#(my favourite 1950s movie star actually)

[russellius]

2023 UCL Final, Istanbul 

[hedgehog-moss]

hi! Just wanted to ask what you’ve been reading lately? I love seeing your book recs! Also what are some of your favorite books ?

Hi :) I've read some disappointing stuff lately, so I decided to start two books from my to-read list that felt like safe bets—Samantha Shannon's A Day of Fallen Night and Elsa Morante's Lies and Sorcery. I'm enjoying both so far!

I've read interesting nonfiction this year—Empire of Pain, about the Sackler family; Erich Schwartzel's Red Carpet about the role of the movie business in cultural hegemony; and Laure Hillerin's biography of the Countess Greffulhe, who was a fascinating woman. She was the real-life model behind Proust's Duchess de Guermantes character, and a really influential figure in the arts & sciences in the early 1900s—she financed the first productions of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, frequented Rodin's studio, helped Marie Curie find the funds to start her Radium Institute... It was a good read. I also read a biography of Anne Perry by Peter Graham, which was so-so—the story of the murder is morbidly fascinating but the way it was told had too many trivial details and not enough depth.

Worst nonfiction books of the year so far were Niall Ferguson's Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe which didn't seem to have any point to make, and François-Guillaume Lorrain's Scarlett which was marketed as a fascinating new look into the making of Gone With the Wind but actually the author just watched his DVD's behind-the-scenes bonus content and diluted it into 300+ pages of rehashed anecdotes, it was so pointless. I found it on the "Vos libraires vous recommandent !" shelf and now I feel betrayed by that bookshop.

As for fiction, I've enjoyed Ira Levin's A Kiss Before Dying, it felt very dated in a fun way, everything about it felt intensely 1950s. Was very disappointed by Silvia Avallone's Acciaio, I'd heard good things about it but it was so joyless and meh. Álvaro Enrigue's Ahora me rindo y eso es todo was a bit disappointing in the second half, but the first half was good so I'll try other books of his. Pierre Lemaitre's Miroir de nos peines was fun in an expected way—I mean those who enjoyed the beginning of his Au revoir là-haut trilogy will enjoy this one too as it's more of the same. And I also had a good time reading Catherynne Valente's Radiance— similarly if you already like her writing style you'll probably enjoy this book. (I was listening to this as I read it and it fit really well with the floaty-nostalgic-unearthly atmosphere of the book, it's always nice to accidentally find a good book-soundtrack that enhances the experience! Now I can never listen to it while reading again as it's too intertwined with that story.)

And I really liked Madame de Staël's Delphine but I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone, it's very 18th century (though it's from 1802). If you enjoy idle noblewomen writing each other 20-page-long letters in gorgeously long-winded 18th-century prose about how the Viscount of Something glanced at them from the other end of a salon and nothing else happened and now they're having agonies then you'll love this book, it's 900 pages of this. I can't get enough of it personally, and I found it hilarious that these aristocrats had such low-stakes problems considering the story starts in 1790. They didn't notice the Revolution, they were too busy writing tormented letters about extramarital glances.

Some books I've added to my kindle recently: Virginia Feito's Mrs. March, Simon Schama's Landscape & Memory (someone I follow on GR described it as "monstrously bloated" while the NYT blurb diplomatically calls it "a work of enormous scope" which made me laugh), Seyhmus Dagtekin's To the Spring, by Night, Margarita Liberaki's Three Summers, Maggie O'Farrell's The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, Dawn Powell's A Time to Be Born.

This got long, sorry! You can have a look at my 5- and 4.5 star shelves on goodreads, for some of my favourite books of the past few years :)

[osakaonryoif]

This might sound weird but...

I want to hear more unhinged train rants. Please provide your answers to the following questions:

Your favourite train model.

Detailed information about the model you chose for question 1.

You 100% have a model train set in your basement. Please provide pictures and nerdy ramblings.

Ever thought about writing an IF set fully on a train? I think you'd knock it out of the park.

That is all. Thank you.

Ah, someone who enjoyed the train rant in the demo. I appreciate you, Anon.

And no, no no, it isn't weird, in fact I find it flattering!

Fun fact, that train rant is 742 words, which is just over 0.5% of the total current word count! But, onto the questions.

Easy, BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 Steam Locomotive. Although a close second is the Pere Marquette 1255, but that's just me being nostalgic for a Christmas movie.

While yes, the models used on the Shinkansen lines, (such as the N700S Enu-Nanahyakuesu series, which is the train the MC rides in Act one), I am and always will be a sucker for the steam trains over modern electric trains.

Main reason, the big smokestack. Now I know, I know, environmental pollution and all that, but you can't deny how cool they look, as well as acting as a visual signifier of an approaching train from a distance. Second, the whistle. Ohhhh the whistle. Modern trains have whistles, yes, but they are more akin to the horns on cars than traditional train whistles. There's just something distinct about them, but I love the noises. (I may or may not listen to distant steam train noises on youtube while trying to sleep.)

Also, the bell. Of course, not every model had a bell, but they might as well have done. When you think of trains, there's a good chance you associate them with bells, and for good reason.

Finally, the chugging of the wheels as they move along the tracks is iconic, and frankly one of my favourite noises.

Ah, went off on a bit of a tangent, should've been justifying my choice of specific train model, rather than steam trains as a whole.

The 9F Steam Locomotive was the last steam locomotive designed and constructed by British Railways during the 1950's. It was also one of the most powerful steam engines ever built.

I love this model because the front of the locomotive has these side plates, which to me, looks cute because it looks like it's trying to hide it's face because it's shy.

The picture above is actually the last of the 9F classes to ever be constructed, The Evening Star, which was the last steam engine ever constructed by British Railways, and is on display at the National Railway Museum in York. I went there once, and ooh boy lemme tell you I spent ages there. My friends had to physically drag me out of the building. Slight side note though, why does the museum, which is British, have a coach from a Hikari-model shinkansen? The British Museum struck again.

Another reason I like the 9F class is because of it's versatility, which by that I mean that it was run as both passenger trains and freight trains. While they were originally designed as freight trains, some madlad decided to slap some passenger coaches on, and found that it worked wonders! Though if you ask me, it should've been a no-brainer that the most powerful engine you ever built would be a good versatile model.

I suppose by doing that I actually answered question 2 as well. huh. Although, I suppose I didn't go into details about the technical stuff, so here we go.

2)

The full name is the BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0. All steam locomotive classes conceptualised by British Rail had a 6 digit code after their official name. This code tells you the number and layout of the wheels on the locomotive. For the 9F, you have two tiny wheels at the front with a radius of 3 feet, known as the leading wheels, made to help the train around corners and bends in the track, and then 10 MASSIVE wheels, which provide most of the acceleratory power, and are 5 feet in radius.

Traditionally, the wheels near the back of the locomotive were smaller, but the 9F had massive wheels across the entire length, meaning the rear grate had to be set higher than was standard. This had the effect of a smaller firebox than on other models, which meant that the stoker had to shovel coal more frequently in order to keep up maximum fuel efficiency in the steam engine. There is a reason most standard locomotives had a wheel map of 4-6-2.

There are 9 9F, (probably not intentional) that survived the scrap, and are in use in various locations across the UK. We have the aforementioned 92220 "Evening Star" on display at the National Railway musuem, but there are a few being used for other reasons.

In operation at Tourist Destinations/Steam Heritage Railway sites.

92134 (In service at the North Yorkshire Moors Heritage Railway. It is however missing it's original tender, which has been replaced with one from a class 5 73050.)

92203 "Black Prince" (In service at the North Norfolk Railway.)

92214 (In service at the Great Central Heritage Railway.)

Non Operational:

92207 "Morning Star" (This one is in a bit of a sad state. It is literally just a scrap piece of metal tube, which really has no business being called a train. Some dedicated people are trying to restore it to pristine condition, however.)

92212 (In service at the Mid Hants Heritage Railway until December 2019, when it's boiler ticket expired. Is currently being stored at the site.)

92219 (Being stored at the Strathspey Heritage Railway, and is awaiting Restoration. Poor guy is covered in grime, really needs a wash.)

92220 "Evening Star" (On display at the National Railway Museum in York.)

92240 (Is undergoing restoration at the Bluebell Heritage Railway site.)

92245 (Sadly, is being marked for scrap, and will bring the total survivors down to 8. The boiler is going to be given to 92212, which is a prime example of sharing is caring.)

3. I'M SORRY NO I DON'T. IF I DID I WOULD 100% BE CONSTANTLY SHOWING IT OFF.

But, it is definitely on my list of things I want in the future. Just couldn't afford one at the moment, unfortunately.

4. Oh, funny story that. I actually have, several times. While working on Onryo, I have had that itch of wanting to also have a second project. But I would not want to work on more than 2, as at that point I think it would just become excessive, and I doubt they would ever be finished.

So I did have 2 concepts that I couldn't decide on, which I posted on the Choice Of Games forum a few months ago. I'll link it below.

https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/interest-check-thread/39424/5922?u=leinco

I have since decided on the concept of Broken Rails, and will devote myself to writing the first chapter once I have completed act 2 of Onryo. From that point, I will alternate between the two, writing a chapter for each, then switching, until both are done.

I have considered making a tumblr page for it, but I don't want to do anything like that until I have a demo ready, so I have held off.

Bonus fact about Broken Rails - the train you are on is a Class 9F! Because of the apocalyptic setting, electric trains are a no-go.

That is all, you have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. Or is it an approaching train?

[bitter69uk]

“Never has the Hollywood story been told so frankly … so boldly … so completely! Here is every woman who ever climbed the stairway to the stars – only to find herself at the bottom, looking up!” 

To commemorate “Oscar season” (full disclosure: we don’t actually care or pay attention to the Academy Awards!), on 16 March the free monthly Lobotomy Room film club presents The Star (1952)! Featuring the perennially fierce Bette Davis as Maggie Elliot, a faded fifty-something actress on the skids struggling to reignite her stalled career. “One good picture is all I need!” she screeches to her manager. Later, she confronts a parasitic sponging relative with, “Can’t you get it through your thick head that I’m broke? Dead, flat, stony broke!” 

The Star is comprehensively overshadowed by two other films where Davis played troubled ageing actresses: All About Eve (1950) and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1952). But it’s one of my favourite unsung Davis performances and the film has an appealingly harsh low-budget ambiance that lends it a gritty almost documentary feel.  Years later, Davis herself would argue “I have always felt The Star was very underrated by critics and the public.” And just wait until you see the camp highlight: slurring “C’mon, Oscar! Let’s you and me get drunk!” and strapping it to the steering wheel, Maggie takes her Academy Award for a drunken joyride! And winds up in a prison cell! (In a “meta” touch, the statuette in question is one of Davis’ own).  Rounding out the cast: Natalie Wood as Maggie’s daughter and hunky Sterling Hayden as a younger actor (who just may be Maggie’s romantic saviour …). And speaking of Oscars: Davis did get nominated for Best Actress for The Star (her ninth nomination), but she lost to Shirley Booth for Come Back, Little Sheba. 

Lobotomy Room Goes to the Movies is the FREE monthly film club devoted to cinematic perversity! Third Thursday night of every month downstairs at Fontaine’s bar in Dalston! Two drink minimum (inquire about the special offer £6 cocktail menu!). Numbers are limited, so reserving in advance via Fontaine’s website is essential. Alternatively, phone 07718000546 or email bookings@fontaines.bar to avoid disappointment! The film starts at 8:30 pm. Doors to the basement Bamboo Lounge open at 8:00 pm. To ensure everyone is seated and cocktails are ordered in time, please arrive by 8:15 pm at the latest.

Event page. 

[mogwai-movie-house]

Hello! I would like to ask two questions, actually.

From what I can judge, you seem to enjoy watching and reviewing movies. Do you also watch TV series sometimes and if yes, what are the ones you would say are genuinely worth watching? (except Succession, and I also know that shows like Mad Men, Sopranos and the Wire are considered to be some of the prime TV examples.)

What are your favorite old Hollywood classics?

Thank you!

Howdy,

I can see from looking at your blog that you like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and I really can't think of any better-realized shows than those. Their creators really stuck the landing and told a perfect, clear story from the beginning to the end, which is where most other shows seem to fall down: the first 4 seasons of Game of Thrones might be the best TV show ever made, but the last 2 or 3 might be the very worst; the same goes for Rick & Morty (first 4 seasons perfect, last couple a disaster). The Simpsons was the best show on TV for the first 13 or so seasons, but has been a dull and unfunny walking corpse of its former self for over two decades now, which is terrible to see. South Park was at the very peak of human achievement in that medium for over 20 years, but then hit a very tiresome and uneven patch a few years back and hasn't really recovered, though it's always worth a look. The first 3 seasons of Arrested Development are perfection; the last two are dismal. The first season of True Detective is mostly excellent; the rest just get worse and worse. So decline in quality is probably the greatest issue with even the greatest shows, particularly in America, where the makers tend to view a hit show as a cash cow they can keep on milking until it dies, rather than a story needing telling with a beginning, middle and end, like a good film or a book.

I never really clicked with Mad Men: I had an ex-girlfriend who was hooked on it, and I tried to watch a couple of episodes with her, but I just couldn't connect. I could see that it did a nice job of recreating the physical details of the era in which it was set, but was completely anachronistic in its depiction of the people, their words, actions and motivations, none of which seemed at all real to me, and all clearly in the service of creating some very clumsy feminist strawmen to attack, while also perversely reveling in it. In some ways it seemed to me a test run for The Handmaid's Tale (or 50 Shades of Grey); a fetishization of real-or-imagined female victimhood, consumed overwhelmingly by women who found a strange mix of pleasure in the pretty clothes and smartly dressed aloof, boorish and powerful men they delight in hating but secretly want to bang. I can see some people must have felt they found more than that in it, but I just don't seem to be the audience for it.

My favourite shows in recent years have been Inside No. 9, Rick & Morty and Black Mirror, though the quality of all of them has become much more patchy. Get Shorty is not at that level but very enjoyable. Curb Your Enthusiasm has remained consistently slight but fun. The White Lotus and Enlightened are both good.

Further back I would list Extras, The Office (the original UK show) and Life's Too Short, all perfectly realized from start to end. Same goes for Spaced, Father Ted and I'm Alan Partridge. Northern Exposure and Buffy The Vampire Slayer are both wondrous and unique, though the last season of each goes downhill. I loved Community (first 3 seasons) and Louie. Then obviously things like the original Twilight Zone and Star Trek. I really enjoyed Lena Dunham's Girls, too, though I haven't gone back to rewatch it.

There are too many great films from the past to list, but if I were to try recommend some of the classics to people unfamiliar with anything before their own schooldays, off the top of my head I would probably say Sunset Blvd (1950), The Third Man (1949), The Night Of The Hunter (1955), His Girl Friday (1940), It Happened One Night (1934), The Ladykillers (1955), North by Northwest (1959), Le Plaisir (1952), The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1930), The Last Command (1928), and Black Narcissus (1947). All of them are strikingly original and perfectly-realized stories that satisfy in a way all films should but almost all present-day films are incapable of doing.

[octaviasdread]

any girls! dark academia movie recs? i really struggle to find anything not about a group of boys (as much as I love them)

SO MANY!!! This is probably a far more detailed answer than you were expecting but this is a popular question and I want to keep a list for myself and others.

Feel free to add to it/give opinions. I've tried to give a tw for anything I can remember

Girls! Dark Academia Movies/TV Shows

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

1950s Women’s college

Art professor! Julia Roberts

She’s legit the female Mr Keating of the art & college world

Feminism vs. Tradition

Maggie Gyllenhall x Ginnifer Goodwin; their characters were more than friends. Fight me.

Does not end how you expect

Strike!/All I Wanna Do/The Hairy Bird (1998)

MY FAVOURITE!!!

Free on YouTube under one of its various names

Comedy

1960s all girls boarding school

Young Kirsten Dunst

Group of girls plot to sabotage a merger with a boys school less prestigious than their own

Secret attic clubhouse meetings of the D.A.R aka Daughters of the American Ravioli (eaten cold, ew)

girls get political & advocate for their rights using ANY elaborate and chaotic scheme

TW: eating disorder, vomiting & creepy male teacher but the girls plot against him too

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

based on a short book I read for uni by Muriel Spark

1930s girls school in Edinburgh

Scottish teacher! Maggie Smith, controversial with a focus on romantic ideals

Spoiler alert, the liberal teacher is actually a fascist

Her group of fave students has cult- vibes and it’s fascinating

Picnic at Hanging Rock

1970s movie or 2018 mini series

Never watched either but I plan to

Wild Child (2008)

00s romcom every UK teen girl loves

Emma Roberts as the spoiled rich American teenager sent to a strict English boarding school

Plots to get herself expelled but oh no she’s making friends with the girls who help her

And the headmistress has a hot son, and he’s nice??? Double oh no

ICONIC SCENES

Everything! Goes! Wrong!

omg she burns the school down

Feel good, comfort, nostalgia

St Trinians (2007)

English girls boarding school

The kids are all criminals, no joke

So are the teachers

CHAOTIC

gay awakening for british girls

Art heist pulled off by school girls

Government tries to shut them down but oh no, the education minister & the headmistress are ex-lovers

Colin Firth x Rupert Everett in drag

Superior cast: Jodie Whittaker, Gemma Arterton, Juno Temple, Stephen Fry, Colin Firth, etc...

embodies the phrase 'problematic fave'

St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold (2009)

Mystery, pirate ancestors, hidden treasure

omg Shakespeare was a woman

girls disguised as boys to infiltrate and rob the posh boys school

Villain! David Tennant in that ICONIC boat scene

Teen girls vs. ancient misogynist brotherhood

like the first film but MORE chaotic and BETTER!???

The Falling (2014)

1960s all girls school

best friends! but its unrequited love

Agoraphobic + distant mother aka mommy issues

Sudden death and the school suppresses/ignores the students grief, sparking mass hysteria & a fainting epidemic in the girls

Cast: Maisie Williams (GoT) & Florence Pugh (Little Women) & Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders)

TW: teen pregnancy, death, vomiting, underage s*x, sibling inc*st, past s*xual assault

READ THE PLOT SUMMARY FIRST

The Book Thief (2013)

Based on an amazing book by Markus Zusak

set in 1940s Nazi Germany

Daughter of a communist whose family were taken by the Nazis/died is fostered by an older couple who teach her to read & she paints a dictionary on the basement walls

Coming of age story about a compulsive book thief. No joke, this kid steals books from banned book burnings and breaks into the mayor's library through the window

Family hides the Jewish son of an old friend in their basement and he helps her to start writing about her experiences in the war

TW: death, bombings, WW2 anti-semitism

Mary Shelley (2017)

Overall good & roughly biographical

Pretty costumes and aesthetic

Modern feminist take on Mary Shelly in her own time period

So many INACCURACIES for the drama so don’t take it as truth

Percy Shelley slander and not all of it is justified

Cast: Elle Fanning, Douglas Booth, and Maisie Williams

The Secret Garden (1993)

Based on a fave childhood book

1901 colonial India & Yorkshire, England

Orphaned, spoilt & neglected girl sent to live with her reclusive Uncle in the English countryside

Gothic elements, mysteries, secret doors/passages/locked gardens

local boy with a flock of animals, magic, kids chanting around a fire and all around immaculate vibes

Happy ending!!!

Hidden Figures (2016)

African-American women as mathematicians for NASA

1960s space project

Women balancing a career and family obligations

Deals with racial & gender discrimination

Loosely based on the lives of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan who worked for NASA as engineers & mathematicians

Anne of Green Gables (1985) & sequel (1987)

Adaptation L.M. Montgomery’s ‘Anne of Green Gables’ books

Canada (late 1890s/early 1900s)

Highly imaginative & bookworm orphan is adopted by a reclusive elderly brother and sister duo

Small town & school years comedic drama

Unrequited Enemies -> Friends -> lovers

Inspiring new woman teacher

Girls re-enact Tennyson’s poem and nearly drown for the aesthetic™

Dramatic poetry reading with INTENSE 👀eye contact👀

Writer! Anne & English teacher! Anne dealing with unruly girls school antics

Collette (2018)

biographical drama on french writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Collette

Victorian & Edwardian era France

More talented than her husband so she ghostwrites for him

Fight for creative ownership of her wildly successful novels

Affairs with a woman called Georgie and also with Missy, born female but masculine presenting

Cast: Keira Knightly, Dominic West, Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark)

Enola Holmes (2020)

Netflix book adaptation

Younger sister of Sherlock Holmes

Victorian era! feminism/suffragettes

Mother-daughter focus

Mystery, adventure, secret codes, teens running away & escaping from (and eventually fighting) assassins

Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Fiona Shaw, Millie Bobby Brown

Ginger & Rosa (2012)

1960s England

best friends since literal birth navigating troubled teen years

poet & anti-nuclear activist! Ginger

off the rails but also catholic! Rosa

Shout out to Mark & Mark the gay godfathers we all want

family troubles 

TW: older man has an affair with a 17 yr old

Testament of Youth (2014)

based on WW1 memoir by Vera Brittain

young woman (writer & poetry lover) escapes traditional family & goes to study at Oxford University

abandons to become a war nurse

romance, tragedy and war trauma

Cast: Alicia Vikander, Kit Harrington (GoT), Taron Edgerton (Rocketman), Colin Morgan (Merlin)

Little Women (2019)

Writer! Jo & Artist! Amy

Mother/daughter focus and sister dynamics

the March sisters’ theatre club is *chefs kiss*

champagne problems edits of Jo x Laurie are a mood

Ambivalent ending perfectly captures Louisa May Alcott’s dilemma with the book the movie is based on

set in 1860s America

ALL STAR CAST and a Greta Gerwig masterpeice

Lady Bird (2017)

coming of age in early 2002/2003 Sacramento, California

all girls catholic school

writer! Christine aka Lady Bird wants to get outta town and start her life again at college 'in a city with culture'

Mother/daughter dynamics - so realistic!

I live for that Jesus car stunt & the nun's reaction

school theatre program

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein

Another Greta Gerwig gem

Beguiled (2017)

Virginia, civil war era

Girls school with only five students and two teachers left

Find an injured Union army soldier & bring him inside

Women & teenagers want his attention (v. problematic) before uniting against him

(tbh you'll either love it, hate it, or watch once & forget it)

Sofia Coppola film so its very feminine gaze

TW: violence, death, underage

Legally Blonde (2001)

No questions will be taken

Elle Woods was the blue print

TV series:

House of Anubis (2011-2013)

I know it’s a kids/young teen show but I still unironically love it

ANCIENT EGYPT!!!!

Modern day with Victorian era links to treasure hunters & Egyptian research expeditions (stealing from tombs)

Chosen one plot lines, curses, kidnapping, mysteries, secret tunnels under the school, elixir of life

Teens have investigate & protect themselves cus oh no the TEACHERS are involved in some shady stuff

new American kid at British boarding school is the actual premise not just a fanfic au

Nostalgic, light-hearted, funny, and kinda cheesy but I will accept no criticism

The Alienist (2018 -now)

Mid 1890s, New York

Woman’s private detective agency (Season 2)

Serial killer mystery

Woman secretary turns detective and teams up with a criminal psychiatrist and a newspaper editor to solve crime

TW: violence, child pr*stit*tion

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans, Daniel Bruhl

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

Woman chess prodigy

1950s & 1960s

TW: drug & alcohol abuse

Gentleman Jack (2019 - now)

Based on the diaries of Anne Lister

Victorian Yorkshire, England

Upper-class lesbians

Confident, suit wearing! Anne Lister x shy! Ann Walker

Business woman! Anne running the family mines

Cast: Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster) & Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders)

TW: violence

Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

bubbly/ambitious single mom + intelligent daughter

bookworm! Rory Gilmore gets into a prestigious private school and then an Ivy League college

Small town drama is comedic gold

Fast dialogue packed with pop culture and literary references

Comforting & nostalgic

TEAM JESS

Anne with an E (2017-2019)

Loose adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s ‘Anne of Green Gables’ books

they completely change the plot lines but it’s still very good content!

Orphan girl with trauma and a love of books/poetry is adopted by an elderly brother & sister duo, bringing light and fresh ideas to a rural community

Feminism, girls writing club, lgbtq safe spaces, girls eduction, black/indigenous representation

Miss Stacy as THAT inspiring teacher

Aunt Josephine’s lavish gay parties have my heart

TW: creepy male teacher tries to marry a student, racial discrimination, indigenous assimilation school

Victoria (2016-2019)

Adaption of Queen Victoria’s life

Victoria navigating her political, royal, and personal life

Albert’s involvement with The Great Exhibition, 1851 (on cultural + industrial innovations)

Alfred Paget x Edward Drummond is exquisite

Gorgeous costumes and aesthetics

TW: bury your gays trope

Derry Girls (2018-now)

1990s Northern Ireland during the troubles

Comedy, episodes 20-25 mins long

English boy sent to an all girls Catholic school with his cousin

✨Dead Poets Society parody episode ✨with a free-spirited female teacher

Sister Michael, the sarcastic nun who hates her job & reads the exorcist for giggles

Wee anxious lesbian! Clare Devlin (plus her friends wearing rainbow pins)

Badass with bad ideas! Michelle Mallon

Main Character! Erin Quinn

Lovable weirdo who would fight a polar bear! Orla McCool

Wee English fella & honorary Derry girl! James Maguire

Dickinson (2019-now)

Loose adaption of the poet Emily Dickinson’s life

Set in 19th century Massachusetts, US

Historical drama with modern dialogue & music that works SEAMLESSLY

gives a great understanding of Emily Dickinson’s poems

💕Vintage gays! Emily x Sue💕

Theatre club, writing, poetry, dressing as men to sneak into lectures, love letters, teen drama, feminism, and an underground abolitionist journal as a brief side plot in season 2

Wiz Khalifa plays death in a horse drawn carriage

TW: opium use

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019)

Based on great childhood books

Bookworm! brother, Inventor! sister, and baby sister with sharp teeth

Mystery, secret organisations, orphaned siblings figuring things out & fending for themselves against the villain after their fortune

Adults either cartoon evil, comedically incompetent, or SPIES

Boarding school, library owner, scientific researcher, and theatre episodes

Ambiguous time period which is really fun to try and pin point

Killing Eve (2018-now)

Classic detective who has homoerotic tension with the assassin she is tracking down

British Detective! Eve Polastri figures out the notorious assassin MI5 are investigating is a woman, is fired & then put on a secret MI6 case with a small team

Assassin! Villanelle, a psychopath with a tragic past and a mastery of both accents & fashion

Woman MI6 boss! Carolyn Martens, head of Russian section

Travel Europe following Villanelle’s killings and escaping the assassins sent by Villanelle’s organisation

‘You’re supposed to be my enemy and moral opposite but omg you’re the only one smart enough to get me and why am I obsessed with you????'

🚨 GO IN FOR A KISS AND THEN STAB YOUR ENEMY 🚨

Cable Girls/Las chicas del cable (2017-2020)

Spanish drama set in 1920s Madrid

Four young women at a telecommunications company form a group of friends and help navigate the difficult situations they are all in

Secret identities, dangerous pasts, murder, crime, lgbtq couple & throuple, trans man character, feminism/suffragists

girls commit crimes for humanitarian reasons and cover! it! up!

UNDERRATED SHOW!!!!

Gorgeous costumes and set

Haven’t finished it yet and I’m catching up

TW: abuse, violence, death

Outlander (2014 - now)

haven’t watched yet but plan to

Woman time travels to Scotland, 1743

Rebel highlanders, pirates, British colonies, American revolutionary war

Time jumps between 18th & 20th century

[myopicmeerkat]

195 Followers Celebration

Guess who was too impatient to actually have 200 followers before holding the celebrations? Yeah!! That's right!! This annoying dumbass sitting right here, typing out this post, grinning as she types.😁😁

Anyways, besties, enough of me fooling around, IG.

Okay, so, first of all, OMG!! I am really happy and really surprised at the same time, YK. Happy at the fact that I got so many followers. Surprised at the fact that I got so many followers.

But I still wanna tell all of you something.

And, well, what I want to say is - *takes a deep breath in* *shouts* THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOLLOWING THIS SILLY LITTLE BLOG OF MINE AND BECOMING FRIENDS WITH ME, BESTIES!!!! I LOVE ALL OF YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! SENDING Y'ALL TONS AND TONS AND TONS AND TONS OF LOVE AND HUGS!!!! 💛💛💛💛

And to celebrate this milestone that I have reached today, many thanks to all of your love, support and encouragement, I have decided to hold a Star Wars Universe-themed celebrations!! Hope all of you will enjoy this!! :D

Coruscant - Send me a character/ship + a prompt/scenario and I will write (a) headcanon(s) for them. (Nothing NSFW, please.) (FYI, I write for HP, Star Wars (movies and TCW) and BBC Sherlock.)

Endor - Send me a headcanon/joke/meme (the latter two can be general or concerning a particular fandom) and I will rate it out of 10.

Geonosis - Send me a theme and I will make a moodboard based on it. (The theme can be anything - a character, a ship, a movie, a song, an aesthetic or your blog.)

Hoth - Send me a word or a sentence and I will give you a picture (from the innumerable pictures I have saved on my Pinterest) which it reminded me of.

Jakku - I will make a picrew (using this picrew) of what I think you look like.

Mustafar - Give me a book/movie/song rec and I will give you one.

Naboo - Classic Tumblr games (excluding KMK and FMK).

Tatooine - Ask me any 5 questions and I will be able to answer only in "Yes" or "No" or "Maybe, IDK". (Please don't make the questions too personal.)

Tagging my super-awesome besties below the cut. 😄😄

@silver-de-vonne, @hemlock-the-viper, @the-nightingales-world, @the-nyx-from-here-and-there, @remuslupininskirts, @siriusblackinskirts, @regulusblackinskirts, @jamespotterinskirts, @i-do-random-things-do-not-ask, @moony-likes-hot-choc, @howlingpadfoots, @midtownbucky, @draco-loves-ferret, @nymphadorathebubba, @helloliriels, @deadpotayto, @acciorxses, @carolinesalvawhore, @nakaharaswife, @glittercrashhh, @celestialsmessy1, @emikadreams, @anonymouse-the-asian, @toofburet, @my-last-two-brain-cells-and-i, @iluvitwhenweplay-1950, @peterrr-parkour, @sirsnortsalot13, @cosmicdreams1111, @your-favourite-skittles, @arachneofthoughts, @f-i-t-z-s-i-m-m-o-n-s, @fierreth-who, @friedmomos, @nothings-fair, @girl-among-mts, @koushiki-das, @gayteensupreme, @buzzcut-and-bleached-hair, @astrqnova, @tarafications, @ialmostdonothingnew, @yonkitybonkity, @ghost-spidey, @themostingloriousisvictorious, @the-happy-fujoshi, @justtryingtosurviveinthepresent, @alexanderthepatrochillestrash, @sassychaostrash, @dead-james-potter and all my other amazing mutuals and followers whose URLs I cannot remember ATM. (I am so sorry for the same. 😔) Though I couldn't tag everyone here, please know that I am very much grateful to all of you for following my blog, chatting with me, appreciating my posts and for everything y'all have done for me. Thank you so much!!!! :))

[definegodliness]

What is your favorite animal? And have you ever written a poem about it?

Disclaimer: I've written a couple of poems about my dog, Diesel (R.I.P.), who was by far my favourite animal. But I think he doesn't count because he was my best friend too, and of course a unique specimen of Jack Russell Terrier... also, it feels weird to count him as an animal. So I won't.

Right, the Sperm Whale.

Yes, I have written about them. But I can't relocate the poem(s) searching tags.

So, story time: I remember when I was about six years old; pancakes Wednesday at my grandparents. They had satellite TV, so they could get the good stuff. Then, on screen, there was the 1950's movie Moby Dick, starring Gregory Peck as Ahab. I was completely absorbed by that movie. And when the White Whale surfaced, so started my fascination. A titan to conquer man, in all its shortsighted violence. Nature fighting back. I loved it. Then, a bit later, there was Monstro in Pinocchio as the embodiment of rage, which I guess has always been my bottom line emotion.

I was sold.

I must have read Melville's Moby Dick at least five times, since then, and always in different stages of my life; always taking different things from the book. And I cannot watch enough documentaries about these mythical beasts that swim, hunt, and thrive at depths so obscure to humanity. Every scar on their face is a monumental story to me. And the rarest, yet actually existing, albino Sperm Whales get my blood pumping rhapsodically.

[ratingtheframe]

10 Films to watch this Valentine’s Day if you’re single as hell.

If anyone or anything is making you feel worthless on the Capitalist Holiday that is Valentine’s Day because you’re single AF, then don’t fret because it means one of two things;

You’re happy enough with yourself to not need anyone else.

You’re allergic to people.

Though mine is both the former and the latter, I can still get down to a good romance movie now and again. Now I’m not talking about those horrendous rom coms that Netflix seems to be churning out every damn minute, but those emotionally invested, earthy and well written dramas that has you ugly crying into your bathrobe for 17 minutes straight (me at the end of Her.). Here is a compiled list of some of the best romance films I’ve seen over the years and how each one doesn’t showcase an abundance of clichés and brands them as “acts of love”.

A Star is Born (2018 or 1953, take your pick)

I’ve found that both the 1953 version of A Star is Born with Judy Garland and the 2018 newer version to be a perfect and well rounded love story. What makes this love story so fierce is the vulnerabilities and downfall of its characters, which even though there are many sad moments, it perpetuates and strengthens the acts of love shown in the film. Both versions are similar in that they follow a woman who’s rise to fame as a performer becomes overshadowed by her jealous partner, who is also a notable celebrity. In the 2018 version starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, Gaga’s character Ally is helped by a country singer, Jackson Maine to become a successful singer and icon amongst the music industry. As she rises, Jackson falls and the character dynamics and intensity between them is a fitting love story. I was thoroughly bawling at the end and I guarantee you will too as Lady Gaga’s rendition of Love Again was the true scene stealer of the film. 

Call me by your name (2017)

I have an incredible bias towards this film and it has nothing to do with the film’s context or characters or even Timothée Chalamet The reason why I feel so connected to this film and proclaim it as my favourite film of all time is because of when I watched the film. It’s almost like seeing a film about a political event right after it's happened; you have this rush and connection towards something that’s actually affected you in the real world. I had the same feeling with Call me by your name after going through a rough and confusing patch whilst trying to get over someone I thought I truly loved. Turns out I didn’t (thank god) and yet Call me your name was almost like a shoulder to cry on. It’s a film that’s taught me to love and love hard but most importantly, not beat yourself up or try to distinguish the pain felt by true love. If you haven’t been fortunate to catch this beauty of a film, it follows two men, Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) and their brief relationship in the summer of 1983 in Northern Italy. 17 year old Elio lives with his parents and his father (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a scholar who invites students from outside the country for the summer in hope of passing on his wisdom to them. This is when Oliver arrives, a handsome twenty something American who becomes the infatuation of Elio. 

I’ll never forget the first time I heard the monologue that Elio’s father gave his son at the end, explaining to Elio why he shouldn’t feel embarrassed by the pain he felt after loving Oliver:

“We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster, that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste”

That, ladies and gentlemen and all in between, is what love is.

Her. (2013)

Once again, another film about love that had a profound effect on me because of when I watched it. Her. follows the story of Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) and his search for a story using an A.I to help him write. However, after getting to know this A.I named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) and hearing the way she adapts and shows emotions, he soon falls in love with it. Some may deem this as rather sad (which it is) but I think it speaks to bigger constructs like internet dating and letting go of people you loved thus diminishing the fantasy and world you created for the two of you. This part of the film got to me a stark way as I felt the pain of letting go of not only a person, but a fantasy, just like Theodore had to do in letting his past partners go. Her. is truly beautiful, with some great production design, cinematography and acting.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

The absolute queen of love stories would be Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a film about the romance between two women in the late 18th Century. Definitely not a narrative you see every day or one that’s been painted in such a way (pun intended). Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the beautiful and stubborn Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) and the portrait is to be gifted to a suitor of Héloïse’s from Milan. But instead of getting the painting done and sending it off, Marianne and Héloïse unexpectedly fall for one another at a subtle and well timed pace that had me gawping at the screen the entire way through. Slow, sensual and moving is Portrait of a Lady on Fire and I would definitely say is one of the best LGBTQ plus films ever made to date.

Broke Back Mountain (2005)

Ang Lee scooped up a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscar for his direction on his adapted screenplay of Brokeback Mountain. Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) form a romantic bond after shepherding alone together on the side of a mountain. Once their time herding sheep comes to a close and they return back to their respective lives, it's clear that their bond is stronger than they had anticipated. They live in constant fear of their relationship becoming apparent to those around them, which leaves one of them taking matters into their own hands. A controversial yet extremely successful film of its time, Brokeback Mountain does a fabulous job of showcasing the consequences and despair of love using two of Hollywood’s finest actors.

Carol (2013)

It’s difficult to fully appreciate LGBTQ plus films set in the past as they mostly focus on the persecution of homosexuals as opposed to the love they wish to express. However, this was pretty accurate of the time and it's only very recently that we have begun to accept one another’s sexualities and genders fully so much that we play these stories out on screen without the persecution part. Carol is a film directed by Todd Haynes and stars Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett. I found them to be an extremely intense pairing whilst they unravelled as their characters on screen. Therese (Rooney Mara) works in the toy department of a department store when one day she lays eyes upon Carol Aird, a beautiful and elegant married woman who becomes the infatuation of Therese. Therese throws all caution to the wind in order to be closer to Carol and because of this and the 1950s society they live in, their relationship is doomed from the beginning. I was in complete awe of the way Carol had been shot and created into this sensual and rich drama set in the 1950s. From the costumes, to the lighting to the acting, everything about Carol held weight to it showcasing the devotion of a truly talented director.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2004)

Usually I’d pass on a Charlie Kaufman film, seeing as they make no sense, however I felt that it was time I delved into this cult classic starring Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood. It’s a really well made film with a clear and distinct message to it that’s represented in some phenomenal filmmaking techniques. The plot line of this film follows a man trying to erase a past lover and his memories of her get wiped away physically before your eyes on screen. It made me wish that I could do the same with people I’ve liked in the past, but the contradictory of this would be the trauma of eventually ending up with someone you had already met in another life. I haven’t experienced a break up nor felt the pain of one, though I could judge that this film tells that experience really well.

Moonlight (2016)

Moonlight is one of few films that I would genuinely worship if it were a religion. It's also one of the films that I outwardly shame people for not having seen, as it is truly a masterpiece and film lover’s film. Deep, emotionally connected, colourful, harsh, moving and eye opening, this film takes you on an emotional rollercoaster through the eyes of Chiron and the three stages of his life that have carved out his essence as a human being. Not only that, but he falls in love with another boy at his school, and when he does, he’s hurt rather badly. Literally. Moonlight is the definition of profundity and was awarded the top prize of Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards. 

Loving (2016)

When I think of a truthful and honest testament of love, the film Loving comes to mind which is a fitting title for such a delicate yet strong story. The film is based on a true story of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred (Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga) being banned from Virginia in the 1950s for choosing to be together. If that ain’t a true sacrifice of love, then I don’t know what is. Choosing someone you love over your own home is an unfathomable thing and certainly shows the strength that this couple had in facing the judgements of others whilst remaining emotionally truthful to themselves. 

The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water is a strange yet enlightening love story between Eliza, a deaf woman (Sally Hawkins) and a creature being tested on in a laboratory. Awards season went mental for this back in 2018, winning four of the THIRTEEN Oscars it was nominated for. I would categorize it as quite the niche film and wouldn’t usually think that such a film could be garnered with Oscar success. However everyone who worked on this film really pulled out the stops in creating an entire new world and perspective that has many layers to it, as well as an abundance of conflict and dynamics for audiences to lull over. The relationship between Eliza and the feared swamp monster that’s being cruelly tested in the laboratories where she works, is heartfelt and honest, which is strange seeing as Eliza’s virtually in love with a monster. The casting in this was outlandish yet it really worked as all actors in this melded well into the story as their prospective characters. It also has one of the most touching endings to a film I’ve ever seen.

And there you have it, ten Romance films for you to enjoy this Valentine’s Day. Watch them all at once, or maybe just watch one. Whether you watch it alone or with someone, it doesn’t really matter!

Lots of love

Ang x

[msawesomegeek]

The incomplete guide to watching danish movies.

A/N: Hello everyone! Since Druk (Another Round) won an oscar, the first danish movie in like 7 years by the way, and I am very proud of that. I thought, maybe riding off that movies success, people might want to explore the culture and movies of my country, Denmark. So, as a proud danish person, and lover of cinema in general, I thought I would give you all some tips and tricks I have learned along the way. Which movies to just avoid, which are musts! And which are just, like, why don't we leave this genre alone. (Full disclosure tho, I have not seen every danish movie ever made, and some I haven't watched since I was a kid, so I might remember them better than they are. So, this is by no means a complete list at all).

So, going off of Druk (Another Round, I will refer to all movies by their danish names and then put their english title or what I would translate it to, in a parenthasis, cool? Cool.). Druk, is a very good example of what danish cinema has to offer.

First off. Denmark is a small scandinavian country;

Yeah, that little small red blob there, is where I live. (You see me? ;) ), we are a bit of a weird culture; we have more pigs than people, love to eat said pigs with sovs or what you would call gravy, only browner and thicker (its amazing). We were vikings, has the worlds oldest flag and one of the oldest monarki's. We haven't historically done too much since being vikings (Our french revolution was pretty peaceful, and we basically rolled over when the germans invaded us in the second world war, after doing nothing in the first one (we were actually called the cream front, because so little happened). We speak danish. And even though we have raged a lot of wars against them, if you confuse us with Sweden or Norway, we will fuck you up. Also, only we get to be mean to them. Not you. Also, as evidenced by Druk, we get drunk a lot. Its a thing.

So, that was a brief (not so brief soz) summery of my culture and country. Onto the movies.

So, I haven't really done too much research into film history, but here is what you need to know. from the 1950's to 70's, our movies were a lot of fun. So, in this era there are basically three kinds of movies, one is called Morten Korch, the other: Dirch Passer, and the last: Olsen Banden. These three dominated the danish film industry. So, from this era, here are some tips.

If you love old movies that are oddly serious and light hearted at the same time, always taking place on a farm, and usually with a love triangle based on a book from the 30's, the Morten Korch movies are for you. Now. I am personally not too big of a fan, tonally they're a bit wonky, but to ease into it at least I would recommend watching Sønnen Fra Vingaarden (The son from the vineyard) or De røde heste (the red horses). But, if you are just getting into danish cinema, this is probs a bit hardcore.

Which brings us to the two others.

So, if you like zany antics, stupid plots, also a lot of farming, sailors and or soldiers, then, Dirch Passer movies are the way to go. He made a whole bunch. They are always sweet as hell, charming as hell, and feature some cute antics. They are light-hearted and fun. Their view of females, a little weird. But on a sick day they are everything I need. Some of my favourites are: Sømand i knibe (sailor in trouble), Soldater kammerater (Soldier buddies), Majorens Oppasser (the majors keeper), Hurrah for de blå Hussarer (Hurray for the blue hussars) and Dig, mig, Dirch og Dario (you, me, Dirch and Dario). A few years ago they also made a beautiful biopic about Dirch Passer which I would recommend watching, that is just called Dirch (A Funny Man). He is a bit of a folk hero here. Just warning.

The last, the Olsen Banden, is actually not a genre or anything, it is a series of movies, but I am expanding it to the great movies with these actors. So, these actors Ove Sprogø, Morten Grünewald and Poul Bundgaard, star in a lot of danish movies as well (basically all the actors in all these movies are more or less the same, we have like 30 working actors at all times at most. Small country). But these three are really special. Besides the Olsen Gang, they starred in some other good movies I would recommend like; Far klarer sovsen (daddy handles the sauce (Surprisingly feminist for its time)), and a fave which is soo problematic in the end but I love it anyways: Een pige og 39 sømænd (One girl, and 39 sailors). These three starred in this series called the Olsen gang. Which, if you like, zany antics, lovely characters who yell a lot, formulas that is unique to this movie, things going oh so wrong, then the Olsen gang is for you. Beloved folk classic movies, and all just great. These movies about this gang of bumbling thieves and Yvonne, are amazing, has an amazing soundtrack you can never get out of your head, and some real iconic scenes! Now, watch the old ones, if you see something called the Olsen gang, and it is animated or features young people, DO NOT WATCH. They are bad.

Moving on!

Basically from there, all danish movies can be split into a few categories:

Fantasy (we are generally not good at those, except when its made for kids (Otherwise they usually get too dark and weird), so, here I would watch; De Fortabte Sjæles ø (the island of lost souls), Tempelridderens skat (The treasure of the templar) and Falkien fra Bilbao (The Falkie from Bilbao), and for horror the temp (vikaren) is amazing, but in general, we should not be touching fantasy as a genre, cuz we are not good at it...).

Historical movies (usually about being Vikings, our monarki, or world war two.), these movies just get very stale after a while, but a few are pretty good, Hvidstensgruppen (I dont think this has an english name), but that one is pretty good for your world war two cravings along with Flammen og Citronen. Other than that, A royal affair is amazing, and Summer of '92 is pretty good. Otherwise, eh. I dont know. I haven't seen too many outside of school, so good ones are hard to come by.

Social realism. (We, make a lot of these!!), so, this is a bit of a weird genre, it is like realism, and drama and this weird, I wouldn't call it noir, but there is like this special danish sauce, sprinkled over most movies in this genre, its a little hard to discribe, Druk, falls into this category. Other movies that are definitely worth a watch are: Gud taler ud (Word of god), which is this amazing family movie just amazing. En frygtelig kvinde (a terrible woman), Festen (the celebration), Pusher and Nordvest, are all definitely worth a watch, and maybe you can explain what that special sauce is.

Speaking off: Dark (ass) comedies. We make a TON of these. And we're real good at it. It is such, realistic but funny movies that are just fucked up in different ways, and I love them! You have the sillier more violent ones like: Terkel i Knibe (Terkel in trouble), Sorte Kugler (What goes around), Klovn (all the movies, Clown, they are like the inbetweeners on steroids when it comes to cringe), Blå mænd (take the trash), Alle for en (all for one, this franchise is real good) and Selvhenter (heavy load).

( And then, we have the DARK shit, that is somehow still entertaining and funny at times. Here I'm talking: De grønne slagtere (The green butchers), Blinkende lygter (Flickering lights), Retfærdighedens ryttere (Riders of justice), Ved verdens ende (at worlds end) and De Frivillige (Out of tune). These are all amazing and funny, and especially a few of these are cultural phenomena here. Dark humor is our specialty. (I would personally start with Terkel in trouble, Sorte kugler and De grønne slagtere).

Now some honourable mentions to the first Anja and Victor movie, it can stay and Askepop is weirdly adorable as well. And Guldhornene (the gold of Valhalla), is everything norse mythology could have been. (yeah I just didn't know where to put them. But seriously watch Guldhornene, it answers the question: What would the norse gods be like if they were stupid and in our world? The answer: Hilarious!)

Then we have our last category: Crime. We are good at making some murder mysteries great! And yeah, I know Nordic Noir is a cliche or whatever, but what can I say? We're just good at it. From the department Q franchise (which I haven't watched the last, but all the others are amazing!) To the hunt, (Jagten), to Den Skyldige (The guilty), we are just good at crime movies man. But avoid Kød og Blod (Flesh and blood), that was disappointing in the end.

I know I am missing a lot of kids movies, but that is mostly cuz I watched a lot of those movies, as a kid, and I haven't since, so I dont really know if I can trust my judgement.

But generally, these are my recommendations to danish cinema! I would love for you all to watch all these movies, I hope would be to your liking, I have specially picked them out from each genre. And if I haven't mentioned a genre, it's cuz we aren't very good at them. We are a small country, so our success rate for movies are a little low, but I hope you all feel inspired to watch some fun danish movies. I know I am. Feel free to tell me if you saw any, if you liked or hated them? if you have any of my picks you disagree with, or something you think is missing from my list. let's talk!

(Side note, because I haven't really watched any, I did purposefully leave out Lars Von Trier movies. Not cuz they are bad or not a part of danish cinematic culture. I just figured, that if you are a film nerd or student, you are probably exposed to him anyway.).

[russellius]

📸 by @/sebkawka

[thegentlecriticfilmreview]

Late Night, a feminist review

This is another old essay, on my favourite movie Late Night, from the coolest class I ever took, Women in Pop Culture. Writing this essay actually made me realize I want to more closely study competitive femininity one day! I also remember this was an essay where I wished the word count was higher, because I love this movie and had a lot to say!! lol, maybe one day I will write more. 

if you read, I hope you enjoy!

Mindy Kaling's first feature film, Late Night, is a dramatic comedy starring Emma Thompson as Katherine Newbury, the only female late night talk show host in America. Kaling co-stars as Molly Patel, an Indian woman selected as a diversity hire for Katherine’s writing staff. The film is a pointed remark on the lack of diversity in Hollywood writing rooms, as well as the cultural shifts that are bringing about change in the industry. Molly Patel’s intersectional feminisim not only builds her relationship with Katherine but also attests that a truly feminist character has less limitations than most depictions of empowered women. 

Five minutes into the film, we see Katherine Newbury fire one of her writers after he asks for a raise because he has just had a second child with his wife. Katherine is more than pleased to inform him of why this is a sexist request. “You’re asking for a raise, not because of any work-related contribution,” she says, “but simply because you have a family. And that’s why in the 1950’s, family men were promoted over the women they worked with.” It is understood from this scene that Katherine approaches the world from a place of education and with feminist intent. However, the writer she is firing quickly retorts, “There are no women on this staff. And the reason there aren’t any women is because you hate women.” This is a shock for both Katherine and the audience because, how can a self-proclaimed feminist be accused of hating women? 

An internalized competitive feminity is revealed in Katherine. Angela McRobbie explains competitive femininity as, “an amplification of control of women... so as to ensure the maintenance of power structures...Feminism, at the same time, is made compatible with an individualising project and is also made to fit with the idea of competition” (McRobbie, 2015, pg. 3). Katherine is the only female late night host in television, yet she is an upper class, white woman. Her economic background alone allows her to occupy a place of privilege in a system that relies on the oppression of the lower classes. While it is a triumph that Katherine is a successful female host, she fails to reflect on possible extensions of this triumph, such as hiring other women for her staff. Therefore, Katherine’s feminism is a self-serving feminism. “It seems then there is a battle to ensure that the new popular feminism which emerges or which holds sway is one which discards the older, welfarist and collectivist feminism of the past, in favour of individualistic striving” (McRobbie, 2015, pg. 4). Competitive feminity is a sly instrument in our society. It allows for the success of certain women over others, while leaving “the existing patriarchal regime relatively untouched” (McRobbie, 2015, pg.17). 

As the media we see often reflects certain aspects of the society we live in, Mindy Kaling is making a purposeful statement that writing rooms in the entertainment industry are disproportionately white, male and upper class. As Douglas Kellner details in, “Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism and Media Culture,”  the entertainment industry plays a massive role in our society’s culture. “Media images help shape our view of the world and our deepest values...Media stories provide the symbols, myths and resources through which we constitute a common culture and through the appropriation of which we insert ourselves into this culture” (Kellner, 2015, pg. 7). It is important to view Late Night with a cultural studies perspective. Kaling’s character Molly Patel is very clearly both a fan and critic of popular culture, and Katherine Newbury is considered an international icon. Furthermore, Andi Zeisler, in “Pop and Circumstance: Why Pop Culture Matters,” demonstrates the significance of examining phenomena such as cultural icons “in the context of its social value, influence and ideology” (Zeisler, 2008, pg. 5). We see examples of strong cultural reactions in Late Night when Katherine receives negative backlash from both journalistic and social media for attempting to embarrass one of her guests, as well as having an affair with one of her writers. This is because Katherine’s status as an icon places her in a space of perpetual examination.

The introduction of Kaling’s character, Molly Patel, is the biggest shift in the plot. Molly is the opposite of Katherine in that she is exceedingly earnest, prone to hesitation, attended a community college and is not white. Bell hooks identifies from her experience teaching cultural studies that, “everyday folks from all walks of life were eager to share thoughts and talk critically about pop culture” (hooks, 1994, pg. 4). If we understand popular culture and its various productions paired with its widespread influence, what can possibly justify the fact that it is dominantly created by white, upper class men, and not a more accurately diverse portion of the population? Molly raises this issue in the film, urging Katherine to use her perspective as a woman in her comedy. Soon, the entire staff is branching out their writing in order to be more embracing of their audiences. Although it is a comedy, not a superhero film, a connection can be drawn to feminist heroes and how they achieve their goals through collective effort (Curtis and Cardo, 2018). It is in this way that Molly represents a more inclusive feminism. Her question of, “how can I help make this show better?” comes from a headspace of feminist unity. Not like Katherine’s earlier self-serving feminism, Molly asks, “How can I help further the cause of feminism?”

Ultimately, Late Night is an incredibly funny film that successfully tackles feminist and cultural issues. There is room for more than just one empowered woman in the film, and they experience their empowerment in unique ways. Initially, Katherine Newbury’s competitive femininity limits her, and this contrast in her feminism is a reminder of our society’s culture. As bell hooks states, “we must be willing to courageously surrender participation in whatever sphere of coercive hierarchical domination we enjoy” (1994, pg. 6). The introduction of Molly Patel and her desire for a more inclusive and diverse work environment proves that the best way to act as an empowered woman, is to lift up and empower those around you.

[butimacommander]

Thought I’d share some of my favourite wlw movies, please feel free to add your own favourites and i’ll reblog them!!! Lets share the gay.

But i’m a cheerleader (1999)

This crazy satirical comedy is, as mentioned, a satirical comedy, but between the laughs it makes many comments on the ridiculousness of the society, the dangers of conversion therapy and the importance of accepting yourself. Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall play girlfriends that meet at conversion camp and RuPaul plays a camp leader with a “straight is great” shirt. What else do you need?

D.E.B.S. (2004)

This is the early 2000s bad but amazing queer comedy that i always wanted but took me way too long to find. D.E.B.S. is a clandestine paramilitary academy for girls that are recruited through a secret test in the SAT - they basically wear ridiculous outfits and live in a sorority house while working as spies for the US government. The star student finds herself in a romance with the number one bad guy, who in fact is not a guy but a girl played by Jordana Brewster. The movie is directed, written, edited and produced by women so extra points for that.

Children’s Hour (1961)

Two friends open a private school for girls and get accused of having an affair, which leads to parents taking their children away from the school and the women becoming societal outcasts. In the end the other woman admits to herself and to her friend that she in fact does have feelings for her friend. The movie does have an extremely tragic end (as all wlw themed movies in that time had to have), but works as a strong reminder of how far we’ve come, both in the society and in wlw movies.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018)

Set in the 90s, this movie shows how destructive conversion camps were, and still are. This movie is absolutely beautiful, my only critisism being that a disabled person is not played by a disabled person. Chloe Grace Moretz also got a lot of critique for playing a queer character, but SURPRISE she is queer and we all just assumed she wasn’t. Her queerness shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after watching this movie tho, as she is convincing (and hot) as hell.

Imagine Me and You (2005)

The bride falls in love with the florist of her straight wedding. Cheating happens in this movie, but it’s actually handled very well and the husband is the most sympathetic man in wlw movie history. This movie is one of my all time favourites, it’s warm, cute, funny and very English. Also Lena Headey.

Mädchen in uniform (1958)

Set in the 1910s Germany, the movie is about an all girls strict boarding school in which almost everyone is in love with one of the teachers, Miss von Bernburg. The new student (played by the absolutely gorgeous Romy Schneider) falls especially deep for the teacher, declaring her love multiple times and even kissing her. The movie does not have the happiest of endings, but no one dies which was, i guess, progress.

Kyss mig/With every heartbeat (2011)

This beautiful Swedish movie takes the whole cheating thing to a new level, but it’s one of the most beautifully shot wlw movies with some of the most gorgeous shots in movie history. Many have probably seen some of the scenes of this movie on youtube, but i highly recommend watching the whole thing, as it has a great storyline and spoiler aller, a happy ending.

The world unseen (2007)

This movie is set in the 1950s South Africa during the apartheid, tackling racism, classism, sexism and homofobia all at once. It follows the love story Amina and Miriam, one of which is actively challenging the laws and regulations while the latter is scared to make any demands and follows all conventions. This movie has an almost exclusively POC cast and gives an interesting (even though depressing) glimpse at a place and time that deserves all the screen time it can get.

Anatomy of a love seen (2014)

Two actresses fall in love while playing a couple in a movie, break up in real life, and are called back to reshoot a love scene. This movie is very raw, full of feelings, great sex scenes and good chemistry. It does feel a bit like fanfiction coming to life, which i fully say as a positive thing. Maybe don’t watch this movie if you’ve just broken up, or just go for it if you feel like crying your eyes out.

Saving face (2004)

A surgeon and a dancer fall in love in New York, having to deal with the expectations and prejudges of their Chinese-American families. The early 2000s really knew how to make romcoms, since this movie has rightfully claimed its place as one of the classics.

Tumblr won’t let me add more than 10 pictures, so i’ll start with these! Please add your own, or send me your entries and i’ll add them as a reblog :)

[reidscanehand]

hiii! i love your writing so so much, especially your Hotch work, I just think you write his character in such a lovely way<‘33 i’m always looking forward to your updates💕

i was just curious if you could share some of your favourite books? it’s always so interesting to see what people read, and you mention so many great books in your writing, so you obviously have taste🥰

Hello - this is so so sweet and I’m so glad you enjoy my stuff; that’s so nice!

And of course I can! I actually work in a book store right now, so I read and talk about books a lot. It’s most of my day, which is really nice.

So, in terms of favorites...

Non-Fiction:

1. How to Be a Heroine or What I Learned from Reading Too Much by Samantha Ellis - This is a memoir and the author tells her life story around the books that she was reading around that time (Cold Comfort Farm in grad school, Pride and Prejudice when she starts dating, Gone with the Wind around dieting, etc.). It’s beautifully intimate and sweet and a really excellent memoir about becoming a writer.

2. White Hot Grief Parade by Alexandra Silber - A memoir about the year following the tragic death of the author’s father. I truly have never read a better book about grief.

3. Ayoade on Top by Richard Ayoade - This is a film critique cum autobiography where comedian and filmmaker Richard Ayoade tells his life story while also talking about the film View from the Top. Comedic gold.

4. Boy by Roald Dahl - This is a memoir of the famous children’s author’s early years as a boy in England. You can see where you get a lot of the inspiration for his books and it’s wonderfully written (also a relatively quick read).

5. And the Dead Shall Rise by Steve Oney - This is an in-depth true crime/historical recounting of the Leo Frank case. This is a very infamous case that happened at the turn of the century in Georgia. It’s hard to get through (the crime is quite gruesome), but it’s a really well-done book.

Fiction:

1. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury - The most poetic, spooky, wonderfully written book I’ve ever read. I don’t even want to give too much away, but I read this almost every fall (I have a few books that I try to read in the fall because they make me feel spooky and fun - others include Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson and the second Harry Potter book by she-who-must-not-be-named) and it’s perfect for this time of year. It’s about a carnival that comes to town and changes the lives of two boys. Just read it; it’s the best.

2. Emma by Jane Austen - This is my personal favorite Jane Austen novel. Emma Woodhouse was also Jane Austen’s personal favorite heroine that she ever wrote. It’s romantic, witty, fun, and an absolute delight to read.

3. Any Nancy Drew book by Carolyn Keene - I collect Nancy Drew books and I find them incredibly comforting. My grandma introduced me to them and I used to read, like, one a day as a kid. My favorites are Mystery at Lilac Inn and The Hidden Staircase, but they’re all great, if not a little dated.

4. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin - There’s a movie adaptation of this book starring Saoirse Ronan, and I loved it, too. This is the story of Eilis Lacey, an Irish immigrant who moves to New York City in the 1950s. It’s an excellent piece of historical fiction and it also is a really cathartic read about homesickness.

5. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - Dickens is a bit of a hard read, but this is a great way to break into his work. The full title is actually: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas and it definitely reads more as a ghost story than any adaptation would make you think (also, my personal favorite adaptation is The Muppets’ Christmas Carol because it’s a masterpiece).

I hope this answered your question and if you read any of these or like them, please let me know! xx

[autolenaphilia]

Granada Holmes (series review)

The 1984-1994 Granada series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations, starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes are regarded by fans as a milestone among the many adaptations of Sherlock Holmes that were made. Brett is said to be “the definitive Holmes”. And I would largely agree with that, despite it not being my favourite version, and it having some flaws and weak episodes, especially as the series went on.

The first thing that set this show apart is that it went back to the original stories and adapted those. Now, it isn’t the first version to do so, as some people (including Brett, apparently) claim. The 1920s silent film series with Eille Norwood was fairly canon accurate, and the 1960s BBC tv series with Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing also followed the canon. There is also the 1979-1986 Soviet Russian series with Vasily Livanov. And on radio you have more canonical dramatizations, such as the British John Gielgud 1950s series and the BBC Carleton Hobbs series from the 50s and 60s. People have an unfortunate tendency to ignore radio in favour of screen adaptations.

Still, it must be granted that Granada at its best is probably the supreme screen adaptation of the canon. The production values and acting are far superior to what the 60s BBC tv series had.

Jeremy Brett was a revolution in Holmes performances. The previous era defining Holmes, Basil Rathbone, as great as he was, made Holmes into too much of a straightforward hero. Brett brought back the eccentricities (including the drug use), the nervous energy and the character’s general moodiness and emotionality that was there in the text.

Holmes in the Granada series was ultimately on the side of good and a benevolent figure (if occasionally rude), but fictional justice perhaps had never an odder champion. He did everything from sitting weirdly, jumping over couches to taking drugs. Holmes felt neurodiverse, and indeed Brett used his own experiences with bipolar disorder in the performance.  And it was true to canon, in a way we seldom had seen on screen before.

Jeremy Brett’s performance as Holmes is extremely influential and often imitated by later screen adaptations, but has never been surpassed. The portrayal of Holmes in BBC Sherlock and the movies with Robert Downey Jr. is clearly inspired by Brett’s nervy eccentric genius Holmes, but ends up a bad parody. Holmes in the Granada series can like his canon counterpart occasionally be rude or careless towards other, but it was lapses, not a general trend. They seemed to be caused by an eccentric brain on another wavelength from the people around him, rather than any malevolence. Holmes in BBC Sherlock is a male nerd wish-fulfilment fantasy, where the character’s eccentric genius are allowed to excuse any crimes.

At its height, Brett’s Holmes is an awe-inspiring performance, with the actor pouring everything of his skill and energy into it. You could criticize it as melodramatic over-acting, but it makes for great viewing and fits the man who said “I never can resist a touch of the dramatic”.

The Granada series gets much credit for rehabilitating the role of Watson. Both of the actors playing him depicted as very much intelligent and capable. It is somewhat overstated of course, the turning away from the comedic figure Nigel Bruce portrayed started already with Andre Morell’s Watson in the 1959 Hammer Hound of the Baskervilles. Still, the Watson depicted by the Granada series is still one of the show’s chief draws.

The series had a switch in the actors playing Watson, with David Burke portraying him in the first two seasons of 13 episodes  and The Empty House featuring Holmes return to a Watson portrayed by Edward Hardwicke. And honestly it is hard to choose between them, because they are both great and there is a consistency in the writing that makes them feel like the same basic character. 

Burke’s Watson comes across as younger and more energetic of the two actors and has perhaps the better comedic dynamic with Holmes. He is perhaps my pick, as despite his actual age while playing the part, he feels closer to the young Watson of the canon.

But that is no serious slight against Hardwicke’s performance, which is still first-rate. Hardwicke’s Watson feels older, despite the difference in age between the actors being but a few years. The performance is also defined by an effortless charm and warmth, giving Watson an avuncular aura. But Watson is not at all infirm and is still an intelligent medical man and an experienced soldier, ever ready with his revolver.

An interesting change from the Canonical stories is that Watson never gets married and moves out of Baker Street. The Sign of the Four features Mary Morstan, but at the end she walks out of the story without any romance between her and Doctor Watson. The reason this was done, is that it simplifies the set-up of the stories. With Watson in 221B, he is always on hand to join Holmes. No need for a scene at the beginning of Holmes taking Watson away from wife and practice. Also it saves them keeping track of when Watson was married or not, something that Conan Doyle himself got into a serious continuity tangle about.

As producer Michael Cox (quoted in David Stuart Davies’s book Starring Sherlock Holmes)  noted, Conan Doyle himself probably regretted marrying off Watson, considering The Empty House has Watson suffering from a “sad bereavement” and then moving back in with Holmes. So it is a very much acceptable deviation from canon.

It also frees the writers to focus on the most important relationship in the canon: the friendship between Holmes and Watson. The canon has been called “a textbook of friendship” by Christopher Morley, and the chemistry and relationship between Holmes and Watson is vitally important to any adaptation. And that aspect of the stories is wonderfully conveyed here, with both actors playing Watson working together with Brett as Holmes well to convey the odd but close friendship between the two men.

Rosalie Williams plays Mrs. Hudson, and she is excellent in the role. The Granada series has a lot of little scenes of Mrs. Hudson added into the canonical cases, and they work excellently, giving her more of a presence. Many of them are comedic, making jokes about how a difficult and eccentric lodger Holmes is, but there is a clear undercurrent of affection throughout their interactions.

The recurring cast members include Charles Gray as Mycroft Holmes and Colin Jeavons as Inspector Lestrade.

 Gray as Mycroft is close to ideal, fitting the character of the overweight, lazy and intelligent canon character perfectly. He was such a good fit for the role that he had actually earlier played the part in the film adaptation of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.

Jeavons fit the part of Lestrade and his acting is superb, capable of showing the full extent of Lestrade’s character, having both smug over-confidence at times, yet also having genuine respect and affection for Holmes.

The acting skills of the actors playing characters who only appear in one episode is also generally very high. And that is part of the general high quality of execution the show had for most of its run. The period sets and the directing was of a similar high standard. The music by Patrick Gowers is excellent, and I suggest any fan take a listen to this Youtube playlist of his soundtrack.

The scripts are quite excellent, for the most part sticking close to the Conan Doyle stories. Of course there are always infidelities here and there, and sometimes the episode would go on non-canonical tangents.

Usually it was to make the story work better on screen. For example, the villains in The Greek Interpreter escape from Holmes and Watson, ending up being killed “off-screen” as it were. So the Granada version of the same tale has a non-canonical ending of Holmes, Watson and Mycroft confronting the villains on a train, something that works rather well. Another example is The Musgrave Ritual which entirely ditches the original story’s framing device of Holmes telling Watson the story of an early case of his. In the Granada version Watson is with Holmes on this case, and it works better that way.

And with all of these elements working together, for most of its run, the Granada series is perhaps the definitive screen adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. The first four seasons of 50 minute episodes, which were broadcast under the titles of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Return of Sherlock Holmes from 1984-1988 plus the feature length adaptation of The Sign of Four are pretty much all great. It went from strength to strength, consistently making very well-made adaptations of the canon.

The Sign of Four is probably a good pick for Granada’s peak, due to its epic nature. And it is definitely the best of the five feature-length films they did. Outside of leaving out any romance between John and Mary, the film is faithful to the book, although it goes too far in that direction in keeping in the racism of the story. But it also has all of the book’s virtues as a story too, and fine acting from Brett, Hardwicke, and John Thaw as Jonathan Small make for an enjoyable viewing experience.

There was however a decline in the series later years. The lynchpin of the series was Jeremy Brett, and his health began to seriously fail him by 1987, leading to his death in 199 (my source of information on Brett’s health decline and general behind the scenes things is mostly Davies’s book Starring Sherlock Holmes) Once lean and looking remarkably like the Sidney Paget illustrations of Holmes, his conflicting medications for his heart problems and bipolar disorder caused him to retain water and bloat, causing him to no longer look like the lean figure he once was. His looks wasn’t really the problem, what was however was that his health problems drained him of the energy that he once was able to put it into his performance, creating through no fault of his own a more lethargic and weaker Holmes.

There was also a growing lack of care shown towards the series by Granada itself. The budgets began to shrink by 1988, and while the series looked good for the most part, it did impact the show.

Probably the first disappointing episode is the double-length adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles from 1988. You would expect the Granada series, with their excellent leads and excellent track record up to this point, to create the definitive version of this often-filmed story, but it just isn’t. It isn’t bad, but it is ultimately mediocre in a way that is hard to pinpoint. My guess is that the direction and cinematography doesn’t manage to create the suspense the story needs, resulting in a slow-paced and slightly boring experience.

It also ends up show-casing the problems the show would now begin to have, with the production crew not having the money to do location shooting on Dartmoor and Brett obviously showing the signs of his failing health.

The Hound film was followed by a season of six 50-minute length episodes, called The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes. And these were mostly fine, considering the circumstances. The budget had been reduced compared to earlier seasons and you could tell the writers sometimes lacked a first-rate canonical story to adapt.

There were one or two weaker episodes, but those were due to the original story being weak. For example, the season ended with a faithful adaptation of The Creeping Man and it is as good and well-made a tv adaptation you could ever hope to make with such a bizarre plot. The result is of course pure camp, but so is the original story. When the show had a good Conan Doyle story to adapt, like The Boscombe Valley Mystery, The Problem of Thor Bridge or The Illustrious Client, the results are indeed up to the standards of its past.

The real nadir of the series came later, however, when in 1992-93 the series decided to do three double-length episodes. Granada wanted the Holmes series to copy the success of Inspector Morse and its 100 minute tv film format. The problem was the show would still adapt Conan Doyle’s short stories into a format that was far too long for them. So the scriptwriters had to pad the stories out with their own inventions.

This sort of worked for the first film of these three films, The Master Blackmailer. It was based on Charles Augustus Milverton, which is one of the shortest stories in the canon, but one of the most rich in dramatic potential. Writer Jeremy Paul’s script decided to show in detail what is merely mentioned in the story, such as Milverton blackmailing people and Holmes courting Milverton’s maid in order to gain access to his home. The end result works, it is somewhat slow-paced but is ultimately coherent and at its best feels like you are watching the backstory to the canonical events.

The same can’t be said for the second and third of these films, The Last Vampyre and The Eligible Bachelor. The Last Vampyre is an almost completely incoherent non-adaptation of The Sussex Vampire, where elements from the canonical story probably make up less than 5% of the resulting film. There is an attempt to create intrigue and suspense around the original character Stockton, but the film is so vague about what he is and what threat he poses that the resulting film makes no sense.

The Eligible Bachelor is a similar adaptation of The Noble Bachelor, where the canonical story elements that remain is entirely subsided by a new bizarre plot where Lord St. Simon is now a ruthless Bluebeard-like villain. It is slightly better than The Last Vampyre, simply because the villain here poses an identifiable and somewhat coherent threat. Still, the film has to pad things out with bizarre subplots, like Holmes having prophetic dreams, which ultimately doesn’t lead anywhere.

Wisely, the series returned to the 50 minute format for the last season of six episodes, which aired in 1994, under the name of “he Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. It was with this season Jeremy Brett’s health problems and the lower budgets really began to seriously affect the show. Brett was in a bad state at this point, and the description of the production in Davies’s book makes for sad reading.

During the filming of one episode in this season, The Three Gables, he had to use a wheelchair between takes and supplementary oxygen to ease his breathing. His performance is naturally lacking in the energy he once had, but the fact it is a performance at all is testament to his commitment. The Three Gables is actually one of the better episodes of this season, as it actually manages to improve on one of the weakest stories in the canon.

Edward Hardwicke was unavailable to film The Golden Pince-nez, and they couldn’t re-schedule the shooting dates (which I suspect was a budget issue). So the writer wrote out Watson and replaced him in the role of Sherlock’s assistant with Mycroft, since Charles Gray was available. The result is well-made otherwise, with guest stars Frank Finlay and Anna Carteret giving great performances, but the lack of Watson is sorely felt. It is fun to see Charles Gray’s Mycroft again, but it feels contrary to his character to accompany his brother like this.

And before he could film The Mazarin Stone,  Brett’s health gave out on him and he was hospitalized. Again Charles Gray was called in by the producer to play Mycroft as a substitute. It is nice to see Mycroft for a fourth time, but Mycroft doing this doesn’t feel true to his character. And this episode is one of the weakest in the series, due to the script. Not that I blame the scriptwriter too much, The Mazarin Stone is one of the worst stories in the canon. The efforts to improve on the story by combining it with another weak story  The Three Garridebs don’t at all manage to rescue it.

However, there are still some rather good episodes in this season . The Red Circle is good and The last ever episode of the series, The Cardboard box manages to close out the series on a good if dark note.

Jeremy Brett died in 1995 due to heart failure, ending all hope of any future series.

I might have delved too much on the series failures in this essay. Because all of that is outweighed by the consistent high quality the series managed to achieve in the first four seasons, and with a few failures, still managed to sometimes achieve again in the later ones. Those adaptations are perhaps the peak of Holmes on screen.

It is not my favourite adaptation, that is the BBC radio drama versions made starring Clive Merrison as Holmes from 1989 to 2010. Those were just as consistently good, with Merrison and Williams/Sachs as Holmes and Watson being on the same general level as Brett and Burke/Hardwicke as performances. In fact, the BBC version is more consistent, never going off the rails as the Granada version sometimes, and it actually managed to achieve the goal Brett had hoped for: adapting every canonical story.

Still that doesn’t take away from Granada’s great achievement in adapting the Holmes stories with such quality. It is an achievement that later movie and tv adaptations haven’t been able to surpass.

[cafeleningrad]

Hi o(*^▽^*)┛ Soooo, this will be a lot (13), but... these questions are really nice, so take as much time as you need to answer, or answer only a few of the following : Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Pom Poko, Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns, Howl’s Moving Castle, Tales From Earthsea, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Secret World of Arrietty, From up on Poppy Hill, Mary and the Witch’s Flower, Studio Ponoc, Studio Ghibli.

Oh my, thank you very much for so many questions! (I'm sorry to have left you waiting this long, I'd more on my plates than expected the last few days...) They're super nice indeed, so once again I thank you for the fun they brought. (o゜▽゜)o☆

Castle in the Sky: If you could live in any fictional place what would it be? (laputa, atlantis, narnia etc.)? Probably Earth Sea for the possibilities to travel through the sea and encounter so many cultures per island. And dragons. Or Lyra's World when it begins to establish the Republic of Heaven, just out of curiosity to know what shape and personality my daemon has.

My Neighbor Totoro: Favourite mythical creature? Dragons! I loved them since I was a child, and my dracology book remains on the shelf!

Pom Poko: Favourite animal? Wolves and donkeys. (Donkeys are underappreciated (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ))

Whisper of the Heart: What are you most passionate about? Why? Currently a lot of things I enjoy like traveling around the world are rather limited so at the the moment meeting friends from aboard, it's tending my parent's garden. (although it's more a warfare against weed at it's current state)

The Cat Returns: What is the coolest adventure you’ve ever been on? Hmmm, wouldn't know what would qualify for an adventure but mounting Piton de la Fournaise the early morning, passing through different kinds of forests, one entirely quieted from the moss, stars splashed over a midnight silk sky, the first sunrise illuminating a city of clouds in coral rim. Simply breath taking!

Howl’s Moving Castle: Which movie adaption do you prefer to the book? Hmm, there would be two titles: Stardust and the talented Mr.Ripley. Admittedly, Stardust much more closer to a classic fairy tale formula and remarkably less melancholic than Gaiman's original story. But the jokes (the noble ghosts, the witches bickering, Victoria and Humphrey being played up to an 11), the small creative details added within side characters, and of course the brilliant, brilliant casting of Robert de Niro, and Michelle Pfeiffer were a delight. For Anthony Minghella's adaptation, in my opinion he elevated the original material into a more concise thrill rather than Highsmith's novel simmering down the nervwrecking circumstances Tom has to navigate.The end of the book is a bit too smooth for my liking. And of course, the added material of Marge actually being bright adds to the tension as well as contradiction Tom's misogynistic opinion about her, and the very explicit bisexuality of Tom's was my first concious indulgence is ~*problematic queer media*~. ;) Of course, the cinematography and direction of photography is just *chef's kiss*. If anything, a lot of the queer themes in the movie appear, in my eyes, like an explicit "fuck you" to Plein soleil.

Tales From Earthsea: Tell me about something that everyone else hates, but you love. Hmm, most of the times it's the other way around. xD Dunno, maybe it's enjoying doing household chores to make a living space more spacious, more proper, like sorting out old stuff, seeing my space becoming gradually more neat and clean. As the dusty saying goes "cleaning on the outside is cleaning on the inside". (Ever since living on my own I transform into a 1950s advertisement house wife in which a perfectly functional (and silent!) vacuum or something that helps me to get rid of annoying spots on white laundry makes my day better.)

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: Favourite fairytale? Oh, so many! If I really had to choose, it woud be the gallant tailor, Donkey skin, and the Frog Tsarevna.

Secret World of Arrietty: Tell me about the most beautiful place you have ever been. Oh boy, you have it in for me with complicated questions. ;) If I had to choose... Baden-Baden as this city seems to fulfill every fairy tale machination possible. Lushly the pituresque city arises with it's shadowy parks in the middle of the dense, deep Black Forest. As for landscapes, the actual nature, nothing can beat Ireland or la Réunion to me - at least the places I've been to before. Granted, I lived in Ireland for a year, and the people I met there certainly influenced my liking for this country but I swear, never have you seen this much rich emerald around you. Especially the more untamed landscape of Killarney are a wonder to behold. And la Réunion is just breath takingly beautiful, especially the parts where forests grow on cliffs by the seas.

From up on Poppy Hill: Tell me about an experience that changed your life or your worldview. Hmmm, perhaps some small things coming together all the time when you meet new people exchange stories, share ideas and opinions, some talks leave you reconsidering truths one held before. But pinpointing part of my life during which I watched myself grow in a sense of becoming more considerate of different needs, beginning to gradually working on my anger issues, was my year aboard in Ireland, working in a field I never thought I would work in, meeting earnest, direct people (I can't stress how good as well as important it is to have older friends in your life), this was an experience I will always hold dear.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower: What is the last movie you watched? What are your thoughts on it? Bad genius directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya (rewatch). And my thoughts couldn't be any simpler: AWESOME!!!!!

Studio Ponoc: Do you like change? Kinda. Change is inevitable, a neutral process. How good or bad it is depends on my attitude towards it possible outcome and how I would see myself in these circumstances.

Studio Ghibli: Top three Studio Ghibli movies? okay now... my personal Top 3 are: Porco Rosso, Kaguya-hime no Monogatari, and the always beloved Mononoke Hime.