#tom looking at Dakota Dakota looking at the camera

[remnantofstars]

Wow they're so silly!!! None of them said cheese for the picture :/

[notafunkiller]

Please tell me it's a lie that she saw ig stories, enserió that woman needs a break from instagram, it's not healthy for her to do that on a "vacation", why would you do that anyway?.

I swear because of her I want to get out of the fandom, I can't stand how they romanticize everything she does, and honestly it makes me rethink what kind of person she is that I follow, Sebastian is a great actor, but I believe less and less in him as a person and the cute comments he makes related to some topics (like social media, after that follow to a fan account, it completely broke me of how she had talked about him not having the app,etc).

Many think it's a way for both of them to say they are an official couple, but if that were the case, she would post a picture (I think so).It really is disturbing AW's behavior seeing every single thing she is tagged in at 2 am????.

You are the only account that is respectful to all points of view and I appreciate that, thanks for being one of the few that whatever it is you don't say "you don't like AW = jealous". They say if relationship is very private and mature but then these pics happen...I've seen more private celebrity couples that are always seen together and if one is on social media they upload pics together (Tom Hollan, Evan Peters new girlfriend, Dylan Obrien's girlfriend,etc).

Sorry for the long text, it just blows my mind her seeing ig stories when she is supposedly in a "romantic" moment makes me wonder what kind of person she is.

Hey, do not apologizeee.

I totally get you. Annabelle's behavior is just... 😬 Like, who’s on Instagram at 2 am checking stories while they’re supposed to be on a romantic vacation if this is real? But I mena... she was stalking Dakota J. fan accounts on NYE... It's embarrassing, honestly. And Sebastian... All this social media/PR drama makes it hard for people outside his fandom to take him seriously. And I find this embarrassing when it comes to him as well.

And talking about the fandom... the way they romanticize everything they do is just too much... Especially since it's obviously PR (even Michael posted again, not that looking in the camera wasn't enough, haha). And yeah, REAL private couples are different. You’re definitely not alone in feeling this way, and it’s good to talk about it. Do not let others silence you!

The fact they say use the jealousy card is something I got used to. It's old and funny, epsecially since they were bullying Ale left and right and saying they are not jealous, just upset over problemstic behaviour (which they ignore in AW's case.l).

I’ve thought about stepping back from the fandom too once or twice over time. It’s just exhausting, so I totally get you.

Thank you for the kind wordss🌸 you are always welcome here

[denimbex1986]

One of my favorite movies of all time is the 1999 adaptation of one of my favorite books of all time, Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. The book and film both follow grifter Tom Ripley when he goes to Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf to return home after Dickie’s father believes Tom to have been his friend. Tom goes to Italy for the money, but finds himself obsessed with Dickie, leading to him murdering him and stealing his identity.

Netflix recently released season one of Ripley, which follows the same book, with the intention of subsequent seasons following the other books of the Ripliad. Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers, Fleabag) stars as Tom Ripley with Johnny Flynn (One Life, EMMA.) as Dickie and Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, War of the Worlds) as his girlfriend Marge Sherwood. It was created, adapted, and directed by Steven Zaillian, screenwriter of films such as Schindler’s List, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Irishman, and All the King’s Men, the final of which he also directed. Just those four are an exciting group of people—I was particularly excited about Scott and Zaillian—that I was looking forward to making one of my favorite novels into a series, which it suited quite well.

But let’s get into the actual show. It is shot in a noir-style black and white that is genuinely the most stunning show I have ever seen. The visual motifs are also very strong, with Ripley’s cunning work frequently compared to the masterful Caravaggio, with the light and dark contrast of the camera also mirroring the paintings and sculptures. I also quite like the use of seagulls against a white sky looking like crows flying, which is especially impactful at various points after Dickie’s murder. The numerous shots through doorframes and out from under tables add to the feeling of Tom being watched, especially when we are peering over the bloodstained bathtub as he is questioned by the police. We are what Tom is paranoid about. The screenplay is also good, as are most of the actors, though the only things that really make it stand out are the visuals, from the cinematography to the production design to the gorgeous Italian streets, with the black and white adding to it rather than making things feel duller. The whole vibe of the show is much darker than that of the movie, which is deeply unsettling, but the show is also fun in a lot of moments, until it’s really, really not.

The show tries to be a more faithful adaptation than the 1999 film, which is exciting. As I said, I love the movie, but there is always something wonderful about a well-done faithful adaptation. The problem with this is that in its faithfulness, every digression is very noticeable, and most of them make little sense. The biggest example is that Marge is Dickie’s girlfriend. This makes a lot of sense in the movie, but I don’t understand why the show does the same thing. The uncertainty of their relationship followed by it turning romantic is one of Ripley’s main motivators to kill Dickie as it is one of the things that he feels betrayed by. If Marge is already dating Dickie, the moment of betrayal when Tom finds out is simply not there, a moment which was a major turning point in the book.

One scene that is a major moment in the book, film, and show is the moment when Tom wears Dickie’s clothing and impersonates him in the mirror. In the film, there is no real dialogue, just singing along to music. In the book, the scene drags on for a long time and it truly makes your skin crawl. Tom not only impersonates Dickie, but pretends to reject and then murder Marge, refuting an imaginary accusation that the Dickie and Tom are lovers. Both are ended by Dickie coming in and asking “What are you doing?” The show seems to want to be more true to the book, having Tom enact breaking up with Marge, but it lacks the murder. While this moment in the book is deeply disturbing, the show is clearly leaning into a more disturbing angle than the movie and the pretending to murder Marge would fit right into the tone. While it feels natural to not include it in the movie, it really added to Tom’s characterization in the book and I missed it when watching an adaptation that was presenting itself as more faithful.

There was also a frankly unnecessary sequence of Tom nearly drowning from falling off of the boat after killing Dickie. It was more high-energy than the actual murder scene and dragged on for far too long. That scene is perfectly representative of most of my problems with the show: what Zaillian chose to emphasize. Some characters seemed to have THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THEM and other character traits were flat-out ignored, particularly smaller parts like Freddie, though it unfortunately transferred into the leads on occasion, particularly Marge.

Visual emphases on the motifs of water and Caravaggio were effective, but some scenes would drag on for a long time. There’s a difference between “slow” and “tedious” and this show occasionally went a little too close to “tedious,” though I will say that these are typically the moments that demonstrate the chilling apathy of Scott’s Tom Ripley. I wanted these moments to end and go on forever. Scott is able to do so much in the silence and he along with the cinematography make the moments both hard to watch and impossible to look away from. How can moments be both tedious and riveting? I both wish that they were gone and wish that there had been a whole episode of Andrew Scott in complete silence. The problem was typically the timing—this would be interesting, but he just committed murder. I don’t care about the boat. I know that Tom isn’t about to die, we’re not even halfway through the season.

The characters can feel like shells of themselves at times. They seem to know that they live in a black-and-white Italy. Marge is reduced to the simple character trait of “doesn’t like Tom” and Fanning plays her like someone who has taken a single semester of Acting I. Flynn’s Dickie is good, but it’s impossible to stop comparing him to the masterful and charismatic performance by Jude Law in 1999. And then there’s Andrew Scott’s mostly critically acclaimed Tom Ripley.

Andrew Scott is doing a tremendous job at what he’s doing. He’s terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. But the problem is that his Tom has no charisma. I can’t watch him and say “I would let this man live in my house.” I especially can’t imagine letting him live in my house after he put on my clothes in my room and impersonated me in my mirror. The show makes a point of Dickie’s naivety, but there’s a point when I’m practically screaming at him to listen to his girlfriend and kick Tom out of the house. Where’s Tom’s one-man show? Where’s his funny way of telling stories? Why on earth does Dickie like him?

The thing that makes me sad is that I know that Andrew Scott could have done a book-accurate Tom Ripley justice, and a book-accurate Tom Ripley is the only way that a mostly faithful show could possibly work. The quieter, more genuine scenes hit home much better than any social interaction that was supposed to be positive or convincingly charming. None of the acting choices that I disagreed with happened in the final episode, however. Fanning was suddenly believable and Scott’s Ripley was perfect. I wish that this energy had translated prior to the final episode.

Zaillian being director, screenwriter, and producer is what truly hurt the show in the end. It feels like it was all his ideas and nobody to edit, meaning that every idea that made little sense was kept in. I am of the general opinion that, if the director is the screenwriter, there needs to be another screenwriter, or at least a different producer. This is just Zaillian. It feels like Zaillian’s project where he has certain views of the characters and the actors did those. Tom Ripley, one of the most fascinating characters in 20th-century literature, regularly falls flat despite being played by one of the best currently working actors in film and television. Seeing the credits ending with Zaillian’s name over and over gives the vibe of a passion project more than it does a fully realized show. There is so much potential there—both Scott and Zaillian are very talented people—and it is being squandered by the lack of creative diversity on the storytelling side. I want to love it, but I just like it, which is somehow worse than hating it. I want to have a strong opinion on an adaptation of one of my favorite novels, but aside from the visuals and some of Scott’s acting choices, no daring choices were made until episode eight. There are eight episodes.

So… do I like Ripley? Despite all of my criticisms, yes. Do I hope that this show gets renewed and we get to see more of the Ripliad adapted? Absolutely. A lot of the show was quite good. I’ve recommended it to multiple people and would watch it again with them. I hope that it gets better when Scott is acting alongside different actors and there isn’t a masterpiece of a film hanging over it, because no matter how hard you try, it’s hard not to think of the 1999 adaptation when watching Ripley. I will say one thing, though: Mr. Scott is certainly talented, but I am left wondering:

Is he Mr. Ripley?'

[agerewithliam]

episode 1 of tar x tdi

(The episode starts with cameras filming Chris in Seattle, Washington.) Chris: "I'm standing behind the Space Needle, one of America's most famous landmarks. This landmark will be the beginning of 22 people put in teams of 2, which are all past or current contestants. So, the teams are..."

(The camera films Raj and Bowie running to Chris) "Raj and Bowie, boyfriends from the reboot seasons." Raj / Bowie in confessionals : Raj: "We're back! Again!" Raj said with his usual smile. "Yep, we're back and we're back to kick some ass." "But you aren't gonna cheat, right?" Raj said with a hopeful look and Bowie smiled. "Yes Raj, I won't cheat this time..." Their confessional finishes and it then shows Eva and Axel.

"Eva and Axel, the "Strong Girls" from Seasons 1 and the reboot." In their confessional: Axel: "Me and Eva are bound to win this." "Yeah, they dont stand a chance. YOU HEAR ME!?" Eva screams into the confessional camera. Axel laughs. "We're two badass woman who know how to get their way. We should at least make 2 or 3 legs." Courtney and Emma are then shown running. "Courtney and Emma, lawyers from seasons 1, 2, 3, 5, and the ridonculous race. Jeez, Courtney was on that many times?" Confessionals: Courtney: "Me and Emma are actually pretty similar. Sure, some of the other teams may have a physical advantage, but we have the intellegence." Emma: "Courtney's right. None of these teams will stand a chance, they're all a bunch of deer in headlights!" Courtney and Emma laughed at her joke. "Ella and Dawn, animal lovers from seasons 4 and Pahkitew Island." Confessional: Ella: "I think it's wonderful that we've both been given another chance to win!" Dawn: "Ella's right! I think we'll play by the rules, except for when required." Ella: "Yeah, me and Dawn would both like to be nice to everyone!" Dawn: "Mhm, but if I can tell someone has a negative aura, it's game over for them." Ella: "Yeah! We can do this!" "Crimson and Gwen, goth girls from seasons 1, 2, 3, 5, and RR." Crimson: "Gwen understands what its like to be a goth girl. It's a shame that we can't represent who we are to the world." Crimson said with her usual frown. "Yeah, we want to inspire other girls like us!" Gwen said, putting her arm up in excitement and smiling. Crimson: "Stop. It's... gross when people are happy." "Blaineley and Dakota, fame seekers from seasons 3 and 4." Blaineley: "Dakota understands what it's like to be famous!" Dakota: "Yeah! Our looks will totes get us ahead!" Blaineley: "I think these other teams will think we're just some two dumb blondes, but we can win this game, and then I'll finally make Chris eat his words. Dakota: "Yep! We should win this game, we're the hottest!" Blaineley rolled her eyes. "Jen and Lindsay, fashion icons from seasons 1, 2, 3, 5, and RR." Confession: Jen: "Last time I ran the race with Tom, we didn't get a long run whatsoever. Now that I have Lindsay, we're gonna win this." Lindsay: "Yeah! I'm pretty experienced with this, so I think that we should be good for a win! Plus we look super cute!" Jen: "Right, but most importantly, Lindsay's been on 4 seasons, she knows how everything works! But I have the most experience with the whole racing thing, even though it's not much." "Heather and Alejandro, lovers from seasons 1, 2, 3, and 5." Confessional: "Alejandro and me are bound to win this. We have our brains, Alejandro's looks-" Alejandro: "You're pretty gorgeous too, amor." Heather blushed. "Oh shut up!" Alejandro rolled his eyes and laughed. "But Heather is right. We are practically the model team for success. We should at least make the finale, si?" "Definitely, we have to do this." "Katie and Sadie, best friends from season 1." Confessional: "OMG Katie! I can't believe we we're invited back!" Katie: "I know right, we totally didn't expect it." Sadie: "But we're so excited! We know we can win the money this time, and we're gonna show the other teams what we got, and most importantly, you guys to show that we aren't just two pretty girls. Katie: "We are really pretty, aren't we?" Sadie: "Yeah!" "Duncan and Scott, antagonists from seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5." Confessional: "Scott and me are actually pretty similar." "Yeah, I'm actually kinda shocked at how emo wannabe over here is like me." Duncan scoffed. "You got ate by a shark..." "And you cheated on your girlfriend, and dumped the girl you cheated her on. Who does that?" "Whatever. We have to be something like a team if we wanna win, tomboy." "Fine." "Sam and Harold, fellow geeks from seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5." Confessional: "We have mad skills that'll help us win. And when we do, I can get my lady Leshawna to a nice beach resort..." "Don't forget about me dude! I'm gonna get a new gaming system!" "Oh... yeah." im abt to post the next part

[mihikavasant]

8 celebrities who had changed their facial aesthetics with braces

Braces are a popular dental procedure that celebrities frequently get to improve their smiles. Eight famous people who changed their appearances with braces are listed below:

Boxer Mike Tyson: Even though it's not common for boxers to have flawless teeth, Tyson made efforts to straighten his teeth. He had gold caps on his front teeth before deciding to get braces to narrow the space and get smaller, better-aligned teeth.

Actor Tom Cruise: The Hollywood actor, who starred in movies like "Mission Impossible" and "Risky Business," originally had teeth that were crooked and stained. Cruise made an investment in cosmetic dentistry, which included teeth straightening, whitening, and braces. Later on, he upgraded to veneers for a total makeover of his grin.

Singer and fashion icon Victoria Beckham: Beckham, the fashionable "Posh" Spice Girl, had dental work done before becoming well-known. She used braces, bonding, and teeth straightening to correct the uneven spacing and gaps in her natural teeth.

Actress Emma Watson: At fourteen, the "Harry Potter" star decided to wear regular braces for four months, highlighting the significance of having a beautiful smile for the rest of one's life. Like her Hogwarts character Hermione, Emma Watson's dedication to dental care displays her brilliance.

Actress Dakota Fanning: Fanning, who grew up on camera, talked about her orthodontic journey growing up, including the difficulty of not having the enzyme that causes baby teeth to come out on their own. Fanning now has a straight smile, even though she once needed braces, retainers, expanders, and headgear.

Singer Justin Bieber: Justin Bieber, the teen superstar of the time, chose to get Invisalign braces and showed them off in a video. For over a year, the invisible braces were worn every day, demonstrating a covert and practical option for teeth alignment.

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton: Before she even got married to Prince William, Kate Middleton used Invisalign for orthodontic treatment. She had an amazing smile on her wedding day because to her treatment, which involved placing invisible braces on the backs of her teeth. It took around six months to complete.

Singer Gwen Stefani: Stefani, who is well-known for her own sense of style, briefly adopted traditional metal braces as a fashion statement in the 1990s. She helped to mainstream metal braces, though not just for tooth repair.

Even the biggest stars strive for the ideal smile, as these celebrities demonstrate the transformational impact of orthodontic treatments, from classic braces to more contemporary options like Invisalign.

FOR MORE INFO PLEASE VISIT: https://www.suryadentalcare.com/celebrities-who-change-look-with-braces/

[the-cat-chat]

July 1, 2023

War of the Worlds (2005)

An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.

JayBell: This was a movie that I was too scared to watch as a kid when it was first released, and it took me almost 20 years to finally watch it. Young Dakota Fanning was “the” child actress of the early 2000′s. It’s great to see her in these roles because she always does an amazing job. Of course, Tom Cruise is always Tom Cruise. He’s one of those actors that I can never fully separate the actor from the person.

Overall, the special effects hold up pretty well. The foghorn noise that the aliens use is scary, and the aliens themselves look pretty cool. My only complaint is that the alien’s laser gun or death gun or whatever weirdly kills people but has their pants fly up in the air? It’s so comical to see the people disintegrate but have a pair of jeans fly up at the camera. I don’t know why the clothes don’t just blow up with the people, because it really ruins the scary vibe.

Tom Cruise’s character is kind of an asshole and not a very engaged father, and I think the movie portrays that very well. You can feel the awkward disconnect between him and his children, and even the resentment that the kids have for him. At the same time, you understand that he is very dedicated to ensuring their survival above anything else. I like that they don’t make his character like a super father, where all of a sudden he has a great relationship with his kids because of this catastrophe. No, the disconnect remains, but the potential for forgiveness and a better relationship in the future is there.

The scene that stands out the most in this movie is the extended scene with the crazy guy in his basement or shelter. The movie is able to really build this tension and fear. It reminded me strongly of A Quiet Place. This is also the moment that Tom Cruise’s character does go to the extremes to protect his child.

The biggest problem I have with this movie is the teenage son. In the beginning, I understood his resentment and anger at his father. But in the middle of the movie, he keeps trying to run away from them, and I didn’t really understand it. Finally, he does run away when they encounter a big showdown between the army and the aliens because “he has to see this.” What does that mean? See what? It’s not like he can join the army right now and jump into a tank or something, so I was very confused by his character in these moments. I would rather his character just got lost in the crowd and meet up with the rest of his family in the end.

But all in all, a solid apocalypse/doomsday movie.

Rating: 6/10 cats 🐈

Anzie: Just as a disclaimer: I’m not the biggest Tom Cruise fan. 😬 That being said the movie was decent and I can for sure see that it would be absolutely terrifying in a movie theater back in 2005. Tom Cruise killed the stupid, mean dad troupe and Dakota Fanning of course, as always was superb. The guy from Shameless was good as the brother (Justin Chatwin) especially when he started acting all - one for the cause or whatever all that weirdness was.

The plot was really good- and the whole time was just trying to figure out well how are they invading? what are their little ray guns? what’s the aliens plan? what’s the plan for everyone else? how does Tom Cruise not know his child is allergic to peanuts?? Typical dad. why’s the alien so into looking at the guy from Shawshank’s basement junk? Typical alien. What I’m saayyying is it definitely has enough to keep your attention and keep you engaged with the story. Allllsoooo can we just talk about the fact that after having their car jacked by a MOB- and loosing their gun to said MOB- and witnessing MURDERS from said MOB- and then being stuck on a ferry that another MOB was desperate to board- only to get attacked on the boat- and seeing your son get blown to smithereens- and your daughter taken by randoms- your just going to to go into a weird guys basement??? I’m not an expert when it comes to decisions in general, let alone under suuuuuch stress but come on. That’s stranger danger!

The like viney- guts and blood stuff is simply atrocious. Gives me Glenn in the blender vibes, if ya know what I mean.

Ummm and the ending great- like honestly. I’m so glad the mom(who is pregnant??) is just chill at granny’s(which is unscathed????) when the dad and girl show up. I’m peeeeved that Mr. Save the World bro somehow just said “eh forget them I���ll go find mom at gran’s” like what???? Great and all. But what??? Like they were in the same field??? They weren’t in that basement that long?? His dad was screammming, his sister was screaming??? Whatevs.

The idea that the alien just died bc they can’t handle the biosphere and all our little bacterias is cool and an idea you don’t really see explored a lot.

I really thing the bum hole looking vacuum that grabs people from the cage in the aliens like pod with legs things reaaaaally take it down a notch bc it has burned itself in my soul.

Rating: 5/10 Aliens 👽

[theficplug]

Actors on Actors , Tom Holland.

Tom Holland x Actress ! Black Reader

warnings: none, just pure fluff.

You and Tom are invited by Variety to do the Actors on Actors interview together.

-unedited-

“I know that outings for us these days are pretty rare, but when you gain twice your body weight and everyone's constantly watching you like a hawk it's a bit difficult to be as open.

We try to keep our careers separate as much as we can.

Sometimes things come along that peak your interest and you just can not pass it up.

I have been a fan of the Actors on Actors series for a long while. I’ve watched them all and each time my respect for the craft grows immensely. Thank you Variety for having Tom, our little special co-star, and I.”

You say nodding to the camera to pan down on the little raven curly haired one and a half year old tugging on the hem of your silk black dress with one arm and clinging to your sparkly black coat with the other.

“Say hello Dakota. H-e-l-l-oooo”

Tom sounds out to the little brown eyed boy and he looks up to laugh at his father for a moment. 

He wraps his arms around your waist before bending down to pick up the little boy and he gives a small wave to the crew.

“Papa sounds funny?”

You ask and he nods before laughing at you pulling a funny face.  

"HeeLLoooOOO DaaAAkkooTTaa"

Tom says again imitating a whale call and Dakota loses it as he holds onto his father's face watching him make the funny faces.

"Pa" he shrieks , letting his little rice grain teeth show for the camera.

You both smother him in kisses and raspberries and the little boy falls against you both in a fit of laughter and squeals.

"If I don't hand him over to Sydney we'll be here all night. He's literally our best friend." Tom says pretending to gobble his little twin's hand before handing him over to your assistant and taking your respective spaces in the chairs to get the interview started.

Tom lets out a long sigh before reaching his hand out for you. You shake your head and roll your eyes before letting him place a kiss on your hand and sitting back properly into your seat. 

“Hi baby.” he coos softly.

"Hi Tom. How are you? Did you have an alright trip here?"

You ask as if you both didn't arrive together.

“You’re too far away.” He pouts before sliding your chair close enough for him to rest his hand comfortably on the inside of your knee before snapping himself into “professional mode”.

“Right, so I just want to jump right into it. Firstly, congratulations on all of your nominations this year. If anyone deserves it, it’s you. Dirty Jazz, I think received a solid 10 minute standing ovation at Cannes and honestly it could’ve went on forever. You told the tumultuous and incredible story of Lucille Anderson often known as Lucille Bogan or Bessie Jackson. A jazz- blues singer in the 1920s and 30s with a vibrant sexuality and look on life. You were truly brilliant.”

He showers you in compliments and you try to confidently accept the praise , but after years together your husband still gives you butterflies.

“Lucille Bogan’s story was so important for me to get to be a part of. Especially at a time like this. One could say that like “oh every woman is sexually liberated and free and this and that”. But, we know that’s certainly not the case for most women and especially not black women. My craft , my story-telling, and my career will always be a love letter to black women. People love to dance and sing and laugh with us because they love to pinch and pull from our culture, our song, our grace, and our beauty but there’s not many that are willing to take in our truth and our humanity.

There's a living breathing human being behind the theatrics and melodies. Most recent indication of this is Megan Thee Stallion. She has gone through so much for such a young woman. She’s been called everything under the sun but a child of God. It should’ve been as simple as her telling her truth and then receiving an outpour of love. Right? But as always they want our rhythm but not our blues.

So, to be able to tell the story of Lucille- and all of her truth was an instant yes from me. Lucille was this multifaceted sensual, delicate, and powerful woman. She was singing in 1924 about how she enjoyed sex and the ways that she wanted to be pleasured. We went about getting her family's blessing and then from there I got to work. I watched all of the performances of her I could find. I listened to her voice and the way she spoke. I wanted to capture that raw confidence that she exuded. She pushed the envelope not only for bisexuals like me but also sex workers.

That was completely unheard of at the time. Ms. Bogan knew that she was an icon in every sense of the word and everyone else was going to know it too. A complete opposite from how I was feeling at the moment because I was around 12 weeks when we started filming so I wasn’t at my most confident and for every roll of my hips. There was a roll of nausea that was sure to follow.”

You say, chuckling softly and Tom nodded along fully immersed until he gives you a small pout at the memory of you having to endure that rough bit.

“I remember the times I would visit you on set and it was in the dead of summer and they’d have you dressed up in the most lavish coats and these sort of headpieces, and you were performing these songs and dances in 95 degree Alabama weather. So they had to have huge fans on you and like a gallon of ice cold water on standby.

I would just massage your back every 15 minutes to try and get you through. It was insane but the film was absolutely incredible. I am so proud of you.

The first time I got to watch you perform Shave 'Em Dry and you were shimmying that white fur coat down your body and then you threw yourself down onto the floor with it. I was so concerned at first because you were literally carrying Kota at the time, but they assured me that you had cushions on the floor and your knee pads. But , you just became her. I had goosebumps up and down my arms. I knew that you had something special on your hands. To watch you in your element was something I'll never get over. I’ve never heard you talk that filthily in my life either.” he states cheekily and you give him a coy smile before mumbling “that’s a lie”. 

Tom’s entire face goes a little funny as he covers his mouth with his question cards and shakes his head. 

“I’m just saying. They know that the storks didn’t exactly drop Kota on our doorstep. That’s all, love.”

You reassure him as you watch a crimson blush slowly make its way across his face. 

“Behave.” he warns, laced with a laugh and it’s loud enough for the crew to pick up on and they chuckle at you two flirting back and forth a little. 

You clear your throat and create a segue, but you knew exactly what that meant for date night later on. 

“But, thank you baby! First of all, The Devil All The Time is my favourite film of yours. And I know that the process was a tough one for you because it is a total contrast to beloved Peter Parker and a small step away from Marvel. To get into the mindset of Arvin, his religious trauma, and the almost southern gothic-y horror elements had to be a bit difficult ?

Because when you get those heavier roles you almost have a duty to the character to give them as much of a voice as we can. For the people who resonate with them to be able to feel seen and heard. I’ve always wanted to pick your brain about your process of reaching Arvin?”

You ask and you don’t miss the way that Tom is scanning your entire face and settles on your lips. 

He takes a moment to ponder your question, but he finds himself continuously getting lost in the way that you spoke so passionately and melodically. You were born to be a story-teller.

"Stop staring at my lips and answer the question Thomas!"

You playfully scold him and he nods his head while toying with his wedding band. 

"Yes ma'am."

He answers in a faux southern accent before fluffing his hands through his hair. 

"Ehm, during that time we were going through a bit of a rough patch. We had broken up and it felt like the big one. It felt like that was it and that we were never going to find our way back to each other. We dated other people and we went on our own adventures. But throughout the entire process there was this gnawing feeling. Loss. Grief. I grieved a million and one universes where we could've made it work and I was hoping that this would be one of them. It is. Thank God."

He adds and you take his hands into yours for a moment giving him a little reaffirming squeeze as you wait for him to continue.

"So, I let that sort of feeling guide me to tap into a modicum of what Arvin was feeling. That, love lost. That sort of grief. Because people grieve everyday, right? That’s something that connects us all. We're all trying to work through something that we don't have. Albeit, a version of ourselves, a loved one, or the loss of something/someone to believe in. I think that Arvin was grieving not only his parents but his loss of peace. And I think in some way I could connect to that because without you there was no peace."

You couldn't help but to lean in to kiss him. You decided to leave it "modest" and opt for kissing his cheeks and nose instead.

He scrunches his nose in response before giving you one back.

"Keep going." You whisper to him.

"During filming I leaned on Rob a lot. The way that he transformed and ran into this project bible raised in the air and high pitched southern accent first. It made me feel like I had to step up to the plate. I didn't grow up super religious in that regard so I did spend some time in small churches and gaining that insight into what that sort of connection to a higher power and faith can mean to most."

"That's hot, be careful babe." He whispers to you while holding the mug for you to have a sip of the chamomille tea.

"When I heard Robert's voice, I screamed! It was so creepy and off putting. Hated him throughout the entire film."

You added and Tom nods in agreement before sitting the emerald green mug down and offering you one of the strawberry pastries from the small table next to you both.

"Peter and Arvin are different but in a lot of ways they aren’t. They both lost their parents at a young age. They both were raised to try and do the right thing. Both, a little lost and always end up in situations they had no business being in at their ages. They are connected through that feeling of grief, self preservation, and coming of age. It's just that through writing we were able to laugh and kind of ride the wave with Peter. With Arvin the writing is very- cut and dry. The audience feels uncomfortable because he is uncomfortable and at times drowning beneath the wave. I’m sorry babe. Was that too long winded? I never know when to cut myself off. I’ll just keep going and going.”

He stammers nervously while sitting back to sip his own tea.

You admit to him half jokingly and he gives you a small nod.

“No, are you kidding me? You know that I could listen to you talk for hours. I wanna finish this conversation with you tonight.

We've also never really even announced that we’re married. We just started showing up one day with our rings, and only the sleuths know that we have a baby. Let alone talk publicly about the break up so this nearly feels like one big couple’s therapy session.”

“We already share so much of ourselves with the world through our art. I leave a piece of me with every character that grace your screens, and in the year of 2023 everyone knows everything. It just felt nice to have a moment in time where Thomas and I didn't have to open up the relationship to a third partner, the public. There were no analysis of our body languages towards each other or rumours that he was going to leave me for a very talented, very beautiful well known past partner.

Although, I did see a few of those after the TMZ announcements. Sorry babes I've got this one locked in for life.”

You state and he smiles giddily and happily for the camera before showing his wedding band. 

"I've seen some of you little sleuths talking about me wearing my ring on my pinky so that means that we must've gotten a divorce, right?" he asks you in faux concern with a small voice crack for dramatic effect.

You immediately follow his lead and hop into character with furrowed brows and a scowl on your face.

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THOSE PAPERS I SERVED YOU LAST MONTH WEREN'T ENOUGH? GOD, WHY WON'T YOU TAKE A HINT!" you ask before leaning in to grab his face and place the softest kiss to his lips.

"I just wish I knew how to quit you..." you say quoting Brokeback Mountain, one of the films that inspired you both to become actors.

He breaks character and rests his cheek against your hand for a moment.

"But yeah guys, my ring is just a bit small. It always has been and I'm in the middle of two films right now. I haven't had the time to get it resized. Leave me alone!" he says the last half, jokingly in the Peter Parker voice.

“Speaking of waves. Your next film! Cat’s out of the bag. You’re going to be in The Little Mermaid live action remake. I am so excited to see you in it because you’re honestly just already a real life Disney princess and this is one that Dakota can actually enjoy and he gets to see mummy sing and be all pretty as one of the sisters of Ariel! What was that like?” Tom asks, still smiling proudly at you like a Cheshire cat.

“First of all, two Disney checks in one household! So, there will be foundations, organisations, and communities being poured into. Just give us a year! My team read the email to me and I said THE MOUSE? I’ll be there by tomorrow. UNDER THE SEA. SHALALALA MY OH MY. YOU WANNA KISS THE GIRL.

Clearly,  I wanted to audition for Prince Eric and they said no. So, that was a bummer that you couldn’t see my on-screen happily ever after with Halle. I pitched for Erica and Ariel but they said give us some time and I will be holding them to that.

In all seriousness, it was one of those pinch me opportunities. When it knocks at your door you have to welcome it in with a charcuterie board and wine waiting for it.

I knew that I eventually wanted to be apart of something less gruelling and a film that our Kota-bear could enjoy too because he loves anything with singing and bright colours at this stage.

I remember seeing my favourite cousin. She knows that she’s my favourite cousin too. Hey girl! She was playing the role of the hairdresser that melted Tina Turner’s hair off with the relaxer in What’s Love Got To Do With It.

I remember watching her and knowing then and there that if she could be on screen like that then so could I. It was a foot in the door. Halle and everyone that was a part of the project were dreams to work with and the representation that she’s bringing to the company is beyond. It’s something that little brown and black children have been waiting for since the dawn of time. It’s here. We are here.” You say definitively and nod your head towards the camera.

“This is also one step closer to working with Angela Bassett. Angela, we met once in a Met Gala bathroom and I’m sorry you had to see me taking a “breathing break” while sitting on my fiance’s lap eating Jolly Ranchers but this is me absolutely shooting my shot.” you plead as you turn and look directly into the camera. 

Tom places his hands over his chest and throws his head back laughing at how cute you are.

You’ve been in this industry for years and have so many accolades of your own but you still look at everything with fresh eyes like you’re just playing dress up and meeting your idols every time you walk on set. 

“How do you feel about taking on such big shoes to fill? I know that you were absolutely losing your mind when you got this role. Because not a lot of people know but you have been grinding since you were just a little tadpole on the waves with thee Naomi Watts but this is the role that kind of skyrocketed you into the public eye. Apart from you being a part time Rhianna impersonator.” you laugh and he gives you a side eye over his mug before you continue. 

“We had been together for 6 months when you got the call and you were just floored. I kept having to remind you that it’s real and wasn’t an “accidental email”. Your mum cried I believe. I mean we all kind of did to be honest. It was a core memory for sure. We were also out at dinner at the time and I’m sure scaring every other customer there. We were all just cheering and holding onto each other and crying.

  And then the nerves settled in and you thought about not only filling Toby’s shoes but also the shoes left by Andrew. And at the time most of the fan reception of Andrew’s version was just- a lot. I personally loved his version of Spiderman. I thought that it felt authentic to him and the lens that he wanted to tell Peter’s story through. But some of the original stans were not having it. I remember that there were think-pieces being written before you had even gotten the script.” You watch as Tom weighs the question and his answer for a moment. 

“Well, first things first. I remember you telling me the best piece of advice that I could have possibly been given. You told me that “yes, of course you want to honour the groundwork that Toby and Andrew had both laid down for this beloved character but you also want to trust your own instinct and intuition about what feels real and right to you”.” Tom says and you hum and nod in agreement. 

“You said whether they love you or hate you, your job is to tell a story. No matter how you tell that story as long as it feels real and right to you, someone’s going to resonate with it. And from there the pieces of the puzzle just kind of came together.

We may not have all have been bitten by radioactive spiders. But, we've all been teenagers before. We've all experienced that feeling of wanting to know all that there is to know but not knowing how to digest all of it. The little awkward quips and quirks of growing and becoming yourself is Peter Parker. He’s so imperfectly perfect and he’s always going to be a big part of what I’ve done in my career. Getting the accent down was one of the hardest bits because I am so painfully British and the way that we speak is just different. So, to just stay there in his zone for days at a time I would bring Peter home with me. I love that the fans love him so much. I love the way that he seems to STICK with them. See what I did there.” He says laughing at his own joke and you shake your head at him.

“He’s like this all day! His dad jokes kicked in long before he was even an actual dad! Get a load of this guy. Please don’t cast him in any comedies any time soon. No, actually diapers are expensive. Please cast this dilf of the year in all of the comedies, thank you.

I think that authenticity is what really brought your version of Peter to life. He's a larger than life superhero but you made him seem like everyone's childhood best friend. But also YES I remember. We would be lounging around at home and you’d just casually go “ do we have any cold waTER bOTTLES”. Peter lived with us for about 5 months until you got the accent down perfectly. Now you just slip in and out of it at the most random times.” You say and his eyes widen at the dilf of the year comment. 

“Dilf of the year? Please don’t get them started, that's going to be a hashtag by this afternoon.”

He groans and you lean into him , blowing onto his cup of hot tea with a smirk plastered on your face before taking another sip of his tea. 

“I said what I said.”

You retort quietly and he holds the mug to your lips and gives you a soft kiss to your forehead. 

“And with that. This has been Actors on Actors for Variety with the Hollands. Please, be sure to watch the others if you haven’t already! Take care.”

“That's brilliant baby, nothing more to add. Oh, and be sure to watch The Little Mermaid in theatres on May 26!” You add before blowing a kiss to the camera. 

[wellthatwasaletdown]

The livestream cameras will probably briefly show OW if she's at the side of the stage. They did for Kate Moss at the Libertines, Helena Christiansen at Interpol, Dakota at Coldplay.

O won't be in the crowd at the front though as she'd be in danger from his fans and there's no separate visible VIP area like in the arenas. I doubt Harry will have the guts to stroll the site with her but if they do I hope they take a aecurity team with them.

She'll want to be seen and she'll want to look important, so she'll walk around with security like she did at the first fee shows until she realized the fans couldn't have cared less and she looked ridiculous with those big guards standing there. Maybe she'll just have the Tom Toms.

[netflixia]

Summer of Love on Netflix

Summer is upon us and love is in the air. Netflix is celebrating romance and fun in the sun with fresh films, new and returning TV series, and new collections that shine a light on love in its many forms – from classic romantic dramas to laugh-out-loud rom-coms and reality shows, plus all the love that bonds friendships, stumps young adults and everything in between.

New seasons of beloved shows are back. Virgin River returns for a fourth season.  Will we finally find out who shot Jack? And whose baby is Mel carrying?! The third season of Never Have I Ever promises to deliver all the teenage angst and awkward romance that fans have to come to love. And Love on the Spectrum is back! Following the success of the multi award winning Australian series, this US-based adaptation is an insightful and warm-hearted docu-reality series following autistic people as they navigate the world of dating and relationships.

Fall in love with Sofia Carson and Nicholas Galitzine (Purple Hearts), Dakota Johnson and Henry Golding (Persuasion), Kat Graham and Tom Hopper (Love In the Villa), and reignite that spark with Lili Reinhart (Look Both Ways) and Jordan Fisher (Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between) as they navigate the drama of romance in these swoon-worthy films.

As we welcome back fan favorites, we are also breaking out new voices in front and behind the camera. Several of our summer films feature women at the helm, including Along for the Ride(Sofia Alvarez), Persuasion (Carrie Cracknell), Purple Hearts (Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum), and Look Both Ways (Wanuri Kahiu).

And if you’re looking for something more specific, we have new collections to spark your interest. Like Love Across Timelines, featuring stories such as WhenWe First Met and Love, Wedding, Repeat about how love endures even when pesky obstacles like time travel, time loops, reincarnation and parallel timelines get in the way. Or Summer Love, stories that are all about love and fun in the sun ranging from Along for the Ride to the Wet Hot American Summer series. And then there’s Small Town Charm, featuring heartfelt comedy and romance stories that take place in small towns, for when your summer getaway plans don’t quite work out.

Upcoming Titles:

🎥 May 6: Along for the Ride Photos + Trailer

📺 May 18: Love on the Spectrum Photos + Trailer

🎥 May 19: A Perfect Pairing Photos + Trailer

📺 June 10: First Kill Photos + Trailer

🎥 June 22: Love & Gelato Photo + Trailer

🎥 July 6: Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between Photo + Trailer

📺 July 8: Boo, Bitch Photos + Trailer

📺 July 8: How to Build a Sex Room Photo

🎥  July 8: Dangerous Liaisons Photo

🎥 July 15: Persuasion Photos

📺 July 20: Virgin River S4 Photos

📺 July 29: Uncoupled Photos + Teaser

🎥 July 29: Purple Hearts Photos + *NEW SNEAK PEEK*Clip

🎥 August 4: Wedding Season Clip +*NEW*Photo

📺 August 12: Never Have I Ever S3 Photos

🎥 August 17: Look Both Ways  *NEW TITLE + 

🎥 September 1: Love in the Villa *NEW* Photos

So whatever kind of love story you’re in the mood for, let Netflix sweep you off your feet this summer.

[phantombandit-films]

Why ‘War of the Worlds’ (2005) is a underrated masterpiece.

‘War of the Worlds’ was released in 2005, it is directed by the film god that is Steven Spielberg (Jaws, E.T.) and written by Josh Friedman (Terminator: Dark Fate, Avatar 2) and David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible) 

Cast:  - Tom Cruise as Ray Farrier. - Justin Chatwin as Robbie Farrier. - Dakota Fanning as Rachel Farrier. - Miranda Otto as Mary Ann. -Tim Robbins as Harlan Ogilvy. - Ann Robinson as Grandmother.  - Gene Barry as Grandfather. 

First lets start with some history of ‘The War of the Worlds’ - The 2005 film is based off the novel of the same name which was written by H.G. Wells between 1895 and 1897, it then was then made into a series by Pearson’s Magazine in 1897 in the UK, Cosmopolitan in the US. Then becoming a hardback novel in 1898, it is one of the earliest written pieces to tell a story of conflict between Martians and man and so its one of the most commented on pieces of science fiction. 

It has been adapted and developed several times over many decades in many medias, the ones that come to mind are the famous 1938 dramatic radio reading that was directed and starred Orson Welles that actually caused public panic to those who listened in and didn’t know that the Martian invasion was fiction, its said that up to a million people ran out of their homes in terror.  (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama) )

The 1953 ‘The War of the Worlds’ film adaptation, which was produced by George Pal and directed by Byron Haskin. It also starred Gene Barry (who played Dr. Clayton Forrester) and Ann Robinson (who played Sylvia Van Buren) who can also been seen at the end of the 2005 film, they play the grandparents of Robbie and Rachel which I think is a sweet little cameo to see for those who loved the 1953 film.  Ann Robinson also revived her role as Sylvia Van Buren in two other films and three episodes of ‘The War of the Worlds’ tv series in 1988. 

In 1978 the most well known musical album by Jeff Wayne was produced and based off the story of ‘War of the Worlds’ this album included the voices of Richard Burton and David Essex.

This was then turned into a concert musical which tours annually through out the UK and Europe, the concert includes live performers such as Carrie Hope Fletcher but also a 3D hologram of Liam Neeson. It also includes a mix of computer animation, pyrotechnics and a big mechanical tripod that comes out on stage and lights up and can fire its heat-ray. 

(Source: Birmingham Mail.)

There have also been several Tv series, the two newest being the 2019 BBC version staring Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson and Full Monty’s Robert Carlyle, that has a Edwardian setting and follows closely to the novel. 

The other being the FOX 2019 adaptation that is set in present day Europe but I found this version didn’t really go off the novel, and was frustrated with the lack of the famous Tripods.  (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds) 

As a kid I would watch the 1953 film with my mum all the time as its one of her favourites and I do really like it, but then 2005 rolled around and in comes Steven Spielberg’s version. To be fair it was probably 2006 when I finally saw it, I was nine years old at the time and I remember my dad bringing home the DVD that someone at work had lent him. I don’t remember watching it but I do remember having nightmares for a month after, only for a month though.  Many years later when I was half way through high school and getting more and more into film my dad then bought the DVD from Woolworth's before it shut down, the DVD didn’t have a case only a see through CD case so I think it only cost him something like 50p. So I re-watched and again I don’t really remember this but all of a sudden I was hooked, and it climbed to the second spot on my favourite movies list where it still sits today. Honestly if you asked anyone I was friends with at that time they will tell you just how obsessed I was with it.  

I have many scenes that I love in this film the first being the rise of the first tripod, but there are two that I geek out over every time. 

The first scene being the one in the basement at Robbie and Rachel’s house, the scene starts off with Ray asleep in a chair. He starts to stir when when a blue flash of light on his face, but then jolts up right at a load whooshing noise followed by closely by Robbie shooting up from just below the camera. I love the way that Robbie appears sort of fits with the sound that’s heard, also the whole mood of the scene which is pitch black with this blue flashing light every now and then. The fact that you’re just as clueless as the characters as well, you find out what’s happening when they find out.  Also the way that Rachel appears behind the basement stairs, which will appear again near the end of the movie in a much more damaged basement which shows just how much their world has changed in just a short few days.  The sound design in this movie as well is something that I love, I love when the sound in a film alone can creep you out. The tripod sound is one of my favourite sounds to exist, like if I heard that from outside I would be so creeped out and scared.  At this moment in time Robbie and Rachel have no idea what is hunting them or what Ray has seen, Imagine running from something and seeing something completely destroy the whole of your neighbourhood yet not knowing what it looks like. This is what runs through my mind when I heart Rachel cry “Is it them, Is it them?!”  Then the next morning when Ray goes upstairs and see’s that the house is just completely destroyed by an aeroplane that has crashed down in the middle of the the housing estate. This Boeing 747 was a out of use plane and the production crew bought it for $60,000 which then cost them $200,000 to transport, it was then broken into pieces and houses were built around it. Which just shows how far some movie productions will go to make a film look more legit. (We love practical effects in this house.) This scene is still set up at Universal Studios Hollywood and can be seen on the Studio tour. 

(Basement and Plane crash scene.)

My second favourite scene, which is one of my all time top favourite scene ever with no surprise is the dock scene.  The speeding train that’s on fire is absolute stunning in every sense but for me the scene starts when the music starts.  ‘If I ruled the world, everyday would be the first day of spring.’ But i’m really glued to the screen when Rachel starts to follow the birds coming in from the river to in land, she follows them up to the hill where she notices the tree’s on the top are moving weirdly. “The tree’s are funny.” She then reaches out and grabs onto Rays hand who was talking to a friend.  Robbie turns to the hill as the camera slowly comes back and shows Robbie also turning to look at where Ray is looking. (Just remembering that this is the first time Robbie and Rachel ever see the tripods.) 

The camera then shows us what the family is looking at to reveal a tripod stood on the top of the hill, it then moves one of its legs which crushes a tree and makes everyone else look back. Obviously chaos ensues from this point on, everyone running trying to get onto the ferry to get away from the impending doom, unfortunately we learn that no where, not even on the water is safe. As a tripod comes up from out of the water and attacks the ferry, the family manage to escape and get to land on the other side of the ferry. They stop for a moment to catch their breath as people are being picked out of the water below them, they turn as a old air raid alarm is heard on the other side of the hill and we see tripods coming over another hill that was filled with people and using their head rays to wipe them all out, we also see in the distance a lighting storm indicating more Martions are still coming to earth. The scene is like a depiction of all the stages of the attack.  (Dock attack scene.)

I mean all the action scenes in this movie are just so beautiful and amazing, but did we expect any less from Spielberg? And the CGI and practical are all done extremely well and fitted together to make a scene look as real as possible. One of the art directors that worked on this film, Doug J. Meerdink who has also worked on Jurassic Park: III, Cloverfield and Jurassic World. 

I was looking up some trivia on IMDB for this movie and found that there was a deleted scene that is called the ‘Camelot’ scene. This scene is supposed to take place between the attack on the ferry and the battle on the hill, it involves Ray, Rachel and Robbie walking through an abandoned housing estate that’s named Camelot, when a pack of tripods start walking near by.  One of the tripods breaks off and the family has to take cover behind a SUV, they watch helplessly from behind as the tripod reaches into the house and grabs people from the houses. This scene has never been released but apparently it was fully finished, VFX and all but then taken out a few weeks before post production was wrapped up.  There is only one official video from this scene that was in the actual trailer for the film, and it’s only a shot of the family hiding behind the SUV. 

The only other shot from the scene is this landscape shot of a CGI tripod. 

There are also photos of the set designers setting up the miniature of the housing estate to shoot this scene, the rest are fan arts of how the scene maybe looked/ played out.  (Source)

I really hope that one day Steven releases this scene, or for some anniversary adds it into an extended version of the film like we’ve seen for other films. Because I would love that so much! It seems like such an incredible scene, and to see the tripods up this close again would be so cool! 

One of the trailers that was released for this film doesn’t have any of the film shots it in, It takes place in a normal neighbourhood where people are just going about their normal nightly routine when suddenly over the hill there are all these brilliant flashing lights, everyone's just coming out of their houses in their pj’s and standing in the street marvelling at this sight in front of them. Then we see explosions and suddenly heat rays are blowing up the tress on the street which then goes into the title.  I just love this, a trailer that doesn’t give anything away from the movie but creeps you out enough to be invested.  (Trailer.)

All in all it’s just an very visually pleasing film, it feels real enough to give you a sense of fear for the characters and for yourself. I also love that Steven stayed true to the source material,more truer than some of the other adaptations and also added in his own little Easter eggs.  The sounds, the aesthetic, the colours just everything comes together so beautifully. I think its a very underrated movie that deserves so much more love.

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Spring Showers (Maggie x Tom Hiddles)

Because I have the self control of a goddamned gnat, have a short follow up one shot to the series: The Things You Find (In The Rain). The series can be found on my Masterlist.  I’m not as in love with this one shot as I was the series but it largely wrote itself so... *shrugs*.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last three months had been a dream to Maggie. Tom had been a dream she hadn’t dared to wish for as a girl. That’s not to say that she hadn’t faced challenges, they had. But they worked through them with honest conversations and long phone calls from halfway around the world. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked well enough.

Tom was a busy man and Maggie didn’t ever expect him to drop everything for her. Early on, before she had left London they had the talk about the reality of their situation and Tom’s life. He was busy, he sometimes was distant and at times he wouldn’t be as mentally or emotionally present in their relationship no matter how much he may wish it were different.

Yet when Evan refused to agree to an annulment, the courts demanded both husband and wife present themselves for a hearing. It was the first time Maggie had seen Evan outside of the recorded interviews Luke had ever so kindly made her and Tom sit and watch while she had still been in London.  

After spending their first month together, Maggie had to return to her small South Dakota hometown, leaving everything that was hers abandoned in Evan’s home. Tom had assured her that he would prevent her from living on the streets- much to Luke’s dismay. The poor man than had to figure out how to secure an apartment for her using Tom’s funds without the world finding out.

Somehow, they managed and she had a home filled with simple furnishings. She only accepted what kindnesses she felt was required to survive. In no way did she want to feel like Tom was buying her affection or that she was using him and the relationship to save herself. Luke had arranged for someone to pick up things from Evan’s home, though the man was stingy and gave very little of her things back.

Still, when he took a middle of the night flight from London to surprise her the week of the hearing, she couldn’t help but throw her arms around him. She needed him like she needed air.

It took her breath away whenever she thought of how much she loved him already. It shouldn’t be possible but somehow, she knew what she felt for Evan wasn’t love. Now that she’d had a taste of the real thing, she knew. She had found the thing that poets and musicians spent their whole lives trying to put into words- True Love.

When Tom attended the hearing by her side as moral support, she had asked him what Luke had thought of it but he simply told her not to worry about it. She quickly learned that was code for ‘I didn’t clear this with Luke’.

Evan, of course was sure to make a scene as soon as he had seen Tom at her side when the walked into the intimidating court house. It had become his personal mission and part of Maggie wondered if Tom had begun to get a sick satisfaction from riling up the man who she had thought loved her at one time. He was sure to kiss her in front of the large oak doors before they went into the hearing, his hand remained in hers for so long as it could.

They’d gotten the annulment without much fuss, all things considered. Evan tried to claim she had used him, that he had loved her and that she had agreed to an open marriage. Having a famous boyfriend with her and the very public reports from the woman Evan had been with that fateful night had surely helped. Ava, her name turned out to be, had sent a letter to the courts stating that she was under the impression that she was in a monogamous relationship with Evan and that as far as she was told, Maggie had been his sister. She sent copies of pictures, text messages and receipts

Ava hadn’t been aware that Evan was married. In truth, Evan had asked Ava to marry him almost a year prior and so when things went down, she was just as surprised and hurt as Maggie. The two women had become fast friends when Ava had stepped out of the shadows and publicly defended her, selling the story of how Evan had scorned her as well complete with photos to the media.

<3<3<3

Now, Maggie’s fairy tail had continued. She had been on the ground in London for only a few hours and a somewhat disgruntled Luke was arranging a dress for her to wear to a gala. It would be her first public event at Tom’s side and she was beyond nervous.

Noticing this, Tom had wasted no time in ushering her out of Luke’s office, leaving the man to his angry curses and bottle of antacids as he called shop after shop. The trip and been somewhat spur of the moment and her attending the gala even more spontaneously decided. She had made simple requests of the dress, fearing anything tight or uncomfortable. Maggie was already uncomfortable and bloating as her cycle drew closer and the last thing she needed was a skin tight dress to suffocate her.

Seeking to steady her nerves, Tom arranged for them to meet Ben and Sophie at a pub nearby for an early dinner. She was assured that the gala dinners were served late into the evening and she would be hungry again by the time they had even arrived. While Tom’s goal was to make her feel more at ease at the gala, the idea of meeting his also famous friend only set her stomach into more knots.

Regardless of her nerves, she found both Ben and his wife to be just as warm and accepting as Tom had promised. They had become fast friends and her stomach was settled even before the food reached the table allowing Maggie to fully realize how hungry she actually had been.

<3<3<3<3

With lunch finished, all that was left to do before sitting and allowing Luke to dress them both like dolls was to run by Tom’s home and take Bobby out for a walk. They had time to kill still and the weather was pleasant, warm and comfortable on this spring afternoon. It would be a good day to spend in the park.

They didn’t think twice about it when Maggie stripped off her button down shirt, leaving her in her tight tank top when the warmth became too much. It was more the humidity that bothered her but she let Tom think that the London spring was warm enough on its own to drive her to removing a layer.

When Bobby was tired of fetch, they settled on the grass to enjoy simply being together. Maggie needed to rest, her abdomen was cramping up and she knew without a doubt that within a few days her body would punish her for being a woman for a week.

She settled on the ground, resting her back against Tom’s chest and nuzzling into his neck as he began to read over a script. Being in his arms, even when they were doing nothing, felt like a dream. Still, the nagging pain caused her to rub at the spot low on her stomach. When she shifted, Tom laced his fingers in hers and their hands rested together on her lower stomach, right over the cramping as she began to slowly doze off.

“Can I get you anything?” Tom mumbled into her hair.

“It will pass. It’s just cramping.”

What they didn’t realize was that someone was taking a few pictures of the happy couple. That was the sort of thing that Maggie hadn’t learned to watch for or even think about. She was still living in her own world with the man who she had fallen in love with.

<3<3<3<3

The gala was magical and Maggie was swept away in the sparkling lights and sea of people she never imagined she would meet. On occasion she had attended parties with Evan though they were far and few between. The events Evan attended had been fancy but lacked the extravagance of this gala.

Tom was asked to stand in front of what always looked to her to be some decorative wall in pictures. Now that she was here however, she could see that it was simply just a fancy version of the same photo setup her high school used for Prom only with better lights and much more cameras.

The wall was a covered tall slab of particle board centered in a wide hall. Tom emptied his pockets onto the table before standing in front of it and smiling for the cameras. He would move this way and that, changing his look a few times. Luke was ever present off to the side, watching carefully. Tom wasn’t deterred however and reached out, snagging Maggie by the arm.

Luke was quick to protest but all Tom seemed to hear was Maggie’s giggles as she was wrapped in his arms. The green dress she wore was clingier than she would have liked considering how bloated she had felt but she had been assured with the looser, flowing gauzy sparkling green layer above it covered her well. The dress complemented the green tie Tom wore with it’s hint of shimmer under the lights.

Luke was squawking something, probably protests since they were still under orders to ‘lay low’ and this probably didn’t fit that but if Tom didn’t care, should Maggie? In the end, all she was doing was following his lead. This was his life, his world and she was only just starting to step foot in it. She had to trust that Tom knew what he was doing.

All thoughts stopped when Tom’s lips found hers. It didn’t matter that they were standing in front of a number of cameras. She didn’t think about how she looked or if her lipstick would smear. Thoughts of wrinkling his suit as her fingers bunched in the fabric were a million miles away. The only things that mattered for that short moment was the feel of Tom’s arm pressing her into him and the way their lips moved together.

Eventually, far too soon for her liking, Tom pulled back with a bright smile as he looked down at her. Cameras flashed a few moments longer before Luke was ushering them off the small patch of red carpet, grumbling as he tossed back an antacid.

She followed Tom through the night, her hand always in his. They danced and talked and spent the night together in bliss. Though drinks were flowing freely, Maggie turned them each time the platters were offered to her. The last thing she wanted was to not remember her first time stepping into Tom’s professional life. Plus, alcohol tended to make the cramping worse and who wants to deal with that?

It was something she didn’t think about but a few others noticed. By morning, Tom was trending once again. Rumors spread like wildfire and one would think after the mess that had been the start of their relationship- Maggie would have been prepared for it.

Maggie woke in Tom’s arms, a place she would like to wake every morning if she could to the sound of Tom’s phone. Text messages were coming in, back to back. Never a good sign. Grumbling, Tom rolled over and grabbed the offensive device only to have it slip out of his hand and land with a thump on his chest.

A second try brought the screen to life and with her head resting on Tom’s chest, Maggie could read the messages too.

Luke: I’m in a meeting. But so help me, when I get out you better answer your bloody phone.

Luke: And have the door unlocked.

Luke: Tell me she’s not bloody knocked up

Luke: Answer me, you fucking wanker

Luke: Every goddamn gossip rag is reporting Maggie is knocked up

Luke: They have pictures.

There was a moment of silence before both Tom and Maggie fell into a fit of giggles. Whatever rumors were spreading, they would face them together. A pregnancy rumor didn’t strike fear in their hearts. They had faced worse and they would get through this the same way they got through everything else, together.

Assuming they survived Luke’s attack.

“I bet you breakfast he’s going to make me take a test.” Maggie mumbled into Tom’s chest as he wrapped her once again in his arms. He turned, rolling her onto her back and kissed her sweetly. The feeling of his bare back under her fingers was addicting.

“I could just not open the door.” Tom whispered, as if Luke would somehow hear his words from the other side of the city. “We can stay in bed and distract ourselves from the nasty rumors.”

“Doesn’t he have a key?” Maggie offered, laughing as she pushed against his chest as Tom grunted in agreement, far too busy kissing down her neck to bother speaking. “Let’s not scar him for life.”

“I think that ship sailed when I punched Evan.” Tom laughed, finally sitting back when her stomach grumbled. “Fine, let’s eat.”

“You think Luke’s going to kill us this time?” Maggie asked, slipping a pair of panties up her legs.

“No, probably not. But we should start making some wills up just in case.”

<3<3<3<3

Tag List: 

@just-the-hiddles, @jennytwoshoes, @alexakeyloveloki, @dangertoozmanykids101, @theoneanna, @0-0-0-0-0-0-0-7, @bambamwolf87, @missaphrodite23, @j-u-s-t-4, @wegingerangelica, @nonsensicalobsessions, @tinchentitri, @michelegurl, @iloveyouthreethousand-o6

[toshootforthestars]

A damning read. (A long read too, audio available at the link.)

(but BE CAREFUL with reports from the New Yorker)

From the report by Charles Duhigg, posted 26 Apr 2020:

When the coronavirus pandemic started, E.I.S. alumni (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention operates a fellowship program known as the Epidemic Intelligence Service) began working non-stop, with some setting up cots inside their offices. While the virus remained overseas, the C.D.C. led communications, scrupulously following E.I.S. protocols. But soon after the coronavirus landed on American shores the White House took over. E.I.S. officers were dismayed to see the communication principles that the C.D.C. had honed over the years being disregarded, and sometimes turned on their head. A Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice-President Mike Pence, was formed, excluding everyone from the C.D.C. except its director, Dr. Robert Redfield. “The C.D.C. was ordered into lockdown,” a former senior official at the agency told me. “They can’t speak to the media. These are people who have trained their entire lives for epidemics—the finest public-health army in history—and they’ve been told to shut up!”

Since then, the primary spokesperson during the pandemic has been not a scientist but President Donald Trump—a politician notoriously hostile to science. Further complicating matters, Trump has highlighted a rotating cast of supporting characters, including Pence; Dr. Anthony Fauci, from the National Institutes of Health; Dr. Deborah Birx, from the State Department; and the President’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. “When there are so many different figures, it can cause real confusion about whom to listen to, or who’s in charge of what,” Dr. Tom Inglesby, the director of the Center for Health Security, at Johns Hopkins, said. “And, if the response becomes political, it’s a disaster, because people won’t know if you are making recommendations based on science or politics, and so there’s the risk they’ll start to tune out.”

Already, it’s clear that some confusion has taken hold. Though the C.D.C. formally recommended, in mid-March, that Americans practice social distancing, governors in five states have refused to order residents to stay home. (One of those states, South Dakota, is now contending with a major outbreak.) Federal leaders have given shifting advice—initially, Americans were told that they did not need to wear masks in public, but on April 3rd, at a White House press briefing, masks were recommended—and this has risked undermining public confidence. Trump announced the change by saying, “You don’t have to do it. I’m choosing not to do it.” Had the C.D.C. been in charge of communicating about masks, the agency surely would have used the change in guidance as a teaching opportunity, explaining that scientists had come to understand that people infected with the coronavirus can be contagious but asymptomatic for longer than originally thought—which means that we need to be more careful when we cough, even if we feel healthy or just have seasonal allergies. Trump’s daily briefings, however, are chaotic and contradictory. Within the span of a few days, Trump threatened to quarantine New York City, then reversed himself; soon after declaring that he intended to “reopen” the U.S. economy within two weeks, he called for thirty additional days of social distancing. Such inconstancy from a leader is distracting in the best of times. It is dangerous in a pandemic. “Right now, everyone is so confused by all the conflicting messages that, each time the guidance evolves, fewer and fewer people might follow it,” Besser, the former C.D.C. director, said. “We’re going backward in our sophistication.”

Morale at the C.D.C. has plummeted. “For all the responses that I was involved in, there was always this feeling of camaraderie, that you were part of something bigger than yourself,” another former high-ranking C.D.C. official told me. “Now everyone I talk to is so dispirited. They’re working sixteen-hour days, but they feel ignored. I’ve never seen so many people so frustrated and upset and sad. We could have saved so many more lives. We have the best public-health agency in the world, and we know how to persuade people to do what they need to do. Instead, we’re ignoring everything we’ve learned over the last century.”

In early March, as (King County WA Executive) Dow Constantine was asking Microsoft to close its offices and putting scientists in front of news cameras, de Blasio and New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, were giving speeches that deëmphasized the risks of the pandemic, even as the city was announcing its first official cases. De Blasio initially voiced caution, saying that “no one should take the coronavirus situation lightly,” but soon told residents to keep helping the city’s economy. “Go on with your lives + get out on the town despite Coronavirus,” he tweeted on March 2nd—one day after the first COVID-19 diagnosis in New York. He urged people to see a movie at Lincoln Center. On the day that Seattle schools closed, de Blasio said at a press conference that “if you are not sick, if you are not in the vulnerable category, you should be going about your life.” Cuomo, meanwhile, had told reporters that “we should relax.” He said that most infected people would recover with few problems, adding, “We don’t even think it’s going to be as bad as it was in other countries.”

De Blasio’s and Cuomo’s instincts are understandable. A political leader’s job, in most situations, is to ease citizens’ fears and buoy the economy. During a pandemic, however, all those imperatives are reversed: a politician’s job is to inflame our paranoia, because waiting until we can see the danger means holding off until it’s too late. The city’s epidemiologists were horrified by the comforting messages that de Blasio and Cuomo kept giving. Jeffrey Shaman, a disease modeller at Columbia, said, “All you had to do was look at the West Coast, and you knew it was coming for us. That’s why Seattle and San Francisco and Portland were shutting things down.” But New York “dithered instead of telling people to stay home.”

De Blasio and Cuomo kept bickering. On March 17th, de Blasio told residents to “be prepared right now for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order.” The same day, Cuomo told a reporter, “There’s not going to be any ‘you must stay in your house’ rule.” Cuomo’s staff quietly told reporters that de Blasio was acting “psychotic.” Three days later, though, Cuomo announced an executive order putting the state on “pause”—which was essentially indistinguishable from stay-at-home orders issued by cities in Washington State, California, and elsewhere. (A spokesperson for de Blasio said that City Hall’s “messaging changed as the situation and the science changed” and that there was “no dithering.” A spokesperson for Cuomo said that “the Governor communicated clearly the seriousness of this pandemic” and that “the Governor has been laser focused on communicating his actions in a way that doesn’t scare people.”)

Today, New York City has the same social-distancing policies and business-closure rules as Seattle. But because New York’s recommendations came later than Seattle’s—and because communication was less consistent—it took longer to influence how people behaved. According to data collected by Google from cell phones, nearly a quarter of Seattleites were avoiding their workplaces by March 6th. In New York City, another week passed until an equivalent percentage did the same.

(emphasis mine)

Tom Frieden, the former C.D.C. director, has estimated that, if New York had started implementing stay-at-home orders ten days earlier than it did, it might have reduced COVID-19 deaths by 50% to 80%. Another former New York City health commissioner told me that “de Blasio was just horrible,” adding, “Maybe it was unintentional, maybe it was his arrogance. But, if you tell people to stay home and then you go to the gym, you can’t really be surprised when people keep going outside.”

More than fifteen thousand people in New York are believed to have died from COVID-19. Last week in Washington State, the estimate was fewer than seven hundred people. New Yorkers now hear constant ambulance sirens, which remind them of the invisible viral threat; residents are currently staying home at even higher rates than in Seattle. And de Blasio and Cuomo—even as they continue to squabble over, say, who gets to reopen schools—have become more forceful in their warnings.

[denimbex1986]

'Irish actor and internet darling Andrew Scott, most famous for his portrayal of the hot priest in “Fleabag” (2016), returns to television with director Steven Zaillian’s new Netflix limited series “Ripley.” Besides having Scott’s daring eyes dazzle our screens, the noir series offers a darker spin on its 1999 counterpart, “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” Casting a matured version of its titular character, this series feels more ambiguous.

Scott stars as Tom Ripley, who runs menial debt collection scams in New York City. The small-time con artist lands his biggest gig yet, hired by a wealthy man to look for his free-roaming son, Dickie (Johnny Flynn), in Italy. Tom takes off to the coastal town of Atrani, and becomes acquainted with Dickie and his suspecting girlfriend, Marge (Dakota Fanning). As the two men bond, they eventually go on a trip that enacts a chain of events: hotel stays, murders, evasion and many lies.

Although shot entirely in black-and-white, the reimagination of the whimsical ’90s thriller shines through in its dark tones. The eeriness of “Ripley” is brought to life by the performance of the main cast. Fanning’s deadpan delivery sets the tone for Marge’s lurking confrontation. At the end of the series, Marge tensions with Tom are heightened, as she observes Tom’s odd behavior and begins to suspect that he has something to do with Dickie’s missing ring. Scott’s raw portrayal draws contrast between the con man’s facade of nonchalance, enhancing the character’s enigma in his nervous gulps and fidgety hands. Between Scott’s frowns of pretend confusion and Fanning’s forced smiles, antagonism gradually develops as their lives intertwine.

Most known for writing “Schindler’s List”, Zaillian’s adeptness in employing camera angles as motifs invites viewers to read between the lines. The film is shot though extreme high, low and bird’s eye view angles; statues, paintings and animals consistently grace these frames. The camera often pans over stoic faces directly, evoking a bone-chilling feel of surveillance. Inanimate objects are characterized to be watching Ripley carry out his scheme despite no other human character witnessing — those who do end up dead. This omniscient perspective also symbolizes premeditation on Tom’s end, and on a closer look, his fate seems predestined.

Compared to its ’90s counterpart, Zaillian’s “Ripley” sees a pessimistic tale of the con man. Themes of moral ambiguity bounce off the adoption of black-and-white filming, as opposed to the cartoonish feel of the older version. The use of wide shots where characters are proportionally smaller than their grandiose Italian backdrops gives “Ripley” the impression of a theatrical performance. Close-ups of the character’s blemished faces are mixed without cohesion, capturing realistic human tendencies while retaining a degree of artificiality.

The most notable difference between the two versions is that Tom, Dickie and Marge are middle-aged in “Ripley.” The plot moves spontaneously, just as the characters’ personalities emulate what a college-aged person would be in real life. Dickie is a wealthy playboy whose carelessness dooms him to Tom’s schemes, while Marge is portrayed as an innocent bystander. However, Zaillian’s choice of aging the characters adds layers to their psyche. Dickie may be rich, Marge may be innocent and Tom’s ploy may be condemnable, but their identities are not all one dimensional. Dickie’s affluence doesn’t seem to corrupt his generosity, and Marge is not excused from feeling contempt for Tom’s closeness to her boyfriend.

In spite of Ripley’s killing and scheming, his anguish, loneliness and desolate financial situation evoke sympathy for a relatable phase in life — lack of identity. “Ripley” prompts viewers to rethink the traditional notion of an anti-hero.'

[etvisitors-blog]

Movie: THE WAR OF THE WORLDS

Year: 2005

Synopsis

Ray Ferrier is a charming but self-absorbed crane operator longshoreman who works at a dock in Brooklyn, New York and lives in Bayonne, New Jersey. Ray is estranged from his children. His ex-wife, Mary Ann, later drops off the children, 10-year-old daughter Rachel and teenage son Robbie, at Ray’s house on her way to visit her parents in Boston. Unexplained changes in the weather occur, with lightning that strikes multiple times in the middle of an intersection and disrupts all electricity.

Ray joins the crowd at the scene of the lightning strikes, where a massive “Tripod” war machine emerges from the ground and uses powerful weaponry to destroy the area, disintegrating most of the witnesses into a grey dust and leaving only their empty clothes behind. Ray collects his children, steals a car that had just been repaired, and drives to Mary Ann’s empty home in suburban New Jersey to take refuge. The next morning, he finds that a Boeing 747 has crashed in the street.

A news team scavenging for food and surveying the wreckage explain that there are multiple Tripods that have attacked major cities including New York City, Paris, Washington, D.C., and London, and have force shields to protect them from human weapons. They also explain the Tripods’ pilots traveled to Earth within the lightning as a way to enter their war machines, which had been buried here millions of years before. Ray decides to take the kids to Boston to be with their mother. During a desperate battle between U.S. Marines and the aliens, Ray is forced to choose between being separated from Rachel and preventing Robbie from joining the fight.

[astarkey]

IN DEPTH FANDOM QUESTIONS: Charmed and FDTD! 💖💖💖

It’s kinda long, so I’m gonna have it under the cut lol.

Charmed

Top 5 favorite characters: Piper Halliwell, Prue Halliwell, Phoebe Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Andy Trudeau Other characters you like: Darryl Morris, Leo Wyatt, Cole Turner, Barbas Least favorite characters: Billie Jenkins, (Adult) Chris Halliwell Otps: Prue/Andy, Piper/Leo, Phoebe/Cole, Prue/Bane Notps: Prue/Jack, Phoebe/Coop Favorite friendships: The Halliwells and Darryl Favorite family: The Halliwell sisters (Paige included) Favorite episodes: “Murphy’s Luck,” “Ex Libris,” “A Witch’s Tail,” “The Day the Magic Died,” and “Oh My Goddess.” Favorite season/book/movie: Season 2 Favorite quotes: “I know it’s not very P.C. but I want romance. Long, slow kisses, late night talks, candlelight. I love love.,” “It’s the 21st century. It’s the woman’s job to save the day.,” “I don’t obsess. I think, intensely.,” “I think from now on I’m gonna stop trying to control every little moment. The best ones kinda sneak up on you, anyway.” Best musical moment: All the musical guest at the club, P3. Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: I think when I saw Bane make a re-appearence when he kidnapped Prue 😂 I don’t think I fangirl'd too hard, I was calm and surprised about it haha. When it really disappointed you: When they added Billie. I don’t know, I didn’t really like much of season 8 ‘cause I felt like they were making the focus on her and didn’t know what to do with the rest of the main characters. I hardly watched that season anyway, it just felt dragged out and confusing. Saddest moment: When Phoebe vanquished Cole Most well done character death: I don’t know, I guess Andy’s. Favorite guest star: John Cho Favorite cast member: Holly Marie Combs Character you wish was still alive: Prue Halliwell AND Andy Trudeau. One thing you hope really happens: I don’t know. It would’ve been nice to see the next generation of Halliwells kicking demon ass lol. Most shocking twist: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ When did you start watching/reading?: Probably around the time that s4 aired. I always saw glimpses of episodes on TNT when my mom used to do my hair before taking me to school, and I just decided to sit and watch it with her when they were showing new episodes on WB (CW). Best animal/creature: I think the Grimlocks. They kinda scared me when I was a kid lol. Favorite location: The Halliwell house Trope you wish they would stop using: I don’t know... I don’t know if it’s necessarily a trope, but I kinda noticed how they would make the big sisters seem a little bossy. Like Prue was the big sister and she was bossy, and then when she died and Piper ended up being the big sister, she became bossy later on, too. It’s like they have to have one of the sisters being the boss in the trio and it’s like why??? lol.  One thing this show/book/film does better than others: It’s three sisters that are witches and kicking demon ass. How cool is that lol  Funniest moments: Piper on the ground kicking and screaming in that episode “Is There a Woogy in the House,” and Piper calling some dude skid mark lol. Couple you would like to see: I don’t know. Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: I’m not sure. Favorite outfit: Phoebe’s outfit here [Link] It’s always been my favorite. Favorite item: The Book of Shadows Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: No What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I don’t know. Most boring plotline: I don’t know, I kinda stopped investing in the show when they did the whole Wyatt going to magic school like going to Hogwarts, and the warlock running the school wanted to steal Wyatt and make him evil so he could be evil!Wyatt in the future. It was like around that season and when Oded Fehr played that demon (I forgot his name, but I know it starts with a “Z”) and when Billie showed up, it just got boring later on. Most laughably bad moment: Piper’s Halloween costume as Gilda the witch from The Wizard of Oz. Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Idk, I can’t remember. There were so many 😂 Most layered character: Piper Halliwell Most one dimensional character: Uh... I don’t know. I wanna say (Adult) Chris Halliwell lmao. Scariest moment: I think a reporter was in the sewers trying to report on the Charmed Ones, but then a Grimlock popped up in front of the camera and attacked the reporter. Grossest moment: I don’t remember. Best looking male: Bane Jessup (let’s be honest here, people, lol) Best looking female: All of the sisters are good looking, lol. But I’ll say Phoebe Halliwell. Who you’re crushing on (if any): Nobody lol. Favorite cast moment: I don’t know. Favorite transportation: Orbing Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): The dream sequences in the “Dream Sorcerer” episode. Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: I know the reason (the Shannen and Alyssa beef while filming), but it’s weird that Prue’s spirit never shows up whenever the family’s spirits are called upon, like Grams’ and Penny’s spirit. Even in the last episode of the show, Prue never showed up, and even the characters questioned that! 😂 Best promo: I have no idea. At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I don’t know, it kinda grew on me lol. I liked the idea of witches fighting evil, and the show gave off this warm nostalgic feeling (kinda like Practical Magic), and I think that’s what drew me to the show, as well.

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series

Top 5 favorite characters: Seth Gecko, Kate Fuller, Richie Gecko, Kisa, and Eddie Cruickshank.  Other characters you like: Freddie Gonzalez, Scott Fuller, Ximena Vasconcelos, Jacob Fuller, Burt, Kalinda, Dakota Block, Rafa Infante, Vanessa Styles, Celestino Oculto 😎, and Kalinda Least favorite characters: Aiden Tanner, Carlos Madrigal, Sonja Lam Otps: Seth/Kate, Richie/Kate Notps: Scott/Kate, Seth/Richie, Kate/Carlos, and shipping anybody with Aiden lol. Favorite friendships: Seth and Kisa, Seth and Kalinda (even though it was extremely short, their interaction was just so nice to see), Kate and Rafa, and Richie and Kisa (I wanna say they’re otp, but I also like the mutual relationship they have) Favorite family: The Fuller family including the Gecko brothers... and Uncle Eddie 😂 Favorite episodes: “Let’s Get Ramblin’,”Santa Sangre,” “Shady Glen,” and “Dark Side of the Sun.” Favorite season/book/movie: Season 2 Favorite quotes: “And every spidey since I got is tingling in every nook and cranny from eyeballs to balls-balls.,” “’Got your balls on?’ ‘Screwed on tight.,’” “’Are you here for redemption? In whose eyes? Your God’s?’ No. In the eyes of the people I love.,’“ “My family might survive if we stick together because we’re better together. When we’re alone, we’re lost.,” “Now like it or not, we are a family. A broken, messed up, sad excuse for a family. But goddamn it, we got love for each other, don’t we? Love and forgiveness. That’s how you get through the day, right?,” “Next one that pipes up gets a stake through the heart. Reptile, regular jackass, I don’t really give a shit. Got it? Fantastic.,” “You, be cool.” Best musical moment: Uh... Every musical moment was pretty mediocre, so I guess Fanglorious on stage was pretty great (those are the only 2 musical moments I know). Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: Los Tres Geckos robbing a bank at the end of s3 lol. When it really disappointed you: How the creators just decided to change Sex Machine’s character from the movie into this total perv/predator in the show, like wtf. Movie version Sex Machine was my fav. AND THEY KEPT BRINGING HIM BACK EACH SEASON WHEN NO ONE WANTED HIM BACK, LIKE MAJORITY OF US COLLECTIVELY WANTED HIM TO STAY DEAD! Saddest moment: In the “Straightjacket” episode when Seth was tied up and trying to talk to Richie to get his normal self to come back while his shadow-self took over. They really got me with that one. Most well done character death: Carlos getting butchered by the main characters, leaving Scott to finish him off by decapitating his head. That was some pretty poetic shit right there lol. Favorite guest star: Tom Savini Favorite cast member: D.J. Cotrona Character you wish was still alive: Pretty much majority of the ones that have died 😂 I’ll just say everyone except Malvado, Carlos, and Aiden Tanner. One thing you hope really happens: Dude, I just wanna see Seth and Kate kiss, that’s all man 😆 Most shocking twist: I mean I wasn’t expecting Kate to show up with the brothers robbing a bank, so that was a shock lol. When did you start watching/reading?: Pfff, pretty much five years ago, now, in March! Lol.  Best animal/creature: Culebras Favorite location: I’d say the run-down motel in the beginning of s2 😂 Also Uncle Eddie’s shop. Trope you wish they would stop using: Idk... Idk if it’s a trope, but it kinda sucks seeing innocent girls getting treated like shit and killed, and then they come back from the dead and like some part of them is stripped away like they’re not as they used to be, and they’re out for blood. I don’t know... One thing this show/book/film does better than others: As cheesy as this show is, it has Robert Rodriguez all over it, which kept me hooked. It also incorporates Mesoamerican mythology and folklore, which I’m a huge sucker for, AND VAMPIRES!!!!! Funniest moments: Richie sliding out when Seth told him to shut up at the liquor store, Carlos pretending to hand something to Malvado when he’s handing him nothing and saying he’s all out of fucks to give, Seth shooting a gun in the garage with a straight face, and Seth protecting his crotch before he attempts to shoot a gas tank. Couple you would like to see: Idk, I guess Seth/Kate??? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: Salma Hayek (I still wanna know why she wasn’t on the show. She would’ve been amazing as one of the nine lords) Favorite outfit: [Here], [here], and [HERE] Favorite item: Kate’s cross? Idk. Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: Yep! A shirt of a fanart of the Gecko bros., a sethkate cup, and a fanart sethkate iTouch case. What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I don’t know. Probably a culebra lol. Most boring plotline: None of them were really boring.  Most laughably bad moment: Richie just staring off into space as he’s drawing circles in his book like right after Seth said that Richie wasn’t crazy lol. Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Kisa’s flashbacks. Most layered character: Idk, there’s a lot of characters that are equally layered. Most one dimensional character: I don’t think there’s any 😂 Scariest moment: The Head Games monster taking the skull out of his victims was pretty crazy. Grossest moment: When that dude peed on Freddie while he was tied up. I’d say that was disgusting. Best looking male: That’s a tie between Seth and Richie. Best looking female: Kisa Who you’re crushing on (if any): SETH GECKO Favorite cast moment: When they all went on a group chat, and reminisced on the show and shared pics when they were on set filming. Favorite transportation: The rv, even though that rv needs to be cleansed thoroughly. Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Kate swimming and floating in the pool (before the water turns red lol) Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: Like... there’s no way anyone could come out cold turkey that friggin’ quick within a couple hours. It usually would last within three days. Best promo: Season 3, I think. At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I think it was the scene when Kate had the conversation with Richie by the pool. I loved how the creators made the interaction less creepy compared to the movie, and I found it pleasing with all these changes they made from the movie for the show. There were a lot of things they changed that I found it appealing, AND THEY CHANGED SETH’S ANSWER AND WANTED KATE TO ACCOMPANY HIM, LIKE THAT’S WHAT I WANTED TO HAPPEN FOR 20 YEARS, AND IT HAPPENED! 😩🙌🏽 It’s like they gave me everything I wanted, but wasn’t expecting to happen lmao.

Geez, sorry this took so long lol! Thank you so much for asking me these!!!! 😁💗

[perfectirishgifts]

Disney’s Master Class: How To Get Everyone To Wear A Face Mask

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/disneys-master-class-how-to-get-everyone-to-wear-a-face-mask/

Disney’s Master Class: How To Get Everyone To Wear A Face Mask

Since reopening this summer, Disney World has required face masks inside its theme parks.

Since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, surveys have consistently shown that the majority of Americans support mandates for wearing face masks in public.

What’s perhaps even more important is that travelers have demonstrated a clear desire to see those mandates enforced. Think back to May, when major U.S. airlines were rolling out new face mask requirements while at the same time telling flight crews not to ruffle the feathers of non-compliers, as reported by Reuters. After the predictable backlash, the airlines were forced to get much tougher about enforcing mask usage. Nowadays, passengers who refuse to wear face coverings are often banned from flying or, at the least, escorted off flights, often to applause and jeers from fellow travelers.

While airlines eventually came around to the importance of enforcing their own policies, Walt Disney World was prepared to walk the walk from the get-go. Before the Orlando mega-resort reopened last summer, Disney understood that attracting visitors after a four-month closure during a pandemic would require going above and beyond to keep its employees and visitors safe. One of the central pillars in Disney World’s reopening plan has been its strict face mask policy.

Mask compliance at Walt Disney World is “virtually 100%,” says Len Testa, a statistician and the founder of Touring Plans, a popular app and website that uses big data and user-generated intel to help theme-park-goers slash wait times. Since the theme parks reopened, Testa’s team of on-the-ground employees has been tracking face mask compliance.

Every day, Testa’s team picks a random location at a random Disney World theme park and counts 500 people. “Of those 500 people, we determine how many were wearing their masks exactly according to Disney’s mask guidelines,” explains Testa. That means wearing a face covering that is secure and covers the nose and mouth. “And the only time that you can take it off is when you are actively eating or drinking while stationary, not while walking around or in a ride queue,” he says.

At Epcot last Wednesday, compliance was 99%, which Testa says is pretty typical. “Also, when mask compliance isn’t 100%, it’s not like somebody’s walking around all day without a mask,” he says. “It’s generally someone walking who pulls the mask down for a second, takes a sip of soda, and puts it right back on.”

Getting everyone to wear a mask in a place the size of San Francisco is all the more impressive given that Disney World is located in a state without a mask mandate. Currently, about 89% of Floridians report wearing a mask all or most of the time, according to Carnegie Mellon’s CovidCast, a project tracking real-time statistics related to the coronavirus. That puts the Sunshine State about midway between South Dakota (82%) and Vermont (97%).

Put another way, mask compliance at Disney World is as high or higher than virtually anywhere in the nation. This is achieved through a combination of clear, consistent messaging and zero-tolerance enforcement.

“There’s no way you could come and not be aware of the mask policy,” says Tom Corless, founder of the Disney fan site WDW News Today. “It is impossible that you would not encounter a sign, an audio announcement, or some disclaimer when you’re purchasing tickets or a hotel room or whatever.”

Park-goers hear frequent audio announcements and come across signs, like one near the entrance to Magic Kingdom, that do not mince words: “Guests not properly wearing an approved mask will be asked to leave.”

And Disney means it, say Testa and Corless, who have both witnessed staff members whisk non-compliers out of the parks. What’s more, they say, Disney has shown a willingness to stop a ride if staff members spot a maskless face. Without singling anyone out, they’ll make an announcement and wait for the offender to replace his or her mask before restarting the attraction.

“So someone might think, ‘No one’s watching now. I can finally take this down. I’m in a dark space,’” says Corless, noting that Disney has internal security cameras on virtually every attraction. “People think no one’s watching, but there usually is.”

Which is exactly what happened last week when Corless went to see “Impressions de France,” a short film screened at Epcot’s France pavilion. “And the film starts, and it’s dark, and I see a cast member with a little light wand, and she’s waving at somebody. Then I see that two people have taken down their masks in the theater, and I don’t know how she saw it. It’s pretty dark in there, but she spotted it. And she didn’t stop the film, but she certainly made her way through the seating to make sure these people pulled their masks back up for the rest of the film.”

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Stories like these highlight Disney’s proactive approach to enforcement. The company anticipates where people might be most likely to remove their masks and positions watchdogs accordingly. For instance, staff members are strategically placed near the most iconic holiday decorations, like the big Christmas trees in the Magic Kingdom, and they keep their eyes peeled for anyone who might try and drop their mask down to take a photo.

“And as soon as that happens, I’m not going to say they’re shouting, but there’s very loud insistence to say, ‘Please put your mask on,’” says Testa. “And it’s not just one person. It’s multiple people from different angles all coming over and saying it at the same time. They are very serious. They know the places where it’s going to happen, and they’re doing exactly what they need to do.”

Disney’s face mask policy is just one in a slew of rigorous Covid-19 protocols that also include enhanced sanitation, temperature checks, and modifications to many attractions and character interactions.

Of course, there are distancing markers on every attraction that denote how far apart you’re supposed to stand. “The lines look really, really long because everyone is six feet apart. But if you look at the actual time that you’re spending in line, we’re still seeing historically low wait times for most rides,” says Testa. “In past Thanksgivings, the wait times would have been two or three times higher than they were this year easily, if not more.”

Another key change is the temporary ban on walk-up tickets. Guests must use the online Disney Park Pass reservations system to buy tickets in advance and make reservations at one of the four main theme parks per day. This allows Disney to limit daily attendance in each park to 35% capacity — up from 25% in the summer. While this reservation system will be kept in place at least into 2022, modified Park Hopper ticket options, which will allow guests to visit more than one park in a day, are returning next month.

On the whole, say Testa and Corless, Disney park-goers seem happy to adhere to these rules in exchange for being able to enjoy themselves. There have been days when all four parks reached that 35% capacity maximum, says Testa. For the Magic Kingdom, roughly one third capacity translates to 31,500 people.

“That’s barely half of what an average day was right before the pandemic,” says Testa. “Some people may say, ‘Well, 31,000 people is way too many for the Magic Kingdom.’ But historically it’s not. And Disney’s doing a really good job of spacing people out.”

Corless, who has visited Disney World nearly every day since the resort reopened over the summer, says he’s proof that Disney is getting it right. “I’ve been tested several times. I don’t have antibodies. I’ve never tested positive for coronavirus,” he says. “It proves that masks, and compliance, and other rules, and enforcement absolutely can work. It’s beautiful.”

Disney did not respond to Forbes’ request for an interview.

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