant snake) that I can't help but love it.

Delicious in Dungeon Volume 14 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) It's been a 6-year-long journey for me and while I couldn't be happier with how it ended, I'm sad that it's over. Still so impressed with how well it stuck the landing for me. Do I wish there was more of a wind-down with these characters? Sure. But I really respect an artist who knows what they want to say/do and says/does it. Very excited to see what Ryoko does next.

Hellboy Library Volume 1 by Mike Mignola with John Byrne (Complete) Without being hyperbolic, this is one of my favourite contributions to the craft. So confident and fully-formed right out of the gate. Excited to reread this series.

……….AUDIO……….

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappel Roan (2023) Technically I started listening to this at the end of July. I saw a positive review, figured I'd check it out, and it felt like that was at the same time everyone else in the world was talking about her. Love an album with such a focused perspective.

Currents by Tame Impala (2015) In recent years I've been really enjoying Tame Impala's one-off songs (Barbie and Dungeons & Dragons soundtracks, their collaboration with Gorillaz, etc.) so I figured I'd really dig into this album. Easy to listen to both casually in the background and with a magnifying glass just pouring over the lyrics. Love it.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) Only got a few sessions in this month but the crew is still reassembling the skeletal pirate they trashed years (real time) ago. Now they're about to face a big electric centipede to recover his legs.

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 crew split the party and one half casually shopped and planned while the other half discovered a secret testing facility full of captured magic-users.

Wonderland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) We got in a single session of Wonderland and it was a small party but a lot of fun! Also the first true character death of our playtesters. Luckily we had backup characters though character 2 ended the session losing their arm. Hey that's Wonderland.

And that's it. See you in September!

[into-another-nightmare]

chiaki kuriyama appreciation post

japanese actor, got popular for her work in the 2000s as a teen actor

battle royale (2000), she was 16 at the time and did some of the best acting in the entire movie imo, and just like. look at the still. if i was there i'd just accept death

kill bill (2003), the film she was nominated for TWO awards for even tho she was a side character and WON one of them (best fight). she was amazing and was my favourite character between both movies. she was the best possible casting for the role (gogo yubari) and i was fucking devastated when she died (sry for spoilers, it's a great movie u should go watch it, but it was a plot death and was obvious from her introduction)

now, like, sry to be a fake fan but those are the only movies with her i've watched so far (this will change soon) but here are a few other notable ones:

shikoku (1999) - haven't been able to find a copy of this online (not even tgx), but she plays another... less sane character, the horror of this horror movie. if anyone can find it online somewhere please reach out bc it seems like an interesting movie

ju-on: the curse (2000) - this one is available online! unfortunately, it's v low quality and is likely a rip of a rip of a rip, but subtitles are pretty decent. haven't watched the whole thing but kuriyama was brilliant in this too! despite the fact that it's a rlly cheap and shitty horror movie, she had excellent acting and was obviously into the role

she has since played several other roles in several movies, shows, and has voice acted/dubbed for some projects. she's also going to be in the upcoming season of a semi-popular japanese tv show called Ōoku, coming out in 2024.

ALSO sidepoint, i forgot to mention this earlier, but she is a badass and could beat most people on here in a fight

and, last but certainly, absolutely, definitely not least, she has released several songs and even the 2011 album circus which is really fucking good and you need to listen to it right fucking now, please and thank you (if you're wondering, it's pop/rock)

she's been doing a lot recently, and became independent in 2020. below is a recent picture of her (2022) and just...

her twitter is here her website is here

and that's it! thx for reading my entire little essay abt why i like this random japanese actor who was in 2 movies which i like

and to anybody who got mad bc i called her an actor and not an actress, sry but fuck u and fuck needlessly gendered words, gender is a bitch and we should make it an opt-in

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Pierre Novellie's 2022 stand-up show, Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things, has just appeared on YouTube for free, which is awesome. This show was what inspired his book of the same name, also recently released. Basically the events described at the end of this show inspired him to write a book, and now he's released the book and a video of the show at the same time.

I heard this show about a year and a half ago and enjoyed it, and then heard his 2023 show, Why Are You Laughing?, and thought that was amazing, a step above the decently high bar set by his previous stuff that I knew of (Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things and Quiet Ones, also on YouTube), which means I pretty much forgot about this previous one. But I watched this video this afternoon and was reminded that this show was also very entertaining. I think he was first introduced to me as an observational comedian for people who aren't into observational comedy, which is pretty accurate. A lot of his topics are well-trodden ground for stand-up (though not all his topics are), but he does them really well. I highly recommend this video if you want to hear a man observe how irritating it is when people do life wrong.

I had no idea he was releasing a film of this show, so it was a nice surprise when that appeared on YouTube this week. We've had a few announcements of upcoming ones recently, though. There's a release date for John Kearns' The Varnishing Days, his 2023 show and somehow his first filmed stand-up special (though he did release that one show on vinyl that was lovely). I think it's a parenthood show and those don't tend to be my thing, but I make exceptions for very very good ones, and this one is supposed to be very very good, so I'm looking forward to its release. August 31, apparently.

They've also just announced that on September 10, Ahir Shah's Ends is coming to Netflix. Fair warning to everyone who follows me on Tumblr, that is going to be a big one where I will not rest until I've made everyone I've ever met watch it. That show was absolutely brilliant.

I'm currently doing my Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024 comedy admin, and having a fantastic time, as I put together a spreadsheet with all the shows I've seen so far. Will of course add more as I get them in from NextUp and anywhere else. I'm formatting my spreadsheet the same way I formatted the spreadsheet I did for the 2023 Edinburgh Festival, with the date and comedian and venue and show title and rating out of 10, but actually out of 40 because I include half points and quarter points, so I can sort them by that and see my favourites. I ended up with 40 shows on my Edinburgh 2023 spreadsheet, and of all those, Pierre Novellie's Why Are You Laughing? came in second as the only 9.5, and Ahir Shah's was the only 9.75. I made those rankings shortly before the award winners were announced, and was reading people on message boards talking about what will likely win the best show award and they were debating about all these shows that I either hadn't heard or hadn't found all that impressive, and I kept wondering if I had somehow misunderstood all of comedy for the fact that my pick for the best show I'd heard wasn't even getting mentioned by the people speculating (same with my pick for second-best, I do think it was an oversight that Pierre Novellie didn't get nominated for those awards last year), but then they announced the awards and Ahir Shah won and I cheered like my favourite sports team had just won the championship. I knew it! I knew that I'd ranked them correctly! I was right and the awards confirmed it! Obviously if a show that I'd seen and thought was shit had won, I'd have said that awards are the bullshit idea that a few people's opinions of a subjective medium count for anything, and they shouldn't exist.

Anyway, I needed to do a brief detour in this post to say "just so everyone knows, I called something correctly once", because I really like being right and think people show know when it happens, but the main point there isn't that I was right, it's that Ahir Shah's Ends won Champion of Edinburgh last year and entirely deserved it, it was brilliant. It's rare that a show can make me laugh that hard, that consistently, and also make me cry by the end. Usually you get emotional shows that are pretty funny or very funny shows that focus entirely on that. Ahir Shah had it nailed across the board. I am so pleased that I will soon be able to force everyone I know to watch it. And good for him, getting as big a platform as Netflix. Those awards are supposed to translate into further career success, aren't they? Sam Campbell won it, and the next year, he got a Taskmaster spot. Ahir Shah won it and the next year he got a Netflix special (and a Bugle debut, very important), which is awesome, but it would be great if we could tack a Taskmaster spot onto that soon, as well.

And in even more stand-up special release date news, this week we finally got an email from John Robins' mailing list that lets us know Howl will be out on audio on September 6. He said in January that it would be out around March or April, but realistically, September was always more likely. I can't blame him. I respect that he's going to the DIY route on stand-up releasing, editing the thing himself and sticking it on Bandcamp. Doing that with this show, given its topic, has to be emotionally difficult to listen to it over and over, as well as taking time and normal editing efforts, so I'm just glad he's releasing it at all, as part of me had a feeling he'd back out of that. I'm looking forward to hearing this one a lot, obviously.

We also got an email this week from Grace Petrie's mailing list, and I was disappointed that it didn't contain updates about the second filming of Butch Ado About Nothing, which I'd thought was happening this summer and supposed to appear on NextUp (on the subject of stand-up shows that have made me cry - I swear it doesn't happen all that often, I think Grace Petrie and Ahir Shah are the only two who did it in 2023). Hopefully that's still happening. It did mention coming to Canada, though. Only Western Canada, but it mentioned the possibility of further dates, so I'll keep an eye on that, in case she moves more central. (Though any Tumblr people in Western Canada, and I know there's at least one of you - I cannot recommend enough going to see Grace Petrie live, I got to last year and it was amazing.)

All this has also reminded me that I read months ago that Marjolein Robertson was filming her 2023 show Marj. I got to see her follow-up, O, in Edinburgh last week, absolutely loved it, which inspired me to look up whether the video of Marj ever appeared anywhere, and it seems like it hasn't yet. There's another thing to watch.

Okay, I think those are the major updates in terms of new recorded stand-up hours that I'm looking out for right now. Everyone watch that Pierre Novellie video, it'll be a good time.

[timextoxhajima]

what's the right word?

my first kpop group was snsd when they first released gee back in 2009/2010 and i was 9/10.

i've been stuck in this hole of 'kpop' since. i turn 24 in april. thats more than half my life.

growing up in a conservative asian family and the elder daughter of two teachers, it's not easy to explain the grievances and troubles i feel like i've experienced. some might not even consider it a terrible thing. yes, i've had a good standard of education and had parents who took care of me but sometimes the challenge was truly connecting with people and finding an emotional support.

nobody else can replicate and/or understand the true depth of the love, admiration, inspiration and reliance a fan has on her favourite idols/groups. throughout the years, i've gone through the eras. going from the snsd/shinee/suju era, and then into the bts/exo/vixx/bap era, and then blackpink/red velvet/wanna one/nct and then i feel like my life had a significant trajectory in the 2019-2020 period because i started dancing.

after having spent a decade being so invested in the idol culture of perfecting every single performance, pushing past boundaries and the idea of 'not being enough' being the exact source of motivation, perhaps picking up cover-dancing wasn't the best idea. especially when i come in a package with a bunch of baggage, anxiety, stress, and other perfectionist ideals.

throughout the years before 2019/2020, my reliance on my kpop idols was emotional. i wrote letters to them like they were my best friends, wished them the best of health and that they were always enough, while wishing i was as good as they were (ironic?). to my past loves: sooyoung, donghae, minho, jonghyun, jungkook, baekhyun, kang daniel, irene, jaehyun and the other members who have helped me through alot - i owe my life to them. quite literally.

tbz and enhypen have a special place in my heart. because not only did they become the usual emotional support pillars i had all the while, they became my mentors. an actual source to learn and be better. enhypen even more, because i've covered at least 5-6 of their items.

this growth in myself and the growth i see in them was so quiet but so sudden last night as i filmed their performances. 'oh my god, i danced to this song back in 2022 and now i get to see it live?'

as a fan, i feel more emotional because not only am i a fan who enjoys their music, i feel like i had connected to them on the 'stage performer' level and though i'm still lacking in many, many ways, i owe my progress and improvement to enhypen. they push me both mentally and physically during practises and their want to surpass themselves always reminds me that love knows no boundaries. the love for the stage and the love to be the best version of yourself.

i'm quite sure there's some psychological term for it, when you rely on someone who doesn't know you exist, and that you gain energy just from this person's existence.

the story is much, much longer but i could write a whole fic about it if i wanted to.

to my strength, my (probably last) love, heeseung.

i could write a billion words about you, and it would still not be enough to share how much of my life, my success, my motivation, my strength i owe to you. the love between a fan and an idol can only go so far, but i promise it will be forever.

i have a knack for choosing the members who seem to be the 'ace' of the group, but you are so unapologetically open about being a perfectionist. that's just my opinion. you know you want to be at your best, and you strive so hard to get there, sometimes i almost feel sad that you think you're not yet perfect. but then again, that's the very thing that makes me look up to you.

saw you for the first time and probably the last time last night. thank you for reigniting this want to surpass myself in every way possible. thank you for reminding me that lacking is the only way up.

[julietsbb]

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Thai Actor RPF, เพื่อนายแค่หนึ่งเดียว | Never Let Me Go (TV 2022) RPF, We Are คือเรารักกัน | We Are (Thailand TV 2024) RPF Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Pond Naravit Lertratkosum/Phuwin Tangsakyuen Characters: Pond Naravit Lertratkosum, Phuwin Tangsakyuen, Jojo Tichakorn Phukhaotong Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Canon Universe, vampire!Phuwin, Biting, Blood, your regular vampire tropes, they’re pretty chill and integrated into modern society though, set during never let me go filming, count on the rating most likely going up in later chapters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Chapter 4 Summary:

A new normal, arriving on location. A conversation.

this chapter was a trip to read through, considering what the characters have just worked through in my most recent updates on twitter. In other news, this fucking started-on-accident fic just clocked in at 40k in my google doc yesterday (who even am I anymore?!) and it contains two personal favourite lines of mine so far.

[torillatavataan]

I watched Hatching (2022) recently and it was good! I am American and see primarily war and Nordic noir and police/detective shows/movies available to watch in USA because they are popular in Finland and make their way across the Atlantic Ocean. Can you and your wonderful Finnish friends recommend Finnish movies that are not tuntematon sotilas (I have seen it as much as any Finnish citizen!) that you consider excellent or even like a cult classic? Kiitos paljon!

Hi! Than you for the question, and sorry for taking a few days to get back to you.

I'm glad to hear you've enjoyed the Finnish cinema so far!

I'm unfortunately not much of a movie watcher myself, so I'm going to have to ask my followers to recommend their favourite Finnish films.

But in the meantime, here's a list of Finnish Christmas films, another list of Finnish films, and a few other recommendations.

You can also check out my tag elokuva for gifs and stuff.

Suositelkaa suomalaisia leffoja, jooko. :)

[jcs-singular-slut-strand]

7. hair-ties or scrunchies?

8. how many water bottles are in your room right now? i have four!

9. which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?

11. favorite extracurricular activity? (is it ballet? i dont think it is)

21. something you’ve kept since childhood?

26.a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

43. what’s your take on spicy foods?

44. you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it?

46. favorite holiday film?

see, i even sent you the questions because i'm cool like that <3<3

have fun!

7) hair bobbles or scrunchies?

Well I have about a million hair bobbles just lying about my room and I usually have at least one on my wrist so I'll say hair bobbles. I don't really I have enough hair to use a scrunchie, it doesn't reach my shoulders

8) how many water bottles are in your room right now?

There are two, one that I barely ever use except at like 3 am when I wake up really thirsty, and the other is the one I use all the time. My original version of this bottle got lost/stolen in 2022 so I literally begged my dad to get me an exact replica off of amazon and I love it very much

9) hot or cold coffee?

Iced vanilla latte 🫶🫶 and then I add extra vanilla sugar because if my county is gonna be the "sick man of Europe" then I can at least benefit from it

11) fave extracurricular activity?

My fave is not ballet although it is something that I do. I recently dropped one of my classes (the one on Wednesdays) so now I'm only doing it once a week on Saturday. My favourite is deffinetly swimming though, I don't go as often as I would like but it's nearing summer which means potential sea swimming. Last summer (if you can call it that) me and my friend went to North Berwick and swam in the sea there. Fucking freezing, we came out bright red.

21) Something you've kept since childhood?

A stuffed animal which is a rabbit. She's called Floppy and I got her when I was 6. She has a Jonas brothers t shirt on right now, it serves

26) a scenario that you've replayed multiple times?

Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I wasn't an only child, or what would've happened if I had picked the other school over the one I did choose. I'm also constantly replaying the funny things my friends and parents say in my head, I write them all down out of context in samsung notes, I really like it

43) take on spicy foods?

I think they taste great, amazing even. However, this is Scotland. I CANNOT handle spice on any level. The local Indian restaurant recognise my family and tell us it's great to have us back every time, but they also know that I'm gonna be ordering butter chicken. It's banging though

44) free pass to kill one person. Who?

Omg one person?? That's actually really hard I didn't realise how many people I actually kinda despise... probably this girl who ruined my life 2-3 years ago and who now pretends that it's all good cause we're older now and it was just something that happened when we were silly and immature. Like babe no you were absolutely horrible to me. I mean I wasn't great either and did deserve to be held accountable for my actions but that was TOO FAR

46) favourite holiday film?

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR!!!!!!!!! That counts as an Easter film. Not religious but I am a very big fan

[argumate]

you have some knowledge of classic hong kong kung fu movies, right? like bruce lee, maybe john woo and jackie chan, I'm not really sure who the big stars are. do you have any you particularly recommend? I'd like to watch a few

I'm not actually an expert on this (or anything) and my experience is somewhat scattershot, which makes me wonder what I've even watched, hmm.

Bruce Lee, I've only actually watched The Big Boss in full as a movie, but seen enough clips of the others that they feel familiar; honestly despite the way he towers over the field I think he's more valuable as a conceptual inspiration than a maker of actual movies.

Jackie Chan is obviously incredible; his early movies might be a little cheap and silly but they're far more advanced than anything Bruce Lee had the chance to do and he made so damn many of them! he's not just a kung fu guy but a master of physical comedy, a modern Buster Keaton, and yes obviously the stunts wow.

John Woo fills in the "charismatic gun-fu" and "fluttering doves" side of Hong Kong movies and those are surely worth dipping into at least a little, especially if you appreciate Chow Yun-fat.

Stephen Chow is a personal favourite; a very funny comedian but his comedies include Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu, as well as the two part Journey to the West parody (Chinese Odyssey) which is fantastic.

Leslie Cheung wasn't a kung fu star but A Chinese Ghost Story by Tsui Hark is still the best version of that movie ever made.

oh and while we're on kung fu comedy, Eagle Shooting Heroes from 1993 is the funniest damn thing and has the best scene of toad-style kung fu put to film; allegedly made in a rush while Ashes of Time ran over budget, it borrows most of the cast and has both Tony's Leung and Jackie Cheung as well Brigitte Lin and Joey Wong and Maggie Cheung.

hmm actually these are all kung fu comedy recs but kung fu lends itself naturally to comedy (and the best comedies have a solid emotional core); Tin Ha Mou Seung (Chinese Odyssey 2002, no relation to the other film with a similar name) is a hilarious spoof of Wong Kar-wai films and classic Shaw Brothers movies like The Kingdom and the Beauty and The Butterfly Lovers, it's great!

oh turns out there is another film titled Chinese Odyssey from 2022, which was Ng Man-tat's last movie before he died of liver cancer; what a pity, that guy was great with Stephen Chow and made more than fifty movies in his career.

okay I'm rambling here and there's tons of other kung fu movie possibilities I haven't covered, like 36th Chamber of Shaolin or the first Ip Man movie, Donnie Yen movies in general, oh and anything with Sammo Hung in it, just go watch some movies already!

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay-adjacent Visuals: Way Down

Geoff's cover of Way Down was released on the 4th of June, 2022, and it is one of my 3 favourite videos (no particular ranking/order) on his channel so far! I might hit image limit for this one, I'm not sure, but I'm not gonna try and be conservative with my screenshot taking, because this video is too much fun! So let's go!

This was filmed at Pattycake Productions Studios, and I wanna know who was in charge of/helped with set design for this one. Was it Geoff? Was he the one that made the mess? 😝😂

Ayyyy

(And yes, that genuinely is the track image/graphic for the track on Spotify and other music streaming platforms!)

*looks left, nobody there*

*looks right, nobody there*

"Alright down I go!" 😂

Thumbnail moment! (Also he kinda looks a bit different with his hair like that doesn't he?)

Geoff says in the description of this: "I had a LOT of fun making this one, and I hope ya'll enjoyed it too, despite the um...terrible dancing." It certainly does look like he had a ton of fun with this one, but I beg to differ on the "terrible dancing" bit! He enjoyed himself, he looked amazing, and I love every second of this video! Terrible my foot!

He just looks so happy in this video!!!

Honestly I kinda sorta wanna learn this choreography (or at least parts of it) myself, but I don't exactly have enough empty space in my house to be spinning around a broom like he does at one point here 😅

(And of course I have to give a shoutout to Eli "lighting whiz" Jacobson for the lighting design!)

Speaking of Eli, that's a hella strong eyebrow raise! Eli got competition! 😝

(Also kinda jealous because my eyebrows absolutely refuse to work independently of each other like that, rip)

Right, so the first glove comes on at about 1:24...

(Also lighting change on the curtains in the background!)

Hey there, Jeff! Nothing to see here! 😁

Hi, Jeoph! 😋

I'm not posting a screenshot of it, but if you've seen the video (of course you have, that's why you're here reading this), you know FULL WELL what Jeoph and Jeff are reacting to here 🤣

Geoff really did that, he really put it in the video and everything! (We have to stan, obviously)

Geoff did the chair-walk(?) dance move thing! Not easy to do, especially with chairs like that on a smooth, glossy/shiny floor, and it looks like he only just landed that based on the way it cuts away, but still, I'm impressed!

Jeoph and Jeff are impressed/surprised, too! 😄

And the whole janitor outfit/uniform gets removed at about 1:58, meaning those gloves were worn for just a little over 30 seconds 🤣

(Also nice shirt 👀)

Rip Jeff

Jeoph: Waayyyyy dooowwwnn

Jeff: "wait since when could you sing like that? And when were you going to tell me?" 😂

(Joke stolen from a Youtube comment, just too good)

No amount of screencaps could do it justice but goddamn Geoff's hips do not lie in this video! He got moves! (Sure, he has people to help him with choreography (shoutout to Chris Dupre for this one!), but knowing a choreography routine is one thing; being able to do it and do it well is another)

"Oh uh, hey there boss! What a surprise to see you here! Nothing much happening right now, totally!"

*swoon*

Someone in some Youtube comment, on a reaction video I think, referred to Geoff "flirting with the camera" in this video, and I was like "hey yeah, he's totally flirting with the camera here!" (do it more)

Man, if I had a nickel for every time there was a brown-haired dude living in Florida who was good at singing and sometimes did songs with "clones" of himself, who had different names/nicknames and interacted with each other, well, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice!

(Even weirder is that the other guy used to be one of my previous hyperfixations, and when I eventually got around to watching this video last year, I kind of got a feeling of "oh no it's happening again!" 😂😅)

Yes I love him, what about it?

So apparently the names/nicknames for these three came from the various incorrect ways that Geoff has seen his name spelled. And it's like... okay, "Jeff", yes, I've seen that on a couple or so Voiceplay videos (his name is literally in the description! And there are always comments that talk about him! (but it is still the somewhat more common spelling of the name I guess)), "Goff" is likely just a missed-letter typo, but "Jeoph"? Jeoph??? Who the heck came up with that misspelling? 🤣

"Way onnnnn d o o o w w w n n n n" (subharmonic C1!!!!)

And yes, I've officially hit picture limit, so no screencaps of the mini bonus scene at the end - you'll just have to go (re)watch that part yourself! 😁

Can you believe that Geoff does not only the singing and performing on screen, but also the arranging, producing, and editing for his covers too? And he directs or co-directs them!

This video is 3 minutes of complete and utter serotonin and I love it. I really hope we get to see more of Geoff dancing in 2024, whether on his channel or with Voiceplay. And honestly with the super-wide variety of music content across the two channels, it's entirely possible!

[muppetjackrackham]

his truth is marching on.

to be honest, i wasn’t sure where to start when i sat down to try and write this post. what could i possibly have to say about elvis presley that hasn’t already been said by someone else? elvis had always been a part of my life, but it was always on in the background. i knew him as someone who was influential, someone who was significant, but never to me. i always referred to him either in the context of my parents or in the far more general context of rock and roll music. it never felt personal enough for me to talk about despite the fact i had grown up on lilo and stitch. i only ever knew of him, and never enough for me to want to say something about it. 

in a way, elvis (2022) changed not only how i viewed elvis as a person, but how i viewed cinema as a whole. 

i’ve always been engaged with cinema. it’s something i’ve been passionate about ever since i was young. i was in love with the art of storytelling, the way it could be as complicated as a hundred different extras and costumes on a fully realized set, or just two actors sitting in a room in front of a camera having a conversation. every medium of storytelling has its own merits, but for me, film was always my favourite, and baz lurhmann’s films have long been some of my favourites. i think a lot of people underestimate the effects that film can have on people, and i feel like it’s no more apparent than it is in the way that elvis (2022) has impacted people spanning several generations, bringing people together in ways that only stories can: because it made you care about something.

i’ve been thinking about this picture of elvis in particular for most of the day, because it not only feels like the most emblematic of who he was as a person, but that it’s arguably something he should be remembered by: his warmth. his complexity, his humanity, these are all things he should be remembered for, but also his compassion. his heart. his life, both the good and the bad, has inspired some of us to remember why we loved him, but it has also introduced some of us to the reasons why we should love him. elvis was many things to many people. to me, he is someone responsible for some of the kindest, warmest people who are now a part of my life, and it pains me that he will never get to see what he has given so many people like me. 

elvis aaron presley, you are so many things to so many people. to me, you are a blessing. not just for the people you invited into my life, but for the comfort and the courage you have given me as a person. you deserved more than you were given, and yet you have given more than you could ever know.

happy birthday elvis. may god bless you, wherever you are. 

glory glory hallelujah. 

- 🦁