#i need hollywood to start reusing couples again

[fvretts]

need tom blyth and rachel zegler in another movie together immediately

[crazy-loca-blog]

Personal thoughts on Red Carpet Diaries, Book 3, Ch. 17

Note: As the title says, these are just personal opinions on Choices books and chapters. Of course, you may agree or disagree with them, I only use this platform to express my thoughts on what I read every week and what I’d like to see in the next chapters, because none of my friends play Choices so I have no one to comment the books with.

And… that’s a wrap!

I don’t know… I’m trying to find the words to describe the final chapter of this series and the truth is that it left me kind of speechless… and not in a good, positive way. Maybe my expectations on this chapter were too high?

We all knew this chapter was going to be fully focused on the wedding, so there are no surprises on that matter. However, I can’t help feeling like everything was insanely rushed, and that was pretty evident in many aspects of the wedding and the chapter in general. First, the amount of people that was missing was insane. For example, I expected to see Leo from Rules of Engagement and The Royal Romance as Chazz mentioned a few chapters ago that he would be one of the guests, but we didn’t see him. Also, when Roxanna asked me about who was going to receive an invitation, I remember saying Ryan Summers, but he wasn’t there (just as Josh Morello). Instead, we got Chris Winters and Cecile his wife (not complaining about this though, I had a hard time choosing Ryan over Chris). Not even Matt’s dad appeared and I was marrying his son!! Our mom only appeared if we decide that she would walk us down the aisle!! Why didn’t she help us with our dress?? And where was Ella??

We also had these extremely unexpected cameos and relationships that at some point got us all (even the MC) saying “WTF?!?!”. My absolute weirdos were Markus and Sara… like… really? I mean… why? how? Too weird to handle, in my opinion (and I actually thought that Markus was married… maybe he’ll use Sara as his new muse?). I also have mixed emotions on Chad and Gloria. This probably takes the second place on the ranking of the weirdest things I’ve seen in my two years playing this game (again… number 1 has to be Markus and Sara!), but at the same time, I feel this is a match made in heaven… as friends, of course! They may become my besties any day! On the other hand, I have to admit that I was glad to see Fatima doing the hair and makeup (you lied to us! you said you had no experience in other weddings, except your own… unless the RCD wedding occurs after the AME wedding in the Choices universe). And I’m actually wondering if the officiant is Steve from Perfect Match or if they just reused his face, but seeing him there was surprising, to say the least.

Anyway… I want to go back to the “missing” stuff. A lot of people are mad about the cake thing. And so I am. We did pay diamonds for the scene to get the cake, you know? So it wasn’t nice to discover that the cake wasn’t even shown during this chapter. Also, we had plenty of opportunities to get press points throughout the book, but there was no mention to it during the wedding… we didn’t even see the magazine with the exclusive coverage that was promised! It didn’t even impact the success of the movie… and let’s remember that we also got some of those points by buying diamond outfits. So yes… this is a MAJOR disappointment that makes me regret a couple of diamonds that I spent in this book. I also had a personal conflict with the wedding dresses and the hair, I think we needed at least one extra option. But this is very specific to my story. In my very specific case, my MC was a brunette with a long hair throughout the series, so her wedding look changed her face a lot… and that felt weird, especially because the normal hair didn’t seem to match any of the dresses. So in the end, I chose the look that disliked me the least.

The rest of the chapter went so fast that I’m still trying to decode what was that. From a lame wedding night (I don’t know… it wasn’t supposed to look like “another sex scene”, and it did), to a honeymoon that didn’t have any impact on the story (and that we’ll probably forget in a few days), it looks like some things were there just for us to say that they were present.

Things that I liked? I have to think about them a lot, but yes, I found at least three. First… Chazz and Crash are moving in together!!! I’m so glad that this happened!!! I know I originally wanted to see Chazz proposing Crash, but I have to admit that this made me pretty happy. We never got to see much of their relationship in the series, but I’m convinced that they deserve each other. So kudos to that!! Second, I loved to see that the MC and her LI (in my case, Matt) took their time during the wedding night to discuss the future and that they are even planning to make some hiatus on their careers just to have fun… I wish I could do that! I can barely go on vacation one week every two or three years! But I have to point that I’m still waiting for a real closure for Matt’s personal conflict… saying “everything is going great” just doesn’t make the cut for me as a reader.  And third, I have to say the extra scene. Getting the posters was absolutely worth it, in my opinion. It was special, as things went even back to the very first book of the series (by the way, the poster scene makes me think that they moved in to the MC’s house)… and there were some funny moments as well… it was like a compilation of bloopers in the movies where the MC and our friends participated. If you didn’t get the extra scene, look for it on YouTube… you’ll find some things that will make you smile (my faves were Chad vs. the protein shakes and the MC sneezing accident).

And this is how Red Carpet Diaries brings down the curtain. Unfortunately, I think that this series that started with a fantastic Book 1 was followed by some very lame Book 2 and ended up with a very mediocre Book 3. And this makes me so sad… and frustrated! There were so many plots that could have been explored or deepened… so many things happen in Hollywood and we didn’t even talk about them! It’s a shame because this series may have easily become a fan favorite (and we might even be talking about a Book 4 now) but I guess the writers (or PB/Nexon) decided to play safe instead of taking risks… and I think that was their biggest mistake. This is kind of a “go big or go home” situation, and they definitely ended up going home.

[ryqoshay]

Happy Life: Quirky Cooking

Primary Pairing: YohaRiko Words: ~1.4k Rating: K AU: Angelic? Time Frame: Sometime during their college years. Story Arc: Stand Alone

List of all HL scenes AO3 Link

Author’s Note: Had notes on this for a while now, and for some reason, a post about TsubaHono catalyzed the rest.

Takes place sometime post-canon. No idea even how old they are at this point; college’ish, maybe? Perhaps I’ll revisit this after LLSS Season 2 airs and add more details about the time and/or setting.

Yoshiko opened her eyes slowly. Turning her head, she immediately squeezed them shut again. “Ughn…” she groaned as her eyelids were unable to fully shield her from the deadly laser shining through the bedroom window and red splayed out across her vision. Draping an arm across her eyes helped a little before she rolled over and away from the light.

What time is it? Yoshiko reluctantly opened her eyes just enough to catch sight of alarm clock. She sneered when she noticed the time. As much as she wanted to stay in bed longer and continue to shun the sun’s very existence, her day-dwelling little demons had plans this morning.

Sitting up with a yawn, the blue-haired girl started to stretch. She shifted her shoulders swiftly to the side and giggled as her spine did its best to mimic the sound of a machine gun. Cocking her head, she finished the job with the last few discs in her neck. Next, she intertwined her fingers to crack the joints there, then continued with movements to catch her elbows and knees as well.

Lastly, she spread her arms wide and back to push her shoulder blades together before moving her arms forward and pulling her shoulder blades apart. She repeated this process several times in an effort to loosen knots that always seemed to form on her back, between her shoulders, as if reacting to wings that were no longer there. At least that’s what she liked to think.

The first part of her morning routine complete, Yoshiko was just starting to feel awake. As such, her other senses started to kick in, and the first thing she noticed was a pleasant smell. Food. Someone was cooking. A smile came to her lips as she slid out of bed and headed toward the kitchen. She came to a halt as she rounded the corner and caught sight of a lovely redhead standing by the stove. Her smile grew wider as she continued to stare, unabashedly.

Angelic.

Though Yoshiko still held on to her fallen angel persona and liked to call her friends her little demons, she hadn’t referred to one, in particular, as a demon for several years. Because Riko was an angel. Her angel. And there were many times, Yoshiko almost believed it was literally true, that the older girl was actually a heavenly creature sent down to the mortal realm to be with her, like some sort of divine apology for letting her fall. Of course, such a thing was impossible, but it made for a nice thought.

Finally, after staring for who knew how many minutes, Yoshiko decided that simply seeing wasn’t enough. Slowly, she moved towards her humming girlfriend until she was right behind her.

Riko jumped a little, surprised by the arms that wrapped around her waist. “Good morning, Yocchan.” She said, relaxing into the embrace. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yohane always sleeps well when Riri is with her.” Came a quiet reply, nowhere near the volume the younger girl generally reached. But it was still early in the day and both knew Yoshiko was not a morning person.

Riko smiled at the sentiment, as she felt the same. Since the two of them started sharing a bed, she had slept better than ever before. For a moment, she contented herself with the contact, but eventually she remembered the task at hand. She opened her eyes and returned her attention to the pan in front of her.

“Chika-chan and You-chan will be here shortly.” Riko spoke up. “But you should still have enough time to get ready.”

At the mention of the former school idol group leader’s name, Yoshiko felt a pang of something she had tried to bury for years, but had never fully succeeded. She knew it was foolish, but she couldn’t help it. Acting on impulse, Yoshiko suddenly tightened her embrace and started swaying back and forth, pulling her girlfriend along.

“Y-Yocchan!?” Riko questioned, trying to hold herself steady. “W-what are you doing?”

“Yohane demands her morning kiss from her Riri!” Yoshiko intoned, trying to turn the other girl around in her arms.

“I’m busy right now, and if I don’t pay att… ah!” The redhead cut off with a gasp as teeth scraped across the nape of her neck, sending a decidedly delightful sensation down her spine.

Giving in to her own desires, Riko turned, grabbed her girlfriend’s cheeks and pulled her into a kiss. Yoshiko responded instantly, reaching up to wrap her arms around the taller girl’s neck. Unbeknownst to either, when Yoshiko pushed Riko back, they bumped a knob on the stove, which turned up the heat on the burner. After a little while, a strange smell caught the attention of the pair.

Riko’s eyes snapped open as she peeled away from the kiss in a panic. Wrenching herself free from Yoshiko’s embrace, she turned back towards the stove to find the food she had been preparing to be far darker than it should be. Quickly, she grabbed the pan handle and dragged it off the heat before turning the knob to the off position.

“Yoshiko.” The redhead said sternly, causing the blue-haired girl behind her to flinch, though more at the name being used than the tone. “What have I told you about distracting me while I’m cooking?”

“Uhm…” Yoshiko fumbled for words as she backed a few steps away from her angry girlfriend. She knew the answer, but found herself unable to give it.

Riko sighed. “What am I going to do with you?” Her voice softened again. She was partly to blame for the situation as well, so she knew she couldn’t take it all out on the younger girl.

“I’ll still eat it…” Yoshiko offered quietly.

“I know you will.” Riko chuckled and shook her head. “You know sometimes I think you do that kind of stuff on purpose.”

Yoshiko stiffened.

Riko blinked. “Don’t tell me…”

The shorter girl looked up with a sheepish smile.

“Yocchan…” the redhead returned to using her favored nickname. “Why?” Deities knew Riko was clumsy enough to make plenty of mistakes while cooking, without additional distractions. The only thing preventing all that food from being wasted was her girlfriend’s eclectic tastes that allowed her to eat, and even enjoy, everything she had destroyed.

“Because it’s the only way I can make sure I don’t have to share Riri.” The blue-haired girl mumbled.

“Share me?”

“You’re cooking!” Now Yoshiko was definitely panicking. “I meant I didn’t want to have to share Riri’s cooking!”

Riko bit her lip to keep from laughing, but ended up snorting through her nose instead. At the sight of her girlfriend’s pained expression, she stepped forward to close the distance between them. She reached out and pulled Yoshiko into a tight hug.

“Well you’re going to have to share my cooking one way or another.” She said softly, resting her chin on the other girl’s shoulder. “But, I’m more than happy to make something special for you whenever you want.” She smiled as her girlfriend returned the hug. “And one of us is going to have to make something palatable for our guests. I think we both know that’s going to have to be me.”

“I suppose…”

Riko laughed lightly. “But you’ll never have to share me, Yocchan.” She nuzzled her cheek against Yoshiko’s before pulling away to make sure she had eye contact. “I’m yours. Happily.”

“And Yohane belongs to Riri.” Yoshiko replied with a small smile.

“That you do.” Riko said, pecking a quick kiss on the other girl’s lips. “Now go get ready. You know those two are going to be late, but I still need to start over on breakfast.”

“Sorry…”

“And I hope you’re hungry, because as you can see there is a lot in that pan.”

“If Riri makes it, Yohane will eat it!” Yoshiko declared proudly.

“I know.”

“Worry not, my fair maiden.” Yoshiko’s voice dropped low. “Your fallen angel, Yohane, will return to you momentarily. But should you need her sooner, just summon Yohane and she will surely appear by your side.”

“Will do.” Riko laughed, glad to see her girlfriend returning to her happy self.

Satisfied with the reply, Yoshiko grinned before turning and hurrying towards the bedroom.

“I love you, Yocchan!” Riko called after the departing girl.

“I love you too, Riri!” Yoshiko echoed back from down the hall.

Author’s Note Continued: Yoshiko’s morning routine is borrowed from that of an individual I used to date. Their spine cracking sounding like a machine gun was a joke between us because it was loud enough that there were mornings that I did not need an alarm clock. I haven’t decided how I want Riko to react to this just yet, so I didn’t have her in bed this time to witness it.

Part of this scene is also lifted from my own HtHaN’s scene, Morning, which is itself inspired by many other similar scenes, both in fan and professional works. As I continue to write both HtHaN and HL, I will undoubtedly reuse ideas between them, to see how the different couples handle similar situations. Plus, I can get that much more use out of the same spark of inspiration. And if Hollywood can recycle its own content, so can I. ^_^

[wilma-flintstones-mother]

A Dream Team: Patricia Resnick on 3 WOMEN

As a film student at the University of Southern California, new to LA and without connections, Patricia Resnick had a habit of following film trucks, just to see where they’d lead. One took her to Westwood and the set of California Split (1974). The director was Robert Altman, her favorite. That afternoon, she hovered around the trucks (“I had more guts than brains,” she says), and when Altman turned up, Resnick told him she wanted to interview him for a paper she was writing on the greatest living director—which was true. He said okay. The next day, Altman called and said he wanted to hire her, not then but later. By the time Resnick graduated in 1975, he had a job for her: assistant to the publicist on Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976). It was while they were working on that film that he asked if she wanted to write a treatment for the idea that became 1977’s 3 Women.

There’s a rule in the films of Robert Altman: if something works, turn it around and look again. A good Altman picture turns its people and places around so many times, it feels less like a single movie than x number of movies, one for every turn. And with every turn, more flavor. Dreamy and satirical and alarming, 3 Women is a Persona-like slow roast skewered on a spit, a picture of Altman’s frightened unconscious if it woke up in, well, Dodge City. Resnick, whose career as a Hollywood screenwriter was launched that day on the California Split set, would go on to collaborate with Altman on A Wedding (1978) and Quintet (1979) and appear briefly in The Player (1992). Here, she discusses her work with the filmmaker and his translation of 3 Women from brain to screen.

Sam Wasson: So you’re working on Buffalo Bill—

Patricia Resnick: Here’s what happened. He was producing Bob Benton’s movie The Late Show. Lily Tomlin was in it, and she was improving a lot of her dialogue, and she was asking for suggestions. And I was there and threw out some suggestions she liked. She eventually asked me to write a couple pieces for what became her first Broadway show. Altman went to see the show and said, “Oh, the kid can write.”

SW: It was around this time—as Altman told it—that his wife, Kathryn, got sick and he had this dream, a sort of nightmare.

PR: The dream was mostly cast and setting, more than it was story. Sissy and Shelley were in the dream. And he had the desert and something about switching personas. Those things were there, but they were vague. It was a dream.

SW: And he takes the dream to Fox?

PR: Yes. He had a good relationship with Fox and told them about this dream, and they said, “Great, but we’re not going to finance this dream without seeing something on paper.” So Altman came to me and said he wanted a treatment written, and if Fox moved forward with the film and wanted a script, I could come on as screenwriter and that would be my first screenwriting credit.

SW: Beyond the dream elements, was Altman specific about wanting anything else in the treatment?

PR: No. He just wanted a treatment, about fifty pages. We knew there had to be something of a story and we knew there had to be a third woman.

SW: Why?

PR: He just wanted a third woman. He liked the title 3 Women, so we needed a third woman. That was Bob.

SW: Did he let you go from there or did he work closely with you on the treatment?

PR: At the time, I was sharing an office with Scotty Bushnell, who was his right-hand person, who was casting all the time, so all these actors were running in and out. Ed Ruscha was around a lot, and various other sundry people. I was upstairs and Altman was downstairs, and he would come up all the time and we would go over everything, about every ten pages or so. But mostly he just let me go. It wasn’t like most writing—a collaboration between left brain and right brain. With this, I tried to use my left brain very little—I tried to dream it also.

SW: How did he give notes on a piece of unconscious writing based on a dream?

PR: He wasn’t a real note giver. I don’t think I ever got a written note from him on anything ever. Generally, conversations would be more about what he was seeing. I’d show him pages, and he’d say, “Okay, good, but I really want a run-down bar with all this crap out in the back, with shit piled up. I want that.” That was an Altman note. You know what I mean? He wasn’t a reader. Trying to get him to read a book or script was impossible. I wondered in later years if he might have been dyslexic, not seriously, but he was that averse to the printed word. His process was completely anti-intellectual. I remember at one point there was a film he wanted to make, a film based on a book, not a particularly good one, and it was set in a factory. He liked the idea, visually, of the factory—and that did it. He went from there to try to make a movie around it, but it didn’t go forward. That’s sort of how we worked on 3 Women. He’d like something and in it went.

SW: How long did the treatment take you?

PR: About a month. I wrote it quickly. When I finished, he was very happy with it, and he went to Fox, which decided to go ahead with it. And then a couple weeks later, he called me into his office and said, “I’m really sorry, but I’ve decided not to do a screenplay. I’m going to have the actors do it. But I’ll have you work on the movie in some way, as an extra or PA or something.” He knew I needed some kind of job. I was only twenty-two, twenty-three, and without any other prospect. So I was pretty devastated. Altman was the only Hollywood connection I had.

SW: Did he end up writing an actual script?

PR: What ended up happening, when they went out to the desert, near Indio, they came upon things he wanted to use, like the spa and the bar. You know, Altman was a very visual person. What got him going was mood and visuals and tone and certain funny things about people, like when Shelley gets her dress caught in the door. So most of what was written—if you can call it that—happened once they were out there. I know Shelley had a huge amount of input into that character. She wrote those diary entries, and all that stuff about shopping and cooking was hers too. That’s the way he liked to work. He’d say to the actors, “Look, I’m willing to take suggestions from anybody about anything. If the actors have an idea about craft service, if the craft service guy has an idea about acting, I want to hear it. I only reserve the right to say no without having the time to explain to you why.” So everyone would get very involved. The actors especially would get very involved in their characters.

SW: 3 Women is free-form, even for an Altman film.

PR: As far as I know, there was no script. That doesn’t mean they were improvising. He would rehearse with them, and everyone could set what they were going to do. By the time the camera rolled, they had it down. I can tell you, I was one of the writers on A WeddingandQuintet; I was in the huge opening shot of The Player, pitching with Joan [Tewkesbury]; and I was intimately involved in Buffalo Bill,and there was always something of a script on paper, whether they stuck to it or not. The actors were given dialogue. Nashville too.

SW: He worked with you and Joan on several occasions.

PR: Yes. But inevitably what would happen is we would leave him. I remember he was really angry with Shelley because she had left him to do other things. When I left him, he was angry with me for years. Everybody did, because ultimately it was always Robert Altman’s movie, and so if you ever wanted to grow and gain your own reputation, you had to leave. It made him very hurt. He was open about it. If he saw you, he would tell you that he was angry.

SW: It’s a fascinating paradox. On the one hand, it’s always Robert Altman’s movie, but on the other hand, here’s a guy who’s taking you, a twenty-three-year-old PA, and giving you a writing gig. It’s not just that he’s reusing his people, it’s that he’s using them in new ways. He is growing them.

PR: He really came through for me on A Wedding. During the time he was making 3 Women, he was already working on the idea for A Wedding and started talking to me about coming on as one of the screenwriters. He promised me that that time he wouldn’t change his mind, which he didn’t. And that became my first credit. I remember him coming up to me at a party, he’d been drinking a little, and he said, “You see, I gave you my promise and I followed through. I’m not such a bad guy, right?” And he gave me a hug. We were good until I left to pursue my own things, and he was really angry with me for a long time, and then I went and visited on Short Cuts. By then, he had gotten over it. I always thought he was the most amazing person, and shooting his films was the best time. I always described it as summer camp for adults. That’s what it felt like.

SW: Like a family?

PR: Very much. I went down to be an extra on 3 Women for three or four days. I was involved in the scenes at the apartment complex. I played one of the neighbors. The dailies were always a big party, and everyone would be drinking and smoking and eating popcorn, hanging out. And Altman was very into gambling, so there was always a football game in the background and people would be placing bets all the time. He had these high-stakes backgammon games with [agent] Sam Cohn when he’d come to visit. The actors didn’t just come in for their bit; everyone was there for the whole shoot. So you really did become very close. Janice Rule was married to Ben Gazzara. So he was always there hanging out. What else was there to do in Indio? He always had really interesting set visitors. While I was there, Julie Christie, who had done McCabe, came to visit with a girlfriend of hers, and he put me in charge of entertaining her. I was so starstruck. I was so completely insane about her. I could barely speak to her, let alone entertain her. Fortunately, she came up with this idea of playing a charades game, so now not only do I have to entertain Julie Christie but I have to act with Julie Christie. And Shelley was dating Paul Simon, so he came to visit. The height disparity there was pretty great.

SW: How does Shelley work?

PR: Shelley is what you see is what you get. No pretentions. She was an eccentric. Her home in LA was filled with just hundreds of animals. She had a massive number of birds. There might have been fifty. Like Altman, she was about feeling what was right. Sissy was more about working things out beforehand.

SW: The unsung hero here is Alan Ladd Jr., at Fox, who put up the money—

PR: —for a dream, yes.

SW: But why? What did he have to go on?

PR: Things really were different then. This was a period of time when the people on the business side loved movies. Of course, they were always hoping for another M*A*S*H, but they believed in him. They wanted to make great movies. I used to socialize with those executives. They were movie buffs.

[mastcomm]

The Best and Worst Moments of the 2020 Oscars

Going into the 92nd Academy Awards, the headlines were about what we wouldn’t see: no J. Lo, no female filmmakers of top films, almost no people of color in the acting categories. And yet women directors won; so did African-American directors. And the night ended with a history-making victory for “Parasite,” the first South Korean film to win best picture. Here are the highs and lows as we saw them.

The Most Heartwarming Winner

You could tell Hollywood had fallen in love with Bong Joon Ho by the outpouring inside the Dolby Theater every time the South Korean director went onstage Sunday night. And he was up there a lot, for best director, best original screenplay (shared with Han Jin Won), best international feature and finally best picture. At each prize, the crowd whooped and cheered, often rising to its feet. Accepting the directing trophy, Bong said through a translator, “When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart, which is, ‘The most personal is the most creative.’” Then he added in English, “That quote was from our great Martin Scorsese,” and suddenly Bong had inspired the crowd to rise to its feet again, but this time for his fellow filmmaker. — Stephanie Goodman

After last year’s ceremony went just fine without an officially designated host, the academy announced it was forgoing an M.C. this year as well. And yet the 2020 Oscars got off to a decidedly traditional start when, after Janelle Monáe’s musical opening number, Chris Rock and Steve Martin — two comedians who have each separately hosted the ceremony before — took to the stage and traded one-liners. They gave shout-outs to several nominees, made jokes about current events and punched at the lack of representation for people of color.

Among their best lines:

MARTIN A couple of years ago, there was a big disaster here at the Oscars where they accidentally read out the wrong name, and it was nobody’s fault, but they have guaranteed that this will not happen this year, because the academy has switched to the new Iowa caucus app.

ROCK Marty Scorsese. Marty, I got to tell you, I loved the first season of “The Irishman.”

MARTIN Chris, think how much the Oscars have changed in the past 92 years. … In 1929, there were no black acting nominees.

ROCK And now, in 2020, we got one.

Martin closed out their bits with, “Well, we’ve had a great time not hosting tonight.” — Sopan Deb

The Best Answer to Overlooked Filmmakers

Though female filmmakers and people of color were largely omitted from the top categories, they were rewarded in less glamorous ones. Best documentary went to “American Factory,” which was directed by Julia Reichert along with Steven Bognar, while best documentary short went to “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if You’re a Girl),” from the filmmaker Carol Dysinger. And “Hair Love,” the best animated short, was made by three African-American filmmakers: Matthew A. Cherry, Bruce W. Smith and Everett Downing Jr. Onstage, a “Hair Love” producer, Karen Rupert Toliver, described the film as a labor of love that stemmed from “a firm belief that representation matters deeply,” especially in cartoons “because that’s when we first see our movies and it’s how we shape our lives and think about how we see the world.” — Stephanie Goodman

The Oddest Answer to Snubbed Films

Look, “Queen & Slim”! Hey, it’s “Dolemite Is My Name”! Check it out, um, “Midsommar”? The show decided to use a musical opening number to celebrate a few films they completely ignored in the nomination process. Leading the performance, Janelle Monáe began on a makeshift “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” set (a reference to “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” which did get one nomination), but later donned full flower dress regalia, a reference to Ari Aster’s bleak horror show “Midsommar,” unlikely to have been seen by many academy members. If we’re celebrating movies that came nowhere near making the Oscar ballot, it’s a shame they didn’t throw at least a couple of Jellicles into the opening, rather than saving them for a visual effects joke later. — Mekado Murphy

The Greatest Onstage Audition

The Oscars are kind of fun and kind of stupid, and every once in a while, someone at the ceremony seems to recognize that. This year, it was Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig with a bit that was very fun and very stupid. They pretended to be showing off their dramatic chops, declared they were passionate about production design and broke into a terrifically precise little musical medley to introduce the best costume design nominees. Can we do this every year? — Margaret Lyons

The Most Refreshing Looks

Old Hollywood — and the way it is represented by the academy and its nominations — has been under the microscope for awhile now, whether because of #OscarsSoWhite or #MeToo or the lack of recognition of female directors. It makes you wonder why so many actors still think dressing à la “old Hollywood” is the way to go on the red carpet. If ever there was a time to change things up a bit, this should be it. So it was hard to see all the Veronica Lake hair and silver screen-era gowns, the bows and the fishtails and the corsets — Charlize Theron in off-the-shoulder Dior black; Renée Zellweger in a white-sequined Armani slither; even Regina King in queenly shell-pink Versace — and not think: “lost opportunity.”

Happily, there were those who stepped up to seize it: Natalie Portman, for example, in a Dior gown edged in gold embroidery listing the names of the female directors who hadn’t been nominated. Spike Lee, longtime basketball fan, in a Laker purple-and-gold Gucci suit, with the number “24” on the lapels, in honor of Kobe Bryant. Margot Robbie in mid-1990s vintage couture Chanel. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

It was about using clothes to make a greater point. So when the dreaded question “what are you wearing?” came, the answer meant something more than marketing. Janelle Monáe, in silver, crystal-covered, hooded Ralph Lauren may have had the best dress. But in the end, hands down, it was Lee, Portman and Co. who had the best looks of the night.— Vanessa Friedman

The Least Helpful Bathroom Exchange

Sometimes the most, um, interesting moments happen where you least expect them. Renée Zellweger needed to give the corset under her dress a break, seeing as how she was supposed to be sitting in it for four hours. Relatively early in the evening, she ran into Brie Larson in a Dolby Theater bathroom. Larson asked her if she was tired. Zellweger said yes and Larson, who won the trophy for best actress in 2016, responded, “It’s better that way.” “Oh really, why?” Zellweger asked. “You have less energy, less ability to be nervous,” Larson replied. “I don’t know,” said Zellweger, who would go on to win best actress for her portrayal of Judy Garland. “I’m still really nervous.” — Nicole Sperling

The Worst Production Choices

Why the need to double dip on introductions? Why introduce Beanie Feldstein … to introduce Mindy Kaling? Why introduce Anthony Ramos to introduce Lin-Manuel Miranda? But the weird announcing didn’t stop there. Some of the Oscar-nominated songs got full-on intros, but some just began out of nowhere, with no details or context.

Another odd production choice was not cutting to every nomination montage but instead showing the stage and its askew video screen — during the production design and costume design reels, which are the coolest ones of all. Many aspects of awards shows could use some tweaking, but these are not among them. Announce the presenters! Show the nominee montages! These are the easy parts. — Margaret Lyons

We felt that way sometimes, too. — Stephanie Goodman

The Most Puzzling Surprise Guest

Eminem popped up during the ceremony — apropos of seemingly nothing — to perform “Lose Yourself,” his Oscar-winning song from 2003. Martin Scorsese seemed to sum up the reaction: He appeared to use Eminem’s performance as an opportunity to take a nap. Cameras quickly cut away from the director and toward audience members singing along. And to be fair they did give him a standing ovation. But the performance still went down as one of the ceremony’s clankier moments. Did producers invite Eminem in an attempt to attract young male viewers? Nobody backstage had any idea. Perhaps the purpose was to counterbalance the night’s warmth, especially concerning messages of community and inclusion. Eminem, who has a history of gay slurs, was most recently in the news for lyrics about the killings at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017. — Brooks Barnes

The Other Best Reaction Shot

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/the-best-and-worst-moments-of-the-2020-oscars/

[martinacarrieri]

“Hi Ho” to a Success in My Eyes

In 2013, Walt Disney Studios released their version of a film called The Lone Ranger, based on the  long running TV series that ran from 1949 - 1957. It’s a Western tale set in the 1860’s, about a native American warrior, Tonto, played by Johnny Depp, and John Reid, Armie Hammer, a man of the law who transforms into a legend of justice. The story has loveable characters, great aesthetics and classic “Depp” humour which is the perfect recipe for a fantastic Disney film, as per usual. Well, according to critics it wasn’t as big of a hit. With only 6.4/10 stars on IMDb (2013), a score of only 30% on Rotten Tomatoes (2013) and with a budget of $215,000,000 and only making $260,502,115 worldwide, it was obvious that the film didn’t meet all of its expectations. Critics marked the film “never ending”, “frustrating, lazy and lifeless” and “stupid”. I’m here today to tell you quite the opposite - I absolutely LOVED the film. I thought it had brought the wonderful Disney magic to life with humorous characters and jokes, the marvellous acting by the ever so awesome Johnny Depp and the amazing score by Hans Zimmer. Sure the film was long but I never once thought that it needed to end, because I always wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

The characters were developed well and added a lot of depth and life to the film. They were well casted and all had a purpose in carrying the story along. Most importantly, Johnny Depp playing Tonto. Before seeing this film, the only reason I was keen to see it was because I knew Johnny Depp was in it, as I was a massive fan of his other works like Pirates of the Caribbean and Alice in Wonderland, where he played the eccentric roles in both and I was looking forward to seeing him do it again in a different story and setting. Other critics write how he reused his humour from his other films to make this one and saw this a negative, whereas I don’t see this at all and see Depp’s contributions to this film as highly positive. Some say that the role of Tonto should have been played by a new younger actor without any acting connotations to him, but Johnny Depp, I believe, was the perfect cast for this role. His humour was well executed with timing and quality and he established such a quirky, weird character clearly and intriguingly. For example, we see this in the scene where he sticks his finger in the dirt trying to navigate himself while John Reid watches him in disgust and wonder. I found his work in this film nothing short of entertaining and always admire and appreciate his versatility.

The score in this film was amazing and very emotionally intriguing. Hans Zimmer, well known for doing other successful film scores for films like The Pirates of the Caribbean series and The Dark Knight to name a couple, has established himself as one of the best in Hollywood. His music in this film brings it all to life one step further, working with the characters feelings and actions to create a deeper story with his classic pieces over the top. The best scene by far in this film is credit to Hans Zimmer. The final fight scene at the end has the classic William Tell Overture score over the whole scene for a whopping eight minutes of brilliance. The audience know the classic theme song to this tale and when it starts to play as John Reid cracks his whip and gallops away on his horse, you get this feeling inside that something is about to go down and it’s time for the good guys to have justice. A very triumphant music piece that also brings back nostalgic vibes to the film, highly enjoyable to everyone watching, even if they are not familiar with the score.

As much as everyone likes to pin negative criticisms on this film, I thought it was spectacular to watch, especially on the big screen. I enjoyed watching a Western as not many are made any more in this day and age in film, especially one including Johnny Depp. This film deserves success and should be up there with all the classics as it drives home that beautiful family entertainment that everyone enjoys.

References

IMDb. 2018. The Lone Ranger (2013) - IMDb. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210819/

The Lone Ranger (2013) - Rotten Tomatoes. 2018. The Lone Ranger (2013) - Rotten Tomatoes. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lone_ranger/

[mayramoss-blog1]

Ashley Cole in contract talks to extend his stay at LA Galaxy after snubbing a return to England

Ashley Cole has confirmed he is in contract talks to extend his stint at LA Galaxy, snubbing a return to England and taking his playing career to the eve of his 38th birthday.

The former Chelsea defender has enjoyed life out of the English football limelight during two years in California, even if Galaxy have endured a miserable campaign on the field and failed to qualify for the end-of-season MLS play-offs.

Cole’s Galaxy contract expires after their final game of the season at FC Dallas next weekend and there have been question marks over whether the left-back would hang up his boots and follow in the footsteps of ex-England and MLS team-mate Steven Gerrard by taking a coaching role back in the UK.

But Cole - who will turn 37 in December - wants to stay at the club, if he survives what is expected to be a dramatic close-season overhaul at Galaxy.

“I want to be here. We’re speaking. It’s in their court with me,” he said.

“There’s going to be a big change with the club and I think maybe it will happen next season.

“If I’m in those plans, we’ll find out. Who knows? I’m 37 so maybe they want to look a little younger.”

Cole is enjoying his spell in the MLS (Getty)

Galaxy’s failure to qualify for the play-offs, coupled by concerns over the impact of new Los Angeles-based MLS franchise LAFC, is expected to see the club bring in a raft of fresh faces over the winter.

After long-term transfer target Zlatan Ibrahimovic penned a new contract at Manchester United, the five-time American champions are still in desperate need of added quality after last year’s departures of Gerrard and Robbie Keane.

But Cole has been one of their few consistent players this season and revealed that if he does stay put, then it won’t necessarily be the final year of his decorated playing career.

“I don’t want to put a number on it,” said Cole.

Keane and Gerrard both left at the end of last season (Getty)

“I’m just disappointed we’re losing, but I want to keep going until my legs actually give out. Thankfully they haven’t given up just yet.

“My legs feel okay. Maybe the head feels a little bit tired, but I’m enjoying football whether we win or lose. I love the game.

“I only want to stop when my heart for it finishes.

“It’s been a terrible season . Now we start again next season and hopefully do much better at home to change what we did this season.”

Off-the-field, Cole has found himself at home in LA too, alongside girlfriend Sharon Canu and their 18-month-old son Jackson.

He attracts far less attention than some of his Hollywood neighbours and is looking forward to a four-month break from competitive action.

“Yeah is long, but hopefully I’ll find a few gardens to clean, a few friends to take around the park!” he added.

“I’m happy I get to spend a little bit longer with my son and get ready for next season.”

Reuse content

Source link

http://www.manutdnews.online/?p=8936

[workreveal-blog]

Movie star Ryan Reynolds Is back with another movie called Life

New Post has been published on https://workreveal.biz/movie-star-ryan-reynolds-is-back-with-another-movie-called-life/

Movie star Ryan Reynolds Is back with another movie called Life

As lots as Lifestyles might sense like a “big” movie, it’s nonetheless one which takes place nearly absolutely internal or just outside the distance station with just the small cast of 7 to eight characters created. Due to that, it’s greater about introducing the characters in a manner that gives every team member a particular field of expertise that makes them beneficial to the assignment, all of them laid out pretty definitely as they’re added.

life poster

It’s intentionally more claustrophobic than something like the current Passengers, However, also, there’s particular interest in detail and authenticity to make this extra grounded in real science in place of simply being something fantastical and difficult to swallow. In that experience, Espinosa does a high-quality process with the fabric, making the movie sense bigger with nicely-choreographed movement sequences and creating the tautest of hysteria the usage of the tune and modifying.

As some distance as the actual alien, it’s a fascinating little bit of super-sturdy protoplasm that looks as if a starfish At first But then grows into the dimensions of an octopus, becoming stronger and smarter As it becomes acclimated to its environment, making it even extra lethal. The CG creature is so correctly included into the units and with the actors that it in no way must be hidden in the shadows to make it scarier.

As you might imagine, the crew is picked off one by one, leaving a couple of them to figure out the way to Break “Calvin” As it turns into apparent that the authorities on this planet might Smash the ship in preference to permitting it to attain earth.

The film ends with the kind of cliffhanger we’ve come to assume from thrillers in recent times wherein there’s no definite conclusion, despite the fact that leaving matters open-ended in reality Gives capability for another tale if the filmmakers select to move that path. (You can still presume that they do.)

For diehard lovers of technology fiction, Existence is a welcome boost to the style, Even though it could now not be as enjoyable to mass audiences because of the Martian or others, in particular, because it is slower and more grounded in truth than the technological know-how fiction films to which cutting-edge fans have to end up accustomed.

It’s very hard to believe that a movie referred to as Lifestyles can scare the hell out of you. However then perhaps the title of the film is deliberate – the real Life may be horrifying when you least assume it to be. And that’s perhaps what the makers of this modern sci-fi space thriller are trying to tell us. Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Life stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds and Rebecca Ferguson inside the lead at the side of Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare and Olga Dihovichnaya. You have seen the trailer and knew what the plot is all approximately – a group of astronauts discovers an alien organism from Mars. However earlier than they may have fun over their discovery, they realise that the plant is distinctly smart and will prevent at nothing to strengthen its survival, despite the fact that it way killing of the distance ships inhabitants. Now the survivors have to plot a way to include the organism inside the spaceship and not let it get entry to Earth.

It changed into difficult to tell who become more excited in the Zach Theatre for SXSW’s last night time international gold standard of “Existence,” Saturday evening time in Austin, Texas: the electrified target market or its bright stars. Hundreds of humans lined up to look Daniel Espinosa’s new space mystery and even stayed afterwards for a lively Q&A with the cast, director, and writers of the movie.

Life was given a restricted release in America and reviews had been pouring in for the film, most of which can be quite fantastic. The film’s setting and the treatment has been praised, at the same time as the critics additionally felt that the director did a great job of giving every actor same prominence in the story. So despite Reynolds, Gyllenhaal and Ferguson are the huge names within the film, it doesn’t imply that they may make it to the end. On the disadvantage, the 1/3 act is said to be disappointing. Right here are some of the reviews about Life…

Den of Geek

“Nevertheless, no matter its flaws of characterization and structure, Existence continues to be a laugh, an inch-deep But serviceable monster film that stars one hell of a creepy advent (Calvin has a manner of wrapping a pseudopod around a person’s arm or leg that made even this hardened horror fan a little squeamish). The horror components of the film may additionally outweigh the loftier sci-fi ideas that fleetingly floor Here and there within the movie, yet Calvin will get a grip on you that’s hard to shake. Lifestyles can be more B-movie than traditional. However, it’d now not be sudden to see a “restored deluxe edition” show up as a Scream Factory Blu-ray 10 or 15 years from now.”

Range

” Existence’s a thrill when it’s smart. However, it’s even more thrilling when the characters are dumb — that’s, in the end, a paradox the film wears proudly, to the viable extinction of the human race. Working in its favour is a global cast — even extra inclusive than “The Martian’s” multiculti assist crew — with the brought bonus that everybody, not just white-boy A-listers Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds, has a significant role to play.” 

movie

Hollywood Reporter

“Like Scott’s authentic film, that is an ensemble affair whose cast of characters dwindles in number at a regular clip. Distinctly, the best-regarded individuals of its cast are not necessarily MVPs: even though they’ll have extra to do, A-listers Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds check in no more solidly as wonderful characters than, say, Ariyon Bakare’s Hugh Derry, the scientist who makes the first touch with the alien, and shortly regrets it.”

ComicBook.Com

” Existence is sci-fi thriller at its first-rate. It’s terrifying. The film is a non-stop thrill journey, with high stakes, terror, and final moments around every nook. You’ll need to buckle up and in no way look again with this movie, because it’s the most exciting experience to the movies seeing that Alien. Director Daniel Espinosa crafted a film, not like anything you’ll have experienced earlier than it. ”

Spider-Man 3? Why might we need to relive that film? Ryan Reynold’s new movie Lifestyles reuses a clip from Spider-Guy three as one of its brief response photographs. Perhaps they used it because each person blocked Spider-Guy 3 from memory so that they didn’t assume all and sundry could be aware.

Sadly for the director, Redditor Too much soul stuck the reused scene (Too much heart, be honest… Are you a massive Spider-Man 3 fan?) used in Existence. The site in the query is one of some bystanders reacting to Spider-Man rescuing Gwen Stacy pictured underneath. Life is technological know-how fiction movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds aboard the international area Station. They have got located proof of extraterrestrial Existence on Mars and are undertaking research on a subject. Of course, it wouldn’t be a sci-fi thriller without a twist… Or a canned response shot from a 2007 movie.Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, and the relaxation of the cast walked the carpet for lovers before watching the tense flick in the front of a target market for the first time. Within the movie, a global institution of astronauts are incredibly joyful to find microcellular Life in a dirt sample from Mars, however, are horrified to conclude that the organism is extra hostile than to start with suspected. Gyllenhaal and Reynolds, who walked the carpet together and were cracking jokes in the course of the panel discussion later on, expressed their excitement for the film and their admiration for his or her director and the relaxation of the team.

Movie star Ryan Reynolds

“[Espinosa] opened his coronary heart to every one of us for my part and sincerely loves his actors and wants to recognise us as people, now not simply as a community,” stated Gyllenhaal. “Those men apparently placed the maximum exceptional branch heads in each role in this film, so anywhere you appeared you were running with a legend each on and off the camera,” delivered Reynolds. It becomes apparent that, in spite of the anxiety of the real film, there has been a real experience of camaraderie on set. The forged laughed approximately continuously bumping into each other even as striking round on wires even as mimicking zero gravity during filming. “There have been several instances after I went right into Rebecca’s bottom,” Gyllenhaal recalled.

“We had been giggling all of the time. None of us, aside from me, takes themselves that critically,” the actor introduced. “So there has been a truly superb spirit on set the whole time.”

Ferguson echoed that sentiment. “I saw the film a couple of weeks ago and that I realised that something I saw turned into now not what I felt while capturing the film,” she stated. “It became an entirely familiar, fun environment. A lot of jokes, Quite a few practical jokes, and then you put a piece of sound on it and Bob’s your uncle, you’ve got a thriller.”

[gameandburger]

Re-Themed: Of Meesa and Mon(sters)

Wave goodbye to the real world, and maybe Whoopi

As anyone with a view of the Anaheim skyline can tell you, change is coming on the horizon. What was once a dilapidated and destroyed burbank hotel is slowly becoming a vibrant, pipe-filled futurist display tower. The decision to put the Tower under the knife to forgo its haunted 30’s TV serial and take on a surprise smash hit IP from a couple of years ago has left people in a large spectrum of emotional outcry. Some are furious, others are tentative, and some (albeit more rarely) are outright happy and 100% confident about the re-theme. Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether or not this is a bad move. While some would say it's wrong to judge a book before it's published, it can atleast be agreed that this type of decision isn’t unprecedented.

Disney, despite what some may believe, runs on a budget. The parks division may generate the bulk of the company’s finance (Disneyland specifically), but no one has unlimited money, nor unlimited space (Disneyland specifically). Some of the best E ticket attractions to ever come to light are wonderful new experiences, even if they do share the building of a former one. New systems aren't cheap, and neither are new show buildings, and with those two factors combined it's no wonder why the board of investors likes the sound of re-themes. Afterall, an attraction is the summation of its parts, and simply changing the IP of a ride can do wonders in making an aging attraction fresh again without throwing out the bath water with the baby.

Whether or not you agree with that notion, Disney has seemed to follow that line of thinking for quite some time, and there are numerous examples that were rethemed for a variety of different reasons to varying degree of success. So to try and polish that old crystal ball and armchair imagineer try to predict the Tower’s destiny, I’m going to start a series of articles that go over the many rethmes Disney has pulled off over the years. Without Further ado:

STAR TOURS:

Initial condition: popular

The shocking twist: YOU were part of the movie the whole time!

Star Tours was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. People loved the thing, even if (at the time) it wasn't Disney. It was a fun ride that was not only a good thrill, but an economic one for the park. The show building was small, but the capacity of the attraction was high, and offered guests a chance to live through the greatest sequences of the movie, including one of the most satisfying climaxes to grace the silver screen. It went on to dazzle guests for 23 years.

In 2010, it was decided the best way to continue the adventure was to go backwards. Not in quality mind you, but in movie lineage, which means forwards in our time, since the prequels come before the original trilogy in the movie universe but in our universe they were made several years after the original trilogy but did bad enough where some people don't consider them happening in any universe, Lucas nor reality. Still with me? Good, things get complicated from here on out.

The new ride was a prequel to the original ride, where the host of the old version was finally thrown out for being defective in the original version of the ride that hasn’t happened yet because this ride takes place before episode IV (which is the first Star Wars Movie) and the old version took place during episode IV since this ride takes place after the prequel trilogy, but don’t worry, this new old new old old new attraction will surely knock your socks off with both experiences new and old! Unless its past 2015, in which parts of the ride inevitably involve time travel as you're whisked away to scenes from Disney’s newest blockbuster, star wars episode VII.

Where ARE the breaks?

In all honesty, I don’t expect you to have understood or even read the above 2 paragraphs, just as Disney does not expect guests to have the experience match up with the movie. Its really a nitpick, as the overall experience is solid. New effects, 3D technology, and randomized story paths help make the re-theme stand out, and the new Star Tours continues to have long lines, even if Disney continues to use the ride as an (albeit very fun) advertisement for its new Star Wars movies.

And Who can really call the remodel a disappointment? While none of the sequences come close to the climax of the original Star Tours, they did the best they could with some of the worst IP they've ever had to touch: the prequel trilogy. I’m sure I don’t need to explain how reviled these movies are, so the fact that a re-theme from a cinematic classic to a pile of lucas ooze didn’t fail is a miracle worth celebrating by itself.

Final thoughts? While many have a fondness for the old version, the new version built a mighty fine attraction without a good IP to stand on, and the random elements make the ride a worthy E-ticket attraction.

Here Lies REX; 1987-2010: He never could find the brakes.

Current State: Popular

SUPER STAR LIMO: Next stop, Monstropolis

Initial condition: Awful

Hey look, its the place we got stuck on traffic on the way here!

DCA upon opening was often championed as the worst use of a parking lot, and perhaps the most egregious example was SuperStar Limo. This dark ride featured a cardboard stylized Hollywood with “”Celebrities”” that were dated by 2001, who appeared as puppets that live comfortably in the uncanny valley. As if Drew Carey wasn’t scary enough, wait until you see the miniaturized, big headed, freaky puppet version! It's not certain if any imagineer thought this was a good idea, but Eisner could pretend he was a real celebrity while riding it, so it made the cut for opening day.

Surprisingly, not the only place you could wave to Whoopi in DCA

Super Star Limo was the first of many, many closures that would hit DCA. Turns out people prefered nothing to TMZ Puppet Hell: the Ride. And nothing was all visitors got in that show building until 2006 when Monsters INC rolled into town. The ride system, track, vehicles, and whoopi goldberg were reused in this re-theming. Even some of the “dark tunnels” where your agent previously harassed you were intact (although your agent was fired by now). While some people are disappointed by the small space given to the rides scenes, absolutely nobody sees this attraction as a step back.

Final thoughts? Many people like Monsters inc, and nobody likes SuperStar Limo. Some may be disappointed in Monsters as a modern day dark ride, but everyone can agree that this is at least a better use of a parking lot.

Recognize anyone? Wave hi if you do...

Current State: Good. Definitely better.

The list of attractions is very large, and I want to thank the users at MiceChat who are helping me keep track of all the re-themes that have happened! Next time I’ll be back with more attractions to discuss.