#even those who claim 1st part of film

[poirott]

A Haunting in Venice Advanced Screening Reactions

An early screening of the movie was shown at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA, September 7 2023, to largely positive reviews.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel's Blossom Room had a spooky setup, fun photo-op backdrop for selfies, masked Venetian gondoliers floating about, and the film's costumes on display!

Source (Photos): stacilaynewilson, dennis.tzeng, asadayaz, idkgravity, joerussotweets, izumihasegawa, zack.quin Instagram Stories

[blackboar]

I find arguments for Richard's innocence offensive on logical terms. They're using a lot of slippery rhetoric that sounds convincing until you think about it, and I'm annoyed they think so little of other people they expect us to believe it.

Afaik, everyone accepts Isabella had Edward II killed and replaced him with their son. Everyone accepts Henry IV had Richard II killed after replacing him. Everyone accepts Edward IV had Henry VI killed after replacing him. John is believed to have killed his nephew and taken the throne. Some even think Henry I had William II killed to replace him.

What I'm saying is, evidence or not, everyone just assumes any deposed king is automatically killed by the usurper, which is why they fought so hard to keep the throne in the first place. And if you're the usurper, it makes sense you "tie up the loose ends" by removing your predecessor in case they escape and do the same to you and your family.

But even with all those examples, Ricardians act like thinking Richard killed the boys he usurped is completely ridiculous and has no basis in reality, and you shouldn't think it unless you have camera film of him doing it personally! But if you did have a video, but it was a servant killing them, they'd say he was taking orders from Henry VII and everyone was just framing Richard!

They want to say the "usurper's usurper" (Henry VII) was the one who really killed them, but when in history has the 1st usurped king ever been alive to be killed by the replacement's replacement? It'd be like saying Richard II survived all that time and Edward IV really killed him.

I really don't like the way they start with a reasonable point (like we can never be 100% who actually did it, which is true) but if you agree there they act like you agreed your whole belief system is wrong! If you admit they got even one thing right they jump on it as weakness and proves the most crazy ideas are credible. So you can't even give them any credit there, but when you won't budge bc you know what they do, they pretend you're some hate filled lunatic which proves it's all been a conspiracy against Richard and you can't be trusted bc you're part of it.

If you don't have absolute documentary evidence, you're not allowed to believe Richard did it in all probability, and they won't accept a single point you have. But if they get one little thing right (like everyone's names) then you have to accept everything they say!

But look at it from Richard's point of view. He was a kid when he and George were hostages and if Edward IV hadn't become king both of them might have died to wipe out all the male Yorkists. Richard knew that because Edward wasn't killed by Lancaster he came back and got the throne. Then because Edward of Lancaster escaped to France he came back and Henry VI was reinstated. Then as Edward IV got away that time he came back too and killed both of them.

So in Richard's life he saw over and over again that if the rival claimant doesn't die they will come back and try to kill you and your children. So why wouldn't he kill the Princes to protect himself? I hope I don't sound like I'm excusing him, but I just think killing them is the most obvious thing to do.

If we believe this theory that Perkin and Lambert were who they claimed, that just proves deposed heirs will come and fight for their birthright. Like when have they not? When did any royalty/noble cheated out of what was his just shrugged and gone off to live quietly and bothered no one? It never happens! Which in itself proves Richard was "right" in a way to kill them.

Given everything that happened to Richard's own family in his lifetime, why would he let a rival stay alive and spend the rest of his life worrying they might get out and kill him one day like rivals always did, or reappear in his son's reign and kill him? Literally how does he benefit keeping them alive? How can he be the strong, capable ruler Ricardians say he was but leave a time bomb under his house?

I disagree that everybody thinks Edward II and Richard II were killed by their successor. While an overwhelming majority think that for Richard II, there is controversy around who killed Edward II and even if he was killed.

but when in history has the 1st usurped king ever been alive to be killed by the replacement's replacement?

It did happen. Justinian II killed not only Tiberius III but also the one he usurped the byzantine throne from, Leontius. Byzantines are special but it's not impossible to be killed by your usurper's usurper.

If we believe this theory that Perkin and Lambert were who they claimed, that just proves deposed heirs will come and fight for their birthright. Like when have they not? When did any royalty/noble cheated out of what was his just shrugged and gone off to live quietly and bothered no one? It never happens! Which in itself proves Richard was "right" in a way to kill them. Given everything that happened to Richard's own family in his lifetime, why would he let a rival stay alive and spend the rest of his life worrying they might get out and kill him one day like rivals always did, or reappear in his son's reign and kill him? Literally how does he benefit keeping them alive? How can he be the strong, capable ruler Ricardians say he was but leave a time bomb under his house?

Yeah, that's why most people connect the logical dots and think he killed them because otherwise, it doesn't make much sense. I think he probably took his ancestor John for example, because he survived killing his nephew Arthur.

What I hate is those saying, 'They weren't a threat because Parlement proclaimed them bastards, ' which is either an argument made in bad faith or a complete not getting it. In general, I think some of those discussing Richard's guilt do not consider the time's constraints and structures.

[a-tale-never-told]

History of Novoselic (Part 3)

So the 1930s rolled in, and the question of who would succeed Josip was in debate. Zoya had most of the qualities to lead but did not have military experience. Paul, by comparison, had a few issues with ruling as a king, but was exceptionable in military tactics, specializing in air warfare and guerilla tactics, and had a keen eye for talent within the youth. But the debate raged on untill eventually, a solution was found: They would vote on it at the Rastek.

It was tough, but everyone in the Rastek and the public decided to vote for who would be the new monarch. After some complications and sorting out a bit, in March of 1932, the first queen of Novoselic, Zoya Nevermind was elected as the new Monarch, by a vote of 143 to 139 in the Ustek, or electoral college. As for Paul, he was appointed as the Novoselic ambassador to Great Britain.

Zoya right off the bat, started to show some strange behavior, such as exhibiting near-dictatorial power, banning free elections and the press, and cracking down on those who spoke up. Created a secret police, called the Auslejc, who proceeded to patrol the streets and arrest people on the accusations of them being "Communist" and "Stalinist sympathizers" Hundreds, even thousands of people were arrested and were purged from the start of her regin untill the end of the war. Propaganda was used extensively to promote Zoya's regime as a golden era and she would like to star in films a lot, often ones that were really bad. It was so bad, that she starred in more movies rather than leading the country, which was in the hands of her ministers.

Back home in Britain, Paul was horrified by the news, but he couldn't go back. Zoya had postponed his flight back to Novoselic indefinitely, no doubt in an attempt to hold onto power. And so Paul stayed, already trying to mend deteriorating relations with Britain and France as Zoya courted Fascist Italy, and now Nazi Germany too. Zoya had taken a liking to Hitler, supporting his policies, especially against the Soviet Union and Communism, even calling for a genocide of ethnic Russians. Paul, on the other hand, was making friends with people like Winston Churchill of all people, who was a key figure in getting Paul back to Novoselic.

As the 30s progressed, Paul was becoming more friendly with the British, though was frustrated at Parliament for hesitating against Fascist aggression in Africa and Europe, like the incidents over Ethiopia and Czechoslovakia. He demanded they stop trying to appease the Germans, claiming that starting a war was what they wanted, and it was already happening, saying that they wouldn't just stop at the German lands. And he was right. On September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, starting WW2.

Paul knew this would happen and so talked to Churchill, by now the prime minister, about the possibility of sending him back to Novoselic to lead an insurgent movement against Zoya. Churchill was a little hesitant at first because Paul would have to go through Greece, which was neutral at the time. However, in 1941, the Germans invaded the Balkans in support of Italy, who were getting their ass destroyed by Greece and Yugoslavia. With aid from Novoselic, the Germans invaded and conquered Greece. Since Greece was now part of the conflict, Churchill finally agreed to send Paul back to lead the resistance against the Germans, Italians, and Zoya.

Paul's plan was to fly a plane to occupied Greece in the middle of nowhere, and then drive several miles through tough terrain to head to Novoselic, where he would meet Novoselic partisans fighting the Axis and be their leader. Accompanying him were a few British commandos in disguise, sent by the British as bodyguards to protect him on the way. And so on July 8th, 1941, Paul flew to North Africa and then from there took off to Greece. Once in Greece, Paul wasted no time finding transport, eventually seizing an Opel Blitz that had been left abandoned by the Germans, and drove to Novoselic. The journey was tough, they had to stop for food, water, and gas frequently and were almost detained by the SS, but eventually, he made it to the town of Cara, where the British intelligence said the rebels were there.

Upon arrival, Paul wasted zero time taking charge of the rest of the group and broadcasted his voice to other rebel groups in the country, telling them to unite under him in a coordinated effort to bring down the Axis. Eventually, he untied the rest of the Novoselic groups around his cause by 1942 and went on a guerilla campaign against the Axis. What made Paul special, was that he was great at fighting and leading a rebellion even more than his own father. He would sabotage the tanks and select where to fight, either in the dense forests or the high mountains and hills. He also started the first command pose, which was to show authority in the line of duty.

By 1943, Paul had expelled the Italians out of the mainland, by capturing their field commander during the battle of Ostos. With Italy suing for peace soon after, Paul was left to combat the Germans and Zoya alone. By the middle of 1944, the rebels had taken most of the South of the country and were advancing North. The Germans, by this time, were fighting on all fronts, the Eastern Front had fallen apart and they had to pour resources into fighting everywhere, and fighting Yugoslavian partisans didn't help matters either. Eventually, the German commander in charge decided to give up, and by late 1944, issued a withdrawal into Czechoslovakia.

Zoya, pretty much alone at this point, tried to escape with them, but was found by the partisans. She was captured, tortured, and then executed on Paul's orders. Paul felt guilty at having to order the death of his sister, but it was either her or the nation, and the nation mattered far more to him than his sister, who betrayed the people to the fascists. The following year, British forces coming from Greece arrived in Novoselic, already having self-liberated itself. With Zoya's death, most of the generals surrendered or went into hiding. And so, Novoselic became united again, with them electing Paul as king shortly afterward, and proceeded to do away with Zoya's rules.

But now, Paul had to lead the nation into a new era, against a familiar rival and in a world more spilt the last...

[yellowtomb]

It was a late February, when I wrote this post. And now its May 1st.

In this February post I promised to tell about two ukranian documentaries, that shed a light on russian warcrimes. Since that, one of the docs, 20 days in Mariupol won the Oscar. Since than russia committed so much more. Yesterday they bombed Odessa, again, with ballistic missiles. The war is still going on. ________________________________________________________

20 days in Mariupol is a first documentary film of Pulitzer Prize-winning ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov. Chernov have been a war photographer since the 2014 year, from the start of this war. He also documented Euromaidan protests. He was wounded couple of times during his work as war correspondent. In the last two years of full-scale war, I saw a lot of his potos, as I am involved in design process of Russian War Crimes exhibitions, that took place in Europe and USA. I saw this photos of dead civilians too many times. As a part of my job, I also designed (and curently also editing) a map of russian war crimes in Ukraine. By editing I mean constantly adding new places on the map (you can see the map on the site of the project).

I should mention, that I still cannot watch 20 days in Mariupol. I could not force myself to watch it in cinema, its too hard. I heard about Mariupol from my dear friend, who spent those 20 days there herself. I saw lots of video in the first month of invasion and they still terrifies me.

And its because of that horror, that I am trying to avoid - you should see it. You don't see films like that from russia, in which they would show you, how "Ukranian Nazis" destroyed Donetsk. Cause it never happened. After ten years of conflict, Donestk (which is the capital of one of the separatists quasi-state) is still there. Although russians claimed that we bombed it every day. And yet, it took them less then a month to turn Mariupol into ashes. And its been documented and even translated in real time, such is a nature of our media era. And yet the world missed it. But we should not forget it.

________________________________________________________

The second documentary is Intercepted. The film consist of telephone conversations intercepted in 2022 by the Ukrainian Secret Service between russian soldiers in trenches in Ukraine and their families. It may sound trivial in 2024, but this movie does let you see the most grounding example of 'banality of evil'. I mean, its almost trivial to hear famous Hannah Arendt's quote again and again, especially when you don't live in war-torn country. But Intercepted illustrates it just like it is - you hear wives, mothers, girlfriends of russian soldiers tell them, that it's okay to kill, to steal from dead civilians. Someones wife is okay with the fact, that her husband will rape ukrainian women. It does not count as cheating, even more - she supports it. Another wife asks her lover to take home some fine electronics, or kids clothes for their kid. From the destroyed house of ukrainian family, I mean, and she knows it. While you listen to this hellish dialogs - you can see pictures of destroyed ukrainian cities, burnt homes... but its the voices and words of everyday russian families that make this documentary so bone-chilling. Its inhumane in a very literal sense - they just don't see ukrainians as people.

(I could not find where you can see Intercepted right now, but I will edit this and provide links later.) "20 days in Mariupol" 2023/"Intercepted" 2024

[nanceweiss40]

Intelliflix – The On the web Dvd Rental Company To Steer distinct of

I test to bear in mind when signing up with Intelliflix for $188 a twelve months pondering what a wonderful deal I just gotten, and how considerably revenue I was conserving as opposed to the amounts of opposition. Intelliflix statements to have in extra of sixty thousand movement photograph titles, lease video clip online games, and also lease grownup titles. I sincerely concern that they have anywhere in the vicinity of to sixty thousand movie titles, and they have not way too very long back suspended their on the world-wide-web movie video game rentals. They yet claim to hire other film titles, but a couple of motion images each individual particular person handful of months, and it barely would appear to be like they even do that anymore. For the 1st pair of months I received videos frequently, but then they stopped sending me video clips. I went really substantially sixty times with successfully about a hundred films in my queue with out acquiring a single film! They do not offer a purchaser provider variety and you have to open up tickets by their e-mail process. Of procedure when you get a reaction it will be about hoe they comprehend your discomfort and will test out to do greater, but they continue to do not ship out flicks on any timetable that could be regarded regular. I go weeks with no acquiring movies. I asked for a refund extra than when, but they declare they are not in a position to refund yearly memberships for any cause in any regard. If it was not past the ninety-working day mark I would dispute it with my credit rating card company. I even emailed the President of the enterprise who boasted about publishing his electronic mail so prevalent consumers could phone him. I attained no response. I have not long ago joined two other On-line DVD Rental businesses to see which a solitary would get the task carried out for me. I only will be aspect of at a each and every thirty day period level I figured out my lesson with annually alternatives. True crime stories are the two of those people superb companies and in simple fact despatched me movies, and carried a huge wide wide range of titles. 1st let us look at Blockbuster On line. They have a massive quantity of movie and tv tiles and typically have the latest releases. I ordinarily obtained my movement images in 1 modest company day. They also allow you to change in your movies at space Blockbuster merchants and give you cost-free of charge in store film rental coupon codes each individual single thirty working day time period. Their web-web-site is easy to navigate, and they also source a demo time period at a minimized price. I took profit of this present to try them out. The 2nd company Netflix has just about almost every thing spot on DVD obtainable for rental and all the new releases. One exclusive alternative they have is quickly viewing on the web, and they are including new titles to this aid just about every single month. I normally get my movies in a solitary to two times. They also a short while ago declared they will be featuring a new service provider to take part in flicks specially to people’s televisions at dwelling by usually means of the Net in the close to opportunity. Their website also has very simple navigation and they also have the American Motion picture Institute all time movie listing which is amazing for movement picture buffs. In summary feel shut to at all the tips conveniently readily available, and do not sign up for an yearly put together. Preserve away from Intelliflix at all value. Every single Blockbuster and Netflix are excellent organizations, but in the shut I stayed with Blockbuster just mostly for the reason that of their velocity in sending me motion photographs.

[pashterlengkap]

A group of pastors tried to shut down a 21+ drag event. It backfired spectacularly.

Efforts by a group of clergy members to shut down a drag show in Upstate New York have failed spectacularly, leading to an outpouring of support for the 21+ event. As local ABC affiliate WHAM reports, Pastor Tim Lindsay of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Albion, New York, initially asked organizers to cancel a 21+ drag brunch show set to take place October 1 at local event space The Lockstone. After they declined, Lindsay wrote an open letter co-signed by 23 other local clergy members and published it on OrleansHub.com. Related: GOP lawmakers now want to ban drag brunches on Sundays An Arizona Republican introduced a law banning drag on Sunday mornings. In the letter, Lindsay argued that the adults-only show would open the door to drag story hour events in the community, which he characterized as “inappropriate for children.” Get the Daily Brief The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you: Subscribe to our Newsletter “We acknowledge the right of the organizers to hold this event and for people to attend, but we believe that its overall impact would be detrimental to our community,” Lindsay wrote. “While the scheduled event is for those 21 and over, we are also aware of the emergence of ‘drag queen story hours’ for children that have been taking place across the country. One of our concerns is that the attempt to normalize drag queen events such as the one scheduled for October 1st is a precursor to prepare the community for further drag queen events, including drag queen story hours.” Lindsay noted that members of the Rochester Drag Me to Brunch cast, which includes RuPaul’s Drag Race alums Mrs. Kasha Davis and Darienne Lake, have participated in drag queen story hour events. “Clearly, there are sexual overtones and implicit sexual content in most drag performances,” Lindsay claimed. “While that content is not emphasized in the story hour setting, it remains a significant part of the drag world. Just as most in the community would not endorse ‘adult film star story hours’, or ‘exotic dancer story hours’, even if those individuals were not directly promoting the industry that they represent, common sense tells us that such events would be inappropriate for children.” Lindsay’s letter was also posted on Facebook, where the overwhelming majority of comments were in support of the Drag Me to Brunch event. “Love and acceptance is a virtue, practice it! You don’t want to see drag performers, don’t buy a ticket!” one comment read. “This is a 21+ event… so where’s the problem?” “It’s entertainment people! I’m paying more attention to which pastors didn’t sign it than did! Good for them,” another user wrote. “Keep me posted on when a story hour can happen too – I’d love to bring my kids,” another comment read. “I hope they sell out and continue to do shows!” one user wrote. And sell out they did. WHAM reports that the event sold out within days of the letter being posted. “It brought the attention to the surface,” said Mrs. Kasha Davis. “There are a lot of people who were like, “I didn’t even know this was going on until I saw this whole post, so thanks for letting us know,’” said Darienne Lake. “So, oops, you played yourself.” In a statement, the event’s organizer said: “My intention was to provide a morning full of food, fun, and laughs with friends. I had no idea this would cause such an uproar within our community in this day and time. I am new to the Church world and my Pastor teaches that we love all people no matter the differences.” While Lindsay still hopes that the brunch show will be canceled, he seems resigned to failure. “It just felt like we needed to address it,” he said. “If that creates more attention and more people want to come, maybe because they disagree with our point of view, that’s what’s going to happen. We can’t change that.” http://dlvr.it/SwZ16d

[defensefilms]

Tua Tagovailoa Injury Is An Indictement Of League Safety Protocols

The fallout from the Tua Tagovailoa situation is real and is being met with intense scrutiny as to how or why Tua was allowed to play on Thursday Night Football?

In the video above, is Dr Ben Omalu, also known as the “Concussion Doctor”, most famously depicted in film “Concussion” starring Will Smith. Long story short, Dr. Ben Omalu has been a thorn in the NFL’s side for the better part of the last 20 years. 

Basically, he’s the reason a lot of the physicality has been officiated out of the NFL.

What I believe Omalu represents more than anything else, is the justifiable scrutiny on the health of players within the NFL and players who are retired.

This is a worker-employee issue at it’s core and it’s stories like this are the reason sports cannot be separated from politics.

The NFL up to this point has gotten away with something very few employers in America or the world, have gotten away with, because they do not pay for the health needs of their workers. There is no kind of health-based safety net for players, who essentially ruin their bodies playing this sport.

In last night’s game between the Colts and the Broncos, there was an added bit of scrutiny on every bit of physical play.

The NFL will be on red alert towards anything that is a player health issue or a violation of it’s League Safety Protocols, but that in itself is still an indictement, because if the protocols are effective then how’d they miss on Tua?

Here’s the problem, after the 1st hit which Tua took. Whixh was a late hit which was ruled as roughing the passer by Bills linebacker Matt Milano,Tua was visibly wobbled.

You can tell tell he tries to tough it out and walk it off but he falls to the ground again. Tua would still complete the game, but should he have been allowed to even do that based on Omalu’s findings regarding concussions?

No. Tua should not have even had the option to play through any kind of head injury. Furthermore, it’s been proven that the culture within the sport of football ecourages players to play through injuries, so players should not be entrusted to make this decision on their own at all, and shouldn’t be able to override health and safety protocols in any way or form.

What I have truly been unimpressed by, is Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s response to  Tua’s injury and the kind of lack of concern he showed, which in many ways mirrors Kyle Shanahan’s distant and unconcerned response to Trey Lance’s injury in week 2.

When even the mainstream media can’t find a way to defend a coach or an organization, you know there’s a problem.

The idea that McDaniel sees this as just “part of the game”, and worse yet, for him to say that all of the safety protocols were followed, acutally raises an issue for the NFL, becuase now people will want to know what those protocols are, and how strictly were they followed if this situation was allowed to occurr?

And right on cue, the NFL and the Player’s Association have issued a joint statement regarding the safety protocols.

They are claiming to not have come to any conclusions,  but have already pre-emptively vowed to improve the protocols. That is damning.

I have a lot of respect for Dr Omalu.

The guts that this man has to face down a corporation like the NFL with all it’s resources legal, financial and political, was the kind of stand you can only wish more people bothered to take towards injustices perpetrated by people in positions of power.

He also defended Gisele Bundchen when she revealed to the world that Tom Brady had sustained concussions while playing the most protected position on the field.

The NFL not having any kind of health insurance/ coverage for former players, along with any workplace that employs people full time, should be far more accountable, responsible and far more forthcoming regarding player health and the health of employees.

The league has not learned their lesson.

No one wants to ban the sport of football, but if young men are going to put thier bodies on the line like that, then there should be some kind of built in health insurance to help them once they are retired and unable to work. 

Before the Doplhins took the field against the Cincinatti Bengals on Monday Night Football, Ben Omalu had already been on TMZ and publicly stated that there is no doubt that Tua was concussed in the Bills game, and as a neurologist he would have never allowed Tua to play last Thursday.

Omalu explains that, a concussion is like a fracture to the brain, and if you were to fracture your leg, there is no way you would dar to get up and play, so why would players be ecnouraged to play through head injuries?

Trust the doctors people, this sport doesn’t have to be worse just because it took a more serious approach to helping players protect their health.

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in May

Sadly, I kind of skipped writing a post for April. It was a mad month with so much going on: lots of emails sent and lots of stress. I started a new job so I’m getting to grips with that... and even then, I still watched a bunch of movies. But this is about what I watched in May and, yeah… still a bunch. So if you’re looking to get into some other movies - possibly some you’ve thought about watching but didn’t know what they were like, or maybe like the look of something you’ve never heard of - then this may help! So here’s every film I watched from the 1st to the 31st of May 2021 Tenet (2020) - 8/10 This was my third time watching Christopher Nolan’s most Christopher Nolan movie ever and it makes no sense but I still love it. The spectacle of it all is truly like nothing I’ve ever seen. I had also watched it four days prior to this watch also, only this time I had enabled audio description for the visually impaired, thinking it would make it funny… It didn’t.

Nomadland (2020) - 6/10 Chloé Zhao’s new movie got a lot of awards attention. Everyone was hyped for this and when it got put out on Disney+ I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. Seeing these real nomads certainly gave the film an authenticity, along with McDormand’s ever-praisable acting. But generally I found it quite underwhelming and lacking a lot in its pacing. Nomadland surely has its moments of captivating cinematography and enticing commentary on the culture of these people, but it felt like it went on forever without any kind of forward direction or goal. The Prince of Egypt (1998) - 6/10 I reviewed this on my podcast, The Sunday Movie Marathon. For what it is, it’s pretty fun but nowhere near as good as some of the best DreamWorks movies.

Chinatown (1974) - 8/10 What a fantastic and wonderfully unpredictable mystery crime film! I regret to say I’ve not seen many Jack Nicholson performances but he steals the show. Despite Polanski’s infamy, it’d be a lie to claim this wasn’t truly masterful. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) - 8/10 Admittedly I was half asleep as I curled up on the sofa to watch this again on a whim. I watched this with someone who demanded the dubbed version over the subtitled version and while I objected heavily, I knew I’d seen the movie before so it didn’t matter too much. That person also fell asleep about 20 minutes in, so how pointless an argument it was. Howl’s Moving Castle boasts superb animation, the likes of which I’ve only come to expect of Miyazaki. The story is so unique and the colours are absolutely gorgeous. This may not be my favourite from the legendary director but there’s no denying its splendour.

Bāhubali: The Beginning (2015) - 3/10 The next morning I watched some absolute trash. This crazy, over the top Indian movie is hilarious and I could perhaps recommend it if it weren’t so long. That being said, Bāhubali was not a dumpster fire; it has a lot of good-looking visual effects and it’s easy to see the ambition for this epic story, it just doesn’t come together. There’s fun to be had with how the main character is basically the strongest man in the world and yet still comes across as just a lucky dumbass, along with all the dancing that makes no sense but is still entertaining to watch. Seven Samurai (1954) - 10/10 If it wasn’t obvious already, Seven Samurai is a masterpiece. I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast, so more thoughts can be found there. Red Road (2006) - 6/10 Another recommendation on episode 30 of the podcast. Red Road really captures the authentic British working class experience. Before Sunrise (1995) - 10/10 One of the best romances put to film. The first in Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy is undoubtedly my favourite, despite its counterparts being almost equally as good. It tells the story of a young couple travelling through Europe, who happen to meet on a train and spend the day together. It is gloriously shot on location in Vienna and features some of the most interesting dialogue I’ve ever seen put to film. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

Tokyo Story (1953) - 9/10 This Japanese classic - along with being visually and sonically masterful - is a lot about appreciating the people in your life and taking the time to show them that you love them. It’s about knowing it’s never too late to rekindle old relationships if you truly want to, which is something I’ve been able to relate to in recent years. It broke my heart in two. Tokyo Story will make you want to call your mother. Before Sunset (2004) - 10/10 Almost a decade after Sunrise, Sunset carries a sombre yet relieving feeling. Again, the performances from Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke take me away, evoking nostalgic feelings as they stroll through the contemporary Parisian streets. There is no regret in me for buying the Criterion blu-ray boxset for this trilogy. Before Midnight (2013) - 10/10 Here, Linklater cements this trilogy as one of the best in film history. It’s certainly not the ending I expected, yet it’s an ending I appreciate endlessly. Because it doesn’t really end. Midnight shows the troubling times of a strained relationship; one that has endured so long and despite initially feeling almost dreamlike in how idealistically that first encounter was portrayed, the cracks appear as the film forces you to come to terms with the fact that fairy-tale romances just don’t exist. Relationships require effort and sacrifice and sometimes the ones that truly work are those that endure through all the rough patches to emerge stronger. The Holy Mountain (1973) - 10/10 Jodorowsky’s masterpiece is absolute insanity. I talked more about it on The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10 Another watch for Grand Budapest because I bought the Criterion blu-ray. As unalterably perfect as ever. Blue Jay (2016) - 6/10 Rather good up to a point. My co-hosts and I did not agree on how good this movie was, which is a discussion you can listen to on my podcast. Shadow and Bone: The Afterparty (2021) - 3/10 For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed the first season of Shadow and Bone, which is why I wanted to see what ‘The Afterparty’ was about. This could have been a lot better and much less annoying if all those terrible comedians weren’t hosting and telling bad jokes. I don’t want to see Fortune Feimster attempt to tell a joke about oiling her body as the cast of the show sit awkwardly in their homes over Zoom. If it had simply been a half hour, 45 minute chat with the cast and crew about how they made the show and their thoughts on it, a lot of embarrassment and time-wasting could have been spared. Wadjda (2012) - 6/10 Another recommendation discussed at length on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Wadjda was pretty interesting from a cultural perspective but largely familiar in terms of story structure.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - 2/10 A truly terrible movie with maybe one or two scenes that stop it from being a complete catastrophe. Tom Green tried to create something that almost holds a middle finger to everyone who watches it and to some that could be a fun experience, but to me it just came across as utterly irritating. It’s simply a bunch of scenes threaded together with an incredibly loose plot. He wears the skin of a dead deer, smacks a disabled woman over and over again on the legs to turn her on, and he swings a newborn baby around a hospital room by its umbilical cord (that part was actually pretty funny). I cannot believe I watched this again, although I think I repressed a lot of it since having seen it for the first time around five years ago. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 - (2011) I have to say, these movies seem to get better with each instalment. They’re still not very good though. That being said, I’m amazed at how many times I’ve watched each of the Twilight movies at this point. This time around, I watched Breaking Dawn - Part 1 with a YMS commentary track on YouTube and that made the experience a lot more entertaining. Otherwise, this film is super dumb but pretty entertaining. I would recommend watching these movies with friends. Solaris (1972) - 8/10 Andrei Tarkovsky’s grand sci-fi epic about the emotional crises of a crew on the space station orbiting the fictional planet Solaris is much as strange and creepy as you might expect from the master Russian auter. I had wanted to watch this for a while so I bought the Criterion blu-ray and it’s just stunning. It’s clear to see the 2001: A Space Odyssey inspiration but Solaris is quite a different beast entirely. Jaws (1975) - 4/10 I really tried to get into this classic movie, but Jaws exhibits basically everything I don’t like about Steven Spielberg’s directing. For sure, the effects are crazily good but the story itself is poorly handled and largely uninteresting. It was just a massive slog to get through.

Darkman (1990) - 6/10 Sam Raimi’s superhero movie is so much fun, albeit massively stupid. Further discussion on Darkman can be found on episode 32 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast. Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995) - 1/10 Abysmal. I forgot the movie as I watched it. This was part of a marathon my friends and I did for episode 32 of our podcast. Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996) - 1/10 Perhaps this trilogy is not so great after all. Only marginally better than Darkman II but still pretty terrible. More thoughts on episode 32 of my podcast. F For Fake (1973) - 8/10 Rewatching this proved to be a worthwhile decision. Albeit slightly boring, there’s no denying how crazy the story of this documentary about art forgers is. The standout however, is the director himself. Orson Welles makes a lot of this film about himself and how hot his girlfriend is and it is hilarious.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021) - 4/10 More style over substance, Sony’s new animated adventure wants so much to be in trend with the current internet culture but it simply doesn’t understand what it’s emulating. There’s a nyan cat reference, for crying out loud. For every joke that works, there are about ten more that do not and were it not for the wonderful animation, it simply wouldn’t be getting so much praise. Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10 The first movie I’ve seen in a cinema since 2020 and damn it was good to be back! I’ve already reviewed Taxi Driver in my March wrap-up but seeing it in the cinema was a real treat. Irreversible (2002) - 8/10 One of the most viscerally horrendous experiences I’ve ever had while watching a movie. I cannot believe a friend of mine gave me the DVD to watch. More thoughts on episode 32 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast. Don’t watch it with the family. The Golden Compass (2007) - 1/10 I had no recollection of this being as bad as it is. The Golden Compass is the definition of a factory mandated movie. Nothing it does on its own is worth any kind of merit. I would say, if you wanted an experience like what this tries to communicate, a better option by far is the BBC series, His Dark Materials. More of my thoughts can be found in the review I wrote on Letterboxd.

Antichrist (2009) - 8/10 Lars von Trier is nothing if not provocative and I can understand why someone would not like Antichrist, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. After watching it, I wrote a slightly disjointed summary of my interpretations of this highly metaphorical movie in the group chat, so fair warning for a bit of spoilers and graphic descriptions: It's like, the patriarchy, man! Oppression! Men are the rational thinkers with big brains and the women just cry and be emotional. So she's seen as crazy when she's smashing his cock and driving a drill through his leg to keep him weighted down. Like, how does he like it, ya know? So then she mutilates herself like she did with him and now they're both wounded, but the animals crowd around her (and the crow that he couldn't kill because it's Mother nature, not Father nature, duh). Then he kills her, even though she could've killed him loads of times but didn't. So it's like "haha big win for the man who was subjected to such horrific torture. Victory!" And then all the women with no faces come out of the woods because it's like a constant cycle. Manchester By The Sea (2016) - 6/10 Great performances in this super sad movie. I can’t say I got too much out of it though. Roar (1981) - 9/10 Watching Roar again was still as terrifying an experience as the first time. If you want to watch something that’s loose on plot with poor acting but with real big cats getting in the way of production and physically attacking people, look no further. This is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen because it’s all basically real. Cannot recommend it enough. Eyes Without A Face (1960) - 8/10 I’m glad I checked this old French movie out again. There’s a lot to marvel at in so many aspects, what with the premise itself - a mad surgeon taking the faces from unsuspecting women and transplanting them onto another - being incredibly unique for the time. Short, sweet and entertaining!

Se7en (1995) - 10/10 The first in a David Fincher marathon we did for The Sunday Movie Marathon, episode 33. Zodiac (2007) - 10/10 Second in the marathon, as it was getting late, we decided to watch half that evening and the last half on the following evening. Zodiac is a brilliant movie and you can hear more of my thoughts on the podcast (though I apologise; my audio is not the best in this episode). Gone Girl (2014) - 10/10 My favourite Fincher movie. More insights into this masterpiece in episode 33 of the podcast. Friends: The Reunion (2021) - 6/10 It was heartwarming to see the old actors for this great show together again. I talked about the Friends reunion film at length in episode 33 of my podcast.

Wolfwalkers (2020) - 10/10 I reviewed this in an earlier post but would like to reiterate just how wonderful Wolfwalkers is. If you get the chance, please see it in the cinema. I couldn’t stop crying from how beautiful it was. Raya and The Last Dragon (2021) - 6/10 After watching Wolfwalkers, I decided I didn’t want to go home. So I had lunch in town and booked a ticket for Disney’s Raya and The Last Dragon. A child was coughing directly behind me the entire time. Again, I reviewed this in an earlier post but generally it was decent but I have so many problems with the execution. The Princess Bride (1987) - 9/10 Clearly I underrated this the last time I watched it. The Princess Bride is warm and hilarious with some delightfully memorable characters. A real classic!

The Invisible Kid (1988) - 1/10 About as good as you’d expect a movie with that name to be, The Invisible Kid was a pick for The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast, the discussion for which you can listen to in episode 34. Babel (2006) - 9/10 The same night that I watched The Invisible Kid, I watched a masterful and dour drama from the director of Birdman and The Revenant. Babel calls back to an earlier movie of Iñárritu’s, called Amores Perros and as I was informed while we watched this for the podcast, it turns out Babel is part of a trilogy alongside the aforementioned film. More thoughts in episode 34 of the podcast. Snake Eyes (1998) - 1/10 After feeling thoroughly emotionally wiped out after Babel, we immediately watched another recommendation for the podcast: Snake Eyes, starring Nicolas Cage. This was a truly underwhelming experience and for more of a breakdown into what makes this movie so bad, you can listen to us talk about it on the podcast.

[autumnslance]

About Plagiarism

I left a long, planned essay on Twitter tonight. I will copy the meat of it here for y’all, as recently a friend was copied (a rarer ship in the fandom, so very noticeable by the writer and their regular beta reader) and it seems we need a Talk, kids. Links and screenshots and my rambling underway.

------

Apparently we need to discuss what is and isn’t plagiarism. Especially in FanFic where we're interacting with the same characters, settings, ideas. Let’s start with the dictionary and continue the thread from there (I like the word origin/history personally):

Definition of plagiarize

transitive verb  : to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source

intransitive verb : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

The Kidnapping Roots of Plagiarize

If schools wish to impress upon their students how serious an offense plagiarism is, they might start with an explanation of the word’s history. Plagiarize (and plagiarism) comes from the Latin plagiarius “kidnapper.” This word, derived from the Latin plaga (“a net used by hunters to catch game”), extended its meaning in Latin to include a person who stole the words, rather than the children, of another. When plagiarius first entered English in the form plagiary, it kept its original reference to kidnapping, a sense that is now quite obsolete.

“Ideas” is fuzzy in the Merriam-Webster definition. There are story archetypes that exist in many forms. Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth/Hero's Journey outlines many famous stories. And it's popular to say that “Avatar” is “Dances with Wolves” is “Pocahontas” is “The Last Samurai” etc.

But note how while those films have similar plotlines--”Military Guy falls for Native woman, learns to appreciate her Culture, stands up to Evil Bosses”--none of them execute those ideas in the same way. Sully’s story is different from Dunbar’s not just cuz one’s a Science Fiction epic and the other a Western. Disney's “Pocahontas” Very Loosely takes history and uses the same story beats. The Last Samurai uses the Meiji era Westernization. Same ideas, different executions, even beyond settings.

None of these are plagiarizing each other though the ideas are similar. They’re told in their own ways, own language; both in the genres they belong to (Western, Pseudo-History, SciFi, Animated) and how characters interact with each other and settings. Original dialogues (variable quality).

We also see this in books as similar novel plots get published in waves so we end up with bunches of post-apocalypse teen revolutionaries or various vampires or lots of young wizard stories all at once. Sometimes ideas just happen like this; multiple discovery, simultaneous invention, concurrent inspiration, cognitive emergence are all phrases I’ve seen for it. So it happens in original content as well, and legality gets fuzzy (Also why you don't send authors your fanfic ideas).

In existing properties, this gets trickier but even “Elementary”’s Holmes and Watson are nothing like the BBC’s “Sherlock” characters. Who are nothing like other versions of the Detective and his Doctor pal over the decades in various media properties.

FanFic's in a similar position where like Sherlock Holmes we play with the same characters, setting, and storyarcs but give our own spin to them. People can and will have similar ideas about plots. Trick is to use your own words. Take the characters and make the story your own.

I have a good example courtesy of @raelly-writing​. We both ship Wolcred. We both wrote soft post-Paglth’an scenes with Thancred and our WoLs. Both features the couples helping each other undress, examining injuries, bathing, bantering. My fic was written soon after 5.5 part 1 came out. Dara’s is much more recent. Yet at no point reading hers did I feel she was copying my words. The PoVs differ. Our characters focus on different things. Mine has a mini-arc concerning the Nutkin.

The links for comparison’s sake (and maybe leave kudos/comments if so inclined please and thanks). Note while the scenes are very similar no phrases are written in the same way. Mine: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25417882/chapters/76059467 Dara’s: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26067565/chapters/81832915

Dara and I both hang out in certain Discords and I know conversations about Thancred and WoL caring for each other post-battle has come up in those channels and we've both participated. It’s a stock FanFic scene to boot. Cuz it's soft and feels warm and snuggly.

I HAVE been copied before, back in WoW. My case is pretty clear cut so here are the images of my old RP Haven profile (1st, old RP website) and the plagiarist’s RSP (2nd, an in game mod to share descriptions and basic info). 

This was a decade ago on Shadow Council and I think the character deleted so any Availa’s in WoW now aren’t the same person. I left the names to point out what changed. Just the names and a word or 2 to make sense for the class changes as well. Otherwise lifted directly from my RP profile.

The funny part is how the person got caught. Literally walked into our weekly RP Guild meeting that I was running and asked to join. Folks noticed right away the similar backstory; after all there may have been more Outland-born Azerothians. My initial excitement at a character I could weave into our story turned to gut-twisting rage and grief as I recognized my own exact words though. Words I’d carefully crafted and constantly iterated on to improve over time (before and after this incident, until the site died).

When caught they tried to claim their significant other had leveled the character for them and made up the backstory based on Skyrim. If you know WoW’s Outland story and Skyrim’s plot you know how ridiculous that is. Also tried to lie about other drama I knew about thanks to roommate's characters but hey. I had to be blunt that I’d shared the info with Haven mods and other guild officers Alliance and Horde. That we would not “laugh about this” one day though lucky this was “just” RP not original or academic work. Cuz if it'd been monetized or academic I would've raked them through the coals.

I felt violated. Hurt. Had anxiety attacks. They took MY WORDS and tried to claim them as theirs. Have another character born in Outland trained by Draenei; Awesome! Our characters have an instant connect in similarities and differences of that experience. Don’t steal my characters wholesale!

Then the audacity of trying to come into my guild as if no one would notice. ShC wasn’t a large server by then, still active but not nearly Wyrmrest Accord or Moon Guard big. My character was well known due to my writing and RP. Speaking of how easy it is to get caught in specific spaces...A case of a self-published novelist getting noticed for plagiarizing fanfic was discovered recently (explicit erotica examples through the thread).

One way they got noticed was how much content they put out in only a year, lifted from fandom. The examples in Kokom’s threads show how the material was altered but still recognizable. In some cases, just the names are changed as in my experience. In other passages more has changed but you can still see the bones of the original fic poking through in the descriptions and character interactions, even with adjustments made.

Similar ideas happen. Similar plots exist. Same 'ships with friends are fun! In FanFic we’re working with the same material. It’s possible to write a similar scene differently. To make that scene and characters your own. All we’re asking is not to copy others' words. Others' characters. Others' specific phrases and descriptions used to bring those words, those characters, to life. Use your own. In the end you’ll be happier.

I get wanting to have what the perceived “popular people” have. I get seeing concepts others succeed with and wanting some of that too. We all get a bit jealous now and then for various reasons. Sometimes we don't even realize it, consciously. But do it in your own way. Maybe check to see if you’re getting a bit too close to the “inspiration” you admired, maybe reread often. Don’t hurt your fellow creatives. If you do and get caught don’t try to double down. Have the grace to be abashed at least and work to do better. Eventually you WILL get caught. All it takes is once to throw all else you've done into question. Ao3 doesn’t take kindly to plagiarists. Nor do a lot of fan communities focused on writing and RP. Getting back that trust is hard. The internet doesn’t forget easily, for good or ill.

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

Let’s talk: the Vmin “no on screen interaction = no bond” Paradox

by Admin 1 & 2

One of the reasons that are usually stated for why people are so insistent on their claims that Jimin and Tae supposedly aren’t close anymore, that their friendship is nothing but PR for Friends, and that the whole “soulmate agenda” is fake as well, boils down to the statement of “we rarely or never see them interact on screen, no touching, no talking, nothing”. We find this both misleading, since it isn’t true, but also disrespectful, since it means that the only way in which some are able to accept closeness between the members as real and valid is if they see it, nothing else. So, just because you don’t see it through grand physical touches, hugs and whatnot, does that mean if they speak about each other, for example, that doesn’t count? 

You could argue that the power of pictures is greater than that of words, but to that I would like to ask: do they owe us visual proof of their closeness when we already have so much that shows how truly close Jimin and Tae are, how much they care about each other and how much work across years they’ve willingly and eagerly put into their bond for it to grow as deep and beautiful as it is?

As a way to showcase how misleading the screen time = friendship/closeness argument is, especially in connection to Jimin and Tae, I’d like for us to look at two different instances: Black Swan MV (the MV Sketch as well as the “opera” b*omb and the basket ball b*omb) and the Jingle Ball 2019 EPISODE.

Let’s start with the videos surrounding Black Swan below the cut:

Around that time I saw a lot, and I mean a lot, of chatter (mostly negative) about vmin since a very loud portion of the fandom were very up in arms after we got Friends. Not only did it solidify their preconceived notion that they are just friends, because the song is titled like that and none of them really cared enough to check the lyrics, but also because it opened up a whole new discussion about “but like, are they really friends?” To which, of course, their answer was mostly “no”. It’s just PR, they actually don’t really like each other, they barely interact, we see nothing of them, both interact way more with the other members, you know the drill. So when the MV Sketch for Black Swan came out it was, once again, like more “am/munition” for their arguments.

The thing we find laughable though is this expectation of “ship moments” in a video that’s literally about the filming of their music video, most of the scenes showing said filming happening though there’s also a few scenes of the members interacting. But, at the core, this isn’t like a bangtan b*mb of them hanging out backstage waiting for something or another where it makes sense that we’d see them interact a lot and be silly, instead it’s a video in which their focus (as well as ours should be) is on filming and giving the best performance they can so the MV turns out amazing, which it did. They are doing their work, not enjoying their free time. When you’re at work, do you really spend the majority of your time playing around with your friends? No, you do your job, the thing you get paid for doing.

The first few times I watched the video, I was so captivated by the theatre and their dancing, their mindset and performance, I didn’t even really notice any of their interactions or pay attention to who interacted with who or who did not. Guess my priorities and expectations are simply a bit different when watching a music video being filmed...

So what was the conclusion people drew? While Jimin and Tae are both close to JK and the other member, they are not close to each other, they don’t even particularly like each other. It was a narrative I saw repeated across various sns and, really, while it made me sad, I also wasn’t surprised. It’s nothing new that people treat vmin in such a manner.

Then, months later we got two Bangtan B*mbs from the same time and surprise, surprise Jimin and Tae did interact, a lot even, in ways that show how attuned with each other they are, how easy it is for them to fall into one of their role-plays or just be silly together, how gentle and thoughtful of the other they are, and how much they enjoy doing something together, regardless of what it is.

The first, posted October 1st 2020, showed Tae playing basket ball while Jimin and JK sat off to the side and watched him. Like you can see in the above pictures, eventually Jimin joined Tae and they played together for most of the video. Since the sun was shining at them, Tae stood before Jimin and raised his hands so the shadow fell onto Jimin’s eyes and he could see better, later on doing the same for Tae. It’s a small thing and yet it shows they care about each other. At some point Jimin pretended that he’ll be leaving, twice, and yet he stayed and they played some more. Toward the end of the video Namjoon joins them and eventually vmin leave and Namjoon stays behind and plays with Seokjin before the video ends.

Based on all that you’d assume the people who, seven months earlier, claimed vmin are essentially estranged and barely even like each other would reconsider, but of course not. Despite the focus being largely on them across the entire video, many comments by non-vminies (and non-namjinists) I saw on sns were about Tae playing on his own, Jimin and JK sitting off to the side together, and Namjoon playing with Seokjin. 

The second video was posted October 24th 2020 and began with Jimin pretending he’s an opera singer, which Tae noticed and immediately joined in, since we know this is the sort of thing Tae enjoys doing, even occasionally turning their own songs and lyrics into opera style to make the other members laugh. This sets off this entire sequence of Tae and Jimin singing different things, JK also joining in for a moment, and then vmin ending on that sweet moment of Jimin standing behind Tae with his hands covering Tae’s eyes before concluding that “it’s hard to play with him”. And yet, even if it’s hard, can we talk about these two screenshots of Jimin fondly watching Tae and looking like he can’t wait until his stylist is done so he can go join him? Adorable.

But again, even here while the focus is on vmin for a large portion of the video, this fact was largely omitted and instead people zeroed in on moments in which Tae was alone, Tae or Jimin interacted with JK, and Tae singing with Namjoon and Seokjin. It seems to me like the council of “how valid is a friendship” decided on their opinion months prior and stuck with it even if it meant, as always, to just ignore vmin interactions in favor of other things while at the same time spreading the “vmin are not friends because they don’t interact” agenda to anyone who’ll listen.

Generally I don’t really care all that much for all the chatter happening among parts of ARMY, but seeing these comments belittling and erasing the bond Jimin and Tae have, regardless if you see it as platonic or potentially romantic, is just really hard to read sometimes. Not even because I’m a vminnie, but simply because they are erasing something that is so important to both Tae and Jimin, this bond they have with each other they themselves spoke so much about, showed so much of, and yet people refuse to accept it, like they have any right to make such judgements about their bond.

The second example I’d like to show is Jingle Ball 2019 in LA and how deceptive, paradoxical and misleading the no screen time = no bond agenda really is.

For context, the Jingle Ball happened some time in December 2019, the same month as when we got the vmin “let’s take a half bath together” while holding hands during Seokjin’s birthday vlive happened, meaning a time when Jimin and Tae were just as close as ever, even occasionally giving us glimpses into their bond, giggling together and being all smiles. Also the same month as the famous holding hands because we think no one sees us anymore moment at the airport.

On July 22nd 2020 we got the EPISODE showing the behind the scenes of the Jingle Ball performance. It’s 11 minutes long and includes the BWL performance with Halsey, but largely shows the members getting ready, practicing their English and being excited to perform. If we focus solely on vmin then sure, I’ll agree that there were no interactions between those two whatsoever, not a usual or out of the ordinary thing, and not something I see any kind of problem in. They don’t owe us interactions in every piece of content. And yet, as always, it just added fuel to everyones favorite agenda that vmin are not close, ignoring all the prior time frame context we established previously. But who cares, they didn’t interact in this 11 minute video therefore they definitely didn’t interact at all and now hate each other.

Jokes on those people because of course that isn’t true.

Excuse the rather mediocre quality of those pictures, I tried my best with the screenshots taken from a video taken by a fan (one of many) who got to see BTS behind the scenes before going on stage from the stands further up. There’s this video on twt that shows just vmin and then I found a longer version in this person’s vlog (around the 7:25 min mark and onward). You can check both and confirm that it really is vmin in those screenshots. Also, as memory refresher, Jimin was the only one with a black collar and shirt along with blond hair. Namjoon stands further away and can be seen in the three lower pictures.

So, what does this tell us? Easy--just because it wasn’t shown in a condensed and edited video it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Just because Jimin and Tae don’t show us things on screen, or the editors don’t use scenes where it can be seen, it doesn’t mean that it’s an accurate representation of their actual, real life bond. They weren’t in the EPISODE but hugged and walked together off camera.

Notice how this agenda merely applies to vmin, how their bond, their soulmate status and closeness is the only one that gets questioned at every possible moment. When Seokjin said that Yoongi feels like his soulmate nowadays in an episode of In The SOOP no one questioned his words and accepted them as true, because he said so himself and we should believe their sincerity when they say these things. And yet when it comes to vmin, the rules are entirely different.

This was a post brought to you by Admin 2 coming across yet another thread on twt filled with ARMY claiming outlandish things about vmin and their bond and getting annoyed.

[poulpichou]

Government failures and fucked-upperies in France

Ok, so I recently wrote a bit about the situation with police brutality in France, but now I would like to tell you more about WHY the government needs the police so much. A lot of my sources will be in french (and marked (F) like this) because there are a lot of cases that didn’t make it to the international press. Many sources also come from the newspaper Mediapart and require a subscription.

I’ve had a lot of people telling me “BuT It’S nOt ChInA” and let me tell you, yes I know it’s way worse in other countries (Peru, Thailand, Nigeria and so on, a lot is happening right now in the world), but where the fuck do you draw the line? The kind of things I’m gonna tell you about is unacceptable, and so hypocritical when a country calls itself a democracy and the land of human rights, and we should be angry about that and try to make it change. Here I’m talking a lot about Macron but let’s not forget that many current problems began under Holland’s presidency, who was supposed to be from the left, and even before. Alright, here we go.

President of the wealthy

Soooo let’s begin with how Macron was elected by wealthy people: half of the 16 million euro collected for his campaign was financed(F) by 1200 people, mostly living in Paris, by banks, and also by rich french people living abroad. So of course the first thing he did when he could was to reward them for his victory and he cut their taxes in december 2018. He deleted the “taxe on fortune” that was in place for 40 years (minus 3 years under Chirac first presidency) and replaced it with another that taxes way less, in the name of trickle down economy (you know, the same way Thatcher and Reagan did) saying that rich people would invest more and thus creating more jobs. Of course that didn’t happen and rich people just got way richer without any effects on poor people.

At the same time, he cut down housing benefits for students and poor people (1/4 of people between 18 and 24 are under the poverty line) and cancelled housing helps for 50,000 people. In december 2018, he wanted to pass a law that would increase fuel prices in the name of ecology, but that would once again mainly affect working and middle classes. That’s how started the yellow vest movement, because people were becomming poorer and poorer and they felt like the government only gave to the rich and took from the poor.

In 2018, 14% of the french population was under the poverty line, and 21% suffer from food insecurity and it has only worsened since.

At the end of 2019, a student even set himself on fire at his university because he was in such financial distress he couldn’t go on anymore.

Yellow Vest movement

If you have to read one article about it, it’s this one.

In 2017, Macron said in one of his speeches about a train station that it was “a place where one encounters people who are succeeding and people who are nothing”. The yellow vest movement came from these “people who are nothing”. For the first time in decades, people who were not heard, people who didn’t have a place in the political landscape in France were on the front scene. A lot of protestors never demonstrated before, or even engaged in politics. Many of them now protested because “they had nothing else to lose” (F). People were angry from not being listened to and being used only to allow rich people to get richer, and oh boy they showed it in the street.

The first protests took the government by surprise. They were not expecting the numbers of protestors, nor their determination. The protest were also completely different from the demonstration the state was used to deal with: there were no official leaders, making it really difficult for the government to negotiate, demonstrations were often not declared beforhand in prefectures (F), and people were systematically targetting (F) banks, major brands like Apple or McDonalds and luxury shops, causing millions euro worth of damages.

On the 1st of december 2018, protestors in Paris took over the Arc de Triomphe and completely overfloaded the police.

One policeman said afterward that on this day, “the Elysée could have fallen” (F). Police forces were not prepared, the right orders were not given at the right times and some police company were surounded by furious protestors. The same policeman said that in that moment, “they forgot about their code of ethics”, that they were just shooting rubber bullet wherever they could and “trying protect their life”. The following weeks, police put on steel fences around the Elysée and members of the government and their collaborators were asked to lock down and put away all of their documents(F) before the weekly demonstrations, in case the protestors were able to take over the buildings.

It was a turning point in the protests, and from then the orders given to the police changed completely. From then they’ve been allowed to litterally do whatever it took to keep the country in order. The government understood that the last thing between them and the furious people they betrayed was the police, and that’s precisely why they are trying to give them even more power today with the law on global security (see my last post, and probably a next one I’m gonna write soon because it would be too much for this post).

Since December 2018, a journalist, David Dusfresne, documents and keeps count on the police brutality, first on twitter and then on the online newspaper Mediapart(F) (TW for really graphic pictures of wounds and blood). For now he counted 4 deaths, 30 people who lost an eye due mainly to rubber bullets, 6 who lost a hand due to detonative grenades (France is being the only european country to use them against its own population), 346 wounded to the head (fractured skull mainly, due to the rubber bullets and baton blow) and a total of 969 documented reports on police brutality (and that’s only for 3 years).

Since then, a total of 9 police officers have been judged guilty, 7 of them being only suspended temporarily and avoiding prison, with only 2 of them ending up in prison(F) and being expelled from police forces.

People began to record the police more and more to prevent any brutality or to have proofs in case it happened, and then the police began to target journalists and anyone who had a camera.

They began to lie to people, telling them it’s forbiden to record the police (for now it isn’t), they forced photographs to delete their photos in the middle of demonstrations. They covered their ID number on their uniform (F), they covered their licence plates.

The government also began to talk about legitimate protest, aka the peacefull one, and put the name of “casseur” (thug) on anyone who would be too angry. to their taste, saying that the latter were taking the former in hostage. Basically they were saying tht yes, protestors took aver the arc de Triomphe, but it was only hooligans who just wanted to burn things, nothing political behind that.

Here began the preventive arrests (F) before demonstrations (arresting people who had done nothing on the only presumption they will), the arrest of journalists, the arrest of people having masks and protection glasses on them. From now on the administration can ban someone from public demonstration without going through the justice system.

Between November 2018 and November 2019, around 3,000 person(F) from the yellow vest movement were senteced to community services, fees, suspended prison sentence, and for 1/3 of them prison sentences. Those numbers are underestimated because many cases have not been judged yet. Some protestors were sentenced for shouting slogans(F), for wearing protective masks(F) (F), other were sent to prison for damaging radars(F) on highways, or for filming riots while wearing a yellow vest(F). There has been a massive tendency(F) for the state to sue people for “participation to a gathering with the intent to commit violences against persons or goods”, allowing them to give fees, community services or even prison sentences to people based only on the intent they gave them. Many people found guilty of attacking police forces were judged with the only proof being the declaration of police officers, and even though a lot of them claimed to be innocent they were still sentenced because they couldn’t bring proof of their innocence.(F) Amnesty International talks about the criminalization of demonstrators(F) that’s happening in France and warns about the instrumentalisation of laws that goes against international law. (F)

The ban on masks (they can be considered as weapons) during demonstration allows police to take protestors(F) who have some on them or in their car to the police station for a maximum of 48h for the sole purpose of making them miss the demonstration. This law is not applied nowadays because of Covid, but it still exists.

With the yellow vest movement, the part of the population who wasn’t used to the police actually began to endure what POC have been living for decades.

Racisme

France is a fucked up racist country. It was born in colonisation and slavery, and still rely on its former colonies to prosper economically. Young men perceived as Black or Arab are 24 more times likely to be stopped in the streets. The overwhelming majority of people killed by the police are black or arabic(F). When the police kills POC, the judiciary system often refuses to do a full investigation, refuses to hear some of the witnesses, refuses to watch some of the video tapes from surveillance cameras (F). A lot of autopsies are proved to be ballant lies, founding heart diseases(F) or blood infections(F) when the victim was actually killed by suffocation due to ventral tackle, a police technique that got France sentenced by the European court of human rights (F).

BAC

Since the mid 90′s, France has special police forces for working-class neighborhoods, the Brigade Anti-Criminalité (BAC), that operate in suburbs (in France rich people live in the city center and poor people in the suburbs) where a majority of imigrants and people from black and arabic descent live. BAC agents are all volunteers, they act in unmarked cars and civilians clothes and can carry weapons(F).

Their purpose is to roam the streets and to catch misdemeanor in the act, and they’ve been known (as well as regular police) to harass population by proceeding to systematic identity cheks(F) (often outside of what’s allowed by law), by insulting people(F), provoking people with racist and homophobic insults(F), by beating them(F) and charging them for “outrage” or “rebellion”(F) when they protest (charges that always give reasons to police officers when there’s no recordings of the arrest and allow them to get money for the prejudice). There have been reports of torture on adults(F), tennagers(F) and children(F), and cases where the BAC agents took victims to quiet places so they could beat them up(F). There have also been reports of agents inventing charges when their provocations didn’t push the victim to confront them(F).

They are basically above the law. There have been cases of massive corruption(F) where the agents returned to their unit(F) after the end of their suspension, and the person who leaked the info got fired.

As they are field agents, their role is also intelligence: they gather intells in the suburbs and they also infiltrate demonstration(F) and wear the attire of “casseurs”, to gather intells on violent individuals. Since the beginning of the Yellow Vest movement, they’ve participating in containing demonstrations as well even though they don’t have any training in that field.

Refugees

Police is being extremely violent against refugees, particularly in Northern France and what used to be the “Jungle” of Calais. Amnesty International reported that police had been beating refugees with baton, confiscating their clothes and tent daily during winter (it also happened in Paris(F)), urinating on their tents, spraying teargas directly in the face of sleeping men. A group of 4 associations also issued a report(F) on police harassment against volunteers who helped refugees, with as much as 646 instances of police harassment and abuse against volunteers between November 2017 and June 2018 in Calais. Human rights observers reported harrasment techniques such as body search of female volunteers by male officers, insults, pushing, threats of legal suits and threats of arrest. Volunteers who reported these behaviours were told by the police internal investigation body that the reports where defamatory and could constitute a crime.

At the beginning of the year, associations that were not approuved by the state were forbidden to distribute free meals to refugees(F).

Islamophobia

France has always been an islamophobic country but it has been more public and accepted since the 2015 terrorist attacks. Many laws promoting laicity are actually used to target Islam:

The ban of public display of religious items in public institutions (schools, libraries, government buildings) target mainly women wearing hijabs when many mayors keep on installing nativity scenes during Christmas(F). In 2016 some cities made wearing a burkini (full body covering bathing suit) on the beach illegal and we had some astonishing scenes of police officers asking a women (who wasn’t even wearing a burkini) to undress on the beach in the name of the law.

The law that says people have to uncover their face when being in a public space only target muslim women and is now completely useless as we have the obligation to wear a mask everywhere

The law that says street prayers have to be autorized in prefecture beforehand only target muslim community: when a muslim association organized a street prayer(F) in 2017 to protest their eviction from their place of cult in the city center they were charged 10,000€ (5,000€ from the association and 5,000€ from its president), whereas catholics students organized a street prayer(F) last month and didn’t face any charges. Legally, any autorization must be asked more than 3 days in advance and in both cases it was only asked on the day before.

Following the killing of Samuel Paty, a teacher who was attacked mid october for showing caricatures of the prophet Mohamed in class, four 10 years old children were arrested for “terrorism apology”(F), interrogated for 10 hours and their houses checked by police forces in full gears. The minister of interior also disolved the Collective against Islamophobia in France, saying that, since it was prottesting against anti-terrorist laws (that are super islamophobic) it was promoting radical islamism and terrorism. A minute of silence was imposed in schools and the names of people who didn’t follow the procedure were given to the minister of education, who said “none of them will be left unpunished”.(F)

To sum up: the government is being super islamophobic but muslims who voice their concerns are seen as radical islamists and are associated with terrorists.  Furthermore, it’s now easier for islamophobic people in government to ban associations or to pass shady laws thanks to the state of emergency.

State emergency

Following the 2 years of state emergency (2015-2017), France passed a law against terrorism(F) that normalized a lot of the state emergency’s characteristics: it took power away from the justice system to give it to administrations, directly under the control of the government.

The government, who previously had to be accountable in front of a judiciary judge, can now do many things under the only control of an administrative judge(F). The actions of administrative judges are controled by the council of state, and the president of the said council is the prime minister or the minister of justice, named by the president.

Here is what they can now do(F):

place people under house arrest with obligation to check in police stations every day for a maximum of a year

deny or restrict access to public events to some people, or proceed to body search

make someone wear an electronic bracelet when they didn’t commit any infractions

close places of worship for a maximum of 6 months when the ideas discuted there promote hate, discrimination, violence or terrorism

require people to give their login of any account on internet to the police

investigate on civil servants using secret services files

create a national centralized file with the names of people travelling in and out of the country by plane or boat

With the autorisation of a judge of freedom and detentions, they can also search houses and seize computers or phones to inspect the contents.

If people refuse to do any of the above when they are asked to, they risk 3 years of prison and a fee that can go up to 45,000€.

The offense “terrorism apology” was used against hundreds of people, with a large proportion of them being underaged (1/3 of them in 2015), sometimes for something as unsignificant as a non-violent facebook comment, a situation pointed out by Amnesty International(F). The NGO also highlights the fact that the fear of being considered as an extremist or the fear of facing judiciary consequences sets limit to freedom of speech.

Since 2015, the government has used the power given to them by the state of emergency to place 24 environmental activists under house arrest for the duration of the COP21(F) and to search the house of people who were protesting against the construction of an airport(F), construction potentialy linked to corruption(F), and also to close temporarly more than 30 mosques and install security cameras inside(F).

The consulting national commission on human rights pointed out a “highjack” of the state emergency, that was used to silence protestors, unions and refugees with abusive means, like unnecessary handcuffing, adults and children being aimed at with assault riffle during house searches and house being damaged during searches.

2015 was also the year of the Intelligence Act, a law that allows inteligence agencies to install scanning devices on the infrastructure of telecom operators so they can collect data on communications that are likely to reveal a terrorist threat.

Covid 19

When the epidemy started to be problematic in France in February 2020, hospital workers had been on strike for 11 months(F) and were asking for doctors and nurses jobs opening, and more beds in hospital. At the beginning of february, 600 administrative hospital workers had quit(F) so they were not “accomplices of the management of misery”. Healthcare workers had been saying for years that the deterioration of the working conditions in hospitals were gonna lead to patients death.

Since the beginning of the 2000′s, 100 000 beds have been removed(F) from hospital services and there has been a budget cut close to 12 bilions euros(F) for the health services.

Then comes Covid 19, and the government asks health workers to always do more with less, in the name of common good. We applaud them at our windows every night, and then they don’t get the bonus(F) the government promised, the healthcare system doesn’t get any budget increase and even worse, it still has to face a 800 milions cut in the middle of the pandemic(F).

The newspaper Mediapart issued a report(F) exposing the lies of the government:

They decided to get only small quantities of masks at the beginning of january against experts opinion, they said the virus wouldn’t reach France.

Government lied about the usefullness of masks to prevent people asking for them when they didn’t have some to distribute to the whole population. They said it was useless, and even dangerous because we didn’t know how to use them, they actively encouraged people not to wear them, and they lied about mask shortage. I really want to insist on that point, the instensity of communication on the subject was incredible. Every day we had many different high-ranked person in the government telling us on TV, on the radio or in newspaper that we shouldn’t wear masks. They only made wearing masks compulsory in public spaces mid July, 6 months after the first case in France(F).

Healthcare workers didn’t have enough masks and thus faced higher risks of contamination but the government still allowed non essential big companies like Airbus to use milions of the precious FFP2 masks. The government still refuses to give the number of healthcare workers who died from Covid19(F), the only count we have is made by journalists, and it’s believed to be underestimated.

To this day, healthcare workers are still on strike for better working conditions and better pay. I took this pic earlier this month from one of the firestations in my city, you can read written in white paint on the doors “understaffed, population in danger”, “18 months of strike and still NOTHING”, “Covid bonus ???” and “SOS”. Firefighters also write this on their trucks and their helmets, and hospitals have had banners deployed for more than a year now. All of these people are still working to ensure everyone’s access to health services but they refuse to transfer data to the state sickness insurance for example (and they are now facing administrative sanctions(F) and are threatened to not be given cancer drugs if they don’t end the strike(F)).

Regarding Covid, we are one of the only countries in europe to use self-filled certificates to be able to go outside. These certificates are controlled by the police, and like I said earlier, increased police controls harm a certain part of the population (young people and POC). Amnesty International issued a report(F) on the violences comited during french lockdown, pointing out repetitive and significant illegitimate actions from the police, such as beatings, use of tasers, illegal arrests, racists and homophobics insults and verbal threats. In April 2020, Mohamed Gabsi, a homeless person, was killed by the police after being arrested for being outside during the lockdown(F). The officers who killed him are still in service.

The covid crisis brought us in the worst recession we had since WW2, and the Secour Populaire (french association that helps poor people) had to help 45% more people than it helped in 2019(F). In my city, there are so many people coming for food distribution on certain days they had to install permanent fences in the street so people can queue in order.

Corruption and Other Stuff

In France (as in many other countries) it’s rare to have politicians who’ve never been prosecuted in any judiciary or administrative case.

Here I’m only gonna tell you who have been accused and who have been prosecuted for what in Macron’s government, and quite frankly it’s not exhaustive because one wikipedia page just brings me to 5 more.

The following tab is quite heavy so feel free to just check the left column with the legend.

(Now let me cry thinking about this Swedish minister who had to quit over a chocolate bar)

(All my sources are from french newspapers, I can give them if you ask me but I’m not gonna put them here because there are way too many)

People who had to quit the first government were still appointed deputy governor of the Bank of France (Sylvie Goulard), president of the national assembly (Richard Ferrand) and chief of foreign affaires commission at the national assembly (Marielle de Sarnez). They are being investigated for corruption and embezzlement and they still have a successfull political career, and more important they still heavily influence the laws of our country and of Europe. Sylvie Goulard was even chosen by Macron to seat at the European Commission but european deputies decided it was fucked up and rejected her appointment (F).

In this list I only talked about members of the government but there has been other scandals linked to people around Macron.

Benalla cases: It all began when we discovered Alexandre Benalla, chief of security and travels for the president, was participating in demonstration as a policeman (which he wasn’t) and used his position to beat up protestors and passerby. The rest of the case is filled with destruction and hiding of evidences(F), illegal sharing of public surveillance videotapes by the police, undeclared guns(F), illegal but unpunished use of data by the police(F) and the Elysée(F), breaking of the judiciary control by Benalla, illegal diplomatic passports and meeting with african’s leaders, russian contracts with an alleged mafia boss(F), office searchs for a newspaper ordered by the State, who tried to seize the proofs and the sources the newspaper had on the case(F) and so on. The case involves several members of the government and members of special forces, and some journalists who were writing on it were then auditionned for disclosure of state secret(F). The case in general highlighted the impunity members of the government and police officers have, as well as anyone who is close to the president, but also the dysfunction in the justice system and the impossibility for high ranked people to face justice. The fucker is still free, taunt people on twitter and still gives interviews to national television.

Kohler case: Alexis Kohler, general secretary of the Elysee and Macron right hand man during his campain, hid his personnal links to the sea transporters MSC and then attributed them huge state funds. He also lied in his involvement in the decision. We discovered Macron sent a letter to the national financial prosecutor's office to clear him, which they did, until an anti-corruption association relaunched legal proceedings. The guy is now being prosecuted for corruption and bribery. (F) (F)

Conclusion

Fuck the police, eat the rich, let’s forbid them from being elected, a next long post on the Law on Global Security the governement is trying to pass is gonna come soon if you’re interested.

Please tell me if you see any inconsistency in this post, I tried to source it as much as I could and to verify everything I wrote but like anyone else I have bias and sometimes I wrote things at 5am so I’m aware I might be incorrect  and I’m open to constructive criticism. Also sorry for my approximate english sometimes.

[thoughtfulpaperback]

In the Heights (2021 Film) Review.

Okay after four watches. And I truly mean four seperate watches. I am ready to talk about this film and address some of the controversy.

I'd like to hit the biggest criticisms out of the way before going into just my general thoughts.

1. "There are no black people in the film"

False. First addressing the main cast and main supporting characters with substantial screen time (they get names and feature heavily in two or more of the main characters storylines) there are three black actors portraying African American or afro latino characters. Obviously this is disproportionate and of all those main and supporting characters the two with the biggest storylines are light skinned or have "traditionally euro centric thought of" physical features such as light green or hazel eyes.

So this hardly is grand representation for black or even "indigenous" (usually meaning dark skinned but not black) looking peoples. But it is more than we've traditionally seen in films about latinos they skew more towards Antonio Banderas looking (he's not latino just fyi).

I think where the film actually does well in its inclusion of black people is in the background scenes/dance numbers. I tried and you cannot count the number of black background characters in the first half of the film.

The second half of the film is arguably less inclusive. That is to say that as the film progressed there was notably less black background characters/dancers. Most notably during a dance sequence in a Merengue club. I could actually count the number of black people in the scene (three black men). But if I am honest the movie/plot itself falls apart towards the end with the inclusiveity it tried to have.

I also am going to mention this as both a pro and con for the film, I loved that we had black women who were deep dark. Like Amara la Negra dark, what I dont like and I think it needs to be said is that like most film there are more dark complexed men than women and there is a disproportionate amount of lighter skinned black women than both dark skinned black men and women.

The film (at least in its first have) does try to showcase diversity in the heights and amoung latinos, but it by no means is free from the same issues of colorism and favoring lighter skin tones black or non black, because the film was also devoid of more indigenous looking peoples. And I will admit my view of indigenous peoples is skewed by my knowledge of indigenous mexican communities i know nothing of the islanders or South American indigenous communities. But i didn't see much of that in the film from what I could tell.

So overall is this film anti-black

... I dont know if I can make that call, but I would think no because it does try to include that history in film and does try to be inclusive with its casting and dance numbers, but it for sure does not escape colorism and by no means is the best form or representation of afrolatinos and arguably more indigenous Groups.

It is for sure disproportionately light skinned in the second half and again unlike the first half you can count the number of black people in the background or in dance numbers.

2. It's a completely different story from the Broadway show.

.....not false, but not 100% true. In fact I think this is why it falls apart a bit. The film keeps a number of the songs from the original Broadway show with minimal changes. It works for some songs such as no me digas, Benny's dispatch, in the heights, carnaval del Barrio, 96,000, and breathe. But it makes others such as "when the sun goes down" seem out of place.

It also, imo, minimizes the role and impact of Abuelas character. That isn't to say that the character isn't still a big part of the story they fit her in differently than in the show, but it is so minimized that when we finally get her big number (and only number in the film) "Pacencia y Fe" it is a bit out of place

It is still the most heartfelt number (and made me cry each time I've seen it) and most relatable to my families experience so I loved it but being honest it is a bit out of place with little build up to it except a scene which is in the trailers where abuela talks about her mother.

Okay so with those things out of the way I want to talk general and key thoughts.

1st: style of the film and disjointment

I personally am still unsure about the style of the film. It sort of blends campy and unrealistic with the real. So you get numbers in people's head where fabric falls from the sky, self-moving wig heads, dancing on the sides of building in gravity defying fred astaire ways, and animated gestures and moments. I think its cool for the kids, but was a bit of a choice in my opinion. I didn't hate it, but almost every time something cooky happened I was just a bit unprepared for it and I dont think that'd how the audience should feel.

In fact the whole film felt disjointed because one moment you had these grand dance numbers with lots of people and minimal effects but great use of camera work like 96 000, but then you'd have scene in a very small space that felt more "Jersey Boys" film/camera work like Benny's Dispatch.

The worst camera work in my opinion was during When the sun goes down. While the idea of dancing on the side of a building was initially cool I kept wishing the camera would have moved differently at many points. Fred astaire's dancing on the walls is still the best filmed gravity defying dance sequence in my mind.

2nd: reducing the drama for Nina and Benny.

Okay so whether its colorism or just time considerations. I didn't like how the changed around Benny and Nina's relationship and build up in the film. In fact my favorite moment for the two (and my favorite songs of the play) from the original show happen in Blackout and then Sunrise. The moment in black out was given to Usnavi and Vanessa and sunrise is not in the film.

I think the shift in the role Benny plays in the business (Rosario's Cab Company) is more complex and better in my opinion and I do love that was added in the blackout scene rather than just doing away with seeing anything of that character with the removal of relationship drama.

3rd: LGBTQ+ representation. I won't claim that there is a bunch but having Daniela and Carla as a couple was pretty cool.

4th. Representation of Latinos

Flawed as it is, I think what in the heights gets right is the telling of complex stories of latinos that don't revolve around violence and crime. I love the look at latinos as business owners and as members of vibrant communities. From my own experience, latinos in film are or tv are not usually seen as such and when you do get look at a latino business owner it is a scene where they are being interviewed by the cops, or the neighborhood is shown as being run down.

Even the usually heavily used storyline of undocumented latinos was done in an interesting way in the film.

I haven't connected so much to a film before and I cried multiple times at the feeling of relating to certain characters and feelings.

I would recommend it to others, but I would also be clear that stylistically it is a choice. I think it probably works better for someone who hasn't seen or doesn't know of the original show. The friends i have taken enjoyed it and my siblings also loved it.

[go-redgirl]

31 Hollywood Icons Who Served in the U.S. Military

On this Memorial Day, millions of Americans across the country are honoring our military heroes, observing, and reflected on those who made the ultimate sacrifice. This list highlights some of the actors, directors, singers, producers, and entertainers who’ve served in the U.S. military.

From Hollywood’s earliest days, artists have served in the U.S. armed forces. Some had broader experiences than others in service to the country And many Hollywood greats served in World War II.

Jimmy Stewart

James Stewart not only joined the US Air Force in 1941, he ended his service in 1968 as a Brigadier General in the USAF Reserves. Stewart’s service was not for show, either. He flew many bombing missions over Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe.

Kirk Douglas

The famed movie tough guy joined the US Navy in 1941 and served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare. He received a medical discharge thanks to war injuries in 1944.

Clark Gable

Though he was already a veritable old man in soldier years, Gable joined the U.S. Army Air Corp at 43 and few five combat missions as an observer-gunner. Gable joined after his wife, Carol Lombard, died in a plane crash while flying home after a tour to promote war bonds.

Audie Murphy

Maj. Audie Murphy went into the Army as a private and won many battle field promotions. He is one of the most widely decorated actors in Hollywood history. He is the only actor/celebrity to be awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor. In addition, he was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, a Legion of Merit with Combat V, and two Bronze Stars with Combat V. He also received several foreign awards were especially impressive. He received the French Forrager, Legion of Honor, and Croix de Guerre with Palm and Silver Star, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm.

Other stars of the era who served include Jason Robards (Navy 1941), Paul Newman (Navy, 1943), and Mel Brooks (Army, 1944). Then there was singer and dancer Josephine Baker who was a secret collaborator with the French Resistance to the Nazi invaders and was even awarded the Croix de Guerre as a spy for her work to defeat the Nazis. Several others served in the forces of their native nations including David Niven (Royal Army), Sir Alec Guinness (Royal Navy), and Audrey Hepburn (Dutch Resistance), and Star TrekActor James Doohan (Royal Canadian Army). Doohan was part of the D-Day invasion forces, was wounded six times losing a finger in the process, and later joined the Canadian Air Force as a pilot.

Ronald Reagan

Our 40th president, Ronald Reagan, was already a star when he joined the war effort. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II, enlisting in the Army Enlisted Reserve on 29 April 1937 and ordered to active duty on April 19, 1942. Because of his eyesight, he was not assigned to an air crew and instead helped make over 400 training films for the Army Air Force.

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier, the first black American to win an Academy Award, enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II in November of 1943. He served as a physiotherapist for almost a year, even though he lied about his age, as he was only 16 when he joined.

B.B. King

B.B. King, one of the greatest blues guitarists, was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1944, but was quickly released back into civilian life following boot camp because the government deemed his original profession — a tractor-trailer driver — to be vital to the war economy.

Hugh Hefner

Later to be known as the swinger editor of Playboy Magazine, Hugh Hefner joined the U.S. Army in 1944 after graduating high school. Hef didn’t see any acton, though, and was discharged in 1946 after serving as an Amy newspaperman and infantry clerk.

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett, the legendary “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” crooner, was drafted during World War II in 1944 and assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division, or “Blood and Fire” division, fighting in France and Germany. Being a “replacement” was not an easy job as the war was winding down in Europe. About half these soldiers died in the months after basic training in 1944 and the end of the war in Europe in Sept. of 1945.

After the big war, many others continued the tradition, of course.

Gene Hackman

The actor, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor in The French Connection, enlisted in the Marine Corps the year after World War Two ended in1946. He lied about his age to get accepted, as he was only 16 when he enlisted.

Willie Nelson

The Always On My Mind singer volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1950. However, he only served nine months and was given a medical discharge due to severe back problems.

Johnny Cash

Johnny “The Man In Black” Cash enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and technical training at Brooks Air Force Base, both in San Antonio, Texas, he was assigned to the 12th Radio Squadron Mobile of the U.S. Air Force Security Service at Landsberg, West Germany. He mustered out in 1954.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood was drafted in 1951 for service during the Korean War. Eastwood saw no action, though, and spent his service at Ft. Ord in California, where he was appointed as a lifeguard and projectionist of training films.

David Janssen

Perhaps best known as the man on the lam in the 60s TV series, The Fugitive, Janssen didn’t escape the U.S. Army having served from 1952 to 1954 at Fort Ord, California. He saw no action during the Korean War as he served in the entertainment division during his two-year stint.

Martin Milner

Like his army pals Clint Eastwood and David Janssen, Adam 12 star Martin Milner served a two-year stint in the Army and was based at Fort Ord, California. Also like his buddies Eastwood and Janssen, there he worked in the entertainment sector. He mustered out in 1954 and went right into TV and film work in Hollywood.

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from Principia College in 1953. Duvall has disputed early biographies that claimed he fought during the Korean War, though. He has joked that he “barely qualified” with his M-1 rifle in basic training. He served two years, and never got past the rank of private first class.

Leonard Nimoy

Later to become famous as Star Trek’s half human, half alien Mr Spock, Leonard Nimoy enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve at Fort McPherson, Georgia. He served for 18 months between 1953 and 1955. Nimoy also worked in the Army’s Special Services narrating plays and performing in training films.

James Earl Jones

The voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, a man who has been referred to as “one of the greatest actors in American history,” served in the Army during the Korean War, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. Jones missed the war, though, as he started his service in 1953 just as the war was coming to a close.

Alan Alda

Best known for playing an Army surgeon in the TV series M.A.S.H., Alda did serve in the actual military when he volunteered after finishing his studies at Fordham University. He served as a gunnery officer during a six-month tour of duty in the Korean War.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman turned down a scholarship for acting and instead joined the Air Force in which he served from 1955 to 1959. He served as a radar technician and mustered out as an Airman 1st Class. Freeman has said that he enjoyed his service experience until, that is, he was being scouted to be trained as a jet pilot. He said the reality that war means killing dawned on him at that time and he began to look for the exit door to get back to life as an actor.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley’s drafting in 1957 was huge news and the media followed him throughout his years of service. Elvis honorably served his term and mustered out as a sergeant in 1960.

Chuck Norris

Famed martial artist Chuck Norris joined the U.S. Air Force in 1958 and served his full term, being discharged in 1962. He was ultimately assigned to Osan Air Base in South Korea where he began to develop his signature martial arts style, Chun Kuk Do.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix had a bit less gratifying service having been forced into the Army or face jail time for car theft in 1961. He served only one year before being discharged for an ankle injury. Some researchers suggest that the injury was just the Army’s excuse to be rid of the troublesome rocker.

John Fogerty

Singer-songwriter John Fogerty joined up in 1966 when his draft number neared. He signed up for the United States Army Reserve as a supply clerk. However, he was switched to active duty for six months, anyway, but saw no service under fire. He was discharged honorably in 1968.

Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck was already an actor when he was drafted during the Vietnam War in 1967. He served six years in the the 160th infantry regiment of the California National Guard.

Oliver Stone

The famed director of Platoon served during the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968 and was wounded twice. He earned the The Bronze Star with V’device and a Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster.

Pat Sajak

Pat Sajak volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1968. While he saw no battlefield action in Vietnam, Sajak did serve as an Army Radio disc jockey and ended up in country, anyway, when he was assigned to host a radio program on Armed Force Radio broadcasting in Saigon.

R. Lee Ernmey

Everyone knows R. Lee Ermey as the intense drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket, but some may not know that he served in the Marines for a decade, was a real Drill Instructor, and saw service in Vietnam in 1968. He started out as a Repair Shop Mechanic and went on to earn the Good Conduct Medal (x2); the National Defense Service Medal; the Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Star; the Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device; the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit; Meritorious Unit; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and a Meritorious Unit Citation.

Ice-T

Musician, songwriter, and rapper Tracy Lauren Marrow — better known in the music scene as Ice-T and also for his long-running starring role on TV’s Law & Order SVU — joined the U.S. Army in 1979 after graduating high school. He served the 25th Infantry Division for four years.

Drew Carey

TV funny man and game show host Drew Carey served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves starting in 1980. He was honorably discharged in 1986 and he says that he adopted the Marines crew cut and horn-rimmed glasses as his trademark look due to his service.

Adam Driver

Adam Driver, who found fame as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars series, joined the U.S. Marines shortly after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He was briefly assigned to the Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, before being medically discharged due to an injury.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.

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[princessjungeun]

I’ll Always Have Your Back: Ryujin x Reader

TW/ the words Panic attack is used once, not in detail. Just the two words :)

Request: Hello, I don't actually know what the (!) is for but can I request a fluff au where ryujin x female reader are interested in each other but either one of them are oblivious?

I combined my one angst idea from earlier along with this one, i think it fits the request too. I based this mostly off of the episode of MIXNINE where Hyunjin moves Heejin from one group to another. If you don’t remember just look it up on youtube, it’s up there!

You woke up nervous but also ready to take on whatever the day threw at you. Today was the very last round of the survival show you’d been cast on. So far you’d dominated the competition, staying in the top five since round 1. Tensions rise as people try their best to steal your spot, it’s especially easy because the person who runs the show doesn’t show any mercy. Contestants can do from 1st to last place in one single performance, something you’ve avoided at all costs.

Out of all the girls in the competition you were friendly with many, close even. But only one girl you actually had a true relationship with. Your best friend and label mate, and lowkey crush Ryujin. You both had known each other for two years already, training together everyday and even sharing a dorm together. You two both relied on each other throughout this competition, talking each other through hardships often too.

You both weren’t really sure why your company chose this show. Due to contract issues with your company, JYP, even if you placed first or were chosen to debut from this show, you couldn’t. For this reason you, Ryujin, and the few other girls from your company were just confused. However, you were told that if you did well here, it’s liken your chances of debuting when the show was over, in JYP.

You found Ryujin in the morning, you two were put in different rooms based on tonight’s performance. You slipped your hand in hers and sat down next to her, resting your hands on your thigh. She looked at you for a minute before smiling and nudging you playfully with her shoulder. The host of the show met you all along with the PD-nim that ran the show.

“Good morning ladies.” The host welcomed you all with a smile. “As usual you all will choose teams based on song, you all will choose by rank, those on top get first pick. Those on the bottom will get whatever is left over. You all will prepare all week and perform at the end of the week. Please choose your teams wisely as this is your last performance, there is no opportunity for redemption. This weeks songs are Gee, Girls Generation. The other option is Simon Says, NCT 127.”

The room bustled with excited whispers and laughs, girls already knowing where they wanted to go. Ryujin didn’t say anything as she was thinkihh nag deeply about where she wanted to go. You asked “what are you picking?” She snapped out of her trance then said “Gee...I always do the boy songs or girl crush songs. I want to do cute this time.” You felt a pit form in your stomach because you knew that was a bad idea.

Last time Ryujin was on the team that did a cute song she was moved from second place to tenth. She claimed she just had an off day but you knew that it was because she wasn’t skilled enough in that area yet. Ryujin was a dancer who fit boy group dances the best, she had a lot of power. She didn’t have the cute factor yet, that she was still learning in your company. You on the other hand were better at the cute concept songs, however you liked the boy group and girl crush songs better. You liked dancing powerfully rather than cutesy.

You asked her “but what about what happened last time? You’re not scared?” She responded confidently “not at all. I know what I have to do differently now. Plus Simon Says choreography is too hard to dance to while singing, my vocal isn’t stable enough...I can’t.” You sighed and let her have it her way, you knew now was not the time to tell her what you really thought.

The cameras were ready to start filming and it was time to choose groups. The PD-nim sat at the head of the room, watching you all choose. They went by tank calling your name first. “Y/N, please choose your team.” You walked over to the side for Simon Says, out of the corner of your eye you saw the PD-nim nod his head ever so sightly. Next was Ryujin “Shin Ryujin, please choose your team.” She walked to the Gee sode, and once again you noticed the PD-nim. But this time he shook his head softly, nobody noticing but you. A few people whispered and there was a moment of silence before the next name was called.

You all waited until the very last girl was called, only then could you all break off to go practice. In your group was a mix of skill levels, most of them were dancers but had great vocal stability. The other two were the ones who got last place and forcibly had to join.

You all spend an hour distributing parts making sure that you al chose ones that best suited your abilities. You as the leader of the group wanted everyone to have an equal opportunity at success, especially those who weren’t in the top ten.

You tried your best not to be distracted by the fact that you knew Ryujin was unintentionally sabotaging herself only a door over. One of the girls on your team spoke up, “how about we break for five minutes, you seem distracted?” You nodded and said “everyone do whatever for five, just be back on time ok?” Everyone around you nodded and the oldest girl on your team sat down next to you.

“Whats on your mind love?” Haseul placed a hand on your back and rubbed it softly. You responded “Ryujin...she made a stupid decision.” Haseul asked “why do you say that?” You told her “Ryujin isn’t fit for a cute concept yet. She can pull off almost anything you throw at her but cute isn’t one of them. She knows that too. Back in our company she struggles whenever she does a cute song for evaluations. I understand she wants to try new things but here, with her own debut on the line. This is a terrible idea. I know she’ll be knocked right out of the top ten after the end of the week.”

Haseul nodded and said “well I think that given where she is now, and the fact that some girls in this group aren’t fit for this concept either, you shouldn’t worry so much. Ryujin is an amazing performer and you know that. Who knows? She could surprise us right?” You sighed and nodded “yeah you’re right...thanks unnie.” She nodded then stood up, reaching out to help you too.

Your group practiced all day until nightfall. All trainees were now in the same room from this morning, ready to be dismissed to your dorms.

The host and PD-nim walked in, a smile ghosting his face. The PD-nim sat down then spoke up “good evening ladies, you all have worked hard today yes?” You all nodded in unison with smiles hoping it could cover your exhausted faces. He spoke up “as usual, I have a surprise up my sleeve.”

You all looked at each other nervously not knowing what to expect. He’s thrown almost every curveball at you all and now you don’t know what could be next. He’s changed songs, language of the song, swapped members out of his own choice, last minute role reversals. Everything you could think of, he’s done it.

He continued “the girl who is currently holding first place, has the opportunity to switch someone from one team to another. She may switch someone with someone else, or switch herself with another girl. It is purely her choice.” He looked at you “Y/N, you are currently holding first. You have five minutes to make your decision. You may go outside now, everyone else back to your practice rooms please.”

Everyone walked back to their rooms, Haseul and another unnie kept the other girls on your team from trying to convince you to swap them with someone else. You sat down in a corner far from everyone else not knowing what to do. As much as you wanted this song performance to be your last, you knew you had to switch you and Ryujin.

You knew that swapping yourself into Gee would make you look like you played it safe, but it was the only option. If you stayed here there was a chance you’d not do as well as you’d hoped. More importantly if Ryujin stayed with Gee, she’d make at most 12th place which was a huge drop from 2nd.

A producer came to get you from the practice room, you turned around on your way out. You waved to the rest of your group, you told them “take care of her when she comes in please...” They gave you smiles and big thumbs up in hopes it would wipe away the look of worry that masked your face.

Slowly, you opened the door to the Gee room, everyone sitting in the room looked at you. Ryujin smiled along with everyone else but you knew it’d be short lived. You knew how much she wanted this and how she felt that this was the only one she’d do well with. Toying with your fingers you looked down at your feet before saying “I’m switching someone here...and they’re going to Simon Says team...”

Everyone looked at you anxiously, however Ryujin showed no sign of worry. You could tell she was under the impression that you weren’t going to move her. After all you were her best friend, you wouldn’t do that to her, well that’s what she told herself.

You continued “I’m switching myself with...Ryujin-ah.” The room fell silent and you locked eyes with the black haired girl. She didn’t have a readable look on her face. She asked “wait...are you serious?” You nodded and said “you’d better get going...they’re waiting for you”. You saw a look of betrayal and fear wash over her face. You knew she lacked confidence in her ability to perform this song. You knew she wanted this song more than anything else despite you knowing it was a bad idea.

She got up and walked out silently, you could tell she was trying her best to hold back tears. You didn’t have the time to explain to her your reasoning, she just thought you were trying to sabotage her. That you didn’t think about her, only yourself.

The second you heard the door close you could hear her crying. You wanted to run out and pull her into your arms. You yearned to tell her why you did this but you couldn’t. The girls in your new group asked “why would you do that?” You responded “it’s for her own good...” Your voice cracked and another girl from your company wrapped an arm around you gently. That was all it took for you to cave into her, sobbing softly. She ans other girls surrounded me in a group hug and told you various things to try and console you.

When you all were called back into the large room your PD-nim smiled at the sight of you and Ryujin having switched places. You sat down and leaned back just slightly to see if you could spot Ryujin. She was sitting down next to Haseul, eyes puffy and red with tear streaks on her cheeks. Your PD-nim dismissed you all and you immediately walked over to Ryujin in hopes that she’d hear you out.

That hope was short lived, when you approached her she dodged your hug and said “no...just stop.” You left it at that knowing it was best if you let her have her space, no matter how much it hurt you.

Luckily Haseul was your roommate in this dorm, immediately she came to your side once you all were in your rooms. She told you “she’s not happy as you saw, she doesn’t understand and thinks you weren’t thinking at all.” You asked her “did you try and explain to her?” The older girl told you “it’s not anyone’s place but yours. She wouldn’t believe us anyways, give her time ok?” You hugged her and said “yeah thanks Haseul.”

•

•

•

All week Ryujin ignored you, anytime you made eye contact with her all you saw was hurt and betrayal in her eyes. You couldn’t get away to talk to her as cameras and producers watched your every move.

It was now the day before the final performance and you absolutely couldn’t focus. Guilt was eating you alive and you wondered if you actually did make the right choice. All you wanted was to hold her in your arms and explain yourself, you couldn’t focus on anything at this point.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when a producer came in and pulled two cameramen into the hallway. The girls in your group followed to the door out of curiosity and saw Haseul and two other girls with Ryujin walking to the bathroom. You asked a producer what happened and he responded “panic attack”.

Your heart just continued to break throughout the day, thinking about how none of this would have happened if you just let her stay in Gee team.

At the end of the day you went to your dorm, Haseul was already there. You asked her “what happened today...is she ok?” Haseul responded “yeah. She’s ok now. She was overwhelmed with the moves, she was getting the counts wrong for half of practice. The she messed up the words too, it was too much and...well you saw.” You nodded and sighed before deciding to just sleep off whatever you were feeling.

•

•

•

It was fifteen minutes before your performance and your group was going second. Team Simon Says was first meaning the Ryujin was first up. You anxiously watched the monitors backstage praying that she’d do well or this was all for nothing and you’d feel even worse than you already did. Seeing the girls walk onstage before the song started, Ryujin looked nervous.

The second the music started however, it was like a switch flipped. She shone onstage and looked more natural than ever. More importantly she looked like she was enjoying herself even if she truly wasn’t. At the end of the performance the PD-nim made comments. He told certain girls that they did well, other not so much. He spoke about everyone but Ryujin until the very end.

He said “Ryujin-ssi. You did very well here. This stage wouldnt have been the same if you weren’t here. If I remember correctly you were originally on team Gee correct?” Ryujin nodded, toying with her fingers nervously. He continued “you need to be grateful Y/N switched you with her. If you were on that team, I guarantee you wouldn’t be anywhere near the place I’ve marked you at. Well done today.” She bowed and thanked him with a smile before walking with her team offstage.

Your team performed and did very well too. The PD-nim gave his commentary to everyone first. Saving his last comments for you.

He told you “Y/N-ssi, you switched yourself with Ryujin, I would like to know why.” You hesitated then spoke up “well you see... um. Ryujin-ah, she is a very talented dancer. And she is fully capable of doing a cute concept such as this. However, she can struggle sometimes with pulling it off 100%. But with me, I know I can do cute concepts a little better because my dance isn’t as strong as hers...I envy that sometimes. But anyways. I knew that if I switched her with me, there’s a higher chance of her staying on top, even if it means I have to play it safe and potentially lose first place.”

He nodded then concluded “so you moved her so she could take first and debut, even if that meant you don’t get to?” You nodded said “yeah...that’s exactly it.” He smiles and said “well done Y/N-ssi.” He dismissed your team and sent everyone backstage.

You and Ryujin’s team were separated by room, your teammates anxiously sitting around waiting with you. Your ranks were to be released momentarily, however the debut list depended on whatever the audience and PD-nim wanted. That lineup would be released

When you all were called back onstage Ryujin was still far apart from you. She stood at the far end of her group while you were in the front of yours.

The PD-nim told you “I will release names from the bottom up, please watch the screen closely for your name.”

The screen across from him lit up, trainees names appearing slowly. You waited and waited your name not showing up at the bottom or middle, Ryujin’s doing the same. The screen revealed the top five at once. Your name was at five, Ryujin’s four slots above yours, she placed 1st. You froze in your spot seeing that your plan had worked, she was in first, even if that meant you weren’t.

•

•

•

Cameras were finally off and you all were finally able to relax some. Ryujin came to you, she asked “outside?” You nodded and looked around before sneaking outside your dorm building.

She turned to you and threw herself in your arms, holding you close. “I’m so sorry Y/N, I didn’t give you a chance to explain yourself and that was wrong...I’m sorry.” You told her “it’s ok, I just wanted you to do well, I know that we can’t debut from here but I wanted your odds to increase for when we go back home.”

She stated “you’re too good for me, I don’t deserve you in my life...” You told her “don’t say that Ryu, you and I both know that’s not true.” She told you “i don’t know why you always do these things for me, no matter what will happen to you, you just make sure i’ll be the one on top in the end.”

You laughed to yourself and said “you do crazy things when you’re in love I guess...” Ryujin turned to you “w-what?” You told her “I love you Ryujin. I’ve loved you since the day you taught me the choreography on my first day of training. I really really love you.”

She slipped her hand out of yours and pressed your back against the brick wall of your dorm building. She flushed her body against yours and kissed you, cupping your face softly.

Ever so quietly she told you “I love you too Y/N. So so much.” You pulled her in and hugged her closely, tucking her head in your neck. Kissing the top of her head softly you smiled to yourself. You told her as you ran your hands through her hair, “I’ll always have your back Ryu.” She replied, her soft lips ghosting your skin “and i’ll always have yours.”

[avwrites4ever]

Fantasy Setting Idea - Classic Japan (Heian Period)

It’s a New Year! And what better way to start it off than gush about something I love! I hope you will enjoy it too, and get excited, because I’m bursting with ideas!

I’ve even gushed about this to people at my work, the poor things. That’s how excited I am.

I just love discovering new writing ideas and hoping someone will do something wonderful with them. It doesn’t have to be me. Just someone.

So.

The Heian Period.

Also known as the Golden Age of Japan.

I think it’d make a fascinating base for a fantasy setting. So would ancient Korea, if the movie Ramage taught me anything.

*NOTE: This isn’t a history lesson. I’m just examining broad strokes of certain elements of culture & setting which I think would lend themselves to a fascinating fantasy story.

(Although there is a History of Japan in 5 minutes video at the end.)

Fun Fact:

The Tale of Genji, written during this time period, is probably

the world’s 1st novel.

The 1st novel. Ever.

Written by a court lady in Heian Japan, no less. She is known as Murasaki Shikibu, but that’s a nickname (her real name is unknown.)

Chiefly, I’ll quote from Royall Tyler’s intro to his translation of The Tale of Genji.

And if I can find my copy of The Pillow Book, written by Sei Shonagon, I’ll include that too. (Please don’t confuse with the film of the same name, which is not the same AT ALL.)

Here’s a summary of The Pillow Book:

http://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-pillow-book-of-sei-shnagon/9780231073370

*Not sure if this is the best translation, I just like the summary.

*Note: Translations are tricky, & often if you don’t like a translated text, it might be because the translation is bad, and not actually the fault of the original work! Please keep that in mind while reading.

The Tale of Genji & The Pillow Book are both primary sources, by the way, meaning they were written by people who were actually living in the Heian Period!

(And both ladies were rivals of each other, which I find hilarious, considering I like both of their works.)

They’re not dry & boring either. Far from it. (I mean obviously, or I wouldn’t recommend them.)

I recommend The Pillow Book first. If you have a good translation, while reading, you’ll learn about how life was during the time, which will make reading The Tale of Genji easier since, being a novel, Genji assumes you live in the Heian Period and so know all about it (the inside jokes, the word play, the burns, everything.)

I also find Sei Shonagon a fascinating person. Very funny & clever. She journals like I do, only less randomly. She’s very interested in the world around her & all its funny, heartwarming, or baffling moments.

If not for the barriers of time & language which, funny enough, translation has more or less broken, I feel as we’d have some great conversations.

I love how real people in history are both very relatable & very different from us.

I mention these 2 because it was chiefly while reading the intro to Royall’s translation of Genji that I got the idea for this post. Though I was already fascinated by Heian Japan while reading The Pillow Book.

Though, if anyone is interested, I first became intrigued by Japan’s history while reading Rurouni Kenshin. Considering it’s a manga, consisting of pictures & text, you might start there.

(Though Rurouni Kenshin is set shortly after the Meji Restoration, which I believe is something like the start of Japan’s modern period, since samurai are in decline. But don’t quote me, I could be wrong.)

Anyway.

Also, Tumblr apparently doesn’t know what the Heian Period is, so few pictures here will be actually of the Heian Period, and doubtful if they’re accurate.

Actually, I’m using this as an excuse to put in pictures of Toshiro Mifune & old Japanese black & white films & pretty landscapes & cats & anime, because I can.

So! What about Heian Japan so intrigues my writerly brain?

Lots of things, naturally,

Certainly a fantasy world based around the Heian Period will be different from your typical western Medieval-esque fantasy settings which are so popular.

Yes, I’m brilliant, no one would ever have guessed that.

(Though speaking of Medieval-esque fantasy research has taught me those, such as Game of Thrones, to give a popular example, are actually closer to reflecting the Early Modern Period.)

See this link for better argument by someone more researched than me:

https://acoup.blog/2019/05/28/new-acquisitions-not-how-it-was-game-of-thrones-and-the-middle-ages-part-i/

https://acoup.blog/2020/12/04/collections-that-dothraki-horde-part-i-barbarian-couture/

I mean yes, I was surprised too that a person who claims to do their research apparently hasn’t, but here we are.

Speaking of which, take everything I say with a grain of salt, because I know nothing. Nothing!

By which I mean, I am not an expert about the Heian Period, or even Japanese history. For example, a lot of what I’m talking about will involve the perspective of court nobles & rich people, since those were both the characters in the primary sources & were what the authors were themselves.

I’d love to read a story where the main characters & people involved are peasants in the Heian Period. (And who stay peasants, & aren’t secretly royal or noble.)

I’m only suggesting this as a way to expand your mind beyond fantasy settings which have been done before.

I hope too that I’m not advocating cultural appropriation either (an easy trap to fall into.) If you think I am, let me know!

Now that’s all out of the way, here’s some specifics about what I love about the Heian Period:

It’s a Hidden & Secret World Insubstantial as a Dream, Structured by Social Manners & Rank

What struck me right away while reading The Pillow Book & The Tale of Genji is how closed their worlds are. Noble women especially lived in a world of curtains, panels, blinds, and  paper, silk, or bamboo screens, and walled gardens. People speak to each other not only through these divides, but also through messengers / servants.

What connects all these things are how fragile they are.

As Royall writes in his introduction to The Tale of Genji, even in courtship, (pg. xix):

“He cannot see her, and he may have no idea what she looks like. He will not normally see her even if she speaks to him in her own voice, since she will still be in another room, behind a blind and a curtain, and the curtain will remain even if she allows him into the room where she is.”

Seeing another person is very intimate. This makes it very easy to build up mystery and intrigue of a person before you actually meet them. Catching a glimpse of them or a snatch of their voice, or the hem of a sleeve from under a screen can be electrifying. Especially of a gentleman to a lady, or vice versa, because of all those blinds and screens and so forth. Royall mentions this in the introduction to his translation of The Tale of Genji. 

“If he then takes it upon himself to brush her curtain aside and go straight to her, he will by that gesture alone have claimed something close to the final intimacy.” (Introduction, pg. xix.)

What prevents him, of course, is a combination of good manners & reputation. Royall writes, “Good manners maintained a proper distance, which amounted to unholding the accepted social order.” Loss of reputation could mean loss of friends and entertainment and wealth, even exile. Having other people to talk to or play games or music with was essential.

Introducing ghosts, shape-shifters, and uncertain magic to such a setting is only to be expected. (There is a ghost in The Tale of Genji.) 

Also note that then & now personal names were seldom used, & especially not in public unless by someone intimate with you (such as a family member or old friend) or the person was extremely rude. Instead, people were referred to by their rank and title or last name, or even the place where they came from. Some were even referred to by a number, for example, First Princess (Onna Ichi no Miya.)

Notes or letters were vital within such a formal social structure. Even more vital than text messages are today. For in notes, especially poetry, someone could speak from the heart. So much that even the type of paper used was important. For example, most romantic notes were written on thin, colored paper, often kept in the front fold of a robe. They could also be scented and contain a branch from a tree or flowers.

And of course, clever word play and innuendos were all the rage. People were also expected to memorize poetry, and judged if their poetry or writing wasn’t up to standard.

Anyone who loves words would excel here. Think of all the possibilities! Secret lover’s notes, inside jokes between friends, sick burns between enemies or rivals. Plots to overthrow the Emperor could happen in plain sight. Throw some curses and magic to the mix and see what happens. Having some sort of mystery would also work well.

Hope you enjoyed this & makes you excited about creating a unique, rich, fascinating fantasy world.

Or really any part of Japan’s history, which roughly goes like this:

Obviously, if any of this intrigues you, & you want to use Classic Japan as a setting, you’ll need to do research. And I mean it. Or I will hunt down some rusty spoons.

I’m serious though. The reason why I’m writing this post is, hopefully, other people can also learn about Heian Japan, or more of Japan’s rich, beautiful, bloody history. Share the wonder with others, so the wonder won’t be lost or forgotten.

And in doing so, discover the wonder at being able to laugh at jokes made by someone who doesn’t even speak the same language as you, doesn’t even live in the same time or place . . .

It’s truly amazing. People are more alike than we know. And amazingly different. Reading manga & learning about Japan (and other countries) has been & is such a glorious experience. I understand myself & other people better.

It’s opened up the world.

[myhauntedsalem]

Poltergeist Trilogy Curse

Since the first Poltergeist movie hit the big screen and the iconic horror film trilogy has been scaring the pants off people ever since! Even if you haven’t seen any of the movies, the very image of young Carol Anne kneeling in front of a static-y television uttering those two, horrifying words in that innocent sing-song voice is enough to invoke an innate sense of fear.

But why is it so scary? We know its just a movie, right? Of course, but like any good horror movie classic, the very circumstances surrounding the film itself are wrought with legends and alleged true paranormal activity!

Let’s take a quick look at some of the eerie coincidences that are often cited as evidence of the Poltergeist curse:

Deaths of Cast Members:

Years ago, it was rumored that everyone who worked on the film met an untimely end. Obviously, that isn’t true, but there were at least four notable deaths of cast members that occurred during or slightly after the six year run between the release of the first and last Poltergeist movie. Two of these deaths were not highly unusual. Julian Beck, who played Kane in the second film, died after an 18 month battle with stomach cancer. Will Sampson, who played the shaman died from complications after a heart/lung transplant. Both actors were older, not in good health, and had been battling terminal issues for some time before their respective deaths.

The deaths of Sampson and Beck are still tragic, but not necessarily evidence of a curse. Instead, most people point to the very untimely deaths of two other stars: Dominique Dunne, who played the oldest daughter Dana, and Heather O’Rourke, who played Carol Anne throughout all three movies.

On October 30, 1982, Dunne, who was 22 years old, was confronted at her home by her ex-boyfriend, John Sweeney. Sweeney had come to reconcile, but when Dunne refused, he attacked her, choking her for an estimated 4-6 minutes. Dunne passed out and lapsed into a coma. She died on November 4. Sweeney was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, and served less than six years in prison.

Heather O’Rourke was just 12 years old when she passed away in February of 1988. Believed to have been suffering from the flu since January of that year, Heather continued to get worse until fainting at breakfast one morning. On the way to the hospital, she went into cardiac arrest. It was later discovered that she had an intestinal blockage, a condition brought on by her previously diagnosed Crohn’s Disease, and was experiencing sepsis. She underwent surgery to remove the blockage, but the toxins coursing through her blood stream were too strong and she died on the operating table on February 1st, shortly before the release of the third film. Because she died prior to the release of the film, it is debated as to whether or not she had actually completed filming all her scenes. Her parents claim that all scenes were completed the previous June, but producers claimed that subtle changes had to be made to the script to accommodate her passing.

Other Creepy Stuff:

There were some other interesting things that happened on set or to actors during the filming of the movies, again, most notably the first. During the first movie, Oliver Robins, who played Robbie, nearly died when one of the mechanical clowns malfunctioned and began choking him. At first, it was thought that he was a really good actor, but when he actually started turning blue, it was realized that he was in serious trouble.

JoBeth Williams, who played the mom in the first movie, had her own supernatural experiences off set. She claimed that when she’d go home in the evening, all the framed photos on the walls of her home would be askew. She’d fix them back, but find that the next evening, they’d again be out of place.

The above points are the evidence that is often presented when the curse is discussed, but why would this movie be cursed? Many people believe that there is a very simple reason for this, but very, very creepy!

Remember the pool scene in the first movie, the part where all the human skeletons pop up, confirming that the subdivision was built atop a cemetery where the headstones were moved but not the bodies? Those were real human skeletons. Seriously. At the time, it was much cheaper to purchase human skeletons than ones made of plastic.

Obviously, the cast wasn’t too thrilled with this revelation. A film about the dangers of treating the bodies of the dead with disrespect using real human remains as props is rather ironic and even prompted Will Sampson, who was a medicine man in real life, to conduct an exorcism on set.

Whether or not the souls of those whose bodies were used in the filming of this series came back to wreak vengeance, or whether or not you believe there is any type of curse associated with this trilogy, its still interesting to think about all the coincidences and spooky things that keep popping up with not just this movie, but so many other horror movies out there. In any event, with Halloween barreling its way towards us, the Poltergeist trilogy will inevitably hitting the small screen on at least a few different channels. If you choose to watch, just remember that the pool scene has a couple of un-credited extra actors involved!