#BBC Sound of 2019

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

Just an observation, but I find it very interesting that Swifties are both Taylor’s biggest supporters and critics. No one else is picking apart her words and measuring her actions up against a scale of “is this enough or is it not enough?” like we do. She is quite literally damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t with us.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Link 1, Link 2 :)

Digital Good Omens 2 Sountrack is coming out in 4 days! 🥳 CD version in October! :) ❤ Coming soon on vinyl…

Out to Stream/Download from 25th August. Out on CD 13th October. Coming soon on vinyl…

David Arnold’s ‘end of the world’ complex and multi-genre soundtrack.

From the Award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale comes a follow up to the hugely successful, Emmy nominated Good Omens soundtrack.

Good Omens series 2 premiered on Prime Video on 28th July. The series follows the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World. The six-episode sequel to the popular adaptation of the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, concerns the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) arriving without his memories to Aziraphale’s bookshop. Aziraphale and Crowley attempt to find out what happened to Gabriel, whilst hiding him from Heaven and Hell, both eager to find him.

The Soundtrack

David Arnold’s soundtrack to Good Omens was first released in 2019 to favourable reviews, with BBC Music Magazine calling it “a rollicking trip to hell and back”. Blueprint Magazine described it as “a great listen” and Sci Fi Bulletin commented on “plenty of memorable themes” to conclude that “This is another work of art from Arnold”. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, the Good Omens 2 soundtrack showcases Arnold’s every skill from his composer arsenal. Featured here are orchestral arrangements with sprinkling of Sugar Plum Fairy pizzicato and percussion, jaunty strings and mighty choral sweeps from Crouch End Festival Chorus. Added to the mix are rock guitar riffs, and psychedelic 70s sounds and all together they create a haunting otherworldly feel, complementing the fantasy and the quirky humour of the show. The spirited Waltz of the opening theme is also present in the second series and it wonderfully sets the scene for fantastical mayhem. In series 2, this robust, evocative, and funny music entity, becomes yet again another character in the story. Award-winning composer David Arnold is well known for his blockbuster scores, including Stargate, The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Hot Fuzz, Paul, Independence Day, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Casino Royale as well as for his TV work such as Sherlock and Dracula. Also available: The original soundtrack to the first series of Good Omens >

Tracklist

– Disc 1 – Chapter 1: The Arrival 1. Before the Beginning 2. Good Omens 2 Opening Title 3. Into Soho 4. Something Terrible 5. To The Bookshop 6. Maggie and Nina 7. He’s Smoking 8. Tiny Miracle 9. Heavenly Alarm Bells Chapter 2: The Clue 10. Avaunt! 11. The Song is the Clue 12. It’s What God Wants 13. A Mighty Wind 14. Whales 15. Gabriel Returns 16. His New Children 17. Am I Awful Now? 18. Fallen Angel Chapter 3: I Know Where I’m Going 19. Police Arrive 20. Scotland 21. We’re Going to Hell 22. People Get a Choice 23. My Car is Not Yellow 24. Beelzebub in Hell 25. The Book 26. The Fly 27. Mr. Dalrymple 28. We Need to Cut 29. I’m Going to Save Her 30. Crowley Goes Large 31. Not Kind 32. Beelzebub Isn’t Happy – Disc 2 – Chapter 4: The Hitchhiker 33. Hell-O 34. Nazi Zombies 35. March of the Nazi Zombies 36. Crowley Pep Talk 37. The Magic Shop 38. Catch The Bullet 39. Zombies in the Dressing Room Chapter 5: The Ball 40. I’ll Let You Have It 41. We’re Storming a Book Shop 42. Monsieur Azirophale 43. The Candelabra 44. Here Comes Hell 45. Gabriel Gives Himself Up 46. Shax 47. The Circle Chapter 6: Every Day 48. Bin Through the Window 49. Gabriel Leaving Heaven 50. The Halo 51. Gabriel Revealed 52. Gabriel’s Love Story 53. Leaving The Bookshop 54. Gabriel and Beelzebub 55. Crowley and Muriel 56. I Forgive You 57. Don’t Bother 58. The Biggest Decision 59. The End?

[invisibleicewands]

Michael Sheen Talks Becoming Prince Andrew for ‘A Very Royal Scandal’: “It’s a Hall of Mirrors With Him”

Michael Sheen confesses it was daunting becoming Prince Andrew in Amazon Prime Video‘s A Very Royal Scandal, a series following the infamous BBC interview with the Duke about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Sheen (Good Omens, Twilight, Masters of Sex) stars alongside Ruth Wilson (The Affair, Luther), playing British journalist Emily Maitlis, after she and Andrew came together for one hour on a fateful night in 2019 to produce what is now mostly considered a huge stain on the monarchy’s already-blotted reputation. The Duke of York was probed on accusations he had sex with Virginia Giuffre (then Roberts) at Epstein’s house when she was just 17 in the early 2000s.

The Welsh actor tells The Hollywood Reporter that portraying any real-life person is “daunting” in itself, but a royal family member even more so when the research involves a lot of guesswork and relying on “the person who used to be a security guard.”

“One of the big challenges with with playing Prince Andrew compared to a lot of the people I’ve played,” he begins, “is it’s a hall of mirrors with Prince Andrew. The royal family is so controlled with what gets out. So you’ve got, on the one hand, very stage-managed photographs and interviews and personal appearances, and then you’ve got, gossip and rumor and, ‘The person who used to be security guard said…’ And you don’t know what people’s agendas are.”

Sheen explains that it gets particularly tricky portraying a royal because there’s “a mystery at the heart” of who Andrew is – and, crucially, “what he did or didn’t do.”

“I mean, we can have strong feelings, instincts, opinions about what that might be, but in terms of the nitty gritty, the nuts and bolts of what he did, we don’t know,” he says. “So given that I don’t know, I did still have to make certain choices myself, just so I could play something specific in the scenes. Now, I will never tell anyone what those choices are because they have no bearing on the reality of it one way or the other, really, and it could only really serve to maybe influence the way people watch what I’m doing, and I’d rather that it retain its sort of ambiguity.”

But the star steered clear of impersonating the Duke for as long as possible as he found it makes a better experience for viewers. “Ultimately, you want the audience to engage with what’s going on for the character, not to be too bothered about what’s on the surface and all those things like mannerisms, vocal and physical things,” he says.

“For someone who the audience feels they know so well, they’re coming at it with preconceived ideas and preconceptions about what they look like, what they sound like, what they come across as,” Sheen explains to THR. “So, that’s daunting, because you know you’re going to be judged by that.”

Sheen recalls watching the interview himself, all the way back in 2019 – before the Duke settled out of court with Giuffre for an undisclosed fee. “It is now harder for me to remember what I thought or felt at the time because, because I’ve obviously watched it literally hundreds and hundreds of times now,” he says. “I do remember not having a hot take on it, I just felt the way everyone felt about it: ‘What was that? How on earth did that ever happen?'”

Now 55, nine years Andrew’s junior, Sheen has grown up following the Duke’s generation of royal family members. “Back when I was growing up in the ’80s, he was tabloid fodder all the time,” the actor says. “‘Randy Andy’ and, you know, his relationships. And he was this ruggedly handsome war hero, a prince who was the most eligible bachelor on the scene. [But that] has diminished, he’s one of the least known in that respect, and yet, at the same time, one of the most seemingly familiar because he had that reputation.”

He enjoyed grappling with a man who has lost so much over the years, one who was once incredibly “attractive” and often regarded as Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite child. “So popular, thousands of women shouting and screaming when he comes off the dock, coming back from the Falklands War with a rose in his mouth,” Sheen continues. “To see a man age, put on weight and start losing all that whilst getting further and further away from the center of power, to have money problems when you’re seen as having everything, and to feel like you don’t get treated the way you should get treated for a man of immense privilege, that contradiction is golden for an actor and to have.”

“I mean, he clearly is a character and that was part of the treasure hunt for me,” he adds.

[catb-fics]

CATB Interviews 2019-23

2019

Q104.3 New York (Jonathan Clarke)

Audacy Music (pre Balance release)

Radio X Gordon Smart (pre Balance release)

Radio X Evening Show: Gordon Smart (podcast)

Future Sounds: Annie Mac

105.7 The Point

TRNSMT 2019

TRNSMT 2019 snippet

TRNSMT Backstage Virgin Radio

Go Backstage

ALT 104.5 Studio Session

104.5 Philadelphia Summer Block Party

Beats 1: Zane Lowe (audio)

Beats 1: Zane Lowe (clip)

X107.5 Radio

91X San Diego Riffs & Gearheads (Bondy)

KROQ Weenie Roast

Sirius XM (Bonaroo)

Radio 104.5 (Jessie @ The Met)

102.1 The Edge Toronto

BBC Music: The Rise

101X Austin

Tobacco Dock Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas

107 The End: Deck the Hall Ball (puppies!)

ALT 94.7 Christmas

91X San Diego Christmas

2020

Radio 1 Reading and Leeds announcement

2021

Hide & Speak podcast: Johnny Bond

2023

Time for Heroes Podcast: Billy Bibby

CATB INTERVIEWS MASTERLIST

[fairytales-and-folklore]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you for the tag @marimbles! ♥️ No pressure tags: @litfeathers @lollytea @ashanimus @greyhavenisback @princecharmingwinks @tails89 @nutellarghh @ash-mcj @childlikegoblinqueen @daydreams-and-honeybees @avatarmerida @asarcasticwitch @sailahina @secretly-of-course @sapphic--kiwi @haystarlight @zyrafowe-sny @peachytea04 @slightecho

1. How many works do you have on AO3? just hit 100 last month!

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 479,814

3. What fandoms do you write for? I've dabbled in quite a few over the years, but the ones I've written the most fics for are doctor who (eleven/amy) teen wolf (sterek) and the owl house (huntlow)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Error 404: Brain Cell Not Found (teen wolf | sterek) You Always Want What You're Running From (sleepy hollow | ichabbie) What To Do When Your Emotionally Constipated Werewolf Boyfriend Gets Cursed By A Witch: A Guide (teen wolf | sterek) Gold Rush (the owl house | huntlow) Lovesick (the owl house | huntlow) 5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do! Every kind comment means so much to me, so I always take the time to respond to all of them (though I'm not always great at getting to them on time.)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmm probably The Courtesan and the Writer (doctor who | eleven/amy) I used to dabble in angst a bit more when I first started writing fic, but these days all my fics are pretty much guaranteed to have a happy ending, because real life is hard enough lol

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Pretty much all my fics have happy endings, but one of the happiest I wrote would probably be my huntlow college AU Until You Meet Someone Who Makes The Fall Feel Like Flying

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I wouldn't call it outright hate, but I have gotten a handful of rude comments over the years (complaining that I don't post often enough, telling me my headcanons are wrong, telling me how they think my story should have ended — one time someone yelled at me in all caps because I said that a character chilled red wine lol that one was wild)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do! Smut is fun. Mine is typically more focused on the emotional aspect than the physical, is usually the result of a long tension-fueled slow burn buildup, and is usually tooth-rottingly fluffy, soft, and sweet.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I have! Back in the days where superwholock plagued tumblr, I wrote one of the silliest cross-overs imaginable, combining doctor who, torchwood, bbc sherlock, supernatural, the avengers, and sleepy hollow: Lords, Gods, and Madmen

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yup 🙃

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have! But most of them never saw the light of day 😂 one that did is called An Eggcellent Morning For Cooking Lessons co-written with @ash-mcj @tails89 and @nutellarghh

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

I think my top three ships are reflected in who I've written the most fic for: huntlow, sterek, and the eleventh doctor/amy pond

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Luckily, everything that's posted to AO3 is finished, but at this point I'm thinking I'll probably never get around to writing the little nightmares, reylo, and captain swan WIPs I've had sitting in my drafts since 2019

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told I capture the characters really well, which means a lot to me. I've also been told that my writing is cozy and comforting and fills people with warm fuzzy feelings, which is always nice to hear 🥰

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I will sit there and agonize over the same paragraph trying to make it sound perfect instead of just letting the writing flow, so sometimes a fic will be in the works for a very long time until it's finally ready to be posted (by which time I'm probably sick of it and never want to look at it again 😂)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I've dabbled in this a little bit, but it's usually been plot-relevant, like a character learning to speak the language (i.e. when Hunter tried to learn Spanish in Being Human.) When I do write in another language, I always do my best to research and try to get the translations as accurate as possible, and I always include the English translation either in the fic itself or as an author's note so readers don't have to break away from my fic to google anything. (And also so that they know what my intention was, on the off-chance I translated something wrong and accidentally wrote something offensive.) 19. First fandom you wrote for?

Does anyone remember that vampire show that came out back in like 2009? Moonlight? Yeah, that one lol

20. Favourite fic you've ever written? God, that's like asking me to pick my favorite child. Okay fine, it's Until You Meet Someone Who Makes The Fall Feel Like Flying

[get-back-homeward]

—From In His Own Write (1964) | First published in Mersey Beat August 17, 1961 | Written 1958-1959 (see below)

Q: There’s a very, very sad poem at the end of the play about Kakky Hargreaves who is some sort of person whose name changes during the poem who’s gone lost. Who was Kakky Hargreaves?

JOHN: Well, nobody, you know. It was Kakky, or Cathy, or Tammy. So it was all those people. But the point is that you GOT it -- the sadness that I wrote into it. But after you write something, a song or anything, you get the sadness and then you perform it or you put it on paper and then that’s gone. And the only way you get the joy back of writing it or the sadness back, is when somebody like Victor or somebody else comes and reads it to you, or acts it out. Like, when I first saw the rehearsal of the play, and they said these words back to me and I got the sadness from Kakky Hargreaves like I’d never heard it before.

Q: You wrote that one when you were very young.

JOHN: Yes. That was, sort of, pre-Beatle. Eighteen. Nineteen.

VICTOR: (laughs)

Q: And have you written lately?

JOHN: Well I write, I think, all the time. So I mean, it’s the same. I actually don’t put it on paper so much these days, but it goes into songs -- A lot of the same energy that went into those poems. I don’t know what I actually do with the thoughts, but they come out either on film, or on paper, or on tape. I’ve just got lots of tape, which, I suppose if I put onto paper it would be a book. But it’s just a matter of, do I want to make those tapes into paper or make the tapes into records.

Q: Does it feel the same to you when you’re writing something on paper and when you’re writing a song lyric?

JOHN: It does now. In the old days I used to think, if song writing was this... you know, 'I love you and you love me,' and my writing was something else, you know. Even if I didn’t think of it quite like that. But I just realized through Dylan and other people... BOB Dylan, not Thomas... that it IS the same thing. That’s what I didn't realize being so naive -- that you don’t write pop songs, and then you DO THAT, and then you DO THAT. Everything you do is the same thing, so do it the same way. But sometimes I’ll write lyrics to a song first and then I'll get the same feeling as Kakky Hargreaves or a poem and then write the music to it after. So then it’s a poem, sung. But sometimes the tune comes and then you just put suitable words to fit the tune. If the tune is (sings) 'Doodle-loodle loodle-leh,' and then you have 'Shag-a-boo choo-cha.' You know, you have sound-words then, just the sound of it. ‘Cause it IS all sound. Everything is vibrations, I believe, you know. Everything is sound, really, or vision. And just, the difference between sound and vision I’m not quite sure about. But its all just (imitates a vibrating sound) 'vuh-wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh.'

—BBC-2 Interview of John Lennon and Victor Spinetti (about the In His Own Write play) [x] | June 6, 1968

—Remember by John Lennon | Written: started July 1969 | Recorded: October 9, 1970 (John’s 30th birthday), after seeing his father the last time | Released: December 11, 1970

—Get Enough by Paul McCartney | Written: 2016-2018 (?) | Recorded: 2018 | Released: January 1, 2019 (midnight)

[lobinilo]

What are your favourite Jonah’s projects? ☺️🎬

~ plays TikTok Sound~

OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE THIS QUESTIOOOONNN

So since May 2023 (what happened there? I have no idea 😉) I've watched everything Jonah-related I could get my hands on (except for Little Women, but I'm definetly going to watch that later this year).

My top 3 Jonah projects OTHER than The Little Mermaid (because truth be told, I think it's pretty clear how obsessed I am with that movie and it's not really a fair comparison to some of the more indepent, even low budget projects Jonah has starred in) so far:

1. World on Fire (2019 - 2023)

created by: Peter Bowker directed by: Chanya Button, Thomas Napper, Adam Smith, Andy Wilson Jonah plays: Harry Chase

Big shocker, right? Given how much I already rambled about Harry and Kasia (my traumatised parents) and how upset I was when they cancelled it. I will always mourn this show for the huge potential it had.

World on Fire is a BBC-show following different people in Britain, Poland, Germany and France (with some American viewpoints as well) as they have to endure and navigate their life through World War II. Doesnt really sound like anything we haven't seen, right? However, World on Fire is worth checking out imo, since it differs a lot from the usual Hollywood-infused war epics, because rather than focusing on the politics or the big battles, the show looks more closely at the everyday person that actually had to live through this tragedy and how they deal with what's happening. That being said, obviously this is still a show about WW II, so there definitely IS depiction of violence, murder and torture, as well as bombings, gunfire etc., so please be careful if you find any of those things triggering. I personally found some episodes quite hard to get through.

I think it's interesting that Jonah's filmography is very heavy on projects set during or related to WW II (additionally to WoF you have The Song of Names, Ashes in the Snow and ofc coming up The Tattooist of Auschwitz). Theories on why that is are welcome!

Harry Chase (brilliantly brought to life by our favourite British simp) differs quite a bit from many of Jonah's other roles in that he`s not your heroic, clean-cut good guy (like Andrius, Lucas, Mo or Prince Eric). He's insecure and a little helpless, even cowardly at times. Harry starts out as a translator, but later joins the British Army and the SOE. He fucks up repeatedly, both in his role as lieutenant, as well as in his personal life. Even though most of the time he means well, his cowardice ends up hurting a lot of people and leads him to be in the middle of a love triangle. (Though to me it's not a triangle, but rather a straight line, Team Kasia all the way.)

Harry, though deeply troubled, is a very kind and soft soul. That doesn't really pair well with the acts of war, as well as british society in the 1940s in general, which leads to conflict with other characters and their idea of who he should be. Especially when he clashes with his mother Robina (portrayed by the absolute MAGNIFICENT Lesley Manville, shes giving Emily Gilmore in the best way possible), Jonahs acting is ON POINT. His performance is so nuanced: He's angry, he's desperate, he's sad, but also condescending, sarcastic and hostile towards her. The interesting thing about Harry is the journey he takes. To watch him try to better himself by dealing with past trauma and taking responsibility for present mistakes. The real standout for his character is episode 5 of season 1 where he finally steps up and takes charge. This is also when he starts earning the respect of his sergeant Stan (Blake Harrison) for the first time - they have a real bromance, both on and off the show, I LIVE for these two.

But - just like in real life - he doesn't have this one breakthrough moment and everything is smooth sailing from there. He fluctuates, just like a real person would. He still has the tendency to run away from his problems, but I think what he's seen in the war, what happened at home and (yes, I'm making this about my ship) his love for Kasia (Zofia Wichlacz) make him realise the type of man he wants to be and he would probably try to act accordingly IF WE GOT A THIRD SEASON, BBC! 😤😡🤬

2. Old Boys (2018)

directed by: Toby MacDonald Jonah plays: Henry "Winch" Winchester

If you can only watch one Jonah movie, I beg of you MAKE IT THIS ONE!

I`ve found next to nothing about Old Boys and that seriously has to change. (watched the entire movie again, getting my non-existing gif-making skills ready, just the night before I got this ask, talk about fate)

This movie is so underrated, it doesn't even have a Wikipedia entry. Make it make sense! How is nobody watching this cutie-patootie work of art? Its adorkable in the best sense of the word, it's heartwarming, a little silly and oh! so funny!

It's losely based on the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, set in an all-boys british boarding school in the 1980s. Given the source material, catfishing is definetly a thing here, keep that in mind if you might find that topic difficult.

Alex Lawther's character Amberson (cliché school nerd and victim of bullying) falls in love with the new french teachers daughter Agnes (Pauline Etienne) who in turn has a crush on First-Class-Himbo Winch (portrayed by a beautiful, dimple-faced, british actor). Because Agnes is very artistic and looking for someone that matches her vibe, Amberson helps Winch to try to impress her, because Winch himself is... well... a little dim 😅.

Winch is easily my favourite Jonah character to date (yes, including Prince Eric). I have seriously considered changing my tumblr-name to themightywinch because of him. I mean... he's corteous and punctual, after all 🤣😍.

While not the main character, he's definetly the highlight of the movie. Jonah is likeable, charming, the right kind of awkward in the right moments, has fantastic comedic timing and great chemistry with Alex Lawther.

Just look at that scene alone! IT`S. SO. CUTE!!! (cute-raging over here 😡) Watching this just makes you wish Jonah would star in more comedies, because he definetly has the skills for it! This is just a feel-good movie that leaves you smiling with a warm, fuzzy feeling in your heart. It has easily become one of my new comfort watches. Old Boys just never fails to make me laugh and I wish it would get more attention and recognition since it definetly deserves it! (like at least write a Wikipedia article about it) Btw, I bought this on Prime for 99ct, best money I ever spend!

3. The Last Photograph (2017)

(the trailer says 2019, but the movie was originally shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2017)

directed by: Danny Huston Jonah plays: Luke Hammond

Fair warning, this movie is gut-wrenching. I don't know if this qualifies as an actual trigger-warning, but this movie deals with the loss of a child/ death of a young person, as well as the real life tragedy of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombed in 1988 so proceed with caution.

Luke Hammond (Dimples McGee) is on said flight to visit his long-distance girlfriend Kate (Stacy Martin) in New York. Kate's and Luke's first meeting is a little awkward imo, I think it's meant to be like a meet-cute, especially with the whole "Bird"-thing, it just doesn't really work for me. But the rest of their love story is very endearing, they're just two young people experiencing love for the first time. Their time together is told through seemingly random, incoherent flashbacks and memories, just giving little glimpses of what their relationship was like and it's the cutest thing. Little intimate touches, hidden smiles, shared laughter... It's shot in a way as if you're watching them through rose-colored glasses, which is probably the point.

I love the way this movie uses different lighting and colour changes to depict a difference in the time line as well as the emotional state of the characters.

We only see Luke in flashbacks (guess why) and follow his dad Tom (Danny Huston) in present day (which in this case means 2003) as he is desperately trying to retrieve the last photograph (hence the titel) he possesses of his son after his bag was stolen. To see Tom slowly losing his grip as he grows more and more desperate to find the picture is truely heartbreaking. (It's a polaroid, so there are no copies, this is truely the last memory he has of Luke. God, I'm tearing up while writing this.)

Because Luke is basically just seen through the memory of his father who obviously holds him in high regard/ romanticizes the idea of his son, he is portrayed in a solely positive light, which usually wouldn't give much dimension to his character. Yet Jonah still manages to fill this role with life and witt and charisma, making you understand why Bird fell for him. He's sweet, romantic, a little bit shy, which works really well here, has the cutest laugh and clearly cares really deeply for his father. He's definetly portrayed as the "you simply have to love him" kinda guy, which is why his absence cuts so deep.

This is also in huge parts due to Danny Huston's performance. Honestly, the sweater-scenes (or jumper, if you're british 😉) almost broke me. And don't even get me started on his letter to Kate or Kate's letter to him... ugh. It's. So. SAD.

This is obviously not for everyday watch. However, even though The Last Photograph is heartbreaking, it doesn't necessarily leave you hopeless and depressed. This movie feels like a loving tribute to an actual person and therefore has a beauty in its melancholy. Throughout Tom's journey there is hope and forgiveness towards himself. There's a beautiful symmetry to the whole thing. The ending feels almost satisfying if you can say that in this context.

I also wanna give a shoutout to This Is The Night (2021). The movie itself isn't that great, it's a little all over the place and I think they tried to do a little too much all at once. But I looo~oooved Jonah in this, Christians character arc is by far the most interesting one and I wish the script gave their character justice in the way Jonah's and Naomi's acting did. (Also this is the HOTTEST he's ever looked which is a bit ironic).

This list is probably going to be outdated soon, since he has a lot coming out in the near future (I'm especially excited for Rich Flu).

Sorry, if this is too long and rambly and if it took too long for me to answer, I got a little carried away and suddenly had a lot of gifs to make 😅.

Thank you soooo much for the ask, @measuredmotion ❤️.

[otaku-girl-ao3]

BBC Ghosts Masterlist | Otaku_Girl | AO3

Ghosts (BBC, 2019) fics from Otaku_girl on AO3. Predominantly featuring Thomas Thorne, Julian Fawcett, Pat Butcher and The Captain. Fawthorne & PatCap fan. Shameless /Reader writer.

The easiest way to follow my work and get the latest updates on all of my fics is via Archive Of Our Own - subscribing via my main Otaku_girl. 

🔥 smut writer 🔥

Please for the love of Blorbs do not read my AO3 if you aren’t 18+

Can’t take it back (once it’s been set in motion)

Rating: Explicit Smut? 🔥 Dark?: ✔️ Can be read as dubious consent (but is resolved) ❌ Status: Complete | Chapters 3/3 Series: Oxytocin part 2 Pairings:  Thomas Thorne/Reader, Julian Fawcett/Thomas Thorne, Pat Butcher/Reader “Patrick tells me that you are inexperienced in the ways of the flesh.”

“Pat said what?”

“Patrick was telling me all about your little…conversation," Thomas said delicately, a small, sly smile curling at the corners of his lips. "And I was wondering if perhaps I might be of some assistance?”

Thomas offers to help you lose your virginity. It would be a far more appealing prospect, if you weren't half convinced you were developing feelings for Pat.

-----

(Don't let me be) misunderstood

Rating: Mature Dark?: ✔️ Dubious consent. Scene gone wrong. Misunderstandings Status: 1/3 Pairings:  Pat Butcher/The Captain

"Well then. what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Red."

The sound of their breathing intermingled — Cap’s ragged and unsteady, Pat’s faltering. The tension in Cap’s shoulders began to ease. He had finally managed to say it. Everything would be okay now. Pat would fix it.

“I knew you were in a bit of a mood, but I didn’t think you’d be so bloody childish.”

Pad and Cap discover the importance of open, honest communication and safeword use.

-----

Green looks good on you

Rating: Explicit Smut? 🔥 Dark?: ❌ Status: Complete Pairings: Pat Butcher/The Captain “Patrick, really... I don’t know about this. What if someone sees us?”

Brown eyes glanced back at him, amusement clear in their depths. “Nobody should be this far into the woods this close to sunset. Not on a Sunday night. And certainly not while the footie’s on.”

“What if someone hears us?”

Pat’s lips twisted in a wry little half-smile. Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “Then you better be quiet, love.”

When Pat catches someone flirting with Cap at the pub, he can't help but take a little detour on the walk home to remind him of who he really belongs to.

-----

She couldn’t look away (she’d wanna get involved)

Rating: Explicit Smut? 🔥 Dark?: ✔️  Can initially be read as a little dark (but is resolved)❌ Status: Complete  | Chapters 8/8 Series: Oxytocin part 3 Pairings: Pat Butcher/Reader, Julian Fawcett/Thomas Thorne “Julian and I have agreed it’s best to clear the air and stop any resentment before it has the chance to really set in. What we think would be best for everyone involved, is if we have a nice little demonstration. Julian wants to remind Thomas exactly who he belongs to, and why he shouldn’t go around touching anyone else without his express permission.”

“Belongs… to?” Your breath catches. Surely you must have misheard him?

“He wants you to watch. So you can see exactly what’ll happen if you even think of looking at Thomas like that again.”

-----

Take a chance on me

Rating: Explicit Smut? 🔥  Status: Complete Series: Oxytocin part 1 Pairings: Pat Butcher/Reader “Now cmon then love, let’s see you. Only if you’re sure. I could fetch one of the others if you’d like? Julian’s got a ton of experience if even half of his stories are to be believed. And Thomas…well, if you like that sort of thing..”

“I think I’d rather just keep this between the two of us if that’s ok with you, Pat? At least for now? Anything else sounds a little bit advanced for…”

“For your first time as a ghost?” Pat finishes your sentence for you, sending you a reassuring smile, “We’ve all been there."

“Haha. Yes. It will be my first time as a ghost. And also…maybe… my first time…”

-----

The investor

Rating: Explicit Smut? 🔥 Status: Complete Crossover: Wonka x BBC Ghosts Pairings: Felix Fickelgruber/Julian Fawcett World famous chocolatier Felix Fickelgruber is always willing to exchange a little of his time for the promise of new investment in his business. MP Julian Fawcett has a certain reputation for appreciating the finer things. Who better to target as his next investor?

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Acting is not about dressing up. Acting is about stripping bare. The whole essence of learning lines is to forget them so you can make them sound like you thought of them that instant.

Glenda Jackson

Although Glenda Jackson was absent from screen and stage for nearly a quarter of a century, when she devoted herself to her political career, she managed to appear in a wide variety of roles on either side of her time as an elected MP to Parliament. 

Almost uniquely amongst actors of her generation, she managed to straddle the line between leading actress and character actor, being both a bankable star and a fascinatingly unpredictable performer who would enliven any film or production that she was in. It is hard to think that she ever gave a bad performance.

She deservedly won two Oscars during her illustrious career on both stage and screen. The second Oscar that she won, for the 1973 romantic comedy-drama A Touch of Class, was an appropriate acknowledgement of a decorous and classy performance in a decorous and classy film, and one still fondly remembered now. However, the picture that she first received an Academy Award for, Ken Russell’s inimitable 1969 DH Lawrence adaptation Women in Love, was considerably less restrained.

When she was cast, she was by no means a known international quantity. She had achieved success on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) since the early Sixties - most notably as Ophelia, opposite David Warner’s Hamlet, in Peter Hall’s legendary 1965 production - and had reprised her stage role as Charlotte Corday, the assassin of Jean-Paul Marat, in Peter Brook’s film of Peter Weiss’s play Marat/Sade, but she had never starred in a major picture. 

Until Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979, Jackson had not regarded herself as a political actor, in the way Jane Fonda or Redgrave did. She had long been a Labour party member, and gave time and energy to single-issue campaigns, such as human rights, Oxfam and abortion.

She considered standing for parliament and won despite Labour overall losing to John Major in 1992. In 1997, re-elected in the Tony Blair landslide, she served briefly as a junior transport minister, but she became an increasingly critical voice on her own side, especially over the Iraq war. She was rarely heard in the Commons, but always remained a highly popular constituency MP.

She left politics and made a surprise return to acting in 2015, making waves in a BBC Radio 4 series based on the novels of Emile Zola. It was when she played King Lear on stage at the Old Vic - a role that she later reprised on Broadway in 2019 - that the ferocity and power of her performance was a reminder to many who had been too young to see her in her earlier stage roles that she was a magnificent and multi-faceted performer.

Jackson continued to appear in television and film until the end of her life. However, her last definitive role came a few years ago, in which she starred as Maud Horsham, an elderly woman suffering from dementia who attempts to solve a mystery, even as she ebbs away. She won virtually every award going for the part, including another Emmy and a Bafta,

RIP Glenda Jackson RIP 1936-2023

[westeroswisdom]

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has eight seasons of faux Medieval cred thanks to his character Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones. In an upcoming production by the BBC and CBS Studios he gets to recreate some actual 11th century history in the series King and Conqueror.

Nikolaj's character never got to rule the Seven Kingdoms. But in King and Conqueror he portrays William the Conqueror who became King of England and ultimately the founder of the royal line which still reigns in London.

George R.R. Martin was heavily influenced by English, French, and Scottish history in ASoIaF. GRRM may have had William the Conqueror in mind when writing about Aegon I Targaryen.

In 1066, the English King Edward the Confessor died without an heir. As if dying without a direct descendant to claim the throne wasn't one of the most chaotic things a king could do, Edward took it a step further: He allegedly promised the throne to both his brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, and to a distant relative, William of Normandy. Harold and William weren't the only ones with a claim, either. While the pope endorsed William's claim, the resulting war of succession would force Harold to fight Harald Hardrada, the king of Norway, who also claimed the thrones of Denmark and England and invaded the latter alongside Harold's brother, Tostig. Anglo-Saxon King Harold would have to defeat Harald before meeting William and his Norman invasion at the Battle of Hastings, all in the same year. If that sounds to you like a lot of drama that could easily be its own television series, you aren't alone. CBS Studios and the BBC are teaming to produce "King and Conqueror," a show about this most pivotal event in English history. James Norton ("Happy Valley") and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ("Game of Thrones") are attached to be the titular King Harold and William the Conqueror, respectively. [ ... ] Historians might disagree on whose side of the story is more accurate, but screenwriters and producers agree that no matter what happened, the 1,000-year-old story will make for great television. Michael Robert Johnson ("Sherlock Holmes") will pen the series while Baltasar Kormákur ("2 Guns") will direct. "King and Conqueror" begins production in 2024.

There's actually a physical artistic link between the account of William's conquest in the 1060s and Game of Thrones.

After William's victory, his half-brother Bishop Odo was apparently the commissioner of a tapestry embroidered with scenes which tell the epic story of William's conquest. The cloth, now known as the Bayeaux Tapestry is an amazing 70 meters long. It can be viewed here.

So volunteers at the Ulster Museum in Northern Ireland where GoT was produced created a tapestry in the style of the Bayeaux Tapestry which tells the story of all eight seasons of GoT. See our 2019 post about it.

[theroundbartable]

You said to ask you about your takes about Merlin, and I always find it interesting to find out which angle people approach an ot3 of, so which edge of the triangle arthur/merlin/gwen was the first you shipped? Or was it the full ot3 right away? 👀

Ah, yes. When I started watching Merlin back in 2019, the very first thing I shipped was Merthur.

I usually don't start shipping right away, I start looking at the different dynamics and wait where it may take me. And the very first episode left all dynamics open. So, I wasn't an instant Merthur fan but I could tell that this was where I was heading.

Even though I wanted to ship Merlin x Gwen first because Gwen had a crush on Merlin and Merlin was oblivious and Arthur was an arse in season 1. I still knew I would end up a Merthur main.

Back in 2019 I was still working through a lot of stuff when it comes to relationships, sexuality, identity, trauma, etc, It sounds weird but what I needed at the time, was characters that I couldn't "be" and that also couldn't be attracted to me. The reason for that is too personal to post here but that's why I distanced myself from female characters in ships at the time. That's why I knew Mergwen wouldn't be where I'd end up. I didn't hate them, I just couldn't deal with certain things.

And then came the Elena episode in which Merlin tells Arthur that he will be a better king with a woman by his side whom he loves. I was already lowkey shipping Merthur by then, but THAT scene burned itself into my DNA and changed me forever. I LOVE that scene! If I ever had any doubts until then, they were gone the moment Merlin hands Arthur the sword and says: " I think you're mad."

I knew from the beginning that Merthur wouldn't end up canon, and that without looking at spoilers. The show is from 2012, I just knew. In fact, I was delighted with how FAR they took it despite that!

And I absolutely loved how the canon ship actually made sense. And Ioved how it was a learning curve for me too, to see them grow to make sense. In the beginning it felt a bit sudden but when I watched the show again, I realized just how many moments they actually had.

Plus, Gwen wasn't a mere love interest, she was a real character. Basically, she passed the bechdel test, lmao. I love that she's a blacksmith, that she had her own story arc, her own tragedies and losses, a full family that we SEE in the show, etc. And I loved her dynamic with Arthur growing from awkward to genuine. I always thought that relationshipwise, they were one of the best portrayals of lovebirds I've seen in a series in a long time. And BBC merlin is PG so that was a bonus. And they always had space for Arthur's friendship with Merlin. (This is very important to me, as an ace person who used to think they would lose their friends due to their relationships)

And well... years have passed and I slowly got over my trauma through writing fanfiction and some mild confrontation therapy. There was one fic especially, that paved the way for Mergwenthur. I think that one was Wired... (2021) in which time is a circle and Merlin lives long enough to see Arthur be born again. In that one I tried to be as close to canon as I could, while also writing a Merthur story. Originally, Arthur was meant to choose Merlin, but during the darkest hour, in which the story begins, he's already head over heels for Gwen. And the more I tried to grasp Arthur's feelings after the magic reveal, the less possible it was for me to not see Mergwenthur.

As Arthur starts realizing his fellings for Merlin, his feelings for Gwen don't change, because why would they? The feelings were different but they were both of love. And when I tried to characterize Gwen, I ended up thinking of their three person date in season 4(?) in which Arthur says:" Isn't it nice to be here? Just the two of us?" And it's GWEN who says: "you mean, the THREE of us. " When I thought of that, I just couldn't imagine that Gwen didn't already know and accept Arthur's feelings. And I couldn't imagine Merlin wanting Arthur to choose him over Gwen. While at the time, Mergwen wasn't really on my mind, I thought this was where the story was naturally progressing, so I let it.

I've always been a multishipper. But this dynamic is important to me. I've analized their relationship a couple of times and come to the conclusion that Gwen is the better Queen (some people like to call Merlin Arthur's queen). Because her relationship with Arthur is build on mutual goals and their future vision of Camelot. Their relationship is reasonable and healthy. I think their love is very soft but strong. While Merthur is just unhinged soul bond, ready to sacrifice everything for each other, including Camelot. Merlin would be a terrible Queen, like, seriously. Camelot would be destroyed the moment Arthur gets abducted once. Their love is intense and fickle in the sense that they can't live without the other. And Mergwen should have had more moments. Gwen was always the one person picking up that some things about Merlin were a bit odd, like the Lamia episode, or servant of two masters, etc.. I feel like Mergwen is a ship that's friendship first and can be both wholesome and completely mad, depending on which of the two indicates the action.

So, it was a bit of a curve for me. I ship them individually, I ship them together, apart, with other characters, everything. But the more I look into the show, the more sense Mergwenthur makes to me. Regardless of whether they are platonic or not, I can't unsee them. And why would I? they are fun.

Haha, this answer was very long, but I hope it answers your question :D

[denimbex1986]

'Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies breaks down why he enjoys staging pop musical numbers for his villains. The showrunner who helped relaunch Doctor Who for the 21st century has returned after fourteen years to helm the series amid large production changes and milestone celebrations. With David Tennant's 60th anniversary return complete, Davies will steer the show into a new era as Ncuti Gatwa steps into the role of the Fifteenth Doctor in 2023's seasonal special, "The Church on Ruby Road."

With the final Doctor Who 60th anniversary story "The Giggle" now revealed to the world, Davies reflected on why pop songs have been used in his villains' most dastardly moments when viewing the Toymaker's choreographed rampage to "Spice Up Your Life" during the episode's official commentary on the BBC iPlayer. The showrunner explained to Tennant that he found pop music has a "savagery" to it, as seen in both "The Giggle" and season 3's "The Sound of Drums." Check out Davies' full explanation below:

Russell Davies: In all great pop music, there’s a savagery to it… It’s like in the middle of a song, people are being slaughtered. It’s pure Doctor Who, isn’t it? Well, actually it’s.. Even Doctor Who doesn’t often do this. It’s just nuts. See, it’s a mad episode…. I’m always using pop music like that. I just think there’s a savagery to it, a darkness in there somewhere. The relentlessness, that’s the word. There’s a ruthlessness to pop music.

David Tennant: The Sound of Drums, there was.

Davies: Yeah, yeah, yeah! It’s bang, bang, bang. Good pop is, like, hard.

Russell T Davies' Musical Villain Moments Leave An Impact On Viewers

Davies' use of unexpected needle drops for dastardly deeds has been a recurring element ever since he first brought Doctor Who back. "The End of the World" saw the surgically augmented human Cassandra plot to incinerate a party of alien ambassadors to Britney Spears's "Toxic." Meanwhile, season 3's two-part finale "The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords" saw the Master decimate humanity to Rogue Trader's "Voodoo Child," and torment the Tenth Doctor and other captives to Scissor Sisters' "I Can't Decide."

This isn't limited to Davies' Doctor Who work either. His 2019 sci-fi series Years and Years set a general election that led to the rise of a far-right political party to Steps' "Tragedy," with Emma Thompson's party leader Viviene Rook even learning to dance to it. Like the Doctor Who example, the doomed general election paired with the upbeat track leaves a mark, as the central Lyons family is divided politically and the world is gradually spiraling further into chaos. These sequences have become some of Davies' most fondly remembered moments, for either showing the sheer carefree insanity of a villain or emphasizing bleak, uncontrollable developments.

The Toymaker's brutal "Spice Up Your Life" routine is a standout set-piece within Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials. The moment comes as a surprise and leads into a terrifying display of the villain's powers, as the Fourteenth Doctor can only plead as highly-trained soldiers are turned into balls and his companions are swept up in the chaos. Doctor Who fans are sure to be unable to dissociate "Spice Up Your Life" from the Toymaker's unsettling antics.'

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I am continuing to run out of John + Elis Radio X episodes at a mildly distressing rate, I'm into August 2018 now and they run until March 2019. Yes there are several hundred BBC episodes after that, but they'll be different, and I've got used to these ones. The Radio X episodes are escapist, from when the world was easier. The BBC episodes are going to run through 2020 and I just can't listen to those initial months where they'll say everyone should wash their hands and make jokes about the Imagine video.

Luckily, the side project of following all John Robins' other things alongside the radio chronology will extend this a bit. Their book came out in October 2018, though I think it was written by August, so I could listen to that audiobook pretty much any time now and call it in line with where I'm at in the radio show. I'll get on that soon.

Also, I've reached the radio episodes in which John Robins is telling us about filming his digital television internet-based quiz show. Specifically, he's telling us about the production company hiring someone to buy him new clothes, because he's not allowed to wear Queen-branded or brewery-branded t-shirts while presenting a show on Dave. I was looking forward to this radio show letting me know what happens to a comedian the year after they win the Perrier Award (I'm aware that it wasn't actually called that when he won it in 2017, but I cannot be bothered to look up what it was called in any given year), and now I know. Apparently it's extending a tour to the point where you develop different medical ailments every week from the stress of traveling and at one point turn up to a radio show an hour late because you forgot you were recording, and they give you a digital television internet-based quiz show for which they buy you new clothes that do not advertise breweries or rock bands. It sounds very glamorous.

I've referred to it as a comedy panel show before, because for some reason I thought it had comedians as guests. I've just looked it up and learned it actually features members of the public, like a regular quiz show. And that sounds quite bad. I didn't have terribly high expectations anyway, but this has lowered them. Sunil Patel's all right, though. I mean, I think he's all right as a comedian. Don't know what he's like on this TV show, haven't watched it yet.

But I've got it downloaded and I think I'll get into it this weekend, as I've reached that point in the chronology. I looked up the Chortle review, and its opening paragraph is exactly what I imagined this show would be, based on the synopsis:

This next bit of condemnation comes off as significantly harsher, just because it could function fairly accurately as a description of John Robins' broadcasting/comedy style as a whole, and not just being about this one quiz show that I assume John Robins does not hold up as his greatest artistic achievement:

Sick burn and everything, Steve, and you do have a point that John Robins' habit of going into a vaguely Partridge-inspired voice can sometimes blur the line between parody that works and just actually doing a thing that doesn't work. However, that is some harsh criticism coming from someone who doesn't know how to put a period at the end of a sentence. Maybe learn to use punctuation first, Steve, and then you can talk shit about digital DJs who watched too much Alan Partridge when they were growing up, and possibly base just a touch too much of their persona on ironically imitating that.

Actually, that sounds all right. I enjoy watching John Robins at once try to embrace and stay at arm's length from things. Maybe it won't be so bad.

I think I will start watching this show this weekend, I'll let you all know if it's terrible. Or, tell you what, I'll let you all know if it's good. I don't need to report on it every time I expect something to be bad, but watch it anyway due to my brain's relentless drive toward completism, and it meets my expectations. If it surprises me, I'll definitely let you all know.

[thenightling]

My top ten favorite Christmas movies

Rise of the Guardians. Technically not set at Christmas but Santa is a character in it.

An American Tail - Actually set during Hanukkah so it's technically a Hanukkah movie.

10. Nearly all versions of A Christmas Carol. They may all tell variations of the same story but I have a soft spot for them. The animated one with Tim Curry, the Kelsey Grammar musical, the Jim Carey motion capture version, the 80s Scrooged version with Bill Murray.

In fact the ONLY version of A Christmas Carol I don't like is that awful 2019 BBC mini-series version that adds child molestation, sexual assault, urinating on a grave, non-Forgiveness and all together just a mean, cynical version... That version missed the point of the story entirely and taints all other versions by simply existing. That's how much I hate that 2019 version.

But I stand by that I love nearly all versions of A Christmas Carol. There are several adaptations and only one bothers me.

Specific favorite version of a Christmas Carol is The Muppet Christmas Carol - Despite being done with muppets this is one of the most faithful adaptations of a Christmas Carol while also having some great muppet humor.

9. ALL the Rankin Bass Holiday specials, stop motion and cell animation. I love all of them. And they're mostly a shared universe like Universal's Monster movies or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Only some of these are movie length. My favorites change based on my mood whether Twas the Night before Christmas, Nester the long eared Christmas Donkey, or Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July.

Currently my favorite is probably The Life and adventures of Santa Claus, based on the novel by L. Frank. Baum. It's technically set in the same universe as The Wizard of Oz books but you'd have to read the original novel to know that. There's also a cell animated adaptation but I prefer the 80s stop motion version.

In this story Santa was raised by faeries in an enchanted forest and the story is actually these immortal beings determining if he's worthy to be made into an immortal too because if he isn't made immortal he's destined to die that night. Needless to say, they grant him immortality.

Again, my favorite is subject to change based on my mood.

8. Legend of Hell House - I'm only putting this on the list out of technicality. The movie ends on Christmas day and that's when the ghost is defeated. I first saw this movie late at night with my friend Lorie. We decided to watch it because Roddy McDowall was in it. And we were so sure he would die. He was the sort of character that dies in those sort of movies. He had been in the house before. He was meek, timid, and kind. He was nerdy. It was a cliche that someone like him would die. It was a relief and surprise when he turned out to be the hero of the story.

7. Jim Carey's The Grinch. I have a soft spot for this once since my mother loved it so much.

6. Marvel Superhero Adventures: Frost Fright! Most people don't even know this exists but it's a Marvel superheroes Christmas special / movie. It even taught me the old Nordic version of Santa (may even be a persona of Odin). Jolnir (Yule-near). However in this version Jollnir is a light elf.

5. The Addams Family Christmas. Technically not a movie but an episode of the 60s Addams Family, it's just very sweet. The kids are told Santa isn't real so all the adult Addams decide to prove to them that Santa is real by dressing up and giving them gifts. Meanwhile while they're distracted, the real Santa shows up.

4. Ghostbusters 2 - I know this sounds weird but it's set right after Christmas and ends on New Years day and there's a lot of Holiday feel to it. Also I kind of like Ghostbusters 2 more than the first one. I'm weird. I also loved the Real Ghostbsuters animated series episode where the Ghostbusters accidentally bust the ghosts that haunt Scrooge and then they had to rescue them and save Christmas.

3. Edward Scissorhands - I love this movie and somehow often forget that it's a Christmas story even though it's a bitter-sweet fable about the origin of Christmas snow. And it has such a beautiful, Haunting score by Danny Elfman. The score is gorgeous. And Nostalgia Critic points out that much of the atmosphere comes from Danny Elfman's haunting score. When Kim is dancing under the block of ice without the music the scene is weird and awkward. The music makes it.

One time my mother and I were at the mall and I saw this nice anniversary edition DVD of Edward Scissorhands in a steel case. My mother and I went to McDonalds and while at McDonalds she handed me the money and said "Go back and get that Edward Scissorhands." That was my favorite Christmas gift that year.

2. Over the Garden Wall - This is a TV mini-series but when spliced together it makes a movie length story. And all the visuals are inspired by vintage New England Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cards. Bonus mention: I forgot to mention the TV mini-series adaptation of Hogfather. It's a bit like Nightmare before Christmas. Set in Terry Ptatchett's fantasy Discworld, Death (The Grim Reaper) has to play the part of The Hogfather (Their world's version of Santa) one year. And it's actually very sweet. There's a scene where he saves a little match girl that chokes me up each time. And I love the moral that we need to believe in intangible / impossible things like love and justice in order to make them real.

1. Nightmare before Christmas - This has been my favorite movie since I was eleven-years-old. Not just favorite Christmas / Halloween, or Tim Burton film. Just favorite film, period.

I saw this with my Birthday money, it came out right before I turned twelve. I paid for my mother, brother, cousins and I to go see it. As soon as "This is Halloween" started I knew I was hooked.

[gacmediadaily]

Great American Family is taking on the March family story.

“A Little Women’s Christmas,” the network’s first ensemble Christmas movie, is a contemporary retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s classic 1868 novel, starring Jillian Murray as Jo March, Trevor Donovan as Friedrich “Fritz” Baehr, Laura Osnes as Beth March, Jen Lilley as Meg March, Jesse Hutch as John Brooke and Julia Reilly as Amy March. Gladys Knight also stars and will perform her new original Christmas song, “Joy.”

The movie will air during the fourth annual “Great American Christmas.” Previously announced other titles for their 2024 holiday slate include “Aurora Christmas,” “A Christmas Less Traveled,” “Love at the Kettle,” “My Grown-Up Christmas Wish,” “A Royal Christmas Ball” and “A Vintage Christmas.”

“‘A Little Women’s Christmas’ is a new Christmas classic in the making, with an incredible ensemble cast and an adaptation of an original story that is one of the best I have read,” says Great American Media president and CEO Bill Abbott. “Louisa May Alcott was intentional about focusing on the culture of young women, their hopes, ambitions, and dreams, and it remains one of the most widely read and beloved stories ever written.”

The film, directed by Brandon Clark, is written by Dione Sheehan and Taylor Bird. Executive Producers include Hutch, Knight, Clark, Brian Bird, Tai Truesdell, Darin Chavez, Brian Williams, Charly White, Lori Overholt, William McDowell and Joyce Miller Roy. “A Little Women’s Christmas” is produced by Rodney Eldredge, True Brand Entertainment, Third Coast Film and Empress of Soul Productions.

“Little Women” has been frequently adapted for both stage and screen. In 1933, Katharine Hepburn led the first sound adaptation of the film, followed by the first color adaptation with Elizabeth Taylor and Janet Leigh in 1949, which landed two Academy Award nominations and one win. In 1994, Gillian Armstrong directed a large ensemble led by Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, Susan Sarandon, Christian Bale and others, which landed three Oscar nominationss. In 2017 (and 2018 in the U.S.), the BBC and PBS’ Masterpiece turned Alcott’s novel into a TV series, led by Maya Hawke as Jo. Then, in 2019, Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” became a box-office sensation, and was nominated for six Academy Awards.

[welovelofi]

Make Friends розпочали свій спільний шлях 6 років тому, об’єднавши групу друзів, які поділилися інтересом до сучасної інді-поп-музики. Натхненний інді-денс-панком ��Antidotes»-Era Foals і мелодійним альт-попом Bombay Bicycle Club, гурт поєднав ці впливи в дебютному міні-альбомі «Hi».

Міні-альбом створив улюблений сингл «Ellie», який став улюбленим шанувальниками, їхній перший трек, який набрав понад півмільйона програвань, і він дав їм можливість виступити в прямому ефірі BBC Introducing у престижній Maida Vale Studios наприкінці 2019 року.

Підбадьорені сесією, Make Friends почали писати свій наступний набір релізів, що породили треки «When Nothing's Said» і улюблену «Knowing Makes It Worse» на Amazing Radio. Запровадження національного блокування призвело до того, що група досягла найгарячішої творчої смуги на сьогоднішній день, вийшовши з витонченим грувом синглу «Hesitate» і релізом «Kung Fu» з великими рифами. Наприкінці 2020 року вони написали новий міні-альбом із матеріалом, перший реліз «Sleep Sound» вийшов 14 травня 2021 року, а за ним 2 липня вийшов «Call Me Out».

Незважаючи на те, що у 2020 році не було живої музики, Make Friends підписали контракт із новим захоплюючим живим агентством Маршалла (Marshall Live Agency), яке вже забронювало національний тур на кінець року, працюючи разом з деякими з найкращих промоутерів Великобританії ( DHP, крупним планом). Гурт також заброньовано для кількох виступів на підтримці з King No-One з LAB Records під час їхнього осіннього туру, і вони вже виступали на живих трансляціях Scruff of The Neck на Twitch перед понад 3500 людьми. Цього року вони також планують зіграти на кількох британських фестивалях, включаючи Dot To Dot і Wild Paths.