#Avalon Theater

[uwmspeccoll]

414 Day

It’s 414 Day, or Milwaukee Day! We celebrate Milwaukee on April 14 because the area code for the Milwaukee area is, you guessed it, 414! This year for 414 day we are celebrating a few of the spectacular movie palaces in Milwaukee that still act as theatres in some capacity today. 

First shown here is Downer Theatre, located at 2589 N. Downer Ave on Milwaukee’s East Side. The Downer Theatre is Milwaukee’s oldest operating movie theatre in Milwaukee. It opened in 1915 and has been a movie theatre ever since! It may have a tile front now and a different marquee, but at its heart it is still a fine old movie theatre. 

The second theatre shown here is the inside of Riverside Theater, located at 116 W Wisconsin Ave, opened in 1928 as a live performance center, and was a first-run movie theatre in the 1950s. Today, it is once again a live music and performance venue with a capacity of 2,450 people. 

The third theatre shown here is the crème de la crème: the Warner Grand Theatre, located at 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. This theatre was opened in 1931 in place of the opulent Butterfly Theatre that once stood in its location. The theatre cost $2.5 million to build and was considered the most beautiful in the city. It continued as a movie theatre until the mid-1990s when it closed. In 2017, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) purchased the theatre and renovated it back to its original glory. The theatre opened again in 2021 as the home of the MSO now called the Bradley Symphony Center, and it is gorgeous! 

There are other movie palaces still in use in Milwaukee, too, like the famous Oriental Theatre on the East Side, which underwent its own renovation in recent years, and the Avalon Theater in Bay View, which offers an “atmospheric” experience with a starry sky lit in the ceiling in the main theatre. 

All of the images in black and white are from Milwaukee Movie Palaces by Larry Widen and Judi Anderson, published in 1986 by Milwaukee County Historical Society. 

These theatres are part of Milwaukee’s history as well as a part of their present! I highly recommend visiting any one of them for a movie or performance soon. 

-- Alice, Special Collections Department Manager

[newyorkthegoldenage]

The marquee at the Brooklyn Fox Theater reads "Alan Freed In Person, with The Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon, The Kalin Twins, The Elegants, The Danleers and more plus screen fare," August 29, 1958.

Photo: Popsie Randolph via Getty Images/ABC News

[brokehorrorfan]

The Million Eyes of Sumuru will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on September 24 via Blue Underground. The 1967 British spy film is based on the femme fatale character created by Sax Rohmer.

Lindsay Shonteff (Devil Doll) directs from a script by Kevin Kavanagh. Frankie Avalon, George Nader, Shirley Eaton, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Klaus Kinski, and Maria Rohm star.

The 89-minute extended cut has been newly restored in 4K from its recently discovered uncut original camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR. Special features - including a RiffTrax edition of the film - are listed below.

Disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Audio commentary by film historians David Del Valle and Dan Marino (new)

Audio commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth (new)

Theatrical trailer

Disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Audio commentary by film historians David Del Valle and Dan Marino (new)

Audio commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth (new)

England’s Unknown Exploitation Film Eccentric: The Schlock-Cinema Legacy of Lindsay Shonteff - 101-minute documentary (new)

Rifftrax edition of the film (71-minute version) riffed by Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy

Theatrical trailer

Poster & still gallery

Shirley Eaton stars as Sumuru, a beautiful but deadly woman with plans for world domination. When a couple of wise-cracking, swingin’ secret agents uncover her scheme to eliminate male leaders and replace them with sexy undercover female operatives, they rush to Hong Kong and enlist the local police to stop her all-female army of assassins known as The Million Eyes of Sumuru.

Pre-order The Million Eyes of Sumuru.

[badsalmonella]

I feel like now would be a good time to confess to you all that I never actually read Once and Future King, I accidentally listened to an abridged radio play adaptation that I put on because I thought it was the audiobook but realized once I was in too deep, and too invested that it was NOT an audiobook. Two things that I forget are not ACTUALLY products of the book:

-Arthur gets turned into an ant and the ants communicate via RADIO WALKIE TALKIE STYLE. I like listening to audiobooks while I'm working. I spaced out for like a second then when I checked back in I was like "???? Is this still the medieval times????"

-Merlin at the end is like "Don't worry Arthur. The people won't forget you. Lerner and Lowe are gonna write you a great musical" and Arthur's like "dude what the fuck are you talking about?"

[paranormal-playground-podcast]

The Haunting of the Avalon Hollywood: Ghosts of the Glamour Age

The Haunting of the Avalon Hollywood adds a spectral layer to the glitz and glamour that define this iconic Los Angeles venue. Located at the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the Avalon Hollywood, formerly known as The Palace, has been a hotspot for the entertainment elite since the 1920s and is rumored to be home to more than just memories of stars past. A Storied Past Opened in the…

[gutsfics]

i need to go to bed rn bc its like two am but tomorrow yall should remind me to introduce yall to Enid my girl Enid

[earlycuntsets]

mcr shows on youtube pt. 2 (2005 - 2007)

-> pt. 1 (2002 - 2005)

-> pt. 3 (2007 - 2011)

-> pt. 4 (2011 - 2023)

10/16/2005 connecticut expo center hartford ct - pablohoney27

10/19/2005 carpa neumatica del hipodromo de las americas mexico city mexico - emopinktears

10/21/2005 umbc fieldhouse catonsville md - XxXHollowChildXxX

11/04/2005 carlington academy brixton london england - jason is lost in japan

11/07/2005 carlington academy newcastle upon tyne england - tilly b

11/10/2005 ambassador theater dublin ireland - the academy is my beautiful romance

11/19/2005 razzmatazz 2 barcelona spain - xversa

11/29/2005 stade unprix montreal ontario canada - Smashingchemicals

11/30/2005 john labatt centre london on canada - prunejjuicebob

12/02/2005 muchmusic studio toronto ca - ATØMIC JĒY

12/04/2005 97x next big thing coachman park clearwater fl - obsessionbrazil

03/17/2006 emos annex austin tx - mason randall

04/29/2006 give it a name festival - earls court london england - angelsandairwaveshva

04/30/2006 give it name festival manchester evening news arena manchester england - huesoflife & xEyelashWishes

05/12/2006 sun god festival ucsd rimac field la jolla ca - hisuikirei

08/22/2006 hammersmith palais london england - the academy is my beautiful romance & GMarks1984 & batwife & juliehf

08/24/2006 meadowbank stadium edinburgh scotland - monroeville84 & emu1515 & darthjeebus666 & ZiCoChAiN

08/27/2006 reading and leeds festival little johns farm reading england - joe brady & gdmec182

08/31/2006 mtv vmas radio city music hall nyc ny -- jusyanotherkilljoy

09/06/2006 mtv2s $2 bill philadelphia pa - koi no yokan

10/05/2006 avalon los angeles - the academy is my beautiful romance

10/09/2006 the album chart show london england - xthankyou4thevenomx

10/11/2006 roundhouse london england - ATØMIC JĒY

10/12/2006 virgin megastore london england - the academy is my beautiful romance

10/13/2006 paradiso grote zaal amsterdam netherlands - skittyblackfire

10/14/2006 e-werk berlin germany - redoftherose

10/23/2006 vintage vinyl fords nj - vintage vinyl records

10/25/2006 axis boston ma - juliehf

10/28/2006 city park new orleans la - ohbabylevenin

11/09/2006 e-werk cologne germany - darthvaderlives

11/13/2006 university of liverpool liverpool england - xEyelashWishesx

11/21/2006 alcatraz milan italy - mychemicalitalia & gainlover

12/01/2006 96x electric christmas the norva norfolk va - the academy is my beautiful romance

12/03/2006 97x ford amphitheater tampa fl - sillybears

12/07/2006 key arena seattle wa - anja

12/08/2006 twisted christmas arco arena san francisco - christine kay

12/14/2006 cobb arena detriot mi - fobgirl08

12/31/2006 the pontiac garage nyc ny - the academy is my beautiful romance

01/19/2007 mount smart stadium auckland new zealand - the academy is my beautiful romance

01/29/2007 festival hall melbourne australia - the academy is my beautiful romance

02/07/2007 big day out adelaide showgrounds adelaide australia - the adademy is my beautiful romance

02/26/2007 wolstein center cleveland ohio - rival heart & awesomelexa & katie & sohos & sensesfail814

03/13/2007 ipayone center san diego ca - slownotstupid & shortygothops & sara513

03/14/2007 selland arena fresno ca - miserylovedme123 & m sims

03/16/2007 lawlor events center reno nv - hellasexyrocker12

03/27/2007 scottish exhibition and conference center glasgow scotland - 슬롯 아우디

04/02/2007 koko london england - ATØMIC JĒY (2) & dametokillfor

04/04/2007 elysee montmartre paris france - redoftherose

04/10/2007 kb hallen copenhagen denmark - 666noft (DANZIG COVER) - C4R17O

04/21/2007 universal orlando grand bash '07 universal studios orlando fl - aneiger & selbstmordflucht

04/25/2007 - nashville municipal auditorium nashville tn - thelaurelbush &

05/09/2007 centre bell montreal qc canada - the academy is my beautiful romance

05/20/2007 virgin festival thunderbird stadium vancouver bc canada - ATØMIC JĒY & the academy is my beautiful romance

06/01/2007 nürburgring, nürburg, germany - mcr shows

06/08/2007 download festival donington castle donington uk - the academy is my beautiful romance

06/17/2007 wembley stadium london england - the academy is my beautiful romance

06/26/2007 razzmatazz barcelona spain - the academy is my beautiful romance

07/01/2007 pier pressure frihamnspiren gothenburg sweden - the academy is my beautiful romance

07/04/2007 volksfestgelände pieschener allee dresden germany - cassnjason

07/25/2007 projekt revolution white river amphitheatre auburn wa - the academy is my beautiful romance

07/27/2007 sleep train amphitheatre wheatland ca - christine kay

07/29/2007 shoreline amphitheatre mountain view ca - the academy is my beautiful romance

07/30/2007 kevin and beans breakfast capitol records studios la ca - the academy is my beautiful romance

-> pt. 1 (2002 - 2005)

-> pt. 3 (2007 - 2011)

-> pt. 4 (2011 - 2023)

[fuzzkaizer]

Pussy Galore - Pussy Fuzz

s.a. the pussy fuzz prototype

"... Steve Albini had 4 of these harmonic percolators made for himself and Jon Spencer, Kurt Wolf and Neil Hagerty as Christmas gifts. ... The pedal pictured was given to Jon Senum (St. Paul Bike Blog) by Jon Spencer at their show at Old Avalon Theater, Minneapolis, US (July 24, 1989)"

“The case was from Radio Shack, the pots were CTS and the board was hand etched using Datek dry transfer resist materials. The case was marked with Kroy lettering machine labels. The knobs were just like Fender amp knobs in size and shape, but were marked 0-9 in smaller sized numbers. The circuit was based on the Harmonic Percolator but was modified to sound more like Steve Albini’s personal pedal, which really sounds like no other. Steve still has one of these versions in his collection.” “Steve Ablini’s personal HP has one germanium and one silicon transistor and all of the clones that were made (maybe a total of 8-10) were made using the same circuit as his, but each one was tweaked to sound as close to his original one as possible. As I noted before, his personal one sounds like no other normal Percolator that I’ve ever heard. A few years ago (after the video interview/review) a couple of P-Fuzz prototypes were created and delivered to Steve. These new versions were made in small rectangular “MXR” style boxes. One had no controls and was preset to full on as this is Steve’s normal setting.” – Mr Bill

Steve Albini talks about harmonic percolators and the Pussy Fuzz here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nahPA-RKEfQ

cred: pop-catastrophe.co.uk/pussy-galore-pedal-fuzz-pedal-us

[mako-neexu]

from anon of @nasuversekinkmeme: gudako is trapped in a singularity/lostbelt/situation which can only be escaped by relaxing and taking at least one goddamn break 

There it was, written in the sky, in words made from a jet’s smoke: “The Singularity can only be solved when the Master of Chaldea relaxes to the fullest.”

“P.S. There’s no tricks here, Senpai. Just do what is written above, teehee~”

Actually, Mash was in on this. She was to be the guide for Senpai as the Servants organized the facilities with them as its host and even went this far to create a singularity. Normally, she’d be opposed to it…

But Senpai has been running herself ragged to the point where it reminded her of Doctor Roman’s exhaustion. It really hurts seeing her push herself even farther after defeating ORT.

Each minute Singularity spawned, each time she’s got silver and golden apples to spare, she threw herself in simulations and battles to earn them mana and replenishable resources while in the destination. 

Even King Hassan and Edmond Dantes (who rose from Senpai’s shadow that one time she was eating in the cafeteria late at night. Mash definitely walked in on them like that.) advised her to rest! 

Yet, she just smiled it off.

Senpai’s body collapsing in the middle of a fight was the last straw, with the dark circles under her eyes pushing it.

BB had been the one to tell her that the Operation: Just Fucking Sleep was in the works last week, and she even produced a brochure and a manual for her to memorize. Of course, Mash had been skeptical. But even BB, BB was seriously concerned for Senpai’s well-being.

So here they were, in a large resort complete with a theme park, vast fields of different flowers and forests, several restaurants, other buildings, and they somehow managed to fit the Tokyo Dome too. Overall, it both looked chaotic and organized at the same time.

Mash looked at Ritsuka brightly, who was forced to wear new casual attire mystic codes along with her, “So, Senpai, there’s a map and some VIP passes over there. Shall we see what to enjoy first?”

Ritsuka’s response was to yawn and tap on her communicator, “Hold on a sec, Mash.” And she tapped on her communicator, only to see static. “We’re cut off from Chaldea? The magical energy isn’t that dense though? I think it’s just around 40%-ish”

…It seriously was concerning that Senpai can gauge the mana density alone even without the help of their detectors.

“A-Anyways, Senpai,” Mash held her hand and led her to a small table containing their passes and maps. “Yesterday, I heard you wanted to see a boyband from some of the male Servants? We didn’t get the chance to see them much during that time with Miss Crane after all. And look, Senpai! There’s even hot springs located in the north-east!”

Mash was trying her best.

She really, really was trying to make Ritsuka’s attention go to the more interesting ones, the ones she was sure she wanted to see. Like Mandricardo, Kintoki, Fergus and others forming a band, enjoying the beach without ANYTHING going wrong.

There’s an observatory with Erice and Voyager managing it, and there’s another theater dedicated to plays and classical music, with Mozart, Marie, and Salieri managing it (barely, uh, considering their relationship).

The streets and sights were also built close to Senpai’s hometown with a few modifications from Servants that make it both look different yet the same. Heck, there’s even NPCs to help make it an experience where it’s not completely a ghost town with only them to enjoy it.

There’s even lucky spots to roll gacha on (definitely not blessed with Merlin and Lady Avalon’s magic) to which would ease the pain of losing all the crystals Senpai saved in her phone.

But no. Ritsuka’s gaze was fixated on the top left corner of the map, where a bright-pink and evil looking double ‘B’ was pasted on an ordinary looking building.

Senpai waved her hand and hummed, “Let’s do that later, Mash. Let’s see first what BB really wants from us. Last time she did something like this, we were stuck in a time loop.”

Noooo- that would defeat the purpose of the Singularity!

“Oberon is running a hot dog stand, Senpai.” She blurted out, trying to find a way to loosen Ritsuka up.

But she only laughed and took a swig of her energy drink (where did she get that??? Mash swore that was the brand of energy drink more potent than pure acid) “Pfft- shit, let’s bully him with Castoria later, lol. Let’s see him after we determine our next course of action to get the Grail.”

Mash pouted, “But Senpai, BB already said it in the sky to relax-”

And then she started making her way down the hill they were on, Ritsuka turned her back and grinned, “And don’t worry! I’ve got plenty of apples in store just in case we need to farm some currency again. Also, I saw a shop there that sells eight hundred Proof of Hero and a fuckton of Gems!? There’s a bonus three million QP every item too! Gah, I seriously need it for Ordeal Call!”

…And Senpai, who was used to grinding to the point of making sure her things to exchange were at least in the ten-thousands if the shop has just a few of what they need, and then there’s here, where it’s basically paradise…Mash realized something:

They were never gonna get out of here, huh?

[hydrachea]

do you think oberon vortigern & artoria avalon ever explored each other's body

They fucked in that movie theater.

[donnerpartyofone]

What were your thoughts on Ghost in the Shell 2?

Thanks for asking! My main reaction to INNOCENCE is that it's extremely cluttered. The snowballing mass of literary citations is interesting at first, and then it becomes so dense and relentless that it just started to feel haughty and I worried that it was taking the place of actual writing. It added extra stress to my already-paltry ability to keep track of what was going on in the movie; I had the feeling that the story wasn't as profound as the first film, and Oshii made up for lack of depth by just making everything really complicated. Overall I found it ambitious but sort of pretentious.

I had a similar problem with it visually, like some of it is absolutely stunning, and then at some point it just becomes cluttered with so much detail that no distinct visual statement emerges. I think sometimes the desire to throw absolutely everything at the wall interferes with the movie's ability to articulate itself: Like, that CGI convenience store obviously took a lot of work, but it is so starkly different from everything around it that all I could think about was the craft and I was taken out of the story; or the parade looks great, but then there are those seagulls that are so cheap-looking I wondered if I was still watching the same movie.

I didn't hate it, though. I would say that I actually LOVED the first 30-40 minutes of it. The scene with Haraway was one of my favorites out of either movie, and I enjoyed the proof that Batou is charismatic enough to carry his own feature even though Motoko really dominates GITS iconographically and Oshii must have known that we would all be wondering if she would appear the whole time. I basically enjoyed INNOCENCE and I'm really glad I saw it in a theater, even if in the end I think it shoots itself in the foot by being overburdened with details, references, and various other complications.

When we got home we watched AVALON which I hadn't seen in a really long time. It's such a weird movie; for something that's partly an action film it's incredibly static, and it suffers from a this brooding silliness, but it takes itself so seriously that I kind of have to admire it, like there's just no self-doubt in it. I guess I sort of like it even though I would have a hard time saying it's really "good". And sometimes it's beautiful, naturally the dog-feeding scenes are the best thing in the whole picture. What is even going on with Oshii, I think he would turn into one of those dogs if he could.

[lavila27]

Priscilla- a movie review by Lauren Avila

Curiosity is a strong emotion. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Who knows what drew the metaphoric cat to its demise, perhaps an irresistible scent, the thrill of the hunt, something shiny… one may never know. For me, it was the new Elvis Presley movie that just hit theaters. Of course, the online world seems to forget that it is in fact not the newest Elvis movie but rather, a movie about his seemingly controversial ex-wife, Pricilla. This movie made headlines long before its Venice Film Festival world premiere. When the news that Jacob Elordi, of “Euphoria” fame, was cast as Elvis Presley the internet was let loose conveniently at the start of the 2022 award season. The production of this film came right on the heels of Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” which skyrocketed its star, Austin Butler. to Hollywood’s A-list status with accompanying award nominations. Even in spite of the inevitable comparison battle, this movie has built-in hostility that it's up against. “Priscilla” is based on Priscilla Presley’s often refuted memoir, “Elvis and Me.” The book, co-written by Sandra Harmon, unveiled many shocking anecdotes pertaining to the person Elvis was behind closed doors. However, Priscilla has retracted or altered stories over the years since its release. It has also recently been revealed that prior to her unexpected passing, Elvis and Priscilla’s daughter, the late Lisa Marie, was adamantly against the making of this film because she anticipated that it would portray her father unfairly. So with all this in mind, how did the film turn out? Read ahead for my honest thoughts.

***SPOILER WARNING- the following review contains spoilers about the book and movie***

“Priscilla” opens with a noticeable reminder that Elvis Presley Enterprises did not allow his catalog of music to be used. Frankie Avalon’s “Venus” is played soon into the film to set the decade. Its instrumental is also reprised later. Other songs used throughout the movie suited the story and era in a sufficient way as to make one forget that one hasn’t heard a single Elvis song in a movie about Elvis. Well, except for one but more on that later. What else is obvious is how the budget of the director, Sofia Coppola, was used. The film, from color schemes to costumes to sets to performances, is understated and utilizes soft tones that remain throughout. I felt like the entire movie came across as a motion picture with the glitzy-Hollywood filter removed. It looked and felt very realistic, coming from a personal standpoint. Cailee Spaeny, who plays the title character, effortlessly conveys Priscilla’s youth and innocence. She is soft-spoken, apprehensive, and obedient to any and all. While based on truth, I believe that the height difference between Jacob and Cailee was really emphasized in the movie to serve as a visual symbol of the relationship. Jacob’s Elvis completely towers over Cailee’s Pricilla, which Coppola highlights often. Only minutes into the film, the audience is introduced to Jacob’s Elvis, an impressive blend of voice and mannerisms very reminiscent of the genuine article. 

The film stays very faithful to the book, bringing to life many key stories that built up and brought down Elvis and Priscilla’s union. As a whole, I felt the movie used a first-person perspective just as the book did. We, as an audience, experience the butterflies and excitement of puppy love, then the intimacy and bliss of real love, and finally the heartbreak and sadness of lost love. The film clearly shifts in acts, using pacing as a tool. The beginning is slow and steady, then the middle heats up in a whirlwind before finally coming to an abrupt end. 

While I think “Priscilla” serves as an entertaining adaptation of “Elvis and Me,” I’m not sure it acts as anything else. It didn’t bring anything new, which perhaps was its goal? If it was only made to tell a story of a girl entering an unsustainable relationship that was always a fantasy, then it did so. Now please don’t misunderstand me. There’s nothing wrong with sharing a cautionary tale of what happens when your “dreams” come true or even an angsty fairy tale. However, I feel that something was missing. This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime love story that could have been explored a little deeper. Elvis and Priscilla had a very complex relationship that changed both of them in life and death. There’s a reason why the real Priscilla still keeps the memory of her dead ex-husband alive but a “Priscilla” audience is left wondering why. 

Nevertheless, the performances really sold this film! If I’m being honest, I feel that Jacob will be the one people leave this movie talking about. However, Cailee is not to be missed. Priscilla navigated through an unstable, unpredictable, and unbelievable life that no one could have prepared her for. Cailee brings a remarkable blend of strength and vulnerability that makes Priscilla rootable. She faces challenges but continues to be capable of surviving them over and over. 

In some ways, I think Jacob had the easier job because all he had to do was play Elvis Presley.

Not only did Jacob have to take on the role of arguably the most recognized person in history but he had to do it following Austin Butler’s highly praised performance. He had to master the  voice, the looks, and the nuances of an extremely popular yet surprisingly mysterious icon. It should’ve been impossible but I must give credit where it's due: he did it. To be fair, I think it helps that I had never seen Jacob do anything else. You may form a different opinion if you’re used to him as an Australian actor or as his characters in “The Kissing Booth” or “Euphoria.” However, I really believed him as Elvis. His physical profile is very similar which hardly needs help but I have to admit that his voice work was right on point. He’s charming, which makes it so easy to understand why Pricilla falls for him but he’s also a bit dangerous like a ticking time bomb. As the audience, you never know what to expect from him. Jacob’s Elvis is a mix of bad boy and Prince Charming, with a little druggie twist. Elvis’s drug use is highlighted so much that it begs the question: are we seeing the real Elvis or the product of medicinal influence?

Even with Cailee and Jacob succeeding in their roles individually, this movie would’ve failed if they didn’t share chemistry. Anywhere from the kissing to the yelling, these two nailed their chemistry. I believed they were in love through every stage of it. Their standout to me was the sequence when they locked themselves in their bedroom after Priscilla’s high school graduation. Cailee and Jacob sold the sizzling hot chemistry together then brilliantly crashed through the complicated emotions of two emotionally-unstable individuals in the span of less than five minutes. There are several times where emotions run high such as when Elvis throws a chair in frustration after Priscilla dislikes a song he likes, or when Elvis threatens to send Priscilla away after she accuses him of cheating, or when Elvis tries to force himself on her in Las Vegas. He threatens, manipulates, lies, and withdraws so many times that it comes somewhat as a shock when Priscilla finally decides that she’s had enough.

My biggest problem with the movie is the ways in which it did stray from the book. Granted, it was not often but when it did, it was noticeable. There were details that if not spelled out for an audience they would not understand or plot holes that they would have to fill in themselves. Book readers would recognize what happened and why, while an unknowing audience would have to assume. For example, Priscilla explained multiple times how difficult it was to maintain a closeness with Elvis when she was competing with the Memphis Mafia, Colonel Tom Parker, Vernon Presley, Larry Geller, Hollywood and its stars, and his fans for his attention. I don’t think this is stressed enough in the film. Priscilla certainly goes through her lonely times, that comes across plainly, but Elvis appears accessible when they are together. A major part of why Priscilla decides to leave in the book is because they drift too far apart, yet this appears very suddenly in the movie. The movie version of Priscilla hardly shows a concern about Elvis’s decline in physical and emotional well being but the book version noticed the changes over time. I feel these are only a few aspects that would’ve been important to incorporate. 

I also have to note a few surprises I was not expecting. There was an Elvis song featured. They managed to get “Guitar Man,” notably featured in Elvis’ 1968 Comeback Special, into this movie. Jacob “performed” as Elvis a few times in the film, including candidly playing the piano for his friends at a party and wiggling on the Vegas stage. This movie also used Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” as part of the emotional ending scene. Fans may know that Elvis wanted to record this song but Dolly wouldn’t sell her rights to it. It is massively appropriate that this is the song that is used as Priscilla resumes her independence but takes a lifelong love for Elvis with her as she leaves. The song also has special meaning because in reality, Elvis sang it to Priscilla at the end of their marriage. Most importantly, the lyrics apply in such a way that is truly touching, tragic, and beautiful. It was a perfectly poignant way to end the movie and one of my absolute favorite decisions they made. I was sobbing at that choice. 

With all the weight that this film is carrying around, it is easy to form an opinion before even sitting down to watch it. I truly expected open season on Elvis, his reputation, and his career, but I think the film told a story in a way that did not outrageously force an opinion on its audience. Sure, it leaned a certain direction but ultimately how you choose to analyze the relationship is in your control. As an Elvis fan, I don’t know if I would recommend this film to diehards. I suppose I could best caution you by saying that this film shows the reasons we (and Priscilla) fell in love with him but it also shows why she ultimately left him too. Suffice to say, you must make the decision of watching “Priscilla” with that in mind. Jacob commented in an interview that Luhrmann’s “Elvis” and Coppola’s “Priscilla” would make a good double feature and I must say that I agree with him. Finally, it is important to remember that there is nothing wrong with liking both because they are two very different stories told in two very different ways. 

I almost forgot to mention that I want to give a huge shout out to the props department because there was ample screen time, including literal prop montages, to feature classic Elvis memorabilia such as magazines, records, photographs, etc. The attention to detail was fantastic! Well done, props department!

[nancypullen]

Another Sunday

Welp, I made it through another week without killing or being killed, so...success! I have the Sunday night dreads, remember that feeling as a kid? I haven't posted about work or much of anything because I feel like I've been negative lately. No one likes that. I'm usually the seeker of silver linings and cheerleader for the team/family, so I don't like being a downer. I know my role, and until I get back in the groove, I'll shut up about all of it, mmmkay? Today we drove to Easton for an author talk and it was absolutely fascinating. David George Haskell, an evolutionary biologist and winner of all sorts of awards for his writings (two time Pulitzer finalist!) was speaking at The Avalon Theater about his book, Sounds Wild and Broken.

Biologist and nature writer David George Haskell has spent his career reminding us to pay closer attention to nature. In his latest book, Sounds Wild and Broken, which was nominated for a 2022 Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction, Haskell turns his considerable perceptive powers to “Earth’s fraying soundtrack”—the planet’s orchestral richness, which is being increasingly blocked out by human noise. Haskell will deliver a book talk and play some recordings of nature’s most wondrous sounds in the Avalon Theatre.

It was so, so good. I took notes and now I want to read all of his books. He is an absolute artist with words, and managed to make some very scientific topics digestible for us common folks. His phrasing made me swoon, he could make insects seem magical. Even Mickey admitted to getting a little choked up a couple of times when he spoke of "primal sounds" - sounds that are unchanged from millions of years ago. We hear the ocean or a waterfall the same way that our Neanderthal ancestors did. I think you had to be there to hear and feel the impact. I'm not doing any of it justice. We had a lot to talk about on the way home and I'll be thinking of this for a long, long time. I've been reading rave reviews about his book The Songs of Trees, I may have to grab that one too. Don't judge his work by my poor attempt at sharing here - check it out! Another big (and important!!) event coming up is the grandgirl's SIXTH birthday. Can you believe it? Seems like just yesterday I was passing out pink tootsie pops and telling everyone I met, "It's a girl!" Now she's her own little person with friends, report cards, and a desire to see Disney on Ice. That's where she's going next weekend with her bestie that lives two houses down from her. I would not be at all surprised if they attend in full princess regalia, tiaras and all. Grancy has her birthday surprises ready and I think I covered all of the bases - dress-up, books, a little magic (Magic Mixie Pixlings), clothes,etc. If she didn't already have two cats I'd get her a kitten too. Think they'd notice a pony in the back yard? I should stop. After we celebrate Little Miss turning six, we'll celebrate my first baby turning thirty-nine. Thirty-nine. How did that happen? Matthew has been a joy to me every day of his life. That isn't an exaggeration. Thirty-nine years of being a mother went really fast. My youngest baby is thirty-five. Same level of joy. Those two made my whole life worthwhile. There's not a single day I'd give back. We were always sort of the Three Musketeers, we've been poor together, laughed until we cried together, had adventures - some even on purpose. Okay, I got sidetracked. I was talking about Matt's birthday. Since he's in Minneapolis we rarely get to celebrate with him and that makes me really sad. I hate the idea of him working all day and then heading home to an empty house on his birthday. Oh, he's got wonderful friends, but it's not the same. Before I started at the library we'd talked about flying out to see him and have some birthday fun. Of course that isn't possible for me now, but Mickey is going to zip out to Minneapolis for a guy's weekend and I couldn't be happier. They'll probably fill the hours with weird stuff that wouldn't interest me - like watching a bunch of war movies and eating a lot of beef. As long as Matt has a happy birthday, that's a win. Gosh, it's almost 9 o'clock. We're watching the Grammy Awards and I'm quite pleased that we recognize so many performers. That's not always the case. When we were young we swore that we'd never be those old folks who didn't listen to popular music, but here we are. I listen to about a third of what's new, maybe not even that much. You get to an age where you just don't care - you like what you like and you don't care what else is out there. Kind of like my fashion choices at work - everyone else still wears gray, black, somber clothing. I show up daily in my pink and ruffled nonsense. It's February so tomorrow I'm adding big ol' heart earrings to the mix. I. DON'T. CARE. I'm the granny in the building anyway, might as well write my reputation in stone.

I have the biggest hair in the building, the brightest clothes, and the loudest laugh. I gotta' be me.

I'll end this scatterbrained post with a bit of good news. The mister and I have made a decision about our anniversary trip. It'll likely be in October and we'll head to the Alsace region of France. It's a stunningly beautiful area where France, Germany, and Switzerland bump noses. After bouncing around a lot of idea and doing a bit of research it's a place we're both excited to see. We'll likely fly into Paris and take a train to either Colmar of Strasbourg as a base for our explorations. That means that we'll probably spend a couple of days at the end of the trip back in Paris. That thrills me. I need to see the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night again and make another trek up to Montmartre. Isn't that a whole bunch of wonderful to look forward to? It certainly is in my world. Alright, I've let you all know that I'm still alive. I'll try to blog more often (looong week ahead, no promises) and to make it lighter than it's been recently. No more whining. Well, not as much anyway. Sending out lots of love tonight, take as much as you need. Heck, take a little extra and spread it around. Stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy

[skunkworks101]

Roughly 29 miles southwest of Los Angeles and about an hour by boat from the Long Beach port (or Huntington Beach) lies the island of Santa Catalina or more commonly referred to as Catalina Island.  The island these days is primarily a tourist destination with the port city of Avalon being the main landing spot on the island.  The island hosts a variety of wildlife including Bisons and once even hosted a military training facility during WW2.  The island owes its current state primarily to William Wrigley Jr. of chewing gum fame (also, the Chicago Cubs) who developed the island into what it is today.  One of the main attractions on the island is the Catalina Casino, a large theater built in 1929 that was the first theater in the world to be specifically built for “films with sound.”

[therobishow]

The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, was recommended to me by one of my English teachers, who was also at one point my theater teacher. She said it was a feminist retelling of the myths involving Moran and King Arthur. So, I am so sorry to say that it is just…rubbish.

Okay, some of the cultural and fantasy elements are interesting. There is genuinely cool world building done tying everything together, whether that be Avalon itself or Camelot.

But...the characters.

Morgan, or Morgaine, at first acts as a blank slate of sorts. She's interested in the culture that surrounds her, and it's through her eyes that we get to learn about the world. That said, she takes a face-heel turn which is just...bizzare. It's like the plot is going "oh wait, we forgot to make Morgan EVIL so she does things people would consider EVIL" even though the plot doesn't necessarily demand it??? There's this one point where she basically goes "actually you know what doing incest with my brother is fine actually. I should have acted like a girlfriend to him after that and manipulated him to do my bidding" and. girl????? And it feels like the whole way the book is trying to justify it? Like, yeah in the original myth there's a sense of betrayal. But not like this?

And Gwen. Gwenhwyfar. Ohhhh my god. Her introduction is kinda neat, since it gives some perspective on how mentally ill women would have been treated back then. It quickly becomes annoying though. She's a religious fanatic. A Christian religious fanatic. Also she threatens to cheat on Arthur in order to bear a child. Also she's having an affair with Galahad. Gwen just...always has something to complain about. And it's not a good experience to read.

Arthur. Hmmm. He's portrayed as somewhat wishy-washy, constantly being pulled back and forth between the opinions of Gwen and Morgaine. Like...this is such a bad thing for a king to be. But he's honestly somewhat chill?

Plus there are just...so. many. unnecessary. sex. scenes. I would have given the author a bag of caramels for half of them to be fade to black moments.

The author is very clearly pro-pagan and anti-christian. I fall somewhat in line with that, not anti-christian but I can understand why someone would be. That said. The author kind of rubs the faults of christianity in the reader's face. Repeatedly. It's not subtle.

Overall, I have read a lot of retellings of different myths. This might just be my least favourite retelling of a myth ever.

Oh god The Mists of Avalon.....

I read this in middle school. It was a mistake. This book is so far up its own ass. I've read a lot of pretentious books, but this one nearly gets the top spot (nothing could beat out The Dream of Perpetual Motion or literally anything by Donna Tartt).

Morgaine becoming evil definitely felt like Bradley suddenly remembered that she was a villain in the legend and hastily shoved it in. She could have easily not made her evil, and just gone with the idea that history twisted the facts. That would have suited the character better, as well as playing into the "feminist" themes since history does often villianize women who don't deserve it.

And I put "feminist" in quotes because this book is like the definition of White Feminism.

Also, Marion Zimmer Bradley was a horrific person. Not joking or exaggerating here, she was pure evil. Epstein levels of evil. Humbert Humbert evil. Look it up if you want to, but be warned that it is genuinely awful and reading about it is pretty harrowing. There's a reason I chose those specific comparisons.

[mask131]

A fantasy read-list: B-1

Part B: The First Classical Fantasy

1) On one side, the British Isles... 

We looked at the most ancient roots of the fantasy genre, which are... well, literaly antique roots - the texts of the Antiquity, the myths and mythologies of the world, the legends of the so-called “pagans” and the tales of long-gone societies, cultures and civilizations. Plus the true, literal “medieval fantasy” and some Arthuriana sprinkled at the top. Now I want to explore the Renaissance fantasy - or rather the first wave and apparition in literature of true “proto-fantasy”. These classical works that are still heavy influences and inspirations on modern fantasy pieces, but are younger than all the mythological and medieval stuff. 

Given this huge read-list promises to be very big, very long and span over several years, I will try to restrain myself here to two nation-tied phenomenon. And in this specific post I will look at a given wave of “classical proto-fantasy” in the British Isles... Beginning with none other than...

# Shakespeare. William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avalon, the greatest playwright of England and a man whose work shaped our common imagination and popular culture today. Of course, since this list is focused about the wide genre of fantasy, I must start by listing his more openly supernatural and fantastical plays. On one side you have a lighter, more colorful and whimsical world of wonders and magic, in the shape of supernatural comedies, be it A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with its now world-known depiction of the fairy court as the Titania-Oberon-Puck triangle, or The Tempest, which implanted archetypal figures such as Prospero the wizard, Ariel the aerial spirit or the monstrous Caliban. On the darker side of fantasy, you have the grim and nightmarish tragedies that are Hamlet, one of the most famous cases of royal hauntings and madness in the history of theater, or Macbeth, which changed forever the way people view witches throught its iconic trio of Weird Sisters. 

But the beautiful thing with Shakespeare is that even in his more “mundane” and “realistic” works, the magic never truly goes away. Thanks to his poetic writing and his love of symbolism and mysticism, Shakespeare maintains throughout his work a fantastical ambiance, an ambiguous tone that opens the door for many oniric sequences or supernatural readings. The description of Mab, queen of fairies, in Romeo and Juliet was just as influential on fairy folklore as A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The abnormal storm and pagan madness of King Lear leaves one wondering about the true cosmic powers at work here. And even in historical works witchcraft is never far away - such as with Richard III, where devilish forces and hellish characters are at play in an well-recorded historical event... 

# But beyond Shakespeare, or rather all around him, there was a constellation of other poets and playwrights who helped conceive, flesh out and develop this “wonder-wave” that swept across Elizabethan England. Take Shakespeare’s most famous rival for example, Christopher Marlowe, who wrote The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, the first ever adaptation of the Faust legend for the stage. You have Edmund Spenser and his mystical fay epic, The Faerie Queene, which influenced not just Shakespeare but many more authors of knight adventures and fairy works. I can also mention Michael Drayton’s Nimphidia, The Court of Fairy (or Nymphidia depending on how you write it), a poem drawing from Shakespeare’s fairy characters to depict all the affairs, treacheries and secrets at the otherworld’s court ; or the various Elizabethan retellings of Ovid’s Metamorphosis written by John Lily (Endymion, Midas, Galathea...). 

# And of course, I have to point out here that beyond specific authors, Shakespeare’s fantastical works drew from a lot of various sources, all representing different fragments or aspects of the way people approached the supernatural, folklore and legends in their time. For example, the more Jacobean play The Witch by Thomas Middleton, which had elements reused for Macbeth ; or the Daemonologie of King James, which also influenced Shakespeare’s writing of demons and witches. I can also drop here names going from quite obscure today, such as The Spanish Tragedy of Thomas Kyd, to behemoths of culture, like Dante’s Divine Comedy. 

# Speaking of a man of the Isles who explored and influenced the fairy literature... I have to mention Robert Kirk, and his treatise on fairies and ghost known as The Secret Commonwealth. To this day, Kirk is still considered one of the greatest folklorists and collector of supernatural tale and fairy/ghost/witch beliefs of the 17th century, and The Secret Commonwealth stays one of the major “fairy books”. 

# Leaving a bit the topic of fairies, I will conclude this post with one name... Ossian. During the 18th century, James Macpherson discovered and translated ancient Gaelic texts of Scotland - a series of epic poems attributed to a legendary bard by the name of Ossian. He started by translating Fingal, An Epic Poem in Six Books, and then worked on Temora, An Ancient Epic Poem, before collecting it all as The Works of Ossian. This discovery and translated was a HUGE phenomenon, and a revolution in the world of culture. Up until that point, people had praised the Homeric epics and thought the “Homeric phenomenon” was a one-time thing that couldn’t have happened anywhere else but Ancient Greece... And yet here were these great, glorious, excellently done, epic poems of mythical heroes and ancient witchcraft and gods, attributed to a mythical god-inspired bard and poet, part of another form of Antiquity than the Greco-Roman one. People jubilated upon discovering the “Celtic Homer”, and praised these grea poems proving that the Greek epics could be challenged by Gaelic sagas... 

... But the thing is that James Macpherson probably never translated those works, and that maybe Ossian was a purely fictional invention. You see, James Macpherson was a poet himself with not much success before “discovering” the works of Ossian, and he was deeply passionate about ancient Scottish poetry and Celtic texts and the like, collecting them and imitating them. Despite their enormous importance and influence for literary movements, and painters across Europe, and poets for centuries to come, the poems of Ossian are clearly artificial in nature, written by Macpherson alone without any “translation” required. The poet purposefully created a “Celtic Homer”, as a way to sell his work - and selling it did! Mind you, the Ossian poems stay true to the texts and essence of ancient Celtic legends and myths. Macpherson knew his sources, as I said was passionate about ancient Gaelic poetry, and he took inspiration and influence from works such as the Ulster cycle, the Fenian cycle, the Book of the Dun Cow, the Book of Lismore or The Yellow Book of Lecan... The very fictional character of Ossian was actually shaped after the mythological character of Oisin. But Ossian and his poems stay an artificial creation of an 18th century poet, even though they fit perfectly alongside antique Celtic texts. It is similar to how nowadays Titania is an integral part of fairy folklore, and yet she was a literary inventon of Shakespeare for one of his plays.