#this is how I'm going to journal the films I've watched from now on

[cinemaocd]

Tag Reviews Vol. 1

November Films Watched:

Irma Vep (1996): #ok we have finally watched this it has been on the list for more than five years #interesting commentary on the film industry-angsty arthouse movie that makes fun of angsty arthouse movies #revealing a wriggling mass of hippocrites #paranoiacs and burn outs behind the cameras#and one isolated woman who was being fetishized both as part of the parody and by the film itself #it was really ahead of its time lmao

Ladies in Retirement (1944): #yeah this is really intresting#kind of a hard sell after recently watching arsenic and old lace which is almost a direct parody of this #but some interesting performances and I love having women led stories where the main disruption is a man...such a lesbian vibe about this#especially Elsa Lanchester who stomps around tidying the moors and making ugly arrangements of shells and plants and driftwood in the house#basically me if I had no job or husband/child#anyway...this was interesting though not a hit with the boys and I can see why I guess. Ida Lupino is something to watch in it.

Mermaids (1990): #it's a whole family of manic pixie dream girls and bob hoskins has to try to keep them from murdering each other

#you know I love a bob hoskins lead dramedy#also I learned watching this that my son pronounces “cher” with a hard “CH”#(imagine baltimore accent saying “chair” and that's how he says it I swear)

The Big Sleep (1978): #oh man this was dreadful#the earlier Mitchum as Marlowe film-farewell my lovely--is a classic and one of the great noirs of all time#this follow up...is not#for one thing they just skipped the period setting and moved the whole thing to England because it's still the 1930s in England at all time#the only thing going for it is that it is way easier to follow than the far more stylish and famous 1946 film#thanks to watching this I actually KNOW what happens in the fucking big sleep

Working Girls (1931):#working girls#dorothy arzner#dorothy hall#judith wood#this was good#comedy but very grounded in reality and feels really ahead of its time like something that would be make in the 60s to be honest#pre-code hollywood. #this is a little gem of a comedy...very low key and with a grittier outlook than you'd expect from a few years later#pre-code hollywood#judith wood is really pretty good in this I don't understand why her career died when the code came in

Time Without Pity (1957): #still photos don't michael justice he is such a mess in this and not in a hot way at all#it's the total dissolution of a man's body and soul before your eyes the whole thing is kind of torture to watch from beginning to end#but the cast is stellar and joseph losey cranks up the tension and doesn't let go for a second#without pity indeed#also Dirk Bogard is in it for .5 seconds#as are joan plowright and peter cushing

Canterbury Tale (1944): #Oh I forgot I actually like this movie even though it's slow and ham fisted but I don't mind the whole glue man thing #I kind of wanted Eric Portman not to be real but to turn into some kind of sprite and disappear #Anyway I've been in a very Cahtedral-y mood since being in the old country #and also revisiting the Mirror and the Light#anyway dennis price is really underused in this #but it just makes you appreciate him all the more when he does appear

The Big Sleep (1946): #this film is really confusing but worth making multiple passes at just for the dialog/interactions which honestly every scene is great

[astonmartingf]

BEST OF INTERVIEWS: KATARINA LOMBARDI (MERCEDES AMG)

LICENSE TO DRIVE ; f1 driver!oc x platonic! f1 grid

. . . best interview moments with katarina during her time in mercedes amg (2017-2020)

amgf i said i'm not writing but really i just miss her, every single day she's on my head actually, the amount of hcs i have in my notes about miss katarina... crazy

"What is your go to activity if you're sad?" Katarina reads the question from a random pile of papers before setting them aside at the edge of the table.

"I watch Kimi winning the 2007  championship in Brazil. To me, that was an important highlight. I was ten at the time, I felt represented as a Finnish-Italian, Kimi winning Ferrari... Good times."

"In an interview you said that you started karting when you were three." The reporter asks, as you nod your head in reply.

"Did that make your journey easier or harder as a driver?"

Katarina thinks for a moment before speaking to the microphone, "It definitely had some advantages, the journey wasn't the easiest to be here, as a female there were some hurdles that I had to wait and make space for myself. But there were definitely privileges that I was aware of, one being that I lived in Europe and there are a lot of tracks to practice, not only that but my mother also taught me a lot as a former racing driver. These can happen hand in hand, so when people discredit my achievements as a woman in motorsports by countering that I am privileged, I am aware of that. Racing is a privilege, and to see how far I've made as a woman makes me even proud of my achievements. It wasn't the easiest, but it's rewarding."

"What are the three things Katarina Lombardi can't live without?" Lewis asks, reading the question on a cut piece of paper inside the bowl.

The female tilts her head, "Maybe food? What? I could just answer things like water, food, air, or do you want personal things?"

Lewis cackles at the side, clutching his belly, "Okay, I think this is to get to know you more so maybe apart from the obvious I mean... what else? I also can't live without these three so I think they meant a personal item."

Katarina laughs, thinking once more, "My notebook, I have a journal— well multiple journals so those I would want to keep with me. Maybe my cross necklace as well, we have to remove jewelry when racing so sadly I remove it but instead of looking for my watch I want the necklace back on after races. Last would be my manager's cell phone number."

"What? That's so random." Lewis exclaims, laughing once more at her outlier response.

Katarina shakes her head, "No you don't get it. I haven't got my phone number memorized, but my manager's, I know it at the back of my head. If I'm in trouble or someone wants to ask me something I give them my manager's number, easy. Not their personal number of course, the work one but yeah, it saved me a couple of times... A lot of times actually..."

"How well does Katarina Lombardi, know about Lewis Hamilton?" Lewis reads the cue cards in front of his hands, filming another video for Mercedes.

"Not that well I'm telling you." The female whispers under her breath while playing with her own cards.

"That's not even the question yet!" Lewis steals a glance with raised brows appalled by his teammates response. "Not that well? I'm offended."

Katarina bursts into laughter, "Wait that wasn't the question? Shut up!"

Lewis stares blankly into the camera, pulling the cards closer to him, shaking his head in disappointment. "Wow... I thought we had something— I thought we were friends, and you pull this."

Katarina shakes her head in denial, "No wait! Let me explain, I thought that was the question. What are we filming today?"

"It's a quiz, look here it reads, "How well does Katarina Lombardi know about Lewis Hamilton" that's the video about."

"I thought the video was about something else, I swear believe me." Katarina shakes Lewis' arms as the older man turns away from her.

"Now you're just saying whatever you want." Katarina is left laughing, trying to console Lewis sulking at the other side of the couch.

"What do you think of the 2019 season?"

Katarina scrunched her nose, "Worst season ever."

Her reply caught other drivers off guard, Max, Sebastian, and even her own teammate Lewis turned around in confusion. Katarina shrugs, "I mean, Kimi is not in Ferrari so it's shit."

Her reply caused other reporters and journalists to laugh, "What's so funny?"

Max shakes his head, pulling the microphone to him, "You caught us there, I thought you've gone crazy, you have five, six wins and constantly on the podiums. When you said the season was the worst I was about to argue."

"I thought it had something to do with me, please, watch your words. Almost gave me a heart attack because what was so bad about the season?" Lewis adds laughing along with the others.

"Well I'm sorry, I can score points and still be sad, without Kimi who else will represent me? We all know I'll never drive for that silly horse."

The drivers turn around to face Sebastian, lips pressed in a thin line, forcing himself not to laugh, "I'm contractually not allowed to say anything but I think everyone in the grid knows that."

"What are your prospects for the upcoming season?"

Katarina grabs the microphone, thinking about giving a PR answer or one of her own, "Well, I don't have a seat for the 2021 season but I'm always available and talking to teams so, I guess we'll figure it out together."

"How is the season going on for you at Mercedes right now?"

"Well, it's still the same, you got to perform for the team, even now more since I need my portfolio to look good for the next team. I'm joking it's still fine, I'm talking to Toto and Lewis and it's all good, I do know who is replacing me so it's fun and exciting. You'll find out soon, no need to worry about me and the upcoming season, I'm still here to race for the team and hopefully the season will be good to us and for my future endeavors. Thank you."

[lyralit]

4.1.24 - the importance of learning new things

As much as I think academic & work focus is incredibly important going into the new year, one of my other goals is to practice doing more: to learn all of the things I want to do, in addition to work, in addition to writing. I want to know how to do thousands of little things, and I think the longer we wait, the less likely we are to do them.

Picking up a new hobby doesn't have to be buying a dozen textbooks and spending hundreds of dollars on lessons because you might have the slightest interest: it can be from whatever you have here, now, and you'll never learn if you don't get started.

Some of the things I've been getting into (as I've mentioned before) are baking & crocheting. it just feels so cozy and nice & I love the idea of comfort.

here is a list of things I want to / you should try that's new!

learning a new language. fifteen minutes a day, I kid you not. I'm learning latin on duolingo and I don't ever think about it, but when I do it (25 day streak 💪🏻), I'm starting to notice my improvements

consuming good media. and that's not scrolling for half an hour on tumblr. it's books—deep ones and silly ones and ones about romance and dragons and apocalypses. it's movies! I watched keira knightley's pride and prejudice twice in the last few months, and also three men and a baby which is something I never thought I would watch, but it was quite funny I think. and I learn from it: I cannot write humour or romance for the life of me, so it's basically studying to write (is the self-gaslighting too evident?)

learning to crochet. I made a silly little headband today, after scrolling through pinterest and desperately wanting one. I started crocheting in december to give as gifts (I completed none of my wips, much like when I write) and used the tools I had around me: an old rainbow loom hook and whatever string I could find. now I'm proud to say I can read somewhat fluently crochet acronyms.

baking. I keep saying this. I know. but when I tell you a two years ago I was exploding cupcakes in the oven and last month I made bakery-style cookies...I made bread! a loaf of bread! (in a bread machine, but it's so good and I instantly made another. there is one in the bread machine right now). honestly it just made me feel that much better about improvement, and trying new things, and that is the mindset I want for the new year.

learning to code. in all honesty, I never thought I was a compsci - engineer kind of person. then this year, out of sudden (masterminded) urges, I joined a bunch of tech and robotics initiatives, and maybe it's the sense of community (I can rejoice in finding another nerdy group) but now I am happily chauffeuring myself to these meetings 4h a week. I'm looking into pursuing more into the fields of eng and science. and I'm learning some code from one of the friends I've made!

starting a blog. ...I know most of the people who linger around my blog stay for the writing content (the last posts have turned this writerblr into a digital diary, and I'm only half sorry for that). but since I've joined tumblr (almost three years ago now!) I've got to meet so many wonderful people (including you!) and want to try so many things.

and I get it. it's overwhelming. so here are some starting goals that maybe I'll try also.

start doing art. -> make a card for someone as a gift.

learn a new sport & start exercising. (I'm trying out track & field in the spring, so stay tuned to figure out how that goes) -> see if someone will come play ball with you. do 1 or 2 youtube workout videos a week.

film videos of your daily life. it doesn't need to be for posting! -> edit together clips you've taken for a last year recape.

start a scrapbook. -> print out photos and dig up construction paper. decorate a page.

make a poetry journal. -> go on pinterest to read poetry! pin styles you like and set fifteen minutes to writing.

make a regular journal! -> write once a day. just try: goals for the day in the morning, or a recap at night.

try your hand at gardening. -> research plants that grow well in your region. see if any of the seeds you may have at home are useful. water your lawn. buy a plant and try to keep it alive (set reminders, leave it in front of your sink)

learn to make candles. -> watch a youtube tutorial. see if you can play around with candles you already have.

play chess. -> see if someone will play chess with you. no? chess.com is right there. go make an account. go find a stranger.

learn to play an instrument off youtube. -> maybe you have a piano sitting around, or a guitar you've never touched. you don't even need to master it. pick a song you like and google that. no instrument? maybe there's a way to play drums with home items.

go for a run. -> once a week. a set time. just shoes and the outdoors. too cold? go to a gym and use a treadmill. maybe that's not possible? skip rope.

start / join a book club. -> just you, or some close friends, or people online. a book a month. talk about it.

** on that note, would anyone like to join a tumblr book club? slide into my asks and maybe we can get a blog list!

thank you for reading again <3 until next time.

k.

[persephonesprose]

films and literature and nonsensical thoughts of 2024

the year was full of demons. art was not one of them.

literature that made me understand being human

On Keeping a Notebook by Joan Didion ★★★★★

"We forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget. We forget the loves and the betrayals alike, forget what we whispered and what we screamed, forget who we were." No one will understand why I need a journal, why I can't go a day without putting my thoughts down on paper, better than Joan herself. I fear forgetting, but I think I fear never having that piece of myself somewhere in the physical world more.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon ★★★

Every now and then, reading a YA novel becomes something magical. I don't know why fifteen year old me didn't read this when I was gifted it. But I'm sort of glad to read it as an adult, because of how it views life and risk taking and the act of living.

films to watch at three a.m.

Frances Ha: ★★★★1/2

I watched this and was sent into an existential crisis at 5am. In a good way. The love I have for something so simple to say "it's okay to be where you're at even if life sucks." is unmatched. I'm terrified of growing up because I think I'll do it wrong, but this film taught me to love the mistakes just as much if not more. I could write an essay about this and I probably will.

This Beautiful Fantastic: ★★★1/2

I ended the film in tears. Good ones, but still tears. If there was ever something to show me that love and change are all things that make you so human it's beautiful, then this would be it. But I mainly loved it because it reminded me of my grandpa.

The Greatest Hits: ★★★★

If a movie could devour a heart, this one did exactly that to mine. Grief is that one human emotion I've never allowed myself to feel. And music is the escape that gets me away from it. Until they looped them together. Grief is love and I understand that a lot more now.

Colette: ★★★★

I spent the whole movie rooting for her to murder her husband. And in all honesty she should have been allowed. I knew very little about Claudine, yet after this I want to feast on her works as if they were fine dining. They probably are.

On the Basis of Sex: ★★★1/2

Now more than ever we have to remember what women fought for, the equality and liberation we deserve. The film made a fire burn in my chest. Rage at why we're still fighting the same exact fight decades later.

Good Will Hunting: ★★★★1/2

This film has haunted me for years now, but I've never actually sat down to watch it. I'm glad I did when I was in my twenties. Because this is a film to rewatch when I'm thirty and forty and fifty. I think as time goes on I'll see a different way each time.

The Jane Austen Book Club: ★★★★

Oh the joys of getting to sit and yap about Jane Austen with wine and good friends. Not to mention falling in love. I think films that feel like revisiting a worn out novel instantly hold such an appeal.

Moulin Rouge: ★★★★★

If we didn't have tragedies, how would we understand being human? I've cried to lots of films, have found comfort in the layers of grief. But this one took my breath away. I'm ashamed to say it's taken me too long to finally watch it in full, but I'll never see life the same way after.

albums to play in the kitchen at midnight

On The Inside: Gotts Street Park

Special love to the song Got To Be Good. Would recommend dancing by the fridge light to this.

Songs For No One Vol. 1 & 2: Victoria Bigelow

It's soft and lyrical and invades your soul without even trying. I recommend to be listened to with wine.

The Death of Summer & Other Promises: Etta Marcus

Every song of hers opens me up like I'm getting prepped for an autopsy. She picks at my heart and expects me to be okay afterwards. Definitely 2am existential crisis songs.

[parihere]

Name/place/other things

(she/her) 🩷🌷 studyblr / writerblr / desiblr

hiii!! I'm pari - (puh-ree) this is actually the pet name that my family and or close friends call me by so I thought that'll make this account a bit more personal (it means fairy/angel 🧚)

Age : I'm 17 (gonna be 18 in March)

Grade : - I'm in 12th grade but not for long , I've my final exam/ boards in a month

preparing for : college entrance exam(jee &bitsat) as well as boards. I have started preparing very late so idk how much I'll be able to score but I'll try my best

My subjects are :

Physics

Chemistry

Maths

English

Physical education

hobbies 🌷: dancing, painting/sketching, reading/writing poetries , reading books, watching movies

_____________________________________________

movies- I'm a self proclaimed cinephile, I'm a big bollywood munchie. I've actually grown up on bolly films and I think watching movies has kept me sane

favourite/comfort movies 🩷

yeh jawani hai deewani (prolly watched this 27271 times).

dil dhadakne do (criminally underrated)

taare zameen par (childhood trauma)

gangs of wasseypur (I'm from bihar so..).

jane bhi do yaaron (way ahead of it's time).

kal hona ho (srk fangirlism)

tamasha (relatable af)

_____________________________________________

music- I do listen to music quite a lot , my taste? everything except for the ones I dislike lol ,and i think because I learnt dancing ever since I was a child I tend to lean towards pop beats but I also listen to slow music quite a bit

favourite songs (at the moment) 🩷

Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call by bleachers

Pop Muzik by M,Robin Scott

Diet Pepsi by Addison Rae

I bet on losing dogs by mitski

Juno by Sabrina Carpenter

Femininominon & HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan

Baawre by Shankar Mahadevan.

Believe by Cher

Ophelia by The Lumineers

G.O.A.T by Diljit Dosanjh

_____________________________________________

books/novels - I haven't read anything new in the past two years other than my academic books , but I'm interested in literature a lot and I'll read any good literary piece no matter the genre

favourite books 🩷:

The kite runner by Khaled Hosseini

Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

When he was wicked by Julia Quinn

Normal People by Salley Rooney

A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini

Under the oak tree by Suji Kim

_____________________________________________

Why Tumblr?

I have had this account for a while but I only used it for reading smut 😶‍🌫️ lmao and now I want to use it to bring some decorum in my life.

I think writing a blog about my day is a good way to keep myself in check. I'll be treating this blog like my journal.

My lifestyle has been very messed up from the last two years , so along with studying, I'm also gonna focus on getting my shit together in general. this account would revolve around the same , but I also yap a lot so I'm gonna talk about some random musings as well :3 :)) ;)

[yourknifemyside]

My name is Brandon, and I am really bad at doing new things. Let's try to fix that!

I recently had the thought when trying and failing to compile one of those Topsters lists of my favorite albums. I thought to myself, "man, I am bored of always listening to the same things. I've listened to the same things for the past seven years. How do I tell which ones are my favorites anymore, they all sound exactly the same!" So, I decided then, that going into 2025, I would wipe the slate clean. As far as my "favorite albums of all time" list concerned, as of right now, I have never listened to a single album in my life! This year, I'm going to attempt to listen to a ton of stuff, old and new, and completely rebuild a catalogue of music from scratch. If I haven't listened to it since the ball dropped, it doesn't exist to me yet! This tumblr blog is for keeping a journal of everything I listen to this year and beyond, new finds and relistens alike. And for fun, we're throwing games, movies, and tv shows in the mix as well. We're just gonna keep track of everything old and new that I get to this year. This is the place for my unfiltered thoughts on whatever. This truly exists for nobody but me, but maybe you will find something worth sticking around for. I wouldn't count on it, but either way, you're more than welcome to tag along for this journey of discovery / rediscovery!

Here's a list of the most important tags I'll be using to group my posts, as well as a reference key for any little icons that may pop up from time to time!

Tags:

#music - music listening journal, mostly albums

#games - video game backlog catalogue

#movies - feature length films

#shows - tv shows, cartoons, anime

#brandoncore - collection of the most essential, personal favorite things I've posted about

#recap - monthly wrap-up posts, including a brief list of things I did, but didn't post about

#bonus - extra posts related to music, games, movies, and shows

#nuzhof - winning teams from throughout my years of playing

#whocanrelate! - intrusive thoughts in the form of bars

Icons:

✨ is for post subjects that are new to me, I am experiencing them for the first time!

🔁 is for post subjects that I am relistening to, rewatching, or replaying!

💖 is for subjects that are officially, professionally certified #brandoncore, and find their way into the pantheon of brandoncore things.

I really considered not giving anything number scores, because I feel like people put too much stock into the number signifying how "good" something is. Unfortunately, my brain truly just loves to rank things and give them ratings, so we're committing to that. To give you an idea of what to expect, I think I'm generally a lot more positive on the shows and movies I watch, since I'm criminally underexposed to a lot of what's on offer in those mediums. Games and music are definitely where I'm more critical and harder to please, I'd say. Some have called me a hater in the past, but really, I only hate because I love so passionately... there needs to be a balance to everything! Everybody's internal scale operates differently, so for transparency sake, I'll be outlining my exact (loose) definition for the vibes of my own score scale:

Occasionally I might add a + or - modifier to a score to further adjust and represent my exact thoughts on something. This just means that within its number rating, I lean a smidge higher or lower on it than its peers.

Like everything else with the scores though, its all just silly and for my own brain's enjoyment, and the easiest, fastest way to sum up my feelings on something. A lot of the time the most personally resonant things for my are the 7s and 8s of the world, my little imperfect masterpieces. There's more to the story than just a score :)

Well, that's me! And that's what this is! I hope you find something of value here if you went out of your way to read all of this! Special thanks to @teddydeer for the lovely visuals on this post, I spent two days trying to make it look good myself and uh, she blew mine out of the water in the space of about an hour >_<

[ajokeformur-ray]

I love Arthur Fleck so fucking much it actually hurts sometimes. Every time I think I can't love him any more than I already do, I somehow manage to surprise myself.

Maybe I'm overly emotional right now because I'm stressed to the point of having literally no appetite so I haven't eaten all day or because it's 9.54pm and I should be asleep already because I wanna be up at 3am so I can study before work, but I just... Cannot and will not stop thinking about Arthur.

How hard he tries to be good - going to therapy, keeping a journal, taking actual notes on what comedy seems to be based on what makes people laugh the hardest in Pogo's Club, taking his medications, holding down a job, working inhuman hours and then going home to be his mother's carer - and he's so exhausted, you can see it.

But he keeps going. He tries day after day after day, head bowed and an asymptomatic limp and feet dragging and shoulders slumped because he's suffering but he knows what he needs to do and he's doing it as best as he can.

He's not an inherently good person, from the moment the film begins we see that he's already started to descend and he's doomed by the narrative; it was always gonna end the way it does. But right up until absolutely everything is taken away from him, by his hand or not, he is trying. To be kind, to take his medications, to care for Penny, to do what's expected, to do what he thinks is right because he cares so much that it burns him. He cares so much that it factors into his downfall, he's tragic and doomed from the start but like so many of my beloveds, he went down fighting until he couldn't anymore so then he gave in and everything went to shit.

But he TRIED. Every day. Until that choice was taken from him.

There's so much quiet strength and bravery to Arthur and so much to him that he doesn't show to the world, either because he doesn't want to or he can't, but what we do see... I find so, so tragically beautiful.

Arthur is, in so many ways, the reason why I am who I am today. He's the reason I'm doing a bachelor's with honours psychology with counselling degree; he inspired me so much that I realised I want to help people like him and I've spent the last four years working towards my degree, I have two more years to go and then after that, there's gonna be post-graduate certifications and training and work experience to work on etc. but Arthur has always inspired me to keep going, to keep trying, just like he did.

Step step step step...

One day after another.

Arthur inspired me to be kinder, and if I can't manage that, then just be nice or even if that's too much, don't say anything at all, just smile and move on. He inspired me to keep going, to be gentler to myself, to write down my thoughts, to take time at the end of a day which has so much work that I'm swaying on my feet to brush my teeth because I'm so tired, to watch something I love because it'll give me something to look forward to at work or when I'm dragging myself through a 3am study session. My bed is my favourite hello and my hardest goodbye. Arthur keeps me warm inside, he keeps me going, he gives me a reason to smile every day, and I'm so grateful to this character for everything he's taught me.

How can I quit on everything I work so hard at, a thought I'm ashamed to admit I have every day, when someone like Arthur inspired me? If I quit, it'll be a waste of the four years I've spent so hard working for, but also it'll be a waste of the love I have for Arthur, because I pour so much of it into my degree. I can't help Arthur, but I can help people like him. I pour my love for him into my degree, and I try to honour the lessons he taught me with it, too. How can I quit my degree not only so close to the end, but also because to quit would be like giving up on Arthur? I may be exhausted to my bones, we all know it, but like hell would I ever give up on Arthur. And therefore, no giving up on my degree. I'll be grateful I kept going one day. (Right?🥺)

I love Arthur, so much, and I'll carry him with me for the rest of my life. He's always there for me at the end of the day, safe in my phone, and curling up in bed with him cures all ills. I'll never love anyone the way I love Arthur, not just because he changed my life and saved it on the same day (4th October 2019) in so many ways it'd take me another twenty minutes to list them, but also because Arthur Fleck is Arthur Fleck, and that's the biggest reason of all to love him.❤️

I wish I could tell him all of this. I truly do.

[king-midas-fortnite]

Journal Entry: 02

Relevant Reblog Threads: https://www.tumblr.com/kado-fortnite/757815879423639552/an-invitation-to-watch-bloodsport-from-a-king-it?source=share AND https://www.tumblr.com/king-midas-fortnite/758022626128035840/it-was-a-nice-night-decent-company-for-certain?source=share

I mentioned in my last entry that I was thinking of ways to make things even with Kado for stopping me from doing something I'd regret in hurting Valeria, without making it known I felt the need to in the first place. 

Well, fortunate for me, he posted about being bored the other night while I had been enjoying an older bottle from my cellar. In a move I don't think I'd have chosen entirely sober, I invited him to the Nitrodome for entertainment he might find more suitable than reality TV. 

Surprisingly, and unlike many decisions made under the influence, I don't regret it. 

I had a fine time. I hesitate to say "good". It was Kado after all. But at the very least, he can make decent conversation when we aren't at each other's throats. Not to mention, Valeria puts on a good show when she's under the dome. 

I'd brought a bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac. 1986, hardly the most vintage in my collection, but one I was looking forward to trying regardless, and met him outside. 

As I said in my invite to him, the plan was to climb the overhanging rafters for a better and more private view. I don't care for sitting amongst crowds. Especially not the kind who go to Nitrodome events. Anyway, the speed at which he climbed those rafters while I carefully made my way up was impressive if not entirely irritating. We were supposed to be discreet, and there he went swinging from pole to pole like some chimpanzee. 

At one point he'd asked if I needed a "hand." I could have killed him then. Feigned reaching for his hand and let the Touch do the rest, but oh well. Chances chances. 

Then he asked if I wanted to hang on his back while he went. The offer seemed genuine, but I will die before I risk anyone seeing me in some Vampire Romance Movie situation with Him. No, I could make it.

I did take some satisfaction in that when I finally did get to the top, he was hung upside down, looking a little...disheveled, from all his showing off. I asked if he was ready to take a bat nap. He didn't appreciate the joke, said he'd simply been having fun watching me. 

The show had begun after that. I realized I had forgot glasses once the bottle was opened, so we simply passed it back and forth. 

I've already mentioned Velaria putting on a good show, but I will reiterate, it was quite fun to watch. 

Between rounds of whatever the goal is down there (I don't pay much attention to rules, just the violence and expensive destruction), we chatted. Found common ground on some things; wine, art, theater. Found differing opinions on others; music, film, food.

One part I can not seem to let go of (and what I am having to have my third drink to even write down), was when he asked to see my hand. My fake one, that is. The one made to replace the one he stole. 

I didn't think he'd try anything at a place so public, so I held it out to him. He held it for a while, turning it over in his hands, tracing fingers over every weld and joint. It felt more intimate than I'd care to think about. 

He said it was beautiful. I thanked him, but couldn't help myself from asking if he was planning on taking that one too. 

He then got this smirk on his face and said, "I'd rather take the man attached to it." 

I'd snatched my hand back then, and decided I hadn't had nearly enough to drink for that sort of comment. I can only hope I didn't appear as surprised by it as I felt, but the Touch betrayed me as it often does and the damn bottle had changed to gold while I drank more from it. 

He'd laughed at me, of course. What I'm struggling with now is how I didn't hate the sound. I'm blaming it on the wine drank at the time and now. Moving on.

By the time we were heading back down, I was thoroughly drunk. He kept offering me help, staying irritatingly close as I went. I was in the middle of telling him I didn't need a "hand", and insulting him when I did lose my footing. 

He shouldn't have risked the exposure, but Kado had let his wings snap out for enough speed to catch me by the arm. For a man who's supposed to be keeping a secret, this was an extremely reckless action. I let him know as much after I regained my balance (queue the most sarcastic "you're welcome" I have ever heard). I have no idea if anyone saw, I suppose time will tell. 

We made it back down without further incident and accompanied each other further until our paths home split ways. Before we parted, I said something I wish I hadn't. Again, decisions made under the influence that I'd think better of otherwise. I thanked him. I thanked him for stopping me with Val, divulged to him how tired I am of hurting the people I care about... Stupid thing to do. I don't relish the idea of him knowing anything genuine about me, but I can't very well go back in time to correct that mistake. It was his time machine that blew up, after all. 

If anyone ever reads these, I think I'd kill them. Reminder: these are not "public" to other Tumblrverse characters. Okay to reblog, but please do not roleplay on journal entries!

[theodoraflowerday]

heartstopper s3e4 live episode reaction 😭

fine. time to watch what's widely considered the best heartstopper episode so far

know I will probably not be rewatching this because I'm already at a level of sobbing that might wake up my mom

nellie makes me so happy

not tara being the one telling nick to start journaling

oh my god it's gonna be literally all of journey. like the diary entries and all. oh my god I see it. oh my god that's gonna WRECK ME

NOT ALL THREE OF THEM SITTING ON THE COUCH TOGETHER BABIES

god

literally none of this is okay I feel like I'm a faucet that's open all the way I can barely see the screen

not him and nellie

bro I could really use a sarah hug right about now

THE RUGBY LADS NOOOOOO

IMOGEN KEEPS SENDING ME COUPLES COSTUME IDEAS AKDJSKFJSKFIDLFIF bro immy's so cute I wanna keep her in my pocket forever

tara is an angel

NOT BARBIE AND KEN AKDJDKFJDOF IMOGEN I LOVE YOU

not the creepy moos skfusofjslfjdkfj

okay that was....... way too sad

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST FOLKS. NICK NELSON LOVES CHARLIE SPRING.

nick's drinking??? oh honey no

OH MY FUCKING GO D

OH Y GOD

OGMYNFLFKDLFKD THEYRE DKIISIMG

IMOGENSAHAR TEAAAAAMMMMMM

what's their name? I'm going with zaheaney

OH NO SHES THROWING UP AND TALKING ABOUT EXPERIMENTATION NOOOOOOOO

oh god that is horrifying

this is giving me so much anxiety

(tarcy as Shrek and Fiona are goals tho)

oh nO

DONT FUCKING

I'LL KILL MYSELF

NICK BABY NOOOOOOOOO

god

yeah this isn't good

"your marvel agenda is never gonna work on me" it still might, let me introduce y'all to billy kaplan and teddy altman

NOT THE KPSIDD DOWN KISS please can we have nick as MJ

"aw, can't I play the mental illness card?" "nope, the s-word rules still apply to the mentally ill" bro i wish I had nick and charlie when i was younger

im never gonna stop crying am i

no I'm never gonna stop crying

god

this isn't good i might genuinely dehydrate

not the backwards bit

oh god

yeah it does feel a bit like you're fractured doesn't it

tori helping to decorate charlie's room :(

god

GEOFF HI

I keep having to pause. like little sobbing breaks. why is this hitting me so hard.

"he's my favorite. your friends are annoying but I like him" nicktori :(

susan is so awesome

"you were having your summer of love, it's not a crime" "well, i love You too" :( charlie and tao :(

"but I missed it" god I keep going into sobbing spirals bro

"can you explain to me what happened with imogen and sahar? because nick was being way too empathetic about it and I actually don't really know what happened" LMFAODKDLDKSLFJSLFJSLFJSLFJ

to be fair to nick he had to hold immy's hair up while she threw up and cried about it so he prob doesn't have the most objective perspective

A WHOLE BOTTLE OF TEQUILA oh my god I was drinking a Lot at 16 and that's still way beyond anything that should be happening at that age

NOT TAOS FILM I'M GONNA DIE

BODNFLSKF NO

"but i wasn't prepared and I cried for about four hours" isaac describing me watching this episode

BARBIE AND DRACULA SEEN MAKING OUT AT A HOUSE PARTY

CUT THE CAMERA ITS BREAKING MY DOCUMENTARY CODE OF ETHICS

IS THAT HOW DARCY TOLD THE GROUP THAT THEYRE USING THEY/THEM PRONOUNS? YOU CANT BE FR

DARCY OLSSON I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IN THE MOST NONBINARY WAY POSSIBLE

oh my god tao's gonna become a trash reality producer when he's older, he's got eye for The Drama™

NOT NATHAN AND YOUSSEF LEAVE THEM ALONE WEIRDOS SKFIDUGIDUGODJGDLGJDLGK

"we have a lot planned" "we do? oh god" lmao I love them

that little hug I love nick and charlie so much :(

SUSAN I LOVE YOU

oh my god tori holding out her hand

SPRING SIBS SUPREMACY

WHERE'S THE "haha, since when is anything I do straight?" LINE ALICE HOW DARE YOU TAKE THIS AWAY FROM MEEEEEEEEEE

(it'd also be missing michael and olly so. yk. yeah nvm let's keep it)

oh wow that was a long ass hug

well

I haven't cried this hard with an episode of television since............ I don't know since when lmao

honestly genuinely this might be the hardest cry I've done all year so thanks for that

[shytastemakerthing]

I saw your matchmaking was open! No pressure but, I'm looking for an MHA match up! I'll put some info about me.

I have blond hair to my armpits with bangs, blue eyes, I'm 5'4. I typically dress in more dresses or hyper feminine. I like to wear my hair in bubble braids or pigtails, sometimes both.

I'm going into film and directing, and I am a cheerleader, on the dance team and in track for extra curriculars. I like being theatre kid too, I love putting in shows for the crowds and playing a character.

My biggest passion really is films, I love creating new videos, to me it's an art form and I've loved it since like junior high. Though I can go on stage and do a play or give speeches, I am more on the shy side when one-on-one, I struggle to know what to say when I'm not going by a script, afraid I'll say the wrong thing. I play the guitar, mainly rock music, since rock and metal are what I listen too.

I have IED(Intermittent explosive disorder) and I struggle with night terrors, so I'd love someone understanding when it comes to that.

I'm not sure what else to put, but I'm an extrovert, I like being in crowds, just need a little time to warm up. I like going to the gym and working out. But I really do mostly spend my time doing anything with directory(ect, watching films, coming up with ideas, making mini-movies)

My biggest pet peeve is like-people who are constantly on their phones. Like always taking pictures or videos to post and not actually enjoying what's happening. Or people who brag about how high their snapscore is and how many followers they have.

No pressure to answer this!

Hello and thank you so much for your request! I am sorry that this took so long to get too but we are finally here! I do so hope that you like your request! I wasn't sure if you wanted romantic or platonic so I went with a romantic request!

Tw: None

I match you with........

Sako Atsuhiro (aka, Mr. Compress)

He was the very first person that came to mind as I was reading over your information and he stuck like a leech with all of the possibilities that would come from this stunning man.

Sako is a showman, that much is very known as we have seen throughout the episodes that we have seen him in.After he hears of your love of film and creating your own mini-movies, oh he was beyond thrilled.

You wouldn't mind him shadowing you right? He could provide some very helpful insight.

On a serious note, he absolutely loves this talent of yours. Oh how creative you must be when you come up with all of these ideas.

(He gets you a nice little journal to pen down your thoughts when they come to you)

His quirk comes in hand as well when it comes to your hobbies. He will merely compress down what would be needed and carry it around with him, bringing it out when you need it and once finished, it is back to being compressed and into his pocket.

With your night terrors, he is certainly there the moment that he hears anything is wrong.

Being a villain, he has had his fair share of them after everything he has seen, but right now, his attention is on you.

After having your permission, he will lay down next to you, gently soothing you. You can tell him what plagues you or not, whatever you are more comfortable with, it will not bother him. All he cares for is your well being.

On days where there are no missions that he needs to be on, he will don a disguise and slip into the city with you, perhaps to take you shopping for more of those beautiful dresses that you love.

Overall, he is a very attentive partner. One who encourages what it is that you love with such a passion in his voice and a fire in his eyes. You are his perfect muse and he will forever protect and cherish you.

Thank you for your request!!

[thestupidhelmet]

Hey there! First of all - I can't begin to say how amazing your work on here is. Your metas, fanfic, comics - as a relatively new 70s fan, it's been so great to peruse. I started watching the show in the autumn last year, and grew up in the 2000s so it still feels nostalgic to me.

It might be a bit of a weird question, but basically I've really been interested in researching the original screenplays, especially the 'scrapped' s7 ending (Aka the original finale) before it was renewed for season 8. I've had no luck so far, and I was wondering if you have had any experience looking for these before? If you have, would it be possible to ask for any pointers on where to start on my journey?

Thanks so much for everything you do, honestly it's amazing to read!!

Thank you for the kind words! I'm happy you're enjoying my T7S works. 😊♥️

Unfortunately, unless you got a hold of the T7S writers' own copies of their original drafts (if they -- or the producers -- still have them), they don't exist online anywhere.

The information I have about them is from the That '70s Show message board at Fan Forum. It was active from the time the earliest seasons first aired until my co-mod and I shut it down this year. The archives are still available to read at Fan Forum.

Before I was part of the board, it was a known quantity to people at That '70s Show. For instance, Wilmer Valderrama posted there a few times.

People who ran T7S fansites (which were a thing before social media sites like Facebook and Tumblr existed) often had connections to the show, and they shared insider info with people on the board, including about the S7 rewrites once S8 was greenlit. One specific example is that Jackie and Hyde were not supposed to reconcile until after Jackie's job offer in Chicago / ultimatum -- in other words, the series finale.

Because the series finale turned into a season finale, Jackie and Hyde's happy endgame was scrapped to give a ready-made story-arc to S8. That also led the showrunners to reconcile J/H temporary to give them a little more time together as a couple, allowing for the cliffhanger of the now-season finale.

J/H's reconciliation episode in S7 is badly written. Probably quickly written, and it shows. It contains no depth, no acknowledgement of their two-and-half years of show time as a couple. It defaults to their status in "Going to California" (5x01) and misinterprets and retcons it to boot.

(Reminds me of how T7S writer and T9S showrunner Gregg Mettler admitted he used Wikipedia to remind himself of the T7S characters' basic characterization and storylines instead of actually watching the show again for the most accuracy.)

When I became co-mod of the T7S board, I read through over fifteen years of posts (did my due diligence so I could be as knowledgeable as possible about T7S, behind-the-scenes info, and the fandom. The number of posts I read is staggering (we're talking close to 100,000), not just from my board but every T7S-related boarding on Fan Forum.

I also followed links to the fansites, using the Internet Wayback Machine when necessary. Found interviews with cast members and producers (transcribed, early podcasts, and filmed). Read through the Live Journal fandom and any other T7S message boards I found. I was beyond thorough. I treated my new post like getting a PhD in T7S.

Talk about hyperfixation (but I had my reasons 😅). My memory for this kind of info is scary. I might not remember how the contents of my dresser drawer have been arranged for over a decade, but I'm the person who naturally memorized her most interesting college classes and could recite their entirety to people (who were interested) for years after I graduated.

So it was with the T7S info I learned. Spoilers from taping reports with alternate takes and scenes ultimately cut from the aired episodes. The words I read while in a grocery store checkout line of the S8 showrunners from a TV Guide (I believe) interview and how unhappy I was upon learning they hated J/H's relationship and were reverting it back to their season-1 dynamic (as they [mis]understood it).

By repeating all this info for a decade to people who asked, it remained with me. I shared some of my findings on this blog with links. But to get the full picture, one would have to read all the posts and fansites, etc., which is a ridiculous task. So I do my best to provide what what specifics I can.

When I was a co-mod of the T7S board, we still had people visit who interacted with T7S creators. One person, for instance, had interviewed Mark Brazill (the man who came up with the major concepts of T7S) for his own site and posted the transcript for us.

I'm sorry that I can't help you find the actual original scripts (I'd love to read them myself), but if one watches T7S's latter half, original parts are still evident -- as are where stories were spliced and rewritten.

[cryptidsurveys]

Wednesday, September 4th, 2024.

Do you know a James? I don't.

Have you ever been to Australia? If not, would you like to? I haven't. It's not somewhere I'm especially interested in visiting, but I wouldn't be opposed to it either if the right opportunity presented itself.

Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness? Yeah.

If you had to choose to have a different accent than the one you have now, what accent would you choose and why? Probably a Southern American accent. Idk, I just feel like it would fit my vibe.

New York or California? California. Mainly for the natural aspects.

Have you ever or do you currently live in a Gated Community? I don't.

Who was your last text from? It was from my dad. A reply to my text letting him know that I was on the way home from the shelter yesterday evening.

Do you know how to use a DSLR camera? I've never used one before. I've only ever owned point-and-shoot cameras.

If you had to choose one instrument to perfect, what instrument would you choose? Guitar seems the most versatile, but perfecting the harp or violin would be pretty cool too.

Have you ever owned an Axolotl? I haven't.

What has been the longest amount of time you’ve spent on a plane? Maybe a couple of hours.

How often do you use Snapchat? Never.

What does your last text say? It's just a random key smash. It's kind of a joke between us at this point.

Have you ever played Habbo? I haven't.

What about Runescape? No.

Have you ever heard of the band Mumford & Sons? If yes, do you like their music? I've probably heard a song or two, and yeah, I think I'd enjoy them if I listened to them more.

Have you ever kissed anyone starting with the letter A, C, N, T or K? I've kissed an A, C, and N.

Have you ever used Valium before? No.

What time is it where you’re from? 7:49am. I'm trying to fit in (at least part of) a survey while I eat breakfast because after this I have to take a shower and get ready to go to therapy.

Have you ever adopted an animal from an animal shelter? Yes. I've adopted four kitties from the animal shelter where I volunteer.

Where do you usually find Surveys from? The people I follow. I used to snag a lot of them from Bzoink, but that's not a thing anymore. :'(

Australia or New Zealand? I don't have enough of an interest in either place to have a preference.

Have you ever missed a flight? No.

What is your best friend’s middle name? Blah.

How do you feel about the passing of Aretha Franklin? I don't think I was even aware of it when it happened.

Did you enjoy any of her music? Again, I probably would if I gave it more of a listen.

What is your favourite film from your childhood? Watership Down. That movie traumatized me, but I was obsessed with it all the same…

Kanye West or Drake? Neither.

Do you know anyone who is named after a state? I don't.

What was the reason for your previous doctor’s visit? It was just a check-up.

Have you ever been to an outdoor cinema? Not since I was a child/teen.

Have you ever had a “bad trip”? If yes, what happened? I've had a few bad experiences with weed (mostly just feeling really dizzy and out of it), but as for a bad trip, no; my one and only shrooms trip was pretty amazing.

How often do you use Instagram? I update it every few days or so. Mostly with kitty pictures from the shelter.

Have you ever smoked a cigarette? Yeah.

If so, do you still smoke? Yeah.

What are you up to tomorrow? Hopefully visiting the Mountain Park with my dad, and - if he's feeling up to it - perhaps a short hike.

What type of questions do you like being asked during a survey? I prefer questions about my day-to-day life because I use surveys as a form of journaling. Questions like "when was the last time you did X or felt Y, etc" are usually good as well. I'm not a huge fan of specific questions like "do you watch this show, listen to this band, etc."

Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey? No preference.

What is your favourite Ben Stiller movie? I think the only ones I've seen are Zoolander, Anchorman, and Meet The Parents. Can't say I have a favorite, though.

What is your favourite Spotify playlist if you have one? N/a.

Firefox or Chrome? I just use Microsoft Edge.

Do you enjoy learning about conspiracy theories? I used to be obsessed with conspiracy theories (it was bad, lmao). I still enjoy them occasionally, but to a lesser (and far less gullible) extent.

If so, what is your favourite? These days, probably anything involving aliens/UFOs. Again, not in the sense that I believe them at face value, but the lore behind them - how they came about, who was involved, what's fact, what's fiction, etc. It's just such an interesting, convoluted web of deception and weirdness.

Do you find hand tattoos attractive on your preferred sex? Depends.

If you had a baby boy, what would you name him? Abe Ortion. <- Lmao. I was just starting to think what an odd name that was, but then--!!

What is your favourite Netflix original series? I don't have one.

Have you ever owned a Tamagotchi? Yeah.

Do you have a favourite “survey blog” on Tumblr? If so, who? Pretty much everyone I follow who updates often + gives somewhat detailed answers. If I regularly like your surveys, then you're one of those people. :')

Would you rather be 10 minutes late or 20 minutes early? 20 minutes early. The thought of being late makes me anxious.

If you could be a member of any TV-Sitcom family, which would it be? No thanks.

Tell me about the 6th person in your contact list: N/a.

Are you waiting for a text back right now? No.

Would you rather be able to control fire or water? I guess water.

[death-or-exile]

Doe Reads: Batman '89 Echoes #1

I've been hyping this issue up to anyone who'll read it since my store got in our shipment of stuff last week, and now it's finally out! I'm hoping to make a series of these posts; It's been a while since I did a read-along / review / liveblog / whatever. Honestly, I checked out a copy of Kings of Fear from the library so I could dig into that, but it'll wait. Without further ado, here's my thoughts on Batman '89 Echoes #1!

Spoilers under the cut!

Batman '89 Echoes quickly establishes itself, re-acquainting us with its Gotham in the opening scene. The copycat Batmen we saw back in the original series are still prevalent in Gotham, perhaps more confident than ever in the absence of a REAL Batman, who it is revealed has not shown himself for 2 years. We open on a heist being stopped by one of these faux Batmen; however he's thwarted when one of the three goons shoots him in a panic. But his fear, specifically his fear of Batman, seems....more intense than the situation calls for; in fact, when the police arrive to apprehend him, seems relieved. Our goon is begging them to keep shooting the fake Batman, to make sure he's dead.

Commissioner James Gordon, who died at the end of the previous series, has been replaced by his daughter Barbara, who as commissioner is going heavily after crooked politicians and the rich and powerful of Gotham. She's also very interested in all of the fake Batmen on the street, looking into each death personally...

After the autopsy, Barbara swings by to watch the interview with the apprehended suspect from the heist before, who killed the fake Batman. The man describes going into a blackout, like a switch flipped in his head: he felt a deep panic, and then...nothing. When shown a photo of the man he had shot, he seems to fly into a rage.

From the station, Barbara heads straight to Wayne Manor, where she confronts Alfred about how she's been attempting to reach Bruce, but hasn't been able to. From here, she lays out to him (and to us, the reader) the status quo since last we joined our heroes.

We learn that while she doesn't know what happened to her fiancé, Harvey Dent (last seen falling into a chasm in the Batcave at the end of the previous series) she suspects Bruce may know. We also learn that Jim Gordon figured out that Bruce was Batman before he died, which she discovered as she read her father's journals after his death.

After learning about Bruce and her father's relationship, she decided to let it slide and not take him down, under the promise that he will hang up the cape and not interfere with GCPD or commit further acts of vigilantism. However, with all the fake Batmen running around, she is still suspicious he may be involved, running some kind of network from the shadows. Barbara tells Alfred that if she doesn't hear from Bruce by Friday, then she's going to reveal all his secrets, to which Alfred replies with some startling news...

Next, we sit in at a local Gotham TV station, where "celebrity shrink" and pop psychologist Dr. Q is about to go on air to present an interview with Alicia Hunt, the Joker's Ex Girlfriend, most famously known for hiding her deformed face behind a mask in the original '89 film (and who I personally think of as a proto-Harley character!) While Chuck Lantz, the guy from the network (I'm not clear on if he's a producer or what) laments to the folks in the edit bay that The Joker, Batman, and all that hooey are old news that no one cares about anymore, our lovely Dr. Quinzel is explaining her practice of "Persona Therapy" to the folks in the makeup department.

Once she's on stage, and right before she's able to get into the interview itself, her segment is interrupted with the news that an anonymous bomber called Firefly may be close to apprehension by US Marshalls, costing Harleen her airtime. The animosity between Lantz and Harleen is palpable, and like Chekov's gun, there are a few lines in this issue that feel like serious foreshadowing. I believe that before this miniseries is over, we'll see Lantz come to some horrible end at the hands of our "new and improved Harley Quinn"....but for now, the top story is Firefly!

Much of the rest of the issue from here follows the investigation of Firefly. Firefly here is presented much like the Unabomber -- we are told he has a manifesto of some kind (although in this issue we're never privy to its contents), and once the US Marshalls are in the cabin, while investigating, they note that it's stocked full of canned goods and other survival supplies -- although I don't know if Kaczynski himself had these in his cabin, it seems like it'd fit.

To briefly summarize, the US Marshalls approached the cabin that their suspect appeared to be in, and believe they see him through a window, in front of a fireplace. Before they can approach, however, a bomb goes off inside the cabin. Upon entering they find a detonator, and realize the man they thought they saw inside the cabin was a decoy -- not really the Firefly at all. However a nearby copter picks up a heat signature, and after searching the forest, they manage to apprehend what they believe to be their man, face obscured with a luchador-like mask, on his way to a cave filled with explosives and firearms -- enough to take down a small army.

Our next cut shows our introduction to Dr. Jonathan Crane, who we quickly learn has been chosen to handle Firefly's case. It seems like immediately upon receiving this news, he wastes no time letting Dr. Quinn know about his recent get. Clearly these two have serious professional animosity, and seem to take great pride in getting under each other's skin (or at least Crane does)

Finally, we come to the end of the issue, where we follow Crane into an interview room with our suspect -- and come to see that our Firefly is none other than a particularly worse for the wear Bruce Wayne! But it's not yet clear if Bruce is quite.....himself or not. We know he's been missing for the last month, and have no idea what's happened to him in that time. Is it possible he's suffering from memory loss? A personality disorder? Or is there another plan in motion, unknown to us, the reader, yet?

So far, I'm beyond excited to see where this series takes us! One of the things I've loved about this and the last Batman '89 series is that it plays within the sandbox created by not only two iconic Batman movies, but also within the years and years of leaked, rumored, or confirmed choices for what would have been further movies, had Tim Burton stayed attached to the Batman franchise and/or Batman & Robin not totally bombed.

I remember reading so many of these rumors online growing up, and fantasizing about what could have been - even during (or especially during) the popularity of The Dark Knight Trilogy, when everyone had Batman fever and before the MCU replaced it in cultural relevancy. What's most interesting to me however is that 'it's '89 Echoes is taking a bunch of NON-Burton rumors and building them into the world of Burton -- "Madonna was going to be cast as Harley, and Jeff Goldblum was a possible pick for Scarecrow" were rumors surrounding a never-made 5th Batman film, that would have been directed by Joel Schumacher, reportedly called Batman Triumphant.

Personally I think both of the casting choices could have been really intriguing, and what I've read so far seems to confirm that for me. Putting them in the '89 world seems way more fitting than in the Schumacher films, IMO. That's not to completely throw shade at the Schumacher movies-- I genuinely love and enjoy Batman Forever, and the colorful neon aesthetic he created for Gotham is really fun and could work well in certain contexts! However I genuinely can't imagine a Scarecrow story under his purview -- that seems way more suited to Burton's tastes and style.

I personally sit exactly in the center of the Venn diagram that is "this is excellent nostalgia-bait for me, as someone who grew up with these movies and the Animated series and remembers them very fondly" and "Scarecrow and Harley are my favorite villains and I love to see them interact" so everything about this so far feels extremely targeted to ME PERSONALLY, haha. Also, full disclosure, but I ship Harley with Crane, and seeing their petty interactions with each other really had me going feral, and dying to see more.

I also loved getting the nods to Firefly and Hugo Strange, and even getting to see Alicia referenced in as well! Bruce as Firefly, in his mask, also felt like a nod to Bane, if only visually. It doesn't feel as much like a "hey look, REMEMBER THIS CHARACTER?" kind of a reference as much as it reminds me that they're trying to really flesh out the world of '89 Gotham and make it feel as established with characters and lore as any other piece of Batman media. There's plenty I've left out here, including pages and pages of Joe Quinones' excellent art, so I highly encourage you to seek out your nearest comic shop or bookstore and grab a copy for yourself! At the time of writing, issue #2 will be due out on January 30/31; in the meantime, I'll be hanging tight and waiting with bated breath!

[savipra]

Reflection on Netflix's Drawing Closer

Akito Hayasaka (Ren Nagase), the boy born in Fall & Haruna Sakurai (Natsuki Deguchi), the girl born in Spring.

I haven't been writing anything in this online journal of mine, though I think it helps if I do pour my thoughts again from time to time. Not at a regular schedule. I just can't help to write about the intensity of emotions I felt after watching Drawing Closer last night.

So there's this bittersweet Japanese film about two teenagers who are terminally ill and have 1 year (Akito) and 6 months (Haruna) left to live.

I just can't help but to fall in-love with their characters. As I was watching the film, I had a rollercoaster of emotions, from "kilig" to ugly crying and it had those moments that catches you offguard.

Their love was pure and fragile, in those fleeting moments, they knew what it meant to actually live! More than the rest of us would actually have as we take most of our waking day for granted. It reminded me how we truly value something when we know it has a time limit.

We all have a time limit, an expiration date, before we go home to where we came from. The only difference is that they knew their expiration while most of us don't.

I missed the kind of feeling I felt as I was watching the film, I never had that ugly crying and bittersweet kind of experience for a long while now.

Ren and Natsuki were awesome for being the perfect cast to play those two main roles, even the supporting characters is not to be missed! Aya, the flower vendor, and Haruna's mom played such great roles as they support the remaining times of our main characters.

I know that I won't be able to move on from this film for a very long while. I'd still simmer into the emotion, the melancholy, the bittersweet memories. It's always a tearjerker whenever I think of the film.

I'm planning to watch it again on Japanese audio with English subtitles. My first time watching it was in English dub, but I think I'd have to pay respect to the voices of Ren and Natsuki and the whole cast.

I'm following both of them on social media as I look forward to their upcoming films. I've fallen in-love with the film that I can't let go of it just yet, even the characters were to fall in-love with.

What a time to be alive, I'm truly grateful for having the chance to watch such a gem of a film.

[afrourbanbeat]

The Hamptons

Ok, so I have a new obsession this week. Hamptons-style houses. I'm just obsessed with the whole concept of the Hamptons in general if I'm being honest, but I think more especially architecturally and the rich history of the culture of the American elite society vacationing there in the summer. I'm not even American and the first time I heard about the Hamptons was from a movie that I think a lot of us would have seen called 'White Chicks' (a bonafide classic, if you ask me), if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour and check it out. This post is not about analysing the socio-political or economic structure or even the demographics of the area or even the culture of vactioning in the hamptons through a critical lense, it's about journaling and exploring my own views of what I find architecturally interesting about the place.

Anyways, so the story is set in the Hamptons, located east of Long Island, New York, and has a deep history in the society of the American elites as a vacationing spot where they often tend to have vacation homes and spend their summers there. And I think the story did not do the place justice. To be fair I can't really be mad because the story was centered around the social dynamics of the elite circles, more especially that of the younger white female demographic of the early 2000s as perceived through the lense of the black male gaze. Hence, the architecture of the place was not necessarily an important factor in the story but, it did kind of put the place in the radar of my mind as a place to associate with the wealthy and the elite.

(Grayson Manor, Revenge 2008)

It was from another iconic media depiction that the architectural beauty of the Hamptons actually became something that was burned into my brain and that came from when I was obsessed with watching Revenge, a drama series that was also set in the Hamptons. The main antagonist Victoria lives at the stunning Grayson Manor, of which I believe is a character in and of itself, the lieu of the home ties deeply into the story and further emphasises the depth of the level of wealth that the Grayson family possesses. The sheer magnitude and opulence of the house made the viewer feel the sense of power, wealth and prestige that Emily was going up against by taking on Victoria as her enemy, and even the home itself somehow added to the sense of fear that Victoria instilled into those who came into her 'castle' which in essence it was. The show would often end with her on this scene on the balcony of her room that had this ridiculously breathtaking view of her looking out into the ocean, this scene was always so powerful to me.

(Grayson Manor, Revenge 2008)

There are many more depictions I could talk about of the Hamptons in film and TV, but the last one I'll tell you about is one of my favourites which is on Andrew Zimmerman's show called Bizzare Foods: Delicious Destinations The Hamptons edition! I won't say much, just try and watch the episode but I think through the food and restaurant experiences he shares, he paints a beautiful picture of the culture in the Hamptons and from it I learned that it is the source of one of my favourite drinks, the Long Island Ice-Tea, so shoutout to Long Island for that and the lobster rolls he ate looked really good, and a final shoutout to the clam chowder in the bread bowl. He showed a small snippet of what the food scene is like there and I won't lie, as self proclaimed professional foodie, I am absolutely obsessed and stay dreaming about having a lobster roll with a chilled glass of chenic blanc while watching the sunset on a beautiful restaurant deck in the Hamptons.

How I feel about the Hamptons right now is like an obsessed schoolgirl with a crush, I've been reading about its history, heritage, popular travel destinations, current news affairs etc. My sister calls it hyper fixation but ey! I'm not hurting anyone and it's a lot of fun.

But back to the main focus of this little blog post, the architecture! So what makes a Hampton house? Hamptons homes are defined by the following elements:

Weatherboard-style cladding

Gabled roof or gambrel roof style

Large windows and French doors letting in abundant natural light

Timber floors and staircases

Shaker-style kitchens

Ornateness and elegance

Bright, airy spaces

Minimalist open-plan kitchens

Moulding that is relatively flat

And here are some skecthes (not done by me), that show the architectural characteristic elements that I especially adore about Hamptons houses, which is the gambrel style roof, I find it so unique which is what makes these style of house so interesting to me.

Hamptons home interiors with their signature white and blue, beach style decor accented with soft wooden furniture and neutral colours, always tastefully complimented most often with tasteful decor and the beautiful blue and white ceramic vases with fresh flowers really give Hamptons homes the signature for which they are most loved. This combination creates the most calming atmosphere which is exactly why it makes sense for a vacation home, a place to relax and truly find peace, away from the hustle and bustle of the grind of city life.

So if this is your favorite style of home, I hope you've enjoyed this little post and I hope it's allowed you to take some inspiration for your own home projects. If not hopefully you've enjoyed this little piece I've shared and it's peaked your interest enough to add it to your list of travel destinations, as it has surely been placed on mine.

If you've been inspired and are interested in any designs you can contact my design studio Portal 154 Design Studio for a consultation.

Alright loves,

Ciao!

P.S. Last thing, here are some videos you can check out, the 2nd one has a nice historical breakdown of the History of the Hamptons.

Enjoy!

[brettyimages]

15 questions 15 mutuals

I was tagged by two beloved mutuals: @llllusion and @rock-n-rollin-bitch for this. I love you both 💞

1. Are you named after anyone? No, I have no idea where my name came from. My middle name is vaguely named after family in that there were distant family members on each side with variations of it, but overall nothing.

2. When was the last time you cried? I don't know! I'm not a crier at all, I thought I might lose it when Suede played Stay Together or She's In Fashion this year but I held it together. Genuinely no idea.

3. Do you have kids? No, I don't.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yeah. Less so now that I don't work face to face with people anymore.

5. What sports do you play/have you played? None, I've never been a sports person at all - I was an uncoordinated little kid at Highland dancing school and I think I gave up then and there.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people? Their hair/how they're dressed.

7. What’s your eye color? Grey, like in that one New Order song.

8. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings I think. I've realised recently that I do like horror films but I like slasher films, not monster movies. And while I don't mind a film that's left open-ended, I feel like I've wasted my time when I finish a book and they haven't tied up any of the plot points.

9. Any special talents? Define 'special'. My brain is an exhaustive database for songs and lyrics, and I'm really fast when it comes to knowing what number position every letter of the alphabet has, what the complementary colours are, all sorts of little pattern things like that which makes me really good at that one round of House Of Games and is probably an undiagnosed autistic trait.

10. Where were you born? In the one hospital in my region.

11. What are your hobbies? It's always been obsessing over music and musicians. Going to shows, particularly following my faves around on tour, travelling and spending the day with my friends freezing in a queue somewhere. Outside of that, I love art museums and I like painting, I like to read, journal (including keeping this blog, I suppose), and watch films.

12. Do you have pets? None.

13. How tall are you? 5'2".

14. Favorite subject in school? I liked Art and Music the most.

15. Dream Job? I'd like to be a researcher for pop culture documentaries/films/books/podcasts. I'm very good at quantitative research and mind-numbing data entry tasks; the boring repetitive stuff suits me well. If I could combine that with my interests that'd be fantastic.

Tagging: @jeffament @mumintroll @idiotslowdown @shesalayabout @champagneformyrealfriends @ddearpercocet @brltpop @pitlanetardis @galacticstar @stxrshxpxd @suede-self-titled-album @suede1993 @whats-her-name-virginia-plain <3