#watched bohemian rhapsody with a Queen expert

[lavender-tea-fling]

Legitimately nothing better than watching someone’s favorite movie with them. Even better if they’re extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter. Like… don’t apologize for being brilliant and clever???? I wanna hear every single fact people got annoyed with hearing???? Who told you they didn’t want to hear it?????? bc it’s their loss to miss something so beautiful as someone being passionate about the things they love—

[passionforfiction]

Weird The Al Yankovic Story

I'm an 80s child and a 90s teen, so I grew up in the grand era of MTV. I grew up singing to Michael Jackson, Madonna, Queen, Elton John, rock bands and all the other music genre popular at the time. . . And I grew up listening to Weird Al's master parodies. I watched his movies too. My brother and I were counting the months to see this "biographical" movie about one of our favorite music artists and today we finally watched it. I will say that I had expected some sort of alternate universe sort of story because of what Daniel Radcliffe said in an interview but this movie is so wild that the audience knows this is anything BUT a biographical film. And that's when I realized that he didn't want to tell his story; he was doing what he does best: a parody of biographical films. BOOM! Blew my mind.

Biographical films have always been popular and lately we've had some really good ones about musicians: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), Rocketman (2019) and Elvis (2022). Weirld Al takes his life and turns it into a parody of this genre, incorporating all the clichés typical in this kind of film: the rearrangement of events to create tension and move the plot; unsupporting parents, lovers that use them to better their careers and at the end reconnecting with the people who love them.

The movie starts with Weird Al taken to a surgery room and then moves us back to the "beginning" - his childhood. This reminded me of Rocketman that starts with Elton John leaving a concert and arriving to a group therapy session and from there, taking us to his beginnings - his childhood. But these movies don't only start in mid- plot, they also change order in which certain things happened and embellish relationships to hint at things that are not accurate, in a way that stretches or softens reality. For example, in Elvis, the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla is presented in a way that romanticizes their relationship. In Bohemian Rhaspody, makes it look like the band split up because Freddy wanted to make a solo album when it was another member of the band who expressed this need first, and this is one of many different changes. In Rocketman, it is hinted that Taupin wrote "Your Song" for Elton when Taupin said in an interview that it wasn't so. All these changes drive the plot of the story but by changing things, the story is no longer being truthful and what's real is transformed into fiction. And good fiction has great antagonists.

In this version, Weird Al's parents are anything but supportive just like we see in Bohemian Rhaspody and Rocketman. These three musicians share their desire to be accepted by their fathers. This hurtful father-son relationships trigger their sadness and strangles their ability to accept themselves as they are, hence the hiding of their true selves. We might no see this in Elvis, but we have the mentor who manipulates and isolates him from those he loves which we also see in Bohemian Rhaspody (Freddy's relationship with Paul), and Rocketman (Elton's relationship with his manager). In Weird, we have Madonna as the lover who isolates him from his friends and he takes this to the extreem by adding fight scenes, and a kidnappings by a drug lord. But all these fictionalized biographies are inspiring because these people were/are agents of change and were able to achieve their goals; they fell but were able to heal and rise again.

Weird Al's contribution to pop culture in the United States is huge and he inspired us to be as "weird" as we are. But there is something else that I liked about this mega fictionalized "biography" - the criticism on the concept of originality and creativity. In the film, people in the industry and his parents kept telling Al that his songs had no value because they were using the music of existing songs. Remix Culture experts like Lessing, Jenkins and Ferguson are very clear on the fact that all creative work is based or influenced by those that came before. What makes something "original" is it's transformative nature and Weird Al transforms each song into something totally different, totally new and it's protected by Fair Use. Some artists didn't mind being parodied while others did. And he presents both sides in the movie by putting himself in their shoes by having his song "Eat it" come before Jackson's "Beat It''. It's funny to see him enraged, refusing to sing the song because he thinks people will connect it to the "parody." It just shows how ridiculous it is. In the other side, we have artists who see the benefit of having their songs parodied- new and old audiences rediscover the original songs and artists, thus bringing new profit.

This is a brilliant and weird as hell movie with criticism hidden in the laughter. Don't see it expecting to learn who Weird Al is outside of his profession because this film is another parodes masterpiece.

[quicksweetdreamer]

After rewatching the last episode of Good Omens for like the 4th time, like any sane person would, I saw this in the credits

“With a special thanks to Queen”

Gosh I do hope so! There were so many Queen songs in this show that Freddie Mercury should be listed as part of the main cast!

And it’s

✨fantastic✨

Queen is my favorite band ever and I thrived everytime I heard one of their songs in Good Omens because I know them and their significance so well.

And let me tell you that each song was used perfectly.

For exemple, the use of ”Somebody to love” after Crowley thought Aziraphale was dead was obviously perfect but the use of “You’re my best friend” right before that was also on point but in a much more subtle way since, like I said in a previous post, the song was written by the bassist of the group, John Deacon, for his very best friend in the world; his wife.

Another obvious perfect fit was “bicycle race” during the scene with Anathema and her bike. But another slightly more subtle reference (for those who aren’t Queen experts or haven’t watched with subtitles on) was the use of “I’m in love with my car” during the scene where Crowley just threw himself and his Bentley in the fire of the M25. (Fun fact, Roger Taylor, the drummer of the band and the one who wrote “I’m in love with my car”, wanted his song to be on the B-side of the single “Bohemian Rhapsody” so bad that he apparently locked himself in a cupboard until the other members of the group accepted; which is totally something Crowley would do)

I’ve also found later on that Queen was mentioned quite a few time in the book; in which there apparently is the following sentences:

“Crowley was currently doing 110 mph somewhere east of Slough. [...] Admittedly he was listening to a Best of Queen tape, but no conclusions should be drawn from this because all tapes left in a car for more than a fortnight metamorphose into Best of Queen albums.”

Which apparently comes from an inside joke between Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett according to this article I’ve read. (The quotation comes from the same article)

I’ve only listed the songs that stood out to me the most while I watched the show but if you want to read the article, it explains more about each song and why they were used during specific scenes and it’s *cheff kiss* (check the part about Bohemian Rhapsody)

So yeah, the music in this show is absolutely awesome and I haven’t even talked about the theme song or “a nightingale sang in Berkeley square” which would both deserve a post of their own.

(While I’m here, do you guys think I should read the book? I’m starting to consider buying it but I would like to know what the people who already read it thought of it. Also is the new version different than the original? And if it is which one should I read? Thanks in advance! 🙏🏼❤️)

[jethro-pride98]

Double the fun

A/N: this is for my HamilStans @alkow and @diaryofafan17 it’s a smut. Please be kind. I hope you enjoy it.💜🖤

Imagine being Invited to the premiere for Bohemian Rhapsody. On the actual red carpet. You had 2 spare tickets you managed to snatch, as you're a journalist and close friends with Roger Taylor the drummer of Queen. You decide to invite your two best friends Douglas Hamilton and Dwayne Pride to go with you and they both accepted. You told them to meet at your place. You're sitting on the couch with them, right between them.

As you're talking to them you see Douglas’s eyes sliding from your face to your chest - you're wearing a low cut purple blouse that teasingly shows the curve of your breasts. Douglas leans in and, taking the sunglasses off, whispers hotly in your ear: "You look very sexy, babe".

You're a bit taken aback, but not in an unpleasant way. You have always lusted for the two handsome men, so it's bliss when Dwayne starts caressing your arm very nonchalantly. You lean into the touch and Dwayne smiles sweetly. Douglas scoots closer, hip now pressing against yours, and slowly puts a hand on your thigh.

"Do you wish for us to stop? If you don't want this it's perfectly fine, you know" Dwayne says, careful as always. You bite your lip, a bit ashamed of wanting them this bad. You don't wanna say it openly because you're very embarassed, but you want them to keep touching you.

Finally you manage to say: "I want this" and Dwayne immediately cups your face with his hands as he sweetly kisses you. First it's delicate, lips against lips, but then his tongue sneaks into your mouth, chasing yours and tasting your mouth. He groans softly into it, his hands now caressing your exposed neck as Douglas’s slide closer to your groin.

"Open your legs for us" Douglas orders, and you do. You hear him breathing heavily as you feel his palm caressing you between your legs, under your tight skirt. Dwayne breaks the kiss and starts unbuttoning your blouse, nuzzling your neck and tickling you with his soft curls. He murmurs sweet nothings against your skin.

You help him take your blouse off and then Douglas stops for a moment his teasing fingers to take your lacy bra off too. As soon as your breasts are in plain sight, Dwayne leans down and takes a nipple in his mouth, pulling slightly at it with his teeth and soothing the pain with licks and kisses. Douglas keeps touching you over your panties, and you're growing extremely wet.

You see they're hard for you, and you decide to try something out and reach down to palm Dwayne's cock through his nice and elegant trousers. He sighs and sucks on your breast harder, groping the other with his skilled hand, playing with the hardening nipple. Then Dwayne slides his trousers low enough to have you stroke him directly, his erection big and dripping.

"We should take her panties off, she's making a mess" Douglas teases, and you blush at the sight of your panties soaked with your juices.

"Sorry--" you reply, flustered, but Douglas shushes you.

"Sorry? For being a good girl, all wet and loose for us?" He bites your lobe and whispers in your ear, "Come on baby, let me strip you and get you ready for our cocks".

Dwayne stops torturing your breasts as he lies down and pulls you over him, so that Douglas can unzip your skirt and get you completely naked. When he takes your panties off you hear him groan.

"Fuck- she's beautiful, Dwayne. The most beautiful pussy I've ever seen". You sigh at the words, before actually moaning when Douglas gives your wetness a long lick, his slight stubble scraping at your soft flesh heightening the sensations. He keeps licking and sucking until he's short of breath, then he gives you a kiss on your labia and leans back.

Dwayne, meanwhile, has been kissing you again, but you see he wants more.

"I wanna fuck her first, Douglas" Dwayne says, when his frenemy takes a break from his pleasurable work.

"Then I'll have those pretty lips around my cock, won't I?" Douglas smugly asks you. You nod, and he slaps your ass before getting up next to you and Dwayne, pumping his hard rock erection now free of trousers or underwear.

"Ride me, baby" Dwayne orders, placing his hands on your hips, "I'll make you see stars".

Guided by Dwayne’s big and expert hands, you sink easily onto his cock, mentally thanking Douglas for having gotten you so wet and ready for them.

Dwayne throws his head back as he grips your hips thighter, keeping you still. The feeling of him filling you to the brim is wonderful, he's so thick and long and it feels like you were made to be fucked by him.

Douglas gets closer, and you take his cock in your hand, slowly licking the tip. You give a couple licks to the slit, and Douglas’s hands fly into your hair, forcing you a little bit deeper on his cock.

"Like this, good girl" he moans, as you start sucking on it, cheeks hollowing. His smell is intoxicating.

You fit as much as you can in your mouth, looking up and locking eyes with him. That's when Dwayne gives his first thrust. It's unexpected, so you yelp against Douglas’s cock.

They both like the sounds you're making, because you instantly have their hands all over your body, pulling you closer and teasing. Dwayne keeps thrusting into you, perfect in strength and rhythm, his big hands on your hips making you feel like your his, but Douglas's dick in your mouth claiming you as well. You keep moaning and making soft noises, that seem to make both men even harder.

You taste Douglas's precum in your mouth, and he winks at you as he notices, making you even redder. Douglas then backs down, murmuring: "If you keep your pretty mouth around my cock for a second more I'll cum too soon, and I want to feel your pussy first". He watches as you keep riding Dwayne, slowly stroking his length.

Dwayne looks at you with dark eyes, his face flushed. His salt and pepper hair is so soft under your hands, now that you've placed them around his face. He keeps his mouth slightly open, bliss visible on his elegant features.

"You're so pretty, riding me like this" he murmurs, his voice husky. He's close, and you are too. You're a moaning mess, and try to make him understand that you need to come.

He understands and one hand leaves your hip to stroke your sensitive nub. That, combined with his cock deep inside you, does the trick.

"Cum for me my love, that’s it sweetheart” he says, giving a couple of hard thrusts. You feel the orgasm's rush and come, moaning his name, and your walls tighten around him, making him cum as well, filling you with his hot cum. You whimper and he sweetly caresses your face, murmuring about how good you felt and how soft you are.

But then he slides out of you, and Douglas is ready to take you. He does so from behind, first slowly rubbing himself against your slit until you're begging him to fuck you, and you're pushing your ass against him.

He smirks and slams right into you, groaning in his deep voice.

"Oh baby, you're so tight" he says, "God--- Dwayne, isn't she beautifully tight?"

"She is" Dwayne nods, "and just wait until she cums, she'll be wonderful".

Their words get you ready again, and Douglas starts fucking you. His thrusts are slower than Dwayne's, driving you mad and making you mewl and bounce back against him, needing his cock more and faster.

"What a beautiful babe” Douglas mutters, "You so deserve it faster" and he does so, slamming into you harder and increasing his tempo, the sounds of flesh against flesh maddening.

You reach down to stroke yourself and he leans over you and starts murmuring profanities in your ear, and that makes you wetter, until you're so close that you can't stop yourself and you cum hard, your pussy closing against his cock, and it takes only seconds for Douglas to join you, his white hot cum joining Dwayne's inside of you.

When he pulls out, you're dripping with their cum, all loose and a bit sore, Dwayne gets up to get a couple of towels to clean you up, and they do oh so softly and sweetly. You three fall asleep on the couch, spent and satisfied, the friends hands around you, protective and warm.

The premiere long forgotten about, but that was fine, you were in the comfort of your own home feeling content with the two people you loved most in the world.

[traincat]

As you are the foremost tumblr spider-man expert, i was wondering if you knew what kind of music peter parker likes? either canonically or in your opinion.

So I feel like questions pertaining to what comic book characters read or watch or listen to are always really difficult to answer in part because the sliding timescale is such a thing -- and what characters would have been exposed to in the mid-60s is not the same as the mid-90s is not the same as 2020, just by basis of what’s on the charts. So I can pick out some individual moments that deal with music, but it’s kind of harder to talk about what his tastes might be big picture. I can pull up some shots of Peter’s record collection:

(ASM #130 -- that’s his apartment, although he’s still living with Harry at that point, so that Aretha record is either his or Harry’s. I think it’s probably Peter’s.)

And here’s him and MJ arguing about music:

(Peter Parker: Spider-Man #22. Yes that’s a robot arm and I mean this honestly when I say it’s not important. Meanwhile -- Elton John, Peter?)

But pushing the sliding timescale off the table for a minute, I think what Mary Jane says in the above scene is probably pretty apt -- that he doesn’t like anything recorded in the last ten years. I think his tastes run a little older than he is, pretty much across the board, no matter what era he’s in, and I think that because as a kid he was raised by old parental figures, which is one strike against him being into anything contemporary because I don’t think he was exposed to it through May or Ben, and because he didn’t have any close friends until he was in college, which is another strike against him bcause he’s not going to pick up “what everyone else is listening to” through friends in high school. The only way to negate either of those things would be if he had a serious personal interest in music, which we’ve never seen any evidence of 616 Peter having. This is one of the areas in which TASM Peter differs, because we see a ton of band posters in his room, we see him listening to music in his downtime, etc. I’m not in the habit of analyzing MCU Peter as an individual character but we do see him listening to music on his commute in CACW so the same could probably be said for him. But with 616 Peter, music doesn’t appear to be a personal passion, something he puts a lot of time into outside of Spider-Man. So I think it’s fair to label him kind of persistently behind the times but probably in a way where he’s not even aware of it. He’s just not paying attention.

He does sing along to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in Peter Parker: Spider-Man v2 #22. While naked. For some reason. He had a (platonic) roommate at this time, I’d like to note.

[tpwktaron]

My Quarantine Watchlist

hello! i hope this post finds you in good health. today i decided to go a little out of my category of what i usually post and make a movie watchlist. if you haven’t seen what i usually repost, i’m a huge movie buff, and are always adding new films to my watchlist. (you should add me on letterboxd! same username.) so, i compiled a list of my top 10 movies. some of them aren’t considered to be critically acclaimed, but they are still comforting and happy, especially during this rough time we are having. i hope you give these a try, and let me know what you think! disclaimer: i am not a movie expert! some terminology i use is definitely not correct lol. 

1. rocketman - dir. dexter fletcher, 89%

this movie really means so much to me, it’s definitely one of my absolute favorites. taron egerton does an absolutely amazing job as elton john, not just through his performance but his through his singing. yes, he sings the music as well! the music is also perfectly placed throughout the movie to tell the story of elton john’s life. 

synopsis: pretty self explanatory; a musical fantasy about the life of elton john.

2. onward - dir. dan scanlon - 87%

really awesome pixar movie! definitely a great movie for anyone who is a fan of animation, some of the most beautifully animated scenes i have ever seen! i guess that’s just pixar for you. 

synopsis: a teenage elf ian lightfoot and his brother barley are given a spell to bring their late father back to life, but when they mess up the first time, they have to go on a quest to find a phoenix gem to bring him back.

3. eddie the eagle - dir. dexter fletcher - 82%

another masterpiece by the dexter fletcher and taron egerton! this is my favorite movie of all time. it’s so heartwarming and motivating, it’s a great pick-me-up film for when i’m feeling down. taron egerton is definitely a chameleon actor, and can slip into any role with ease! him and hugh jackman have such great chemistry, and this movie easily displays that.

synopsis: based on a true story, olympics-bound eddie edwards trains for the winter olympics as a ski jumper, one of the most dangerous sports in the world, with help from his drunken “coach,” bronson peary.

4. lady bird - dir. greta gerwig - 99%

ugh. this movie. i can’t! when i first watched it it left me speechless. it’s an outstanding coming-of-age film, and a great mother-daughter film as well. christine and her mom’s relationship is hilariously heartwarming. another touch i love is the grainy filter throughout the movie. it was a great touch to add an early 2000′s feel! saoirse ronan’s performance was extraordinary. everything about this movie is 10/10, and i cannot recommend this movie enough, especially to teenagers heading off the college.

synopsis: marion mcpherson, a nurse, works tirelessly to keep her family afloat after her husband loses his job. she also maintains a turbulent bond with a teenage daughter who is just like her: loving, strong-willed and deeply opinionated.

5. love, simon - greg berlanti - 92%

love, simon is a perfectly made film to demonstrate the experience of coming out as a gay teen. it’s funny and witty, with some heart-warming yet heart-wrenching drama. i can’t explain it, but this movie makes me feel things i didn’t think i could feel. nick robinson is a great actor, and this movie got paid dust!! by everyone!!

synopsis: everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old simon spier, it’s a little more complicated. he hasn’t told his family or friends he’s gay, and he doesn’t know the identity of the anonymous classmate that he’s fallen for online. resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying, and life-changing.

6. jojo rabbit - dir. taika watiti - 80%

when i first saw this movie in the theater, i wasn’t sure if i was going to like it. i’m not a fan of war movies and violence, so i was a little uneasy. turns out this could possibly be one of the best movies of 2019! roman griffin davis is the best child actor i’ve ever seen. this movie is a wonderful depiction of anti-hate, and of what life was like for germany during world war II. it shows in a funny way how silly nazi views are. it creates humor over such a sensitive subject, yet you don’t feel bad for laughing!

synopsis: a world war II satire that follows a lonely german boy whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother is hiding a young jewish girl in their attic. aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, adolf hitler, jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

7. little women - dir. greta gerwig - 95%

greta gerwig strikes again! she literally has never made a bad movie. this movie is based off of the famous novel little women. it has a star studded cast of timothee chalament, saoirse ronan, florence pugh, emma watson, and laura dern. the power of women!!

synopsis: in the years after the civil war, jo march lives in new york and makes her living as a writer, while her sister amy studies painting in paris. amy has a chance encounter with theodore, a childhood crush who proposed to jo but was ultimately rejected. their oldest sibling, meg, is married to a schoolteacher, while shy sister beth develops a devastating illness that brings the family back together.

8. the greatest showman - dir. michael gracey - 56%

my favorite original musical movie. hugh jackman is such an amazing singer and actor! this movie was one of the first movies that really turned me into a true film admirer. the music has some of the most beautifully written lyrics i know, and it’s a great family movie! it’s intense, yet happy, yet sad, yet exciting, yet every single emotion one person could feel. 

synopsis: growing up in the early 1800s, p.t. barnum displays a natural talent for publicly and promotion, selling lottery tickets by age 12. after trying his hands at various jobs, p.t. turns to show business to indulge his limitless imagination, rising form nothing to create the barnum & bailey circus. 

9. bohemian rhapsody - dir. bryan singer - 60%

although it may have it’s inaccuracies here and there, this movie is still heartwarming and conveys a heartwarming message and moral. rami malek performs as freddie mercury wonderfully, and the chemistry between the cast is indescribable. and what takes the cake? the live-aid re-enactment at the end of the movie, with the band’s mannerisms and everything recreated to the t. 

synopsis: freddie mercury - lead singer of queen - defies stereotypes and convention to become one of history’s most beloved entertainers. the band’s revolutionary sound and popular songs lead to queen’s meteoric rise in the 1970s. after leaving the group to pursue a solo career, mercury reunites with queen for the benefit concert live aid - resulting in one of the greatest performances in rock ‘n’ roll history.

10. anchorman - dir. adam mckay - 66%

my favorite comedy of all time. will ferrell, steve carrell, and paul rudd are all my favorite comedians, so this movie speaks to me. it’s hilariously stupid, but i still love it and recommend it to everyone i know.

synopsis: hotshot television anchorman ron burgandy welcomes upstart reporter veronica corningstone into the male-dominated world of 1970s broadcast news - that is, until the talented female journalist begins to outshine burgandy on air.

[andieperrie18]

Prodigal Daughter (Ben Hardy x Reader)

Prompt: Ben and the cast finds out reader is an expert drummer.

When your dog-loving boyfriend auditioned for Bohemian Rhapsody, he's been working hard to be able to play the percussive set as he wanted to honor the character the he was going to play in the movie. You supported him as a loving girlfriend would do although not that he didn't knew much about you but the fact that you were actually an expert on the drum set had him, his castmates and the two members of Queen in total awe as they eyed from across the stage set.

It happpened like this….

"Awe love, thanks coming here to support me." Ben had an arm around you while walking together, following his cast mates and the others to the stage. The iconic Live Aid was their first scene as Ben told you and for support, you went to watch him as you wanted to see the hard work of your dear lover.

"Love, you should rest for a bit. You've been playing for a quite a while." Your voice laced with concerned. You watch him shake his head no, "It's okay, love." He continous to do the drum routine.

You know that he will nail it. And what better way to boost him than be there and cheer for him.

You stood afar from the set as they shot the scene. You would catch him glancing at you with his biggest smiles as you would bob your head to his beat. The beat that you fell inlove with in your teen years. You didn't even notice the way your foot tap to the ground, each stomp so acute to the beat of the biggest drum.

"and….CUT!!"

You were the first to cheer as you ran to the stage to meet Ben, him doing the same by jumping off it with a large smile welcoming you in his muscly and comfy embrace. You could tell he was proud of himself.

"Babe! That was so cool!!!"

"I KNOW, I was like--" he babble with some sound effects, making some clear emphasis of what he had seen himself doing behind the drum set. Giggling at his action, you both walked together to the bottom of the stage where the peeps had gathered.

Exchanging different compliments, Ben and his castmates were rained with praises from Roger and Brian.

"My almost prodigal son is here." The lead drummer of Queen quoted earning a shy smile from the lad. The man has been a great role model for Ben as he almost stood as a father to him and to you aswell.

"Almost."

"I think we could all agree to that can we?" Gwilym said.

"Well, he did nail it. Good Job Benjamin. But I think Cardboard Ben is Better." Laughter bursted inside the loose circle, you laughing along Joe's affection to your boyfriend carbon copy in cardboard.

"Stop it, Joe. Your hurting my feelings here."

The chatter continued, talking and complementing Rami and Gwylim of them rocking their own routine.

"O My Goodness! Y/n M/n L/n. Is that really you?"

Now this somehow caught everyone's attention. Turning to the owner of the voice, you met the very, very familiar face of a female. It didn't made you hold back the smile the moment you met her gaze.

"JEM!! ITS YOU!!" Basically scurrying out of Ben's embrace, enveloping the girl in a bear hug, and vice versa.

Joe was the first to speak out of all the confused faces.

"Jem, love? You know Y/n?"

Ben was also confused as he knew all of your friends yet he wasn't very much familiar with this one but not in a bad way. The interaction you gave looked genuined and so did hers, it was as if you knew the said stranger almost by heart.

Jem, who is basically bear hugging you looked back to her boyfriend and said,

"OH, Joe, guys, remember when I said I was in a band?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well, you see we were a four person band and I know you have met my two other former band mates and I said I had lost contact with one of my members since our accounts have been hacked before. " you still had the girl in your grasp while looking at the small crowd cowering around the both of you.

"W-wait? Are you saying Y/n's your long lost band member?"

Jem nodded furiously at Lucy's question.

"Wow! Y/n, why didn't you say anything?"

Ben had a seemingly excited look on his face as if he was a boy who just found a treasure chest in his backyard. His eyes trained on you. Curiosity lingering on them.

"Well, nobody real asked about it and that was way too long ago." You trailed.

Joe suddenly pops up statement.

"Hold on a minute, Viola said that she was the pianist and Jax was the bassist. And you told me that you were lead vocalist…"

Ben was the next to speak, following his friend's statement.

"Which would mean that my girlfriend, is your band'--"

"Lead drummer? Yeah!"

The confidence your dear friend radiated as she began to brag you to your friends turning you into a shy fly. And the fact that your idol, nome other than another father figure aswell known as Roger Meddows Taylor, who is basically standing beside you is hearing all this things got you shy chills.

"Hey, Jem thats enough. Besides, as I said that was quite a long time ago and I don't think I could be that great on it anymore."

Jem gave you and eye roll, "Y/n, there's no way that you could loose your touch. Even if your mind doesn't remember, your hands and feet does. Also, I heard from Ben that he would sometimes catch you playing with your chopstick while doing the dishes. I should've known your dating the hunk of a man sooner." You rolled your eyes as Jem whispered the last sentence to you.

"How 'bout you plah for us love?" Roger placed a hand on your shoulder, handing you a pair of sticks. Your eyes turned into saucers.

"I-i don't know Mr. Taylor--" "Roger kiddo."

You smiled, "Roger, as much as I want to play. I not as good as I was before."

This time Ben talks you out.

"You can't be that bad love, we just wanna see you play. You can go do any song."

You looked at him, rather unsure of yourself. Sure, one can't unlearn what is learned. Everyone around you started to encourage you aswell. Ben's puppy eyes, was the last warning bell you could ever receive as you sighed and took the drum sticks. Suddenly feeling a spark in your palms after having contact with it after a long while.

"Go Y/N!!"

"YOU CAN DO IT LOVE!!"

You ran up to the stage, thanking yourself for wearing a pair jeans on this unexpected day. Jem skipped her way as she followed you and as if she already knew what song you were gonna play, she hurriedly plugged her phone on the jack and waited for you settle.

"Brings back memories doesn't it?" You shrugged off and smiled as you held the sticks in position.

"Damn, feeling deja vu here."

"You just miss it." Jem replied to you.

You stared past the drum set meeting Ben's eyes as he howls your name. Roger doing the same and so does the others around the stage. Father and boyfriend, cheering for you. What a heck of a combo.

You nodded to Jem who proceeded to play the track with a little low volume so it won't over power your routine.

"GO! Y/N GO!" she called out.

Taking a deep breath, you let yourself get lost on the music.

(0:00 to 0:15)

Like your hands had its own mind, it smashed the sticks tips to the first beats. Nearly missing the timing.

"That's a good start." You joked to yourself as you continue to the beat.

Eyeing back to back to your small audience. Their heads bobbing with your beat with smiles on their faces. Watching as your pace gradually quickened along the way.

(0:16 to 0:25)

"I think it's getting faster."

Rami's comment made Ben aware with his girlfriend beat. After having countless practice and hearing some bands drummer plays, Bon Jovi's song had some of the trickiest drum routines and he could tell how complicated the beat and yet, seeing you calmly beaming with each hit, your hands and arms swiftly moving to the next beat as if she practiced the whole routine for almost a week. Whats more was also, it looked quite your style.

Your face looked calm and composed with each beating.

He marvelled you and as if you were so used to the clashing and bashing, you didn't miss any timing.

(0:26 to 1:09)

No eyes left your figure while staying on your beat. Each pair beaming the quicker your arms switch directions as the chorus neared then, what happened next was a small yet seemingly gigantic movement when they caught it. That was the moment Ben knew that his girlfriend wasn't an amatuer drummer.

You twirled one drumstick in between your fingers as the other hit the cymbals, your lips mouthing the lyrics with a smile etched on it. Then slamming both down to the clash instrument.

"Ohhh!!!" "She twirled them! Did you see that?!"

Your hands swifting left to right like accelerate, still singing to the chorus. You drowned yourself to the symphony of each percussion that surrounded you like no one was watching, eyes closed you, staying with the beat.

(1:09 to 2:00)

Maintaining a heck of speed had Roger Taylor screaming his heart out for you. Calling your name, screaming 'thats my kid!!' Out of now where and jumping along the music. Like a proud dad, he cheered.

People were bouncing like they were in a rock concert. Joe was banging his head to your melody. Gwilym and Rami were arm in arm and singing to the song. Brian was dancing around with Lucy.

(2:00 to 2:03)

Your speed growing to a thunderous amount that had everyone going out of their mind while you sat there like you practiced the whole performance for weeks.

"Oh my god! She's freaking nailing it."

"UGH! Ben she's a freaking Queen!"

Ben was freaking out like everybody else while watching your routine with the sticks that even thought he can't do.

(2:03 to 2:32)

The crowd under the stage as the staff was singing along while you drum your heart out. Your movements were so in sync with what your mind had thought of in every sequence, executing everything perfectly. Continuing to the music, each beat was a perfect hit. You caught sight of Ben who had a hand on his forehead and another on his, face had saucer eyes and a slack jawed smile, staring at you.

You let yourself meet his gaze as he notice this.

You winked at him.

(2:34 til end.)

Ben's breath hitched as Roger muttered an 'oh my god' beside him as you threw a stick in the air, then catching it perfectly before hitting the beat perfectly once again.

Everyone was screaming after that, Joe was grabbing his permed hair as if he had witness something insane before him. Lucy could tell that after this mini concert, she won't be able to talk the next day.

Doing a couple more stick twirling and fast paced movements, you finally reach an end with a satisfying clash from the cymbals. Panting, you turned to you now large crowd, screaming for you.

"And there goes your Prodigal Daughter." Roger could only nod on Brian's statement.

Ben rushed up to stage and immediatly lifted you off the ground. Rambling how insanely amazing you were.

"You gotta teach me your ways love." He mumbled against your lips.

"As long as I get something in return." You said after quick peck on his lips.

[tokumusume]

tokumusume’s list of best and worst movies and dramas watched in 2019:

There’s a new category this year. Inspired by kpopalypse, welcome the Honorable Mentions! Movies that weren’t exactly bad but also weren’t good. Movies and dramas are qualified to enter if I watched them for the first time this year, not that they were released this year. Click on ‘keep reading’~~

Best Movies:

1.      Parasite

Another masterpiece from the director of Snowpiercer (let’s pretend Okja never existed). A poor family con their way to a rich household. Choi Woo-Shik from The Witch (see below) is the eldest son and mastermind, fabulous as always. Definitely the best movie of this year. For me, movie of the decade.

2.      The Witch Part 1 The Subversion

This movie is amazing, hard to describe without spoilers. A perfect mix of Stranger Things and Hanna. Choi Woo-Shik can come to my house and kick my ass anytime. I can’t wait for part two.

3.      Death Trance

Visually stunning, kinda like Amemiya Keita’s style in early Garo or Mad Max. I wish the movie was longer and the characters were better fleshed out, Ryuen the monk and the little girl had so much potential... The most interesting thing about this movie is how sexualized the main male character is compared to the female ones, and apparently, the swords were designed to look like veiny penises (can’t find a source for this info), and yes, they do look like veiny penises. The final showdown is heavy with sexual energy. Have I already said that Ryuen deserved better? #RyuenRights

4.      Gintama 2: Rules are made to be broken

The barber shop scene is a fucking cinematic masterpiece. I never laughed so much like I did with this movie. The way it doesn’t take itself seriously, the meta jokes, everything is perfect. Even better than the first one.

5.      Kingdom

While I think that some fight scenes were way too long (like the bamboo forest one), the dynamics between Shin and Hyou/Eisei were highly entertaining, at least in my shipper eyes. I like that (SPOILER) the King of the Mountain People is a woman and not once they try to call her Queen. She is a King. Hashimoto Kanna is adorable as a Ten, Kanata Hongo does a great job as Eisei’s psycho brother, Sakaguchi Tak waves his sword around, the usual stuff but with added layers of dirt and sweat.

6.      Bravestorm

A movie I lovingly call “Japanese Pacific Rim”. Full of Kamen Rider stars (Hino Eiji! Misuzawa Haruka! That girl from Heisei Generations, the one with a sword! She has a sword in this as well!) and giant robots (god, I love giant robots!), I waited so much for this movie and it exceeded my expectations. I just wish I could’ve watched in theaters, it had a limited showing in my country.

7.      Twelve Suicidal Children

What begins as a murder mystery ends with a twist you won’t see coming. All of the actors are amazing, but special mention to Sugisaki Hana and that guy from that one boy group I forgot the name but can’t be bothered to Google.

8.      Gakkou Gurashi

Four girls and their teacher try to survive the zombie apocalypse trapped inside the school. This one destroyed me for days.

9.      Forest of Love

I’ve watched some Sono Sion movies but nothing prepared me for this. Be aware of extremely gory sequences and sensitive topics. Hinami Kyoko is so amazing as blue-haired, punk girl crush Taeko that I totally didn’t notice she was AkibaBlue in Akibaranger.

10.  The Host

After watching Parasite I decided to go on a Bong Joon Ho binge and watched this horror movie. Not as good as Snowpiercer and Parasite in my opinion but heart-wrenching nevertheless. The little girl is the star of the movie.

11.  The Hungry Lion

A story about the dangers of social media and slut-shaming. I want to punch Mizuishi Atom in the face.

12.  Cromartie High

A little absurd comedy about yakuza-style high school boys (played by middle-aged men lol) forming a club to battle aliens summoned by themselves just because. It made me laugh like a child. A hidden gem.

Honorable Mentions:

1.      River’s Edge

Depressing as fuck. Warning: the cats die. It’s not graphic but it’s traumatizing. Yoshizawa Ryo is a gay boy who sleeps with old men for money. There’s a graphic sex scene (not Yoshizawa, sadly) where my only thought was “That thing is gonna get stuck in there! Use a condom!” Can’t remember much from it except for these three scenes.

2.      The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

Yamazaki Kento has the acting chops of a dead fish but it comes handy for playing a teen with psychic abilities and zero social skills. Hashimoto Kanna is one of the prettiest girls in Japan. Yoshizawa Ryo with white and blueish hair looks more like Sakata Gintoki than Oguri Shun in the Gintama live action. The end is a huge let down but the fun ride is worth it.

3.      Ano ko no, Toriko

Congratulations to Yoshizawa Ryo, he has FIVE movies in my list of favorite movies this year! This is to make up for crowning GIVER as the biggest waste of time of 2018, this list is totally not biased, lol. “Ano ko” could be just another romance movie but the (very) little insight into how the entertainment industry works and not focusing on school life made me love it. Poor Sugino Yosuke being left behind again, when will this boy get the main girl?

4.      Monstrum

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it’s pleasant enough to fill a rainy afternoon with a lot of blood and spilled guts. Hyeri of Girl’s Day is the heroine and Choi Woo Shik is the commander she falls in love with.

5.      Weirdo Go

I confess I watched this one just to see Ji Li (aka my snake son Nie Huaisang) dressed as a woman but it was enjoyable and not that problematic.

6.      Real - Kanzen Naru Kubinagaryu no Hi

Directed by the same guy that did “Creepy” and “Before we vanish”, there are lots of twists you won’t see coming. And a dinosaur. A fucking dinosaur.

7.      Tomodachi Game: The Final

The movie loses its focus halfway through then picks up again minutes before ending. Yoshizawa Ryo delivers again as the sadistic Yuuichi, much like his role in Gintama. The plot twists are the star of the movie.

8.     The Living Dead

Sorry Wen Ning. I saw the plot twist coming in the first 30 minutes of the movie, not very smart of the writer. His personality did a 180° turn for worse and I’ll demote the movie to an honorable mention for it. Gao Han is cute though, I would like to see him as a better character.

9.      Backstreet Girls

Some recycled scenes from the drama to situate the viewers, a completely new story for the movie, it is certainly funny and enjoyable, if you can get past the forced gender reassignment surgery background and transphobic jokes (you shouldn’t get past it btw). I like the soundtrack.

Best Dramas:

1.      The Untamed

Do I need to say more?

2.      The Tale of Nokdu

This Korean romance had everything to be a mess but it wasn’t!!! *claps* I don’t hate the main female character and the whole palace politics actually kept me interested until the end. The complete shift of atmosphere mid-season was strange at first but ultimately very welcomed.

3.      The Naked Director

Netflix original Japanese content is amazing. This one is a look at the life of a legendary porn director in the late 80s, I learned a lot about the history of Japanese porn and censorship (yay pixels!) and went looking for his, erm, works. Very graphic, 69/10 don’t recommend watching with people in the house.

4.      Channel wa Sonomama!

I don’t remember it well but it’s about a news station and what is like to be a journalist and it was very interesting and funny.

5.      SCAMS

Forgettable. Sugino Yosuke with black hair cons old people via phone calls.

Worst Movies and Dramas:

1.      The cat in their arms

The cats spend 90% of the movie in human forms, and halfway through it they simply abandon the cats’ plot to show a fucking long montage of a weird guy painting a picture of a nude girl. It’s also super creepy to see a grown-up man acting like a cat, getting belly rubs and eating cat food from a bowl. Yoshizawa needs to choose his roles more wisely.

2.      Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

A waste of Suda Masaki’s talent. Can Japan stop casting Tsuchiya Tao already?

3.      Samurai Marathon

Almost two hours of dirty men running through a forest. Maybe Japanese History experts will enjoy it, because I certainly didn’t.

4.      Lady Vengeance

While there are legit great moments, I didn’t find this “classic” to be anything special. The animal cruelty was too much for me.

5.      Hot Gimmick

This movie makes Bohemian Rhapsody’s editing look like a work of art. There are more flashing cuts than a T-ARA music video. I have no idea who likes who, who’s banging who, what even are they saying. Too much poetic shit for my like. I wanted to see Shimizu Hiroya naked. I was bamboozled.

6.      The Divine Fury

While some parts were interesting, at the end I still don’t know if the protagonist is possessed by a demon (if yes, then why would he help a priest destroy his friends?) or if he was blessed by God when his father died and talked to him (the glowing hand thing, why and how??). The exorcism parts are really, really scary, or maybe I’m just a chicken, but I had to avert my eyes. The best (only) part is that the protagonists are hot. Hello Woo Do-Hwan, you can sacrifice me to Satan any time…

[jessahmewren]

“The Perfect Pumpkin,” Queen/Bohemian Rhapsody Fan Fiction/ Poly!Queen Week Day Five

Summary: The Freddie and the boys take a trip to a pumpkin patch on a search for the perfect pumpkin 

Rating: T for terribly fluffy

Pairing: it’s poly week ya’ll

Words: 2151

Also on ao3

-0-0-0-

Freddie laid on the horn. Having been the first one in the van all dressed and ready, he expected the others to be just as prepared and excited to go to the pumpkin patch as he was.

He beeped the horn again, this time with a little more enthusiasm.

“Come on, darlings! We’re going to be late!”

Brian stuck his head out of the flat, still buttoning his shirt.  “The bloody thing doesn’t close until five, Freddie.  What are you going on for about being late?”

“To get the choice of the best pumpkins, of course!  All the good ones will go early,” he whined.

Brian cursed under his breath, then muttered, “we’ll be down in a minute.”

When they finally piled into the van, Freddie’s excitement was nearly infectious.  “I’ve read all about it,” he turned to the other two as Brian drove.  “There’s going to be cider and an old country store and even a hayride!”

Roger turned a bit, staring out of the window in his dark glasses.  He’d had to rush his hair routine, and he was quite cross.  “What the fuck is a hayride?”

Freddie stopped for a moment.  “I’m…not quite sure,” he said.  “But it sounds delightful.”

John frowned.  “Well I’m not mounting a bale of hay.  For you or for anyone, love.”

Freddie’s face fell.  “I’m sure that’s not what it means…”

Brian sighed.  “Let’s all just have a good Saturday, ok boys?  And pick out a nice pumpkin.”

Freddie found his fire again.  “Oh, we’re going to pick out the most perfect one, Brian.  Flawless…not a spot on it. Round and plump and just the right shade of orange.  God, I can’t wait!”

Roger groaned.  “I don’t understand why we have to go all the way out here just to get a pumpkin.  Why can’t we just go to the bloody market?  They’ve got them on sale for Christ’s sake.”

Freddie turned around so he could look at where Roger sat pouting in the backseat.  “It’s because it’s fall,” he explained like he didn’t know.  “And this is where the pumpkins are born, Roggie.  We get to pick them out ourselves, straight from the patch.  It’s much more exciting that way.”  

Roger rolled his eyes, but Freddie couldn’t see it.  “I guess.”

John reached over and linked hands with Roger, who managed a small smile.  “Just try for him,” John whispered when Freddie had turned back around.  “He’s so excited.”

Roger sighed.  “I know.  But I’m not mounting a bale of hay, either.”

---

It was, Brian had to admit, rather beautiful.  The farm was decorated in opulent décor, deep burgundy and yellow flowers adorning the perimeter of a split-rail fence where beautiful sparkly orange and gold ribbons were strung among the posts.  The grounds were impeccably kept; there were strategically placed wheelbarrows spilling over with fruits and nuts, others with flowers, and swings for adults and kids alike hanging from the tall oak trees.

It looked like a storybook.

Freddie’s eyes were large as he stepped out of the van.  He looked around, eyes sparkling at the wonders around him, the scene pulled into tight focus by the clear sky and the crisp, lovely fall weather.

John kissed his cheek, breaking him from his spell.  “Is it all you thought it would be sweetheart?”

Freddie nodded slowly, a gentle smile spreading on his face.  “I hardly know what to do first.”

Roger slipped an arm around his waist.  “Why don’t we start with tickets love?  Unless you want to stand and look."

They went into the general store and purchased their tickets, giving them full access to the pumpkin patch grounds, the hayride (which they were still unsure about), and other features of the farm, and continued to walk around inside.  It was just as beautifully decorated as the outside, looking like a rustic dream.  They were selling jams and jellies and other homemade goodies, and Freddie wanted to buy everything he saw.

They finally pulled Freddie away from the wares inside the general store and they all stood rather unsure of what to do next.  “Lead us Freddie.  You’re sort of the expert here,” Brian said.

Freddie looked at the little map he’d picked up.  “Let’s do the gem mining!” he said as he led them in that direction.  They passed food vendors and picnic tables, the smells wafting from the trucks almost making them stop before lunch.

They arrived at the attraction, a small sluice with mud and rocks at the bottom.  They were all given boxes so they could pan for precious gemstones, which they were told were actually among the silt.

About five minutes in, Brian found an amethyst.  A moment later, Roger found a piece of crystal.  He laughed.  “This is rather fun,” he said with a smile.

John concurred.  “I’ve found three stones so far.  A ruby even.  What about you Freddie?”

“Five, darling!  I could do this all day.”

The other three smiled at each other, pleased to see him so happy.  Indeed, they were all having fun, and not just for his sake.

They gave their stones a final rinse and decided it was time for lunch, so they wandered back to the picnic tables nestled among the food trucks to discuss their choices.

“I say we break off and sample a bit of everything,” John suggested.  “There’s all kinds of things here that you wouldn’t normally get.”  He paused.  “Wait, where’s Roger?”

Roger suddenly appeared, his arms loaded with food.  His eyes were bright beneath his shades.  “I love this place!” he said as he set his wares on the table.  “Look at this caramel apple.  And this thing…they call it a funnel cake…it’s just fried dough dusted with sugar.  And this,” he gestured to a little tray with a golden brown object that none of them could identify.  “It’s a deep fried Oreo,” he said excitedly.  “You know, the cookie?  The mad chaps actually batter it and plunge it in hot grease!  Amazing.”

Brian looked ill as Roger took a bite, his eyes fluttering closed in pleasure.

“I think I’ll have a salad,” he said.

---

“I’m ready to ride the hay.”

Everyone looked at John with a mixture of shock and amusement, seeing as they’d just had a full meal and he was the one who had expressed trepidation about the hayride in the first place.

Brian cocked an eyebrow.  “Are you sure?  The schedule says it leaves in three minutes.  We would have to get in line now.”

John nodded.  “If you all are.”  His face went serious.  “I want to do it.”

None of them knew what to expect, but when a large covered truck pulled up with hail bales on the back, it wasn’t that.

“Ok gents, climb aboard!” the driver said.

They all looked at each other and shrugged as they settled themselves on the square hay bales, using them as seats on the back of the truck.

So this was a hayride.

The driver took them through beautiful fields of sunflowers, a tour guide riding with them explaining the history of the farm, how different crops grow as they passed them, and even various ghost stories as they passed through a particularly spooky part of the woods.

The boys cuddled up together using a blanket the tour guide provided and enjoyed the stories and scenery.  With the warm press of his boyfriends around him and the crisp wind in his hair, John decided that he really liked hayrides.

Then, as the truck rounded a curve, Freddie could see them…varying shades of orange and green dotting a hillside.  The truck shuttered to a stop and the boys climbed out, and Freddie knew the time had come to pick his pumpkin.

Brian came up behind him, resting his hands on his shoulders.  “Well darling, what do you think?”

Freddie reached up, squeezing his hand.  “They’re beautiful Bri,” he breathed.  “I can hardly wait.”

“Go get one love,” John whispered as he came up beside him.  “Go get the perfect pumpkin.”

Freddie ran off as the other three joined to watch him make his way between the pumpkin vines, soft smiles on their faces.

It wasn’t long before Freddie found it…round, plump, shiny, not a mark on it.  Freddie had the pumpkin in his arms, walking back to the boys, when something caught his eye.  It was sitting all by itself; all the other pumpkins around it had already been chosen.  It was dirty and leaning to one side, the deformed bottom preventing it from sitting properly.  It was more of a sherbet color than a true orange, but Freddie’s heart went out to it all the same.  Gingerly, he set down the perfect pumpkin and picked up the newfound one.

“I got one!” he said as he made his way to the boys.  Freddie was coming toward them, holding a pumpkin aloft proudly so they could see it.

Roger squinted down at the bulbous monstrosity in Freddie’s arms, his nose wrinkling.  “Blimey,” he croaked.  “Is that it?”

John elbowed him in the ribs, and he grunted.

“It’s really something,” Brian said thoughtfully.

“Good job Freddie.  It’s uh…got a lot of character,” offered John.

Freddie beamed.

---

When the boys got back to their flat, Freddie sat their pumpkin on the table.  Roger tossed his shades on the bar, sparing a glance at the little pumpkin.

“Cover it with something Freddie…that thing is looking at me.”

Freddie frowned.  “Don’t be so cross.  “You’re about to take the guts out.”

Roger whined.  “Why me!?”

“You’ve got the smallest hands love,” Brian said, smiling.  “And you know Freddie doesn’t like to get anything under his nails.”

Roger whimpered again, and John laughed.  “Let me at least wipe it off for you love.  And cut the top?”  John sliced a neat circle in the top of the pumpkin while Roger found a large spoon and a bowl.  Meanwhile, Freddie was looking for a candle for the pumpkin.

John popped the stem off the top of the pumpkin and looked inside.  “Eww,” he said, making a face.  “It’s all yours Rog.”

Roger peered down into the pumpkin and grimaced.  “Freddie, I must really love you.”

He plunged the spoon down inside and scooped out the seeds.  He looked up, blond hair falling in his face.  “It’s not all coming out.”

Freddie waved his hand in encouragement.  “Put your hand in there sweetheart.  Pull it out with your fingers.”

Roger looked at Freddie murderously as he plunged his hand into the pumpkin.

“Oh God, it feels like lube!”

John began laughing.  “Since when have you ever minded a little lube on your fingers?”

Roger rolled his yes.  “Fuck off, John.”

John continued flipping through the magazine he was reading, a wry smile on his face.

Roger finished scooping the seeds until the inside was all cleaned.  Brian walked by, examining what came out of the pumpkin.

“Need me to dispose of this love?”

Roger only nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow with the clean skin of his arm.  He crossed to the sink to wash his hands, only to feel Freddie’s lips on his neck.  “Guess who’s being taken care of tonight,” Freddie whispered, causing Roger to smile and lean into his touch.

“Who?” Roger asked coyly.

“Mmm, you are,” Freddie replied, his hand going down to caress his bum.  “But first I’ve got a pumpkin to carve.”

Roger laughed, shaking his head.

Freddie settled himself in front of the misshapen pumpkin, trying to get the proper angle.  The boys gathered round him, trying to see what he saw.

“What about…here,” Brian said as he pointed to a particularly lump free spot on the pumpkin.

“Mmm, maybe,” Freddie said.  “I thought I could put the eyes here.”

“Have you decided what kind of face?  Happy, goofy, scary?” John asked.

Freddie smiled up at them from where he sat at the table.  “Happy I think.  I think this little pumpkin is happy to be home with us, don’t you?”

He made the first cut, and soon the face started to take shape.

They’d picked up a recipe for cider at the farm, and John started some on the stove.  Soon, the rich aroma of spice and apples was filling the flat.

Roger sat a mug in front of Freddie.  “It doesn’t look like the same pumpkin at all, love.  How did you do that?”

“Simple,” he said as he beamed with pride.  “I just showed it a little love.”

Brian smiled, dropping a kiss onto his head.

“Why did you pick this one darling?”

Freddie drummed his fingers on the table, smiling shyly up at them.

“It’s a misfit, just like us.  And that makes it perfect.”

John joined them, his own mug of cider in his hand.  “Indeed it does my love.  Indeed it does.”

-0-0-0-

[warriorteam1924]

Music is my savior (part 4)

Author note : Hello my beauties !! Part 4 is ready yeah !! For those actually reading this, I know we are one day late but yesterday was my sis birthday so, celebration day it was ! And in case you did not know, I love you sis, #1 fan !! Thanks everyone for reading and feedback is always highly appreciated

Summary : Reader had been chosen to be bassist on the Bohemian Rhapsody set. Reader’s journey carries on as she get to actually work on the set with everyone. Filming Queen’s part in Live Aid is approaching.

Word Count :  2,975 words

Warnings : none.... Well, I still warn you about my awful writing....

💖💜

Part 4 : Body Language

The production was starting to film the Live Aid 1985 first, and Rami was on stage everyday with his assistants. As a result, Jack asked if you could practice with Joe in studio 39, as many people were required on the fake Live Aid set.

It was not a problem for you : you had never been a real teacher so you felt more confortable being alone with Joe for the first times, so the two of you could train without hundred of eyes staring at you. Joe did not seem to bother, and was always smiling when he arrived in studio 39.

You had watched Queen’s Live Aid so many times, you knew it perfectly but Joe did not. Therefore, you first task was to watch it all over again and again, after all these viewings, Joe was almost an expert about this performance.

“Okay, now you’re confortable with the show, we’ll practice with the bass in our hands. I don’t think you have to really learn it, but I want you to be as accurate as possible. Even if the focus will mainly be on Freddie, I mean, Rami, we have to be very precise for the whole thing to be realistic.”, you said more nervously than you expected.

“Don’t worry, I’ll practice again and again until you’re satisfied.”, he replied with a smile.

Even if you felt more and more at ease with Joe, you sometimes remembered he was a world wide famous actor and stress rushed back in your body. You tried to act as normal as possible but your voice betrayed you almost every time. Joe was very sweet and always pretended he did not notice and followed your directions with a disconcerting seriousness. When the two of you were not actually working, it was almost impossible for him not to joke around and to keep a straight face, making it very hard for you not to appreciate his presence.

After a few hours, Joe was able to place his fingers correctly on the strings and neck of his bass and he seemed really satisfied.

“Okay, that’s good for today”, you said, putting your bass down on its stand. “Our next step will be moving on stage like Deaky, with your bass obviously.”

“That’s funny you call him Deaky.... Have you ever met him?”, asked Joe.

“No, I haven’t.... I wish I could, simply to thank him, but I respect his decision.... I don’t know, I’ve always called him Deaky, I think John seems more formal if you see what I mean...”, you replied.

“Yeah sure.... I just thought it’s cute somehow, that’s all.”, he said, smiling.

“Before you leave, we need to check one last point.”, you said.

“Oh my God, it’s a surprise test.... oh no I’m never gonna pass it.... I can’t even cheat on someone who knows bass guitar because you’re the only one here you does, AND you’re the teacher.... oh my god, what am I going to do”, he started to joke.

You patiently waited for him to finish his monologue, because in those cases, you knew it was impossible to stop him.  

“Seriously Joe, you have to tell me what you will make you more at ease for the following rehearsals : I’ll teach you exactly how Deaky was moving around the Live Aid. But we can train side by side or I can be your mirror, what do you prefer?”, you demanded.

“Oh... trick question.... Will it give you hard work to work as my mirror? Because, I think it’s going to be easier for me to follow your steps when I’ll be on the actual stage.”

“No, it’s okay, but there will also be a choreographer with you guys. I think Liam’s working with Rami right now, but he will certainly work with Gwil, Ben and you before the takes. I just want to make sure you won’t arrive in the middle of the set with your bass not knowing what to do, see?”, you told him.

“I have no idea who Liam is but great, this way I’ll have a little bit of training, and soon I’ll be an expert in Deaky’s moves.”, he replied shaking his shoulders.

“Amateur,”you said “Deaky’s moves are all in the hips, darling....”.

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

Luckily, Joe and the other actors had to see the costume designer so you had time to perfect Deaky’s Live Aid moves on the stage. This part was quite easy for you because you already almost knew it. The hardest part was to remake the move without the images but only music.

You received a text from Gwilym inviting you to see their first costumes for the Live Aid, and this was something you were definitely not going to miss. Gwil texted you where you could find them, so you took your badge and rushed out of studio 39. You knew during the time of the filming, you would not need to go to the gym : the production site was huge and it often took several minutes for you to arrive at your destination.

The three of them were seated and you made a surprised sound when you saw them. They had costumes and wigs. You even had to look at Gwilym twice to see he was not young Brian May. It was absolutely stunning. You even wondered where they were able to find the right pattern for Deaky’s shirt, because to be really honest, it was one, if not the ugliest shirt he had ever worn to your opinion.

“So, what do you think?”, asked Ben, with enthusiasm.

“This is incredible. You look.... I don’t even have words, this is amazing !! This costume designer is talented !!”, you replied, still looking at Gwilym, as your brain was trying to make the difference between him and Brian.

“Now, we’ve got to go on the set and see if the clothes and wigs will fit when we’ll start to move”, precised Ben. “You wanna join us?” “Sure, why not? I’ve never been on a film production, it’s always great to learn more about the whole process”, you answered.

So the three of them stood up and you followed them to the fake Live Aid set. As you were training with Joe in studio 39, you did not take time to come back to this set, and it was a huge surprise when you arrived. You had played with Roger and Brian on this very stage and you thought technicians had done a great job. You were wrong. After only a few days, the set was now amazing: it was as if you had taken a time travelling machine. It looked exactly like the real 1986 Live Aid stage. You were sure that if there was a spot on the floor somewhere then, it would have been recreated on the set. Many of the people there were merely extras, they did not have a main role in the plot, but they all were dressed like technicians, photographers or cameramen in 1986. There were so many details, your two eyes were not enough to see them all.

Gwilym, Ben and Joe got on the stage but you stayed where you were because you knew you were not supposed to be there, and furthermore, there were already many people on the structure. And to be honest, you wanted to take this as an opportunity to see how things were going to be organized.

Liam Lunniss introduced himself and tried to make the actors comfortable. Ben was supposed to be behind his drums so he did not pay much attention to what the choreographer was saying and he went to check if his instrument was set properly. You could not hear what they were saying but Liam was certainly trying to warm up their bodies because he showed them a few step and then the three of them tried together. It was really funny to see and you smiled as you looked at them making those moves again, while Ben was testing his drums. Suddenly, there was music playing and the song Boss Ass Bitch by Nicki Minaj started. And Liam, Gwilym and Joe, all keeping a straight face, reproduced the few steps they had just learnt, and it was hilarious. You hoped they would do it again, because it was definitely a moment you would film and share with them.

Gwil, Ben and Joe were then asked to leave the set, so that Rami could practice again. The latter arrived behind you, making sure you did not hear him to surprise you. You had a little flinch when he pinched your hips, but you were glad to see him. It had not be very long since you had last seen him, but he had already gained muscles and you thought he was training really hard on this stage.

“Ready to see my progress?”, he asked you with a wide smile.

“Sure, I can’t wait.”, you replied.

He went on the set and talked a few minutes with his assistants and choreographers. He first seated in front of the piano, as 1986 Live Aid started with Bohemian Rhapsody. The music began to play and it was impressive to see how Rami’s face changed from concentration to becoming someone else, in this case Freddie Mercury. He was merely wearing a white Tshirt and light blue jeans and had not make up put on, but he was spectacular. He was still guided by his choreographer as he stood up to carry on the show, yet you could see he had been working very hard to be this accurate. You knew Queen’s part in Live Aid almost by heart now, and you could not help but feel admiring. You noticed you were not the only one: Brian and Roger were downstage as well, looking at Rami moving around like Freddie would have and you could tell they were highly proud. When the music ended, everyone applauded and you thought Rami really deserved it. He first went downstage to see Brian and Roger, who congratulated him, and he came to you, Gwilym, Ben and Joe.

“So guys, what do you think? Are we going to make this Live Aid great, or what?”, he asked.

“Well I’ll be with my drums so I’m not worried but I think Joe and Gwil will need a bit more practice.”, Ben replied.

It was nothing but the truth: you did not know for Gwilym because you did not work with him but Joe was merely able to put his fingers properly on the bass.

“Yes, we need to work our moves.”, said Joe. He looked at you and said “Is tomorrow too soon to start learning Deaky’s motions?”

“Not at all”, you said, and added turning to Gwil : “Is it going to be okay for you?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll practice a little on my own and Liam suggested we could work together as well.”

“You guys fancy diner all together?” asked Rami, “I’ll text Lucy and Allen so they can join us?”

You all agreed and you came back to studio 39 to take a shower and change. You then headed to the sort of canteen the production had made available for anyone on set. Even if it was really weird to have dinner with worldwide famous actors, you spent a very nice evening in such great company, trying not to pay attention to the awful taste the food had.

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

The following day, Joe arrived early at studio 39, you still had your toothbrush in you mouth.

“I thought we would have more space in a training room. Jack told me where we could go”, he said as you were taking your badge and your bass and closing the door behind you.

As the two of you were walking there, Joe was talking but you did not really paid attention to what he was saying. You were just hoping for the room not to have mirrors. You had accepted yourself a long time ago now, but you were sure to be ill at ease with Joe’s reflection looking at your moves, trying to reproduce them.

Fortunately, the room was nothing but walls and windows. Joe had already brought his bass, a bluetooth speaker and he had downloaded the music on his phone. You were pleasantly surprised to see he had woken up earlier to prepare the room.

“Well, everything is set, are you trying to steal my job?”, you jokingly asked.

“To be honest, I’ve been really impressed by Rami’s performance yesterday. I’ve learnt a lot about bass music, but I just want to make sure I’m not late compared to the others.... I don’t want to be a  numskull really...”, he replied.

“Let’s see if we can make your body have Deaky’s language then !!”, you smiled at him. As he has demanded, you placed face to face as the music started. Joe was not looking at your movement, he was studying them to reproduce them perfectly. He was really was focused, and it was truly cute to see because sometimes, a bit of his tongue would show up, a natural sign of concentration. After several times, but not to many to your point of view, Joe was able to move on his own and be almost perfect.

“That’s very good.”, you said looking at him at the end of yet another Live Aid music session.

“I just hope I won’t get confused when I’ll actually be on stage with the others.”, he replied, and you could hear a little stress in his voice. “Will you be downstage to guide me?”

“Joe, you’ve fought velociraptors in a kitchen when you were only ten, you don’t have to worry. You’ll be doing just fine. I’m not going anywhere, Live Aid is a big part of the movie, sure, but you still have things to learn from me. And Liam will be there too.”, you added.

He smiled at you and your words seemed to have taken his stress away. When the two of you exited the room at the end of the day, he seemed truly confident.

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

The actors portraying the band had practiced on set with their personal assistants, the musicians and Liam and then they could put on their costumes and wigs to start the real filming of the scene. The four of them had worked very hard to be the most accurate possible, and downstage, you were sometimes so focused on Joe you would walk on others assistants’ feet.

Eventually, they arrived on set, all made up in their protagonists. It was very impressive: the stage looked incredibly real, it was hard to distinguish the ‘fake’ technicians from the one actually working on the set, and the make up and hairstylist certainly had magic in her hands for the four of them really looked like the members of the band.

During the filming, the hardest thing to do for you was to remain as silent as possible. Hopefully, many of the required equipment was now wireless, making things easier all around the stage. Jack had explained to you the scene was going to be repeated all over again, so they could film it in almost every possible angle and then the production could edit the best moments.

You thought this moment was going to be hard, and you could not be more right. You were used to repeat music notes on your bass and you had always enjoyed it, but this experience was totally different. It was exhausting: it seemed every time they had finished the whole show, a little detail was wrong, so they had to start it all over again. But you had promised Joe you would be there, even if it seemed to you he was doing perfectly well without your help. Before the scene would start again, he was looking for you downstage, and you always nodded with a smile to reassure him and give him confidence. And at last, after what seemed an eternity to you, Jack eventually said “Okay, y’all. We’ve got what we need ! Thanks everybody!”

It was a huge relief, not only for you it seemed because, everybody applauded. The four actors gathered with Brian and Roger to talk, certainly about the performance. The assistants and technicians left the stage, all probably longing for a good diner and a nice rest. You smile at the guys, and took your stuffs to go back to studio 39. You had almost reached the door when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“Where are you going?” It was Rami with his nice mustache.

“Home, well I mean studio 39 as I like to call it. Why? You guys need anything?”, you asked.

“No, I was just wondering if you’d like to come have diner with us, after we become yourselves again, obviously”, he said.

“That’s very kind, but I think you guys will spend a much better evening if I’m not around...I think Joe has seen me enough for the rest of the week” you jokingly replied.

“Come on, I’ll text Lucy to come over as well. And she won’t come if you’re not there.”, he almost begged you.

“Lucy...?” you asked with a faint smile. You looked Rami in the eyes and you understood. “All right then, just text me where to meet you guys, I’ll be there after a well-deserved shower....”

He smiled and kissed you on the cheek and it felt weird because of his fake teeth. You knew what was going on, but you certainly was not going to talk about it. You were only hoping the guys would pick a restaurant, even if you knew you could hardly afford it, because the mere thought of the set canteen gave you shivers down your spine.

Part 3 : Good Company //  Part 5 : Fat bottomed girls

[seriouslycromulent]

Some more random thoughts on Bohemian Rhapsody

So after listening to the Bohemian Rhapsody* soundtrack twice last night, as well as watching a number of interviews with the cast on YouTube, I have a few more reactions to the film now that I have a bit more context:

The movie mentions that Freddie Mercury was born with 4 extra incisors, but when he’s asked by a cheeky reporter why he won’t get his teeth fixed, Freddie replies with characteristic wit and sass that he lives in Britain and he wants to fit in. LOL!

But it took listening to one of Rami’s interviews to learn that the reason Freddie never got his teeth fixed was because he was worried it would affect how he sang and his vocal strength. Why? Because Freddie had a 4-octave range. Let me repeat that for the people in the back: Freddie Mercury had a 4-octave range! Dude. I really wish they had mentioned that in the movie, because I honestly don’t think people can tell that from the film. No wonder he was enamored by opera. He had the vocal talent to be an opera singer if he wanted to be. Massive respect.

So I bought the soundtrack to the film off of iTunes, and the only song I’m bummed isn’t on it? “I’m In Love With My Car.” Come on! Talk about a missed opportunity. I know the film drags that song, but “I’m In Love With My Car” is a bop. Y’all just don’t know.

Can we take a moment to appreciate Freddie’s wardrobe throughout the film? All those outfits -- not just the ones worn on stage -- were for a man who had a singular style. They don’t make you want to go, “I’d wear that.” But they do make you go, “Only Freddie could pull that off.” Which is a different kind of compliment altogether.

As I mentioned in my initial review/effusive blatherings, I’m by no means a Freddie Mercury know-it-all. I liked Queen when I was kid. I learned to respect them and like them even more as a teen. And now, as an adult, I have even more respect for their skills as musicians and nerds. (Seriously, 3 out of 4 members of the band studied a hard science while at university. There are no dummies in this group.) But as I said, I’m a casual fan. Not an expert in the least.

So for years, I heard that Freddie was gay. But while I was watching the movie, I thought he came across as bisexual. Then, they have that scene where he comes out to Mary, and she cuts him off/corrects him when he says he’s bi and she says he’s gay. Then, from that moment on, the film treats him as if Mary is right. We never see him with any other women, or is it ever alluded to that he had any other female partners. (Although I’ve since learned that he did.)

Now, it’s clear he still loves Mary with all his heart. The film doesn’t erase that or shy away from it. And it was because of his love of her that he listens when she tells him Paul is up to no good. And we hear him get possessive really fast when she tells him that she’s pregnant. And since she’s the only one who knows where his ashes are after he was cremated, it’s clear these two had a bond that could never be broken.

So I walked out of the theater saying to myself: “You know, they said he was gay. And everyone has been saying he’s gay for like 20 years, but he definitely comes across as bi to me. But hey, I’m not the expert so what do I know.”

Then, I watched the interview with Rami, Gwylim Lee and Joe Mazzello on The View, and Rami says that Freddie was bi. He admits that he’s a gay icon, but before he says that, he says that Freddie was bi. Which made me think: “So was he bisexual or gay?” And now, of course, I see people are arguing about this online here on Tumblr and YouTube. 

The film doesn’t expressly say he’s gay, but they don’t have Freddie assert that he’s bisexual after Mary says he’s gay. So I feel like that’s where the film wants us to land. Or maybe the film wants us to decide for ourselves based on the information provided. I don’t know. I’m not particularly bothered either way, because I think labels restrict more than they set free, but it would be nice if the film was a little more clear in this area. Although Rami seems to be clear about how he sees Freddie, and he did more research on the man than anyone I’ve seen spouting “expertise” online. So if Rami says he’s bi, I’m going to go with that.

OK. That’s it for now. Let’s just all take a moment to adore this cutie before continuing with our day.

* I refuse to call the film “BoRhap”. That’s a stupid name, and I’ll have none of it.

[marredbyoverlength]

Year-End Awards 2018

2018 sucked personally, professionally, and politically. But hey, at least the movies sucked too!

Ok, there were plenty of good movies. But the bad vastly outnumbered the good, and the highlights weren’t especially high. Even my favorite filmmakers had weak years: Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers both put out some of their most mediocre films in 2018.

But no year is devoid of value, and damned if I won’t do my best to find it. Let’s dive into the only blog post I still do, the year-end awards.

(Honorable mentions, as always, are listed in no particular order.)

Best Lead Performance: Paul Giamatti & Kathryn Hahn, Private Life.

Giving this to two people is a cheap trick (and one I’ve used before), but this is my blog and I make the rules. Private Life is a powerful, painfully realistic film about a middle-aged couple, played by Hahn and Giamatti, going through IVF to get pregnant. Their relationship is at the core of the film; singling out one for praise would be a disservice to the other.

A film like this could easily be a one-dimensional tragedy about baby angst, but both lead actors go through a broad range of emotions that are at once inarticulable in words but instantly recognizable. The highs and lows of their journey and the stress it puts on them and their relationship come out in every expression, every movement of their bodies. This is the highest praise you can give actors: that they portray something that can’t be portrayed any other way.

Honorable Mentions: Olivia Cooke, Thoroughbreds; Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here; Toni Collette, Hereditary; Ryan Gosling, First Man; Viola Davis, Widows; Olivia Colman, The Favourite; Emma Stone, The Favourite; Annette Bening, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool.

Best Supporting Performance: Anton Yelchin, Thoroughbreds.

Enough has been written about this already, but Anton Yelchin could easily have become one of the greatest actors of our time had he not died such a weird and sad death. His performance in Thoroughbreds is the perfect example of why I say that.

Yelchin plays a kind of guy that everyone knows, the wannabe operator who hangs out with, and deals drugs to, kids much younger than him and feels cool for doing so. He slips perfectly into that role, but what makes it better than just a caricature is how he captures the character in the scenes where he’s out of the element he’s chosen for himself: once after two high school girls violently rob him and once at the end after he sees what one of the girls has become. He is shaken and unsure, and letting that façade drop in real time is an impressive feat of acting.

Honorable Mentions: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?; Alison Pill, Vice; Oscar Isaac, Annihilation; Jason Isaacs, The Death of Stalin.

The Costner Award for Worst Actor: No Winner

Before going into more detail, I’d like to point out that I didn’t see any Gerard Butler movies this year, so take this with a grain of salt.

There were a lot of god-awful movies this year. But all those movies are awful for reasons distinct from acting. Bruce Willis was boring in Death Wish, sure, but his character was boring. Tye Sheridan was annoying in Ready Player One, but his character was annoying. Travolta was actually pretty good in Gotti, even though the movie was a total disaster.

In fact, I can’t think of any performances this year that made me angry in the same way the Kevin Costner makes me angry. Congratulations to actors, I guess? If you know of a truly heinous performance, let me know.

Nicest Surprise: Aquaman

Aquaman is a superhero movie about a very strong, very stupid dog in the shape of Jason Momoa (just look at his dumb face!). There is also a giant octopus who plays the drums. That’s about all you need to know about Aquaman.

Honorable mentions: Mission: Impossible – Fallout; Game Night.

Most Insulting Moment: “Street Weapon,” Robin Hood.

In Robin Hood (2018), Little John (Jamie Foxx) trains a fledgling Robin (Taron Egerton) in the art of hoodery. At the completion of this training, he says to Robin, “you’re going to need a street weapon.” Then he hands Robin this:

“Patrick, is that a full-sized bow with brass knuckles tied to it?” Yes, yes it is. You know, for the streets.

Honorable Mentions: Queen Saves Live Aid, Bohemian Rhapsody; Tactical Furniture, Death Wish; Pretty much all of Ready Player One.

Winter’s Tale Memorial “What the Hell Am I Watching” Award: No Winner

I almost gave this award to Gotti, a movie so widely panned that the marketing campaign explicitly told potential viewers that critics are scum. But then a friend of mine live-blogged his first viewing of The Book of Henry, the current title-holder, and I was reminded of just how gonzo bananas a movie has to be to get this award.

Sure, Gotti is an incomprehensible failure tornado that somehow had enough money for John Travolta but apparently not enough for, you know, lighting and sound guys, but it’s not bewildering like Winter’s Tale was, or like Book of Henry was. A winner should make me ask not just “what the hell is going on” and “how the hell did this get made,” but also “why the hell would anyone want to make this?”  I didn’t see anything that prompted that last question this year.

Prettiest Movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

I used to give out an award for technical filmmaking, but in hindsight, I don’t know enough about filmmaking to confidently give that award. But I am an expert on the topic of “things I find visually appealing,” and since film is a visual medium (despite what the Academy would have you believe), I’m bringing the category back in this form.

Anyway, the winner is Spider-Verse, no contest. It’s the most brilliantly animated film I’ve seen in years, and easily the best-animated CGI film ever produced. In a world drowning in endless round-and-shiny Pixar clones, Spider-Verse made something entirely unique, influenced by the styles of comic books through the ages but ultimately producing something all its own. The end sequence, with manifold universes spiraling out of a black hole and bleeding into each other, will no doubt be the most impressive feat of animation for years to come.

Honorable Mentions: Mandy; Annihilation; You Were Never Really Here.

Best Picture: Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool.

After seeing this beautiful film, I resigned myself to the fact that it wouldn’t receive any Oscar buzz. I was more right than I realized: not only did it not get any nominations, it didn’t even qualify for consideration. The Academy considered this a Film Stars a 2017 movie, as it was released on a very limited run on December 29, 2017. I didn’t hear the name until I saw a trailer for it in January of this year, and I didn’t get to see it in my city until February. This is the great crime of Oscar season: everybody tries to put their stuff out as late as possible, and real gems like this one get crowded out by Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a movie that gets worse every time I think about it.

I’m correcting this injustice. Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool is the only great movie of 2018. The script is heartbreaking, the acting is profoundly human, and the fluid cinematography masterfully blends past with present, creating a portrait of the last days in the life of Gloria Grahame (Annette Bening) in all her messy detail, seen from her own perspective as well as that of her former lover, the much younger Peter Turner (Jamie Bell). Where those perspective diverge is where the film is at its best, and those moments are easily the most moving of the year.

Honorable Mentions: Annihilation; The Death of Stalin; Private Life.

That’s it, that’s the whole post. Peace out.

[felicityollies]

Oh you saw the Queen movie. Can you get a little review?

★★★★☆

Bohemian Rhapsody was amazing. It had so much heart and the story really hits you in the gut. Rami did a stunning job as Freddie. You can tell he did his homework and studied every little mannerism. I am not an expert on Queen nor Freddie Mercury, but I definitely enjoyed it. 

They do talk about the hard stuff, the fact he had AIDs, but they don’t go into excruciating detail on it. And thankfully they don’t show the worst parts of that. The story wraps up in a really good and happy place. 

The reason I give it a four out of five stars is because the kind of reinforced the idea that Freddie was gay when in fact he identified as bisexual. It was a little frustrating to watch. But other than that it was a great film and I would definitely recommend it.

[crysisjustcrys]

I’m watching Bo Rhap tomorrow!

It makes me so happy (smiles like an idiot) 

Also I might try to write some tagged reviews (tho I’m not an expert in Queen history/details so whatever) and I’m using “#bohemian rhapsody spoilers” as the tag w

[orbemnews]

How a Chinese website for pirated TV shows became a cultural touchstone for millennials But the site — one of China’s largest, longest-running and last-remaining destinations for pirated, subtitled foreign content — was shuttered on February 3 as part of a sweeping police clampdown on piracy. While the website is still live, none of its services work anymore. “I was heartbroken when I found out,” Liang told CNN Business. “I feel like there is one place fewer in China through which we can expand our horizons.” Police in Shanghai arrested 14 people they claim ran the website and app after a three-month investigation into suspected intellectual property infringement. At the time of its closure, Renren Yingshi had amassed over eight million registered users and was home to more than 20,000 pirated TV shows and movies. The site’s operators made some 16 million yuan ($2.5 million) in the past couple of years from ads, subscription fees, and selling hard drives loaded with pirated content, according to police. Renren Yingshi did not respond to a request for comment from CNN Business. The crackdown was lauded by state media and intellectual property experts as a sign of China’s resolve to enforce copyright protection — criticism over which has dogged Beijing for years. But it also drew a wave of backlash from fans who, like Liang, had long relied on the site for uncensored foreign content. An outpouring of support for Renren Yingshi dominated China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform in the days after the crackdown. Some thanked the site for “opening a door for us to the world.” The public outcry came, at least in part, because of how tightly the Chinese government restricts access to foreign content. It is one of only four countries or regions, alongside North Korea, Syria and Crimea, that doesn’t allow access to Netflix, the world’s most-popular streaming platform, for example. China also strictly limits how many foreign films can be screened in cinemas each year. And of the content that is allowed to air in the country, much is heavily censored. For Chinese millennials, watching foreign shows and movies is not only a favorite pastime — it’s an opportunity to learn about the world. And many of them say the roadblocks imposed by the Chinese government leave them with little choice but to turn to pirated websites, even though they are willing to pay for legitimate access to uncensored, foreign content. While the demise of Renren Yingshi and the country’s censorship crackdown suggests the status quo might not change, the reaction to its closure and the popularity of uncensored work shows that there remains a huge appetite for such content within China. Strict censorship rules Founded in 2003 by a group of Chinese students in Canada, Renren Yingshi — a phrase that means “everyone’s film and TV” — was born out of a desire to spread foreign TV shows and movies more widely within China. Young, internet-savvy Chinese were drawn to foreign content as China reformed its economy and opened up to the world. They found that such films and shows offered an edgier, more diverse alternative to the heavily censored content produced at home — as well as a way to learn about other cultures and societies. Getting access to that kind of content through legitimate means, though, is difficult in China. Since the early 1990s, authorities have allowed just a few dozen foreign films to be screened in the country each year — only nine of the 26 Oscar best picture winners were screened publicly in China from 1994 to 2019, for example. International streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, have also been unable to crack the market. Netflix, for example, told shareholders in 2016 that the “regulatory environment for foreign digital content services” was “challenging” in China. A subsequent attempt to partner with a local company to distribute content failed. The content that is allowed to air in China, meanwhile, needs to meet strict guidelines. Movies or shows with controversial themes — such as those that depict China in a bad light, portray taboo subjects like the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, or feature LGBTQ storylines — are kept out entirely. And since China lacks a film rating system, any content approved by Chinese regulators is heavily edited to remove certain scenes, such as graphic sex or violence. When the Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” was released in China in 2019, for example, any mention of the Queen singer’s sexuality — as well as his AIDS diagnosis — was edited out. And the American blockbuster fantasy drama “Game of Thrones,” which built its popularity on graphic sex and violence, was censored so heavily on Chinese streaming giant Tencent Video that some viewers complained that it was turned into a staid “medieval European castle documentary.” “There were too many ‘sensitive’ scenes deleted that I could hardly understand the plot anymore — it was so confusing,” said a fan of the show who watched on Tencent Video. The fan asked to remain anonymous because she once helped translate shows for a website that featured pirated content, and she also spoke to CNN Business about that experience. There’s little indication that these rules may change. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping, tolerance for foreign ideas and values has declined drastically. Popular Western culture is seen by Beijing as a key risk for foreign infiltration that targets Chinese youth — making such content important for the government to control. A long history of legal issues The sweeping restrictions have motivated fans of shows and movies that run afoul of censorship rules to subtitle them in Chinese and upload unauthorized copies online. They operate in loose networks of volunteer translators known as fansub groups. Renren Yingshi was among the largest of these networks, exploding in popularity as American series like “Prison Break,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Gossip Girl” became smash hits in China. Long before the latest crackdown, Renren Yingshi was running into trouble with authorities. In 2009, it was one of more than 100 Chinese websites shut down for “rectification” after the government issued rules that banned the dissemination of unapproved movies and TV shows on the Chinese internet. At the time, Renren Yingshi vowed to give up its video downloading service, and in 2010 pivoted to translating open online courses offered by American universities. The strategy won the blessing of Chinese state media, which heralded the website as “a knowledge evangelist in the internet age.” That love-in didn’t last. The website eventually resumed offering pirated shows, and its servers were shut down by Chinese regulators in 2014, not long after the Motion Picture Association of America included Renren Yingshi on a list of pirate sites. It eventually popped back up, and at one point even moved its servers to South Korea for a time as it continued to look for ways to stay operational. Ultimately, Renren Yingshi’s interest in making money might have led to its downfall. While it began as a volunteer endeavor, Renren Yingshi eventually started accepting advertisements on videos, and charged members to view its content. “According to Chinese law, if copyright infringement was conducted for the purpose of making a profit, it is very easy to constitute a crime,” said Xu Xinming, an intellectual property lawyer at Beijing Mingtai Law Firm. Xu noted that in China, a business needs to make just a few thousand dollars in order to run afoul of copyright crime laws — well short of the millions police claim Renren Yingshi raked in. It’s not surprising, Xu says, that Beijing would want to go so hard against a platform with such a high profile. The government has worked harder over the last decade to address infringement, especially given Western accusations that copyright abuse runs rampant in the country. In 2020 alone, Chinese authorities shut down more than 2,800 websites and apps offering pirated content and deleted 3.2 million links, according to the most recent data available from the National Copyright Administration of China. ‘Using my love to generate power’ It’s not clear when the case may be resolved, though copyright infringement results in a punishment of up to seven years in prison, depending on the severity of the violation. Police in Shanghai did not respond to a request from CNN Business for more information on the case. No matter what happens to Renren Yingshi, though, it leaves behind a vast legacy of cultural exchange. “Many friends around me have grown up watching American series. They gave us a lot of extra parameters in our way of thinking,” said Lin, the Game of Thrones fan. She said she volunteered for a fansub group in high school called “Garden of Eden.” “If you’ve had so much exposure to different cultures, races and people from different backgrounds since a young age … it is easier for you to be able to see things from another perspective.” She said she was “using my love to generate power” — a phrase commonly cited by volunteers who want to emphasize that they are motivated by their passion for the shows, and not money. The translation work wasn’t easy, Lin said. “Every Friday, when the latest episode came out, the timer was on,” said Lin, who translated episodes of the American supernatural teen drama “The Vampire Diaries,” as well as sitcoms “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two Broke Girls.” Someone in the United States or Canada would record the show and send it along with English subtitles. Teams would then divide the episode into 10-minute segments and assign them to translators. “There was a lot of stuff I needed to look up,” said Lin, adding that it took her about two hours to translate 10 minutes of video. “Sometimes the characters would tell a joke that I couldn’t get, and I had to search for it online.” “It was difficult because I had to use [Chinese search engine] Baidu within the Great Firewall,” she said, referring to the government’s sprawling internet censorship apparatus. The work of fansub volunteers has effectively acted as a fourth wave of “translation activity that has had a huge impact on Chinese culture,” wrote Yan Feng, a professor of Chinese language and literature at Fudan University in Shanghai, in a widely shared Weibo post on February 3. By comparison, Yan said the other three major waves included the translation of Buddhist texts in ancient China, the translation of Western literature and social science works during the late Qing dynasty, and the translation of modern works on humanities and social sciences after the Cultural Revolution. For many Chinese millennials, fansub work is also a way to learn about the world. Many groups don’t just do translation work — they also add footnotes explaining background and context for certain dialogue to help Chinese audiences better understand historic, political or cultural references. “I think it’s a good thing for a child to be exposed to different cultures and different ways of thinking growing up,” said Joy Tian, a 23-year-old English teacher in Beijing. She said she was struck by the individualistic values at the center of many Western series and films, having grown up in a culture that emphasizes collectivism. “It helps promote diversity of thought,” she added. Xu, the Beijing-based lawyer, said it is up to the public to “do some self-reflection” following the crackdown on Renren Yingshi. “There’s no free lunch in this world, and they shouldn’t download or stream pirate films and TV shows anymore,” he said. But Tian stressed that she’d be willing to pay for the shows if they were uncensored. After all, she has paid for licensed American shows on legitimate Chinese streaming sites before — but she couldn’t get past all of the editing. Even Xu said that Chinese fans will likely continue to be tempted to watch pirated shows. People who watch such content and don’t profit off of it have not, traditionally, been punished in China. And if the government doesn’t ease up on its rules on content, the demand won’t go away. “This is indeed a problem. And as the government steps up its crackdown on copyright infringement, this problem will only become more acute,” Xu said. “With pirated access cut off, [the government and companies] should compensate by broadening legal access.” Source link Orbem News #Chinese #Cultural #Millennials #pirated #Shows #touchstone #website

[brianjaeger]

2019 Academy Award Best Picture Nominees Guide For Those Who Haven’t Actually Watched Them

It’s the 91st time Hollywood comes together to pat themselves on the back and this year marks the 5th time I’m bringing you the rundown of every Best Picture nominee so that you aren’t the “goddamn idiot” someone at your Oscars party is referring to when they ask, “Who invited this goddamn idiot?” Only, as in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014  (check out the hyperlinks for previous years’ rundowns - and likely some jokes that don’t age very well) - this is all based on the name of the film, the poster for the movie, or things I’ve heard while flipping past Extra or E! So take it all in and enjoy my tips on things to say to other guests so that your party has an ending that is more like Ally’s and less like Jackson’s!

Black Panther

After Creed loses in embarrassing fashion to Ivan Drago’s son, he tats up, grows that hair out, and heads to outer space. After landing on a planet right between the planet from Avatar and Naboo, pissy Creed picks a fight with a space prince who was bit by a radioactive space panther in the movie that had audiences saying, “I bet Forest Whitaker is in this movie. How is Forest Whitaker not in this movie? I’m honestly shocked that Forest Whitaker is not...oh, yup, there he is.”

3 Things To Casually Inject Into Conversation To Prove You Saw The Movie And Sound Like An Expert:

A little insider Easter egg here - Wakanda backwards spells Adnakaw, which happens to be the name of Thor and Loki’s OTHER brother who is going to save everyone in Avengers: Endgame. He’ll be played by...Forest Whitaker.

In a deleted scene, Black Panther’s brother, The Pink Panther, visits to check out the Wakandan castle’s attic and then installs fiberglass insulation.

Spike Lee really turned the super hero movie genre on its head with this didn’t he? (Pause.) Oh. That was...um...oh, well um... (Slowly walk backward out of the room and do not return.)

BlacKkKlansman

The Chapelle’s Show’s first skit-to-feature length film gives the big screen treatment to the story of Clayton Bigsby. Based on the success of this film, 2019 also saw the big screen adaptation of The Chapelle’s Show’s “What Men Want” skit to a movie starring Taraji P. Henson. In 2020, anticipate a feature length Rick James biopic, a Playa Hater’s Ball film, and “Game, Blouses: The Movie”.

3 Things To Casually Inject Into Conversation To Prove You Saw The Movie And Sound Like An Expert:

This film marks Ricky Jerret’s first acting role after he was cut from the Miami Dolphins by Charles Greane - who he thought was his friend - for his use of PEDs.

This film holds the distinction of having the highest number of different spellings on social media - just barely edging out Bohemian Rhapsody and The Favourite (well, in America).

Reggie Miller purchased a seat in the front row of the Oscars and is planning to wear a The Favourite jersey and baseball cap, then spend the entire show heckling Spike Lee and screaming, “See?! How does it feel the other way around?!”

Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody is a French film with a title that can be loosely translated into English as “The Sassy Singing Lad With The Donkey Snout”. 

3 Things To Casually Inject Into Conversation To Prove You Saw The Movie And Sound Like An Expert:

A bit of trivia for you. Did you know that Freddie Mercury wasn’t his first choice for a stage name? It was actually Fred Mercury.

A bit of trivia for you. Did you know that Brian May wasn’t his first choice for a stage name? It was actually Brian February.

A bit of trivia for you. Did you know that Queen’s first band name was actually Princess and they didn’t become Queen until they married Prince...and enjoyed a Purple Reign? Yup - I will show myself out now.

The Favourite

Rain droups on rouses! This perioud piece stars Oulivia Coulman, Emma Stoune, Joue Alwyn and Nichoulas Holt! It’s abot a grop of people in the contry of England that’s two hors long and y will find fabulos! 

3 Things To Casually Inject Into Conversation To Prove You Saw The Movie And Sound Like An Expert:

This is the movie about a Queen that doesn’t end with an AIDS diagnosis...I think.

Wigs and bodices accounted for 48% of the film’s budget.

The film’s title has nothing to do with the plot or characters and is instead a sly attempt to influence the outcome of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences members’ voting.

Green Book

In this sexual thriller, we see the raw, animal side of Kermit the Frog as he provides details from his Little Green Book of every single Muppet he’s fucked. With an original working title of Fifty Shades of Green, we’ll see how Miss Piggy was at first a mousy and demure fill-in interviewer whose sexual spirit was awakened by Kermit’s dominant yet mesmerizing magnetism. Kermit also does some butt stuff with Bunsen Honeydew and gets down group style with all of The Electric Mayhem.

3 Things To Casually Inject Into Conversation To Prove You Saw The Movie And Sound Like An Expert:

There’s an odd cameo halfway through the movie where Mahershala Ali enters a gas station on the road and encounters a man in his late 20′s/early 30′s who says in a southern drawl, “I’m Stephen Dorff and I’m your partner,” then another Stephen Dorff, this one in his 40′s limps up and says, “And I’m Stephen Dorff. I’m also your partner,” then finally an old drunk one in his 70′s hobbles up and says, “I’m Stephen Dorff and I too am your partner!”

Mahershala Ali generally tried to avoid Viggo Mortensen, who continually would run up saying, “Dude, Mahersh! We have to get matching tattoos of the number two - for the two of us to commemorate this journey that we’re on together. It’s what you do with your cast mates!” When Mahershala would decline but say it was nice what Viggo and the cast of the Lord of the Rings trilogy did together, Viggo would walk off grumbling, “Hidalgo got a tattoo with me...”

*Before the next comment - be sure to do a thorough research on Google and on social media to determine the prevailing public opinion of if Green Book is a remarkable cinematic achievement faithful to the story of Don Shirley and Tony Vallelonga’s relationship and an examination of the complicated issue of race and its impact on friendship and business OR if it’s just another white savior movie before you speak, so that you can make sure that you’re aligned with whatever is currently the popular thing to say at that moment in time about this movie. Then say...

Ahem. This is the same director who wrote and directed a scene in Movie 43 where Hugh Jackman is on a blind date with Kate Winslet and has prosthetic testicles hanging under his neck which go into her mouth - and that’s, like, it.

Roma

Set in a world with no color, this movie is about a bunch of people (mostly children) hugging on a beach who may or may not be related to each other, may or may not be involved in some kind of national tragedy in either Italy or Mexico, and may or may not be sick, dying, sad or overcome with joy. I honestly have no clue on this one. But it IS on Netflix.

3 Things To Casually Inject Into Conversation To Prove You Saw The Movie And Sound Like An Expert: 

They say that Alfonso Cuarón painted a realistic picture of his childhood in Roma which is the exact same tactic he employed in making Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Netflix forced Cuarón to cross promote other Netflix titles throughout the film, so there is an odd scene in which Cleo’s son meets his Big Mouth Hormone Monster to talk about masturbation and then later on the family enters The Upside Down (or Al Revés de Abajo). Also, every single cast member gets a stand-up comedy special.

Yalitza Martínez plays a housekeeper here and after this star-making turn, she’s got it MAID!

A Star Is Born

Jackson Maine wants to create a star. But after consulting a high school astronomy textbook, he learns that the only way that a star is truly born is to squeeze atoms of light elements under enough pressure for their nuclei to undergo fusion. He closes the book and says, “To hell with that science shit,” then gets drunk and just hires Lady Gaga to write a song that sounds like she’s a child screaming at her mom to watch her do a dive at the community pool.

3 Things To Casually Inject Into Conversation To Prove You Saw The Movie And Sound Like An Expert:

As a first-time singer, Bradley Cooper devoted countless hours over several months in order to unlock the instrument of his voice to become a mostly-inoffensive singer. As a first-time director, Bradley Cooper bought one of those chairs with “Director” on it.

Bradley Cooper refused to urinate for the duration of filming until the big Grammy’s scene so it played better on film. He did poop a lot during filming though.

The young actress from Eighth Grade is already planning her Oscar bait remake of A Star Is Born to come out in 2043 where SHE plays the aging star and enters a romance with a young male singer played by Boy from Bird Box.

Vice

As the DC Comics universe continues to expand, we finally get the origin story of Batman arch nemesis and super villain, The Penguin.

3 Things To Casually Inject Into Conversation To Prove You Saw The Movie And Sound Like An Expert:

Unable to shake his Saturday Night Live roots, Adam McKay decided to insert a scene late in the movie where - unannounced - the real Dick Cheney walks in to surprised applause from the audience and Christian Bale acts flustered before stammering out that it is an honor to meet him. Cheney pauses for the awkward “oh my god, can you believe this” murmur to die down in the audience and then stiffly delivers, “You know, Christian, you could have just worn a fat suit for this role.” The audience erases all memory of the terrible atrocities that the man has committed during his lifetime and erupts into wild clapping and bark-laughing like seals while Christian and the rest of the cast just have to hand it to the guy for being such a good sport about it all.

Dick Cheney is just happy that A Star Is Born is in the field this year so that in defiance of Vice he also doesn’t have to root for any movies about gay guys, black people, immigrants, or foreigners.

While watching the film, Laura Bush continually had to remind a startled and frightened George W. that no, he was not trapped up in the big movie screen.