#between wedding plans and moving again and screenwriting

[babbushka]

,

[phoenix43song]

My Reviews and Thoughts on Little Women and the Many Adaptations

To start off I have been reading the Little Women series since I was 8 I think, and I’ve been watching the 1994 version since I was 6. It wasn’t until recently that I finally watched the 1949 and the modern 2018 adaptations ( I watched the  BBC/PBS mini series last year, and I do re-watch it every now and then). I still have to watch the 1933 version, which I plan to do when I find the time. I have also been re-reading the books because I am excited for Greta Gerwig’s adaptation even though I am not a fan of some of the stuff she’s been saying about a couple of the characters (but some of my fears have been relieved! Yeah!). In this long post I will post my thoughts on the novel(s) themselves, Louisa, and the adaptations that I have seen. 

I will start with the one I am very familiar with: the 1994 version! I have loved this movie since the first time I watched it. It’s a tradition to watch it multiple of times around the Christmas season with my mom, and every now and then I will watch it whenever I feel like it. Since I graduated as a theatre and film student watching films and analyzing characters, their world, decisions, the themes and motifs have been really eye opening. I’ve been devouring books since I was a kid, trying to write my own novels, and I’ve made a couple of short films. When it comes to adapting a screenplay from a book there are a lot of decisions to be made: what to keep, what to cut, what to condense, does the order of things need to be changed, and what original creative content can we put in? 1994 is a really, really good adaptation of the novel, with some minor flaws, a questionable original content decision, and how the screenwriter and director put Louisa into Jo. The cinematography and music is gorgeous, the house looks lived in, and the whole atmosphere screams late American 19h century. 

The acting, for the most part, is right on character and Winona did such a great job as Jo! Trini did wonderful a Meg and I liked how we got more of Meg because she’s important too. Claire Danes was a fabulous Beth (though she looks older than 14; I always thought she was 16 or 17...), while Kirsten did a fun, spoiled Amy...but she did ham it up a bit too much at times. Samantha...I did not like one bit as older Amy. Laurie was great in the first 2/3 of the movie but once he hit Europe I didn’t like how they [tried] to develop his character. His romance with Amy fell flat, which I was sad to see. Gabriel was a really good Fritz...I just didn’t like how they made them date while Jo was in New York. I understand it because the proposal at the end of the movie makes it really romantic, but the whole purpose of Jo/Fritz and Jo falling in love was that she was blind to it: she falling in love with a man. They start off as boarding house neighbors, then student/teacher, which quickly turns into friendship of equals, and it’s not until Jo is at home missing Fritz that she begins to realize her feelings. And when Fritz comes to court Jo she blushes! Despite this I’m a sucker for romance and still love Jo/Fritz despite my feelings on the adaptation choices. Marmee and Aunt March were on point and I loved how the actresses were their characters. 

Now moving onto the 2017 mini series. I like this adaptation, and have watched it a few times, but there are things that just bug me and drive me crazy, and moments that I love. This is the only adaptation that does not have have Jo’s plays or the Pickwick society. I hate this and it was a poor adaptation choice in my opinion. This series really should have been at least 6 episodes and not the measly 3 that it was. Despite this the series did include moments from the book that either haven’t been adapted before, or it was just mentioned. I love how we see Beth get the courage to go to Mr. Lawerence to play the piano and their relationship. They really should have gotten a young Amy and an older looking Beth: the girls look the same age from episode 1 to 3, which especially doesn’t work for Amy. Maya did a good Jo and it’s actually impressive for her first screen role, but she did lack some of Jo’s qualities (she is way better as Robin in Stranger Things). Emily did a good job as Marmee. Anne was another really great Beth, and I have to say her freckles seem to give the character substance. Kate’s Amy was good but like Elizabeth Taylor in the 1949 version, she was not believable as young Amy. (I’ve heard Florence Pugh is amazing and a scene stealer but even if she can act like young Amy (and based on the clips she can), her womanly body will not let her be believable).

I like how Beth’s kittens made a lot of screen time (I love kittens!) and how they did the Hummel’s house: it was just like how the book described it. All of those little children did a great job at looking hungry, cold, and scared. Makes me wonder about Mrs. Hummel’s husband (I need to find that part and re-read it). I loved how the included Camp Laurie, Cousin Flo, and Laurie trying to kiss Jo. The wedding between Meg and John Brooke was sweet, esp Aunt March giving her the pearls. I crack each time I see Aunt March’s parrot (was that in the book? Man I haven’t gotten far into my re-reading of the whole book; it’s been awhile), and how we got to see how close Jo and Beth are. They tried their best in portraying Amy/Laurie, and Mark Stanley as Fritz: he was Fritz from the book! (He looks a lot younger without that bushy beard though; that’s the one thing about Fritz I can’t stand haha). It’s too bad that Jo/Fritz was so rushed in episode 3: their relationship and Fritz was barely developed. (Though they did include a lot from the book like the Weekly Volcano and Jo’s poem that brought Fritz to her). Laurie in general was not Laurie; maybe in the Laurie who wants to play all the time but that’s it. Not Laurie. 

Now onto the 1949 version. I fell in love with this adaptation, flaws and all. It was very charming, had some great acting, however a lot happened off screen, some characters/moments were rushed, and I can’t believe June was 31 years old! And that Elizabeth Taylor was pregnant. It doesn’t bother me that they made Beth the youngest because Margaret did such a fabulous job as Beth. I loved all other scenes, her relationship with Jo and Mr. Lawerence in particular. This is the only version I’ve seen where the sisters buy Marmee gifts with their 1 dollar bill, and I liked how it was  a surprise and quite moment. The actress who played Marmee was amazing and Aunt March cracked me up. I didn’t care for Laurie in this version either. And like I said with the 2017 mini series: they really needed to have an actress play young Amy. Elizabeth did a really good job, don’t get me wrong, but she definitely seemed way older. The hot Italian actor as Fritz was sure an interesting choice. I wish they would’ve just made Fritz Italian and just changed his name slightly (I believe Greta made Fritz French in her version since Louis Garrel is French), and I also wish he could’ve been in the movie more! Since he was close in age to June I just wanted to see them on screen more. Yes he doesn’t look one bit like Fritz in the book, and call me shallow, but I honestly don’t care in this version. Back then - and sadly to this day - Hollywood cares about looks. That’s why I love Mark Stanly as Fritz in the 2017 because he physically is Fritz. But still...anyways I am going slightly off topic. 

So. The 2018 modern adaptation. This should have either been a Hallmark movie or a Netflix movie. This movie should have never been released theatrically and that’s why it bombed horrible. I mean it bombed horribly in a lot of aspects and areas, but it does have some great scenes! It’s all in the detail. They have their castle’s in the sky for one. All of Jo’s plays and the Pickwick society and how it changed to be of a platoon. I just love the attic scenes in this movie. I also love how Jo is writing fantasy stories and a fantasy novel and it’s sad that she can’t be taken seriously because there are great fantasy novelists! Tolkien, JK Rowling, G RR Martin for example. That really bothered me. I do like how Fritz is an actual professor at a university and becomes Jo’s editor and mentor, how that develops into friendship, but to me the romance aspect of their relationship falls flat somewhat. I like how they had a younger Amy and an older Amy, but I honestly got confused at first because there were younger versions of all the sisters (and it’s unbelievable that three of them would look the same with the 13 year gap). This version did a flashback style so it will be interesting to see how Greta did hers. The editing for this movie was all over the place and chaotic. I didn’t like Lucas as Laurie one bit, I get how they would go to parties but I hated those scenes (it was a good wake up call for Meg though). Beth fell short in this movie and so did Amy to an extent. You don’t really get to know John Brooke, or even their Marmee all that much. And really, Marmee? In a modern adaptation they should’ve just stuck with Mom. I did like how Jo buzzed her hair off in support of Beth (there is a good graphic novel that came out recently that’s set in the modern world and there are few similar choices. There’s also a book called Meg and Jo - Amy and Beth will come out later next year - that makes some interesting choices to say the least when adapting the novel into modern times. Anyways...), and how they had their father over seas in the army. I honestly need to watch this movie again to really critique it, but I honestly think it could’ve been a great movie...the script needed more rewrites, it needed a director who knew what they were doing, a better editor, and honestly some better actors. The potential was there, it has it moments, but it fell. 

To conclude this rather blog like post (and kudos to all who have read the whole thing) I will take just a little bit on my views on Louisa herself and Greta’s version. Louisa didn’t want to write a book for children, and when she did she wrote a semi-autobiographical novel that she leaves on a cliff hanger. In my mind she meant to continue the story, but she wanted to see what the reader’s thought. She did put the story out of her mind for awhile, until the book had to go into reprints and she got hounded with fan mail and fans in general. Yes she didn’t want Jo to marry because she herself never did (from what I’ve read she did have one sided crushes and probably a few second romances that didn’t last long, but she also never saw herself as desirable; she comes across to be as maybe being aromatic asexual, demisexual, or bi). She was a bit of Germanophile, along with Europe in general, and that’s why from the first few pages of LW there’s German everywhere. Which this means that Friedrich Bhaer was probably planned in one way or another. Louisa never wanted Jo to be with Laurie because they were close like siblings and loved each other that way. Laurie thought himself in love with Jo, but Jo does bring up good points: they would quarrel and end up being unhappy because he honestly didn’t like her scribbling. Amy makes Laurie grow up and those two match each other perfectly. Fritz is a perfect match for Jo because he treats her like an equal, he helps with her writing, and she gets to be apart of a society she loves. 

I have been relieved from my fears (for the most part) about how Fritz will be portrayed and the Jo/Fritz romance. We do meet him right away since we start in the present before going back and forth between past and present until the timelines match up. Greta is the only person to adapt the New Year’s Dance, which I am really excited to see. I haven’t been told if Fritz’s nephews are mentioned or seen. I know he gives her advice, but not if he teaches her his language (which I assume to be French in this version), that they do get into a fight, and that he comes to court her at her house. I was worried the umbrella proposal scene was going to be changed, but I’ve been told it’s in and it’s romantic. And then there’s Amy/Laurie! I am so glad that this relationship seems to be fully developed. I can’t wait to see everyone as their character and how Greta did the back and forth. 

I am worried though about a few things: how if one isn’t familiar with the story they get confused at first with the back and forth, some of the costume choices, the acting in certain scenes, some scenes or moment being cut or condensed for time because this is a movie not a mini series, and I just wish that Fritz - Louis - could’ve been in the trailers more with more promotion. I understand why...at least Louis understands his character. Greta mentioned something that Fritz basically had to be a prize to be won and oh boy: no one is a prize to be won. And putting a lot of Louisa into Jo...I’m worried about that. Sure the 1994 version had  a Louisa quote that Jo’s says about voting, but this seems like it might be too hammered in. I guess once I see the film I will finally know (and write my review and thoughts), because I can read all the critic reviews, interviews, Q and A’s I want but it’s up to me on whether or not I’ll like it or love, and I sure hope I’ll love it. 

The is the end. Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts. 

[thebeethathums]

An Adventure - 16

Pairing: Bilbo Baggins x Reader

A/N: Idk what happened with this chapter... a lot of running I guess. I relied heavily on movie dialogue for this too so credit to the screenwriters of the Hobbit where it is due.

I don’t belong.

That was all Bilbo could think as he lay on the floor of the cave. The only thing keeping him here was you and you didn’t need him, it seemed so plainly obvious to him it was painful. It couldn’t have been further from the truth, Bilbo kept you from your own demons in a way that no one else could, but he didn’t see that so he’d made a decision. This was the end of the road for him, he wasn’t going to be a burden on any of you anymore and he wasn’t cut out for the life of adventure- he was going back to Rivendell.

He waited for everyone to be asleep and then packed his things, pausing before walking out to look to you. You, Fili, and Kili had ended up in what could only be described as a pile with Kili’s head on your stomach and your legs across Fili’s chest. Fili was pulling Kili’s hair in his sleep and you had one hand thrown across Fili’s nose and mouth and the other shoving Kili’s face away as it shifted towards the dangerous territory of your chest. Even with what he was planning, Bilbo couldn’t help but give a soft chuckle at the three of you, messing with each other even in your sleep.

He turned away to weave his way out of the cave, reaching the entrance only to be stopped by Bofur, “Where do you think you're going?”

He turned to face the dwarf, “Back to Rivendell.”

“No. No. You can't turn back now. You're part of the company. You're one of us.” Bofur insisted, a trace of panic seeping into his voice.

Bilbo’s look was that of entirely defeated disbelief, “I'm not now, am I? Thorin said I should have never have come and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins. I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door.”

The dwarf looked sympathetic as he soothed, “You're homesick. I understand.”

“No you don't. You don't understand. None of you do. You're Dwarves. Even (F/n) doesn’t. She can’t. You're used to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!” Bilbo quietly snapped, losing himself as all his doubts and pains welled up in his chest. Bofur's expression immediately fell and the hobbit froze, realizing he’d gone too far, “I'm sorry, I didn't...“

The dwarf looked almost forlornly over his companions, stating flatly, “No you're right. We don't belong anywhere,” before turning back to Bilbo, surprisingly amicable as he let him go, “I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do.”

Bilbo moved to leave but Bofur stopped him, nodding to the slight blue glow coming from his short sword, “What’s tha’?”

Gandalf’s words ran through his head, ‘It will glow blue when orcs and goblins are nearby.’ No sooner had the thought passed, the floor gave out beneath them, sending the entire company barreling deep down into the mountain and dumping them into a pile on a rickety looking walkway.

You were immediately swarmed by goblins, shoving as many as you could off the nearby ledge in an attempt to get free, or at least not have the foul things touch you, but its effectiveness was limited as you were dragged off kicking and throwing punches.

The Goblin King was, in a word, revolting.

Fili and Kili tucked you behind them like the protective older brothers you'd come to think of them as, effectively keeping you out of sight as you were shorter and smaller than them. Your brain raced as you tried to think of a way out of this really terrible situation and you called out to Gandalf with your mind even though the link between the two of you rarely worked when it was you calling to him- you just didn’t have the power for that.

Your hair was suddenly around your shoulders when his lackeys were ordered to search you, one of the goblins ripping the clip Elrond had gifted you from where it was keeping up your usual ear-covering bun. Shoving your hair away from your face as your clip was tossed in the pile, the Goblin King demanded the dwarves speak their intentions and you were glad that your friends seemed to have their wits about them as they kept Thorin concealed. After a couple of attempts, you could see the Goblin King wasn’t buying their chatter and made a quick decision, grabbing Kili’s arm to heft him to the front, “I will give you the truth, your highness. My kin and I are traveling to Dunland to meet with the parents of my intended after having garnered the approval of my father in Rivendell. The silverware was a wedding present from him.”

“A wedding present from your elf father, you say?” the Goblin King thrummed, leaning in unpleasantly close as you tucked your hair behind your ear to make its point clearly visible and then pressed yourself against Kili’s chest. He caught your intentions, wrapping his arms tightly around you like a lover as he added to your lie, “Yes. We are to be wed in less than a fortnight… that is if you can set us back on the correct path to Dunland and my parents.”

The Goblin King scrutinized the two of you for a moment before barking out a laugh, “Oh how precious. Lovers lost on the road,” and before Kili could do anything he had grabbed you and lifted you to dangle in his face by one arm. You mentally sighed, thinking about how ending up dangling in front of some nasty was beginning to be a theme in your life, as the Goblin King sneered at Kili, “A pretty little thing you have here, such a shame you can’t protect her.”

Kili moved to spring forward just as your cuff came loose and off, letting you slip from the giant goblin’s hand and to the floor as he yelled, “Lies of Spies! Very well. If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the girl! Make her intended hurl!”

The goblins sprang forward to do his bidding as you scrambled up and Kili tucked you close to him, backing towards the rest of the company. Thorin tried to put an end to the whole thing, stepping forward to reveal himself while you attempted to keep calm, tucking your hands in the folds of your clothes so you couldn’t touch anything or anyone- a precaution that mattered little when the goblins discovered Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver, and basically began to tear your party apart. You tried desperately to block out the glimpses of things you got from everything your fingers brushed against with little success when a flash of white light filled the cavern.

You’d never been more relieved to see Gandalf, grabbing your short swords from the pile when he demanded for the company to fight. He didn’t have to tell you twice and if your hands were filled with weapons, your weapons, you could focus. You followed when he called, running after him and the dwarves without a single question as to where in mind.

Fighting on the run left your thoughts a blur as you tried to stave off the relentless waves of goblins coming at you from every side. At one point, you launched yourself off Thorin's shoulder to an upper level to deal with some archers before dropping back down next to Gandalf, slicing the head off an oncoming goblin as you did so. You exchanged quick grins before throwing yourselves back into the fray and on forward towards where ever Gandalf was leading you to. You ducked and dodged goblins, slashing, kicking, and shoving with more fervor than ever before- being quick and light on your feet was a major asset at this moment. When the group stopped, you tried to recoup but quickly found yourself cornered and then falling along with the rest of your party, holding on for dear life yet again before running for the light of day.

[rottenheartedchild]

Bayo OC Rewrite - Ivan

The top drawing is his ancient Master Assassin uniform while the bottom is his Game 1 look. Ivan is seriously one of the hardest oc to rewrite considering he has a fuckton of flaws in his earlier design. Anywho, big thanks to @umbran-mechs , @tradramblings , @namichma and everyone for helping me out with his bio)

  Name: Ivan Petrovich

Nicknames: Yanko, Vanya, Asshole, Ameli(by Salwa), Reynard, Memester, Uncle Anya.

Age: physically 46, implied immortal

Gender: cisgender

Sexuality: pansexual demiromantic    

Pronouns: he

 Back-story: All his life Ivan had lived in Vigrid with only his mother, Thalia, the Master of the Umbran Assassins and Fernanda, the family’s matriarch. As a child he would often ask about his absent father, only for his mother to react badly to his questions. Soon he learned to never question his mother when it came to his father, for she would respond in a cold, violent manner and shout at him that he was a traitor, a murderer, a cannibal. The frightened child ended up believing her farce naively and ceased his questions concerning about his father. Fernanda was genuinely appalled by how Thalia had raised her son and threatened to strip away her title should she ever overstep her place again.

Through the public’s eyes, his mother was the epitome of maternal love, protective and gentle but Ivan knew better who she truly was. Behind closed doors, she was a cold-hearted monster with acid for blood and iron for bones. Thalia was a maestro of lies and she managed to fool everyone, even the Clan Elders, with the farce of a loving and gentle mother. In private, she secretly trained her only son with the harshest training imaginable and spared him no mercy as Thalia criticized every mistakes made during his training.It worsen as she forced Ivan to pretend as the proud perfect child in the public eye to maintain the facade of a flawless family. There are times where Ivan envied other children whose family were tender and supportive with each other and he would fantasized of the life he always dream of: a loving father who would take him to the fields to play and a mother that would comfort him with hugs and kisses. Alas, it was nothing more than a dream and he had to face the harsh reality he lived in.

Years have passed, Ivan became the perfect killing machine, devoid of emotions as he dutifully carried out tasks with hairsplitting precision and steadfast concentration. He also began to grow weary of his mother’s nonsensical falsity, finding it laughable how he had foolishly believed her words. Soon he began to rebel against his mother, disobeying her orders and such out of sheer spite as he spat on her teaching by covertly training under the witches who taught him various fighting styles, to increase his chance on overthrowing his tyrant of a mother. When Ivan felt prepared, he decided to face Thalia for the title of Master Assassin and placed a wager; if he won he’ll demote her and took the mantle but should he lose, he will resumed his role as her pawn and let go of his freedom. Thalia reluctantly accepted her son’s challenge and under the watchful eyes of the Umbran elders, they began their battle.

The battle went on for days as both parties refused to back down from it. Though Thalia may seem to outclass her son, Ivan turned the tide by countering all of her moves with her own teaching. Adding insult to her wounded pride, Ivan managed to beat her using what he learned from his masters. The match was over and Ivan was declared a winner by the Elders, much to Thalia’s dismay. His first task as the Master of Umbran Assassin was to dismantle his mother’s tyrannical doctrine and replaced them with a much more constructive method, improving the proficiency of the Umbran Assassins in and out of the battlefield. With the help of his childhood friend, Samson, a blacksmith witch from Vigrid, the morale in his pack progressed quite considerably and he was well-respected by his students for it.

Throughout his life, Ivan formed many relationships, ranging from the playful Lumen Sage Ariel, to the snarky Umbra witch Samson, to the lovable Helen, who was also Ivan’s niece. But Ivan’s most memorable relationship was that of his wife, Salwa, another Witch hailing from Maghreb. Despite Salwa’s somber childhood, she remained kind-hearted and lively, which drew Ivan closer to her. The two eventually wed, settling on a simple ceremony with only their loved ones close by. Shortly after, their son Tuncay was born, and the parents planned to give him a better life than they had, unaware how the events of the future would really unfold.

It happened so suddenly, the first of many tragedies, when his first son died in Inferno due to a failed pact. It struck them like a knife in the shadows and with nothing to bury the fallen witch with, Ivan mourned for days until there were no tears left in his bloodshot eyes. Once in a while, Ivan would remembered that headstrong child who died in vain over a failed contract and broke down behind doors. It wasn’t until the arrival of the newest student, Gretchen, whose pestering demeanor reminded him of Tuncay bought back a bit of spark in his life. The tension between Clans were nail-biting and Ivan was terribly affected by the events as he pushed his disciples to their limits in order to increase their chance of survival, with his most problematic student forced the hardest. All of his worst fears became a reality as the Clan Wars erupted, forcing the assassin to fight back against their former allies. Despite the heat of the battle, he could clearly listened the wails and cries of fallen souls and one of them made his heart dropped right there; his second daughter. Though the witches have won the war, to him it meant nothing as he had lost another piece of his heart. It didn’t helped that Gretchen had deserted the Clan immediately once she saw the monstrous Fortitudo and angels have blocked up the paths leading to his student. Enraged, he ruthlessly mauled the angels only to find her already long gone after that.

The victory was merely temporary as none could predicted that a mass witch hunt had begun shortly after the war, the witches including Ivan were far too drained from the previous battle but he forced himself to protect his home from their enemies. One by one they perished under his rampant fury as he exterminated the ones who killed his daughter and disciples. Just when he thought it was over, he was greeted by a sight that scarred him for eternity; an Umbran witch murdered his sons in cold blood before leaving to fend off the incoming enemies. His mind went blank as he dejectedly walked over to the corpses of his sons before cradling them in his arms, tears silently flow from his eyes as he remained that way. Even a stab to the back from his own mother didn’t snapped him out of his stupor as he began to fell to the ground, his sons’ corpses still held tightly close to him. The last moment before he lose consciousness was that damned witch fought against his mother and won, causing him to smile bitterly and shut his eyes to rest. The cries coming from his surviving children and niece pierced the skies as they tried to reach Ivan only to be pushed away by the mysterious witch who buried him, sealing the tomb with powerful charms as if to protect him from harm. Left with no choice but to flee, the children vowed to free him from his curse and guard his tomb from the enemies.

A century later, after being awoken from his 100 years slumber Ivan was thrusted into another adventure of a lifetime; from tearful reunion between old friends and family, to the calamitous battle with the cryptic witch who revealed to be his long-lost father before ripping his arms out during the climax of their match, to travelling to foreign countries and aiding Ariel’s noble yet chaotic crusade. During those travels, he have picked up countless of skills and learned languages after languages, finding it quite rewarding from years of killing and subterfuge. But there were few things that remained constant in his thoughts, those being his former student deserting the clan out of pure cowardice and his family who succumbed to their grisly fates.

For a long period of time, Ivan now becomes one of Hollywood’s most influential director with awards and honors to back up his expertise. When he’s not busy directing a movie, discussing plots with his screenwriters, doing undercover work or supervising his billion dollar fashion industry with his niece/goddaughter, Helen, he can mostly be found in parks reminiscing pastimes or spend his time at Samson’s quaint bar, sipping a tall glass of Black Death vodka as he dishes out the filthiest gossips he could find. Lately, Ivan begin to feel apprehensive as the young woman in front of him bears a stark resemblance of his former student, Gretchen. Grinning, she introduced herself as Ingrid before auditioning for the comic relief role, and his life is about to change for the better or worse.

  Beast within: Tiger within( Caspian Tiger )

                     Seal within( Leopard Seal)

                      Bird Within( Hooded Crow)

                     Bat Within( Greater Mouse-eared Bat)

Pact Demon: Madama Laverna, Goddess of thieves and cheats

Extras:

Huge fan of the arts, doesn’t matter if it’s a musical, a play or even an animation. He finds it very fascinating and endearing as he rather laze around and watch old Looney Tunes cartoons.

Extremely gifted cook and often can be seen with a bag of snacks. Famous for his exquisite tea collection and Albanian cuisine. Often invites close friends over for hearty weekend brunches.

Due to his upbringing, Ivan’s able to distinguish people with their true  nature and refused to associate himself with the toxic ones. It helps that he can use it to his leverage when dealing with difficult targets.

.Completely unapologetic and a selectively sadistic schadenfraude. Once joked that should his enemy died, he’ll throw the biggest party to celebrate their demise and burn the corpse for an extra measure.

Despises puns and dad jokes but begrudgingly tolerates them if it came from either his kids or closest friends.

Very supportive of his fans and often gets excited whenever they gifted him with drawings, sculptures, etc. But he despised the ones that ruined the fun for everyone.

Has two pet ravens that act as his messengers, Huginn and Muninn and a female psychiatric service pit bull, Delilah who enjoys dressing up in colorful pajamas and pretty costumes.

Always thought that his wife, Salwa was the most beautiful woman in all realms with the skin as dark as opulent midnight and her spots could put snow to shame. Amaal and Salvador thinks their dad is a lovestruck sap.

Both Laverna and Ivan lived for the drama, especially if it’s messy and gritty. Give them some dirt and they’ll chatter for hours with sinister grins on their face.

Famous for his eccentric behavior, stern yet fair ethics, strong sense of professionalism and ample amount of knowledge. Also a polyglot due to centuries of travelling to foreign lands.

Often dyes his grey hair with a mixture of henna and human’s blood to give him that signature red highlights.

Donated or sold most of the mansions he had in Europe to be either used as orphanages, hospitals or anything in between. He even helped renovated them to keep them up to date.

Ivan often commented that Gretchen maybe his most difficult student to date but her gung-ho nature made his life a bit brighter. He never told her outright about it.

One of his bullet couture is literally a neon hyena fursuit in chunky heels. Both Ingrid and his family eternally cringed at the technicolor monstrosity.

Can’t function without a strong cup of coffee. Ivan without caffeine is equivalent of a cranky murder machine who’s on a warpath.

His favorite characters are Bugs Bunny, Qrow, the Red Guy from Cow & Chicken and Donald Duck.

Has secret rooms which can only be unlocked by playing songs from his favorite music game app....in Hell mode.

 Ivan personally deals with the scum of humanity, and those unfortunate enough to become his target find themselves returning to the earth as part of some compost.

[hardblazesong]

Noir Nocturne Part 1 Chapter 18 I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling

(For Widdy: better late than never my dear.)

Dougal saw Claire motion to him from the doorway to the den. “Your pardon Lass, thank ye for the instruction about the baseball.” He smiled down at Lilly, threw a frown at Angus to stop him from doing anything he shouldn’t, and stepped out to the entryway.

“Dougal, would you follow me upstairs a moment? I have some things I need to give you” she said when he reached her side.

He bit the inside of his cheek instead of saying something inappropriate to her. It was a close call. “Aye, lead on.”

Jamie met them coming down the staircase. He quickly glanced between them with a slight frown but didn’t say anything. He continued his descent and Dougal heard him enter the den.

“Meet me in the bathroom Dougal.” Clair said from the top of the stairs, and in doing so completely flustered him, as he had been studying her swaying backside.

“Erm…” he began, he couldn’t help himself.

“I just want to make sure you know how the shower works, and give you your items for use in here. You have your towel in your pack, but I have all the other items. Do try not to glower at me so all the time. I’m doing the best I can.”

“We all are” he said gruffly, stepping into the third-floor bathroom and taking note of all the different fixtures again, while he waited.  He hadn’t realized he’d been frowning at her. He hadn’t meant to.

“I know, and I’m truly thankful that you and the others are trying as hard as you are.” She handed over the items and pointed out where to hang the towel and small cloth, put the razor and toothbrush, and stepped over to the separate glass enclosed shower. “The taps in here, and on the bathtub, should work as the sink did earlier. But be careful, test the water before you step in it so you don’t skald yourself. Please show Angus and Murtagh and give them their things as well. You will have to be cleaning up after yourselves here. I am not going to do it, although I will help with the laundry until you get the hang of it. Women in these times are very different from what you are used to you know.”

He laughed at that, a short sharp ha. “I dinna think they can be all that different Claire, but I ken ye are no our servant.” He tried out a grin, to see if she would smile, but she sighed instead, looking up at him in the close quarters with a face full of skepticism. He was suddenly very aware of how little she had on, again.

“I am glad to hear it. I don’t think you have time to shower before dinner, but please do so after, so that we can all have a turn in here before bed. I should have remembered pajamas, robes and slippers, just put on some of the work clothes after instead. I’ll take care of the other things soon” and with that, she left.

He spent a few minutes arranging things in his room to his satisfaction and thinking over all that had occurred since they found themselves here. He had barely scratched the surface of what he felt about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claire entered the den and introduced herself to the others. The one called Betty gave her a looking over but Lilly and Julien merely nodded in her direction. She hoped the men hadn’t said anything that she would have to account for at some point. Jamie was listening to the radio with a perplexed look on his face, but she assumed it was just another reaction to the newness. She was a bit worried that the reality of the situation hadn’t totally hit him yet. He seemed to be handling this transition well, but it was so hard to read him sometimes. He could make his face blandly impassive at will if he didn’t want anyone to know what he was thinking. She knew a reckoning must come, but had no idea how or when.

“Come and get it while it’s hot!” Rhea shouted from the dining room and everyone very promptly moved into it. There was another man already seated at the table, near the head, where Rhea was standing, who looked up and smiled.

“Sit down, and start passing. Chuck budge up next to someone else so the lovebirds can sit together near me.” Rhea said, pointing a carving knife at the new man. Claire saw he was an attractive looking, older thirty something, tan, dark brown haired, mustached, wearing tennis whites.

“You know, it’s the most curious thing” she said, studying him intently as she sat down next to him, “and I am sure you hear it all the time, but you look remarkably like Ronald Colman. “

“How extraordinary, my dear Country woman. Curiouser and curiouser I’m sure.”  Chuck winked, smiled a very white smile at Claire, nodded at Jamie on her right and looked around the table to the rest of the influx from the den.

“That’s because he is Ronald Colman Pet” an unimpressed Rhea said while passing a platter of roast to Jamie.

He’d been a star of stage and silent pictures, but now he was building a talkie career that would see him become one of the biggest movie stars of the thirties and beyond Claire remembered, as soon as she got over being flustered by this startling revelation. Her hand shook badly when she handed him the platter.

“Alas, it’s true. I am he my dear. Sorry to miss the Charles’ tonight Rhea. I always enjoy Nick’s stories” he said, as he politely ignored Claire’s discomfort.

“Nick Charles? Fancy man, about my age?” Dougal said from the opposite side. “We met him today at the Barbers.”

“Well then you know all the boarders at last. Nick and Nora stop over here when they are in town, keep the double just for them. I just bet Nora would rather be in a fancy hotel, but Nick’s an old friend and he wouldn’t hear of it.  Helped me out of a spot a trouble a few years back. Lord love a duck but he’s a funny sort. Wonder how he knew you bunch would be at the Barbershop.” Rhea continued to pass items from a sideboard and then finally sat down. “This new lot are actors like you Chuck. Just got here though so I bent the rules for them. Father McDaniel made me.”

“Oh no, we are nothing like you Mr. Colman, just theater amateurs and vagabonds who happened to have some friends working a film out at Griffith Park. I’m actually a nurse.” Her voice sounded a bit high and squeaky to herself and she felt Jamie lean in closer from her other side, possessively placing his thigh against hers.

“We all have to start somewhere. Call me Chuck, everyone here does. It’s Rhea’s fault, she found out my middle name, and won’t let me forget it.” He laughed and settled into the meal. The others weren’t chatting as they were all too busy eating.

It really was a very good meal. Claire particularly liked the fried green tomatoes. They were new to her but she probably would have liked fried cardboard as hungry as she was. Even sitting next to a movie star couldn’t dim that.

“I just adore Nora Charles, she’s ever so glamorous.” Lilly sighed while studying Jamie from across the table.

“You’d be a glamour puss too with all her money silly child. She thinks she’s made Nick retire, that’ll be the day. Made your favorites for your birthday poppet so save room for pie.” Rhea, obviously fond of the young blonde, passed the food around again. “Well, I can see I’m going to have to stock up the larder a bit with you men shoveling that down as fast as you are. Glad you like it.”

Claire, regaining some of her composure, asked Julien what he did for a living.

“Screenwriter at MGM, so is Betty here. Lilly does hair and makeup over at Warner’s.” Claire thought he might be a bit pompous but basically harmless.

Dinner finished after pie, coffee and a rousing chorus of the birthday song, Dougal rose and headed to the entryway. He signaled to Angus and Murtagh to follow and hopefully he would take her advice, Claire thought.

“Care to join us for a smoke on the porch Fraser?” Julien said before heading out with Colman. Jamie gave a slight shrug to Claire and followed.

“Well, can I help with clearing and the dishes Rhea?” she asked, noting that none of the men had offered.

“No, you sweetie, it’s Betty’s night to help. You’ll be in the rotation soon enough.” Rhea informed her, waved her away with a grin and left for the kitchen.

“Want to sneak out back for a smoke with me?” Lilly asked quietly, startling Claire who had been wondering if she should follow Jamie or check to see if Dougal had taken the men upstairs.

“Alright, but I don’t smoke” she said conspiratorially with a small smile for the young woman.

“Really? Why ever not? Just because the men don’t like it doesn’t mean they get a say, now does it?” Lilly took Claire’s hand and led her to the back porch.

It was cool, shaded and screened in. Several comfy fan backed white wicker chairs with plush floral cushions surrounded a mahogany coffee table that had a glass top, under which were ticket stubs to several movies and playbills from local theaters arranged artfully. Large ferns, spider plants and orchids in brass holders were placed every few feet.

“This is lovely, I hadn’t noticed when I went to the garden earlier.” Claire said, enjoying the oasis sensation. She listened as Lilly rambled on, gossiping about some of the people she worked with at Warner’s Brothers Studio. The meal, the day, the night before and the improbability of her situation were combining to make her feel as if she could sleep for a week, and be glad for it. However, she had plans for Jamie, and that was enough to make her sit up a bit straighter and try to engage with the conversation.

Thirty minutes later she yawned and said “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take a stroll around the yard Lilly. I have some things I need to take care of before I can finally have a soak in the tub upstairs.” She left before Lilly could object. Maybe a bit rude that, but she needed the stretch of her legs and back it would provide. All the danger, walking, horseback riding, emotional upheaval of the wedding, and amorous adventures of the past week were enough to make her feel positively bruised and stiff.

She took a circuit to the front porch, noting that Dougal had joined them. The men stopped talking as she came up the steps. She must have spent longer on the back porch then she thought because it was obvious that Murtagh, Angus and Dougal had already showered. They all looked slightly abashed and flushed when they saw her, but said nothing.

“Ah, good, you’re all done then. I am longing for that tub. Jamie a word please?” she said after smiling her brightest smile at all the men and heading inside.

“She is lovely James.” Colman said in appreciation.

“Aye, my wife is that.” Jamie said, stopping by the open screen door and smiling in at Claire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She waited for him at the bottom of the steps. His heart was starting to thump a bit harder and his breathing was speeding up as well. His mouth suddenly felt completely dry and he licked his lips as he crossed to her.

“Time for your shower and my bath. Then, well then, it will be time for bed if you are anywhere near as tired as I am.”

He felt almost shy with her standing there, smiling softly at him. He couldn’t think what to say in response, something that happened to him all too frequently around her. It was as if he were a daftie half the time he was near her.  

“Aye, weel, as you say Sassenach. Do ye need me to come up with ye now?” he hoped with every beat of his heart that she did.

“Well, in all honesty, I was hoping you would give me about thirty minutes in the bathroom alone. I just wanted to tell you to go ahead and come in after that. Do be quiet about it however. I don’t think we would get much of a protest out of Rhea if she knew we were in there together, but you never know. Why don’t you grab a newspaper or a book from the den and bring it upstairs to our bedroom after you let the men know we are calling it a night. You probably should tell them they need to go to bed as well. It will be a very early start tomorrow. I need to see Rhea before I head up, but I’ll be in there in about five minutes.”

He tucked her curls behind her ears and bent and kissed her forehead gently. “Thirty-five minutes then mo nighean donn. Ye ken I’ll be counting every second aye?” he felt his mouth quirk upwards when he saw her blush prettily.

“Aye I do.” She grinned back and walked off to find Rhea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Claire wanted to know if Rhea had some bubble bath and a robe she could borrow. She’d forgotten so many things today, it was a bit infuriating. She found her in her parlor, listening to symphonic music on the radio.

“Oh sure Pet. My bedroom’s on the next floor at the end of the hallway towards the front. Several things at the top of the closet you could probably use. I used to be about your size, shorter of course, no idea why I save ‘em, nostalgia I suppose. Bubble bath and the stuff to clean the tub is already up in your bathroom. See you in the morning bright an early.” Rhea dismissed her with a warm smile.

Claire found a long blue silk robe, patterned with cranes and swallows in an oriental design, along with some rather racy undergarments in the thinnest white satin she had ever seen. They were edged with three inches of very fine lace. There was also a jacket style peignoir set in beige silk, collared and hemmed with rose feathers. Well that out to do nicely, she thought, taking all the items and quickly heading to her bedroom. Thankfully Jamie wasn’t there as she put all but the robe away in a drawer and took up their things for the bathroom.

She’d found candles in the nightstand earlier and had picked several sprigs of fragrant purple lilac clusters from the back garden along with a handful of honeysuckle before dinner in preparation for this precious time alone. She closed the door behind her, put out their towels, a washcloth in the shower, one by the clawfoot bathtub along with a safety razor and extra blade, her shampoo and conditioner. She found the bubble bath on the shelves next to the large shower and lit the three white taper candles, being careful with their placement. She stripped off all her clothes quickly and hung them near the shower to steam a bit there.

Nearly a religious experience taking a long soak and she felt tears spring to her eyes as she filled the tub. The soapy aroma of the bubbles blended with the heady scents of the flowers she laid on the rug next to the tub. They were the most calming things she had smelled in months. The tears fell freely as she unwrapped a fresh bar of Lux soap and carefully placed a toe in the water.

Bliss, was the only word she had. She spent five minutes just soaking with her eyes closed but realized that shaving and washing her hair were going to take up too much time if she wanted to be ready when Jamie finally came in. It amused her to think of what he might say to bare legs and oxters, something she was reasonably sure he had never seen. She hadn’t even taken up shaving until the war, when American Nurses had assured her it was all the rage and she hadn’t really missed it these past months but now that she could, she would.

She washed and conditioned her hair before letting all the water out and refilling the tub, placing the flowers in the water with her but no more bubbles were needed. The candles glowed hazily from near the shower, sink and end of the bathtub and she felt nearly hypnotized by them, the buoyancy, comfort and warmth.  

Jamie came in quietly, closing the door behind him. He leaned back against her robe, she’d hung from a copper hook on it, and appeared not to know what to do next.

Claire laughed softly and told him to lock the door by sliding the bolt that was placed just above the handle. She stood up slowly and stepped out of the very warm water.

“Go ahead and undress Jamie. Do you want to shower or take a bath?”

The look on his face was enough to start her pulse racing. He was enchanted with her and the room, but there was a hunger in his eyes that nearly took her breath away. A slow smile spread across his wide full mouth and he stepped across the few feet separating them.

He lifted a finger to her nipple to catch a drop of water suspended there on his nail. He didn’t speak, just began unbuttoning his shirt in a careful manner. She pointed to the water in the bathtub saying, a bit breathlessly, “It’s quite large enough to fit us both you know, but the shower would likely be easier.”

She’d never done this with Frank. It hadn’t even occurred to her to ask it of him. One of the great blessings of carnal life with Jamie was that she had no reason for ever feeling a moment of shame. He would not have understood it if she had, nor would he have let her.

He removed the rest of his clothing while staring at her, letting it all drop to floor, and she took his hand and led him to the shower. Reaching in to turn on the taps, she felt his large hands come to rest on her waist from behind. He took her earlobe in his teeth and murmured lowly.

“You smell lovely mo chridhe, and your hair shines so, all ringlets, verra bonny.” Evidently quite moved if the thickening of his accent were the indicator.

She felt the warmth of him moments before she felt his wide chest press against her back and knew that she had done the right thing having him here by the firmness pressing lower down her spine. She was so happy to share this joy with him, it suffused her with another level of wet heat and she longed to take him deep.

She stepped into the shower and beckoned. “Let me wash your back Husband, while you experience a hot shower for the first time.”

“Tis like a heated waterfall with a water nymph behind me teasin’.” He laughed and turned around to face her, catching both her hands and pulling her into him hard. The water flowed over them both as they kissed with all the pent-up passion of the last twenty-four hours. It was the longest they’d gone yet without satisfying each other.

TO BE CONTINUED

[lifeofaliterarynerd]

YA & NA Contemporary Reads for Valentine’s Day

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before - Jenny Han //  Lara Jean  has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters.

P.S. I Still Love You - Jenny Han //  Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins //  Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins //  Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins //  Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick //  The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

Better Off Friends - Elizabeth Eulberg // For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are.  They are platonic and happy that way.They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

Wait For You - Jennifer L. Armentrout //  Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

A Little Something Different - Sandy Hall //  The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it

Royally Screwed - Emma Chase // Nicholas Arthur Frederick Edward Pembrook, Crowned Prince of Wessco , grew up with the whole world watching, and now Marriage Watch is in full force. Nicholas has to decide who he is and, more importantly, who he wants to be: a King... or the man who gets to love Olivia forever.

Summer Days and Summer Nights - Stephanie Perkins //  Maybe it's the long, lazy days, or maybe it's the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake.

Just One Day - Gayle Forman //  Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

Just One Year - Gayle Forman // When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought.

The Sun is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon //  Follow Natasha, a girl who believes in science and facts, as she meets Daniel, a dutiful son and dreamer, as they spend a single day together in New York - and try to stop Natasha’s family from being deported to Jamacia.

Everything Everything - Nicola Yoon // My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster

Beneath Wandering Stars - Ashlee Cowles //  After her soldier brother is horribly wounded in Afghanistan, Gabriela must honor the vow she made: If anything ever happened to him, she would walk the Camino de Santiago through Spain, making a pilgrimage in his name. The worst part is that the promise stipulates that she must travel with her brother's best friend--a boy she has despised all her life.

Isn’t She Lovely - Lauren Layne //  Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she's pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner. Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn't exactly Ethan Price's type, either. He's probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund... or does he?

Catch a Falling Star - Kim Culbertson //  Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter's town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam's girlfriend while he's in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck.

The Hating Game - Sally Thorne //  Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Wanderlost - Jen Malone //  Aubree’s ready for a chilled-out summer at home in Ohio, until she finds herself taking over her sister’s job as a tour guide…in Europe. Things fall apart almost immediately, and when the tour company owner’s son comes along for the ride and steals Aubree’s heart, keeping up the ruse of being her own sister becomes the hardest challenge of all.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith //  Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

The Geography of You and Me - Jennifer E. Smith //  Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they’re rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. Lucy and Owen’s relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and—finally—a reunion in the city where they first met.

P.S. I Like You - Kasie West //  While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he?

On the Fence - Kasie West //  For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new world of  makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers , Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard.

Since You’ve Been Gone - Morgan Matson //  It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.  Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she’ll find?

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit - Jaye Robin Brown //  Joanna Gordon has been out and proud for years, but when her popular radio evangelist father remarries and decides to move all three of them from Atlanta to the more conservative Rome, Georgia, he asks Jo to do the impossible: to lie low for the rest of her senior year. And Jo reluctantly agrees.  Things get complicated when she meets Mary Carlson, the oh-so-tempting sister of her new friend at school.

Far From You - Tess Sharpe //  After a painful car accident led to a dangerous OxyContin addiction, Sophie’s fought every day to get and remain clean. When someone plants drugs on Sophie after the death of her best friend Mina, everyone assumes that Sophie fell back into her destructive habits and took Mina down with her. Only she knows that Mina’s murder wasn’t a drug deal gone wrong, and only she can stop the killer.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire  Sáenz //  Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

History is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera //  When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course. To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. 

I’ll Give You the Sun - Jandy Nelson //  Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life.

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour - Morgan Matson //  Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

The Unexpected Everything - Morgan Matson // Andie’s got a plan for her summer, just as she does for everything in life. But when it falls apart thanks to a political scandal, and she ends up spending the summer living with the last person she ever wanted to—her own father—all her carefully laid plans take turns for the unexpected, including the one she had for her heart.

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell //  Cath is a Simon Snow fan.  She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell //  Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Everything Leads to You - Nina LaCour //  Emi, a girl who knows how to design a film set like no one else, but finds her love life far from cinematic. Stuck in a hot-and-cold pattern with the same girl, she begins to break the cycle when a mysterious letter from an acting legend leads her to the beautiful and unconventional Ava.

Gena/Finn - Kat Helegeson & Hannah Moskowitz //  Gena and Finn, two girls in different life stages, brought together by fandom for a TV show called Up Below. While their shared love is what initially bonds them, it doesn’t take long for them to click in every other way, baring their souls to each other about their lives and loves and worlds beyond the screen.  But the closer they get, the more complicated things become, especially for Finn and the boyfriend she lives with.

South of Sunshine - Dana Elmendorf //  In Sunshine, Tennessee, the main event in town is Friday night football, the biggest party of the year is held in a field filled with pickup trucks, and church attendance is mandatory. For Kaycee Jean McCoy, life in Sunshine means dating guys she has no interest in, saying only “yes, ma’am” when the local bigots gossip at her mom’s cosmetics salon, and avoiding certain girls at all costs. Girls like Bren Dawson.

If I Was Your Girl - Meredith Russo //  For Amanda, moving in with her father is an opportunity to start over where no one but her dad has ever known her as Andrew, and the move most certainly agrees with her: she makes new friends in no time, and it gives her and her father a chance to get to know each other again. But she also falls in love, which is something she never expected to happen, has no idea how to handle, and just may spell her downfall.

Run - Kody Keplinger //  Bo’s a wild girl who does her own thing and whose parents couldn’t care less what she’s up to. Agnes is legally blind, and has parents who practically keep her prisoner in an attempt to keep her “safe” from the outside world. Despite their differences, the two become best friends…which means when Bo comes to Agnes one night on the run from the cops and asks her to leave town at her side, Agnes agrees, and the two head off on a hell of an adventure, complete with a whole lot of law-breaking.

A List of Cages - Robin Roe //  When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian—the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.

You Know Me Well - Nina LaCour & David Levithan //  Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.  When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other—and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more. When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other—and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli //  Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

Always the Last to Know - Crystal Bowling //  Wearing a Maid of Honor dress that very well may cause the South to want to rise again, Jess Reynolds is prepared to walk down the aisle at her best friend's wedding. It's just that things keep getting in the way, like a sex-crazed coworker, an annoying brother-of-the-bride, and a handsome and horribly charming friend posing as the Best Man. As it turns out, Jess might just be the last one to know everything, including the workings of her own heart.

Can You Keep a Secret - Sophie Kinsella //  Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets: Secrets from her boyfriend: I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken. Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. Secrets she wouldn't share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is. Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.…

Famous in Love - Rebecca Serle //  The romantic story of a girl who gets plucked from obscurity to star in the next major feature film franchise based on a book and the ensuing love triangles she gets entangled in on—-and off screen. 

Love and First Sight - Josh Sundquist //  On his first day at a new school, blind sixteen-year-old Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. High school can only go up from here, right? As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a sweet but shy girl named Cecily. And despite his fear that having a girlfriend will make him inherently dependent on someone sighted, the two of them grow closer and closer.

Fan Art - Sarah Tregay //  With the hurdle of coming out to his family overcome, some might think that the worst of Jamie’s problems are over, but really, they’re just beginning. With prom around the corner and his best friend Mason already lined up to take a girl, Jamie is forced to confront overwhelming jealousy and the knowledge that his growing feelings for Mason aren’t going away anytime soon.

One Man Guy - Michael Barakiva //  Aleksander Khederian doesn’t need (or want) summer school, but his strict Armenian-American parents think it’s the best way for him to stay on the honor track. Just when he thinks his summer couldn’t get any worse, he meets Ethan. Cool, confident, and adventurous, Ethan is everything Alek wishes he could be. As he’s drawn closer to Ethan’s alluring persona, Alek realizes that he might want to be a bit more than “just friends” with the attractive skateboarder.

Look Both Ways - Alison Cherry //  A summer away from the city is the beginning of everything for Brooklyn Shepard. Her theater apprenticeship at Allerdale is a chance to prove that she can carve out a niche all her own, surrounded by people who don’t know anything about her or her family of superstar performers. Brooklyn immediately hits it off with her roommate, Zoe, and soon their friendship turns into something more.

The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson // David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms.

[jillmckenzie1]

Be Excellent To Each Other

Bill & Ted Face the Music is streaming on Prime

Let’s talk about trilogies. Specifically, how unbelievably hard they are to pull off. It’s difficult enough to pull off a good movie, considering you need a strong script, solid direction, and competent actors. To pull off a decent sequel, you need to build on the world you first established and go in a new direction yet one that’s not so new it undoes the first film. To do all of that, and add a third film wrapping up everything? It’s easier to climb up Mount Everest blindfolded and naked.

Even the most prestigious and profitable franchises have trouble with this. Consider that:

  All three Star Wars trilogies have problematic entries. Return of the Jedi is only two-thirds of a good movie, Attack of the Clones is a nightmare, and The Rise of Skywalker stinks up the joint like bad sushi.

The MCU has the hastily tacked together Iron Man 2, along with the barely there Thor: The Dark World.

The Matrix is a flat-out science fiction classic. The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions lurch between ponderous speeches and not quite as cool as they should be action sequences.*

The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II are literally two of the greatest films ever made. The Godfather: Part III isn’t.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins finally makes Bruce Wayne a compelling character, while The Dark Knight gave audiences a terrifying Joker and a hero breaking his own moral code. The Dark Knight Rises, on the other hand, takes big swings and has big misses. Also, a bad guy that sounds like Sean Connery locked in a bathysphere.

  Years of merciless bludgeoning at the hands of greedy, incompetent, or misguided filmmakers has taught us that the third entries of a series usually blows chunks. When a film comes out that defies the odds…well, it can be a little breathtaking. The insane part isn’t just that Bill & Ted Face the Music is a trilogy-capper made with intelligence and deep silliness. No, the insane part is that it’s the end of a trilogy that gets better with every entry. This trilogy never drops in quality.

To bring you up to speed, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure concerns Bill S. Preston, Esquire (Alex Winter), and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) a pair of high-school himbos living in San Dimas, California. To pass a critical history test, they get their hands on a time-traveling phone booth, gain a futuristic mentor in Rufus (George Carlin) and meet a wide variety of historical personages. A few years pass, and in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, the guys are killed by their evil robot duplicates, sent to Hell, befriend Death (William Sadler), and learn their true destiny; to write a song capable of uniting humanity.

So much for that. Years have passed, and the guys have failed to write The Greatest Song In The History of The World. Their fame has flagged, and they’re reduced to playing weddings. Their marriages to the princesses Joanna (Jayma Mays) and Elizabeth (Erinn Hayes) are also in bad shape. An amusing scene in marriage counseling shows us that Ted & Bill** need to be together constantly, even during therapy.

There’s good news and bad news, though. The good news is that, somehow, the guys managed to procreate. They’re the proud papas to Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Thea (Samara Weaving). The bad news is that since Bill & Ted’s band Wyld Stallyns failed repeatedly in writing The Song, reality itself is beginning to collapse. Kelly (Kristin Schaal) is the daughter of Rufus, and she arrives from the future to tell them that now would be a good time to get in gear and write The Song.

Only…it’s hard. Really, really hard. So hard that Bill & Ted come up with another idea. They’ll “borrow” the time machine, travel to the future, and “borrow” The Song from their future selves. It should be simple. Only it’s not. There’s the part where they learn that their future selves live increasingly miserable lives. And the part where Billie and Thea “borrow” another time machine to put together a supergroup of the greatest musicians in history to help their dads, but run into a little snag. And the part where the princesses “borrow” a time machine and learn their futures with Bill & Ted might not be most triumphant. And the part where Bill & Ted are being hunted by Dennis Caleb McCoy (Anthony Carrigan), a murderous robot that really just needs friends.

Bill & Ted Face the Music never leans hard into nostalgia. It never feels like a cheap cash grab. Instead, it’s like getting snuggles from a dopey Golden Retriever. The dog might not know his name or what the word “sit” even means, but he’s a sweetheart who’s all about wanting to show you how much he loves you.

Each of the three films in the Bill & Ted trilogy was helmed by a different director.*** Of the three of them, Face the Music’s Dean Parisot has made the most polished installment. As the director of the second-best Star Trek movie of all time, Galaxy Quest, Parisot has the skill to make this kind of tomfoolery look good. While the pacing drags just a little in the first half-hour, once the film gets going, it moves at a breakneck pace.

You have to be very smart to write characters that are this kind of dumb. Screenwriters Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson are, and as the writers of all three films, they know exactly when to go up to the line. Their script is gloriously silly. Multiple characters travel through numerous timelines at the same time, but Matheson and Solomon always make sure we know what’s happening and when. Better yet, the script is infused with infectious optimism. The idea that friendship and a kickass song can save the world never feels cheesy. Instead, it feels right. Along with that blast of hope, there’s a blast of self-awareness in this script. Bill & Ted are two guys told over and over in the first two films that they were special, beautiful and unique snowflakes. In Face the Music, they have to reckon with the fact that their life plan didn’t work out. Instead of doubling down and trying harder, we see their perspective shift. They grow and change. That’s what good writing is all about.

With 29 years between installments, you can be forgiven for wondering if Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves can smoothly step back into these iconic roles. A great deal has changed for them. Reeves has become the greatest action star in American movies, while Winter has made a number of outstanding documentaries. Winter’s return is a little smoother as Bill, and he’s just as goofily charming as ever. Reeves is a bit stiff as Ted, but he’s just as game as ever to get ridiculous. Perhaps my favorite performances were Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine as Thea and Billie. They go beyond imitating Reeves and Winter and are an effective comic duo in their own right. Speaking of which, William Sadler returns (and very nearly steals the show again) as Death. Sadler has such a willingness to do absolutely anything to make us laugh. He’s so good at comedy that I wish he’d do more of it. Kid Cudi plays himself, and his comic timing is precise and perfect. There’s not a false note in this cast and everyone shows up to play.

As much as I love the film, it’s not perfect. It takes some time to really get into the groove, and it’s hampered by some problematic pacing. Speaking of problematic, let’s talk about the character of Grom. She’s a cavewoman, and she’s played by Patty Anne Miller, a wildly talented drummer who’s worked with Beyoncé and CeeLo Green. Someone with the chops that Miller has should absolutely be celebrated. The film choosing a superband with a majority of POC (Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, Ling Lun, and Mozart, along with Grom.) is cool. But having a Black woman play that particular role, a cavewoman? Eh…not a good look. Swap her out for someone like either Sylvia Robinson or Sister Rosetta Tharp, and you have something excellent.

Bill & Ted Face the Music is more than a skillful way to close out a beloved franchise that doesn’t quite get the respect it deserves. It’s a guitar riff of delightful, positive energy that had me smiling for nearly the entire run time. While there’s a lot to be cranky about these days, Bill & Ted reminds us that we can face the future with a cheerful grin.

    *Though the freeway chase in Reloaded is genuinely cool.

**Isn’t it jarring to read it like that?

***Stephen Herek directed the first film and went on to a long and steady career as a journeyman director. Peter Hewitt directed the second film and immersed himself in family films, for the most part.

The post Be Excellent To Each Other first appeared on The Denver Guide.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/be-excellent-to-each-other/

[biofunmy]

Jewish Summer Camp With Campfires, Crafts and No Lights Out

As if on cue, the first camper I meet is a guy named Josh: a nice, 27-year-old Jewish boy with kind eyes, a subtle smile and the same name as my husband, another nice Jewish boy, back home.

“Do you know where Malbec is?” asks this Josh, Josh Blake, rolling his eyes, and then his suitcase, over a wide dirt path flanked by rickety cabins that have been renamed for the weekend. (Malbec and Cabernet, for the men; Pinot Grigio and Rosé for the women; Raisins for all.) “I don’t want to walk all the way over there, if it’s back there …” he says, sounding not unlike Woody Allen.

I don’t blame him. The camp is desert-hot and dusty. And he’s ultimately here, he later admits over bagels, because his parents paid the all-inclusive $525 for him to be. They met on this very land, albeit half a mile away. “Talk about pressure!” he says, laughing.

Ilana Rosenberg, 31, sitting nearby, agrees. “My mother said, ‘Have fun! Go meet your Jewish husband!’ My sister was like, ‘Mom, she could find a Jewish wife, too, you know’.”

American Jewish University owns these 2,800 acres in Southern California’s Simi Valley, which is home to rolling hills and herds of cows, the university’s Brandeis-Bardin Campus and Camp Alonim. Over the next three nights and four days, this 66-year-old summer camp for Jewish kids has been commandeered by a new kind of summer camp — Trybal Gatherings, for Jewish adults.

Trybal Gatherings was founded by Carine Warsawski, 34, a buoyant, Boston-bred M.B.A., with the goal of fostering lasting community among Jews in their 20s and 30s, and, ahem, a few in their 40s.

She held her first Gathering at Camp Eisner in the Berkshires in 2017, roping in mostly friends of friends. Over Labor Day weekend, it sold out, with 125 campers and a wait-list dozens’ deep. Last year, she added Wisconsin; next summer Atlanta, and has plans to expand from Seattle to Austin to Toronto.

Whereas traditions like Birthright Israel offer free trips to the homeland, Ms. Warsawski’s aim is to offer an immersive, low-commitment experience closer to home — one rooted not in Zionism or religious doctrine, but in the shared nostalgia of a Jewish-American rite of passage, complete with archery and horseback riding, and a roster that reads like it’s from the Old Testament. (At one point, I’d forgotten my name-necklace. “That’s O.K.!” someone joked. “It’s probably either Sarah or Rachel.”)

There are two main differences between Jewish kids’ camp and Jewish adults’ camp: No bedtime, and booze, lots of it. Kiddie-pools brimming with hard seltzer at Bubbe’s Beer Garden. Bottles of cheap wine at supper. Compostable flutes of bubbly at Arts & Crafts.

Also, adult campers have careers, though no one talks about them. Web developers and screenwriters, wedding planners and wardrobe stylists. And yes, a few doctors and lawyers. The majority came solo; others hand-in-hand and interfaith or happily married in matching outfits, like Emily and Rachel Leavitt — my Secret Santa, er, Mystery Moses.

It’s a mix of die-hard camp people reliving their glory days, once-homesick campers redoing their awkward years, and first-timers wondering what all the fuss is about. “My parents were immigrants from Iran! They didn’t know about camp!” says Baha Aghajani, 30. Neither did Saraf Shmutz, 39, who moved from Tel Aviv to San Diego. “My summers were ‘go play soccer and bug off.’”

As a writer who hasn’t been back to her camp, Young Judaea, in New Hampshire, in 25 years, I signed up to learn what’s moving Jews to opt for uncomfortable bunk beds and kosher-style mess halls, in lieu of a real vacation.

Trybal isn’t the only over-21 camp cropping up these days. Nor is it the only Jewish one. Camp Nai Nai Nai, which also operates on both coasts, and attracts a post-college, more conservative crowd. And “55+” Orthodox Jews have been davening at summer retreats for decades at places like Isabella Freedman where campers crochet kippahs and take day trips to Tanglewood, in the Berkshires.

Trybal is arguably the only camp, though, that starts the day with an “Abe Weissman Workout,” a calisthenics routine straight out of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” (Tomato juice refreshers included, but no rompers.)

It’s also, explains Ms. Warsawski, “a place for people who are more -ish than Jew.” Like Molly Shapiro, 28, of Berkeley. ““This is my jam!” she says. “Synagogues today aren’t really designed for us. We want something less traditional, more affordable, more fun. I mean, playing cornhole isn’t Jewish, but we’re playing cornhole together!”

Togetherness is what Trybal is all about. The schedule is packed from early morning to midnight with get-to-know-you-games and group activities like partner massage and mah-jongg, pickling and pool time.

The next morning, I pass up dreamcatcher-making for challah baking. “Oh yeah, this is what I’m here for,” says Abel Horwitz, a young Robert Downey Jr., kneading dough we’ll later braid and adorn with toppings beyond the traditional sesame. Rainbow sprinkles. Peaches. Jalapeños. “Will 20 loaves be enough for all 60 of us tonight,” some Jews worry.

Next, it’s a tossup between the relationship workshop and the ropes course. I decide I like humans more than heights and head over to hear what the visiting Rabbi Sherre Hirsch, has to say. She reads a passage from the 20th-century philosopher Emmanuel Levinas and tells us to partner up. A 26-year-old named Sam and I stare into each other’s faces for a full five minutes. “Sit with the discomfort,” the rabbi urges. Reluctantly, I do. I smile. He winks. I wiggle, examining his wrinkle-free forehead and bushy eyebrows bound to grow bushier in old age, until my awkwardness turns to calm. I’m overwhelmed by a deep feeling of curiosity and compassion for this man, for myself, for humanity.

“That was a good reminder,” Ms. Aghajani says afterward. “To give people more of a chance. To not swipe so fast.”

After a grilled cheese buffet, there’s solar art and yoga and Slip-n-Slide kickball. I head for the hammocks, where a guy with long red hair is lounging in a tie-dyed Helvetica T-shirt that reads “Falafel & Sabich & Hummus & Schwarma.” It’s his third Trybal. He is the camp guitarist, and a rocket scientist in real life.

“I come to be a kid again,” Jeremy Hollander, 34, says. He pauses. “And to, you know, be with my people.” In real life, he doesn’t bring up the fact he’s Jewish. “‘Hollander’ isn’t ‘Schwartzenbaum’. People see me and usually think I’m Scottish or something.” He feels safer that way. Especially today, he says, with rising anti-Semitism. “The flame is being fanned. You never know who has what opinions. Here, I can let my hair down.” (Although, technically, it’s in a ponytail.)

“The only one thing I have to worry about at camp,” he says, “is when am I going to squeeze in a shower?”

Still, before sundown, we all emerge from our bunks neat and clean and dressed in white. “Can you believe I got this for $2.99 at Saks Off Fifth!” exclaims Lauren Katz, a volunteer staffer wearing lace. (We can’t.)

Picture time. “Say Cheese!” the camp photographer instructs. “But we’re lactose intolerant!” someone cries from the crowd.

We gather in a stone-lined grove, to sing and sway and cheek-kiss “Shabbat Shalom,” before making our way to the dining hall for a sit-down dinner of roast chicken. And, of course, plenty of challah.

It’s all so familiar to me. The tunes are different, but the Hebrew words are the same. The trees are eucalyptus, not pine, and Mr. Hollander is not the longhaired, tie-dye-clad musician from my old camp, and yet — he could be.

I agree with what he said earlier. There is something easy and assuring about spending a summer weekend like I used to (albeit for eight whole weeks): with my people. Or, at least with people who remind me of my people. New friends bonded by old memories.

Trybal is like a modern millennial shtetl, where gesundheits fly. And “Hava Nagila” plays at a Hawaiian luau. And campfire stories include, “How I Became a ‘Nice Jewish Guys’ Calendar Model.”

It’s an alternate, insular world where I find myself running through a field, streaked in war paint, chanting: “We have spirit, because we’re Blues! We have spirit because we’re Jews!”

It’s a universe where conversation flows from the Netflix show “Shtisel” to the lack of Jews in Santa Barbara to the universal disdain for online dating (despite the fact that Trybal is sponsored by JSwipe), to whether Ms. Rosenberg indeed met her future husband.

“We’ll see,” she says, smiling. She did make-out at Arts & Crafts with the Trybal barista: a boy she barely remembers being at her bat mitzvah.

On the last night, I slip quietly out of the luau, where the D.J. is rocking “Lean On Me.” I leave the Leavitt ladies in their twin Hawaiian shirts and my Rosé bunkmates dancing the macarena. Mr. Shmutz and the Cabernets are making reunion plans. Mr. Blake is flirting with one of his crushes.

I have an early flight to catch. Back to my husband and kids and, in a way, the future. In the morning, I’ll miss the friendship bracelets and the compliment circle and, like a true last day of camp: tears. For a moment I have FOMO. And then I realize, it’s fine. Sometimes an Irish goodbye is just as good as a Jewish one.

Rachel Levin is a contributor to the Travel section and the author, with Wise Sons Deli, of “EAT SOMETHING,” to be published in March, by Chronicle Books.

52 PLACES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE Follow our 52 Places traveler, Sebastian Modak, on Instagram as he travels the world, and discover more Travel coverage by following us on Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter: Each week you’ll receive tips on traveling smarter, stories on hot destinations and access to photos from all over the world.

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[fashiontrendin-blog]

Jennifer Garner was spotted driving ex-husband Ben Affleck to a Malibu rehab clinic

https://fashion-trendin.com/jennifer-garner-was-spotted-driving-ex-husband-ben-affleck-to-a-malibu-rehab-clinic/

Jennifer Garner was spotted driving ex-husband Ben Affleck to a Malibu rehab clinic

Ben Affleck’s estranged wife, Jennifer Garner, was spotted driving him to rehab in LA.

According to TMZ, the troubled 46-year-old finally agreed to check into a state-of-the-art rehab clinic after Jennifer begged him to get help. According to some witnesses, she was spotted in the car with a lawyer and carrying a bible.

The actor was seen arriving at The Canyon, a live-in rehabilitation clinic set in 120-acres near the Malibu coastline, where he is expected to check-in for an ‘extended period of time’ after falling off the wagon ‘a while ago’ and getting ‘progressively worse’. The website claims that Garner ‘read him the riot act’ and persuaded him to check-in for the sake of their children.

The two-time Oscar winner has been open about his recovery and continued treatment, posting on his Facebook page in March 2017:

I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction; something I’ve dealt with in the past and will continue to confront. …

Posted by Ben Affleck on Tuesday, March 14, 2017

The Hollywood actors signed their divorce papers in May 2017, citing irreconcilable differences.

Jen posted a statement via Facebook, hitting out at claims that she spoke to People magazine in detail about her love life.

“It has been brought to my attention that there is a People magazine cover and article out today that appear to be coming from me,” Garner wrote. “It isn’t unusual for me to receive calls from loved ones thinking I forgot to tell them I am pregnant–with twins!–(Geez Louise), but those are so ridiculous they’re easy to ignore.

“This isn’t a tragedy by any measure, but it does affect me and my family and so, before my mom’s garden club lights up her phone, I wanted to set the record straight: I did not pose for this cover. I did not participate in or authorise this article. While we are here, for what it’s worth: I have three wonderful kids and my family is complete.”

Ben and Jennifer first announced their split in 2015, and there has been speculation about their relationship status ever since. Ben announced earlier this year that he has recently completed treatment for alcohol addiction.

Last summer, a source told Entertainment Tonight that the pair, who separated a day after their 10 year wedding anniversary amid rumours that the 43 year-old actor had been unfaithful, were trying to work things out.

In 2016, People also reported that a source close to Garner had told them: “Ben wants to get back together. He wants her back.”

In March 2016, Ben Affleck broke his silence on his split from Jennifer Garner following her honest interview with Vanity Fair last month.

In an interview with the New York Times, Ben discussed his upcoming movie Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and touched on his current relationship with ex-wife Jennifer after their marriage broke down last year due to his rumoured infidelity.

Referencing Jennifer’s recent interview with Vanity Fair in which she said “I don’t hate him”, Ben responded by saying: “Jen’s great. She’s a great person. We’re on great terms. I just saw her this morning, so that’s the reality that I live in.”

Explaining their meet that morning she said: “She felt like she wanted to discuss it and get it out there and get it over with, so she could say, ‘Look, I already talked about it – I don’t want to do it again.'”

“It’s fine. She’s allowed to talk about it,” he ended.

Celebrities aren’t usually that honest during interviews, especially when it comes to something as sensitive as a divorce. But in an interview with Vanity Fair, in February 2016, Jennifer Garner opened up about her split with husband Ben Affleck and a now-infamous nanny scandal.

Breaking her silence for the magazine’s March 2016 cover story, Jennifer Garner addresses pretty much everything.

“I didn’t marry the big fat movie star; I married him,” the 43-year-old actress said. “And I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again. You can’t have these three babies and so much of what we had. He’s the love of my life. What am I going to do about that? He’s the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous. He’s just a complicated guy. I always say, ‘When his sun shines on you, you feel it.’ But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it’s cold. He can cast quite a shadow.”

The pair, who have three children together, attempted to salvage their relationship.

“I’m a pretty hard worker. It’s one of the pains in my life that something I believe in so strongly I’ve completely failed at twice,” she said, referring to her first marriage to Scott Foley. “You have to have two people to dance a marriage. My heart’s a little on the tender side right now, and it’s always easier to focus on the ways that you feel hurt, but I know that, with time and some perspective, I’ll have a clearer sense of where I let the system down, because there’s no way I get off in this.”

After their split details emerged about Ben Affleck dating their former nanny Christine Ouzounian. “Let me just tell you something. We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny. She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation,” Garner confirmed. “Bad judgment? Yes. It’s not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives.” Months later, she’s still assessing the damage. “I have had to have conversations about the meaning of ‘scandal.'”

But she doesn’t want people to hate him, or blame him, as she told the mag so sweetly: “People have pain – they do regrettable things, they feel shame, and shame equals pain. No one needs to hate him for me. I don’t hate him,” she claimed. “Certainly we don’t have to beat the guy up. Don’t worry – my eyes were wide open during the marriage. I’m taking good care of myself.”

But now what? The mum of three has plans to look after herself. “I definitely put a lot of time towards my marriage that I will now have for myself,” she explained. “I don’t know how I will use that.”

Something else she’s learned is independence. “It’s not Ben’s job to make me happy,” she said. “The main thing is these kids – and we’re completely in line with what we hope for them. Sure, I lost the dream of dancing with my husband at my daughter’s wedding. But you should see their faces when he walks through the door. And if you see your kids love someone so purely and wholly, then you’re going to be friends with that person.”

Read Jennifer’s powerful interview on Vanity Fair here.

Back in 2015, Matt Damon stood up for Ben Affleck in the wake of his split from wife Jennifer Garner and the rumours that surrounded him.

Ben Affleck & Matt Damon One of the most famous bromances in Hollywood began with the young Ben Affleck and Matt Damon grew up as neighbours in Cambridge, Massachussets. The acting, screenwriting and directing pair scooped a joint Best Screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting in 1997, which catapulted the friends to fame.

PA Photos

“There’s nobody who’s more misunderstood,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. The actor went on to talk about how Ben had clawed his way back up the Hollywood ladder, after his relationship with Jennifer Lopez.

“Ten years ago, the public image of him could not have been farther apart from who he actually is,” he said. “It was like he was being cast in a role, that he was a talentless kind of meathead, with his whole relationship with Jennifer Lopez. He just got cast as this person that he wasn’t.”

“It was just really painful. It was painful to be his friend, because it wasn’t fair, you know? To my mind, nobody really got him at all.”

“Through his work, he climbed from the bottom of the mountain all the way back up to the top,” he said. “And past where either of us had ever been.”

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

In September 2015, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner looked like they were keeping their divorce amicable. The pair were snapped in LA heading to Ben’s car.

The pair, who split in June 2015, after 10 years of marriage, were spotted out together and they were smiling. Proving that they are sticking to their word of, going “forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children.” Neither of them were wearing their wedding rings.

In August 2015, Ben Affleck was photographed with his former nanny, Christine Ouzounian, despite denying that there is anything between them.

The pair were pictured together on 17 July at Ben’s bachelor pad, where the 28-year-old was seen chatting and giving the actor a boxed bottle of Champagne. She was, at the time, said to be holed up in the luxurious Hotel Bel-Air, where room rates start from $1000 a night. It’s thought that Ben Affleck was footing the bill.

“Aside from taking care of her every need at the hotel, Ben has given her enough money to cover all her bills and expenses, plus spending money, for at least the next three months,” a source said.

The actor’s reps dened that he had an affair with Christine. It’s rumoured that Jennifer Garner fired Christine after finding out about the affair.

“She will facilitate him seeing the kids but other than that, she is finished,” US Weekly reported. “What happened with Christine is the ultimate betrayal.”

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL

On 30 July 2015, Ben Affleck denied that he was dating his children’s nanny, Christine Ouzounian, after US Weekly claimed that he had moved on with the 28-year-old.

The actor, who confirmed his split from Jennifer Garner the month before, after 10 years of marriage, made a statement in which he called the claims “garbage”.

His rep said that “all allegations of a romantic relationship are baseless and untrue”, before adding to New York’s Page Six: “The story is complete garbage and full of lies. You shouldn’t be able to hide behind ‘blind sources’ and attempt to destroy families going through a difficult time. The tabloid [Us Weekly] decided to construct stories in order to sell magazines. It’s like story time in kindergarten. It’s shameful and desperate.”

US Weekly reported that Ben and Christine met when she was hired to care for his children during his secret 10-month separation from Jennifer.

“They would hang out without the kids. And they were very flirty,” a source said. Apparently Christine has told friends “this is true love”. The publication went on to claim that Jennifer fired the nanny after she discovered how well the pair were getting on. Obviously this has been denied by the Affleck camp too.

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL

On 9 July 2015, reports surfaced as to the reasons behind the couple’s break-up.

According to People magazine, several sources close to the actress cited his infidelity (something Ben has denied) as well as his drinking and gambling.

“She loved Ben,” said another “close” friend. “But there comes a time when you have to say enough is enough and take care of yourself.”

This wasn’t the view expressed by everyone however, other sources said the break-up was mutual, something that rings truer after they were spotted on holiday together recently.

“Saying he’s a bad father and a husband is an easy story, and everyone has wanted to clock him as a womaniser and gambler,” says a source close to both. “He couldn’t deal with her expectations. When you’re told you’re not good enough, you start to believe it.”

The stars planned to co-parent their three children and wanted to remain living together in the same house.

SOURCE: PEOPLE

“After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce. We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time,” the couple said in a joint statement.

“This will be our only comment on this private, family matter. Thank you for understanding.”

Jen and Ben first met on set of 2001’s drama Pearl Harbor, and shared the screen later in 2003, when they both starred in Daredevil. The pair remained friends before going public as a couple at the Boston Red Sox’s opening game of the World Series in 2004.

The pair got married in June 2005 in a top secret Caribbean ceremony. They share daughters Violet, 9, Seraphina, 6, and son Samuel, 3.

[cinephiled-com]

New Post has been published on Cinephiled

New Post has been published on http://www.cinephiled.com/interview-writerdirector-rama-burshtein-explores-faith-resilience-wedding-plan/

Interview: Writer/Director Rama Burshtein Explores Faith and Resilience in ‘The Wedding Plan’

At 32, Michal (Noa Koler), an Orthodox Jewish woman, is finally looking forward to the comfort and security of marriage, when she is blindsided by her fiancé’s decision to call off the wedding with only a month’s notice. Unwilling to return to her single life, Michal decides to put her trust in fate and continue with her wedding plans, believing Mr. Right will appear by her chosen date. Confident she will find a match made in heaven, she books a venue, sends out invitations, and buys a wedding dress, as her skeptical family and friends look on with trepidation. During Michal’s month-long search for a spouse, she enlists the help of two different matchmakers, goes on a series of disastrous blind dates, and finds a very unexpected connection with a charming but utterly unsuitable pop star (Oz Zehavi) — all the while dismissing pleas by concerned friends and family members that she reconsider her crazy plan. As the day of the ceremony grows closer and no suitor appears, Michal puts everything on the line to find happiness.

I spoke with the talented Rama Burshtein, the world’s only ultra-orthodox female director and screenwriter, a few years ago about her wonderfully poignant film, Fill the Void, and was thrilled to sit down with her again in Los Angeles to talk about her delightful new romantic comedy, The Wedding Plan.

Danny Miller: I love your movies because they provide a window into your world that is so different from other films made about your community. I’m so impressed by the lead performances in both films. Noa Koler give a true star-making performance here — how difficult was it to find the right person to play Michal?

Rama Burshtein: I didn’t use anyone from my community in this film — there aren’t any professionals because people in my world don’t really study acting. For Fill the Void, it wasn’t so complicated because the main character was a young girl of 19. I found a wonderful young actress who hadn’t gone to acting school, who was still in the army, but I knew I could work with her. This time it was much more complicated — the character of Michal is in her thirties and has to be able to move you very deeply and also make you laugh. We have many talented actresses in Israel but this was something very special and I couldn’t find the right person, I was looking and looking. She couldn’t be too young, she couldn’t be too beautiful, there were a lot of considerations. And then, all of a sudden, Noa walked in and auditioned with a very complicated scene and just blew me away.

She’s fantastic. She kind of reminds me of the kind of women you’d see in American films in the 1930s.

Yes! Noa was a theater actress but you know, no one had ever given her a leading role, can you imagine? To be honest, we had some people who were not sure she’d be able to do that role, for it to be believable that all those guys would go for her that fast. But I wanted to take a gamble on her, and she was perfect. The audiences buy it completely.

Do you find it necessary to steep your actors in your religious world before you start filming so they fully understand that lifestyle?

You know, when I was making Fill the Void, I did try to do that — we were depicting a Hasidic world that our actors knew very little about. But here it was different. Michal is a baal teshuva, someone who has become religious later in life. Her mother is not religious, Michal has friends like her who don’t necessarily seem like religious women but they are, so it was different. But I worked very hard to get all the small details right.

I love the scene where Michal goes to the burial site of the Rebbe of Breslov, the spiritual leader of the group she’s part of, to find some guidance. Did you really go to Ukraine to shoot those scenes?

Yes, all the way to Uman. Of course we were only able to shoot the outside scenes there, we couldn’t bring cameras inside Rebbe Nachman’s grave, we did that part in Israel. But Noa was great in those scenes. She had to learn a different way of thinking and talking in the world, it’s not just a question of talking to God — when you’re in that mindset, it affects how you talk to others when you meet them. As I say, I don’t really look for religious actors, everyone’s ready to be religious for a little while in a film, that’s not a problem, but, forget religious, if someone is a nonbeliever — someone who thinks he has all the answers for everything and isn’t open to anything else, then I’m not sure I could work with that person. It just wouldn’t work with the dialogue that I write. Even the rock star in the film, who’s very secular, his thoughts about spirituality needed to ring true.

Have you found that any of your actors became more religious after appearing in your movies?

I’m not sure about religious, I don’t ever look for that, but I can definitely say that they all become believers, however that works in their lives. Noa is a very interesting example. For her, right after making this film started landing role after role. Her career really started at the age of 36!

I think there are a lot of misconceptions people have about religious communities, especially the roles of women. Being Jewish myself, I know that women are hardly subservient to men in Jewish households, and your films feature such strong female characters, but do you ever worry about how the outside world is going to interpret such things such as Michal’s intense desire to find a husband?

Not really, I find myself thinking more about how much we all have in common as human beings. People are people. It’s not so much about “getting married,” but who doesn’t want to find love? Everyone is looking for truth, everyone is looking for love. So if we all want the same thing, why aren’t we more united? One of the things that I’m trying to say with this film is do you believe that you find love? Do you believe that it’s possible?

That’s a life lesson that can resonate in all areas of our life, not just love.

Right.

I think the ending of this film will spur a lot of discussion between people — which is a good thing, of course! Kind of like the ending of The Graduate that a lot of people still fight about. Will Benjamin and Elaine really be happy? At the end of your film I didn’t have any doubt that things would work out for Michal — but I realize I might have had a very different reaction if I’d seen the film 10 or 20 years ago.

That’s very interesting because I do feel the film is like a mirror. Some people tell me that they think the ending is a little cheesy, and then we talk and I realize they can’t imagine such an ending in their own lives. Others think it’s the perfect ending which then tells me a lot about where they’re coming from.

And, of course, even in Michal’s world, a lot of people think her wedding plan is a bit nuts, to say the least. One of the best things about this film is that we don’t really see where it’s going,  at least I didn’t. I found myself very surprised by the specifics of the ending. When you were writing it, did you think about possibly going another way where Michal doesn’t find what she’s looking for?

(Laughs.) I love that question, because you’re asking me if I went through the same process that you did as a viewer. I find that very complimentary. But in truth, this story was a puzzle that required me knowing exactly where it was going from the beginning because there were a lot of pieces that I had to build in very carefully. I love that the film causes viewers to have this dialogue with themselves. How will it end? Who will she be with? Will she find someone? What’s her most important lesson? In a way, that dialogue is the same one that we all have every day with the Almighty, with the Creator as we live our own lives.

The Wedding Plan is currently playing in New York and Los Angeles and will be opening in other cities.

[tothemetaverseandbeyond]

LEARN DIALOGUE IN 10 MINUTES

“LEARN DIALOGUE IN 10 MINUTES” | The Backstory, Screenwriting Staffing

via Screenwriting Staffing by Founder of Screenwriting Staffing, Jacob N. Stuart

Hollywood has a short attention span. Unlike writers, who think they have all day to sit and ponder, plotting out their next script, or revising and revising a screenplay until their fingers are numb, the truth is: THEY DON’T. So in between your writing breaks (or more like looking yourself up on Google) take 10 minutes to learn the key recipes for success when writing dialogue.

SUBTEXT. Ben: “You can never ask me to stop drinking. You understand?” Sera: “I do.” – (“Leaving Las Vegas”, Oscar Winner.)

I think this is one of my favorite line(s) in ANY movie. Any dialogue examples will only make sense to the reader if the reader has watched the film. But for anyone who has seen ‘Leaving Las Vegas’, this quick, yet intense exchange of words, holds invaluable subtext. Ben’s line is on-the-nose, and purposely done. We know he’s lost his wife, son and job. He has sold his belongings, and methodically plans to kill himself in Vegas by use of the bottle, no exceptions. But when Sera says “I do”, does she understand? The words “I do” is only a quick fix, an answer that clearly masks how she feels, but can momentarily end this conversation. Sera is not concerned about his drinking habits. His purpose in her life, at least for time being, serves as a selfish distraction from her prostitution life. And finally ,after many years of sorrow, she’s found someone who is “worse off” than she is. So what is Sera “really” saying? She’s saying “No, I do NOT understand. But who cares, as long as you stay.” Subtext in dialogue is the ONLY truth in a character’s speech. Subtext is the underlying meaning of the character’s “surface” dialogue. But this can only be achieved when the writer understands the real motivation of his characters.  It is very common for actors to cross out any “parenthetical” direction under the character’s dialogue. An actor wants to personally interpret what the character is really saying. This will not only influence the actors “actions” during their dialogue, but also what words they emphasize. Without subtext, your characters are dull. And you will unfortunately find that the audience does not truly understand your characters, which will later force you to add too much exposition dialogue.

EXPOSITION. There is nothing I hate more than watching a TV pilot which shows a married couple sitting on the porch and listening to the husband saying, “Honey, you know we’ve been married for 25 years.” Of course she knows! But writers feel the need to add information that is not only organic, but OBVIOUS. How can a writer ensure that the audience knows the couple have been married for 25 years? Simple. In your action and description lines, highlight family photos with kids in their later teen years, or a wedding photo that is well worn and faded with the couple looking dramatically younger. And instead of having the couple cuddled on the couch hand in hand like a newlywed bride and groom, show them stretched out on the couch, with a bucket of ice cream in between them. Get the point? Add subtle action and description rather than obvious dialogue. There is a time for exposition. And it IS needed. For the most part, every film has expositional dialogue. But the best films take advantage of this at the beginning by communicating key information that the audience MUST have in order to fully understand the story. But remember, it’s always better to show, not tell.

GENERIC ROLES. It was always so embarrassing in film school when we held casting calls. It’s bad enough we can’t pay the actors for their time and that the film will never be seen by an audience, but the fact we brought these actors in to read a line for a ‘front desk clerk’ at a hotel which says, “Thanks for staying with us, come back again.” First, you must ask yourself if this scene is even needed, and if it is, does there really need to be dialogue. Can’t the clerk just wave goodbye? Try giving the front desk clerk something interesting to say, something that gives the audience a clear understanding about the hotel’s charm, size, and personality. You can also use this opportunity to give insight into your protagonist’s personality by having the front desk clerk do something silly or even obnoxious. This will allow the audience to see how your “hero” reacts. But please, don’t waste an actor’s gas money just to read a generic line by a generic character.  

SPEECHES. It is said that dialogue should be only of maximum of 2-3 lines. Having white space on a script is very important. And while “real” people don’t typically give long speeches , every great script should have ONE long and powerful speech. This should not be done at the beginning (unless it pushes the story forward) but at the end.

One of my favorite examples of a great speech is in “Scent of a Women”. The script is full of fabulous one-liners and memorable quotes, but one of the most stunning parts of the film happens when Colonel Frank Slade delivers his bombshell support for Charlie at the school. The impact of his “speech” was breathtaking, and the film wouldn’t have worked without it.

SILENT FILMS. Think silent films are dead? What about 2011’s Oscar-winning Best Picture : The Artist?  We go to the movie to see moving images. If we want lengthy dialogue and text we will read a book. Now I’ll admit, I go to Tarantino’s films to hear his characters speak, but he’s an exception. But writing is not a visual art. Turn the volume off on your favorite movie. Watch it all the way through. Do you still understand the characters goals? Do you understand the theme and message the director is trying to capture and preach? If the film was done right ,this can be achieved. It’s not uncommon for writers to write their script with only action and description first, and then later add the dialogue. I do not personally use this method, but many writers find it’s more important to tell the story visually before they tell the story verbally. Think about it.

COMMANDING A VOICE. I’d say over 75% of scripts that are never produced can be credited to the lack of “voice” for each character. It’s 120 pages of a writer speaking in the same tone and voice, giving us a boring sermon. Screenplays that work owe much of their success to “real” voices which come from “real” characters. Try this: Black out the character’s name in your entire script. Then go back in and re-read the screenplay. Can you differentiate between characters? Do you know who is speaking and who they are speaking to? If not, you are setting yourself up for failure. As a previous screenplay reader covering multiple scripts in a day, I wanted to scroll through these scripts as fast as I could. The ones which were most impressive and enjoyable were the ones I didn’t need to “check” and see who was speaking, I just knew.

VOICE OVER. I love voice-overs and will continue to use them when needed. But when do voice-overs destroy a screenplay? Well, there are many explanations on why and how this happens. But when a writer, for whatever reason, can’t fix character development or plot holes, they tend to revert to voice-overs which is a cop-out. So, before writing a voice-over you need to ask yourself, “Can my voice-overs be removed yet the story will still makes sense?” If yes, consider taking them out. Think of a director who watches his film and comments on it to an audience while they watch it. The director is adding insight, added bonuses, and layers to the story — something the naked eye may not see. Could “Shawshank Redemption” work without Morgan Freeman’s voice-overs? Yes, it could. But what the voice-overs provided was flare, personality, and a sense of continuity. The film’s success was achieved by clever writing and by allowing the characters actions to dictate the story first. The voice-overs were just the icing on the cake.

CONCLUSION: THE CONCEPT. Look, screenplays are bought on concept, not dialogue. So every writer should first focus on the overall concept of the script. When a writer has a compelling story to tell, the script is already half- way to selling. But dialogue should not be overlooked. It can add a great break when a script has a lot of action. Dialogue sticks with us, quoted by people for years and years. It can make us cry and laugh at the same time. Just remember, if you create a story worth telling, characters that are memorable, and an ending that will blow an audiences socks off, adding in the dialogue will come naturally, a total breeze.

Good Luck, & Get Started!

Article written by Screenwriting Staffing Founder, Jacob N. Stuart