#golden globes look review

[littlelioncub43]

Ooh since you're doing Fashion Friday, can I get your opinion on Tyler James Williams' suit from the Golden Globes??

I immediately love it. 😍

The texture, which I'm assuming is a corduroy of some sort because of the weight and drape of it, is phenomenal! I even like the tie-dye blue! It's nothing too crazy that would make it an eye-sore but enough to give the suit a little somethin somthin. And the cut of it — 💀 I adore it. It's giving 1940s men's lounging robes:

The color, the fabric, the cut, the littLE CHAIN ON HIS LAPEL

This is, dare I say it, nearly perfect.

9.999999999999/10

[nolita-fairytale]

pov: carmy makes people magazine's sexiest chef alive list

a/n: this is a little blurb inspired by ayo's incredible reaction to every interviewer ever asking her about jaw's calvin klein campaign.... if you haven't seen it, she just hides the photo or makes the funniest 'please don't bring this up' face while exclaiming: that's my boy! this is a work function! you can see it here (watch till the end you will not regret it ayo'sgettingpeoplefit@hotmail.com.co.uk -- it costs A LOT of money lmao). anyways, congrats to my golden globe winners eeeeeek!

riding the high of the bear's newest award: best restaurant great lakes, and buzzed on the best that veuve cliquot has to offer, as many staff members of the bear as possible have to come to celebrate at the james beard awards once again.

of course, you're hoping this year's afterparty will be a little less eventful -- not that you're mad at how last year's ended.

you, carmy, syd, richie, natalie, marcus, tina, and ebra are all gathered for an interview, answering questions about taking home the big win for the restaurant.

"last year chef sydney took home the rising star award, and this year it's best restaurant great lakes. how does it feel?" the interviewer, a well known and james beard-award winner herself, sophia roe asks as her cameraman follows closely behind.

"yeah, it's uh, wow. it's a huge accomplishment and we cannot be more honored to be taking this win home," sydney answers with a grin stretched far across her face.

it's surreal, for all of you, really.

"and chef carmy, i hear there's another congratulations in order," sophia continues. "you made people magazine's sexiest chef list this year and then shortly after, had a profile done in GQ."

nat groans in response while richie snickers, only too quick to whip out the screenshot he has on his phone of the article as carmy turns beet red.

"i uh... yeah. that was um... a surprise," he stammers his eyes shifting from the interviewer to you, and then to richie for a death glare.

"oh don't worry. i got it riiiiiiight here," richie says, eager to rush over to the interviewer and revel in carmy's embarrassment.

"oh put that away!!" sydney snaps, pushing richie's phone down.

"mixed reviews from the restaurant staff?" sophia asks curiously.

"looks like i'm the only proud of our guy," richie gloats, shooting you a look that causes your eyes to roll.

"no of course not!" sydney exclaims.

"it's just-, that's my brother!" natalie is quick to chime in, defending sydney.

"exactly. that's my boy! that's-, he's our-, this is our family," sydney explains passionately. "that's her brother." and then a quick gesture to you. "and that's her husband!"

"my what?!" you exclaim, caught off guard.

carmy snorts out a laugh in response to you while the interviewer and cameraman chuckle.

"sorry! that's her mans. that's her boyfriend, yknow?" sydney corrects herself with a laugh, before continuing to answer the interviewers question, this time with both marcus and richie to support.

"can't start any rumors, now can we?" you mutter under your breath, for only carmy to hear.

carmy only snakes his arm around your waist, hugging you closer to him this time.

"and if you ask me," you add, mischievously. "i'd be more than happy to tell everyone about your new accolade of 'sexiest chef alive' if i knew it wouldn't totally humiliate you."

carmy laughs dryly this time, "good thing syd jumped to my defense then first, babe."

"good thing."

[a34trgv2]

Why It Worked: Inside Out

Introduction: Inside Out is an animated coming-of-age film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed and co-written by Pete Docter, with the screenplay being co written by Meg LaFauve and Josh Cooley, the film stars Amy Poehler, Phyliss Smith, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan and Richard Kind as Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, Riley, her parents Bill and Jill, and Bing Bong respectively. Released on June 19, 2015, the film was a major box office success grossing $858.8 million on a budget of $175 million. It also received critical acclaim from critics and audiences alike. According to Rotten Tomatoes, out of the 384 reviews aggregated, 98% gave a positive review with an average rating of 8.9/10. It also received numerous awards, including an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, several Outstanding Achievement Awards at the Annies, a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature, and a Critic's Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature. It is often seen as a culturally significant film for mental health and the importance of expressing one's emotions. I saw this film for my birthday back in 2015 and I loved it right out of the gate. After multiple rewatches over the years, I stand by my personal opinion that this is a masterpiece of animation and visual storytelling. I'm overjoyed to talk about this film now that it finally has a sequel out.

The Plot: This film has 2 stories that are interconnected to one another, taking place in the mind of an 11 year old girl. On the outside, it's a bout a kid moving to a new city and being overwhelmed by the sudden changes happening all at once. On the inside, it's about Joy and Sadness trekking through Riley's mind, while along the way understanding each other's importance. Together, they create a very unique and engaging plot about growing up and learning to express yourself. The film brilliantly cuts between Riley, Joy and Sadness' journey, and what's happening at HQ to organically show what Riley's feeling and how her actions have psychological consequences. In addition to having powerful gut punching drama, it's also a very funny film with plenty of slapstick, goofy gags, and impressive word play that always gets me to belly laugh. Michael Giacchino also provides an enchanting, dreamlike score with great use of the piano and brass sections. The true highlight of the story is, of course, Pixar's masterfully crafted and innovative animation. The film makes Riley's mind so vibrant and expansive with Dream Productions and Imagination Land being major highlights. The outside world also looks very well done with the people looking very appealing, San Francisco looking grimy yet lived in, and Riley's old home in Minnesota looking very welcoming and colorful. Speaking of color, the use of colors in this film is nothing short of excellent from the radiant colors of Riley's memories, to Riley's clothes reflecting her current state of mind throughout the film. I also love how they use black and gray to represent faded memories and lack of emotion. If there's one word to describe Inside Out's story and animation, it's colorful.

Cast and Characters: This is an outstanding cast they brought on board for this film. Shout outs to the film's casting directors Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher for picking out some excellent actors. Amy Poehler was phenomenal as Joy, perfectly capturing her bubbly and eccentric personality while also naturally showing her vulnerability and frustrations. Phyliss Smith sound perfectly dower and soft spoken as Sadness, yet at the same time making her sound so innocent and relatable. Lewis Black was the best match for Anger, making him sound crusty, cynical, and having a short fuse. Mindy Kaling brought in the right amount of sass and pettiness as Disgust and her comradery with the other emotions was brilliant. Bill Hader did a great job making Fear funny and relatable as a character. Kaitlyn Dias also deserve major props for her vocal performance as Riley, making her sound like a soft spoken but fun kid who goes through a great character arc in the film. Lastly, Richard Kind was the absolute surprise standout of the cast as Bing Bong as not only did he do a great job making him funny, but also made him relatable, selfless, a bit of an airhead, but also really resourceful. The cast did such a great job bringing these characters to life, with all of them being iconic and memorable in their own way.

Where It Falters: Outside of maybe adding another scene or 2 with Riley's life in Minnesota, I wouldn't change a thing with this film. It's one of those films where the only nitpick I have is I wanted more. Fortunately, that's remedied with the existence of the 2024 sequel. Coming out a couple years sooner wouldn't have been so bad either, but like I always say, quality>quantity.

Conclusion: There are a select few movies I consider to be a masterpiece. Inside Out is most certainly one of those movies. With outstanding writing, iconic characters, wonderful voice acting, masterfully crafted animation, and an enchanting score, it has more than earned its cultural significance. I cannot recommend this film enough, especially for those who struggle with expressing themselves such as yours truly. I promise this film will speak to you as it has for me after all these years. Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you soon ;)

[uluthrek]

horrible hotd season 2 episode generator:

-we open on a gratuitous sex scene between daemon and helaena. it‘s a dream sequence, though, helaena wakes up screaming.

-bam. blood and cheese happens. they kill jahaerys AND maelor and rape helaena.

-cut to daemon on dragonstone beheading them like a few business days later because his intention was NEVER to kill those kids. he‘s a good dude. this is shown to you by having him interact only with caraxes.

-rhaenyra has her three seconds of screentime during which she lifts dark sister. emma d‘arcy is nominated for a golden globe and misgendered in every single review.

-baela does not exist anymore. jacaerys is now betrothed to rhaena. who claimed sheepstealer last episode.

-aegon rapes another servant back in the red keep. tom glynn-carney is wearing a prosthetic that makes his dick look very small. his coitus is rudely interrupted by helaena falling out of the window from the floor above. this does not bother aegon.

-alicent cries while larys jerks off to her feet in a ten minute sequence with shots alternating between her sad eyes and her feet.

-aemond wears bambie thug‘s eurovision outfit while sacrificing alys rivers (played by olivia cooke) to satan and cackling like a maniac. vhagar has reached the size of ireland.

-the ripped page from the book from season one is possessed by the spirit of rhaena the lesbian (played by ellen degeneres) and gains sentience.

-corlys and rhaenys die because ser criston runs them over with a cybertruck. the bumper sticker says „rhaenyra is a cunt“. he loudly listens to joe rogan. and then he kills himself.

such television, much awards

[youre-amazing-say-it]

hello, hope you’re doing okay

do you mind writing about fem!reader about 14-16 winning an oscar and the marvel cast being super proud in the audience?

sorry i’m so bad at explaining

You’re a Star

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x teen reader

Warning: swearing, LGBTQ, just pure fluff.

A/N: I hope this was okay.

You ever have those “let me take this all in" moments? Because that is what Y/n is having right now.

On the red carpet of the Oscars, that’s right OSCARS, as she was nominated for Best Lead Actress. Y/n is a force to be wrecked with right now in the acting world at only 15. Her debut was the role of Casey Graham in Winter Soldier at 10, and she just wrapped Filming Endgame. But she has taken on other projects, and one of the landed her this nomination.

She starred in the Film “Living a Sin” a story about a teen finding out their sexual identity and the effect it has on her Christian Family. The film was a hit, and the reviews were always on top. She won the Golden Globe but it was when she saw she was nominated for the Oscar that the success really hit her.

Which is where she is now, in a stunning custom pantsuit from Valentino in y/f/c and y/h/c in classic long curls. She was later joined by the cast and her love interest in the film, played by Jenna Ortega. After taking pictures, she was on her way into the theater before she bumped into something hard. “Oops my b-“ she started to say before looking at a blue suit that had blue eyes.

“Seb!” Y/n acclaimed before giving him a hug. “y/n! You look beautiful, how are you feeling?” He asked. “Freaking out but not if that makes sense. I’m unlikely to win, heck I’m nominated against Meryl Streep.” Seb laughed and wrapped an arm around you. “Don’t sweat it, sweetheart. Plus Scarlett and I may or may not be presenting your category," he said. "No way! really?" you asked as you looked at him with joy in your eyes.

"Yep, now let's take a quick picture before I have to head inside. But I will see you later., I promise." he said as he turned so the two of you faced the paparazzi. In the MCU, Bucky and Casey were very much a father-daughter duo. And that relationship continued into a brotherly sisterly relationship off-screen. He has been a rock for you the past couple of years and you are thankful to have your "Bucky-Bear" by your side through it all. He gave you a quick kiss on the forehead which of course the cameras caught before you each headed your separate ways.

Couple Hours later

You saw Sebastian and Scarlett walk on stage and your heart started to beat a million miles a minute. Jenna sat next to you and quickly took your hand in hers. "Deep Breathes, you got this," she said as she gave you a light squeeze.

"This year's nominees each deliver incredible performances in their own right. Moving us to tears, making us laugh, and telling stories of bravery and love." Scarlett said looking at the teleprompter. "And this year nominees are making history, with the youngest nominee for Best Actress," Seb said as you saw your two friends give you a wave, which made the audience laugh. "Our child is adorable, isn't she?" Scarlett said into the mic. "Agreed, but we have to finish this up so we can put her to bed," Seb said as he pointed to the watch in his hand. the audience and you were enjoying it. You couldn't tell if it was a bit or if they were making you laugh to calm your nerves. Either way, you appreciate it.

After they showed a montage of all the actresses nominated and clips of the film. You saw Seb start to open the envelope. you held onto Jenna's hand with your life. "And the Oscar goes to.." Seb said as he lifted the envelope. He and Scarlett looked at the envelope and smiled at each other before speaking into the microphone. "Y/n L/n for Living with Sin!" They said with the biggest smiles on their faces.

You were in shock at first. there is no way they actually just said your name. It wasn't until Jenna gave you a huge hug that it began to sink in. You quickly stood up as you felt a tear fall down your smiling face. You hugged your parents quickly before making your way to the stage. Once you walked up the stairs, Seb and Scarlett were quick to engulf you with a hug. You heard Seb whisper into your ear "I'm so proud of you Kiddo." he said as he gave you a kiss on the cheek. "We both are," Scarlett said as well as she handed you the statue. "I love you both so much. Couldn't have wanted anyone else to give this to me," you said to them as you made your way to the mic.

Your speech was short and sweet, thanking your family and friends, manager, cast, and crew of Living with Sin, and thanking your 'Big Bros and Sisters' who are your marvel castmates for showing you the ropes and being incredible mentors. And of course, thanking Kevin Feige for giving a chance to a girl who only had 'Flounder in Little Mermaid Jr on her resume.' You ended your speech by saying "to everyone watching at home, wondering what to do so someone like my character Nicole doesn't have to go through what they went through. I urge you to look up local resources for LGBTQ youth in your area, donate to the Trevor Project, or create a safe space for teens that make them feel loved and appreciated. We have so much more work to do, and every little bit helps. Thank you." You said as you walked off the stage. You made your way backstage with Sebastian and Scarlett by your side.

Once you were off camera, you felt a strong pair of arms wrap around your waist and picked you up as you let out a squeal. "YOU DID IT! " Seb said as he sat your down. "I still can't believe that happened," you said. "I knew this was going to happen one day, and I'm so happy for you," Scarlett said as you all made your way toward the front of the theater to go back to your seats. Before you all headed your separate ways, Seb "You are star Y/n L/N. I'm so proud to be part of your journey and I can't wait to watch everything you do next." He said as he gave you a long, thoughtful hug. "Love you two Bucky Bear," you whispered into his ears which made him chuckle.

Your name was still trending on social media the next day. Your Marvel cast mates made posts and stories congratulating you which the internet ate up. You couldn't be happier to be part of such an amazing family.

[edwinspaynes]

the nature of love

Love is complex. It's a convoluted, messy web, and no one knew that like the girl with the second clockwork heart. With clever eyes as gray as her name, she looked on at those around her scrambling to grasp love's straws between world-weary fingers, trapped in a spiderweb of her own that tore her heart into two evenly-broken parts.

But love was also devastatingly simple.

She sat on the couch with her husband, meeting his bright laugh and blue gaze with a smile as he looked down at her. Her head rested against his shoulder, the stubble on his face scratchy and comforting against her skin, and suddenly she was overwhelmed by raw emotion. His warmth, his smile, his silly songs and ridiculous notions. Everything that made him Will was the perfect mesh for everything that made her Tessa, azure and slate paints stirred into the hue of a stormy sky.

She couldn't help herself. She kissed his shoulder.

-

Tessa Gray-eyes-and-painfully-real-emotions was not the only one who understood the devastatingly easy affection of a shoulder kiss. Her son did, too. He sat across from his wife in front of a chess board, her blazing red hair framing her shoulders in thick curls, her kind but capable mouth twisted into an expression of contemplation. She reached out one elegant hand to move her pawn before his king, and he realized with a daunting feeling that those lips were shaping the words "checkmate."

The light gleamed off the golden globe necklace around her neck, and James Herondale thought in that moment that no one could ever be as blazing as his brave Cordelia, the woman who could slay armies with nothing more than a pawn.

So he stood up to get her more chai from their kitchen, placing a hand on one of her silk-cloaked shoulders as he moved around her. When she turned to giggle, he placed a quick but heartbreaking kiss on her breathtaking shoulder.

-

Sometimes, though, a shoulder kiss could breathe life into another. Across London, Cordelia's brother sat before a fire with his arm intertwined around his partner's, his hamsar-am's, his breath's. The fire crackled in both dark brown and hazel irises as they quipped over the film reviews between the newspaper's black-and-white lines.

Alastair, whose inkstained fingers were getting smudges onto Thomas's arm, insisted that the ridiculous columnist simply did not see the vision of the story; Thomas, who noticed the smudges but accepted them with grace, listened to the animated brushstrokes of his voice speak in the bright, colorful hues that a film reel could not yet capture.

He spoke deeply; he spoke with feeling. There was passion there, but Thomas's heart was calm as he leaned down and kissed Alastair's shoulder with an almost devastating gentleness.

With that tenderness, Alastair stopped quibbling. Instead, he exhaled, at peace with both hands now resting on Thomas's.

-

Shoulder kisses were for both children and their parents, and somewhere far, far away, Thomas's mother was getting one of her own. Sophie Lightwood slept peacefully in bed, her head resting on her husband's lap as he stuck his finger in the raspberry jam on his plate. He did not like scones, never had, but he enjoyed the sweetness of the jelly as he brought it to his mouth. The explosion of flavor was a confection, a conglomeration, as complex as the idea of love was.

But Sophie slept on, and love felt easy. Love felt like peace. Much like it did for his son, love felt like home to Gideon Lightwood.

So he set the jam aside on his nightstand. He lay down beside his wife and reached out to pull her in close with still-sticky fingers. And he pressed a kiss to her shoulder before falling asleep with his face resting there, quietly and quickly, asleep but alive in all the ways that mattered.

-

But shoulder kisses were not only for the living.

There was a girl, once, who tried hard to forget her name, the name that her mother had told her in a hard voice between harder slaps. That monster of a woman was gone now, but she still could not get it out of her mind.

Now, she sat before a lab table, mixing chemicals and starting the fires that her love had once adored so. Sometimes, if she got a formulation perfectly, she would hear the name that she only loved on Christopher Lightwood's lips: Grace.

Sometimes, when an experiment went perfectly, she could feel the ghost of soft pressure on her shoulder. And somehow, she knew that he was there. That she was not alone, and that she was not a monster.

-

And some people did not even need another to give them the love that lay in a shoulder kiss. A boy with golden hair sat somewhere in South America, his arms wrapped around a mug of black coffee and his elbows resting on a copy of Dorian Gray. But he was not paying attention to any of that; he sipped idly, watching the people go by in their colorful clothes, with their bright personalities.

Hand-in-hand. Arm-in-arm. Love was simple for them in a way that it had never been for Matthew, who had felt it as bitter as his coffee.

But loving himself had proven a simple challenge that he had not foreseen conquering, so when no one was looking, he pressed his fingers to his lips and tapped the pads in the shoulders of his brocade jacket.

-

Many years later, Tessa Gray-skies-but-the-sun-is-coming-out did the same thing. Matthew was long gone by then, in America or China or South Africa, and her beloved Will had gone to the place where memories were silent.

She had thought there would be no more shoulder kisses, but love in all of its simplicity was also complex.

One day, it would all come back to her.

And eventually, decades later she sat on the couch of a massive manor house, one that had known many shoulder kisses from when Thomas and Alastair had made their home there. And her second husband would smile as she rocked their daughter, and he would walk over to her. "Wo ai ni," Jem Carstairs would whisper to both of them, his rune-scarred cheeks pulled upward into a smile and his dark eyes danced with life.

He leaned down and kissed Tessa's shoulder.

He kissed Mina's, and Tessa's heart melted.

Because love was not temporary. Love was not an ephemeral thing meant only to last one lifetime. It binds us through the ages, a pulse that beats after all other pulses stop.

Love, in all of its complexities, is the best thing we do.

@themimsyborogove, thanks for ruining me with that shoulder kiss post!

[baflegacy]

smosh au #???: Love is Blind!Actor AU part 3

Raunchy, Witty, and Stupidly Funny: Our Review of the First Two Episodes of 'Love is Blind' Season 1 by Kimmy Jimenez

With so many shows and movies that're being released month after month, it's rare that we get absolute gems constantly - ones that know what they're showing to the audience and are confident enough that we'll love it. Last year was a surprising exception to the content rollercoaster of Hollywood; audiences loved prestigious dramas such as A Court of Fey and Flowers and the second season of Without A Recipe, while comedies like Ghost Files and Game Changer quickly rose from obscurity and became fan favorites. And who could forget the underdog that was Last Meals, which took home the Golden Globe over Maestro?

This goldmine of a lineup has people setting their expectations high for 2024, and while we're still eagerly awaiting another season of Yellowjackets or if Bottoms will get a sequel, look no further than the sleeper hit that is Love is Blind, written and created by Comedy Central's own Tommy Bowe.

The trailer left a lot to the imagination when it first dropped; there's no reveal on who would end up with whom, which is already a win in our book when it comes to teasers (yes, we're talking about you, Mandalorian Season 2!). Beyond that, the trailers were a good balance of intrigue and freshness, letting us know that we're gonna be hooked. And hooked we were, because the first two episodes had us gripping our chairs already!

We won't spoil it too much for the readers out there who haven't watched it yet (but then again, why haven't you watched it, bud?), but what we will say is that Tommy Bowe and Jacklyn Uweh are a match made in writer-director heaven. As soon as we saw the RHOSLC and Jersey Shore references, we knew we were in for a treat. The colorful cast of characters are already great, but the standout for this premiere has got to be Angela Giarratana as Toilet Girl. Not only has she got the comedic timing down, she practically disappears into the role of the eponymous 'drunk contestant'.

Overall, we rate this premiere one solid 8/10. We can't wait for the next episodes to come out—and if Toilet Girl and New York have something going on!

[hustledimension]

The Cast of The Road to El Dorado

From here

KEVIN KLINE (Tulio) has been honored for his work on the stage and the screen. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the comedy "A Fish Called Wanda." More recently, he was recognized with the IFP’s Gotham Award for "The Ice Storm," and a Golden Globe nomination for "In & Out." He had previously received Golden Globe nominations for his performances in "Dave," "Soapdish" and "Sophie’s Choice."

Kline is a two-time Tony Award winner for his work on Broadway in "The Pirates of Penzance" and Hal Prince’s production of "On the Twentieth Century." He also garnered Drama Desk Awards for both productions.

A graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama, Kline is a founding member of John Houseman’s The Acting Company, with which he made his Broadway debut in Chekov’s "The Three Sisters." His additional theatre credits include "Arms and the Man" and "Loose Ends," both at Circle in the Square; the title role in Chekov’s "Ivanov" at the Lincoln Center Theatre; the title role in the 1986 and 1990 productions of "Hamlet" at New York’s Public Theatre, the latter of which he also directed, both for the stage and again for PBS’ Great Performances series; and the New York Shakespeare Festival presentations of "Richard III," "Henry V," "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Measure For Measure."

Kline made an auspicious feature film debut in Alan Pakula’s "Sophie’s Choice," opposite Meryl Streep. He then joined the ensemble cast of "The Big Chill," which began his long association with writer/director Lawrence Kasdan. They have since collaborated on "Silverado," "I Love You to Death," "Grand Canyon" and "French Kiss." Kline’s other film credits include "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," "Wild Wild West," "Fierce Creatures," the voice of Captain Phoebus in the animated musical "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Looking for Richard," "Princess Caraboo," "Chaplin," "Cry Freedom" and the screen version of "The Pirates of Penzance."

KENNETH BRANAGH (Miguel) is an award-winning actor, director, writer and producer. He adapted, directed and starred in 1989’s "Henry V," which brought him dual Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Director and for which he won BAFTA and National Board of Review Awards for Best Director. He was more recently Oscar-nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 1996 release "Hamlet," which he also starred in and directed. Branagh also received a SAG Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Othello," and produced, adapted, directed and starred in "Much Ado About Nothing," which earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Feature. His upcoming film credits include a musical version of Shakespeare’s "Love’s Labour’s Lost," which he adapted, directed and stars in.

In addition, Branagh directed and starred in "Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein," which he also produced, "Peter’s Friends" and "Dead Again." His other credits as an actor include "Alien Love Triangle," "Wild Wild West," Robert Altman’s "The Gingerbread Man," Woody Allen’s "Celebrity," "The Theory of Flight," "Swing Kids," "A Month in the Country" and "High Season." He also narrated the Oscar-winning documentary "Anne Frank Remembered," and, in 1993, received an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short for "Swan Song." That same year, he was honored with the British Academy’s Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Branagh studied at England’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and made his professional stage debut in "Another Country." Joining the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was seen in such plays as "Love’s Labour’s Lost," "Hamlet" and "Henry V" before leaving to form his own successful theatre company. His other stage work includes sold-out productions of "Hamlet," "King Lear" and "A Midsummer Night’s Dream."

ROSIE PEREZ (Chel) received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for her work opposite Jeff Bridges in Peter Weir’s "Fearless." She was discovered by Spike Lee, who cast her in "Do The Right Thing," and she subsequently starred in such films as Ron Shelton’s "White Men Can’t Jump," Jim Jarmusch’s "Night on Earth," Tony Bill’s "Untamed Heart," Andrew Bergman’s "It Could Happen to You," Alexandre Rockwell’s "Somebody to Love," Seth Zvi Rosenfeld’s "A Brother’s Kiss" and Nancy Savoca’s "The 24 Hour Woman," which she also co-produced. She will next be seen starring opposite John Leguizamo in Seth Zvi Rosenfeld’s "King of the Jungle."

Perez began her career as a choreographer for such artists as Bobby Brown, LL Cool J and Diana Ross. She went on to choreograph and direct the Fly Girls on Fox TV’s "In Living Color."

She made her first foray into producing with "Rosie Perez Presents Society’s Ride," which ran as three parts on HBO. She conceived and executive produced "Subway Stories," an anthology of short films by prominent and new directors, which also aired on HBO. Most recently, Perez entered into a unique deal with Artists Television Group (ATG) to develop, star in and executive produce a television comedy series.

ARMAND ASSANTE (Tzekel-Kan) has most recently been recognized for his work in a number of acclaimed network and cable projects. He won an Emmy Award and garnered Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for his portrayal of John Gotti in the HBO movie "Gotti." He also earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Odysseus in the miniseries "The Odyssey," and both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his work in the miniseries "Jack the Ripper." Most recently, Assante starred as the Confederate commander of the first submarine in TNT’s true-life Civil War drama "The Hunley."

On the big screen, Assante received a Golden Globe nomination for his work in Sidney Lumet’s "Q&A," and won a Special Jury Prize at the USA Film Festival for his performance in the title role of "Belizaire, The Cajun." Among his additional film credits are "Striptease," "Judge Dredd," "Trial by Jury," "The Mambo Kings," "Hoffa," "1492: Conquest for Paradise," "The Marrying Man," "I, the Jury," "Little Darlings," "Private Benjamin" and "Paradise Alley."

A native New Yorker, Assante graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his professional acting debut on the stage in "Why I Went Crazy," under the direction of Joshua Logan. His subsequent stage credits include the Broadway productions of "Boccaccio," "Comedians," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Kingdoms."

EDWARD JAMES OLMOS (The Chief) has received honors for his work in films and on television. He garnered both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations and won an Independent Spirit Award for his portrayal of inspirational teacher Jaime Escalante in "Stand and Deliver." He more recently earned acclaim for his role in Gregory Nava’s biopic "Selena," in which he starred as the Tejano singer’s father. He had previously worked with Nava in the film "My Family/Mi Familia."

On the small screen, Olmos won a Golden Globe Award and earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in the HBO drama "A Burning Season." He had earlier collected his first Golden Globe for his starring role in the series "Miami Vice." This season, Olmos appears in the recurring role of Judge Mendoza on the new series hit "The West Wing." He has also starred in such longform projects as "Bonanno: A Godfather’s Story," "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three," "12 Angry Men," "Hollywood Confidential," "Dead Man’s Walk" and "Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills."

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Olmos first gained attention for his performance in the Broadway musical "Zoot Suit," for which he received a Tony Award nomination. He later recreated his role in the film adaptation. His film credits also include "Wolfen," "Blade Runner," and five films for director Robert M. Young: "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez," "Saving Grace," "Triumph of the Spirit," "Talent for the Game" and "Caught."

In 1992, Olmos made his feature film directorial debut with "American Me," in which he also starred. He also executive produced the award-winning documentary "Lives in Hazard," which addressed gang prevention.

[oscarupsets]

Oliver!, based on the 1960 musical Oliver! and Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist, was the 5th highest grossing film of 1968. It was a 2.5 hour high budget, big production musical, similar to most musical we've seen. The New York Times review was lukewarm about the film, especially towards the acting. The choreography and musical numbers were over- the-top, but the whole plot just seems weirdly drawn out. There's almost too much plot, as we bounce between a mix of storylines with their own set and main characters. It's a fine musical to see once, and I bet it's a great one for the kids. The Lion in Winter had some decent qualities. It introduces Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton in their first major film roles, and the overall look of it is nice, but I found it to be incredibly boring. It was based off of the 1966 play of the same name but seems to use this as a crutch. It's very rigid, minus the unnecessary and frequent establishing scenes of the war (?) and the water. While I'm not against films with a significant amount of dialogue, it's hard to keep interest when every conversation is about the same thing (Please papa, let me be king 🥺)

The Lion in Winter holds the only tie in Oscar history, with Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand (of Funny Girl) securing equal votes and both winning for Best Actress.

Other than that, it was a pretty normal ceremony. Oliver! obtained 5 Oscars from 11 nominations, plus an additional Honorary Award for Onna White's choreography.

The two films split the top honors from the Golden Globes, but neither secured the BAFTA (which instead went to last week's The Graduate).

The Lion in Winter collected several of the top honors from other major guilds and groups, while Oliver! was often left heavily nominated but empty handed.

Both films are absent from the National Film Registry and AFI lists, but were recognized by the NBR (albeit, not the Top Film) and OFTA.

Unofficial Review: Weak pair of films, in my opinion, but still not an upset.

[notafunkiller]

Any one comes at my girl Flo over Annabelle I’m not holding back I saw the body shaming and I was livid these are the same people who talk about Annabelle as if she were nothing more than incubator to say what? That she’s the love of his life? Sorry no fans of a celebrity couple who actually can see how in love they are act like this lmao so that just shows they know that seb and Annabelle aren’t in love the constant rumors after pointing out how unhappy he looks with her compared to anyone else is pathetic. It’s one thing to like a celebrity couple but let’s be real they don’t even actually like her because if they did they would show up for her projects (I know someone will bring up how her movie went number one but the reviews don’t match the views 🤣) she’s been in the industry for about as long as Sebastian has and her only mark is the men she’s linked too which shippers show again they only like her because she’s linked to Sebastian shippers with how they act are also to blame for her kind of not being liked people see how they act because of her and it’s like oh these are her fans? She must act like that too. But they aren’t her fans they just like her so they self project their fantasies onto her she’s a self insert for them which is why when any argument is said about why Annabelle is liked they scream jealousy because they are the ones actually jealous of her but kiss her ass but you are right they show exactly what kind of people they are Margo and ale got the absolute worst hate because why? Sebastian was happy and showed they made him happy. He showed he was in love and now he’s distanced himself from his fandom which i completely understand why. Let them take this burn book to him. Shippers have went to extremes to try and prove Annabelle is the love of his life and when it ends they will not know what to do with themselves. The next girl I really send my sympathies to because the level of hate she will get will be so bad. Especially when she’s seen out with Sebastian and he makes it known he’s in love and happy which is the complete opposite of how he acts with Annabelle. Pr is always going to be in Hollywood. All singers and actors do it. While some looks more genuine like when Sebastian was papped taking flowers to daisy that was pr would have done it anyway? Yes that’s who he is. He’s a sweet guy which he’s known for but that instance was used for him and for Daisy because that was for her nomination for the golden globes I believe and I would also like to say bragging about a length of relationship doesn’t show commit and or how love a couple is and two years really isn’t that long tbh “it’s his longest relationship” and that means what exactly? All shipper’s arguments show is they have never been in a serious relationship tbh and don’t even get me started on how they have acted towards other fans and even leaking Sebastian’s damn address to prove a point this fan war over trying to prove Annabelle is important to him when he hasn’t even shown that is so gross I’m disgusted and ashamed to say I was ever part of this fandom

THIS!!! Gosh, this, thank you for writing this!

I have the same opinions and I wanna add that they say: longest relationship = serious as you said, but she was with pine for what? 5 years.

Also, he and his friends actually defended Ale and Margarita. So if he wanted to defend AW, he'd find an indirect way how.

I really feel like I am not alone & "paranoid" at all after reading your message.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I’m genuinely shocked that Emma Stone won for Best Actress.

For political diversity reasons and the fact that she won Best Actor for drama at the Golden Globes – the best pointer for Oscar glory – I thought Lily Gladstone had this sewn up.

All other winners were as predicted and for the reasons I posted afew weeks ago. 

************

I was 70/30 on Emma/Lily winning. I wanted Lily to win but I was sure Emma was going to take it. Weird and quirky will usually win out.

I didn’t think Emma deserved Best Actress for La La Land. (2015 was poor year for film for me because most of those films weren’t very remarkable. Or memorable.) But Best Actress for Poor Things is very well deserved so I’m happy for her. Pretty sure she didn’t expect it, though. Emma looked truly shocked to win, so I think she was expecting Lily to take it.

My Monday armchair quarterback opinion is that I think it was the marketing campaign that did Lily in. Flowers of the Killer Moon had been promoted as Leo and De Niro’s movie, with Lily as a supporting actress/character - which, if you look at the story in the film and the perspective of the story, makes sense. This was a Leo/Bob vehicle and a story of the white man, and they really lucked out with the spectacular casting of Lily for Mollie. If all of that had been reversed - if the story was told predominantly in Mollie’s perspective as a Lily vehicle, she would’ve walked away with the Oscar last night. 

But they didn’t start promoting or marketing or “for your consideration”-ing Lily until after all the reviews came in and everyone was already talking about Lily’s performance. And it’s also because of the strikes - Killers couldn’t be promoted because of the ongoing strikes, so of course the studio is going to lean more heavily on Leo and De Niro, because people know them. They’re bankable. 

The other thing to keep in mind (this isn’t to you, anon, but to others who may be reading) is how the Academy votes. The specific guilds individually vote on who the Oscar nominees are - actors decide the acting nominees, sound decides the sound nominees, editors decide editing nominees, etc. (the best picture/documentary/animated/shorts categories are different) - but the entire Academy at large votes on who wins. So the whole Academy is voting for Best Actress, the whole Academy is voting for Best Sound Design, etc. And usually when the whole Academy votes, weird and quirky usually wins.

It’s why I suspect the Screen Actors Guild awards are the most meaningful for the actors - because it’s peer-to-peer recognition. Golden Globes is who schmoozes the best (or it used to be, before the cultural reckoning it had a few years ago) and the Academy is often who arts the best (or who’s toiled the longest and needs career validation the best). But the Screen Actors Guild, and all the guild awards, is who’s the best at our craft. So I hope Lily isn’t too upset - she got that peer-to-peer recognition - and I hope she gets more roles. It looks like it; she has a new streaming series coming soon and it looks phenomenal.

Well, if you made it this far, a few more observations from Oscar Night:

I loved Ryan Gosling and the Kens. I love it when the Oscars get cheesy and nostalgic like that.

The John Cena bit was awkward.

Loved seeing previous winners come back to recognize the nominees but the Academy spoiled themselves. I knew how the acting categories were going to be presented beforehand and I knew they were keeping the tributes a secret for the broadcast, but seeing people on the red carpet and in the audience that we don’t usually see at these events (Nicholas Cage, Ben Kingsley, and Charlize Theron for example and for me, specifically) gave the plot away.

I know it’s tired and overdone, but I love the Jimmy Kimmel/Matt Damon fight. I wish they’d have done something in the broadcast. I honestly thought the critic Jimmy was reading at the end was going to be the Matt Damon bit and for the writing categories, I thought they were going to announce Matt and Ben Affleck as the presenters (since they won their first Oscars for writing Good Will Hunting)...ah, oh well.

The red carpet was absolutely lackluster and very disappointing.

Meghan didn’t show up as Misan’s plus one and Misan didn’t win his category. I mean, the guy was up against Wes Anderson. It’s a no-brainer.

The dancing during the In Memorium segment was...A Choice.

I loved the 7pm start time. More, please!, shouted everyone on the East Coast.

I really can’t wait to see what Oscar bait movie Bradley Cooper does next, and what movie he does that the Academy finally decides “let’s put him out of his misery.” Will it be for a film worthy of the recognition or will it be a lifetime achievement award for a meh performance/film? 

I’ve got my bets on lifetime achievement.

[skullsmuldon]

Is it true that David is drunk at his concerts? Are there any reviews?

He always drinks. Vodka orange or beer from what I know. I don’t know if he was drunk drunk but he definitely has some drinks…

As for a review I saw one in a German paper. And it’s pretty accurate if you ask me but judge for yourself 🤗

The headline : Known from "The X-File”

David Duchovny convinces humanly in Cologne and flops vocally.

The well-known actor was a guest at the Carlswerk and inspired his audience with his fame. Through his voice, on the other hand, certainly rather less.

If someone depicts their own character in the Simpsons, he has come a long way, you might think. David William Duchovny, who played the role of Fox Mulder in the cult series "File X - the eerie cases of the FBI", is such a person. And because it is therefore completely surreal to stand physically in front of him this Monday evening together with around 300 guests at point nine o’clock - Duchovny is not only a successful actor and Golden Globe winner, but also a musician - one screams to his friend with all the happiness "So awesome , incredible!" In their ear.

So it takes a few minutes to realize that it is really him for whom you stood in the cinema queue for hours for the last time almost 15 years ago. His "The truth is out there" poster, which always hung over him in his basement office, was legendary.

Sloppy dance to meager tones

His dance performances to the folk rock numbers, which will now follow in the next almost an hour and a half, are not and probably never will be. They seem rather clumsy, almost sloppy. You can't get rid of the impression: Here, some high school graduation band from the 1980s is just celebrating their revival. And Frontman David still looks as good as he did back then. That he can't sing to this day: Who's bothered? Even if the range of his voice is narrower than the mouthpiece of a clarinet. "I love you!" some women from the front rows call out to him. Mister Duchovny doesn’t miss a beat and replies: "I love you, too. Wherever you want." With a wink, of course.

Nevertheless, you can't get rid of the feeling that David William Duchovny might have drunk a little bit over his thirst before the concert (German proverb). Sometimes you don't even want to look closely when he dances back and forth up there between all the potential stumbling blocks. And suddenly, yes, suddenly the man who once wanted to complete a doctorate in English literature - before his acting career - stands in front of you. He just gets off the stage, makes a round through the Carlswerk and sings "Sweet Jane" by Velvet Underground. Unbelievable how fearless this man is. And how much he doesn't seem to care about his musical deficit.

You have to leave it to Duchovny: He really radiates joy in what he does. Like a small child who meets his new friends in front of the daycare center for the second time in the morning. Taking oneself seriously, is foreign to him. Conclusion: Musically a flop. Humanly top.

[nkatr84]

Scrooge: Old Vs New

There’s a few posts I wanted to make. The new Guardians Of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Disenchanted. Slumberland. Wednesday. That one Moon Knight fan fic sitting in my drafts. But I’ve got to talk about this.

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol on Netflix came out this year in 2022. While Critics haven’t been too kind to it (I’ll get to my theory why in a second) y’all on Tik Tok and Tumblr have been losing your minds. You’re falling in love with the music (particularly Later Never Comes). But mostly…many of you have this reaction.

The surprising hottie in question being this rendition of Ebenezer Scrooge.

And I get it. As is tradition in animated takes of Dickens immortal classic, the animators clearly took inspiration from their voice actor Mr. Luke Evans. And Mr. Evans is a very handsome man. So I’m right there with you guys simping over an old man with a sexy voice.

But! I would be remiss if I failed to educate my fellow fangirls, fanboys and all between that this movie…is technically a remake.

Directed in 1970 by Ronald Neame, Scrooge was nominated for Four Academy Awards and won a Golden Globe. Quite an achievement in a time when movie musicals were fading in popularity. And it’s composer Leslie Bricusse (who also helped bring Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to life) was an executive producer and helped write the screenplay for this new version. And since he passed away last year, the animated film is dedicated to him.

Of the original eleven songs, five were carried over to the new movie. Happiness. I Like Life (with updated lyrics). Beautiful Day, Thank you Very Much and I Will Begin Again. Yet while the original movie received generally positive reviews from critics, the new movie only holds a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. What’s the difference? I mean the animation is very nice. Sometimes downright gorgeous. Obviously the music works. I’ve heard people praising both the new songs as well as the older ones. And they actually add depth to the original story.

Well if I had to guess, the new version is very much catering to kids versus families. The Ghost of Christmas Present has cute little Minion like critters. They cut the line of Scrooge saying, “If They (the poor) would rather die then they better do it. And decrease the surplus population!” I guess because it’s too mean? Speaking of, they give Scrooge a dog named Prudence. I guess to show the kids that he’s not all bad. He has a cute doggy! He’s kinda indifferent to the dog but hey! Don’t look at the scary imagery of Scrooge watching his own ghost rise from his grave! Look at the puppy! Look at the puppy! I mean Mr. Magoo kept the mean lines in as did the Muppet’s. Plus they trusted kids with the scary stuff.

Yeah as cute as those reindeer antlers on her looked at the end, Prudence was definitely a studio note and serves no purpose. She could be cut and you wouldn’t miss anything. Plus I’m not a fan of the opening number. Too peppy and modern. I wished they had done an update of the song that opens the 1970 movie, “A Christmas Carol “

Plus I love this song from Cratchit. It’s so Christmas… I wish this one made the cut.

But I do like the new version. Later Never Comes goes way harder than “You” and Luke Evans really balances out Scrooge being an old curmudgeon and a man who knows and regrets his choices. Plus the whole thing is animated like a dream. I love Luke Evans singing “I will Begin Again.” It’s a song of hope, passion and joy. And when Albert Finney’s Scrooge sings it …well… he tried…I can’t post it here but trust me. Luke Evans is a major upgrade. They make up for it with the finale in the 1970’s version where they almost reprise every song in the movie. Plus my parents always like how they made Albert Finney up to really look like a miser than doesn’t cut his hair or even clean his nails or his house. And technically Albert Finney was a sex symbol back in the day. Where he played both the old and young versions of Scrooge. So having a sexy Scrooge is technically precedent…

So give the original movie a watch if you like this one. It can be it’s own kind of goofy at times, but it’s definitely worth a yearly viewing. As is the new version on Netflix.

[film-classics]

Greer Garson - The Duchess

Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (born in Manor Park, Essex on September 29, 1904) was a British-American actress. Her air of controlled maturity and understated elegance lent to her being referred to as "The Duchess."

She graduated with a B.A. with honors in English in 1926 at King's College London and did postgraduate work and studied French theater at the University of Grenoble in 1927. Starting out later as an actress, her early professional appearances were on stage, starting at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Louis B. Mayer discovered Garson while in London looking for new talent. In 1937, Garson signed with MGM, where she became a major box-office star. Her portrayal of strong women brought her critical acclaim, earning Oscar nods in films such as Mrs. Miniver (1942) and  The Valley of Decision (1945).

She only made a few films after her contract expired, but continued to appear on television. In 1967, she retired at Forked Lightning Ranch in New Mexico and focused on philanthropic interests.

She lived her final years in a penthouse suite at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, where she died from heart failure at 91.

Legacy:

Is the fourth most-nominated woman for the Best Actress Oscar, with seven, including a record-tying five consecutive nominations (1941–1945)

Won the Academy Awards: Best Actress for Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Won the Golden Globe Best Actress for Sunrise at Campobello (1960)

Awarded Best Acting by the National Board Review for Pride and Prejudice (1940), Mrs. Miniver (1942), and Sunrise at Campobello (1960)

Listed by the Motion Picture Herald as one of America's top-10 box office draws from 1942 to 1946

Won Best Actress for Random Harvest (1941) from the 1944 Picturegoer Awards

Awarded Most Popular Female Star by Photoplay Awards in 1945 and 1946

Honored with the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1961

Donated land and money to the Department of the Interior to protect ruins in 1966

Awarded the Golden Gavel by Toastmasters International

Honored as one of the Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles Times in 1968

Received an honorary degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1973

Presented by the American-Scottish Foundation with the William Wallace Award in 1977

Granted an honorary doctorate in 1977 from Ulster University for her endowments of the Greer Garson Film Award and Gree Garson Theatre Award

Established the Greer Garson Theatre Center in 1985 and Greer Garson Communications Center and Studios in 1989 in Santa Fe

Awarded the Conservation Service Award by the Department of Interior in 1981

Set up the endowment for the E. E. Fogelson and Greer Garson Fogelson Distinguished Chair in Urology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and the Greer Garson and E.E. Fogelson Distinguished Chair in Medical Research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1982

Funded the E. E. Fogelson Visitor Center at Pecos National Historical Park in 1987

Honored with an Award for Excellence and Achievement in the Arts by the Governor of New Mexico in 1987

Received the Golda Meir Fellowship Award of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1988

Set up the Fogelson Forum at Texas Christian University in 1990

Received an honorary doctorate and the Medal of Distinction from SMU Meadow School of the Arts in 1991

Presented with the TACA Silver Cup Award in 1991

Has been the namesake for the Texas Health Presbyterian's annual fundraising event, the Greer Garson Gala, since 1992

Established the Greer Garson Theatre at the Southern Methodist University Meadow School of the Arts in 1992

Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993

Set up the E.E. Fogelson and Greer Garson Fogelson Charitable Foundation in 1996, with numerous philanthropic interests in the arts, education, environment, and medicine

Donated personal memorabilia as part of the Greer Garson Collection in the SMU Bywaters archival collection

Honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month for March 2013

Inducted in the Online Film and Television Association Hall of Fame in 2014

Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1651 Vine Street for motion picture

[loveaetingkids]

Missing Link(2019):movie review 

(Contains minor spoilers)

As a big fan of Laika films I was excited to see their recent stop-motion work.But after finishing it I felt kinda…let down?To understand as to why I was dissatisfied with Missing Link I decided to divide my impression of this movie into pros and cons.

Pros:

Animation

Is anyone surprised that Missing Link has one of the most pleasing color palette to look at?Pacific Northwest,California,the boat,Himalayas-every new location has its own theme with it.This film also emphasizes the space of each place the mains go to, so the audience does not get the impression that everything happens in one room, but in the existing terrain.In other words the design here looks convincing and artistic.As for the characters-we can easily depict their personalities from the geometric shapes that they’re based upon,like triangles for the main character-who comes off as bold and charming,or circles for the Sasquatch-good-hearted and a bit oblivious .So yes,they rightfully won the Golden Globe Award for their animation alone.

Action scenes

Inspired by the adventures of Indiana Jones and Sherlock Homes,it would only make sense if this movie would include well-written fights and escapes.And they sure did!Keeping in mind that the cartoon is made in stop-motion,the ship chase or the ice bridge battle looks even more impressive.The choreography (I don't know if this term can be used for the non-human objects tho) is excellent, so instead of static shots, we see various dangerous situations the characters find themselves in,which glues the viewers to the screen.

Cons:

Jokes

Missing Link presents itself as an adventure comedy,but the jokes in it come off as iffy.The reason for it is that gags about blowing raspberries and making noises don't fit well with the story, which takes itself quite seriously. There is a dissonance: the funny insertions seem to be intended for a younger audience, while the story itself is for an older one.It looks like the film crew wanted to add some funny phases here and there to lighten up the mood,but it didn’t work out as planned.

The main character 

Despite Mr Link being the symbol of this cartoon,Sir Lionel Frost is the protagonist,since the conflict revolves around his want to be part of “Society of Great Men”.Based on James Bond and similar heroes,Frost fits into the “self-sophisticated but nonetheless good” trope. However, for the majority of the running time he is simply rude and changes his views at the end of the film just because his companion Adelina gave him a talk.The audience rarely sees Lionels positive side,instead we witness his disrespect for Susan and his numerous advances towards Adeline, who might I remind you,is the widow of his deceased friend, and who responded to his flirtations with a no until the boat chase.It would’ve been a good opportunity to condemn or humor his bad actions,but even through Sasquatch and Ms Fortnight point it out a few times,most of the things the main characters says either gets brushed off or is shown in the neutral light.It felt as though Frosts problematic behavior was ignored before making him suddenly compassionate to progress the plot.

Overall,this movie felt like the weakest among the Laika stop-motion works to me.It’s not exactly bad,but it can’t be compared to ParaNorman or Coraline.Missing Link is alright to watch a few times just for the animation and overall aesthetic of an old explorer films,but that’s it.

(What was your impression of the movie?Feel free to write in the comments section!)

[world-cinema-research]

Gladiator (2002)

Gunner Drake

April 14th, 2024

The film I chose this week for our assignments was Gladiator (2000). I remember the first time I watched Gladiator when I was young and after rewatching it again this week, it is just as good as the first time I saw it. The way the movie shows the main character Maximus fight through all of this adversary while still maintaining a strong, smart mind and being an all around good selfless person is close to perfect. This film also depicts the main antagonist extremely well and does a great job of getting you invested into their characters. 

While doing research on the film Gladiator I was surprised to find out that Gladiator made over 465.4 million dollars while only costing 103 million dollars to make, making this a huge commercial success. But it didn't stop there for Gladiator, The film was also a huge critical success being nominated for twelve academy awards or oscars and winning 5, being nominated for 5 golden globes and winning two of them and also winning the BAFTA award for best film. Reviews were a little bit of a different story. For the most part they were pretty mixed even though the general public ate it up. Here is one of many positive reviews from metacritic https://www.metacritic.com/movie/gladiator/ “Gladiator is one of the best films Ridley Scott ever made. Maybe is not historically accurate, but the story, the soundtrack, the fighting are perfect, and shows probably the most beautiful performance of Russell Crowe.” on the other hand this review by Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gladiator-2000) is extremely critical of the film calling it,"A foolish choice in art direction casts a pall over Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" that no swordplay can cut through" and also gave it 2 stars. So this movie wasn’t everyone's favorite thing ever but for the most part the public thought it was pretty good. Although if you look at the recent reviews they are a lot more positive than negative. Now the big question is what did the filmmakers do to make gladiator so attractive to such a big audience? They started with the setting in Rome, the filmmakers knew Rome would be a perfect setting for their narrative. They were able to take historically accurate figures such as Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and Lucilla to give the movie a genuine roman feel and then they add the main character Maximus which is not a real person but give the filmmakers freedom to choose whatever they want for him. At the time in 2000 this gave the historical roman setting almost a new fresh look for the viewers and very much popularized it bigger than anything before. 

The gladiator had an extremely dramatic story and many action packed fight scenes which was a huge part of the movie that the producers relied on for a strong return on investment. In one fight scene After the main character Maximus defeats many enemies in spectacular fashion, he stands in the middle of the colosseum and yells, “Are you not entertained!”(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPNOdkLcL_g) This scene alone has etched its way into pop culture and 9 out of 10 people will know exactly what you're talking about if you say, “ are you not entertained”. But Gladiator does have some limiting factors for the audience. The movie is rated R for bloody battle and fight scenes plus some language. 

Gladiator was definitely a conventional movie. This movie cost over 100 million dollars to make so the investors and producers wanted to maximize profit as much as they could without trying anything too crazy or too new. Growing up this was one of my favorite movies and I definitely would blow off any criticism about the film in the past. But doing my research for this project and reading all of the reviews I was able to appreciate parts or aspects of the movie in ways I didn't consider before. I especially liked reading the criticism reviews of the movie because I was able to go back and forth with These ideas and in some cases even changed my mind on parts of the movie. This film came out 24 years ago and still looks amazing. Newer movies obviously have better special effects and more money to make them better but after not seeing Gladiator in years I can confidently say it is still an amazing quality film. Not that there isn't anything I could pick out but for being 24 years old I would still choose this movie over most newer ones in recent years. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEM5nJ-AUiMLinks to an external site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD0XIowNAG8Links to an external site.https://www.youtube.com/embed/yD0XIowNAG8?autoplay=1&rel=0&hl=en_US&fs=1

In 2000 the Sony released the PS2

laketahoecc.instructure.com

In 2000 the Olympics were held in Sydney Australia.

laketahoecc.instructure.com