#time to start hitting up film studios and producers

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

The Ronettes - Be My Baby 1963

"Be My Baby" is a song by American girl group the Ronettes that was released as a single in August 1963. Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector, the song was the Ronettes' biggest hit, reaching number 2 in the US and number 4 in the UK. It is often ranked as among the best songs of the 1960s, and has been regarded by various publications as one of the greatest songs of all time. Ronnie Spector (then known as Veronica Bennett) is the only Ronette that appears on the track. In 1964, it appeared on the album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes; the only studio album by the Ronettes (credited to "the Ronettes featuring Veronica"). Produced by Phil Spector and released in November 1964 through his label, Philles Records, the album collects the group's singles from 1963–1964. In 2004, it was ranked number 422 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

"Be My Baby" has influenced many artists, most notably the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, who wrote the 1964 hit "Don't Worry Baby" as a response to "Be My Baby". Many others have replicated or recreated the drum phrase—one of the most recognizable in pop music. As for the opening drum beat, drummer Hal Blaine stated, "That famous drum intro was an accident. I was supposed to play the snare on the second beat as well as the fourth, but I dropped a stick. Being the faker I was in those days, I left the mistake in and it became: 'Bum-ba-bum-BOOM!' And soon everyone wanted that beat." Sonny Bono and Cher were among the backing vocalists. Cher stated in a television interview, "I was just hanging out with Son [Bono], and one night Darlene [Love] didn't show up, and Philip looked at me and he was getting really cranky, y'know. Philip was not one to be kept waiting. And he said, 'Sonny said you can sing?' And so, as I was trying to qualify what I felt my … 'expertise' was, he said, 'Look I just need noise – get out there!' I started as noise, and that was 'Be My Baby'."

The song appears in the opening sequence of Martin Scorsese's film Mean Streets (1973), and the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The song appears in a fantasy sequence involving Kamala Khan in the Marvel series Ms. Marvel, in the second episode "Crushed". In 1999, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2006, the Library of Congress inducted the Ronettes' recording into the United States National Recording Registry. In 2004, it was ranked number 22 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", where it was described as a "Rosetta stone for studio pioneers such as the Beatles and Brian Wilson." In 2017, the song topped Billboard's list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time".

"Be My Baby" received a total of 86,9% yes votes!

[jokeroutsubs]

Joker Out Masterpost for new fans

New fan of Joker Out? Say no more! 

Getting to know a new artist you’ve found can be intimidating if it’s all in another language, so we’ve compiled some of our favourite interviews, articles and lore here! You’ve arrived in a wonderful fanbase, welcome from all of us here at JokerOutSubs! 

If you’d just like a short overview of the band and their history, you can watch this excellent Finnish summary of them that we’ve translated (14m 53s).

But if you want to dive into the details, then check out our timeline, full of videos and articles translated by JokerOutSubs! 

Timeline graphic:

Timeline in details below the cut 👇

Timeline in details: 

How did the band form? 

Joker Out was formed from two bands, Apokalipsa and Buržuazija. 

Apokalipsa included Bojan Cvjetićanin (vocals), Martin Jurkovič (bass) and Matic Kovačič (drums) 

They gained some traction with young people around Slovenia, particularly with their song 'Mogoče' ('Maybe'), which you can watch on YouTube here.

They came to the attention of Kris Guštin, who was inspired to start learning guitar! He discusses the details in this video (at 9:40). 

Kris then met Jan Peteh, another student of his guitar teacher, and at their teachers advice, they formed the band Buržuazija. 

Bojan attended their second ever gig in 2016, and decided these two excellent guitarists were exactly what had been missing from Apokalipsa, as he wasn’t happy with their current guitarists. He asked them to join, and they accepted

The new lineup (Bojan, Jan, Kris, Martin and Matic) decided to rename themselves Joker Out. The name means nothing, but they thought it sounded good and was the ‘least horrible’ of all the ideas they could think of. 

So, in 2016, Joker Out was officially formed! 

November 2016, Kot srce ki kri poganja: 

Joker Out’s first music video was for their song ‘Kot srce ki kri poganja’ ('Like a heart that pumps blood'), filmed in Jan’s hometown of Vrhnika! We eventually got this song on Spotify on their 2023 album Live from Arena Stožice!

Music video: Kot srce ki kri poganja

English Interview (from 3:37 to 6:05): Joker Out discusses filming the music video

June 2017, Špil Liga:

One of the earliest performances for Joker Out was at Špil Liga, a competition for young bands in Slovenia. They won, and recorded their winning song, Omamljeno telo (intoxicated body) in November as part of the prize. 

Live (33m): Joker Out at Špil liga

Interview (5m): Reflections on Špil Liga in 2023 

c.2017/18, Bojan’s attempt at going solo:

The band took a hiatus c.2017/18, and Bojan considered going solo at that time, even working with a few producers. He eventually realised that he belonged with the band! Hear him tell the story:

Reel (1m 23s): A1 Vajb - Bojan’s fail

2019, A change up for the band:

The band began working with their current producer, Žare Pak, and their videographer Mark Pirc, in 2019 - both of whom have been referred to as the sixth member of the band. This led to a change in their sound and production quality, which culminated in ‘Gola’ ('Naked'), the first of their songs to be a big hit!

Music video: Gola

Zlata piščal ('Golden Flute') - Best New Artist 2019:

Joker Out won their first Zlata piščal award in 2019, for best new artist (one of many they’d go on to win!) This is a kind of Slovenian Grammy! Covid interrupted the proceedings, but you can see their interview for it here (3m 59s)- 

Interview: Joker Out wins a Zlata piščal ('Golden Flute') for Best New Artist 2019

Umazane misli, and a new member: 

During the Covid times, the band began recording their first studio album, 'Umazane misli' ('Dirty thoughts'), which was originally going to be released in March 2020 but was repeatedly delayed until October 2021. The first half was recorded with drummer Matic Kovačič, but the band felt they needed something extra and brought in Jure Maček to help write the arrangements. They loved him so much, he never left! 

Interview (from 10:40 to 11:36): Bojan talks briefly about Jure joining the band

COVID times, and Cvetličarna: 

The band had arranged to do two concerts at Cvetličarna, a very important venue in Slovenia and a big break for them. This was delayed several times due to Covid, but eventually managed to go ahead in October 2021 for the release of their first album. 

Video (1m 14s): Cvetličarna promotional video

Live (1h 28m): Joker Out at Cvetličarna

Interview (34m 55s): Bojan discusses Cvetličarna, its importance, and Covid

Umazane misli album launch: 

'Umazane misli' was extremely well received! The band would go on to win two more Zlata piščal awards, Newcomers of the Year in 2020 and Artist of the Year in 2021.

Interview (37m 08s): Umazane misli album presentation

An acting career for Bojan? 

Around the same time as 'Umazane misli' was released, Bojan began considering an acting career. He acted in two episodes of the series ‘Gospod Professor’ and in another series, which was eventually reworked as a film called ‘Kaj pa Ester’ and released in December 2023. He decided music was his passion though, and he wanted to fully focus on that. 

Interview (from 10:04 to 11:30): Bojan discusses his acting career

Interview (2m 11s): Kaj pa Ester interview

Interview (2m 30s): Kaj pa Ester première

Article: Bojan on Kaj pa Ester

September 2022, Križanke:

The band got straight to work writing their second album, 'Demoni' ('Demons'), and decided to present it in September 2022 at Križanke, another hugely important venue in Slovenia. This whole concert wasn’t recorded, but we have an interesting advertisement they did for it, an interview and a clip of one song live from Križanke! 

Video (5m 4s): Full Joker Out Hotline trailers

Interview (2m 16s): Joker Out with parachutes to Križanke?

Live (4m 7s): 'Novi val' ('New wave') live at Križanke

Interview (44m 35s): Demoni album presentation

Another new member! 

After Križanke at the end of 2022, Martin Jurkovič, one of the founding members of the band, made the decision to leave to focus on his studies.

Video (2m 20s): Martin's departure

Thankfully, he was replaced by the wonderful Nace Jordan, who remains the bassist in the current lineup.

Article: Nace Jordan discusses joining the band

2023, Eurovision:

Joker Out were then internally selected to go to Eurovision 2023, and began recording their Eurovision song, 'Carpe Diem', in Hamburg in December 2022. To learn more, you can watch the Carpe Diem series, a documentary series which followed their entire journey. 

The first episode, recording Carpe Diem, can be found with subtitles in multiple languages by JokerOutSubs!

Video (16m 41s): Carpe Diem Ep. 1 - Hamburg

The band performed their song for the first time live on Misija Liverpool, a televised debut, on the 4th February 2023.

Video (27m): Joker Out performing at Misija Liverpool

There are quite literally hundreds of interviews with Joker Out during the Eurovision era. Here's one from just before the final, that we have translated.

Interview: Joker Out before the final on the 13th May

And a few English interviews that became famous in the fanbase! 

Interview (24m 29s): Eurovanja

Interview (8m 10s): Seize the Day situations

Interview (17m 18s): Tiktok Live

Interview (6m 30s): ‘Never have I ever’

Interview (14m 12s): Madrid Eurovision

Result

Joker Out came 21st at Eurovision, which they were satisfied with.

Interview (1m 36s): Bojan talks about their results

European tour and Sunny Side of London (22nd September)

Luckily, the best was still to come for Joker Out! The rest of 2023 was spent on an extremely successful European tour, and they also released their first English single, 'Sunny Side of London', in September. 

We at JokerOutSubs were also thrilled to interview the band twice on their tour!

Original Interview (15m 25s): JokerOutSubs interview in Tampere

Original Interview (14m 37s): JokerOutSubs interview in Poznań

6th of October 2023, Stožice:

All of this, however, was building up to Stožice. This is the biggest closed venue in Slovenia and Joker Out managed to sell out their October show there - an extremely important milestone for Slovenian artists. 

Interview (15m 4s): Stožice and their whirlwind post Eurovision career

Live: Full concert live-streamed part 1 and part 2

A lovely moment at Stožice was when former members Martin Jurkovič and Matic Kovačič joined the band onstage to perform 'Kot srce ki kri poganja'!

Interview (2m 4s): Martin and Matic discuss the experience

Interview (5m 9s): Joker Out post Stožice impressions

London era and Everybody’s Waiting: 

Joker Out spent the beginning of 2024 in London, where they wrote new music, did live cooking shows on Instagram and met the incredibly talented photographer, Damon Baker, who did a beautiful series of photoshoots with them. They also released their next English single, 'Everybody’s Waiting', in February. 

They sat down with us at JokerOutSubs to discuss all this on the 20th February!

Original Interview (59m 13s): JokerOutSubs interview in London

March and April 2024, ‘See you soon’ tour:

The boys then embarked on the ‘See you Soon’ tour, another very successful European tour. They played three new songs live during the tour, two of which we translated from the concert videos of our members!

Live:  First performance of 'Bluza' ('Blouse')

Live: First performance of the hugely popular 'Šta bih ja' ('What would I')

We at JokerOutSubs also interviewed the band a fourth time in Padova!

Original Interview (22m 7s): JokerOutSubs interview in Padova

Now you know a little bit about Joker Out’s history, let’s look a little bit at the members of the band as individuals! 

Who are the members?

Bojan Cvjetićanin - singer

Charming, charismatic and an all round green flag, deep down we’re all Bojan girlies! See him here on Cosmopolitan's Blind date, Portrait with Coffee and a lovely interview he did for Delo! 

Interview (8m 49s): Cosmopolitan's Blind date

Interview (18m 3s): Portrait with Coffee

Article: “If we believed that we were “kings”, that wouldn’t be us”

Jan Peteh - guitarist

The mysterious mathematician of the band, Jan and his cat Igor have stolen the hearts of the fanbase. Here he is on Undercover Mathematician and on Metropolitan podcast with ex bassist Martin! 

Interview (3m 26s): Undercover mathematician

Interview (43m 57s): Jan and Martin on Metropolitan podcast

Kris Guštin - guitarist

Known for his organisational expertise, 'slay pose' and 'cake baking skills,' Kris stays fabulous on and off stage!

Video (1m 5s): NGVOT backstory (Kris’ breakup) at Cvetličarna

Article: Interview with the entire Guštin family

Jure Maček - drummer

Described consistently by his band mates as ‘čaga’ (party), Jure brings a chaotic energy to Joker Out that we love to see!

Video (41s): Jure’s cheating (in school!) story

Interview (18m 3s): Sunday Chat on Radio 94

Nace Jordan - bassist

The oldest member of Joker Out, Nace is a genuine sweetheart who fit like a glove into Joker Out despite joining much later! 

Article: "Enriched by a special [Eurovision] experience"

Interview (18m 24s): Interview with JokerOutSubs in Umag

Get to know the whole band! 

They mostly do interviews together, so here are some of our favourites!

Interview (16m 52s): Vičstock Unplugged

Video (7m 3s): Joker Out pre-Križanke Instagram Q&A compilation

Interview (54m 42s): Multisciplinary panel at Bežigrad High School

Article: Joker Out for DELO

Article: Joker Out for Mladina magazine

Interview (6m 42s): Joker Out for RTV SLO

Interview (1h 1m): Joker Out for N1 podkast

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a bit more about our favourite band! 

If you’d like even MORE translated interviews, articles and Instagram stories, you can find us on Tumblr, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Spotify under the name JokerOutSubs!

P.S: If you wish to share this post with new fans, we also provided QR codes!

[zenlesszonezero]

Join Zenless Zone Zero with Tsukishiro Yanagi, the deputy leader of Hollow Special Operations Section 6! Beneath her ordinary office lady exterior lies a meticulous, emotionally intelligent big sister to the team.

[i4bellingham]

LIES AND TRUTHS : jude bellingham x reader

in which you and your boyfriend jude goes through lie detector test.

not proofread !! 2nd part will contain jude’s questions and answers :> this is just something i quickly whipped up for you guys before opening my asks box to start writing the requests !! REQUEST box is currently temporarily closed !!

“Hello, this is Jude Bellingham...”

“And this is Y/N L/N and today, we will be conducting a lie detector test for fun.”

Jude smiles beside you before the producer behind the camera began speaking.

“So today, one of you will be strapped in a polygraph while the other will be asking five questions in total before switching.” The producer warmly smiles, raising a thumbs up. “Is everyone ready?”

You wipe your palm over your lap, nervously shaking your knees in order to calm your nerves before Jude’s putting a hand over your thighs to stop your quivering.

“A little nervous but I’d like to think I’ll be alright...” You grin nervously at the camera, watching your manager laugh at your demise behind all the staffs that were filming the current set.

“You’re showing that you're more than just nervous.”

You playfully glare at your boyfriend, managing to flick his knuckles before you're being strapped to the polygraph, now sitting in front of Jude who had a white card in his hand.

Jude's eyes skim over the questions written on the paper, a devious smirk on his lips as he takes a glance at you to which you jokingly scorn at him in return.

Seeing the signal of the producer to start, Jude begins to ask you his first question.

“Okay... first question for the beautiful lady, before you even knew or met me, was the rumors flying around about you having a crush on Marcus Rashford true?”

A deep groan left your lips after the question that was paired with a roll of your eyes as you slump on your seat, feeling the straps of the lie detector grow taut from the motion.

You refrained yourself from shooting Jude another glare, knowing all too well that he was the source of the questions in his card as much as you were responsible for yours.

You knew he was gonna use this time to tease you about matters that were left unanswered when you began dating him, partly because he was hesitant to ask you himself. But despite that, you can't see yourself lying to his question and instead answers it with a confident, “Yes.”

Jude's brows raise in faux surprise, almost seemingly innocent even though he's really not.

“Rashy!? Of all people!?”

“I mean have you seen him?” You quip back, leaning comfortably on your seat as Jude's mouth went slack. “I did. I had on crush on him when I was like 16 or something. I can't really remember much but my younger brother is a fan so I knew of him then because of my brother.”

Jude fans the card on himself before the man conducting the polygraph test raises a green card to indicate your truth.

“She’s telling the truth.”

“Wow... and I was itchin’ to know about this for two years now.” Your boyfriend says with a pout. “Do you still have a crush on him though?”

“Jude, no.” You laugh, watching as his face contort into one of disbelief before the examiner raises the green card once again.

“Truth.”

A heavy breath of relief leaves Jude’s lips before he's shooting you another jab.

“Well that's good to hear since he's engaged and got a daughter and all but you know... I'm kind of like free and ready to be wifed-up so just let me know if you want me to-”

Not only did you burst out in a fit of laughter but even the other staff present inside the studio did too, finding Jude's humor to be funny. However the owner of the joke seems to think otherwise as he looks at the camera with a (playful) frown.

“What? I'm bein' honest here.”

You shake your head, giggling on your seat. “Just hit me with the next question love.”

Clearing his throat, Jude proceeds, eyes skimming over the next question.

The small smirk dancing on his lips gave you an idea that whatever next question he may have for you was a controversial oneㅡor controversial to him rather.

“If you were to pick a sports game to watch in your entire life, what would you choose? Basketball or Football?”

“Football.” You answer straightaway.

Jude seems to be skeptical of your answer by the frown he had on his face. He knows you loved watching basketball, especially the NBA as it was one of the sports loved by your family. It was a sport that you grew up watching, supporting and loving probably more than you do with football, so for him to feel suspicious about your answer was definitely given.

“I know I didn't grow up watching football matches like I did with the NBA but having you share your passion for the sport with me, witness it happening firsthand and experience the beauty and energy of every football game that I've been to made me appreciate it just as much.” You slowly explain, clutching at the fabric of your dress. “It’s just entirely different when you have someone who plays in the league who shares their aspiration and love for their sport to me just like you do. You have a very big passion for football and every time I see you on the pitch, playing every game like it's your last just makes me root for you and the sport more. It has definitely grown on me because of my brothers and because of you that's why I chose it instead of basketball.”

From your peripheral, you can see some of the staff members, Jude’s and your manager alike possessing the same teasing smile on their lips before your boyfriend himself lets a teasing remark leave his lips.

“But who’s your favorite football player as of right now though?”

“Is that one of the question?”

Jude sighs and shakes his head. “No, but I'd skip a question to know this.”

You offer him an incredulous stare, watching as he waits for your answer.

“You know who...”

“No I don’t.”

“You played in Dortmund with him.” You reply.

Jude stops for a moment, pondering on who could it be before remembering the newly bought kit hidden in your wardrobe.

“Oh! Erling!”

You nod, “Yes him and Mbappè.”

“Oh, I didn't know that you liked Mbappè too...” Jude’s shoulders sag a bit before his flicking his card open. “Okay, next question... if you could spend a day with a football player, who would it be and why?”

“You.”

For the nth time, Jude seems to be distrusting of your answer. It must be because he now knows your current favorite football players and yet you still picked him of all people as a response to his question. If he thinks you're only doing it to appease him and to keep him from annoying the hell out of you, he doesn't comment on it. Instead, a raise brow and the pursing of his lips became a silent equation for you to divert his disbelief.

“Really!” You shriek with a small laugh.

Jude shakes his head in tune to your attempt of making him believe you.

“Really now?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” You sigh.

“Of course I’d spend every waking day I have with you. Told you countless of times, I’m all yours right? Why would I choose to spend a random day with someone I don’t even know personally when I have you?”

A smile threatened the frown Jude had on his face, slowly curving at the sides of his lips before he's flashing you his pearly whites with a small, shy grin.

He fans the questionnaire at you. “Alright, that's a valid answer right there.” He pounds at his chest like an idiot, making the people inside the filming venue laugh at his silly antics. “Oh I knew you loved me.”

You jokingly roll your eyes at him. “Of course I do. I’m with you aren’t I?”

“I would have chased you off anyways if you weren't with me...”

“You’re such a dork.”

Jude wraps a hand on the foot of your chair, slowly pulling you towards him as the camera cuts off temporarily and a staff from the production team comes over to untangle the wires from your body; all forgetting that the both of you were supposed to do a lie detector test that somehow ended up with just having your charming boyfriend send you questions after the other, and you answering it truthfully. Based on the goofy smile on Jude’s lips and the wriggling of his brows, he seems to think of the same thing before the polygraph wires are being adjusted around him.

[hooked-on-elvis]

[BEHIND THE RECORD - Elvis onstage from 1969 to 1977] "I Can't Stop Loving You"

Written by country singer Don Gibson, who first recorded it in 1957, RCA Victor released "I Can't Stop Loving You" in 1958, and it became a country hit single. The song was covered by many artists over the years, most notable one being Ray Charles, in 1962, due to how he turned the tune into a No. 1 single on the Billboard chart.

Elvis Presley performed the song in many iconic concerts of his career - from 1969 into the 70s.

The first time Elvis Presley was recorded singing "I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU" was during one of the American Sound Studio sessions, on February 1969. It wasn't an official recording tho. A jam version of the tune was recorded while EP was warming up with his musicians so they could cut the songs that would be released in his LPs for the times following — "From Elvis In Memphis" being the album this recording session was intending to create at first.

Not long after this recording session, "I Can't Stop Loving You" was worked up as a number to Elvis' concerts. Rearranged, the song gained a more dramatic tone than we can listen to from how it originally sounded in Elvis' voice at the recording taped at the American Sound Studio previously, so from this moment on Elvis would perform the tune in quite a few iconic concerts of the latter era of his career, the very start being during his comeback to live performances on July/August 1969, onstage at the International Hotel's showroom in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Soundboard audios with "I Can't Stop Loving You" recorded during his concerts, including in 1969, were released on some his live albums throughout the years, such as "FROM MEMPHIS TO VEGAS (IN PERSON)" [recorded in 1969], "ELVIS AS RECORDED AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN" (recorded in 1972) and "ELVIS: RECORDED LIVE ON STAGE IN MEMPHIS" (recorded in 1974).

Live performances of Elvis singing the song were also officially taped, and they are very known to the fans for obvious reasons because they are part of some of the most notable moments of Elvis' history as a performer.

First official taping of EP performing "I Can't Stop Loving You" live took place during one of his engagement seasons at the International Hotel on August, 1970, as released on "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" documentary, then again on April 1972, filmed for "Elvis On Tour" documentary, and not long after that another performance of this tune was filmed during the "Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" concert, on January 1973.

BUT, BEFORE WE CAN GO TO THOSE FOOTAGES, HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE JAM VERSION RECORDED IN STUDIO IN 1969?

— NOTE FROM AUTHOR I love sharing Elvis' performances of the same song over the years, but what I would really love you to listen to now is the 1969 jam version of the song we're talking about, for it sounds so different from the live performances the fans are already very familiar with. I didn't knew about this recording until a few days ago and I loved it so much that this track is the reason why I needed to talk about this song. You will read about the moment EP was recording this song soon after.

Elvis Presley in the waiting room of the American Sound Studio, early 1969.

▼ FEBRUARY, 1969: "I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU", RECORDED AT THE AMERICAN SOUND STUDIO, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

Song starts at 0:35

Album: American Sound 1969 (2019)

It was an American Studio tradition: paying tribute to the chief with a rendition of “This Time,” a Chips Moman-penned hit for Troy Shondell in 1961. Elvis had heard about the rite, and he serenaded his producer at the start of the February session with the few lines that he knew, segueing into Don Gibson’s “It’s My Way,” a song he had asked Freddy to check out the year before. Plunking along on his acoustic guitar, laughing at his own mistakes but singing his heart out, he drew the band into another Don Gibson number, “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” which he would transform into a dramatic show-stopper six month later in Las Vegas. Excerpt from "Elvis Presley: A Life In Music" by Ernst Jorgensen and Peter Guralnick.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

— NOTE FROM AUTHOR COOL, ISN'T IT? 😍 Have you heard the 1969 jam session version before? Don't know about you but I just can't stop loving it. So, now let's hear how that baby sound onstage.

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[FOOTAGE]

LIVE PERFORMANCES OVER THE YEARS

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

REHEARSAL ▼

July, 1970.

LIVE ONSTAGE ▼

"Elvis: That's The Way It Is" (August 1970) "Elvis On Tour" (April 1972)

"Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" (January 14, 1973)

RECORDED LIVE ▼

Live at Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX (April 18, 1972)

Live at Madison Square Garden (June 10, 1972)

High Sierra Theatre at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel, Nevada (May 13, 1973)

Live at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN - March 1974

Song starts at 0:38:

I can never get enough of how Elvis' history is so amazing. ♥

What are your thoughts about the jam version of "I Can't Stop Loving You" by EP? I'd love to hear from you.

By the way, do you like this track-to-track-history posts? I've written some so far but I have some others I'd like to share too. If you have any requests, any Elvis Presley songs you'd like to know more about the recording sessions or comparisons of the times a same tune was performed live by Elvis over the years, feel free to hit me with it. I sure will have great fun researching it for you.

[black-arcana]

Watch: EVANESCENCE Joined By HALESTORM's LZZY HALE For 'Bring Me To Life' Performance In Ontario

HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale joined EVANESCENCE on stage Tuesday night (October 29) at the London, Ontario stop of the two bands' joint Canadian tour to perform the EVANESCENCE smash hit "Bring Me To Life". Fan-filmed video of her appearance can be seen below.

At most of the shows on the Canadian tour, EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee had been joining HALESTORM on stage to perform the HALESTORM song "Break In".

In August 2020, HALESTORM released the official music video for a reimagined version of "Break In", featuring a guest appearance by Lee. The new version of the track, which originally appeared on HALESTORM's second album, 2012's "The Strange Case Of..." , was recorded in October 2019 at a Nashville studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who had previously worked with both bands. The clip captured Hale and Lee delivering an impassioned studio performance of the track.

The updated "Break In" appeared on "Halestorm Reimagined", a collection of reworked HALESTORM original songs as well as a cover of��"I Will Always Love You", the love ballad made famous by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton.

Lzzy and Amy performed a quarantine rendition of "Break In" in May 2020 on Hale's Internet show "Raise Your Horns With Lzzy Hale".

Speaking about the collaboration, Lzzy told Amy: "What I love about dueting on that song with you is that it started out as as love song that I wrote for my significant other" — referring to HALESTORM guitarist Joe Hottinger — "but when we sing it together, it's this act of unity, especially with the two of us being women and being women musicians. It's like we have each other's backs. And the lyrics mean something completely different when I sing it [with you]."

Regarding the way the new version of "Break In" was recorded, Lzzy said: "We did it performance-style, literally next to each other in the same room — from beginning of song to end of song, singing with each other.

"I've never done anything like that, but especially with a female singer of your prowess."

Amy added: "Nick always gets the challenge and gets the most out of me… So he made us stand there in the room and sing it live together a bunch of times. What that really means is that editing, you couldn't use when you did something cool but I messed up; it would have to be that we both nailed it for it to make the cut. So to do it in that way was really challenging and it was really cool and it fits the song so well.

"I remember you saying, and we both were saying, when we were listening back, it's really weird, at times — I know my part, but you can't pick out whose voice that is in that one particular moment, 'cause we started matching each other, 'cause it was on the spot. It's really cool how that happens.

"It feels like a match. It doesn't feel like any one person is pulling the other person along a little bit or leading the train. It really felt like an evenly matched dance."

Lzzy and Amy originally performed "Break In" together in 2012 during the "Carnival Of Madness" tour, which was headlined by EVANESCENCE and featured HALESTORM in the support slot. At the time, Hale told Zoiks! Online about how the live collaboration came about: "It's funny. We had talked in the beginning of the tour, 'Oh, we should do something.' What would we do? Do we do a cover? Do I come out during her set? She came up to me, I think it was two weeks in and said, 'I'm obsessed with your song 'Break In' right now.' I was like, 'Thank you so much.' Then she said, 'I know all of your parts, all the backing parts and everything.' I was like, 'Sweet, that's awesome.' Then she said, 'This is going to sound really weird and please feel free to say no, but do you think I could come up during that song and sing it with you?' I'm, like, 'Of course. This is awesome.' We didn't have a whole lot of time to rehearse. We literally ran through it once before our show in El Paso, right before the doors opened. It was perfect. I told her, queue insane crowd noise. She was like, 'Oh, I don't know.' 'No, seriously — they're going to freak when you walk out on stage.' ... [And] they did. We couldn't hear each other for the first four lines."

Back in 2021, EVANESCENCE and HALESTORM joined forces for a massive North American tour that ended up being a rousing success.

[blackmoonlightexpress]

Shui Long Yin 《水龙吟》 - What we know so far about this massive project

By now many of you have heard about Shui Long Yin 《水龙吟》, Luo Yunxi's upcoming and third project with the studio behind Till the End of the Moon. Here's my read on the announcement earlier.

1. Good news - It's going to be largely the same creative team behind TTEOTM. 

You have Wang Yirong as Lead Producer & Artistic Director, Huang Wei as Costume Designer, Wang Haiqi as Action Director, Tsang Mingfai as Makeup Director, Huatian for World Concept (also known for Ashes of Love and the Untamed). Basically, we'll see the return of the brilliant minds behind the Dunhuang-inspired costumes and hour-long epic fight sequences.

It's a good sign they're holding most of the team together. A lot of great directors, like Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton, David Cronenberg, work with the same creative talent over and over again. There's certainly an argument that you produce better work when you collaborate with people you trust and know well.

2. Up and coming Director Chen Zhoufei will make up some of the deficiencies of TTEOTM in the cinematography and lighting departments.

Chen Zhoufei started out as a cinematographer in films with the likes of Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou. More recently he directed The Forbidden Flower (2023) and Double Tap (2021), which, if nothing else, is beautifully and stylistically shot.

It's interesting they've moved away from the old school Hong Kong directors they used in Immortality and TTEOTM. Directors from the TVB system are known to be more experienced, scrappy, and reliable when it comes to working within budget (which is why they're favored for big xianxia productions), but they've also been criticized for falling behind on technical execution and artistry.

It is as the industry article I shared predicted - Otters Studio is a relatively inexperienced player, but they can quickly close their gaps by bringing new blood to the team.

3. They're bringing a new Art Director, Zheng Chen from Lost You Forever.

This isn't all that surprising given that Luan Hexin, TTEOTM's Art Director, is with Huanyu, Bai Lu's management company. (In fact there was a bit of real life drama when Yu Zheng, Bai Lu's boss, publicly called out TTEOTM's producer for not refuting false rumors that Bai Lu was only cast because the production wanted Luan Hexin, arguably Huanyu's biggest asset, as part of her "dowry".) Now it's sad to see award-winning Luan go, but he is best for authentic period sets and IMO not the most suited for xianxias.

Instead, they've tapped Zheng Chen, who most recently worked on Lost You Forever, which I have yet to watch. With that said, some of the sets look great to me, with bold use of colors, and I can already see this pairing well with Chen Zhoufei's aesthetics.

4. This time they're not working with screenwriter He Fang, instead going with Lin Conghe (unofficial)

He Fang is the lead screenwriter behind TTEOTM and Immortality (everyone who's read Immortality's screenplay will know it's all but a guaranteed hit) and in my opinion one of Otter's greatest assets. She's brilliant at staying loyal to the spiritual core of source novels, while weaving convoluted plot points through a more robust background story and logic.

It's a slight disappointment that she won't be back, but it's also not entirely surprising. TTEOTM and Immortality are both big, female-oriented fantasy romance IPs. Meanwhile Shui Long Yin's IP is quite dated, lesser known, and incomplete, so I'd expect that the drama will only be loosely based on the original. While we don't know much about Lin Conghe, he did recently work on the Blood of Youth sequel, where he was the lead screenwriter alongside author Zhou Munan, so he might actually be a better choice for this genre (xuanhuan wuxia).

5. The way HunanTV & Mango announced the drama is unusually high profile, indicating that this is one of the platform's biggest projects.

It's rare to have one of China's biggest hosts announce a new drama that hasn't even started shooting or released any details yet live on prime time TV. (Usually a drama's official announcement comes out on the day of its booting ceremony, if not during its production or at its wrap ceremony.) It's even rarer for a costume drama to announce a TV platform at this stage. These days it's quite difficult for costume fantasies to get a coveted TV airing slot given genre restrictions and additional censorship requirements. Typically you do not find out officially whether it will air on TV until literally right before it airs.

Before the official announcement, rumors have already been circulating that there's a bidding war behind the scenes for this project, with Mango and its parent HunanTV outbidding Youku in the end. Mango/HunanTV is already the market leader in variety shows, but is behind the other three platforms in scripted content. Apparently, they've recently received an injection of funding to shore up their drama department and now investing in tentpole projects that can help them gain share. Clearly they saw what TTEOTM did for Youku.

6. There's another interesting player in the mix: China Mobile and its subsidiary Migu. 

It appears that China Mobile (one of the most valuable companies in China and a state-owned enterprise) has invested in the drama, which will be made available on its online video platforms. Apparently, the last time China Mobile invested in a drama, they sent text messages to every user to publicize it when it aired. Now not sure if this will happen (it's not patriotic drama after all), but they've already been promoting the drama through their gazillion affiliate social media accounts. Either way, it should be a good thing for the drama's distribution to have such an influential backer given Mango's lower daily active user.

7. They're making it super clear that Luo Yunxi is going to be the dominant male lead in this drama

In the first Weibo post, they only announced the title, Luo Yunxi, and the airing platforms. In the second Weibo post, where they announced the rest of the creative team, they still did not announce the other actors! Of course, this is likely because Luo Yunxi's company (which is really just him) bought the source novel's IP and is credited as a co-producer. (They don’t have any production capabilities at all, so Otter will likely be quarterbacking this.)

This suggests, like many who have read the novel already know, that Luo Yunxi will have by far the biggest part. The other roles, including the female lead role, will likely be smaller and revolve around the main character.

8. Shui Long Yin is already generating a lot of hype.

To date its Weibo announcement racked up >1M likes (more than double that of TTEOTM). There's already a very active Douban group debating all the rumors, most importantly whether Luo Yunxi will use a wig or his real hair (a highly divisive topic). The new drama has even been reported by China Daily, China's state media facing the international community, which is again exceedingly rare. China Daily doesn't usually report on entertainment news, and most hit shows don't get mentioned even after airing.

There's always a big risk with productions with this much anticipation so early in the process, from fan wars and disruptive stalking on set to accusations propagated by competitors that can invite more state scrutiny. Fingers crossed that the team knows what they're doing and can weather all the storms that will undoubtedly come its way.

9. Finally, I remain cautiously excited.

Production quality will likely be great, with such a strong creative team and financial backers with deep wallets. My main worry is that it'll be beautiful, but boring. For this genre (xuanhuan wuxia or basically wuxia with high fantasy elements), it's really important that the story moves fast and the underdog hero keeps outsmarting or outfighting everyone else in a way that gives viewers a sense of exhilaration. It'd be all too easy for the story to get bogged down by a large cast of unmemorable characters and a meandering plot. Otters Studio is usually great at delivering fast-paced high drama (just based on TTEOTM and the screenplay of Immortality), but they're working with a different screenwriter this time and it's not easy to be a consistent hit maker. Let's hope they stick to their intuition and continue to present stories and characters that excite viewers.

[gottiewrites]

Amazon MGM Studios is developing the YA novel “The Loneliest Girl in the Universe” as a feature film.

Variety released the news today:

Amazon MGM Studios is developing the YA novel “The Loneliest Girl in the Universe” as a feature film.

Joe Roth and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum (“Anyone but You,” “Fast X,” the upcoming “Jackpot”) will produce the film alongside Katherine Langford, best known for starring in Netflix’s hit YA series “13 Reasons Why”; Seldy Gray will oversee development for Roth Kirschenbaum Films.

The project is in early development at the studio with Sarah Conradt-Kroehler writing the script, from a treatment by Gary Dauberman.

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe was first published in 2017. It was nominated for the 2019 Carnegie medal, named one of Barnes & Noble’s Top 15 YA Books of 2018, and shortlisted for the STEAM Children’s Book Prize 2019.

Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.

Their only communication is via email and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.

But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?

Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone…

I’ve been holding onto this secret for four long years, so I’m beyond thrilled to finally be able to share it.

The production company, Roth/Kirschenbaum, made Damsel (Milly Bobby Brown/Netflix), Anyone but You (Sydney Sweeney/Glen Powell), The School for Good and Evil (Paul Feig/Netflix), Fast X (Vin Diesel) and The Gray Man (Ryan Gosling), so Romy is in very, very good hands indeed.

A movie deal is, obviously, a dream come true. It’s not something I ever thought would happen to me. I feel lucky enough to get to keep writing new books, let alone for someone to make an adaptation of something that came out of my brain.

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe is a very special story to me. I wrote it when I was 22, fresh out of a physics degree. On the surface, it was inspired by some of the physics I’d learnt about deep space travel at university, but mainly it was propelled by the complicated feelings I had about technically being an ‘adult’ while really just feeling like a naiive kid. It was about internet dating, and fandom as a form of self expression, and my complicated relationship with girlhood (as someone who no longer really identifies as a ‘girl’).

Romy is one of the most precious character I’ve ever created. I poured so much of myself into her personality; her insecurities; her flaws and strengths. So many readers respond to her vulnerability (and mine) with deep love. People have told me that they would die for Romy. That she’s their favourite fictional character of all time. That she’s helped them process so much of their own anxiety, trauma and imposter syndrome. That she’s a role model for girls who are deciding to study science at university. As a writer, it’s the biggest honour to have created someone who feels so real and important to so many people.

I can’t wait for Romy to reach a whole new audience on screen through Amazon MGM Studios. The team at R/K have a very clear vision for Romy’s story, and so much respect for her journey as a character. I’m very excited to see what they create.

I have some experience of the TV industry in UK through my work in the Heartstopper writer’s room as story consultant, but movies and Hollywood are obviously a whole new ballgame. I’m excited and nervous to learn more!

For everyone who’s been with me and Romy since 2017, I hope the The Loneliest Girl in the Universe movie lives up to all your expectations, when it launches (which might be a while off!). Thank you for sticking with me.

And for new readers, you can read the book now. It’s published in the UK, Australia, USA, and in translation in Indonesia, Brazil, Poland and Turkey.

Goodreads

Amazon UK

Waterstones

Foyles

Audible

Amazon US

“A strange, witty, compulsively unpredictable read which blows most of its new YA-suspense brethren out of the water.” – Entertainment Weekly

“Black Mirror-esque. A fantastic slow-build drama. Lauren James is a genius.” – SFX

“Gripping romantic sci-fi thriller.” – Wall Street Journal

“This slow-burning psychological thriller has a killer twist that will make you gasp.” – Bustle

And while you’re all here, a reminder that my next novel Last Seen Online is being published on August 1st. A scandal occurs within the cast of the TV show that Romy writes fanfiction about in The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.

Goodreads

Amazon UK

Waterstones

Audible

Foyles

Fill out this form to receive a signed postcard of character art for Last Seen Online - open to anyone in the UK who preorders the book before 1st August 2024.

A contemporary YA murder mystery set in sun-drenched LA, for fans of Malibu Rising, We Were Liars and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. When Delilah meets Sawyer Saffitz (son of Anya Saffitz, aka Hollywood royalty), she becomes hooked on a decade-old scandal. In her quest for the truth, Delilah uncovers blogposts written by the mysterious “gottiewrites” and is soon caught up in a world of greed, fandom conspiracy theories … and murder. And the deeper Delilah digs, the more dangerous it becomes – because someone is willing to kill to hide the truth.

- Wren x

[bendysinitiation]

(A timeline of events from an outsider’s perspective, based on @bendyredrawn ‘s very own timeline! In this world, JDS’s growth is much like Fleischer Studios, with some things from Disney.)

1919 - Drew-Stein Studios is created by Joey Drew and Henry Stein. They also release their first short, “Little Devil Darlin'“. It stars a misunderstood little imp that tries to keep a job in turning people to sin. It becomes a hit with minority groups, such as immigrants, as escapism from the riots of the time, and conservative whites of New York find it blasphemous.

1920 - “Imp from the Inkwell“ Is released. In this story, the imp, now named Bendy, gets into antics with a live action Henry Stein. The production of short comics also start, introducing an unnamed hellhound into the picture.

1922 - More cartoons and comics are made. Notably, Boris makes his entrance in “Boorish Beasts”. He is Bendy’s acquaintance and foil, being quiet and calculative, but warm-hearted.

1925 - The Bendy film “Tombstone Picnic” makes a breakthrough by becoming the first ever animated “talkie” through vitaphone. The titular character is voiced by none other than Joey himself. Drew-Stein Studios hits the top of the charts for animation in America.

1926 - Another series, Telltale Trio, is introduced into the catalogue. It is not focused on the well-known imp from hell, but instead a trio of ghastly animals haunting a small town. Drew-Stein Studios changes its name to Joey Drew Studios.

1927-1930 - Countless other comics and talkies are released. The idea of angels are also introduced to the Bendy series. JDS grows exponentially in young employees during the start of the Great Depression.

1932-1933 - One year of mostly comics. Rumors go around that JDS is buying out a new studio in the Brooklyn area to house all its new departments. Joey Drew mentions big things are coming, but keeps it a surprise.

1933 - Construction finishes on the new studio and production moves in. Several female singers, musicians, and foley artists are also hired around this time. Alice Angel is introduced: a trigger-happy messenger that’s ended up in Hell. This also marks the year of JDS’s first color film.

1934 - With the addition of the Hays code, JDS holds back on all the violence, and produces less Bendy cartoons. Strangely enough, its reputation and income is barely effected. Alice Angel becomes the darling of the show around this time.

1936 - JDS releases a feature-length on the return of Bendy. It becomes extremely popular. But at the same time an endemic of sickness spreads throughout New York for a few days. There are also reports of some theatres receiving completely corrupted canisters that have whole minutes blacked out, melting, or incomprehensible.

1937- Henry Stein leaves the company because of “creative differences”. The studio’s growth comes to a halt.

1937-1940 - Production slows on more Bendy cartoons, instead focusing on other series again. Employees start protesting for better treatment outside the studio.

1940-1943 - Employees of the studio start to go missing, along with other employees leaving in droves. All report sickness.

1944-1945 - The studio, again, advertises a new breakthrough. A few more cartoons come out, all focusing on Bendy. People near the studio report cold chills and auditory hallucinations for months upon end.

1946 - After a mass plunge into hysteria from people in the near vicinity of JDS for 3 hours, The studio goes completely silent. All people employed go missing. Many investigations are taken out under these disappearances, but all become cold cases. People that go in don’t come out. Eventually, the studio is demolished.

1963 - New animation released. Henry is told by Joey to record the old studio. Game events.

[invisibleicewands]

Michael Sheen narrates our brand-new show for The Snowman Tour

We are thrilled to announce that Michael Sheen has recorded the narration of The Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle for us, ready for its world premiere on The Snowman Tour, 2024.

“I get to tell the story of The Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle! It's something that I'm really excited to be a part of; the storytelling by David Litchfield is so rich, and the music that has been composed by Daniel Whibley is incredibly beautiful. To be able to contribute to such a lovely family experience this Christmas brings me a lot of joy.” Michael Sheen

Our Managing Director, Rachel Whibley, explains, "It’s been a joy collaborating with award-winning author-illustrator David Litchfield, award-winning composer (and Carrot Productions' very own Artistic Director) Daniel Whibley, and animator Kevin Francis to bring The Bear, the Piano, the Dog, and the Fiddle to life for our audiences.”

"We are hugely honoured that Michael Sheen agreed to narrate The Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle!" Rachel enthuses. "He is a phenomenal actor and an all-round lovely human being, and it has been a privilege to collaborate with him on this project."

Michael recorded the narration last week in a London studio, and we are delighted to be able to share a sneak preview of his beautiful narration alongside the animation and music.

Michael Sheen

Michael is a multi-award-winning Welsh actor and RADA graduate known for his extensive work across film, TV and stage, as well as his charity work. His vast film credits include The Damned United, David Frost in Frost/Nixon, Tony Blair in The Queen, Lucian in the Underworld series, Aro in The Twilight Saga, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, and Apostle.

Michael’s numerous TV credits include The Special Relationship, Masters of Sex, for which he was also a producer, Good Omens, Prodigal Son, Quiz, and Staged - the hit lockdown comedy co-created with David Tennant. Sheen's acclaimed stage performances include Amadeus, Caligula, and Hamlet. Recently, he made his directorial debut with The Way and played Prince Andrew in A Very Royal Scandal. He created, co-directed, and performed in the ground-breaking three-day live event The Passion in Port Talbot for National Theatre Wales.

The Bear and the Piano - the book trilogy

The Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle, published in 2018, is the second book in the trilogy created by the multi-award winning illustrator and author, David Litchfield. The original book,The Bear and the Piano, took the world by storm in 2016, winning numerous awards, including Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for the Best Illustrated Book of the year. The final book, The Bear, the Piano, and Little Bear’s Concert published in 2020, sees Bear’s international concert days behind him; now a father, his musical adventures continue closer to home. 

The Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle - the story

Set in New Orleans with a new cast of animal musicians, this charming sequel is a story about friendship and perseverance. Hector, a fiddle player, and his dog, Hugo, are best friends. They have made music together through good times, bad times and even some crazy times. Hugo is Hector's biggest fan, and when Hector retires, Hugo secretly learns to play the fiddle himself. But when Hugo gets the chance to play and tour with Bear’s Big Band – an opportunity that Hector had always dreamed of – Hector’s jealousy gets the better of him. Will Hector be able to overcome his own disappointment and learn to be happy for his friend?

This heartfelt tale reminds us that there are many different kinds of success. It celebrates the joy and healing powers of music and friendship, and teaches that friendship, like good music, lasts forever.

David Litchfield - the author and illustrator

David is a multi-award winning illustrator and author. David first started to draw when he was very young, creating Star Wars and Indiana Jones ‘mash up’ comics for his older brother and sister. Since then his work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, books and on T-shirts. He has also exhibited his illustrations in both solo and group shows in the U.K, Europe and America. In addition to The Bear and the Piano trilogy, David’s author/illustrator picture books include Grandad’s Secret Giant, Lights On Cotton Rock, T, and Kid Christmas: Of The Claus Brothers Toyshop. David has illustrated books for authors Ross Montgomery, Gregory Maguire, David Almond and Smriti Halls; Miss Muffet, Or What Came After for Marilyn Singer and book covers for Kate Dicamillo, Neil Patrick Harris, Chloe Daykin and many more. David lives with his family in Bedfordshire, England.

“I am so excited that Carrot Productions are adapting my book 'The Bear, the Piano, the Dog & the Fiddle' for their amazing live performance. Seeing my first book 'The Bear and the Piano' come to life on stage in Carrot's previous shows was one of the highlights of my life and I cannot wait to see what these incredible musicians and storytellers achieve with this new book.” David Litchfield

Daniel Whibley - the composer

Daniel is a composer and arranger whose music is heard live each year by thousands of people across the world, featured on TV and all BBC Radio stations. He was commissioned by Aardman to produce orchestral arrangements for all four Wallace & Gromit films and additional material for Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep in Concert. He wrote music for the 2023 CBeebies Prom and Mr Tumble’s Special Adventure with the BBC Philharmonic. His Musical Story of the Gingerbread Man has had millions of views, and his 10-part CBeebies series, Musical Storyland, was recently nominated for a Royal Television Society award.

“I’ve relished working alongside animator Kevin Francis to create a brand new score for The Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle. Expect some very virtuosic violin playing at the performances!” Daniel Whibley

The Snowman Tour 2024

Carrot Productions are excited to be staging not one, but two world premieres for the 2024 The Snowman Tour. Alongside the screening of The Snowman, we will premiere two films featuring two very special dogs - Hugo the violin-playing dog, and The Snowdog himself.

We will be touring to venues across the country this November and December with two different shows. Choose between:

The Snowman™withThe Snowman and the Snowdog or The Snowman™withThe Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle

Our shows feature screenings of the films, accompanied live by full orchestra, together with some other festive musical delights, and even an appearance from the Snowman himself!

You can hear Michael Sheen's charming and evocative narration of The Bear, the Piano, the Dog and the Fiddle at venues including: Stockport, Oldham, Derby, Buxton, Guildford, Birmingham, Liverpool, York and Chester. See listings for details.

“It's been wonderful to collaborate with the creatives at Penguin and author-illustrator David Litchfield to bring these films to life for our audiences.” Rachel Whibley, Managing Director, Carrot Productions

[filmfauxpas]

One Direction: This is Us—Our Unhealthy Obsession with Celebrities

Eleven years ago, One Direction was at the height of their careers. The British boy band had just wrapped their third world tour and was preparing for their fourth, with 69 shows on the agenda. Now comfortable with each other, they released their third studio album, Midnight Memories. No longer teenagers, the members of One Direction wanted to show their maturity, promising an "edgier" and "rockier" sound, according to Louis Tomlinson. They swapped out the boy-next-door sonnets for more sexually charged lyrics, replaced acoustic guitars with electric ones, and delivered more upbeat hits than their previous albums. Just three months earlier, on August 30, 2013, the film One Direction: This Is Us premiered worldwide, giving fans an inside look at their lives on tour and the effects of fame.

This Is Us was filmed over four months, starting in January 2013 in Tokyo and finishing in London in April. During filming, the band members were between the ages of 20 and 22. While the film showcased the fun and excitement of their careers, it also gave the boys a chance to explain the hardships of their success and how it affected them. Grateful for their careers, members still expressed the challenges of adjusting to sudden global fame, like losing the ability to go out without protection and being away from their families. Whether intentional or not, the film also revealed just how overworked they were, detailing their demanding schedules filled with concerts, interviews, and recording sessions. A particularly telling moment shows a producer waking Zayn up on their tour bus to record, with a tired and young Zayn asking, "How long was I out?" to which the producer responds, "10 minutes."

While the life of any successful musician has its faults, it's important to ask: how much is too much? Watching the film again as a 23-year-old, I was struck by how young they were at the time. At 12, I thought being 22 was old, but seeing them now through a different lens was quite upsetting. Paul Higgins, One Direction’s bodyguard, described the boys situation well, stating “If you can imagine yourself being taken away at the age of 16 or 17 and then thrown into the spotlight... people are constantly around them, and to hold their form and cool, and to enjoy it and perform, it’s a big ask." Harry Styles chimed in adding, "There are definitely times where you’re not enjoying it the whole time. But then you have to step back for a second and try to weigh the pros and cons." While this reflection seems healthy, it also highlights the guilt that comes with success. It was hard watching the young men tiptoe around how they really felt, as everytime they expressed a hardship, they’d follow it up with how “lucky” they were to be in their position. However, I don’t find this lucky by any means—I find it quite the opposite. It is disheartening how a child's innocence is taken advantage of by others who see them as a dollar sign.

In light of One Direction member Liam Payne’s untimely death, fans are searching for the root cause of his addiction, which led to his passing. While no one can place the responsibility for someone’s life on external factors alone, Payne’s death prompts reflection on how unhealthy the constant public scrutiny of celebrities can be, and how fans can play a part in this toxicity as well. Starting on The X Factor, the boys were no strangers to the public eye, but they never expected to reach such stardom so quickly. Simon Cowell, a judge on the show and the band’s creator, noted how “strange” it was that people became obsessed with the five boys after just one performance. This obsession only grew, especially on social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr, where fans dedicated entire blogs to discussing the band’s music, whereabouts, and their feelings about the members. As One Direction released songs about love and vulnerability, fans felt a personal connection to them, leading to a parasocial phenomenon among “Directioners.”

For instance, it became popular to write fanfiction about the members, creating imaginary romantic scenarios—sometimes between a fan and a band member, or even between the members themselves. While most fans acted out of love, these behaviors were harmful, often oversexualizing the young men and invading their privacy. As a result, One Direction was constantly surveilled and couldn't go out without security. Payne spoke openly about how this lack of freedom affected him, saying in an interview, “In the band… the best way to secure us, because of how big we’d got, was to lock us in our rooms. What’s in the room? A mini-bar. So at a certain point I thought, I’m just going to have a party-for-one, and that carried on for many years of my life.” He also spoke about the loneliness and lack of control he felt during and after this time, commenting, “There are times where that level of loneliness and people getting to you every day... you’re like, when will this end?”

X Factor winner Rebbeca Ferguson when asked about Payne's death said “[he] was a victim of an industry’s “exploitation and profiteering of young stars.” Claiming that it was a factor in his death. Although this narrative isn’t new—many child stars have struggled with substance abuse following early stardom—it raises an important question: how can we, as fans, make a conscious effort to respect celebrities' boundaries and view them as individuals rather than idols? Luckily, in just the last year the stigma of complying with “superfan” behavior has been challenged by artists who have spoken out against it like Chappell Roan, Tyler the Creator, Billie Eilish, and Hayley Willimas. Hopefully, as more voices join this conversation, we can see a shift toward a healthier, more respectful fan-celebrity relationships.

[somethingvicked]

True love of mine part 6

An Eddie Munson story

Stranger Things AU (no Upside-Down)

warnings: female reader, angst, flexible timeline.

The songs used in this chapter belongs to the bands that has written and released them! I take no credit for it, I'm just borrowing them.

Chapter 5

Now

Eddie

The next day Eddie called his team into the meeting room at the studio, waiting for them all to sit down.

“I’ve written a new song. It will be a single, not for an album. And I want us to film a video for it too – ready to release in two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” his team all but cried but he just nodded.

“The video in itself will be simple, nothing extravagant like fire effects or expensive props or anything like that. Just me playing a guitar and singing, the rest of the band around me.”

“Well… I suppose that’s possible then,” Greg said. “I just didn’t know we had plans on releasing new music at this time – the next album isn’t planned for another six months.”

“That’s why it won’t be included on an album,” Eddie said. “It will a release on its own. One single, one song, one time only.”

Because this wasn’t for his fans, or for his producers to make money of. This was for Y/N.

Y/N

It had been more than three weeks since you wrote Eddie your letter and by now you had started to give up the hope that there would be a reply in some way. It had been slim to begin with but hope was a persistent thing in the human nature.

But deep down you know it was stupid. To hold on to a love from fifteen years ago.

If the gossip magazines were to be believed Eddie hadn’t had a steady girlfriend in years but why would he? He was a rockstar, he could probably pick and choose between barely legal hotties every night if he wanted to.

Don’t think about that.

That’s why you had the shock of your life when switching between the channels lead you to MTV and a photo of Eddie filled the screen.

"Eddie 'The Master' Munson has released a new single," the TV reporter said, smiling, "and it has already made minds spin, trying to figure out who the girl he's singing about could be? Let's listen to it and see what you think! You can text the number below if you have any suggestions!”

The video was in muted colors, Eddie sitting on a stage on a stool, guitar in hand. A band of musicians surrounded him, but they were all in the background, Eddie was the focus. Then the song started, him standing up, strumming on the guitar as the song’s tempo increased and he started to sing into the microphone.

If you're traveling down to the Hawk's country fair

The winds hit heavy on the borderline

Remember me to one who lives there

She's the one true love of mine

You gasped. Hawk's country fair...?

He had to mean Hawkins, right?! And the country fair… was that a reference to the fair you two had gone to, when he won you the cat ring?!

If you're going down to snowflakes storm

Rivers freeze and summer ends

Please see if she has a coat so warm

To keep her from the howlin' winds

Tears blurred in your eyes when you remembered how you were always so cold during the winters because you were too vain to wear the winter coats your mom bought for you, thinking they made you look fat. No one ever said teenagers were smart.

And how Eddie used to take off his denim vest and place it over you, never once complaining about being cold himself.

Will you see for me if her hair hangs long?

Rolls and flows all down her breast

Will you see for me if her hair's hanging long?

That's the way I remember her best

Eddie had loved your hair. You’d kept it long ever since you were little, knowing that your hair was one of your best features; thick and shiny.

Eddie loved to play with it, braid little elf's braids into it or buy viking jewelry to put into the braids.

The only time he complained about it was when you were naked. “It hangs past your breasts and shield you from me completely,” he had pouted, making you giggle.

After Eddie had left you had cut your hair off and kept it short for almost fifteen years. It was just last year you had finally had let it grow out out longer than a short bob.

I'm  wonderin' if she remembers me at all

Many times I've often prayed

In the darkness of my night

In the brightness of my day

Now tears were streaming down your eyes. So this was his way in replying. You hadn't put a return address on the letter, not even thinking there was a chance he'd want to reply to you, even if you had hoped that somehow he would reach out to you.

And he did. This way.

If you're travelin' down to the Hawk's country fair

The winds hit heavy on the borderline

Remember me to one who lives there

She's the one true love of mine

She's the one true love of mine

She's the one true love of mine

She's the one true love of mine

She's the one true love of mine

Then

Hawkins, 1981.

Y/N

You honestly didn’t know what to do. It had been almost a month since the fair and you and Eddie had kissed. You had thought that finally you would take the step to become more than friends.

But the Monday after when Eddie picked you up from school he had acted like nothing had happened.

You had wanted to ask him why but deep down you were too scared about the answer. That it hadn’t meant anything to him, that you had overstepped a boundary.

That hurt.

When it had been a week of Eddie acting like the fair had never even happened you had started to distance yourself. You couldn’t take it.

You loved Eddie Munson but if he still saw you as just a friend… well, of course he couldn’t help how he felt, but neither could you. And you could only control your own actions and you decided that for now it hurt too much to be even close to Eddie.

That’s how you started hang out with Jonathan Byers instead. He was one year younger than you, but he was a nice guy, a loner, with a reputation for being a loser but when you two started talking in history you found that only the loner part was true – and only because he didn’t fit in with most cliques in high school.

You told him about Eddie and Jonathan said that he was an idiot but that he was certain Eddie was in love with you, he was just uncertain on how to navigate it. You didn’t believe him but it was nice of him to say it.

Eddie stared at you two when you passed him in the corridors but you refused to meet his eyes. He had made his choice, he had no reason to be angry.

It ended with you leaving the cat ring he had won you on the porch of his trailer, not wanting any more reminders of that night.

That evening it was Halloween and you took Jonathan with you to the Hideout, knowing that Corroded Coffin would probably play but the free drinks made up for it.

Jonathan didn’t had a costume and neither did you, even if you had put on a dress, for once.

Indeed, Eddie was there and when he saw you with Jonathan you swore you could see him gulp but you looked away again, once more repeating to yourself that Eddie had made his choice. He couldn’t fault you for yours.

Then suddenly Eddie got up on the stage, all but dragging the rest of the guys with him even though they weren’t scheduled on for another hour.

“I want to sing a song tonight. A song I dedicate to the most wonderful girl in the world. A girl I lost due to my own idiocy. But I need to let her know how I feel at least.”

Then they started playing. You gasped. It wasn’t Corroded Coffin’s usual vibe, it was a power ballad by Bon Jovi.

It had been released just the week before you and Eddie had gone to the fair, and you had listened to it so many times that you had worn out the cassette tape already.

Eddie started, his voice lower and huskier than usual:

This Romeo is bleeding

But you can't see his blood

It's nothing but some feelings

That this old dog kicked up

It's been raining since you left me

Now I'm drowning in the flood

You see, I've always been a fighter

But without you, I give up

You couldn’t believe it. Did he do this just because he was jealous of you and Jonathan? No, you had known Eddie for many years; he wasn’t one to play games. But why had he acted that way with you then?

Jonathan leaned in and whispered into your ear. “Told you. He’s clearly head over heels in love with you. My guess is he just didn’t know what to do after that kiss.”

That was true. After the Ferris wheel you had seen how late it was and you had to rush back to your house before you were grounded. You and Eddie hadn’t talked about what the kiss meant.

Did he think that you… that it didn’t mean anything to you? Is that why he had been like this?

Eddie took a deep breath and then sang from the bottom of his lungs, an expression of near agony on his face.

I can't sing a love song

Like the way it's meant to be

Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore

But baby, that's just me

And I will love you, baby, always

And I'll be there forever and a day, always

I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine

'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme

And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind

And I'll love you, always

Tears now rose in your eyes. He did love you. This… it was the most sincere (and beautiful) love declaration you could ever hope for.

Now your pictures that you left behind Are just memories of a different life Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry One that made you have to say goodbye What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair To touch your lips, to hold you near When you say your prayers, try to understand I've made mistakes, I'm just a man

When he holds you close, when he pulls you near When he says the words you've been needing to hear I wish I was him With these words of mine To say to you 'til the end of time

That I will love you baby, always And I'll be there forever and a day, always

Eddie looked at you, standing beside Jonathan and you could have sworn that a tear ran down his cheek.

What? Did he think that you had… that you and Jonathan were a couple? Did he really think that you could get over him so quickly and just…?

If you told me to cry for you, I could

If you told me to die for you, I would

Take a look at my face

There's no price I won't pay

To say these words to you

You walked closer to the stage, you couldn’t help it. Eddie was like a magnet to you.

Jonathan just stood back by the bar, sipping his soda and smiling.

Eddie’s gaze met yours as you walked closer. It was like everyone else in the bar had disappeared and it was just the two of you.

Well, there ain't no luck

In these loaded dice

But baby, if you give me just one more try

We can pack up our old dreams

And our old lives

We'll find a place where the sun still shines

And I will love you, baby, always

And I'll be there forever and a day, always

Your lips trembled when you nodded. There was no question about it. There was no one else for you and never had been. And from what this told you – Eddie felt exactly the same.

You two just needed to learn how to communicate better.

I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine 'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme I know when I die, you'll be on my mind And I'll love you, always

Always, always

Eddie finished, took his guitar off and jumped down from the stage. You didn’t waste any time, you ran straight into his arms.

“Eddie…” you all but sobbed. “Jonathan and I are just friends – I could never want anyone else but you. I just thought… I thought the kiss didn’t mean anything to you.”

“Oh, kitten,” Eddie cooed, stroking your hair, “it meant everything, it was the best goddamn thing in my life, except for meeting you. I just… I got so nervous when you didn’t call the next day and then on Monday you didn’t say anything about it…”

“Neither did you,” you giggled, shaking your head at how silly you both had been.

“No, I suppose I didn’t,” Eddie said. “But I’m here now. And I’m telling you – I want you to be mine. I want to be your boyfriend. Do you want me, kitten? Always, like I just sang?”

You nodded. “Always, Eddie. Forever and a day.”

He took out the cat ring you had given him back earlier. “This is a promise, kitten. Until we do the real deal.”

taglist: @ali-r3n @ficsbypix @mewchiili @melodymunson @ches-86 @jenniquinn @eddiemunsonfuxks @stolen-in-moonlight @alastorssimp @pandemoniusstuff

(let me know if you want to be on the taglist!)

please, like, comment and reblog!

Your likes are wonderful but reblogs expand my reading circle.

[zenlesszonezero]

Join Zenless Zone Zero with Tsukishiro Yanagi, the deputy leader of Hollow Special Operations Section 6! Beneath her ordinary office lady exterior lies a meticulous, emotionally intelligent big sister to the team.

[lindseymcdonaldseyelashes]

“THE LIBRARIANS” COME HOME FOR THE “NEXT CHAPTER” 

AS THE SHOW MOVES TO TNT FOR A 2025 PREMIERE

Los Angeles, CA - August 23 – In a thrilling development for fans of the beloved TV series 

"The Librarians," Electric Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based production and distribution company, has revealed the exciting news of the spinoff, "The Librarians: The Next Chapter," making a triumphant return to its roots at the original broadcaster TNT. 

Dean Devlin states, "Our comeback to TNT with this franchise holds immense significance for us and we are thrilled by TNT's dedication to fans by offering them the continuation of one of their beloved fantasy series."

“The Librarians: The Next Chapter” is a spinoff of the original TV series “The Librarians,” that followed the adventures of the custodians of a magical repository of the world’s most powerful and dangerous supernatural artifacts. The new series centers on a “Librarian” from the past, who time traveled to the present and now finds himself stuck here. When he returns to his castle, which is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. He is given a new team to help him clean up the mess he made, forming a new team of Librarians. The new series stars Callum McGowan (Jamestown), Jessica Green(The Outpost), Olivia Morris (Hotel Portofino) and Bluey Robinson (Britannia). Caroline Loncq (Mammals) guest stars. Christian Kane will reprise his role as “Jacob Stone” in a Guest Starring role. 

“The Librarians: The Next Chapter” is produced by Electric Entertainment. Dean Devlin serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment. Noah Wyle serves as producer. Mark Franco of Electric Entertainment and Jonathan English of Balkanic Media also produce.  

The Librarians franchise started off as a compilation of made-for-TV movies featuring the titular librarian Flynn Carsen in 2004’s “Quest for the Spear,” 2006’s “Return to King Solomon’s Mines” and 2008’s  “Curse of the Judas Chalice.” The movies did so well, TNT picked up the concept for a TV series, “The Librarians” that aired for four seasons between 2014 and 2018.

Sonia Mehandjiyska, Head of International Distribution and Nolan Pielak, SVP, International Distribution and Co-Production at Electric Entertainment will be handling International Sales for “The Librarians: The Next Chapter.” Steve Saltman, Head of Domestic Sales for Electric Entertainment will handle digital rights alongside TNT.

About Electric Entertainment Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Electric Entertainment is an independent studio headed by veteran producer Dean Devlin along with his partners Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson. Electric Entertainment also houses acquisitions and sales divisions, with domestic sales headed up by Steve Saltman and the international division headed by Sonia Mehandjiyska. Electric also has a satellite office located in Vancouver, Canada.

Among Electric’s hit television series are “Leverage: Redemption” the spin-off continuation of “Leverage,” which ran for five seasons on TNT.  Both series are currently streaming in the U.S. and U.K. on Amazon Freevee. Season 3 of “Leverage: Redemption” is currently in post-production for Amazon Prime Video. “Almost Paradise” is currently streaming on Amazon Freevee after having premiered on WGN America. Season 2 of “Almost Paradise” premiered in July 2023 on Amazon Freevee in the U.S and U.K. Electric’s new series “The Ark” premiered in February 2023 on SYFY. Season 2 of “The Ark” premiered in July 2024. Other Electric series include “The Librarians” which ran for four seasons on TNT. A new spin-off series, entitled “The Librarians: The Next Chapter,” is currently in post-production. “The Outpost,” which premiered its 4th season on The CW in 2021, is now streaming on Amazon Freevee.

Electric’s Feature Films have included “Bad Samaritan” starring David Tennant and Robert Sheehan, and most recently “The Deal” starring Sumalee Montano and Emma Fischer. Electric also acquires, distributes and sells worldwide rights to Electric’s produced and acquired content, as well as theatrical films from around the world, including “Blood On The Crown,” starring Harvey Keitel and Malcolm McDowell, and Rob Reiner’s historical biopic “LBJ,” starring Woody Harrelson.

[carinalastimosa]

Man, oh man, oh Manny!

Star Wars’ The Acolyte may have been review bombed but it opened y’alls eyes up to the man, Manny Jacinto. The Filipino-Canadian actor made waves as The Stranger/Qimir. Now, if you haven’t seen the show, I won’t spoil it for you but I am sure by this point, you’ve seen some sort of meme/TikTok/post/text from your nanay, featuring the sexually charged (okay, Disney!!!) scenes between Amanda Stenberg’s Osha and Jacinto. In honor of The Acolyte’s finale, which aired last night on Disney+, here is a list of some of the other Asian men I’ve loved over the years on the big and small screen.

Paolo Montalban - The Definitive Prince Charming

One of my favorite movies, to this day, is the 1997 Whitney Houston produced television movie Cinderella. Even my top 4 on letterboxd proves this. It’s one of my first memories consuming pop culture because of the diversity in casting. Houston saw that this story didn’t have to follow traditional casting norms. You can have a Filipino prince and his parents be a white man and a black woman with no one questioning it! Since I saw this at the young age of 7, I thought this was the norm, when in fact, it was the opposite. It’d be one of those rare moments where my parents would ask, “Filipino?” because they weren’t and still aren’t used to seeing Filipinos on screen. Paolo Montalban as Prince Charming is honestly, charming! He brings an earnestness to the role and has genuine chemistry with the luminous Brandy as the titular Cinderella. Their chemistry was so strong, that they’ve even reprised their roles in the recently released Disney+ movie Descendants: The Rise of Red.

Tuxedo Mask - My First (Animated) Crush

That’s right! We all have one. And my animated crush was Tuxedo Mask from the Sailor Moon series. I mean, who could resist! The mask, so mysterious! The black, so tuxedo!

Dante Basco - Rufioooooooo!

The beauty of film is that it is forever. Which means, that for generations of kids to come, they have the exuberance of Dante Basco captured on screen as Rufio in Steven Spielberg’s Hook. I was one of those kids when I was first introduced to the film in the last 90’s. At first, it didn’t even register to me that Basco is also Filipino-American and I think that’s the beauty of Basco’s performance. He’s just one of the boys, the lost boys. While Basco’s career moved more towards voice over, he made his indelible mark as Zuko in Nickelodeon’s animated Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Charles Melton - This Man is a Movie Star

My first introduction to Charles Milton didn’t come through the hit CW series Riverdale. It was after my time. I’m of the Gossip Girl generation, xoxo. I started to hear about the Korean-American actor as the scene stealer in the hotly anticipated Natalie Portman-Julianne Moore headliner May December. And he didn’t disappoint. Melton completely transforms into a man forced into very adult circumstances, still trying to navigate his adolescence. It’s a deeply felt performance filled with longing. He should have been nominated for an Oscar. During the campaign trail, he exuded glamour with his style, affable charm during his interviews, and pride in his heritage in acceptance speeches. Proving why he should be Hollywood’s new leading man.

Lee Jung-jae - Quit Playing (Squid) Games with my Heart

Netflix probably didn’t realize they had a mega international hit on their hands when they dropped their all Korean language tv series Squid Game on their streaming platform. Studio execs will say a foreign language show will alienate audiences, that there aren’t enough bankable Asian stars even when shows like this and FX’s Shogun have proven otherwise. Squid Game made several stars out of the series, including model turned actor Jung Ho-yeon but Korea was already hot on Lee, already a well established star there, we were just playing catch up. It didn’t take long. Lee won numerous awards for his performance and he easily won my style heart. What an elegant, sexy ass man! Needless to say, I’m very grateful to his Gucci campaign.

Dev Patel - The Man

The Indian-British actor/producer/director has had an already varied and expansive career spanning nearly 2 decades, doing so with just 26 acting credits to his IMDb. Which tells me the industry is simply not using this man enough!

Henry Golding - Crazy Handsome Asian

To me, one of the most magical things a film can pull off is perfect casting. It’s a magic trick if they cast a virtual unknown, dazzling the audience, wondering how they did it. That’s how I felt with the casting of Malaysian-British tv correspondent Henry Golding in the film Crazy Rich Asians. A lot was already riding on this movie adaptation: a big budget, romantic comedy, starring an all Asian cast. It had to do well. Or else studio execs had the “proof” they needed to no longer back Asian-led films. Casting Golding as their leading man could have been a risk but with their heroine Constance Wu and Oscar-worthy supporting performance from Michelle Yeoh, the movie was in good hands. Golding holds his own in his first feature film outing. Effortless and magnetic. Buzzy roles quickly followed in Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor and G.I. Joe franchise Snake Eyes. He’s also taken on more dramatic roles in smaller films, further pushing his acting ability. He continues to develop his craft, further cementing why we fell in love with him in the first place.

Manny Jacinto - The Inspo of this Blog

Everybody say, "Salamat, Manny"! He deserves all the roles. No more getting cut from films! In The Good Place, he played the classic himbo, which could have easily pigeonholded into similar roles but he's shown his versatility in shows like Nine Perfect Strangers where he held his own with, my favorite actress, Nicole Kidman. The Acolyte is another facet he's getting to show us and I hope this momentum carries him to the big screen. I'm rooting for this manny, talaga.

[thisismysecondrodeo]

Twitter Famous (Jason Sudeikis x Reader) - Chapter 1

wc: 2.4k

Story Page | Story Tag

You had never planned on being a musician. When you were younger you thought maybe astronaut or author—there was still time for one of those things but it seemed you hadn’t made it out of the A’s in your career book—but after getting into songwriting in college, selling a few of your songs, and a few viral videos of you actually performing, you had carved out a small niche for yourself as a musical artist. It was strange to think about, but you had reached exactly the level of celebrity you were comfortable with—very famous to a decent-sized group of people, and absolutely nonexistent to everyone else. 

The combination of medium celebrity and the fact that you’d never sought fame at all was probably why you were a little looser with social media than your manager, Kayla, would like. You were never offending anyone, you mainly just tweeted personal information that she’d rather you kept to yourself—like how finishing the show Normal People made you sad and horny or the story of the worst date you’d ever been on that ended with you peeing your pants in an In-N-Out. 

You were taking a break at the recording studio while working on your second album. It was hard to handle the writing block sometimes, a lot of pressure to keep creating something greater than what came before. The studio was wood-paneled and a little smokey, but comfortable. You’d recorded your debut album there as well and so it felt like being in your own living room when you told your producer you needed a break and flopped down on the black leather couch in the corner to pull out your phone. 

“Headed to the corner store, need anything,” your producer, Chris, asked, sliding his vape out of his pocket and wiggling it. You didn’t need the hint that he was going to get pods, he vaped so much that talking to him was like trying to peer through fog at the San Francisco bridge. Though you and weed were well acquainted, neither vapes nor cigarettes were your speed. 

“All good, thanks, Chris.” 

He nodded and shut the door behind him, leaving you alone with your thoughts which was never a good thing, especially when a recording session wasn’t going well. The songs were technically all written, but when you went to record you realized they needed work and inspiration just wasn’t hitting you. It didn’t help that a lot of what you were recording were love songs, written during a relationship that ended poorly, to say the least. Your ex was mildly famous himself and a musician as well, which you had hoped meant he’d understand you. After all, what was being a musician if not just trying over and over again to make yourself understood? But he had wanted fame more than he ever wanted to be comprehended, which meant wanting your relationship dragged into any tabloid that would report on it and every date you went on filmed for Instagram and TikTok…and on one memorable occasion, live-streamed on Twitch. So it was hard to record songs you’d written while deeply in love now that you were rather apathetic to the whole thing. But you also couldn’t just rewrite every song as a breakup song no matter how much you wanted to when you’d already started recording, so you tweaked what you could to make sure you didn’t sound…inauthentic. 

But when tweaking lyrics wasn’t enough you scrolled social media and tried to inspire the feelings you had when you wrote the songs. And as embarrassing as it was, you normally did that by looking at pictures and videos of your celebrity crush, Jason Sudeikis. You’d been a fan of his since you were young watching him on SNL but your little crush had ramped up since the Ted Lasso craze which meant lots of content for you to lust after. You scrolled past a video of him performing onstage for a charity event called Thundergong and thanked your lucky stars that Chris was gone so you could watch the video 3 times over. 

You chuckled as you tweeted: 

You weren’t surprised it was relatable as the notifications started rolling in but after bantering with a few people Chris came back swinging a plastic bag on one finger and you locked your phone to get back to work. 

A few hours later, you’d had more success recording but you were still mentally and emotionally exhausted by the time you hopped in your car to head home. You certainly weren’t excited to sit in LA traffic but you had just downloaded an audiobook you were looking forward to listening to. Connecting your phone to Bluetooth made you realize just how much you’d missed since you tweeted—a slew of Twitter notifications, more Instagram follows, 2 missed calls from Kayla, and a dozen texts. 

You chuckled, calling Kayla back and bracing for her playfully admonishing you to keep some thoughts to yourself. 

“Hiiii Kayla.” 

“Hi Y/N…how are you,” she sounded genuinely curious which only amused you more. 

“I feel like I’m pretty good…but I also feel like you’re calling to tell me I’m in trouble.”

“Not trouble…,” Kayla trailed off, but she laughed and so did you. “WHY did you tweet that? I mean don’t get me wrong it’s not a bad thing I’m just suddenly fielding requests from interviews trying to find out what over 40 man you’re dating, and I’d like to know too.” 

“No one! I’m not dating anyone,” you laughed. “Honestly? I had just watched a video of Jason Sudeikis singing.” 

If anyone knew the ins and outs of your crush on Jason, it was Kayla, who you regularly asked if the two of you would ever be at the same place. It was mostly a joke, you knew you’d lose your mind in the same room as him, but there was a non-zero chance you’d run into him considering you'd started playing the late-night show circuit. 

If you thought Kayla was laughing before she was really cackling now. “THAT’S what that’s about?! Oh my God, Y/N, you’re ridiculous. I would still recommend you keep that to yourself—an age gap like that will shoot you straight to trending.” 

“You say that like if he found out he’d be at all interested. I guarantee you that man doesn’t want me.” 

Kayla sighed. “How many times do I have to remind you that you are more famous and more beautiful and more talented than you seem to think?” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah I think I pay you to say that though,” you laughed, taking the exit towards home. “Appreciate it though. And sorry to make your life harder.” 

“Nah, it was funny. And I know fame isn’t your goal, but…not the worst thing for album promotion.” 

“God, I’m going to be asked about this constantly aren’t I,” you groaned but you only had yourself to blame. “Oh well, my fault. Night, Kayla.”

“Night, Y/N.”

When you got home, made yourself dinner, and worked up the nerve to open Twitter again. It was mostly people guessing who you were talking about, trying to get you to tell them, or just volunteering their own Over-40s and it was a solid list: Chris Evans, Oscar Isaac, Sterling K. Brown, and so on and so forth. A few valid critiques of heterosexuality, considering you weren’t straight yourself. 

You thought about just picking one person and telling them the truth but for the sake of Kayla’s heartburn you decided to keep that to yourself for now—instead, you added: 

Still relatable, still honest, but also still clearly a joke and it took a little heat off of people wanting to know who you were dating. You were just being thirsty on the internet and who could blame you for that?

- 

Another week, another studio session and this one was worse than before. Your tweet was still getting the occasional notification but obviously, it blew over. It wasn’t like you were the first person to think that, and you certainly wouldn’t be the last. 

“I can just tell that your heart isn’t in it,” Chris sighed, pausing the recording playback. “I mean you always sound great, but we both know this ain’t it.” 

You spun around in the chair next to Chris, your face pointed at the ceiling, eyes closed, as you took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I know, I know. But the lyrics are garbage.” The studio door opened and closed but you didn’t open your eyes.

“The lyrics aren’t garbage. They meant something to you at one point, they’re good. You’re just singing them like they’re sarcastic.” 

You laughed because you knew he was right. “Listen, I just—”

“Need to get laid?”

You picked your head up to see it was Andie who had entered, your best friend since college, and an up-and-coming actress herself who you hung out with more than anyone. She had just gotten off set and told you she’d swing by to hear your new stuff, and you weren’t surprised she showed up just in time to see you close to freaking out. 

“Me getting laid isn’t going to make this song any better. Hear it for yourself.” 

You motioned for Chris to start the recording over and the three of you listened to about 30 seconds of it before he cut it again. Andie was sitting on the couch with her knees pulled up to her chest as she listened, gently rocking to the music.

“So,” you asked, “you see?”

“Lyrics are good, music is good…I stand by my assessment, you just need to get railed so you sound like you actually believe what you're saying.” Chris laughed and you gave him an exasperated look but he only shrugged and motioned that he was stepping outside. Andie came over and took his seat. 

“Okay, so if you don’t want to get railed—” 

“Didn’t say that, it’s just not that easy.” 

“Then I don’t know…what’s something you can do that makes you FEEL like you just got railed?”

It was classic Andie to be so preoccupied with you having sex, but she only wanted the best for you and she knew your ex had…not been it. She just wanted to see you having fun. And in truth it wasn’t a bad suggestion, you thought on it for a moment, humming. 

“Honestly? I watch Sleeping with Other People for the 100th time.” 

Andie laughed, “You should tweet that, it's funny.” 

“You know Kayla hates when I’m funny,” you joked, but you were already pulling out your phone. “Soooo, movie night tonight?”

Andie stood up as Chris came back into the studio and returned to the couch. “I don’t know dude, that sounds like something you should do in private.”

You chuckled and Chris looked confused but didn’t ask any questions which you appreciated. “You, uh, ready to get back in the booth?”

“Let’s try the next track, just give me one sec,” you were staring at your phone as you responded and then you locked it and sat it on the desk before opening the door to the booth. 

When you came back out Andie was looking at you wide-eyed.

“What, was it that good?”

Andie just grinned. “Check your Twitter.” 

You couldn’t help it, you squealed and Andie cackled like a fool. Jason Sudeikis liked your tweet. 

“That recording was really good, I think—”

“Not now Chris, can’t you see her crush liked her tweet,” Andie giggled and Chris rolled his eyes, but you were embarrassed so you just locked your phone. 

“Sorry, sorry, I’m here, I’m focused. That can wait.” 

“Can it?! @ him right now and tell him you have a crush on him I swear to god,” Andie’s face was enthusiastic and you wanted to join her in her excitement but you also wanted Chris to take you seriously. 

“Andie! It's alright, just come over later, we’ll drink wine and squeal. Promise.”

“Alright, I get the hint. I’m just gonna go flirt with the front desk guy again, get me when you’re done." 

A woman of your word, after the two of you left the recording studio you poured Andie a glass of wine and listened to her try to convince you that you should try to DM Jason Sudeikis. 

“He doesn’t follow me.” 

“Okay, but everyone knows he, like, searches his name or whatever. He clearly sees tweets about him…”

“And?” 

“Annnnd you should tweet at him.” 

The two of you were standing in the kitchen, picking at a premade charcuterie board you’d picked up on the way home. It was already dark out and chances were high that Andie would be staying the night, which only added to the sleepover vibe. 

“We’re strangers Andie, he has no clue who I am, I’m not just gonna harass him on Twitter.” 

Andie threw her hands up in the air. “How many times do I have to remind you that you are hot and also famous? He might be interested! Look, why don’t you just go back to last week’s 'men over 40 tweet', pick one of the people clamoring to find out who you were talking about, and mention him. If he doesn’t see it, no harm, no foul. If he DOES see it and he’s not interested, you were just interacting with fans. And if he IS interested…then I’m a genius, you owe me a hundred bucks, and I get to name your first child.” 

You scoffed, a small smile on your face. You loved Andie, you loved how she encouraged your nonsense, but you knew there was no way anything would ever come of it. You groaned playfully, “Okay but no children.” 

“Fine, dog.” 

“Deal.” 

You pulled out your phone and followed through, butterflies in your stomach the whole time. You tossed your phone away from you like a bomb as soon as it was done. 

When you woke up a little hungover with a missed call from Kayla, you thought you might be trending again. You weren’t really surprised to see Jason liked the tweet, even if it did make you swoon. You were more surprised that he followed you. But you were stunned that it wasn’t you that was trending… It was #ShootYourShotJason

Every other tweet you saw was “Jason ask her out” and “Jason make a move”. A few that suggested you were out of his league, a few more wondering who the hell you were. But most importantly, Jason was liking every single one. 

“ANDIE,” you yelled, knowing she could hear you from the guest room. She came in rubbing her eyes and grunting. “What the hell did we do?!”

[toa-archive]

Troll Dads Design Path - Part 1

This thread is long overdue and has hit further problems in being posted delaying it further, apologises for that. Anyway we're here now and finally it's time to look at some troll dads.

This has been pieced together from what has been found online and acknowledges that there is further content in the artbook or somewhere online that has yet to be found. The timeline will also be as accurate as can be guessed

Might as well start with the original Trollhunters book where a much wiggly Blinky of the Lizzgump clan and the fetching lady Johannah Mmmm ARRRGH!!! looked very different to their tv designs. E. M. Gist produced the below artwork that was to be the cover though was replaced by Sean Murray's Amulet artwork fairly last minute. It often blows around the internet in bad quality and never credited so it's a pleasure to finally be able to do that.

Source

Sean Murray has two illustrations with his own take on the duo! If Blinky was more visible you'd see a skirt made out of medals he's wearing. These were part of a set of interior illustrations.

Source includes other illustrations he made for the novel

Understandably for the original Trollhunters film their designs had to be changed to be both more animation and child friendly. Rodrigo Blaas produced this version in 2010 showing Jack Sturges, Handsome Blinky and AAARRRGGHH carrying a hunk of Gunmar around, something that sticks around in the artwork for a long while.

Handsome Blinky can kindly stay away.

Source

On his website John Bell has this artwork from 2012, clearly still in the film phase, of his take on the duo. You can certainly see some themes still sticking around from the earlier days.

Source

Blinky went all sorts of directions as can be seen in this artwork by Francisco Ruiz Velasco. His four arms didn't seem to show up until he took on a more familiar shape and surprisingly he had a tail at one point!

Source

Headless Studios were also trying out different Blinky designs including a tall variant until his more rectangle shape we're more used to started to crop up more and more. There are even more of these in the artbook.

Source

As they deserve a special place being so unique these fuzzy Blinky's are by Francisco Ruiz Velasco and show a rather familiar outfit starting to appear. He still has a little tail though his feet are more feathered than solid but it only adds to his adorable charm.

Source

This one wasn't posted in the original thread, figured it'd be a nice treat for the long wait. Simon Rogers did concept art for the original film and if you look at the bottom middle and left a bit there is a squat Blinky, A tall standing but short legged AAARRRGGHH with a chunk of Gunmar and likely Jim in Trollmarket.

This seemed a good transition piece between the dads too.

Source

AAARRRGGHH seemed to hit his stride much sooner than Blinky did with most changes focusing on how much fluff, facial shape and his tattoos. These images are by Francisco Ruiz Velasco and include shorts prior to that loincloth number he'll be sporting soon. With his build heading the right direction too he's already looks like a good boy.

Source

Meanwhile at Headless Studios, AAARRRGGHH design started to cement into something more familiar to us by keeping that scruff n fluff and extending it. This is the first appearance of his arm stripes which will stick around for quite a while along with leg wraps. His tail is pure fuzz when it appears.

Source

Shown in the artbook along with an art version by Headless Studios (A version of is below too), this small statue was used in the original pitch and was created by Chris Ryniak! Poor Toby.

Source

Blinky in the meanwhile was still being fairly fast and funky though now his shape seemed to stick and it was more the specifics that were in flux. His number of eyes kept changing, glasses, fabulous eyeliner and even a camp counselor look going on.

Bar minor adjustments though he too would hit his stride. All the below are by Headless Studios.

Source

The colours remained in flux for a while though and a number plate temporarily appears on his shoulder. He does look rather fetching in pink though? The chunk of Gunmar is back and AAARRRGGHH remains stable for the time being other than being red. Both are Headless Studios again.

Source

Sergio Casas did a colour pass making the trolls makeup game the best it'll be. AAARRGGHH's arm stripes are starting to dwindle though the earring is sticking as it will until the final. This is also the last appearance of Blinky's number plate.

Source

More Headless Studios! His arm warmers make their last stand here and the more obvious loin cloth putting an appearance. The bottom middle one is likely what Betsy Bauer based the phone artwork in Wizards on. Look at that smile.

Source

Two more by Francisco Ruiz Velasco, while the top image does have vague hints of fuzzy Blinky AAARRRGGHH lacks his arm warmers for clear rune marks instead. The second image showing "Gunmar" at Killahead Bridge comes much later and AAARRGGHH having a sharper design than the softer rounded one he did previously.

Source 1 / Source 2

Jonatan Catalan Navarrete portfolio includes a poster for when it was still very much the film version and a slightly terrifying Blinky model (A textureless version is in the artbook) and the final appearance of the hunk of Gunmar.

Source

There is actually two versions of the below image by Alfonso Blaas though this is the lesser known one with gorgeous lighting, the other being an earlier blue concept used to announce the Trollhunters tv project. AAARRGGHH has his loincloth still but very much looking like who we know and love now.

Source

Due to hitting the image cap the thread has been split into two! You can find the second part here.

[steelbluehome]

FandomWire

Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson Returning to Marvel Studio to Dub The Avengers is More Special Than Many Fans Realize

This effort is not just another feather in Marvel’s cap; it is a soaring eagle, taking flight for a significant noble cause.

Written by: Siddhika

Reviewed by: Sayantan

PUBLISHED JULY 6, 2024, 6:42 AM

SUMMARY

The Avengers, including Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson, have reunited for a special collaboration.

The collaboration, which took 15 months, showcases the power of cultural preservation and linguistic reclamation.

The team has dubbed their highly acclaimed film in the Lakota language.

At a time when superheroes leap from the comic book pages onto the big screen, forging unbreakable connections with fans of all ages, who could’ve imagined that bringing together the original dynamic cast of The Avengers would be anything less than a smash-hit blockbuster revelation? 

Yet, here we are, witnessing a spectacle that’s more heartwarming than any on-screen showdown—Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson are returning to Marvel Studios to dub The Avengers in the Lakota language, proving that the real superpower lies in cultural preservation & linguistic reclamation.

Garnering insights from the latest scoop & considering the meticulous labor that took 15 months, with 62 dedicated Lakota-Dakota language speakers collaborating alongside Hollywood’s finest, this dub is far more than just a special feature. 

Behind-the-Scenes: The Avengers Reassemble for Lakota Recording

In a move that would leave fans saying “Holy cow!” Marvel Studio has given us something truly special – a new dub of The Avengers in the Lakota language. And what’s even more amazing is that the original cast members, including Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr., have returned to reprise their roles. It’s like a superhero reunion straight out of our wildest dreams.

The Avengers Are Getting Assembled Again; After Robert Downey Jr., Another MCU Star Wishes to Make His MCU Return in Avengers Movie

The noble initiative of Grey Willow Music Studios & Production has brought together a constellation of stars such as Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo, to name a few, for a phenomenal project: dubbing the entire Joss Whedon’s 2012 flick in the historically rich Lakota language. 

With the collaborative spirit of over 62 Lakota-Dakota language speakers, cultural essence didn’t just mimic the original; it imbued it with an authenticity that resonates deeply within the Native community (see X). But how did a casual joke become a visionary endeavor, you ask? Well, Ruffalo is actually credited with starting the project (via ICT News Org).

Watching the latest Marvel video is fascinating, not only because Chris Evans, Downey Jr., and the others are revisiting their characters in a new language, but also due to their efforts that have gone into ensuring that their performances are authentic to the Lakota voice. In a clip, Ray Taken Alive, an executive producer and Lakota translator, said: 

"Our ancestors, they were punished for speaking our language. So, our language, it went kind of underground. It was spoken in bedrooms when the matrons were not there at boarding schools. It was spoken in dark rooms where nobody could hear them but it was still spoken."

That being said, this project is a celebration of language and culture.

Mark Ruffalo’s Contribution in Bringing Back The Avengers

When the idea of a Lakota-dubbed version of The Avengers first came up by the Grey Willow Music sound production crew as a joke, little did they know that it would soon become a reality. With the help of Mark Ruffalo, the dream of creating a version of The Avengers that was truly “By Natives, For Natives” was brought to life. According to ICT News Org, the company’s (Grey Willow) President and founder, Lawrence Archambault said:

"Mark Ruffalo was a huge help in introducing us to Disney-Marvel Studios. When we started talking, we said we wanted everything — our language recordings, translations and our actors – to be ‘By Natives, For Natives.’ That’s our motto."

The Avengers in Lakota on Disney+ has been a hard work of love for many individuals and organizations, including Dallas Nelson, Archambault, Ray Taken Alive, Grey Willow Studios. Their dedication has culminated in a project that will not only entertain audiences but also showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Lakota people.

So, grab your popcorn and gather your friends – this is a Marvel moment like no other. The Avengers are back, and this time, they’re speaking in a language that has waited too long to be heard.

The Avengers’ Lakota language dub is now available on Disney+.