#granted i don't actually recommend these laces

[chrismerle]

Were these shoes already tacky when I got them? Yes, obviously. Did I then make them tackier by swapping the white laces for bedazzled laces? You bet your ass I did.

[lit-crits]

(1939) Arsenic and Old Lace, Joseph Kesselring. 07/09/2024 - 09/09/2024

First time reading? Yes

Rating: 9.5/10

Favourite quote: "[Mortimer]: You think people in plays act intelligently. I wish you had to sit through some of the ones I have to sit through. Take the little opus I saw tonight for instance. In this play, there's a man - he's supposed to be bright [Jonathan enters from the cellar with instrument case, stands in doorway and listens to Mortimer] - he knows he's in a house with murderers - he ought to know he's in danger - he's even been warned to get out of the house - but does he go? No, he stays there. Now I ask you, Doctor, is that what an intelligent person would do?"

Saw the film before I read the play. The film was hilarious considering it is EIGHTY (!!!) years old and I did not expect the play to be just as funny, but it really is. Mortimer Brewster is an amazing character (Cary Grant plays him in the film and did an exceptional job) but I think Abby and Martha Brewster are my favourite characters. It is genuinely hard to pick a favourite character for sure because every single character in this play is so well developed through the dialogue and stage directions. I don't think I'd read anything by Kesselring before this but I need to read more of his work! My favourite parts of the play are the whole on-going bit with Mortimer on the phone, Mortimer stopping Mr. Gibbs from drinking the poisoned wine and Mortimer monologuing about playwrights making their characters stupid while he himself is acting out what he is complaining about. The bit with Jonathan fighting the police officers because they say he looks like Boris Karloff (in Act III Scene II) isn't as funny as it is in the film (I was in hysterics) but still made me laugh. The actual plot of the play is so clever to me, and I don't think I've ever read anything that has had such good, detailed stage directions before. Definitely recommend reading the play, and I'd recommend watching the film too - both are incredible!

[postwarlevi]

Top 5 old movies you recommend.

OMG !! This is awful. I'll do my best! (it's awful to have to choose!) Not including the couple already mentioned. Thank you so much for this one!!

1 A Patch of Blue Sidney Poitier is one of my favorite actors, and took on controversial roles. Made in 1965, a black man and a blind, sheltered, white girl, form a friendship that led to some theaters banning certain scenes or the film all together. (I could name 5 other movies of his too but this is probably my favorite and it works as a recommendation).

The trailer is just no good in my opinion, so here's a scene instead.

2 Arsenic and Old Lace Everyone is hilarious in this movie. Especially Cary Grant, he must've been exhausted! Made in 1944, a writer gets married and goes to visit his eccentric aunts, only to find they've been poisoning old men. Also has to deal with his crazy uncle who thinks he's a president and a visit from his homicidal brother. It just gets stranger as it goes! Started out as a stage play and tbh I didn't get this one at first? Turns out it was just me and when I watched again, I cried laughing.

I swear these old trailers make no sense, so here's another scene.

3 The Snake Pit A movie from 1948 that looks into mental illness, based off a book written by a woman who spent time in a psychiatric hospital, it shows the conditions that no doubt make everything worse, and that things could have and should have been different. It could be triggering and upsetting knowing how people were treated. It's very important though, and the actress Olivia De Havilland was nominated for best actress, beat out by Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda (tough competition that year).

This scene has always stuck with me. I can't even describe how it makes me feel. Possibly triggering, as are many other scenes. Best version of it I could find.

4 Rebecca Alfred Hitchcock's first American made film, done in 1940. Starring Lawrence Olivier as the mysterious and charming Mr De Winter (if you don't fall in love with him??!!) who meets and sweeps a plain young woman off her feet and offers her marriage within a short time. The woman is played by Olivia's half sister, Joan Fontaine, and has one of my most hated villains, the evil (ha!) Mrs Danvers, who does NOT like the new lady of the house.

You can actually find the whole thing on YT! Here's a snippet

5 The Kid Brother Had a hard time picking, but we can't forget about the silent movies! From 1927, starring Harold Lloyd, this is possibly my top silent film (I don't watch them often but I've seen a bunch). He's the outcast little brother in a manly man family. Everything he does is wrong, and then he meets Mary, a sweetheart who comes to town with a traveling medicine show. This movie is sweet, has comedy, romance, drama, and is considered one of Lloyds best! Give it a try!

I love this scene so much! ATM you can watch it all on YT!

Funny story, my cat sat and watched a few minutes with me one day! The music is lovely too :)

AHHH that was so hard and there's already some I could switch around and include. We'll just have to so another list sometime. I hope this makes some people classic movie fans :)

[flyingdeskset]

My Guide to Romantic Academia

I have to admit, I’m only new to this myself. I feel like a bit of a hypocrite, trying to teach about something I am myself only learning. But I suppose, I have always been an academic, and I am a bit of an expert in hopeless romanticism. After extensive research, here is what I have come up with (should I put this in two parts? I don’t think so. If you really want to be a romantic academic, you’ll read to the end):

Fashion:

Tops:

Turtlenecks! Any academic’s best friend, they are not only soft and cosy, they are also really cute!

Cowl necks. These are great for winter, and go with literally anything.

Blouses. Specifically with poofy sleeves.

Cardigans. Either the thin, fitted kind or the chunky-knit, over-sized kind; both are great.

Blazers. Don’t know if this should go into outerwear or not. Anyway, these are lovely and go great with fitted skirts and dresses (or jeans, or trousers, if you’re not a skirt-wearer)

Vintage jumpers. I especially love faded mens’ v-necks.

Bottoms:

Pleated skirts. These give off great Catholic school-girl vibes (it doesn’t matter if you’re not catholic. I go to an actual Irish all-girl Catholic school, and I’m not Catholic [nor do I wear pleated skirts, to my dismay])

Woolen skirts. So cosy, and so romantic.

Tweed trousers. I personally don’t own any of these because I don’t really wear trousers, but I intend to buy a pair.

Jeans. Nothing wrong with jeans once in a while! Try to style them with more academic-type tops and outerwear, though.

Outerwear:

Overcoats. Just soft, woolen winter coats. Impractical (since they don’t generally have hoods and I live in the rainiest country ever), but the things we sacrifice for the aesthetic, eh?

Trench coats. These are great for spring.

Hats: berets and caps.

Scarves: honestly, anything. Scarves in and of themselves are very romantic academia.

Gloves: I personally prefer leather, with cotton houndstooth detailing, but this is up to you!

Shoes: oxfords, loafers and pumps (specifically patent) are all great choices. I also love knee-high boots, especially for winter.

Nightwear:

Flannel suits. Stripy flannel. So soft. So cosy. Mine are pink.

Silk suits. Very classy and debonair, and they feel great.

Silk/cotton nightgowns. Another step up with the class! These are great for the summer.

Robes. Any robes, all robes. I recommend having at least three, in various colours, styles and fabrics (you think this is a joke. It’s not. I have four.)

Miscellaneous/Tips:

Dresses (I didn’t know what category to put them in). Vintage is great, but any style that isn’t overly modern is fine.

Fabrics: tweed, wool, cotton, the like. Also, lace. Lace is great.

Colour dos: Muted colours (greys and beiges). Cream is always a win. Jewel tones (emerald, ruby). You can’t go wrong with black, though I try not to go overboard with it.

Colour don'ts: Neon colours are a big no-no. Pastels are a hit-and-miss situation. For example, soft dusky pinks are great, but too much baby blue and you’re straying away from the tortured-academic look. Try and avoid bright scarlets and royal blues.

When wearing basically any top that isn’t a cardigan or a blazer: tuck it in! Whether tucked into a skirt or trousers, this gives off a put together, I-know-what-I’m-doing vibe that is essential (even if you don’t know what you’re doing). It’s also very flattering on a lot of body types.

Of course, fashion isn’t essential to the aesthetic. Adjust this to your tastes!

Media:

Writers/Poets:

Jane Austen

William Blake

Brontë sisters

Lord Byron

Donna Tartt. You know I had to put her in here.

Oscar Wilde (he’s not actually Romantic, but he is Oscar Wilde)(and he’s Irish!)

Maria Edgeworth

Victor Hugo

John Keats

Edgar Allan Poe

Mary Shelley

Henry David Thoreau

William Wordsworth

Feel free to add to this; it’s nowhere near complete.

Composers:

Tchaikovsky

Chopin

Schumann (Clara and Robert)

Liszt

Brahms

Offenbach

Dvořák

Again, not complete!

Movies (because we can’t be 19th century nobility all the time)

Jane Eyre

Dead Poets Society

Kill Your Darlings

Pride and Prejudice

Any other Jane Austen adaptation

Clueless (because of the Jane Austen affiliation!)

10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew!)(can you tell I’m making excuses to put 90’s chick flicks in here?)

Becoming Jane

Good Will Hunting

The Princess Bride

Maurice (Hugh Grant!)

Les Misérables

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (honestly, the classy, vintage feeling you’ll get from watching an Audrey Hepburn movie is irreplaceable)

Edgar Allen Poe’s Murder Mystery Dinner Party (not even a movie, it’s just really good)

To be honest, this isn’t even trying to be a complete list. These are just my favourite movies that I can squeeze into the genre.

Lifestyle (the most important bit!):

Carpe Diem. The number one tip for any academic. I feel it’s important to note, this is different for everyone. For some people, ‘seizing the day ’ is skydiving, or dropping everything and travelling the world. For others, it’s simply getting out of the house in the morning, and neither is any better than the other!

Create. This, again, is different for everyone. If you’re a writer, write! This could be a poem, a full blown novel, or just some Oliver/James fanfiction (did I mention I love If We Were Villains?)! If you’re an artist, do art! Whether it’s an oil portrait or a sketch of Richard Papen looking like the lovesick idiot he is, it’s all the same!

Be Mysterious. Honestly, I don’t even know how. I’m still getting the hang of this myself.

Read! Read everything! You don’t have to limit yourself to classics. Also, reading in public is great.

Be polite. Of course, this is a given for everyone. But, if you have the manners of a Victorian lady, it’ll give you definite Mysterious Points.

Drink tea. Or coffee. Or even hot chocolate. And it doesn’t have to be black tea and dark chocolate, because we’re not as bitter as the dark academics.

Take up an instrument. People seem to think this has to be the violin, but it doesn’t. I play the clarinet, and also the ukulele! Whatever is right for you!

Well, I hope this helped people. Remember you don’t have to follow this to the word! Feel free to adapt to your personality, add things, and ask questions!

[amoralto]

I read posts from Rob Sheffield's Dreaming of the Beatles, and love how he acknowledges the love between John/Paul. I’m going to read the book, but I've read reviews saying he often attacks Paul. I don't mind valid criticism, only dislike when there's a bias preference for John, as that quality has made many male authors smear a lot of Paul’s intentions and talent, and even direct misogyny at Paul. I like when authors appreciate both songwriters in equal ways. Would you recommend based on that?

Hmm. Granted, anon, it’s been a long while since I’ve read Dreaming the Beatles, but I’m surprised to hear there were reviews claiming such in the book - that it did not just include negative criticism against Paul, but was actually indelibly laced in sneering and pathological disdain for him, his work, and/or what he represents. To the contrary, I felt a very personable self-aware warmth from Sheffield in his writing towards all of the Beatles through the book, including Paul.

A important thing to note about Dreaming the Beatles: it is, at both its surface and its heart, a loose collection of emotionally-driven, personally-anecdotal essays about and around the Beatles. Essays, not articles, not investigations. I could point out some of the factual inaccuracies, but Sheffield never claims to be wholly accurate in the first place; Sheffield is never at any point under any guise of authority, certainly not as a historian, but not even as, say, a journalist working for an agenda-leaning publication with a narrative to proffer and sell. This may not be explicitly stated, but it is apparent, and it should be judged duly and even sympathetically as such.

That being said, the very value in Sheffield’s writing is not in its flawless historical accuracy but in its sympathy and sensitivity towards the Beatles and how their stories have related to him personally. It’s precisely because it’s not bound by any overarching conceits of that it’s allowed a kind of empathetic earthiness, a bigger picture; as every essay is in effect personal and individual to Sheffield’s own life and experiences, he talks about his opinions and views and impressions, but he also talks about how his opinions and views and impressions have come to change over the years, from age, from maturity, from learning more about this or that, because people can and do change, and grow.

He reflects, and reflects on his reflections, and that is key, and that willingness to admit that he may have gotten it wrong about various things in the past, and hey, may even be getting it wrong about various other things now, is refreshing, because so many journalists who’ve written about the Beatles and their superior takes on Who Is Coolest or Who Was Most Right tend to be so staid and inflexible and downright obnoxious in their own predispositions. Sheffield is foremost a fan, and it shows.

Does Sheffield focus more on John and Paul than he does George and Ringo, solely as subjects (and not necessarily his personal estimation of them)? Sure. Can he be glib and facetious at times and perhaps even flippant? Sure. And he has personal preferences, just as anybody as personal preferences. There were certainly points made which I didn’t agree with him on. But there was nothing, as far I can recall, that I felt was egregiously out of line, or felt could have been interpreted as anything other than fundamental wholesale denigration with zero rationale. I don’t feel like him expressing his intense dislike for ‘My Love’ in one chapter really constitutes as an attack on Paul’s very acumen as a musician, nor do I feel like it somehow contradicts or invalidates his credibility outright next to another chapter where he indignantly defends Paul against the popular preconceived notion of him as a egotistical control freak schoolmarm, and on.

Sheffield’s perspective, across the essays if not necessarily within each of them, generally errs on the scattered and sentimental. And that’s altogether more of a good thing than a bad.

TL;DR I would recommend the book, based on the various muddled things I’ve said above. As far as specifics I mostly kept to his supposed treatment of Paul because that’s the particular criticism you highlighted in your ask, but I hope I’ve adequately conveyed how he approaches all of the Beatles subjects overall. I also dearly hope I wasn’t too incoherent, as I’m really just answering this off the top of my head!

One of my favourite chapters was actually his defense of Paul, which I’ve posted quotes from (and other chapters besides) in the past and can be read here. I would also recommend looking at journalist Paul Levinson’s individual chapter reviews of Dreaming the Beatles here, where he expresses some of my own sentiments while also going into greater detail. Paul Levinson has been a great defender of Paul in particular, since 1971 no less (if not earlier).

[dealbrekker]

I felt like letting you know that Sunday was the first time I ever watched Little Shop of Horrors. I thought it was pretty good for most part. I feel like the movie and/or musical are a part of "stuff everyone should see sometime in their life" and I can understand that. I've only seen it now and I don't know if that makes me a sinful person or not. What I knew/expected before was that it is a musical about a giant plant that eats people. Turns out I was pretty correct. It apparently also has two different endings and that was my first time my father had seen the "sadder ending". Now I'm trying to sleep and a song about dentists is playing in my head.

Kpop anon

I've never actually seen the movie version. But my high school did a theater production of it, and I remember enjoying it. They also did a production of Arsenic and Old Lace (which I highly recommend the movie of. It stars Cary Grant, and is so silly and fun).

I'm very bad a watching movies people deem Must Watch movies. I just don't watch movies like I used to, to be honest. I blame that on all the streaming services, which I can't have where I live. So much for technology leaps, if the out in the country side people can't even get good enough internet to stream lol