#i finally 5 starred Tri-Nouveau

[bluejaybytes]

SODA ‼‼‼

[laresearchette]

Saturday, September 07, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: HIS & HERS (W Network) 8:00pm WISE GUY: DAVID CHASE AND THE SOPRANOS (HBO Canada) 9:00pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA NWSL: ANGEL CITY FC V SEATTLE REIGN FC ONE 168: DENVER

CRAVE TV BAKUGAN: GEOGIAN RISING (Season 1) WISE GUY: DAVID CHASE AND THE SOPRANOS

NETFLIX CANADA BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS: KARA ACTUATION BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS: MUJINA GANG BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS: VESSEL FURIOUS 7

NWSL SOCCER (TSN5) 12:30pm: Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns

CFL FOOTBALL (TSN3/TSN4) 1:00pm: Argos vs. Redblacks (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 7:00pm: Stamps vs. Elks

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 2:00pm: Yankees vs. Cubs (SN Now) 4:00pm: Rays vs. Orioles (SN) 6:30pm: Jays vs. Atlanta (SN1) 9:00pm: Guardians vs. Dodgers

2024 US OPEN TENNIS

(TSN/TSN4) 4:00pm: Women's Final

2024 SUMMER PARALYMPIC GAMES (CBC) 2:00pm: Prime, Day 10 (CBC) 3:00pm: Canoe, Day 10 (CBC) 3:30pm: Prime, Day 10 (CBC) 8:00pm: Primetime (CBC) 11:30pm: Tonight

GREENWOOD STAKES HORSE RACING (SN1) 5:00pm

THE REAL MURDERS OF ATLANTA (Bravo Canada) 6:00pm - 10:00pm (EPISODES 1-4): "The Real Murders of Atlanta" portrays the horrifying cases that highlight the boundaries between gentrified Southern dynasties, hip-hop hustlers and the flashy nouveau riche of this metropolitan mecca of music, entertainment and tech. Told by the investigators, witnesses, reporters and loved ones who have direct connections to the cases, each hourlong story brings Atlanta's hustle and deadly decadence into sharp focus.

GILDED NEWPORT MYSTERIES: MURDER AT THE BREAKERS (CTV) 8:00pm: In 1895, a society page writer witnesses a murder while attending a ball at a mansion in Rhode Island. She soon gets drawn into the investigation when her brother is arrested.

JAILBREAK LOVERS (Global) 8:00pm: When Toby loses her job and starts a nonprofit to rehabilitate abused, rescued dogs at the local prison, she hatches a plan to break her lover out of prison by smuggling him out in one of the dog crates, sparking a federal manhunt.

YOGA TEACHER KILLER: THE KAITLIN ARMSTRONG STORY (Lifetime Canada) 8:00pm: Yoga instructor Kaitlin Armstrong vanishes into thin air after she's accused of killing professional cyclist Moriah Wilson in a jealous rage. On the run, Armstrong tries to alter her appearance as authorities launch a manhunt to track her down.

EXTRAORDINARY AUSTRALIA (Nat Geo Wild) 8:00pm/9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Australia is home to weird and wonderful creatures that have evolved extraordinary adaptations due to being isolated from the rest of the world. In Episode Two, Australia's coastline is a true natural wonder, encompassing bountiful habitats where mesmerizing and surprising creatures reign supreme.

SOMEONE LIKE YOU (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm: After the tragic loss of his best friend, a grieving young architect launches a search for her secret twin sister.

MAE MARTIN: THE GALA (CBC) 9:00pm: Mae Martin hosts a stand-up special at the renowned Just for Laughs festival; featuring Carolyn Taylor, James Davis, Mark Forward, River Butcher, Sydnee Washington, and others!

NEXT GOAL WINS (Crave) 9:00pm: With the 2014 World Cup qualifiers approaching, down-on-his-luck coach Thomas Rongen tries to turn the American Samoa soccer team into winners.

DEVIL’S PEAK (Super Channel Fuse) 9:05pm: Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, Jacob desperately tries to escape his meth-dealing kingpin father and long-suffering mother to run off with the girl of his dreams.

EAST HARBOUR HEROES (CTV) 10:00pm: Turmoil fills the harbours as a deadlock fight over the biggest fishery threatens the livelihood of thousands.

MLS SOCCER (TSN/TSN4) 10:30pm: Vancouver vs. Dallas

THE ENGINEER (Crave) 10:50pm: A depiction based on the true story of the manhunt for Yahya Ayyash aka "The Engineer."

FRENCH GIRL (Crave) 12:25pm: When his girlfriend gets swept away to Canada by a job offer from her ex, a hopeless romantic travels to her hometown, only to find himself out of his depth while trying to charm her hard-to-impress, French-speaking family.

A STAR IS BORN (2018) (CTV) 12:35am: Hard-drinking country music star Jackson Maine discovers -- and falls in love with -- a struggling but talented singer named Ally. As her career quickly takes off, Jackson starts to realize that his best days may be behind him.

[rainbowstrashpile]

The Hypocrisy of Cathedrals

A show of good faith that I am indeed working on a Primedak fic. Not finished yet, but the intro is solid now. WARNING: Prime is a terrible person and uses terrible language to describe every living thing in the universe basically. So if you’re uncomfortable with that, please do not read.

Nothing sexy yet. Just Prime being terrible.

The universe is governed by very little. For the most part, it is matter gravitating towards matter. Coalescing. Becoming. Morphing and igniting and compounding into stars and planets, nebulae and meteors, burning screaming spinning rupturing crashing uncontrolled. Chaotic. Messy.

Truly, this cacophony is something to be despised as the things it gives rise to are horrendous. Planets laid to waste by dying stars, their surface now an irradiated husk. Solar systems devoured by a star's gravity, their mass so great they pull everything around them down into their flames. Planets so hot that they rain glass; billions of tiny knives ripping through the atmosphere. Hostile, horrible, useless.

But the worst of all is life. Seething, crawling, oozing masses all loudly clambering for more more more, their hunger unending. For eons, he has watched what other life forms are capable of, and he has found them lacking.

Prime has come to live by a rigid philosophy. Curated over the millennia and refined down to a simple fact: to want is a crime. A cardinal sin. Wanting leads to greed; to covetous desire, then to war. Endless, senseless violence where there is no true winner. The only prizes gained were loss and suffering. It was exhausting, really, that most beings were too unevolved to grasp this, too simple in their mindset to realize they themselves were the root of their problems. Wasn’t it better then, that the universe be governed by order rather than chaos? Guided by a deft, firm hand as opposed to the mindless greed of the inhabitants? Too wanton and wasteful for their own good, consuming everything around them. Instead, Prime would provide all that was needed. Prime would bring peace and enlightenment to the unwashed masses. In turn the only thing they should desire was his approval, his love.

Just like his little brothers. All of them together, working in perfect unison. Their small thoughts a happy, thrumming buzz in the back of his mind at all times. How glad they were, to have such great purpose. How thankful they were, to be allowed to bask in his light. What could be better than serving the one who had created order in the universe at last? 

Attending to the one who had brought enlightenment and civilization to countless lives, despite the primitives kicking and screaming the whole way. His work is exhausting, and at times even frustrating, but by now he has it down to a science. There's a rhythm to the teaching, an order. A delicate dance of subjugation and indoctrination. They always resist at first, too set in their flawed ways. Generally, they must be crushed completely, their egos broken down to nothing with their kingdoms in flames, in order to finally accept peace and light. But Prime and his brothers are infinite, unyielding. A flawlessly composed missionary melody executed with precision. But then, something discordant happened; a sour note in his otherwise perfect meter. A defect. A mistake. And like all mistakes, he had been cast out.

Prime, in his infinite wisdom and kindness had tried to send him out with honor. To die on the battlefield with glory in the name of his creator. Instead this defect kneels before him again, a testament of undying loyalty, craven to serve. He has returned from parts unknown, dragging with him not only two other lifeforms, but an entire planet of backward creatures. And what a mess he’d made of this new conquest. A terrible impression of Prime’s divine Horde.  

Poor little thing, trying to lead an army like that. His brothers are simply not meant to lead. They are created only to serve. It’s no surprise that he had done such a terrible job; that he had been manipulated and felled by his so called subordinates. Lucky for him, Prime is merciful. He is willing to take him back into the fold; to correct his lowly, animalistic behavior. It seems that, hidden from the light of Prime, even his brothers will become corrupt. For this one wanted more than to be a good boy. As if wanting something wasn’t bad enough on its own. This one thought he could be favored. Held on high and beloved above all of his brothers. How selfish, how greedy of him to want more, especially when Prime loves all of his brothers equally. He would have to be reconditioned for that, certainly.

This little brother had to be shown that wanting will only lead to pain. Especially when he had wanted something other than the peace and order Prime had so graciously brought to the universe. And what a strange thing he wanted indeed. Purple hair. Red eyes. Gentle gloved hands. Diminutive. Soft. Despite that, she had been a blur of motion, a wellspring of knowledge and innovation; exuberant and enthusiastic. Her heart so open Little Brother had fallen head first into it.

He had wanted to stay with her. To build a nest for them to tinker away in; two defects hidden from the cleansing light of Prime. 

It was only when she was gone did he resume his quest to come home. But still, his labor should be rewarded. And not just that of the portal, but his missionary work as well. Despite his flaws, this brother had been kind and generous in trying to bring these heathens to Prime's light. To fight for so long in order to return to his side; and in such a sickly state too. Poor defect. His body would collapse, as hard as he may try to be like the others. He would only slow them down, gumming up the works of the machine they worked so hard to maintain. He could be propped up with chemicals, reinforced with outside structures, but try as he might eventually he would fail again.

And yet, it seemed a waste to be rid of him. His time away had done things to him. How interesting this one had become. Deviant, in a way; corrupted by the chaos and want of an uncivilized world. How fascinating it would be to crack his mind open, to lay him bare entirely; to witness the seething mass of imperfection he had become. To feel those sins burn away by Prime’s light.

Once his new guests had been settled he would deal with his wayward brother himself.

______________________________________________________________

Prime is terrible but his tits are huge and he’s hot as hell. He has panache. I cannot resit him. I’m so glad he’s dead. I in no way approve of any of his actions which it’s insane that I have to say that in 2020 in a fanfic. Can’t I just be horny for fat tits in peace?

I wanted to give everyone a first installment because I kind of feel like I’ve been leaching off this fandom and annoying everyone. Unfortunately I specialize in dark fic so my contribution is this. Anyway, I’ve actually got a lot of script format dialog written for Prime and Hordak, and even some smut. But it’s all jumbled up and not fleshed out yet.

And if anyone wants to just chat about how terrible but absolutely fascinating Prime is my ask box is open. It’s so interesting to me that they went with like, a mega church prosperity gospel, pray the gay away, space Catholicism final boss. Prime is deeply rooted in all the negative aspects of Christianity and for someone who was raised Catholic, I love to see people make villains out of that. Spop ended up having its fair share of problems at the end but kudos to them for that callout. I doubly love Prime because despite being all things terrible about Christianity, this man openly fucks? Every move he makes is unabashedly horny. He even wears revealing clothes. And that’s so against modern Christian morals. He’s every scrap of authoritative hypocrisy I was raised with turned sexy. His aesthetic is if Apple went art nouveau. He’s terrible and fascinating and the only reason season 5 is watchable.

[laurent-bigot]

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – William Powell dans la séquence d’ouverture

Dans un paradis de coton et de marbre, Florenz Ziegfeld se remémore ses souvenirs terrestres. Il fut un très célèbre directeur de revue à Broadway. Un à un, ses numéros défilent dans sa mémoire. Ne vous laissez pas effrayer par les automates mal dégrossis qui ouvrent le film. Dans un Broadway cartonné façon école maternelle, Vincente Minnelli commence par évoquer la pré-histoire de la comédie musicale, avec toute sa mièvrerie archaïque. Au fil du temps, il nous laisse contempler l’éclosion de ce genre féerique, pour accéder à l’apothéose, avec des numéros étincelants, peut-être parmi les plus beaux que Hollywood nous ait offerts. A la manière d’un reportage foutraque et raffiné, il laisse les étoiles du genre (Fred Astaire, Judy Garland…) jouer leur propre rôle, et se gausse des futures hagiographies documentaires que la télévision leur consacrera. Une fantaisie brillante et prémonitoire qui nécessiterait peut-être un petit remontage : l’humour de certains sketchs non musicaux a mal vieilli, mais la folie brûlante des autres compense largement ces faiblesses. Allez, s’il fallait n’en garder que deux, ce serait sans aucun doute la lévitation éthylique de Cyd Charisse, blottie dans un nuage de bulles de champagne, et le frissonnant Love, que Lena Horne psalmodie comme une formule hypnotique… [Télérama – Marine Landrot]

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “Limehouse Blues “

Le 1er mars 1944 débute le tournage de Ziegfeld Follies, l’année même où la M.G.M. célèbre son vingtième anniversaire. Réunir dans une série de sketches, plus ou moins inspirés des fameux spectacles de Florenz Ziegfeld, les plus célèbres vedettes de la Firme du Lion, est une idée séduisante qui enthousiasme Arthur Freed et Louis B. Mayer.

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “Here’s to the Girls “

La production du film va pourtant poser une succession de problèmes et ce n’est que plus de deux ans après son premier jour de tournage que sortiront dans son montage définitif ces Ziegfeld Follies qui vont mobiliser l’énergie de la plupart des créateurs de l’ ”Unité Freed”.

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “Here’s to the Girls “

« Arthur Freed, dit Minnelli, me demanda de réaliser tous les numéros et sketches prévus dans Ziegfeld Follies. Il s’agissait de tourner chacun de ces épisodes au moment où la star concernée était libre, puis chaque vedette tournait en même temps un autre film. De cette manière, nous économisions énormément de temps et d’argent. Mais, plus tard, parce que nous nous aperçûmes que certaines stars étaient disponibles à la même date, certains sketches furent confiés à d’autres réalisateurs… histoire de gagner encore du temps ! La réalisation de l’ensemble devait demander au moins cinq mois  ; il fallait créer des décors très sophistiqués et organiser des répétitions assez longues pour les numéros les plus compliqués. Cinq autres mois seraient probablement nécessaires pour le montage et les travaux de labo. Il fallait donc gagner le plus de temps possible sur le tournage.»

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “Love”

Le fait que Minnelli n’ait pas été l’unique maître d’œuvre du film contribue rapidement à l’apparition de nombreux problèmes et l’on voit Minnelli réaliser un numéro alors que sur le plateau d’à côté, un chorégraphe tel que Walters répète un autre numéro dont Minnelli va par la suite assurer la mise en scène, dès qu’il aura terminé celui sur lequel il travaille. C’est ainsi que Charles Walters pouvait déclarer, dans Positif : « J’ai fait tout le numéro A Great Lady Has An Interview avec Judy Garland et, comme vous pouvez le constater par la façon dont c’est réglé, je l’avais conçu en fonction de la caméra. Puis tout d’un coup, ils ont dit : “Laisse Vincente le tourner. Il vaut mieux que tu te mettes à travailler avec Fanny Brice.” J’ai protesté que c’était tout prêt mais on m’a répondu que justement Vincente le tournerait comme je l’avais prévu et qu’il fallait que nous avancions dans le travail. Je n’ai donc pas eu ‘Directed by…” à l’écran, ce que je souhaitais déjà ».  [Minnelli « De Broadway à Hollywood » – Patrick Brion, Dominique Rabourdin, Thierry de Navacelle – ED. 5 continents Hatier (1985)]

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “A Great Lady Has An Interview”

Tourné dans une grande dispersion créatrice, Ziegfeld Follies se présente bientôt comme un film-mammouth de 173 minutes qui se compose de 18 numéros. Une première preview a lieu le 1er novembre 1944. Les réactions du public ne sont pas bonnes. Le film est jugé trop long. Mais que faut-il couper ? Chacun a sur ce sujet sa propre idée. De nouvelles previews ont alors lieu, le 12 mars et le 20 août 1945 et l’accueil du public n’est pas jugé satisfaisant. Les dirigeants de la M.G.M. décident de modifier encore le montage et, pendant plusieurs mois, toutes les solutions possibles sont envisagées.

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “A Great Lady Has An Interview”

De même que George Sidney, premier maître d’œuvre du film, avait cessé, après un mois de travail, de superviser cette production aux mille problèmes, Minnelli a arrêté, lui aussi de s’occuper du film et, depuis le 1er septembre 1944, il a succédé à Fred Zinnemann sur The Clock (L’Horloge).  Le 15 mars 1946 sort enfin Ziegfeld Follies qui. Le film est un triomphe commercial et on peut remarquer que son coût de revient final (3 240 816 dollars) est à peine plus élevé que le devis initial (3 000 000 dollars). Contrairement à ce que l’on peut penser, le montage du film n’est d’ailleurs pas aussi définitif que prévu et la continuité de la version dite “internationale” (23.7.48) indique un ordre de succession des numéros différent de celui que nous connaissons. [Minnelli « De Broadway à Hollywood » – Patrick Brion, Dominique Rabourdin, Thierry de Navacelle – ED. 5 continents Hatier (1985)]

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – Ballet Watter

A l’image de ce que devaient être les spectacles produits par Florenz Ziegfeld, le film allie le meilleur au pire. Il vaut certes mieux passer sous silence les quatre sketches dont la moindre “re-vision” accuse les faiblesses mais on aurait tort de n’attribuer qu’à Minnelli la réussite des numéros musicaux. L’apparition de Lucille Bali, rousse flamboyante, dressant, le fouet à la main, des femmes-panthères dans Here’s to The Ladies, dirigé par George Sidney, est un admirable moment dans lequel le Technicolor de l’époque est à lui seul un inoubliable spectacle. Quelques années plus tard, Minnelli fera d’une Lucille Bali métamorphosée, la vedette de The Long Long Trailer (La Roulotte du plaisir), une impitoyable satire de l'”american way of life”. Tout aussi magnifique est la composition de Lena Horne dans Love dont le décor – un cabaret enfumé de la Martinique – est tellement beau que le numéro, mis en scène par Lemuel Ayers a souvent été attribué à Minnelli lui-même…

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “Here’s to the Girls “

« Pour différentes raisons, quatre scènes du film me sont restées très vivantes à l’esprit, écrit Minnelli. La première est This Heart of Mine où Lucille Bremer se révèle excellente danseuse, tout à fait à la hauteur aux côtés du grand maître Fred Astaire. L’anecdote était celle d’un voleur s’introduisant dans un grand bal, où il remarque particulièrement une jolie femme…. à diamants. Robert Alton en réglait la chorégraphie. Nous utilisâmes tous les procédés et accessoires imaginables : un plateau tournant révélant peu à peu les danseurs cachés derrière des arbres blanchis, un magnifique dancing circulaire rehaussé de statues créées par Tony Duquette… tout un décor somptueux qui ne faisait pourtant pas oublier les merveilleuses évolutions de Fred et de Lucille. »  La splendeur de ce gigantesque décor qui se referme derrière les deux danseurs comme un véritable écrin témoigne du goût de Minnelli qui oppose à la foule qui s’y meut, le paysage hivernal qui se trouve à l’extérieur. [Minnelli « De Broadway à Hollywood » – Patrick Brion, Dominique Rabourdin, Thierry de Navacelle – ED. 5 continents Hatier (1985)]

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “This Heart of Mine “

Fred Astaire séduit en dansant avec Lucille Bremer et le numéro est une véritable ébauche de Yolanda and The Thief  (Yolanda et le Voleur) qui les réunira à nouveau, quelques mois plus tard. Moins inspiré quoique plastiquement très beau, Traviata permet à Minnelli de jouer sur les couleurs (une femme en rouge dans un décor noir) et sur les costumes d’Irene Sharaff.

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “A Great Lady Has An Interview”

Chorégraphié par Charles Walters, A Great Lady Has an Interview est un hommage de Minnelli à celle qui allait devenir sa femme, Judy Garland, et l’arrivée de celle-ci en blanc sur un fond orange, tel un diamant, demeure dans la mémoire de tout cinéphile. La démarche ondulante et sinueuse de Judy Garland et sa manière de chanter : « I feel… well I feel   Just like a soldier out of step   Yes, but would the episode outlive me   Would my public quite forgive me   If I tried to show the world l’m really help ? Oh, but now, you darlings,   You adorable, dear, dear boys   l’m going to tell you all about my next picture. »  figurent parmi les grands moments de la future actrice de The Clock et The Pirate.

Avant-dernier numéro du film, The Babbitt and The Bromide réunit pour la première fois Fred Astaire et Gene Kelly, les deux plus grands danseurs de l’histoire de la comédie musicale hollywoodienne. « Après coup, déclare Minnelli, Gene a estimé qu’étant donné le caractère exceptionnel de cette réunion, le numéro aurait dû avoir plus de poids. Je ne suis pas de cet avis: après tout, il s’agissait d’une “revue” et je pense qu’un peu de recul et d’humour par rapport au statut de star de nos deux grands danseurs étaient les bienvenus. D’autant que, si Gene et Fred ont considéré ce numéro comme facile, leurs performances respectives n’en sont pas moins brillantes et impressionnantes. La chorégraphie du numéro fut conçue par Fred et Gene eux-mêmes. ‘Nous étions si polis et si qénéreux l’un vis-à-vis de l’autre que ça en devenait presque ennuyeux !, en a dit plus tard Gene Kelly. Je peux dire quant à moi que, pendant la préparation du numéro en question, chacun d’eux hésitait à lancer une idée, de peur d’être accusé de vouloir imposer son propre style chorégraphique. Aussi Gene, comme Fred, y allaient-ils prudemment, en ayant l’air de faire une simple suggestion :   – Et si on faisait comme ça ? Et devant l’absence de réaction de l’autre, celui qui avait parlé se pressait d’ajouter :   – Non, après tout, ce n’est pas une très bonne idée ! » 

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “The Babbitt and the Bromide “

La déception que l’on peut parfois éprouver à la vue de cette rencontre historique entre Astaire et Kelly, tournée en quatre jours, après six jours de répétition, tient sans doute essentiellement à la différence de style des deux danseurs. La grâce aérienne d’Astaire, évidente dans The Band Wagon (Tous en scène), s’oppose en effet au style plus moderne et plus réaliste de Kelly qui trouve inversement son apogée dans Singin’ in The Rain (Chantons sous la pluie). Quant à Limehouse Blues pour lequel Minnelli ne cache pas son faible, c’est tout à la fois le plus beau moment du film et l’un des sommets de son œuvre. [Minnelli « De Broadway à Hollywood » – Patrick Brion, Dominique Rabourdin, Thierry de Navacelle – ED. 5 continents Hatier (1985)]

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “Limehouse Blues “

« Pour cette séquence, l’une des meilleures choses que j’aie faîtes, raconte-t-il, j’avais un prologue et un épilogue en pantomime où j’utilisai seulement deux couleurs : le jaune et le marron. Le style du prologue et de l’épilogue s’inspirait des gravures anglaises à la manière noire : très sombres et floues. La fantaisie chinoise fut réalisée dans le style des “chinoiseries” françaises, tout ce mobilier, ces lambris, etc, de l’époque Louis XVI. A cette époque-là, les Français avaient une conception particulière de la Chine, tout comme ils imaginaient une Amérique peuplée d’Indiens emplumés. Quelque chose d’absurde, mais assez beau d’une certaine façon. »

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “Limehouse Blues “

La magie de Minnelli éclate dès les premiers plans. Le quartier chinois. L’atmosphère du Londres victorien de Dickens mais aussi de jack l’Eventreur et de Mister Hyde. Un Londres où l’on peut rencontrer Sherlock Holmes et où se trament les forfaits de Fu Manchu. Un éclairage glauque. Un vieil homme qui fume (de l’opium ?). Un phonographe ambulant. Des “pearlies” et soudain l’apparition de Fred Astaire en coolie vêtu de noir. Il est impossible de ne pas songer aussitôt à Richard Barthelmess dans Broken Blossoms (Le Lys brisé) de D.W. Griffith. Cet homme en noir est fasciné par une femme en jaune. Un vol. Des coups de feu. Le coolie s’écroule et le rêve commence. Un fabuleux paysage chinois s’anime et Minnelli oppose soudain à l’atmosphère trouble et nocturne du début un univers éclatant de lumière dans lequel vont évoluer ses deux danseurs. Dis-huit jours de répétitions, deux jours d’enregistrement et dix jours de tournage aboutissent à un moment de cinéma de treize minutes, un des ces “instants” sublimes. [Minnelli « De Broadway à Hollywood » – Patrick Brion, Dominique Rabourdin, Thierry de Navacelle – ED. 5 continents Hatier (1985)]

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – Numéro d’ouverture avec les marionnettes de Louis Bunin

Le talent des créateurs de la M.GM. transformant pour Limehouse Blues le décor construit pour The Picture of Dorian Gray (Le Portrait de Dorian Gray), se combine avec le génie de Minnelli, son habileté à faire répondre les couleurs les unes par rapport aux autres, à passer de la réalité au rêve et à métamorphoser un plateau de cinéma en un monde où se mêlent l’amour, la danse et la beauté. Le style pictural de Minnelli réapparaît partiellement dans la dernière partie du film qui comprend la chanson “Beauty” de Kathryn Grayson et quelques plans provenant du numéro There’s Beauty Everywhere.

ON SET – ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945)

ON SET – ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945)

« Le décor de ce numéro, raconte Fred Astaire, était un imposant ensemble de rochers et nous devions danser plongés jusqu’à la ceinture et en habit de soirée dans un véritable bain de mousse. De jolies filles étaient disséminées ici et là sur des rochers, semblables à de grandes mouettes. Plusieurs s’évanouirent, incommodées par les émanations des produits chimiques nécessaires à la fabrication de la mousse. Tout cela ne donna sans doute rien, la plus grande partie du numéro ayant sauté au montage final. Grâce au ciel, tout ce que j’y faisais avait disparu. C’était un véritable gâchis.» Restent un ensemble de rochers et de nuages, des girls ressemblant à des vestales et un décor qui rappelle certaines œuvres de Dali ou de Chirico. Cyd Charisse évolue au milieu de grandes masses de mousse, donnant une petite idée de ce que pouvait être à l’origine le numéro…

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – William Powell dans la séquence d’ouverture

Dans sa forme actuelle, et en dépit de ses sketches…, Ziegfeld Follies est un éblouissant spectacle, chatoyant et somptueux, un hymne à cette femme moderne idéalisée par Ziegfeld.

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES – Vincente Minnelli (1945) – “Limehouse Blues “

Programme musical

Here’s to the ladies Après avoir payé un tribut à la beauté des femmes, Fred Astaire laisse la place à Lucille Bail et ses femmes panthères et à Virginia O’Brien qui, sur un cheval de manège, glorifie “l’homme merveilleux”. Director : George Sidney – Music by Roger Edens – Lyrics by Arthur Freed – Sung by Fred Astaire, chorus – Danced by Cyd Charisse, Lucille Ball, chorus  Bring on the wonderful men Director : George Sidney – Music by Roger Edens – Lyrics by Earl K. Brent – Sung by Virginia O’Brien 

Water ballet. Un ballet nautique conçu et exécuté par Esther Williams. Director : Merril Pye 

La Traviata. James Melton et Marion Bell du Metropolitan Opera, chantent un extrait de l’opéra de Verdi. Director : Vincente Minnelli – “Libiamo ne’lieti calici” from “La Traviata” – Music by Giuseppe Verdi – Sung by James Melton, Marion Bell

This heart of mine. Fred Astaire, croqueur de diamants, offre son cœur à Lucille Bremer au cours d’une danse, mais ne l’en déleste pas moins de son bracelet. Avant qu’il disparaisse, elle lui offre un autre bijou. Director : Vincente Minnelli – Music by Harry Warren – Lyrics by Arthur Freed – Sung by Fred Astaire 

Love. Dans un décor tropical, Lena Horne chante l’amour. Director : Lemuel Ayers – Music by Hugh Martin – Lyrics by Ralph Blane 

Limehouse blues. Fred Astaire, en coolie chinois, est ébloui par l’apparition de Lucille Bremer, superbe orientale vêtue d’une robe jaune. II la voit admirer un éventail dans une vitrine. Elle s’éloigne et s’approche à son tour de l’objet. Des bandits cassent à ce moment la vitrine du magasin. Astaire s’empare de l’éventail et tombe, frappé  d’une balle perdue. Il se retrouve, en rêvant, en train de danser avec cette femme merveilleuse. Il meurt au moment où, revenue pour acheter l’éventail, elle le rejette avec dégoût parce qu’il est taché de sang. Director : Vincente Minnelli – Music by Philip Braham – Lyrics by Douglas Furber – Sung by Harriet Lee 

A great lady has an interview. Judy Garland, star inaccessible, accorde une conférence de presse. Director : Vincente Minnelli – Music by Roger Edens – Lyrics by Kay Thompson 

The Babbitt and the Bromide. Fred Astaire rencontre Gene Kelly : tous deux exécutent un numéro de George et Ira Gershwin. Deux hommes se rencontrent tous les vingt ans et échangent les politesses banales d’usage. Director : Vincente Minnelli – Music by George Gershwin – Lyrics by Ira Gershwin 

There’s Beauty Everywhere. Kathryn Grayson chante un hymne à la beauté qui conclut ces dernières Follies du grand Ziegfeld. Director : Norman Taurog, Vincente Minnelli – Music by Harry Warren – Lyrics by Arthur Freed – Sung by Kathryn Grayson 

Fiche technique du film 

Dans un paradis de coton et de marbre, Florenz Ziegfeld se remémore ses souvenirs terrestres. Il fut un très célèbre directeur de revue à Broadway. Un à un, ses numéros défilent dans sa mémoire. Ne vous laissez pas effrayer par les automates mal dégrossis qui ouvrent le film. Dans un Broadway cartonné façon école maternelle, Vincente Minnelli commence par évoquer la pré-histoire de la comédie musicale, avec toute sa mièvrerie archaïque. Au fil du temps, il nous laisse contempler l'éclosion de ce genre féerique, pour accéder à l'apothéose, avec des numéros étincelants, peut-être parmi les plus beaux que Hollywood nous ait offerts. A la manière d'un reportage foutraque et raffiné, il laisse les étoiles du genre (Fred Astaire, Judy Garland...) jouer leur propre rôle, et se gausse des futures hagiographies documentaires que la télévision leur consacrera. Une fantaisie brillante et prémonitoire qui nécessiterait peut-être un petit remontage : l'humour de certains sketchs non musicaux a mal vieilli, mais la folie brûlante des autres compense largement ces faiblesses. Allez, s'il fallait n'en garder que deux, ce serait sans aucun doute la lévitation éthylique de Cyd Charisse, blottie dans un nuage de bulles de champagne, et le frissonnant Love, que Lena Horne psalmodie comme une formule hypnotique... [Télérama - Marine Landrot] Dans un paradis de coton et de marbre, Florenz Ziegfeld se remémore ses souvenirs terrestres. Il fut un très célèbre directeur de revue à Broadway.

[flapperfromthefuture]

I don’t know how I ended up at the Michigan Renaissance Festival, but once I heard bagpipes and a cannon go off, I felt right at home.

“Is there a quiet reading corner for people who get overwhelmed?” said A, as we braved the crowd piling into the festival grounds. It was Scottish Highlands week. I lost count of the number of kilts I saw, but two of them were on dogs, (unfortunately neither of them were the actual Scottish Wolfhound we saw but he looked like he was having a wonderful time in his element nonetheless) and one was on a guy who was also dressed as a bear.

I was nervous about bringing Lumi, but my sweet little anxiety fluffball who used to be so hesitant and skittish with strangers fit right into festival life. And everyone wanted to pet her! I couldn’t get five feet without being stopped—at one point Lumi had four kids with painted faces and princess costumes petting her, and she was basking in the love of her public like a movie star. She happily watched the joust and a bird show and even stopped for a drink at the Puppy’s Pub.

A tried her hand at archery and throwing knives, spears, stars, and axes. She passed on the opportunity to throw actual tomatoes at the jesters, because “I just don’t like wasting tomatoes.”

I started fading after about hour 5 of Celtic music and vendors saying “We take Master Card and Lady Visa!” (It was funny the first fifty times). I’d enjoyed our adventure, but didn’t feel the need to return.

Until I saw the sign for the Cupcake Crusade.

“Hmm, there’s a cupcake contest the last week of the festival,” I said.

A guy in chain mail pulled a wagon full of kids past us, and Lumi tried in vain to share their open bag of chips.

“First prize is $200 and a season pass, a sweatshirt and a tankard, second prize is the pass, sweatshirt and a tankard, third is the sweatshirt and tankard,” said A. “What’s a tankard? Like a tank top?”

“No, it’s that tall mug they have in the gift shop,” I said.

A slammed down her ice cream waffle.

“YOU GOTTA GET THAT TANKARD!” she said.

“We could just buy it in the gift shop,” I said.

“Anyone can do that!” said A. “And we’ll have a season pass for next year! We can bring your mom to the bird show for free!”

“I’m not going to win,” I said. “I don’t even make cupcakes.”

“You’ll win,” said A, like she was commanding an army. “You watch Bake-Off all the time! Your cupcakes will be the best! THE BEST!”

“That’s magical thinking!”

“That’s the only kind of thinking I have!”

Needless to say, as soon as we got home, I got to work. Even though I have actual real work that demands my actual real attention, all I could think about were cupcakes.

I needed 12 cupcakes in 3 flavors, that would be judged on both flavor and design. I don’t know how the people on Bake-Off select their recipes without freaking out: should I go for savory flavors to stand out? Or classic sweet flavors that might be boring? Should I try fruit fillings? Or nuts? OR BOTH? Did you know they sell fancy cupcake wrappers on Amazon with filigree designs? Should I buy those and go with a tribute to Art Nouveau in cupcake form? Or something a little less niche, like a design inspired by my favorite World Showcase pavilions at Epcot?

(Yes, these are all real ideas that I had. I know this because I made a spreadsheet of ideas when I should have been doing something else).

I wisely tabled my salute to silent film and chose two recipes inspired by the flavors of the fair—but then I got three hours of sleep because I couldn’t stop going over my options for the third spot. Could I pull off an ice cream waffle cupcake? Or something that would evoke both archery and roasted almonds? (Real ideas!)

Around 3 AM, it hit me—unicorns. The final piece in the thematic puzzle. There was a unicorn grilled cheese at this thing, how could I lose?

The mental gymnastics portion was complete. Now it was time for baking gymnastics. My test batches went well, thanks to the spreadsheet I made for ingredients, but when it was time to bake for the big day, my first batch of rainbows was a little less than fabulous, so I had to try again.

I baked 58 cupcakes in 24 hours. I became an assembly line of one person. To entertain myself while I worked, I imagined explaining my flavors to Mary Berry, and my imaginary Mary Berry was very supportive, especially once I cracked open a Guinness.

I called my first flavor “GOT Guinness?” because children of the ’90s will never, ever escape “Got milk?” jokes. I found the recipe here and it worked really well. I don’t know anything about beer or Guinness but A told me to buy Guinness Stout in a can, not a bottle, so that’s what I did. I had to simmer it on the stove with the butter and cocoa powder, which felt very dangerous, especially because I kept confusing the dials on my stove and almost setting myself on fire.

I forged my swords from the finest Valyrian aluminum foil while watching British Bake-Off and took solace in watching fellow gays struggle with math under pressure.

I dubbed my next flavor “Kettle Corn Cupcakes” even though the recipe was for caramel corn cupcakes (I’M CREATIVE). I picked out liners with vertical stripes so they’d look like old-fashioned popcorn bags. I also bought real vanilla beans (they are expensive!) and learned how to scrape out the seeds, which made me feel extremely cool and like I could forage for sustenance in a jungle, which I could not.

Next were my “Rainbow Unicorns”—because I overcomplicate things, I tried to get ahead of my own brain by finding a simple recipe that seemed foolproof. Maybe it was too simple? I’m also not good at piping. I don’t have the intrinsic hand strength to pull it off. Especially at 10:30 at night. I was so tired.

I finally put my cupcakes to bed around 11:30, after triple-checking that I had, indeed, selected my 12 best cupcakes to go to the big show (that’s 4 of each flavor if I have 3 flavors, right? RIGHT?). I set them up verrrry carefully in my best cake carrying case, then picked out 9 understudies for my other carrying case as back-ups in case someone got smushed or crumbled under pressure. The rest of the 58 (well, more like 54 at this point, I got hungry) were frosted and put in plastic containers ready to be given out to friends and family. That’s what baking is all about, isn’t it? Sharing good things with the people you love?

(No! It’s about VICTORY TANKARDS).

I had been baking and decorating since 9:30 in the morning. I set my alarm for 6 AM (on a WEEKEND) and tried to sleep quickly, which did not work.

Lumi was so excited to return to the Renaissance Festival, even though it was raining and she had to share the back of the car with about 40 cupcakes.

I somehow managed to park, get my ticket, turn in Lumi’s dog registration, trek through the entire mud-soaked festival in the pouring rain with my dog and my cupcake carrying case and find the “Crystal Palace” where this thing was going down.

I had no idea where I was going but I forged ahead and tried not to slip in the mud. I heard two ladies behind me say, “Is it this way? That girl has cupcakes and she’s going this way.”

I yelled “FOLLOW ME!” and led a cupcake charge up a very small incline, and turned in my cupcakes in with SIX MINUTES to spare.

I sank into a chair and waited for the judging to start. Stella and her new super-extroverted new boyfriend joined me, already on their first mead of the day.

“You got this, buddy!” said Stella, rubbing my shoulders like she was my coach. “Dude, you are tense.”

The judging portion was fun and light and everyone was having a good time, which is the most important thing, but I was a nervous wreck and just wanted to leave—they really do need a quiet corner for people who get overwhelmed.

I couldn’t even look at the other contenders—some of them looked so professional with their piping and decorations, they put my little swords to shame.

Still, the MC held up one of my Iron Thrones to show off to the crowd.

“That’s a good sign!” said Stella.

Stella is the most optimistic person I know. We’ve had a lot of dark moments together through decades of friendship, eleven of which were with the same piano teacher, but she’s never lost that buoyant streak of “Everything will be great even though it’s metaphysically impossible.”

As the judges finished eating all 81 contending cupcakes (there were 27 people and we each made 3 flavors, so that’s right, isn’t it?) and started filling out their score sheets, the MC went around and asked for their early favorites.

“I liked the kettle corn one,” said one judge.

“THAT’S YOU!”  screamed Stella’s new boyfriend. Most of what he says, he screams. That’s fine, just not a communication style I endorse.

“I saw that judge lick her fingers!” said Stella. “She was eating one of yours! She didn’t do that with any of the others!”

But one person made cupcake teacups with chocolate handles, another made a castle centerpiece with sugar cubes, and someone else did Shakespeare themed flavors (GENIUS! Why didn’t I think of that?).

In the end, I didn’t make it to the next round. Stella sweet-talked her way into seeing my score sheet and she said that I was close—and that the judge who liked my kettle corn cupcakes wanted the recipe. That’s quite a compliment—it’s not a tankard, but I’ll take it.

I’d been so nervous that I hadn’t eaten anything, so we broke into my carrying case of understudy cupcakes.

“Dude, these really are good,” said Stella.

“You’re not even supposed to have gluten,” I said.

“I know,” she said, through a mouthful of Guinness cupcake. “It’s worth it.”

Stella’s new boyfriend grabbed my shoulders and screamed, “Your cupcakes are TITS!”

I gave one of my spare containers to Stella to take home and bid them farewell. Lumi and I watched a fencing competition and walked through a tiny maze of fairy houses, and several people wearing elf ears swooned over her.

Later, after a much-needed nap, I took my other container of spares to my parents’ house, and told my parents, my sister and my sister’s boyfriend Steve the entire story of my brush with cupcake immortality.

“Their taste buds must have been damaged!” said my mom. “At least it was a good experience for your first bake-off.”

“I’m proud of my little guys,” I said. “Stella’s new boyfriend said they were, and I quote, ‘Tits.'”

“They were what?” said my dad.

“TITS!” said Steve.

“Oh, youth,” said my sister, who is one year older than this dude. “So, how was Stella’s new boyfriend?”

“He’s very nice,” I said. “He was very supportive. He’s just really extroverted.”

“Is he more or less annoying than Steve?” said my sister.

Steve was sitting right next to her. He just shrugged and took another bite of cupcake.

  Renaissance Festival Cupcake Contest I don't know how I ended up at the Michigan Renaissance Festival, but once I heard bagpipes and a cannon go off, I felt right at home.