#but i do like the girls showgirl costumes in vegas

[op3ra]

I'm not saying I didn't like the showgirl costumes, I'm SAYING the costumers were cowards for not giving rusty the same design

[aliypop]

Pocket Full Of Rainbows

Word Count: 2,445

Writers Note: I wanted to expand more on Elaine and Elvis

Warning: Slight Homophobia (Not from Elvis)

Pairing: POC OC x Elvis / Oc Kid x Father Elvis

Summary: In 1974 Las Vegas is booming with Elvis yet again, with his twins at the concerts for the first time, but things get a bit Queer When Elvis, Cecelia, and Jessie start noticing something different about Elaine.

Taglist

@darkmoviesquotespizza

@sissylittlefeather

@richardslady121

@thegettingbyp2

@presleyenterprise

@sissylittlefeather

@dkayfixates

@rjmartin11

@thetaoofzoe

@your-nanas-house

@zayurir

@60svintage

@sillybookmarks

@leapresley

Las Vegas 1974

"You come here often?" The waiter said to Elaine. He was 16 years old, cute, had a job, and what any girl her age would rave over. Elvis had nudged Cecelia in hopes that their late-blooming daughter was finally into boys. Jessie knew that joy wouldn't last. Elaine was always awkward with men. She'd start talking about comics or science. Or something to throw them off, "No, but my parents do..." Elaine rolled her eyes at the boy as he kept trying,

 "Your parents must be rich." Elaine smiled, trying her hardest to be nice, but she had that same aggravated face that both her parents made after a long night of shows. 

"Well, I'm a Presley, if you couldn't tell with them sitting here..."

"You're being shy, aren't you..."

"Buddy, she just doesn't like ya'," Jessie said as Elvis and Cecelia tried to hold out their laughs, 

"And who are you?"

"Her brother, now leave her alone, please." Jessie smiled as she was released,

"So you two liking Vegas much?" Elvis asked, eating his dinner with his own silverware. 

"Yeah, I was thinking of seeing the showgirls..." Jessie smirked as Elvis laughed, 

"Jessie Vernon Presley, you're 13," Jessie gulped. He could feel the glare in his mother's voice, "But Mama, I'm not gonna do anything stupid." he smirked at his father, which meant he was going to do something stupid, "Right Elaine... Elaine..."

Elaine had her sights on a redheaded showgirl. She looked about 16. and a work of art. Her feathers sat on her head like a lovely peacock, and her makeup was beautiful. Her eyes were an emerald green, and she was looking back at "Elaine? Somethins got your attention?"

"I-I-I was just, uh, looking at her costume." She gulped,

"Right, you were..."Jessie said. As Elaine kicked him under the table, the two bickering

"Hey, you two, stop it!" Cecelia sighed, "Your father and I have had a long night, and it's only gonna get longer with a midnight show!"

"Sorry, mama..." 

"How's everyone's food?" a waitress in her early twenties came by. Elaine couldn't take her eyes off her. She was like Wonder Woman, "You're great I-I mean, it's great, uh..." Elaine got embarrassed as Elvis and Cecelia were a bit suspicious, 

"Tone it down, E..." Jessie said, "The Eagle an Dove are catchin' on."

"The soup is amazing..." Elaine smiled. After dinner, Elvis and Cecelia went to their suite to get dressed as Jessie and Elaine went to explore The International Hotel, 

"Elaine's been actin' funny lately..."Elvis mentioned as Cecelia helped him put on his necklace.

"I don't know when I was her age. I wasn't

much of a flirt either." She shrugged, "I mean, I couldn't tell if a guy was even flirting." She laughed as Elvis looked at her. All his life with Cecelia, he knew her to be a flirt. 

"I don't know... When she's around girls, she gets all red and shy."

"Honey," Cecelia glanced at him,

"I know... That's how I get when I'm around you, all red and shy like a little baby." He laughed as she kissed his cheeks, 

"Is that so..." She blushed,

"Always is." He pulled her in front of his slightly fuller frame. His face was a bit rounder than it used to be, but Cecelia loved him just the same. 

"You don't think Elaine's hiding something, do you?" Elvis glanced down at his wife,

"E, you're gonna have to tell 'em, you're..."

"I'm what Jessie..." she glared at her brother, the two walking past the casino,

"A Cherry chaser."

SMACK!

"Ouch!" Jessie groaned, rolling his eyes, "The hell was that for!"

"That's a rude thing to say!" She grumbled, walking away from her brother, 

"Hey, hey, hey, no disrespect, sis, I like girls too," He smiled as she tried to glare at her brother, but she couldn't help that he meant well, even if he was stupid, 

"Awe, boys, Ruby doesn't wanna play with us !" a man said, attacking the showgirl from earlier, "She must be a muff diver or something..." A guy shoved her. The girl looked scared. She looked like she wanted to cry. Trying her best to walk past, "Probably under that makeup, she's a dyke..." 

"HEY LEAVE HER ALONE!" Elaine shouted as Jessie sighed. If there was one thing he knew about Elaine, she learned all there was to fight from their father's movies, so if anything, this would look like a fight from Blue Hawaii. 

"What, you her girlfriend or something!" The one man said, pushing Elaine. There was the feistiness of Cecelia in her eyes and the fieriness of Elvis in her fist. Drawing her hand back, she punched the man in his eye as Jessie jumped in to stop the other from trying anything. Jessie took Karate with Elvis cause it was a father-son bonding time activity, but did it come in handy. 

"Are you okay..."

"Ruby..." The girl said,

"Pretty name." Jessie blushed as Elaine sighed. She'd definitely lose this battle. Jessie kissed her hand as the showgirl pulled it back, 

"Thanks for saving me, uh..."

"Elaine Marie Love Presley." She winked, pushing her hair back. She hadn't noticed Ruby blushing, but Jessie did, 

"Presley as in..." 

   "Caught in a trap... I can't walk out~"

"Yeah, as in the two playing in the theater." Elaine smiled, "You maybe wanna meet em?"

"In these clothes..."

"You get changed. Meet us back here." She smirked,

"Okay." She smirked, her perfume gliding by them both as they sighed happily,

"Good going, sis."

"What did I do?"

"Got yourself a..." He trailed off as he saw a few teenage girls walk by, "Talk about a thousand pretty women waiting out there..." 

"Yeah, for you." She said as he laughed, 

"Good luck on your date, and don't forget you gotta tell 'em."

Elaine didn't know how to. She knew her mother and father. They'd love her, but they were traditional and very religious. Elaine and Jessie hadn't missed church or a church equivalence since she could remember. She knew they'd tell her. She'd be in a world of ruin and a first-class trip to hell, but she liked girls, and she tried so hard to get the rhythm of boys, but it wasn't her guitar to play.

"I hope this isn't a lot..." Ruby said she was out of her makeup and wig, and she had on a dress and flowers in her hair, 

"You look perfect," Elaine said, walking towards the stage door, their hands brushing against each other, 

Graceland 1974

"Well, since my Ruby left me... I found a new place to dwell. It's right at the end of lonely street. Vegas is where it dwells and-" Elaine began to sing as she strummed her guitar. Elaine had been silently going through a breakup with Ruby, who only found her attractive because she was the daughter of Elvis and Cecelia. They had exchanged secret letters and phone calls, or at least she thought, 

"Hey, uh, me and my friends are gonna rehearse if you wanna maybe join us?" Jessie offered. He hated seeing Elaine like this, 

"No thanks..."

"Estella's gonna be there..."

"Well, now that you add..." She jolted out of her bed and did her hair. Elaine had a big crush on Estella. She was the definition of cool. Blonde short hair, her blue eyes, her freckles, her Tupelo accent, and her skateboard. 

"I found letters in Elaine's room," Elvis said as Rising Sun was beside Lightning Bolt, Cecelia's horse. "Elvis..." She looked at her husband as he sighed, "You go snoopin. You'll find what you're lookin for," She said as he nodded. Elvis was getting worried, Elaine was being more distant lately, and she was short when they'd both ask her about school crushes, "I know, but she's hiding somethin. I don't know what, but damnit! I thought we'd be good parents where they can trust in us, you know!" Elvis was getting angry as Cecelia stopped her horse to walk over to him, 

"The twins are 13. They're going through teenage angst." She added, 

"But honey..."

"Honeybutter..." She squished his cheeks, "We're great parents, or at least as great as we can be. They're fed, loved, clothed, loved, taken care of, loved, listened to, loved," She kissed him as Elaine saw them. There was a pit in her stomach as she knew she'd never get that joy,

"So... Elaine..."

"Yes, Estella?" Her heart began to pound as she looked up at her, 

"Jessie tells me you play guitar. And you sing a little." She smiled as Elaine nodded, the prettiest masculine girl she'd ever seen, "Y-Yeah, I do... I mean, my parents are singers, so it runs in the family and-" Estella gave her a peck on the cheek, and Elaine turned red, holding her cheek, 

"Was I ramblin..."

"A little, I think it's cute."

"I think you're cute!" She blurted out as Estella blushed. She looked like a strawberry, "Unless you know this isn't your thing, and I'm assuming, and maybe I'm just being stupid an-" Estella leaned in and kissed her quick, 

"HEY TUPELO!"

"WHAT, JP!"

"WE'RE STARTIN!"

"You're red?" Elvis looked at his daughter as she blushed even more, "I-I have a fever!" she nodded, "I don't feel good..."

"So then Tupelo says. I'm playing the chords wrong!" Jessie rolled his eyes as Elvis and Cecelia laughed, "Like it's my mama's song, I'd never play it wrong!" He said as Elaine looked at him, 

"Maybe she's right..."

"Is not!"

"Is too!" 

"Oh yeah, you're agreeing with her 'cause she kissed you!" Jessie shouted as he soon after realized what he'd done, 

"She kissed you?" Elvis and Cecelia said in unison

"Ellie, i'm so-"

"Yes! She did, I-I..." There was a pit in her stomach, but she couldn't turn back now. The cat would be soon out of the bag, but it needed to be, "Mama... Daddy, I like girls..." Elaine said the room was filled with silence as she sighed, 

"Elaine, you're only 13 years old. You don't know what you like!?" Elvis said, his fist on the table as she glared at him, 

"You two, calm down!" Cecelia said, "Elaine, please explain why you think this is..." 

"Well, I really knew when I was 12. That I didn't like boys like the girls in my class did. I can talk to them as friends, but... I-" Elvis shook his head. He was confused as to how this happened, how he and Cecelia managed to miss the signs. 

"You what... saw a girl, thought guess I'll try that!"Elvis interjected, 

"I thought she was pretty, and today she kissed me! and-" Elaine cried as she ran off to her bedroom, 

"We're not done with this!" Elvis grumbled,

"I'll talk to her." Jessie followed his sister,

"Elvis Aaron Presley!" Elvis was in the dog house when his wife used his full name, his blue eyes looking at her desperation. He didn't mean to upset his baby girl, "I know I gotta make it right." He sighed, 

"Not till you tell me about your outburst..." 

"Cece..."

"Elvis..." Her brows furrowed, 

"Alright, fine, I don't want her gettin hurt out there... People ain't gonna accept her, and they'll say mean things or-or take advantage or-" 

"I don't know if you noticed Elvis, but we weren't socially accepted either..." Cecelia laughed, 

"Cause our music..."

"Cause of our love," She kissed his forehead, "I'm a little disappointed too. She won't marry a man or have grandchildren, but God told us to love one another. And that's our baby. She needs our support more than anyone."

"But..."

"Ah...Ah, she's already got it rough, being she and her brother are mixed, but she's Presley tough," She said as Elvis sighed, 

"I need to think," 

Elaine was sobbing into her pillow when she heard a soft knock on the door,

 "Little pumpkin..."

"Mama..."

"Can we talk?"

"Okay..." Cecelia sat on her bed, "Is Daddy mad at me..."

"No, he could never be. He loves you. It's just this surprised us both," 

"I'm sorry it's-"

"No need to be sorry, honey muffin. Can I tell you a story?" Elaine nodded as she laid her head in her mother's lap. "There was a girl who fell in love with an incredible boy back in 54. They were inseparable, but society didn't exactly like that."

"Why..."

"Well she was black, and he was white."

"Did they stop loving each other?" Elaine asked as Cecelia softly combed through ther hair, "No, They fought to be seen together, to love loud together," Cecelia swooned,

 "Did they win?!"

"Well, Christmas, we'll be together for 14 years now," Elaine gasped as she realized she was talking about her and her father, 

"Well, why are you telling me this mama?"

"Cause, I know we may not understand fully why, but I do know if you like this girl. Or this lifestyle, you're gonna have to fight for your love, fight to love loud, and fight to say I'm here, I exist, and you will see me." Cecelia smiled, 

"So you're not mad..."

"Not at all. After all, Aunt Midge likes women, and Uncle Richard likes men. " Cecelia laughed, "Heck, I think Ann Margaret is so pretty I'd kiss her if I could." Elaine blushed hearing that, 

"I think I'll go talk to Daddy." 

Elvis was outside in the meditation garden praying for guidance. He knew his daughter needed his love more than his misguided judgments. "Daddy... Can we talk?" She asked as Elvis looked up and saw her, patting a seat next to him as she sat down, "I-I know it's a lot to take in. But, it's how I was made to live and-" Elvis hugged his daughter tight, "I'm proud of you, I may not fully understand it, Little Biscuit, but I'll get around to it," He ruffled up her hair as smiled at him,

 "Guess you're a true, Presle." 

"Why's that, Daddy?" She looked up at him

"Cause the ladies can't resist us." He kissed her forehead,

"You're funny."

*Bonus*

"So then I told Estella. That I would go to the dance with her!" Jessie mimicked her words as Cecelia and Elvis listened, "How'd you manage that." Elvis asked, and Jessie mocked her still. Elaine curled her lip, quirked her eyebrow, and said, "I got close and said I wanna play house with you," 

Elvis and Cecelia both choked on their drinks, 

"You what!?"

"It's my favorite song of Daddy and... Does it not mean you want to play house like pretend ..."

"Oh, sweetie... please keep eating before you give us gray hair early." Elvis laughed.

[marastriker]

for the costume thing, dinah and ashley

Ooohh very fun :)

Dinah:

Her design is such a perfect representation of a 1950's diner waitress, down to the baby blue color and everything. Very clever idea for a dining car, of course, and it totally matches her canon partner, Greaseball, who is meant to have a 1950's "greaser" aesthetic, inspired by Elvis. This is also a really cool idea because during that era, a lot of diner girls served on roller skates as well!

They made some cute alterations to the diner waitress aesthetic, which enabled her to look more like a train car. There are passenger windows going down the sides of her arms and legs, showing that she is meant to be be a coach. I also am very fond of the napkin holder as part of her bun atop her head as well.

Something that was illustrated on the concept art that I wish could have made it to the final product is a necklace made up of plates, knives, and forks that could have been very cute! She needs some sort of necklace or choker, otherwise it looks a little too bare.

Also, I would like to say that I prefer the version of her that actually has leggings and a proper skirt that goes all the way around. The Vegas and later tour costumes are not designed with a dining car in mind, instead just making all the coaches look like showgirls which is....not a good direction when actually thinking about a production concept. Of course they did that in Vegas though, they only really wanted to appeal to a straight male audience rather than have any sort of integrity keeping true to the concept of toy train characters.

Ashley:

Ashley has very good design elements that reflect a smoking car really nicely - I might not have too much to say other than I wish they would stop trying to replace her as a coach because smoking is problematic, but not make any effort to give the coach replacing her a proper unique design? That's just lazy designing in my opinion.

Her color palette is very nice though, and I do get a sense of ashy and smoky when looking at it. Very smart initial idea. And the chimney stack in her hair is very nice touch!

I will say that I prefer her to have a curtain skirt design versus the hoop skirt that was used mostly. I think the curtain makes more sense as it would separate a smoking and non smoking area of a train and a hoop skirt makes more sense for a lounge car, which post 2018 Belle the bar car has written on her (which I still don't completely get, since those could still be separate train cars, but I digress) because it looks kinda like a lamp that would be present in a lounging area.

[apathyandmischief]

I haven't seen this done and it might be too niche, but I don't care and I want to do it so I am.

Burlesque Ask Game!

What's your stage name? What does it mean?

Lizzie Blaze. My middle name is Elizabeth and my partner's stage name ends with Blaze as well (based on his native name, Blazing Path) so I stole it lmao.

When did you make your debut?

October of 2019! I can't believe I'm headed up on five years doing this :')

Why do you do it?

For the rush, honestly. I grew up loving burlesque and old school pin up and always wanted to try it. It's such a heady, powerful feeling to command a stage. Also for all the shy girls who come up to me after my shows!! They're the best and like my reason to live!!!

Do you ever get stage fright?

I do! Nearly five years in and I still wonder what the fuck I'm doing every time I get on stage.

What's your pre-show ritual?

Panic, run through everything in my head, overthink, and if my sweet angel of a con bestie is there, get fed drinks 😭

First routine?

This is so fucking basic and everyone does this, but Jessica Rabbit 🥲

Last routine?

The last one I did was Miss Frizzle to Hot For Teacher. I loved it, the audience loved it, but my partner did not and kinda got upset with me over it (I went too far, in his opinion. He's a cishet man, so we've grappled with jealousy and internalized toxic masculinity. We both prefer I perform to a queer audience bc he's okay with me interacting with women and I prefer that anyway, but it's not always possible. We've worked it out though). Had a mini crisis and took a brief hiatus after that, but I'm back in it now.

Favorite routine?

That's such a toss up! I think either my Vegas showgirl inspired Vulpix routine to a custom mix of Bumps & Grinds by Sonny Lester and Fast Girls by Atom Smith, or my gay ass Daphne Blake routine to Crimson and Clover by Joan Jett (featuring Velma's sweater).

Dream routine?

God what I wouldn't give you have a femme partner to do gay routines with. I would LOVE to do a Loki and Mobius to Casual Affair by P!atD (I already have it choreographed) or a deeply dramatic and skillful Freddy and Nancy routine to the VCTRYS cover of Come To My Window. I also want to do a badass showgirl Oogie Boogie with a burlap blacklight costume that has a big ass bustle, break away corset with bugs, snake eye dice pasties, and a fuck all huge witch hat that has a roulette table underneath.

Favorite costume?

Definitely my Vulpix. I've already said it so much but it's just so showgirl! It's a gold corset, puff sleeve wrap top, open front bustle skirt, boa "tail", gold gloves, black stockings, red garter, and red strappy lingerie. After the aforementioned crisis though, I threw half of it away and I hate myself for it

Favorite prop?

I don't typically use props, but we have this magic act cane that like pops out (I'm so bad at explaining things jfc) that's super fun

Favorite reveal?

When I did a Grinch routine a while back, I had a pair of panties that said "I kissed Santa" 😈

Plain pasties or tassels?

I am not skilled with tassels 🥲

Upbeat or slow burn?

Usually I go for upbeat! But I do love a good slow burn sometimes

What's your style?

Definitely neo-burlesque, because I primarily do cosplay burlesque. But I love adding classic influence with big band jazz and sparkly outfits and classic inspired moves

Do you still/did you ever kitten?

I actually skipped that step in my burlesque journey? But I host and produce now, so I'll happily jump up and kitten for my cast whenever needed

Inspirations?

I really love Lavendelle, Ginger Valentine, and the Les Vixens troupe!

Best performer you know personally?

Her name is Peachy Sweets and she's the biggest sweetheart and worthy of so much love, she's just the best 🥲💖

Do you have a stage mom? Are you a stage mom?

I don't have one, but I've dragged so many people into my world and now I love playing stage mom behind the scenes!

Plug your next show! (If you're comfy sharing location based details)

I don't have specifics for the next one yet, but I run the burlesque shows at my local comic con and can always be found there!

[thesmokingguns]

Tous Les Jours

word count: 1472

Requested: “Hii💖 can i request a fic where their s/o is in a band like baby metal and at first their like “how cute girls dancing to metal” but then they see how heavy it is and how much control they have over the crowd” I don’t know who requested this but I hope you like this. It was super fun to write!

“Salut, Salut, Salut! We are Les Petites Souris from Paris, France! Comment ça va, Los Angeles?” The crowd roared to life at the opening act. Dressed in feathers, bedazzled corsets, and fishnets it looked like Vegas showgirls and very out of place for the opening act to a rock and roll show. “This is our song Tous Les Jours!” Nikki looked up, confused from the bar where he was currently being bumped into by people trying to rush closer to the stage. Tommy and Vince both looked absolutely out of their minds excited besides him.

He had been promised to see the hottest band in LA at the moment and a huge competitor but what looked like three hot French Burlesque dancers were on stage. WHen the music started his eyes furrowed together. Heavy bass lines and drum beats mixed with great guitar riffs, and then they were singing. The lead singer was pretty blonde with long legs that she was using to do the Can-Can with her backup singers. BUt her voice was angelic. Nikki watched the three girls in their synchronized dance moves. The high energy of the girls were like a mix of pop stars on MTV and strippers. The way that they danced to their music, that was way heavier than he could imagine for them. He stood in almost shock as they performed, well TBone pretty much went nuts beside him.

They sang a few songs before the crowd started to get wild and try to surge forward. It was like a fight club as people pawed at the stage. Nikki felt like he was watching Beatles Mania happen. The lead singer finished her song, giving the crowd a look over that made them fall silent. Tommy elbowed him, in awe of the stage presence from the petite singer.

“Que faites-vous, mes amis?” she tsked at them and Nikki felt his eyes glued to her as she walked a few steps towards the crowd. The way her hand went to her hip and she looked out at them like she was scolding children, “This show is for everyone but we will not sing if you keep acting like this, d’accord?” though they didn’t know what she was saying they all agreed with her anyway. The way she smiled at the audience had them all cheering as she walked over and started dancing again.

Nikki loved watching the way the three girls bounced around the stage like they were just having a lot of fun. It didn't feel like they were acting but it also felt like a full performance. It was a gimmick but they could actually perform and all of them had great voices that sounded right over the heavy music. By the time that the show was ending he understood why the guys had wanted to come to see the band so badly. He was surprised at the end of the show when he was thinking about how he didn’t want it to end. He enjoyed watching the girls dance to the heavy music, their bright smiles, costumes bouncing at their silly moves, and the way they drew the crowd into them.

At the last song it got so loud he could see his whisky shake in the glass. The crowd was absolutely losing their minds for them. The girls all clasped hands bowing to them and giving them all waves as flowers, bras, and even what looked like a pair of boxers all made it up onto stage. The singer once more stepped forward waving at the crowd and trying to get them to quiet down so she could talk.

“Merci, mes amies. Once again we are Les Petites Souris. We are selling some merchandise in the back of the club. Hannah, wave your hands so they can see you, mon amour.” Nikki turned to see the girl waving her hand. “We also will be playing at The Roxy tomorrow night. You can find me at the bar before the set and buy me a few drinks, oui?” she smiled as there were catcalls and whistles from the crowd, “Merci, mes amies. Until tomorrow, bonne soiree.`` She departed the stage and it took a few minutes for people to realize they were done and not coming out for an encore.

It was crazy how the crowd was already leaving when they hadn't even been the main band for the night. Vince and Tommy were already finishing their drinks which the bassist knew meant they were going to try to head backstage to meet the new chick band on the club scene.

When they made it backstage they had no problem finding the dressing room since they had all played here before. T-Bone wanted to just walk in but they managed to restrain him as Nikki knocked. The door opened and there was the blonde, looking him up and down.

“Do I know you?” She asked and he smirked that her accent had been real and not just part of the show. Her eyes rolled away from him to the two men that were with them. He could hear someone say something to her in French and she responded lazily with a Hand wave.

“I’m Nikki Sixx, this is Vince and Tommy. We saw you play tonight and just wanted to invite you out.” Her eyebrow rose and she turned to look in the room of girls relaying the messages. Two heads poked it looking at the men and they were all chattering over each other in what seemed like a game of pick your date. Nikki felt the heavy blue eyes on him of the blonde.

“So you come to our dressing room after our show without flowers, without champagne, without anything about our show and you and tes sales amis want to take us out tonight? Tut-Tut, Monsieur Sixx.” She walked away from the door replaced with another blonde who was making eyes at Tommy.

“Do not pay Charlotte any mind. Come back in an hour, yes? We will be ready then.” She shut the door leaving the boys all standing around. Nikki told the boys he’d be back in a little bit leaving the club, feeling like he had a challenge ahead of him.

The hour passed and when then girls came out they were changed from their stage costumes to more casual jeans and leather jackets. Nikki handed Charlotte a bouquet of roses watching the way her eyes danced in amusement.

“Great show.” He said, a smile blooming over his face. He watched the way she cracked the flowers bringing them close and inhaling the sweet scent.

“Merci, Monsieur Sixx.” Her hand went to her forearm lacing their arms together as they headed out and into the waiting limo that the band had.

That night turned into six months later and the pair had been pretty much inseparable. Nikki would take out the French singer as often as possible. She basically lived at his house, throwing parties and laughing loudly with all his friends. The way she managed to get everyone to befriend her with almost the trance-like control she held on stage never stopped impressing him.

The cult-like following of the band had them headline large arenas  where seats were packed to watch the cute girls dance to the metal songs. Everyone seemed to forget they could perform with a full range or dance moves and musical talent until they were seeing it live. The way the girls were in cotton candy pastel burlesque outfits contrasted to the heavy metal playing in the background.

Nikki had seen them dozens of times, loving to support his girl, and still he would be sucked into their performance. The cute dance moves, the heavy music, and the sexy outfits all seem to add to the band. He loved watching them can-can to the heavy baselines and the elegance they brought to the music. Just like he was hooked on seeing them he was hooked on their lead singer.

Nikki had known after the first night when she pulled cognac from her purse to splash liberally in their coffee after dinner that she was the girl for him. She made them all feel like they were in the presence of something great and lifted them all up to feel great as well. He loved that when he was having jamming sessions to figure out new songs she’d pick up her guitar helping him come up with the melodies to his music. Or how she’d sing his lyrics and he could finish a song after she had hummed out a few lines. The chemistry they had was something he had dreamed of.

He knew he loved her and he planned to keep her around so that he could continue to love her. Tous les jours.

[softcallofdutyimagines]

Off to the Races | AU: Gangsters/Casino | Russel Adler x fem!reader

Summary: You were born for the stage. A natural dancer with all of your youth used for experience, you now find yourself as a showgirl in one of Vegas' top casinos, the SunDowner. Owned by, Russell Adler, a notorious gangster in the underworld who remains undercover to the public eye, business is booming. Doubly so when a mysterious promotion comes your way, launching you to the top stage...

Just when you thought your life couldn't get more interesting, just how crazy will things get when the old gangster handpicks you from one crazy life to another, to keep for himself?

Tags: Gangster Au, age difference

Warnings: This fic has no explicit smut or anything, but WILL contain some overtly sexual themes and suggestive content, strong language, and age difference bc y'all know me 😪 So reader beware!

Y'all thought I was joking with this post huh lol

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

You’d be surprised how much that little mantra has gotten you through.

Tonight, it comes in handy once more.

You scurry into place on stage, surrounded by an array of women around your age in exactly similar costumes. Glittering, skin tight leotards, sky high heels to pop out some ass, sheer mesh sections to show a little skin, and long, billowing feather accents mounted on your back and head for God knows what.

It’s your first night doing a showgirl routine at the infamous SunDowner casino, right here in shiny, shimmering Sin City itself. You’re one of three acts going on at the same time, all on different floors of the building. Your performance is taking place in the middle floor stage where the least amount of people are likely to see you, just in case you turn out to be a waste of a contract.

You take a look around you. The other women seem so confident… That, or they’re damn good at pretending. Makes sense, you think to yourself, everyone and their mother is a damn actor in this town. It’s all an act... When Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage”, you doubt this is what he had in mind.

Suddenly, the loudspeaker booms, announcing the start of the show. The lights power on over head, blindingly bright as some oldie style song starts up. Something for the oldsters, no doubt. But then again… aren’t you too?

The curtains shoot to the side on the beat and you can feel yourself pulled into auto pilot. You’ve practiced this dance so many times, it’s like second nature by now. So you dance. You parade around, covered in glitter and somehow managing to not break your neck in these heels while you strut around and roll your hips and shake your ass for some drunk old men with all fourteen of the other women beside you doing exactly the same thing.

And while you preform... Somewhere, way way up on the top floor, Russell Adler, owner of this whole joint and a couple city blocks to boot, returns to his office after taking a walk through the gambling pits. He’s caught two hustlers tonight alone, both of which were dealt with… severely.

The Sundowner doesn’t take kindly to thieves, and neither does he.

He dips into a side room within the office space behind a covertly placed door into a soundproof room. Adler switches on the lights and takes a seat in front of a huge stack of tv monitors. He pours himself a glass of whiskey, and watches the live feed from his many surveillance cameras. These are to keep an eye on his dealers and pit bosses rather than the customers, contrary to what most may think.

Can’t be too careful in this line of business, after all.

The room is silent except for the rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the large oak desk. He’s not one for glitz and garish glamour, but he is never without his four favorite rings.

They adorn his right hand, all made of polished platinum. Three are made in the shape of a thin, wound coil with some decorative knurling along the surface in a trapezoidal pattern, getting slightly thicker in size right up to the crown piece on his index finger. The largest ring features the hissing head of a viper with inset eyes made of two black diamonds.

Each ring is easily worth several thousand dollars, and not even close to the most expensive item on his person tonight, let alone in his wardrobe.

His eyes shift from left to right, scanning each screen quickly and judiciously as he taps and sips. For a moment, he lands on the showgirl performance. The quality of entertainment and the establishment itself is every bit as important as making sure everyone else stays in line and on their side of the house rules.

Adler checks the camera marker and notes that these are the new hires. Whatever he sees, he’ll make sure to cut them some slack.

Some.

One girl stumbles a bit, right there on stage. She’s out. Another girl brushes against the one beside her. Out. Then, towards the finale, two girls jump out of sync with the rest. He shakes his head and sighs. Where the fuck are his people getting these girls from?

He takes note of the ones he wants gone, then manages to swallow his frustration and watch the wrap up. Things end to light applause and before the curtain closes he taps a key on his board of switches to pause the feed. He counts up the dancers and take notes of each girl personally.

You know… Throughout that entire shit show, if memory serves, there was only one girl who hit all the marks.

Adler rewinds the feed and focuses on you in particular. He follows your every step and leap. Watching every move, studying every turn…

He was right. Perfect, throughout the whole routine. He reaches for his red phone and calls up the man in charge of the girl shows.

“Who’s the one in position seven, middle stage show?”

There’s a moment of silence and a rustling of paper before the other man replies with your full name, a little bit of your credentials, and the date of your hiring. “Something wrong sir?”

“Yes, send positions three, ten, eight, and twelve home. We have standards, for God’s sake”

“Of course sir-���

“And as for seven… I want her performing top stage next time”

More silence, and then a tentative, “...Yes sir”

Adler clicks the phone into the receiver and takes the last sip of his drink. Hmp, lucky number seven… His gaze lingers on you and your supple body only a moment longer. He swipes his tongue over his bottom lip... then goes back to the rest of his cameras.

He’ll be interested to see if you can rise to the task he’s gifted to you.

When the last of your shows ends, you and the rest of the girls head back to the dressing room one more time tonight to get changed out of these contraptions they have you wearing. A stern looking man bursts into the room unannounced, he calls out four girls and sends them packing with no explanation given. His beady eyes scan the room and land on you, nearly giving you a heart attack as you brace to be cut as well.

“And you, seven… You’re performing in the VIP lounge next week. Don’t fuck this up”

And just like that, he leaves as quickly as he came, slamming the door behind him. The other girls turn to congratulate you, some bitterly, while you’re left reeling.

Playing the top floor, the “VIP lounge” is… huge.

Some girls perform here their whole lives and never get to see it. You’ve even heard that they hire foreign professionals, just to meet up to their standards. Up there you can make tips on top of your salary. Well, only for... private dances or pole shows, but still…

You go home that night wondering how such a thing is even possible, but soon decide to shake it off. Who cares how, all that matters is that the chance has come.

And you plan to rise to the occasion.

You spend your next two days off practicing and limbering up both with the other VIP dancers and on your own. Most of the women keep to themselves and you can tell they’re a bit resentful of your presence.

There’s no question about it, you’re the youngest one here and by default the least experienced. What gives you the right to be instantly promoted like that? If only you yourself knew.

Regardless, your first performance on the top floor is here before you know it. And things go… Fairly well, to be honest.

The routine is complex, but you can tell it’s been slowed down to give you a chance. The stage is bigger, the makeup more colorful, the costumes more revealing, and the lights brighter, and yet... you feel right at home. The nervousness has worn off by now and you’re a rising star on the stage.

After a few nights of proving yourself, you’re even hired for some private dances and given a chance on the pole.

The cash pool you take home gets bigger and bigger every night, and so does your audience.

But, for all the eyes on you, there’s one strange pair that bothers you the most…

You’re working a routine with the other girls tonight. The leading girl is out with a sprained ankle, so tonight you were given the honor to dance as the Primadona, front and center on the stage. You twirl and strut up to the front, the women behind you backing you up and mirroring your moves. They continue to spin and clear space in a geometric formation to give you room as you perform the finishing stunt.

With a deep breath of air, you perform an impressive high kick on the crescendo beat that transitions into a backwards somersault and ends in a split at center stage.

A roar of applause and whistles comes from the crowd of wealthy men and women watching you.

All except one.

You lock eyes with a lone gentleman sitting front and center at a round booth table in the dimly lit room. He takes a long drag on his cigarette and even behind his dark aviators you can feel his eyes on you. As though to confirm your suspicions, he lowers the glasses to the bridge of his nose, exhaling a plume of smoke as he stares directly into your irises.

He brings his cigarette back for another hit, the small flame highlighting a horrible looking scar that goes the length of his cheek, and as the curtain falls, his creased, glowing blue eyes are the last you see of him.

The truth is… Adler’s had his eyes on you ever since that first night on the cameras. Tonight, he came down just to see your show in person. You’re just as good as you are on camera. Perhaps, even better.

No... definitely better.

He’s been reviewing your track record as of late. You took ballet lessons ever since you were just four years old. Won several awards for dances and even some state level beauty pageants. Joined the dance club at your highschool and got a scholarship from it to put you through college. You’re trained classically, but it would appear the only jobs you’ve ever gotten are clubs, bars, and casinos just like this one.

Adler smirks to himself, thinking of your pretty young face as he takes another drag. Maybe you're not as innocent as you seem.

He can work with that...

[bisluthq]

At first I thought the Vegas residency would be a great thing for Katy. She would get a ton of money and she could have done ~camp~ without dancing poop and toilets and soda can boobs. She honestly does have hits and she should have opened the show dresses in a cute showgirls type costume for Waking Up In Vegas, then transitioned to the deeper cuts and ended on a big note with cute and sexy costumes, not these Halloween costumes. It along with American Idol would have kept her relevant and sure her main pop girl days are over, but she could have had a successful show. She also dropped an EDM song the other day, I mean EDM has been over for a few years now. Of course it’s flopping, but I don’t know what is going on in her team’s head with these decisions.

Yeah it’s like she’s just FULLY refusing to bow out gracefully. She could absolutely have had a greatest hits show that would have SMASHED in Vegas - with exactly the set you describe - and maybe she could release more chilled out like Adult Contemporary tbh. But she’s legit trying to be Cool™️ and like it’s just… not possible. She could’ve kept doing the talent shows yeah and just been graceful about the whole thing kinda like Kelly’s been yk? Like Kelly bowed out of “main pop girlie” super gracefully and she’s not an Icon™️ but she’s super warmly remembered and had massive hits.

[batboyblog]

Tim Drake’s Costume through the years

I’ve been thinking about changing comics costumes over the years so I thought I’d go through one of my favorite character’s changing costume

1. The Classic 1989-2007

this classic look is Tim’s longest standing look, while different art would make it look different  

but the basic look stayed unchanged for a long time, reason being it’s a good costume.

Notes: Tim in the animated Series

When Batman The Animated Series came along in 1992 they used Dick as Robin at first, but for sure they weren’t gonna put him in the green undies, particularly since he was drawn as an older teen/college student. So the show stole Tim’s costume

Now when Batman The Animated Series was rebranded as The New Batman Adventures in 1997 it was more kid friendly and brought in Tim as a young Robin. But how to tell him apart from Dick, well Tim was tiny and clearly a middle schooler but I guess that wasn’t enough because they gave him:

2. the “No touch me, I’m sad” Costume 2007-2009 

you can see why I brought up the Animated series yes? Officially any ways this was about Tim being sad about the deaths of.... well everyone he cared about but in particular Superboy he changed his costume to Red, Yellow and Black Superboy’s “colors” though I don’t think T-shirt Conner had yellow in his costume? maybe the yellow was for Bart. But pretty clearly it was meant to bring Tim’s costume in line with the animated series for some reason. 

3. Red Robin 1, the condom head 2009

So when DC went a little crazy and made Dick Batman, Damian Robin, rather than the logical choice, make Tim Nightwing, they nicked the idea of Red Robin from Kingdom Come with the costume. now this costume was struggle bus, designed with a beefy middle aged man in mind it always looked awkward on a skinny 16 year old. Also they struggled a little keeping it consistent 

and well the cowl... “off brand Dr. Mid-Nite” “like the click top of a pen” and most famously “Captain Condom Head” so comic writers took any excuse to take it off, which did help 

4. Red Robin 2 2011

In an attempt to do something better they came up with this, though it had a rather pointy mask

that nose guys! also it some versions it had pointed horns coming out of Tim’s long hair. yikes, luckily DC was rebooting all of reality to fix these problems.... 

5. Red Robin 3 New52′s Vegas Show girl 2011-2016

ah the famous showgirl wings, honestly I like them, but honestly the rest of the outfit is a train wreck

Belts belts belts! it’s very 1990s in that way, random belts everywhere for no reason 

when you take the wings away you see how much of an over busy mess this thing was, and the Ts on his shoulders is a little insulting basically declaring he’s only a Titan and nothing else, he doesn’t have an R (or RR) 

6. “Red” Robin 4 the Classic redux 2016-2019

With Rebirth DC admitted that honestly Tim had only had one good costume, the classic. While I love the Classic it’s clearly a very 90s look (in a good way) so the was a touch up to give the classic a more 2010s feel.

they finally admitted defeat and ditched the second R and just started calling him Robin, because Red Robin was a failed experiment.

7. Drake, Duck Boy 2019-

Because DC can’t leave well enough alone they took a perfectly good costume and code name and decided that Tim needed an ugly as hell brown costume and a code name that was dumb and not cool, Drake? seriously? pretty unlikely to last.

Note on hoodie boys 

non-Comic Tim’s worth mentioning here, Young Justice, again a cartoon Dick Grayson stole a Tim Drake look

So when season 2 brought Tim around they needed a new look for him:

just kinda added sleeves, I guess adding green would have been a war crime? in season 3 they gave him a hood, like say....

Arkham Games Tim who is 400% Beef in a hood and looks nothing at all like Tim Drake.

[moonbearmeliox]

X-Men Series Film Review

Welcome back to “Bren rambles about a movie/tv series.” So I just spent the past three days watching the main X-Men movies and while watching I wrote down my thoughts and what came to mind when watching the movies. Spoiler Warning(duh) for the X-Men movies. Also trigger warning because I do talk about homophobia and conversion camps.

X-Men

As the woman is talking about how mutants can be scared to revel themselve because they could be met with hostility and violence, I find this as a parellel to gay marriage and how LGBTQ+ are scared to come out because they won’t be accepted. Mutants are scared to say they’re mutants of fear of being put to death; LGBTQ+ people are scared to come out in fear of being met with violence or judgement(some places you can be put to death for being gay.

“We should decide if parents want their kids to be in school with mutants.” Sounds the same as “Do you want your child to go to the same school as a gay person? Do you want to be in the bathroom with a girl who has a dick?(in the context of conservatives who don’t want transgender people to use the bathrooms they identify with because “their genitals don’t match)”

Speaking of gay: Eric and Charles

Wolverine got anger issues

Wolverine adopting a young girl with mutant powers, how many times is this going to happen? At least twice.

Rouge really got the shortest end of the stick with the mutant gene.

Give Rouge a male love interest that will inevitably die by her hand, that’s what I’m assuming.

Jean Gray is going to be Wolverine’s love interest, calling it now

Mystique’s costume always bugs me because she’s essentially naked. Like, the directors were like “She must wear no clothes.” “That’s not practical-” “Men will eat it up. The sex appeal, yes. Because women can never have practical costume design.”

Scott looks like he’s played by the main dude in the Sonic Movie(I was right!)

Can Magneto bend the iron in people’s bodies?

“You never use your power against another mutant.” How long is that going to last?

Dad Logan is the best Logan.

The Train Splitting scene shows how powerful Magneto is but didn’t Charles tell Wolverine that Magneto can control metal. Wouldn’t Wolverine have the knowledge, “Hey using my METAL claws against a METAL bender might not be a good idea.”

Kinda figured he would want Rouge, a mutant who can literally kill someone with touch is definitely something the big bad would want.

Magento could just metal bend Charles’ wheelchair.

So Magento’s plan is to turn everyone into mutants, right?

Charles explained it more and it sounds like Terragensis from Agents of Shield with the crystals. Some come out of it with powers, others will crumble to dust.

What powers the cortex that makes it so Charles goes into a coma? Like how does the liquid get into his brain for that to happen?

Yes Jean, it is a perfect idea to put the helmet that put Charles into a coma on your head. Nothing will go wrong.

Mystique really only has like five lines in this whole movie. She really is just supposed to be eye candy.

Of course classic shapeshifter double, who’s who scene. Probably going to be resolved with Jean Gray knowing which one is the real Logan.

The fight scene isn’t that well shot but it is 2000 so

I don’t remember there being a big museum when I visited the Statue of Liberty

I doubt Mystique will stay dead.

Again they thought it would be a good idea to send Wolverine, the man with METAL CLAWS to help fight a METAL BENDER.

Nice of Magneto to put Cyclops and Jean right next to each other face to face.(Director: They’re a couple they must face each other so one can kill the other)

Yep, knew Mystique couldn’t stay dead

Why did they try and have Jean and Logan have a weird semi romance set up when Jean is dating Scott

They gave Charles a plastic wheel chair for when he visited Magneto. Ha, that’s funny.

Plastic isn’t that durable, it would be easy to break Magneto out

X2

Nightcrawler!

The fights scenes have improved, but they’re using a lot of wire rigging

Alan Cummings played NightCrawler. Knew he looked familiar.

Let’s have Wolverine follow a wolf even though wolves are wolverine's natural predators.

Watch the president be a mutant

Dad!Logan

Still painting it that Logan and Jean could possibly end up together. No thanks.

I see they didn’t change Mystique’s costume design. Is she going to say more than five lines in this movie?

Government wants to pass an act to detain and control all mutants, goes and raids a school filled with mutants, and then is SURPRISED when the mutants retaliate. “Oh we don’t want to start a war” THEN LEAVE THEM ALONE. Of course they’re not going to leave them alone because what isn’t normal scares them and must be dealt with no matter what.

Getting even more parallels between mutants and LGBTQ+. Striker wanted his son cured of the mutant gene but was ultimately upset when Charles’s school couldn’t do that. It’s similar to how when people come out to their parents, their parents send them to conversion camps to “Cure” them because they think being gay is an illness. 

Bobby don’t get horny, it will only end badly

I asked the question if Magento could bend the iron in people’s blood in the last movie. The answer is yes. Yes he can.

Bobby’s parents “Have you tried not being a mutant.” Gives more LGBTQ parreles “Have you tried being straight?” “Have you tried being your assigned gender?”

An officer shooting a white guy? Unrealistic.

Welp Bad guys and good guys team up to save Charles.

Jean and Logan kissed. Here’s my shocked face. #TeamScott.

But seriously, I hate how the main dude must have romantic interactions with the main girl. It’s never the main dude has romantic interactions with a minor(minior in the sense of not that important to the plot) girl, Storm is right there with no love interest. Pair Logan up with her, that way we aren’t running an already established romance, But nooooo, Hollywood loves to have love triangles.

Mystique changing into Jean, making out with Logan, and then changing into a bunch of different girls makes me uncomfortable.

But again, “All women who have the potential to be a love interest must kiss the main dude” now we wait for Storm to give Logan a smooch.

Female Wolverine!

Magneto had his own secret agenda? Who would have thought?

Bobby’s going to come in clutch with freezing the water

Why does Jean need to go and stop the water? Bobby has control over ice, he can stop it.

Man I really feel bad for Scott. 

But I’m miffed because it’s the classic female character dies to further male character’s development.

Oh look Jean’s alive, not surprise. Is she going to be the villain of X-men 3?

I couldn’t watch X-Men 3 because it wasn’t available on any sites but reading the wiki synopsis I was right on her being a bad guy(MY BOY SCOTT GOT MURDERED!). Upset Charles died but he was old and the mentor figure so he kinda had it coming.  On to the prequels. 

X-Men-First Class

So Charles met Mystique first. And her name is Raven. Wonder what caused their split. I just hope they weren’t romantically involved

Poor Erik, really giving him a tragic backstory

James Macavoy!

Raven and Charles call each other siblings! Oh this is going to hurt more.

Excuse me while I get distracted by Vegas women.

But also did the CIA woman plan to sneak in as a showgirl. Because who would wear lingerie under work clothes unless she planned for this(or planned to get freaky later). I mean it’s Vegas so maybe she was prepared.

Emma Frost is a telepath and can crystalize her body. Not what I was expecting with the last name Frost but I also find it odd that her two mutations don’t intersect with each other. Telepathy and crystallization have nothing in common, so the only explanation is that she got both genes from her parents. It would have to be rare since males are usually the ones to pass the gene to their kids.

Azazel. I’m guessing is Nightcrawler's dad. He and Mystique will get romantically involved and have Nightcrawler. He’ll get the blue skin from his mom but the mutant gene from his dad.

Ok I’m miffed about the costume design again. It’s London and it’s raining and they decided to have Raven and the CIA woman wear SHORTS! They’ll be freezing their asses off all so you can have some leg candy? What’s so appealing about knees? Nothing. It’s always been women’s costume designs that have to be appealing, not practical.

If Charles can’t be involved with Mystique, then he’ll have to get involved with Moira?(I don’t know if I heard her name correctly, the CIA lady). Because all male characters MUST have a romantic love interest(sarcasm)

That one CIA dude, he’s a real one.

So the dude that killed Erik’s mother, is also a mutant. 

How is Erik trending water and controlling metal? Nevermind, he’s drowning

Charles saves Erik! And thus the ship is born. “Erik, you’re not alone.”

Hank Mcoy. They zoomed in on Mystique when he was looking at her. Reading the camera angles...oh please don’t have another romantic set up.

They did the Spiderman/MJ framing with Hank upside down and Mystique very close to his face. Yep, they’re setting up a romance between them that will ultimately go nowhere because again, Mystique will do the do with Azael to get Nightcrawler.

Hank and Mystique have only known each other for like five minutes and they’re already having a picnic on top of a rocket. I hate how romance moves so fast in movies.

And Mystique was going to kiss him. Just...no

Erik, right after he walks in on Hank and Mystique’s picnic: If I looked like you, I wouldn’t change a thing. 

Are they really trying to set up a love triangle between Hank, Mystique and Erik? I know Magneto and Mystique's relationship in the first three movies is close, but that sentence just makes it sound like Erik is jealous.

“Are you sure we can’t shave your head.” “Don’t touch my hair”. I mean he’s going to lose it eventually.

I love the mutant finding montage. Especially the Wolverine cameo

My mom just informed me that the bad bad is played by Kevin Bacon so that’s what I will refer to him as since I can’t remember his name.

These recruited mutants aren’t going to last long. They’ve got the youthful team up energy, they will be the “First Class” hence the name, but we probably won’t see them again after this movie.

Charles, Erik and Moira being disappointed parents. Starting to get a family vibe that we didnt get from the last three movies.

Charles as Erik storms in: I’m sorry, I can’t leave him. They’re gay your honor.

I just realized that Frost is the second right hand woman to have no real costume. She’s just like Mystique where “she must wear the least amount of clothing possible or have no clothing at all when using her powers” I just wish it would stop.

Let’s take the right hand woman who is a telepath with us. What could go wrong?

What is Angel’s motive to go with Bacon, like I don’t get it. And the adaption dude? It’s just a turn on the dime. Nevermind it was a fakeout and one of them died. Knew they weren’t going to last long.

I feel like Chalres trying to shoot Erik as training is foreshadowing.

Training montage

SO Bacon loses Frost and now has Angle as his right hand woman? I honestly didn’t think that necessary.

Welp there goes Mystique and Hank’s relationship. He only liked her when she was in disguise.

Conflicting differences! Finally get to see Erik and Charle’’s view on humans.

Knew it! As soon as Hank dumps Mystique she goes straight to Erik. Because “She MUST be romantically involved.” Why? Why? Can’t she just...not. She doesn’t need a man.

Erik: I want to go to bed. Maybe in a few years. Ha funny.

I get Mystique going to Erik because he accepts her, unlike Hank but again, she doesn’t need to have a love interest.

Suits! But again, miffed about Mystique’s suit not being fully set up. SHE DOESN'T”T NEED TO HAVE HER CLEAVAGE TEASING IF SHE”S GOING TO BE FIGHTING!

Could Charles just stop controlling Bacon, so he can move and Erik wouldn’t have a chance to kill him.

But good cuts between Bacon and Charles.

The boyfriends are fighting!

Oh that’s how he gets parralized. I forgot about that.

Erik really does care for Charles even tho they have different viewpoints

Mystique going with Erik and having Azeal with him is setting up the perfect opportunity for Nightcrawler.

“Gentleman, this is why the CIA is no place for a woman” *Big gigantic crash* That’s what you get for being sexist.

Days of Future Past

So these machines can absorb mutant powers and transfer them to other machines. A new threat.

Oh Charles isn’t dead from being disintegrated by Dark Phoenix

Logan!

Charles confirmed Mystique was like a sister to him.

So Mystique’s dna was the cause of the Sentitnals. I understand that stopping Mystique from shooting the doctor will change that, but also if that doesn’t work they would have to kill Mystique.(which won’t happen because she’s in the next movie.

Charles tells Wolverine that he didn’t have his powers in 1973, but First Class takes place in 1962 where he definitely had his powers. So what happened to Charles that made him lose his powers?

For once the government isn’t targeting mutants

Well one dude from First Class is in this movie, but sadly I can’t remember his name. X-beam guy.

Why is Charles drunk and not parallelized?

Hank still cares for Raven. Guess the love triangle is still a thing

Oh he’s doing the equivalent of mutant heroine to get rid of his powers and walk.

Erik in gay baby jail.

Erik killed JFK?! Why?!

I feel like if Mystique is searching around the office of someone, she should still be disguised as someone so she doesn’t get caught. I get her dropping the disguise to show the audience it’s her and it builds suspense but she would draw less suspicion.

PETER! MY boy!

I love that he talks fast and that’s kinda like a teenager. I don’t know how old he actually is.

“My mom knew a guy who could do that.” They’re not even trying to be subtle here.

Slow mo Peter speed scene! Yes!

Is that all we get of Peter in this movie? I hope not.

JFK WAS A MUTANT?

So Magneto can lift a plane, a submarine, and now a baseball stadium. Why does he need a baseball stadium?

They showed a clip of Peter watching the broadcast and he’s holding a little girl. I’d like to think that’s Wanda.

Everyone’s alive. Yay!

I’ll excuse Jean being alive because time changes and all that. SCOTT! SCOTT”S ALIVE! YES!

Apocalypse

Hey Oscar Issac

Young Scott!

Young Nightcrawler!

Erik went from wanting to kill humans to being a farmer and having a wife and daughter. Still going to end up on the bad side.

Young Jean Gray! Scott and her start out rocky but we know they’re going to end up together.

Knew the wife and kid wasn’t going to last long. Always got to do something that makes Magneto the bad guy

Two birds...one arrow

For this one, I can understand Magneto’s anger

Young Storm was originally on the bad guy’s side.

Scott sees things through literal rose tinted glasses.

I love Kurt.

Scott use to be a rule breaker

At least Storm has a practical costume. 

Also if Erik really wanted to lay low, why did he choose to work at a metal factory.

Pyslocke’s costume isn’t practical. She’s got a boob and butt window. Girl there are so many places you could get stabbed.

PETER!

Charles and Erik always greet each other with old friend

So birdman gets metal armor and the girls get nothing.

Peter slow-mo! This will always be my favorite speedster scene

So the only people that can save the X-Men are Cyclops, Jean Gray, and NightCrawler. Three teenagers with no plan. They got this.

Go Charles! Fighting no matter what.

Logan!

Thankfully most of these characters can’t die.

Pyslocke  and Angel can die but the others all have plot armour

Peter didn’t tell Erik he’s his son. Why?

No not the hair! Apocalypse took Charle’s hair.

Go Peter!

No Peter!

So Charles still has the hair when he’s in Apocalypse's head. Part of me knows it won’t grow back but I hope it does.

Mind fight!

So Erik is on the good guys side until the next movie.

Mystique finally has a good costume design

Dark Phoenix

The dude they got to play Bush doesn't look like Bush

SPACE!

This mission is going to go wrong and the X-men are going to get planned. Thus leading the world going against mutants again.

They gave Scott is own eye cannon, nice

Yea absorbing a solar flare will definitely cause your powers to go way hire

Well the mission didn’t go wrong, the way i thought it would. That’s good.

Charles motives have changed

So, men, supposed gods, robots, and now we’re dealing with aliens

Charles kinda being shown as a bad guy is weird. So used to seeing him have good motives.

The aliens want Jean to use her power to take over earth. Not surprising.

Dad now is not the time to poke the super powered bear

Police always show up at the wrong time

I know Mystique can’t die. This is the prequels

But again, Stop killing female characters to further male character’s development.

Oh there’s Erik. 50 minutes in and i thought we weren’t going to see him

Jean’s got a heat signature with that solar flare so it would be easy to track her.

At least the military decided to fallback instead of shooting

And there goes humans liking mutants. This is why we can’t have nice things.

So Mystique’s death is what sets Erik on being the villain again? It’s the same as a woman losing her husband and becoming a villain for revenge. Honestly I’m tired of love revenge plots.

Guys stop fighting! You’re  friends!

Oh shit! Jean is making Charles walk. And not in the good way.

OH SHIT KURT IS KILLING PEOPLE NOW!

Dark Phoenix. A movie about family.

Legend of the Phoenix. She’ll rise from the ashes.

Bummed Peter wasn’t in this movie more

All in all, Apcolypse is my favorite X-Men movie.

[starforsharon]

Sexy Little Me

This is how Hollywood turns a pretty Texas girl into Sharon Tate, the star.

By John Bowers for "The Saturday Evening Post"

1. Two of Sharon Tate's three pictures have been produced in Europe. Although Texas-born, Sharon spent her adolescence abroad, and much prefers London to Hollywood.

2. Sharon will be shown off to American audiences for the first time in DON’T MAKE WAVES. On the set, she reacts prettily to a compliment from co-star Tony Curtis.

3. At 6 months Sharon won Dallas’ “Miss Tiny Tot” award.

4. Portraying a Las Vegas showgirl who becomes a superstar in VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, Sharon had to wear a 10-pound jeweled headdress which “gave her a headache.”

5. This picture of Sharon and her father, Maj. Paul Tate, at a 1965 Fort MacArthur party is from a large “family events” scrapbook that Sharon dutifully keeps.

6. Relaxing on the set of YOUR TEETH IN MY NECK, Sharon listens attentively as the Polish-born Polanski explains how she can improve her performance in the next scene.

May 6, 1967 – Sharon Tate had finished her last scenes for The Vampire Killers (later to be called Your Teeth in My Neck), and had no film work for the moment. At 95 Eaton Mews West, London, she moved about in the late afternoon looking for something to do. She sat Buddah-style on the living room floor and put on fake eyelashes, one eyelash at a time. She worried that a sunlamp treatment, taken a few hours before, was going to make red cracks in her face. “Doesn’t it seem to be getting all red on the cheeks? Look close now.”

She wore a gray sweat suit and furry boots, having been to her daily gym class that afternoon. She didn’t like the gym class, but Roman Polanski, her director, had told her she must go. She frowned into a hand mirror, thinking she saw a red streak. She started to bite a fingernail, but stopped. Roman had forbidden any more fingernail biting; she had a tendency to bite them down to the nub. She went to the refrigerator, and amidst Wyborowa vodka and Carlsberg beer, brought out the makings for a salami sandwich. She would not drink a beer because it might bloat her, and Roman was taking her out for dinner.

There was no place in the apartment for her to settle back and relax now. Everything inside had a transient look, as if the tenants would only be there a short season. A complicated stereo set sat on crates; Bach on top of a stack of records, Cannonball Adderly on the bottom. There were no pictures, no pets, no cozy heat. Upstairs on the wall was a framed citation stating that Knife In The Water under the direction of Roman Polanski had been nominated for an Academy Award. As Sharon reached for a folder of still photographs from The Vampire Killers to show a male visitor, she stuck up her bottom in a way she has; as she went through the photos, she pooched out her bosom. But she did it by reflex. Her thoughts were totally on her director, who was not there. She had been in three unreleased films – 13, Don’t Make Waves and The Vampire Killers, all with different directors.

If she caught the public’s fancy in any of these pictures, she would become a movie star. And she was pleased with her work in The Vampire Killers. She was in a nude bathtub scene in it, and in a brief sequence in which she got spanked.

The phone rang; it was a strange female voice with a French accent. “Is Roman there?”

“No, I’m sorry he isn’t,” Sharon said, in her accent of the moment, which was English. “Who shall I say is calling, please?”

“Oh – I just wondered if he were in. Tell him Barbara. Thank you very much..”

The dull London afternoon turned dark, and still no Polanski. He could be cutting The Vampire Killers, or he could be tied up in London traffic or he could be sitting in a café. She took off her furry boots and put her feet into his house slippers, which rested at odd angels by a mammoth bed that cost over $600. The slippers were far too big for her. She wondered if tonight she would be thrown with people who would overwhelm her with their wit, their awesome knowledge, their self-confidence. When she was out in public with Roman, she never felt adequate enough to open her mouth. She could only talk to him alone. Her problem was that she had always been beautiful, and people were forever losing themselves in fantasy over her – electing her a beauty queen, imagining her as a wife, dreaming of a caress. Most people had fantasies. But a few people, like Polanski, took charge.

At the age of six months Sharon Tate was elected Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas, Tex. Her mother had sent in photos of the beautiful baby to contest officials. Sharon’s father was (and is) in the Regular Army, and was then stationed in Dallas. (Both her parents are natives of Houston.) As Sharon grew up, the family moved around in Army style, her father frequently absent from home. She remembers that when her father would return from an overseas tour, and she had reached a nubile age, her mother’s first command would be, “Now you, Sharon Marie, button up that night gown when you come out of your bedroom. Daddy’s home.” Her father was very strict with her as she budded through adolescence, turning thumbs down on potential boyfriends and making her stay in nights. He was very strong and knew how to take charge.

But most people continued to do things for Sharon without her lifting a finger. At 16 she was elected Miss Richland, Washington, and a short time later named Miss Autorama. At the age of 17 she was in Verona, Italy, where her father was stationed, and the prizes mounted. At Vicenza American High she was a cheerleader and baton twirler, and was chosen Homecoming Queen and Queen of the Senior Prom. The Vicenza yearbook for 1961 shows her as a very pretty, large-eyed girl, with hair somewhat darker and hips a little broader than now. She daydreamed at this time about becoming a psychiatrist and a ballerina, and had little to do with her classmates. Yet if any far-out stunts or fads were proposed, this terribly quiet girl was ready to lead the way. “If miniskirts had come in then, ” she says, “I’d have worn the shortest one.”

Today the fad among young girls in cosmopolitan circles is to use the old Anglo-Saxon words in everyday conversation, and Sharon Tate leads the way. But back in Italy at 17, she was just starting her worldly knowledge. She watched the on-location shooting of Barabbas, a film about ancient Rome, and the family scrapbook now includes still pictures of Jack Palance and Anthony Quinn in the movie costumers they wore in Italy. As she walked in Venice one day, she was spotted by the choreographer for the Pat Boone Show, which was being filmed in Italy. She next appeared very briefly in one of Boone’s TV shows, and his glossy smiling face now rests in the album with a fond inscription for Sharon.

When the Tate family moved from Italy to Southern California, Sharon decided it was time to live on her own. She was 18, and she paid a visit to Harold Gefsky, then agent for Richard Beymer, a young actor she met in Rome. “She was so young and beautiful,” Gefsky, a softly-spoken man, said in his Sunset Boulevard office, “that I didn’t know what to do with her. I think the first thing I did was take her to a puppet show.”

He also got her work because her father, in Calvinistic style, had only given her a few dollars to sink or swim. One of her first jobs was dressing up in an Irish costume and handing out Kelly-Kalani wine in Los Angeles restaurants at $25 a day. She also appeared in TV commercials for Chevy cars and Santa Fe cigars. People who knew her during this period agree on one thing. She was the most beautiful girl in the world. “Everywhere I took her she caused a sensation,” Gefsky said. “I would take her into a restaurant and the owner would pay for her meal. Photographers kept stopping her on the street. I’ve lived in Hollywood since the mid-Forties, but I’ve never seen anything like it before or since.”

But at this point no one, except perhaps Sharon, knew if she wanted to be an actress. Then one day Gefsky took her by to meet his friend Herbert Browar, who was connected with TV’s Petticoat Junction. He thought possibly Browar could fix her up with a minor role, something to tide her over. Browar took one look at her and rushed her in to see Martin Ransohoff, head of Filmways, Inc.

Ransohoff has a strand of hair combed over his bald dome. He wears loose sweaters, torn windbreakers and breeches that are baggy in the seat. He first started producing TV commercials in New York when food particles were glued onto Brand X’s plate to show the differences in detergents. He branched out into TV programs with such commercial winners as Mr. Ed, The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. He then tackled movies on the order of The Americanization of Emily and The Loved One, which got mixed reviews but generally made money. He founded the company in 1952 on $200, and today it operates on a budget of over $35 million. He will talk about Oswald Spengler or H. L. Mencken and then croon into his ever-present phone, “Helloooo, Bertie, baby. Where’s the action, kid?” He chews gum till his head rings, smokes two packs a day and sends everyone to the wall with his adrenaline. He can be gratuitously cruel in speaking of others – “She’s got a lunch pail for a mouth,” he said of an aging actress, “and if we take out insurance on her, it’ll have to be that she’ll die.” Then he can take his twin sons to a football game, clean up a dog’s mess in his Bel Air living room, and talk to anyone in the world who has guts enough to call him. A rich man’s son, he sold pots and pans from door to door while going to Colgate and claims the experience taught him what the public will or will not buy. He had little interest in films before he became involved in them, and his favorite actress in the old days was Deanna Durbin – who, coincidentally, was also Polanski’s favorite. Both vividly remember her pedaling a bicycle down a shady street and singing through a dimpled smile. Not everyone has had pleasant dealings with Ransohoff in Hollywood, but all agree he is a super salesman.

When he first saw Sharon Tate, he squinted his right eye and did something that was very impulsive, even for him. “Draw up a contract,” he shouted. “Get her mother. Get my lawyer. This is the girl I want!”

He had not seen a screen test, not even a still photograph. She had hardly opened her mouth. But Marty Ransohoff, like the rest of us, has his fantasies – and Sharon Tate walked into one of his fondest ones. “I have this dream,” Ransohoff said, “where I’ll discover a beautiful girl who’s a nobody and turn her into a star that everybody wants. I’ll do it like L. B. Mayer used to, only better. But once she’s successful, then I’ll loose interest. That’s how my dream goes. I don’t give two cents now for Tuesday Weld or Ann-Margret..”

“I think he’s just trying to pull one over on the public,” Gefsky said.

Sharon signed a seven-year contract, and Ransohoff took charge. Gefsky, a nice man, bowed out. At first she lived in complete fear of Ransohoff, and did as she was told. “She wouldn’t even eat a hamburger if he told her not to,” a friend from that period said. If Ransohoff said she was to appear on The Beverly Hillbillies disguised in a black wig, she appeared. If he told her to go on a moments notice to Big Sur, New York, London, she went. Off and on she studied acting.

Jeff Corey, one acting coach, said, “An incredibly beautiful girl, but a fragmented personality. I tried to get reactions out of her, though. Once I even gave her a stick, and said, ‘Hit me, do something, show emotion’ ..If you can’t tap who you are, you can never act.”

Charles Conrad, another acting teacher, said, “Such a beautiful girl, you would have thought she would have all the confidence in the world. But she had none.” Among her friends, however, she began to refer to herself as “sexy little me.”

Ransohoff tried to place Sharon in The Cincinnati Kid – his own movie – but failed when the director demanded Tuesday Weld. He packed her off to New York to study under the personal direction of Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. “She was only with me a few weeks,” Strasberg said, “but I remember her. She was a beautiful girl.” In New York Sharon had a romance with a young French star, who offered her relief from her Texas style, Puritan upbringing. The actor was tall, dark and very nice. When they broke up, the actor bungled a suicide attempt.

Sharon continued to fear Ransohoff. Once, while driving at a high speed near Big Sur, she turned her car over four and a half times, but somehow managed to crawl out with only minor injuries. Her first thought was that Marty would be mad. The first picture he finally placed her in was his French made 13, in which she plays a chillingly beautiful, expressionless girl who goes about putting the hex on people. Completed many months ago, ’13’ still rests in the can waiting for a 1967 release date. Ransohoff flew Sharon back to Hollywood for her second film, Don’t Make Waves, in which she plays a beautiful, deadpan skydiver. Sharon’s first two directors were older men. Britishers – very polite, very nice and understanding with a novice actress.

And then Ransohoff began dickering with Roman Polanski, the Polish director living in London, to make a picture. Polanski, a tiny, baby-faced man whose explosive manner and Beatle-like appearance belie his much-admired skill as a maker of art films, wanted to do something with Ransohoff called The Vampire Killers, a spoof of horror movies. He wanted to play in it himself, and, as in all his movies, he wanted a beautiful girl in a supporting role.

“How about Sharon Tate?” Ransohoff said. “I was thinking more in terms of Jill St. John,” Polanski said.

At Ransohoff’s instigation, Sharon and Polanski had dinner together. He looked at her from time to time, but said nothing. On a second dinner date he was painfully silent once more. Real weirdo, she thought. What’s he waiting on? She found out shortly. Walking in London’s Eaton Square, he suddenly put a bear hug on her and they fell to the ground, Polanski on the bottom. Sharon clouted him and stormed off. “That’s the craziest nut I ever saw,” she said. “I’ll never work for him.”

But Polanski apologized, and they saw each other again. One night he took her to his apartment which had even less furniture than it has now and no electricity. He lit a candle and excused himself, flying upstairs to don a Frankenstein mask. He crept up behind her, raised his arms, and whinnied like a madman. Sharon turned and emitted a terrible scream. It took over an hour for her hysterical weeping to subside. Not long afterward Polanski informed Ransohoff that Sharon would do fine for The Vampire Killers. On the set he treated her as if they never saw each other at night. He cajoled, flattered, got angry – which ever worked – and never had lunch with her. During the nude bathtub scene, he snapped still pictures of her. Still enthusiastic, he had her pose all over the set in the altogether, and then sent the results to Playboy. She plays a gorgeous redhead in The Vampire Killers – and she shows

Roman Polanski walked into his apartment in a sharp blue blazer and high-gloss shoes, carrying a briefcase. He had a good-sized nose and searching, deep-set eyes, and he nodded briskly to Sharon. “A Barbara called,” she let out daintily. “Do you know who that could be?”

“A Barbara?” he called from the kitchen, out of sight. A pause. “You didn’t get any last name? Always get last names. I don’t know any Barbara that would be calling. Sharon, Sharon. There’s no liquor here. Always see to it that we have enough whisky. Can’t you do that?”

Sharon went on the phone to order some, worrying about which brands to specify. She didn’t want to be embarrassed by asking Roman – although he would certainly tell her. He knew the correct whiskey brands in London, the good pastrami places in Manhattan, and the right topless spots in Hollywood. He learned a country’s customs and its language in a couple of weeks. He took a bath now upstairs, calling down for Sharon to fetch him some tea. Later he descended the stairs in a cowboy outfit and boots, ready for dinner. Some movie friends had shown up, and he led the party on foot toward Alvaro’s restaurant.

At the restaurant Sharon basked in the eyes that roved over her. She listened big-eyed to Polanski explain the difference between the sun’s heat and that on earth, apropos of Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451. The only trouble was that it was difficult to digest pasta in such a giddy atmosphere, and she complained of her stomach. After Polanski figured out how to work the waiter’s ballpoint pen, he signed the check.

In a dreamlike state, Sharon began slipping into her fox fur coat in the foyer. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tall Englishman with a prep-school tie and large teeth popped up and put his arm around her. “Ummm, you have a sexy feel, love. Don’t we all love to touch you now..” She squirmed away.

Out on the street, she said, “Roman, a complete stranger began hugging me in there.”

“Yeah? Really?” A short distance away he suddenly spied a blond in fox fur who had the same duck walk that Sharon has. “Hey, there goes Sharon,” he said. “Let’s get her and put the two of them together!”

“Don’t you dare,” she said, her anger flashing. Another day, away from Sharon, Polanski said, “I’m trying to get her to be a little meaner, She’s too nice, and she doesn’t believe in her beauty. Once when I was very poor in Poland I had got some beautiful shoes, and I immediately became very ashamed of them. All my friends had plain, ordinary shoes, and I was embarrassed to walk in front of them. That’s how Sharon feels about her beauty. She’s embarrassed by it.”

Sharon has a quarter-inch scar under her left eye and one beside the eye, the result of accidents which she keeps having. As Polanski drove with her one night in London, meticulously keeping on the left in the custom of the land, an Englishman with a couple of pints under his belt hit him from the right. The only one hurt was Sharon, whose head bounced off the dashboard, spraying blood on slacks, boots and fur. An angry red wound appeared at the start of her scalp, and it will leave another whitish scar on her head. With blond hair combed down over her forehead to hide it, she skied at St. Moritz. And then she caught a jet for Hollywood because Ransohoff had called. She must redo a few scenes for Don’t Make Waves. She grumbled a little. She found she could grumble to Ransohoff now. She hated Hollywood, and she didn’t want to leave Polanski. Also, she hated to fly. She had to be drugged to endure it.

And then she appeared beside Ransohoff at La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills. She had a black costume that looked more like a slip than a dress, and her blond head caught glints of movie-star light as she turned this way and that. “Oh, there’s David! David Hemmings. David, David!”

David Hemmings, who had been featured with her in 13 and had gone on to star in Antonioni’s Blow-Up waved. Other celebrities flicked glances her way, at each other, to the door to see what majesty might enter next. Occasionally they looked down at food or drink. The place was as crowded as Alvaro’s in London, the customers practically the same. Ransohoff wore an open-neck sport shirt and shapeless coat, and he talked business. “Listen, sweetie, I’m going to have to cut some stuff out of The Vampire Killers. Your spanking scene has got to go.”

“Oh, don’t do that. Why would you do that?” “Because it doesn’t move the story. The story has got to move. Bang, bang, bang. No American audience is going to sit still while Polanski indulges himself.”

“But Europeans make movies differently than Americans, ” she explained to the producer she once feared. “Blow-Up moved slowly. But wasn’t it a great film!”

“I’ll tell you something, baby. I didn’t like it. If I’d have seen it before the reviews, I’d have said it’d never make it. It’s not my kind of picture. I want to be told a story without all that hocus-pocus symbolism going on.”

“But that one scene, Marty. When the girl show’s her, ah –” (only Sharon said the Anglo-Saxon word). In Hollywood, New York and London they all talked now about Blow-Up, dwelling on that scene.

“Yeah, I got to hand it to the guy for that one.” Ransohoff said, chuckling. “He pulled a good one off there.”

“Oh, I want to do a complete nude scene,” she said. “Say you’ll let me!”

“OK, OK,” Ransohoff said, bored, looking toward the door. “Yes, yes.”

“Do it now. Don’t just say it.” Then Sharon got bored.

Early in the morning Sharon appeared before the camera at Malibu Beach, redoing a scene for Don’t Make Waves. The sun had a hard time getting through the wisps of fog, and strong klieg lights helped out. In a sequence with an undraped David Draper, “Mr. Universe”, Sharon stuck out her backside and shot out her front. Magically, a button or two came undone on her polka-dot blouse, and after close examination of camera angle, director Sandy Mackendrick decided to leave it that way. He gave Sharon guidance in rubbing mineral oil over Draper’s bare back, as the scene called for. “Treat him like a horse,” he said. “Pat him just as you would an animal. That’s the way..”

She lovingly went over Draper’s muscled back, and then went “ugh” when the camera ceased to roll. The scene was done over and over. In her tiny trailer dressing room, she took a break and smoked daintily. “I’m happier when I’m working,” she said. “I don’t have time to think to much that way.”

One thing to think about was a visit to her parent’s home in Palos Verdes Estates, an hour’s drive away. (Her father was stationed in Korea, her mother and two younger sisters were at home.) Driving to the house one night in a heavy seaside fog, she became quieter and quieter, her words less Anglo-Saxon. A passenger beside her remarked, as the car neared its destination, that the fog reminded him of snow. “You know what it looks like to me?” she said. “Vomit.”

Her mother – a pleasant, plump, dark-haired woman – turned Sharon’s face this way and that. “Have you had your blood count recently, honey? You look so pale to me.” What did she think of Sharon’s becoming a movie star? What did she think of Roman Polanski? “You know,” she said, in the voice of every middle-class American mother, “I don’t care – just as long as she’s happy.”

Back in Hollywood Sharon moved from hotel to hotel, from one friend’s home to another. She talked to Polanski by phone. (It embarrassed him to try to write letters in English because of his mistakes.) So many things were unresolved, shadowy. Ransohoff was sore at Polanski because Polanski had gone way over the budget on The Vampire Killers (“Very un-Hollywood of him,” a Filmways executive said; another only referred to him as “the little–.”); Polanski was mad at Ransohoff because Ransohoff was cutting away at his film and postponing its release in the States. (Ransohoff had also had difficulties with Tony Richardson, the English director, over the budget and the cutting of The Loved One.) “The thing is,” said Sharon, “that Roman is an artist.”

At night Sharon went to The Daisy, a private discotheque in Beverly Hills. She wore an aviator’s leather jacket, slacks, and tinted Ben Franklin glasses. Seated near the dance floor, she silently watched young actresses her age go through their gyrations. Suzanne Pleshette and Patty Duke did subdued turns; Linda Ann Evans, in a miniskirt, did a much more spirited fling. Carolyn Jones, who only yesterday had played the ingénue, now looked like a chaperone. Sharon gave Linda Ann Evans the once over and said, “I’ve worn a much shorter mini in London. That’s nothing.”

From another table a slim, bronzed young man with a pampered black hair ambled confidently past Tina Sinatra, Patty Duke, Suzanne Pleshette – and hovered over this strange blond beauty in an aviator’s leather jacket. He had the air of a football star in a small town high school, who was used to having his pick. He showed his beautiful white teeth and said, “Let’s dance.”

“No,” she said, “let’s not.”

He kept the smile on his face as he backed away. He was now another who had tried to bring Sharon Tate into a private fantasy – but he didn’t know that she had passed his type long ago.

She was going to fly to London and get engaged to Roman Polanski. Then she was going to fly back to star in Valley of the Dolls. Ransohoff was lending her to 20th Century-Fox to play a sexy bombshell who goes to Europe to star in nudie movies and who bewitches the world with her improbable lushness.

[jan-uinely]

hot takes continued

here we go. season 12 episode 12. 

so. it’s time to chit chat about drag race. if u dont like my opinions sry. 

this is gonna get bigger than one episode or one season. this is meta drag race. 

but first i guess the episode. right. so. obviously it was a “musical” so obviously i wanted to see jan sing and obviously she did not. I do think that this challenge [not necessarily placed in this episode] would have been a great time to do a like returning queens. but i digress.

i think that it was a little muddled. like it wasn't like any of the “girl group” numbers where it’s just the verse and chorus. all of the verses were placed in different spots throughout the show. I also think it’s ironic that this whole episode is to promote this live vegas show which is obviously not happening right now. but alas. 

i agree with bob in that i liked jackie’s verse the best. 

i did not love gigi’s outfit in the challenge. you couldn't make out the heart as easily bc the red was all the same color. I also think the material used was too chunky- it was quilted. i would have rather had the heart be quilted, not have a corset underneath it, and have the rest of the top part not be quilted. i thought it was a good concept but i would have preferred different #choices. i also would have rather the hair been straight instead of curled.

i did not have a huge issue w crystal’s orange and green outfit. i also appreciated the callback stars and stripes hair. though maybe not together?

jaida was good as per usual. i want her to win, but we will get to that later. 

also let us note the basketball wives hair that made a comeback [gigi, jackie]

runway time.

crystal and ******’s outfits did not fit the way i wanted them too, and the problems were both in the hips. when i saw them i thought the hips should be exaggerated, but instead they both looked weirdly deflated. and crystal’s torso section could have been brought in. [i did see on instagram that the person who made crystal’s look [casey caldwell who is a nyc based designer, works w a lot of neoprene/thick materials- just look up on instagram caseyyalater] actually made it for dragcon and crystal bought it right there, so it wasn’t tailored] 

in the dior v dior battle, i thought gigi won. jackie’s dress was just i think a little too large [not in terms of tailoring, in terms of diameter] but it was very jackie

gigi said that her outfit was quintessential gigi, which i think it interesting bc if you look up showgirls performances, it very much is. however in terms of the character portrayed on drag race i didn’t think it was. it was very well made, etc. but it just didn’t fit the “perfectionist trope” of the show. 

jaida is once again wearing a gown with a presequinned fabric, which i am not mad at. it is quintessential jaida. 

critiques. 

again ooh we have to nitpick bc we accidentally cast too many winners on this season blah blah blah. i was not a fan of when they said oh well we will have to look at report cards. as if they didnt intentionally load up gigi and ****** with wins at the start of the show. 

and then it’s like oh well jackie and crystal have to lip sync blah blah blah. and you know that jackie is going home. bc the judges absolutely love crystal, all because of that mullet. 

to quote bob “I used to be really upset at queens who won the judges with their personality” and that is still mostly true for me. i don’t think her placement is unjust or whatever, but like if ru didn’t like the mullet, she would not have been given the confidence boost to turn her trajectory around, compared to jackie and widow and jan, who did most things right but just were not rupaul’s fave, and must have had a much more difficult time mentally on the show. 

and FWIW heidi falls into this category as well. race chaser i think said it - all of her success comes from ru’s ideas. and being naturally funny and charismatic and having ru like you as a person is a huge gift and huge talent, but the inability to wrangle it...  that being said i think she deserves the world and will grow [and has already grown] from this experience.

and the thing is that crystal also keeps going back to the same stuff which could have been funny if the episodes were more than one apart or if she didn't do it twice in one episode but. idk. 

now, who will win, who should win, hmm hmm hmm. tbh i don’t think it will be crystal. they just crowned the oddball and they like to mix it up, or at least try to. also why looking at the history of dusted or busted scores [and s/o to jan for coming in @ 4 [after the disqualification]] crystal is at a 2, and bebe won with the lowest score at a 3 [w 2nd and 3rd place at 4 and 5], and that was in season 1, which was a whole other ballgame. leaving us with jaida and gigi. i am team jaida. i think that she is much more developed as an artist and performer than gigi, and I think that she will bring us something new.

[here comes the meta part]

the title is america’s next drag superstar. and i think in the beginning of the show, they decided that that had to mean something new and exciting, something that pushed the boundaries of what drag could be [which is rly ironic coming from them but]. which has developed this culture of what is the formula to be successful on drag race. and some people were more overt about this [jan] and some people were more subtle about this [gigi and jackie]. 

but for some reason, the [Black] pageant queens will make it to the top and then never win. - and they’ve had overt conversations regarding pageants and pageant culture on the show before - but balls and pageants were like the building blocks of drag culture in the us [from what i understand]. so inherently that means it’s no longer “new” and exciting. but the thing is that so many of these fashion [/nyc] queens work so exclusively with these high end designers to produce these looks [i think bob said it can cost like 10K to prep all your stuff for drag race] and with that the ability to design and sew falls away. 

and i think that is reflected in the challenges and how they have changed. this season there was one design challenge. and that is just so disappointing to me bc i think the design challenges really separate who has a full understanding of their persona and who does not. 

and with fewer and fewer design challenges, you have more and more designer items, and the ability to create something has fallen to the wayside. personally [and i will probably make another post about this later] i want to bring back the design challenges in one of two ways. 1. have an all designers season. where drag designers work to make elaborate costumes based on a prompt and given certain materials. bc on the show designers are not credited as much [that part comes on instagram]. 2. i want to have a drag race blank slate competition. where contestants audition and are given a list of prompts but cannot bring anything except like a notebook. no prepared outfits. you can sketch designs to the prompts, but all the materials are provided. contestants still have a main challenge and a runway, but rather than 2 days, they are given a full week to execute the challenge and the outfit. this would totally change the game in my mind. like one you wouldn't have to have money or take out loans to compete, you could just come and show who you are. and two the audience could see more of what goes into this stuff. AND if drag race really wants to feed us, they could do like a wed. ep and a friday ep. to spread things out. 

my favorite challenges are design challenges, and while i think the first challenge this season gave us a better introduction to who the contestants are, the design challenge is a really good thing to have at the front. 

i do think that if they had not had the debate that there would have been another design challenge in the mix, but bc it was an election year. 

anyways, i want jaida to win bc she’s excellent at what she does. and at this point there is something new and exciting about making all your own clothes and being polished and knowing who you are.  and tbh gigi doesn’t bring anything new to the table. sure the ability to sew and design is good, but compared to aquaria and violet the designs were not as diverse or inventive. on top of that, the fact that gigi is outwardly apolitical [and doesn’t understand the connotation of “privilege” in today’s times] is just not a good look. I also think that it is interesting that gigi came in as the look queen but actually did better in the acting challenges. 

idk my main takeaway is that gigi is really really good at playing other people, and with that comes a lack of self awareness. striving so hard to be perfect can come at the cost of not knowing who you are as an artist. like gigi’s brand is literally “im that bitch/bitch” which again, just isn’t what i want in a winner. 

and tbh the gigi bug bit early but ended when ru gave her the win on the madonna episode. [i will say that jackie could have won snatch game but tbh i was annoyed w her for being a little dickish to the safe girls that week [though what she said was totally understandable] and also i <3 jackie cox [and chelsea piers we stan chelsea piers in this house] i think there is something so gr8 abt being a nerd and being prepared and being on brand about it. also jackie is always the one to hop on the dolls’ lives and comment their venmo. hashtag cool aunt jackie. [though that here for cox t-shirt and the promo photos make me uncomfy though i get it]]

re jackie coming back to complete the top 4... IDK it’s nice and all but they've already established that they don’t want her to win- otherwise she would not have been eliminated. 

also in my mind there are only 12 places so jan actually came in 7, widow 6, heidi 5, jackie 4. 

anyways these are my thoughts. as usual, raw and unedited. 

[fictionalabyss]

This is Vegas, baby.

Pairing : Sam x Showgirl!reader. Jess, Cas, Dean x Lisa, John x Mary, mention of Michael. Word count : 2,417 Written for : @spnaubingo Square filled : Showbiz Au . Warnings : Flustered Sam. Jess jokes about getting with a married man, but nothing serious. Wine drinking, and a hangover is as bad as this gets.

A/N : This ended up going a little Bun Head - esk.

SPN AU & Trope Bingo Masterlist.

When you danced, you smiled wide. Your head was held high despite the large headdress perched on your head. Your moves always on point. You had trained in ballet, tap and jazz to name a few, and yet here you were, large colorful feathers on your head, scantily clad in rhinestones and dancing with eleven other girls dressed the same as you for a room full of drunken men down on their luck.

This is the life.

Please note the sarcasm.

Money was money though. Money was what made the world go round. And Vegas was money. While it wasn’t perfect, you got paid to dance, and you loved to dance.

The second you were offstage, you were pulling off the headdress and rolling the kinks out of your neck. “Ugh, I need a massage.” You grumbled as you, and eleven other women hurried to the dressing room.

“I bet if you want out there dressed like that and announce it, you’ll get a few offers.” Jess winked.

“But do I want those offers?” You made a disgusted face and she laughed. Pulling open the door, you let her in before following her. You sat in front of the mirror and reached down to pull off your heels. “Let’s schedule a spa day.”

“When?” She laughed, pulling off her own headdress, and shaking out her hair.

“Now?” You chuckled. “My neck is killing me today. I’m pretty sure he sewed rocks into mine.” You pouted as you rubbed your feet.

“Awe, sweetie, you’ll get used to it in another ten years.”

“If I’m still here in ten years, shoot me.” She laughed at that, but one of the other girls scoffed.  

Jess rolled her eyes at the other woman. “Hey, some of us would rather go on our own terms if we have to die on that stage, okay?” The other woman got up from her seat and walked away. “Heaven forbid.” She turned back to you, and you both burst out laughing.

“Y/N?”

You looked up. “Yeah?”

“She’s in here, Cas!”

He hurried in, headset, clipboard and all. “Let’s go, girls, you five have another number that starts in three minutes. Get. Moving.” He glared as he hurried past. “I need you in a dress.”

“Who?” You asked when he stopped by you.

“You!” Your eyebrows screwed. “He’s here.”

“Who’s here?” Jess asked, standing up.

“He’s coming, now. Get your dress on, and nice shoes.” You sighed, and stood, pulling out your duffle bag from under vanity.

“Who?”

“Samuel Winchester, or something.” You rolled your eyes. “I’m suppose to accompany him tonight.” You sighed.

“Oh honey..” Jess winced. She’d had to do that a few times. They all have. It was usually older men who wanted to feel young and lucky for a few hours.

“Now you know why I wanted to run away for a spa day.” You glared at her.

“I’ll take it.” One of the other girls chimed in. “I could use a good steak dinner. And I don’t mind older men.”

“It’s not the age that bothers me.” You shot at her.

“Besides, he asked for her specifically.” Cas glared. “You’re on in one. Get. Out. There. Or you’re fired.”  He gave her a sweet smile and she hurried off, shoes and headdress in hand. “God.” He rolled his eyes.

A whistle sounded out, and an shy, awkward chuckle followed it. “Sorry, hi.”

Cas turned, and looked towards the sound, then turned back to you. “He’s here.” He whispered.

When the tall man turned the corner and gave you a shy smile, Jess dropped into her seat. “Oh sweet baby Jesus, he is gorgeous.”

He chuckled awkwardly. “Thanks.” He blushed and licked his lips before turning to you. “Oh, you’re not ready yet..”

You were stunned. “Uh.. No, sorry. Uh. give me two minutes?”

He nodded. “Of course. I’ll wait outside?” You nodded, and he started to leave. “Oh, wait.” He chuckled and handed you the flowers he held in his hand. “Do you like flowers? I got you some.. I could have gone with something else..”

“They’re nice.” You gave him a small smile and his face lit up.

“Glad you like them. I’ll uh- I’ll be outside.” He smiled again and headed out with his hands in his pockets.

“Where do I find me one of those?” Jess muttered when she heard the door.

“I dunno, but, thank you for rejecting spa day.”

Jess started to laugh, but Cas tossed some clothes at her. “Costume change. You’re in the next number. Come on.” He clapped his hands and left.

“Right.” She got up. “Sorry.”

“Jess?” She turned her head as she started changing. “Can you bring the flowers home for me, so I’m not carrying them around all night?”

“Only if I can pretend they’re for me.” She winked.

“Have at it.” You waved her off and started to change into your dress.

When you finally emerged, he was leaning against a wall, but the second his eyes hit you, he straightened up. “Wow.” He breathed out, and you couldn’t help but blush and bite your bottom lip. “You look… amazing.”

“Soooo.” Jess poked at you when you walked into the dressing room the next day. “You weren’t home yet when I fell asleep, and you weren’t home when I woke up..” One of the other girls stopped getting ready and turned, eyebrows up with interest.

“I went home last night, Jess.” You shot her a look but smiled. “And I hit the gym like I always do.” You rolled your eyes.

“Never that early.” She chided, and sat on her vanity.

“I do on yoga mornings. Loser.” You turned away laughing. Letting your bag hit the floor, you pulled off the light sweater you wore and tossed it aside.

“Excuses and lies.” She teased, and you shot her a glare through the mirror. “Soo… how did it go!?” Her foot came out and poked you in the ass.

You blushed, and she squealed. “He was sweet.”

“And hot!” She grinned making you roll your eyes at her. “Does he have a brother?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Actually, yes.” Her smile faltered, and you laughed. “Married, though.”

“This is Vegas, baby. Who cares.” She teased, but you knew her, she wouldn’t actively go after a married man. “So.. what happened? You’re killing me. I tried to wait up for you to get the sordid details last night!”

“We had dinner. A nice one, good wine, good dessert too. Actual dessert, Jess. Mind out of the gutter for a minute.” She over exaggerated a scoff at you. “He played a few games, won a few hands. Won a lot, actually.” You chuckled. “Michael followed him around for a while.” Her eyebrows went up at that. Michael and his brothers mostly just followed people who won so much they might be cheating. “He wants to see me again today.”

“He drive you home?” You nodded. “What does he drive?”

“Mustang.” You chuckled. “He was so sweet, and shy.” You laughed. “He looked like he was working up the nerve for something, so I expected him to ask to come in, but I got a kiss on the cheek and ‘see you tomorrow, princess.’” You shook your head as you started to change.

“Oh girls, I think she’s smitten.” Jess teased, while the girls all went “awe” in unison.

You blushed, and gave Jess a shove, knocking her off her vanity laughing.

When you stepped out, heading for the stage, you got elbowed by someone and turned. Glancing over, you saw him standing near by with a smile on his face as he watched you. “Hey.”

“Hi.” You smiled up at him.

“I’ll be out there tonight. Watching you dance.” You gave him a nod. “I’ll see you after? For dinner?”

“Yeah.” You blushed and hurried along with the other girls. Glancing back, you found him watching you with a smile still.

“He is a dream.” One of the girls told you before she plastered a smile on her face and danced out onto the stage.

“He is.” You agreed before following her. As you moved through your dance number, you saw him come out and take a seat at a nearby table, eyes glued to you as one of the waitresses put a drink down in front of him.

Sam would show up more often. You’d spot him in the crowd, or find him waiting for you after a show. And even when he wasn’t there, he still made sure you knew he was thinking of you. Shoes, flowers, gifts, food. He sent them, and seemingly didn’t care about costs.

You froze opening a box from him once, finding a new designer dress and a pair of shoes to go with it. The shoes alone were worth hundreds. “Jesus..” Jess breathed out looking into the box. “What the hell does this guy do for a living?”

“He’s a lawyer.” You smiled.

“Apparently a good one.” She slumped into her chair. “Is this brother happily married?” She teased. “What about his dad?” She wiggled her eyebrows, laughing when you tossed your makeup bag at her.

When he heard her joke about how jealous she was a week later, he took her out to dinner with you. Smiling while he watched you two laugh together and share stories of your exploits with him. A few nights later, when the both of you walked in after a show, there were flowers on both vanities and a spa weekend booked for the two of you.

“If you don’t marry him, I will.” She shot you a look.

“Hey.” He smiled when you stepped out after a show. “Wow..”

“Yeah.” You chuckled, looking down at the dress and shoes he had sent just a few weeks ago. “You sure know how to shop for a girl.”

“Ready for dinner?” You nodded and he held out his arm.

You’d been joining him for a few months now, so it was no surprise when he brought you to a swanky restaurant and ordered the finest wine on the menu. You were only half surprised when he pulled a box out of his pocket. What surprised you was the necklace inside. “Sam..” You looked up at him. “You don’t have to keep doing this. Buying me things.”

“I want to.” He smiled. “What else will I do with it?”

“I’m sure you can find better things to do with your money.” You gently placed the box down.

“There is nothing better than you.” He smiled when your cheeks started to turn red and you tried to hide the smile that threatened to curve your lips.

Opening your eyes, you watched as the desert rolled past. Your eyes focused for a moment on the ring that glistened on your finger and you smile. “Sam?”

“Hmm?” He glanced over and smiled. “Finally awake?”

“Where are we going?”

“Family Barbecue.” He reminded you. Your brow furrowed as you sat up straighter in the seat and stretched a bit.

“Aw crap.”

He laughed at that. “I tried to tell you it could wait until you were more sober.” You glanced down at your hand again, eyeing the ring. “Please tell me you remember that at least.”

You smiled. “Yeah, I remember that.” You looked over at him. “It’s after that’s a blurr.”

The dimples in his cheeks popped as he reached over and took your hand, bringing your knuckles to his lips. “As long as you remember the important stuff.” He teased.

You had changed into more comfortable clothes before arriving. When you got there, you were a sundress and flats, not wanting to be overdressed.

It was a quaint house in a little town. Sam just walked right in, not even bothering to knock or announce himself. He lead you through to the back, where he stepped out onto a back deck and smiled at the people there. “Sammy! You finally made it!” A handsome man stood and headed over. “And who’s this arm candy you brought along? How’s it going, sweetheart?” He smirked, and got smacked in the chest by a woman who stepped up next to him.

“Ignore him.” She rolled her eyes. “I will put you in the dog house tonight, Dean Winchester.” She shot him a glare.

Sam chuckled. “That’s my older brother, Dean. His wife Lisa, and their kids.” He motioned to the kids running around the yard. “Mom. Dad.” He smiled and hugged them each in turn.

“This the girl you’ve been seeing?” Dean asked, having heard bits and pieces.

Sam nodded, looking down at you. “This is Y/N. My wife.”

“Wife!?” His mother gaped, looking between the two of you. “When!? Where!?”

Sam’s arm went around your waist, holding you close. “Last night.” He grinned. “Vegas. Didn’t want to wait any longer. I knew she was the one.”

“Well, uh, welcome to the family, dear.” His mother said awkwardly, opening her arms for a hug. You gave her a smile before moving to hug her, shooting Sam a glare for not telling them before you showed up.

Next came his father. “Sam always was one for trying to one up his brother.” He sighed and you gave him a confused look when the hug broke. “Dean eloped at city hall. So Sam in Vegas sounds about right.”

“So, honey, what do you do?” His mother asked, leading you out while Sam headed in and came back out with a glass of wine for you.

“Showbiz, right?” Dean sat down, pulling his wife into his lap while Sam sat next to you with beers for him and his brother.

“Uh, kinda. Yeah, technically.” You winced. “I’m a dancer.”

“Not a stripper, are you?” His mother gave you an odd look.

“Not far off.” You chuckled, and her face paled.

“You’re going to give her a heart attack.” Sam laughed. “She’s a showgirl, mom. I met her in Vegas.”

“What made you want to be a showgirl?” She asked, glancing to Sam then back to you.

“When you want to do what you love, you take the money where you can make it.” You shrugged. “I love to dance.”

“And boy, do I love watching you dance.” Sam smiled, kissing your cheek.

“I think we should go to Vegas.” Dean mumbled to his father, only to get hit in the chest again by his wife. “Ouff.”

“I got a few friends who wouldn’t mind meeting you two.” You teased, and Sam burst out laughing.

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[theskintheywear]

Crooked House (2017)

I saw Crooked House the other night, the movie adaptation of the homonymous novel by Agatha Christie. And who doesn’t love Agatha Christie?

Crooked House is, in my opinion, one of her best books, but I’m afraid the movie doesn’t do it justice. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an okay movie *nhec...* but it had the potential to be a wonderful one.

It was initially announced in 2011 with a totally different cast and crew that included Matthew Goode, Gabriel Byrne, and Julie Andrews. It’s a shame they cast Max Irons instead of Goode. I understand they wanted the person playing Charles Hayward to bring a bit of innocence and naiveté to the role but I believe the result of using Irons is just a total snooze fest. Irons just seems to be lost instead of invested and inquiring as the part requires. If you have already seen The Terminal and The Riot Club then you know what I'm talking about. Nevertheless, the production aspect of the movie is gorgeous and that’s what I would like to focus on.

“Curious thing, rooms. Tell you quite a lot about the people who live in them.” ― Agatha Christie, Crooked House

This sentence was quite beautifully translated into the scenarios and costume design throughout the movie. The extensive Leonides mansion makes room for individual settings for each character, and each space perfectly reflects their personality and style. The decoration gives an almost theatrical aspect to the film that goes very well with most of Agatha Christie’s narrative style. The set transitions are quite forthright but it adds something to the mental process the viewer undertakes when watching a mystery murder film. Simon Bowles really achieved something beautiful here.  

So let’s start with Sophia and Charles and the events that take place in the autumn of 1947. When we first meet them in Charles’s office (that was built into an empty old art school in central London) Charles is wearing a sharp black suit with a rumpled shirt. That tiny detail sets the tone of the character and his workspace. Although the office tries to maintain an overall look of seriousness with the desk, color scheme and the presence of a secretary, it fails to do so with everything from the broken blinders to the fuzz-filled cardigan that Miss Ackroyd wears. 

Part of me wants that cardigan...the part of me that doesn’t know better. 

*Behold the fuzz!*

What bothers me most and it’s the only detail that I don’t quite get is Sophia. Her style is incoherent throughout the movie and I don't think it quite fits the character or the actress, Stefanie Martini. I can identify three distinct "Sophies" over the course of the film. Meeting-and-hiring-Charles-Sophie, Sophie-amongst-her-family, and going-out-Sophie. I can understand the fact that Sophie had a rather posh upbringing and she tends to dress more conservatively at home. This includes the use of higher necklines, lavish lace dresses for dinner and more ladylike jewelry. I also get that with her extensive travels and rebellious spirit she would mix dresses with leather jackets like she does when she goes dancing. However, the first outfit we see her in confuses me immensely. It made Stefanie Martini seem much older and she almost didn't pull it off. Maybe they were going for a look Sophie would choose if she wanted to be taken seriously after her grandfather died, but it doesn't quite click. It does not go with the image of a “refreshingly English” girl that Christie describes in the book.

I’m not gonna extend myself on a description of every single resident of the mansion but I do want to point out some aspects and characters of the film. Firstly, we have Magda, the mother of Sophie, Josephine, and Eustace. Her drawing room is grand, dramatic and artistic just like she is. Everything is thought to perfection from the click-clacking of an amazing pair of red stilettos to her Cleopatra style hairdo. When she’s at home we see her in flamboyant, almost stage worthy outfits, and when she goes out her beautifully adorned coats are complemented with headscarves worn for privacy like most recognized stars would do (even if she's not one of them). Even the use of kimonos at the breakfast table is very Madame Butterflyesque. *drama alert*

In a totally different style the apartment belonging to Roger and Clemency is also noteworthy and my absolute favorite - I love everything about it. The couple is eager to leave the mansion and its off-putting environment, and you can get a sense of that with the decor. Considering the typical British approach to style, the room is already reflecting the ideals of the 1950′s.  In contrast to the rest of the common spaces in the mansion, the apartment is mostly white, modern, pleasant and it almost serves as a safe haven for Clemency and Roger.  This, along with the various neatly arranged plants, demonstrates how science plays a role in Clemency’s personal taste (this being due to the fact she is a chemist specialized in plant toxicology). 

The other room that differs in everything from the common areas to the personal “apartments” is Brenda's drawing room, the young Leonides widow. Much like Brenda, the room represents the contrast between the structure of the English mansion and her showgirl style from Vegas. Also, considering the 40′s decor style, decoration from after the war brought back color, a variety of fabrics and a happy and inviting vibe. The pink, the photo over the mantel, the kitsch pillows and the fake flower arrangements go in perfect unison with Brenda's red hair, blue eyeshadow, and sultry voice. 

Regarding Brenda’s style, I’m afraid I was hoping for a little bit more “American showgirl look”, and we do get a bit of that with the dinner outfit. Nevertheless, I have to say that most of the costume design is pretty spot-on. Especially Aunt Edith, I quite like the snobbish English hunting look that she has and it suits Glenn Close perfectly. 

From Roger's London office to the tree house, Crooked House is an exercise in precision and has been done with an eye for detail, and when questioned about the process Simon Bowles’s answer reflects just that:

"I relish the start of a movie because I have to become as knowledgeable as possible on the details of the script. Depending on the genre I spend time searching through dusty books in specialist libraries, I meet with professors who specialise on the subject, I travel to the real locations that are scripted, I meet surviving families and friends, I put on cotton gloves to handle original 18th century architect plans, I meet with engineers to discuss the convention and restrictions of space travel, and so on. After absorbing all this factual research I then put it to one side and create our version of the reality, our version that will help take the audience visually to this other place, to be a visual feast, and most importantly help tell the story by working with the narrative.”

- Interview by Michelle Hannett, Dec. 2017, wearemoviegeeks.com

So if you are a fan of Christie’s work one might say that you have a fairly difficult decision to make. On one hand, the production is exquisite and it does bring to life the visual aspect of the story, but fair warning it is not up there with some adaptations like Evil Under the Sun, Death on the Nile or Murder on the Orient Express (the original one from 1974 of course). 

[thotyssey]

On Point With: Angelica Sundae

From the Vegas strip to Metropolitan Avenue, this funny glamour ghoul became well-known in Brooklyn nightlife as one third of the nutty supergroup the Haus of Umpteen Corpses. And when the Haus got evicted, she became a much enjoyed entertainer in her own right--making the children laugh, cry and squirm.  It’s the bittersweet Angelica Sundae!

Thotyssey: Angelica, hello! Thanks so much for talking to us today! How's your summer been so far?

Angelica Sundae: Thank you so much for having me! My summer has been WILD! After Pride I was looking forward to a little slow-down, but that certainly has not happened! And I'm not complaining!

You're everywhere these days... everyday is Sundae! I was just looking again at those fabulous pictures of you and the girls at the Met Opera House in full regalia from back in May. What was the story behind that outing?

Merrie Cherry approached me and Untitled Queen to be involved in the Met Opera’s season wrap party. It was a little mixer before their show Cendrillon, which was a cool take on the Cinderella story, so we came as the wicked stepmother and her two daughters. It was SO FAB, and the first time I had been to the Met. Truly unforgettable!

I bet you're finding yourself in a lot of incredible places and situations you never would've imagined you'd be in back when you were a little Sundae scoop.

Yes, absolutely. I started doing drag 12 years ago in Las Vegas and had my share of fun gigs and opportunities there, but New York is really a completely different animal.

Are you a Nevada native?

No, I was born and raised in Rockford, IL but moved to Sin City with my family at 18 and was there for a decade. It's definitely home.

What got you into drag there?

My first real job in Vegas was as a host at their Hamburger Mary's. A few months after I started, we did a charity "turnabout show" where all the boys who had never done drag got to perform. I got such a positive response that I just kept going from there.

Was Angelica always your drag name?

Angelica was born in Brooklyn. My original drag name was Missy Boqu, bestowed upon me by Mary's resident karaoke goddess.

And what kind of numbers / aesthetics were you sporting at that time?

Being a Vegas queen, there’s a lot of pressure to be a showgirl. There were a lot of sequins and rhinestones, some elaborate costumes. I did a lot of pop numbers, a lot of top 40. Very "give the people what they want.”

When did you make the move to NYC?

I came to New York five years ago, it's so hard to believe!

You're also a makeup artist and hairstylist. Did you come here to pursue that, or drag?

I had been taking a bit of a drag break when I moved here, so I did come to pursue hair and makeup... and have been doing so at Mudhoney Salon in SoHo since I arrived.

How did you discover the Brooklyn scene, and become Angelica?

My sweet auntie Severely Mame worked with me at Mudhoney when I first moved here, and really facilitated my introduction to the scene. I was a Bathsalts baby--my best friends and I went every Monday. After Mini Horrorwitz asked me to put her in drag, the spark was reignited and I finally started going out in looks again. My first real performance here was at Bushwig with the now defunct Haus of Umpteen Corpses.

Wait... was it Mame who turned you goth, or were you Born That Way?

Haha! I was definitely born that way, but growing up in the Midwest I wasn't confident or bold enough to fully represent the dark side that I love so much. With Angelica, I felt like it was my second chance to really commit to that aesthetic.

The Haus of Umpteen Corpses was a very funny and bizarre drag supergroup consisting of Mini, yourself and a third person we won't name, who was your partner at that point. That relationship did not end well and therefore the group broke up, but you and Mini have gone on to be successful solo performers and occasionally a duo. Were you worried that that wouldn't happen... that people only wanted the House?

We did experience a lot of requests for "the Haus" when I think we were all ready to define ourselves a little more as singular performers. So yes, there was some worry about that because what we were doing was so special. I'd never discredit the work we did together because of tumultuous personal drama behind the scenes. When the Haus dissolved, it was heartbreaking. But in the end it was the best thing for Mini and I to be able to explore who we are individually, and she is by far my favorite person to perform with,...and we still do PLENTY of that!

When you and Mini do shows together, do you plan a lot of stuff out and rehearse a lot... or is it all mostly off-the-cuff?

We do some planning, we rehearse together if we want to do anything complicated, we definitely give our duets some structure. But I think we both love being in the moment. So a lot of it is improv, which has produced some really fun moments on stage.

Your big night together now is Mini Sundaes at Pizza Party in BK on Sunday nights! You’ve been doing that for awhile now. How would you describe it to the uninitiated?

Mini Sundaes is a blast! We don’t perform, but we definitely give showzzz. Basically we pick a theme each week, and then show music videos based on that theme, along with playing some drinking games. I like to describe it as Beavis & Butthead with drag queens."

And I see that you’ve taken over for Mother Mame (who has moved out of the city recently) as the Tuesday night bingo queen of another Brooklyn spot, Boobie Trap.

Yes I have, and it's really an honor to fill her extra wide shoes! Boobie Trap Bingo never disappoints, the crowd gets so competitive and so rowdy. It's wild as hell each and every week, and I love it!

And now you’ve recently begun hosting a monthly Thursday goth / darkwave dance party at Dream Baby in the East Village, Vicious!  One of the saddest trends in recent nightlife is the disappearance of the goth scene... is there hope for a resurgence?

Tonight [Thursday, July 12th] will be our second installment of Vicious, and I cant wait! Last month was so fun and this month should be even better. I think darkwave / goth / punk / electroclash nights have a very valid place in queer nightlife and offer an alternative for that part of the community that isn't gagging over the newest Kim Petras bop (no offense, I stan Kim, but I'm all about more diverse options).

On Thursday the 19th, you and Mini and several other amazing performers are doing Lee VaLone and Vic Sin’s Sinners Kit Kat Cabaret at Bizarre! What do you have in store for that?

I'm bringing back one of my favorite performances that I did at the Spring Break edition of Razor 5000 earlier this year, and Mini and I are planning a cute little mommy / daughter number that should be a carry! Kit Kat Cabaret is absolutely one of best shows in Brooklyn, you don’t want to miss it.

Then Thursday the 26th, you’re doing the monthly prelim for the Mx. Mont Rose comedy queen pageant at The Rosemont! Are you prepared to slay us for that one?

I am SO PREPARED to crack the audience and the judges up with a new number that DreamBoi produced the mix for. My sharp contour seems to be a very defining characteristic of my makeup, and you'll get to laugh about that at the pageant!

Busy July, queen! What else?

My last show of the month will be Friday the 27th also at the Rosemont for Bitch Nasty, celebrating my good judy, Renee Glitch, for her birthday! Surprises are in store!

This just in: RuPaul’s apparently getting a talk show, and OMG maybe she’ll step down as host of Drag Race! Um, no, not likely. But if she does... who should take her place?

That is such a hard question! There are a lot of great options! My top three would probably be Bob the Drag Queen, Sasha Velour, and Bianca Del Rio, because they're such great hosts and icons in the Drag Race universe.

Good picks! Okay, so finally: the BK scene has been constantly evolving and changing. What do you see now in nightlife that you really like, and what not so much?

Of course, I love seeing my fellow performers going out on a limb, not adhering to what the masses may think of as "drag," throwing that definition away and exploring the infinite possibilities in their looks and performances. This community is endlessly inspiring! But, for as much as we strive for diversity and inclusivity, I still see talented people being underappreciated and underutilized. The market is definitely saturated, so it's hard to give everyone a spotlight, but I would still love to see more of those performers get the recognition they deserve.

Here’s hoping! Thank you, Angelica!

Angelica Sundae co-hosts “Mini Sundaes” with Mini Horrowitz at Pizza Party on Sundays (10pm), hosts “Boobie Bingo” at Boobie Trap on Tuesdays (10pm), and “Vicious” at Dream Baby on second Thursdays (10pm).  Check Thotyssey’s calendar for all her scheduled appearances, and follow Angelica on Facebook, Instagram & YouTube.

On Point Archives

[nukaworld]

Halloween Costumes for my OCs I have considered so far:

For Preston and Tracie:

The Silver Shroud and Mistress of Mystery

Something from Star Wars

Any Disney Prince and Princess (really leaning on Tangled here cause it's the only one of those romance movies I like)

Probably McCree and D.Va from Overwatch respectfully.

For Lexi and Mary:

Monster girls

Texas Red and the Arizona Ranger

Probably something from TES that Nat will suggest since I don't go there.

Wonder Woman and Poison Ivy or something

Vegas showgirls (I drew this once)

Misc:

Ghost River as a monsterboy fitting his fursona

Ghost River as his fursona in a bad fursuit (def doing this)

Vampire Ghost River

Tracie as Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad

Tracie and Gage as pirates

[nightmare-afton-cosplay]

Can a Showgirl Help Sell This Home? Listing Pics You Have to See to Believe

realtor.com

To sell a home these days, you’ve got to put on a show—add a little razzle dazzle. And what better way to accomplish that than by sneaking a Las Vegas–style showgirl into your real estate listing pics?

That, at least, is the logic behind an eye-catching new series of listing photos for a two-bedroom condo in Atlanta going for $290,000.

Located in a converted 1940s industrial building formerly known as the Atlanta Brush Co., the apartment is already a property of distinction.

A renovated industrial condo building in Atlanta

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The two-story loft boasts 22-foot-high ceilings, tall casement windows, original exposed brick walls, ductwork, and polished cement floors—highly sought-after design features in industrial-style renovations.

Kitchen

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It also has a rocking rooftop deck, and not just one, but two parking spaces, which are rare in this part of town.

And the location couldn’t be better—the hip Sweet Auburn neighborhood, noted for cool restaurants and hot nightlife.

Rooftop deck

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Given the median price in this Atlanta area is $335,000, this place is a bargain to boot. However, for some reason, no one’s snapped it up yet. The apartment first went on the market in October 2018 for $344,900. Since then, the price has dropped eight times, often in increments of $1,000, until it reached its current ask.

Living room

realtor.com

Still no buyers. So listing agent Zerina Serulle of Keller Williams started brainstorming with the seller on ways they could call attention to the property.

“We wanted to see if anyone would pick our listing up, if we could make it go viral,” says Serulle.

Inspired by the infamous T. rex listing in Texas featuring a person in a dinosaur costume, they racked their brains for something else that could turn heads.

It turns out Serulle and the seller had a mutual friend who works for an Atlanta company called Two Chandeliers Entertainment, a professional dance company specializing in entertainment for corporate events and themed parties, supplying them with classic Vegas-style showgirls, cigarette girls, and go-go dancers.

They decided to see what would happen if their flashy friend came into the condo to take some campy photos. And the results are, well, see for yourself!

A showgirl showing off the windows.

realtor.com

This lovely lady was shot caressing brick walls, bending over the oven, and making other showstopping poses.

Highlighting the original brick walls.

realtor.com

Well, those photos certainly caught our attention, but how did they land on potential buyers?

Instagram-ready oven demo

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“I got a lot of likes on Facebook,” says Serulle. “And a lot of those likes were from other real estate agents, who had clients that could be interested.”

There’s a showgirl at the door!

realtor.com

At a time when listings are competing tooth and nail for attention online, can something wild and creative like this do the trick? Yes, but it can be a risk.

“Creative, sexy, and fun marketing can be brilliant, but it needs to be brilliantly executed,” says Ed Fix of The Agency, a nationwide company that is famous for its unique and clever marketing. “Otherwise, your feathered peacock will land like a dead duck.”

Showing off the view

realtor.com

Nathaniel Pitchon-Getzels of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices admires the photos, but questions whether they’ll translate to a sale.

“The photos are funny and they make you laugh, but do they make you want to buy? Most people take a major purchase like a home very seriously—it’s one of the biggest purchases they’ll ever make,” he explains.

We guess only time will tell whether this pink-feathered sales stunt will pay off, but in Serulle’s mind, it was worth it.

“Many agents who saw the photos said, ‘You should do this in all your listings,'” Serulle recalls. “But I told them this was a one-time shot. It has to fit the listing. I’d only do it again with another fun, cool, hip property like this one.”

The post Can a Showgirl Help Sell This Home? Listing Pics You Have to See to Believe appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/can-a-showgirl-help-sell-this-home/