#It's a singing style they use in the movie and it fits their family dynamic well.

[dearchickadee]

↳ LARKEN - Our Life: Now & Forever

y'know what fuck it self insert OC sheet 1/8,069,420

also note that only the demo is out so not only is everything subject to change all the time forever but ESPECIALLY steps 2, 3, and 4 are subject to change. and her appearance as i deem fit :3

UPDATED 9/12/23. gave her a whole new coat of paint :3c my dramatic bbg

* BIO * ༉‧₊˚✧

ꕥ GENERAL

Name: Larken Amber Vandervuurst

Nicknames: Ken, Lark (by Tamarack)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 10 (Step 1) / 14 (Step 2) / 18 (Step 3) / 22 (Step 4)

Sexuality: bisexual

Location: Golden Grove, Oregon

Route: I'm using her for both routes + any potential DLC + a super secret extra QPR polycule forever route in my mind

ꕥ PERSONALITY

Birthday: July 31

Zodiac: Leo

Personality Placements: ENFP / 6w7 / Chaotic Neutral

Personality Description: Kind, outgoing, playful, affectionate, dramatic, opinionated, intelligent, insecure, perfectionist, cautious. A deeply anxious but deeply sincere girl who thrives on validation and being useful or entertaining to others. Remembers lots of little details and is meticulous in everything she does. Creative and idealistic, loves music, singing and reading.  Adores animals, especially cats, hates bugs, and always is the first to offer help to others. Her outgoing nature conceals her deep-seated desire for approval and connection. Probably has undiagnosed anxiety. Always gives 100%, even at the risk of burnout.

Fun Facts: has a stutter. can touch her nose with her tongue.

ꕥ HOME LIFE

Family Dynamic: Ken gets along well with her mom, though there's always a sort of disconnect between them. By nature, Ken is obedient, friendly and responsible, so she never acted out or got into trouble. This means she never really got any firm instruction and was seen as more mature than she really was, which became the shoes she had to constantly fill. As she gets older, she realizes her confidence gets more and more hollow, and she isn't equipped to make the difficult decisions she's being confronted with. She is uncertain about her desires, her choices, and her self-assurance. Her pride keeps her from confiding in those closest to her, but eventually she talks it out with her mom, gets therapy, and gets back on track.

ꕥ DESIRES

Hobbies: theater, reading (books famous musicals were adapted from), watching movies (musicals/musical adaptations/disney-esque musicals especially), crocheting (badly)

Skills: singing, acting, playing guitar + piano + clarinet, really good at applying eyeliner, keeping secrets (in a friendship pact way, not a liar way)

Dreams/Aspirations: work at the local theater, be valedictorian, go to an ivy league school (yes some of these change and grow as she does), star as the lead in a record-breaking, award-winning Broadway musical

ꕥ PREFERENCES

Favorite Color: pomegranate, cherry, cranberry (aka deep reds and purples)

Favorite Food: cheddar popcorn

Favorite Drink: apple cider

Favorite Animal: cats (especially tuxedo and tortoiseshell cats)

Favorite Flower: roses (red, lavender and pink especially)

Favorite Class: band, choir, drama club

Favorite Music Genre: showtunes + Broadway hits, pop. Secretly likes rock and pop punk but gets embarrassed about it 

Favorite Season: fall

Pet Peeves: chewing noises, super loud crowds

ꕥ APPEARANCE

Hair: dark burgundy-brown (a mix of dark brown and her mom's cranberry), wavy - step 1: blunt bangs, long and usually loose / step 2: up in a high ponytail or loose and messy bun, shoulder length / step 3: middle part, usually in a half-up situation, little longer than shoulder length / step 4: chin length, side bangs, dyed dark purple and dark blue

Eyes: brown, hooded, glasses from step 2 onward

Skin: pale and heavily freckled

Height: 5’8 

Build: never truly loses her baby fat, a little curvy as she gets older

Style: typical pinterest girlie fall lewks #slay

Distinguishing Features: faint scar on nose + under eye from pet cat, scar on leg from family vacation

* TIMELINE * ༉‧₊˚✧

ꕥ STEP ONE

Ken is an excitable and friendly young girl who moved to Golden Grove just before her first day of 5th grade. She has a bit of a competitive streak and stubbornly wants to win anything that's made into a contest, but is good natured enough to accept defeat (eventually). Being new to the district, she feels a bit out of place in the already-established cliques. Even though school is easy for her and the other kids seem to like her, going makes her nervous for the first month-ish. She would love to have her own group of close friends and, as a result, might come off as clingy and over-eager or a try hard. She is the tiniest bit insecure about Qiu being popular, but eventually she talks it out with him and actually explains what she's feeling!! Surprisingly mature and eloquent for a 10 year old! And she asks if he likes her or if he ever regretted befriending her or thought she was weird. Ken is so dramatic on a regular basis that her sincerity just seems chill in comparison LOL

ꕥ STEP TWO

At 14, Ken is still confident in herself and her abilities. Qiu and Tamarack are deep in the throes of self-discovery, but Ken is a bit of a late bloomer in that regard. Partially, this is because she is still exceeding in academics and has found the opportunity to actually be in a play! Her music teachers (band and choir) love her and she is easily one of the best performers in the class/section. In the junior high drama productions, though, she's only gotten major supporting roles and never the lead. Her goal in high school is to get the lead in the spring musical as often as she can. Since 5th grade, she's made a fair portion of friends, mainly with the theater and band kids. She isn't as popular as Qiu was, but she's kind of close! Qiu and Tamarack are still her two best friends, however. Her dearest companions. She's heavily invested in their struggles and does her best to give them advice despite her limited practical experience.

ꕥ STEP THREE

Ken finally has her identity crisis. She's gotten to the point where decisions are her own and she has to make a choice. However, she realizes that she never took the time for introspection and to realize what she wanted. She starts to get in her own feels about it, getting a lot more distracted, a little irritable, and closed-off. However, she also feels left behind by her friends since they already moved past this in their formative years. This leads her to isolate herself a little bit, which then makes her upset when she thinks that she helped the others through their problems and they aren't helping her, and she kinda needs someone to tell her to snap out of it. She's a lot more insecure and nervous, but tries to keep it behind the act she has since perfected. Ken is feeling the brunt of her anxiety now, often spending time in the woods alone and disassociating while fending off an existential crisis. She's also starting to burn out at this point and has a lot less motivation. At school, she's still as popular as she was before (perhaps even more so once Qiu is feeling themself again), but she feels its much more hollow. Acts and masks and so forth.. However, her relationship with her mom is much better than before!!

ꕥ STEP FOUR

Ken goes to college for (undeclared), theater, polisci, history w theater electives, has a mental breakdown and then eventually drops out. Decides to go back though and has like a bunch of credits that end up with her double majoring in theater and something business related. Manages to sweet talk the little old director of the historic theater in town (director of the whole thing not director of a performance lol) to give her a flexible internship to boost her resume and ends up somewhat reinvigorating community youth theater in Golden Grove. Her end goal is to move to the city and work at the Art House there, perhaps as an assistant to the producer or something. Also gets to run a summer program in Golden Grove for adolescent community theater. Maybe volunteers at the Junior High to help with those productions too.

(subject to change once the actual game comes out lol)

* PHOTOS * ༉‧₊˚✧

ꕥ STEP 1

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ꕥ STEP 2

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ꕥ STEP 3

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ꕥ STEP 4

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ꕥ STYLE INSPO

check out her pinterest board here!

ꕥ MINI PLAYLIST

↻ ◁ || ▷ - I Love Play Rehearsal - Be More Chill

↻ ◁ || ▷ - Pretender (Acoustic) - AJR

↻ ◁ || ▷ - Lucky - Britney Spears

↻ ◁ || ▷ - Wide Awake - Katy Perry

↻ ◁ || ▷ - A Million Dreams - The Greatest Showman

↻ ◁ || ▷ - Reflection - Mulan

check out a full playlist here!

[wangisking]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘  𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆  𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐘

BASICS. FULL    NAME  :  Augustus Alexander Wang  NICKNAME  :  August and Gus ( in general ), Auggie, Ice Prince, and Guggie ( by Aurora ). Aug and Lestat  ( by Jack ),  NAME    MEANINGS  : Augustus is  Latin for  the great / the magnificent.  Alexander is also Latin and means defender of mankind. From what I know, Wang in Chinese means king.  HISTORICAL    CONNECTION ?  : Though, his dad did think of the Roman Emperor Augustus when they named him, they liked the meaning. It seemed to fit him. They weren’t wrong, he was an emperor and he still has that energy.   AGE  :  22. Like Aurora, he can’t age past 22. He wouldn’t have minded either way.    BIRTHDAY  :  5th  April ETHNIC    GROUP  :   Augustus is half Korean and half Brazilian.  NATIONALITY  :   British LANGUAGES  :   fluent  in  English and French. Conversational Latin. Broken Korean. Learning Urdu. SEXUAL    ORIENTATION  :  demi-heterosexual ROMANTIC    ORIENTATION  :  demi-heterosexual RELATIONSHIP    STATUS  :   Single and doesn’t want to mingle. He had only one serious relationship in the past with Aurora Shams from 2017-2019.  CLASS  :  Upper  class,  Wealthy but not private-jet kind of wealthy.  HOME    TOWN  /  AREA  :  London till he was 10 and Vancouver till he was 17 CURRENT    HOME  :  Los  Angeles PROFESSION  :   Drummer, songwriter, model, and student.    PHYSICAL. HAIR  :  long  and  wavy.  Chestnut brown. Here is an example. It goes down his earlobes in length.    EYES  :  piercing, almond-shaped eyes. Naturally brown, but he wears blue or green contact lenses.  NOSE  :   a Greek nose, straight without bumps. FACE  :  Oblong shaped, sharp and chiseled cheekbones, strong jaw. Masculine features. Example.  LIPS  :  not  full  nor  thin, heart shaped.     COMPLEXION  :  pretty pale. Example is same as the face section.  SCARS  :  one on his chest. TATTOOS  :  a very small ‘10/17′ on his left rib.   PIERCINGS:  earlobes HEIGHT  :  6′5″  or  195cm.   BUILD  :  Inverted triangle. Broad, tapered shoulders. Muscular. Defined, sculpted abs. Long limbs. Broad chest. He was naturally towards the muscular side with broad shoulders and chest. He’s never been on the skinny side. Example one and two   USUAL  HAIR  STYLE  :  he lets his hair do their thing, he styles them a little, but he prefers a messier vibe.  USUAL  FACE  LOOK  :  He looks generally bored. His eyes have a piercing look that seem to be drilling into the person before him. Like he can see right through you. There is an insolent smirk tugging at his lips like he thinks you’re amusing. Almost proud, like he thinks he is above you. There is depth and intensity in his eyes that stare skywards in thought. There is also mischievous, radiant glimmer in his eyes.   USUAL    CLOTHING  :  prince charming meets rockstar. Lots of jackets, darker colors, boots, necklaces and rings. Here is his wardrobe.      PSYCHOLOGY. FEARS  :  claustrophobia and the fear of ending up alone. He always had this creeping feeling that he’d be alone in the end and that he was always meant to be alone.  ASPIRATIONS  :   he doesn’t have any set aspirations. They change every now and then. However, his goals are just to keep his found family happy.  POSITIVE    TRAITS  :  extremely charismatic, intelligent,  academic and studious, alluring and attractive, quick-witted, charming and captivating, articulate and eloquent, adventurous, desirable, analytical, brilliant, friendly, enthusiastic, adaptable, observant, kind, mellow, competent, extremely caring and protective over those closest to him, clever, loyal, clear-headed, confident, humorous, courageous, imaginative and creative, a visionary, refined tastes and manners, daring, dignified, ebullient, deep, remarkable, surprisingly he’s very forgiving, forthright, gallant, logical, gentlemanly and sophisticated, perfectionist, popular, self-reliant, shrewd, witty, suave, curious, and resourceful.    NEGATIVE    TRAITS  :  egocentric, self-obsessed, idle, indifferent, selfish, defiant, arrogant, argumentative, rebellious, kinda lazy, stubborn, distracted, doesn’t really care for morals, blunt, can appear insensitive a lot, is insensitive at times, no filters, can be cold for those he doesn’t care for, emotionally immature, deflects emotions, suppresses his feelings, sorta detached, kinda pessimistic, and unknowingly self-sacrificing because he thinks it’s fair and he deserves it.   MBTI  :  ENTP  (  Ne  dominant,  Ti  auxiliary,  Fe  tertiary,  and  Si  inferior  —  this  means  she  can’t  use  Ni,  Se,  Te,  and  especially  can’t  use  Fi). He  perceives  the  world  by  connecting  dots,  thinking  of  never-ending  possibilities,  looking  for  pieces  of  a  puzzle,  and  finding  meaning  in  abstract.  He  makes  judgments  on  if  what  he  perceives  fits  his  internal  logic.          ZODIAC  :  Aries sun, Gemini rising, Sagittarius moon.  TEMPERAMENT  :  sanguine choleric  ANIMALS  :  parrots and cats because they’re both intelligent but little pieces of shit who enjoy making your life hell.  VICE  :   it’s either his ego or how he ends up detaching himself FAITH  :  currently, he’s Mu.slim. He was born protestant, became an atheist when he was 13, agnostic at 14. Bud.dhist at 15. Taoist at 16. Confucianist at 17. Mu.slim at 19. Doesn't practice it though.     GHOSTS  ?  :  yep.. AFTERLIFE  ?  :   yep REINCARNATION  ?  :  he guesses so. Went  through  it, but doesn’t remember. ALIENS  ?  :  hell yeah. POLITICAL    ALIGNMENT  :  liberal. ECONOMIC    PREFERENCE  :   upper class or upper middle class is good with him.  EDUCATION    LEVEL  :   MSci in Physics from the University of Cambridge. Is opting to specialize in astrophysics soon. FAMILY. FATHER  :  Edward Wang, owner of a chain of fine dining restaurants  MOTHER  :  Elisa Violeta Wang, psychiatrist, deceased  STEP MOTHER :  Chaeyoung Wang, lawyer.  SIBLINGS  :  Cassandra Wang, athlete EXTENDED    FAMILY  :  he is not close with his external family and doesn’t know his birth mother’s family at all. They never wanted him.  FAVOURITES. BOOK  :   Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Galactic Dynamics by James Binney, Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Mukarami, Slaughter house Five by Kurt Vonnegut, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. MOVIE  :  Scott Pilgrim vs The World 5    SONGS :  All You Want - Dashboard Prophets, Tokyo Smoke - Cage the Elephant, Where is My Mind? - The Pixies, Sparks - Coldplay, Lithium - Nirvana, and Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra     DEITY  :  none.  Let him argue with one and ask for proof of their deity-ness. HOLIDAY  :  Halloween. It’s dramatic and fun. MONTH  :   October, because he met Aurora and Jack this month in 2017. SEASON  :  spring  and  summer. PLACE  :  he doesn’t have a specific place, but he prefers European architecture.  WEATHER  :  cloudy and windy. Sunny if it isn’t too hot. SOUND  :  drums and percussions, the sound of aurora and jack’s laugh, guitars, violins, the sound of wind roaring, music boxes, and the clinking of bangles and jewelry.  SCENTS  :  sage, rosemary, and damascus roses. TASTES  :  chocolate, strawberries, chilies, and fried food.       FEELS  :   the feeling of hitting the drums, wind in his hair, the cold night air, warm morning sun, grass against his fingertips, silk, and touching long hair.   ANIMALS  :  cats and dogs. NUMBER  :   8 COLORS  :  white, cherry red, pink, maroon, wine red, black, and silver. EXTRA. TALENTS  :  he is an extremely talented drummer, good at guitar and the piano, he is talented at songwriting, composing music, he’s exceptionally good at mathematics and physics, analytical skills, storytelling, knows a lot of facts, near photographic memory because he remembers all important historical events with dates and details, academic writing, and brainstorming ideas.  BAD  AT  :   cooking, not very good at driving because he gets distracted, doing one task at a time, playing videogames, actually listening to what people say, being humble, and actually being a good leader.  TURN    ONS  :  this is a complicated question. He needs a very strong emotional connection to feel sexual attraction towards someone. And he only felt it for one person in his whole life. But, what sparked that attraction was a brilliant mind and the ability to connect with his mind on a very different level. It’s not going to repeat with anyone else.  TURN    OFFS  :  literally everyone else. He’s not sorry, but I am. HOBBIES  :  playing the drums, writing and composing songs, reading, solving problems, listening to music, watching shows, getting people to do weird shit, and annoying people.      AESTHETIC  :  crowns, drums, broken drumming sticks, abstract art, the vast space, chess boards, album cases, thrones, the echoing sound of pianos, Greek sculptures, galaxies and nebulas, early morning sunrise through curtains, libraries, equations scribbled on napkins, empty museums, unmade white sheets, polaroid cameras, conspiracy theories, VHS tapes, antique books, cobblestone alleyways, night skies, cluttered books, calloused fingers, crumpled composition pages, guitar picks, vinyl, telescopes, and planets.      Basically: abstract, chaotic academia, cryptid academia, dark academia, indie, kingcore, light academia, musical academia, science academia, spacecore,   QUOTES  :   it’s weird but i can’t decide which one fits him.  FC  INFO. MAIN    FC  :  victor han  ALT    FC  :  n/a. OLDER    FC  :  he can’t age past 22, so he doesn’t need one. YOUNGER    FC  :  none  yet. VOICE    CLAIM  :  both speaking and singing (his accent is posh British with a slight hint of Canadian) MUN  QUESTIONS. Q1  :    If you could write your character your way in their own movie , what    would  it  be  called ,  what  style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about ?    A1 :  The same answer as Aurora, The Tale of Solis et Lunae that stars him alongside Aurora, Lunae, Jack, and Tate, plus more. A cosmic adventure / fantasy / coming of age / superhero / the reluctant hero / the chosen one.  His role is of Aurora’s best friend and her greatest support in emotional and supernatural dangers. He is the time traveler who ascends time and space, so he often also gives her insight and information like the sage. It’ll  expand across dimensions, worlds, and different states of existence. The scenes would be cinematic with a strong soundtrack. I imagine him to have some scenes like Quick Silver in the X-Men movies.       Q2  :   What would their soundtrack / score sound like  ?     A2  :   He would have a 90s grunge or spacey dream rock sound. It ties in with the end of the last answer because i see him in one of those scenes with 90s grunge or maybe classical music ?    Q3  :      Why did you start writing this character  ? A3  :    I made Augustus just a bit before Aurora. They were a two part deal. I don’t know when it began, I just had this image of a tall, long haired boy with piercing, intelligent eyes who’s a smart-ass and likes being a know-it-all nuisance. This character has been the same since he began in 2019 and refused to change. He was always a drummer, he always had the same fashion sense, the look, Gus was always half-Korean, he always had long fingers he wore rings on, and he was always Aurora’s best friend/partner in crime. He remains unchanged and that's why I wanted to write him. This very vivid image of this boy was something I had to pen down. And just my luck, I found a fc who looks exactly how Gus looked in my head.   Q4  :    What  first  attracted  you  to  this  character  ? A4  :   Augustus is just extraordinary. It’s something I always felt about him and Aurora and I don’t see any of my other characters coming anywhere close to them regardless of how much I spent time on them. But with Augustus, his entire image and looks and personality — down to his wardrobe and jewelry was always so vivid in my head. Like I knew this very chaotically handsome boy who was going to turn the world upside down.  His story is interesting, but what interests me more is his perspective on his story. The way he looks at his life and how he is quiet and doesn’t show his pain. How confused he always is. How much he aches but never seems so. The way he loves but doesn’t say even a quarter of the intensity he feels. And how sometimes he believes he deserves suffering because it makes sense to him. I also love the connections he makes and the way he loves so deeply and profoundly but underneath the surface. His connection, love, fears, and hopes with Aurora and Jack for their respective reasons are extremely beautiful.   Q5  :      Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.  ? A5  :  Augustus is unknowingly self-sabotaging. He let go the only relationship / love in his life that made him feel like real love just because he thought he didn’t deserve it. And because when he was provoked, it made “sense” to him. He bottles his emotions and pain so much despite their intensity. He never shows how much he really cares and really hurts. And how sure he is that he’ll end up alone without friends and that it makes sense to him. Q6  :      What    do    you    have    in    common    with    your    muse  ?   A6  :    Here’s a fun answer, because I bottle my emotions like him. I also interact with the carefree way he does even if I don’t feel peachy. He’s smart and witty and really hot and I don’t even have that going on for me. So, yikes. Only of Gus’ bad things I share.  Q7  :      How  does your muse feel about you  ?   A7  :  Gus loves interacting with people so he’ll definitely show up to annoy me. Maybe, he might think I’m fun to annoy? Or maybe, we’ll have a similar sense of humor. I think he won’t dislike me. Not sure if he’ll like me. I think he’d think I’m funny in a strange sort of way.  Q8  :      What    characters    does    your    muse    have    interesting    interactions  with  ? A8  :    Aurora, first of all. They have this same brain wave-length thing going on where they’re partners in crime and bffs forever more. He knows how she is feeling and what she’s thinking even before she utters it. If she is about to sneeze, he’d get a tissue ready. He can tell if she is hungry or sleepy with one glance. She can do the same, so they sorta have this weird understanding of each other.  Jack is this older brother figure Augustus loves. He won’t admit it, but he kinda wants to make Jack proud of him. He also wants to provide love and care to Jack that he thinks he deserves but never got. They’re his family now and he’ll never be alone or sad again. He annoys Jack a lot but behind it all, he just wants Jack to think he is needed and he belongs. That if he thinks Augustus is reliant on him, then he has this family he has to protect and care for. He can’t stand the thought of Jack feeling unloved, forgotten, alone.  Tida is another one. There’s this great respect and adoration Gus has for him. Almost like he looks up to him in some ways  He also has a lot of hopes and expectations attached. He feels Tida is everything that Gus himself lacks. He is the ideal boyfriend, kindest person, shows his emotions vividly, and is like a warm and cozy blanket personified. He is probably Tida and Aurora’s biggest supporter and first one to know. He can’t be happier than he is that Aurora found someone as good and perfect as Tida.   Taewon is one really fun character. Their two-way frenemy jealousy spans over years and started in Cambridge when they were both in love with the same girl they claimed to be best friends with. Though, trying to be calm, Augustus was constantly provoked and hurt, made to feel inferior and constantly in fear of his relationship being broken by Taewon’s schemes that he couldn’t say out loud. This dark period ended with a fist fight and baggage of guilt they both carry to this day for hurting each other and the one they claimed to love. Today, they’re way past that and frenemies who have funny quips and arguments for each other. They say they dislike each other. But if the lighting is good, one would be the photographer of the other. Q9  :      What    gives    you    inspiration    to    write    your    muse  ? A9  :  Music  helps  me  imagine  scenes  with  perfect  visual  details.  Any  scenes  from  shows  that  remind  me  of  my  storylines. Q10  :      How    long    did    this    take    you    to    complete  ?   A10  :  I don’t remember. It was many days and I didn’t count because it was in bits and pieces.

[p1harmonyofficial]

[📰] K-Pop Rookies P1Harmony Are Writing Their Own Coming of Age Story

By Crystal Bell

K-pop group P1Harmony debuted three months ago with their audacious single "Siren," and member Jiung is already dreaming of the perfect solo vacation. The 19-year-old singer wants to emphasize that this is a trip he'd like to — no, needs to — do alone, when he can safely do so. ("You need to bold the word 'alone,'" leader Keeho adds in English, a knowing glint of mirth in his eyes. "Put it in italics too.") So, more about this excursion: "If possible, I want to go to a foreign country," Jiung tells Teen Vogue from an office in Seoul, South Korea. He doesn't have a specific place in mind, just somewhere new and exciting and, most importantly, a place where he can be alone to freely organize his thoughts without any other responsibilities.

It sounds like a lyric ripped from the pages of his notebook, or the plot of a coming-of-age movie his 17-year-old groupmate Intak would enjoy: a young man on a voyage of self-discovery, chasing a feeling to a faraway land to escape his adolescent ennui. For now, however, it's just a lofty resolution for the new year.

"I also want to travel alone because I've never done it before," youngest member Jongseob, who recently turned 15, enthusiastically offers in Korean. Jiung, always one to help the younger sort out his feelings, is quick to quash the teenage rapper's theoretical plans. "That's not very realistic," he says. "You're too young to travel alone." Undeterred, Jongseob carries on: "Then my goal this year is to drink more milk."

"He wants to grow taller, but I don't think milk helps that much," Keeho comments, shaking his head while his teal quiff stays firmly in place. "I heard that's a myth."

Technically, they're not wrong. Unaccompanied minors can't travel internationally without a parent's formal consent in South Korea, and there's no proven scientific correlation between dairy and height. But spoken aloud, this interaction sounds more like playful goading among good friends. It's a testament to Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob's comfortable dynamic as a group that the copper-haired youngest just earnestly smiles through the minor sting of his hopes being swiftly dashed.

For all of the training that goes into a K-pop artist's career, perhaps the most vital lesson is learning how to symbiotically coexist in close quarters with someone who is unfamiliar to you. Like most things, it is a process. Harmony isn't achieved overnight, especially among six teenage boys who have differing definitions of the word "clean." Cultural differences present unique challenges, too. When Keeho left his home in Canada to pursue his musical dreams as a trainee at FNC Entertainment in Seoul, he didn't have much trouble fitting in. Or so he thought. "He was funny," Jiung says in retrospect. "But I don't think we were able to communicate well." It wasn't that they couldn't understand what Keeho was saying — the soulful singer grew up speaking Korean with his family — but rather they couldn't understand him.

"Everyone would be stressed out, and I would be like, 'Guys, relax. Why are you stressing out over this?'" Keeho says animatedly with his hands. "They couldn't understand why I was so relaxed. How could I not care about anything? And I couldn't understand why they were always so stressed about things. It took a while to get on the same page."

That's where communication comes in. "The key is being honest," Jiung explains. "We have a lot of talks." These regular conversations allow the members to resolve potential issues before they spiral into larger, more disharmonious problems. Keeho is refreshingly open about this. "We're always stuck together," he adds. "We live together. We see each other 24 hours a day. Seeing anyone 24 hours a day, you'll eventually be, like, ugh, get away from me, but because we communicate so much, that [feeling] is reduced." Establishing rules and boundaries also helps. "We have a basic rule that you clean up the mess you've made," Jongseob says from where he's perched behind Jiung. (This rule is especially important to methodical Jiung.) And then there's vocalist Theo, the eldest member who also takes on the role of the group's even-keeled mediator because he's a good listener, and he likes giving advice.

"I'm not very opinionated," the blonde says. At 19, he's a few months older than Keeho but harder to read. He's both lighthearted and enigmatic. "I'm not good at expressing my feelings," Theo explains. "But the members are really good at expressing themselves and their emotions, so I'm learning how to open up because of them." According to Keeho, Theo is "bad at being serious," adding, "We'll have to have a serious talk, and he won't be able to take it. He's always trying to lighten the mood. He's the comedic relief."

Keeho makes a habit of describing the members' various idiosyncrasies in fervent detail. It's a very leaderly thing to do, to make sure that everyone feels understood. Occasionally, he also jumps in to help interpret their answers into English, or to encourage others to speak. Soul, who is half-Korean but was raised in Japan, could be described as a quiet person: an introvert who wears a lot of black, listens to metal, and has a particular obsession with massive skull rings and accessories. But he's also acutely perceptive. He'd rather listen and observe than be an active participant in the conversation. "I like when the rest of the members are discussing an idea," he says quietly in Korean (he's still learning the language). "I like watching them talk." It's not that he's not involved, but as Keeho puts it, "He's always supporting us silently and observing us." For Soul, it's more fun to sit and watch.

You can get a sense of these dynamics as they unfold on the last track of the group's debut EP, Disharmony: Stand Out. It's a skit, or audio recording of the members — then, just trainees — as they talk candidly about their dreams to perform and contemplate the implications of such aspirations. "I work hard here for the debut, but when I go to school, I wonder, 'What am I doing here?'" Intak says on tape, recalling how strange it feels to not have the same priorities as his classmates who are all preparing for their college admissions. Theo quells his concerns, telling him how lucky he is to already be working toward his dream. "That's a cool thing," Keeho adds, as Soul silently listens in the background.

While his peers prepared for their academic futures, Intak was spending his evenings dancing, rapping, singing, and writing lyrics, while also stunt training alongside his groupmates and preparing to become a… movie star. A few weeks before the release of their album, P1H: A New World Begins hit theaters across South Korea in early October. The first K-pop origin story to hit the big screen, the feature film introduced P1Harmony and their sci-fi lore to the masses. Long story short: After a deadly virus spreads chaos and violence around the globe, six boys with extraordinary gifts are humanity's only hope for survival. The filming experience was invaluable for the artists, who until that point had only ever studied music and performance. "Acting training really helped with my facial expressions," Intak says. "I learned how to portray my emotions on stage." Keeho agrees, adding, "We got very friendly with the camera."

Singers who rap, rappers who sing, dancers who act — the boys of P1Harmony forgo clearly defined roles in favor of being versatile and, well, good at everything.

As for their music, Disharmony: Stand Out is a snapshot of Gen Z unrest, simmering with angst ("Siren") and bucking wildly, vibrantly against convention ("Nemonade"). Teenage turmoil has been fueling the K-pop industry since the very beginning, and there's a certain nostalgia to P1Harmony's no-holds-barred approach. Members Soul and Jongseob both credit B.A.P and their hard-hitting style with inspiring them to become artists, with Zelo influencing Jongseob to pursue rap in elementary school. You can hear those more aggressive, hip-hop-tinged influences on Disharmony, as well as softer, more lyrical R&B flourishes ("Butterfly").

"We wanted to convey feelings and situations that are not harmonious," Jongseob says. "We want to say don't be afraid to stand out and to say what you want to say — speak your truth, and do it with courage and confidence." Despite his age, the young rapper carries himself like a veteran. By all accounts, he's earned the title, having won the competition series K-pop Star 6 at age 12 in 2017 and competed in YG Treasure Box less than two years later. These experiences, he says, helped him feel more comfortable performing. By the time he came to FNC, he was already a prodigy with the confidence and flow of a performer twice his age.

"There are so many people, our age especially, who aren't always able to speak courageously and confidently," Keeho adds. "So we wanted to encourage everyone, especially ourselves, to never be afraid to say what you want to say."

And they practice what they preach. All of the members are credited lyricists on the album, with all six collaborating on the roaring hip-hop track "That's It." Part cypher, part vibes, "That's It" is teeming with boyish swagger and possibility. "Even though it was the first time all six of us worked on a song together, surprisingly we were all on the same page from the very first meeting, and it came together quickly," Jiung recounts, adding that each member wrote their own verse. "It was fun," Keeho chirps.

That creative energy is also channeled into their performances. "Because we do take part in a lot of the songwriting, we also want to convey that in our dance," Intak explains. Though he's part of the group's rap line, his first love was dance. He started taking lessons as a child. "My mom is a dancer, so she's where I got my love of dancing," he says. As such, he's well-versed in conveying emotion through motion. "We always have an idea of how we want to portray these emotions with our bodies," he says. The members choreograph their own center gestures. These movements are a small but significant part of any performance, because this is where their charisma and individuality shine brightest.

"I wanted to become a singer because I wanted to perform onstage," Theo says. "So being able to be on music programs performing on real stages, surrounded by bright LED lights and visual backdrops, I feel like a main character. When all of the lights are on me, I feel like a star."

Unsurprisingly, even when he's offstage, he's still singing. He even likes to call his friends and take song requests. "I like to sing to my friends through the phone," he says. "I'll sing anything they want. I play piano for them, too. They're very open to listening to me." Next to him, Keeho adds, "My friends would not want me to sing to them." (The internet respectfully disagrees.) Meanwhile, Jongseob turns to making music and writing lyrics in his downtime. It's a great way to relieve stress, he says. These days, Intak turns to animated films to ease his mind. He's a fan of Studio Ghibli films, and he really likes the Japanese manga characters Doraemon and Shin Chan.

"I watch a lot of coming-of-age stories about these innocent kids who are in the process of becoming adults," he explains. "I get inspired by watching them. I don't want to lose that innocence, so watching those animations make me feel youthful." It's hard to imagine Intak without his boyish sensibility. It's seeped into every social media post and YouTube vlog (or, #PLOG). Yet, as an artist, as a teenager, it's an unusual phenomenon to be perceived by thousands of fans before having the clarity to perceive yourself. It's something no amount of Miyazaki or training prepares you for.

Initially, Theo had a hard time opening up on camera. The mere thought of it made him nervous, but the more he did it, the easier it was for him to parse his own feelings. "I'm not very good at expressing emotions like thank you and I love you," he says. "But it's a lot easier to express those feelings now because I feel them so sincerely. I can say thank you for loving me [to fans] because I truly mean it."

"There are people from all around the world who leave me messages, and that makes me so happy," Intak says. "It drives me to do more and to give more to them."

And there will be more to give. Disharmony: Stand Out was just the beginning, and Keeho already has some very big goals for 2021. At the top of the list? "Rookie of the Year, come on!" he says spiritedly of the K-pop industry's coveted award. "It's definitely possible. I'm manifesting it right now." He also wants to make more music, maybe release more covers. "We want to come back a lot," he smiles. "I'm thinking [of] at least three releases next year."

Then there are more personal goals, like Jiung's solo travels. "I want to take better care of my mental health," he adds, noting that it starts with a more positive mindset. "I want to be a better person overall." Intak wants to, for the first time in his young life, maintain a consistent routine for a healthier lifestyle. That includes getting enough sleep when there aren't any schedules. ("He could sleep, but he chooses not to," Keeho jokes.) After monitoring his fancams, Theo has decided that he wants to build more muscle. And Soul hopes to go home to Japan to see his dog, a Frenchie named Mochi.

As for Keeho, in true Libra fashion, he wants to maintain a sense of balance: "I want to stay true to myself," he says. "I don't want to be like, oh, the fame is getting to me. I don't want to change. I want to stay grounded and stay thankful and be grateful, always. I also want to make some more money." He laughs, then adds, "I can't lie!"

No, he can't. Honesty is the key to harmony, after all.

[aeipcthys]

╰ ❛   💉 — › timothy olyphant. cis-male. he/him.  ╯ have  you  met  patrick vanderbilt  yet  ?  this forty seven year old  libra  has  been  living  in the seattle  area  for  not long.  she  makes  a  living  as  shareholder & board member, which  is best suited for their debonair, candid, arrogant, and vindictive personality. come and get your love by redbone  is  one of  their  favorite  songs.

trigger warnings: cancer, death

full character page here

BASIC INFORMATION

Full Name: patrick charles vanderbilt

Nickname(s): sometimes he’ll get a pat

Age: 47

Date of Birth: september 23, 1974

Hometown: upper east side, new york, ny

Current Location: seattle, washington

Ethnicity: caucasian (english, german, scottish, dutch) 

Nationality: american

Gender: cisgender male

Pronouns: he/him/his

Orientation: heterosexual, heteroromantic

Status: married lol

Religion: protestant

Political Affiliation: idk he’s rich 

Occupation: ceo of the vanderbilt group (shareholder & board member @ sgmw)

Living Arrangements: a spare penthouse

Language(s) Spoken: english

Accent: american

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Face Claim: timothy olyphant josh duhamel

Hair Color: was brown, now greying (silver fox mayhaps?)

Eye Color: brown

Height: 6′0

Build: fit

Tattoos: nope

Piercings: no

Clothing Style: expensive suits, expensive watch, you know...someone who has money

Usual Expression: idk some stupid expression bc he’s an idiot

Distinguishing Characteristics:

HEALTH

Physical Ailments: none.

Neurological Conditions: none.

Allergies: he’s probably lactose intolerant or something stupid but ignores it

Sleeping Habits: he sleeps on high thread count egyptian cotton sheets

Eating Habits: he says he eats well but ends up “cheating” in his office at like 4pm and his assistant pretends she doesn’t know

Exercise Habits: a run here, some weights there

Emotional Stability: pffft

Sociability: outgoing, charming, stupid man

Body Temperature: i never know what to say for this he’s like average

Addictions: none.

Drug Use: not anymore

Alcohol Use: for sure

PERSONALITY

Label: big ego, hidden depths

Positive Traits: debonair, candid, ambitious, dynamic 

Negative Traits: arrogant, vindictive, greedy, impatient

Fears: oddly enough, clowns...acts like a child when he sees one

Hobbies: he has like rich people hobbies (skiing on vacation, traveling, pretending he was a self-made-man)

Habits: tbd

FAVOURITES

Weather: he likes a crisp breeze

Colour: he thinks having a favorite color is childish

Music: sings along to the radio when he's driving alone, most likely to an 80s hit or two

Movies: something stimulating

Sport: american football

Beverage: single malt scotch

Food: steak

Animal: idk i don’t think he’s a fan

FAMILY

Father: wallace vanderbilt

Mother: mary ellen vanderbilt (née duncan)

Sibling(s): aaron vanderbilt, eric vanderbilt (deceased)

Children: natalie vanderbilt (23), patrick jr. vanderbilt (7)

Pet(s): none.

Family’s Financial Status: money money money

EXTRA

Zodiac Sign: libra

MBTI: entj

Anything Else:

BIO

Patrick Vanderbilt was born to Wallace and Mary Ellen Vanderbilt on September 23, 1974. He grew up being the oldest of three children — his younger brother, Aaron and their little sister, Erica. The Vanderbilts were far from a ‘self-made’ family. They came from old money. Generations that never knew anything but good fortune and wealth. 

Being the eldest son, Patrick knew from a young age what the expectations of him were. He was to be successful. Running the Vanderbilt Group was his birthright, and it would one day be his reality. There was nothing in his youth that made Patrick want to shy away from that responsibility. Instead, he embraced it. He watched it all so intently. His father in business meetings. The ribbon cutting at a new hospital. His family’s name plastered on the front page of the paper. It all seemed so glamorous. Important. And Patrick wanted to be important. He wanted to <I> show </I> that he deserved to be important. 

This propelled him to become the over-achiever, living-on-a-pedestal older brother. His parents were proud, but his father was more proud that Patrick fit the mold. Patrick believed that his father just wanted what was best for them. So what if he road them too hard? So what if it was hard to meet his expectations? It just push them to do better. To want better. At least, it did that for Patrick. 

Patrick’s younger brother, Aaron, always rejected the family plan. He didn’t want the future that had been prescribed to them. He was the first of them to rebel. Erica was always the quiet one. She’d be the one to break up the fights the boys would have. One look, and she had them both. It was her power and her strength. 

Patrick was in high school when Erica was diagnosed with leukemia. She was so young. He couldn’t believe that such a devastating thing could happen to such a tiny human being. They had the best that medicine could buy, and yet? Erica never seemed to get any better. He spent time in between football practices and debate team meetings reading to her in her hospital bed. She’d laugh, she’d smile. And he would melt inside. His little sister was stronger and wiser than he could ever hope to be. This he knew. Right up until the day that she died. 

Things were never the same after that. Aaron distanced himself. It was all he knew how to do. For the first time, Patrick questioned everything. He left home for college, a little piece of him having been shattered by the loss of his sister. It was in this time that he met Cecilia. Kind and smart. As beautiful as anything. She was the first person he ever connected with in that way. He was infatuated with everything about her. There had never been anything that made him want to rebel from his destined path…until her. 

Patrick told his father about Cecilia, and immediately, they began to fight over her. Patrick was supposed to stay focused. Focused on the goal. But ever since the loss of Erica and the meeting of Cecilia, he began to lose sight of just what that goal was supposed to be. Patrick was going to be with Cecilia no matter what. And to make sure of it, the two made a spontaneous decision. They got married. 

Young, in love, and stubborn, Patrick and Cecilia eloped. Much to the dismay of both of their families. But they persevered, thinking their love was enough to power through. Times got tough, but Patrick and Cecilia persevered. They made it through college graduation, Patrick went on to law school, and they tried their best to start a family. But they weren’t young and dumb anymore. They had real responsibilities that started to pile up. Mostly for Patrick. He had responsibilities to fulfill with the family business. Cecilia had dreams of her own. Dreams she put on hold for him. She started to wonder if she wanted to anymore. 

They were only 24 when Cecilia got pregnant. She gave birth to their daughter, Natalie Erica Vanderbilt. Natalie was a beautiful light in his life, but Patrick began to struggle to balance work and home life. It was no wonder that things began to fall apart. Eventually, Cecilia and Patrick realized they couldn’t keep lying to themselves. Their marriage ended. It was amicable, and they split custody with Natalie. 

Given his new sense of freedom, Patrick began to throw himself back into work. Back into the plan. He made peace with it. This was his future, and if it was what he had to do, he was going to excel at it. He got his degrees, and began to work up through the company (which obviously was not difficult, given his name was on the building). He enjoyed his time with the finer things in life, spoiling his daughter when it was his time. Dating elite women and minor celebrities every other weekend. It was the life of a rich bachelor. He developed the personality to go along with it. He was charming, but also a bit of a dick. It was a fine balance to find. 

He hadn’t been drawn to anyone since Cecilia. Not until he met Talia Moradi. She was strong and tenacious. Her smile drew him in. Working together, Patrick knew he wanted to be closer to her. And he would take every opportunity to woo her. Win her affections. Talia and Patrick began to date, and following her promotion, things started to advance. Marriage was the likely next step. With Talia on his arm, Patrick felt like he completed the perfect picture. She gave birth to their son, Patrick Jr., and there wasn’t much else  they could ask for. Patrick already had the world. And finally taking over the company from his father was just the cherry on top. 

CURRENTLY

Things were never perfect, but the filing for divorce shattered the image he had in his mind. Part of him resented Talia for what she had done. He felt like a pawn. A tool she had used to get ahead, all while she had been into someone else. But he still had some plays left in him. He didn’t have to give her the easy divorce she desired. He didn’t even have to let her be in Seattle alone. It was about time he checked in on the goings on at SGMW. Seeing how he was a shareholder and all. And if Talia and her ex happened to be on the board as well? Well, the more the merrier. Patrick couldn’t go down so easy. At least, not without a fight. 

[just-a-quirkless-loser]

New Beginnings

Part Three: I Don’t Belong Here

Part 2, Part 4

Aizawa had followed Chiyo to her “home.” It was deep in the forest that surrounded the city. She led him to the woods, everything feeling devoid of life. No squirrels or singing birds, no animals or people, just trees. And, that’s how she preferred it.

They finally came across a weathered down shack, barely standing. Moss wrapped around the structure it didn’t deserve to be called a building. At least it didn’t smell that bad. The door creaked in its hinges when Chiyo pushed it open. Chiyo had tried to keep her home clean; there was a largish carpet on the floor so she could keep her feet clean and warm during the winters, a mattress laid in the middle of the floor with a few springs poking out of its sides with a very thick comforter, and a few sets of clothes folded and pushed into the far corner. What Aizawa didn’t see was a fridge, a heater, washing facilities, a bathroom, nothing of necessity.

‘Fucking horrible,’ that’s what Aizawa thought but, Chiyo felt differently. Sure, it wasn’t much to be proud of to most but, to her it was everything. It was a safe haven. It was a place where she could exist with no fear of being hurt. Her nirvana.

“How do you even keep yourself clean?”

“There’s a waterfall a little bit from here. It’s pretty clean and it’s secluded. Every now and then, hikers come so I always make sure to clean myself very early in the morning.” Aizawa really didn’t like this. It burned his blood that there was a possibility for anyone to take advantage of you. There’s no way he could go back without you. You’d have to stay with him in his room till they cleared some space for you in the dorms.

“Come with me,” he watched you plop down on the mattress. “I don’t want you here. “

“It doesn’t matter what you want. I can’t just leave with you,” Chiyo messed with some of the loose thread that sprang from the mattress. She knew that she would eventually want to live with her alpha but, wasn’t this too soon?

“Chiyo, omega, it’s been months since we met. How much more time do you need?” He replied snarkily. He knew that she was stalling for time, that she was waiting for an excuse to disappear from his life. Even if they had bonds, they were flimsy at best, prone to the smallest winds of change. “Are you afraid?”

She nodded her head. Aizawa plopped down beside her and slug his arm over her shoulders. He couldn’t really understand her fear but, he knew something had happened in her past to make he this cautious of others.

‘She’d get along well with Hitoshi,’ Aizawa made it a mental note. Once she got settled into the pack, he’d “slowly” start to suggest to the two that they should bond. ‘That’s gonna be a while from now though. It’ll be worth the wait.’

“I can’t keep sneaking to see you,” the omega’s eyes watered. “I can’t keep neglecting my responsibilities as a hero, even if you do act as my sidekick. I’d never want to push you into the hero world; I know how much you hate the attention. My pack also doesn’t like that I’m staying out longer and getting less sleep, fucking bugs.

I want you to live with us at U.A. I want to protect you and give you the family you never had. I want you with OUR pack,” Aizawa m’s hair lifted a bit. He was prepared to knock her out and drag her home if needed.

Chiyo just smiled. Looks like she was going home with the hero.

***

The silence between Aizawa and Chiyo spoke volumes. Normally, she’d crack a joke or make fun of the older alpha but, she could tell this wasn’t the best time to antagonize him. She stared down at her shoes, refusing to meet the alpha’s eyes. Class had ended for lunch moments ago and the students had walked out past her (most of them not bothering to hide their disdain for her).

‘Everyone’s got their panties in a bunch. It was only a joke,’ again, this was one of these moments where Chiyo didn’t understand her world. Being disconnected for so long had led to the ignorance on her behalf. She didn’t have the same developmental teaching as many of the people in the world did; while they had been learning of their instincts, she was learning how to survive on her own. For everyone else, it seemed like an outside case and attacked one of their own which definitely warranted an ass kicking as far as they were concerned. For Chiyo, it was a relatively harmless act of teasing. Neither side was wrong. Neither side was right.

“I told you not to use your quick,” her shoulders hunched in their own accord. She hated upsetting the alpha. “ I’m disappointed in your lack of discipline. You can’t make those types of jokes in the early stages. How do you expect to fit into my pack if you can barely control yourself without my guidance?”

She didn’t expect to assimilate into his pack. Hell, she didn’t even want to be there. The only reason she had agreed to any of this was because Aizawa had gave her that ultimatum. She didn’t have any hope of having a family. All she wanted was Aizawa.

“What do you have to say?” he tilted her face for their eyes to meet.

“You expect me to change. You want me to be something I’m not. It’s like you want to fix me and you know I’m already broken,” Chiyo pulled her face from his grasp. “Being nice isn’t my style.”

“You’re nice to me, kitten. You just want to be mean to everyone else to see if they’ll leave you but, we both know you’re just a kitty that needs cuddles,” her cheeks burned. “Now, lets move your stuff into YOUR OWN room. I don’t wanna see any more of your bras lying around.”

“Don’t talk about my bras, you shitty old man,” Chiyo turned and walked towards the entrance of the school. Aizawa smiled as he followed behind her.

“Aww, kitty, you don’t want anyone to hear about your purple bras?” He ruffled her hair.

“Don’t call me that when we aren’t alone, old man. Do you want to end up with a broken neck?”

“I’d like to see you try. You’re too cute to do anything like that.”

“Shitty old man,” they both had walked into the dorms. The class had been gathered in the common room, clearly having a discussion that abruptly ended when they walked in. “Old man, they’re gossiping about us...should I, you know?”

Aizawa facepalmed as the omega wiggled her eyebrows. What was he going to do with her?

“Chiyo, we just talked about this. Go get all your things so you can finally move into your own room,” she skipped towards the elevator. Finally, her own space!!!

“She’s staying here!? No, wait, she’s been staying here? You’re not even gonna reconsider this after what happened to Hitoshi today!?,” they could have at least waited till she got on the elevator.

‘And they say I’m the one that’s fucked up,’ Chiyo thought as she rode the elevator all the way to the top to Aizawa’s suite. Part of her began to argue over whether she should stay or leave. They didn’t even want here there. Was she really foolish enough to believe that Aizawa would pick her over them? Someone he barely knows over his family? She didn’t think so.

‘Am I really just gonna stay here and wait for him to throw me away?’ you were so consumed with her thoughts that she didn’t notice Aizawa come from behind and wrap his arms around her waist.

“You’re thinking hard, kitty. Stop that. They’ll warm up to you. I’m sure an apology would help speed that process along,” he gave you a pointed look. You sighed, knowing you were defeated.

“I’ll do it at dinner,” she purred as Aizawa rubbed her scalp. He helped her move her things into her room, noting that she was in a room tucked away from the other girls but, still close enough to keep her connected. She stared at her blank with a bit of astonishment. “Thank you, Alpha.”

“Don’t thank me, kitty. This is what you do for people you love; you take care of them.”

They eventually had dinner, everyone sitting stiffly as Chiyo felt awkward. Apparently, the loud one Aizawa had described to be Bakugou Katsuki was a pretty good cook well a phenomenal cook but she’d never admit that to the asshole.

“You cook good,” she kept her eyes on her food. “I cook better.”

“Shut the fuck up, shitty girl. Your food probably tastes like ass,” Bakugou yelled. If you were anyone else, you’d probably be a bit afraid but, she is sadly insane.

“You’re an ass,” she giggled as Aizawa chuckled. A few people sputtered out the Soba then blonde prepared. “Hitoshi, I may have gotten a bit carried away earlier. “

Silence. Sweet silence.

“My name, to you, is Shinsou,” the alpha said. Chiyo understood she wasn’t going to be forgiven any time soon. “Just, stay away from me. “

“Hitoshi-“

“No, Aizawa, it’s fine,” and it was left at that. You all finished eating, leaving Aizawa and yourself to clean up. Everyone else had gone to watch movies. They laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the young girl’s mind. Aizawa nudged her with his elbows as he tried to beckon her to join the others but, it was no use. She knew if she walked in, the room would grow tense and their fun would be ruined. She felt envious of the pack dynamics. She may have had Aizawa but, this was a different want. She wanted to feel what they felt; to feel normal.

‘I really don’t belong here.’

[gibelwho]

Top 5: Nostalgia Movies

This Top 5 is taking a trip down childhood memory lane to choose the best Nostalgia Movies - films that I loved as a kid and continue to love to this day. The film must have been watched multiple times during my youth and continue to be associated with a memory or tradition that was an important marker of growing up. Therefore, any film produced past 2004, when I graduated high school, has not been considered - and, to even make the cut, the film must be associated with more than just constant re-watches in our downstairs rec room (arranged with a HUGE - well, big for the ‘90s - screen with actual surround sound that my dad installed); rather, these films must be an essential part of my childhood progression into adult-hood and laid the groundwork for a future of loving cinema.

Gibelwho Productions Presents Nostalgia Movies:

5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

4. X-Men

3. The Little Mermaid

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

1. Newsies

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986): As my high school career began to wrap up and I was looking ahead to college (where I had already committed to attending film school), my mother informed me of a proclamation - I was not allowed to leave her household without watching Ferris Bueller. Perhaps she knew that she needed to instill a little bit of rule-breaking encouragement into her straight A / type A child before I was to head out into the unruly world of college, but nonetheless, this film left a mark with it’s delightful adventures of Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane. Years later, I attended an LA rooftop screening where the audience all danced during the Twist and Shout parade, bringing me straight back to the joy of discovering this film with my mom. In the same tradition, I will be sure to make my kids watch this film before they leave our household for the wide world so they can learn to cause a little innocent rule-breaking. Save Ferris!

X-Men (2000): I had a secret obsession when I was a kid - I LOVED Marvel Comics. I had read all of my dad’s comic book collection from when he was a kid, I started my own collection, and had even started tracking the value of each issue. But I was a girl, and did not share this particular passion with my fellow elementary school friends (ahhh, the fear of being judged by your peers). So when I entered a movie theater as a freshman in high school (with my secret still intact) to see an X-Men film and the place was PACKED, I couldn’t contain my excitement that maybe, just maybe, more people would be into these characters and storylines. Then, when I went into my summer theatre program and my friends used X-Men characters as improv inspiration, I thought...this is going mainstream! I still didn’t confide my true colors until the MCU began and my college friends discovered that I knew a...lot more about Iron Man’s backstory than should be possible and I was officially outed. So, fully embracing my nerdom, I traveled to San Diego to the sacred ground that was Comic Con, truly cementing my love of Marvel. And now the rest of the world has caught up to why these characters are so special. That first inkling of a wider world loving what I loved started when I watched X-Men in theaters - seeing my heroes on the big screen, fighting their super villains, and the packed crowd around me was digging it!

The Little Mermaid (1989): One of my earliest memories of opening presents was from my 6th birthday, sitting in the living room and ripping open the wrapping paper to discover the VHS for The Little Mermaid - a film I had seen at school and LOVED - and now it was mine to watch at any time! Truly a special Disney moment, which is also matched with many other memories of Disney animated films (the momentous opening to Lion King and the cut to black that took my breath away in the theater, playing the Mulan soundtrack on cassette over and over singing Reflection, and identifying with Belle’s obsession with reading). I was very much the target audience for the Disney Renaissance, and I ate up all the music, the (slightly) stronger portrayal of women, and our VHS collection only grew to include all of these modern classics. The Little Mermaid kicked off a golden age for Disney Animation and little Katie grew up on the Alan Menken soundtrack.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989): Our family had three fancy VHS boxed sets for three different franchises and we watched these flicks on repeat - Star Trek movies (TOS with Kirk and Spock), the Star Wars trilogy, and the Indiana Jones films. Literally any one of the movies from these collections could make this slot, but since both of the Star franchises have already gotten love in these Top 5 lists, I’m going to pick representation from our resident archaeological professor / international adventurer. My favorite of the bunch is the third - from the thrilling opening of young Indy, to the dynamic between father and son, and the epic ending of selecting the correct Grail (“you have chosen...wisely”). Watching any one of these films is just comfort food for my soul, taking me back to the family settling in to watch in our downstairs rec room, setting the foundation for the nerdom that my parents instilled into me at a young age and that has continued to guide my interests and movie-watching to this day.

Newsies (1992): Growing up, my family had Friday movie nights, where we ordered from the Pizza Hut that was right next to a Blockbuster; my brother and I were allowed to each choose a movie to rent for the weekend. I went through a phase where I just rented Newsies on repeat. It was as though this film was made just for me - a musical, set in a historical time period, with cute boys singing and dancing, music by the magical Alan Menken - what is not to love?!? I was so obsessed with this movie that in the pre-Internet age, I wrote down the lyrics by meticulously listening, pausing, writing down, rewinding, and repeating - which was an onerous process when one was working with manual VHS tapes. I eventually got a copy of my own, the DVD when it came out, the CD of the soundtrack, and also the piano sheet music. I knew all the lines to the songs, and could probably to this day quote the majority of the movie. Years later, imagine my delight when Disney produced a Broadway musical of the movie - we took a special trip to New York on my birthday to see the show (which of course, doesn’t match up to my love for the film, the true effect of a nostalgic love for a piece of your childhood). Living in LA affords us the opportunity for magical movie-going experiences, and my husband and I scored tickets to a special showing of Newsies at the Disney El Capitan theater - and then the traveling Broadway company of Newsies the musical that was in town and performing just up the street at the Pantages theater made an appearance and performed for the audience after the movie wrapped. This film has held a special place in my heart and is the epitome of nostalgia love for a movie from childhood.

Honorable Mentions:

The Music Man (1962): The two music genres we listened to growing up were 90s country (Garth, Reba, Trisha, Wynonna!) and also musicals. Our family was very much into theater and starting at the age of twelve, I started acting in musicals at our local performing arts program for youths. Our family also watched many of the classic musicals that were filmed in the 1950s and 60s, such as Hello, Dolly, Oklahoma, and Music Man. This last film stands in as a proxy for all those classics, but was also selected in particular because I performed in a production during a summer in junior high, where I was in the background chorus (and featured in the Wells Fargo song!). The music and lyrics of this story, written by Meredith Wilson, are of such cleverness and variety - from the 4-part harmony barbershop quartet to the love song ballads, the pre-hip hop rhythmic talking song to the genius opening number of the salesmen on the train. The translation to film is serviceable and very much in the style of the musicals brought from stage to screen in the 1960s - nothing too clever and some blocking that sought to recreate a theater stage on the film set, but these series of musical films cemented my love for the genre in an accessible way just as I was starting myself to perform on stage.

Jurassic Park (1993): Oh, the raptor in the kitchen stalking the two kids stills brings me chills thinking about it. Watching that scene as a kid, I (more than once) fled the room because it was so scary! This film had it all - creepy dinosaurs, a smart teenage girl and an even smarter heroine that was a scientist, great music (whose theme I diligently learned how to play on the piano), and plenty of action! My family definitely had this on repeat in the VHS player, but I loved the movie so much that I ended up reading Michael Crichton’s novel to experience the source material - and became more aware of how a film is an adaption of a novel’s storytelling, translating from the page to the screen. I do fall in favor of reading the novel before seeing the movie, but if a film helps you discover an incredible book, it can be like diving into an extension of the world beyond what the screen can fit.

[deepbluexsea]

Task #1

Basic Information

Full Name: Jonathan Scott James-Michaels.

Nickname(s): Johnny, John, Jay (Briel only). D.A. James-Michaels.

Age: 47 years young.

Date of Birth: May 10, 1973.

Hometown: Manhattan, New York.

Current Location: Yep, you guessed it – Manhattan, New York.

Gender: Male.

Pronouns: Johnny goes by he/him pronouns only.

Sexual Orientation: Mostly gay. He has been attracted to women in the past, but it has been extremely rare.

Occupation: District Attorney of New York County, N.Y.

Living Arrangements: Johnny lives with Briel in the home they bought and renovated together in 2010.

Language(s) Spoken: English (native), French (proficient), Spanish (intermediate).

Accent: Typically, Johnny doesn’t have a very strong accent; as an attorney of 22 years, he has worked on having skilled vocal control. He also had voice lessons as a kid. However, when he’s not paying attention, not at work, or gets really into an argument, his accent is clearly NYC metropolitan. 

Physical Appearance

Hair Color: Dirty blonde/light brown.

Eye Color: Blue, very blue.

Height: 6′1″.

Build: Johnny usually maintains a fairly athletic and somewhat muscular physique.

Tattoos: Two. 1) A drunken “accident” in college that he now hides. Only Briel has ever gotten to see it. 2) His husband’s initials over his heart. 

Piercings: None. Never. And none in the future.

Clothing Style: Johnny is almost always found in a suit due to his profession. If he doesn’t have court, he’ll wear slacks and a button-up or a sweater. On his off days, he’s mostly business casual. At home, he dresses as most guys do (e.g., a t-shirt and jeans).

Favorite Accessories: His watch and his wedding ring.

Distinguishing Characteristics: Undeniably, Johnny’s eyes are hard to miss. People comment on his teeth/smile. Mainly, he’s noticed for the way he commands a room.

Health

Physical Conditions: None. Johnny’s physical health is good. He wears contact lenses and has a couple scars, but that’s it.

Mental Health Conditions: Alcohol Abuse Disorder - in remission.

Allergies: Some mild seasonal allergies, but nothing severe.

Sleeping Habits: Johnny typically goes to bed at or before 10:00 PM and wakes up around 5:30 AM (much to Gabriel’s chagrin). On the weekends, he’s a little more lax. One thing everybody knows about Johnny is that he can sleep anywhere, and will fall asleep when/wherever he feels the urge.

Eating Habits: Mostly healthy/balanced. He sticks to lean meats, veggies, etc., although he isn’t obsessed. Food just isn’t on his mind a lot. Johnny will often forget to eat if someone doesn’t feed him.

Exercise Habits: He enjoys running, boxing, and weightlifting a few times a week.

Addictions: None anymore, thankfully. He will smoke a cigar every now and again, but it’s far from an addiction.

Drug Use: In college, he experimented with psychedelics, molly, and weed. It didn’t stick.

Alcohol Use: Once or twice a year now that he is sober. One drink + water.

Personality

Label: It’s literally impossible to pick just one, right??? The Competitor (attorney + personality), The Advocate, The Liberator, and The Reformer (attorney), and The Thinker (personality). Different ones at different times, and sometimes a combination. 

Positive Traits: Intelligent, caring, hardworking, methodical, clean/organized, passionate.

Negative Traits: Competitive, stubborn, argumentative, blunt, relentless.

Goals/Desires: Taking an extended vacation on the boat. Seeing the aurora borealis. Raising/watching his kids grow successfully. Retiring and spending more of life with his husband. Seeing justice prevail more often than not.

Fears: Losing his family. Heights.

Hobbies: Watching the New York Yankees, taking care of and going out on his boat, playing with his pets + kids, cooking, reading, singing, traveling, taking Gabriel out.

Habits: Running his hands through his hair, chewing on pens, drinking when stressed (past).

Favorites

Season/Weather: Fall. Not too hot, not too cold.

Color: Probably blue. Maybe green.

Music Genre: Rock, singer-songwriter, classical.

Movie: Legally Blonde? He doesn’t watch a lot of movies because he doesn’t really have time, but when he does, he falls asleep during at least half of them.

Sport: Baseball, but he will also watch football.

Beverage: Coffee at all times of the day.

Food: Sushi? Pizza? Steak? Not picky.

Animal: Dogs. Definitely dogs.

Family

Father: Geoffrey Warren Michaels – former Wall Street analyst (deceased since June 2020).

Mother: Virginia Lorraine Matthews – former private practice attorney; current co-owner of Matthews & Wyatt, LLC. She resides at 305 West End Assisted Living Facility and is 87 years of age (although still sharp as a tack).

Sibling(s): None; a spoiled only child.

Children: Juliet Michaels (biological daughter), Andrew James (stepson), Constance James (stepdaughter), Arabella James-Michaels (adopted daughter, step-granddaughter via Constance).

Pet(s): Four dogs, two cats, a rabbit, a donkey, and an alpaca. The last two live at Gabriel’s place from when they were separated in 2018.

Other Important People: Sam Wilder – best friend. Joan Lourd (deceased; best friend for many years). His staff at the D.A.’s office. Gabriel’s friends and coworkers are also often a big part of his life (Nicola, Kale, Kid, Abby, etc.). 

Extra

Zodiac Sign: Taurus – smart, ambitious, stubborn, hardworking, inflexible, reliable, pleasure-seeking, resilient, blunt.

MBTI: ENTJ – The Commander. While Johnny wavers between introverted and extroverted, this personality type fits him best. “People with this personality type embody the gifts of charisma and confidence, and project authority. Commanders can be dominant and relentless. They are true powerhouses. They cultivate an image of being larger than life – and often enough, they are.” Strengths: strategic, efficient, strong-willed, inspiring. Weaknesses: stubborn, impatient, ruthless.

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw – intelligence, knowledge, curiosity, creativity, and wit.

Moral Alignment: Lawful Neutral: The Judge – law, tradition, order, organization, reliable, honorable. However, Johnny would not fit with the weaknesses; he is very appreciative of diversity and freedom.

Primary Vice: Pride – excessive belief in one’s own abilities; also known as Vanity.

Primary Virtue: Diligence – no matter what stands in their way, one with this virtue will accomplish their goals + stay true to their core beliefs. 

Element: Earth – real, methodical, physical, bull-headed. Though Johnny has characteristics of Fire (natural leader, dynamic) and Air (clever, free-thinking), and he has wished to garner more Water characteristics, Earth fits him best.

[mashkaroom]

This isn’t related to anything, but frozen 2 was actually...pretty good of a movie, and you can literally see the disney profit model holding it back. firstly, the music was really good -- i was really impressed with the writing team and with the vocal performances, especially by idina menzel. the songs that didn’t make it in because the plot was rearranged were also excellent. wrt to the visuals, i’m not the biggest fan of this specific animation style, but it’s clear it’s very well done -- i’ve no choice but to be impressed. the plot was whatever (also they fully put a couple of trolls in charge of the kindom for a bit -- is there no fucking line of succession in this goddamn kingdom?? maybe the plot of the movie should have been establishing a functional bureaucracy) and they really yada-yada-ed the magic system, which was basically of the central conceit of the movie so...why did they not put more effort into it? the explanation, such as it was, of the magic system was both confusing and ultimately pretty meaningless -- it added next to nothing of value to the lore or theme or worldbuilding. the themes were clearly meant for a more mature audience (which is i guess what you get for waiting 7 years to make a sequel [which btw just wrenched out a memory out of me that frozen 1 came up literally constantly in my 7th grade latin class -- i cannot emphasize enough how bizarre of an experience learning a dead language throughout the entirety of your teenage years along with 400 more of your cohort is]) -- but anyway, they establish all these themes and then don’t commit to them. Like, the central plot conflict of the movie is literally colonialism lmao. it’s such a strange place to discuss it. My suspicion is that they decided right away to go with a “connecting with mother” storyline, since the “women in the same family connecting with each other” bit worked so well in the first movie; then they were like “is this too basic?” and decided that they should wrap that into a “reckoning with ancestry” thread to cash into that “young leftist with white guilt” market. Then they had somebody on the writing staff who was like “what if we made this about colonialism?” So re: those elements, first of all the mother plotline is boring as shit. Like it doesn’t ring true even to losing a loved one early, but it especially rings soooo hollow wrt the actual relationship that is portrayed in the first movie between elsa and her parents. like we see the parents be so misguided it borders on abusive. and that’s a really interesting dynamic, story-wise, bc the parents are dead and can’t redeem themselves but the baggage they left behind is still there, so the burden of processing that falls exclusively on the daughters. i dare say this is something probably relatable to many of us, bc it’s my sense that most people grow up with pretty misguided parents! (lowkey i feel like the best parenting i’ve seen in my circle are parents who basically went off of vibes rather than idk a philosophy or whatever) i actually would have loved to see a children’s movie address dealing with parents in a nuanced way that isn’t just “one of us is right and the other is wrong” but rather addresses what responsibilities parents and children have to each other, how to navigate intent versus effect, what the value (or lack thereof) of forgiveness is, how to uncover your identity when your entire life was shaped by societal and parental expectations, etc. And the Frozen premise is ideally suited for this! Moreover, a lot of these beats actually DO happen in the movie! Into the unknown is basically elsa trying and failing to convince herself that she wants the life she has and any thoughts to the contrary should be dismissed (and it’s gay as hell, but we’ll get to that later). The climax of show yourself literally says that it was the truth about herself rather than her mother that will bring her peace. But all of these beats are facilitated supernaturally rather than by the very fitting preexisting character background, which makes it lack the satisfaction you’d expect in such a resolution. it never features any reckoning with what made her feel the way she did in the first place -- a projection of the mother’s face singing the climactic realization literally undercuts the entire plotline. like here you can see how basically being propaganda for the american lifestyle (in this case the nuclear family e.g.) undercuts their message. this predictably only gets more egregious when they attempt to tackle colonialism. so quick summary of this plotline: anna and elsa’s grandfather basically genocided an indigenous people -- the northuldra -- after tricking them into building a dam that stifles the power of the forest or something. also their mother was actually northuldra. also magic comes from the northuldra forest? it would probably be pretty problematic re: the magical native stereotype if it was clearer what was going on lmao. at the end, anna breaks the dam even though it’ll flood Arendelle; however, elsa (who was literally frozen because of the sins of the past) swoops in at the last moment and freezes the wave so it causes no damage. However, in an earlier version of the story, the wave actually DOES destroy Arendelle and then they rebuild it with a mix of Arendellian and Northuldran architectural styles. this version actually proposed a genuine vision for how to deal with the impacts of colonialism instead of the final movie where sisterly love absolves everyone of consequences. 

ok, so about the gay: i know people read a coming out into let it go, and maybe this is just cause i watched frozen 1 when i was still straight, but i didn’t really see it. but the lyrics in frozen 2 elsa’s songs match up so well with the coming out experience, i have difficulty imagining the song-writers weren’t aware of it, especially since people were already calling for elsa to be gay. Like let’s take a look at these songs -- into the unknown first. She sings

“Everyone I've ever loved is here within these walls I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking out your calls I've had my adventure, I don't need something new I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you”

This idea of having being afraid of ruining relationships even (and especially) with the people you love most by coming out is something that a lot of queer people can relate to. Then she sings:

“Are you here to distract me so I make a big mistake? Or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me? Who knows deep down I'm not where I'm meant to be? Every day's a little harder as I feel your power grow Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go”

How much do i need to explain this? (like all my 7 followers are some form of queer anyway lol) But again this battle of trying to hide but knowing deep down that you can’t, longing for “someone a little bit like me” --  it’s classic queer. Then she sings a bridge-type thing:

“Are you out there? Do you know me? Can you feel me? Can you show me?”

I mean, again, what is this but longing for community. Then in the climactic song “show yourself”, she sings this:

“Something is familiar Like a dream, I can reach but not quite hold I can sense you there Like a friend I've always known”

this is literally just about reading stone butch blues.

The climactic lyric is  “You are the one you've been waiting for all your life” (sung to her rather than by her) and i mean again, this is about finally giving yourself permission to live as your true self. And not gonna lie, i dug that shit. it felt quite authentic. obviously they didn’t actually make her gay, bc of course, but she is gay in my heart!

Ok, so what would have made the movie live up to its full potential?

1) fixing that stuff i already said about the parents; it felt like such bs that anna and elsa were dealing with ancestral sins but also their parents were saints whose love fixed everything? how much more interesting would it have been if reckoning with their parents’ impacts on them led them to reckoning with the impacts of their entire ancestry and in turn their society? if reckoning with their personal responsibilities to each other led them to consider their society’s responsibility to fix the past wrongs that allowed it to flourish? this wouldn’t even be counter to disney’s individualism, but it allows for a slight reconceptualization of it that i think would feel fresh.

2) having actual consequences for the colonialism and genocide

3) either cutting all the new magic system stuff or developing it in a way that in turn helps develop the themes. frankly, the “sometimes people are born with magic” that was implied in movie one was enough.

4) making elsa gay, and i say this not just because i want gay characters but because that genuinely makes sense within the story

5) basically, the central theme should have been “i have all this baggage and i can’t resolve it by looking for answers only within my society; in order to be fully at peace with myself, i must work to right the wrongs of my society that obscured the different ways of knowledge that could help people like me; sometimes you must go into the unknown in order to understand the known” which is a message i think very well suited for the united states!

[irenerei-n-svt]

Seventeen ships as Sibling AU (Mingyoozi version)

Ok I should not be really starting a new series headcanon but ugh

I could not help it lmao, they have 70+ ships and the dynamic are cute and chaotic af, it will be fun if their are your siblings right? Like why not??

Now is up to you to decide that you are either older than them both or younger than them both. I will recommend to be the middle sibling in between Mingyu and Jihoon but i will keep my headcanon list flexible as i can  Blood related or related only by parent’s second marriage or only blood related to one of them is do able

Mingyu works as a chef/owner in family owned restaurant while Jihoon works as songcomposer

You could be a student or a normal office worker

You three live in a single storey house and your parents lives at other spot. Because the single storey house is near your workplace/school and near Jihoon’s studio.

If you are not related to Jihoon, : 

You might feel this big brother is quite distant.  You get intimidated for no reason at the beginning.

You might try to download his songs to try to get some topic to chat. Only to realise he is actually a legend. 

At first you might freaked out that there is smol hoodie monster searching the fridge during midnight, turns out that is the hungry Jihoon looking for food because he stayed up writing songs. You will get used to it eventually. 

bonus point if you are related to Mingyu and have the same skill of cooking like your brother, you will be the one to whip up some food for Jihoon when Mingyu is not in then. Even better, Jihoon be the one knocking on you door asking you whats for dinner.

You will wonder if his tension are always low but he will prove you wrong as days pass by. Sometimes he will be the one to initiate jokes and pranks which caught you offguard because you thought he is the sensible one.

You will wonder if his closet are just hoodies and black tees lmao

You will wonder if coke is his version of water lmao

DOES HE ONLY EATS RICE???

You think his laughter is cute as hell.

Be amazed when you go into his room for the first time, all those instruments and CDs of artist (s) that he participated with.

Always taking side on the non blood related sibling by kicking his blood related brother lmao

Rarely gets angry but one look will suffice

Jihoon works and travels back and forth between his room and his studio. His work schedule are quite messy so sometimes you did not even know he is in the house or studio.

Get to first hand listen to new songs.

If you are related to Jihoon, : 

You will be proud of him. You have all songs he composed in your playlist. 

Constantly bragging about him.

If you are older than Jihoon, its your advantage to ruffle his hair. He will avoid you sometimes but he will stay still.

You and Mingyu will leave food for him with a message. 

 Definitely that you guys would be bonded on height issue if you share similar gene in height

Jihoon backs up on you by kicking Mingyu’s shin so that you can take back your stuff. *Bonus if this is what he is been doing since you 3 are kids. 

Seeing him playing his guitar outside his room or just lying down on the couch playing his phone while you or Mingyu do the chores 

Rarely gets angry but one look will suffice

When he is tired and need recharge from family member, he would just lie down near you and sleep or play his phone.

He will ask your opinion on the music, or even asking you if the song concept fits with the artist he working with

Already get used to visitors coming to the house, looking for Jihoon. 

If you are related to Mingyu :

You will totally make use of Mingyu’s height to get stuffs from shelf. Of course this boy will help you out happily.

Brithday cakes by Mingyu is a thing to anticipate every year.

Piggy back rides during childhood

You and your brother can eat spicy food well.

Fashion teacher of yours, he might help doing your hair as well. (*Bonus if you are a younger sibling and your are going to prom, Mingyu would be the one to give you fashion advice and styles your hair.)

Putting blankets on Mingyu when he pass out sleeping on the couch or any corner in the house.

Get to try out new food Mingyu is trying to promote in his restaurant.

You will occasionally help in the restaurant.

Apparantly the restaurant get famous because of Mingyu’s good looks

Of course you are proud of him, he got looks got cooking skills.

He would be your happy virus.

If you are not related to Mingyu:

Or for some weird pride sake, you and Jihoon will get on a stool rather asking for help.

Bonus point if you are related to Jihoon for this headcanon : Both of you in awe at your new brother’s cooking. Sometimes even bring Mingyu to a specific restaurant so that he could taste the food and cook it back at home.

You cannot take spicy level like he does so he will seperate portion to make a milder version

Amazed at how much he eats.

if you are skilled in cooking too you would totally bond with him by helping him making meals.

Shocked to find him sleeping with weird poses, and he is not sleeping in his room. But eventually will get used to it.

Get to try out new food Mingyu is trying to promote in his restaurant.

You will occasionally help in the restaurant.

You wonder if any super star scouts has ever scouted on Mingyu

Shocked to realised that this boy is actually a big puppy inside.

Finds it funny because Mingyu is clumsy but can make delicate designed cakes, dessert and appetizer.

If you are related to both of them :  

If you are youngest, this two definitely sing you to sleep when you are still a toddler. ESPECIALLY JIHOON, that is where his love for music sprouts.

Mingyu defo be the clingy brother and Jihoon will be the occasionally clingy one. More like the boss of the siblings. You would used to hide behind Jihoon because Mingyu wants to play with you so much but you want to be alone. Or,

You hide behind Jihoon because Mingyu keeps nagging at you.

As mentioned above, you and Jihoon jealous at Mingyu’s height. 

Or Jihoon jelaous at yours and Mingyu’s height

If you are older than both of them, you might team up with Mingyu to give Jihoon a fashion change.

Making a fancy meal if any song Jihoon made becomes a great hit.

Occasionally making covers of song and upload to Youtube, using your account. You and Jihoon incharge of the vocals and Mingyu in charge of the rapping. OR you and Mingyu do the rapping while Jihoon in charge of the vocals.

No horror movie in the household because of Mingyu is easily scared.

IN SHORT, THIS HOUSE HOLD WORSHIPS JIHOON LMAO

Okay I will stop this here. Might do a part 2 if there is more to add. Let me know which ship as sibling au you want to read~~~!!

[eulaties]

final thoughts about unlucky mansion !!! <3

spoilers under the cut! read at your own risk :)

DSJKGHDFSKJG THAT WAS LITERALLY SO GOOD I LOVE UNLUCKY MANSION SO FUCKING MUCH!!! i loved the open-ended ending that was  basically “life will go on, and we’ll be happy as long as we’re together” and i just 💘💖💗💓💝💞 im so happy that eun joo and woo jin esp can finally move onto the next chapter in their lives, together, with each other at their sides :)

let me touch on a few topics:

1. chae min going to australia and finding her own happiness after having sung woo help her realize how to do that :) man i just love her character and she literally deserves this. also lmao the fact that she got a crush on sung woo and said alright i am going 2 leave to an entirely different country now peace out

now that i’m rereading unlucky mansion (ik i just finished it but it cant be helped) i realize just how cynical and self-destructive chae min used to be. im really happy for her and her decision to finally let herself be happy :)

“it looks like happiness is a really heavy thing to you, noona. but happiness is just when you eat good food, when you see a movie you like for the third time...or maybe when you’re walking down the street and get excited by a song that you can hear from a nearby store. it’s not something that heavy. happiness is becoming happy when you want to. if you’re ready to receive it, you can become happy at any time.” -sung woo, ch. 68

2. NO THOUGHTS ONLY EUN JOO AND WOO JIN...LOVE THEM BOTH THEY’RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE EACH OTHER I AHDSJFHDGH <333

“it’s not winning against despair and fear, but rather sitting down together and sharing like you’re at a meal. once you share, hope will emerge and the problem will be solved...well, what i’m trying to say is don’t keep everything in and suffer by yourself.” -eun joo, ch. 20

“you portrayed forgetting your family and living as a bad thing in there, but to be honest, we’re not a hero like odysseus—we’re just normal people. as normal people get close and obsessed with each other, they’ll suffer. even if you became a bit of a bad person...it’s more important for you to forget the sad memories and become happy from further away. you have to be happy.” -eun joo, ch. 70

“even though we love words that dash for the conclusion like electrons, because we can’t properly see the ending for our story...because we continued to wander and seek out our own paths to get here—we could understand each other’s scars, and have no choice but to love each other.” -woo jin, ch. 70 

3. EUN JOO BEING SUCCESSFUL! i love that for her! especially bc i also wanna be a (potential!) fashion designer one day it was just so fucking cool to see her at work and in her element. man im just so happy for her and she’s come a long way, especially from the beginning of the story. also her personality and style is just kickass

4. WOO JIN RECONCILING WITH HIS BROTHER AND MOVING ON!! loved this. everything was executed perfectly. it was super emotional at points, and i really felt the despair :( but in the end, his brother’s surgery went well, and woo jin learned how to live his own life without feeling any unnecessary guilt over things he had no control over and i just :) also that acceptance speech was just so badass!!! what a king !! also love his hello kitty collection it’s very admirable

5. kwon hi and kwon joon <3 my favorite orange twins hehe. i feel sad that kwon joon broke up with his girlfriend and he failed his singing audition, but ig it’s just life i suppose T_T wishing him more success in the future! and i also just love their sibling dynamic in general :)

6. i really love the art. it’s just so fitting for the story, and the way panels are drawn, and the color palettes used, it’s just *chefs kiss* so beautiful!! so much art appreciation <3

7. the writing, plot, and story were phenomenal. i love how it turned a basic, typical trope (living together with roommates) and turned it into something compelling, complex, and interesting to read about. all of the character dynamics and interactions were just so fun to read about, and literally everyone had chemistry w each other in unlucky mansion (by which i mostly mean platonic chemistry, except for woo jin and eun joo they had hella romantic chemistry lmfao). the author also touched on some deep topics that really resonated with me, and the conflicts that the characters faced were super relatable and things i could empathize with. plus, the humor and expressions the characters made were top notch! the emotional scenes were so heart wrenching too haha ;; overall, there was a great mix of emotional and comical scenes and the writing of the relationship & character developments were super organic and...human. 

8. i wish we saw a eun joo and woo jin wedding but it’s okay the last panel of them together is good enough T_T

i can rest easy now...im so glad that i finally got to read season 3 of unlucky mansion!! (even though i had to read raws and the english translation on mystic’s tumblr at the same time - which, by the way, was an Experience and honestly kinda fun. it spiced things up)

i know im going to be rereading this manhwa for years to come, and im honestly surprised that i havent read this sooner - but im glad i read it now and the memories that came with reading it will be happy and heartfelt. 

(i literally feel so much serotonin rn im smiling so much)

alright, peace out! that’s all for today, folks 😊

- sonia 🌸

[goingoverthegardenwall]

Chapter 3: Schooltown Follies

Since there have been stories, there have been stories that anthropomorphize animals. Folks have imagined creatures behaving as humans in every corner of the world, in myths and fables and fairy tales from ancient cultures to today. So by the turn of the 20th century, when a mycologist known for painting incredibly detailed images of fungus decided to instead write and illustrate stories about animals in contemporary clothes, it wasn’t exactly a new idea. But perhaps that makes it more impressive: despite the multitude of animal books for children that have been published in the last hundred and fifty years, the work of Beatrix Potter still stands out.

She’s not alone, of course: no good conversation about humanized animals in Western kid lit can last long without mentioning Richard Scarry or Margaret Wise Brown or Arnold Lobel. And Peter Rabbit’s extended family is quite British, which puts it at odds with the nostalgic Americana of Over the Garden Wall: it’s not for nothing that our assortment of animals in Schooltown Follies includes a raccoon and an opossum. But the timeless quality of Potter’s work is still felt in this episode in two ways. First, while the show has a cartoony lens, the school animals are far more anatomically accurate than Beatrice or the frogs of Lullaby in Frogland, evoking Potter’s signature field guide style. And second, there’s a mischief to Potter’s animals that makes them feel more like real children than the cute but bland residents of Scarry’s Busytown, and mischief is the name of the game when Greg comes to schooltown.

Schooltown Follies is full of clever tricks, but perhaps its most clever is introducing animals with human qualities (they wear clothes, play instruments, and walk on their hind legs) but not giving them voices. It’s generally great comedy fuel, showing the inherent ridiculousness of a school for sorta normal animals, but it more importantly allows the episode a silent movie feel, with plenty of physical humor enhanced by characters without dialogue. That style completes the episode’s subversion of Beatrix Potter’s oeuvre: she wrote stories about naughty animals learning that they should behave, but in this vaudeville version, the only way to save the day is by misbehaving.

“Then I’ll do what I need to do, I guess.”

Despite being one of our three main characters, Greg trades a full character arc for a comic relief role. At the beginning of Over the Garden Wall he’s a chatty kid who never gives up and loves fun, and at the end he’s a chatty kid who never gives up and loves fun. This doesn’t mean he’s fully static, as he matures enough to accept some responsibility to others instead of seeking entertainment for himself: he abandons a potential happy ending to try to save Wirt with the Beast, and returns his stolen Rock Facts Rock in the last shot of the series. But even this obligation to help out is present early on: Schooltown Follies is the first of his two focus episodes, and the foundation of his eventual heroism is established right here.

And frankly? I think it’s okay if he’s not that dynamic. Greg doesn’t change as much as Wirt or Beatrice because he doesn’t have nearly as much to overcome, and he still contributes to the show without forcing the crew to juggle three distinct arcs. Our older kids are on a shorter timer to grow up, and have clearer negative traits (Wirt’s got no confidence, Beatrice is a jerk), and while we can accuse Greg of lacking social cues, he’s so young that it’s not indicative of a larger problem. He’s just acting his age, albeit in a heightened way for entertainment, and to lose that innocence this early in his life would make this show a serious downer.

“Heightened” is the general mood of Schooltown Follies, where Greg’s less realistic behavior fits much better than The Old Grist Mill’s bottom-of-the-barrel aside. This is an episode where Two Old Cat, an old-timey bat-and-ball game that evokes a similar old-school era as our old school, involves searching for actual old cats, somehow finding them immediately, then realizing one is too old to play and must instead be taken care of by a raccoon in a newsboy cap and overalls.

While there’s plenty of humor to go around in Over the Garden Wall, this is the only fully silly episode. Our other lighthearted outings come with dark twists: Songs of the Dark Lantern introduces the Beast, Lullaby in Frogland reveals Adelaide, and Babes in the Wood turns out to be the most somber episode of the series with context. Here we almost get a parody of such a twist, with characters repeatedly mentioning a wild gorilla on the loose apropos of nothing, then revealing that the gorilla is Miss Langtree’s paramour trapped in a suit. It’s a ridiculous setup to a ridiculous punchline, aided by casting Thomas Lennon for a few lines of dialogue (his read for “I. Was. The gorilla” was worth every penny), so there’s never any sense of danger. Jimmy Brown and Enoch are equally harmless in the end, but I doubt any little kids watching are gonna get nightmares about the ape suit.

This mood is enhanced with song, but among the many musical moments in the series—Mad Love is the only episode without singing in some form—Schooltown Follies stands out by not letting any of the numbers finish. We begin and end the episode in song, but Greg doesn’t have the last lines for Adelaide Parade figured out, Langtree’s Lament faces numerous interruptions before being cut short by the bell (they actually did a full version though!), and Potatoes and Molasses gets stopped first by Mr. Langtree, then by the end credits. Even Miss Langtree’s piano rendition of last episode’s Patient is the Night halts when Greg mashes the keys. It’s the perfect atmosphere for an episode about a kid who loves fun, but is easily distracted and hasn’t developed good planning skills.

Which isn’t to say that Greg is dumb, but that he’s prone to winging it in a way that sets him apart from Wirt. While Wirt rambles his thoughts aloud, Greg takes action without telling anyone why, making his decisions appear random in a medium that often explains motives concretely to young viewers. Wandering in his own direction has become a running gag by now, and while he sets off to make the world a better place, he instead plays outside with animal truants. He’s jolted back to his quest by the bland food and dull atmosphere of lunch hour, and his irrepressible energy lightens everybody’s day without much effort. When Mr. Langtree steps in as an antagonist, Greg decides once again to do something about it, this time saying explicitly that he has no plan, but everything works out again. We get an excellent joke from his decision to rob Langtree right after he becomes sympathetic, but as usual, Greg has bigger ideas behind the humor that he just hasn’t articulated. 

While Greg is busy delightfully saving the day, Wirt and Beatrice ease into a sniping side story that establishes their relationship for the next few episodes. They got off on the wrong foot in The Old Grist Mill and twisted that ankle in Hard Times at the Huskin’ Bee, so by now Beatrice doesn’t even try to hide her disdain and Wirt gets fed up with it. This is the perfect type of subplot, one that develops our characters and fits into the theme of the episode—Wirt’s rebellious obedience bounces off Greg’s rebellious call to disobey—but doesn’t distract from the main story.

Beatrice is helpful in opening up Wirt’s snotty side in a way that allows us to cheer for him. Until now his biggest conversation partner has been Greg, and it’s tough to side with Wirt when he’s mean to Greg, but Beatrice is an equal in terms of sparring, and her rudeness is a more understandable motive for Wirt to be obstinate than Greg’s playfulness. Our last episode had him aimlessly suggest staying in Pottsfield, and he’s similarly bound to this new location, but his different attitude changes the entire story. After two episodes of dithering, it’s nice that they let Elijah Wood play a character who’s funny on purpose for a spell, reveling in annoying Beatrice.

And even though he doesn’t know what to do, we actually get our first heroic moment from Wirt here. Greg saved the day in Grist Mill, and the situation resolves without much issue in Hard Times, but Jimmy is saved from the gorilla costume because of Wirt. True, he only interferes after being commanded to by Mr. Langtree, and he clearly has no idea what to do, and he trips over his shoelaces rather than contribute in an intentional way, but it sets the stage for his rescue of Beatrice in our next episode. Deep down, when he’s not overthinking it, the kid is capable of bravery when it’s asked of him. And it’s wonderful that for all his differences from Greg, both share an impulsive approach to heroism when they decide to help others. It’s almost like they’re related.

Beyond getting a few good digs in at Wirt, Beatrice extends her meanness to Miss Langtree, which makes her pestering of the boys feel less personal: it’s not that she hates them, she’s irritable with everyone. But we also get the first hint of her warming to our heroes, letting Greg have his fun at the concert and telling Wirt to finally tie his shoes with just a tiny speckle of fondness. While she gets a bigger friendship moment in Mad Love, when she’s essentially forced to get to know Wirt better, it’s neat to see Beatrice gradually come around instead of flipping a switch after a major story event.

We’re about to get our next big Plot Episode, introducing the Beast and adding new doubts about the Woodsman, so a silly episode is just what we need. It’s our third in a row where something sinister turns out to be okay: obviously the gorilla is an example of this, but Mr. Langtree is similarly an intimidating presence who ends up being a regular man. Even the creepy squirrels from the opening shots of the Unknown’s dangers in The Old Grist Mill return as comic relief. We’re fully primed to look for goodness where we see wickedness. Just in time for us to learn to fear merry opera echoing from the woods.

Rock Factsheet

Greg’s spiel on hot dogs might not summon the Rock Fact Rock, but it certainly evokes the stone’s spirit.

Where have we come, and where shall we end?

Adelaide Parade and Potatoes and Molasses will both get dark reprises, and the former also gets the rare jolly reprise as well. But we unfortunately don’t get a harrowing future scene featuring Langtree’s Lament.

Two Old Cat is part of a list of bat-and-ball games mentioned by a rambling background teen in The Unknown.

[eggshellsreview]

Steven Universe (Season 1) review

The now incredibly popular Cartoon Network animated show created back in 2013 has only spiked even more in popularity due to the recently released movie that caught my eye and made me decide to dive into the show first hand just to see what I've been apparently missing out on the past few years.

Unfortunately for me, Steven Universe started airing on Television before the time that I was more open minded about animated series or even just wider genres as a whole. However, since then, a lot of animation and other content has made me spread out my taste and turned me not just willing to watch more animated content, but gladly willing to watch. And I will say, that so far, Steven Universe has only reinforced that new mentality as it surprised me in great ways.

Steven Universe follows a very young, very enthusiastic protagonist of the same name in his abnormal childhood adventures, rooted to his unwilling connection to what I can only describe as sentient rock extraterrestrials. These extraterrestrials are permanently referred to as Gems in the series and are equipped with what you'd expect: Super advanced technology/intellect, superhuman abilities, and a whole lotta backstory to unpack.

For context, I spent several years with a best friend who absolutely adored the series, and even though I wasn't particularly interested in the show, I'd always let her gush to me in great detail her favorite aspect of it; the lore. Because of this I'm already familiar with a decent chunk of the backstory that surrounded the main characters and their origins so to say, but I will say, that even though hearing about the show never made me want to go running and put it on to watch, watching how the information that I know unfolded through the show in its incredible pacing was a completely different experience.

The Gems that the story follows are a small group of short and sweet personalities. Pearl, the level headed scholar. Amethyst the rowdier, messy fun haver. Garnet, the quiet neutral one who doubles as the muscle of the team. And of course, the star of the show, Steven, the 10 year old rare half-human, half-gem hybrid trying to become a full fledged member of their team; The Crystal Gems. With their sworn duty to defend Earth from mystical threats, we watch as the Gems teach Steven some basic training and lessons of what it means to be a Crystal Gem as we simultaneously learn alongside him, who the Gems are and why they're here on our planet doing what they're doing.

This is where the show excels most. The way the show feeds information to the audience is incredible. As a loose comparison of another family friendly animated series with lots of lore about non-human characters saving the planet, I'll use My Little Pony (MLP): Friendship is Magic. MLP is a show I binged entirely for its lore and characters after hearing about it from the same friend who put me onto Steven Universe. However, despite being very interesting world building and lore exploration, the delivery of all that information was almost exclusively the scholar characters giving us very lengthy discussions in between action of episodes. Steven Universe doesnt do that though. Instead we get the engaging method of the show dropping hints, clues, and tid bits of information in a chain of loosely related episodes. For a simple example, in the lore of the show, there's a cave of important value to Steven's character. However, instead of just having Pearl go "Oh, Steven, let me show you this important location and give you a 4 minute conversation about its importance", we see implications to this place's existence over the span of the first episodes. After that, we see Steven discover it through an entirely nontraditional manner and explore it alone not knowing what it is, therefore not giving us any information about what's truly going on. Finally, a bit after in the season, we get a formal introduction to the location by Pearl to wrap up what we need to know about it in a brief minute or two. What this does, is allow us as the audience to theorize the meaning of things or people for a while, then be gifted actual on screen information in a nonformal history lesson kind of way, then have suspense for when we finally get the last pieces of the puzzles. Its a much more engaging method of giving information while eventually saving time for the formal information which may not sound like much. But when the episodes are 11 minutes long, cutting down 4-5 minutes of a history lesson, to just 1 or 2 minutes leaves more room for episodes to visually show case the significance of key information in action rather than just spend half the episode talking about it.

I'd say the only thing more important than the lore of the show however, is the atmosphere. With its watercolor sort of aesthetic to help set the general feel good and innocent tone the show it usually carries, it tends to use its art style to also butter you up for some crazy emotions. Steven Universe may have simple characters, but their dynamic between one another ends up pretty deep. Whether it's something like Garnet's quietness dropping for a moment of genuine anger or hurt because of her reaction to something. Or Amethyst dropping her carefree attitude to reveal how much she cares about something happening. The context of these moments are always INCREDIBLY powerful and filled with sincere dialogue that has left me tearing up more than just a couple of times and in my opinion, are what truly made this first season of Steven Universe a phenomenal pleasure to watch.

Another reason this show manages to have extremely good portrayal of emotions is due to its now iconic music numbers. Though they're expected, the songs sung by the characters in their appropriate moments always portray just what they have to. Funness, sadness, distress. It's a real treat, and really helps characters with simple, but strong personalities express a larger array of emotions than natural dialogue could. My favorite parts are always when they sing during action scenes because admittedly, the non musical number tracks of the show arent especially stellar. They get the job done and fit the atmosphere, but there were fewer times than I wouldve liked that I actually thought, oh hey this background track is great.

All in all, Steven Universe is an incredible show so far. One that I'm immediately continuing as soon as this is posted. The show knows what it wants to be and how it plans to do it, leaving us just an objectively well paced, well written, and crazy fun ride through an original fantasy world where you constantly want to learn more and where teases leave you constantly engaged. There's so much more I could've said, and want to say, about things like side characters, character designs, Gem abilitied (especially Gem abilities), but with this season being so long, I'd like to prioritize the more key elements of the show. Though rest assured anyone who hasnt watched the show, the things I just listed are presented and written as well as everything that I was able to talk about. Ultimately, I give Steven Universe, Season 1, a 9.5/10 rating. With genuinely nearly no complaints, even though it took several years to even give the show a try, I was left not only entirely satisfied in every category, but it exceeded all expectations and had left me crying, jaw dropped, and emotional every time it wanted to. I'm a huge fan of the show right now, and I seriously think anyone who hasn't, should really give it a watch.

[theinquisitivej]

A Quartet of Reviews: Missing Link, Pet Semetary, Shazam!, and Hellboy (2019)

Missing Link

As the technical accomplishments and detailed beauty of Laika’s stop-motion films are part of the reason I’ve chosen to study stop-motion animation for my current academic research, you’ll forgive me if I approach their fifth film with some bias. Plus, box office numbers suggest that a lot more people really should be seeing these, so the more voices there are singing Laika’s praises the better, frankly.

         Missing Link is notably ambitious in that it strives to deliver an action adventure in the vein of Around the World in 80 Days or The Mummy (the Brendan Fraser one, not the “DARK UNIVERSE” one- yes, that did happen, and it is hard to remember), with multiple thrilling and complex action sequences, all in stop-motion. Given the labour-intensive nature of stop-motion and the limitations you’d typically expect of a medium that’s executed through real models that have a weight and substance to them that makes them less flexibly fluid than cel or digital animation, stories with an emphasis on dynamic action aren’t what you’d typically expect when it comes to stop-motion. And yet Laika demonstrate their full commitment to making Missing Link an energetic blockbuster through impressive choreography and painstakingly realised action set-pieces. While the charming characters and light-hearted tone help you stay engaged with the narrative, you’ll be constantly taken back by the seamless merging of traditional methods and modern technology in the animation which makes you sit up and take notice as you wonder how they managed to put together each scene. The best use of digital effects are the times where you’re not entirely certain it’s even there, and Laika’s approach to this modern tool definitely fits in that category.

         The film never quite reaches a point of emotional intensity that leaves me completely floored, as some of Laika’s previous films have managed to do. I didn’t walk away from the film remembering a moment where a character’s vulnerabilities are laid bare or a difficult but essential lesson is imparted in the most brutally earnest way. So, when compared against ParaNorman or Kubo and the Two Strings, Missing Link left less emotional impact on me. Having said that, the film still conveys numerous themes effectively through key story beats and striking visuals, with its central thesis being the importance of learning empathy towards others, and that you shouldn’t seek validation from close-minded proponents of outdated and toxic principles. As such, through a combination of entertaining characters with likable personality, an emphasis on globetrotting action, its refreshingly positive outlook, and tremendous animation on both the large and the small-scale across the board, Missing Link is a delightful adventure that you should make a point of seeing.

Final Ranking: Silver.

Boasting charm, an infectious sense of humour, and perhaps the best action I’ve seen in a stop-motion film, Missing Link absolutely meets the standard of quality that you’d expect from a Laika production.

 Pet Semetary

As many other people discussing this film have noted, Pet Semetary is a Stephen King story that’s notable for being so bleak that even Stephen King felt it was too dark. He hesitated to submit it for publishing for three years, only submitting it when he needed to meet a deadline for a contract. In the subsequent years, King has been critical of the “nothing matters” mentality of the story. With that in mind, as well as the knowledge that several people I follow whose opinions on film I trust were not fond of it, I was prepared for the possibility that I wouldn't enjoy it, but nevertheless open to the film surprising me. After all, Stephen King is a consistently entertaining storyteller, and I’m always interested to see how people adapt his work. For a while, things seemed okay enough. Then it started to drag around the middle, and then it took a hard, fast, ugly turn, descending into the most distasteful experience I’ve had in a cinema this year.

         As that summary indicates, the set-up is intriguing enough. A family move into a new home, and there are little signs that things aren’t quite right around here, as well as the telltale indications of a traumatic past that have left some of the characters with residual hang-ups that they will inevitably be forced to confront, and the tantalising promise of something unnatural on the horizon that will draw our protagonists in as they descend into horror. It’s competent ground laying work, and apart from the horrifying past of one of the character’s being uncomfortably demonising of the sick, and a lack of a distinctive visual style for the film to call its own, I didn’t have many serious issues with the first third or so.

         Once you approach the middle portion of the film, things start to feel protracted. Even if you haven’t seen a trailer or heard the gist of this story and have a decent idea about the trajectory of its narrative, there comes a point where you start to know exactly where things are heading. Discussions of death and what may or may not come afterwards, repeated reminders of how dangerous and unexpected high-speed vehicles on the road outside their house can be, and allusions to some unknowable force that can make impossible things happen which the father of this family absolutely must not approach are all dots that anyone familiar with the phrase “monkey’s paw” can join together with little difficulty. Without an engaging dynamic between characters (a la IT), a self-aware bizarreness that results in humour, or a notable visual style, there’s little to keep you going as you wait for pieces to very, very slowly fall into place.

         And the final act is just awful. It spits course language and nihilistic vitriol with little substance or point to its depictions of pain, misery, and spitefulness other than to wallow in this negativity with nothing else to say. Actors start to abandon any semblance of understated nuance in favour of ham-fisted bluntness, cursing out characters with an intensity that doesn’t feel earned as they clumsily fight against them in a way that lacks any sense of climactic satisfaction, and, because your investment in these characters rapidly drains with each new questionable decision and unlikable action, there’s no tension to these encounters either. There are numerous instances where the actors will do their best to deliver lines of dialogue that try to be shocking or wryly dark, but the material is so poorly thought out that it awkwardly misses the mark in both categories. It’s especially galling as the film spent so much time and effort on getting to this conclusion that it was trying to amp up as this big, horrifying finale that will shake you, when instead it’s just underwhelming and unpleasant without any purpose to itself. I was wishing for it to end, and yet when the credits began to roll, I couldn’t help but ask “wait, is that it?” It’s a limp ending with little meaning that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Final Ranking: Cardboard.

Pet Semetary’s first act offers some potential, but that’s all it is: potential. The middle act spends so long getting to where it needs to be and where the audience knows it’s going that, by the time it gets there, it spends what little time it has left on cruel, structureless nihilism without taking any ownership for the unpleasant material it lays down at your feet.

 Shazam!

The DC movies are in a great place right now. I’ve yet to see James Wan’s Aquaman, but from the abundance of positive things I hear about it, as well as the profound impact Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman had on audiences, James Gunn and a whole lot of appealing casting choices being attached to the next Suicide Squad film, and the great feelings I have about the energy that the Birds of Prey teaser indicated, I’m very optimistic about the future of DC films. Now that Shazam! has released and proved to be a positively uplifting delight, my outlook on this series is cheerier than ever!

         Hm? What about that Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie? Well... my feelings towards that are… complicated. I’ll save my thoughts on it for another time, but suffice to say, I think the film has the potential to be great, but I worry about the way it will be received, and that the worst crowd will embrace it and take the wrong lessons from it.

         Anyway, for the here and now, Shazam is a refreshing blend of joyous levity and unexpected intensity. The film offers endearing comedy with teens and pre-teens acting like excited kids who enjoy doing dopey things but can still come across as insightful and having an emotional heart to them that makes you happy to spend time with them. But it’s never saccharine and, through a fleshed out script and a cast of sharp young actors and actresses, there’s a clear sense of authenticity which makes these adolescent characters seem grounded and well-observed. Something I appreciated is that, whenever the film goes into background details of the history of magic in this world, grandiose prophecies of mystical destinies, or the villain going into his sinister plans, it’s usually being talked about by grown adults who are taking themselves way too seriously. The best exemplar of this is Mark Strong who plays the villain, Dr. Sivana, with an intensity that deliberately comes across as hammy, and the young characters within the film pick up on this and play off him in a way that deflates his bluster and points out how ridiculous he’s being. As a result, the tone of Shazam! feels like it’s poking good-natured fun at prior DC projects and other big budget action blockbusters where stone faced adults spout clichéd speeches without any sense of self-awareness. It’s an approach that points out how some modes of behaviour that are often associated with maturity and being an adult are actually quite childish when you take a step back. As a superhero film that focuses on the experience of being the age where you’re young enough that you still enjoy being a kid, but old enough that you want to call adults out on their bullshit, Shazam! is impressively realised and fun as hell.

         But for as light-hearted as it can be, Shazam! nevertheless surprises you with the occasional brutal sequence that catches you off guard with such rapidity that I found it relatively shocking. It’s not so detailed, gory, or explicit enough that I’d say it goes too far, but it’s worth bearing in mind before you show it to a particularly young and impressionable viewer. The benefit of these sequences is that the unexpected escalation accentuates how in over his head Billy is when he eventually comes across a situation that’s genuinely dangerous, as, despite his newfound powers, he is still a kid, and he really shouldn’t be facing this kind of thing. Indeed, the film demonstrates an impressive grasp of and dedication towards themes of maturity as Billy faces difficult truths about something he thought he wanted and realises he’s been looking in the wrong place for what he actually craves, as well as develops into a more responsible version of himself that opens up to being part of a group built on mutual trust. There’s a cleverly subtle visual indication of the progress Billy has made by the end of the film where he remembers to lower his head as he walks through a door while in his superpowered adult form. One of the first things Billy does when he first transforms is hit his head on a train door to show how unused he is to this new body. The simple act of Billy seeing the doorframe and lowering his head as he steps through without any hesitation near the end of the film signifies the control Billy has developed over himself and his own actions, making his journey of maturation resonate that much more with me. The impact of shocking dark turns and the firm, confident grasp the film has on its cohesive themes of maturation and finding your place in life elevates Shazam! from a fun time to an uplifting and refreshing story that I think people are going to really enjoy for a long while.

Final Ranking: Silver.

Energetic, full of character, and with a strongly executed theme of maturation, Shazam! is highly recommended. It is perhaps a little longer than it needs to be, which results in the latter parts of the middle section feeling a little drawn out. Having said that, the finale sends a jolt of electricity through you that makes you forget any objections you might have and remember all the positive qualities that make this film so likable.

 Hellboy (2019)

Oof… why did I decide to end this collection of reviews on Hellboy (2019) and write this after three other sections? Sigh… okay, let’s get this over with.

It would be insincere of me to say I'm the most impassioned proponent of the Guillermo del Toro Hellboy films. I found them memorable and atmospheric, and you could certainly feel the characteristic flair from the many people that put their artistic touch on those films to create something unique that marked them out from other comicbook movies, which is especially impressive in the mid-2000s, pre Iron Man era. But after going through the slog that is Hellboy (2019), I think I’m more appreciative than ever of what del Toro and his team managed to achieve.

         For a while, it seemed like this new R-rated version of Hellboy was angling for a more faithful adaptation of the original books by Mike Mignola, given the various interviews that were had about it over the years. Sadly, the final result feels like the result of too many outside influences dictating what the film should feature, culminating in a hodgepodge of a film which regurgitates character beats from the del Toro films, and rapidly stitches together a half-hearted attempt at a King Arthur narrative to fill in the requisite new material (this is your regular reminder to check out The Kid Who Would Be King, a much better modern reinterpretation of Arthurian lore). The presentation is dour, unenthusiastic, and lacks any atmosphere or personality, and that is something you could never accuse either the Mignola books or the del Toro films of lacking. In the whole film, there are only two sequences that stand out, namely the fight with the three giants and the rampage of the hell creatures in London. Even so, the former is a relatively meaningless sequence that contributes very little to the narrative and lifts right out of the film, while the latter is so sadistic and mean spirited that it made me genuinely uncomfortable. It falls flat as both an adaptation of a beloved fictional series that’s brimming with atmosphere, and as a piece of technical filmmaking as well.

         On top of that, when the tone and general philosophy of the film does emerge out from under the rest of the film’s mediocrity, it reveals itself to be genuinely unpleasant. The film opens with narration that rushes through the backstory with Nimue and the Arthurian set-up and does so with foul-mouthed irreverence. There is a bit of humour to someone casually tossing in the odd bit of shitty language as they tell you about ancient history that should be discussed with pomp and circumstance but is instead being discussed with ill-fitting coarseness. However, there needs to be some personality to go along with it, otherwise it’s implied that the swearing is the character and all that’s there to it. In the case of this opening narration, Ian McShane emphasises each fucking swearword and it becomes clear that the dialogue is using this as a crutch in an effort to make the film seem like it has an identity as this edgy superhero movie that’s different because it swears. It’s a juvenile approach that is laughable when you consider how effortless Ryan Reynolds’ delivery in each Deadpool movie has been, which demonstrates how swearing can be used to accentuate genuinely funny jokes and characters, rather acting as the joke in and of itself.

         And this isn’t even the most egregious part of the film either, it’s simply a bad first impression. The worst aspect of the film’s outlook is how virtually every character espouses the notion that you should stop complaining, stop letting things get to or affect you, and stop taking time to process things. This is especially saddening when Hellboy’s father, a character that was played with wonderful vulnerability and heart-aching humanity by the late great John Hurt, tells Hellboy to “grow some balls” and get on with things, making the emotional culmination of their time together on screen essentially boil down to ‘quit your bitching’. Characters in Hellboy (2019) show next to no empathy towards one another, and they continually reinforce the story’s outlook which, whether inadvertently or not, nevertheless encourages a state of being where you never have time to be open or vulnerable with the people around you. It’s profoundly disheartening to watch, and gives little to no thematic or visual sustenance to get you through a runtime that feels far too long.

Final Ranking: Manure.

David Harbour does an admirable job in the lead role and I was happy to at least have a protagonist in this film that captures the gruff sadness and down-to-earth affability of the character of Hellboy. But he’s drowning in limiting makeup and an even more stifling movie that has no visual flair and a boring, miserable narrative. The experience of watching this movie is draining and deflating, and I hope to never revisit it.

[thepolyorchids]

A bit about each song on The Polyorchids LP

Track 1 of 10: The Lark

This was the first Polyorchids song that didn’t exist prior to the band’s formation. It was sort of an experiment in a different writing style. The first Courtney Barnett album had just come out and I loved the way she wrote these songs made up of super specific and sometimes mundane lyrics that, when added up, made you feel something. Tony’s naturally great at getting specific like that, but I tend to retreat into my own mind and write from that space. I used a simple a two-chord progression I’d been sitting on for years and wrote a blow-by-blow telling of a drive out to a gig Travis, Tony and I played in Willits a few weeks prior. The hills of Lake County had just been burned by a huge fire. On the trip, we met a bunch of nice seasonal weed-trimming folk (plenty of them white dudes w/ dreads, hence the chorus, which was originally just a placeholder but ultimately stuck) and we crashed at a shitbox motel called The Lark. I liked a Joyce Manor song called “Midnight Service at the Mutter Museum” which had a quiet-verse/loud-chorus structure to it. I brought it to the band with that in mind, but couldn’t get Travis to soften the his floor tom hits, only to find that the thumping beat actually made for a better song. From there it found its groove. — Justin

Track 2 of 10: Predisposed

Most of the lyrics and melodies for “Predisposed” were written in 2011. I think for most songwriters it’s easier to say something in a song than it is to say it in real life. This song was written directly to my friend (and sister from another mister) Nicole Putnam. She was and has always been someone that had my back no matter what, no questions asked. This song turned out to be a (WELL-deserved) explanation/Thank You (even though she never asked for either) for all the times in that year she was there for me when I felt like I had no one. It started as an acoustic song (like most Polyorchids songs), I absolutely forgot I EVEN WROTE IT! For me writing becomes sometimes like therapy, so once I finish... I feel better and feel like I can move on a bit. I found and old iPhone in October of 2017. When I checked out the voice memos, this bad boy was on it. It wasn’t totally complete but Justy, Trav and I worked it to be a full band song and it made it to our album. This is also the first time in The Polyorchids history that I sing my own song on the record. — Tony

Track 3 of 10: Dumpster Heap

I wrote the melody for this a few years ago on a miniature kids’ guitar I was fooling around with, but I spent more than a year just humming gibberish to it. Tony and I have had tons of conversations about our feelings about talking politics on social media. On one hand, it’s a cesspool of garbage that brings out the worst in people and diving into it accomplishes essentially nothing, but on the other hand, it’s where we do 90% of our communicating at this point. If we don’t talk about this stuff online, we’re sort of making the decision to not talk about it at all, which isn’t good either. I’ve typed out full responses to Facebook comments only to delete them before posting so as to avoid surrendering my day to a shit show of notifications. This song is about that internal conversation. I wrote a second verse for this after the “grab her by the…” tape came out, but decided it made an evergreen idea too specific. A few months later I started writing ’45’ and realized this 30-second song could exist with just one verse that feeds right into that one. — Justin

Track 4 of 10: 45

The sort of bizarre post-election vibe had given way to the inauguration and now this guy was slapping his Sharpie signature on like five executive orders per day and arguing about crowd sizes. A parade of idiots were marching through Charlottesville with tiki-torches the day I started writing it. I can’t really pull off overtly political lyrics because they feel corny to me about one hour after I write them, but it seemed like a joke that this dude was running things and I felt like trying capture that in some way, because it was inescapable. Jeff Rosenstock’s WORRY had come out a few months earlier and knocked me out. A fast/crazy deep-cut called "Bang on the Door” was my favorite track and I pretty much wanted to jack it and make it my own. The chords and melody for 45 are totally different from that song, but you can tell they’re sort of distant cousins. I only had one verse written, but I showed it to Trav and Tony at the very end of a practice and the “Side! Eyed! Glances!…” intro was so glorious and punchy with the full band. Some songs take work to find their groove. This one was a natural fit right off the bat and we got excited about it. I wrote a second verse and we started playing it at shows. I finished the third verse the night before recording with Pat and our friends Mike and Jake came in to sing gang vocals on the outro. — Justin

Track 5 of 10: Skeletons

Tony wrote this one a few years ago and lost the demo on an old phone (that’s his move) until just a few months before we recorded the album. I’d never heard it prior to that, but I instantly became obsessed with it, even more so than Tony I think. I told him as much, and I even played it a few times at open mics by myself. The song is really just one verse and one chorus… or a looping chorus with one bridge — however you want to put it. I added the guitar riff, which mirrors the melody but gives it something new, and pitched the idea of having Tony and I alternate singing with a louder, shared verse at the end. This is the only time we’ve ever structured a song that way. We recorded this two days before I moved out of California and we had absolutely no time to practice it with Travis. We tracked our instruments to a click track (unlike most Polyorchids songs, which we record live as a full band) and let Pat at Earth Tone play the percussion after the fact — also something we’d never done before. — Justin

Track 6 of 10: Down in the Desert

This song was written after a trip to Arizona for my uncle Jeff’s funeral. My brother and I grew up with our uncle around a ton, bringing us those little popper/snappers and just generally being the best. As we grew older, we came to realize how truly bizarre and fucking hilarious this person was. Eccentric and witty to his absolute core. He joined the Army out of high school and was stationed in Germany, which I think clouds this song in a bit of confusion because “shipped out to Germany…” really sounds like WWII, but it was actually decades later during a peace-time in Germany. My uncle enjoyed room-temperature tall cans of beer — a taste he said he developed during those years in Germany. After the Army, he got into theater and ultimately became a union-carded makeup artist in Hollywood, working on stuff like the sitcom Major Dad and a TV adaptation of the movie Weird Science among many other projects. Before the funeral, my dad received a letter from one of Jeff’s old makeup artist friends/colleagues. He read that full letter at the funeral and it was just about the most real and beautiful thing I’ve heard in my whole life... Just a human being remembering another human being through the specific memories they shared — the kinds of specifics that send you inward to think about your own memories. I cried hard and felt extremely happy at the same time.

The whole extended family stayed at a desert motel that night and passed a couple of tall cans around in a circle and took turns sharing stories. I liked the idea of letting that evening with family be the chorus and Jeff’s life be the verses, so that’s the basic structure of the song. I started the first couple of lines during that road trip to the desert, but the rest came one line at a time over like a half a year. I never hit a wall, but I never hit a groove either. It was a challenge to write, and yet I felt strongly about seeing it through. It wasn’t until I played an almost-finished version for Tony that it became a potential Polyorchids song at his insistence. I played it once at an open mic but the first time we played it live as a band was at Danny Secretion’s Fuck Cancer benefit almost exactly a year later. — Justin

Track 7 of 10: Back off, Warchild

I started this as a sparse and mellow folk song on acoustic guitar, but abandoned it after about a month of frustration over the lyrics. It started as a sort of abstract story about conflict and tension, but I had a hard time keeping it moving. I liked the first verse on its own but didn’t see a path forward. But then we tried it as a band right after the Popgun EP was done while floating some new song ideas. This came right after we’d found some momentum with The Lark, and I got excited about the dynamics of the full band banging it out. It added something new and took some pressure off the lyrics, which I still feel a bit lukewarm about to be totally honest. The binding theme of the song is frustration and tension and negativity. Verse one is childhood, verse two is early adulthood, and verse three is the old age and death. The chorus is sort of an anthemic reveling in that pessimism, which is no way to live but real nonetheless. The one lyric I really love is the chorus line: “...Not our tax brackets not the weather / could pull the graphite out of the letters...” The song title comes from a line in Point Break when Keanu is about to get in a fight at the beach. We spent our teens and 20s camping and boogie boarding at that beach (Leo Carrillo) and rinsing off in those same outdoor showers. — Justin

Track 8 of 10: Low Class Love Song

Low Class Love Song was started in October of 2017. It started out as a baseline I couldn't get outa my head (I'm not 100% sure but I feel like I might have stolen the chords from "runaround sue"). It ended up being a song about the feeling of dating above your class and knowing it's not gonna end well but pursuing it anyway because the pain of a broken heart is worth the experience of sharing some time with that person. Music really is cheaper than a therapist. — Tony

Track 9 of 10: Preachers in Private Jets

This song started as a jam session groove at a practice. Our old band wrote some songs that way, but The Polyorchids never really have. We loved playing it but didn’t know how to treat it because there was no chord progression, just this looping riff. Eventually we added a palm-muted version of the riff and I started yelling nonsense over that part sort of in the style of Fugazi’s Waiting Room. Around that time I saw a video of two televangelist preachers shooting this shit about why God is very pumped about them being super rich. More than half of the lines in this song are lifted almost directly from that YouTube clip. A week before recording, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and Joel Osteen locked up his megachurch doors, keeping out the affected. That last verse was finished right before recording. The chorus chords were written separately by Tony for a different song, but we were elated to find that they fit right into this one and added a nice melodic part that contrasted the verses and the riff. We took a long time to start playing it live, but Jake from Pisscat nudged us to play it every night of a tour we did together around Lake Tahoe. Pisscat pal Becky wrote it on a set list as Pee Pee Jay one time and I regret not calling it that. From there it felt complete. — Justin

Track 10 of 10: Readiness for Radio

After a life spent not caring either way about Bruce Springsteen, I found my way to his Nebraska album and loved it like many before me. I did the obligatory deep-dive into its origin story: DIY four-track demos that he’d recorded in his basement with plans of doing a proper full-band studio album, only to release the raw demos instead because they served the songs better. I liked the idea of writing something that referenced the themes of the album and its story without ever doing so explicitly. The result, I think, is one of those songs that lets the listener find their own meaning. It’s not an autobiographical song for me, and yet I identify with plenty of it personally. The main chords were adapted out of an old mewithoutyou song. I thought I’d spun them off to be totally unrecognizable, but my brother’s wife Veronica spotted it like four years after I wrote it! If you listen to that band, let me know if you can spot it. I recorded it live in the big drum room at Earth Tone, soaking it in open space and reverb. Pat left the loooong ringing sound of the final chord and then abruptly ended it when I slap the strings shut. I love those final seconds. — Justin

[blackkudos]

Jackie Wilson

Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American soul singer-songwriter and performer. A tenor with a four octave vocal range, he was nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", and was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was considered a master showman, and one of the most dynamic and influential singers and performers in R&B and rock 'n' roll history. Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes, he went solo in 1957 and recorded over 50 hit singles that spanned R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening. This included 16 R&B Top 10 hits, including six R&B number ones. On the Billboard Hot 100, he scored 14 Top 20 Pop hits, six of which made it into the Pop Top 10. On September 29, 1975, while headlining a Dick Clark Oldies Concert, he collapsed on stage from what was later determined to be a massive heart attack, and subsequently slipped into a coma, slowly awakening over a period of 8 months. He remained semi-comatose for the nine years until his death in 1984, at the age of 49. Wilson was an inspiration to Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, James Brown and Michael Jackson to name a few. He was one of the most influential artists of his generation.

A two-time Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee, Wilson was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jackie Wilson #69 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Early years and career

Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. was born on June 9, 1934, in Detroit, Michigan, the only son of singer-songwriter, Jack Leroy Wilson, Sr. (1903–1983) and Eliza Mae Wilson (1907–1984), as she lost two previous children. Eliza Mae was born on the Billups-Whitfield Place in Columbus, Mississippi. Her parents were Tom and Virginia Ransom. Jackie often visited his family in Columbus and was greatly influenced by the choir at Billups Chapel. Growing up in the rough Detroit area of Highland Park, Wilson joined a gang called the Shakers and often got himself in trouble. Wilson's alcoholic father was frequently absent and usually out of work. Wilson began singing at an early age, accompanying his mother, once a choir singer, to church. In his early teens Jackie joined a quartet, the Ever Ready Gospel Singers, which became a popular feature of churches in the area. Jackie was not religious, but he enjoyed singing; the money he and his group earned from performing usually was spent on cheap wine, which Wilson began drinking at age nine. Jack Sr. and Eliza separated shortly after Jackie turned nine.

Wilson dropped out of high school at the age of 15, having already been sentenced to detention in the Lansing Corrections system for juveniles twice. During his second stint in detention, he learned to box and began competing around the Detroit amateur circuit at the age of 16. His record in the Golden Gloves was 2 and 8. After his mother forced him to quit boxing, Wilson married Freda Hood and became a father at 17. It is estimated that Wilson fathered at least 10 other children prior to getting married, and that he was forced to marry Hood by her father. He gave up boxing for music, first working at Lee's Sensation club as a solo singer, then forming a group called the Falcons (The same Falcons Wilson Pickett was later a part of), that included cousin Levi Stubbs, who later went on to lead the Four Tops (two more of Wilson's cousins, Hubert Johnson and Levi's brother Joe, later became members of the Contours). The other members joined Hank Ballard as part of the Midnighters. including Alonzo Tucker & Billy Davis, who would work with Wilson several years later as a solo artist. Tucker and Wilson collaborated as songwriters on a few songs Wilson recorded.

Jackie was soon discovered by talent agent Johnny Otis, who assigned him to join a group called the Thrillers. That group would later be known as the Royals (who would later evolve into R&B group, the Midnighters, but Wilson wasn't part of the group when it changed its name and signed with King Records). LaVern Baker, Little Willie John, Johnnie Ray and Della Reese were acts managed by Al Green (not to be confused with R&B singer Al Green, nor Albert "Al" Green of the now defunct National Records). Al Green owned two music publishing companies, Pearl Music and Merrimac Music, and Detroit's Flame Show Bar where Wilson met Baker.

After recording his first version of "Danny Boy" and a few other tracks on Dizzy Gillespie's record label Dee Gee Records under the name Sonny Wilson (his nickname), Wilson was eventually hired by Billy Ward in 1953 to join a group Ward formed in 1950 called the Dominoes, after Wilson's successful audition to replace the immensely popular Clyde McPhatter, who left the Dominoes and formed his own group, the Drifters. Wilson almost blew his chance that day, showing up calling himself "Shit" Wilson and bragging about being a better singer than McPhatter.

Billy Ward felt a stage name would fit the Dominoes' image, hence Jackie Wilson. Prior to leaving the Dominoes, McPhatter coached Wilson on the sound Billy Ward wanted for his group, influencing Wilson's singing style and stage presence. "I learned a lot from Clyde, that high-pitched choke he used and other things...Clyde McPhatter was my man. Clyde and Billy Ward." Forties blues singer Roy Brown was also a major influence on him, and Wilson grew up listening to the Mills Brothers, the Ink Spots, Louis Jordan and Al Jolson.

Wilson was the group's lead singer for three years, but the Dominoes lost some of their stride with the departure of McPhatter. They were able to make appearances riding on the strength of the group's earlier hits, until 1956 when the Dominoes recorded Wilson with an unlikely interpretation of the pop hit "St. Therese of the Roses", giving the Dominoes another brief moment in the spotlight (Their only other post-McPhatter/Wilson successes were "Stardust", released July 15, 1957, and "Deep Purple", released October 7, 1957.) In 1957 Wilson set out to begin a solo career, leaving the Dominoes and collaborating with cousin Levi and got work at Detroit's Flame Show Bar. Later, Al Green worked out a deal with Decca Records, and Wilson was signed to their subsidiary label, Brunswick.

Solo stardom

Shortly after Wilson signed a solo contract with Brunswick, Green suddenly died. Green's business partner, Nat Tarnopol, took over as Wilson's manager (and later rose to president of Brunswick). Wilson's first single was released, "Reet Petite" from the album He's So Fine, which became a modest R&B success (and many years later, an international smash hit). The song was written by another former boxer, Berry Gordy Jr., who co-wrote it with partner Roquel "Billy" Davis (who also went by the pseudonym Tyran Carlo) and Gordy's sister Gwendolyn. The trio composed and produced six further singles for Wilson, which included "To Be Loved", "I'm Wanderin'", "We Have Love", "That's Why (I Love You So)", "I'll Be Satisfied" and his late-1958 signature song, "Lonely Teardrops", which peaked at No. 7 on the pop charts, No. 1 on the R&B charts in the U.S., and established him as an R&B superstar known for his extraordinary, operatic multi-octave vocal range. "Lonely Teardrops" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.

Due to his fervor when performing, with his dynamic dance moves, singing and impeccable dress, he was soon christened "Mr. Excitement", a title he would keep for the remainder of his career. His stagecraft in his live shows inspired James Brown, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, as well as a host of other artists that followed. Presley was so impressed with Wilson that he made it a point to meet him, and the two instantly became good friends. In a photo of the two posing together, Presley's caption in the autograph reads "You got you a friend for life." Wilson was sometimes called "The Black Elvis". Reportedly, when asked about this Presley said, "I guess that makes me the white Jackie Wilson." Wilson also said he was influenced by Presley too, saying "A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man's music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis."

Wilson's powerful, electrifying live performances rarely failed to bring audiences to a state of frenzy. His live performances consisted of knee-drops, splits, spins, back-flips, one-footed across-the-floor slides, removing his tie and jacket and throwing them off the stage, a lot of basic boxing steps (advance and retreat shuffling) and one of his favorite routines, getting some of the less attractive girls in the audience to come up and kiss him. "If I kiss the ugliest girl in the audience," Wilson often said, "they'll all think they can have me and keep coming back and buying my records." Having women come up to kiss him is one reason Wilson kept bottles of mouthwash in his dressing room. Another reason was probably his attempt to hide the alcohol on his breath.

Wilson was also a regular on TV, making regular appearances on such shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, American Bandstand, Shindig, Shivaree and Hullabaloo. His only movie appearance was in the forgettable rock and roll film "Go Johnny Go", where he performed his 1959 hit song "You Better Know It".

In 1958, Davis and Gordy left Wilson and Brunswick after royalty disputes escalated between them and Nat Tarnopol. Davis soon became a successful staff songwriter and producer for Chess Records, while Gordy borrowed $800 from his family and used money he earned from royalties writing for Wilson to start his own recording studio, Hitsville USA, the foundation of Motown Records in his native Detroit. Meanwhile, convinced that Wilson could venture out of R&B and rock and roll, Tarnopol had the singer record operatic ballads and easy listening material, pairing him with Decca Records' veteran arranger Dick Jacobs.

Wilson scored hits as he entered the 1960s with the No. 15 "Doggin' Around", the No. 1 pop ballad "Night", another million-seller, and "Baby Workout", another Top 10 hit (No. 5), which he composed with Midnighters member Alonzo Tucker. His songwriting alliance with Tucker also turned out other songs, including "No Pity (In The Naked City)" and "I'm So Lonely." Top 10 hits continued with "Alone At Last" (No. 8 in 1960) and "My Empty Arms" (No. 9 in 1961).

Also in 1961, Wilson recorded a tribute album to Al Jolson, Nowstalgia ... You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet, which included the only album liner notes he ever wrote: "... to the greatest entertainer of this or any other era ... I guess I have just about every recording he's ever made, and I rarely missed listening to him on the radio ... During the three years I've been making records, I've had the ambition to do an album of songs, which, to me, represent the great Jolson heritage ... This is simply my humble tribute to the one man I admire most in this business ... to keep the heritage of Jolson alive." The album was a commercial failure.

Following the success of "Baby Workout", Wilson experienced a lull in his career between 1964 and 1966 as Tarnopol and Brunswick Records released a succession of unsuccessful albums and singles. Despite the lack of sales success, he still made artistic gains as he recorded an album with Count Basie, as well as a series of duets with rhythm and blues legend Lavern Baker and gospel singer Linda Hopkins.

In 1966, he scored the first of two big comeback singles with established Chicago soul producer Carl Davis with "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher", a No. 6 Pop smash in 1967, which became one of his final pop hits. This was followed by "I Get the Sweetest Feeling", which, despite its modest initial chart success in the US (Billboard Pop #34), has since become one of his biggest international chart successes, becoming a Top 10 hit in the UK twice, in 1972 and in 1987, and a Top 20 hit in the Dutch Top 40, and has spawned numerous cover versions by other artists such as Edwin Starr, Will Young, Erma Franklin (Aretha's sister) and Liz McClarnon.

A key to his musical rebirth was that Davis insisted that Wilson no longer record with Brunswick's musicians in New York; instead, he would record with legendary Detroit musicians normally employed by Motown Records and also Davis' own Chicago-based session players. The Detroit musicians, known as the Funk Brothers, participated on Wilson's recordings due to their respect for Davis and Wilson.

By 1975, Wilson and the Chi-Lites were the only significant artists left on Brunswick's roster. Wilson had continued to record singles that found success on the R&B chart, but found no significant pop chart success. His final hit, "You Got Me Walkin'", written by Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites, was released in 1972 with the Chi-Lites backing him on vocals and instruments.

Personal life

Wilson's personal life was laced with tragedy. In 1960 in New Orleans, he was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer when fans tried to climb on stage. He assaulted a policeman who had shoved one of the fans. Wilson had a reputation for being short-tempered.

On February 15, 1961, in Manhattan, Wilson was injured in a shooting. It is said the real story behind this incident is that one of his girlfriends, Juanita Jones, shot and wounded him in a jealous rage when he returned to his Manhattan apartment with another woman, fashion model Harlean Harris, an ex-girlfriend of Sam Cooke's. Wilson's management supposedly concocted a story to protect Wilson's reputation; that Jones was an obsessed fan who had threatened to shoot herself, and that Wilson's intervention resulted in him being shot. Wilson was shot in the stomach: The bullet would result in the loss of a kidney, and lodged too close to his spine to be operated on. In early 1975, during an interview with author Arnold Shaw, Wilson maintained it actually was a zealous fan whom he did not know that shot him. "We also had some trouble in 1961. That was when some crazy chick took a shot at me and nearly put me away for good..." The story of the zealous fan was accepted, and no charges were brought against Jones. A month and a half later after the shooting incident, Jackie was discharged from the hospital.

At the time Jackie had declared annual earnings of $263,000, while the average salary a man earned then was just $5,000 a year. But he discovered that, despite being at the peak of success, he was broke. Around this time the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seized Jackie's Detroit family home. Tarnopol and his accountants were supposed to take care of such matters. Fortunately, Jackie made arrangements with the IRS to make restitution on the unpaid taxes; he also re-purchased the family home at auction. As far as money troubles went, this was not even the beginning for Wilson. Nat Tarnopol had taken advantage of Wilson's naïveté, mismanaging his money since becoming his manager. Tarnopol also had power-of-attorney over Wilson's finances, giving him complete control over Wilson's money. Unfortunately, Wilson was a rather trusting soul, trusting people he shouldn't have like Tarnopol and some of Wilson's other managers.

Tarnopol and 18 other Brunswick executives were indicted on federal charges of mail fraud and tax evasion stemming from bribery and payola scandals in 1975. Also in the indictment was the charge that Tarnopol owed at least $1 million in royalties to Wilson. In 1976 Tarnopol and the others were found guilty; an appeals court overturned their conviction 18 months later. Although the conviction was overturned, judges went into detail, outlining that Tarnopol and Brunswick Records did defraud their artists of royalties, and that they were satisfied that there was sufficient evidence for Wilson to file a lawsuit. However, a trial to sue Tarnopol for royalties never took place, as Wilson lay in a nursing home semi-comatose. Tarnopol never paid Wilson monies he had coming to him, and Wilson died riddled with debt to the IRS and Brunswick Records.

One of the highlights of the federal tax fraud trial of Tarnopol and several Brunswick executives came when Eugene Record of The Chi-Lites testified that he had been assaulted during a contract negotiation at Brunswick's New York office. Record stated that he asked Tarnopol for advanced money on a recording in 1972 when an associate of Tarnopol's, whom Record identified as Johnny Roberts, asked Tarnopol "should I twist his nose off?" Before any answer came, Record said Roberts "suddenly began to twist my nose, and when I pushed his arm away he punched me in the face, knocking my glasses off." A similar story concerns Wilson, who reportedly was hung out of Tarnopol's office window by his feet when Wilson asked about money, according to Chuck Barksdale of The Dells.

In March 1967, Wilson and friend/drummer Jimmy Smith were arrested in South Carolina on "morals charges"; the two were entertaining two 24-year-old white women in their motel room.

Freda Hood, Wilson's first wife, with whom he had four children, divorced him in 1965 after 14 years of marriage, frustrated with his notorious womanizing. Although the divorce was amicable, Freda would regret her decision. His 16-year-old son, Jackie Jr, was shot and killed on a neighbor's porch in 1970. The death of Jackie Jr. devastated Wilson. He sank into a period of depression, and for the next couple of years remained mostly a recluse.

More tragedy hit when two of Wilson's daughters died at a young age. His daughter Sandra died in 1977 at the age of 24 of an apparent heart attack. Jacqueline Wilson was killed in 1988 in a drug-related incident in Highland Park, Michigan. Wilson's second marriage was to model Harlean Harris in 1967 with whom he had three children, but they too separated in 1970. Wilson later met and lived with Lynn Guidry, a woman who would have two children with him. There was also a woman named Joyce McCrae, a fan who tried to take the role of Wilson's caregiver while he was in the nursing home. He was with Guidry, who was under the impression that she was his legal wife, until his heart attack in 1975. However, as he and Harris never officially divorced, Harris took the role of Wilson's caregiver for the singer's remaining nine years.

Wilson converted to Judaism as an adult.

Death

On September 29, 1975, Wilson was one of the featured acts in Dick Clark's Good Ol' Rock and Roll Revue, hosted by the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He was in the middle of singing "Lonely Teardrops" when he suffered a heart attack. When he collapsed on stage, audience members initially thought it was part of the act. Clark sensed something was wrong, then ordered the musicians to stop the music. Cornell Gunter of the Coasters, who was backstage, noticed Wilson was not breathing. Gunter was able to resuscitate him and Wilson was then rushed to a nearby hospital.

Medical personnel worked to stabilize his vital signs, but the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to slip into a coma. He briefly recovered in early 1976, and was even able to take a few wobbly steps but slipped back into a semi-comatose state. He was deemed conscious but incapacitated in early June 1976, unable to speak but aware of his surroundings. He was a resident of the Medford Leas Retirement Center in Medford, New Jersey, when he was admitted into Memorial Hospital of Burlington County in Mount Holly, New Jersey, due to having trouble taking nourishment, according to Wilson's attorney John Mulkerin.

Jackie Wilson died on January 21, 1984, at age 49 from complications of pneumonia. He was initially buried in an unmarked grave at Westlawn Cemetery near Detroit. In 1987, a fundraiser by a Detroit radio station collected enough money to purchase a headstone.

Tributes and legacy

On August 17, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio, Jackie Wilson was inducted into the Official R&B Music Hall of Fame.

In 1985, the Commodores recorded "Nightshift" in memory of Wilson and soul singer Marvin Gaye, who had both died in 1984. Reaching No. 1 R&B and No. 3 pop in the U.S., and topping the Dutch singles chart, it was the group's biggest hit after the departure of Lionel Richie.

Van Morrison recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 album Saint Dominic's Preview. This was later covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners. When the track was performed on the British TV show Top of the Pops, a picture of darts player Jocky Wilson was used instead. This has often been speculated to be a mistake but Dexy's frontman Kevin Rowland stated that it was a deliberate joke by the band.

Michael Jackson honored Jackie Wilson at the 1984 Grammy Awards. Jackson dedicated his Album of the Year Grammy for Thriller to Wilson, saying, "In the entertainment business, there are leaders and there are followers. And I just want to say that I think Jackie Wilson was a wonderful entertainer...Jackie, where you are I want to say I love you and thank you so much."

Until Jackson's comments, Wilson's recording legacy had been dormant for almost a decade. Tarnopol owned Wilson's recordings due to Brunswick's separation from MCA, but the label had closed down, essentially deleting Wilson's considerable recorded legacy. When Jackson praised Wilson at the Grammys, interest in the legendary singer stirred, and Tarnopol released the first Wilson album (a two-record compilation) in almost nine years through Epic Records, Jackson's label at the time. Through Tarnopol's son, Wilson's music has become more available.

In the VH-1 5-part television special, Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America, fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Smokey Robinson and Bobby Womack both paid tribute to Wilson. Smokey explained that "Jackie Wilson was the most dynamic singer and performer that I think I've ever seen. Bobby added "He was the real Elvis Presley, as far as I'm concerned...and Elvis took a lot from him too."

In his autobiography To Be Loved (named for one of the hit tunes he wrote for Wilson) Motown founder Berry Gordy stated that Wilson was "The greatest singer I've ever heard. The epitome of natural greatness. Unfortunately for some, he set the standard I'd be looking for in singers forever".

Wilson is mentioned in the song "Gone But Not Forgotten" sung by artist TQ, which is a song dedicated to the memory of famous musicians who have died. The lyric goes "..and Jackie, will you teach me how to glide across the stage?"

Wilson is mentioned in the rap song "Thugz Mansion" by 2Pac. The lyric is:

Wilson scored a posthumous hit when "Reet Petite" reached number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1986. This success was likely due in part to a new animated video made for the song, featuring a clay model of Wilson, that became popular on television. The following year he hit the UK charts again with "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" (No. 3), and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (No. 15).

Rita Coolidge covered "Higher and Higher" in 1977; her version reached No. 2 on the US pop charts, earning a gold record.

In 1999, Wilson's original version of "Higher and Higher" and "Lonely Teardrops" were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame; both are on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; that same year, he was portrayed in the Ritchie Valens biopic La Bamba by Howard Huntsberry.

Wilson is referenced in the 1986 song "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." by John Mellencamp.

Wilson and "Lonely Teardrops" are referenced in the 1993 song "Jupiter and Teardrop" by Grant Lee Buffalo on their debut album Fuzzy.

In 1988, his version of "To Be Loved" was featured in the film Coming to America, when Akeem and Lisa were falling in love. Akeem (Eddie Murphy) later came back home singing the song loudly, waking up and infuriating his neighbors.

In 1989, "Higher and Higher" was featured in the film Ghostbusters II, the soundtrack album of which featured a cover version of the song by Howard Huntsberry. "Higher and higher" was also featured in Eddie Murphy's 2007 movie "Norbit."

"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" was also featured in the 2000 Disney film "Disney's The Kid".

In 1992, Wilson was portrayed in the ABC miniseries by Grady Harrell in The Jacksons: An American Dream.

In 1994, Monkee Peter Tork recorded a bluegrass-rock cover of "Higher and Higher" on his first solo album Stranger Things Have Happened. Tork regularly performs the song in concert.

In 2007, Wilson's music was featured in a film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's book Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.

In September 2010, Wilson's song "That's Why (I Love You So)" appeared on Dick Clark's Dick Clark's Rock, Roll and Remember.

On November 18, 2011, the Black Ensemble Theater of Chicago produced a musical about Wilson's life.

In 2014, artist Hozier released a song titled "Jackie and Wilson", a play on Wilson's name. The song includes the lyrics "We'll name our children Jackie and Wilson and raise them on rhythm and blues."

The Jackie Wilson Hologram Tour 2017 announced by Hologram USA on Billboard:

"Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, It had me shook, sippin' peppermint schnapps With Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke."

The singer behind ‘Higher and Higher’ and other hits joins the growing Hologram USA roster.

Add another name to the growing list of artist recreations by Hologram USA: Jackie Wilson. The R&B legend will star in a full stage show with a tour launching in 2017, co-produced by FilmOn TV Networks and distributed online by FilmOn.com. Nicknamed Mr. Excitement, Wilson was a dynamic entertainer whose mesmerizing dance moves and pioneering crossover success influenced a host of future stars including Michael Jackson. In fact, after Thriller won the Grammy for album of the year in 1984, Jackson dedicated his award to Wilson.

Between 1958 and 1970, Wilson charted 16 top 10 R&B hits and six top 10 pop hits. He topped the R&B singles chart six times, starting with 1958's "Lonely Teardrops" (No. 7 on pop). The Detroit native's additional No. 1's included "You Better Know It," "Doggin’ Around," "A Woman, a Lover, a Friend," "Baby Workout" and radio perennial "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher." Wilson, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, slipped into a coma after collapsing onstage in 1975. He died in 1984.

In a statement announcing Hologram USA's latest artist recreation, CEO Alki David said, "Everything you expect from an exciting ‘rock star’ stage show was invented by Jackie Wilson: the leaps, spins and back-flips, not to mention his amazing four-octave range." David's partners in mounting the new show are Plateau Music Nashville CEO Tony Mantor, who is the Artist Manager for Bobby Brooks Wilson (son of Jackie) and the Heirs of Jackie Wilson.

A ceremony was held on Saturday, August 20, 2016 at WHPR TV & Radio. At the ceremony, Cottage Grove Street officially became Jackie Wilson Lane.

Wikipedia

[dweemeister]

Down Argentine Way (1940)

In 1940, the United States had not yet entered the Second World War. Despite having zero troops fighting in the European, North African, and Asia-Pacific theaters, the American government was nevertheless preparing for the contingency of war. Since the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s State Department pushed forth its “Good Neighbor Policy” to Hollywood executives, intended to foster U.S.-Latin American relations through various means. With the Axis on the march and making overtures to still-neutral nations, the State Department asked for Hollywood’s assistance, to make films showing Latin American in a positive light while not exactly leaning too heavily on propaganda. Hollywood obliged. One of the first movies crafted in this State Department-mandated spirit was Irving Cummings’ Down Argentine Way, released by 20th Century Fox. In addition to fulfilling these governmental requests, the film also served as the breakout movie for Fox contractee Betty Grable, as well as introducing Americans to Carmen Miranda.

Despite Argentina being reference in the title, it seems Down Argentine Way is confused about what Latin American nation(s) it is representing. At a New York show jumping event, Glenda Crawford (Grable) meets Argentinian horse breeder, Ricardo Quintana (Don Ameche). Despite Glenda ostensibly approaching Ricardo to purchase his prize show jumping horse, Carmelita, the two strike up an immediate romantic interest and decide to have dinner after conversing for about two minutes. At dinner, Ricardo learns that Glenda is the niece of his father’s (Henry Stephenson) longtime rival – the story behind their elder Crawford-Quintana animosity is pure contrivance – and, by his father, Don Diego Quintana’s, instructions, Ricardo refuses to sell the horse and departs immediately for home. Justifiably perplexed by Ricardo’s sudden temperamental change, Glenda decides to do what anyone would: convincing her aunt Binnie (Charlotte Greenwood) to accompany her down to Argentina to demand a straight answer from Ricardo. When Ricardo meets Glenda again over another dinner (complete with Carmen Miranda song-and-dance numbers), he explains the situation and the two reclaim and rekindle their quickfire love – to Don Diego’s horror.

Among the actors playing bit roles are J. Carrol Naish (who so often played characters of varying races and ethnicities he was nicknamed, “Hollywood’s one-man U.N.”) as ranch hand Casiano, Kay Aldridge, Leonid Kinskey, and Chris-Pin Martin (a Mexican-American actor and the only credited actor of Latin American descent in this movie other than Miranda) as Esteban. The Nicholas Brothers have a cameo that contains one of the great on-screen performances, but more on that later.

20th Century Fox musicals crafted within the Golden Age of Hollywood’s Studio System are anything but cerebral. If one is watching these films for intricate plots, dramatic statements, and philosophical themes, you may want to retool your approach to these works. Fox’s musicals are splashy, dripping with Technicolor, and never pretend to be something more than what they actually are. This remarkable energy begins with one of the top-billed actors/ Fox’s Darryl F. Zanuck intended Down Argentine Way as a vehicle for Fox’s two primary musical stars at that time – Don Ameche and Alice Faye. Betty Grable was Faye’s substitution when the latter fell ill. Despite both women being roughly the same age and having camera-friendly blonde locks, Grable’s higher, less husky voice lends the film a more youthful dynamism that Faye – a contralto who was a striking presence in her own distinctive way – cannot. Her chemistry with Ameche feels more akin to screwball comedy, the likes of which would inspire (and eventually eclipsed by) Marilyn Monroe. The Goldwyn Girl alumnus might not have been making her film debut, but this was certainly her coming-out extravaganza (she became a pin-up favorite for American soldiers in WWII), despite a chaotic screenplay and questionable acting from her own performance and of those surrounding her.

Fox’s executives must have realized that Carmen Miranda is a strange fit for a film set in Argentina and partly about a horse ranching family. Miranda’s jewelry-bedecked outfit and exposed midriff (the outfit, a baiana, is an embellishment on the clothes of African-Brazilians living in Bahia) makes her a flashy, exotified novelty in a movie attempting a half-baked narrative between Grable and Ameche. Down Argentine Way presents Miranda and her musical numbers (influenced by Brazilian and Cuban music) as a representation of South America, at large – someone did not complete any detailed research on the vast cultural differences between Argentina and Brazil. Unfortunately, this was the beginning of Miranda’s typecasting at Fox. Though she would garner supporting roles that gave her dialogue and subplots, Fox would make her costumes even more ostentatious than before, serving to further frame her as foreign, lusty, tropically exotic.

Other insensitivities of Latin Americans are sprinkled across the film’s runtime: laziness (how many siestas can Chris-Pin Martin take?), tomfoolery, freeloading, deceitful, longstanding Mexican stereotypes (see: the fiesta scene) carrying over to this film’s setting, and speaking the typical broken or heavy-accented English that Hollywood still associates with those having Latin American roots. American audiences might have enjoyed these Good Neighbor Policy-inspired movies, but Latin American governments took exception. The difference between American and Argentinian reactions could not be more stark. American moviegoers made Down Argentine Way Fox’s highest-grossing musical of 1940. Meanwhile, Argentina’s government, following an official screening of the film, refused to allow Down Argentine Way’s distribution to move forward in the titular nation. Viewers across Latin America would find the depiction of Argentina in Down Argentine Way as an incomprehensible mélange of Latin American influences,  without any care or understanding of the cultural nuances within and between Latin American nations (and primarily Argentina).

Even as Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz headlined an incredible 1939 for Hollywood, color films remained expensive endeavors for the major studios. From the cinematography by Ray Rennahan (1941’s Blood and Sand, 1953’s Arrowhead) and Leon Shamroy (1953’s The Robe, 1963’s Cleopatra); the art direction by Richard Day (1931’s Arrowsmith, 1951’s A Streetcar Named Desire) and Joseph C. Wright (1928’s The Man Who Laughs, 1953’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes); and the costumes by Travis Banton (1932’s Shanghai Express, 1945’s Scarlet Street) make full use of Down Argentine Way’s Technicolor – which seems to leap from the viewer’s screen. A legitimate copy or print of Down Argentine Way is the best way to experience this and, even then, the current available official prints of this film could use a restoration to further accentuate the glitzy colors that these craftsmen intended.

The Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold, reprise the song in the film’s second half. In the late 1920s and early ‘30s (the height of swing jazz in America), the Nicholas were a headliner act at the Cotton Club in Harlem. There, they innovated their dancing style – a hybrid of ballet and tap that some call “acrobatic dancing” – and brought that to the masses through cinema. Despite their limited number of appearances in the movies due to the institutional racism of Hollywood casting, the Nicholas Brothers, years after the pinnacle of their talents, continue to grow their reputation as among the greatest dancers ever to grace American cinema. Their athletic routine for “Down Argentine Way” encapsulates the dancing expertise they brought to the screen – quick reactions, nifty footwork, and those splits. How can one not be in awe of their mastery?  

Carmen Miranda’s three songs – one at the film’s opening, the other two when Grable and Ameche’s character reunite in Argentina over dinner – are mostly in Portuguese. Only the opening song, “South American Way” has any English, but this is brief. Treat “South American Way” as a brief, one-minute appetizer that follows the opening credits. The two dinner-and-a-show samba songs once Grable touches down in Argentina are “Bambú, Bambú” (traditional music with lyrics by Almirante and Valdo de Abreu) “Mamãe Yo Quero” (music by Jararaca and Vicente Paiva, lyrics by Al Stillman). These numbers are nothing more than exotified showcases for Miranda’s theatrical instincts and singing ability – but what instincts, what ability she demonstrates.

Inconsequential though it seems to modern eyes, Down Argentine Way heralded the changing currents flowing through Hollywood’s relationship with Latin America as well as within 20th Century Fox itself. Down Argentine Way, however entertaining, is a clumsy attempt at placating the United States’ hemispheric neighbors in service of diplomatic goals. Though received poorly in South America, the adulation for this film in the United States prompted a half-decade wave of Good Neighbor Policy movies – most notably Disney’s Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944). American filmmakers would mostly retreat to well-worn stereotypes over the next several years, solidifying cultural misconceptions of Latin America that have endured into this century. In Hollywood, the studios perfected their movie musical formulas over more than a decade following the silent era. With Down Argentine Way’s release, Betty Grable and Carmen Miranda became icons in America. But only Grable avoided being typecast; Miranda would be subject to the racial prejudice baked into Studio System at the time, never to fully escape it.

My rating: 6/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.