#colleen helme

[sonic-wildfire]

SONIC FRONTIERS REVIEW, 11/15/2022

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for the game.

Sonic the Hedgehog has had a rough transition int--

Actually, you know what? Nah. Fuck all that noise.

Sonic Frontiers, the much-anticipated latest outing from Sonic Team and company, has finally hit the market on everybody's favorite day (hint: not Election Day). Although previous games have tended to streak -- that is to say, many consecutive mainline titles released within only a few years of one another -- Frontiers is the first major outing for the blue hedgehog since 2017's Forces, which polarized critics and users alike.

But gone are the days of Twitter arguments over whether the "original character" gimmick had gone too far. Gone are the days of hearty debates over whether Infinite was a legitimately formidable villain or a poor excuse for one. Gone are the days of the Sonic franchise being content on settling for simple mediocrity or spirit-crushing averageness.

Frontiers' arguably marquee selling point is its stylistic shift from past installments. Rather than rehashing the platforming route that has yielded out-of-step results more often than not, Sonic Team took a bold risk by steering the game into a semi-open world direction. It's here where players first begin to recognize that this Sonic game is going to be different. It's the breath of fresh air that the franchise sorely needed in one way or another after over a decade of relatively lackluster efforts. But fret not, platforming enthusiasts; platforming levels, called Cyberspace levels in the game, are integrated into the game's story to ease you into what Frontiers has to offer.

Speaking of the story, it takes a darker but much more genuine direction. After ten years of Ken Pontac and Warren Graff writing inoffensive and frankly awful storylines, renowned Sonic comics writer Ian Flynn takes the helm for Frontiers. In short, Dr. Eggman creates an AI named Sage for his new plans of world domination. After the software goes awry, Sonic and his friends are suddenly forced to deal with a new problem: they have been trapped on the Starfall Islands, with Amy, Tails & Knuckles becoming trapped between the physical world and a digital dimension. Sonic must race against the clock to save his friends from being corrupted by cyber energy, but he too has a nasty run-in with the unexplained power and jeopardizes his own life as a result.

Unlike the serious tone Forces had attempted (and failed at miserably), Frontiers comes damn near close to shooting a bullseye on this go-around. The game takes a deep dive into the characters in a way that hasn't been explored in a Sonic title since the Adventure era. Whether showcasing Amy's gradual transformation from just being a self-proclaimed love interest of Sonic to a valued de facto fourth member of Team Sonic, Tails' growth from being confined to Sonic's shadow to being formidable as a hero in his own right while maintaining his brotherly bond, or Knuckles' wisdom and insight into his role as guardian of the Master Emerald and his own insecurities and jealousies, Frontiers fleshes out the characters and gives them new life. Even Sonic, who looked to be little more than a one-trick pony in the 2010s, has found his groove again as the confident-yet-caring hero he was always meant to be. There are loads of character development within this game, and it is an absolute delight to witness. But what this game perhaps best accomplishes is the ability to make the player feel a wide range of emotions that appear all over the spectrum, from glimmering hope to crushing pity. This story has the majority of everything you'd want in a Sonic story.

The voice acting in this game ages the characters a tad bit. Although it didn't work out for Cindy Robinson's rendition of Amy, it played out fine for the rest. Roger Craig Smith's outing as Sonic might not be his very best, but is certainly solid. Colleen O'Shaughnessy continues to prove herself as the definitive Tails voice while Dave Mitchell sounds to have found his niche playing Knuckles. Mike Pollock continues his Eggman dominance as per usual, and newcomer Sage is given a fittingly artificial but humanoid-sounding set of pipes by voice actress Ryan Bartley, perhaps best known for her role as Hanako Kamado / Makomo in Demon Slayer.

Gameplay also takes a step forward into the limelight. As part of Frontiers' step back from platforming, a new combat system fortifies Sonic's skill set. Players will encounter countless enemies that will take more than a simple homing attack to take care of. Sonic is provided a myriad of moves and combos, with certain skills only becoming available after progressing through certain parts of the story. Stats can be upgraded by collecting special seeds for power and defense, and by finding lost creatures called Koco for speed and ring capacity. Pulling off crazy combos and mowing down enemies is super satisfying here, especially as Sonic levels up and becomes stronger. As the player progresses through the five main islands of the game, Sonic can complete puzzles to map different parts of the island and discover portals, mini-bosses and story collectibles called "Memory Tokens" as a result. Combined with the semi-open world environment that encourages and even rewards players for being curious and exploring their surroundings, the gameplay is a total blast that will almost certainly satisfy those with a taste for exploration.

As for the Cyberspace levels, they remained consistent to the feel of Sonic's earlier platforming titles but utilizes a somewhat stale and repetitive level design by constantly having the player revisit Green Hill, Chemical Plant, and Sky Sanctuary, to name a few. Nonetheless, these stages can sometimes be pretty fun to play through (given you aren't grinding out attempts to complete some of these levels in S-rank time like I needed to). Thankfully, there's also Big's fishing minigame that's very simple and soothing. It's arguably even better than some of the Cyberspace levels.

The music has always been one of the Sonic franchise's strongest suits and it keeps up with the trend here. Buoyed by a handful of pummeling metalcore numbers courtesy of Sleeping With Sirens' Kellin Quinn, Merry Kirk-Holmes' cinematic "I'm Here" serving as the main theme, and the buzz of One OK Rock's "Vandalize" as the credits closer, Frontiers embraces the abrasive and turns in a spectacular soundtrack as a result.

The environments, particularly the five main islands, are visually stunning and are perhaps the best-looking lands Sonic has seen in years. Although colorful and vibrant, Frontiers simultaneously manages to capture the bleakness associated with stumbling upon massive ruins of a once-great civilization that fell abruptly to some larger foe. There are signs of former life all over the Starfall Islands and the game lets you know it upfront.

In all, Frontiers is a chief calling card for Sonic's renaissance. Though a bit rough around the edges, it's a valiant first attempt at a new direction for the blue blur that manages to hit many of its spots and take its players on a journey that they won't soon forget.

Final Score: 9.5/10

[petnews2day]

Thanksgiving Food Drive and More

New Post has been published on https://petnews2day.com/pet-industry-news/pet-charities/thanksgiving-food-drive-and-more/

Thanksgiving Food Drive and More

With the holidays coming up, the Hamptons real estate community is thinking about ways to give back.

For example, Saunders & Associates is holding its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive to help support local food pantries, which has shifted to monetary support instead of canned goods.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the food drive meant thousands of donations were dropped off at Saunders’ five offices in the Hamptons, as the real estate brokerage has been holding the drive since 2014.

A GoFundMe campaign now directly collects monetary donations that will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Saunders with 100% going directly to food pantries on the South Fork.

In 2020 and 2021, Saunders agents, staff and the community raised more than $140,000, including the matching donation.

“Far too many experience food insecurity in the Hamptons, and no family should go hungry,” Senior Vice President of Operations Colleen Saunders, who helms the drive, says of the campaign. “It’s a great cause—helping families share happy holiday memories — and an easy way to support the local community. We thank everyone for their contributions this year and in the past.”

Donations will be divided between the Bridgehampton Community Food Pantry, the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Westhampton Beach, the East Hampton Food Pantry, the Springs Food Pantry, the Montauk Food Pantry, Heart of the Hamptons Southampton Food Pantry, the Hampton Bays Food Pantry and Shelter Island Food Pantry.

Community members can contribute to the fund by clicking here.

Holiday Pet Portraits

  Hopper got his holiday portrait taken last year.Mike Bertone of DJC Productions

The Bill Williams Team at Compass will sponsor an annual Holiday Pet Portrait day to raise money and awareness for the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. The event will be held on Saturday, December 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Compass office at 63 Main Street in East Hampton.

This year, renowned photographer Chris Appoldt, who has a portfolio that includes both celebrities and dogs, will be taking the photos. Those who bring their pets are asked to make a donation of their choice.

Adoptable dogs from ARF Hamptons will also be on hand, as Williams hopes to find some dogs their forever homes.

Last year, more than 40 dogs and families posed for photo sessions, raising over $500 for ARF Hamptons.

Winter Coat Drive

Town & Country Real Estate is holding a winter coat and accessories drive at its offices across the East End from now until December 1. The donations of coats and the like will be donated to Maureen’s Haven, Heart of the Hamptons, The Retreat and John’s Homeless Shelter.

Town & Country has offices in Montauk, East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Southampton, Westhampton Beach, Mattituck and Greenport.

East End Real Estate News

You can submit news for this column. Just email tvecsey@danspapers.com. Items can range from holiday events, new hires, listing changes, information on home décor stores, bits about interior design and much more. We hope to hear from you!

[book-hooks]

My life changed that day because I didn't have any carrots.

Carrots || Colleen Helme

[weirdesplinder]

Angel falls di Colleen Helme

Recensione a caldo di Angel falls, di Colleen Helme (inedito in italiano)

Genere paranormal romantico/ironico/suspance

Link:https://amzn.to/39XiAXG

Primo libro della serie Sand and Shadows spin off della serie Shelby Nichols di cui vi avevo parlato qui: https://weirdesplinder.tumblr.com/post/657614393887047680/ho-scoperto-una-nuova-serie-di-libri-shelby

Trama: Dopo essere stata mandata via dall’ospedale di New York dove lavorava come infermiera con l’accusa di non aver fatto il necessario per salvare un paziente, Ella St. John dopo aver incontrato Shelby Nichols deve fare i conti col fatto che i suoi poteri sono nuovamente stati notati da qualcuno e nemmeno fuggire nel deserto le impedirà di venire rintracciata da un misterioso conosciuto che ha bisogno del suo aiuto. Purtroppo però aiutarlo potrebbe essere il più grande errore della vita di Ella….

La mia opinione: Se la serie della stessa autrice dedicata a Shelby Nichols mi aveva conquistata con la sua verve gialla stile Janet Evanovich, questo libro invece mi ha totalmente deluso, tanto che non sono riuscita a finire di leggerlo, cosa per me rarissima come ben sapete. Ma la protagonista agisce troppo da cretina nelle prime trenta pagine e non sono riuscita a proseguire. Un’infermiera professionale, adulta, che lavora da anni, che rischia la vita inutilmente nella prima pagina del libro, e poi non riesce quasi a curare un paziente perchè troppo attrtata fisicamente da lui dopo averlo conosciuto da tre secondi non la accetto mi dispiace.

[bookjunkiez]

Desert Devil Blitz

Sand and Shadows Book 2 Paranormal/Urban Fantasy   Date Published: 04-05-2022 A fragile beginning, a past that won’t let go, and a deadly enemy. With hope for a bright future with the man she loves, Ella St. John begins her new life, only to find that a deadly enemy from her past is intent on getting his way. Drawn into a fight that isn’t hers, Ella must do whatever it takes to protect those she…

[bettylouiseme]

#MARKED FOR MURDER By Colleen Helme PEACE I have been a fan Shelby Nichols since I read CARROTS, the first one. The 12th version does not disappoint, it is a fun fast moving, and entertaining read as this plot is very mixed up.

[chickennuggetsexypantaloons]

Laying on the ground and my 65lb pibble walks across me, sits on my tummy, farts and proceeds to walk away nonchalantly😑

[singwhenyoucantspeak]

noah fence, but Helm being a complete dumbass lesbian about her crush on meredith is very relatable lmfaoooo 

[fastidious-and-a-mess]

this video is FANTASTIC. i don’t even know how to properly articulate it, it just brings me so much joy. jaiden does such a good job explaining what being aro and/or ace means and how it can feel, both personally and within the LGBT+ community as a whole. the experiences she shared were so relatable to me personally, and if you fall anywhere on the aroace spectrum then i bet they will be for you too.

whether you yourself are aroace or you’re just looking to learn a little more about what it’s like, this video is a wonderful watch. obviously it’s not comprehensive, nothing ever can be, but it’s a great starting place.

[dailynicknews]

Two-Time Emmy Award Winner Dana Delany Joins The Cast of Paramount Plus' Original Series 'Tulsa King'

TWO-TIME EMMY AWARD WINNER DANA DELANY JOINS THE CAST OF PARAMOUNT+’S ORIGINAL SERIES "TULSA KING"

Delany Joins Previously Announced Series Regulars Academy Award® Nominee Sylvester Stallone, Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, A.C. Peterson and Garrett Hedlund

Creator and Academy Award® Nominee Taylor Sheridan Serves as Executive Producer Alongside Academy Award® Nominee and Emmy Award® Winner Terence Winter

Produced by MTV Entertainment Studio and 101 Studios

Photo Credit: Greg Doherty/Getty Images

LONDON – June 20, 2022 – Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA), to celebrate the debut of Paramount+ in the UK and Ireland on June 22, announced that two-time Emmy®-winning actress Dana Delany (“Body of Proof”) will join previously announced series lead and Academy Award® nominee Sylvester Stallone in the new original series TULSA KING. Creator and Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan serves as executive producer alongside Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Terence Winter (“The Sopranos,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”), who will also be at the helm as showrunner and writer. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, TULSA KING will premiere with two episodes on Sunday, November 13 on Paramount+.

Try Paramount+ for FREE at ParamountPlus.com.

TULSA KING follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), after he is released from prison after 25 years and is unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet. Delany will play Margaret, an affluent and influential equestrian and owner of a sprawling horse farm and animal preserve. She is a formidable presence and a trustee of the Annie Oakley Society.

Delany made her mark as Army nurse Colleen McMurphy on “China Beach,” for which she received two Emmy Awards and four nominations for Best Dramatic Actress. Delany also received an Emmy nomination for a guest-starring role on the CBS drama “Family Law.” Delany’s additional television credits include “Body of Proof,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Hand of God,” and most recently “The American Guest.” She has also been the voice of Lois Lane on “Superman: TAS,” “The Batman” and “Justice League” and “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.” On film, she has appeared in “Light Sleeper,” “Housesitter,” “Tombstone” and “Fly Away Home” among many others. Theater credits include “A Life” and “Translations” on Broadway, “Blood Moon” off-Broadway, “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Old Globe Theatre, the Pulitzer prize-winning play “Dinner with Friends,” “The Parisian Woman,” “The Night of the Iguana,” “Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties,” and most recently the premiere of “Good Night Nobody” at the McCarter Theater.

The series also stars Andrea Savage ("I'm Sorry”), Martin Starr ("Silicon Valley"), Max Casella (“The Tender Bar”), Domenick Lombardozzi (“The Irishman”), Vincent Piazza (“Boardwalk Empire”), Jay Will (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), A.C. Peterson (“Superman & Lois") and Garrett Hedlund (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”).

Mirroring the successful 2021 launches of 1883 and MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, Paramount Network will air a linear sneak peek of TULSA KING’s debut episode on Nov. 13, as a special simulcast event immediately following the highly anticipated Season 5 premiere of “Yellowstone.” Similarly, the second episode of TULSA KING will air behind “Yellowstone” on Nov. 20. All remaining episodes will be available to stream weekly on Sundays exclusively on Paramount+. TULSA KING will also premiere on Paramount+ in Canada on November 13, followed by a premiere in Australia and The UK on November 14. The series will air later this year on Paramount+ in Latin America and in additional territories upon the launch of the service.

TULSA KING is executive produced by Sheridan, Winter, Stallone, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Allen Coulter and Braden Aftergood.

TULSA KING is the latest addition to Sheridan’s growing slate on Paramount+ which includes 1883, MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN and the upcoming series LIONESS, 1883: THE BASS REEVES STORY, LAND MAN and 1923.

About Paramount+:

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.

For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

About MTV Entertainment:

MTV Entertainment Group is one of the preeminent youth media companies in the world that connects with global audiences through its nine iconic brands – MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, Pop, Logo, Smithsonian, Paramount Network and TV Land – as well as MTV Entertainment Studios which produces acclaimed series, movies and the award-winning, Oscar-nominated MTV Documentary Films.

About 101 Studios:

101 Studios is a global entertainment company dedicated to the acquisition, financing, development, production and distribution of high-caliber, creator-driven storytelling. 101 empowers content creators through first-class collaboration and innovation. On the television side, 101 produces Taylor Sheridan’s Emmy nominated series “Yellowstone,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” “1883” and the upcoming “George & Tammy,” “Tulsa King,” “Lioness” and “Bass Reeves.” 101 Studios oversees and manages the newly formed Sports Illustrated Studios, a content platform based on the most compelling stories, characters and moments in sports past, present and future. Upcoming projects include “Paradise Found” based on the true story of high school football coach Rick Prinz; a docuseries about the sexual abuse and cover-up at Ohio State University, co-produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures; and the docuseries “Covers,” a behind-the-scenes look at Sports Illustrated’s top cover stories of all time. SI Studios has also exclusively partnered with iHeartMedia to create and distribute original podcasts through the iHeartPodcast network. On the film side, past releases include “The Current War: Director’s Cut,” the Sundance Audience award winner “Burden” as well as the family comedy “The War with Grandpa.”

###

More Nick: Paramount Plus Expands Kids and Family Programming with New Slate of Films and Series from Nickelodeon Studios!

Originally published: June 22, 2022.

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Google News, Tumblr, via RSS and more for the latest Nickelodeon on Paramount Plus News and Highlights!

from NickALive! https://ift.tt/uScGkZm via https://ift.tt/KDYi9q1

[gher-bear]

That was a mood!

[magicalhideoutengineer]

Nobody expected Johnny Depp to send those photos, though in retrospect they probably should have.

Director David Yates was finishing filming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them when the images arrived in his email. Depp had yet to shoot his climactic scene: Magizoologist hero Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) reveals that the fugitive dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald has been hiding in plain sight the entire film, disguised as dapper auror Percival Graves (played by Colin Farrell). The Farrell-to-Depp switcheroo was to be the film’s biggest shock when it came out in theaters, but first it was the director’s turn to be surprised.

Much like Depp had done when crafting his takes on Willy Wonka and Capt. Jack Sparrow, the actor huddled together with a makeup team to design his own creative look for J.K. Rowling’s villain.

“I had an image in my head of the guy,” explains Depp, who felt emboldened in his creative choices by a Skype chat with Rowling about the role. “She said, ‘I can’t wait to see what you do with him.’ It was beautifully left as this open gift.”

So Depp sent photos of himself as Grindelwald to Yates. His first-draft makeover was “slightly more extreme” than where Grindelwald ended up, the director recalls. “We saw this character as a combination of poet, rock star, visionary, and sociopath, beguiling but lethal,��� says Yates, who also helmed the final four Harry Potter films.

After some back-and-forth (at one point a “foppish, romantic look” was considered and rejected), the production embraced Depp’s concept of Grindelwald as a pre-WWII vision of Aryan fascism — an ultra-white, pasty-faced platinum blond, with an undercut haircut and pale mismatched eyes.

“I almost felt like he’s maybe two people,” Depp says. “He’s twins in one body. So a gamy eye is more like the other side of him — a brain for each eye, and he’s somewhere in the middle.”

When Depp’s Grindelwald was unveiled in the final moments of Fantastic Beasts, fans were indeed stunned, but also concerned. The dark wizard looked so strange. Was he supposed to be comedic? So for the second title in the planned five-film franchise, The Crimes of Grindelwald, the evil wizard’s appearance was “softened and refined,” made to look more natural. Judging by the enthusiastic fan reactions to the film’s final trailer at the end of September, the tweaks worked.

Grindelwald’s evolution was just a small example of how the Fantastic Beasts team leveled up for the sequel. Where to Find Them bore the burden of launching a new Wizarding World franchise with a different cast, setting, time period, and characters. While the movie was largely a success — with solid reviews and $814 million worldwide at the box office — members of the filmmaking team quietly felt that the sequel could (and should) be an improvement over its predecessor.

“When we made the first film [the actors] all thought it was great,” recalls Ezra Miller, who plays troubled young wizard Credence Barebone. “But the department heads — Yates, [production designer] Stuart Craig, [costume designer] Colleen Atwood — were all like, ‘It’s not good enough, it has to get better, it has to get way better, and here are all the things that were wrong with it.’ [Crimes] is a serious push by some of the greatest artists in the game to elevate in a way that’s inspiring to watch and be around.”

That elevation began with Rowling’s script, which largely shifts the action from New York to Paris — a new locale, sure, but returning to Europe feels more Potter-esque. And while the first film was focused heavily on Newt, the sequel is more of an ensemble piece that deepens returning characters, introduces several new ones, and plays like a life-and-death, wartime noir thriller (no whimsical three-minute scenes of Newt demonstrating a mating dance at the zoo with a horny Erumpent).

The setup is that Grindelwald escapes while being transported to a new prison and rallies an army of supporters with his pledge to unify the Wizarding World and rule Muggles. That leaves Hogwarts professor Dumbledore (Jude Law), the dark wizard’s former childhood friend (and perhaps more?), to enlist his expelled former student Newt and, by extension, his American friends — rebellious auror Tina (Katherine Waterston), her telepathic sister Queenie (Alison Sudol), and affable No-Maj Jacob (Dan Fogler). But that’s only the beginning.

“The script is labyrinthian,” says Redmayne, whose introverted beast-wrangler is a bit more comfortable in his own skin this time around. “You’re going down this maze, and Jo [Rowling] is weaving the stories together with such intricacy. Along the way, connections to Harry Potter and secrets are falling at your feet. And there is one…” The Oscar winner pauses, knowing he’s treading into heavy spoiler territory. “I got to the end and my jaw dropped. There was one thing I didn’t see coming.”

“Darker” is a word the cast uses a lot. “Complex” and “fast-paced” are others. The film is more, well, adult — The Crimes of Grindelwald may be the most grown-up of all the Wizarding World titles.

EW caught up with Fogler shortly after he saw the completed film for the first time, and he was as excited as any fan stepping out of a cineplex. “It reminds me a lot of The Empire Strikes Back,” he says. “The first movie is so positive. It’s sweet and lovely. But this time everybody is really put under fire. People are gonna see this, like, a hundred times just to get everything. They’re going to be going nuts that they have to wait for the next one. And Jude Law, oh God, he’s perfect.”

Ah, yes. From the moment that first photo was released of Law as a dashing Dumbledore, even the most discriminating Potter purists admitted he was spot-on as the beloved wizard (and some are rather hot for teacher, with hashtags circulating like #Dumbledaddy and #Dumbledamn). Adding Dumbledore to this prequel pleased Rowling, too, who spent more time visiting the set during this shoot than the first film.

You might assume Dumbledore would be the least mysterious part of this tale since we already know so much about his past and future. Not so. “There are things to resolve from Albus’ life, some of which we know from the story, some of which we don’t know about yet,” Law says, and then comes up with an even better tease: “This is a good riddle. One of the reasons Dumbledore trusts and likes Newt so much is Newt understands and forgives beasts and monsters. And there’s a part of Dumbledore — only a part — that sees himself as a bit of a beast.”

The friendship between Newt and Dumbledore might feel a bit wistful for Harry Potter fans: It’s like a glimpse into what might have been if the future Hogwarts Headmaster had somehow been able to carry on his friendship with the Boy Who Lived into adulthood. Yet Newt, unlike young Potter, can quickly spot Dumbledore’s “for the greater good” manipulations.

“One of the things I love about Newt is he has this naivete and gentleness on the surface, but he’s got quite a steel core,” Redmayne says. “He adores Dumbledore, but he also knows when Dumbledore has crossed a line and isn’t afraid to call him on it.”

Newt’s whip-smart Auror love interest Tina is back as well, going on a mission to hunt down Credence in Paris. “She’s more confident this time. No one is questioning her intellect and instincts,” Waterston says. Yet her character’s love life is a mess thanks to some long-distance-relationship misunderstandings. While fans know Newt and Tina eventually end up together, the duo clearly have no idea. “It’s fun to play something out where the audience is one step ahead and Newt and Tina are the clueless ones,” the actress says.

Newt also has a tense relationship with his older brother, Theseus, played by Callum Turner, who broke his wand during his first day on set during an enthusiastic screen test. Theseus is an uptight careerist and Head of the British Ministry of Magic’s Auror Office, who’s pressuring the rebellious Newt to fall in line with the wizarding government’s plans.

“Theseus wants his brother to stand up and fight [Grindelwald],” says Turner, but the two have conflicting ideas on how to #resist. That Theseus is engaged to Leta Lestrange (Zoë Kravitz) — Newt’s schoolboy crush — complicates matters as well.

Yet perhaps the most intriguing new character is the one fans only discovered last month: Nagini, a circus performer who gives customers one heckuva transformation act as she morphs into a massive snake. South Korean actress Claudia Kim wasn’t told which character she was playing until she arrived for her last audition. A Harry Potter fan since sixth grade, Kim instantly realized Nagini was cursed to eventually become Voldemort’s murderous serpent.

“I was speechless,” she recalls, and then was told that for this final test, she had to pretend to transform into a snake — on the spot. “I instantly felt the heartburn, a lot of insecurity, but you have to empty your head and let your instincts take over,” she says. “If I find [the audition tape] I will destroy it!”

Once on set, Kim worked with a contortionist to perfect her act, infusing her performance with varying degrees of snake-ness. “David would give directions like ‘Can you do 2 percent more snake?'” she says, laughing.

Since her casting was announced, however, some have objected to a person of color playing a character doomed to subservience. Those close to the production disagree with that perspective and note that Kim simply gave the best audition for a standout role. “Claudia Kim is a living god,” Miller declares. “You’re about to get your head blown off. Prepare yourselves for Nagini. This is a tragic and beautiful story.”

Miller should know, as it’s his character, Credence, who teams up with Nagini to form a power couple of sorts: two lost souls with unique magical abilities they can’t entirely control. “Credence has joined the circus, as one does when you’ve killed your foster mom and fled the country,” Miller says glibly. “He’s trying to figure out who he is. They’re two people who don’t really trust anyone who are learning trust for the first time.”

Another challenged couple (actually, every major character in Crimes of Grindelwald is arguably part of a couple, and that’s why the Paris setting is so apt) are Jacob and Queenie, who flee America due to its strict policy against No-Maj/wizard relationships. And guess which charismatic politician is surprisingly in favor of such unions?

“Grindelwald actually sounds like he’s all for love — if you love a Muggle, you should be allowed to be with them, and you should be allowed to marry,” Fogler reveals. “But wizards, he feels, should be on a pedestal. This is very tantalizing to some.”

So hold up. Could the nicest couple in this story, Jacob and Queenie, join Team Grindelwald? They’re not saying, of course, but Sudol notes: “Grindelwald’s like staring at the sun — you’re not supposed to, but he’s hard to look away from. He does very, very bad things.”

And he does them with flair. One of Depp’s improvisational additions was giving the wand-waving Grindelwald a conductor-like rhythm during a key sequence. “When Johnny conducts a barrage of spells he’s like a conductor guiding an orchestra — except instead of creating music he’s effectively creating fiery mayhem and death,” Yates says.

Indeed, the film’s title promises crimes. And that this dark wizard’s deeds are wrapped in divisive rhetoric at rock-concert-style rallies peppered with populist appeal sounds kind of, well, familiar. Is Rowling making — unintentionally or not — some kind of modern political point? Sudol certainly sees one.

“The film is terrifying that it’s so relevant,” she says. “We really need to focus on trying to find commonalities amidst the instability of the world’s climate. When a lot of crazy things are happening, it’s very easy to lose true north.”

Which brings us, quite appropriately, back to Newt, the story’s moral compass. At one point in the movie, Newt tells his brother, “I don’t do sides.” That’s almost a revolutionary stance in hyper-partisan times. But it’s also one that, given the forces at play, is perhaps unsustainable. “You really get the sense that Newt’s always gonna make the right choice,” Fogler says. “In this day and age, that’s very refreshing.”

[weirdesplinder]

La mia lista di libri per l’estate: cosa spero di riuscire a leggere

Le mie ferie si avvicinano e voglio condividere con voi parte della mia lista di libri da leggere quest’estate:

- Ghosted, di J. M. Darhower (inedito in italiano)

Genere: second chance romance

Link: https://amzn.to/3nmrlOa

Trama: un famoso attore che per anni è stato dipendente da alcool e droga trova la forza di disintossicarsi e ritente ancora una volta di riallacciare i rapporti con la figlia che praticamente non ha mai consciuto e il suo grande amore, la ragazza che lo ha amato e sostenuto facendogli ottenere tutto ciò che voleva, e che lui ha trattato malissimo quando ha raggiunto il successo.

- Palazzo di sangue, di Jane Hur

Genere storico giallo

Link:https://amzn.to/3QQBIqJ

Trama: Korea, 1758. Figlia illegittima, la diciottenne Hyeon ha studiato e lavoroto duro per diventare assistente del medico di palazzo. E quando il suo maestro viene sospettato di 4 omicidi perpretrati all’interno della corte in una sola notte, è decisa a indagare da sola per scagionarlo. Le sue indagini le faranno incontrare l’ispettore di polizia ufficialmente incaricato di trovare il colpevole ed entrambi si accorgeranno subito che tutti gli indizi puntano al principe ereditario....

- Romanzo d’estate, di Emily Henry

Genere rosa contemporaneo

Link:https://amzn.to/3ynmcf2

Trama: Augustus Everett è un autore amato dalla più intransigente critica letteraria. January Andrews invece scrive deliziose commedie romantiche che scalano regolarmente le classifiche.Lui è uno scrittore serio, ma non riesce a parlare di sentimenti. Lei è una sostenitrice dell’amore per sempre e del lieto fine. Non hanno niente in comune. A parte che per i prossimi tre mesi saranno vicini di casa.  January ha infatti deciso di rifugiarsi nel cottage del padre sul lago Michigan e pensa di trascorrere l’estate raccogliendo le idee e scrivendo un romanzo pieno della felicità che non sa più immaginare: ha da poco scoperto un segreto sui suoi genitori e non crede più nell’amore. Nella veranda accanto alla sua c’è però un vicino di casa inaspettato: Augustus Everett, suo ex compagno di college e soprattutto autore di fama. Anche lui colpito da un paralizzante blocco dello scrittore. Da sempre i due non si sopportano, ma decidono di lanciarsi una sfida per cercare di darsi una mano, o più probabilmente di punzecchiarsi. Si scambieranno il romanzo. E così Augustus dovrà dimostrare di saper scrivere anche un lieto fine e January di sapersi cimentare nella scrittura del Grande Romanzo Americano. E questa scommessa cambierà inevitabilmente tutti i finali…

-Angel falls, di Colleen Helme (inedito in italiano)

Genere paranormal romantico/ironico/suspance

Link:https://amzn.to/39XiAXG

Primo libro di una serie spinn off della serie Shelby Nichols di cui vi avevo parlato qui: https://weirdesplinder.tumblr.com/post/657614393887047680/ho-scoperto-una-nuova-serie-di-libri-shelby

Trama: Dopo essere stata mandata via dall’ospedale di New York dove lavorava come infermiera con l’accusa di non aver fatto il necessario per salvare un paziente, Ella St. John dopo aver incontrato Shelby Nichols deve fare i conti col fatto che i suoi poteri sono nuovamente stati notati da qualcuno e nemmeno fuggire nel deserto le impedirà di venire rintracciata da un misterioso conosciuto che ha bisogno del suo aiuto. Purtroppo però aiutarlo potrebbe essere il più grande errore della vita di Ella....

-Dream Maker di Kristen Ashley (inedito in italiano)

Genere rosa contemporaneo suspance

Link:https://amzn.to/3usupMH

Trama: Evan "Evie" Gardiner ha passato la vita a dover essere responsabile per la sua famiglia scapestrata, finchè ha detto basta, e ha deciso di inseguire i propri sogni, cioè laurearsi in ingegneria. E per finaziare i suoi studi inizia a ballare nel club Smithie's finchè i suoi parenti non finiscono di nuovo nei guai e decidono di coinvolgerlancora una volta nei loro problemi. Per fortuna al club Evie ha conosciuto Daniel "Mag" Magnusson che decide di aiuatarla nonostante il problema di Evie possa mettere in pericolo anche la sua vita. 

-The truth about dukes, di Grace Burrowes (credo sia inedito in italiano ma non sono certa)

Genere romance storico

Link:https://amzn.to/3Nl6Dsl

Trama: Robert Rothmere è un duca atipico, che porta ancora le cicatrici mentali e fisiche del fatto che da giovane è stato internato in un manicomio. Per aiutarlo a sopportare il peso sociale del suo rango deve sposare la donna adatta una lady perfetta e crede di averla trovata in Lady Constance Wentworth. Purtroppo la donna in relatà appare perfetta perchè si sforza ogni momento della sua vita di non dire o fare mai nulla che possa  collegarla la più piccolo scandalo per la paura che un segreto del suo passato venga rivelato. Perciò dovrebbe rifiutare Robert, ma purtroppo ne è infatuata da nni, fin da quando l’avev aiutata nel momento del bisogno anni prima...

- Spelunking Through Hell: A Visitor's Guide to the Underworld di Seanan McGuire (inedito in italiano)

Undicesimo libro della serie InCryptid di cui vi ho già parlato molte volte: https://weirdesplinder.tumblr.com/post/146951171758/salve-a-tutti-vi-ho-gi%C3%A0-ampiamente-parlato-della

Genere: urban fantasy

Trama: Finalmente dopo 11 libri Alice, la nonna di Verity Price, ha forse individuato la dimensione dove è finito anni prima sua marito Thomas e ora armata fino ai denti come suo solito è decisa a salvarlo ad ogni costo. Distinguere i nemici dagli amici non sarà facile ma lei è una donna che non sa arrendersi mai, proprio come sua nipote che le somiglia così tanto.

Fatemi sapere le vostre liste di libri da leggere quest’estate.