#the set they built for this film is incredible it really feels like a real place where people live

[xinyuehui]

I never had a place that I considered home. But after coming here, I can sleep soundly until dawn. I don't want to leave again, I want to stay in the Walled City. This place will be torn down sooner or later. I'll stay as long as I can. The reason you can sleep soundly isn't because of the Walled City, it's because of the people inside it.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024)

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

Pixar did not have to go as hard as they did with the Kronos Unveiled scene in The Incredibles (2004), yet they did anyway and gave us one of the best scenes in modern cinema. Literally cannot stop thinking about how good this scene is, from the animation to the build up to the soundtrack.

I don’t think I truly understood how dark this scene - and this film - was a child: Syndrome is systematically and strategically luring in superheroes and killing them off in order to test and improve his Omnidroid design… these people were not only supers but they also had family and loved ones too, just like Bob, and one day they would have just disappeared because chances are they weren’t telling people where they were going because it was "top secret" and against the law. They thought they were doing something good, like helping the people in the island, while also getting to relive their glory days, perhaps even paving the way for superheroes to make a proper comeback… only for Syndrome to kill them in cold blood.

Most of these people can actually be seen at Bob and Helen’s wedding in the beginning of the film - they weren’t just random supers, they were their friends, people they worked alongside and cared about. It’s even worse when you realise that Bob probably blames himself because, after all, Buddy/Syndrome was his biggest fan and he dismissed him by not letting him help.

The relief on Bob’s face when he realises Syndrome doesn’t know where Helen is - meaning he also doesn’t know where their children are because he didn’t realise they were married at this point - is so realistic and gut wrenching to see. The relief contrasting with the anguish of knowing how much danger they and their entire family could have been in the entire time without even knowing...it's so well-done, you can literally feel it.

It’s also worth noting that originally the next target wasn’t Mr Incredible but Frozone - that was who Mirage was trailing, hence why his location is “known”. Imagine if she/Syndrome hadn’t realised that Mr Incredible was with him and they’d lured Frozone in instead as planned; he would have gone to the island to fight the Omnidroid 8 in a volcano setting. We saw how being in the burning building dehydrated Frozone and made it impossible to use his ice powers - presumably it would have been the same in the middle of a lava filled volcano, and he’d have been slaughtered just like the other superheroes before him.

This scene shows an entire generation of superheroes - Bob, Helen and Lucius’ generation - wiped out all because Syndrome felt slighted by his hero as a child, because he internalised that slight and let it drive him to revenge. And, if we take into account the deleted alternate opening scene, it’s mentioned that superheroes "aren't supposed to breed” - meaning there’s a likelihood that Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack are among the very few supers of the next generation. I know that it's deleted and so not really canon, but it's definitely a concept to consider, I think.

Then there's the fact Syndrome named the project "Kronos" - Kronos was a God who overthrew his own father in order to take over his rule, and then he ate his own children to prevent them doing the same thing to him. It feels like it reflects Syndrome once looking up to Mr Incredible and even saying "I could be your ward!", meaning Mr Incredible adopting or fostering him - the project name is a metaphor for Syndrome destroying the Supers, especially Mr Incredible, who he viewed as a father figure. The Omnidroids he built killed two birds with one stone: not only was he able to acquire the data to upgrade the robot to its final design, but it also eliminated the real super heroes and so left him as the last remaining "superhero", even though his powers are man-made, not something he was born with.

Not only did he want to become the only remaining superhero by killing the real ones in revenge, he also planned to sell his inventions at some point so everyone can be super - because "when everyone is super, nobody is". It's like a final blow to the memory of the superheroes he had killed.

I've talked too much about this scene but God... I love it so much more as an adult because it's just so chilling to think about. I'm sure other people can put it much more articulately than I just tried to, but I just really wanted to appreciate this scene.

[redclercs]

DELICATE✰ CHARLES LECLERC.

INTRO: who's y/n anyway? ew.

— the one where everyone tells you who are.

warnings: ignore the timestamps please, online harassment.

masterlist ✢ next

Soft jazz is playing in the living room of y/n y/ln's apartment in SoHo, with all the curtains pulled back the golden hour feels like a golden infinity. We're already in our second cup of coffee, a specialty brought from Veracruz, Mexico by y/n herself.

This is not our first meeting, y/n and I go back a few years, when the box-office hit 'Supercut' sent her straight into stardom and earned her a place in the public's heart. Since then, there has been no other way but up for the young star.

From humble beginnings and a list of failed castings, roles as an extra and endless photoshoots with stock images, y/n knows what it's like to work hard to achieve what you want.

"Sometimes, when I look back at my struggles I wonder what made the universe align in my favor. Hard work only gets you so far, I am incredibly lucky too." She says, eyeing the framed picture of the wrap-up day of her very first movie 'Loneliness', where she played the daughter of a struggling waitress.

"I was in about six scenes, but I couldn't have been more thrilled. It was the first time I felt like a real actress."

Of course, there are other aspects of her life where y/n is extremely fortunate. It has been two years since she started dating Asian-American hearthrob Aidan Kim. Looks like 'Supercut' really was her luckiest strike.

"We do like to keep some things to ourselves," y/n laughs after I ask her for an update on her relationship, I want to know the details behind the lovestagrams we get on a regular basis. "We love and respect each other deeply."

Night has fallen in SoHo and while y/n shuts the curtains, I take my surroundings in once again. A loveseat with a stain on the cushion, a coffee table that Aidan brought from a trip to Nepal where he filmed his newest project, framed pictures of the couple and their families crowd the room. This is the home they have built for themselves.

Some may argue that y/n's specialty are romantic comedies where she gets to play the doe-eyed love interest to the dark and handsome male protagonist, but y/n has her sights set on bigger things. An Oscar nomination, maybe?

"I have fun with the movies I make, but I do want to expand my horizons. I have so many ideas I want to try, I just need a shot to prove myself." She beams with hope, in an ideal world, type-casting wouldn't be a thing.

Speaking of tall, dark and handsome, just as we're about to wrap things up, the door to the apartment opens and Aidan Kim himself comes through bearing a bouquet of roses and bag of take out. A sheepish grin bursts through his face as he realizes the interruption, and does his best attempt to disappear, not before giving a proud thumbs up to his girlfriend. This peek into their private life is enough to see how much they love each other.

"Thank you so much for coming," y/n has been an excellent host this evening, and I am happy to leave her to attend to her love nest. "It was a pleasure."

TWITTER SEARCH: y/n

Y/N’s SOCIALS

Liked by aidankim1, vicpresley, calumhood and others.

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ynstars pretty! hope you had fun babes

effmeaidan you’re only famous thanks to aid

cestbren please tell me you’re really going to be on euphoria

dropbeastsss she’s so fake idk why people like her

dropbeastsss I’m not even aidan’s fan btw

Liked by aidankim1, jessiegrey, vicpresley and others.

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softforyn mY PARENTS

aid4nshoe you followed him to Paris? God let him breathe

loladell my friend saw her today and she refused to take a pic lmao💀

ynflowers can’t wait for you two to get married🥺

↺ FROM ❛FLIXFANS ❜PODCAST MARCH 2022

Chelsea Gonzalez: I just- I feel like y/n is so lazy at this point. Girl you have been doing romcoms for years read a different script.

Gabriel Irwin: [laughs] I don’t think she even reads them anymore. It’s the same role every time that’s just the way she acts on a normal basis now.

Brianna Martin: that’s so mean! Honestly I just feel like she needs to switch agents, there were rumors about that marvel movie and then nothing happened?

↺ FROM YOUTUBE INTERVIEW WITH Y/N IN ❛ONLYFLIX❜ CHANNEL SEPTEMBER 2022

Y/n: I just love being on set, I have so much fun getting to be somebody else and it really feels like I’m in another world.

Ryan Campbell: But your movies aren’t too distanced from your real life situation are they? You have your own movie-like love story with none other than Aidan Kim!

y/n: Oh, uh… yeah I mean, one is fiction and another one isn’t? [laughs] real life relationships are definitely not like the movies.

Ryan Campbell: But how does it feel knowing everyone wishes they were you? I know I do!

y/n: [laughs] I really think we should go back to the movie talk!

↺ FROM ❛IT TALK❜ PODCAST NOVEMBER 2022

Riley Green: [cont.] I mean I loved her look on the red carpet, her stylist LOVES her.

Martha Vincent: y/n is a gorgeous woman, I think that’s why she’s so loved by the public.

Greg Zane: She’s certainly a rising It girl, I just wish we saw her more rather than her fiancé? Boyfriend?

Riley Green: Oh take that back Greg, I’m not about to get cancelled for your shade towards Aidan Kim.

─── team principal radio: ❝ this is my first fic for a f1 driver! exciting! i hope you enjoy this series as much as i'm enjoying creating it. i would love to know your thoughts through comments/reblogs!♡❞

[rwrbmovie]

BTS of #RWRBMovie: Taylor on working with Uma

TZP via Man About Town:

“The whole cast is incredible,” he continues, before jumping into the story of first meeting Thurman in rehearsals. “She walked in and I was like, ‘Hey Uma, I’m Taylor. I’m playing your son.’ She high-fived me, and I was like, ‘Can I have a hug?’” “For me, my way in with actors is that tactile touch. It grounds me and centres me and reminds me that this is a real person and that in this moment, this is real. And she was so giving. Sometimes when you work with actors. you don’t have giving scene partners and with Uma, she was so giving. I just wanted to rise to the occasion every time I was there. I wanted to be as good as Uma Thurman and I wanted to make sure that she knew that I wasn’t taking this moment for granted. I have watched her in multiple films and she is such a transformative actress that you just know you can’t mess around. And she’s so grounded and strong. I’ve had great experiences with other actors like that as well, but she…” he pauses and laughs knowingly, about to quote his own line from the film, “...definitely takes the cake.”

TZP via CineMagna:

Uma's great, she really is. She just has this presence when she walks into the room. I was definitely intimidated when I found out who was playing my mom, just because I am a huge fan, obviously, like who isnt? And I didn't know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised and she came in and she was so lovely and giving and wants to connect right away, whether it was with a hug, touching my hand, talking briefly. You know we really had a short period of time that we were able to kind of built that relationship for screen, so we have lunch together and she's just such a professional. She makes you feel safe. There's a few scenes where we go head-to-head and she didn't treat me like that younger actor. She was just like 'I'm here to work, you're here to work, let's go,' and she did. She would improv at me and when the camera was on me for her to get a different reaction out of me or when we would try different stuff throughout, she's just so skilled on a set. She knows her lenses, she knows her lighting, she knows her mark. She's just such a competent actor.

>> Uma Thurman as Ellen Claremont

[donotnomi]

BEHIND THE SCENE OF SLOW HORSES S4 WITH JAMES CALLIS

source: this interview (worth reading using your browser's translation tool)

I’ve already translated the most interesting and curious parts and made a snippet list here for you. It's spoiler-free. Enjoy!

Callis read for Whelan's role - had the chance to audition for the role of Claude Whelan. I was already familiar with the series, having seen the first season, which I thought was fantastic. So I knew what it was about, but I ended up joining the cast without even watching the second season. To catch up, I started listening to the audiobooks to get a sense of who my character was. 

Discussion with Will Smith about the different take of the TV show on the character - I haven’t spoken with Mick, no, but I did talk a lot with the showrunner Will Smith and the director Adam Randall. In a way, the role is exactly as it was written, in the sense that the character serves the same dramatic purpose, but they wanted him to have a very different energy. I think it was a change they planned in light of what’s going to happen in the future, in the next season. The key point is that Claude has no idea what’s coming.

Being a new entry on an already established cast - The people behind Slow Horses are very, very confident in what they do. This gives you a level of freedom that's hard to describe. There’s definitely a generosity of spirit on that set, a great sense of respect and camaraderie. I came in after they had already been working together for years, so everyone knew each other really well. It’s clear how much they like each other and how well they get along. They’ve built a bond that’s been growing for four years. As a new entry, being on this set almost feels like stepping into a force field. You’re surrounded by this incredible energy, generated by the fact that everyone around you knows exactly what they’re doing—and not only that, they love what they’re doing. It’s an amazing atmosphere.

Slow Horses set feels real - Sometimes, a scene can put you under pressure because of the vibe it carries. In the first episode of this season, Claude is in the control room during the bombing attack. You imagine yourself in this hub, with bombs going off in London, live on the screens in front of you, responsibilities flying around, and so on. I don’t know, on set they recreate these situations in such a way that everything feels incredibly realistic. When you're standing in front of that wall of screens with the images of the bombings playing out, it doesn’t even feel like you’re making television—the impression is so real. It’s fantastic.

Bikering with Kristin Scott Thomas on set - Kristin is an incredible person to work with—she’s amazing, and I think that’s pretty clear just from watching the series. She really gives everything she’s got to the role, absolutely everything. It’s hard to put into words what she does, because sure, the script already gives her a lot to work with, and she handles it perfectly, but then she adds even more layers of her own. This season, she has to babysit me, all while making sure it’s not too obvious. Being part of a dynamic like that is, of course, a lot of fun.

The Bus Ride scene with Diane - We were on a real bus rented by the production, but at a fake bus stop created by the set designers. It was so realistic that people passing by would stand there, waiting for the bus to arrive. Every time the camera moved away, I’d explain to them that we were filming and that it wasn’t a real bus stop, just part of the set.

[wellofdean]

This is old news, but I just read it for the first time and really loved it:

Rewatching Supernatural has been an interesting experience. I first watched most of it (from the start of season 2 on) in real time as it aired, and I have to admit that I did not take it very seriously. I gave it no thought whatsoever between episodes, and thought of it as an hour of indulgence in something dumb and pretty: two handsome brothers and their angel who fought monsters and melodrama every week. I never missed an episode and did love it, but I didn't truly engage with it.

It seems, however, that Supernatural worked on me in some kind of subterranean, unconscious way, because when it ended, I found I couldn't let it go. Part of that was the terrible narrative malpractice of its ending, but when I really thought about it, I realised that I also just missed Dean. He had been a weekly visitor for more than a decade, and I just didn't want my time with him to be over. I started watching Supernatural again, and the experience has been really interesting. A lot of things about my perception of it have shifted, and one of the main shifts has been in my apprehension of the serious artistic intelligence, nigh-on unbelievable range, and sheer excellence of Jensen Ackles' performance of Dean.

I keep thinking about what an incredible undertaking Dean is -- a 15-year-long development of one character! About how different the actor who played Dean in episode one is from the actor who played Dean in episode 325. How age, experience, and depth are reflected in both the character and the performance. It is just impossible to watch it and not see that there is an incredible evolution there, and at the same time, a kind of devastating psychological and emotional continuity.

Supernatural is a show that requires you to suspend disbelief and agree to go along with it. It can be silly and schlocky, and it's emotional strokes are often broad ones. It started airing in a time when our society was very different from the way it is now on issues surrounding social justice and inclusion. It isn't 'prestige TV' and it puts on no airs of being anything beyond what it is, but when the whole story is in your mind and you revisit it, and you aren't engaged with taking in plot and anticipating (or desiring) outcomes, you start noticing its subtlety, its themes, motifs and story parallels, the liminal spaces of its setting, the subtler play of emotion in moments without dialogue, and it starts to feel much deeper, more epic and just straight up BETTER than you ever thought it was.

All of that is mirrored in Jensen's performance. He grew into Dean and grew into an artist who could play Dean. He's not afraid of a little schtick, he's very capable of being obvious, but he's even better at the subtleties that allow Dean's inner life to rise up in his face without words. I love how this article positions Jensen's performance as being like that of so many classic film stars, the idea that he used his own essence -- the full range of his psychology, emotions and physicality with skill and intention to achieve what he did with Dean. His long commitment to and investment in the character, and the way he fully embodies Dean because Dean is a character that he built from pieces of himself.

Anyway. I have a lot of respect for his work. I love Dean and think he is magnificent. I hope Jensen Ackles knows how good he is, and is suitably proud of himself, and I am very grateful to hear that by all accounts, Dean is not over for him, because Dean is not over for me.

Sheila O'Malley wrote a few really nice pieces about Jensen's performance as Dean and one about Soldier Boy, and I recommend them. Very much enjoyed.

[katalina27ua]

Перше інтерв'ю зі Стелланом Скарсґардом після виходу "Андора"

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Take me back to the beginning. How was this character pitched to you?

STELLAN SKARSGÅRD: Tony Gilroy pitched it to me. He himself was a very great reason for me to take it. He pitched it and said he was going to make a story that is more real than the others. I know him and his writing, and every scene has an urgency to it. Every scene has a great tension to it. I got to read the first three or four episodes, so it was not a big question. And I said yes.

Luthen is a fascinating character. He's so driven and committed to the Rebel cause, at the expense of everything else in his life. What was it about him that you found interesting?

As an actor, it's interesting to play this guy who lives a double life and to make two different characters out of one. That was interesting for me, but he's interesting as well because he is extreme. He's like Che Guevara or the Rote Armee Fraktion in Germany or any terrorists, really. But also, as a revolutionary, he is like George Washington. So, he's got all those ingredients that make him very exciting. He has this conflict between doing the right thing and also being able to kill for the right thing.

You talked about how he lives this double life, and he really is a shape-shifter. We see him put on his wig, and he can suddenly become the shopkeeper from Coruscant. What interested you about the way he literally transforms?

Well, it was very funny. It's a great thing for an actor to do, to be able to play two characters at the same time. But I also love wigs! [Laughs] I think it's fantastic to put a wig on and be someone else.

One of my favorite moments in the season is that speech that Luthen gives, where he talks about why he does what he does. There's that incredible line about burning his life to make a sunrise he'll never see. What do you remember most from filming that scene?

I mean, of course I knew I had a speech that was very well written, and it was probably one of the best scenes in the season. And I worked on it. When we shot it, somehow I was tense. I think I said, "Let's go again, let's go again." I think I did it 10 times in a row, very fast, right on top of each other. 10 times, like "Go, go, go." And then it was good. Then, I was satisfied, and the director was satisfied.

Oh wow. It really is this intense moment.

Yeah, it was very intense.

I've spoken to Tony Gilroy and some of the cast, and they've all talked about the production design on Andor and how big the sets are. What was it like for you to walk around those sets and be in the Star Wars universe like that?

Well, I was very happy to be in that kind of Star Wars universe and not like in many films, where you're just in the world of green screens. Because it affects you physically when you have the set. You can't deny that. It was the same thing with the sets on Dune. They are physically there, these enormous sets, and you feel it in your body. You move differently. We had all of Ferrix built up as this city. It's very exciting.

Was there a day on set where you really felt like, "Oh my gosh, I'm in Star Wars?"

No, but I was happy that I had my own spaceship. I've lacked that in my career so far.

What's that like to get to pilot a spaceship? What's it like behind the controls?

[Laughs] You're like 10 years old when you sit down behind the controls. You become serious, and you turn the wheel and push the buttons and stuff. You become very silly, but it's very fun.

Tell me a little bit about working with Diego Luna on this. There are some really beautiful, intense scenes between the two of you.

He was also a reason for me to take the job. We met several years ago. We were supposed to do a film about football, but it didn't happen — not with us. It sort of broke down. So I've been waiting for him to do a film with me again. And I love the fellow. He's a true actor, and he's a true man.

I also love the scenes with you and Genevieve O'Reilly, where Mon Mothma comes to Luthen's shop. What do you remember most about filming those scenes with her?

I'm playing the Coruscant character there, which is much more flamboyant. But the first scene she entered, she came with this great limousine she has, flying in. She was much more sexy and beautiful, and she took over the space much more than I realized than she had ever done in the films. And then, of course, she has a great humor, so we had a lot of fun doing that.

There's a lot of really great actors that I met all the time there. It's so well cast. I had a lot of fun.

I know season 2 is in the works. How's that been going?

That's going great. I mean, Tony Gilroy has gone on strike, as of the first of May. He finished the scripts right on the day, and then he shut off the phone and disappeared into a picket line somewhere. So, we'll see. He claims that the [series] is director-proof and actor-proof, which means that it can't be destroyed. [Laughs] We'll see if it works.

Well, I can't wait to see what you guys have up your sleeves and where this story goes.

It'll be lovely. But I can't tell you, I'm afraid! [Laughs]

For more from Skarsgård, as well as exclusive interviews with Tony Gilroy, Diego Luna, and more, listen to EW's Star Wars podcast, Dagobah Dispatch.Lu

[bgbrry]

@pikslasrce you asked for my review of ivtw so i wrote up some of my thoughts! been quite busy for a few weeks but i have a few spare hours in the car so i wrote down everything i had brewing in my head. might do a revision some day because this is quite disjointed both with when this was written and having only one (and a halfish) watch. iwtv spoilers dia don't look everyone else probably watched it already.

it's definitely a very intense experience of a show, with the writing probably being the singular most standout thing about it to me. i really enjoy the process of storytelling as a narrative device, so this framing worked super well for me and i was invested the entire time. i liked the way both seasons built up to their explosive finales, with S2 being the one i personally liked more. the theatricality of that particular season really set the tone for the story, highlighting how the way the narrative is told affects our viewing experience. it acts as more something more rehearsed compared to the simple personal conflict of season one, really demonstrating how different the interview is with and without armand's involvement. with that being said, im really curious to see what the particular storytelling style of lestat will be in the coming season, how his certain persona will affect the story being told, and also what that would be.

as a note on the writing - i enjoyed the way the show discussed ones "humanity" and personhood as concept inextricably linked to how they interact with the society around them. you can feel a very personal connection the writers had with the question of taboo, morality and how it affects your perception in society, others you in a very internally understood way. there are a lot of moments of small symbolism but this big overarching theme ended up being my favourite, and im curious how it'll progress with daniel being turned.

i very much loved the characters, they're all fleshed out in a way that feels more "real to life" than just understandable archetypes of a certain character, with the performances elevating this, small moments of expression or reaction i didn't even notice on my first watch but that either elevated the depth of these characters (specifically with daniel) or re-established their innate characteristics (very much with claudia). i don't think i can pick a favourite, as all of them worked incredibly well in the narrative as tools to progress the story, but also the fact that the narrative is largely just a study on how these types of people interact with each other and their relationships definitely helps. and the relationships here are definitely the strongest part, affecting every part of the work. so while there's is a bit of a sadness in, for example, not knowing much about claudia or daniel in the same way we know loius, it adds to a uniqueness in the way the narrative functions. in this way this show is a very carefully crafted and intricate mechanism, with every character, no pun intended, playing their part.

i am curious if they will develop how exactly their powers are supposed to function, as (at least for me) it seems that they work on the rule of cool, which, while not always good, can be frustrating. i don't think a long winded lore dump would fix my problems, but maybe a more in depth exploration of how (for example) one vampire can teach something to another one, and why exactly ones blood can be more powerful in a tangible way.

i had a small problem with the way the show was filmed, while all the shots are very deliberate in the framing, some were quite poorly lit or sloppily executed (ie the nails on the vampires being kinda inconsistent in the appearance?? maybe i missed something but that stood out to me), it was rare but they stood out to me when i saw them.

but to balance out there were a lot of visual elements that i loved or appreciated (specifically the costuming, not an expert but it looked delightful to me). both cgi and practical effects worked well, and i loved the multimedia integration of animation in the theatre sequences in particular. it's such a small detail but it elevated every scene set in a theatre for me tenfold.

overall, it is definitely a show that leaves you with room for thought, i do not think one can walk away neutral from this, which is always a compliment to a work. i can't speak on faithfulness of the adaptation, but as a standalone i was left impressed and curious to see more! honestly a really good time

[tonydaddingham]

I would not be surprised at all if this turned out to be The Fanservice Season of all time and mostly fluff, because Gaiman said that a season THREE would be an adaptation of the planned sequel novel. This is more like,,, an intermediate setup for the sequel. And I also heard that some stuff got cut out because of COVID complications. So on one hand I'm kind of, worriedly, expecting a dip in quality with S2; but it makes me wonder if we're going to get any real answers at all until the very last minute.

hey anon, evening!!!✨ not sure if you necessarily asked for it, but here's my take on what you've shared💓

i hear you re: concerns, and i think that is a risk with any sequel; that it won't carry the same panache, or quality, or heart and soul of what the original source material was or meant to be. this fandom is incredibly fervent and enthusiastic and every single one of us wants it to succeed, so it's only natural that the fandom might carry these doubts to varying degrees. the concern is usually only meant out of the sheer hope that it will be a fitting continuation of this hugely loved and magnificent book and series, rather than out-and-out pessimism that by nature of being a sequel, it was always doomed to failure.

the concern isn't unfounded... on paper. COVID had the potential to be fatal to elements of the tv/film industry, and certainly the way it works has since changed dramatically... some of it for worse, some of it for better. as you say, neil has been really candid that it affected the budget of s2 and therefore posed certain limitations, but i truly don't think it's going to be to s2's detriment. there is also the fact that there is no novel from which s2 will be adapted. however, that novel started in neil and terry's minds, the same genesis as s2/s3, and regardless of terry sadly having since passed away, it will always be the story they want or wanted to tell.

frankly, i think neil is naturally the no.1 fan of the story they built and were planning to build together (would be alarming if he weren't!) and obviously cares very deeply about not only it and its characters, but also the legacy that it embodies. if neil states that he's happy with, and proud of, how s2 turned out, im more than inclined to trust and believe him. he has the highest stake out of anyone else involved; cast, crew, studio, or fan.

exposition in books (from the uneducated, inexperienced view of this reader) is arguably easier to navigate than translating the same to screen. you have a literal narration in books as opposed to it being optional in tv (eg god in s1), whether that be 1st/2nd/3rd person, a central character or side character, whoever. so, elements like thought processes have to be acted out through an experience or as dialogue, rather than an inner-monologue recollection. a memory has to be actualised, rather than just remembered, because we don't have a written narrative to help us. for example, in the hypothetical book sequel, aziraphale could remember the job incident with probably a one page summary, and that would get the point across - but to adapt that the screen, that's going to require a more literal depiction so that the audience is up to speed, and there's no ambiguity.

so my thought process would be that s3, yes, would have been the hypothetical second book, but for tv's sake, s2 is made from elements of the first and second book combined. as you say, it's made to build a bridge to s3 where, i imagine, the proverbial will hit the fan. all of that set up, the exposition, background narrative, needs to be laid out somewhere, and im inferring that it would be altogether too much to put into a s3. hence s2 will exist. it would be a big story to tell, and easier to do in two books than in two series.

my gut feeling is, and i totally realise a) others may not agree, and b) this may end up being wrong, but some of that set-up in s2 is going to be a major tone shift. there usually is in any show/film or book series; in the middle of the overall story, the characters are put against conflict usually not only working against them collectively, but conflict also amongst each other. i don't think it will be any different for s2; that there will be something that occurs in this series that will carry the driving emotion into s3.

i truly and honestly hope that i am surprised by the boys not having any conflict between each other (as well as conflict with Other Entities) by the end of s2, and i would love for the opening of s3 to be rooted in solidarity and togetherness between them both, but i just somehow don't feel like it will... but that's my expectation, not a certainty. in any case, regardless of the S2 Angst Debate, this season is again set up for s3, so yes - i think it's guaranteed that all of the threads from s2 will weave together in perhaps the last ten or so minutes, and the final Problem will be revealed as the "dun-dun-dun" moment to propel us into s3.

as for fanservice? id respectfully disagree, and say i don't think it will be fanservice at all. fanservice looks different for different people, and honestly nowhere more than in GO. some people will want certain romantic moments, or certain hurt/comfort moments, angst moments, intimate moments, conflict moments, historical narrative moments... you catch my drift. neil has been pretty adamant that the story and canon is where he takes it, and is pretty upfront that he takes measures to avoid fans' headcanons and fic wherever possible. so actually, if someone's headcanon happens on screen, doesn't that just mean that that someone had the same thought for where these characters were going as neil did when he wrote it? that's not fanservice in my eyes, that's just being on the same wavelength as the author, and that - in my opinion - would be pretty cool.✨

[dollarstoreartsupplies]

i lowkey would totally be interested in your richie and stan dance moms au lore. I read that fic ages ago and now can't get richie and stan being dancers out of my brain. especially because im a dancer myself

Richies strengths are performing (obviously), but i also think she would have this super cool and unique quality to her dancing while stan is super technical. and i think stan would struggle with a perfectionistic mindset (ugh dont we all) and sometimes lose her artistry while richie is relaxed and genuinely just dances for enjoyment, not really caring if shes not completely technically sound

(btw you are such a talented writer i could read ur writing forever. and you characterization skills are so fucnjkh good)

(Here's the fic for reference btw)

Dude, homie, bestie, my dear like it’s so STUCK IN MY BRAIN because like?? I in general am of the opinion that gals Stan and Richie were in dance classes as little kids together, because I think it’s fun, and I ALSO think they’re the two funniest characters to throw onto reality television? Like,,,, come on?  

(Also like I’m Bad at describing dance for a person who dances so unfortunately there isn’t nearly enough dance info forthcoming in this as there is in my brain)

SO the basic timeline and lore built out in my head is:

Age 2: Richie and Stan start dancing at the ALDC in those baby ballet classes, Andrea and Maggie become friends sitting in waiting rooms and tiny Richie and Stan baby bond INSTANTLY, so they’re best friends immediately 

Age 8: The show starts filming, and it follows the actual real life incredibly fucked up dance moms lore where everyone thought they were signing up for a short documentary style thing about dancing and got locked into YEARS OF TELEVISED CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

They’re in a one year contract at first, which then gets upped to a five year contract once the show starts picking up, so six years in total that they’re REQUIRED to be on the show.

Stan genuinely is very invested in dance and both her and her parents specifically put a lot of weight in her being successful (without meaning to be kind of fucked up about it), and she’s an only child with a stay at home mom who can spend all her time on Dance, so that’s why they sign on

Richie is pretty much Gonna Do What Stan Is Doing and is generally having fun (-ish) with the being a minor celebrity of it all because she’s Nine Years Old so she’s down

She does have one older sister but she’s way, way older (18 when Richie is 8 kind of vibe) so she’s going to college by the time the show begins and therefore Maggie and Went feel comfortable committing to it

(There are some episodes where Maggie isn’t there because of Richie’s sister and Abby thinks she’s a bad mom because of it and says it a lot)

It’s also important to note that they’re just normal people being intensely manipulated by production to sign on

At the start of the show A La Maddie (DISCLAIMER: i refuse to write any semblance of real person fanfiction, Abby doesn’t count because she fucking sucks, so decide on ur own if the normal real dance moms girls are there or there are just other random Dance Children) Stan is very much the golden child who Always wins and Always gets very good solos because she’s abby’s favorite

Their solos are mostly Ballet and Lyrical because they are technically incredible and a very pretty dancer

HOWEVER like you said she is SUCH a perfectionist (mood) and takes every loss REALLY personally, so it becomes a sort of toxic fandom mindset that she is a spoiled brat because they cry a lot and have panic attacks over not liking how a dance went (FILMED LIVE ON FUCKING TELEVISION AT EIGHT! WUH OH!) 

Richie is sort of set up to be a Jojo type character, where she’s REALLY REALLY fun to watch dance and a ball full of energy but because she’s so Much all the time the producers end up painting her as very, very rude and sort of lazy brat

But she’s a fantastic performer, which is crazy important in dance, and it’s not like she’s BAD she’s just not super technical? Which actually sometimes works in her favor because she ends up being a really a super versatile dancer

Jazz and musical theater are her Big Two but she’s pretty much good at everything except ballet because WHO IS? (Stan)

The dynamic is basically Stan is a incredible dancer but really just at certain styles (idk if I’m describing this well but she’s very much the kind of dancer you watch and think Wow She’s Good At Dancing and Doing This Correctly) and Richie is very much a jack of all trades master of none

They’re very good at duets though because Richie gets Stan to loosen up and Stan refuses to let Richie Not Practice Constantly

Richie’s coasting the bottom of the pyramid WEEKLY even when she wins because of her ‘behavior’ and Stan is usually at the top

Generally the production team tries to frame the two of them as enemies because they’re SO different that it makes good television for perfect, ballerina Stan to be constantly butting heads with obnoxious brat Richie but they’re genuinely such good friends it Does Not Work

One episode is set up to sort of push the Hate Each Other narrative in season one where they give Stan a really cheesy, big performance jazz number and Richie a really, really technical ballet number, expecting it to be a big competition and fight but instead they just help each other practice and cheer each other up when they get upset

Stan wins the first nationals, obviously

Age 9-10ish: By the second season it sort of starts to pick up in intensity and both of them start to get homeschooled/setschooled and the show becomes their entire lives, which is Bad

By this point both of their mental health isn’t Awesome but Stan is really not doing great, especially because they’re so anxious the social media perception is really getting to them, and her mom is trying really hard to get out of their contract, but they’re stuck. 

Stan and Richie (along with their moms) decide they’re both leaving together the second their contracts are up.

Someone else from their team wins nationals second season but because Stan is so in her head about everything she gets like fourth, which is also Bad For Her and the narrative starts to slightly switch from ‘golden child’ into ‘is she Still the golden child?’

Age 11: THIRD SEASON, though, Richie win’s nationals and Stan gets second, which like… isn’t supposed to happen

(Fun actual Dance Moms fact: pretty much all the competitions are rigged but nationals are Less Rigged like they’re tilted in their favor but the judges are a little more real)

Abby is PISSED and basically tries to make it seem like the judges messed up scoring or it was a mistake and it’s one of those Famous dance moms scenes because Abby is basically saying that Stan should have won because she is better and Richie is clearly very genuinely upset (which doesn’t happen a lot she’s very good at like making when she’s upset a joke when the cameras are around) and Stan fully stands up to Abby and calls her out on her bullshit 

After that the whole energy skews more against Stan where suddenly production is airing a lot more of the little insults they usually cut out specifically for Stan to try and push the agenda that Abby is unfairly nice to them

Everyone sort of blames Richie for it a lot of the time, though, and the two of them probably have a thinly veiled duet called like The Bad Influence 

Age 12: Abby really fucks up and says something Genuinely So Bad (and probably Pretty Antisemetic im ngl because have you fucking watched dance moms?) to Stan so production literally cannot make them stay legally, like with Kelly situation, where it could get them into actual trouble so Stan and Andrea are allowed to break their contract and leave the show

The show runners cut most of the argument out and edit it to seem like it wasn’t Abby’s fault

Richie and her mom try to follow but because it’s a specific situation that wasn’t aimed at Richie they aren’t allowed

They both know they’re leaving when the contract is up but there's still two years stuck on the show without her immediate best friend support system and it really sucks

People make a lot of sad edits about it and Richie thinks it’s really funny but also it's genuinely the crux of why she's QUITE so mentally ill (in general being hated by abby was never good for her but once Stan leaves it's ROUGH)

Age 14: Richie’s off the show, she knows she’s gonna be off the show, so she like fully flips Abby off in the dressing room after nationals and storms out with her mom and the show honestly just keeps it in because it’s good tv to have a big reason like that to explain why she left

They worked it out so Stan and her mom are waiting outside and they drive them home and hang out and it’s a good time :)

OTHER LOSERS LORE:

Richie and Stan were best friends with Mike from before the show and they went to school together/continued to post both of them leaving the show

She’s in One (1) episode for two seconds at like a party or something and Richie and Stan pretty much Just Post That Scene when they’re older, like if someone asks them about their favorite moment they’re like oh yeah when mike was there

She’s got a big social media following from the two of them and thinks it’s hilarious

They meet the rest of the losers in college

Bill and Mike are college roommates who are crushing hard on eachother so she becomes their friend through Mike

Stan and Ben are roommates and Ben is dating Bev so that’s how they become friends

Bev was a childhood Dance Moms stan, like ran a fan instagram account and went to meet ups because I think that's really funny don’t worry she’s better now

Bill and Eddie have been best friends since elementary school so she gets dragged to a lot of their hangouts and is completely and entirely unaware that Stan and Richie are like c-list celebrities for a WHILE

tbh this is like a very train of thought bare bones explanation but do with it what you will :)

[kkgore]

Book Review for: In the Lives of Puppets

By: TJ Klune

Setting

This book takes place in a world of robots. We are introduced first to Giovanni, who has built himself a tree-house settlement deep in the woods, and there he lives with two other robots, Nurse Ratchet and Rambo, and his human son Victor. The fairytale-esque opening gives us a good overview of a world where humans are both rare and facing some sort of persecution, and a sense of the threat that the wider world may pose to this family. I found the setting instantly legible and explicable. It had a logic to it that made it both exciting and yet pleasantly predictable. That logic was coherent throughout the novel, and so there was never any moment where I felt like I truly did not understand this world or where it was taking me, and as such I was eager to carry on with the journey.

Plot

The plot takes liberally from the most prominent plot points of the Pinocchio story, as well as some seasoning from Shelly’s Frankenstein. The plot follows a fairly typical hero’s journey model, with a couple of twists which are in no way obtuse and more a revelation of a building suspicion than an actual twist. On the whole I really enjoyed how Klune managed to hit all the major allegories with Pinocchio, although some seemed a bit on the nose. The Monstro-Whale/Terrible Dogfish-Dirigible analogy was there but felt more wedged in than placed with consideration, unlike the tension within Victor, who at various times takes on the role of both Geppetto and Pinocchio, Victor Frankenstein and his Creation in ways that are skilfully woven into the plot of his journey.

My main problem with the plot is that it follows a trend in storytelling where the Hero makes large, world changing decisions on the behalf of whole nations or races and then… dips. Just leaves, and we get no more than a few lines where he hopes that the revolution has turned out well but no actual insight into what this post-revolutionary world is going to look like or how it is going to be built. There is some thematic justification to this decision in this book, it parallels decisions Vic’s father made at the beginning of the tale, but I still find it somewhat unsatisfying that in a book about how everyone deserves to be fixed in the end we only really care about two specific people being fixed and everyone else is on their own.

World Building

The world building in this novel is done organically and in a way that consistently adds to the feelings of foreboding that Klune skilfully builds throughout the novel. Klune is also very good at using his worldbuilding as an opportunity to draw parallels with, and make commentary on, our current culture. The Coachman, who runs a Museum of Human Curio’s and Curiosities, tells the Hero and his companions of the ancient human tradition of gender reveals. His utter misinterpretation of both the form and the function of gender reveal parties is a wonderful way not only to make a commentary on how history gets distorted by the victors in a conflict, but also to expose the artifice that lies in the gender reveal party as a concept.

The worldbuilding in this novel was not necessarily new, we have seen similar worlds in many sci-fi films and books such as Robots (2005) but the whimsy and charm with which it is built makes this an inviting world to spend time in.

The worldbuilding also felt purposeful, particularly when done through conversation between the characters. As we learned more about the world, we also learned more about the main thesis of the book; that everyone deserves a chance of redemption. Again, it’s not so much that Klune does anything new with the worldbuilding, but that he uses the worldbuilding as a way to talk very directly about the morality of the story, and to engage in meaningful meditation on the nature of humanity and forgiveness and individuality and so on.

Characters

The characters are the real highlight of this book. It is incredibly character driven, and it is delightful how Klune treats each character with a tenderness and empathy that is deeply compassionate towards their flaws without ever excusing them. All of the robots can be read as representative of some form of disability or neuroatypicality, and Victor is quite clearly meant to be understood as autistic. I felt this worked well, particularly as an overarching analogy for how disability is context dependant and how often the experience of disability is more to do with how society lacks accommodations necessary for a life fully lived, than it is to do with the material fact of the disability itself. I also think this worked well as a way to explore how individuals can work to maintain healthy relationship despite conflicting needs.

The dynamic between Nurse Ratched and Rambo reminds me a lot of the dynamic between Scamper and Brian in Igor (2008), and I found the way they both bounced off of each other delightful. They were a wonderful example of a relationship that is fully accepting of the other, warts and all. The fierce loyalty between these two and Victor was a strong theme throughout the novel, which worked well as a supporting thesis for the main themes of forgiveness and redemption. Ratched was well placed as a nurse droid to explain concepts like asexuality in a dispassionate manner.

That said, I did find towards the end that Ratched and Rambo’s continual conjecture of the nature of the relationship between Vic, who is canonically both asexual and somewhat sex repulsed, and Hap to become more and more uncomfortable as it became clear that this aspect of their behaviour was never going to fully be addressed. I had hoped that there would be some sort of commentary on the intrusive and voyeuristic nature of looking at real relationships through the lens of “shipping” but we didn’t really get any thing in regard to a resolution of the conflict there.

Hap is an interesting take on the Creature from Frankenstein. It is lovely to see what might have happened if the Modern Prometheus had been met with love and admiration rather than fear and shame. I really appreciate that Hap is allowed to still be a generally grumpy person, right through to the end of the novel, and that this is seen as a character expression, rather than a character flaw.

Vic and Hap have a very tender relationship, which is a joy to watch develop.

Vic himself is a thoroughly enjoyable hero to read. He grapples with deep emotional and ethical questions which are hard to resolve, without ever tipping over into either self-pitying or self-aggrandising. His reactions feel very natural and his motivations and insights are intelligent.

The supporting cast of Gio, Vic’s father, The Coachman and The Blue Fairy are all well drawn characters whose conversations with Vic offer some very poignant and insightful meditations on the main themes of this book. The only somewhat disappointing character was the Coachman, who’s motivational 180 was a bit too convenient and just bugged me for a few chapters after it happened.

Prose

The actual prose of this book is delightful. It flows incredibly well; it’s well paced and it was easy get into a groove of reading it. The only point where I was fully thrown out of the text was early on when there was mention of a “camming device” with no explanation of what that was. I don’t think this is a particularly ubiquitous piece of climbing equipment outside of the climbing enthusiast’s world and so could probably do with some explanation.

The main criticism of the prose I would give is that Klune has a habit of introducing motifs he then doesn’t really do anything with. For example, the Authority (the robot overlords) use the symbol of the cat and the fox, which is immediately identifiable as an allusion towards the Disney cartoon but doesn’t do anything beyond being that allusion. It gives no deeper insight into the Authority and if one were not aware of the Disney cartoon then there would be no clear reason why this symbol is being emphasised repeatedly. When he does use symbolism, like the motif of the clockwork heart that works its way throughout this novel, he does it spectacularly well. There is a richness to his use of symbolism that is so enchanting that it is even more disappointing when there is then such empty symbolism alongside it.

Finally, I would add that the first part of the novel could do with a few paragraph breaks. I did not find the long run-on nature of the opening to be particularly ADHD friendly and that was the only part of the book where I regularly found myself going back to reread a passage to make sure I had the right of it.

Conclusion

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it engaging and charming and thoroughly enjoyed the dialectical explorations of personhood, forgiveness, redemption and friendship. I found the meditations on these themes insightful and inspiring and had more than one flash of insight into my own WIP as a result of reading this.

That said I was somewhat dissatisfied with the ending. This may be a personal thing as a bit of a policy wonk, but I really would have appreciated even just a little more about how society was going to move forward after the hero’s completed their quest. That is not to say that the ending was not beautiful, it was a wonderfully understated and tender way to end the story, but I could not help but be distracted by thoughts of all the others whose lives were impacted and the uncertainty of their fate.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy imaginative retellings of classic literature, as well as anyone who enjoys somewhat whimsical sci fi settings. I think this would be a marvellous book for a 14–16-year-old, although it does have some strong language and sexual references that not all parents will be happy with, and it is the sort of book a weird little 12-year-old who already reads beyond their reading level (like me) and hides copies of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere under their bed (like I did) would absolutely devour and obsess over for years to come.

[denimbex1986]

"This is arguably the most important story of our time; the stakes really couldn't be any higher."

"It's profound, but it's told in a very human way."

"Everything Chris Nolan has done, has been a prelude to this."

"This is not a film, this is an experience. It is a heart-in-your-mouth thriller."

"I've been interested in Oppenheimer's story for a long time. At some point, I learned this key piece of information; that in the lead up to the Trinity Test, they were dealing with the very small possibility that when they pushed that button, they would set fire to the atmosphere of the Earth and destroy the entire planet. And yet, they pushed that button. I wanted to take the audience into that extraordinary moment in human history."

"Cillian playing Oppenheimer was the centrepiece of the film, but I knew that he was going to need the most extraordinary ensemble around him."

"The people involved in the Manhattan Project were charismatic individuals, they're very talented."

"The world that Oppenheimer inhabits is filled with rock-star scientists and, and I think because we have all these fantastic actors, you really buy that."

"It felt like I was playing sports with some of the best athletes. Every single person has come to set knowing that they have been hired because somewhere along the line Chris thought that you did a good job - and this goes for crew as well."

"My preference is always to do things in camera as much as possible. It sets a big challenge for every department to actually bring the reality of a thing there for the actors."

"Every crew member on this film has to adjust their work for the IMAX screen."

"IMAX can contain 18k resolution per frame which is by far more than any digital camera. It gets thrown up on a gigantic screen and the moment you watch it, it's very evident the quality is unprecedented."

"This is a story of America in the 20th century, so I think it can be painted on that big a canvas, and what better way to do that but with IMAX cameras?"

"I always try to use real locations as much as possible. With location shooting or sets, the more things can just be real, the better they're going to feel to the audience."

"There's almost no studio work on this film - everything is location."

"The sets were built in such a way that they felt incredibly authentic."

"We built our Los Alamos at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, which is along the same mountain range that Los Alamos proper sits on. This was very important and I based all of this on research. We built all of these buildings 360; we want it to feel like you are right there, you are in this, this is happening, this is real; this isn't a backlot."

"It's just the most transporting thing, you know, when you're there and it just looks exactly like Los Alamos 1940s must have looked, and you know that no detail has been overlooked."

"You know, we also shot in a huge amount of the real locations; we shot in Oppenheimer's house in Los Alamos, we shot in Princeton."

"Walking through Princeton, it's really very funny because people, you know, they're walking around and they go -"

"Shooting those scenes, playing the characters who really had versions of these events happen there; you just get a real charge out of it, you know?"

"When you do Chris' movies, things that when you read a script you normally would think would be visual effects, you know that you're going to be doing the stuff practically."

"They had to film the world of quantum physics; their whole unit was one big science project. I was daily very jealous."

"We did a lot of experimentation; we came up with some very interesting analog methods of how to approach this, all of which was leading to the Trinity Test, which had to feel nightmarish and terrifying in a way that computer graphics never really is. What we were able to get into the finished film to me is extraordinarily beautiful but also very frightening."

"Working with this whole team was such a great camaraderie and with the commonality of: 'We are going to get this in camera.' I love Chris' dedication to that."

"It really speaks to Chris and the way he directs; all of the energy goes around the camera like, we're all here to do the same thing."

"Chris makes films for theaters, for movie-going audiences, you know, so you want to see that as it's designed to be seen."

"Watching this very different sort of film on that big screen, it sort of makes you gasp; you're right in their experience."

"This is I think a definitive moment in the history of modern filmmaking. Do yourself a favour and go see this on as big a screen as you can."

"With the sound design and the score and the emotionality of it, this is an unforgettable, unmissable experience in a theater."

"We've made Oppenheimer on the largest scale possible because the idea is to come and experience this. His story is monumental and epic and extraordinary - it really has to be seen on the big screen to be believed."

[krispyweiss]

Movie Review: “Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90”

“Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90” is so long …

HOW LONG IS IT, MR. SOUND BITES?

“Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90” is so long, the producers built in an intermission - a “4:20 break,” they called it - about halfway through the film’s three-hour run time. Oddly enough, the manager of the theater where the film debuted June 11 - encore showings are slated for June 13 and 14 - frowned upon those of us who took the reason for the pause literally, meaning we’ll have to wait for the home-video release for a real 4:20 break.

But it was needed, as the movie - edited down from Nelson’s April 29-30 all-star concerts/90th-birthday celebrations at the Hollywood Bowl - is far too long. For all the highlights, there are less-than-thrilling appearances from Beck, Nathaniel Rateliff, the Lumineers (singing “Pretty Paper” in April), Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crow, George Strait, et. al that do little more than make the movie house chairs feel even more uncomfortable.

Built around some 40 performers, occasionally solo or with their own groups, but mostly backed by a house band that included music director Don Was on bass, Greg Leisz on pedal steel, former Black Crowes guitarist Audley Freed, soon-to-be-former Punch Brother Gabe Witcher on fiddle, Belmont Tench and Booker T. Jones on keys, Mickey Raphael on harmonica and the McCrary Sisters on background vocals, “Long Story Short” works despite its flaws.

And how could it not? With a band like that, a guest list that would render even the most famous person starstruck (Dave Matthews, who turned in an appropriately weird solo version of “Funny How Time Slips Away,” sure was) and a bunch of Nelson’s greatest songs - plus Warren Haynes singing “Midnight Rider” and Jack Johnson on the hilarious “Willie Got Me Stoned and Took All My Money” - the highlights are too many to mention.

But then there are the highest of the high, which follow in order of appearance:

* Billy Strings opening the show just as Nelson would and setting the tone with “Whiskey River.” The only thing wrong with this was saving one of the best for first, which is not how these things are supposed to work.

* Particle Kid - aka Micah Nelson - performing “Die When I’m High (Halfway to Heaven),” written from his father’s perspective, with Daniel Lanois playing pedal steel without picks. The effect was both comedic and ethereal.

* Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Payne and Raphael collaborating on Crowell’s “It Ain’t Over Yet,” a spellbinding song about aging gracefully in the music business.

* Rosanne Cash singing “Loving Her was Easier (Than Everything I’ll Ever Do Again)” to - and with - Kris Kristofferson while changing the word her to you. At 86, Kristofferson seems older than the birthday boy, making this heartfelt performance the stuff of lumps in throats as the two stood with arms around each other and sharing friendly kisses before Cash melted into the arms of her father’s former Highwaymen bandmate.

* Lukas Nelson channeling his father as a young man - both on guitar and at the mic - on an eerie solo performance of “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.”

* Willie singing “Stardust” while trading solos with Jones.

* Norah Jones performing “Down Yonder” in memory of “little sister” Bobbie Nelson.

* The Avett Brothers - sans house band - admonishing everyone to “Pick up the Tempo.”

* Gary Clark Jr. giving a guitar clinic and sharing the spotlight with Raphael on “Texas Flood,” which he dedicated to both Willie and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

* Bob Weir singing - really singing his heart out - “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” while Strings, who looked as if he might shit himself with glee, played Willie’s parts on acoustic guitar.

* Jamey Johnson proving himself an incredible crooner on “Georgia on My Mind” while Haynes chipped in slide guitar as only he plays it.

* Neil Young, Stephen Stills and all three Nelson boys giving an emphatic affirmative to Young’s musical question: “Are there Any More Real Cowboys.”

* Snoop Dogg, with a gold mic and an unlit blunt in his hands, joining Willie for “Roll Me up and Smoke Me When I Die.”

* Willie’s strongest vocal performance, alongside Keith Richards - who sang better than he has in ages - on “We Had it All.” Bonus: Richards’ eye makeup was a gas, gas, gas.

The thing ended with every performer on stage for “On the Road Again” followed by everyone singing “Happy Birthday to You” with Willie singing along and emphasizing the word, ME.

There’s such a thing as too much and “Long Story Short” - a misnomer of the highest degree - has it. But with such a diverse guest list that spans generations and genres, it’s unlikely anyone other than the number-loving Willie Nelson himself would enjoy every number. And if Willie had a happy 90th, then it’s OK to spend an hour more than necessary in a theater to celebrate in his honor.

But it’ll be even better at home, with a real 4:20 break and a remote control equipped with a fast-forward button.

Grade card: “Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90” - B

6/11/23

[pokegeek151]

I was literally having this conversation with my brother last night. I am of the belief that any story can be told in any medium as long as the artist has enough proficiency and understanding of their medium, but some stories work better in certain media.

My go-to genre example is musicals. Sure, you can do a live action movie musical. There are definitely good ones! But a lot of them are just meh or worse.

Musicals work better in animation or on stage because of how many layers of suspension of disbelief. A musical requires a minimum level of it to work - people don't break out into full coordinated song and dance with a backup ensemble of all the random people around. Live action film as very high verisimilitude (feeling real-ness), so getting that suspension of disbelief is harder, and it doesn't always work.

Animation already requires a certain level of it because that's a drawing, or a 3D model, that's not a person! Audiences already are willing to suspend disbelief for animation, so adding musical numbers becomes easier.

And as for theatre, you have the humans in front of you! On a set! It's all right there, and you have to suspend you disbelief that a person is standing in there saying these lines and performing their blocking, so adding musical numbers becomes easier.

Let's use Mamma Mia. I like the movie, it's fun and all, but it doesn't blow me away like the stage version does. I watched the movie once and liked it and all. I've seen the stage version four separate times by different groups, not counting when I stage managed a production of it.

Or The Lion King. Animated musical? Incredible, one of the most highly regarded Disney movies of all time. Stage musical? Highest grossing production in Broadway history (at the time of writing). Hyperrealistic CGI meant to pass for live action? Dull and boring and everyone hates it.

This works in other ways, too. I'm working on a play and a friend I was describing it to said it might work better as a long comic/graphic novel, and she is so right! The type of story I'm telling is slow and full of monologues and parallel scenes, which would work really well as carefully arranged panels! It would work as a play, but it would probably be better as a comic.

The Beginners Guide works best as a game. It would function as a short story, but the impact is in the ludonarrative structure, so it should be a game. Same with Undertale.

And of course, the first thing that popped into my head reading OPs post was the FNaF movie. The original game in particular (I don't know much about the series past the third game) is so good because of the mechanics of helplessness and fear built into the game. A non interactive story about a security guard trying to survive a bunch of sentient animatronics in a creepy entertainment facility can work (go watch Willy's Wonderland please) but FNaF is so impactful because it was designed as a game. You can a movie about the lore, but the true horror, and the real quality and impact of the story the dev was trying to tell, is baked into the fact that it's an interactive medium.

every so often I think about how important it is to recognize that some stories work the best in certain mediums and that movies are not the end all be all ideal form of media that we should all hope to be elevated to. sometimes movie adaptations are good but sometimes they’re a disservice to the story. some stories are made to be experienced in the form of a video game and the same effect would not be had if the same story were to be adapted into a movie. sometimes an analog horror series is the perfect way of telling your story and it would lose what made it special if it were made into a movie. sometimes a story is meant to be a comic book and it wouldn’t be as fun if it was a movie instead of something you could read. please please please please please recognize that comics and youtube series and video games are just as good as movies and turning them into movies has the potential of ruining the impact of the story that’s trying to be told.

[donotnomi]

SLOW HORSES S4 FINALE COMMENTARY WITH HUGO WEAVING

source: this interview (worth reading using your browser's translation tool)

I’ve already translated the most interesting and curious parts and made a snippet list here for you. Enjoy and beware of spoiler from season 4.

How he got involved with the series – I was familiar with the books but hadn’t read them yet. When I got the offer to join the cast, I was still torn between intending to watch the series and actually doing it. I had heard so many glowing things about it, and I thought, “I really need to watch this,” but I never got around to it.

Since I had to quickly decide whether or not to join the project, potentially for more than one season depending on the character’s development, I dived into the first book to get a sense of the story, then the fourth and the ones that followed to learn more about Frank and understand what would happen after his introduction.

The changes between Frank in the book and the series – In the series, he’s more of a classic villain, but with a certain messianic aura. During filming, I kept going back to the original text to give him as much humanity and depth as possible. He’s intelligent, has a certain charm, is always calm and in control, and he’s very skilled at what he does.

Somewhere I read this guide for aspiring mercenaries: “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” When he meets someone, his professional mind is already planning how to kill that person, if necessary. But I also sense a deep fatigue in him.

The pub scene with River – I love that scene. The whole season is built up to reach that moment, to that exchange of “Hello, Dad. Hello, son.” It was very exciting to film because Jack and I kept imagining how the audience would react to discovering the truth about River and witnessing this first-ever interaction between the two characters. I discussed the pub scene with Jack long before we filmed it, and we prepared for it for a long time.

As for Frank, I think he goes to that meeting driven by a mix of different desires. He really does want to meet his son and offer him a job, no matter how senseless or morally questionable that offer might be. At least by the standards of someone like River. But neither of them can deny the connection: River is Frank’s son, and Frank is River’s father. There’s a magnificent tension between them, culminating in Frank finding a way out through deceit. It leaves the impression that we might see him again.

River, Frank and the other 2 fathers - The grenade is not exactly the kind of gift a father gives to his son, no (laughs). I think with Frank, there’s this sense of training and testing River, giving him advice but also putting him in danger to see how he’ll handle himself. He’s a very dangerous father, and that’s what makes him so fascinating. In that sense, he’s really like Darth Vader: a mix of dark force and paternal will. He takes care of River but constantly puts him at risk.

Frank’s presence also brings out more of River’s darkness, because it connects to other difficult family figures that have shaped him: his mother, his grandfather who raised him. You mentioned earlier that Lamb is a kind of alternative father figure. I agree—he’s the father River has in his dysfunctional Slough House family. So, in terms of fathers, River has three: his grandfather who acts as his father, Lamb as a paternal figure, and Frank, his real father. Since the series revolves around a dysfunctional family, Frank’s arrival adds even more tension.

The atmosphere on set – The atmosphere on the Slow Horses set is very calm, even though everyone gives their absolute best. The people involved are incredibly skilled at their jobs and have a deep love for Herron’s book series. They’re the kind of professionals who watch the final result on TV and feel proud of it. It’s a lot of fun working with them, especially on a set that mixes drama, action, comedy… and a lot of pain.

The growing popularity of Slow Horses – A few days ago, when I was still in Sydney, I was stopped by some passersby who told me they are loving Slow Horses and enjoy my character. The series is gaining international popularity, even though critics have held it in high regard from the beginning. In this season, many people have started watching it.

[swiftiesav89]

Putting this in the Universe

When I was little, I really thought things would someday just fall into place. No matter how bad things would get, somehow, I thought once I turned 18 & graduated high school, real life would kick in and I would be a success. I didn’t know what that would look like. I was good enough at everything but math and science. I read so fast and so well at such an early age that I made myself believe I was secretly a genius. All my “what career field should you pursue?” tests came back with the same kind of result - go into the creative fields, my girl, your brain is not built for anything else. At least that’s the message I get now that I’ve become more versed in my own specific kind of neurodivergence and trauma responses. Back then, I was sure it meant I was the next JK Rowling (which, now, ew...) or destined to be a hard-hitting journalist at Rolling Stone. I’ve always believed I have an accomplished writer living in my soul, just waiting for me to put my fingers to a keyboard and allow her to become real. Maybe that’s a delusion of grandeur. We’ll see if I have the energy to find out if I have any potential at all. But now, when I remember those visions of future me, they feel like a daydream. I never knew what steps to take to make any of them happen. I had always been smart enough not to concern anyone and did so well in some situations that they clouded the gaps to any teachers looking for “signs” of learning disabilities. My mom didn’t know that how fast I read and spoke and how lost I would get in my own little worlds and how obsessed I would become over anything I enjoyed were signs of something bigger when considered all together. When I watched Titanic a hundred times in second grade, it was more than Kate Winslet naked that made me do that. I could disappear into a three-hour film (that happened to feature Kate Winslet naked) and then my mind would just replay the film frame by frame in the time I wasn’t watching. When I was twelve, I spent an entire summer watching only The Fellowship of the Ring. I learned the whole script, devoted any amount of money I could get my hands on to buying magazines that I would paste into binders and write elvish phrases and guides and cast lists by hand. I still have one of the binders. It was the ravings of a lunatic, to be honest. At least that’s how it feels now. That obsessive behavior carried over into all my crushes. I was raised to be super religious in a very small Bible Belt town. I was known for my “boy-crazy” behavior regardless of the fact that I was terrified of them. And I’m sure I terrified them. I once got so obsessed over a senior boy when I was in seventh grade that I fished his empty Dr. Pepper bottle out of the trash. Proudly. Then I kept it on my shelf at home like a trophy for 2 years at least. LIKE why the feck that did not set off alarm bells for my adults is incredible. When I became "active" at 16, I wasted my energy on the absolute dregs of the male population at my school, angling for the attention of boys who now make me actively gag and sacrificing all of my self-worth in the process. I went off to college an hour away from home and couldn't keep up with the course load or the responsibility of living on my own while working full-time. I was inspired by the Obama campaign that fall and volunteered all my time. I leaned hard into the idea of politics as a career, only to completely make an ass of myself with a misplaced crush on my field campaign manager while I was also fighting a crush on my best girl friend. I flamed out spectacularly after the distraction of the campaign ended. I couldn't focus on class or show up most of the time and convinced myself I needed to drop out and re-evaluate back home as soon as it got really hard. When I got home, I froze in time and really never unfroze. I've fallen in love and made so much progress in theory. I have made dream trips come true and experienced real, unfiltered happiness and joy. And now I finally love myself but I am somehow still stuck.