#13 most beautiful

[mack-anthology-mp3]

13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests - Dean and Britta 2010

One of my close friends and bandmates lent me her cd of this album (yes we swap cd, we are music nerds) and I was immediately entranced by it. It has the feel of the Velvet Underground in a way that seems to be equal parts homage and worship without being a direct carbon copy, in some parts sounding very 90s in a way I can;t quite put my finger on - it definitely does not sound like 2010 I'll tell you that.

Andy Warhol's Screen Tests were another one of his wacky little film ideas, which boiled down to 'put person in front of camera, push record on camera'. Pretty much everyone in the Factory, and most visitors, everyone from Edie Sedgwick through Mama Cass through Gerard Malanga through Bob Dylan through Salvador Dalí, was... subjected to one of these. All are shot in black and white, and they generally last for three minutes, though are played slowed down.

Dean and Britta were approached to make music accompanying 13 of the screen tests for a movie (which regrettably at time of writing I have not seen, will watch soon and update this when I have) and accompanying soundtrack. Each song is specific to a person, and the second disc (of the cd at least) is seven alternate versions/remixes, which I actually like better in some cases, although I did just read an article (from popmatters) saying that indeed some of the mixes, specifically Sonic Boom's, work better as standalone music that the versions that do go with the movie. They certainly do have a hypnotic quality to them. That there are 13 songs is significant - Warhol had two exhibitions called '13 Most Beautiful Men / Women'.

The songs are -

Silver Factory Theme (Billy Name)

I'll Keep It With Mine (Nico)

Not A Young Man Anymore (Lou Reed)

I Found It Not So (Mary Woronov)

It Don't Rain In Beverly Hills (Edie Sedgwick)

Incandescent Innocent (Freddy Herko)

International Velvet Redux (Susan Bottomley)

Teenage Lightning and Lonely Highways (Paul America)

Herringbone Tweed (Dennis Hopper)

Richard Rheem Theme (Richard Rheem)

Knives From Bavaria (Jane Holzer)

Eyes In My Smoke (Ingrid Superstar)

Ann Buchanan Theme (Ann Buchanan)

And you will not believe how much googling I just did to figure all that out.

Silver Factory of course refers to the period where the Factory was wallpapered in tinfoil. I'll Keep It With Mine is a non-album Dylan song covered by Nico. Not A Young Man Anymore is a Velvet Underground rare song convered so convincingly by Dean Wareham that I thought for a moment it *was* the VU on the recording - classic mid-sixties garage rock sound giving the indie treatment. It Don't Rain In Beverly Hills / no matter what they say / the pain never washes away is probably the most Edie Sedgwick song out there, beating even Patti Smith's Poppies, which was written for her. Teenage Lightning and Lonely Highways could fit nearly any teen road trip movie, and has definite fictional 1950s vibes, perfectly fitting a guy nicknamed Paul America. Knives From Bavaria is delightfully nonsensical and I have no idea what it has to do with Jane Holzer or her teeth brushing but it's a cool little song anyways.n

This album has a deep sense of sadness to it, despite the generally upbeat vibes. Maybe it's cause we know that so many of the superstars died young, or had a lot of bad stuff happen to them, struggled with addiction, or just that they are a footnote in history. Maybe it's because they stare at you, or avert their eyes, from the depths of time and the screen tests. Because, for a lot of us on here reading this, some of the people who this music was written for died before our parents were born. Some of the songs are genuinely tragic, and like the superstars themselves, the facade of glitter and beauty lies thin over emotion. The Factory and the people in it were some of the defining points of the sixties, and yet listening to this music, watching the screen tests, can at times fell like being let in on a secret about their lives.

I really love this album, and though I don't know it particularly well, it has a profound impact on me and I will be listening to some of the songs on this for a very long time.

[deansraspberrypie]

(✿ 💚‿💚)

👑❤ The most handsome man ❤️‍🔥👑

📸: robenedict (Instagram)

Edited by me: @deansraspberrypie

🍰 Tag list: @undisputedchick2 @jranutter @kazsrm67 🥧

[fromtheseventhhell]

Another round of asoiaf "prettycourse", another round of people ignoring Arya's self-esteem issues and how it relates to her arc because their enjoyment of the series hinges on an 11-year-old being considered ugly.

[bird-inacage]

Love in the Air: Prapai’s Rescue of Sky (The Ambush Aftermath)

I always knew, KNEW that I would have to write a deep dive on the Sky & Prapai aftermath scenes (following Sky’s ambush). I knew that they were going to be emotionally weighty and encompass some of the most incredible acting of the series. These scenes deserve every bit of neurotic over-analysis.

Part 1: "Answer me!”

When Prapai first approaches Sky after the attack, Sky is clearly shell-shocked, unresponsive and already starting to shut down. Note that Prapai begins by calling out to Sky in a neutral tone. When Prapai quickly realises that Sky is not responding to him, he panics. Panics severely. So he raises his voice and shakes Sky, and raises his voice again. He literally yells “Answer me!”

This is the line that really hit me, because I wasn’t expecting it at all. We always see Prapai as being very soft and coaxing with Sky. In Sky’s most vulnerable moment yet, Prapai yells harder than we’ve ever heard him raise his voice. Now note that this is not a yell at Sky, but for Sky. He sees that Sky is shutting down, which is a really bad sign. And Prapai, out of sheer desperation and panic, shouts in an attempt to get through to him.

And most importantly, it works. It’s amazing how Prapai instinctively seems to know what he needs to do to reach Sky in the quickest way possible. He demonstrated this in the notebook scene, and now here too.

Once Sky finally registers that Prapai is there with him, he immediately pleads. Now this is the first time Prapai has gotten any direct reference to what Sky went through. Nothing further really warrants being said. The implication is loud and clear. Prapai appears to be stunned at first, taken aback by what he’s hearing. Slowly but surely registering this information as the pieces begin to fall into place in his head. It’s incredibly difficult to process such upsetting information all at once. Also because he’d probably never, ever, even contemplated that Sky’s trauma could be in connection to something as heinous and cruel as this.

We see Prapai grimace, bow his head in both anger and heartbreak over what he’s just heard. For all the tumultuous feelings that must be crushing him in that moment, he reigns them all in. Desperately squashes down his absolute fury for the sake of the person trembling before him. He collects himself to ensure he is who Sky needs to be. The gentle, soothing, reassuring Prapai. The protective Prapai. He immediately responds to Sky’s questions in an attempt to allay any spiralling thoughts Sky may have. He returns to a soft tone of voice. It’s almost like Prapai doesn’t want to risk spooking Sky any further.

Part 2: “I told you to cry! I’m begging you!”

It’s Sky’s need for Prapai that snaps him out of beating the shit out of Gun. Rain’s calls of alarm, divert Prapai’s attention. Yes, he understandably wants revenge. Yes, he desperately wants this man to feel even a tiny fraction of what he’s inflicted on Sky. But Sky comes first and above all else. Always.

When Prapai returns to Sky, Sky is visibly numb. Sky is starting to repress in an attempt to avoid feeling anything. And this is where we see Prapai quickly break down. After the initial adrenaline of getting Sky out of danger, then taking his anger out on said danger, Prapai only has heartbreak and worry remaining. Prapai has never seen Sky in this state. He’s seen varying degrees of sadness or grief, he’s seen Sky cry, wail and sob. But he’s never seen Sky retreat into himself like this.

It’s the most extreme form of Sky’s defence mechanisms. Prapai knows that this is only pushing down the torrent of pain and internalising it. This will only do Sky more harm in the long-term. Prapai has seen Sky display signs of an already fractured state to his mental health, and Prapai can’t allow Sky to inadvertently hurt himself further. Prapai can’t afford to lose Sky now, not emotionally, not mentally, not at all. Not when he loves him so dearly. Not when they just started to be so happy.

So Prapai begins to plead for Sky to feel something - to cry, to exhibit any form of emotion. Because the way Sky is retreating, is like Sky disappearing in front of Prapai’s very eyes. He’s watching the person he loves become a shell, a husk. Sky being numb is a way of shutting everything out. Not just his pain, but potentially all his other emotions too - including his love for Prapai.

And it’s not just numbness. There’s also a heavy sense of weariness. Sky looks so distant and tired, like he’s given up fighting. Like he doesn’t want to fight for himself anymore. He’s so exhausted and battle-worn from just fending off the residual trauma, let alone this entire situation on top of that. If you follow that line of thought, I’m sure you’d understand in a heartbeat why Sky’s response worries Prapai so much.

Crying is a form of release. And that’s what Prapai wants for Sky. He wants Sky to at least release the pain and hurt he’s holding in. He doesn’t want Sky to be compromised as a result of this. He wants Sky to stay his Sky. His every command to Sky is almost like he’s praying, ‘please baby, please fight for me, please come back to me, don’t leave me, don’t give up, not like this’.

In the midst of Sky’s catatonic state, he stops to ask why Prapai is crying. He does this again in the scene after as well. There’s something innate in Sky, something still fundamental that is compassionate. That is loving. In the middle of all his own torment and suffering, the pain he sees Prapai going through pulls him out a fraction. But the question also genuinely comes from the voice of a younger, broken Sky. The Sky who is asking ‘Why are you crying for me? Why would you care enough to cry for me? No one cares about me, right? My sadness is worth nothing, right? I’m worthless aren’t I?’

The absolute killer is that Prapai understands. He sees and knows Sky far better than Sky realises. He knows what Sky is thinking, how Sky is thinking. He now sees even more clearly why Sky thinks the way that he does.

“If you can’t cry, I’ll cry for you. If you suffer, I’ll suffer with you. If you’re in pain, I’ll be in pain too.”

Prapai’s vow explains to Sky that it’s no longer just you and me anymore. We are one. Everything we experience, we share. It doesn’t just communicate how Prapai will help shoulder Sky’s pain and his burdens, but that it is physically impossible for Prapai to consider himself independent of Sky anymore. It’s a reiteration to Sky that’s he’s not alone. He’ll never be alone again. ‘You can’t shut me out, you can’t leave me behind, because wherever you go, I go. Whatever you feel, I feel.’

When Prapai says to Sky, “let me cry in your stead”, this comes from a place of immense understanding that Sky has been through so much pain, that perhaps he feels he has no more tears left to cry. Nothing left in him to even muster the response. And if that’s the case then Prapai will be his vessel, and will let these emotions out on his behalf.

His last phrase, “I’ll be in pain too” almost feels like another attempt to shake Sky out of his state of shock. He realises that Sky may be able to pull himself out of misery, if motivated by his respective concern and love for Prapai. If Sky is acutely aware that wherever he goes, Prapai will follow, then he may be more conscious about trying not to let himself slip off the precipice.

And finally Prapai reiterates that despite everything, despite the revelation, he still loves Sky. Of course he does. But Sky needed to hear that. He was so worried about how Prapai would react after finding out about his abuse. He refers to himself as ‘damaged goods’ in a later scene. He probably thought that Prapai would find him shameful, dirty, untouchable. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s once again Prapai’s love that pulls Sky back from the brink, that rescues Sky from imminent self-destruction. Prapai’s assurance that he will stay, that he will continue to love Sky no matter what, is what snaps Sky out of his sinking pit of despair. And when he does, the deluge of emotions he was trying so desperately to restrain, all rise to the surface.

I found the performances from both Fort and Peat to be absolutely arresting. And not just the body language, but the line delivery was a huge part of how the scenes impacted me. This is by no means an easy subject matter to tackle for any actor, so I am immensely proud of these boys.

[orpheuslament]

on the way back from the gym i saw two teenage girls on scooters in the middle of the road & they kept crossing each other & interlocking their feet & they looked like they were having so much fun i hope they have the best summer of their life

[boxwinebaddie]

DID YOU BUY RHEM???

NO!!!! FUCK!!! THEY WERE IN A VERY TINY LITTLE KID SIZE WHICH REALLY DOES TRACK FOR RAVENSTAN!!! but i found them online and like to make reckless and bad decisions so should i get the gray or the blue ones tbh the blue ones are kinda smackin skshdks

Cast Your Votes!

-uncle nina, sharchancla enthusiast and bipolar shopaholic

[tutuandscoot]

Day 13: The Hug™️

[mercymaker]

4 posts left in the queue and no energy to put anything in there i'm going to bed

[raeofgayshine]

I had the best time of my life pitching a silly little idea to stream tonight and watching them bring it alive even more.

It’s amazing that I can just go “Hey what if Tim stalked villains instead of Batman and get adopted by Ed and Oswald.” And chat immediately goes “Yes and”

Before I know it, Tim is kind of best friends kind of enemies with Red Hood Jason, and they bicker and bully each other constantly but that’s just their fucking dynamic. They argue over whose death is more valid, Jason who actually died or Tim who only died legally. They follow each other around the city sometimes just to fucking annoy each other. Jason isn’t allowed in Oswald’s house because he’s dead and Oz doesn’t want rotting child stinking up his house.

And oh Martin from Gotham is also there, and Tim’s his big brother and it’s fucking great. Tim goes by The Quandary and works alongside Riddler when he’s younger while Martin follows Oswald’s footsteps but somewhere as they age they start to cross over. Tim gets more interested in using business to control Gotham like Oz did. Decides it’s time for a new name, and this one actually kind of gets assigned to him.

Because hey everyone said he looked like that Drake kid who disappeared years ago, whose face haunted the back of milk cartons for years before he was declared dead. They were already calling him Drake. Why not take on the title. Especially when it provides cool dragon branding that no other villain in Gotham has.

And sure Jason is a shit about it, but Tim gets to be a shit right back because Jason just stole Red Hood from Joker.

And Zsasz loves being an Uncle and giving Tim dubious advice and showing him fun ways to kill.

And it’s just a fucking messed up crime family, all because Tim is fucking unhinged and loved what Riddler and Penguin did and he stalked villains because they were ~cool~ and exciting and he’s a fucking freak.

[oldkamelle]

never forget of the art you're missing because of linguistic barriers

[guinevereslancelot]

you will never be happy with ur appearance as long as ur obsessed w it btw

[deansraspberrypie]

👑✨ The most handsome man 💫👑

📸: myconphotograp1 (Twitter)

Edited by me: @deansraspberrypie

🍰 Tag list: @avanatural @undisputedchick @jranutter @fortheloveof-jackles @kazsrm67 @muchamusedaboutnothing @breath-of-snow-and-ashes @bluedragonflylady @mrsjenniferwinchester @unabashed-lover-of-fictional-men 🥧

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

favourite ways so far that that tension that seems inherent to thasmin as a canon ship is being released in my post potd everybody lives au is 1) the doctor sleepwalking, and 2) the doctor having a giggle fit

[ginsoakedgirl80]

[unabashedqueenfury]

Reign 2013-2017/01-13

Adelaide Kane as Mary Stuart

[hella1975]

I'd love to do a short solo weekend trip to england this summer bc i was suppose to do one in 2020 after graduating high school but then corona came :( hopefully i will be able to do it this summer

oh you should if you can! i went through a real phase in my early-teens where i was all 'bleh i hate england it's an absolute shithole i cant wait to move to another country entirely and never ever live here again' but i think that was a compulsory teen angst moment that a lot of people experienced re their country lmao. these days ive really found myself falling back in love with england i cant imagine settling down anywhere else.

where abouts would you plan on going if u dont mind me asking?