#hbo-quality programming

[nevertoomanyfiles]

Happy GF Tour 2 Part 2 to All Who Celebrate

[winter-seance]

GIF Tutorial

This is going to be a long post, so I'm going to place the majority of it under the cut.

Disclaimer - There are many ways to make gifs, and this is just one way to make them - it's the process that I have figured out works best for me. I am in no way claiming that this is the "definitive" or "best" way to make gifs. There are probably other, better ways to do things, but because people have asked how I do it, I am sharing my process.

Introduction I use a Mac. I am assuming most of this will also be applicable to those of you using Windows as well. This tutorial is divided into three parts. Here is a video of the following process as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBRbWC-iMOM

Actions I use three Actions, that you can download here through my Google drive, if you want. A tutorial for how to install Actions in Photoshop can be found here.

Photoshop Layout I use Photoshop CC, but I used Photoshop CS5 for years, got used to it, so when I upgraded to CC, I arranged it to resemble what I was used to.

I have the following windows open:

And they are arranged like this:

PART ONE - CLIPPING Part 1 consists of using a screen recorder (i.e., Quicktime) to make short clips of scenes or parts of a scene that you want to make gifs of. I have a Mac, so Quicktime is what I use. For Windows users, I’m sure there are equivalent alternatives that are just as good. Years ago, when I was first starting to make gifs, I frequently heard people refer to KMPlayer as what they used, so that might still be a good option for you if you are a Windows user. The most important part is that it takes high-quality recordings, with as little detail and quality loss as possible.

With this screen recording method, you can make screen recordings of video files that are stored locally on your computer (I use VLC to play videos), or streaming on sites like YouTube, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, HBO, etc. No downloading of the video is necessary. For some of those websites, if you have trouble with getting it to work, you may have to disable your browser’s hardware acceleration. This process is described here (https://www.theverge.com/23715928/netflix-amazon-prime-screenshot-mac-windows-how-to).

I record the clips with sound, to make it easier to transcribe/write out the dialogue in Photoshop later. When I have recorded all the clips I want, I put the clips into my folder where I store all my clips, and into another folder that is labelled with the episode number so I can remember where each clip came from in order to properly label them later when the time comes to upload them to Tumblr.

Example: A folder containing clips from Good Omens 2x01

PART TWO: EXTRACTING/MAKING GIFS FROM THE CLIPS

Open video file in Photoshop To do this, click on File > Import > Video Frames to Layers

Use the markers to select roughly where you want the gif to begin and end.

With videos that have been clipped with Quicktime (not sure about other programs), the vast majority of the time there are twice as many frames as needed – every other frame is a duplicate. For a smaller gif size and smoother playback, I delete every other frame in the timeline box at the bottom of the screen. I used to do this manually (very time consuming), but now do it with the use of an action that I created that will automatically select every other frame. Downloads and installation instructions for all the actions I use are available above.

To use an action, click on the title of the action, then click the play button at the bottom of the window.

I often get an error message that says “The command ‘Extend Frame Selection’ is not currently available”, but it still works. Just click “stop” and every other frame will be selected.

Click the trash can icon in the timeline window to delete the selected frames.

At this point, you will have half as many frames in your timeline as you did before. You will also likely have extra frames at both the beginning and end of the timeline that you don’t want to be part of the gif – from the previous shot, for example. You can delete those now.

This next step is optional: There will still be some duplicate frames in the timeline that were not deleted earlier. It is not strictly necessary to delete these, and I see many gifmakers who don’t get rid of them. It’s usually not all that noticeable. However, because I’m a bit of a perfectionist, I always go through the timeline frame-by-frame and delete each duplicate. This ultimately will reduce the gif’s file size and make the movement in the gif appear much smoother. I usually find that every fourth or fifth frame is a duplicate. Unfortunately, it’s not always consistent, so using an automated action would not work to make this process go faster.

Cropping Once this part is complete, I select the crop tool. I usually make my gifs 540px wide by 350px high. You can change the height to whatever you want, but Tumblr’s max width is 540px. I find the aspect ratio of 540x350px usually allows gifs to feel large, while at the same time not cutting off too much of the sides. Depending on the type of gif I’m making I may adjust this, but generally, if I’m giffing a scene from a TV show or movie, I stick with my standard 540x350px dimensions.

Adding Text Next, I add text. Select the text icon. In the layers window, make sure the top layer is selected, otherwise the text will not show up when you start typing.

The top layer is selected

These are the font settings I currently use:

If I am just making one gifset, or one or two gifs, I’ll go straight on to the next steps. However, if I’m making a large amount of gifs, I save the gif right now, close out of it, and repeat the steps in this section for the next gifs, so I eventually have an entire folder of “raw” unedited photoshop files that have been cropped and captioned, and just need to be colored, have text effects added, and be sharpened. For me personally, I find I make gifs more efficiently by doing it in this “batch” style process.

All cropped and unedited gifs (psd files)

PART 3: COLORING, EFFECTS, & SHARPENING

Coloring I do plan on making a separate tutorial on this at some point, but will include a brief summary here. When it comes to coloring, I generally tend to go by a “less is more” attitude. I am not by any means great at coloring, but nonetheless I’ll explain the types of adjustment layers I typically use.

Note: Before making any adjustments, make sure you have the layer directly underneath the text layer selected, as shown in the screencap below, otherwise it will also apply those adjustments to the text, which makes it look weird.

I start with a Curves layer to change the overall brightness/contrast, then a Levels layer to adjust the shadows and highlights, and then a Brightness/Contrast layer to do some final minor tweaks. The only time I ever reuse gif coloring is when they are from the same scene with the same colors, lighting, backgrounds, etc. Every other time, I tailor the adjustment layers to the specific gif.

You can add adjustment layers by clicking the half light/dark circle on the bottom of the Layers window.

How the gif looks with both a Curves layer and Levels layer

Before adding the adjustment layers

After adding the adjustment layers

A lot of the time, I'll just stick to adjusting the lighting. However, if the colors look gross, or if they are over/undersaturated, I’ll add a Color Balance layer and play around with the settings on that, or use a Hue/Saturation layer and increase/decrease the saturation of specific color channels. It really depends on what you’re going for, and what you think looks good. There is no one “right” way to color a gif.

Text Effects If you are using the Actions I included in the download, you can just run the "Text Effects" action with the text layer selected, and it will do the following automatically. If not, you can do it manually by doing the following.

Right click on the text layer in the Layers window and click on Blending Options.

I use a stroke and drop-shadow on my gifs. Here are the settings I use.

Drop Shadow settings

Stroke settings

Next, to center the text, click on the text layer. With the text layer selected on the Layers window, Select All by clicking ctrl+a (Windows) or command+a (Mac). Then click on the "Align horizontal centers" icon in the “Move tool” option menu.

Important – in the Layers menu, make sure the buttons “Unify layer position” and “unify layer effects” are clicked an enabled for the text layer.

Sharpening Select all the frames in the Timeline window. Then in the lower left-hand corner click “convert to video timeline.”

In the Layers window, select all of the frame layers (do not include the text layer or adjustment/coloring layers in the selection) and right click on it. Select “Convert to smart object.”

Select Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen. In the same way that coloring can differ depending on the gif, the ideal settings for sharpening can also differ from gif-to-gif. It can really depend on the quality of the source of the gif, like whether it’s HD or not. These are the settings I’m using for the current gif:

If you are using Actions, you can run the "Layers to Frames" Action. If not, do the following:

Click on the button circled in red

It will open up this menu. Click on "Flatten frames into clips"

Click the button circled in red, then click "Make frames from layers"

Delete the first couple of "junk" frames

Select all of the frames. Right click on the "0 sec." to change the frame rate. I usually use 0.05, but it might depend on the gif itself.

Exporting Click on File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy)

I cannot add another screencap because I've reached Tumblr's max for this post, but here are the settings I use: Selective Diffusion 256 Colors Dither 100%

You may find that when you try to export your gif, the file size is too big. Tumblr’s gif file size limit is 10mb – try to make it under that – even anywhere in the 9.9mb range. As long as it’s under 10mb, it should work.

To get gifs that are too large to fit under the limit, I usually end up deleting frames from the beginning or end of the gif. If you’re using the 540x350px dimensions, I typically find that the average number of frames I can fit into one gif is between 80-90. Depending on the colors in the gif, it’s sometimes more, sometimes less.

[survivingandenduring]

At the start of 2023 I was a quiet Pedro admirer; although Narcos was my gateway Pedro I was just admiring from a distance; following films and interviews but definitely not engaging. Too scary. 😟

The Mandalorian came along and I peeked into fandom but didn’t engage 🫣

HBO’s TLOU changed all that.

I put my big girl panties on and dipped my toe in the water. I wanted to join in with the fun 🤩 Not having a creative writing bone in my body I started making some video edits on the clock app; Some really, really poor quality and quite shitty edits. 😂 But I was having a lot fun making them and it was purely for my own enjoyment. 💗

💜🖤💜🖤💜

Got my Mandalorian/TLOU tattoo it says endure & survive in Mandalorian script cos I was Six when Star Wars came out and it’s been my comfort for nearly my whole life; and then the TLOU hit me with all of its feelings!!! And Endure & Survive has pretty much been a mantra for my life at times. So..

The Met Gala was life altering.

Gradually I’ve taught myself how to make edits that are a bit better; and some people even seem to like them!! And I started to get followers on the clock app! Crazy!! Still think it’s crazy that anyone takes time to watch or comment on them. I’ve not been confident enough to post much of them on here amongst so much cool stuff but I’ll try to push myself to do that more in 2024

💜🖤💜🖤💜

As the odd; ND, but I’m gen x so just weird, person I’ve always felt I’ve been the one on the outside or the edge looking in; I still mainly feel like that; but Pedro fandom has let me feel like I’m a tiny part of something; which is such a gift. I wish Pedro could understand that his work gives so much more to people. I’ve made some wonderful friends because of it and I hope to make more in the next year.

Fandom has truly allowed me to feel ok being myself 💗 and that’s so fucking cool.

💜🖤💜🖤💜

After reading fics on a03 I switched over to here; and then made an account.

Wow!!! What a difference. I love the interaction with the writers; the fact that you all take the time to respond to comments and thoughts is amazing to me and truly valued 💗🥰

The silliness on tumblr is like beautiful fresh air to breathe.’; whether it’s Marcus P and DONUTS; or the Catfish PhD program 😁 these bring me such joy. 🥰

I’ve read soooooo many amazing fics there are too many to mention. But if I’ve commented, liked or reblogged your fic it’s because I really truly enjoyed it 💜💗💜

And it’s like some sort of miracle that you guys give us this..for FREE…just to share and enjoy. What a gift; when my head feels out of control I can come here and quieten it down with your words.

💜 THANKYOU 💜

and if anyone took the time to read this brain spew then double thanks ❤️💜

If you do fancy looking at some shitty edits then I’m @enduringandsurviving on the clock app

Here’s to 2024 and all that Pedro. There’s a chance I may self combust at some point.

I thought G2 was going to do it but I’ve a sneaky suspicion that I won’t make it past Freaky Tales 🤣🤣🤣

[hellomynameisbisexual]

“I’m not even sure bisexuality exists. I think it’s just a layover on the way to Gaytown,” Carrie Bradshaw famously said in the offensive, misinformed 1998 episode of Sex and the City in which she dates a bisexual man. These words are still painfully seared into my brain. How could a sex columnist, a character written predominantly by gay men, have such a limited view of queer identity? Nearly ten years later, a 2016 episode of HBO dramedy Insecure sees Molly (Yvonne Orji) finding out that the man she’s seeing, Jared, nonchalantly had a sexual encounter with another man. After exposing her biphobia to her friends, another character declares Jared to be gay. Ultimately, Molly and Carrie both decide, despite the chemistry and their attraction, that they could not get past their own compulsory monosexuality to continue dating a bisexual man. Why does television, a medium primed for long-form character development and storytelling, continuously fail at representing bisexual men?

Twenty-five years after that infamous Sex and the City scene, bisexuality (for the purposes of this piece, I am using bisexuality as a term that encompasses all people with the capacity to be attracted to more than one gender, including those who identify as bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and more) on television has made significant strides—from young-adult programming like Euphoria, Riverdale, and Gossip Girl, to adult dramas like Game of Thrones, The Magicians, and obviously, The Bisexual. Bisexuality is no longer relegated to a very-special episode, and is slowly leaving the realm of bad, misinformed jokes. According to GLAAD’s 2021-2022 Where We Are on TV report, queer representation on television is at an all-time high. After two consecutive years of decreases, bisexual representation increased by one percent over last year: nine non-binary characters, 124 women, and sadly, only 50 men. Fifty may seem like a solid number at the outset, but consider the quality of these representations. Aside from a few stand-out examples, like Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) on Netflix’s much-loved Heartstopper, many are relegated to supporting and recurring characters, at best, and stuck in tropes, at worst.

Maria San Filippo is an associate professor at Emerson College whose research focuses on screen media’s intersections with gender and sexuality. In 2013, she published The B Word: Bisexuality in Contemporary Film and Television, a pathbreaking monograph on the state of bisexual representation in both mediums. “Bisexuality was only beginning to be central and recurring, rather than peripheral and episodically one-off or short-lived,” she said over email. “Bisexuality’s representational legibility has been expanded; it’s less easily deniable as ‘just a phase’ when bisexuality becomes an ongoing character trait.”

Broadly speaking, on-screen storytelling has struggled to construct bisexuality in ways that reach beyond the word landing at the butt of jokes or framed through the lens of disgust and abjection. Nowhere does it fail bisexuals more than television, a site of endless discursive possibilities. Television’s long-form narrative offers unique opportunities to watch sexuality unfold over time, but rather than exploring and showcasing every permutation of bisexuality, bi men on television are far and few between.

“Bi+ male representation has always been the biggest challenge,” San Filippo said. “Bisexuality threatens heteropatriarchy and phallic authority, and so must be hidden or, if acknowledged, desexualized and disparaged through mockery or else hypersexualized as in porn (and even then bisexuality is rebranded as ‘gay for pay’).” She said it’s not unlike the uncommon sight of male frontal nudity on screen, which she explores in her 2021 book, Provocauteurs and Provocations. “Dan Levy’s character David on Schitt’s Creek is one high-profile example of recurring, more nuanced male bi+ representation,” she said. “We need more.”

The phallic authority, as San Filippo calls it, is not as threatened when it comes to the representation of bisexual women characters, who were more than double as numerous in the 2021-2022 television season. Nate Shu, a bisexual comedian based in Boston who spoke with me over Zoom, suggests that feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey’s work on patriarchal ideologies in film still applies here. Mulvey’s seminal 1975 essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” uses a psychoanalytic lens to look at the way women have been depicted in film primarily for the pleasure of the male viewer. She coined this theory the male gaze.

“Lesbian and bisexual characters are more attainable when they’re female because there’s something for male viewers to hold on to,” he said. “A bisexual woman is still an attainable woman to a straight man, whereas a bisexual man is both a threat and an anomaly.”

These conventions are sewn into the fabric of on-screen storytelling, a part of the canon of cinema that queer storytellers are working hard to reform. But despite this hard work, bisexual stories are still too-often made palatable to viewers through a handful of storytelling tropes: the coming out story, reasserting the status quo of a relationship or identity, or hinting at a character’s dishonesty or shiftiness (it pains me to bring it up, but Frank Underwood on House of Cards is a great example here).

The CW’s 2015 musical-dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend showcased one of the more fleshed-out bisexual men on television, Darryl Whitefeather, played by Peter Gardner. His unapologetic musical sequence on how he’s “Gettin’ Bi” was an audacious and refreshing moment for a middle-aged character embracing his sexuality—despite his entire storyline being framed around coming out. We tend to see these coming out narratives again and again, to the point where it begins to feel like viewer manipulation. The coming out scene will only lead to the catharsis of Heartbreaker-level tears if it feels earned through a character’s arc of self-suppression and pain. However, the gay blueprint has already been established, and thus the coming out story is relatable and palatable, rather than depicting a character already living their truth.

Shu, who identifies as bisexual and biracial for the sake of alliteration in his comedy (as opposed to pansexual, a term to which he more closely relates), asked me poignant questions: “What is queer representation? Having a character make an off-hand comment and it’s never acknowledged—that is a queer character, but it’s not a queer story.” His ideal bisexual representation allows characters to be authentic people living outside of constructed narratives that are more viewer-friendly like the coming out story. He could only name one example of an Asian bisexual character on television that he felt somewhat seen through—Magnus Bane, played by Harry Shum Jr. on the Freeform supernatural drama Shadowhunters. “It’s tough to get out of the boxes of what culture, film, and TV have defined for decades,” Shu said.

Marvel has been a site of critique around its inability to flesh out queer characters in an authentic way, awkwardly suggesting that all superheroes are heterosexual. The 2021 Disney+ series Loki made headlines for a 20-second scene where the titular character confirms his bisexuality after admitting he has been with princesses and princes in his past. This kind of casual bisexuality has become more commonplace in the streaming era, to the point of forgettability: Bill Pargrave on Killing Eve, playing Eve’s MI5 boss until he was eventually stabbed by murderess Villanelle, also identified as bisexual in a passing conversation. Other examples include Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace) on Halt and Catch Fire and the titular character (Tom Ellis) on Lucifer. Does the off-hand knowledge of a character’s sexual fluidity, without an in-depth exploration of his sexuality, qualify as queer representation? Perhaps a better question would be, does it make bisexual viewers feel seen and understood, and add to monosexual viewers’ understanding and empathy of bisexuality?

At the end of October 2022, Kit Connor came out as bisexual in a bitter tweet after months of being hounded and online bullied by Netflix Heartstopper fans, some of whom accused Connor of queerbaiting for playing a bisexual character. The fall-out made me wonder why any actor, let alone a bisexual actor who may still be processing or figuring out his sexuality, would want to play a bisexual character in the social media age. “I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye,” his tweet read.

Not to center myself in the discourse, but I can’t help but wonder how a more thorough cultural understanding of bisexuality would impact my own dating life as a gay man, what the dating pool might look like if there was a more rigorous acceptance and visibility of bisexuality and fewer “discreet” men refusing to send you photos of their faces on dating apps with fear of being outed in their real life. The latest 2021 Census data coming out of the United Kingdom suggests there are currently nearly as many bisexual-identifying individuals as gay and lesbian survey respondents combined. These numbers feel hopeful, to me. Previous generations grew up dissatisfied by the range of representation on television, leading to iconic shows like Pose that shifted the course of television at the intersections of queerness and race. I can only imagine what the landscape will look like in 10, 20 years as the bisexual-identifying Gen Zs—the queerest generation yet—make their way into creative fields. We’ll have to watch and find out.

[random-red-ramblings]

The Death of HBO (It wasn't reborn as "max")

HBO changed the face of television. The Sopranos made TV desirable for actors and creatives alike. It made TV classy and complex, not something film actors stepped down to.

HBO became a symbol of high-quality television, not just because of the high budgets, but the scripts too. The Sopranos and The Wire still rate as some of the best TV shows of all time, over 15 years after they concluded.

Their raising of the TV bar continued with Game of Thrones. Regardless of how it ended, Season 1 set the stage for a show that had all the production of a movie and would be finaced and run long-term. Location shoots around the world, hundreds of period costumes. HBO remained a game-changer, and a sign of high production and quality. Willing to put money into things other studios wouldn't or couldn't.

Following all of this (and I'm not even touching on their wealth of other shows and comdey), the rebrand to "max" made absolutely no sense. Rather than remind people of their well-earned TV royalty status and what the name 'HBO' had signified, they instead changed branding. Reinvented themselves. Into what? Apparently, a reality TV station.

For a company that made its mark with high class, original programming to ditch that outlook is frankly absurd. Who would pay out for a subscription to watch reality shows? Original programming is what makes a subscription service original, and when competing against the myriad of other options, it's required to stand out.

Our Flag Means Death did this. Made me, a UK resident, buy a VPN and a max subscription because I couldn't get this utterly unique, fantasitc show anywhere else.

So no, the rebrand wasn't a revival. All max has done is carved the date on the tombstone of HBO:

1972-2023

[nohasslecastle]

Halo Bearers, go to @HBOMAX FEEDBACK page, request #WarriorNun to be add on the plataform programming and share this tutorial to other fans on social medias like Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Be louder, be a fighter!

HBO MAX FEEDBACK PAGE

If you don't know what to write, here's is an idea:

Good day!

A TV series called Warrior Nun just got canceled by Netflix despite having great reviews, a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, with zero dollars spent on promotion by Netflix.

This series is a hidden gem that deserves more seasons. Its quality overall is top-notch, that's why it is a great reason to add it to your roster of TV shows. As fans, we are trying our best to help continue the storyline of the well-written and inspiring characters.

We believe your company could help us with that. If you want to know more about Warrior Nun, you may contact Simon Barry, the creator, and showrunner of the TV series, or you may respond to this email.

At the moment, Warrior Nun has a petition rapidly growing to 72,200+ signatures to renew the show for Season 3, and the current hashtag #SaveWarriorNun has 1.4 million tweets.

I hope you can help us save this fascinating show. Thank you for your time, and I hope you can consider it.

#SaveWarriorNun

[cyberphuck]

Collars Dot Com Ch1: Fuck You, Drunk Brian

In my defense: I was drunk.

It was Friday night, and I'd just turned in a big project and was celebrating by drinking alone, which I told myself was comfortable but felt pathetic.

I'd been half-watching something on HBO-- something with tits-- and scrolling through Instagram, and come across yet another one of Steve's daily Insta stories full of nothing but Bitte posing in different outfits, ass-up, pouting, hands bound behind his back in complex and intricate knots.

And I thought: don't I deserve nice things? I definitely deserve nice things.

Most of what I knew about Pets I'd learned from internet pop-ups and rumors I'd heard as a teenager that'd fueled my under-the-blanket jerk sessions for a long time.They were expensive. You fucked them (and bought them little outfits and made them pose for Instagram photos). What more was there to know?

I could have just swiped through Steve's Insta story and saved a couple of pics for use during me-time, like I usually did. I could have looked at the 'Pets' category on Pornhub. Maybe I should have, but I didn't. I deserve nice things.

Instagram's algorithm had helpfully provided a banner ad for Collars.com, which I vaguely knew as one of the biggest online sellers of Pets, or at least the one with the biggest advertising budget. I'd expected to be immediately confronted by someone's asshole, but clicking on the link brought me to a very businesslike website, pretty much like any other sales portal I'd ever ordered socks off of, though in this case all of the product thumbnails were photos of attractive young men. I clicked one at random.

His name was Poppy, and his photo showed him crouched on a studio floor, looking up at the camera with a heavy-lidded, mischievous expression. Olive-toned, brown-eyed, an absolute fuckton of thick black hair. The site listed him as ‘live-trained.’ Video thumbnails beneath his profile picture were labeled 'throat demo,' 'fours demo,' 'back demo,' and 'stim demo.'

The fact that I didn't know what the fuck any of that meant did not deter me, because it was 11:58 pm, I'd had most of a bottle of tequila, and I deserved nice things, dammit. So it might take a minute to find something I liked, I didn't care. I pulled down a menu at the top of the page and clicked 'browse by category.'

Live-trained. Toy-trained. Zero-touch. Raw. I was pretty sure I knew what 'raw' meant, though not why 'zero-touch' and 'raw' weren't the same thing. I didn't want that anyway. I chose 'toy-trained' and was brought to another page of thumbnails.

A boy looked out at me, tousled blond curls and long lashes, honey-colored eyes and freckles on his cheeks and shoulders. His photo had him with his back to the camera, looking over his shoulder like the girl in the Vermeer painting. His expression was the same as the painting, too: wide-eyed, inquisitive.

But his mouth... It was the mouth that I liked.

I clicked 'purchase' and didn't let myself look at the price. I clicked 'yes' on a number of different things that popped up without bothering to read them, hurrying to get to the final page, which said 'confirm payment.'

I fucking deserve nice things.

-

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS AUTOMATED MESSAGE.

Dear Brian,

This message is to confirm your purchase on Collars.com of the following items:

Spoiled Kitten Accessory Package (pink) Spoiled Kitten Toy Bundle (pink) Spoiled Kitten Play Basket Luxury Pet Lover Package, Rose Gold Edition Pet Adoption Starter Pack Pet Adoption Pro Kit 5-Year Pet Protection Program Empire-Class Escort and Shipping (Rush Overnight) New Pet Purchase (Toy-Trained, Premium Quality Young Adult Male)

Thanks for your purchase!

-- Collars.com Staff

Please see our website for information on our no-touch return policy.

-

What did I do?

What did I do?

God fucking dammit Drunk Brian you horny asshole I can't believe you bought a fucking Pet off the internet you live in a one-room apartment you're not a porn addict or a fucking Instagram influencer what are you even going to fucking do with it--

I rolled out of bed, put my bare feet on the floor, then groaned as the headache hit. I needed coffee, or water, or carbs or something, but the kitchen was a hundred thousand miles away and I didn't think I had the strength to crawl there.

I staggered to the bathroom instead, flipped on the lights, yelled, flipped them off, and turned on the faucet to slurp water from it. I groped a hand across the counter, trying to figure out which random shape was Tylenol. I heard the maraca sound of a pill bottle as it tipped over, grabbed it, and spent so long struggling with the child-proof cap that I was nearly sobbing by the time I got it open. I poured five tablets into my hand, threw them into my mouth, sucked them down with more water from the sink.

I hate you Drunk Brian I hate you why do you keep doing this

I made it to the kitchen, shielding my eyes from the nuclear flash of the living room window with one hand. I was going to have to make coffee by feel. As I loaded a pod into the one-cup maker I realized I was still holding the bottle of pills and squinted down at it to discover I had just taken five ibuprofen on an empty stomach.

I needed to eat something before-- don't think about it, don't think about it, turn on the coffee maker and there's probably something in the fridge you can reheat I hate you Drunk Brian I fucking hate you.

I was pouring milk into my coffee mug, hunched over and mumbling like a troll, when my phone lit up at the other end of the counter. I didn't really want to look at it, for fear of finding out that I had also texted three of my exes and brought an elephant, but I reached for it anyway.

Hi, Brian!

Your order has been shipped and will arrive between 4pm and 6pm today. Please be sure to have someone present to provide a signature.

-- Collars.com.

I looked at the clock on my microwave. It was 2pm. ko-fi - donate - AO3

[demifiendrsa]

Aqua Teen Hunger Force will receive a season 12 at Adult Swim. The 12th season will consist of 5 episodes from original creators Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro.

We are thrilled to be making more ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force’ episodes for a new generation of fans, building upon the most impressive collection of IP ever assembled. Success is optimal and leads to quality,” said Maiellaro and Willis simultaneously, almost as if they were programmed by ChatGPT.

Furthermore,  Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm will stream on HBO Max on February 8, 2023 and on Adult Swim on March 12, 2023 at midnight ET/PT.

“Congratulations!” they added. “You waited just long enough for ‘Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm’ to be free on the service your parents pay for. I can’t wait for you to discover the project everyone has been talking about, and by everyone, I mean our personal twitter accounts. There is too much stuff to watch already. Breathe, and focus exclusively on Aqua Teen. Delete everything else.”

[the-technicolor-whiscash]

Oh yeah I got a dvd set for the very excellent HBO series From The Earth To The Moon which covers the Apollo program and is another Tom Hanks passion project and you can find it in better quality on hbo max but I will be ripping it for those of y'all who do not have hbo max and are willing to watch it in fullscreen rather than widescreen I'll post a link to the folder once I get it goin

[gimletagain]

But at the same time, playing along with Netflix’s marketing department gets you way more than an Indianapolis event and an awards program that few people have heard of.

Maybe Netflix thinks the reality show (and working with the Harkles in general) is crap? They might've encouraged her "holier than thou" marketing tactics as a way to distance the company from the upcoming disaster. A way to bury it, yet fulfill their end of the contract so the litigious duo don't sue.

A definite possibility, that they just release it with 0 fanfare and 0 promotion. Let it sink in silence.

However, I think the posturing from her indicates that she WANTS it out for some reason, probably bc it means she gets paid a bit more or to threaten the RF or whatever. Whereas Netflix is quite willing to just muffle it.

Btw, there have been bigger deals that studios have walked away from bc it’s not worth the risk of reputation damage in putting out crap. Batgirl was supposed to come out this year. $90m spent on all the typical marvel things, with special effects, stunts, sets, and acting. And it was completely buried.

from Wiki:

“Rolling Stone, and Reuters wrote that test screening responses were negative, which could have been a factor in WBD's decision;[53][54][55] Collider's sources described the film as "a huge disappointment [that] looked cheap in comparison to other films".[53] Rolling Stone said that WBD determined that spending an additional $7–9 million during post-production in an effort to bring Batgirl to the level of other theatrical DC films, such as Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), would be fruitless.[54] However, Variety denied that the film's quality factored into the decision,[50] reaffirming, along with The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline Hollywood, that it was part of the studio's larger cost-cutting measures, given the budget increased from an initial $70 million to $90 million, and the desire for DC films to be theatrical blockbusters.[50][42][51] Deadlinenoted that test screenings showed temporary versions of the visual effects, "which tend to temper audience enthusiasm".[56]

A subsequent Variety report indicated that WBD had concluded that writing off Batgirl for a tax break would be the most "financially sound" way of recouping its costs instead of moving the film to a theatrical release with additional investment, selling it to another distributor, or releasing it on HBO Max.[57]”

—

sound familiar? Earlier this summer we also had multiple leaks about how badly their doc screened.

People make a big deal about Netflix “walking away” from the deal but Netflix basically tossed spare change at them. They have an overall deal, which means paying for costs up front with a blank check, up to “$$$ million” or whatever crazy number they cited. But they would only hit that number if they were Shonda, shooting bridgerton with actors and costumes and a team of writers. Yes, Netflix wrote off a year or two of them cosplaying royals in NY, the Netherlands, Uvalde (UGH), the salaries of the crew, her Botox injector, and wherever else … including jets, clothes, her makeup, probably even paying them salaries for existing … but in total what could that possibly be? $5m over 2 years? $10m max? That’s literally change they can write off in taxes to a company like that. And nothing compared to a real production budget that requires actors and commercial directors and costumes and FX.

[burningexeter]

[PITCH]

The Night Chronicles

What is it —

A 2D animated horror anthology series that is not only connected by an Observer character who appears at the beginning and end of every episode but is also in the same veins as HBO's Tales From The Crypt and the Hub's R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series where whether or not you actually think or find it scary, you still appreciate and give credit to it being actual horror cause it does indeed try to be full-on horror.

PREMISE:

Bringing high quality 2D animation to the genre of horror, The Night Chronicles tells a rather wide variety of dark, intense, twisted, macabre morality tales or just tales in general of absolute horror with a wide focus on kids, teenagers or adults depending on the episode or storyline. Unlike most horror anthologies though, every episode of each season will be a solid 2 hour long because they're treated more as mini-movies with their theatrics and scales.

EPISODE IDEAS:

Sophie, The Girl Who Cheats Death — The life of a shy, quiet, socially awkward and timid gorgeous blonde teen girl, Sophie Wilcox, is turned upside down when after getting caught trying to steal a prized fantasy uniform from her favorite series in an attempt to impress her peers, the shop owner who's revealed to be a mad witch places a curse on her as a sick punishment.... she's given Sophie the nine lives of a cat through a gland in its brain that causes it but to the expense of a kitten's life. However, things take even more of an unexpected turn of events when they both realize they could use this to their advantage and now Sophie is the star attraction of a carnival sideshow and has become a sensation. In doing so, it unfortunately leads Sophie down a neverending dark path as the fame changes her into leaving her friends behind, leaving her family behind and willing to do anything to stay on top. All of this culminates on the night of her final performance, having heartlessly disowned her former friend and her mother, when Sophie realizes all too late as she's buried alive deep underground.... that she may have miscounted how many lives she has.

Texas Body Count — Set in El Paso, Texas, a mysterious vigilante of imposing height arrives in the middle of the night and begins cleaning up the crime ridden streets in his own vicious and brutal ways as a gang war is threatening to break out. But throughout all of this, we see him get mortally wounded and even fucked up horribly and fatally yet there's not one single scratch or wound on him and if there is any, they instantaneously heal right up. He falls from high buildings in pursuit and just gets right back with no bloody mess and broken bones. It's then that this man's past is revealed to us, he was once a dangerous criminal wanted by the FBI that was killed in a robbery gone wrong but instead of letting him stay dead, the U.S. Government confiscated his body and used it for an undead and indestructible super soldier program, resurrecting him as one of them. However, what they didn't count on was that he would be the only one who as it turned slowly regained his memories and eventually escaped all on his own from the facility. Now in order to redeem himself in his own eyes from all of the bad he's done in his life, he's taken to cleaning up the streets riddled with crime and take revenge on the people who turned him into a monster.

Flesh & Bone — A twelve year old bullied boy, Jacob Avery, is regularly picked on by his classmates and older siblings and due to being blamed for the constant trouble the latters cause, he's one slip-up away from being sent to military school by his strict, military-wannabe father. The only person who seems to genuinely care about his well-being and is the only one he considers to be a true friend or the closest to any is his teacher, Ms. Parkerton, whose become aware of the severe bullying he's facing. It's then that Jacob starts hearing strange but otherworldly voices and howls coming from the woods that are calling to him and it turns out he's not the only one — Parkerton's begun hearing them too. Investigating all on her own, she ultimately discovers the terrifying source of it as it's of an old rotting flesh-craving wendigo that needs to rejuvenate and uses its call to lure its victims. However, Jacob soon realizes all of this is to his advantage when he discovers the horrible truth that his bullies had driven another student (a girl) to attempt suicide, his bullying older brother had raped and beat his cheerleader girlfriend and his father has been emotionally, verbally and physically abusing his mother and other siblings.... and the creature in the deep, dark woods will eat anything you put in front of it.

Notes/Trivias/Details:

• The most important one of all is aforementioned previously, an Observer character who serves as the "host" of the series will appear in every episode's beginnings and ends. He's called "The Hidden", an assumed young man who wears a blank, white burlap sack as a mask that's almost wrapped around his face instead of an ordinary mask with no eyeholes and he collects objects from strange and disturbing tales that he puts in his homeless guy-type of backpack so that no one ever forgets them. No one knows who he is or where he came from or why he does what he does or where he'll go next but all that's known is if you see him or worse, hear his whistle than you know something dark and scary is gonna happen. However with that said, he obviously doesn't mean no harm and is just a curious observer.

• Most episodes or rather almost every episode of the series have bad endings but there will definitely be a few genuinely good or bittersweet endings sprinkled throughout to balance it out to where the bad endings are more effective and the good endings feel more special and earned. With the bad endings, there's always a genuine moment of victory where the character or characters let's say break the age-old curse or defeats the demonic harlequin or escape the clutches of the Sandman whose held them captive in their sleep etc.... but then in classic horror anthology style, there's an extra thing or a twist that immediately happens that goes "Nope!". So there's an "Ah, relief!" for the viewer and character/characters then suddenly bam, nope, nuh-uh. But the good endings are the ones that do feel the most well earned where they go through hell and back but they actually grow and develop into better people who realize the errors of their ways.

• As you can see if you at least know, the three episodes in one way or another are influenced by some other media. "Sophie, The Girl Who Cheats Death" is influenced by the classic Tales From The Crypt episode "Dig That Cat... He's Real Gone" but does its own magical and tragic take on it to where it makes it its own to where you can view them both separately. "Texas Body Count" is directly based off a cancelled Tales From The Crypt movie called Redneck Frank aka Body Count written by Adam Rifkin and one of my favorite filmmakers Walter Hill and I felt like it was a strong enough story to tell in the medium of animation.... HORROR animation. As for "Flesh & Bone", it's a subversive take on a lot of the aspects of R.L. Stine stories, Stephen King stories and children's horror anthologies where the bad people are legit awful people such as useless idiot adults, psychopathic bullies and abusive parents and most of the time, they don't get called out on it or get what they deserve. Here, it's the exact opposite where they're all called out on what heinous people they are and get their horrifiyingly sick and gruesome comeuppances for being shitstains.

• Now for the animation style, that's easy. It'll be heavily inspired and modeled after the artwork of comic book artist Tony Moore especially with his Walking Dead issues and since it's animation, it will be more fluid and more expressive without going overboard.

• Last but not least, the show will have three seasons with about 8 or 10 episodes each and without ever pointing it out, it's shown that every episode of The Night Chronicles are set in the same universe as each other obviously with not just the Hidden appearing and connecting at the beginnings and ends but also there's call-backs, casual references and easter eggs such as let's say a fictional Big Kahuna Burger fast food restaurant is mentioned in one episode than the bag with the logo on it appears in another.

But there's a surprise reveal in the series finale:

After the Hidden walks away into a crowd as usual, the scene transitions into a warm home on Christmas Eve and we're introduced to a gorgeous blonde but quiet young woman whose name is revealed later on to be Andrea and is comforted by her mother and two younger sisters, Amy (23) and Sophia (8). Earlier this year, Andrea's fiancee Charlie was killed in combat serving overseas and a recovering from depression Andrea has recently been doing nothing but stare at a snowglobe that Charlie gave to her as a going-away present day in and day out. After a loving conversation with her youngest sister Sophia, a still silent Andrea decides to go over and celebrate Christmas with her family.

All the while two things are shown to us....

1). It's revealed that Andrea, Amy and Sophia are the Andrea, Amy and Sophia of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic series done in Tony Moore's style with Andrea having her hair all the way down as seen in the final second image below in the background.

& 2). Once Andrea and Sophia walk away from the toasty kitchen table, the camera slowly moves in on the snowglobe and as a direct throwback to the final moment of a little show.... called St. Elsewhere, the setting of the series finale to The Night Chronicles is in the goddamn snowglobe.... thus revealing that not only are every episode in the same universe but that the whole entire series is all in the mind of Andrea. It's been a figment this whole time.

Go figure.

There she is all the way on the right.

[popculturebuffet]

Monthly Mupppets Madness: Seasame Street Presents: Follow That Bird Review!: A Film that Will DestroY you In A Good Way ( Brought To You By Emma Fici)

For Carroll

Hello all you happy muppets nad welcome back to Monthly Muppet Madness. Today's review is brought to you by the letters W and B as I finally got told how to get to Seasame Street! Yes after touching on them in Muppet Family Christmas it's time to give Kermit's other family a proper look with their feature debut FOLLOW. THAT. BIRD. This one.. has been delayed a bit, but we're finally here.

It also.. puts me out of my element as i'm way more familiar with the muppets as a troupe than I am with their public education forebearers, having only watched some as a kid too young to remember any of it (I scarely remember having a tickle me elmo), and as an adult watching his nicce and nephew, where it was very diffrent. I know the muppet side fine, but knew none of the adult performers as they were all gone by the time I was growing up and certainly by the time my niece and nephew came in.

For a brief history Seasame Street was created by producer Joan Ganz Cooney and LLoyd Morrisett , VP of the Carnigie Foundation, both things i only learned when looking this up on wikipedia but both vital. With crticism of tv at a high, the two decided to weaponize it's addictive qualities for good, to create educational programming to help kids in poorer areas who may not have access to as quality education, as well as promote diversity. The result was Seasame Street. Jim Henson was asked aboard as his muppets were incredibly popular and Cooney knew what she had. Jim didn't want to do it at first as he was worried it'd make it seem like the muppets were just "for children", a fear that sadly came true as it made getting the muppet show out there harder.. but he relented. It was a good cause and they inteded to make the show alla ges: mainly to edcuate small chidlren but entertaning enough their parents and older siblings wouldn't change the channel.

It goes without saying Henson was key to the shows success, with many of his performers joining the cast and while he had to wittle down to just performing his characters as the muppet show took off it's clear he loved these characters too.

Seasame Street naturally became the monster hit it is today, big with kids, loved by the kids who grew up with it and well loved, parodied with affectoina nd generally important. It's so relevant that last year it even got a newer parody survivial street about a ragtag group of public education performers fighting for seasame street in the post apocalypse. And if your wondering if that'll be covered her eventaully

(can confirm)

When I don't know the in pile is pretty big over here. At any rate as for how follow that bird happened

(daffy hands)

I tried my best but from my usual first choices (wikipedia and the muppets wiki to at least start) to combing I couldn't find anything behind the scnenes on why this film was made. I found out what I could but I can't tell you why the film came to be.

What I can is that it wasn't a huge success in theaters. It got slammed right up against films such as back to the future and pee wee's big adventure, and thus got utterly destroyed, not helped by WB barely promoting it and mostly saying "EH WE GOT BIG BIRD".

Thankfully like Muppet's Christmas Carol after it, Home Video and in this case HBO gave it a second life, so many an 80's and 90's kid saw the film and loved it young and slightly older, and the film became a bit of a cult classic. Yet despite having seen many a film from the Jim Henson era of muppets until sitting down for this review i'd never seen this one. So with fresh eyes join me under the cut as you, me, the seasame street players, a misguided racist social service bird, two shady canadian sketch comedy actors, and more FOLLOW. THAT. BIRD!

This is More Soul Destroying Than I Expected:

This film taught me NEVER to underestimate a muppet production. See I thought , much like it's succesor, this would be a light film , a road picture about finding big bird. Which it is.. what I didn't expect.. was for it to do THIS to me.

For those of you less familiar Follow That Bird is about the fedral council of birds deciding that Big Bird cann't POSSIBLY be happy without other birds around, so they send Mrs. Finch to go take him from his happy found family and stick him with a bird family. Yes today's show is brought to you by Bird Racisim.

HIs family reluctantly lets him go as he's curious to have a bird family, and is too innocent to relaize the system's broken. I didn't expect a muppet film to be an indictment of social services and unittional racisim and shame on me for not thinking they could do it. THey do it well too: Miss FInch isn't INTENTIONALLY racist, she's just so set in her ways she genuinely CAN'T see why Big Bird would be happy where he is and dosen't put any real thought into his placement, putting him with the dim witted dodos. The Dodo's themselves aren't BAD people, they just don't know how to take care of big bird like their own childrne, lack his imagination. Even Big Bird can't understand writing a letter asking "Why am I not happy?"

The only bad thing they genuinely do intetionally.. is tell Big BIrd he should have a bird friend instead, which gets him to run away. And what makes all this more painful is that Big Bird.. is a kind kid. He writes the dodo's a thank you note and simply wants to go home and being only 6, yes really, he dosen't get that he can't just walk home, how dangerous that is, and how CPS will be right after him. Carrol Spinney does a masterful job conveying Big Bird's innocnece and pain throughout the picture and part of why it hits so hard is his earnestness. It makes me miss the guy that much more seeing just HOW brilliant he was in the role. THe heart the emotion, he's a true master at Muppetry.

The film DOES ballance the melancholy at the center well: while it's got a downbeat tone in a lot of it for obvious reasons, it ballances it with heart: Big Bird is warmly naive and befriends anyone he meets wehter it's some small children or you'd expect or of all people country music legend I know nothing about whatsoever Waylon Jennings. Why is it the Seasame Street Movie iis one of the weirder ones i've seen. It's Big Bird's genuine kindness and childish innocence that keep the film from getting too dark. For instance with said kids we go form him sadly reflecting on being alone to spending a day with the kids goofing off while their parents are trapped in the negative zone, I guess.

Also helping are the rest of the main cast. Naturally while Big Bird's the titular bird to follow , our heroes are going to follow him. They see a news report about his running away lead by Chevy Chase, with of course Kermit showing up in his original role as newsman, something that's werid to me. This was also Jim's last film performance as Kermit, and it seems fitting that kermit end his film career with some old friends.

So the Seasame Street crew splits up into teams: America's faviorite power couple in a biplane,the count riding solo in his bat mobile ah ah ah, Maria (the big sister style oft voice of reason on the team) unfortunatley gets saddled with Oscar who in natural oscar fashion keeps derailing the quest, and Gordon, his sister olivia, and Cookie monster all pile into a car with Linda, a local deaf librarian. ALl the human actors are pretty good but me and @jess-the-vampire got a good chuckle out of the fact that they still act like their on a show for small children with all the overacting that implies. Having seen seasame street I spotted the style ofa cting at once and it still works fine here it's just weirder to see it when the stakes are far higher. Linda is the easy stand out, a deaf actress who not only revolutionzed portryals of deaf people on tv with her apperances on seasame street but is damn funny and energetic the whole film and is easily the standout of the huaman performers. And of course capping them all off is Grover on his own as SUPER GROVER!

Along the way the gang gets into various hyjinks: Bert and Ernie go upside down and sing an upside down song while chasing Big BIrd north by northwest style, something we'll get into more when we get to their song.

We also get one of my faviorite set pieces as Oscar forces his party to go to the goruch cafe, with only Linda going inside (Telly and some other guy are also along) with him: we get sandra berhanrd as a waitress, the food you'd imagine from a place like this and then throw up from thinking that, and salad served by catapult.

Finally we have one of my faviorite runners, the fact that Cookie monster spends the entire movie SLOWLY eating Gordon's car. By the end it's barely back and he owes them

I was also suprised he ate something besides a cookie. Granted unlike others I didn't get my hackles up when he switched to veggies, I got why, but I assumed those were the only two things he ate.. and was delighed when emma pointed me to THIS PAGE ON THE MUPPET WIKI.

Yes folks it's a list of EVERYTHING cookie monster has ate. My faviorites include:

An Aretha Franklin Record The Most Snowballs Two Safes Telephone 1973 Ford F-250 Pickup Truck Nearly All of Seasame Street Brick Wall Filmstrip and Rosebud A Baskedt Faith Hill and Tim MCGraw's Kaledioscope Ernie's Ukelele Smoking Pipes A Guitar (And never drew a dime) Ernie's Frying Pan Autumn Leaves NPR Microphone Stephen Colbert's Peabody Award Emmy A Sneaker Wooden Toy House TV Guide Logo Mattresses A Rock Two Hot Dogs and a Donut Bust Stop Sign Paper Clip, Egg Timer, and Microwave Cords Jack Black's Xbox 360 Half of Ernie's PIllow Bicycle Dr. Zhivagho John Oliver's Tie

And just for the anti vegtable eating idiots: An apple, bannaa, carrot, grapes, watermellon, yam, two apples ah ah ah, asaparagus, raisins, cucumber spears, carrot sticks, more apples, even more apples, and more bananas.

I also had no idea he and Ernie used to be friends.. though I can see why it's also in past tense. Where was I? Oh yes, these antics help ballance the deep sadness of the main plot making things work: we see plenty of misery from poor big bird, but the wacky hyjinks ballance it just so.

Speaking of which in addition to the muppets, what good would a muppet film be without a hammy villian who can match the muppets. And this one picked two excellent canditates, two people I never thoguht i'd see in a muppet film and who had I known were in this would've watched it long before I started this series: Dave Thomas and Joe Flahrety as Sam and Sid Sleaze!

Yeah for most of you they'd be before your generation.. or mine even. But thanks to binging SCTV dvd's in college I know these two as sketch performers supreme and with the film shot in canada, they were perfect. The two perfeclty play the sleazes as over the top villians with Sam as the slightly smater one asnd Sid as the goofy idiot, and both hamming it up as they tended to anyway. Their bits tend to read as an SCTV sketch that ocasionally guest stars muppets, and that is not ab ad thing> The bit with them extording a nickle from a kid to let him off a ferris wheel kill me and the two's comedic timing is great, with dave in paticular getting to ham it up about money. The two are just fantastic, while also being nicely cruel when needed whent hey imprisoin a 6 year old for thier own finacial gain. The shot of joe crying druing the most heartbreaking scene of the film, which we'll ocne again get to shortly, is something i'll be using for some time

The two are just great and as an added bonus I assumed, being a big star at this point, John Candy wouldn't share a scene with his two co stars… and I was wrong as John's one cameo is arresting the two fo them and i'ts glorious. I would like to see the rest of the sctv cast such as rick moaranis, eugene levy and cathrine o hara show up in a muppets production if they haven't yet as this showed me just how great it could be, and while they never got their co stars success, Dave and Joe REALLY are on the level of the others and this film shows it. Their easily top tier muppet villians and only charles grodin or tim curry may surpass them. Thankfully the Sleazes don't kidnap big bird long as some kids call seasaame street, they call our various heroes and they come resuce him. I also love how adorable the climactic chase is. They managed to get Big Bird's cage open before the sleazes took off with him, but Big Bird bein ga children is reluctant to jump and takes some gentle coaxing to jump.

Naturally they return home and while Mrs. Finch finds them she finally realizes family is not your species or race.. but who you love and who loves you and agrees to back the hell off. It's a happy ending and a truly great film. The film deftly ballances comedy and melacholy to create something truly special, that's just sappy enough without going too far and really touches the heart. It also has a great soundtrack and has been tradition lately, let's break it down:

Musical Muppetry:

We oepn with the Grouch Anthem, a gloriously batshit way to open the film as Oscar stands in front of a flag pattons tyle and goes on and on about his grouchy creed while other grouches back him up. Did I see this coming? No. Did I love every second of it? You better you bet.

Ain't No Road Too Long is our Waylon Jennings number and I loved it too, a nice jolly road song. The kind you need in this kind of film in the vein of movin right along or on the open road.

One LIttle Star is truly heartbrekaing as Big Bird and Snuffy sing to each other in absentia, as does Olivia because apparently she did this a lot. If a small child and his weird friend who everyone assumed wasn't real for several years , and his surrogate aunt singing about how much they miss each other dosne't break your heart you do not have one and I do not know why your here.

Easy Goin Day is a fun number with Kermit playing with some other kids. Simple, nice, and a nice break from the overwhelming misery before OH NO MISS FINCH IS BACK.

Upside Down World is probably my faviorite number, burt and ernie just singing upside down in a plane… and Jim Henson and Frank Oz really WERE upside down for this one, and sang it upside down as a result. The dedication these men have to a good muppet stunt is amazing and I love them for it.

I'm So Blue comes very close though and if you thought One LIttle Star was heartbreaking, this is heart atomizing as poor Kermit sings painted blue in a cage while Joe Flarhety rightfully sobs. one of the saddest, most emotoinal numbers in any muppet film and only not THE most emotoinal because When Love is Gone exists. True poetry

Rankings:

The sountrack as you can see lands in a solid fourth place, just inching out the muppets take manhattan. It's good but it's not the best.

Movie wise it also lands in fourth beating out Muppet Treasure Island, as I feel the character work is stronger here, and given how hard it's been to crack the top spots that's high praise but this film more than earns it. If you haven't seen it yet it's on HBO Max and I highly recommend it and i'm happy to own it. Check it out as soon as you can.

Next Month: Emma takes a break and it's Kev's turna s we enter one of the muppets few purely for adults experiments as live from new york IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT with the land of gorch. Thanks for reading…. this has been a great year of content and I can't wait to see what year 2 of monthly muppets brings.

[lol-jackles]

Amazon is desperate to have their own Games of Throne tv show that has a deep cultural impact. Amazon suffers from little bro syndrome watching Netflix, Hulu and HBO continuously putting out blockbuster shows while Amazon is still seen as a niche player in TV.

Amazon is its own worst enemy in this regard, IMO. It's like they don't comprehend that money doesn't automatically make a program good, or that you can make money off a good project that didn't cost that much. I'm sure HBO execs were unhappy when they realized that the first GOT pilot was bad, but they were able to recognize that they had wasted that money, accept the sunk cost, and make a new, better-quality pilot. Amazon just dug in its heels on The Rings of Power.

Then you have the good shows that they make but don't pay enough attention to. The Expanse, which Amazon took over after Syfy dropped it, had everything they could've wanted: Well-regarded source material to guide the writers, a strong cast including Oscar-winner Shohreh Aghdashloo, good special effects, diversity that actually made sense, in-universe slogans & images ripe for merchandising, and a setting that could have launched any number of spinoffs. Amazon barely promoted it to the general public, probably because of their dumb assumption that a Syfy-budget show couldn't compare to whatever they were blowing $10+ mil an episode on.

Compare that to how HBO, Netflix, etc., have handled smaller shows. Girls was about a bunch of dumb twentysomethings played by then-unknown actors, with few special effects. HBO still made sure subscribers knew about it. Netflix bought You-- which, according to IMDb, is only even shot with one camera-- after Lifetime canceled it, much like Amazon with The Expanse, but they didn't bury it in their catalog. Instead, its writers and actors did some press, the show stayed good, and it turned into a modest hit.

Amazon probably owns a lot of IPs with potential to make $$$. Unfortunately for the suits, they're too obsessed with justifying massive investments to make a realistic assessment of their products.

Agree with everything you said.  Amazon’s marketing of RoP was frankly very, very bizarre.  Amazon was attacking fans and calling them racist weeks before the show aired.  It was as if they knew PoP was crap and threw in diversity shields to shut down criticisms.  Just bizarre and unfortunately not uncommon marketing tactic these days.

[ottscrap]

Scrape HBO Streaming Insights Data | HBO Scraper

Introduction

HBO stands as a beacon of premium content in entertainment, offering a treasure trove of shows and movies that captivate audiences worldwide. But beyond the screen lies a wealth of untapped potential waiting to be discovered through HBO data scraping. In this blog post, we'll take you on a journey into the fascinating world to scrape HBO streaming data, uncovering how this process can revolutionize your viewing experience and empower you with valuable insights.

What is HBO?

HBO, or Home Box Office, is a premium cable and streaming television network owned by WarnerMedia Studios & Networks. Founded in 1972, HBO has become renowned for its high-quality original programming, including acclaimed series like "Game of Thrones," "The Sopranos," and "Westworld," as well as blockbuster movies and documentaries. It offers a subscription-based service that allows viewers to access its content through cable or internet streaming platforms. HBO is known for its commitment to producing innovative and diverse content, making it a prominent player in the entertainment industry.

Why is HBO Data Scraping Important?

Imagine having the ability to delve deep into the vast library of HBO content, uncovering hidden gems and discovering trending shows before they hit the mainstream. With HBO data scraper, this becomes a reality. You gain valuable insights into viewer preferences, popular genres, and emerging trends by extracting and analyzing data from the platform. Let’s go through some reasons why HBO data collection is important:

Unearth Exclusive Content: HBO data scraping grants access to the vast library of HBO content, unearthing hidden gems that are unique to our platform and may otherwise remain undiscovered.

Stay Ahead of the Trend: To extract HBO data, you can spot emerging trends and popular shows well before they reach the mainstream, giving a significant edge in anticipating viewer preferences.

Strategic Viewer Insights: Through data scraping, you gain strategic insights into viewer preferences, understand what content resonates most with the audience, and drive data-informed decision-making for content creation and curation.

Understanding Popular Genres: HBO data scraping provides insights into popular genres, allowing to tailor content offerings to align with viewer interests and preferences, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.

Spot Emerging Trends: By analyzing data collected through scraping, you can identify emerging trends in viewer behavior and content consumption patterns, enabling to adapt strategies accordingly and capitalize on new opportunities.

Enhanced Content Curation: With data collected from scraping HBO streaming data, you can curate content recommendations more effectively, providing viewers personalized suggestions that cater to their tastes and interests.

Competitive Advantage: HBO data scraping gives a competitive edge by providing valuable insights that inform strategic decisions, marketing efforts, and content development initiatives, positioning as leaders in the entertainment industry.

How to Get Started with HBO Data Scraping?

Getting started with HBO data scraping involves several steps to extract and analyze data from the platform effectively. Here's a process to guide you through:

Identify Data Sources: Determine the specific data you want to scrape from HBO, such as show metadata, viewer engagement metrics, or trending content.

Choose Scraping Method: Based on your technical skills and requirements, select the most suitable scraping method. Options include web scraping using tools like BeautifulSoup or Scrapy or utilizing APIs provided by HBO if available.

Accessing HBO Data: If using web scraping, navigate to the HBO website or streaming platform and inspect the desired data elements. Identify HTML tags and attributes associated with the information you wish to extract.

Develop Scraping Script: Write a scraping script in a programming language like Python to automate the data extraction process. Utilize libraries like requests and BeautifulSoup to send HTTP requests to HBO servers and parse HTML content.

Handling Authentication: If scraping requires access to restricted content or user-specific data, ensure proper authentication is implemented. This may involve obtaining API keys or authentication tokens from HBO.

Execute Scraping Script: Run your scraping script to fetch data from HBO. Monitor the process for errors or issues and adjust the script to handle exceptions gracefully.

Data Processing and Storage: Once the data is scraped, process it as needed to clean and organize it. For further analysis, you may store the data in a structured format such as CSV, JSON, or a database.

Respect Terms of Service: Comply with HBO's terms of service and scraping guidelines to avoid legal issues or account restrictions.

Regular Maintenance: Periodically review and update your scraping script to adapt to changes in the HBO website structure or API endpoints. This ensures the continued reliability and accuracy of the scraped data.

Following this process, you can effectively scrape HBO data and leverage valuable insights to inform decision-making, enhance user experiences, and drive innovation in the entertainment industry.

Conclusion

HBO data scraping offers a transformative opportunity to reshape our engagement with content in the OTT industry. By harnessing the insights gleaned from extracting and analyzing data from the platform, we open doors to informed decision-making, enriched user experiences, and groundbreaking innovation in the entertainment realm. Don't delay any further—seize the chance to explore the endless possibilities to scrape HBO streaming data today. Unlock the enchantment of premium content like never before and elevate your OTT platform to new heights. Ready to embark on this journey? Contact OTT Scrape now to start leveraging the power of HBO data scraping and revolutionizing your streaming service!

Source -

[bravecompanynews]

HBO Renews INDUSTRY For A Fourth Season - Notice Today Internet - #GLOBAL https://www.merchant-business.com/hbo-renews-industry-for-a-fourth-season/?feed_id=208237&_unique_id=66f0198d6a45d Google NewsThe Original Drama Series is Produced by Bad Wolf For HBOWEBWIRE – Friday, September 20, 2024HBO has renewed the critically acclaimed original drama series INDUSTRY,from Bad Wolf, for a fourth season. Created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the series concludes its eight-episode third season on Sunday, September 29 on HBO and Max.Season three of INDUSTRY is pacing nearly 40% ahead of season two with an average of 1.6M viewers per episode, and growing. Viewership for Industry in the past five weeks rank among its top five weeks ever. Social conversations are tracking over 2X higher than last season while growing by double-digits each week.Season 3 logline: INDUSTRY gives an insiders view of the blackbox of high finance following a group of young bankers as they forge their identities within the pressure cooker environment and sex and drug fueled blitz of international bank Pierpoint & Cos London office. In season three, as Pierpoint looks to the future and takes a big bet on ethical investing, Yasmin (Marisa Abela), Robert (Harry Lawtey), and Eric (Ken Leung) find themselves front and center in the splashy IPO of Lumi, a green tech energy company led by Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington), in a story that runs all the way to the very top of finance, media, and government. Since leaving Pierpoint, Harper (Myhala) is eager to get back into the addictive thrill of finance and finds an unlikely partner in FutureDawn portfolio manager Petra Koenig (Sarah Goldberg).Season 3 cast: Myhala, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, Ken Leung, Conor MacNeill, Sagar Radia, Kit Harington, Sarah Goldberg, Miriam Petche, Indy Lewis, Adam Levy, Sarah Parish, Trevor White, Elena Saurel, Irfan Shamji, Andrew Havill, Roger Barclay, Fady Elsayed, and Fiona Button.Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, quote:For three seasons, INDUSTRY has been unflinching in its examination of ambition and class, solidifying itself as a marquee HBO drama. Under Mickey and Konrads singular vision, this twisted, thrilling look at London finance has redefined the contemporary workplace show. Were so excited that viewers and critics have recognized season three as bigger and better than ever, buoyed by sublime performances from our unparalleled cast. We have no doubt that Mickey and Konrad, alongside the amazing team under executive producer Jane Tranter at Bad Wolf and executive producer Kathleen McCaffrey, will take season four to even greater heights.Mickey Down & Konrad Kay, Creators, Writers, Directors and Executive Producers, quote:”We are beyond thrilled and grateful to HBO, the incredible team at Bad Wolf and our phenomenal cast and crew for their continued belief in *Industry* and for allowing us to grow as creators, writers and now directors whilst taking the show to new heights. We cant wait to dive deeper and deliver the best season yet in season 4Jane Tranter, Executive Producer, CEO and Founder, Bad Wolf, quote: It has been an extraordinary journey over the past 8 years from initial development to now the commission of a fourth season of Industry. HBOs unswerving belief in Mickey, Konrad, the cast and the whole creative team at Bad Wolf is a huge vote of confidence in uncertain times. This commitment to nurturing new talent and investment in quality programming has resulted in a show we are all exceptionally proud of. Bad Wolf cannot wait to get everyone back to Wolf Studios Wales to take Industry to even greater heights.Season three of INDUSTRY was declared by TIME as the must watch show of the summer and a steamy, propulsive drama… [with] smart storytelling. GQ hailed it as the best show on TV while the Los Angeles Times praised its riveting performances and a return to prestige TV. The New York Times referred to it as

appointment viewing, Vanity Fair called it captivating, sexy, and breathlessly entertaining, and TheWrapdescribed it as bigger, better, and more ambitious than ever.Season 3 credits: INDUSTRY is created, written, and executive produced by Mickey Down & Konrad Kay. The series is a Bad Wolf Production for HBO/BBC and is executive produced by Jane Tranter, Kate Crowther, and Ryan Rasmussen for Bad Wolf; and Rebecca Ferguson for BBC. Directors include Mickey Down & Konrad Kay, Isabella Eklf, and Zo Wittock. Kathleen McCaffrey of Little Gems will be joining as executive producer for the new season.( Press Release Image: https://photos.webwire.com/prmedia/8/327198/327198-1.jpg )WebWireID327198 This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.Source of this programme “These modules are astonishing.”“- • HBO has renewed the critically acclaimed original drama series INDUSTRY,�from Bad Wolf, for a fourth season. Created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the series concludes its eight-episode…”Source: Read MoreSource Link: https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=327198#GoogleNews – BLOGGER – GoogleNews http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/pexels-photo-1659688.jpeg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

[companyknowledgenews]

HBO Renews INDUSTRY For A Fourth Season - Notice Today Internet https://www.merchant-business.com/hbo-renews-industry-for-a-fourth-season/?feed_id=208238&_unique_id=66f0198e4afea #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BLOGGER Google NewsThe Original Drama Series is Produced by Bad Wolf For HBOWEBWIRE – Friday, September 20, 2024HBO has renewed the critically acclaimed original drama series INDUSTRY,from Bad Wolf, for a fourth season. Created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the series concludes its eight-episode third season on Sunday, September 29 on HBO and Max.Season three of INDUSTRY is pacing nearly 40% ahead of season two with an average of 1.6M viewers per episode, and growing. Viewership for Industry in the past five weeks rank among its top five weeks ever. Social conversations are tracking over 2X higher than last season while growing by double-digits each week.Season 3 logline: INDUSTRY gives an insiders view of the blackbox of high finance following a group of young bankers as they forge their identities within the pressure cooker environment and sex and drug fueled blitz of international bank Pierpoint & Cos London office. In season three, as Pierpoint looks to the future and takes a big bet on ethical investing, Yasmin (Marisa Abela), Robert (Harry Lawtey), and Eric (Ken Leung) find themselves front and center in the splashy IPO of Lumi, a green tech energy company led by Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington), in a story that runs all the way to the very top of finance, media, and government. Since leaving Pierpoint, Harper (Myhala) is eager to get back into the addictive thrill of finance and finds an unlikely partner in FutureDawn portfolio manager Petra Koenig (Sarah Goldberg).Season 3 cast: Myhala, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, Ken Leung, Conor MacNeill, Sagar Radia, Kit Harington, Sarah Goldberg, Miriam Petche, Indy Lewis, Adam Levy, Sarah Parish, Trevor White, Elena Saurel, Irfan Shamji, Andrew Havill, Roger Barclay, Fady Elsayed, and Fiona Button.Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, quote:For three seasons, INDUSTRY has been unflinching in its examination of ambition and class, solidifying itself as a marquee HBO drama. Under Mickey and Konrads singular vision, this twisted, thrilling look at London finance has redefined the contemporary workplace show. Were so excited that viewers and critics have recognized season three as bigger and better than ever, buoyed by sublime performances from our unparalleled cast. We have no doubt that Mickey and Konrad, alongside the amazing team under executive producer Jane Tranter at Bad Wolf and executive producer Kathleen McCaffrey, will take season four to even greater heights.Mickey Down & Konrad Kay, Creators, Writers, Directors and Executive Producers, quote:”We are beyond thrilled and grateful to HBO, the incredible team at Bad Wolf and our phenomenal cast and crew for their continued belief in *Industry* and for allowing us to grow as creators, writers and now directors whilst taking the show to new heights. We cant wait to dive deeper and deliver the best season yet in season 4Jane Tranter, Executive Producer, CEO and Founder, Bad Wolf, quote: It has been an extraordinary journey over the past 8 years from initial development to now the commission of a fourth season of Industry. HBOs unswerving belief in Mickey, Konrad, the cast and the whole creative team at Bad Wolf is a huge vote of confidence in uncertain times. This commitment to nurturing new talent and investment in quality programming has resulted in a show we are all exceptionally proud of. Bad Wolf cannot wait to get everyone back to Wolf Studios Wales to take Industry to even greater heights.Season three of INDUSTRY was declared by TIME as the must watch show of the summer and a steamy, propulsive drama… [with] smart storytelling. GQ hailed it as the best show on TV while the Los Angeles Times praised its riveting performances and a return to prestige TV. The New York Times

referred to it as appointment viewing, Vanity Fair called it captivating, sexy, and breathlessly entertaining, and TheWrapdescribed it as bigger, better, and more ambitious than ever.Season 3 credits: INDUSTRY is created, written, and executive produced by Mickey Down & Konrad Kay. The series is a Bad Wolf Production for HBO/BBC and is executive produced by Jane Tranter, Kate Crowther, and Ryan Rasmussen for Bad Wolf; and Rebecca Ferguson for BBC. Directors include Mickey Down & Konrad Kay, Isabella Eklf, and Zo Wittock. Kathleen McCaffrey of Little Gems will be joining as executive producer for the new season.( Press Release Image: https://photos.webwire.com/prmedia/8/327198/327198-1.jpg )WebWireID327198 This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.Source of this programme “These modules are astonishing.”“- • HBO has renewed the critically acclaimed original drama series INDUSTRY,�from Bad Wolf, for a fourth season. Created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the series concludes its eight-episode…”Source: Read MoreSource Link: https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=327198#GoogleNews – BLOGGER – GoogleNews http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/pexels-photo-1659688.jpeg Google News The Original Drama Series is Produced by Bad Wolf For HBO WEBWIRE – Friday, September 20, 2024 HBO has renewed the critically acclaimed original drama series INDUSTRY,from Bad Wolf, for a fourth season. Created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the series concludes its eight-episode third season on Sunday, September 29 on HBO … Read More