#three dots from stardom

[eldarsevenstar]

As Ben Schwartz fans, the hubs and I often quote lines from his skits, movies, TV shows, and everything in between--yep, including some of the epic songs from The Afterparty. Ngl, it's fun to have these inside jokes and references flying around at any given time.

After overhearing us rewatch this hilarious Variety interview (poor Ben is traumatized after he apparently ruins Bobby's life by spoiling Infinity War), my 3.5-year-old daughter suddenly declares that she needs to watch this segment ON REPEAT. She couldn't get enough of “the mommy’s” laugh (Toks’s infectious, gleeful laugh) and found Ben’s nononono moment at the end absolutely hilarious. She was also genuinely concerned about poor Bobby, lol. I could only stop the video when I promised we could watch more tonight.

My kid has now officially dubbed it the "nononono!" video, in honor of Ben's pleas to Bobby at the end. 😂

I’m so honored to have a future fan in the making! Now, just gotta get her into TMNT...

[turtleblogatlast]

Not a day passes where I am not unreasonably saddened by how we were robbed from a full fledged musical episode

[weltraumii]

Everyday I walk to the train station I put 3 dots from stardom on and dramatically sing it on the sidewalk only cars can look because there is almost no pedestrians around a perfect scheme indeed

17 seconds to perform (waiting for the light to turn red)

[kopw]

g1 season is upon us! i'm too lazy to gif every match myself! the world needs gifmakers like you! yes you!

this guide includes: basic gifmaking, actions, how to blur on-screen graphics, coloring tips catered specifically to wrestling footage (mainly aew and njpw), how to add subtitles, what tags to use

what you will need:

photoshop (i currently use cc 2017 for windows which you can grab from this post by birdysources)

kmplayer (for extracting frames)

what you might need depending on what you're looking to gif:

4k video downloader (for downloading videos off youtube)

vkopt (browser extension that lets you download videos off vk)

step 1: getting the footage

if you're directly downloading from a site this step is super easy. just make sure to always go for the highest quality of footage available (for njpw this is nowhere near 1080p, and even aew's 1080p footage is pixelated in places—but don't let this deter you!)

if you plan on giffing something off a ppv, chances are you might need to torrent the event. if you can, look for versions off fite with either web or webrip in the title for the best quality. this applies to weekly television too (fite doesn't have picture-in-picture). always seed your torrents. yes, even that one match from 2012. especially that one

you can also get recent shows off watchprowrestling dot co (previously org) which includes njpw tour shows and indie events as well. check out indy★wrestling★group on vk for smaller promotions and japanese promotions outside of njpw (tjpw, stardom, noah...)

step 2: choosing a clip

wrestling footage quality is not consistent. entrances with too many flashing lights or small particles will have huge quality drops, so unless it's something really special, don't put yourself through that. close-ups are generally your best friend but don't shy away from clips with lots of movement (you do sometimes want to gif the wrestling parts of wrestling too)

step 3: extracting frames

open your video in kmplayer. go to the part that you want to gif (though, i suggest leaving a bit of fodder before and after the actual clip. you can always trim the frames down later and it's better to start off with more). then, press ctrl + g

this should bring up this window:

your settings might be different if it's your first time downloading the app so just copy what you see here

kmplayer automatically captures into its own folder, which you can change if you want, but i just left it as is. i recommend pinning the folder you regularly use to the quick access menu in your file explorer

hit start, start the video, let it capture frames for however long, and then hit stop on both the extractor and the video itself. and now you have a bunch of frames in a folder. cool!

step four: converting frames to layers

open photoshop. this will take ages but open it. go to file -> scripts -> load files into stack...

this will bring up this window:

click browse... and select all the frames you just extracted. depending on the number of frames, this might take you a bit. then hit ok and let your layers load into photoshop. this will take a long time (saying this as someone whose laptop tends to heat up to the temperature of an egg pan at this point in the process)

step five: actions

i use actions (user-built series of recorded commands, meaning you don't have to click everything manually) for everything except coloring. i use a mishmash of like three different actions that i never bothered to organize. these are the two most important ones:

actionpack #1 by giulia (i use the setup and save portions from this one)

squishmoon actions by lildohnut (i use the hd sharpening from here, first layer on 0.3 for close-ups and 0.2 otherwise, and the second layer at the suggested 50%)*

*most sharpening settings you'll find are made for current films and tv shows so you do have to make some adjustment to fit your crunchy wrestling footage

step six: sizing

pick a size for your gif! here is a handy chart:

as for height, it can range anywhere from 300px-540px and beyond. most people go for 350px-450px. 400px is the sweet spot

personal preference: adjust canvas size not image size and fit your footage accordingly. some footage (looking at you aew) can have an odd black bar at the bottom, and manual resizing can help getting rid of it. if you just resize the whole image that will stay there and bother you

additional tip: guidelines

9/10 times you will leave your footage centered. however, there are times when this can look a bit awkward, depending on the framing, in which case i like bringing in a few guidelines. go to view -> new guide layout...

rule of thirds is generally good for drawing the eye to certain places. these settings will divide your canvas into nine squares that help you reposition your main gif layer

optional step: blurring pop-up graphics and banners

so, you have your sharpened, resized gif... but the sharpening made the small text and other unwanted elements on your screen shrivel up like raisins. you can leave it as is, people won't mind, it's a wrestling gif, who cares. but, if you want, you can just blur it out

i'm at least a little bit certain that i'm personally the guy who brought this over from k-pop tumblr (not saying i invented the concept, i just love being a trendsetter) and so i can give you a few reasons as to why people do this. such as:

adding subtitles over pre-existing, burnt subtitles (example: njpw post-match comments off njpwworld and not youtube)

getting rid of elements that might distract people from the focal point of the gif (the hotties... and the moves. mostly the hotties)

it makes your otherwise milquetoast sharpening look a little better in contrast

it's gonna be ugly either way so it's a pick your poison type of situation. if you do want to try the blurring method, you will need a basic knowledge of filters and layer masks

step-by-step blurring process:

duplicate your gif layer

blur the layer on top (i typically go for a 4.0 gaussian blur; for this, go to filter -> blur -> gaussian blur...)

apply a layer mask to the blurred layer and make the layer mask black (this will remove the blur effect, don't be scared). to access the layer mask just click on it. you can press alt before clicking to "enter" the layer mask (though you won't see your gif this way)

go in with a soft round brush (or any brush) with white and draw over the bits you want blurred. this is the tedious part

profit?

here's a comparison:

it's really down to personal preference ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

i convert my base gif layer and the blurred layer into a smart object before moving on with my process because sometimes photoshop likes to do this thing where it only applies the blur to the frame you're on. you can avoid this by combining the layers manually

if you're working with njpw footage and your clip plus coloring combination allows you to, you can also just go over the banner with black and blend it into the background. it's by far the best option but there's so rarely an opportunity to utilize it (i did it in the little header i made... go back and look at how beautiful she is)

step six: coloring

the big one. oh boy. prefacing this with: you can just skip coloring if you want. the sharpening settings i recommended earlier give a nice contrast to the gifs as is, so if it looks fine like that, you don't need any fancy colors. that being said...

my thought process going into coloring is to focus on skin tones and adjust everything around them. i don't tend to use psds, i always just manually color correct based on the actual footage i'm working with (venues differ, lighting differs, hues differ... incredibly hard to plan for all of it in advance). if i plan on making multiple gifsets of the same event/match, i do re-use settings, but sometimes minor adjustments are still needed

to begin coloring, you will need to use adjustment layers. you will pretty much need a basic knowledge of all of them (to the extent of knowing what the sliders and values do)

[1] i always begin with an exposure layer. this will remain above all of your layers (unless you plan on adding subtitles). here are my settings:

again, every layer you add after this will go below your exposure layer

[2] i add a selective color layer to further adjust the blacks. this will vary gif to gif but keep your adjustments small

[3] i add a vibrance layer. wrestling footage has major saturation problems that you can manage early on to make your life easier. take back a tiny bit (usually from -3 to -5) of vibrance before you begin your other color adjustments

[4] this is the big skin tone adjustment step using a curves layer. it does most of the heavy-lifting in my process. here is a video tutorial that explains the technique i use. it works the same with gifs as it does with images. the key differences are:

the image you are color picking off of shouldn't be a limited skin tone chart but rather an image of the wrestler(s) in natural (or as close to natural as you can find) lighting. i just go for renders used on the roster page. fan photography is way too edited to use here

try picking from a darker area of skin (shadows, midtones). it fits better with match lighting

this step will most likely correct color tints, but keep in mind that different promotions/shows/venues have different lighting. here are my personal observations:

aew dynamite and rampage have strong magenta tints

aew collision and roh honor club have strong red tints

njpw has a washed out blue tint

impact has a strong green tint

you can either lean into these (play around with making them really vibrant) or cancel them out using opposites on the color wheel (for example: to get rid of the magenta tint on dynamite, either decrease the magenta slider in your neutrals using selective color or add more green using color balance)

you will almost always have to add more cyan as well (either using color balance or channel mixer; channel mixer can also help you fine-tune skin tones with its blue tab—don't get rid of yellow undertones!)

[5] here is where i start fiddling around with manual adjustments that i seriously can't help you with... just add layers and change colors until you think it feels right. don't be afraid to start over if needed

[6] finishing touches! if you're like me you will have overcolored in the previous step. don't be afraid to add a saturation layer and decrease specifically the saturation of the reds (this will affect the skin tone; if you feel like you're on the right track but it's just too orange-looking, it's a saturation issue)

i also tend to add a black & white layer below the exposure layer up top set to soft light and lowered to 10% opacity. this gives you a bit of additional contrast that pulls the final gif together in my opinion

optional step: adding subtitles and watermarks

always add text layers above your coloring!

[1] subtitles

the font i use for subtitles is arial rounded mt bold, which you can download for free here. the point of subtitles is for them to be readable, so feel free to use any other font as long as it can be read with ease (nothing too thin or too blocky). if you plan on using the font i use, make sure to set it on faux bold and faux italics

font size differs based on the size of your gif, but it should normally be between 17pt and 23pt. i like to keep my tracking (letter-spacing) the same as my font size (so for 21pt subtitles i would have the tracking also at 21). i keep leading (the space between multiple lines of text) 3pt or 4pt

if there are two people speaking, i like setting the second speaker's text color to #ffd300. this is a generic yellow caption color that is still easy to read

after you have your basic text done, right click on your layer to add blending options. adding a stroke and a drop shadow can further help bring your text to the foreground. I keep my stroke (hah) at a simple 1px black. here are my drop shadow settings:

here is a more detailed guide about subtitles by clubgif

as for placement i add a horizontal guide at 95% and put my text on top of the line (while also keeping it centered vertically)

[2] watermarks

i personally don't use watermarks because i just don't care to, but if you want to add one, the same general ideas apply. just lower the opacity of your text layer at the end (if you want... again, a watermark is personalized)

step seven: timing

this is where you'll have to convert your video timeline back to a frame animation!

delete the frames that you don't need and then set a consistent timing (click on your first frame and shift + click on your last one to select all of your frames before adjusting). i like my gifs at 0.04, but depending on the footage you can go for 0.03 (newer bte episodes) or 0.05 (this also works if you don't have enough frames and want your gif a bit slower)

step eight: exporting

go to file -> export -> save for web (legacy)...

here are my export settings:

make sure to keep your gif under 10mb! if your file exceeds 10mb, you can't upload it to tumblr. you either have to cut some more frames or add compression to your gif (something i would never do, i always just cut frames)

additional tip: tagging

you have your gif! but how do you get people to actually look at it?

i always tag wrestlers* (full name, for both searchability and tag filtering purposes), promotions (initialisms like #aew over #all elite wrestling; if it's a more generic promotion name i.e. impact, go for #impact wrestling), tracked edit tags (#aewedit, #njpwedit; this not only helps source blogs find your posts and give them a bigger reach but it lets you browse other people's works). if you want to go the extra mile you can also include which event/video the gifset is from somewhere in your tags (if it's not already in the caption)

*even if you feel like it personally hurts you to tag that one wrestler you can't stand who happens to be in a match with your fave: do try tagging all wrestlers involved for ease of filtering, especially if you don't add image descriptions to your gifsets (tumblr's post content filtering system picks up on those)

general tumblr etiquette but don't cross-tag (i.e. tag a wwe gifset as #aew). no one likes cross-taggers. crossover events are exempt from this rule of course (forbidden door, multiverse united...)

additional tip: accessibility

don't use gradient text in your captions. screen readers can't read them!

if you can, include an image description. no matter how basic. this not only helps people with screen readers but the alt text of your gif is what's going to be displayed in case the gif isn't loading properly. here's a guide on how to caption gifsets by shangs

and you're done! all that's left to do is get silly with it. once you have the basics down you can virtually do anything. you can make those pretty graphics with blending. you can gif every single match of your fave in chronological order. sky's the limit

don't be discouraged if your gifs are not "perfect" from the get-go. this is a hobby just like any other hobby, and with time you'll get better at it. don't compare yourself to others and don't put your efforts down. only you can make the exact gifs you want to see

[emrys-with-a-little-star]

Who listened to "Yeah sure whatever" and "Three dots from stardom" for 8 hours straight yesterday?

Umm this guyyy

[snappedsky]

To celebrate The Afterparty season 2, here’s Leo singing Yasper’s Three Dots from Stardom. For those who don’t know, Yasper and Leo are both played by the fabulous Ben Schwartz.

[sonicmovieworld]

Let's go!

[differentpastazipperbandit]

Welcome, folks, to first. episode of Instagram Curiosities! we dive into the wild, weird, and wacky wonders of the ‘Gram! I’m Yakko—"Yakko said

"—I’m Wakko—"Wakko said, finishing his brother's sentence with a cheeky grin..

And I’m the cute one, Dot!"dot said said with a giggle, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters, be organized by hashtags, and be associated with a location via geographical tagging. Posts can be shared publicly or with preapproved followers. Users can browse other users' content by tags and locations, view trending content, like photos, and follow other users to add their content to a personal feed- oh well says Wikipedia."Yakko said, rolling his eyes playfully.

"But we're not here for a history lesson," Wakko interjected, his voice full of energy. "We're here to curiosities!"

Yakko nodded, his smile growing wider. "That's right, folks! We've got a detailed facts about Instagram:

The platform was launched in 2010 by Kevin p and Mike Krieger, and it didn't take long for it to become a hit. Within the first year, it had already racked up a million users!"Yakko said, his enthusiasm palpable.

Wakko took over, his voice rising with excitement. "And now, it's got over a billion! Can you imagine? That's more people than live in the third most populated country in the world!"

Dot leaned in closer to the camera, her curiosity piqued. "But it's not just the numbers that make Instagram so fascinating. It's the stories behind the posts!"

Mumber 2:In April 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for approximately $1 billion in cash and stock, a move that significantly boosted Instagram's resources and growth."Wakko said, his eyes widening at the sheer size of the deal.

Yakko nodded in agreement. "And it's not just about the money. It's about the impact. This little app went from a hipster's playground to a global phenomenon overnight!"

Mumber 3:Instagram quickly gained popularity, reaching 1 million registered users in just two months after its launch. As of 2023, it boasts over 1.4 billion monthly active users worldwide." Dot said, her voice filled with amazement.

That's right, Dot," Yakko chimed in, "And with that many people sharing their lives, you're bound to find some real gems. Like that one guy who posts pictures of his lunch every single day for the past five years!"

Wakko couldn't help but laugh. "Or the woman who documents her cat's every move, turning it into an internet celebrity with millions of fans!"

The trio exchanged glances, their excitement building. "But wait, there's more!" Dot exclaimed

Mumber 4:tagram is known for its photo filters, which allow users to enhance their photos with various effects. The early filters, such as X-Pro II, Earlybird, and Amaro, became very popular."Yakko said, as an image of a retro-filtered photo popped up on the screen.

Wakko jumped in. "Those filters were like a secret sauce! They turned every smartphone snap into a work of art!"

Dot nodded, her eyes glazing over as she remembered. "Remember the time we tried to recreate all those filters using real cameras and photo editing software? What a mess we made!"

The three of them laughed, the memory bringing them closer as they shared their early attempts at Instagram stardom.

Mumber 5:Introduced in August 2016, Instagram Stories allows users to post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. This feature was inspired by Snapchat and has become one of Instagram's most popular features."Wakko said, raising his eyebrows at the strategic move.

Yakko nodded thoughtfully. "It's like a sneak peek into people's lives, minus the permanence. It's like reality TV, but for everyone!"

Dot added, "And it's not just for personal use. Businesses and influencers use it to build engagement and show a more casual side of themselves."

Mumber 6 Launched in June 2018, IGTV is a standalone video application that allows users to upload videos up to 60 minutes long. It was designed to compete with platforms like YouTube."Dot said voice confusion.

Yakko leaned back in his chair, a twinkle in his eye. "It's like Instagram's little sibling who's trying to steal the spotlight with longer, more in-depth content!"

Wakko nodded, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he pulled up an example IGTV, short for Instagram TV, was a video application by Instagram for Android and iOS smartphones.It allowed for longer videos compared to Instagram feeds. IGTV was available as a stand-alone app, though basic functionality was also available within the Instagram app and website but On March 1, 2022 announced the shutdown of IGTV, due to their focus on Instagram Reels. The app was removed from app stores in mid-March, and all IGTV videos were then merged into the Instagram app.

Yakko leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "And let's not forget about Instagram Reels! The bite-sized videos that have everyone dancing and lip-syncing!"

Dot giggled. "Remember when we tried to do that dance challenge? We had to redo it so many times!"

The three of them chuckled at the memory of their awkward dance moves and the hours they had spent perfecting their reel.

Numbers 7 ntroduced in August 2020, Instagram Reels allows users to create and share short, engaging video clips set to music. Reels was launched to compete with TikTok's growing popularity ."Yakko said with a smirk.

Wakko nodded, a hint of competitive spirit in his eyes. "It's like a battle of the social media giants, and everyone's invited to join the dance-off!"

Dot's face lit up. "And it's not just about the fun, either. Some people have turned Reels into a full-time career, with millions of fans and brand deals!"

Mumber 8 Instagram has played a significant role in the rise of social media influencers, individuals who leverage their large followings to promote products and brands. Influencer marketing has become a multi-billion-dollar industry."Wakko said, his eyes shining with excitement at the thought of fame and fortune.

Yakko leaned in, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "But with great power comes great responsibility. Some influencers have faced backlash for not being transparent about their sponsorships, leading to changes in advertising guidelines."

Dot nodded in agreement. "It's important for users to know when someone's being paid to promote something, so they can make informed decisions about what they support."

Mumber 9:The Explore page helps users discover new content based on their interests and previous interactions on the platform. It's a powerful tool for content discovery and engagement."dot said, her voice filled with wonder.

Yakko nodded. "It's like a never-ending treasure hunt for viral videos and breathtaking photos!"

Wakko leaned in closer to the camera, his eyes glinting with excitement. "But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. There's a dark side to the algorithm, too. Sometimes it shows us things we didn't even know we were interested in!"

The siblings shared a knowing look, acknowledging the occasional oddities that popped up in their own explore pages.

Mumber 10 Instagram introduced shopping features to allow businesses to sell products directly through the app. Users can browse and purchase items without leaving Instagram. " Yakko Said

Wakko's eyes lit up. "It's like a shopping mall in your pocket! You can buy everything from sneakers to sunglasses with just a few taps!"

Dot tapped her chin thoughtfully. "But it's not just about the buying. It's about the visual storytelling. Influencers and brands use Instagram to create mini-advertisements that feel like art, not sales pitches."

Mumber 11 Instagram's algorithm has evolved to prioritize content that users are most likely to engage with, based on factors like likes, comments, and viewing history, rather than displaying posts in chronological order."Yakko said, as a graphic of a complex web of data points flashed across the screen.

Wakko's expression grew thoughtful. "It's like Big Brother is watching, trying to predict what we'll like next."

Dot nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And sometimes it feels like it knows us better than we know ourselves."

Mumber 12 Instagram's Direct Messaging (DM) feature enables users to send private messages, photos, videos, and posts directly to other users. It has become a key communication tool on the platform."Wakko said, his voice dropping to a whisper as if sharing a secret.

Yakko nodded solemnly. "But it's not just for friends and family. It's also where influencers connect with their fans, and where scammers lurk."

Dot shivered. "Remember that time someone tried to sell us a 'magic' weight loss potion? Thank goodness we're too smart for that!"

The trio shared a laugh, but there was a hint of caution in their voices.

Mumber 13 Instagram has implemented various security features, including two-factor authentication and tools to report and block inappropriate content, to enhance user safety and privacy." Dot said, her voice taking on a more serious tone.

Yakko nodded gravely. "But it's still important for users to be vigilant. You never know who's lurking behind a screen name."

Wakko leaned in, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "And let's not forget the drama! From celebrity feuds to influencer scandals, Instagram has seen it all!"

The three of them shared a knowing smile, acknowledging the occasional soap opera-like quality of the platform.

Mumber 14 Instagram has had a significant cultural impact, influencing fashion, travel, food, and lifestyle trends. Hashtags like #TBT (Throwback Thursday) and #InstaFood have become part of popular culture."Yakko said, scrolling through his feed to show examples of these trends in action.

Wakko's eyes widened. "It's like everyone's a critic and a photographer now. You can't eat a meal without someone snapping a pic first!"

Dot chimed in, her voice filled with amusement. "And let's not forget the Instagram vs. reality moments. Sometimes the perfect photos aren't so perfect after all!"

Mumber 15 Instagram has introduced features to support mental health, such as hiding like counts on posts and providing resources for users experiencing distress. It also collaborates with mental health organizations."Wakko Said, his voice a mix of admiration and skepticism.

Yakko nodded, his expression thoughtful. "It's a step in the right direction, but it's up to us to use the platform wisely and not get too caught up in the numbers game."

Dot leaned back in her chair, her expression contemplative. "Speaking of numbers, did you know that the most liked post on Instagram is a simple photo of an egg?"

Mumber 16 and last Instagram has introduced several monetization tools for creators, including badges for live streams, IGTV ads, and shopping features, allowing influencers and content creators to earn revenue directly from the platform."Dot said, her voice filled with admiration for those who had turned their passion into a paycheck.

Wakko's eyes lit up at the mention of money. "It's like the Wild West out there! Some folks are making a fortune just by posting pretty pictures!"

Yakko nodded, a hint of skepticism in his tone. "But it's not all glamour. There's a lot of hard work and strategy involved in making it big on the 'Gram."

Wakko leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Yeah, and let's not forget the trolls and haters. You've got to have thick skin to handle that kind of attention."

Yakko nodded in agreement. "But the community can be incredibly supportive, too. We've seen countless campaigns and movements start on Instagram, bringing people together for good causes."

Dot's smile grew. "Remember the time we helped raise funds for the local animal shelter with our pet challenge?"

The three of them beamed with pride, recalling the joy they had brought to the animals and the sense of camaraderie they had felt with their follower

And that, folks, is the end of our first episode of website Curiosities!" Yakko announced, his enthusiasm as palpable as ever.

But don't worry, we've got plenty more websites Curiosities."Yakko said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Dot gave a playful wave to the camera. "So make sure to follow us for more fun facts and behind-the-scenes peeks into the craziest corners of the internet!"

Until next time—" Yakko started.

"—stay curious and keep scrolling!" Wakko finished, throwing in a cheeky wink.

And remember," Dot said with a twinkle in her eye, "If it's weird and wonderful, we're here to share it!"

The three siblings leaned in together, waving at the camera. "Goodbye, everybody!" they chorused in unison, as the screen faded to black with their laughter echoing in the background.

End episode

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

The Gang's All Here

It has no deep meaning. At times it seems to have no meaning at all. Yet Busby Berkeley’s THE GANG’S ALL HERE (1943, TCM, Hulu, YouTube) is such an agreeable assemblage of goofy comedy and over-the-top musical numbers, it’s hard to resist. It was Berkeley’s first film in three-strip Technicolor, and his approach to that medium is eye-popping, with vivid colors for Carmen Miranda’s sets and costumes and one number in which pinks and greens dominate.

What plot there is involves rising stage star Alice Faye’s romance with serviceman James Ellison, who’s informally engaged to childhood sweetheart Sheila Ryan (replacing Linda Darnell, who pissed off Darryl F. Zanuck by getting married). His father (Eugene Pallette), Ryan’s parents (Edward Everett Horton and Charlotte Greenwood) and Faye’s colleague Miranda all get mixed up in the romantic mess when Pallette decides to put on a show to sell war bonds at Everett’s estate. This is the kind of film Hollywood churned out during World War II. It’s filled with topical references, and Faye even has one song, “No Love, No Nothing,” about waiting for her sweetie to return from the war. Miranda’s stardom was partially an effort to reach new audiences in Latin America since the European market was closed to Hollywood films, though it’s important to point out that her high energy and performing skills were more than enough to justify her presence. In an expert cast, Ellison feels like a fill-in and acts if he were trying to make a big impression before the real stars returned from military service. He didn’t.

But the real star is Berkeley. He makes “The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat” the ultimate Carmen Miranda number, with dancing bananas and strawberries surrounding her as she sings about what it’s like to be Carmen Miranda. The phallic implications are obvious and weren’t waiting until more recent decades to be discovered. The Production Code Administration insisted that the chorus girls never hold their bananas below waist level. Less outrageous, though no less interesting, is “The Polka Dot Polka,” which starts with Faye singing to children dressed as 19th century adults but then moves into a post-human staging as neon polka dots dance across the screen with no visible assistance. At one point, a closeup of Faye’s head protruding from a sea of material turns into a kaleidoscope that quickly replaces her face with a swirling pattern of shiny cloth. It’s like FANTASIA (1940) for couturiers.

[turtleblogatlast]

Hc: Rise Leonardo would 1000% sing (Awesome as i wanna be) you can't change my mind

I had to look it up but you know what I can definitely see it. Look up “Three Dots from Stardom” as it’s sung by Leo’s VA and has a sorta similar theme to it lol

[grandmaster-anne]

Inside Princess Anne's lifelong love affair with horses

By Ellie Kelly | Published 14 August 2020

The Princess Royal has spent a lifetime with horses. Like her siblings, she started riding at the age of three. But what makes her remarkable is the success she achieved as a competitor. Aged 21 she was crowned European Eventing Champion at Burghley. She was riding Doublet, a horse bred by the Queen, for polo, and gifted to the Princess. 

At the 1975 European Eventing Championships, she finished second on Goodwill, another horse owned by the Queen and her mount at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, where she became the first member of the British royal family to compete at an Olympic Games. She rode winners in horse racing too, notably in the Grand Military Steeplechase at Sandown over jumps, and the Diamond Stakes on the flat at Ascot. No wonder she won BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award in 1971 - the first ever event rider to carry off the trophy. 

There were always ponies around during her childhood. Both her parents rode regularly, as did her older brother, Prince Charles, who developed a keen interest in polo and was considered a gifted player.

In those days polo was a men-only game, so not something his sister would have pursued, but she was a member of the Pony Club where she would have tried most equestrian disciplines with other young enthusiasts. Perhaps the attraction to eventing was the camaraderie that is always synonymous with a risk sport; horses are no respecter of titles. 

When she became more serious about eventing, her parents arranged for training with Alison Oliver, wife of international show jumper Alan Oliver, who was based near Windsor. She is widely credited for propelling the Princess on the road to international equestrian stardom. 

Lucinda Green, one of Princess Anne’s eventing peers, describes her as the pin-up of their era. Lucinda was a fellow team member at the Montreal Olympics and remembers the Princess having a crashing fall halfway around the cross-country course and suffering concussion. She remounted and finished the course but to this day cannot remember the rest of the jumps. 

“She was extremely brave and good enough to get on the British team on two very different horses. Goodwill, her horse in Montreal, was not easy. He was big and had no brakes - I definitely wouldn’t have ridden him,” says Green.

With animals so often comes heartbreak, which even Princesses cannot escape. Her partnership with Doublet, a diminutive chestnut with the heart of a lion, ended in tragedy. The pair were destined for the Munich Olympics when the horse who had defined her career shattered a hind leg in an accident at Windsor and had to be put down. 

At a time where security at sports events was minimal, The Princess was hounded by the media. “I always admired the way she coped with the press. That added the most unbelievable pressure on top of trying to do her sporting best. Tough for her but she put our sport on the map and kept it in the spotlight,” observes Green.

In 1985, she was persuaded to ride in a charity horse race at Epsom (home of the Derby). By this stage she’d hung up her eventing boots and had two young children. Yet she was always game for the challenge, if it involved horses. 

Horse racing requires a very different technique from eventing, so she approached trainer David Nicholson for help. Known as “The Duke” because of his imposing personality, he suggested she come to his Cotswold yard, little expecting she would turn up almost every day for several years to ride out. 

His wife Dinah became familiar with the Princess, as she would join them in the kitchen for breakfast after exercising the horses. “She was so dedicated and determined, driving 40 minutes every morning and arriving at 7.15am on the dot, so she could tack up her horse before riding out on the gallops. Then she would have breakfast with us and sometimes there would be a jockey - Richard Dunwoody or Peter Scudamore. The conversation would mostly be about horses. After breakfast, she would set off for a busy day of royal duties.” 

Even if she had a royal engagement in London that went on late into the night, she would still get up after a few hours sleep to drive to the yard in Stow-on-the Wold. Acquaintances say her security detail looked permanently exhausted from keeping up with her. 

After the charity race, in which she finished a respectable fourth, she asked Nicholson if she could continue riding out at his yard. It seemed the attraction was as much about the camaraderie of yard life as it was the actual race riding. “She became very fond of the people in racing and was always very natural with the stable lads, who liked her.” 

There was a horse she was very fond of too, called Cnoc Na Cuille. He was a big winner for her in her career as a jump jockey (including the Grand Military) but soon after finishing third at Warwick, he dropped dead, probably from a heart attack. 

“The Princess was not one for showing emotion but she was clearly very upset about it,” says Dinah. Soon after this she gave up race riding, although she has bred a few race horses herself at her home, Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire. 

For 37 years, thanks to the Princess, Gatcombe has hosted eventing competitions, including the prestigious Festival of Eventing. The cross-country course is designed by her former husband Captain Mark Phillips, an Olympic medallist and four-time Badminton winner (once the golden boy of British eventing), and the Director is their son Peter Phillips. 

Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, a former European and World Champion event rider and silver medalist in the London 2012 Olympics, regularly competes there and the Princess hands out the prizes.   

Tindall has even more eventing accolades than her mother and, like her, she was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year (in 2006). Her mother has always been hugely supportive of her children’s interest in horses. Every Christmas, the Princess would drive the children’s ponies up to Balmoral herself in a horsebox so they could all ride. 

There is also a strong equine theme to the Princess Royal’s charity work. She’s President of World Horse Welfare and the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) as well as Patron of the Pony Club and the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF). She was President of the International Federation of Equestrian Sports (FEI) from 1986 to 1994, a role she took over from her father, Prince Philip.

Roly Owers, CEO of World Horse Welfare, describes the Princess as having a deep love of horses, devoting a huge amount of time to all aspects of horse welfare. Former champion jockey John Francombe describes her as the best after-dinner speaker he has ever heard, with a great sense of humour, persuading well-oiled guests to open their wallets for charity and even persuading them to adopt horses themselves. 

Rehoming unwanted horses is a large part of the World Horse Welfare’s work and the Princess is a rehomer herself. “On one of her visits to our rescue centres, she met a Welsh Cob called Annie and asked if she could have her. I believe she still rides her today.”

“She has always had a clear opinion but understands horses better than anyone,” says Owers. That once got her into trouble, at the 2013 World Horse Welfare conference when one of the topics was the European Horse Meat scandal. “She made a comment about the value of horses that was translated as ‘Princess Anne eats horse meat’ by certain journalists.”

What the Princess had actually said was: "Should we be considering a real market for horsemeat and would that reduce the number of welfare cases, if there was a real value in the horsemeat sector? I chuck that out for what it's worth because I think it needs a debate." 

As Owers remembers, “it was unfortunately the first time we filmed the conference and broadcast it live, so you can imagine it created 48 hours of hysteria.” Though whether the Princess actually sits down to pony steak for Sunday lunch is not known. 

Caroline Ward of the RDA remarks on her extraordinary empathy. “She understands the challenges our participants face and what they get out of the experience of riding horses. She will talk to them about their ponies and what it means to them to spend time with horses. 

“These riders, many of whom find communication and mobility so difficult, will always open up to her. They are bound by this common interest and love of horses. She will also chat to the volunteers, to make them feel all the more special.” 

Ward recalls the time Princess Anne helped a rider load her difficult horse into the horse box. “She came to our RDA National Championships at Hartpury College. She saw this struggle and despite not being dressed to get stuck in, she clearly couldn’t walk by without offering assistance. Well, this horse took one look at her and realised this was someone who meant business, and walked straight into the horsebox.”

Ex-jockey and racing journalist Brough Scott has known the Princess for many years through sport and her support of the IJF. “At charity events, rather than entertaining the fat cats, she is happiest talking to the ex-jockeys, many of whom are in a wheelchair. One really likes her for that, even though she is not trying to be liked.”

To be a successful rider, you have to build a relationship of trust and mutual understanding with your horse. That means controlling your fear and emotions. Eventing, a combination of the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country and show jumping, is perhaps the truest test of all-round horsemanship, demanding both accuracy and courage. It is only for the bravest of the brave, says Scott. 

“Princess Anne wasn’t simply a Royal who rode, she was an athlete who achieved great things in her eventing career and rode courses that would have terrified most people. That must have given her self-confidence and fulfillment.”

In her public duties too, the Princess Royal has given her all, incidentally personifying the characteristics necessary for a fine horsewoman: discipline, dedication and courage. Are they a matter of her breeding and upbringing, or do we have her love of horses to thank for that? 

[rhapsodyinferno]

made a yasper playlist mainly consisting of songs from musicals and some musical-adjacent songs with a few of the afterparty ost sprinkled in

[caravelmp3]

UNDER THE CANYON MOON

pairing: josh kiszka x female!reader warning(s): mostly fluff, just brief mentions of alcohol and sex  word(s): 2k note: hi hi hi !! this is just a little something i wrote up the last couple of days with the inspiration of light my love, canyon moon by harry styles, and the interview where josh talked about road-tripping the u.s. last summer <3 i don’t write one shots often but let me know what you all think bc i might shuffle some more out soon lol. hope you all enjoy !! :) 

The Los Angeles sun was hot, beating down onto the city basking in its late-summer hues. You parked your car on the street in Silver Lake and carried a bag of food and drink tray to the door of a recording studio, more than prepared to be swarmed by hungry boys who had been cooped up in the studio since five a.m. on the dot that morning. They had a breakthrough the night before with a new song, and after getting home and going to bed for a few hours, the creative juices started flowing again and they were back in the booth. 

A windchime on the door sang as you pulled the door open and walked inside, greeting their manager who was at a table by the door. 

“The boys here?” 

“Down the hall,” he nodded, pointing a finger in the direction of the hallway. “They’re more rowdy than usual so be prepared,” 

You laughed and turned down the hall, walking towards the studio. The walls were decorated with memorabilia of rock and roll greats and record plaques, and among them, you spotted a picture of the four boys with their Grammy award. It seemed like time had passed so quickly. They won the award for the first album and they were already working on their third, shooting them further into stardom. 

“Coffee’s here!” You shouted in a really bad New England accent when you noticed the recording light was flipped off above the door. 

You stepped into the room to a chorus of cheers and “thank god you're here”’s that made you laugh while sitting the food and drinks down on the table and they all rushed over. You handed out the specific orders and pointed to which drinks was theirs when they got handsy and tried to grab everything from her out of both excitement and some desperation for caffeine. 

“Our savior,” Jake said, reaching out and grabbing your shoulders to give them a gentle shake before taking the coffee you were holding out to him, and then you handed Danny’s to him, too. 

“Just the coffee girl here,” 

“Well, you’re a little bit more than that,” Josh said, walking over to the table to grab his full cup. 

You pressed a hand against the table, leaning over to him. “Just a little?” 

“A little bit,” he shot you a wink before swiftly pressing a kiss to your cheek. 

You were more than just a “little more” than the coffee girl, you were typically their designated drunk driver, the one who took all of their candid photos, the mediator in times of need, and well, the girlfriend of the lead singer, too. 

Everyone in the studio took their food and drinks and scattered among the seating area in a break from recording. Instead of one tiny room with all of them cramped together, they had a wide open space with booths for the different instruments and bean bag chairs and big comfy, velvet sofas, and there was dim lighting with deep toned rugs that gave off the vibe of a more relaxed feel rather than the fluorescent-light, tiled-floor feeling that made them feel rushed and confined by rules they didn’t set themselves. 

You liked the studio, too, and often took naps on the sofa while listening to them play instruments individually in the recording booths and while they were writing. One night they had found you at two a.m., bundled up with a blanket on the bean bag chair after they spent the night writing in the front room on the piano, but it wasn’t the first time as you often napped in their Nashville recording offices, too. 

“You guys been busy today?” You asked jokingly while lowering onto the sofa armrest, receiving nothing but glares shot in your direction. “Okay, okay, touchy subject,” 

With a mouthful of bread, Sam pointed to Josh, “Josh finished a song, didn’t you?” He was grinning. 

You hummed in joy and surprise, grabbing Josh’s knee as he sat next to you. “Really?” 

It had been a rough few days for all of them as they tried to shuffle out a few more additions to the new album. It felt incomplete with something missing, but they couldn’t quite put their finger on what it was exactly, so they attempted to bring back and revamp old songs, write and record new ones, but nothing seemed to stick, until now. 

“Yeah, wanted to wait and show you later, but someone can’t keep his trap shut.” Josh said, pretending to be serious before cracking a smile and taking a sip of his coffee. “Just wanted it to be a surprise,” 

“Well it can still be a surprise, I’m surprised now,” you said. “Can I hear it? Or read what you got?” 

Josh nodded and stood, grabbing your hand and pulling you with him. There was a little recording room fit with a piano inside, his writing journal placed on the music stand where he had scribbled notes and keys and melodies in pen. He picked it up and handed it to you. 

“Nothing seemed to click until last night, when I started putting it together.” He said. 

“Is that why you wouldn’t tell me what it was when you all got back to the house?” 

Josh shrugged, pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger. “Yeah, yeah, I wanted it to be special when you first heard it.”

You sat the coffee cup down onto the floor while lowering into the small chair in the corner, holding the journal like it was the most delicate piece of art in the world. In silence, while Josh watched on anxiously, you read the words he had splayed across the blank page. 

     Can you light my love?      Flames glowing bright as the sun      Deeper than oceans you run      Watch as our world has begun 

     Your mind is a stream of colors      Extending beyond our sky      A land of infinite wonders      A billion lightyears from here now

You felt your throat tighten, tears tempted your eyes. 

It was a love song. 

“Josh-” 

“Oh god you hate it don’t you, you dread it, despise it,” 

“Oh shut up, I’m in tears right now, you know I love it.” You looked up at him with a smile and a sniffle. 

His words across the page were sloppy, some cursive, written in different pens of different colors, some lines crossed and scribbled out, others underlined. 

“Your mind is something I will never fully understand.” You told him as he sat down on the chair next to you. “How the fuck did you come up with this-” 

“I was thinking about our trip out here, the week we spent driving out and all of the stuff we did… and how I think I fell more in love with you.” His voice softened. 

You reached out, placing your arm on his shoulder, fingers playing with his curls. “I can’t put it into words how much I love it, how much I love you,” you said, “and you make me sound so lovely when in reality I know I was a pain in the ass that entire trip.” 

“Yeah, but my pain in the ass,” he kissed the inside of your arm. 

Two weeks before the boys left Nashville to head to Los Angeles, Josh called you at midnight with an idea in mind – the two of you renting a camper to drive out to L.A., falling into all of the tourist traps along the way and stopping in random small towns to sleep while exploring the in between, which would definitely beat the boring four-hour flight. And you, half asleep and across the country, agreed. 

It would be fun. Right? 

And it was. Every time someone asked how it went, you called it “the most magical week of my life.” 

While the others waited behind for their flights the next week, you and Josh set off from Nashville, heading west with only the destination in mind and a trusty map in hand. Everything else just came to you both. 

The first stop was three hours in the trip, in Memphis. You and Josh roamed Graceland on Elvis Presley Boulevard and had lunch near Sun Studio before taking in the mementos and relics at the Blues Hall of Fame where Josh talked your ear off, rattling off more details about each band and singer than was on the info-cards on the wall. 

Then it was two hours to Little Rock, falling asleep in the back of the camper after a take-out dinner outside of a random supermarket. Sitting in lawn chairs in the middle of a parking lot, you held Josh’s hand under a blanket and watched the pink sunrise over the hills, and then it was back on the road again. 

From Oklahoma City to Amarillo, you fiddled with the map when Josh got lost after a wrong turn in a small town where he insisted on seeing the giant 66-foot LED soda bottle sculpture, and in the middle of northern Texas, he made it up to you by cooking your favorite dinner. You thanked him in a quiet whisper as you crawled into the bed with him that night, sliding under the covers where he greeted you with warm hands and kisses against your neck that made you squeal with the tickle of his mustache and he grinned against your lips. 

Josh got to choose the music all the way through New Mexico – Neil Young and Crazy Horse to John Denver’s Thank God I’m A Country Boy, and you were only able to squeeze in Joan Baez every hour when you stopped to stretch your legs on the side of the road, belting the words to him while he laughed at your voice cracks. 

And after you both pitched the tent in the Petrified Forest in Arizona, Josh hummed the tune to some new song while you two sat under the midnight stars in the canyon with a roaring fire, his arm around you, his sweatshirt draped over your shoulders. When he tried to start telling you a scary story after you heard a weird noise outside the tent, you blindly hit him in the dark and accidentally hit his nose, causing you both to burst into laughter after the initial panic left. He laughed loudly into your shoulder as you held his face in shock, catching the scent of your lavender lotion, and his body relaxed when the laughter died down, feeling so at peace in his life with you there. 

It was the tail end of the trip, but the excitement hadn’t died down yet. After showers in the camper in the middle-of-nowhere-Arizona and five hours west, you and Josh found a bar outside of Las Vegas that resembled Coyote Ugly, so you both had a round of tequila sodas and margaritas before walking around the small town that evening and sleeping off the tipsy-headaches in the air conditioning. On top of the covers, you looked at Josh napping in the sunshine, cheeks flushed red, curls poofy from the wind, and you felt your heart grow in your chest before falling asleep next to him. 

And then came Los Angeles, the final stop, the dreaded one. But you and Josh didn’t tell anyone that either of you were sad to be back with them in L.A. when they asked, and instead, you two smiled and hugged everyone after piling out of the camper in the drive-way of the Silver Lake house. 

Cleaning out the camper, tossing cheesy novelty t-shirts at each other and laughing at how many socks you two managed to lose along the way and how many bug bites were added, watching the developed clips Josh had filmed of scenes in the desert and you asleep in the passenger seat, you both were nostalgic about a trip that just ended. 

It was so easy, so freeing to just be together on the road, with only the destination in mind. It revealed a part of them that the other didn’t see often, like your tendencies to get your lefts and rights mixed up while giving directions, and Josh’s equally awful sense of direction didn’t exactly pair with the fact that he was a maniac while driving in the first place. 

But those parts were just added to the long list of why you and him loved each other in the first place. So you became the designated driver after Amarillo and Josh stuck to telling you “left or right” for the rest of the time. It was a compromise, another reason why you two worked so well together. 

It was a form of love in itself. 

“We’ll have to drive all the way back to Nashville then, so you can write more songs about me.” You teased. 

Josh rolled his eyes but cracked into a grin a second later. “Let’s not get too carried away,” but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t always mentally reliving the night under the canyon moon.

[shittygaypornmagazine]

me, making a leo playlist: oh yeah, I'll add a couple of ben schwartz's songs it makes sense and adds to the experience!

me, after three dots from stardom: oucH.