#David Lin release

[creativemedianews]

China releases US pastor David Lin, who was jailed for life in 2006

China releases US pastor David Lin, who was jailed for life in 2006 #ChinadetainsUScitizens #contractfraud

[thaoworra]

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association recently released the poems that made it to the finalist stage for consideration for the 2024 Rhysling Awards for Short and Long Speculative Poems of the year. Congratulations to all of the nominees! This will be the 46th year these awards have been conferred!

Short Poems (50 finalists)

Attn: Prime Real Estate Opportunity!, Emily Ruth Verona, Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection Volume II

The Beauty of Monsters, Angela Liu, Small Wonders 1

The Blight of Kezia, Patricia Gomes, HWA Poetry Showcase X

The Day We All Died, A Little, Lisa Timpf, Radon 5

Deadweight, Jack Cooper, Propel 7

Dear Mars, Susan L. Lin, The Sprawl Mag 1.2

Dispatches from the Dragon's Den, Mary Soon Lee, Star*Line 46.2

Dr. Jekyll, West Ambrose, Thin Veil Press December

First Eclipse: Chang-O and the Jade Hare, Emily Jiang, Uncanny 53

Five of Cups Considers Forgiveness, Ali Trotta, The Deadlands 31

Gods of the Garden, Steven Withrow, Spectral Realms 19

The Goth Girls' Gun Gang, Marisca Pichette, The Dread Machine 3.2

Guiding Star, Tim Jones, Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa, ed. Lee Murray (Clan Destine Press)

Hallucinations Gifted to Me by Heatstroke, Morgan L. Ventura, Banshee 15

hemiplegic migraine as willing human sacrifice, Ennis Rook Bashe, Eternal Haunted Summer Winter Solstice

Hi! I am your Cortical Update!, Mahaila Smith, Star*Line 46.3

How to Make the Animal Perfect?, Linda D. Addison, Weird Tales 100

I Dreamt They Cast a Trans Girl to Give Birth to the Demon, Jennessa Hester, HAD October

Invasive, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, Polar Starlight 9

kan-da-ka, Nadaa Hussein, Apparition Lit 23

Language as a Form of Breath, Angel Leal, Apparition Lit October

The Lantern of September, Scott Couturier, Spectral Realms 19

Let Us Dream, Myna Chang, Small Wonders 3

The Magician's Foundling, Angel Leal, Heartlines Spec 2

The Man with the Stone Flute, Joshua St. Claire, Abyss & Apex 87

Mass-Market Affair, Casey Aimer, Star*Line 46.4

Mom's Surprise, Francis W. Alexander, Tales from the Moonlit Path June

A Murder of Crows, Alicia Hilton, Ice Queen 11

No One Now Remembers, Geoffrey Landis, Fantasy and Science Fiction Nov./Dec.

orion conquers the sky, Maria Zoccula, On Spec 33.2

Pines in the Wind, Karen Greenbaum-Maya, The Beautiful Leaves (Bamboo Dart Press)

The Poet Responds to an Invitation from the AI on the Moon, T.D. Walker, Radon Journal 5

A Prayer for the Surviving, Marisca Pichette, Haven Speculative 9

Pre-Nuptial, F. J. Bergmann, The Vampiricon (Mind's Eye Publications)

The Problem of Pain, Anna Cates, Eye on the Telescope 49

The Return of the Sauceress, F. J. Bergmann, The Flying Saucer Poetry Review February

Sea Change, David C. Kopaska-Merkel and Ann K. Schwader, Scifaikuest May

Seed of Power, Linda D. Addison, The Book of Witches ed. Jonathan Strahan (Harper Collins)

Sleeping Beauties, Carina Bissett, HWA Poetry Showcase X

Solar Punks, J. D. Harlock, The Dread Machine 3.1

Song of the Last Hour, Samuel A. Betiku, The Deadlands 22

Sphinx, Mary Soon Lee, Asimov's September/October

Storm Watchers (a drabbun), Terrie Leigh Relf, Space & Time

Sunflower Astronaut, Charlie Espinosa, Strange Horizons July

Three Hearts as One, G. O. Clark, Asimov's May/June

Troy, Carolyn Clink, Polar Starlight 12

Twenty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary, John Grey, Medusa's Kitchen September

Under World, Jacqueline West, Carmina Magazine September

Walking in the Starry World, John Philip Johnson, Orion's Belt May

Whispers in Ink, Angela Yuriko Smith, Whispers from Beyond (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Long Poems (25 finalists)

Archivist of a Lost World, Gerri Leen, Eccentric Orbits 4

As the witch burns, Marisca Pichette, Fantasy 87

Brigid the Poet, Adele Gardner, Eternal Haunted Summer Summer Solstice

Coding a Demi-griot (An Olivian Measure), Armoni “Monihymn” Boone, Fiyah 26

Cradling Fish, Laura Ma, Strange Horizons May

Dream Visions, Melissa Ridley Elmes, Eccentric Orbits 4

Eight Dwarfs on Planet X, Avra Margariti, Radon Journal 3

The Giants of Kandahar, Anna Cates, Abyss & Apex 88

How to Haunt a Northern Lake, Lora Gray, Uncanny 55

Impostor Syndrome, Robert Borski, Dreams and Nightmares 124

The Incessant Rain, Rhiannon Owens, Evermore 3

Interrogation About A Monster During Sleep Paralysis, Angela Liu, Strange Horizons November

Little Brown Changeling, Lauren Scharhag, Aphelion 283

A Mere Million Miles from Earth, John C. Mannone, Altered Reality April

Pilot, Akua Lezli Hope, Black Joy Unbound eds. Stephanie Andrea Allen & Lauren Cherelle (BLF Press)

Protocol, Jamie Simpher, Small Wonders 5

Sleep Dragon, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

Slow Dreaming, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

St. Sebastian Goes To Confession, West Ambrose, Mouthfeel 1

Value Measure, Joseph Halden and Rhonda Parrish, Dreams and Nightmares 125

A Weather of My Own Making, Nnadi Samuel, Silver Blade 56

Welcoming the New Girl, Beth Cato, Penumbric October

What You Find at the Center, Elizabeth R McClellan, Haven Spec Magazine 12

The Witch Makes Her To-Do List, Theodora Goss, Uncanny 50

The Year It Changed, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Star*Line 46.4

Voting for the Rhysling Award begins July 1; a link to the ballot will be sent with the Rhysling Anthology, as well as with the July issue of Star*Line. More information on the Rhysling Award can be found here.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in October 2024 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Happy reading!

❓What was the last queer book you read?

[ Release dates may have changed. List below! ]

❤️ Back in the Hunt - K. Sterling 🧡 The Connoisseur's Christmas Courtship - L.M. Bennett 💛 Shoestring Theory - Mariana Costa 💚 The Black Hunger - Nicholas Pullen 💙 Wild Fire - Radclyffe 💜 Because Fat Girl - Lauren Marie Fleming ❤️ The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide - Cody Daigle-Orians 🧡 Soul Survivors - River Kai 💛 Stolen Hearts - Michele Castleman 💙 Reverence - Milena McKay 💜 Love Immortal - Kit Vincent

❤️ Take a Sad Song - Ona Gritz 🧡 Showmance - Chad Beguelin 💛 Redundancies & Potentials - Dominique Dickey 💚 Alexander - Karla Nikole 💙 Rest in Peaches - Alex Brown 💜 Rise of the Wrecking Crew - Kalynn Bayron ❤️ Language Lessons - Sage Donnell 🧡 Legend of the White Snake - Sher Lee 💛 Sorcery and Small Magis - Maiga Doocy 💙 Cried Out - Kate Hawthorne 💜 Skysong - C.A. Wright 🌈 No Rules Tonight - Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada

❤️ My Mother's Ridiculous Rules for Dating - Philip William Stover 🧡 I Shall Never Fall in Love - Hari Conner 💛 Castle Swimmer - Wendy Martin 🧡 The Hollow and the Haunted - Camilla Raines 💙 How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? - Anna Montague 💜 The Arizona Triangle - Sydney Graves ❤️ Every Rule Undone - Nancy S.M. Waldman 🧡 Mister Nice - Jamie Jennings 💛 Under the Mistletoe with You - Lizzie Huxley-Jones 💙 How to Fall in Love in a Time of Unnameable Disaster - Muriel Leung 💜 The Snowball Effect - Haley Cass 🌈 This Will Be Fun - E.B. Asher

❤️ Our Evenings - Alan Hollinghurst 🧡 Don't Let the Forest In - C.G. Drews 💛 Finding Delaware - Bree Wiley 💚 The Reeds - Arjun Basu 💙 The Bloodless Princes - Charlotte Bond 💜 Women's Hotel - Daniel M. Lavery ❤️ Alex McKenna and the Academy of Souls - Vicki-Ann Bush 🧡 A Vile Season - David Ferraro 💛 Synchronicity - J.J. Hale 💙 Writ of Love - Cassidy Crane 💜 Di-Curious - Erin Branch 🌈 Swordcrossed - Freya Marske

❤️ Stand Up! - Tori Sharp 🧡 Haunt Me, Baby - Rose Santoriello 💚 Planet Drag: Uncover the Global Herstory - Various 💙 Until We Shatter - Kate Dylan 💜 Metal from Heaven - August Clarke ❤️ Vicious Fates and Vast Futures - Tilly Bramley 🧡 The Daughter of Danray - Natalia Hernandez 💛 If I Stopped Haunting You - Colby Wilkens 💙 The Darkness Behind The Door - Mira Gonzalez 💜 Hunt Monsters, Do Magic, and Fall in Love - A.M. Weald 🌈 Jasmine Is Haunted - Mark Oshiro

❤️ Model Home - Rivers Solomon 🧡 Haunting Melody - Chloe Spencer 💛 The Door in Lake Mallion - S.M. Beiko 💚 The City in Glass - Nghi Vo 💙 Fang Fiction - Kate Stayman-London 💜 The Merriest Misters - Timothy Janovsky ❤️ Make the Season Bright - Ashley Herring Blake 🧡 My Kind of Trouble - L.A. Schwartz 💛 To Become A Flower - CEON 💙 What Was Lost - Melissa Connelly 💜 The Forbidden Book - Sacha Lamb 🌈 This Dark Paradise - Erin Luken

❤️ The Sound of Storms - Anya Keeler 🧡 Country Queers - Rae Garringer 💛 A Spell for Heartsickness - Alistair Reeves 💚 The Stars Inside Us - Kristy Gardner 💙 October's Ocean - Delaine Coppock 💜 Haunt Your Heart Out - Amber Roberts ❤️ The Dark Becomes Her - Judy I. Lin 🧡 Power Pose - Emily Silver 💛 The Magic You Make - Jason June 💙 House of Elephants - Claribel A. Ortega 💜 Tegan and Sara: Crush - Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, Tillie Walden 🌈 The Brightness Between Us - Eliot Schrefer

❤️ The Spring before Obergefell - Benjamin S. Grossberg 🧡 Pray For Him - Tyler Battaglia 💛 Coup de Grâce - Sofia Ajram 💚 Coal Gets In Your Veins - Cat Rector 💙 He Who Bleeds - Dorian Valentine 💜 The Revenge of Captain Vessia - Leslie Allen ❤️ Camelot's Tower - Brooke Matthews 🧡 The Manor - Tiffany E. Taylor 💛 Arcanum - Ashlyn Drewek 💙 Strange Beasts - Susan J. Morris 💜 On Vicious Worlds - Bethany Jacobs 🌈 Death Song - B. Ripley

❤️ Best Hex Ever - Nadia El-Fassi 🧡 I'll Be Gone for Christmas - Georgia K. Boone 💛 Make My Wish Come True - Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick 💚 Gentlest of Wild Things - Sarah Underwood 💙 Troth - E.H. Lupton 💜 Solis - Paola Mendoza & Abby Sher ❤️ Lucy, Uncensored - Mel Hammond, Teghan Hammond 🧡 Mama - Nikkya Hargrove 💛 Under All the Lights - Maya Ameyaw 💙 Reclaimed - Seth Haddon 💜 The Devil's Dilemma - Alex J. Adams 🌈 The Jovian Madrigals - Janneke de Beer

❤️ Blood Price - Nicole Evans 🧡 Worship Me - K.C. Blume 💛 All the Hearts You Eat - Hailey Piper 💚 The Nightmare Before Kissmas - Sara Raasch 💙 Rogue Community College - David R. Slayton 💜 Mistress of Hours - Emma Elizabeth ❤️ The Dog Trainer's Secret - Sav Uong 🧡 Most Wonderful - Georgia Clark 💛 Antenora - Dori Lumpkin 💙 House of Frank - Kay Synclaire 💜 Sir Callie and the Witch's War - Esme Symes-Smith 🌈 Prince of Fortune - Lisa Tirreno

[zsakuva]

Hello!! Even though it's absolutely irrelevant, I thought I'd ask anyway since you seem the best person to answer the question(s) I'm about to ask:

First of all, I am someone who has listened to/ is open to listening to most types of music. But these days I feel like I'm falling behind in music genres such as ambient, folkkore or soundtrack annd much more.

On the other hand, it would be hard not to realize that you listen to these genres religiously in the short time I was able to use Discord!! So you kinda get the point of me asking this question specifically to you 🦉

So, let's ask you, King Crumpet, do you have any suggestions?, or important stuff you want to talk about? Let your people be cultured too!!

I normally consume soundtracks of things that I've played/watched before, and many are nostalgic for me. But I tend to listen to music that helps with my work, so I curate my playlists when I'm searching for a specific theme or mood. I also listen to my 'Discover Weekly' and 'Release Radar' semi-regularly to find new songs, so the artists in total are ALL over the place.

So in no particular order, I'll list off soundtracks that help my brainstorming/writing (bear in mind I don't listen to the whole soundtrack, just pieces that fit what I need):

MOVIES/TV SHOWS/ANIME

Game of Thrones - Ramin Djawadi

House of the Dragon - Ramin Djawadi

The Hunger Games movies - James Newton Howard

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Bear McCreary

The Wheel of Time - Lorne Balfe

The Untamed - Hai Lin

Tales From Earthsea - Tamiya Terashima

Psycho-Pass - Yugo Kanno

The Sandman - David Buckley

The Bourne Trilogy - John Powell

Oppenheimer - Ludwig Göransson

VIDEO GAMES

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Jeremy Soule

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Jeremy Soule

Final Fantasy XII - Hitoshi Sakimoto

Final Fantasy XV - Yoko Shimomura

Horizon Zero Dawn - Joris de Man

Moss - Jason Graves

Pine - Tumult Kollektiv

Detroit: Become Human - Nia Fakhrara; Philip Sheppard; John Paesano

MISCELLANEOUS BUT NOTABLE ARTISTS

Yuki Kajiura

Gareth Coker

Nobuo Uematsu

Two Steps From Hell

Howard Shore

Jia Peng Fang

Will Savino

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (normally renditions of video game soundtracks like Tomb Raider II)

Hans Zimmer

Loreena McKennitt

Mark Eliyahu

Yutaka Yamada

[beardedmrbean]

Three imprisoned Americans have been released after years of detention in China, the White House said Wednesday. 

Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung have been released, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said, and they will soon "return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years." 

The Biden administration has repeatedly raised the issue of wrongfully detained Americans with Chinese officials. President Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the issue on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, Peru earlier in November.  

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to foreign minister Wang Yi about the release of wrongfully detained Americans during multiple meetings in recent months. 

"Thanks to this Administration's efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans in the PRC are home," the National Security Council spokesperson said. 

Swidan, a 48-year-old Texas businessman, was on death row in China. He had been behind bars since 2012 after being charged with narcotics trafficking. Swidan has denied the charges, which the U.S. says are trumped-up. The State Department categorized him as wrongly detained, and has previously raised concerns about his health. His family said earlier this year they feared Swidan might take his own life while detained. 

Li, 60, has been held in a Chinese prison since September 2016. He had a stroke in prison, according to John Kamm, executive director of Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group that pushes for the release of those detained in China.

Leung, 78, was arrested in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison for espionage in May 2023. Few details have been shared about the case. 

In a statement addressing Li's release, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer credited Mr. Biden's "personal engagement with President Xi" with securing the release of the three men. 

"For the families of those Americans newly freed by the Chinese government, this Thanksgiving there is so much to be thankful for," Schumer said. 

David Lin, a 68-year-old American pastor imprisoned on fraud charges for 18 years, was released by China in September.

[bookaddict24-7]

(New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (September 3rd, 2024)

___

Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

___

New Releases:

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

The Monstrous Kind by Lydia Gregovic

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

Second Chance On Earth by Juan Vidal

The Ghost of You by Michael Gray Bulla

Guava & Grudges by Alexis Castellanos

The Loss of the Burying Ground by J. Anderson Coats

Luminous Beings by David Arnold & José Pimienta (illustrator)

Girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio & Paulina Ganucheau (Illustrator)

Fairy Godmother by Jen Calonita

Us in Ruins by Rachel Moore

Please Be My Star by Victoria Grace Elliott

The Dagger & the Flame by Catherine Doyle

Songlight by Moira Buffini

Mismatched by Anne Camlin

Welcome to Fear City by Sarah Dvojack

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron

Repeat After Me by Jessica Warman

I'm Not Really Here by Gary Lonesborough

A Wreck of Seabirds by Karleah Olson

New Sequels:

Celestial Monsters (The Sunbearer Duology #2) by Aiden Thomas

Shadows of Perl (House of Marionne #2) by J. Elle

Rebel Fire (Rebel Skies #2) by Ann Sei Lin

The Mongol Ascension (A Jump in Time #3) by Andrew Varga

___

Happy reading!

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Moana 2

I know I'm not in the only one that remembers the days when Disney would release a sequel to their highly successful animated films straight to VHS and DVD. Don't get me wrong, there were a couple sequels that actually deserved a theatrical release, but instead became cult classics. The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, An Extremely Goofy Movie and Aladdin and the King of Thieves were among the best and one of their songs is always in my head. On the other hand, alot of the major Disney Classics received the sequel treatment that didn't need to it and ended up getting a lesser quality film. Well, this film is a mixture of both circumstances. It was great to revisit the main two characters and although their accompanied by a few great songs, the qaulity of storytelling has taken a dip and it needed a little more time on the fire. The plot may have been straight forward in the beginning, but half way through it loses focus and becomes over crowded with characters that really don't add to the growth to the main heroes. At least the acting from the leads continued to be fun and dazzle.

Auliʻi Cravalho continues to be a powerhouse of a performer as Moana. Her strength, comedic timing and heart once again shines the brightest. Her connection to her family was always at her core and her scenes with her little sister Simea, played wonderfully by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, were the sweetest moments. Aside from her fully developed adventurous spirit, I hate to say that there really wasn't that much more of a growth for her. Sure she gains a bit of a new ability, but that’s about it when it comes to the challenges she faces. Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui and he was just as fun and action driven as you'd expect. He sort of loses a bit of intelligence for me because of his unwillingness to learn from his past mistakes, which he makes again in this film. You can be the fun loving action hero all day, but at some point you gotta learn to negotiate a bit more instead of fighting everyone first. The chemistry between Moana and Maui is still electric and reaches a new emotional depth by the end. I just wish the film just focused on them on the waters again. Hualālai Chung was good as the fan boy artist of Maui, Moni. He had his moments to shine comedically with some great art. Rose Matafeo was energetic and a bit annoying as Loto. I loved her ever creative mind in building the best ship, but man did she need to stop cutting everything. She was more destructive and clumsy than helpful. David Fane was good as the grumpy old man, Kele. He was a sour grape for the majority of the film and honestly didn't add much than just cynicism to journey. They all join Moana's crew and I honestly stopped carrying about them shortly after they got on the boat. Awhimai Fraser was great as Matangi, but I felt her character was all over the place. She was a mysterious villain that could've been more sinister and manipulative, but she comes off as a new fun possible ally. It was disappointing as she has a great aesthetic, but no real depth.

The score by Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foaʻi was great, but this film was really missing the magical collaboration that Lin Manuel-Miranda brought to the first film. The musical numbers were good, but weren't as memorable. Moana and Maui both get to shine in their respective moments, but Moana's new anthem, Beyond, was outstanding and fulfills that same energy that How Far I'll Go produced from the original. Visually, this is one of the most gorgeous animated films of the year as the color pallete is varied in epic proportions and the animation of the water was magical. Overall, the first film remains prestine while this film was lacking the same polish and focus. Its a safe sequel that doesn't really go anywhere in character growth and falls into the trap of over crowding the film with useless side characters. There is a mid credit scene that could have potential if they actually focus on a singular goal. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below.

[movies-to-add-to-your-tbw]

Title: Power Rangers

Rating: PG-13

Director: Dean Israelite

Cast: Dacre Montgomery, R.J. Cyler, Ludi Lin, Naomi Scott, Becky G, Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader, Elizabeth Banks, Fred Tatasciore, David Denman, Caroline Cave, Kayden Magnuson, Lisa Berry

Release year: 2017

Genres: science fiction, adventure, action

Blurb: Five ordinary teens must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove - and the world - is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, they quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet...but to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it’s too late.

[joezy27]

Kate Bishop in... BLOOD HUNTERS #2

The bloody chaos continues as the events of BLOOD HUNT spill across the Marvel Universe ! When the skies go dark, what will happen when a group of vampires gets a taste of the Hulk's gamma-irradiated blood ?! Kate Bishop takes aim against the creatures of the night with the help of a mysterious new vampire hunter. And Dagger and Elsa Bloodstone have teamed up to face down the vampiric hordes - but when a new combatant enters the field, will she prove friend or foe ? Or both ?! The formation of Marvel's wildest new team yet, the BLOOD HUNTERS, continues !

Written by Kaare Andrews, Ann Nocenti, Erica Schultz

Art by Alex Lins, David Baldeon, Bernard Chang

Cover by Greg Land

Variant cover by Declan Shalvey

- Release date: June 05, 2024

[geekcavepodcast]

Mufasa: The Lion King Final Trailer

Rafiki tells the legend of Mufasa and Scar / Taka to Simba and Nala's cub Kiara. Timon and Pumba help keep things light with their commentary.

Mufasa: The Lion King stars the voice talents of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Barry Jenkins directs. Songs are by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Mufasa: The Lion King releases to theaters on December 20, 2024.

[jules-has-notes]

Aca Top 10: Disney Heroes — VoicePlay music video

Disney animated movies are probably best known for their music, and almost all of them have a showstopping tune for their main characters. Singing or listening to those songs can feel empowering. So, sit back, relax, and spend a few minutes being inspired and entertained by these goofballs.

Details:

title: Aca Top 10 — Disney Heroes (feat. J.None)

original songs / performers: "Go the Distance" by Roger Bart as Hercules in Hercules (1997); [0:37] "When Will My Life Begin?" by Mandy Moore as Rapunzel in Tangled (2010); [0:55] "You'll Be In My Heart" by Glenn Close as Kala & Phil Collins as the narrator in Tarzan (1999); [1:24] "One Jump Ahead" by Brad Kane as Aladdin in Aladdin (1992); [1:44] "Colors of the Wind" by Judy Kuhn as Pocahontas in Pocahantas (1995); [2:06] "Reflection" by Lea Salonga as Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998); [2:33] "Part of Your World" by Jodi Benson as Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989); [3:00] "How Far I'll Go" by Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana in Moana (2016); [3:23] "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" by Jason Weaver as Simba, Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, & Laura Williams as Nala in The Lion King (1994); [3:40] "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel as Elsa in Frozen (2013)

written by: "Go the Distance" by Alan Menken & David Zippel; "When Will My Life Begin?" by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater; "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins; "One Jump Ahead" by Alan Menken & Tim Rice; "Colors of the Wind" by Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz; "Reflection" by Matthew Wilder & David Zippel; "Part of Your World" by Alan Menken & Howard Ashman; "How Far I'll Go" by Lin-Manuel Miranda; "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" by Elton John & Tim Rice; "Let It Go" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 21 September 2017

My favorite bits:

J.None's clear, hopeful tone on "Go the Distance"

the rhythm section being confused as to where they're supposed to be looking before their parts begin

Eli shrugging off his own muscles compared to Earl and J 💪

Layne's little finger wiggle from the beginning of "You'll Be In My Heart" being redirected at Geoff

the crunchy harmonies on the ♫ "Whoa-o-o-oa, number seven" ♫ transition

Layne's scampering percussion riff in "One Jump Ahead"

Geoff looking over at Layne while singing ♫ "why he grins" ♫, and Layne shrugging

J's flirty little wave to the camera during "Reflection"

Eli and J following the lyrics for ♫ "jumping, dancing" ♫

that lovely bell chord on ♫ "street street stree-ee-ee-eet" ♫

the back row dramatically looking left and right as they sing the words

everyone's befuddlement at Geoff taking the lead on the beginning of "Let It Go" ("That's not your song, bass man.")

Earl's adorable power pose at the end

Trivia:

○ VoicePlay had recorded and/or performed several of these songs previously:

"How Far I'll Go" was in their "Moana medley" video just one month before.

"I Just Can't Wait To Be King" was included in The King Returns medley on their 2012 album "Once Upon an Ever After". It was also part of the "aca-Disney" mashup they created for the Disney On Broadway 20th anniversary celebration.

"When Will My Life Begin" was in their condensed Tangled performance at the 2015 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.

"Let It Go" was part of their "Wow! Vol. 1" medley during the 2015 Sing-Off tour. Layne also snuck it into one memorable rendition of "Road Trip".

○ A couple of these songs were revisited in later videos:

"Part of Your World" was, of course, included in their "Little Mermaid medley" with Rachel Potter in 2020.

They recorded a full version of "Go the Distance" with EJ Cardona in 2021.

○ Eli's incredible riff and declaration of "Xtina for life!" at the end of the "Reflection" excerpt are in reference to the pop version of the song that Christina Aguilera recorded for the movie's end credits.

○ J.None had sung "You'll Be In My Heart" as part of his audition process to perform at Disney World in 2013. He was cast as Nakawa in the Festival of the Lion King live show.

○ The YouTube description includes a parody verse for "Reflection" — "Whooooooo is that Earl I see… / Staring straight at Eli? / When will my REFLECTION show / Jellied ham and RICE!!? / Yummmmmmmmm… "

○ The guys are all wearing graphic t-shirts featuring characters from the movies included in the countdown:

J.None — Hercules flexing his biceps, surrounded by a circle of text reading, "Don't act like you're not impressed"

Earl — Pua the pig from Moana with the inscription "I'm no bacon"

Eli — Ariel and Sebastian in a circular frame with "Little Mermaid" in jagged heavy metal style lettering across the top

Geoff — Genie from Aladdin with a microphone in hand and a blue neon sign reading "Applause" emerging from his shoulders

Layne — Mufasa's face from The Lion King with the word "king" in black letters across the top

○ This is the first in a mini-series within their "Aca Top 10" series, that was followed by countdowns for "Disney Sidekicks" and "Disney Villains" over the next year and a half.

[died-wondering]

BEATRIX/THE ADMINISTRATION (spoken)

The Phaethon Prize is a highly competitive award, given to a single senior in each graduating class

BEATRIX (spoken)

Honoring the memory of Arthur Phaethon, who, during his undergraduate years, took it upon himself to isolate the radioactive elements produced by the decay of pitchblende. 

While the project claimed his life just shy of his graduation, today the Phaethon Prize is awarded to undergraduates who display similar tenacity, independence, and intellectual acuity, distinguishing them as the best that Ardess University has to offer

BEATRIX/THE ADMINISTRATION (spoken)

The nominees for the Phaethon Prize for the current graduating class are:

Quincy Cynthius Martin

Vincent Aurelius Lin

Ambrose Wellington Bassford

THE ADMINISTRATION (spoken)

Beatrix Valeria Campbell

(BEATRIX tears her name out of the press release. THE ADMINISTRATION continues to read off names from as they are gradually cove

red by the music: David Elizabeth Hawthorne, 

Drew Roderick Harrison, 

Bertha Ruth Geiser, etc)

me asf (hi louis)

[megafaunatic]

3, 14, 20 for the books ask!!!

3. What were your top five books of the year?

OOOHHOHHHHH TOP FIVE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

black bird blue road by safiya pasternack - mg low fantasy about a girl who drags her twin brother on a quest to the byzantine empire to cure his leprosy before it kills him. this takes place in a possibly-apocryphal jewish empire on the black sea circa 1000 ce and has some REALLY cool lovely worldbuilding wrt the western asian cultural scene

the hare with amber eyes by edmund de waal - (see post) - this came out like ten years ago and was a big deal when it came out - nonfiction art history tracing the object history of a collection of netsuke that came to the author through his eccentric gay uncle. GREAT read if you, like me, are particularly interested in the jewish intellectual scenes of pre-war odesa and vienna

the magic fish by trung le nguyen - insanely beautifully designed and illustrated mg graphic novel, 3 different takes on little mermaid/cinderella type fairytales through the lens of vietnamese immigrant art

i read a lot of pg wodehouse jeeves books of which i don't really have a favorite but they were all delightful

CAN CI PIN THE DEFECTIVES BY PRIEST !!!!!!!!!!!! READ CAN CI PIN BY PRIEST. RACHEL I KNOW YOUVE READ CAN CI PIN BY PRIEST BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE: read can ci pin for a space opera about the role of technology in sacrificing freedom in exchange for comfort; the importance of play; some crazy insanely good character and relationship development; a deeply charming bad handjob; lin jingheng (handsome)

14. What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

right now i'm reading julia child's memoir my life in france, which i will probably finish in the next two business days (i read at work), and both freya marske's a power unbound and david bowles's the prince and the coyote are about 2 weeks out for me on libby! ALSO lianzi wants me to read yuwu but i probably won't FINISH reading it by the end of the year. but ill probably get around to both of the other two before january

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

ooohhh... i was really looking forward to yellowface (MET) and witch king (in some ways met - it DEFINITELY wants a sequel and for now hurts for want of one)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1993)

While the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise had three solid-to-pretty-good first entries, it rapidly devolved into garbage after that - without ever turning into "so bad they're good" trainwrecks or silly fun in the same way the Friday the 13th films did. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is the much-needed breath of fresh air the series needed. Writer/director Wes Craven thinks outside the box with this one. It's so innovative that if you kinda liked or didn’t mind the likes of Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, I’m not sure you’ll even like it.

Heather Langenkamp (playing a fictionalized version of herself), famous for playing Nancy Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street, is approached by Wes Craven (playing himself) and New Line Cinema to return to the series despite it ending definitively with Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. Plagued by strange nightmares her husband, Chase (David Newsom), assures her are caused by the frequent California earthquakes, disturbed by the unusual behavior of her son, Dylan (Mike Hughes), and worried she’s already losing her mind, she’s hesitant to accept the offer.

Released three years after the “final” chapter, this one must’ve left audiences wondering if they'd stepped into the right movie. Most of this story plays out like a psychological drama rather than a slasher film. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding Heather and her state of mind until the last act (actually, it could’ve stood to have been even more ambiguous but we’ll get to that). When we see Freddy Krueger (once again played by Robert England), he doesn’t crack jokes the way we’ve grown accustomed to him doing and his design is radically different. More effective? No, but there’s no mistaking this sinister character for the one we ridiculed previously.

It’s a much more cerebral and self-aware story than we’re accustomed to - horror or otherwise. Many shots are direct callbacks to the most iconic scenes of the 1984 original. Numerous actors play themselves and comment on the effect the films have had on their careers, psyche or lives. It makes the actors who don’t play themselves but have been previously featured in the series stand out. Lin Shaye played a teacher in the original movie. Surely Heather should recognize her but she doesn’t. As the plot progresses and Heather becomes more unhinged, the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly blurry. It’s superbly executed.

While the reveal that Freddy Krueger wants to leave the fictional world and enter our world may not surprise everyone, I didn’t see it coming 100%. It’s another layer of self-awareness that makes your head spin. In the movies, Freddy “wasn’t real”. He had no physical form but his actions were tangible. The process is happening again but on a wholly different level. While this requires some retconning/reimagining of the character, this choice could not have worked with any other movie slasher or a newly-invented one. For better or worse, everyone knows who you’re talking about when you say “Freddy”. He is just as well-known as Santa Claus. I'll remind you that the postal office confirmed Santa exists, so…

The film’s conclusion is, unfortunately, where Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is at its weakest. The ‘90s special effects generally haven’t aged well and they’re poured on heavily during the overly-lengthy final act. It devolves into standard Elm Street stuff, which is too bad. Everything preceding it is so fresh, so new.

Unless you’re counting 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street or Freddy vs. Jason (which ignores this film), Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is the final story in the series and it’d be hard to come up with a better way to cap things off. This seventh installment brings it all back to the beginning and plays with many great ideas, the kind uniquely applicable to this series. The performances are strong, the filmmaking gives you a lot to think about and it's memorable. (On Blu-ray, December 13, 2019)

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Well look at that... All my questions have been answered...

The next Walt Disney Animation Studios movie is...

MOANA 2.

Of course they could've kept that a secret this close to release date.

Instant billion.

I love the first MOANA, so... Yeah! Bring it on! Won't be the same without Ron Clements and John Musker directing, but still. What's up with the series? Is that still coming? Or was the D+ show cobbled together into a movie? Curious and curiouser...

UPDATE 4:19 PM EST: It *is* the Disney+ show, but now a movie. I guess the story was either that strong to be upped into a movie, or Disney plans to shut down the Vancouver WDAS unit that was set up specifically to make Disney+ shows.

David G. Derrick Jr. directs, his debut after a few years of story artist work on more recent WDAS movies, including the original MOANA. Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i return to the do this music, with newcomers Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear seemingly taking over lyrics duties from Lin-Manuel Miranda. Certainly a choice... We'll see how that goes over. The story involves Moana, Maui, and a crew of sailors heading out to uncharted territory.

We shall see... Stuff's all coming out at once.