#star wars italia

[persephone-nymph]

Natalie Portman for Vogue Italia, Feb. 1998, photographed by Bruce Weber

[thefelineofaveb]

it's funny how my design philosophy is "less is more" while at the same time my personal styling philosophy is "more is more is more is MORE"

[bonbonsandbeskar]

Trek with Tech: Day 2 - The Heart of Rome (Part 1)

Hiya everyone! Boy, today was absolutely jam-packed, we haven’t stopped!

So glad I had this Italian latte blend this morning with my breakfast, it was lovely being able to sip on this whilst overlooking the Colosseum!

Afterwards, we jumped straight into exploring. We hiked our way to the wonder of the world and Tech clambered his way up to get a view of the Arena ⚔️✨

The view from the edge was lovely too - luckily there was still plenty of shade in some places!

Examined and read up on some ancient wonders - @phee-spirited would be jelly! 😂

Striking a pose whilst taking a quick rest 💅

Then we were off to stroll around the Vatican. Lord it was immense. We had no idea it was so big! Couldn’t explore it all in the time we had left in the end, but the gardens and the artwork displays were so beautiful…

Then we headed to the Basilica. Due to religious reasons, we were not allowed to take any pictures once inside the building (Tech switched his goggles off). But we were still able to take some brilliant shots of the impressive outside architecture! ✝️💫

Our day carried on right into the evening! Head over to part 2! ✨

[yohanpasindu]

🍀 Good morning guys.. What a beautiful day 💐..

[crazygirl-in-a-redshoes]

[gabritrix]

Io oggi !!

[downtobaker]

Tutti i misteri del cosmo con l'astrofisico Amedeo Balbi

da redazione Il bellissimo ed esaustivo canale YouTube di Amedeo Balbi che svela tutti i segreti dell’astrofisica. L’immagine più bella che gli astronauti hanno colto dalla Luna è stata quella della Terra. Fulgida e azzurra nel buio più nero, delicata, come vivente. Qualcosa di unico nello Spazio sconfinato. Eppure noi umani siamo spesso inebriati dal sogno di lasciarla per trasferirci su altri…

[multiverseofseries]

Rebel Moon - Parte 1: figlia del fuoco, Zack Snyder ha il suo Star Wars

Rebel Moon - Parte 1: figlia del fuoco, film di Zack Snyder che apre le porte a una nuova saga ispirata all'universo di Star Wars. Su Netflix.

Zack Snyder è uno di noi. Con lo slow motion facile e un piano di allenamento sicuramente migliore, ma è comunque uno di noi. Perché anche lui, quando ha visto il primo Star Wars da bambino, ha detto: un giorno voglio fare un film di Guerre Stellari tutto mio. La differenza è che Snyder non si è fermato alla collezione di action figures: lui ce l'ha fatta sul serio. Nato proprio come storia facente parte dell'universo creato da George Lucas, con l'acquisizione di Lucasfilm da parte di Disney il progetto è stato modificato, diventando un mondo a sé stante. Questa è la versione in carne e VFX dei giochi immaginati da un bambino che sognava una galassia lontana lontana.

Rebel Moon - Parte 1: figlia del fuoco, disponibile su Netflix, è la prima parte di una saga che si articolerà su più media. Il secondo capitolo, girato back to back con questo, è arrivato questo aprile, sempre su Netflix, ma Snyder ha già dichiarato di voler fare anche un terzo film. Arriveranno poi un videogioco, una serie prequel a fumetti, dal titolo House of the Bloodaxe, e un corto animato. Le potenzialità sono quindi elevatissime. Non solo: Rebel Moon è, per ammissione del regista, ambientato nello stesso universo di Army of the Dead, altra saga, di stampo più horror, che sta sviluppando sempre insieme a Netflix. Chissà quindi che le due prima o poi non si incrocino.

Rebel Moon si poggia sulle spalle di Sofia Boutella, ballerina che nel cinema d'azione ha trovato una seconda vita brillante. L'attrice interpreta Kora, che potremmo definire una Darth Vader sotto coperta: ha fatto intatti il percorso opposto a quello del personaggio immaginato da Lucas, passando dal Lato Oscuro al Lato Chiaro. Era una delle più potenti guerriere al servizio dell'Imperium, ma poi ha preferito abbandonare la lotta, scegliendo una vita semplice in mezzo ai coltivatori di grano. Quando l'ammiraglio Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) porta terrore nel suo villaggio, decide però che è arrivato il momento di ribellarsi e di mettere insieme una squadra dei migliori combattenti della galassia per contrastare il Motherworld.

Rebel Moon - Parte 1: Figlia del Fuoco, Sofia Boutella in una sequenza

L'universo muscolare di Snyder

In un'altra vita Zack Snyder probabilmente era uno scultore nella Grecia classica: tutto il suo cinema è infatti basato sulla plasticità dei corpi. È stato così in 300, lo è stato nel suo viaggio con i supereroi DC e continua in Rebel Moon. Le parole a Kora non servono: il suo strumento è il suo corpo, che esprime una chiara e netta volontà. Nessuno può decidere per lei. È con questo spirito indomito e libero che si affianca e conquista i suoi compagni di avventure.

Con lei c'è Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), contadino che decide di seguirla per aiutarla. Sul cammino si aggiungono poi il mercenario Kai (Charlie Hunnam); il nobile Tarak (Staz Nair), diventato un fabbro; il generale Titus (Djimon Hounsou), caduto in disgrazia, ma formidabile stratega; la spadaccina Nemesis (Doona Bae) e infine uno dei capi dei ribelli contro l'Imperium, Darrian Bloodaxe, interpretato da Ray Fisher, che torna a collaborare con Snyder dopo il travagliato Justice League.

Un gruppo vario e dalla fortissima presenza scenica, che per Snyder sfoggia tutto il carisma di cui è capace, dando vita a intense scene di combattimento. Le interazioni tra questi interpreti sono tra i momenti più interessanti del film e, come si intuisce, saranno fondamentali nei capitoli a venire.

Una lunga preparazione

Rebel Moon, proprio come Star Wars, è fantascienza piena di vento e sabbia ed è anche un western tra Sergio Leone e Kurosawa. I riferimenti non finiscono qui però: ci sono anche influenze da Matrix e Il Signore degli Anelli. Insomma, praticamente il meglio che il genere fantasy e sci-fi abbiano offerto negli ultimi 40 anni. Il regista non rinuncia ai suoi tratti distintivi, ovvero fotografia desaturata e scene in slow motion, ma sembra aver trovato un equilibrio nel loro utilizzo rispetto ad altre opere più recenti. Trattandosi di un lungo prologo, il film risulta però decisamente frammentato, perché è un susseguirsi di introduzioni dei vari personaggi e pianeti.

Le premesse però per un universo che lascia la curiosità di continuare a essere esplorato ci sono tutte. Infine il desiderio di Snyder di mettere in piedi squadre numerose di protagonisti che lottano per uno scopo comune è quasi commovente: in questo momento storico pensare a eroi che agiscano insieme per il bene della collettività e non come agenti del caos solitari è qualcosa che fa piacere vedere.

Conclusioni

In conclusione Rebel Moon - Parte 1: figlia del fuoco, la nuova saga creata da Zack Snyder si ispira dichiaratamente a Star Wars. Al centro di tutto c'è la guerriera Kora interpretata da Sofia Boutella: passata dalle forze oscure dell'Imperium a una vita semplice in mezzo a dei contadini, quando questa comunità viene minacciata decide di ribellarsi e mettere insieme una squadra dei migliori combattenti della galassia per reagire al potere. Cast dal carisma muscolare, Rebel Moon è un primo assaggio di questo nuovo universo creato da Snyder, che risulta molto frammentato perché è un continuo susseguirsi di introduzioni di personaggi e luoghi. Le basi per un mondo che si fa guardare con curiosità sono però gettate.

👍🏻

Il carisma della protagonista Sofia Boutella.

Il cast dalla forte presenza scenica.

Le scene di combattimento.

La costruzione consapevole di una nuova mitologia.

👎🏻

Dovendo introdurre molti personaggi, il film è frammentato.

Gli elementi caratteristici e divisivi di Snyder, slow motion e fotografia desaturata, ci sono: nel bene e nel male.

[withnofreetime]

HETALIA ☆ WORLD STARS (515)

America really likes to... to be himself (please, admire the car and a "Thank you very much" to my sister, somehow she did it!)

Translation notes at the end: ‘cuz I took a lot of “creative freedoms(?)” and sometimes I forgot the meaning of words (“kanji”). Warning: I don’t know Italian (thanks Reddit), German (my sister knows), French (a bit) and Chinese (ref. Chinese friend).

T/N:

Page 1.

Italia + Pikachu, Itachu or Pikalia, but the last sounds horrible.

"Il faut que jeunesse se passe", the literal and no literal meaning is: "Youth must have its fling", in other words, "let America be America, let him have fun".

"后生可畏". I wasn't sure whether to add Chinese, but if others can, why not China? I really love this Chinese proverb, and I also like to study Confucius (little story) so it's a double prize! A friend of mine told me that in her school they make them read the teachings of Confucius, so… he's pretty popular!

"The hero always arrives late!", this is pretty obvious and well-know, but to be a little more academic: The Hero's Journey. After overcoming the "abyss/defeat", the hero returns transformed to save the day! At the very last minute! Like… the format that all cliché Hollywood movies use.

Page 3.

"Mitico": "great", "fantastic", "brilliant", etc.

"The specified Cost":

France: 1.94% less, I searched, but I couldn't find how much of France's PIB is spent on tourism.

Page 4.

Italy's PIB, it's in euros, but, as in France's case, it has to be converted into dollars to be considered as approximation.

In 2023, the Italian government spent between 40-60 million dollars on tourism, which coincides a little bit with the "-41 in cost" in the letter, I guess.

Page 5.

"Ungeheuer", "monster". I agreed to translate Hetalia with the condition that I have fun, no matter if the words come out of nowhere.

In tourism: America (3) and Italy (4).

Page 6.

"1st Place, America". So I assume his cards will have something to do with that:

1) Technology. Japan (1) and America (2) are the most technologically advanced countries by far.

2) Wall Street. Who doesn't know the place? It is the economic centre of the world... for now.

3) Film Industry. Hollywood is the largest, richest and most important "corporation".

4) NASA. And the other private American companies. I wouldn't say they are number one, but they are well-known.

5) Army. China (1), India (2) and America (3), by number of soldiers.

Against Germany, Italy and Japan (technology):

1) Cars, but unlikely. In order of revenue: (1) Volkswagen, Germany, (2) Toyota, Japan and (3) Stellantis, Netherlands.

2) Engineering. Most of them are either Japanese or German companies.

3) Germany is good and top 5 in 2.

America is really the number one, although most of them are for not-so-good things. It must be its size and diversity, I think, and the two world wars.

"Non è vero?", "It's not true?" or, in this case, "Isn't it?"

Is there a problem/error? Please say so! And thank you for your support!

[blackswaneuroparedux]

I never admitted to anybody during my entire military service that I had been an actor. I was terrified that I would be put in charge of Ensa [Entertainments' National Service Association]. Not even my closest friends knew I was an actor. I told them I was reading English at St Andrews University.

- Richard Todd

In his heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, Richard Todd was Britain’s leading matinee idol. If you love old movies, you’ll have seen Todd in one of his starring roles in “The Virgin Queen” opposite Bette Davis, “Stage Struck” with Marlene Dietrich, or “The Dam Busters” for which he won a Golden Globe Award. He was the tough little Scotsman in the wartime weepie “The Hasty Heart” and had audiences madly hunting for hankies.

Those were the days when Todd streaked across North American film screens as virtually every romantic hero from Rob Roy to Robin Hood. Ian Fleming chose him to play James Bond in “Dr. No” in 1962, but a schedule clash meant Sean Connery stepped into the role.

Little less known is the fact that he was also among the first British soldiers and the first Irishman to land in Normandy on D Day. More specifically, he participated in Operation Tonga during the D-Day landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944.

So it must have been surreal for Richard Todd the hearthrob actor to find himself playing Major John Howard in the epic movie ‘The Longest Day’ (1962) based on Cornelius Ryan’s book. Not least because he served with Howard and took part in the fighting at Pegasus Bridge that Major John Howard was tasked to secure on D Day.

Richard Todd was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1919. His father was a medic in the British Army and, as his posting required, the early years of his life were spent in India. The family settled in Devon upon their return to England, and Richard was educated at Shrewsbury Public School, in Shropshire. The theatre was his first love, and he furthered his dramatic skills at the Italia Conti school, thereafter moving to Scotland where he helped to form the Dundee Repertory Theatre. When War was declared, Todd went to St. Andrew's University on the following day to volunteer. He was not a member of the University, but he not only convinced the selection unit that he was, but also added that he had been reading English there for six months, and that he had obtained a Cert A in his school cadet corps; a key point to being accepted as an officer. Despite success in passing off this invented career, Todd was to be disappointed by a lack of interest in him thereafter.

Becoming increasingly desperate to get into the War before it ended, he sent numerous letters to the War Office to press his case, which, in June 1940, was finally noticed.

Accepted by the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Todd went to Sandhurst to receive his officer training. He had a very lucky escape here when he was in a corridor on the second floor of a building when it was hit by a bomb, and he was blown into the garden outside by the blast. He got to his feet in the darkness and did not feel particularly affected by it, but an examination by torchlight revealed that his whole body was covered in blood from numerous small wounds.

A spell his hospital delayed his passing out from Sandhurst until early 1941. Celebrating in London, he narrowly avoided death again when he found his usual haunt, the Cafe de Paris, was too crowded to admit him and so he went elsewhere; it was hit by a bomb that same night and 84 people were killed.

His Battalion, the 2nd/4th Battalion The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, was posted to XII Corps in defence of Kent, where a German invasion if it came would almost certainly land. Todd was given command of the infantry in the Dymchurch Redoubt, a fort of the Napoleonic era mounting two six-inch guns.

In the event of an invasion, this would certainly have been a primary target for the enemy, and those manning it were told that, with the main defensive line far to their rear, they would be left to fight to the end. General Montgomery commanded XII Corps at this time, and his characteristic emphasis on training and preparedness led to the formation of the first Battle Schools. Richard Todd attended one of these, and the experience allowed him to run his own School when, in December 1941, he was sent to Iceland with the 1st/4th King's Own Light Infantry to be trained in arctic and mountain warfare. Returning to England in September 1942, he eventually ended up in the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion of the 6th Airborne Division. He was among troops of the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion who, at 00:40 hours on 6 June 1944, landed behind the Normandy beaches in a cornfield, perilously close to tracer fire.

Todd scrambled into a wood and with 150 other paratroopers reached Pegasus and Ranville bridges, vital crossings to allow Allied forces to break out from the beachheads into Normandy. They had been seized by a glider force from the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry under the command of Major John Howard, who needed reinforcements to fend off ferocious German attacks.

In his memoirs, Caught in the Act, Todd would write of the carnage, “There was no cessation in the Germans' probing with patrols and counter-attacks, some led by tanks, and the regimental aid post was overrun in the early hours. The wounded being tended there were all killed where they lay. There was sporadic enemy mortar and artillery fire we could do nothing about. One shell landed in a hedge near me, killing a couple of our men.”

Todd would go on and see action at the Battle of the Bulge and push into the Rhine into Germany. After VE day, his division returned to the UK for a few weeks, then was sent on counter-insurgency operations in Palestine. During this posting he was seriously injured when his Jeep overturned, breaking both shoulders and receiving a concussion. He returned to the UK to be demobilised in 1946. 

In 1962, Todd was given the part of Major John Howard in the film adaptation of Cornelius Ryan's book about the D-Day landings, ‘The Longest Day’ (1962). Due to the nature of cinema, it was impossible for the film to give a thorough reflection of the role of the 6th Airborne Division during the Invasion, and as such their activities were solely represented by a reconstruction of the capture of Bénouville Bridge by Howard's coup-de-main force. Although briefly mentioned, the role of the 7th Battalion in the defence of the western bridgehead was largely ignored, and so it appeared as if the defence of the bridge rested only on Howard's men.

Naturally, the omission of their fierce defence of Bénouville caused some resentment amongst veterans, not least because one of their own was championing this re-working of history. Todd, however, regarded ‘The Longest Day’ (1962) as a film rather than a documentary, and his part in it was simply that of an actor doing as he was told.

Richard Todd would never have guessed, that in 17 years since he was on Pegasus Bridge as a paratrooper that he would standing there again as an actor portraying Major John Howard who was given the order: 'Hold,… until relieved'. It had to be Richard Todd’s 'twilight-zone' moment.

The ‘relieve’ for Howard had to come from Lord Lovat and his troops, who had landed on SWORD Beach, and were legging it towards Pegasus Bridge.

Before the shooting of the scenes were started at Pegasus Bridge, the film producer of The Longest Day, Darryl F. Zanuck, had the real life Lord Lovat and Major John Howard brought over to meet the men who were going to portray them (Peter Lawford portrayed Lord Lovat). The men had not seen each other since 6 June 1944.

Photo (above). From L-R: Peter Lawford, Lord Lovat, Richard Todd, Major John Howard.

[kaletastrophes]

Pedro Pascal: A Life in Movies

Categorizing every film Pedro has mentioned in public.

Notes and Sources:

He mentions the 1979 film Caligula here in this interview but it’s so in passing I didn’t feel I could fully include it above.

He talks about Last Tango in Paris in that same interview but its…in relation to Marlon Brando’s dick size hahaha so again I didn’t feel this was enough to warrant inclusion. I'm sorry, I would have loved to include it! But alas.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have given so much space to Kramer vs. Kramer because it’s mentioned in passing in his funny Superman story, but I made the executive decision to put it in there anyway. 

So I didn’t include it in the graphic above but Superman was actually the film the Pascal family was watching in the theater when young Pedro wondered off and got lost. 

When Pedro Pascal was roughly 4 years old, he and his family went to see the 1978 hit movie “Superman,” starring Christopher Reeve. Pascal’s young parents had come to live in San Antonio after fleeing their native Chile during the rise of dictator Augusto Pinochet in the mid-1970s. Taking Pascal and his older sister to the movies — sometimes more than once a week — had become a kind of family ritual, a way to soak up as much American pop culture as possible. At some point during this particular visit, Pascal needed to go to the bathroom, and his parents let him go by himself. “I didn’t really know how to read yet,” Pascal says with the same Cheshire grin that dazzled “Game of Thrones” fans during his run as the wily (and doomed) Oberyn Martel. “I did not find my way back to ‘Superman.'” Instead, Pascal wandered into a different theater (he thinks it was showing the 1979 domestic drama “Kramer vs. Kramer,” but, again, he was 4). In his shock and bewilderment at being lost, he curled up into an open seat and fell asleep. When he woke up, the movie was over, the theater was empty, and his parents were standing over him. To his surprise, they seemed rather calm, but another detail sticks out even more. “I know that they finished their movie,” he says, bending over in laughter. “My sister was trying to get a rise out of me by telling me, ‘This happened and that happened and then Superman did this and then, you know, the earthquake and spinning around the planet.'” In the face of such relentless sibling mockery, Pascal did the only logical thing: “I said, ‘All that happened in my movie too.'” (Source)

Poor baby hahaha 

He also mentions Paper Moon here around the 3 minute mark, as a film that the Mando team asked him to watch to inform the Mando character and his relationship with the child.

Chinatown and Dog Day Afternoon are mentioned as two of his all time favorite films in both his Reddit AMA and this Buzzfeed interview. The Reddit AMA is also where he mentions Solaris, Alien, and Superman.

Alien being is mentioned AGAIN in his Variety interview here. The interviewer of this really annoys me but that's truly here nor there.

Dog Day's Attica! scene is named as his favorite movie scene in this interview. That interview is also where he speaks about Alien, and The Omen.

The story about his father taking him to see Watership Down can be found here.

Jaws is mentioned briefly is his Vogue Italia interview.

Star Wars is mentioned in his Esquire Spain interview.

Masterlist

[bonbonsandbeskar]

Trek with Tech: Day 1 - Jetting off to Rome

Here it is! After much buildup, the first instalment of our Mediterranean journey! And boy, was the weather on our side right from the get go:

Not as dynamic as space travel, granted, but it was a lovely experience with a clear day that allowed for some breathtaking views of the French alps…

Treated myself to some duty-free perfume, which Tech then tried chatting up 😂

We got a bit nervous on the way up though… 🍸🍸🍸🍸

We finally made it to Italy!!!! 🇮🇹

Tech was very eager to explore the landmarks. I was a bit too drained from the early start and the airport runs to do too much walking about today though, so most of that will come tomorrow ✨

We had a lovely meal in a little local Roman restaurant…

Aperol spritz went down a storm!! 🍹

And the desert was gorgeous. “Gelato drowned in whiskey”. Though very boozy, I think Tech’s out for the count in that last one 😆

All’s well, we sobered up with some limonata on the balcony afterwards 😂

Tomorrow we hope to have a very thorough travel into the heart of Rome, exploring the Colosseum and the Vatican! Can’t wait!! ✨✨

[yohanpasindu]

🍀🍀🍀

[fashionthroughtimewithlucy]

Woodstock.

Woodstock, the most famous of the 1960s rock festivals, held on a farm property in Bethel, New York, August 15–18, 1969, at the end of the hippie movement. The hippie flower child look from the late 1960's carried over into the first half of the 1970's, in a non-restrictive bohemian silhouette with a heavy folksy influence. Arts and crafts had a huge impact on fashion during this time including tie-dye, batik, knitwear, crochet and macrame.

1970s Gunne Sax dresses.

Gunne Sax's aesthetic has been described as feminine, nostalgic, Victorian, old world and romantic. Though the brand is now closely associated with formal and bridal wear, its origins date back to late '60s San Francisco.  In 1969, San Francisco boutique Gunne Sax needed a house designer. Enter Jessica McClintock, an elementary school teacher with a life-long interest in fashion. When a friend told McClintock of the opening at Gunne Sax, she applied immediately. McClintock was hired despite her lack of formal training in fashion design or clothing manufacture. Herself and designer Laura Ashley popularized the prairie dress phenomenon.

Sometimes referred to as Granny or prairie dresses, a typical Gunne Sax dress of the early 1970s featured a banded Empire waist and a long maxi-skirt. Lace trim, high collars and long sleeves evoked an amalgam of past eras and created an overall impression of demure femininity.

Vogue Italia March 1970.

Twiggy for Vogue 1970

Thea Porter, Godmother of Bohemian Cheque.

Thea Porter, who is credited with bringing the bohemian look to London catwalks. Although Thea Porter is not as famous a name as Mary Quant or Laura Ashley, her influence on the look of her era is just as potent. Her loose, draped shapes and fabrics helped create the style of stars such as Faye Dunaway and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1970s, and they have since become forever entangled with the idea of rock-star self-indulgence. She celebrated ethnic styles in Indian style prints, free flowing breezy gauzy tent dresses and wide legged pants.

Porter's seven signature looks: the Abaya & Kaftan; the Gipsy dress; the Fraye dress; the Brocade-panel dress; the Wrap-over dress; the Chazara jacket, and the Sirwal skirt, as well as important fashion photography from the pages of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Women's Wear.

Changing skirt sizes.

This was the year of the changing hemline. There is no longer one length for one woman, but a whole wardrobe of lengths from which to choose. Mini, regular, midi and maxi length. Both emerald and bottle green were popular colours of the 1970s along with rust, wine red, purple, orange, and brown.

Tom Wolfe called the 1970s the "me decade" Across the land, Americans seemed determined to escape from the wars and social movements of the previous decade. Disillusionment with national and global action led many to look inward and find solace in discovering more about themselves. Women demanded respect as equal partners, and began to emerge into the work place. As women asserted themselves economically, socially, and politically, the idea of remaining trapped in an unhappy marriage became less and less appealing. Consequently, the divorce rate soared. An 1974 book entitled the courage to divorce  encouraged individuals to put their own happiness above that of their spouses and children.

Every rule of fashion was shattered in the 1970s. Lapels, ties, and collars, reached record widths. The polyester leisure suit, available in a palette of citrus and pastel colors, was extremely popular among young males. The jacket, pants, and vest were often worn with an open collar to display thick necklace chains nestled in exposed chest hair. A senses of masculine style emerged in the film 'Annie Hall' which created a sensation with Diane Keaton wearing a fitted vest with a collard white shirt and men's neckties.

[dustedmagazine]

Bar Italia — The Twits (Matador)

“Your pretentious ways made me die a little.” That line, drawled in a deadpan by Nina Cristante, is the first thing you hear on The Twits, Bar Italia’s second album overall (and second this year). The London-based band with the breezy Mediterranean name recorded these tracks during an early spring session in Mallorca, just before their break-out Tracey Denim arrived. However, if you’re looking for Spanish sunshine—or even the Euro film star glamor that buoyed parts of the debut—it’s not much in evidence. The Twits is a darker, noisier outing, where unruffled cool wars with undercurrents of strong feeling.

As before the songs flit between three distinct voices and personas, so the mood and meaning can shift on a dime. In “My Little Tony,” for instance, we begin with Cristante lacerating the poseurs above a saw-toothed Jesus & Mary Chain riff. But soon Fenton enters with his typical inchoate longing, his voice seeking the shape of the song as it goes, as he chants about a disjointed romantic connection. It’s a futile gesture. The nearest he can come to contact is leaving something on the loved one’s car seat. The song—and the record—pits the appeal of not engaging against its emptiness.

These songs are a bit louder and more chaotic than on the debut, with slashing, seething guitar roiling under sing-song-y chants. The drums bash and crash in the most unornamented of ways, all snares on the upbeats and ride cymbal all the time. The songs stop abruptly sometimes like someone pulled the power plug, dead silence for a few seconds and then something else entirely. And yet, out of this stinging, stomping detuned murk, a thread of real human longing emerges. “I won’t bore you with the details of what happens when she left,” croons Cristante in “The Twist.” Her voice suppresses a sob as she describes what she won’t talk about (a lover who left her for a man). She makes a great effort to stay unaffected, but the thing is too powerful.

We worship “cool” in rock and punk. We love the bands that stay unaffected behind their dark shades, from the Velvets on down. But what’s so great about this second Bar Italia album is that it shows how hard that is, and what a cost it exacts. It hurts being human, no matter how slack your guitars, no matter how breezy your melodies. In fact, when you pretend it doesn’t, it might be worse.  

Jennifer Kelly

[pupuseriazag]

Ah si destruir baldosas hidraulicas que fueron comisionadas a un artista en italia HACE MAS DE CIEN AÑOS y que estaban PROTEGIDAS (junto con todo el palacio nacional) como patrimonio nacional y es ilegal hacer cualquier tipo de demolicion o restauracion sin ayuda de un experto es TOTALMENTE lo que necesitamos los Salvadoreños ahorita, simon maje.

Que sigue? Que re-escriban un articulo de la constitucion sobre como se deben hacer cambios a esa constitucion para permitir que aprueben cualquier pendejada que les convenga? Ah si cierto, lo aprobaron hace una semana eso.

Ah pero que chivo que haya toda una seccion de manga en la biblioteca nacional y que las cuentas oficiales del gobierno subieran fotos editando las naves de star wars en varios sitios turisticos del pais 🥰 nombre si eso significa que somos primer mundo 😍😍 se pueden ir mucho a la mierda gobierno mas hijoeputa ojala me alcance la vida para ver a todo ese vergasal de ladrones en la carcel o muertos