#and Danny and Ryan are just phenomenal

[lostwithoutmyritual]

Holy shit the lodge scenes are so much crazier than I remember!!

And I fully forgot Paddy gets shot.

Also robert saying he loves aaron twice and fighting his shame/realising how mad the situation he’s got himself in is it’s all so good! Robert’s pure desperation for no one to find out bc he can’t handle that more than anything.

[annapogorilayas]

here's a bunch of my rambling, incoherent thoughts LoD S6, H, and the show's overall trajectory since S4

under the cut because it's LONG, these are just my personal opinions and feelings

the show's trajectory

i've been disappointed with the show's overall direction since S4 for multiple reasons. to be fair, the show had an uphill battle to maintain the level of quality that S2/S3 had. lindsay denton was this show's most interesting character and keeley hawes was phenomenal, and her storyline tied in perfectly with the conclusion of the caddy storyline. that was always going to be a tough act to follow.

the show has always had shocking twists and explosive action sequences, but when the show moved from bbc2 weeknights to bbc1 the show began to lean more heavily on them. in S1-3 these scenes fit in with the plot. after S4, it began to feel more like the show was a series of shocking twists/action sequences with a plot written around it.

the OCG is way too big and powerful

after S4, the OCG(s) became very big, powerful, and all-knowing, without actually showing us how they were achieving this, making it hard to believe. in S2, we had an ambush, the murder of hunter and trotman in the hospital room, the setup of dryden for blackmail, and lindsay's abduction from custody. these events were carried out/enabled by five characters: prasad, cole, dot, akers, and lindsay. we met them, we spent time with them (except cole), we had at least a rough idea of what motivated them or how they got involved, and how they pulled off what they did.

in S3, two important events (steve's firearm paperwork being forged and Urgent Exit Required) were enabled by one corrupt AFO. we didn't meet him or find out what his motives were, but i don't think we needed to - he was probably just one of dot's lackeys. but it's not that hard to believe that dot could get one corrupt AFO to do his bidding.

in contrast, since S4, it seems like the OCG has an endless supply of corrupt prison officers, AFOs, and balaclava men that they can deploy at a moment's notice, and these people are pretty disposable - how many of these people have been arrested, imprisoned, or murdered since S4? how many balaclava men died in the 6x04 ambush alone? aren't the OCG(s) running out of people to send on suicide missions by now? a story driven by a revolving door of disposable, mostly nameless people is much less compelling than a story that revolves around a small, familiar cast of believably corrupt/bent/blackmailed coppers. i think S4 and S6 could've been better if more of the plot was driven by the other officers on huntley's and davidson's teams, or just... any recognisable named character, rather than these disposable hired guns.

additionally, the OCG just silences/pays off/kills people off so easily the plot has become very predictable

the problem with H

so H wasn't an evil criminal mastermind, just some guy in it for the money. that part i had hoped for and expected - LoD is almost never about criminal masterminds with grand motives who just want to watch the world burn. LoD's antagonists/villains fall into the following categories:

a) people who make decisions that spiral terribly out of control (tony gates, roz huntley)

b) people who do bad things for the right reasons because the system offers no alternative (lindsay denton wanted to save carly; danny waldron killed his abuser; john corbett believed his crimes were the only way to unmask H because peartree was dragging its feet)

c) people who do bad things out of self-preservation because they've been blackmailed or groomed (dot, jo, maneet, ryan, hargreaves, hilton, hari baines)

d) bad people who do bad things out of self-interest, whose behaviour is enabled or incentivised by the system that fails to protect people (hunter, the murphys, fairbanks, prasad, cole, gill). these guys are not geniuses and they don't have grand motives, they do bad things because it benefits them directly and they can get away with it.

i think (?) Buckells falls into this last category. i don't have a problem with him being H in theory. i don't mind that he turned out not to be the "top man" bc i never liked the idea of there being a "top man", it's way too close to "a bad apple". i'm much more intrigued by the idea that there is a loose, semi-transient network of officers who are all acting out of a combination of self-interest (money, power, access to vulnerable people) and self-preservation (they all have an incentive to be loyal to the network because they all know dirt about each other, but if there's a motive and opportunity to take someone down without it coming back on them, they will). for this reason, i don't find it necessarily disappointing or implausible that buckells was the last man standing and that he was motivated by money.

however, the way the reveal was set up throughout S6 and executed in 6x07 was anticlimactic to me. buckells had a laptop in prison? he ordered kate's murder FROM PRISON? of course he did, that whole prison appears to be run by the OCG. this is the same problem i mentioned earlier, the OCG is just too powerful to be interesting. the reveal could've been way more effective if buckells hadn't spent the last half of the season in jail. i also would've liked to hear more from buckells about precisely what motivated him, exactly how he came to be involved, and how the other corrupt officers fit into his story. i would've loved it if, for once, someone just said fuck it and spilled the beans instead of going down the "i'll tell you a bunch of useless nonsense in exchange for WP" route.

that being said, i think this whole clusterfuck could've been avoided entirely by simply not making H into such a big deal. way back in S4, the fixation on H worked as a plot device to get hilton to issue ted with a reg-15 and cast doubt on him, but i was bored of H approximately 1.5 episodes into S5. the idea of this shadowy figure calling all the shots was inconsistent with everything this show had been about, and it dragged on for way too long. i wasn't opposed to the idea that H is a group of people not a single person, but morse code? srsly? you couldn't just have them sit down and say "hey, maybe dot just blinked on H because he'd had his eyes open for a while and also he'd lost a lot of blood so he was probably confused anyway?"

[whump-me-all-night-long]

What are your favorite whump writers looking to possibly discover someone new

Oh gosh, I have a lot.

So a lot of @whump-tr0pes (I read all of her Honor Bound stuff in like two days lol), @ashintheairlikesnow (Danny, Nate, and Ryan and Kaui, Chris, and Jake are all such amazing and well-written characters), @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi's (Brody is such a sweetheart, Silver is my baby, and Nik just gives me the feels) stuff helped really get me into whump. I highly recommend all three!

I also love @whumpzone's Tomas and Rowe series. I'm not usually a big comfort person, but their story is phenomenal! I also really like @amethystpath's Leera/Rennera series, if you're into lady whump (which doesn't necessarily bother me, but I understand it can be a big no for some people). @liliability has a lot of great stuff, like her Auden the Combined Boxie series, although I know she has several others going on for Whumptober that are also great! @ohmywhump's Jonah & Vincent series is fantastic too, always gives me whumperflies. The Bastet series by @whumpfigure is amazing as well, really love Javier and really hate Michael and Joseph. A bit more NSFW is @simplygrimly and @lonesome--hunter's Boone Clan/Hershey's Kisses and The Devil's Highway series which have a lot of collabs.

Those are all the ones I can think of off the top of my head, but there are so many awesome whump writers on here that I know! This got really long, oops, but I hope some of these recommendations interest you!

[mysticalhearth]

W

Waiting for Godot - Broadway - November 24, 2013 (Opening Night) (Lanelle's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Aidan Gemme (The Boy), Billy Crudup (Lucky), Ian McKellen (Estragon), Patrick Stewart (Vladimir), Shuler Hensley (Pozzo)

War Horse - West End - February 27, 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MKV (HD) CAST: Sion Daniel Young (Albert Narracott), Josie Walker (Rose Narracott), Alistair Brammer (Billy Narracott), Alex Avery (Captain Nicholls), Steve North (Ted Narracott), Tom Hodgkins (Arthur Narracott) NOTES: Multi-cam pro-shot broadcast live to cinemas as part of National Theatre Live, Includes interval interview and documentary. 

War Paint - Broadway - March 11, 2017 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Patti LuPone (Helena Rubinstein), Christine Ebersole (Elizabeth Arden), John Dossett (Tommy Lewis), Douglas Sills (Harry Fleming) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the Broadway transfer. Some changes for Broadway from the previous Goodman Theater production. Excellent performances from the entire cast with clear picture and great sound throughout; very good video. 2 DVDs. A War Paint - Broadway - April 29, 2017 (Matinee) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Patti LuPone (Helena Rubinstein), Christine Ebersole (Elizabeth Arden), John Dossett (Tommy Lewis), Douglas Sills (Harry Fleming) NOTES: The master gets caught during Face to Face. You can hear someone say “TURN IT OFF”. Blackout during that part. Wasted - Southwark Playhouse - 2018 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Matthew Jacobs Morgan (Branwell Brontë), Molly Lynch (Anne Brontë), Natasha Barnes (Charlotte Brontë), Siobhan Athwal (Emily Brontë) We Are The Tigers - Off-Broadway - March, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Lauren Zakrin (Riley Williams), Wonu Ogunfowora (Cairo), Jenny Rose Baker (Kate Dalton), MiMi Scardulla (Reese), Kaitlyn Frank (Annleigh), Cathy Ang (Mattie Wheeler), Celeste Rose (Chess), Zoe Jensen (Farrah), Sydney Parra (Eva Sanchez), Louis Griffin (Clark) NOTES: Starts at the beginning of "I Just Wanna" and missing part of "Mattie's Lament." The theater was really full tonight so there are a good number of heads in this video, but they are worked around to the best of my ability. This is a super small theater (less than 160 seats) and at times the cast members were definitely singing to the camera and honestly giving their best performances because of it. All of the things on the upper level (the bathroom, the pathway, and the kitchen) are captured perfectly, and the zooms on the lower level (the living room and bench) look good as well. Obviously because this is a murder mystery kind of show the lighting can get a little bit dark, but my camera handles low lighting incredibly well. This is honestly the best video you could expect from this venue We Will Rock You - Germany (Cologne) - August, 2005 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alex Melcher (Galileo), Vera Bolten (Scaramouche), Brigitte Oelke (Killer Queen), Martin Berger (Khashoggi), Michaela Kovarikova (Meat/Oz), DMJ (Brit/J.B.), James Sbano (Pop/Buddy/Bap), Harald Tauber (Teacher), Willemijn Verkaik NOTES: Multicam proshot We Will Rock You - Utrecht (The Netherlands) - October, 2010 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: John Vooijs (Galileo), Marjolein Teepen (Scaramouche), Pia Douwes (Killer Queen), Paul Donkers (Khashoggi), Floortje Smit (Meat/Oz), Ruud van Overdijk (Brit/J.B.), Rutger le Poole (Pop/Buddy/Bap) NOTES: Good capture. Heads in the way, but also a lot of good close-ups. Dubble DVD! We Will Rock You - West End - February 11, 2003 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Tony Vincent (Galileo), Hannah Jane Fox (Scaramouche), Sharon D Clarke (Killer Queen), Alexander Hanson (Khashoggi), Kerry Ellis (Meat/Oz), Nigel Clauzner (Brit/J.B.), Nigel Planer (Pop/Buddy/Bap) The Wedding Singer - Broadway - April 1, 2006 (Preview) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Stephen Lynch (Robbie Hart), Laura Benanti (Julia), Matthew Saldivar (Sammy), Kevin Cahoon (George), Rita Gardner (Rosie), Amy Spanger (Holly), Richard H Blake (Glen), Felicia Finley (Linda) NOTES: Includes pictures of outside of the theatre and playbill. This was before the changes were made to the production. Blackouts throughout the show. The Wedding Singer - Off-West End - March 1, 2020 (Matinee) (Closing Night) (Highlights) (queenofthedead's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kevin Clifton (Robbie Hart), Rhiannon Chesterman (Julia), Ashley Emmerson (Sammy), Andrew Carthy (George), Sandra Dickinson (Rosie), Tara Verloop (Holly), Jonny Fines (Glen), Erin Bell (Linda), Lori Haley Fox (Angie), Andy Brady (David Fonda), Nathan Ryles (Harold Fonda), Jordan Crouch (Donnie), Aimee Moore (Tiffany), Simon Anthony (Shane McDonough), Paris Green (Donatella), Vanessa Grace Lee (Donatella’s Mother), Morgan Jackson (Mookie), Ellie Seaton (Crystal) NOTES: 38 minutes of act 1 of the closing performance, unobstructed. Welcome To The Club - Broadway - April 8, 1989 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Avery Schreiber (Milton), Bill Buell (Gus), Jodi Benson (Betty), Marcia Mitzman (Carol), Marilyn Sokol (Arlene), Sally Mayes (Winona), Samuel E Wright (Bruce), Scott Waara (Kevin), Scott Wentworth (Aaron), Terri White (Eve) NOTES: Filmed during previews. Well filmed from the balcony. Mostly a full stage shot. Some generational loss. Wenn Rosenblätter Fallen - Oberhausen - June 13, 2016 (Rumpel's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Pia Douwes (Rose), Anton Zetterholm (Till), Annemieke van Dam (Iris)  

West Side Story - Hollywood Bowl - July 19, 2016 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jeremy Jordan (Tony), Solea Pfeiffer (Maria), Karen Olivo (Anita), Matthew James Thomas (Riff), George Akram (Bernardo), Drew Foster (Action), Jose Moreno Brooks (Chino), Anthony C Chatmon II (A-Rab), Kyle Selig (Baby John), Mike Schwitter (Big Deal), Jeff Smith (Diesel), Kevin Chamberlin (Krupke), Jennifer Sanchez (Rosalia), Erica Dorfler (Consuela) NOTES: This concert version of the show is abridged with shortened scenes, simple costumes, and no sets or choreography, but Jeremy, Solea, and Karen are absolutely phenomenal with soaring vocals and emotional performances. Very well captured with no dropouts, no obstruction, and no washout. The stage is filmed directly most of the time; the screens are occasionally filmed, usually when the actors are not onstage. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call and playbill scans. West Side Story - Leicester Curve - December, 2019 (queenofthedead's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jamie Muscato (Tony), Adriana Ivelisse (Maria), Carly Mercedes Dyer (Anita), Ronan Burns (Riff), Jonathan Hermosa-Lopez (Bernardo), Isaac Gryn (Action), Damian Buhagiar (Chino), Ryan Anderson (A-Rab), Alex Christian (Baby John), Dale White (Big Deal), Michael O’Reilly (Diesel), Beth Hinton-Lever (Anybodys), Darren Bennett (Lt. Schrank), Christopher Wright (Krupke), Christopher Wright (Doc), Darren Bennett (Glad Hand), Mireia Mambo (Rosalia), Abigail Climer (Consuela), Thea Bunting (Graziella), Katie Lee (Velma), Richard Appiah-Sarpong (Pepe), Dominic Sibanda (Indio) NOTES: Missing 7 minutes at the beginning. No dropouts and no obstruction. West Side Story - Second Broadway Revival - February 23, 2009 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Matt Cavenaugh (Tony), Josefina Scaglione (Maria), Karen Olivo (Anita), Cody Green (Riff), George Akram (Bernardo), Curtis Holbrook (Action), Joey Haro (Chino), Kyle Coffman (A-Rab), Ryan Steele (Baby John), Tro Shaw (Anybodys), Steve Bassett (Lt. Schrank), Lee Sellars (Krupke), Greg Vinkler (Doc) NOTES: Stunning production of this revival. Josefina and Karen still steal the show. The cast was on fire and there was a lot of energy in the audience as it was the first performance on Broadway. There are some changes from the DC run, which work better. Beautiful production and capture with no obstructions. West Side Story - Second Broadway Revival - November 16, 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Matt Cavenaugh (Tony), Josefina Scaglione (Maria), Karen Olivo (Anita), Wes Hart (u/s Riff), George Akram (Bernardo), Eric Hatch (u/s Action), Joey Haro (Chino), Kyle Coffman (A-Rab), Brendon Stimson (u/s Baby John), Joshua Buscher (Diesel), Mike Cannon (Snowboy), Kaitlin Mesh (Anybodys), Steve Bassett (Lt. Schrank), Lee Sellars (Krupke), Mark Zimmerman (s/b Doc), Lindsay Estelle Dunn (Velma), Michael Williams (u/s Pepe), Kaitlin Mesh (Zaza) West Side Story - Third Broadway Revival - January 6, 2020 (Preview) FORMAT:  MKV (HD) CAST: Jordan Dobson (u/s Tony), Mia Pinero (u/s Maria), Yesenia Ayala (Anita), Corey John Snide (u/s Riff), Amar Ramasar (Bernardo), Dharon E Jones (Action), Jacob Guzman (Chino), Kevin Csolak (A-Rab), Matthew Johnson (Baby John), Tyler Eisenreich (Big Deal), Ahmad Simmons (Diesel), Daniel Ching (Snowboy), Zuri Noelle Ford (Anybodys), Thomas Jay Ryan (Lt. Schrank), Danny Wolohan (Krupke), Daniel Oreskes (Doc), Pippa Pearthree (Glad Hand), Lorna Courtney (Rosalia), Gabi Campo (Consuela), Marissa Brown (Francisca), Alexa de Barr (Graziella), Madison Vomastek (Velma), Gus Reed (Gee-tar), John Snide (Tiger), Carlos Gonzales (Pepe), Ricky Ubeda (Indio), Roman Cruz (Luis), Israel del Rosario (Anxious), Michaela Marfori (Nibbles), Marc Crousillat (Juano), Sheldon True (Toro), Stephanie Crousillat (Teresita), Marlon Geliz (Estella), Satori Folkes-Stone (Margarita), Uni-Seng Francois (Minnie), Jennifer Gruener (Pauline) NOTES: Wideshot. Stage right is slightly obstructed due to where the master was sitting. Good audio. SD M4V (567.0 MB) West Side Story - UK Tour - May 23, 2009 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Daniel Koek (Tony), Hazel Gardner (u/s Maria), Jayde Westaby (Anita), Edd Post (u/s Riff), Dan Burton (Bernardo), Aki Omoshaybi (Chino), Ged Simmons (Lt. Schrank), Martin Chaimberain (Krupke) When We're Gone - Joe's Pub (2014) - March 12, 2014 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Gerard Canonico (Todd), Jeremy Kushnier (John), Luke Wygodny (Ashton), Hannah Whitney (Rosie), Eric William Morris (Colin), Bradley Dean (William) NOTES: Concert performance.   

The Wild Party (Lippa) - Encores! Off-Center - July 17, 2015 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Sutton Foster (Queenie), Steven Pasquale (Burrs), Brandon Victor Dixon (Black), Joaquina Kalukango (Kate), Miriam Shor (Madeline True), Talene Monahon (Mae), Ryan Andes (Eddie) NOTES: Excellent HD capture from the Encores Summer Series! The cast was terrific and full of energy giving everything they had. Great to see these songs performed again by this caliber of talent! A The Wild Party (Lippa) - Off-Broadway - 2000 (Highlights) (Press Reel's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Julia Murney (Queenie), Brian d'Arcy James (Burrs), Taye Diggs (Black), Idina Menzel (Kate), Alix Korey (Madeline True), Charles Dillon (Oscar d'Armano), Kevin Cahoon (Phil d'Armano), James Delisco Beeks (Max), Todd Anderson (Reno), Jennifer Cody (Mae), Kena Tangi Dorsey (Dolores), Felicia Finley (Rose Himmelsteen), Peter Kapetan (Sam Himmelsteen), Lawrence Keigwin (Jackie), Charlie Marcus (The Neighbor), Kristin McDonald (Nadine), Raymond Jaramillo McLeod (Eddie), Steven Pasquale (Cop), Megan Sikora (Peggy), Ron Todorowski (Kegs), Amanda Watkins (Ellie) The Winter's Tale - West End - November 26, 2015 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Kenneth Branagh (Leontes), Dame Judi Dench (Paulina), Miranda Raison (Hermione), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Hadley Fraser (Polixenes), Tom Bateman (Florizel), John Dagleish (Autolycus) The Winter's Tale - West End - November 26, 2015 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Kenneth Branagh (Leontes), Dame Judi Dench (Paulina), Miranda Raison (Hermione), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Hadley Fraser (Polixenes), Tom Bateman (Florizel), John Dagleish (Autolycus) The Witches of Eastwick - UK Tour - April 4, 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: James Graeme (Clyde), Marti Pellow (Darryl), Poppy Tierney (Jane), Rachel Izen (Felicia), Rebecca Thornhill (Sukie), Ria Jones (Alex) NOTES: Beautifully filmed from the balcony, with a great mix of close-ups and full stage shots. Crystal clear. Widescreen. The Wiz - NBC Live! - December 3, 2015 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (4K) CAST: Shanice Williams (Dorothy), David Alan Grier (Lion), Ne-Yo (Tinman), Elijah Kelley (Scarecrow), Uzo Aduba (Glinda), Queen Latifah (The Wiz), Mary J Blige (Evillene), Stephanie Mills (Aunt Em), Amber Riley (Addaperle) NOTES: A live production of the 1975 musical The Wiz produced for television; excellent video. A+ The Wizard of Oz (Webber) - First National Tour - September 28, 2013 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Danielle Wade (Dorothy Gale), Jamie McKnight (Scarecrow/Hunk), Mike Jackson (Tin Man/Hickory), Lee MacDougall (Cowardly Lion/Zeke), Jacquelyn Piro Donovan (The Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Gulch), Cedric Smith (The Wizard of Oz/Professor Marvel), Robin Evan Willis (Glinda the Good Witch), Charlotte Moore (Aunt Em/Munchkin Barrister), Larry Mannell (Uncle Henry/Philippe/Head Guard) NOTES: Nice capture of Andrew Lloyd Webber's re-imagined classic; no obstruction and very little washout; a few quick dropouts in act one and a couple in act two, only last about three minutes all together; filmed in 16:9 with a mix of wides, mediums,and close-ups. The Woman in Black - West End - July 8, 2001 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Christopher Ravenscroft (Arthur Kipps), Sebastian Harcombe (The Actor) The Woman in White - Broadway - November 30, 2005 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Adam Brazier (Walter Hartwright), Angela Christian (Anne Catherick), Jill Paice (Laura Fairlie), Lisa Brescia (Marian Halcombe), Michael Ball (Count Fosco), Ron Bohmer (Sir Percival Glyde)  

The Woman in White - West End - February 25, 2005 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Maria Friedman, Michael Ball, Adrian der Gregorian (u/s), Oliver Darley, Jill Paice, Elinor Collett (u/s) NOTES: Nice video with good closeups and zooms and great sound. Woman of the Year - Broadway - March 27, 1982 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Lauren Bacall (Tess Harding), Harry Guardino (Sam Craig), Eivind Harum (Alexi Petrikov), Roderick Cook (Gerald), Grace Keagy (Helga), Jamie Ross (Larry Donovan), Marilyn Cooper (Jan Donovan), Rex Everhart (Maury) NOTES: Good color video with clear sound with some generation loss, but a nice video. B+ Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - Broadway - December 29, 2010 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Sherie Rene Scott (Pepa), Laura Benanti (Candela), Patti LuPone (Lucia), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Ivan), Justin Guarini (Carlos), de’Adre Aziza (Paulina), Danny Burstein (Taxi Driver), Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Marisa), Mary Beth Peil (Pepa's Concierge/TV and Radio Announcer), Samantha Shafer (u/s Woman at Train/Ana) NOTES: Also includes press reels, cast/creative interviews and video of David Yazbek singing songs from the show.

  Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - Broadway - January 2, 2011 (Matinee) FORMAT:  MP3 (tracked) CAST: Sherie Rene Scott (Pepa), Laura Benanti (Candela), Patti LuPone (Lucia), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Ivan), Justin Guarini (Carlos), de’Adre Aziza (Paulina), Danny Burstein (Taxi Driver), Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Marisa), Mary Beth Peil (Pepa's Concierge/TV and Radio Announcer), Samantha Shafer (u/s Woman at Train/Ana) NOTES: Also includes press reels, cast/creative interviews and video of David Yazbek singing songs from the show. Wonderful Town - Television Production - November 30, 1958 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Rosalind Russell (Ruth Sherwood), Sydney Chaplin (Robert Baker), Jacquelyn McKeever (Eileen Sherwood), Joseph Buloff (Mr. Appopolous), Dort Clark (Chick Clark), Jordan Bentley (Wreck), Cris Alexander (Frank Lippencott), Jack Fletcher (Night Club Patron), Michele Burke (Helen Wade), Ted Beniades (“Speedy” Valenti), Isabella Hoopes (Mrs. Wade), Ray Weaver (Shore Patrolman), Gene Carrons (Violet), John Wheeler (Officer Lonigan), Don Grusso (Fireman) Wonderland - Broadway - March 23, 2011 (Preview) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Alice), Kate Shindle (Mad Hatter), Carly Rose Sonenclar (Chloe/Ellie), Edward Staudenmayer (The White Rabbit), Karen Mason (Queen of Hearts), Darren Ritchie (Jack the White Knight), E Clayton Cornelious (Caterpillar), Jose Llana (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Danny Stiles (Morris the March Hare), Darren Ritchie (The Victorian Gentleman), Karen Mason (Edwina) NOTES: Very limited trade 3:1 at the master's request. Wonderland - Broadway - April 2, 2011 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Alice), Kate Shindle (Mad Hatter), Carly Rose Sonenclar (Chloe/Ellie), Edward Staudenmayer (The White Rabbit), Karen Mason (Queen of Hearts), Darren Ritchie (Jack the White Knight), E Clayton Cornelious (Caterpillar), Jose Llana (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Danny Stiles (Morris the March Hare), Darren Ritchie (The Victorian Gentleman), Karen Mason (Edwina) NOTES: Beautiful bright capture of this short lived show that only played 31 previews and 33 performances. I thought this show was very enjoyable and fun with great music. Great performances and voices from the cast! A+ Wonderland - Broadway - May 12, 2011 (juniper47's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Alice), Kate Shindle (Mad Hatter), Carly Rose Sonenclar (Chloe/Ellie), Edward Staudenmayer (The White Rabbit), Karen Mason (Queen of Hearts), Darren Ritchie (Jack the White Knight), E Clayton Cornelious (Caterpillar), Jose Llana (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Danny Stiles (Morris the March Hare) NOTES: Filmed in widescreen with very few obstructions except for a head blocking the farthest corners of downstage stage left and right, but very little is missed there. Very good video and excellent picture and sound. Wonderland - Broadway - May 12, 2011 (juniper47's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Alice), Kate Shindle (Mad Hatter), Carly Rose Sonenclar (Chloe/Ellie), Edward Staudenmayer (The White Rabbit), Karen Mason (Queen of Hearts), Darren Ritchie (Jack the White Knight), E Clayton Cornelious (Caterpillar), Jose Llana (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Danny Stiles (Morris the March Hare) NOTES: Filmed in widescreen with very few obstructions except for a head blocking the farthest corners of downstage stage left and right, but very little is missed there. Very good video and excellent picture and sound. Wonderland - UK Tour - June 10, 2017 (Matinee) (bestworstcase's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Rachael Wooding (Alice), Francesca Lara Gordon (u/s Mad Hatter), Naomi Morris (Chloe/Ellie), Dave Willetts (The White Rabbit), Wendi Peters (Queen of Hearts), Stephen Webb (Jack the White Knight), Kayi Ushe (Caterpillar), Dominic Owen (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Ben Kerr (Morris the March Hare) NOTES: DVD menu states June 6 2017 matinee, but all other evidence, even the master's weebly claim it's June 10 2017. Good video! Wonderland (Beth Steel Play) - Hampstead Theatre - July 14, 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Unknown NOTES: Livestreamed April 2020. The Worst Witch - West End - August 22, 2019 (Matinee) (wheredidtherockgo's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Danielle Bird (Mildred Hubble), Rosie Abraham (Ethel Hallow), Molly-Grace Cutler (Miss Bat/Piano/Guitar/Cello/Dulcimer), Meg Forgan (Fenella Feverfew/Bass Guitar), Rachel Heaton (Miss Hardbroom), Rebecca Killick (Maud Spellbody), Emma Lau (Drusilla Paddock), Megan Leigh Mason (Miss Drill/Guitar/Drums/Percussion/Clarinet/Bass Guitar), Polly Lister (Agatha/Miss Cackle), Consuela Rolle (Enid Nightshade), Lauryn Redding (Griselda Blackwood/Sax) NOTES: A very good show! It’s a show aimed more toward kids so there was a lot of kids in the audience. An amazing performance by Polly Lister as Agatha/Miss Cackle in particular. The Wrong Man - Off-Broadway - November, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP3 (untracked) CAST: Joshua Henry (Duran), Ciara Renée (Mariana), Ryan Vasquez (Man in Black), Amber Pickens, Anoop Desai, Debbie Christine Tjong, Julius Williams, Libby Lloyd, Malik Shabazz Kitchen, Tilly Evans-Krueger NOTES: Near perfect HD capture of this new Off-Broadway show with fabulous performances by the whole cast. There is some wandering throughout but overall a very centered orchestra video with extremely vivid colors. Please do not post screenshots of this video on Twitter ever. Gifs on Tumblr are okay after the NFT date, but don't go linking things to actors and shows. Das Wunder von Bern - Hamburg - July 6, 2015 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ruben (Matthias Lubanski), Vera Bolten (Christa Lubanski), Patrick Imhof (alt. Richard Lubanski), Marie Lumpp (Ingrid Lubanski), Patrick A. Stamme (alt. Bruno Lubanski), Elisabeth Hübert (Anette Ackermann), Florian Soyka (alt. Paul Ackermann), Robin Brosch (Sepp Herberger(Bohse), Jogi Kaiser (Tiburski/Putzfrau/Adi Dassler), Tetje Mierendorf (Pfarrer Keuchel), Alexandra Farkic/Franziska Trunte/Esther Mink (Wunderfräulein), Dominik Hees (Helmut Rahn), Mark Weigel (Fritz Walter), Dennis Henschel (Berni Klodt), Robin Koger (Horst Eckel), Matteo Vigna (Max Morlock), Hendrik Schall (Toni Turek), Matt Cox (Werner Kohlmeyer), Daniel Therrien (Ottmar Walter), Giuliano Mercoli (Josef Posipal), Fabian Kaiser (u/s Karl mai/Fußballartist), Dominik Kaiser (Hans Schäfer/Fußballartist) NOTES: This video was recorded right after some changes on the show were made (doesn't include the new song which will be published on 11th July, 2015). Full show; beautiful picture quality and nice close-ups but rather shaky in the beginning/end of both acts Das Wunder von Bern - Hamburg - July 23, 2015 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Tanja Schön (u/s Christa Lubanski), Patrick Imhof (alt Richard Lubanski), Marie Lumpp (Ingrid Lubanski), David Jakobs (Bruno Lubanski), Shari Lynn Stewen (alt Anette Ackermann), Patrick A Stamme (alt Paul Ackermann), Mark Weigel (Sepp Herberger/Bohse), Michael Ophelders (alt Tiburski/Putzfrau im Hotel/Adi Dassler), Tetje Mierendorf (Pfarrer Keuchel), Alexandra Farkic (Wunderfräulein), Amaya Keller (Wunderfräulein), Franziska Trunte (Wunderfräulein), Dominik Hees (Helmut Rahn), Florian Soyka (alt Fritz Walter), Hendrik Schall (alt Berni Klodt), Robin Koger (Horst Eckel), Matteo Vigna (Max Morlock), Fabian Kaiser (Toni Turek), James Cook (Werner Kohlmeyer), Daniel Therrien (Ottmar Walter), Pasha Antonov (Josef Posipal), Adrian Fogel (Kar Mai/Fußballartist), Dominik Kaiser (Hans Schäfer/Fußballartist) NOTES: "Julius" as Matthias Lubanski. Full show. Great picture quality and beautiful close-ups, though some little obstruction due a railing. The last few minutes of both acts are shot blind without zooms but still capturing the action on stage

[filminvasion]

Top 10 List

I’ve been doing a huge watch through of many films from the 80′s and I actually just got done watching everything i’ve wanted to watch from the year 1989. Here is my 10 Best. New reviews will be coming soon so be sure to follow to keep up with those. Much appreciated. 

Honorable mentions: Field of Dreams, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Casualties of War, Sex Lies and Videotape, Parenthood, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Say Anything, Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Born on the Fourth of July, The Bear, My Left Foot, Roger and Me, Vampire’s Kiss, Fabulous Baker Boys

10. War of the Roses- One of Danny DeVito’s greatest successes as a director and he deserved this one. A dark comedy on divorce, this re-teaming of DeVito with his “Romancing The Stone” and “Jewel of the Nile” co-stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner starts out funny but gets viciously savage by the end. 

9. When Harry Met Sally- Doing a total 180 from #10, this is simply the best romantic comedy ever made. Nora Ephron’s dialogue is fast, witty, and I never feel more like a mush mouth than when I listen to it. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are great together, Ryan especially for reasons that are all too apparent for anyone who’s seen the film 

8. The Abyss- Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are perfect together in what is the real, best, romance that James Cameron has ever created. But more to the point, this is a claustrophobic, tension-filled, underwater delight, the best of its kind by far, holding scenes that put me in rapt awe every time I watch it. The ending is still not great and the aliens don’t really help but this still holds Cameron out as the special talent he is. 

7. Crimes and Misdemeanors- A cynical tale from Woody Allen that gets two great performances, not only from himself but from the even better Martin Landau, who gets a whole storyline in examination of morality and is never not compelling in it. Allen gives himself the funnier role. Alan Alda, Jerry Orbach, and Sam Waterston also each have pivotal roles and are phenomenal in what is a flawlessly written, honest look at humanity. 

6. Heathers- A great dark comedy, if not the best of all time, which satirizes that weird time known as high school where popularity is key...and can be a real killer. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater are both great in it- a sure fire classic of the High School genre. 

5. Lethal Weapon 2 and Back to the Future 2- I put these two together because i’m weak and this was another really outstanding year but they belong together, both really build on the greatness that came before- the plots feel very fresh, the humor in both cases is done with much more ease this time around, the characters continue to grow, and both definitely know how to thrill. 

4. Little Mermaid- The start of something grand- leading Disney into the 90’s with a blend of new animation techniques, outstanding music, and some of the best and most urgent story-telling the studio has ever created. 

3. Batman- Pound for pound still a wonderfully dark and gritty take on the Batman character- from the production, make-up and costume design Burton has made something beautifully gothic here, despite not proceeding exactly according to lore, and he couldn’t have done better than Nicholson and Keaton in the lead roles. 

2. Do The Right Thing- Though hard to find the clear message, Spike Lee creates a pivotal and volatile piece of work that asks good questions in the hopes we can see all the differing viewpoints he presents here. That’s why this is still the best film ever made about race relations in this country. 

1.Glory- Powerful from first frame to last, everything about this film is worthy of utmost respect, from a story of pride and sacrifice, to incredible battle sequences (especially the finale march on Fort Wagner, which is one of the bravest things ever captured on film), to the riveting performances, and James Horner and The Harlem Boys Choir’s soaring, patriotic, and beautiful musical score- certainly in the top 5 ever produced. I feel moved and filled with deference every time I watch this story play out and i’ve maybe watched it a hundred times over the years. One of the best war movies of all time.

[undiscovered-horror-icon]

SlipKnot the Beginning

[All of this info was copied form the archive of this blog on Skyrock.com circa 2009-2010: User - maggot777 on SkyRock . com]

[I’m just sharing it and take no credit]

Des Moines is the capital of Iowa, the twenty-ninth of the fifty states of the USA. The city contains about 200,000 inhabitants for a little less than 200,000 km² and 500,000 reside in the suburbs. There is no Persian diversity in Des Moines, to speak in numbers 90% of people are white. The city is not known as a "dynamic" city, it is rather total boredom there! If we had to summarize what there is in Des Moines we would put: offices (especially insurance companies), factories, churches, a few shops and buildings ... ah I forgot the city hosts also the World Pork Expo. We understand why some say it's "the asshole of the United States"! "It's not just a big urban center, it's not a village either, it's just ... the area. There is absolutely nothing to do. The main activity for young people is 'is to find something to do. In Des Moines, everything is closed at 6 p.m. When you're not old enough, you can't go to a club; when you're old, you go. and you realize that it really sucks. And then it's a very conservative place, where people are not very inclined to encourage artists, whoever they are. " (James Root in Guitar Part, July 2001) "Des Moines is like a cemetery with buildings growing on it. It's a small place, with a majority of old people. It's the second highest concentration of old people in the country. Imagine what it is like. to be 15 years old in this puritanical and totalitarian environment. There is nothing else to do but to have rabies! " (Corey Taylor in Hit Parader, May 2000) However, it was during a concert in Des Moines that one of rock's greatest anecdotal moment happened. On that day of January 20, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne was playing in the city and tore off the head of the live bat! Indeed a spectator had thrown the animal, then unconscious, on the stage to provoke the singer who, thinking that it was one of his plastic bats, bit it deeply! Several rabies vaccines were injected into him. It was this event that traumatized young Joey Jordison, aged less than 7, for life. In high school he joined the Avanga group as a guitarist. But considering the terrible level of the drummer he had to place himself behind the drums. But quickly he is annoyed by the other members of the group, preferring to smoke weed and get drunk at various student parties. He then left the group and created Modifious. He recruits his neighbor Tim on vocals and Jay, Avanga's guitarist who has since become one of Joey's best friends. The trio that lacked a bass player found one in Ryan who had responded to the ad about the band. Modifious then makes Trash Metal, a style that fascinates Joey. Unfortunately some time after the formation of the group, Jay is killed one evening, in a car accident, after falling asleep at the wheel. Despite the drama, Modifious hires a new guitarist named Bruce. But the Bruce in question abandoned the group some time later and joined Atomic Opera. He is replaced by a certain Craig Jones, a friend of Ryan's. In 1992, Tim left the group, replaced by Josh Brainard on guitar and vocals. It is this formation which, in 1993, will record the first two demo cassettes of Modifious: Visceral and Mud Fuschia. By dint of playing intensively in Des Moines and its surroundings, the group began to have a good reputation. He even manages to get the first part of the group Type O Negative! Which will be their hour of glory. In 1994, the two demos are combined in a CD: Sprawl. Then the Trash Metal went out of fashion giving way to Death and Black. The group then changes style for a more radical music but that displeases Ryan who leaves the group. Following the departure of Ryan and the disaffection of the public Modifious split up in 1995. But Joey has already planned everything: he has two groups in parallel. He is the guitarist of Paul Gray, when he arrived in Des Moines in 1989, played in VeXX where he was bassist alongside guitarist-singer Josh Brainard and drummer Anders Colsefini. In 1991, VeXX changed its name (but not its line-up) and became Inveigh Catarsis until 1993. From this date the guitarist-singer Josh Brainard left the group to join Modifious. The group therefore split up, but Paul and Anders, who have become very friends, form a new group. They then formed Body Pit, a Death Metal combo composed of guitarist Mick Thompson, second guitarist DonnieSteele and Danny Spain on drums. Body Pit, starting to make itself known, even managed to compete with Modifious and Atomic Opera in the Des Moines Metal scene. Beside that, Paul finds his drummer friend Joey Jordison in the group Anal Of Blast that But let's take a step back. We are in 1992 and Paul is part of the Painface group. He plays alongside his friend Anders Colsefini on vocals, Patrick M. Neuwirth on guitar and drummer Shawn Crahan. The quartet plays dark and aggressive music and, rehearsing in Paul Gray's cellar, they manage to compose five pieces: "Slipknot", "Gently", "Idiot", "What's Wrong" and "Wise Up". They record his songs with the means at hand. These pieces gathered under the title of Basement Sessions, are in fact part of a rehearsal of the group. In 1993, Shawn Crahan joined another group: Heads on the Wall. This event will temporarily stop Painface's career. During its three years of existence, from 1993 to 1995, Heads on the Wall will perform four times in the first part of Modifious. The guitarist is a certain Kun Nong with whom he decides to set up another project called Meld. The group therefore brings together Shawn Crahan on drums, Kun Nong on guitar, Paul Gray on bass, Anders Colsefini as singer and Donnie Steele on guitar. Even though the band members start to compose a few songs, Shawn can't seem to get the band off the ground. But in 1995, while he was tinkering with Paul Gray in his garage, Shawn told him that he wanted to create THE band. Anders Colsefini as singer and Donnie Steele on guitar. Even though the band members start to compose a few songs, Shawn can't seem to get the band off the ground. But in 1995, while he was tinkering with Paul Gray in his garage, Shawn told him that he wanted to create THE band. Anders Colsefini as singer and Donnie Steele on guitar. Even though the band members start to compose a few songs, Shawn can't seem to get the band off the ground. But in 1995, while he was tinkering with Paul Gray in his garage, Shawn told him that he wanted to create THE band. Shawn and Paul recruit Anders on vocals, Donnie on guitar, and Kun on guitar to create The Pale Ones. The combo will repeat and compose, in the basement of Anders 'parents' house, as if their life depended on it. To perfect their technique, they go so far as to film their rehearsals on video! One day Shawn's mom looked at one of the tapes and said, "Anders, you look like a wolf ready to attack. Shawn you look like a gorilla. And the band in general makes me feel like I'm attending the party. what would overexcited cavemen give before going to slaughter a mammoth! " From that moment on, Shawn will be called Kong by his comrades as a nickname and in tribute to King Kong. But about two months after the formation of the group Kun Nong decides to leave the group and turns to more punk projects. Anders would later say: "Kun Nong is a phenomenal and exceptional guitarist, but certainly not a Metal guitarist." Meanwhile Paul tries to convince his friend Joey to join the group on one of his nightly visits to his workplace. Joey works at Sinclair's gas station. Paul suggests that she go see a rehearsal. He will miss two because of his job, but he will eventually come to Anders 'parents' basement to see the band play. It is low to the ceiling, narrow and covered with bits of carpet to absorb sound and avoid neighborhood problems. But unfortunately, the carpet from a pet store is impregnated with the smell of puppy urine that does not control their bladder! Despite the drawbacks, the little drummer was impressed by the three pieces performed: “Slipknot”, “Gently and“ Fur. ”Joey then said to himself that he absolutely must join this training. This is what he will do officially on September 15, 1995. The group, now composed of a drummer AND a percussionist, takes more power. Shawn then leaves his place of drummer to Joey and tinkers with a percussion kit thanks to his talents as a welder. During Joey's long working nights at Sincair's, Paul and Shawn visit him. They then talk about the future of the group. Shawn then declares that there should be a second percussionist to increase the aggressiveness of the combo. Anders then agrees to sing and do percussion. In the visual, like Joey, Shawn is a big fan of Kiss, it is also the first concert he saw during the Creatures Of The Night tour. Moreover one fine day, Shawn arrives at a masked rehearsal of a clown mask. A few day later, Joey did the same and arrived with a Kabuki mask, which is in traditional Japanese theater, on his face. He also has the good idea to add red and black paints to it for a more frightening aspect. Which is also in agreement with his two-tone hair of the same color. But the idea of ​​the masks at first was just a joke. Joey will say later: "We had trouble playing a song, we were so laughing!". To replace Kun Nong the group decides to recruit guitarist Josh Brainard to add a melodic touch to the sextet. The group now containing six musicians, composes in a very short time six new songs: "Killers Are Quiet", "Do Nothing / Bitchslap", "Confessions", "Some Feel", "Part of Me" and "Tattered And Torn" . After briefly changing their group name to Pyg System the sextet then adopts the name Slipknot ("flowing neud"). Joey is in charge of the group's logo. He first creates a beautiful tribal "S" then draws the logo of the typographical group SlipKnoT. The idea of ​​putting a capital "K" came from the fact that Joey, in these days, was a mega-fan of KoЯn. A few months later, Anders got the tribal "S" tattooed by a certain Greg "Cuddles" Welts who soon became the band's official tattoo artist. It must also be said that Greg, since 1995, is the drummer of Have Nots, a group of Hardcore Punk directed by David "DaVo" Wilkins, owner of the tattoo and piercing shop Axiom where Greg works, and in which Paul and Joey officiate. as ... guitarists! Des Moines being quite small, people quickly learn of the existence of the group without it being done in concert yet. In November 1995, the group decided to give a small concert in a local club named Crowbar (which would later be renamed The Love Shack) but under the name Meld, to keep the mystery on SlipKnoT (an idea of ​​Josh). This intimate concert was done under a greenish lighting, without a mask, but with make-up inspired by the group Kiss and fancy accessories, such as pipes crossing the various piercings of Paul's face and Anders' wolf skin. The group being convinced that their compositions were of quality, he decides to contact a professional recording studio to put the compositions on CD. They contacted THE Des Moines studio called SR Studio. It is directed by a certain Mike Lawyer who has produced artists such as Todd Rundgren, Tinny Tim or Michael Bolton. At the end of 1995, Anders and Paul meet the sound engineer of the studio: Sean McMahon. They manage to convince Sean to come see them rehearse. He then made the trip to the cellar of Anders' parents to see the sextet repeated. At the end of rehearsal, Sean remains speechless as he is so impressed by their music, he does not understand their approach or their lyrics. He then agrees to produce their first recording. Work then begins at SR Studio, where the band goes there as soon as possible to rehearse, play and record as much as possible for the album whose title they have already chosen: Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. To feel at home and make themselves comfortable, they decide to redecorate the studio in their own way: porn posters, particular lights, toys and objects testifying to the strange atmosphere that reigns there. The bizarre atmosphere moves to the parking lot where corpses drawn in chalk appear ... The tracks are recorded live with the three drummers at the same time. Shawn puts so much heart into the work that the (poor) wall next to his percussion is filled with holes made by his sticks and fists. For one track, Joey plays the drums completely naked! Throughout this recording period, Joey continues to work at Sinclair's gas station. He left rehearsals around 10 pm, picked up a CD player and a portable TV, and began his night shift. An hour or two later, Shawn usually joins him to talk about the future of the group until five in the morning. These "small working meetings" used to scare potential customers who went to seek their essence, But the finalization of the album, arrived at the mixing stage, may be longer than expected. Indeed, in February 1996, Donnie, the guitarist of the group, decided to leave the group because "the musical and spiritual orientation" did not suit him because he would in fact have had a mystical revelation and would therefore have seen God! The other members of the group, being tolerant, accepted his departure amicably. Joey then proposes to replace Donnie by Craig Jones, the last guitarist to date of Modifious. Craig then arrives in the middle of mixing the album. The atmosphere within the group is tense: the mix is ​​most chaotic! Each of the six band members give a different opinion of how one song should sound than another. Having a habit of remedying it with violence to sort out the various problems, Joey, Paul, Anders, Shawn and Josh often come to blows. In addition, in the end, the group is very disappointed with the mastering of the album and insists that Sean remake it himself. During the mixing, SlipKnoT discovers that in addition to being an excellent guitarist, Craig is a computer buff and handles samples wonderfully. However, before releasing a record, the sextet must prove itself on stage. It was finally on April 4, 1996 that SlipKnoT gave its first real concert in a Rock club in Des Moines called Safari. The rumor of the group having swelled, it is about 200 people who come to attend the concert, which is about the maximum of people that the club can contain. Taken by Joey in his own car, SlipKnoT is already dressed exceptionally. Shawn wears his Clown mask and Joey wears his kabuki mask; Paul has his piercings attached to each other again, Anders is covered in tribal paint, Josh is masked with an executioner's hood, and Craig wears a stocking on his face. While the group is piling up on the small stage, Joey starts repeating the same phrase, louder and louder and more and more mean: "I need a little Christmas in my drink!". Then the group starts with its eponymous hymn: "Slipknot". The group will then make its small effect although sharing the poster with another group endowed with a more important notoriety named Stone Sour and carried by their singer: a certain Corey Taylor. The Corey in question, being there during the band's performance, soon became a big fan of the band. The following month, SlipKnoT will be featured seven times as Safari's headliner. During their second concert at Safari; Paul chose to cover his face with a pig mask "because it was cheap", which earned him the nickname Porky. The machine being launched, at each concert the members disguised themselves in the most extravagant ways by associating the great guignolesque with the unhealthy. Indeed, at one performance, Shawn showed up wearing a Barney costume, a fat half-man, half-dinosaur figure appearing in an educational series for small children as the main hero. He would add later: "It was the hardest thing I have done in my whole life, but I managed to make Barney have it to be on crack!" The others will appear in turn dressed in the costume of a nun, a shepherdess, Santa Claus, in a worker's jumpsuit stained with paint or in a ball gown! The concerts are introduced by a sample, directed by Craig, of a mad laugh and a naive melody of an ice cream truck while Shawn uses a power saw to spark sparks above the impressed audience. Moreover, the idea of ​​samples to accentuate the creepy and unhealthy character went around the heads of all members. Thus, Craig gave up his position as second guitarist to concentrate on electronics. Paul then had the idea to call his friend Mick Thompson with whom he had already played in the group Body Pit with Anders. But after Mick's arrival on guitar, the group being now seven, Anders 'parents' cellar became too small and Craig was forced to put his equipment in the laundry room! But it would have taken a lot more to discourage SlipKnoT ... the idea of ​​samples to accentuate the creepy and unhealthy character circled all of the members. Thus, Craig gave up his position as second guitarist to concentrate on electronics. Paul then had the idea to call his friend Mick Thompson with whom he had already played in the group Body Pit with Anders. But after Mick's arrival on guitar, the group being now seven, Anders 'parents' cellar became too small and Craig was forced to put his equipment in the laundry room! But it would have taken a lot more to discourage SlipKnoT ... the idea of ​​samples to accentuate the creepy and unhealthy character circled all of the members. Thus, Craig gave up his position as second guitarist to concentrate on electronics. Paul then had the idea to call his friend Mick Thompson with whom he had already played in the group Body Pit with Anders. But after Mick's arrival on guitar, the group being now seven, Anders 'parents' cellar became too small and Craig was forced to put his equipment in the laundry room! But it would have taken a lot more to discourage SlipKnoT ... call his buddy Mick Thompson with whom he had already played in the group Body Pit with Anders. But after Mick's arrival on guitar, the group being now seven, Anders 'parents' cellar became too small and Craig was forced to put his equipment in the laundry room! But it would have taken a lot more to discourage SlipKnoT ... call his buddy Mick Thompson with whom he had already played in the group Body Pit with Anders. But after Mick's arrival on guitar, the group being now seven, Anders 'parents' cellar became too small and Craig was forced to put his equipment in the laundry room! But it would have taken a lot more to discourage SlipKnoT ... It was finally on October 31, 1996 that the group gave birth to its first record: Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. The album, printed in 1000 copies, will have cost a total of 15,000 dollars, between recording, mixing, mastering and pressing. A large part of the sum was paid by Shawn, which indebted him heavily. To celebrate the release of the CD, SlipKnoT organized a big party bringing together no less than 400 people obviously all masked! This Halloween party will mark, according to the group, a turning point in the history of Safari. It is indeed from this event that the Metal public began to frequent the club regularly. The picture of the album cover, with its glaucous atmosphere, in fact shows Joey masked and crouched in a metal cage bristling with spikes and including the mechanism of a large circular saw. This instrument of torture was obviously built by Mr. Crahan, like a work of art which he delicately titled Patiently Awaiting Jigsaw Flesh ("Flesh patiently waiting for the jigsaw"). The title of the album refers to the most basic cycle of life: to mate ("Mate"), to feed ("Feed"), to kill ("Kill") and to start again ("Repeat") this infinite cycle. . These nine tracks already carry the basics of today's SlipKnoT. In the notes of the libretto, the group dedicates the album to a certain Joey. He is not' This is of course not drummer Joey Jordison but Joey Plumley, Franck Plumley's brother being a close friend of the band. This Joey accidentally died while handling a gun while the band was recording the album. On the internal photo of the CD, we also see two people close to the group: Greg Welts and DaVo. Finally the booklet includes the name of Corn Wallace. It's actually the name Joey and Anders coined after the drummer drew a childish monster with huge claws and wacky hair. They then began to use this name to sign, one these drawings and the other these texts. while the band was recording the album. On the internal photo of the CD, we also see two people close to the band: Greg Welts and DaVo. Finally the booklet includes the name of Corn Wallace. This is actually the name Joey and Anders coined after the drummer drew a childish monster with huge claws and wacky hair. They then began to use this name to sign, one these drawings and the other these texts. while the band was recording the album. On the internal photo of the CD, we also see two people close to the group: Greg Welts and DaVo. Finally the booklet includes the name of Corn Wallace. It's actually the name Joey and Anders coined after the drummer drew a childish monster with huge claws and wacky hair. They then began to use this name to sign, one these drawings and the other these texts. Most copies of Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. are sent to fanzines and radio stations that can promote them. But it was on a local radio station in Iowa, KKDM 107.5, that a certain Sophia Jones received the CD and, although not an outstanding Metal specialist, particularly enjoyed the album. She then begins to make a rave review of the album, which then allows SlipKnoT to participate in the Battle of Bands, a competition organized every Wednesday by KKDM at the Safari, and which opposes groups of Des Moines to make themselves better known or at best get noticed by a label. In his first competition, SlipKnoT faces Stone Sour and wins which allows Corey Taylor to think he would really like to sing in this band! During his subsequent participations, SlipKnoT then begins to become a very busy occupation for each of the members of the group, including Joey and Paul who also have to perform within the Have Nots. Especially since Joey, who does not drink, does not support very well the alcoholism of his comrades including Paul! It is besides after a particularly catastrophic performance in October 1996 that Joey threatens to tackle the group to concentrate only on SlipKnoT. It is therefore from this moment that the members of the group will agree not to drink before a concert. Meanwhile, SlipKnoT is starting to gain momentum but no label wants them! It was then that the group asked Sophia Jones to become their manager. She hesitates but accepts because she feels a lot of talent in them. She even declared after a few months: "I see SlipKnoT doing Ozzfest, selling a million albums, making the cover of Rolling Stones and starting her own label."

[chaossmagic]

Ryan’s performance throughout this entire exit storyline has been so phenomenally good, it rivals Danny’s during Aaron’s abuse storyline. 

I’m just blown away by how much talent this man has and how he’s really made Robert his own and made him distinctive and unique among soap characters, from the beginning right up until the end.

[properlittlefamily]

Ok I’ve never watched emmerdale but my monkey brain is all “go watch it now one of the two characters you’d watch it for is gone” also that’s so many episodes so do you know if there are any compilations I can watch? Or do you have a list of all the important Robron episodes, the must-sees? Much appreciated 💙 and thank you for your content

It is 11:54 pm on November 6th, three days after you sent this ask in. I just got done with the affair era (over 700 words) and I realized I absolutely suck at simplifying things, and I also don’t remember as much as I thought at did. So I’m going to publish what I have already written and then hand it over to the public to add more. Send a reply, send in an ask, send a message. Let’s bring this anon over to the dark side.

Oh, god, don’t do it, anon! Save yourself from the pain! No, but seriously, they have an incredible love story and if I could choose to go back in time before I started watching, even knowing all the bad that does happen, I would still do it.

Robron || How Far They’ve Come and robron - the story so far are a few videos I found. Both were posted in February 2017, right before a major plot point happened though, but are good compilations of their first 2 years.

To me, everything is important just because Ryan and Danny are incredible, both together and solo, but I will try and break down this phenomenal 5 year journey under the cut. (Spoilers obviously) I’m really not good at things like this, so please feel free to add more!

Shameless promotion time! @gifsrobron is my other robron blog where I gif nearly every scene/moment. I’m currently at the end of December 2015 and still going strong. Also, I tag everything liberally.

@aarondingel‘s Robron Kisses Timeline is a great page. It always brings a smile to my face and she did a great job.

@smittenwithsugden has done an AMAZING job with her Years Ago Today and Transcripts.

Now, since this is a soap that airs episodes 5-6 times a week, to me, you can break down their story into era’s. Acquaintances, affair, enemies, redemption, friends, boyfriends, fiances, husbands 1.0, break up/friends 2.0? and husbands 2.0. (Holy shit I just realized that’s a lot, jesus christ these idiots)

As a good start, August 14 2014 and October 23 2014. Aaron and Robert returning to the village are pretty good introductions to their characters if you haven’t watched the last thirty years of episodes.

Acquaintances (Novemember 2014 - December 2014)

November 19 2014. Their first meeting. Some more good looks into who their characters are at the time.

November 21 2014. One of my favorite earlier episodes. The chemistry, the tension. 👍🏽

Affair (December 2014 - July 2015)

December 4 2014. The start of the next 4 and a half years.

December 15 2014. Not to spoiler everything, but I think this is a good start to showing the progression to Robert and his internalized homophobia.

December 24 2014. Robert was already in deep. That is all I will say.

December 25 2014. I think this is also a good example of who their characters are as individuals and together.

Bonus: December 31 2014/January 1 2015. You should watch these episodes purely because they have only been “together” for all of four weeks, but already so in love!

January 9 2015. I have nothing to say, trust me, you won’t regret watching.

January 13 2015, January 19 2015, January 20 2015. Some of the first memorable moments from the earlier episodes and they never fail to make me happy.

January 29 2015, January 30 2015. More fantastic episodes where we get to see the transition between an affair and actually caring and loving for the other.

February 5 2015. The wedding from hell, but being in this fandom/actively liking these two you love the angst and this episode definitely brings it. (tw death)

February 10 2015, February 11 2015. More of that good angst. (tw outing)

February 19 2015. (tw death, suicidal intentions)

Honestly I think a lot of March 2015 is great, but March 26 2015, March 27 2015, March 30 2015 are good points in their story.

April 6 2015. Iconic. Is all I have to say.

April 8 2015.  Another episode that gets me emotional. (Also has a very iconic moment involving a rock.)

April 9 2015. This episode has the kind of angst, characters at each other’s throat action that I really enjoy. It’s great.

April 16 2015. Alot of people don’t like this month for completely valid reasons, but I still think this episode is great and would consider it a key point.

May 12 2015, May 14 2015. I’ve never actively loved seeing a character I love have a breakdown. Ryan is just sooo good.

June 25 2015. More good angst. That’s all I have to say. (tw outing)

July 7 2015, July 8 2015. They are just great episodes.

July 14 2015 - July 23 2015. I honestly don’t think any of these episods and scenes should be skipped because they are such an important part to the story.

Send me an ask, send me a message, reply to the post and I will add them all to the post.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 22 April 2019

Quick Bits:

A Walk Through Hell #9, like many issues before it, does its damnedest to break your mind. Garth Ennis, Goran Sudžuka, Ive Svorcina, and Rob Steen continue to deliver one of the best horror stories every month that just seems to get stranger and more complex with each subsequent chapter. This issue yanks the rug out from under us.

| Published by AfterShock

Action Comics #1010 raises a million and one more questions as to what’s actually going on with Leviathan and whether some things are supposed to be clues or if Brian Michael Bendis is just changing continuity. Maybe a little of both. Stellar art from Steve Epting and Brad Anderson who continue to deliver a solid mood and atmosphere for this espionage-heavy story.

| Published by DC Comics

Amazing Spider-Man #20 changes the game a bit as Black Ant reveals more of what Kraven has planned. Wonderful art from Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado, and Erick Arciniega.

| Published by Marvel

Amber Blake #2 has some incredible artwork from Butch Guice as this action-packed thriller continues. Some interesting twists that ultimately are going to be crushing when they come to light.

| Published by IDW

Ascender #1 is pretty damn great. Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen, and Steve Wands kick-off this follow-up to Descender with what feels like a complete counterpoint to its hard science fiction. This delves deep into a universe taken over by magic and vampires, with technology either gone or kept under strict control. Even the art has shifted tone, from the dark inkiness from before to a greater reliance on white spaces here, to give it a different visual aesthetic. 

| Published by Image

Avengers #18 is a single issue story, tying in to The War of the Realms, spotlighting Coulson’s new Squadron Supreme of America (it’s unclear as to whether these are new versions or existing ones being manipulated, but there’s shadowy shenanigans), from Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Justin Ponsor, and Cory Petit. Marvel’s Justice League analogue just got their Max Lord.

| Published by Marvel

Bad Luck Chuck #2 sees Chuck recount some of her cases and a bit of how her “powers” work, while forces around her conspire to bring her down. Nice character building from Lela Gwenn with some great artwork from Matthew Dow Smith and Kelly Fitzpatrick.

| Published by Dark Horse

Batgirl #34 begins “Terrible”, the three-part finale to Mairghread Scott, Paul Pelletier, Norm Rapmund, Jordie Bellaire, and AndWorld Design’s run on the title. Some nice detective work here as the Terrible Trio hatch a new plan.

| Published by DC Comics

Black Panther #11 builds off of last issue’s shock turn and the direct involvement of Bast as we get some answers about the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda and some of the machinations that are unfolding. The art from Kev Walker, Marc Deering, and Java Tartaglia continues to be a highlight.

| Published by Marvel

Coda #11 gears up for next issue’s finale as Murk unveils another stage in her plan and Hum does something incredibly stupid. This has been one of my favourite series over the past year and the build to the conclusion is wonderful. Absolutely phenomenal work from Si Spurrier, Matías Bergara, Michael Doig, and Jim Campbell.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Criminal #4 tells a haunting single issue story of a very messed up day in the life of Ricky Lawless. I love the mosaic that Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips are crafting out of these different time periods, building something larger out of an already sprawling world.

| Published by Image

Dark Red #2 takes an interesting turn as Chip is given a pitch to become the face of a new American heartland vampire nation. Interesting to see how racism also extends through to vampires. Very entertaining stuff from Tim Seeley, Corin Howell, Mark Englert, and Marshall Dillon.

| Published by AfterShock

Detective Comics #1002 continues “Medieval” with some really great art from Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, and Nathan Fairbairn. There’s a weight and gravity to the art that elevate the story nicely. Also, it’s interesting to see an antagonist who thinks that he’s a hero above Batman, especially as he goes about trying to recruit Damian. It should be interesting to see who Arkham Knight is under the mask.

| Published by DC Comics

Dial H for Hero #2 is probably even better than the first issue, and the first issue was one of the most fun debuts I’ve read in a while. Sam Humphries, Joe Quinones, Jordan Gibson, and Dave Sharpe capture a zany energy amidst the real, emotional drama that the kids are experiencing and it leads to some highly entertaining storytelling. Also, the art is phenomenal. Quinones is really stretching his artistic muscles, throwing in incredible different styles as the heroes emerge. This issue gives us pastiches of Dragonball Z and Gundam Wing and the transformation is amazing, the entire creative team perfectly capturing the style.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Doctor Strange #13 continues to force Galactus into the world of magic, delving further into some familiar faces from Strange’s past, in the second part of “Herald Supreme” from Mark Waid, Barry Kitson, Scott Koblish, Scott Hanna, Brian Reber, and Cory Petit.

| Published by Marvel

Fearscape #5 concludes what has been a highly ambitious, inventive series from Ryan O’Sullivan, Andrea Mutti, Vladimir Popov, and Andworld Design. Sadly, Henry Henry doesn’t get punched in the dick, repeatedly, but there are some tragic twists that change the landscape.

| Published by Vault

The Forgotten Queen #3 delivers more of Vexana’s history, revealing she’s responsible for Dracula in the Valiant universe, along with a few other twists. I’m really liking Amilcar Pinna and Ulises Arreola’s art here. The odd angles adding something unique to the feel of the story.

| Published by Valiant

Invisible Kingdom #2 sees G. Willow Wilson, Christian Ward, and Sal Cipriano continue to build a richly developed, intriguing world essentially founded upon a bedrock of an Amazon analogue, both in support of and opposition to. Gorgeous artwork from Ward.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Justice League Dark #10 outlines the Lords of Order’s plans for the multiverse and magic and why they’re initiating an assault on all of the magic wielders. James Tynion IV is doing some rather impressive world-building and story seeding all throughout his work, but it really comes to a head in this series. Also, the art from Alvaro Martínez Bueno, Raul Fernandez, and Brad Anderson continues to be impeccable.

| Published by DC Comics

KINO #15 begins a new arc, tackling some messy current events throughout Europe in a rather interesting fashion. Alex Paknadel, Diego Galindo, Valentina Pinto, and Jim Campbell did some amazing things reinterpreting KINO in the last arc, delivering an intriguing thriller, and that doesn’t seem to be letting up any with this new arc. The politics and the manipulation are at an all time high and this is something you really don’t want to miss.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

The Lollipop Kids #5 is the final battle between the kids and Morgan Le Fay and her army of monsters for all the lollipops. This has been an imaginative series from Adam Glass, Aidan Glass, Diego Yapur, DC Alonso, and Sal Cipriano with consistently some of the most beautiful art in comics. There’s a hint of what’s to come and I hope we see more of this story in the future.

| Published by AfterShock

Punk Mambo #1 is another great debut of a limited series for Valiant spotlighting one of their less used, but highly interesting characters from Cullen Bunn, Adam Gorham, José Villarrubia, and Dave Sharpe. The set up for supernatural intrigue delving into Voodoo belief is very entertaining, with some impressive artwork from Gorham and Villarrubia.

| Published by Valiant

Queen of Bad Dreams #1 is another highly imaginative, impressive debut for Vault. This time spotlighting a world where dreams can jump from the mind of the dreamer into the real world. Danny Lore, Jordi Pérez, Dearbhla Kelly, and Kim McLean offer up some interesting, fleshed-out characters in Daher and Viv, that elevate this from just a unique take on a police procedural to greater interpersonal drama. Also, a mystery that’s going to hook you immediately.

| Published by Vault

Spawn #296 features some absolutely stunning artwork from Jason Shawn Alexander, FCO Plascencia, and Greg Menzie for this first part of “History of Spawn” as the march to the 300th issue gets closer and the stakes get raised as the powers that loom through Spawn’s life gather to try to put an end to him. 

| Published by Image

Star Trek: Year Five #1 to me feels like it has perfectly captured the spirit of the original series, delving deep into Star Trek lore and pulling forth a captivating story that showcases a lot of what made the television show great. Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Stephen Thompson, Charlie Kirchoff, and Neil Uyetake are off to a great start.

| Published by IDW

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge #1, like Tie Fighter from last week, is a tie-in to some of the new stuff in the broader Star Wars universe with some new characters and locations. In this case it ties in to the new attraction opening at the Disney theme parks. This first issue introduces us to the seedy underbelly of the world shortly before The Force Awakens, from Ethan Sacks, Will Sliney, Dono Sánchez-Almara, Protobunker, and Travis Lanham, weaving in an entertaining flashback with the familiar faces of Han Solo and Chewbacca. 

| Published by Marvel

Stone Star #2 is as impressive as the debut issue, developing a couple more complex characters and spinning forth a political situation that makes the arena world of the Stone Star itself a bit more suspect. Jim Zub, Max Dunbar, Espen Grundetjern, and Marshall Dillon are telling a tale here that really shouldn’t be missed.

| Published by Swords & Sassery

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #93 is part one of “City at War” from Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz, Dave Wachter, Ronda Pattison, and Shawn Lee. It’s mostly a gathering storm as the forces prepare for the oncoming onslaught, with an absolutely harrowing spark to kick off the conflict.

| Published by IDW

Thanos #1 begins a new mini from Tini Howard, Ariel Olivetti, Antonio Fabela, and Joe Caramagna that offers up a look at the formative years of Thanos raising Gamora, along with other bits of early history. This first issue paints a rather intriguing picture of Thanos as a deranged serial killer, building his own Winchester House out of his space station, which certainly is a different take.

| Published by Marvel

Wizard Beach #5 brings an end to this fun series from Shaun Simon, Conor Nolan, George Schall, Chad Lewis, Meg Casey, and Mike Fiorentino. It’s wonderful to see Hex learn and grow these past couple of issues and we get an interesting resolution to the nefarious schemes that were popping up on the beach.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Other Highlights: Black Widow #4, Books of Magic #7, Delver #3, Dick Tracy Forever #1, Elvira: The Shape of Elvira #2, Fantastic Four #9, Fight Club 3 #4, Firefly #5, The Flash #69, Freedom Fighters #5, Ghost Tree #1, Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary Special: Extreme, GI Joe: Sierra Muerte #3, Goddess Mode #5, Hardcore #5, Invader Zim #42, Ironheart #5, Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #1, Little Girls, Mae #12, Marvel Comics Presents #4, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #38, Princeless Book 8: Princesses #1, Punks Not Dead: London Calling #3, The Realm #13, Redneck #19, The Replacer, Rick & Morty #49, Runaways #20, Sex - Volume 6: World Hunger, Sharkey: Bounty Hunter #3, The Silencer #16, Star Trek Waypoint Special 2019, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #31, Star Wars: Vader - Dark Visions #3, Superb #19, Superior Spider-Man #5, Turok #3, Venom #13, The Warning #6, The Wicked + The Divine #43, Wonder Woman #69

Recommended Collections: Aliens: Dead Orbit, Backstagers - Volume 3, Black Order: Warmasters of Thanos, Despicable Deadpool, Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive, Exorsisters - Volume 1, Fissure - Volume 1, Full Bleed - Volume 3, Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter, KINO - Volume 3: The Man in the Iron Mask, Livewire - Volume 1: Fugitive, Marvel Action: Avengers - Book 1, Marvel Knights, Scarlet - Volume 1, Shuri - Volume 1: The Search for Black Panther, Supergirl - Volume 1: The Killers of Krypton, Unstoppable Wasp: Fix Everything, Venom - Volume 2, The Warning - Volume 1

d. emerson eddy likes lemon cranberry muffins.

[nflfanpointii]

40 is the new 35 when it comes to NFL quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Drew Brees

Back in the day, it was less common for quarterbacks to excel past their mid 30’s. Sure, there was Warren Moon, Vinny Testaverde, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, and John Elway. But that short list is dwarfed by a painfully longer one filled with Hall of Fame quarterbacks who seemed to crap out well short the 40 year marker.

Even these all time greats experienced precipitous drop offs in their mid to late 30’s. For Roger Staubach, Steve Young and Fran Tarkenton, it came at 37. For Bart Starr, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and Dan Fouts, 36. For Johnny Unitas, George Blanda, Bob Griese, Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, 35. For Otto Graham, Joe Namath, and Troy Aikman, 34.

This makes it all the more amazing that so many older quarterbacks are still playing at an elite level in today’s NFL. There might very well be five to seven future Hall of Famers starting in the league right now. Tom Brady and Drew Brees are officially in their 40’s. Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger are both 36. Aaron Rodgers is 34 and Matt Ryan is 33; and both signed extensions in the past couple years at times in their careers when former quarterbacks usually retired.

It’s true, quarterbacks are more protected by the rules of the NFL than ever before, and this certainly has played a part in their new found longevity. In 1978, the league restricted contact between defensive backs and receivers to within five yards of the line of scrimmage. This resulted in a dramatic increase in passing attempts per game, which in turn suddenly made the quarterback position more valuable.

Since 1993, quarterbacks could simply escape the pocket and throw a pass out of bounds without incurring an intentional grounding penalty. This made it harder for pass rushers to get to them before they got rid of the ball, therefore avoiding a sack or quarterback hit.

Roughing the passer penalties have become more and more common as the definition has broadened to include late hits, forcible hits below the knee, hitting the helmet, and landing on the quarterback with one’s own body weight.

Last year, former Packers linebacker Clay Matthews was flagged twice for roughing the passer while making what seemed to be perfectly executed sacks. Ironically, it was probably a hit on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers the previous season that may have led to the rule change that cost the Packers two victories a season later.

One would think that with these modern day quarterbacks dropping back more times throughout a game than ever before, their careers would be shorter, not longer. That’s why I think there’s more to it than the implementation of more rules that inherently protect the quarterback.

Because they played before GMO’s and modern day fast food chains, many old school players of the past had access to better food. But that doesn’t mean they took full advantage of their timely access to healthier lives. Joe Namath smoked cigarettes on the sidelines for god’s sake.

I doubt they were paying attention to the pH of their foods like Tom Brady or paying upwards of $200K a year like James Harrison did on therapy treatments like massage and acupuncture. The modern day athlete has to be almost obsessive in their quest for success. Talent alone won’t cut it anymore if you want to stick around in today’s NFL.

Extremely strict diets, fitness, and recovery programs have taken the place of binge eating like Babe Ruth, snorting cocaine like Diego Maradona, and binge drinking like Lawrence Taylor. The two oldest current quarterbacks in the NFL also happen to keep two of the strictest diet and fitness regimens across all sports.

Drew Brees has been working with Todd Durkin in San Diego, CA since his days with the Chargers. Brees loves working with Durkin every offseason. “Whenever I come back for the summertime to get in the best shape of my life for training camp, he’s always got something new or a few new things that make me feel like we’re way ahead of everybody else.”

What’s interesting to me, however, is that even though Brees isn’t Durkin’s biggest, fastest, or most agile athlete, he may have benefited the most simply because he’s willing to work harder than everyone else. And that’s saying a lot considering Durkin’s vast client list also includes Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Darren Sproles, LaDainian Tomlinson, Mark Sanchez, Alex Smith, Brandon Cooks, Reggie Bush, Charles Tillman, Zach Ertz, John Brown, Dontrelle Inman, Malcom Floyd, Ryan Griffin, Chase Daniel, Sean Canfield, Josh Freeman, and my fellow Saints Ignatius College Prep alumnus, Igor Olshansky.

”Drew Brees, first and foremost, is a special person. I will probably not have the opportunity to work with a guy like that in the next 20 years. His concentration and focus are amazing, and he works extremely hard. He’s not the biggest guy or the fastest guy, but he’s going to beat you with his athleticism, his smarts and because he’s such a competitor. I don’t care what it is, the dude wants to win at anything. He’s always restless and never satisfied,” said Durkin.

Brees is absolutely methodical in his training and game preparation. “I know where I’m going to be at a specific time,” he says. “I know what I’m going to be doing; I know what needs to be accomplished for me to feel confident and go out there and play at the highest level.”

His focus has shifted from the archaic meathead approach to training he learned in college at Purdue to a more functional and efficient approach. “I think maybe those [exercises] served the purpose at the time.” Drew says. “But now I’ve wised up to the things that I need to do in a position-specific and functional fitness kind of way to benefit me as a quarterback.”

If you have 30 minutes to kill, watch this video of Brees’ workouts with Durkin.

I’ve been a fitness trainer and instructor for 12 years and I’m telling you, Durkin is the real deal. I love his approach to fitness. I stopped lifting heavy weights years ago and have focused more on agility ladder work, TRX training, yoga, and generally maximizing my strength and endurance gains while also minimizing sheering forces on my joints, tendons, and ligaments.

Tom Brady takes his fitness protocol in an even more holistic, and dare I say, Eastern direction. He and his trainer/business partner Alex Guerrero founded the TB12 training facility next to Gillette Stadium in 2013. Guerrero, though highly controversial, isn’t a total quack in my opinion.

Of course claiming his supplements could curemultiple sclerosis, AIDS, concussions, and other diseases with no shred of testing or evidence based proof was incredibly disingenuous and downright dangerous. Settling with multiple investors out of court for defrauding them is no better either.

But I have to hand it to him: he has kept Tom Brady in phenomenal shape to survive and thrive in the NFL past the age of 40. Guerrero earned a Masters Degree in traditional Chinese medicine from a school in LA that closed after losing its’ accreditation. He is not a physical therapist and does not hold any Western degrees that would qualify him to do a lot of the work he does with his clients.

Yet, Guerrero is highly respected and retained by many professional athletes including Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, Willie McGinest, Jimmy Garoppolo, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Chris Hogan. Instead of focusing on lifting huge weights and tearing muscle fibers, Guerrero prescribes more body weight moves and exercises with resistance bands that are designed to increase the muscles’ “pliability.”

Brady often sees Guerrero twice daily and receives intensely specific massages in which he tenses the muscles while Guerrero massages them. The goal is to lengthen the muscles and increase their flexibility so that Brady can withstand the weekly car crash that is an NFL football game.

The other main focus is to reduce inflammation in the body by maintaining a strict diet. Brady does not eat white flour, white sugar, MSG, iodized salt, coffee, caffeine, alcohol, fungus, dairy, nightshade vegetables and most types of fruit. This diet may sound strange, but it’s most likely derived from the Ayurvedic tradition which is over 5,000 years old and trusted throughout Asia as much as we trust Western medicine.

The part where Brady and Guerrero lose me is by making sweeping statements like everyone should drink 25 glasses of water a day, or eat this exact diet, or that everyone needs to consume TB12 branded electrolytes or wear TB12 branded muscle recovery pajamas.

I’m not 6’4” and 230lbs; I’m 5’6” and 130lbs, so I don’t need more than 65 ounces of water a day, unless Tom wants me to get hyponatremia and die of brain damage. Don’t just replicate a professional athlete’s diet and fitness regimen. These have been specially tailored to them. If you work for Google and sit at a desk for eight hours a day, you probably shouldn’t eat and drink exactly what Tom Brady does.

It’s okay to be skeptical too. Brees isn’t much more trust-worthy with his shameful peddling of Advocare products. It’s important to rely on evidence-based research conducted by independent bodies without a financial stake in the products they test. Even more important, think for yourself and do your own research before listening to athletes that have a financial stake in the health philosophies they are sharing with the public.

If you aren’t hip to eating according to your Ayurvedic dosha (My dosha is roughly 70% Pitta, 20% Vata, 10% Kapha) like Brady seems to, you can go the Western route and still learn something about how to function at a higher level, no matter what your lifestyle is. Drew and Brittney Brees got food sensitivity blood tests done back in 2004. That’s when Brees found he had significant sensitivities to gluten, dairy, and certain nuts.

“As you can imagine, I was shocked because I was consuming most of these things every day. And just to think how long I’ve had these sensitivities and had continued to feed them. Guys coming in fresh out of college are used to going to the training table and eating and drinking whatever they’re given.”

“In many cases, I see myself as a veteran player – pulling those young guys aside and, as part of teaching young players how to be a pro, talking to them about their diet, their sleep habits and their recovery. They’ll start to ask questions like, ‘Hey Drew, what do you do?’ That’s when I explain to them that I use coconut milk and almond milk products.”

It’s not just Brees’ direct teammates like Reggie Bush, Sean Canfield, Chase Daniel, Brandin Cooks, and Ryan Griffin who have followed his lead when it comes to diet and fitness. “It took the fourth or fifth time hearing, ‘You need to do this,’ and then reading about Drew Brees and Tom Brady and others who are your peers doing it,” Kirk Cousins said. “I realized, ‘If I want to hang with these guys, then it’s time to stop playing around.’”

18 of the 32 quarterbacks starting in the NFL are over 30 years old, and by September that list will grow to 21 with the 30th birthdays of Cam Newton, Tyrod Taylor, and Andrew Luck. Even though five quarterbacks were drafted in the first round last year, there’s a good chance less than a third of the starting quarterbacks in the league will be younger than 30 years old.

40 might be the new 35, and it’s not just because of some changes in the rules. Players are spending highly on optimizing their health and performance through a multitude of practices both new and incredibly old. Cousins is right, it’s time to stop playing around.

[homeplanetreviews]

Best Films of 2017 by: Will Whalen

Hello everyone! I know, we’re already a month into 2018 but some films that were 2017 releases didn’t come out near me till 2018 and I just had to wait and see them. However, it didn’t change much because (for the most part) my top films list is nearly the same as it was when I made it in December. So, here it is! This was a terrific year for film but these are my absolute favorites of 2017. 

First, I have a few honorable mentions: Molly’s Game, Alien: Covenant, John Wick 2, Get Out, My Life as a Zucchini, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, Call Me By Your Name, and All the Money in the World.

So, here we go!

15. The Disaster Artist

I was really surprised by The Disaster Artist because I was really excited for it because of The Room and I was expecting it to be a comedy about how The Room was made. And if you’ve ever seen The Room, anyone would be excited for that reason. However, what I got was a surprisingly super touching film about friendship and achieving your dreams no matter what the cost is or no matter how many times someone says you can’t.

14. Dunkirk

Dunkirk was a war film from the incredible mastermind Christopher Nolan that wasn’t a typical war film. It wasn’t some character drama on top of being a war film but instead a more accurate look at war. It was about survival and this horrible situation that these brave men were stuck in and basically all had to fend for themselves. I only got to see it once and I was lucky enough to see it in 70mm film but I can’t wait to revisit it.

13. Good Time

Good Time was actually a great time (bad pun intended) and was one of the most stressful, thrilling and non stop downward spirals of a film I have seen in recent memory. Robert Pattinson also gave his best performance and really should’ve been nominated. It was also directed excellently by the Safdie Brothers who took risks. They did things in this that most filmmakers would never dare to do. If you’re easily stressed, maybe stay away from this movie. But, its a good time...

12. It

You’ll float too… when you see It. It was one of the best horror films I’ve seen in quite a long time and definitely one of the funniest movies of last year. We finally got a It film and it was so wonderful. Andy Muschietti did a great job helming this work and the phenomenal cast from all the talented young actors involved make this movie one of a kind and one of the best Stephen King adaptations.

11. A Ghost Story

A Ghost Story was such a special movie. This film explores death, grief, and the afterlife in one of the most beautiful films of last year. Casey Affleck also gave one of the best performances of his career and he was under a sheet the whole time. His performance spoke volumes and I would’ve liked to have seen him get some recognition. This film floored me and if you haven’t seen it, do check it out. It’s not a horror movie but it will haunt you.

10. Thor: Ragnarok

This was one one of Marvel’s best to date. Takai Waititi takes the Thor story into a new direction and made one of the funniest and one of the most all out entertaining films of the entire year. Just on a pure fun and comedic level, this was one of the best and definitely one of the most fun films of last year. Also, Waititi gave us Korg and I don’t think we can thank him enough for that.

9. T2: Trainspotting

Aye ya doss cunt! This is a sequel to one of my top favorite films of all time, Trainspotting. Trainspotting came out in 1996 and now here we are, 20 years later with a sequel. This could’ve easily not been good but with Danny Boyle once again behind the camera, our favorite skagboys back and with a wonderful script, this was a fantastic sequel and a beautiful one too. Plus, it’s Trainspotting! Plus, there’s a great soundtrack once again. 

8. Baby Driver

B-A-B-Y Baby! Baby Driver was an all out blast. It’s a fast paced, thrilling, exciting and wonderful film that has one of the best soundtracks to any film that has come out in a long time. All this is due to the amazing Edgar Wright who has made yet another great film with Baby Driver. 

7. Logan

Logan is the wolverine film we’ve all dreamed about. An R rated Wolverine film is exactly what the world of superhero films needed. In Hugh Jackman’s supposed final performance as the Wolverine, we got one of the all time best superhero films. It was directed gorgeously and had a story that I was in love with. It didn’t even feel like a superhero movie but more like a western. Patrick Stewart also gave a phenomenal performance and I wish our two main actors would’ve gotten some more praise. If this really is Jackman’s final portrayal as Logan/Wolverine, then what a hell of a way to send out on.

6. Split

M. Night Shyamalan makes a grand return to the screen with Split. It felt so incredibly good to be seeing a great M. Night Shyamalan film in theaters. James McAvoy gives one of the best performances of last year and this was absolutely snubbed at the Oscars. I won’t spoil this film but if you have never seen Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, watch it and then watch this. Trust me. I loved this film so much and absolutely cannot wait for Glass. Also, the dance scene... just watch this movie.

5. War for the Planet of the Apes

This is the third and (I think) final film in the new Apes series and was, believe it or not, a mesmerizing masterpiece. What they did with this film is absolutely mind boggling. It’s not some big over the top action movie. There are action scenes, sure. But no, instead it was a psychological warfare, revenge and prisoner of war film that was absolutely beautiful. Andy Serkis gave a chilling and insanely great performance as Caesar. What he did with this character in this film, was just wonderful. If you’ve never seen these films, they’re all great and I highly suggest watching them.

4. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

This film was one of the most fun times I’ve had the theater in quite some time. Rian Johnson took over for Episode 8 and took the Star Wars saga into a new direction and did something new, unique and just awesome. Of course, “fans” got pissed but anyone that loves film and any legit Star Wars fan, will love this one and appreciate what Johnson did with this. The Last Jedi also includes some of the best scenes in any of the Star Wars films. Sure, it does have flaws but this was a phenomenal spectacle and there’s one scene that I’ve been thinking about at least once a day since I saw this on opening night.

3. Lady Bird

This magnificent coming of age film is written by Greta Gerwig and is her directorial debut. This is a really special type of movie. It doesn’t even feel like it’s a movie but instead, just you watching people live their lives. And movies that feel so natural like that, are special. It’s also special because it’s so relatable. Whether you’re a boy or a girl or whatever, anyone can watch this and in some way, relate to it. It’s got excellent performances and it’s clear that Greta Gerwig has some real talent. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future. Lady Bird is going to be a teen classic for years to come.

2. The Shape of Water

When I saw this, I thought it may have taken place as my number one favorite of the year. Guillermo del Toro wrote and directed this and this is without a doubt, his best film yet and a beautiful masterpiece. Sally Hawkins is electric in this film alongside Oscar worthy performances from all of her costars. The Shape of Water absolutely floored me and left me in a puddle of tears. What blows me away, is how a movie like this gets 13 Oscar nominations. However, it’s well deserved.

1. Blade Runner 2049

Here it is folks. My personal favorite of the year. The movie that I thought was better than all the rest and that’s the cinematic marvel that is Blade Runner 2049. This was one of the best films I have ever seen. That’s not even a joke. On every level, it was so far beyond anything else I had ever seen. Denis Villeneuve directs this flawlessly but the cinematography from Roger Deakins, is probably the actual best from any other film I’ve ever seen. Each frame of this is dripping with dystopian neon noir and I couldn’t get enough of it. The score from Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch was so special and so hypnotizing. This is my favorite score to any film from last year as well. Ryan Gosling is in my number one film of the year yet again and this man is incredible. He gives such a subdued performance but one that spoke high volumes. It was also great to see Harrison Ford return as Deckard who also gave an amazing performance. Blade Runner 2049 should’ve been nominated for Best Picture and Best Director but I’m just happy it got some recognition. Either way, this film is a flawless masterpiece and was my number one of 2017.

That’s it folks! My top 15 of the year. I apologize about the delay, but hey, at least I finally did it! Stick around for many other review for the year!

[seedfinance]

90 NFM Lending Loan Originators named Top 1% by Mortgage Executive Magazine for 2020

The dedication and talent of this group of individuals is inspiring … they have exceeded all expectations with the highest standards not just at NFM but across the mortgage industry.

Mortgage Executive Magazine Top 1% 2020 Press Release

The dedication and talent of this group of individuals is inspiring … they have exceeded all expectations with the highest standards not just at NFM but across the mortgage industry.

The dedication and talent of this group of individuals is inspiring … they have exceeded all expectations with the highest standards not just at NFM but across the mortgage industry.

Linthicum Height, NFM Lending, August 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – LINTHICUM, MD, August 20, 2021 – NFM Lending and its family of lenders are proud to announce that 90 of its lenders have been named “Top 1% Mortgage Lenders in America 2020” by Mortgage Executive Magazine.

Every year Mortgage Executive Magazine compiles a list of the best mortgage lenders in the country. This list recognizes and recognizes leading mortgage professionals for their service, hard work, and general commitment to serving their clients. The award requires a minimum of $ 30 million in personal production in 2020.

“2020 was a monumental year for NFM Lending and the mortgage industry as a whole. I would like to acknowledge the amazing achievement of the 90 NFM family lenders who made it into the top 1% in 2020, ”said David Silverman, Founder / CEO of NFM Lending. “The dedication and talent of this group of individuals is inspiring. I am honored and humbled by her continued growth and success. They exceeded all expectations with the highest standards not just at NFM but across the mortgage industry. “

In addition to this notable award, three NFM lenders were named to the magazine’s list of America’s 200 Best Mortgage Lenders: Oleg Tkach (Lynwood, WA) at number 49, Jessica Uphoff (Westminster, CO) at number 133, and Jane Floyd (Tampa, FL) at # 163. “I’m extremely proud of Oleg Tkach, Jessica Uphoff and Jane Floyd, along with their phenomenal teams,” added Silverman. “They surprise their customers and referral partners year after year. Her leadership and pursuit of excellence fuel her success that put her on the 2020 National Top 200 Producer list. We are grateful for each of them as they are such positive role models and leaders in the NFM family. Congratulations to everyone! “

The story goes on

Congratulations to our 90 lenders:

John Acton, Freedmont Mortgage Group

Darran Anthony, High Street Home Loan

David Arocho, NFM Lending

Danny Banda, NFM Lending

Tyler Barnett, NFM Loans

Andrew Beigel, NFM Lending

Scott Bienstock, Freedmont Mortgage Group

Neil Bourdelaise, Main Street Home Loans

Nick Bronsozian, BluPrint Home Loans

Benjamin Burkett, NFM Loans

Brian Burnham, NFM Lending

David Campagnole, Main Street Home Loans

Eric Carlson, NFM Lending

Clay Carroll, Main Street Home Loans

Anthony Cellini, NFM Lending

Hillary Cochin, Main Street Home Loans

Brian Coleman, Main Street Home Loans

Austin Combs, NFM Loans

Jerry Cook, NFM Loans

Gregory Cowart, NFM Lending

Taylor Croy, NFM Loans

Mario Crab, NFM Lending

Roger Dennis, NFM Lending

Jeff Douglas, High Street Home Loan

Karen Dulmage, Main Street Home Loans

Derek Evans, High Street Home Loan

Michael Farrell, Main Street Home Loans

Carolyn Flitcroft, Main Street Home Loans

Jane Floyd, NFM Loans

Jason Fox, NFM Lending

Ryan George, NFM Loans

Christopher Grizzell, NFM Lending

Rita Hairston, High Street Home Loans

Bryan Harrison, NFM Loans

Nathan Hartseil, High Street Home Loan

Christopher Jordan, High Street Home Loans

Craig Kam, NFM Lending

Craig Kessler, Freedmont Mortgage Group

Thurman Killen, NFM Loans

Mary Levinson, NFM Lending

William Lex, NFM Lending

David Licciardi, Main Street Home Loans

Amy Lodes, High Street Home Loan

Andrew Long, High Street Home Loans

Sean Maloney, NFM Loans

Nicholas Mautino, NFM Lending

Tonya May, NFM Loans

Brian McDermott, Main Street Home Loans

Jason McLaughlin, NFM Lending

Colleen McQuillen, Main Street Home Loans

Jeff Miltenberger, NFM Lending

Jeremy Minson, NFM Lending

Jolene Moore, High Street Home Loan

Kelcey Morange, Main Street Home Loans

Kevin Murphy, Freedmont Mortgage Group

Paul Nagel, Main Street Home Loans

Robert O’Connell, High Street Home Loan

Peter O’Donnell, Main Street Home Loans

Gustavo Pared, NFM Loans

Brandon Pavlovic, NFM Lending

Chuck Payne, NFM Loans

Brian Pintar, NFM Lending

Michael Plummer, Main Street Home Loans

Jeremy Poling, NFM Loans

Michelle Powstanski, Main Street Home Loans

Matthew Primrose, NFM Lending

Bryan Raiford, NFM Lending

Timothy Reinhart, Main Street Home Loans

Waldy Ripoll, Main Street Home Loans

Gregory Runyon, NFM Loans

Daniel Sa, NFM Lending

Robin Sabatino, Freedmont Mortgage Group

Sylvia Sanders, BluPrint home loan

John Savastano, Main Street Home Loans

Salvatore Savastano, Main Street Home Loans

Derek Black, Main Street Home Loans

James Serrano, NFM Lending

Justus Sharp, NFM Loans

Shane Staples, NFM Loans

Rob Stettler, NFM Loans

Blane Stewart, NFM Lending

Hans Stone, BluPrint Home Loan

Ashley Swenson, NFM Lending

Oleg Tkach, NFM Lending

Ana Tolentino, Main Street Home Loans

David Travers, Main Street Home Loans

Jessica Uphoff, NFM Lending

Travis Vollmerhausen, Hauptstrasse Home Loans

Raquel Wilson, NFM Lending

Kenneth Ynes, NFM Lending

NFM Lending is proud of the achievements of these lenders and wishes them continued success.

About NFM loans

NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 42 states. The company was founded in 1998 in Baltimore, Maryland. NFM Lending and its family of companies include Main Street Home Loans, Blueprint Home Loans, and Freedmont Mortgage Group. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their unwavering dedication to customers and the community. For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Media contact:

NFM loans

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[tkmedia]

Ten kneejerk reactions to the opening Premier League weekend

The Premier League’s opening weekend lends itself to the hottest takes, such as Southampton’s relegation and a breakout Paul Pogba season. 10) Trevoh Chalobah will be England’s next debutant It is a Crooksism but the tendency to highlight the virtues of a defensive player only when they score is unavoidable and pervasive. Trevoh Chalobah might have broken through that barrier and received due praise regardless but his debut goal against Crystal Palace, combined with the perennial focus on Chelsea’s talent production line, guaranteed glowing column inches and gushing pundit prose. The 22-year-old will not retain a regular starting place beyond the next fortnight or so; Thiago Silva promptly reprises that role upon his return. But Thomas Tuchel has been sufficiently satisfied with Chalobah’s seamless adaptation to this stage and so his foot is in the door. It is only a matter of time before Gareth Southgate revisits interest in a player he called upon to train with the England squad ahead of the 2018 World Cup. The only defenders to make their Three Lions debut since November 2019 are Conor Coady, Reece James, Ben White and Ben Godfrey. There is room for a fresh addition, even as flavour of the month. 9) Brighton will finish in the top half For a moment there it seemed as though Brighton supporters should actually have been careful what they wished for. The safety net provided by Chris Hughton was cast aside for something greater, more meaningful and conducive to growth in 2019. But the transition was not seamless. You can throw a small net over the club’s four Premier League seasons: finishes of 15th, 17th, 15th and 16th, points totals of 40, 36, 41 and 41 and goals scored columns of 34, 35, 39 and 40. Hughton and replacement Graham Potter have opposing tactical ideals but whether the focus was on defence or a more expansive style, Brighton never seemed to move the needle too far. They have won nine games in each of their four Premier League seasons, infuriatingly incapable of breaking through that ceiling. It has been enough to survive each time but the onus is on progression and a comeback win against Burnley is indicative of that. Brighton won one game from behind in the entirety of last campaign: that euphoric first match back in front of fans against Manchester City in May. But this victory was inspired by the manager’s substitutions and the players’ indomitable spirit instead of any fan emotion. Two points separated the Seagulls from Burnley in 2021/22; the gap felt more substantial on Saturday. While their respective levels of investment mean that should be a given, it has rarely been the case in practice. Brighton have valuable players throughout their spine and even the lack of a reliable goalscorer should not prevent them from finally cracking a top half that, beyond an established six or seven teams, has an interchangeable cast. Since 2016, Stoke Burnley, Newcastle, Sheffield United, Wolves and Leeds have all come tenth or higher. There is no guarantee of being able to build from there but Brighton have the foundations in place for something tangible. 8) Burnley and Southampton will be relegated The numbers are rough estimates but they tell a story that can be spun in two different ways. Either Burnley and Southampton have mastered the art of shopping for own-brand items and living on a stricter diet than most, or theirs is the sort of inherent tightrope gamble that many clubs accept to live within their means. Four current Premier League clubs have a net spend of £50m or lower over the past five seasons; the Clarets and Saints have been top-flight sides throughout that period, unlike Brentford and Watford. It already feels as though Burnley and Southampton might have struggled to strike that balance this season. The former have infused the squad with as little fresh talent as possible in recent years. Jay Rodriguez was the latest signing in the starting XI that fell to Brighton; he joined in July 2019. Sean Dyche otherwise named four players he bought in 2017, three purchases from 2016, an addition each from June 2015 and January 2012 and academy graduate Dwight McNeil. ALK Capital do not seem to have opened any recruitment doors. That is still an upgrade on the apparent asset-stripping occurring on the coast as Southampton have sold their top scorer and best centre-half in the same summer that they lost one of their most senior players. Danny Ings, Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand will be difficult to replace and Ralph Hasenhuttl was already working close to the edge in terms of depth at times last season. He and Dyche are talented coaches but those tides will be tough to fight without a paddle.

7) Brentford and Watford will be fine Norwich understandably struggled to carry their share of a historic weight as the three promoted clubs almost all won their opening Premier League fixture for the first time. The Canaries might justifiably point to the standard of respective opposition as to why they could not quite emulate the feats of Brentford or Watford, who both displayed their top-flight credentials in different but similarly stinging circumstances. The Bees were phenomenal against Arsenal – organised, fluid and uninhibited by their relative lack of experience. The Hornets stunned a supposed European hopeful in Aston Villa, overwhelming their visitors and possessing the sort of individual brilliance that can be harnessed to immense danger in the right team dynamic. The chasm between the Championship and Premier League can be bridged with patience, foresight and investment, especially if the top flight already contains a few sides clinging on to that status through reputation and longevity alone instead of proper planning and vision. Brentford particular seem more suited to this level; Watford have plenty more capacity to surprise. 6) Everton will qualify for Europe Many clubs, if not most, had more impactful and outwardly impressive transfer windows. Few were quite as focused, specific and tailored to the existing strengths of the squad in question. Rafael Benitez had a budget imposed upon him through the mismanagement and financial excess of his predecessors. He identified an area for improvement and acted on it within the constraints placed upon him. Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray were cost-efficient purchases for rivals to scoff at and some Everton supporters to lobby against, but it is always better to spend £1.7m on necessary signings who have an obvious place rather than much more on luxury buys who do not. The results were immediate. Southampton were put to the sword and the cross as Goodison Park witnessed an aerial bombardment designed to exploit the new Dominic Calvert-Lewin meta. Richarlison should excel by his side and Alex Iwobi even embraced the challenge, while Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure will compete with most midfields and the defence is solid enough even without Benitez’s more conservative and pragmatic stylings offering a little more protection. He feels a more natural fit with these players, if not the supporters just yet. 5) Liverpool don’t need more signings It will never be accepted. Standing still is moving backwards, particularly when the only two clubs definitively expected to do better have either broken the British transfer record or have edged remarkably close to the new mark. Manchester City will keep trying to unite Harry Kane with Jack Grealish and Chelsea should be forgiven for relishing the arrival of Romelu Lukaku. Liverpool have instead quenched the never-ending thirst for signings – and reacted to a recent defensive injury crisis – with £36m fourth-choice centre-half Ibrahima Konate. Every other advance has been to write out a spate of new contracts for the existing squad. That will never appease sections of the fanbase or a media built on transfer rumours but it makes sense in this context. If Liverpool can avoid such a freakish cluster of concurrent injuries then there is no issue in the squad that requires an imported solution: the starting defence is sensational and every position has at least one solid back-up; Georginio Wijnaldum is a significant loss but one outcome of Curtis Jones developing, Naby Keita emerging, Thiago acclimatising or Fabinho adjusting seems likely; Mo Salah can carry that attack with Harvey Elliott and Takumi Minamino as possible wildcards now Diogo Jota is fit enough to provide serious competition and variation. The collective mood and mentality seems genuinely more important to Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool than to most other managers and teams and it is worth trying to continue fostering that instead of risking friction with too many new faces in an established set-up.

4) Tottenham will finish in the top four Newcastle finished third when Andy Cole won the Golden Boot and set up the most goals in the 1993/94 season. Kevin Keegan was defending his sale to furious supporters on the steps of St James’ Park 18 months later. Harry Kane became the only other man to ever lead the division for goals and assists outright last campaign. Perhaps Daniel Levy will soon be inviting beleaguered fans to a newly-instated VIP cheese room to explain his reasoning for finally letting the club’s prize asset go. Beating Manchester City has not quelled talk of Kane’s departure. It has had rather the opposite effect. But lost in the renewed clamour to smuggle England’s captain to the Etihad was a professional, dedicated, organised performance from his teammates to overcome the Premier League champions in north London. Nuno Espirito Santo engineered victory with neither Cristian Romero nor Bryan Gil starting, the new coach instead dusting down a squad that had been marginalised and misused, finding treasure in another man’s trash: Japhet Tanganga, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn were considered expendable yet each have a role to play in a quietly exciting future. Add Kane to that mix once the distractions are removed with the closure of the transfer window and Tottenham are suddenly a genuine force again, even without their actual best player. Erik Lamela is in a better place now. 3) Aston Villa and Jack Grealish will both be worse off This is not to say Aston Villa will be relegated and Jack Grealish will be a catastrophically bad signing for Manchester City. The one thing Dean Smith could not buy to replace his talisman was time and it will take plenty for a new attack to gel, for players to adjust to not giving the ball and the responsibility to their captain. And Pep Guardiola’s ideal and meticulous instructions cannot be absorbed after a few training sessions; Grealish will find his role in the team and calibrate, just as long as he absolutely does not become a two-time Premier League winner and Champions League finalist who regularly scores and assists. That would be awful. But the grass will be greener for neither. Villa handled the situation impeccably, putting a contractual escape route in place, insisting it be met instead of courting any sort of saga, signing numerous fine players to share the workload even before he left and clearly explaining each thought process to the fans. That does not change how vast a hole Grealish has left and how much it has irrevocably altered the entire team dynamic. Villa have reiterated that they were 18 months behind in terms of where they would have needed to be in their project to keep their crown jewel; this will set them back much further before they find the right track again. As for Manchester City, they signed a phenomenal player but not one they necessarily needed. He will do well enough – win trophies, score goals, win free-kicks – but offers only a brilliant variation to what they already had rather than a legitimate alternative. His honours list will benefit but his light will be that little bit dimmer. It’s not a bad personal trade-off, in fairness. 2) Paul Pogba will be named PFA Player of the Year He could have done more. The blame for five underwhelming and inconsistent seasons has to be apportioned appropriately and one of the bigger slices belongs to Paul Pogba himself. It has not been a question of attitude or application, rather an inability to bring the best out of less talented teammates. He lowered his own level more often than he raised that of those around him. Anyone expecting the Frenchman to single-handedly drag Manchester United to glory had misunderstood his career to that point – and some are still wilfully obtuse in that regard. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has built a platform and is happy for Pogba to stand upon it as long as he has him. Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire and Edinson Cavani improved the collective standard; Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane will hope to do the same. A Pogba unencumbered with that weight of individual expectation is free to express and enjoy himself. “Manchester United need one outstanding season from Paul Pogba because he’s going to leave next summer,” was Gary Neville’s belief and whether the midfielder extends his deal at Old Trafford or not, he finally has the sort of worthy team he was promised in 2016. One year of his French national team alter ego is better than nothing at all. 1) Mikel Arteta will be the first manager to go The process is a whole lot harder to trust when a newly promoted team with vastly inexperienced players and a manager in only his second senior role seems so much further ahead in theirs. What Brentford lack in history, prestige, transfer fees and wages, they made up for in a performance that thoroughly and painfully explored Arsenal’s limitations. It was not about the bounce of supporters being back, the novelty of top-flight football or the brightness of those Friday night lights. Brentford beat Arsenal because they were better in preparation and execution. That run of form from Boxing Day onwards spared Mikel Arteta. Only the Manchester clubs earned more Premier League points from December 26 to the end of the season and a five-game winning streak to close the campaign was the longest the Gunners had managed since October 2018. It offered an illusion of progress that has been almost immediately undermined as soon as the pressure was back. There is a lack of confidence on the pitch and seemingly an absence of clarity off it. Chelsea and Manchester City await before the international break and it could genuinely be worth changing tack then if things have not significantly improved. Arteta might not be the problem but he certainly does not appear to have the solution.

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[papermoonloveslucy]

BOB HOPE’S WORLD OF COMEDY

October 30, 1976

Produced and Directed by Jack Haley Jr.

Written by: Charles Lee with Gig Henry, Jeffrey Barron, Katherine Green, and Jack Haley Jr.

Bob Hope (Himself, Host) was born Lesley Townes Hope in England in 1903. During his extensive career in virtually all forms of media he received five honorary Academy Awards. In 1945 Desi Arnaz was the orchestra leader on Bob Hope’s radio show. Ball and Hope did four films together. He appeared as himself on the season 6 opener of “I Love Lucy.” He did a brief cameo in a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show.”  When Lucille Ball moved to NBC in 1980, Hope appeared on her welcome special. He died in 2003 at age 100.

Lucille Ball (Herself) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in April 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes.

Neil Simon (Himself) is a playwright and screenwriter responsible for more than 30 plays, most of which were seen on Broadway and adapted into films.  At the time, one of his most enduring plays The Odd Couple was being done on television. In 1983 became the only living playwright to have a New York theatre named in his honor. In 1960, when it was still called the Alvin Theatre, Lucille Ball appeared there in the musical Wildcat.

Don Rickles (Himself) worked as a stand-up comic in nightclubs for nearly 20 years before making his film debut in 1958. Rickles was known as an insult comic and became a staple of Hollywood roasts. In “Lucy the Fight Manager” (TLS S5;E20) he made his first and last acting appearance with Lucille Ball, but would be seen with her on variety shows and specials through 1988. Rickles was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the animated Toy Story franchise. He died in April 2017 at age 90.

Norman Lear (Himself) is a television writer and producer responsible for such hits as “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “One Day at a Time,” “The Jeffersons,” and many others. He received three Emmy Awards for his work on “All in the Family.”  

Caroll Spinney (Big Bird) started playing Big Bird on “Sesame Street” in 1969. In 2000, Big Bird was named a Living Legend by the United States Library of Congress. Created by Jim Henson, Big Bird is one of two Muppets to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Spinney has been honored with four Daytime Emmy Awards for his portrayals on the series and two Grammy Awards for his related recordings. Two recordings of Spinney's voice have earned Gold Record status.

As with many Bob Hope specials, the show is sponsored by Texaco.

Bob Hope's opening monologue talks mainly about the Presidential Election, which would take place in two weeks. Incumbent president Gerald Ford ran against Jimmy Carter. He also touches on the World Series, the Swine Flu epidemic, Zsa Zsa Gabor's multiple marriages, and the CB radio craze.

Bob's first guest is Big Bird from “Sesame Street” (Caroll Spinney). Big Bird does an ad-lib impersonation of Jack Benny that makes Hope laugh. This kicks off a montage of clips about animals.

A pet shop staffed by Bob Newhart 

Jackie Gleason playing golf with Mildred, a chimp in How To Commit Marriage (1969)

Roy Rogers and Trigger “the wonder horse”

Julie London with puppies who prove not to be housebroken

Dan Rowan with a horse and Dick Martin with a camel 

Hope with his dog in a vet's waiting room and Betty Grable there with a race horse

Hope and Greer Garson in divorce court fighting over their dog, Mr. Smith

Lassie as the subject of “This is Your Life” in a spoof from “The Bob Hope Show”

Next Hope introduces a montage of clips featuring international stars.  

Maurice Chevalier (France)

Eva Gabor (Hungary)

Zsa Zsa Gabor (Hungary) with Angie Dickinson

Ingrid Bergman (Sweden)

Anita Ekberg (Sweden) with William Holden and Robert Strauss

Olivia Newton John (Australia)

Rex Harrison (England) and Lilli Palmer (Poland) with Janis Paige

David Niven (England) with Marilyn Maxwell

After a Texaco commercial, Bob introduces Lucy Ricardo aka Lucy Carmichael aka “the bionic woman of comedy” - Lucille Ball. 

Lucy reminisces with Bob, which leads to a black and white clip of a sketch from “The Bob Hope Show” (September 24, 1962). In it, Lucy plays a District Attorney and Bob a gangster named Bugsy Hope.

Back on stage, Bob asks Lucy the secret to her show's endearing success. She says that it has to do with the realatable domestic situations created by the writers. Bob add that the physical comedy gives her comedy world-wide appeal. Lucy says that as of last count her shows were seen in 79 countries. Lucy says she's heard herself dubbed in Japanese, and that in South America it is HER who as the accent. Asked about being a legend, Lucy says it is “kind of like an obituary” but she's very grateful.

After another Texaco break, Bob talks about slapstick and introduces a montage of clips.

Ernie Kovacs trying to sell his house during an earthquake

Bob as Bobby Riggs playing against Billie Jean King (Ann-Margret)

Hope and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as astronauts walking in space

Jack Benny using hidden cameras in his home to avoid paying Hope a guest-star fee

The second hour of the special kicks off with Hope introducing playwright Neil Simon. They talk about writing, the difference between drama and comedy, and ethnic humor, which is the cue for the next montage of clips about vaudeville.

Hope and Crosby do a routine

Hope, Crosby, Steve Allen, and Jack Paar are child actors competing for the same job

Danny Thomas as a candy seller interrupting Hope's act by stealing all his punchlines

Donald O'Connor as Wingo the Magnificent, a knife thrower, with Hope as Courageous Targo, his human target

Hope introduces Don Rickles, who promotes his new show “CPO Sharkey” which he compares to Phil Silvers in “Sergeant Bilko.”  Hope says he's been the victim of insult comedy, which begins a montage of clips where Bob is insulted by:

Milton Berle

Tony Randall

Redd Foxx

Glenn Campbell

Gina Lollobridgida

Jerry Colonna

Dorothy Lamour

Tony Bennett

Fred MacMurray

Joan Crawford

George Sanders

Frank Sinatra

Troy Donahue

Hedda Hopper

John Wayne

Dyan Cannon

Debbie Reynolds (with Jack Benny)

Juliet Prowse

Bob Hope introduces Norman Lear, who mentions he has no shows on NBC. They talk about “Mary Hartman Mary Hartman,” the 'Family Hour,' his flops like “Hot L Baltimore,” and Archie Bunker. The next batch of clips is about satire.  

Johnny Carson as a playboy movie star Rock Carson appearing on a talk show 

Hope, Burt Reynolds and Dyan Canon spoof the TV series “Paper Moon”  

A sketch called “Bananaz” (“Bonanza”) starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Juliet Prowse

A “Batman” spoof starring Martha Rae as Bat Girl and Bob Hope as the villain Lobsterman

Medical dramas are poked fun at by Hope, Barbara Eden, and Lee Marvin

After a commercial, the montages are about dancing. Some of Hope's choreographed clips: 

Dancing with Raquel Welch

Doing Eddie Foy's famous sand dance

Soft shoe with Pearl Bailey

A trio with Jeanne Crain and Betty Hutton

A challenge dance with George Burns

Rare footage of Dean Martin dancing alongside Hope

Polly Bergen, Jimmy Durante and Hope dance as babies while on their knees (above photo)

A partner dance with Ginger Rogers

Hoofing with Hope and Jimmy Cagney

Modern dance with Ann-Margret

Hat and cane steps with Sammy Davis Jr.

Hope wraps up the special with a look at some of the comedians of the past.  

Budd Abbott and Lou Costello (above photo)

Fred Allen

Gracie Allen

Cliff Arquette aka Charlie Weaver

Mischa Auer

Robert Benchley

Jack Benny

Willy Best

Fanny Brice, the original 'Funny Girl'

Joe E. Brown

Billy Burke

Eddie Cantor

Jack Carson

Charles Correll, Amos of “Amos 'n' Andy”

Wally Cox

Joan Davis

Marie Dressler

Leon Errol

W.C. Fields

Billy Gilbert, the greatest sneeze in show business

Ted Healy and the Three Stooges

Hugh Herbert

Judy Holliday

Edward Everett Horton

Buster Keaton

Edgar 'Slow Burn' Kennedy

Ernie Kovacs

Burt Lahr

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

Harold Lloyd

Carol Lombard

Harpo and Chico Marx

Donald Meek

Victor Moore

Jack Norton, the perennial drunk

Franklin Pangborn

Joe Penner

Will Rodgers

Irene Ryan, Granny of “The Beverly Hillbillies”

Charlie Ruggles

S.Z. 'Cuddles' Sakall

Max Sennett, king of the Keystone Cops

Arthur Treacher

Burt Wheeler and Robert Wolsey

Ed Wynn

This Day in Lucy History – October 29th

“The Diet” (ILL S1;E3) – October 29, 1951

"Visitor from Italy" (ILL S6;E5) – October 29, 1956

"Lucy Buys a Sheep" (TLS S1;E5) – October 29, 1961

"Lucy and Andy Griffith" (HL S6;E8) – October 29, 1973

[inthedreamatorium1]

god, i can’t stop thinking about yesterday’s scene! these guys don’t hate each other. they don’t wish ill will on one another. aaron waited for robert for a reason. robert lingered in the waiting room for a reason. they hadn’t seen each other in a really long time. they simply MISS each other.

they’re hungry for one another. their bodies are magnets. they have a deep passionate soulmate love. they WANT to be together but just…can’t right now. their little awkward dance one billion percent showcased that. rob eyeing aaron up and down, aaron’s blatant nerves. them not wanting to part ways.

both ryan and danny played that scene so well. mute the scene and just watch their bodies, their eyes, the set of their jaws. good lord, these two are phenomenal together.

their scenes are only going to get better here on out. we are honestly so #blessed.

[caitlinmargaritareads]

Book 20- Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

[Originally posted September 22, 2019]

Anyone who knows me, knows that my relationship with horror is nonexistent. I don’t like to be scared, and I don’t understand people *cough Ryan cough* who live for the frights. So when I picked up my first Stephen King novel last year, I was skeptical. Why would I want to scare myself in my free time? Still I picked up The Shining with a [somewhat] open mind, and I was not disappointed [Kubrick’s film, however, is a completely different story... but we can tackle that disgrace at another time]. When I saw that my beloved Obi Wan, Ewan McGregor to lessor nerds, was going to play a grown up Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep, I knew I had to read the book as soon as possible. Thanks to my local Powell’s, I found a reasonably priced copy and devoured it. So commences my critique of The Shining Part II AKA Doctor Sleep.

The new story finds grown up Danny as an alcoholic- shocking, I know- trying and failing to dampen the shining he still possesses. As Danny works through the program, and consequently comes to terms with his own demons, he becomes aware of another shiner, Abra, who contacts him through his childhood “friend,” Tony. Abra’s shining grows more powerful with her age, more-so than Danny could ever anticipate, and consequently attracts the attention of those who seek the shining for themselves. King beautifully intertwines three separate tales, showing the reader the multi-faceted nature of the shining and, as a result, the way in which Dan must come to understand his own shine to use it for good.

I’m going to start with a blasphemous opinion and work my way through the explanation. I enjoyed this book WAY more than The Shining. Or maybe it’s better to say, the way in which I enjoyed Doctor Sleep was different from how I enjoyed the Shining? I’m still not sure. Generally, I try to write these things as soon as I’ve shut the book, keeping the words and ideas fresh in my head, so give me a break as I try to analyze this doozy. Now, we all know King took strong influences from his own life when writing the character of Jack Torrance [namely his alcoholism], so I think it’s safe to say that Doctor Sleep is a redemption piece for King. Danny’s beginning is bleak, but as he works through the program [and, consequently, his own demons], he is able to heal himself in a way that his father never could. While his father was consumed by the shining and tried to give his son to the demons of the Overlook, Dan utilizes his gift to save the life of a younger girl, who’s shine would be food to the evil True Knot. Because of this, I found myself feeling whole by the time I finished the book. Call me old fashioned, but I hate open-enders, and that was the only qualm I had when I read The Shining. Doctor Sleep was the redemption I needed to see for the Torrance’s.

All in all, this book was phenomenal. Even though there were parts that dragged a big [as is King’s M.O.], I still found it hard to put the book down and finished it in just over a week. If you’re a fane of King, or a fan of The Shining, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Update 11/16/2019: Ryan and I went to see the movie at the Mission Theatre, and let me tell you.. PHENOMENAL. They did a truly amazing job translating the book to film. Now, it wasn’t 100% accurate to the book [they never are], but I have to say I was please non the less. I was skeptical of Ewan McGregor being cast as Danny Torrance, but he did an amazing job. If you haven’t seen it yet, GO!!

5 out of 5 stars