#subject: directing

[filmanalysishours]

Subject: Directing

Films: Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995)

"There's a certain freedom in Goodfellas, as it's mostly medium shots, where the actors have room to move. But that's the world these characters live in. It's not a world of close-ups. They have people around them all the time, and what they do always affects the world around them. So you have to shoot it in medium shots.

It's important not to restrict actors. But, on the other hand, I cannot let actors give me something that I don't want. On a film like Casino, there was a lot of improvisation, which is fine. If an actor feels really comfortable playing that character in that world, I let him improvise within a given scene, and I cover it in a pretty straightforward manner: medium shots, close-ups... When you do that, the world is pretty much created by the actors. I place them in the frame, and the set around them is part of their life, but they bring the life to it. When that happens, and when it goes in the direction you wanted, it can be incredibly rewarding."

- Martin Scorsese, Moviemaker's Master Class by Laurent Tirard

(X)

[commsroom]

the u.s.s. horrible unending nightmare 💥 (once again from the incredible @hehearse)

[meyhew]

it's fucking crazy to hear simon cowell speak about one direction in the year 2024. “if one member doesn’t want to tour it stops the others from doing it. if i owned the name that wouldn’t a problem” um..... “i told them dont complain about paparazzi. it’s hard work and if u dont want it you can go do something else. i told them you’re going to lose a lot of privacy and thats just something you have to deal with. youre going to be very well known and it will all be worth it.” like im paraphrasing that but dude they were TEENAGERS. u should have been looking out for them and protecting them the best u could have, not telling them that things will be bad and they just have to suck it up if they care about making music. the fuck…. “i wanted them to have as many hits as possible so that if they come back they can just play stadiums” u never saw them as anything more than a money making machine. obviously i knew this it’s not new but hearing this shit straight from his mouth is like wow…. hope u die!! hope they never ever ever come back in a way that will benefit u!!!!

[jones-friend]

[lorebird]

In which Ford struggles so badly to relate to other people that he wonders if he’s really human at all. The more isolated he becomes, the harder it is to reconcile with his own humanity.

[ruporas]

only human

[ID: Two page comic in color of Vash and Wolfwood from Trigun Maximum. The first page has a black background and the upper half, behind the panels, is splattered with stylized red blood, scattered bullets, and lifeless hands. In the first panel, it focuses on Vash's boots, showing him stepping through the panel and into the bloody scene. The second panel shows his bloody footprints and the third panel shows his face, his down-turned eyes looking downwards. It's a neutral, vague expression with confliction. At the bottom of the page, the back of Wolfwood's head and shoulder is seen, blood dirtying the white color of his shirt and side of his face. Vash's hand reaches out to him from the right side of the page.

The second page shows the entire scene in full, half the page in light and the other in solid black. At the center, Vash leans down onto his knees as he wraps his arms around Wolfwood's shoulders into a hug. Wolfwood's back is turned away from the viewer, his left arm holds onto his bloodied punisher and his right hand sits on his lap. Light casts from the left side of the page, showing the bloodied surrounding, but the held up punisher casts a shadow on the both of them, shielding them from the light. END ID]

[stellaluna33]

The Jess episodes in Season 6 are SO gratifying (for those of us who, like Rory, would say, "I KNEW you could do something like this! I KNEW it, I knew it!") but at the same time SO FRUSTRATING, because everything about the way they were written suggests that they were making deliberate comparisons between Jess and Logan- comparisons in which Logan doesn't come off particularly well. Like they went to great pains to imply that: Jess knew Rory better than Logan (the birthday subplot), was better FOR her, was more mature, loyal, freaking noble, etc. etc... And then they just... never went anywhere with it! Logan jumps off a cliff and Rory feels guilty, and... The whole plotline gets dropped and they never talk about it again! It really freaking seemed like they were making a point, but WHAT WAS THE FREAKING POINT??? *flips a table!*

[captainhysunstuff]

22 more images (with some saucy shenanigans and immature "seduction" tactics towards the end) below the cut:

Ryuk makes his grand return and is brought up to speed with Light and L's immoral union. The date seems pretty successful~.

Next (Mature)

Next (Super Abridged)

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Transcript

[clownboy-yeehonk]

House of the dragon intro being a tapestry, the use of fiber arts to tell a story and preserve history, the way its stylized to look like medieval tapestries that actually exist, to tell a story that is long ago history to the song of ice and fire series, thus framing it as more historical in the context of this fantasy realm, also using a traditionally historically feminine craft as the title sequence for a story that centers on a conflict largely between two women

Whoever animated this title sequence I am kissing you with tongue

[anghraine]

I just read another good Atlantic article, "Kamala Harris and the Rise of Neobitherism," by Adam Serwer. I got it via a gift link on Bluesky, so the paywall hell described by the last Atlantic article I linked would be in effect for any direct link, but you should be able to find it.

Anyway, an excerpt [CW for various racisms, slavery, rape]:

[mollysunder]

Sinco as a ship are such boring middle aged men together, and I think that's beautiful. When they're together all their ruthlessness and banal violence almost cancels out, almost. Silco and Singed aren't after the same goal, but they're both just on the same wavelength that there's no real argument or manipulation, it's just two men in agreement to spend over a decade of their lives working together.

Almost nothing seems like an argument between them, they're just on the same page. Silco and Singed are completely independent of eachother and it makes their relationship all the more intentional. They're both set in their ways in what they want and who they have to be to get it, but the two have carved a space for each other in their lives.

Singed is so sparing with his empathy, but is willing to extend it to Silco, while Silco is willing to trust Singed with Jinx. Except in the case of their children, there's not much further these men go in forms vulnerability for anyone else but eachother.

[spottedenchants]

WIP Wednesday 11/27/24

Still plugging away at the first time fic and chapter 4 is coming along, so here is a fun bit from chapter 1 :3

cw: mild miscommunication, discussion of sex from a sex-averse POV

~

Even with his sticking tongue, Essek trudges through, repeats.

“I want this”-

He squeezes Caleb, comfort momentarily made man, and siphons his boundless hearth-heat.

“All of this—to be good for you.”

Caleb’s hands slip back to his back.

“This isn’t escape, Essek. It is for fun.”

Fun, yes. Inconvenient term in Common here, but Essek had dug his own grave weeks ago by botching his phrasing in the first place.

Despite his indifference presently hovering somewhere in the realm of ambivalence thinking on notions of sensitive physicality, they may as well pick apart this topic since for the moment it has Caleb stuck.

Lecture memory drones through dust: as with any partnered touch, deliberate titillation is yet another thing bodies tend to be able to do; there is no inherent significance to their actions save for that which they may create between themselves; nothing is sacred nor even special beyond that which they may deem so, if anything at all.

Then, what does this mean for them two?

After having spent so long with the world held at arm’s length, every intimacy with the Nein carries a revelatory weight to Essek. Silently sharing space whilst independently occupied—reading, writing, sketching, cooking, gardening, dining, sight-seeing, on and on—it is often perfectly satisfactory an amount of interaction, striking enough to sting his throat and prickle his eyes should he think on it too long. Resting alongside them in close quarters is similar if woven tighter, a denser ply of vulnerability: unconscious trust. But distraction indulged to an intermediary degree? So awkward and involved? He’s little metric for arousing encounters when steeped only in affection, without definitive goals or a game to steal.

But he’s already thought this through for the kissing with Caleb. Another two-body problem, perhaps Caleb’s own measure is a fair place to start here, too.

Essek presses his nose to Caleb’s neck, careful of his bruise.

“Frivolous, you think?”

“With you? Hardly.”

Oh.

Caleb’s voice gentles another degree.

“Though, I don’t mind so much. If you would care for that instead.”

So… such involvement isn’t a passing interest to Caleb, at least within this convoluted circumstance they’ve fostered thus far. Maybe it can have depth, too.

Candle in a coal mine, Essek focuses on further fleeting reflection as he’s done so well in solitude—pressure built and let, the stutter of his lungs, of heat in his ears and two pulses rocking intertwined; his own ache, accompanied- caressed, maybe even gratified—before the glare grows too bright in Caleb’s presence and snuffs itself dry.

But why? Essek rattles the concept for a futile respark. What exactly might it mean?

The lantern stays snapped shut, repulsed.

Fine. Thoughts for another time.

Regardless, that nagging notion rearing its head now, as it does- it is far broader than any sort of vague worry about concupiscent satiation; his own nose held, Essek is fairly confident he could leave Caleb an exerted mess. This present dread as he has come to know it… it is of being unfit to take care of Caleb as an entire living being. Again: a person, breathing and complete.

And it is not so much harmlessness Essek seeks, no. No, for imperfectly met souls, sharp and shorn and bound up best they can, that is impossible and he won’t delude himself otherwise despite how much he may wish it to be the case when it comes to his friends. But perhaps being of benefit is feasible. He is still trying to be kind.

They have spoken through this before. Essek can brave doing so again.

He shudders in a breath to present this jagged sliver of his heart.

“I care for you, Caleb Widogast. I would like to.”

Coasting over tender bruise and threading the last of a tremble through downsoft hair, Essek shields the back of Caleb’s neck.

“I’m unconvinced I can bear it all.”

[the-vasts-little-bitch]

No no no no you bitches don’t get it. You don’t understand. The vast is about apathy. It’s about recognizing something so massive that nothing else could ever start to matter in comparison. It’s the people in the Leitner book who saw the monster take a step forward and grow ever larger and realize there was never any choice in the end. it’s about the helplessness and the not mattering as you lay on your back and stare up into the sky til your eyes hurt knowing that it will outlive everything you know. It’s about staring down into the ocean and never being able to see the floor through the deep blue haze. It’s about knowing everything is so much larger than you could ever begin to know and there’s no point in trying to understand it now. something something unforgiving eternity

[pigeon-butch]

I certainly have my own concerns about the treatment of moo deng but um. well i think some of you may just be racist

[thewandererh]

self love

do not tag this as a ship please

[dykedvonte]

Ty for answering my asks! Recently, I saw some fanart of the gender bendered crew and it got me curios, how much would the plot change if Jimmy was a woman. I mean, she would still be emotionally abusive (esp to Fem!Curly), but at lest, I guess, the crash would've never happened (?)

Also, her relationship w/ Anya: if she was assulted still, it prolly would've been dissmissed, since it's between 2 women. Or, if Anya is male in this scenario, he couldn't really be able to talk abt it, since society decided that "women can't r*pe men", so it's not serious and he should suck it up. Man, it's just sucks to be Anya in any scenario my poor girl 😭

What do you think? If you have an opinion on that at all, that is

-💀

I think the scenario's where the gender was flipped or any level of gender based intersectionality is expanded makes it so much more complex.

If this is the scenario with fem!Jimmy, it comes with the territory of questionable internalized homophobia. Does Jimmy brush it off in this scenario because she doesn't think lesbian encounters are real ones? Is she struggling with her identity and taking it out on Anya who may be openly queer compared a fem!Curly who is either straight or just not interested in Jimmy? Perhaps it's a sort of weird entitled that can occur in female dominated spaces "We're both girls, I know what you have, it won't matter." It's still is something I don't see Jimmy denying in this scenario, he never really denies it in canon just talks around it with Curly. Here I can see it's less about the pregnancy and more so about the internalized homophobia. Not seeing Anya as anything but an unwanted aspect of her femineity and the allure of it, there's a lot more objectification of both Curly and Anya in this alteration as I would believe feels better thinking of them in that light if they are just fodder in her mind. Guilty pleasures that no longer bring her such. It's a careful situation because I don't want this to fall into predatory lesbian stereotyping, Jimmy is just a person who does not respect other people or their choice, if it conflict with what he wants or perceived is owed.

The idea of Curly having to report it and outing her not only as a rapist but queer and the denial, especially in the case Anya and Curly are both out as she feels a sort of resentment she can't be secure with herself that way. If it is masc!Curly, there could be the jealousy of him being able to actively pursue relationships he wants while she feels she can't, Anya and Curly playfully flirt, its casual but it's something she longs for in the same way she doesn't. She obsesses over Curly because she wishes she could be Curly in a social sense in both aspect male or female Curly.

If it's fem!Jimmy and masc!Anya? It's a much more delicate situation. In this scenario Jimmy gets pregnant. Maybe Anya does a blood test after the incident and finds out Jimmy is pregnant. It's a very sensitive matter because if it's fem!Curly her first assumption is Anya may have done something. That is just the immediate assumptions in cases like this. I think the fact that Anya is telling her would make Curly think it's not that simple, especially since Jimmy isn't brining it up or really caring but everyone reacts differently. Jimmy is pregnant however, and that's a big deal, she'll figure that out eventually on her own but how will she react? Curly knows it won't be good, Anya knows too.

I think the crash is instigated in this scenerio by fem!Curly actually doing more, refusing to sweep it under the rug because she can conceptualize that fear, likely she and Jimmy are the only girls on board. She trusts everyone, well did trust everyone, but it's just something you live with. She can't just live with that double standard but I feel like she really doesn't know how to address it. How does she bring it up to superiors without implicating Anya? What does she do with Jimmy, it still feels like she's catering to Jimmy but now the concern is primarily focused on the life this baby will be born into. If it is born at all. I don't think Jimmy would try to kill Anya in this concept but try to spin the narrative it was mutual up until she got pregnant. Curly doesn't really buy it but it's a lot of processing, a lot more he said she said but what Jimmy is saying just doesn't make sense. It gives Jimmy too much time to really settle with the fact she's pregnant and likely can't support a kid nor wants to give birth out in space. Jimmy feeling like she's being othered from the only other woman could also be a factor, maybe even starting into her thinking Curly is behaving like a "pick-me" for siding with a guy over her. The crash is more spiteful in terms of having to protect herself alone, due to Curly not outright supporting her delusions.

It really adds a certain horror to Jimmy's pregnancy hallucinations because after the crash they are about her, her symptoms the sign of showing. She doesn't want the child either and considering what being pregnant can do to your mental/physical state, especially some of the more negative symptoms, I doubt she is handling it well. A lot of Anya's struggles are with the stigmas around male victims. His body reacted so did he want it? He's gonna be a father and courts likely will make him pay or care for the baby even if they take Anya's side, their world is just like that. Would the other's blame him for not doing more, he is a man after all? Should he be considered lucky a woman was that into him? It's eating away at him because not only does he not feel safe, he actively blames himself.

In the case Curly is still a cis guy, its that weird feeling guys often get when talking about male victims of assault. I don't think he'd victim blame but he likely asks or thinks about how it could've happened, why wouldn't Anya just overpower Jimmy? Maybe he couldn't? Maybe Anya didn't have it in him to strike a woman. He wouldn't. Now he thinks of what he would have done if Jimmy did something like that to him. SImilary to my trans!Curly post, he's wondering if it could've been him. It's likely one of the first times in his life he has to think of that type of vulnerability in terms of himself and other men and against likely his girl best friend. I think that arm pat right before Jimmy crashes the ship would really make him feel weird, not like he'd have the time to really dig into those feeling but y'know WERE GONNA CRASH!!!.

In terms of Jimmy and Curly's specific relationship, it just gets messier if they aren't both guys or girls. There's a lot of misogny on Jimmy's side with fem!Curly. He often points out she's a woman captain or makes a point of her being one of the few independent woman in her field and how certain men hate that. It's insidious but Curly doesn't think about or like to cause she likes to believe Jimmy isn't one of those guys. He can be a bit antiquated, maybe a bit of a pig but no ones perfect! Here a lot of his resentment is more gear toward a woman having that power over him as Captain/filling the typical male roles he fails at. He can't stand that she's above him in almost aspect and he likely takes it out on other women. Similarly, fem!Jimmy and cis Curly is just as bad. It's a fact of not knowing if she wants to be him, wants him or wants to destroy him. It's obsession without anything positive. She feels entitled to his space and life and time and he has a hard time setting up boundaries cause, well, Jimmy's a girl, his bestfriend and it comes with all the stigmas around boygirl best friends. To him it's a sort of oppressive doting, he feels wrong telling her not to pick and like he's being controlling. That's how she'd spin it whenever he'd try to make boundaries with her.

They are still just friends but most people can't tell even if they can tell it's not healthy, in both cases. Either way I feel like if they were opposite genders to each other there would a specific infatuation Jimmy would have with Curly that would be less hidden but sort of unaddressed because the idea of Curly rejecting them would make them lash out in a way Curly may just leave for their safety. It's also Jimmy wouldn't want to be with Curly specifically but just want what would consistently provide/available.

If they are both girls, its envy. It's that sort of hate that someone fits the standards you don't, wanting them to be picked second or crack. She likes to get into Curly's head, point out flaws and act like it's just her being helpful. She wants Curly to be a girls girl but only for her. There's a sort of possessiveness like purposely jeopardizing relationships because why would a man come first? That girl hates me and is a pick me, why are you friends with her still, Curly? Like this is silly but think about how Regina George treats Gretchen Wieners and that's effectively how fem!Curly and fem!Jimmy would work but technically Curly has the sway of Regina.

I believe the crash would always happen. Jimmy would try to escape responsibility or really thinking about what they did in any world, any gender. It's about facing the consequences, losing things he refuses to let go of or having to deal with responsibilities he's not ready for. The switching of sex or gender really doesn't change those core aspects.