#i think the actress does a fantastic job with the role--for what there is of it

[about-faces]

Batman: Caped Crusader, Episodes 1-2 thoughts (SPOILERS)

First things first, Harvey is as bad as I’d expected. I honestly can’t tell whether this is worse than the version we got in the last Timm-produced animated Batman show, “Beware the Batman.” That Harvey was a humorless prick straight out of the William Atherton school of jerkasses, while this one is a smug sleazebag who would be someone you’d love to hate if he weren’t also a complete inversion of a great tragic hero turned villain.

I’m just so sick of people portraying Harvey as a politician first and foremost, performing for the cameras and thinking about his career ambitions. I’m sick of him being a corrupt asshole and even an authoritarian. I’m sick him being two-faced, when the irony of his character is that he himself never WAS. Now that that’s out of my system, I’ll move on, because I know he has an arc in store that may prove more interesting than the usual Asshole Harvey takes.

They tried several things with the Penguin, and I’m not sure they gelled into anything that worked for me this time out. Making her a woman, that’s no problem, and I appreciate her classic style and appearance in a time when everyone just wants to turn Cobblepot into a boring Tony Soprano knockoff.

Ultimately, though, it all just served to make her a standard “Ma Barker” archetype. You know, the alleged matriarchal crime boss who was killed by Hoover’s FBI, who may have dragged her name through the mud to excuse their killing of an old woman? There used to be several takes on her in pop culture, although nowadays the only famous one is probably Ma Beagle from “DuckTales.”

With that in mind, they should have just cast Margo Martindale. Excuse me, didn’t use her full name: Beloved Character Actress Margo Martindale. Minnie Driver is a fantastic actress (I’m still mad that “The Riches” was not only cancelled but totally forgotten), but it was a waste not to let her use her real accent. As it was, she was fine, but she didn’t bring anything special to match the physical design. As an actress, she deserved more to play with.

Also, “Oswalda” is a terrible fake name. Like come on guys, you can do better. That’s on par with Revolver Ocelot’s real Russian name being “Adamska.”

The biggest problem with this take on Penguin is that she’s set up as some kind of brilliant mastermind, only to act incredibly stupid, reckless, and gullible. She kills not one but two innocent goons, including her own son, without so much as an investigation or even keeping tabs on the suspected rats to use them as pawns against Thorne! To paraphrase Dijkstra from the “Witcher” books, you don’t kill spies, you USE them. You feed them misinformation! You blackmail them into being double agents! This Penguin is bad at her job, so no wonder she loses everything within hours. It’s amazing she was able to build a crime empire in the first place!

I also dislike Bullock being a corrupt cop in the mob’s pocket. That fits Flass perfectly, but Bullock? Fuck no. Bullock IS dirty, but he’s dirty in a very acceptable way to cops. He’s brutal, he cuts corners, he’s crass, and he’s probably not above planting or concealing evidence, but selling out to the mob? Hell no. That’s just wrong. Hate that choice. Unless it’s a misdirection. This show sure does love its misdirections from what I’ve seen so far.

Batman himself is… fine. He’s Batman. He’s not a bad Batman. He’s serviceable but unremarkable. But at least he wasn’t an irritating asshole, which is more than I can say for most Batman depictions these days. I liked Bruce trying his “falling off a boat” joke a second time, delivered verbatim after it flopped with Barbara.

Barbara being a defense attorney is a rather contrived choice, one that gets to put her at odds with Harvey while also giving her a professional in with both Batman and Gordon. Essentially, she’s in the role Harvey Dent is supposed to play. Except here she’s a defense attorney, which SHOULD put her at odds with her dad, since lawyers and cops don’t seem to like one another, for SOME reason!

And Harvey, even as District Attorney, can’t be in the role of legal ally to either Gordon, because the story is far more focused on making him a mayoral candidate who throws people under the bus for his own advancement! Feh.

Anyway, that was episode one. It was fine, I guess.

The screenplay is by novelist and DC veteran Greg Rucka, so of course Renee Montoya is the central focus. Seeing her interact with Sleazebag Harvey gave me war flashbacks to what Rucka did with Renee and Harvey in the comics: setting them up with a poignant dynamic of tenuous respect and kindness before dashing it all with “Gotham Central: Half a Life,” which solidified the perception of Harvey as a creepy, obsessive stalker for a generation of fans. That version of them was very much of display here. Sigh.

Also, Lucius Fox is Bruce’s lawyer now? Why? And also, what the hell? God, poor Lucius. He starts off in comics as the guy actually running Wayne Enterprises, then “Batman: The Animated Series” makes him Bruce’s right-hand-man, then Nolan and Goyer get the inspired idea to make him the Q to Bruce’s 007, while the comics don’t know what to do with him and even make him an authoritarian to cause friction with his vigilante son, and now this? It’s such a random choice. There’s no reason why this character should be Lucius. Hell, Lucius could have shown up there WITH the lawyer and that would have been fine. As it is, it’s just weird.

That said! I overall liked this episode an awful lot! For DECADES now, I’ve wanted to see someone remember that Basil Karlo was an older actor in the classic horror movie vein (his name is literally a combination of Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff), but ever since “Batman: The Animated Series,” everyone has just tried to make him BTAS’ Matt Hagen. Like, I really liked the “One Bad Day” issue for Clayface, where he gradually killed his way to the top of Hollywood stardom, but even that was still BTAS Hagen, the Serious Actor, not Karlo, the old horror ham actor.

But with this episode, someone finally drew on the old Hollywood horror roots of the character, and they found a way to combine his shape shifting abilities into the mix! I’m so happy!

Of course, this is me, so I still have criticisms. Like, I think it was unnecessary to frame it as a mystery, because that added unnecessary complications. I know the original Clayface story was a whodunnit and you can’t do that now that everyone knows that Karlo is Clayface. I was annoyed by the misdirection of Karlo’s “death,” in part because I feared this would be another Clever Subversion, just like how the animated adaptations of “Gotham By Gaslight,” “Hush,” and “The Long Halloween” purposely went against expectations from the source material in stupid ways. Hell, they’re doing the same thing now with Penguin (“But wait, there’s a twist: she’s a woman!”) and Harvey (“But wait, there’s a twist: he’s an asshole!”), so I was afraid this Clayface would end up being someone else entirely. I was okay with it in the end, but I’m annoyed at the cheap fakeout as a plot point.

Furthermore, I don’t get why Basil disguised himself as the doctor (whose name I don’t remember) for the benefit of the actress (whose name I don’t remember) he had chained up in his hideout. What benefit was there in making her think he was the doctor? She was already aware she was a prisoner and was scared, so why the facade? It served no purpose in context, only just to misdirect the viewers.

This is what happens when you try to make something a mystery when it would work better as a thriller. Stop trying to wow audiences with twists and surprises when you could just be focusing on telling a good story. So what if everyone figures out Karlo is Clayface? Who cares! Just go with it! Let them be in on it while Batman and Montoya figure it out themselves, that’s where the tension lies! Stop trying to be clever.

Regardless, I really liked this episode. I want this to now be the canon comics origin for Basil Karlo’s Clayface. Just explain that the treatments for his face gradually affected his whole body, and boom, you’ve successfully explained how classic Slasher Clayface became Mud Monster Clayface. This is how Karlo should always be written from now on. If you really want a sensitive, angsty lug Clayface, bring back Hagen. Let Karlo be the gloriously hammy monster with aspirations of stardom.

[emilykaldwen]

Do you mind please telling why you don’t like penelope on bridgerton?

I was all on board with Penelope in season one until we found out she was Whistledown, and then the way it had been presented over the course of season two just left an increasingly bad taste in my mouth. I get feeling like an outsider, not belonging, etc in the society that she lives in absolutely, but there was the story about Marina's pregnancy only because Penelope was jealous, it wasn't actually about Colin. Not to mention the way the casting of the show happens, it shows that Penelope has been consistently targeting POC in the show and it just doesn't look great.

Then in season two, it just felt worse. She was on a power trip, popular as Lady Whistledown, and popular over spreading gossip overheard about these people. Things that she and Eloise would look down on Cressida Cowper for, but she was making money off it. It's just so gross to me. And then what she did to Eloise.

You know how you save your friend? By fessing up and accepting the fallout, not fucking ruining her potentially forever in the eyes of society. Like, Pen would rather destroy Eloise's life rather than own up to writing the gossip paper.

I'm fine with making mistakes, I'm not okay with not owning up to them and accepting the fallout. I would be way more accepting of Penelope's 'redemption' if she wasn't acting woe is me about it, and writing about herself in the whistledown. It just came off as the way people write apologies but it's not an apology, it's a manipulation tactic - and one that I felt she was signalling to Eloise. Who did come, and told her don't be so hard on herself.

But Eloise has every right to move on from this friendship. Pen broke trust, she lied for years, she said terrible things about people Eloise cared about - it doesn't matter what's true and what isn't, I just don't think you should do things like that.

I'm also bothered by this romance storyline happening right after this fallout, rather than some time down the line when we could see Penelope have time to grow that's longer than 7 months between seasons.

Nicola Coughlin is a fantastic actress, and I fucking adore her, and I think she does a great job in the role, but man, I'm not a Pen fan.

(obviously, YMMV, I just wish Penelope would own up to the choices she made and the ramifications of them and moving forward from that.)

[velvetstreets]

Can I request a Jack Harlow imagine where him & the reader (who is a famous actress) are broken up & in an interview that she does she hints how Jack is still the love of her life & later they see each other at a red carpet & he asks her about that & asks her out again & they start rekindling things. Smut is very much welcomed if you’re comfortable with that :)

A/N: girl you sent this so mf long ago, im so sorry for getting to this so late! But I loved this concept and didn’t wanna let it go. Hope I did this justice <3

None of the people in my writings portray the actual people I write about! It’s all a work of fiction, I have no idea how they are/act irl.

Warnings: lovers reuniting, drinking, swearing, smut!, oral sex (f! recieving) penetrative sex (f!receiving), creampie, mushy ‘i love you’s 

————————

It had been a little over a year since your public relationship with Jack ended. You both loved eachother dearly, but at the time, your lives were going in separate ways. He was constantly busy with performances and touring, flying all over the world; and your acting career had taken off, being dragged all around the country for filming. In the end, you barely saw eachother, and it just wasn’t working for either of you, so you both amicably agreed to end it. 

The heartbreak tortured you for a few months. You threw yourself into your work, wanting to cloud your mind with anything but Jack, yet somehow it made you think of him more. With some time and comfort from your friends and co-workers, you had felt the pain less and less, until one day you woke up and finally felt like your old self again. As much as you loved him, keeping him at arms-length via social media was too much for you. You’d send eachother ‘happy birthday’ dm’s and ‘congratulations’ texts for eachother’s accomplishments, but that was it. You didn’t allow yourself to keep up with him, only hearing things about him via industry talk and the radio of course. That was the one thing of him you allowed yourself to keep; his music. It was your guilty pleasure, something to remember him by. Though the heartbreak was agonizing, you were eventually grateful for it. Not only did it help you grow in your personal life, but it helped your work life as well. The performances you gave became critically acclaimed, earning yourself an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Because of this, you were offered more exclusive roles, bought a new apartment, and were finally feeling happy again; the first time in a long while. 

Currently, you were seated on a set, being interviewed by Vogue about your life and your upcoming projects; amongst other things. 

“So the rumors are saying that you might be starring in the next season of Euphoria. Is that true?” the interviewer asked. 

“I can now finally confirm, that that is true!” You said as she cheered and the two of you laughed together.

“How was it working with Zendaya?” 

“She’s absolutely phenomenal. As an actress, as a person, as a friend, she’s just the best. Super super sweet and down-to-earth, and fantastic at her job. It was an honor working along side her and the rest of the cast.” 

“That sounds fantastic. We all can’t wait to see you join the story. Now just a little side-step from work; are you dating anyone? Maybe someone by the name of Mr. Omar Apollo perhaps? Or Drake? We’ve seen those cozy flicks of y’all together, are y’all just friends or maybe something more?” She pressed. 

“Oh no, I’m not dating anyone. I’ve kinda left the dating world for a little while, just focusing on me. Omar and I are good friends, nothing else. And Drake is like my older brother! I’d never date him, especially since he’s good friends with my ex as well, I could never do that.” You answered honestly.

“Speaking of Jack Harlow.., what happened, how did that end?”

“Let me put it this way; we both agreed to end things. Our respective careers were taking off, and we both agreed that it was just best for us at the time to not be together. It’s all love though, I think he’ll always be one of those people for me - I could never not love him. He’s a great person and was a great boyfriend to me, definitely showed me that I was capable of loving someone, as well as capable of being loved. And I’ll always be grateful to him for that.” You said, forcing the lump in your throat down. You felt hot after belting your heart out a little too loudly, but you pushed your anxious thoughts away, getting back to the interview at hand. 

--

It was now a month after the interview had aired, and you had let it wash off your shoulders. You were proud of your genuine honesty, and continued to focus on you. Currently, you were getting ready to attend the Billboard Music Awards as a plus one, courtesy of your close friend SZA. You were excited to let your hair down a little, as well as overjoyed at the possibility of SZA winning a few awards for her album SOS. 

SZA was dressed in a sleek black halter dress with a thigh-high slit, which accentuated her minimalist aura. You were styled in a black Mugler dress which had a plunging neckline, and different cutouts down to your hips - similar to that of Megan Fox’s. It showed a little more skin than you were used to, but it was absolutely gorgeous; and SZA declared she wouldn’t leave to the event if you didn’t wear it. So here you were, downing a couple of glasses of champagne in the back of an SUV with SZA, trying to calm your anxiety while singing and rapping along to her ‘get lit, get rich, make u wanna kiss’ playlist with her. 

“Are you sure about this? I could just sneak in the back and meet you in there-” you started to nervously ramble. 

“Bitch, are you kidding me? You look fucking phenomenal, ain’t no way in hell I’m letting you sneak off. This is a ‘need to be seen’ outfit, and you’re gonna be seen! It’s gonna be just fine, we’re in this together. Anxiety can’t get to us if we’re a team baby.” She reassured you. 

You smiled at her before bringing her into a hug; you knew she was anxious about the interviews she had to do on the carpet, and she knew red carpets always made you anxious, with all the pictures and yelling that there was.

“Love you.” You said holding out your hand to do your little friendship handshake you had with her.

“I love you more.” she replied, doing the handshake. “Now drink up girl, these events take forever so it’s more fun to be a lil’ drunk.” she winked at you. 

You cheered together, and continued vibing until you turned to corner and pulled up to the carpet. You got out and SZA took your hand, leading you to the carpet. She held your hand the entire time, poking at you and whispering jokes and comments to you, making you giggle and forgetting about the anxiety you had. You made your way down the carpet, pausing to be photographed every few feet, some alone, and some together with SZA. She did a few short interviews with you by her side, and you chimed in every so often a question or comment was directed to you. 

You were finally feeling a little more relaxed, and then you saw it. 

Small brown curls belonging to a tall figure making their way down the carpet; you couldn’t see them yet, but you knew who they belonged to. You heard the screams of his name from the paparazzi and fans, the flash of the cameras going off, and finally, a path cleared and you saw him in the flesh. 

He wore a sleek black suit and shoes - Prada most likely, his diamond encrusted PG ring gleaming in the lights, KY chain peeking out, and his dazzling smile. 

You felt like you were going to pass out. You weren’t ready for this, you had expected to bump into him at one of these industry events at some point, but it still caught you off guard. Your heart was pounding out of your chest at this point, and you felt panicked. You felt someone squeeze your hand, bringing you back to reality, and SZA gave you a knowing smile. 

“Just breathe, Y/N. I got you. Don’t forget you’re the motherfuckin’ prize. Whether or not he had you once before, you stay being the prize.” she told you. You looked and nodded at her words. “I’m the prize.” you reiterated and she nodded and smiled. “Keep that in mind, cause he’s coming over here now.”

‘Oh fuck. Okay, here we go.’ you thought. 

“Y/N?” his sultry Kentucky accent flooded your ears for the first time in a while. 

You turned around with your head tilted upwards, familiar with his height, and met his eyes. 

“Jack. It’s good to see you.” You said warmly with a soft smile. He bent down for a hug and you embraced him before pulling apart; his hands stayed curled around your wrists. 

“It’s good to see you too, been a while. You look beautiful.” he admired. 

“Thank you, so do you. No glasses?” You joked, noticing his favorite Prada glasses were nowhere to be seen.

He laughed and shook his head with a smile. “Nah, not this time. Felt a lil’ douchey of me to wear ‘em today. Plus, now I can admire the beauty more clearly.” He said, admiring your face and its features. You blushed, internally screaming at the warm feeling that erupted in your tummy. 

“Well it was nice seeing you, we should head inside-” You spoke, turning a little, insinuating to leave. 

“Yeah, I’ll see you in there. Maybe we can catch up a little.” He said hopefully. 

“Yeah, yeah for sure.” You said, smiling before saying goodbye and heading into the venue with SZA.

She gave you a teasing knowing look. 

“Shut up, don’t say shit.” You tried to hold a grin back from her.

“I ain’t say nothin!” She laughed at you. You rolled your eyes and laughed, giving her a small shove. 

--

SZA had won the three awards she was nominated for, and you couldn’t be more excited and proud of her. It was a true accomplishment, and you wanted to celebrate, so you told her you were getting her a fuck ton of drinks. She tried to stop you, telling you you didn’t have to, but you were set in your decision. 

You headed to the bar and ordered a bottle of champagne and a few shots. You checked your phone as you waited, until you heard a voice behind you. 

“I saw your interview.” Jack’s voice spoke. You turned around and saw him leaning against the bar.

“Oh you did, did you?” You asked. 

“Yup.” He said with a smile. 

“And what’d you think?” You asked, heart pounding against your chest. 

“Can’t believe you forgot to mention what a great chef I was too, besides a great boyfriend.” He joked. 

“Your peanut butter chicken says otherwise.” You giggled.

“I stand by that recipe! It’s a classic, your tastebuds just weren’t on my side.” he chuckled, stepping a little closer to you. 

“No but for real, I thought you were amazing - as usual of course.” He smiled at you. “I’ve missed you. Like alot.” he said fiddling with your fingers. 

“I’ve missed you too, Jack. Like alot.” you repeated his sentence. 

“I’ve done alot of growing since we broke up, had time to focus on my career and tour and all that stuff, and I know how to handle it better now.” He stated. “But I haven’t been happy. Not like when we were together.” 

“Jack, you just won two awards tonight.” You reminded him. 

“And I’m still miserable.” He countered. 

“M’not gonna ask you to just jump into a relationship with me again, that wouldn’t be fair. But, if you’re willing, I’d really like to take you out on a date. Privately, just us; I wanna show you the kind of man I am now. Show you what you deserve. And we can see where things go.” He said, eyes gazing into yours, his hands now in yours. 

You let the shy grin spread across your face. “I’d really like that, Jack.” you said, his face lighting up. He engulfed you in a big hug, kissing your forehead. You smushed your face against his chest, your hands gripping his back as you sighed deeply. You had missed this. Missed him. Missed his smell, how he felt, his voice, all of it. The two of you stayed like that for a little while before you pulled apart. 

You silently stared at eachother, re-familiarizing yourselves with one another. Your eyes gazed over the freckles that adorned his face, his perfectly trimmed beard, his soft brown curls that perfectly framed his face. 

“Fuck it.” you whispered, and pulled him into a kiss. Maybe it was the alcohol, or the butterflies in your stomach that gave you the courage, but you didn’t care at this point. You had missed him so much, and clearly so had he, so why deny yourself the simple pleasures in life?

You felt Jack relax into the kiss, one of his hands coming up to cradle your face as the other one was set on your waist, pulling you impossibly closer to him. He hummed in relief, soft lips parting and meshing, parting and meshing, like he had been deprived of the meal that was you - which he had been. 

“Thank fuck, I’ve been thinking about this all night -  all year really-” Jack said inbetween kisses. You giggled, letting out a “me too” before kissing him again. 

The kisses started to get a bit heated, so you pulled away, reminding the both of you that you were at a public event. 

“Let’s get outta here.” Jack murmured, kissing and nipping at your neck a little. 

“Jack, you’re still up for another category, and I’m here with SZA, I’m not gonna just ditch her.” You huffed. 

“I don’t care, I’ll have someone accept it for me, just wanna be with you. Plus, looks like she already knows.” Jack nodded in SZA’s direction. 

You turned around, and saw SZA, now with Lizzo sitting next to her, the both of them smirking and winking at you. You grinned, and turned back around to Jack. 

“Stay here, I’ll be right back.” you told him, grabbing the drinks you had ordered. 

“Go do your thing, I ain’t goin nowhere without you, baby.” Jack said, unable to stop grinning. 

You bit your lip, smiling at him before turning around and heading back to your table. 

“Hey girlfriend.” SZA and Lizzo said simultaneously, with a teasing tone in their voices. 

“Hey y’all-” you responded, setting the drinks down on the table. 

“Soo-” you started before SZA cut you off. 

“Girl we already been knew, go ‘head, get your man back.” She squealed at you. You laughed and hugged them. 

“Take the bottle too, have fun.” she told you. 

“No! I bought that for you! It’s your night-” You tried to reason with her, but she wasn’t having none of it. 

“I got my awards baby, I’m good. Now go get that man!” She urged you. You told them you loved them and said your goodbyes, champagne bottle in hand as you made your way towards Jack. 

“Ready?” he said, taking your free hand in his.

“Mhmm.” you looked up at him and he gave you a kiss before leading you out the venue. 

The two of you snuck out into an SUV, which would take you to Jack’s hotel a few blocks away. Jack popped the champagne open and gave you a sip before taking one himself. 

“Missed you, my lil’ Movie Star.” he said caressing your leg, leaning into your side.

“Missed you too, sweet face.” You smiled, kissing his cheek a few times, making Jack blush. 

--

Jack was on you the second the elevator doors closed. He quickly lifted you up in his arms, setting you on the small steel railing of the elevator, pressing you into the corner to hold you up as he attacked your neck. 

“Fuck Jack, so good-” you sighed, wrapping your legs around his hips, bringing him closer to you. 

“God, I’ve missed this so much; missed you so much-” he groaned, grinding his hips into yours. His mouth was everywhere, on your lips, your neck, your cheeks, your breasts, he couldn’t get enough of you. 

The elevator dinged, signaling you were at his floor. He reluctantly got off you, and you whined. 

“More-” you pleaded before he sat you down, heels hitting the floor.

“We’re almost there princess, cmon.” Jack took your hand in his and lead you out the elevator and down the hall to his room. He struggled with getting his room key out his suit jacket as you kissed his neck, licking and sucking, wanting all his attention. He finally pulled it out and opened the door, letting you in first. 

As soon as the door slammed, he was on you again in a flash. Your back was up against the wall as he kissed you; it was needy and passionate, just how you liked it.

“Cmon, cmon, bed sweetheart, bed.” He said, lifting you in his arms again, giving your ass a smack, and you squealed, laughing with him. 

He gently dropped you on the bed, and you laid there for a few seconds as he took in the sight of you. 

“So beautiful.. so fuckin beautiful, and all mine.” He said before climbing onto the bed, slotting himself between your legs, kissing you. Every kiss felt electric, like the second you were apart felt like you were losing energy, but when he kissed you, you were refilled again. 

“Jack, please, I need you.” You moaned. 

“Okay baby, I got you.” He promised.

He swiftly got you out of your dress, and got out of his suit. He gently hung your dress on the back of his door, after you pointedly told him to be careful because ‘its Mugler’. Jack walked back to the edge of the bed, and knelt down, his arms sliding under your thighs and pulling you closer to him. 

“God your pussy smells fucking delicious, can’t believe I’ve gone a year without her.” He groaned before leaning down and licking a stripe up your folds. 

“Oh fuck-” you squirmed in delight. 

He attached his lips to your clit and began sucking and licking, making a wet mess of you. 

“Missed this sweet pussy, you taste so good, Y/N.” he rambled. You whimpered at that, eyes squeezed shut in pleasure, biting your lip so hard you didn’t understand how you hadn’t drawn blood yet. 

“Louder. Let me hear you, baby.” Jack ordered before going back to making out with your pussy.

You did as he wished, letting your moans free from your throat, completely falling into the feeling he gave you. 

“Attagirl.” He growled, nuzzling his face further into you. 

Your eyes rolled back when he finally fucked two fingers into you. The stretch of his girthy digits rubbing against your walls threw you into the deep end. 

“Fuck, yes! S-so close Jack, please, please l-let me...” you cried out. 

“Cum for me, cum for me pretty girl.” Jack commanded. 

That was all it took before you felt the tidal wave of your orgasm crash over you. You felt your legs shake, and writhed around in the sheets before your comedown approached. 

It was silent except for your heavy breathing, but you felt Jack move up into the bed next to you. 

“I wish you could see how you look right now.” Jack broke the silence. 

“How do I look?” You said panting, one eye opening and peeking up at his boyish face. 

“Ethereal.” he sighed softly before pressing a kiss to your lips. “Like an angel. My angel.” he said. 

He stared at you for a moment, and you could tell he was holding back a little, he wanted to say something, but was a little nervous about it. 

“You can say it. Tell me, Jack.” You reassured him. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to stay. You won’t scare me easily.” you smiled at him, kissing his bare shoulder. 

He took a deep breath before looking at you again. 

“I love you.” he confessed. “I love you, haven’t stopped loving you since we broke up.”

“Wanna know something?” You asked him, scratching his beard lightly, just the way he liked it. 

“Mhmm.” Jack purred, urging you to continue. 

“I love you too.” You said with a grin. “Never stopped.” You whispered before pulling him into a loving kiss. He hummed into the kiss, and you felt him smile as he rolled over onto you. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you.” he told you, kissing you deeply. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you.” you repeated back to him. You felt a weight off your chest now, reveling in the shared love between the two of you. Everything felt right again. 

“Off-” you whined, your foot digging at the elastic band of his boxers. 

“Anything, for you.” He declared, sliding his boxers off. 

Jack laid back down between your legs, and wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him back into a sweet kiss. Jack started to grind his dick against your folds, tip hitting your clit over and over again. The room filled with moans and gasps, your slick completely coating his cock. 

“Jack, please, I need you, please put it in already.” You whined desperately. 

“Okay baby, okay.” he kissed you. 

He leant his hips back a little before slowly thrusting into you, his thick tip stretching you out deliciously. You let out a sigh as he bottomed out, and your mind went fuzzy. Jack stayed like that for a minute, letting you readjust to him as he kissed your neck and face, humming to himself and whispering ‘I love you’. He started to move, groaning at the way you squeezed him. 

“Fuck, you feel so good.” He praised, as he slowly thrusted into you. 

“God Jack, you’re so big- f-fuck..” you moaned, clawing at his back. 

“You take it so well; so fucking well. Breathe. Breathe with me baby.” he encouraged you, leaning his forehead against yours.

“Let me see those eyes. C’mon baby, let me see you.” He begged in his raspy voice. 

You opened your eyes to meet his, full of love, nudging his nose against yours before speeding his thrusts a little. 

“Fuck, just like that, yes Jack-” you cried out. His tip was hitting that spot in you, and you were close. 

“Good girl, I can tell you’re close Y/N, squeezing me so fuckin’ tight.” he coaxed. 

“This is yours, all yours, you deserve this.” he kept babbling. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head at his praise, he always knew the right things to say. “Cum for me sweetheart, give it all to me.” He told you. 

You cried his name out as you felt your orgasm crash over you again. A tear slipped from the corner of your eye as you laid in the euphoric feeling. You could tell Jack was close as his thrusts were starting to falter, and he started to babble more. 

“Who’s pussy is this? Hmm?” He said, grip on your hip tightening as he pounded into you, brows furrowing in concentration. 

“S’yours, daddy. S’your pussy.” you gasped, encouraging him.

“It’s daddy’s pussy? S’daddy’s cunt, yeah?” Jack asked, tugging at your lip with his teeth. 

“Yes, all yours Jack, m’all yours-” you told him, keeping the eye contact. 

“Fuckfuckfuck, m’gonna cum-” He told you.

“Cum in me, Jack. Want you to cum in me.” you whispered, to which Jack let out a growl, his grip on you tight as he finally came with a broken groan of your name.

You stayed like that for a few minutes, heavy breaths and sweaty bodies, completely engulfed in eachother. Peaceful, that’s what it was. You felt peaceful as Jack left soft kisses up your neck and jaw, and you raked your nails against his scalp, making him purr. 

“I love you.” He finally spoke. 

“I love you.” you responded.

He kissed you once more before finally pulling out, and you let out a gasp as you felt his cum leak out of you.

Jack had a prideful smile on his face as he watched it happen. “So fuckin’ hot.” he smeared his cum against your clit, making you whine from the sensitivity. 

He laughed and got up, peed, and then came back with a warm wet washtowel. He cleaned you up, and kissed your knee whilst doing so. 

“C’mon, go pee.” He tapped your thigh, pulling at your arms to sit up in the bed. 

“Mmmm, tired.” You said, leaning your head against his shoulder, and he put his arm around you.

“We’ll cuddle after, I promise.” He said kissing your hair. “C’mon.” he said. 

You tried to stand but your legs buckled, much like a new born giraffe, and you fell back into his lap. 

“Oops. Sorry bout that, lemme help you.” he laughed, carrying you in his arms as he brought you to the toilet. He sat you down and you peed, cleaned up, and then he picked you up again, carrying you to the bed.

Jack wrapped the two of you up in the sheets, and snuggled with you, letting out a content sigh. 

“So much for taking it slow.” You giggled. 

“Don’t care, you’re mine again. Slow, fast, I don’t care however we do this, I’m not letting you go this time.” He laughed beside you, pulling you closer into him. 

“I love you.” He said. 

“I love you too.” you smiled at him. 

“I can’t get enough of you saying that. Love it.” he gushed. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you, Jack.” you nudged his nose with yours, kissing him softly. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you, Y/N.” he repeated back to you, giggling and cuddling until you both drifted to sleep. 

------------------------------------------

Tag list: @hoodharlow @moody4world @watercolorskyy @lcandothisallday @harlowthot @triplexdoublex @thinkingaboutjharlow @bbyharlow @jackharlows-world @primadxna-girl @curlyhairclub @dessmxsworld @inluvwithladybug @babyharleezy @thysagclub @harlowcomehome @rebelxsun @jackharloww @harlowsbby

[jazy3]

Wonka (2023) Movie Review

I went to see the new Wonka movie over the weekend and I highly recommend it! First off, it’s a musical! The marketing for the movie here hasn’t been making that clear at all which is a shame because it’s delightful! The movie made me cry and laugh out loud right off the bat. It’s the first movie that’s made me feel like that in a while. If you loved the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder you’ll like this one! It’s got the same vibe and spirit to it and the characters feel like ones you’d find in a Roald Dahl novel. It’s a great movie to take your kids too as well!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

In the film, Willy Wonka is an aspiring magician, inventor, and chocolatier. He arrives in Europe to establish his chocolate shop at the Galeries Gourmet. Armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, he manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time. He arrives in Paris and after using up his meager savings is coerced into staying at Mrs. Scrubitt's Boarding House by a man named Bleacher who turns out to be her henchman.

After falling into misfortune, he hatches an escape plan and with the help of his newfound friends finds a way to finally bring his chocolates to the masses and free himself and his friends from captivity and oppression. The movie is designed to be a prequel to the 1971 Classic but set in Paris and depending on your interpretation either pre-dates Wonka’s arrive in England or is set in an alternative timeline or universe.

This movie pulled on my heart strings and made me genuinely cry within the first few minutes. It also made me laugh hysterically! The comedic timing was great, and Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa was hilarious! I loved the back story they created for the Oompa Loompas about how they came to work for him and why they’re so loyal. It was way funnier and a lot less offensive than I was anticipating. I was worried they’d create a back story for them that would come across as prejudice and offensive, but they didn't. They found a way to make the interactions between Wonka and Hugh Grant’s character funny without being offensive.

What really makes the movie work is Timothée Chalamet’s performance. It turns out he’s a surprisingly good singer and you definitely buy him as Wonka! He brings the same sort of mischievous spirit and kindness to the role that Wilder did but puts his own spin on it. Calah Lane, the actress who plays Noodle, his main collaborator in the film, was excellent! She’s definitely one to watch! The movie featured Colour Blind Casting similar to how characters in the Shonda Rhimes universe are cast. So think Bridgerton meets Whimsical Musical. Speaking of which, Abigail the giraffe totally stole the show! An excellent addition to be sure!

The supporting cast was fantastic! Jim Carter, best known as the Butler from Downton Abbey plays an Accountant; Rowan Atkison, best known as Mr. Bean, plays a corrupt chocaholic priest, and Mathew Baynton from Horrible Histories plays a chocolate shop owner who’s a member of the city’s chocolate cartel. Fellow Horrible Histories alum Simon Farnaby plays Basil, a bamboozled Zoo security guard, Colin O'Brien from Dear Edward plays a young Willy Wonka, and Sally Hawkins plays his mother.

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith does an excellent job of playing a police officer with a conscience working in a corrupt system overrun by chocoholics! Keegan-Michael Key plays the corrupt and totally inept Chief of Police, and Olivia Coleman rounds out the cast as the despicable Mrs. Scrubitt! Part of the reason the characters feel so authentic to Dahl’s work is because they are based on characters from other stories of his. Paul King, the Director, worked closely with the Dahl Estate, and Dahl’s grandson Luke Kelly served as a Producer. The trio of villains known as the Chocolate Cartel were inspired by Boggis, Bunce, and Bean from the Fantastic Mr. Fox and the character of Mrs. Scrubbit was inspired by Dahl's short story The Landlady.

Some of my favourite lines of the film were:

“Judgement has come in the most unexpected way!”

“It's a ruined castle.”

“That does defy explanation.”

“Shouldn’t we be focusing on all those unsolved murders?”

“He doesn’t even work here!”

I thought the movie did a really good job of depicting Parisian culture and how expensive everything is! In real life Paris is beautiful but there are so many things that the movies get wrong about what Paris, France as a whole, and French culture is actually like. In real life, things in Paris are very expensive, you have to be warry of pick pockets, and you have to be careful as many of the people you’ll see have an angle or are trying to get something from you or make money off you. I loved that they found comedic ways to show that while also highlighting just how beautiful and charming the city can be.

I found the back story as to why Wonka hates Slugworth so much and their rivalry really interesting. I wasn’t expecting it and I was pleasantly surprised. The implication from the film, if you take it to be a prequel, is that while Slugworth’s co-conspirators Fickelgruber and Prodnose were finished for good after being exposed he eventually rebuilt his empire which is why the rivalry between himself and Wonka continued. I did find it strange that when they went looking for Noodle’s mom, they just went down the list of people with that name instead of starting with the librarians and book shop clerks in town when they know she was a bookworm based on what Slugworth told them.

I loved the castle building sequence at the end! Although I was a bit disappointed as I thought we were going to see how Wonka expanded his operation to London at the end. FYI there’s a cute little bonus scene soon after the credits start so stick around for that! I loved the epilogue song and them taking the time to tell us that there was going to be bonus content and a post-credits scene right after the bat so you didn’t have to sit and wait for it. If you like musicals and loved the original movie I really recommend this one!

Until next time!

[sunshine-tattoo]

something I never understood about the (admittedly wonderful) baby doll episode of batman the animated series was why baby doll never played children's roles in more adult media?

like her whole thing was about being taken seriously in her craft as an actress. fine got it.

but there are a multitude of roles out there for children that aren't dumb sitcoms.

drama. Horror. Science fiction. Dark fantasy.

all of these genres have films and TV with amazing characters, including children, giving stellar performances.

hell im watching Aliens (1986) right now and the little lady playing Newt does a fantastic job as a young actress.

why didn't baby doll try roles like those? Instead of jumping right into Macbeth?

yes it sucks that as a little person she can't get adult roles. it is bigoted and fucked up.

but it shouldn't stop her from pursuing other roles.

especially since film directors would probably LOVE to have a trained grownup actress playing a child because it would nearly guarantee an excellent performance. Cause kids, like critters, are notoriously tough to work with in film.

like I totally get baby dolls motive in the episode. It makes sense.

but I also have trouble feeling sympathy for her character when she didn't seem to look into other options for her career.

I dunno what do yall think?

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Portrayals of Mina Harker

As I said in my past list, the famous Van Helsing is actually NOT the main character of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” He’s the leader of the team, sure, but he’s more along the lines of Merlin in Arthurian lore, rather than the main protagonist proper. It’s hard to say who the main protagonist of Dracula is, really, since the structure of the book makes it rather ensemble in nature…but if I had to cast a vote, I’d probably say that Mina Harker (nee Murray) is the best option for that role.

I say this because, in the same breath, I would also say that Mina is one of the most maligned characters in all of literature, and certainly in the long history of Dracula. And not just in adaptations, either: even the novel ITSELF shortchanges Mina by the end of the book. In the novel, Mina is intended to be Stoker’s idealization of the “New Woman,” a concept prevalent in Victorian times: a feminist icon who is still good at heart, and still able to have feminine leanings, but is also just as competent, willful, intelligent, and interesting as any of the male characters in the book, if not more so. She’s one of the most proactive characters in the novel, as she and Van Helsing are really the ones who lead the charge against Dracula. She’s even the one who helps lead the other characters to the vampire in the climactic final chapters…yet despite this, she plays almost no role in the final battle against the Count. Neither does Van Helsing, for that matter. They just…kind of watch the other characters take care of things. 

On top of that - and this is something critics have pointed out many times since the novel’s publication - this “strong working woman’s” oh-so-glamorous job is…being a secretary. And Stoker’s cast tries to build that up as if it’s something to be REALLY freaking proud of, as if Mina is the world’s coolest gal because she’s so good at this particular job. There’s nothing wrong with that profession at all, of course…but I think most can agree that’s not really the kind of work that those in favor of the “New Woman” ideal had in mind, then or since.

These flaws are fairly minor in the grand scheme of the novel, I would argue…but one could see them as portents of the mistreatment Mina has suffered in adaptations and reimaginings since. Many versions of Mina depict her as little more than a damsel in distress; a much weaker character who ultimately is only there to be saved by the rest of the cast. Others take the liberty of crafting a romantic subplot between herself and Dracula; sometimes this angle CAN be interesting, if it’s handled a certain way, but I often feel it’s a total misunderstanding of the intent behind her character. Plus, it makes things difficult, since Mina IS a married woman (or at least engaged, depending on the version you look at), and I think most of us can agree that creates some questionable subtexts. Even her NAME is subject to mismanagement: in some adaptations, Mina is referred to as “Lucy,” while the Lucy character is swapped to “Mina,” which only confuses things more. With all that said, there’s no better way to look at how Mina has evolved over the years than for me to present the versions of her I like most from all the Dracula-related stuff I’ve gathered. (pauses) Well, actually, there probably ARE better ways, but this is my technique. So, having rambled all your ears off by now, let’s waste no more time: here are My Top 15 Portrayals of Mina Harker!

15. Agnes Moorehead, from the Mercury Theater Radio Version.

Moorehead, of course, is a fantastic actress, and her performance, on its own accord, is pretty good. However, the Mercury Theater’s treatment of the novel’s plot - which had to be highly truncated for time - means that the character doesn’t even appear till I think about halfway through the entire production. As a result, a lot of what makes Mina so interesting isn’t really present in the radio show. Still, hearing future Endora as Mina makes for some interesting listening, if nothing else.

14. Kate Shindle, from Dracula: The Musical (2011 Studio Cast Recording).

Frank Wildhorn’s musical version of Dracula has a LOT of problems, not the least of which being the way it treats Mina’s character. This is one of several versions that tries to create a romance between Dracula and Mina, and in my opinion the execution of this concept here is…well…not the greatest. Tie this to some of the musical’s other flaws (there are several), and you can see why she ranks low. However, I will give credit to Kate Shindle - an actress I admire greatly, who has worked on several Wildhorn projects - for her work in the role on the 2011 Studio Cast Recording, who probably made this role work about as good as anybody reasonably could manage.

13. Melissa Stribling, from the Hammer Horror Films.

Hammer’s first Dracula film, “Horror of Dracula” (as it’s known in the states), is quite possibly my favorite Dracula movie of all time. (“Favorite.” Not “best.” I will always contend that there is a difference.) With this in mind, I’ve always felt mixed feelings about Mina’s treatment in the movie. Actress Melissa Stribling does a very good job, and I will say this is one of the first versions of Mina I think of when I think of the character’s name. HOWEVER, her ultimate role is essentially just being “the housewife,” so to speak: she isn’t nearly as proactive as in the novel, and while she does START to turn thanks to Dracula in the film, we never get far enough to see the full contrast between her true self and her half-vampiric change, which I’ve always felt to be one of the most interesting parts of her story arc. Also, it’s worth pointing out that the Hammer version (for reasons no one can explain whatsoever) swaps characters around: everyone has their names right, but for some reason Mina is depicted as Arthur Holmwood’s wife, while Jonathan Harker is instead engaged to Lucy. One of many times where characters are fiddled around with for no apparent reason, as you’ll see.

12. Maria Rohm, from the 1970 Jess Franco Film.

Rohm’s Mina is one of the stronger versions on this list, as she is counsel to just about everything the men do in the story, tries to save Lucy from Dracula, and even interrogates Renfield at one point, nearly getting killed in the process. However, much like in the novel, she’s ultimately shortchanged by having basically nothing to do with the Count’s final defeat, and I personally felt still more could have been done with the character than the film ultimately tried. It’s hard to explain, but I just don’t feel I can, in proper conscience, place her higher.

11. CindyMarie Small, from Dracula: Pages From a Virgin’s Diary.

As I said on my previous list, in this surrealist dance-based motion picture, all of the male characters from the story are depicted as…well…creeps and jerks, to put things in the kindest possible words. As a result, the two primary female characters - Lucy and Mina - take center stage as the true heroines of the story. In Mina’s case, she proves to be the stronger lady, as - after being kidnapped by Dracula and whisked back to his Castle - she is able to resist the vampire’s temptation and actually helps the men take down Dracula. In fact, one could argue it’s really Mina who is responsible for the Count’s defeat; she doesn’t drive the stake through his heart, but the men could not have done it without her help. Ironically (and intentionally so), the men take all the credit despite this, and still treat Mina like a child or a trophy in the end. Ah, the patriarchy of Victoriana…what foolery…

10. Helen Chandler, from the 1931 Film.

Chandler’s Mina is arguably one of the weakest versions of the character on the list, so it’s probably surprising for many to see her so high up. Well, the fact of the matter is that I really like the classic Universal version of Dracula (despite the fact several elements of it have admittedly not aged very well), and - much like Stribling - Chandler is one of the first versions of Mina I think about when I utter the character’s name. In the Universal film, Chandler’s Mina is very much depicted as a damsel in distress; ironically, it’s LUCY who is depicted as more of a “modern woman,” despite smaller screentime. (More on that another occasion.) Instead, Chandler is more of the typical society lady: repressed, glamorous, and idealistic. Dracula’s corruption of Mina, turning her into a vampire and causing her to become attracted to him (in here not so much a love story so much as just another way of him controlling her), is symbolic of the vampire’s influence corrupting her innocence and the order of society as a whole. While this is totally NOT what Stoker’s idea for the relationship was (this is actually more what he tried to do with Lucy than with Mina), I do like Chandler’s performance. She goes through various stages, from a prim and proper young lady to someone more playful and sensual…and finally seeing her go into vampire mode, where she behaves more like an animal than a human being with a deeply unsettling, predatory slowness that really plays into the idea of the undead. Not accurate at all, but very unique.

9. Lupita Tovar, from “Spanish Dracula.”

For those who don’t know, the “Spanish Dracula” is the colloquial reference to the Spanish-language version of the classic Universal film from 1931. Due to the technical and budgetary standards of the time, whenever a movie like this was going to be released to other countries, instead of doing dubbing or subtitles, studios would basically just make the film all over again, using the same sets and often a lot of the same costumes, but now with a different cast and crew all speaking that language. Tovar’s Mina - or “Eva,” as she’s called in the Spanish version - is honestly more interesting than Chandler’s. Tovar’s Mina is more vivacious, youthful, and has a sort of fiery quality to her performance, which becomes downright manic and feral when she goes into vampire mode, making for a more memorable character, in my opinion. It’s the same basic character, but much less “stiff.”

8. Minnie Mouse, from Disney’s Dracula, Starring Mickey Mouse.

Here’s a shocker for you: this might be one of the most book-accurate Minas, in some ways, on this entire list. No joke. One of the things I love about the graphic novel version of “Dracula Starring Mickey Mouse” is that the people who made it clearly loved the original book and gave it a VERY thorough read. A lot of the humor and intrigue in the comic comes from stuff that you will only get if you actually read the original book. Case in point: Minnie makes for a PERFECT Mina Harker, as, like Mina, Minnie - by typical default - is able to be romantic and sweet, but is also perfectly capable of standing up for herself and won’t hesitate to give somebody a piece of her mind if she needs to. She has the same role in the storybook version, which is only appropriate.

7. Greta Schroder, from Nosferatu.

It’s weird that the Mina character from the very first true Dracula film (not counting the lost film “Dracula’s Death,” which is a whole other can of worms) is still one of the best, in my opinion. In the 1922 German Expressionist classic, the Mina character is “Ellen Hutter,” the wife of Thomas Hutter, the Jonathan character. She is once again the main character; a woman pure of heart (film’s words, not mine), who is tormented throughout the film by the vampire’s powers. Yet she struggles on, determined to find a way to destroy the vampire herself, ignoring her husband’s fears. Eventually, she finds out the only way to defeat Orlok (Dracula) is to sacrifice herself, and does so to save her hometown. Admittedly, she’s also shown fainting about…five times throughout the picture, but to be fair, if I had to deal with a vampire like Orlok, I’d have trouble staying conscious, too.

6. Ellie Beaven, from the 2006 BBC Radio Version.

Honestly, not sure what to say about Beaven’s work in the BBC Radio version. (Obviously, no, she is not in costume for Mina in this image, but she certainly looks like she’d fit the bill there.) I just think she does a really good job, plain and simple. Also, this is one of two versions I’m aware of where Mina and Lucy are depicted as being sisters, instead of just being best friends. Doesn’t really impact the story, but the other one was also made by the BBC. You may now insert the “If I had a nickel” meme here, if you care to.

5. Winona Ryder, from the 1992 Film.

I really struggled with where to place Winona Ryder’s Mina in the ranks here. Some people will probably think she’s much, MUCH too high up, while others will think that, despite making the Top 5, she’s too far down. I actually used a method a friend suggested: looking at the highest placement I could put Ryder’s Mina at for me, and the lowest I felt was earned, and finding the median between them. That median just so happened to be either 5th or 6th place, and between Ryder and Beaven, I do think I prefer the former SLIGHTLY (though, once more, I'm not sure why), so fifth place it was. Ryder’s Mina tries to combine the strong, independent, capable, charming lady from the book with a raw, sexual edge and a romantic daliance with Dracula, and…in my opinion, the result is something of a mixed bag. As popular as this film is, and the way Mina and Dracula’s romance is depicted, I actually feel the writing is clumsy on Mina’s part, in terms of her motivations and the way her relationships with other characters are depicted. HOWEVER, I think that Winona Ryder gives one of her absolute best performances in this movie, and her work as Mina is probably the first performance of hers I think of when I think of the actress. She manages to maneuver skillfully through the clutter and creates an interesting character to watch as a result. Ultimately, Number Five just felt like the best balance between the pros and cons for me.

4. Kate Nelligan, from the 1979 Film.

When it comes to versions of Mina who have a romantic daliance with a more sympathetic Dracula, I think Kate Nelligan was the first…and I would also say that she was the best. I should point out, on that note, that this film is one of the ones I mentioned before where the names of Mina and Lucy are switched: Nelligan’s character is NAMED “Lucy,” but the actual character HERSELF is clearly meant to be Mina. Apparently, this change was made simply because the writers liked the name “Lucy” better, which…is a bit of a dumb reason, in my opinion, as it just makes things more confusing, but whatever. I’m going to continue to refer to the character as “Mina” here, for consistency’s sake. In my opinion, Nelligan’s version succeeds at what the Ryder version (among others) would later try to accomplish: depicting Mina as a strong and competent woman who can stand up for herself and has full agency in her life, while also creating some interesting tension by having her form a romantic attachment to Dracula, and ALSO still having her relationship with Jonathan ongoing. How did they do this? Eh, watch the movie yourself to find out and see if you agree; I haven’t got time to go through it all here.

3. Isabelle Adjani, from Nosferatu the Vampyre.

Just like our previous pick, this version once again reverses character names, with this character being called “Lucy,” even though the actual role is clearly that of Mina, and vice-versa. It also came out the same year as the previous pick, 1979. (Again, insert “if I had a nickel” meme here.) This remake of “Nosferatu” (the first of no less than three, the other two of which have yet to gain public release) expands on the version found in the original film, showing even more of the character’s struggles as she tries to combat the vampire, even having her directly confront Dracula at one point. Interestingly, Dracula is depicted as a sympathetic character in this one, but he and Mina do NOT have a romantic interest in one another; that’s very rare in adaptations. Just like in the original version, Mina ultimately sacrifices herself to stop Dracula, and since Dracula is depicted as a sympathetic antagonist as well, that makes the ending all the more tragic.

2. The Version from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

If there’s one way to make Mina independent, it’s to completely separate her from the rest of the cast in “Dracula.” I’m talking about the comic version here, by the way, not the one played by Peta Wilson in the 2004 film adaptation. While Wilson’s Mina isn’t BAD, per say, she is…very, VERY different from the one in the Alan Moore comic series. In the original comics, Mina is actually the leader of the titular League. She has no powers in the comics, but is instead depicted as a capable and charismatic leader, as well as a surprisingly gifted strategist; after her adventures in the novel, Mina has actually become an even stronger woman than before, and shows no fear in the face of opposition from characters like Mr. Hyde or the Invisible Man. She forms a unique romantic relationship with Allan Quartermain, and has some…COMPLICATED feelings in regards to her past, and especially towards the (presumed late) Count Dracula. Again, the movie version isn’t necessarily bad on her own merits, but the comic is definitely a more interesting character between the two.

1. Judi Bowker, from the 1977 BBC TV Film.

This TV production is quite possibly the most book-faithful adaptation of the novel ever put to the screen. By extension of this same fact, Bowker’s pretty-but-not-prissy Mina is quite possibly the most accurate interpretation of her character ever put to the screen, as well. The only major change for her character is that this is the other BBC rendition I mentioned where Mina and Lucy are made to be sisters, rather than just best friends, but this really doesn’t cause a HUGE impact on the story. Indeed, Bowker’s Mina even gets some slight IMPROVEMENTS from the original, as she and Van Helsing take direct part in the final battle, instead of just watching it happen like in the novel. Easily the best Mina onscreen, bar none.

[variousqueerthings]

also did in fact get to watch the west end cabaret, and i did enjoy it (i live in a world where my mum occasionally visits and takes pity on a poor soul and so we go watch a musical) but i think all of what i was concerned about with it was correct. so pros and cons. or cons and pros, hm... pros and cons...

pros:

sally bowles was spot on -- cara delevigne is currently playing her, but not when i was watching, which im kind of relieved about. im sure she does a good job, but a-list hollywood star and model cara delevigne is going to have to work double-time to convince me she's a struggling overwrought undertalented average british woman (while still belting out those higher notes and being the most captivating character on the stage). i liked the actress who played her A Lot, she tapped into all of that perfectly, and i liked that she took the seemingly impossible middle-ground between a liza minelli and a jane horrocks and was both punky and able to convince me that she wasn't that good at performing in the story, while still giving an actually amazing set of performances

the whole kit kat bar Gang so to speak was amazing, i enjoyed every one of them. they were all fantastic and vibrant, while giving a modern-married-with-classic queer feel in their outfits and introductions that updated the visuals in the opening number to a more overt genderfluidity than ive seen before

the pre-show + interval immersive experience was probably my favourite part of the whole thing. entering down a side entrance into a cellar and seeing performers as you wander through various sections, and then during the latter part of the interval the performers bringing some of the more daring audience members onstage and interacting with the various rows. made it feel like not just a musical, but an actual club

frau schneider and herr schultz were great throughout, my other favourite performances of the show. the place where it found its realism most effectively and of course where the politics is most at the forefront, wonderfully depicted by the two actors

cliff bradshaw is the most thankless role in any iteration, so shoutout to making him pretty likeable -- my guy will never be memorable, but that of course is not the point. he's the camera

cons:

the marketing of being "the most exclusive club in town" was giving a whole vibe of elite, difficult-to-gain-access-to, rich, that just... isn't correct. and i mean, the tickets are fuckn expensive so, it really is all of those things, which was my immediate kneejerk reaction to the show long before i ever watched it: is this show for a queer audience, or is it for people to gawk at queers? (but make it musical theatre and polished, no messy realistic queerness). and you can never know if an audience is majority queer or not, but i will hazard a strong... not. and also a strong "very few people under the age of 35 who would have to really save up to watch this show" as well

to add to this point -- i was watching with my mum, her boyfriend, and my godfather (all middle-class and middle-aged straight people in their own right, but youknow. i suggested the show), and during the interval i asked them about how they felt about the tone so far, mentioning that i found it interesting in contrast to the 1993 version, which was quite grimy-looking, and my godfather said that yeah, it was sultry, but it wasn't cabaret clublike -- and i just. if he noticed that. everything was a bit too polished, and too pretty (with, in my opinion, the exception of the portrayal of sally). i just think it's a fundamental misjudgement of who cabaret is about (club performers and sex workers with no money) and also, in my opinion, who it ought to be for

the emcee... ohhhh the emcee. i mean, okay. i took an instant dislike back when it was edd*e r*dmayne, everyone who knows me knows i think that guy has the charisma of a wet sponge and needs to stop poking his fingers in seminal queer narratives, but the fucking... party hat. this show definitely made it clear that it's not just the actor, it's the way it's put together. funny thing was, one of the ensemble performers (played bobby) took charge during the interval (when the actual emcee is presumably off having a big costume change), and i thought, "now that's the emcee," and it wasn't actually any of the performers' fault. i dont think the emcee actor had the look, but that aside, this show had no idea what to do with the character, it's like they didn't give him any kind of grounding at all. a series of nonsensical costume-changes, popping up haphazardly outside the cabaret (but not with any kind of consistency) a sort of... wheedling, un-directedness to the whole thing. he was disconnected from any kind of time (20th century or today), any kind of place (club, stage, in or out of the cabaret), any kind of anything, and it was the costuming, the way he'd been directed, and the lack of consistency for when he appeared. he was almost meaningless to the story

the politics -- speaking of the emcee -- were really weirdly stripped. the big points are there, it's berlin, people want to party and ignore the nazis, and then two big Moments happen (the engagement party, the rock through the window) that indelibly remind people that antisemitism cannot be ignored, and that this is coming, whether you want it to or not (and eventually it's coming for the denizens of the kit kat club too). but other than that, nothing in the way this was put together felt very cognisant of wanting to either get into the idea of nazism of the 1930s or fascism today. there was a kind of vague effigy performance of "tomorrow belongs to me" with figures that looked like they were saying something about conformity, and at the end of the play everyone is dressed in the same, somewhat bland suit, so the message is... idk. conformity makes the world worse, i guess. beyond that single scene with the swastika revealed at the engagement party, we never see one again, which may have been an attempt to point out how people hide behind the idea of "just politics," but with the way the whole thing was staged (this rich, luxurious location) came off to me like it was letting the audience off the hook -- it's still a story, we're telling it to you as gently as possible. it just felt so timid! all the imagery -- like the emcee himself -- is beautiful and un-grounded, only just enough about something to tell the story without being too disquieting

good example is the money makes the world go around song. the emcee comes up in a goth "harem-like" outfit, with a sort of shiny, rib-cage looking harness, clown make-up, black stormtrooper-esque helmet, loooong shining nails -- there's 5 different things going on here, none of which are grounded, they're just... pretty. give a nod to ideas about wealth, and starvation, and nazis, and (hopefully intentionally) appropriation/exotification, and something queer-esque. look, a man with bedazzled nails singing about how money makes the world go around, at a show where the tickets are fuckn expensive, but he's not singing about that, he's not singing about today, or the past, and in fact the number is so overproduced (all the other performers have taken off their homage-costumes to the 1920s/30s and are now in a generic wavy dress outfit, and they're all over the stage, doing the most, distracting from the words) that you can't take in of the words with what's happening onstage

i hated hated hated those conformist suits at the end. what were they on about???? conformity takes the glitter out of things idk?? fascism. talk about modern day fascism. or hell, lean hard into a story about 1930s fascism if you're not comfortable confronting this audience properly, but just... don't be generic

which also, minor gripe time now, but there's this whole plotline in the musical that's deliberately set up at the beginning -- sally has a beautiful coat. the metaphor of trying to polish up her life on the outside, of refusing to acknowledge the deeper issues, not just with the world, but with herself, that she's poor, she's not entirely sure how long she'll last for or what's coming next, so hey, make it a party and look beautiful... that whole setup is important for when she sells the coat to get an abortion! and they have the setup in this version, but then seemingly forget all about it at the end? the coat they reference isn't the beautiful, expensive fur coat she walks in with in the first act, it's this random suit-coat she's been dressed up in for the finale, it misses the whole point. i say minor gripe, but it does feel like a microcosm of so much of this show. it refuses, ironically, to go any deeper. it still fundamentally wants to make sure the audience is comfortable by defanging as much as possible all the little things that add up to one great big picture

gosh it was long. it was -- with interval -- two hours, forty-five minutes. maybe that's why it felt like it lacked purpose, it seemed like it wanted to pack in every version of the story into one, and again, sally at the centre really makes this obvious, because as much as i think the actress was pitch perfect, i definitely saw the ways this particular version repeated sentiments about her over and over so that she became softer, sweeter, like the rest of it palatable. the most uncomfortable she makes you is during her first performance and everything beyond that is just showing how sympathetic she fundamentally is, how hard done by, feel sad for her. like a victorian morality tale, rather than a 20s portrait of complex, flawed people, and it goes on and on and on with that same tangent

think it was a mistake to fire her at the beginning and thereby take her out of the kit kat club -- disconnects the club from the story, so we're just randomly going there sometimes for a song, and then back to the more grounded narrative, then back for another song that loosely comments on the scene we just watched. again, this goes back to the emcee being kind of nothing and sally being taken out of the club, so that there's barely any blend between the plot and the cabaret setting, either through interference of a godlike emcee, or by sally just going to work

this a bit vague, and not quite sure if i mind or not, but cliff was played by a black actor, and the thing is of course that in the story cliff is targeted by a nazi as a guy he can trick into smuggling illegal materials for the nazi party from paris into berlin (until cliff catches wise and tells him to go to hell). and i felt like there's an added ickiness to all of that if cliff is black, that is never really explored in this iteration (nor the fact that he's being hit on by a slew of white men and women). obviously this isn't the original text, so whether or not to bring that forward in this version, to comment (subtly or not) on racial attitudes of the 20s/30s as another form of mirror to today, is very much up to the show. then again, maybe this time isn't original to the text either and they included that as well, so could have been an opportunity if they really wanted to change something up for this specific iteration

In conclusion: really, very beautiful show, with great performers, that ultimately rang pretty hollow and didn't attempt to interact with the material from a modern lens beyond the trappings. save me from generic upscale "queer" imagery made palatable for non-queer audiences. clown emcee can't hurt me, he isn't real

[uniiiquehecrt]

It bums me that the Sonic VAs got nothing for the Sonic movie. At least the Mario one gave Charles Martinet something to do even if they're side characters. Mike Pollock has been voicing Eggman since Shadow the Hedgehog and he got Jack. Same with Smith and Griffith. Could have at least had Knuckles dad be played by Dan Green or Travis Willingham or something (note I love Christopher Lloyd)

Oh trust me, my friend, I am right there with you. It gets worse with the addition of Tails. He is still voiced by his og actress, Colleen O'Shaughnessey. And let me tell you right now, the difference in talent and competency when you put Tails and Ben Schwartz into the same scene together is night and day. (Here's their literal first scene together to prove it.)

(And to anyone who thinks I'm giving Mr. Schwartz a hard time... i mean, fair enough. I am. But you can't tell me he has given ANYTHING to Sonic that he didn't already do in DuckTales (2017) as Dewey Duck, and as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein before the both of them in Parks &. Recreation, which is the entire point of why I viscerally dislike him as a voice actor very specifically. It'd be fine if he stayed in his lane, you know, as a comedian, but he didn't, so he's getting my full criticism. Especially where Sonic is concerned.)

Jason Griffith most likely would have been pleased to come back to Sonic. I mean he voice acted for the guy for seven years and is HIGHLY beloved by the Sonic fandom to this day. Especially for his work on SonicX. Roger Craig Smith is IMMENSELY talented and has been voicing Sonic for over ten years now, and is so good at his job that he is STILL voicing Sonic despite the franchise's setbacks and his own announcement of leaving the role. Because he's good at it and he's passionate about it. (I personally love RCS more than Jason. Not that Jason is bad by any means but RCS is underrated imo.)

I'm not as well versed in this, but there's ALSO the fact that Knuckles' voice actors didn't get hired to voice the echidna either. They hired Idris Elba, and some people were saying was going to be fantastic in the role, and you know what? In my opinion, he sucked. He absolutely bombed it. And I say that knowing how well he does on screen in an acting role because I have watched him play Heimdall for 10+ years. He HAS talent, but is NOT a voice actor. And he certainly is not a good fit for Knuckles the Echidna. He didn't even come anywhere close to emulating Knuckles' voice.

And then you get the argument of "oh but the voices don't have to be the same" — my sweet summer children... The joy of voice acting and animated characters is that it DOES all come down to the voice and the voice matches the character design. The voice is the ENTIRE SELLING POINT. You don't get the voice right, then the entire acting fails and no animation talent can save it. It sucks but it's true. (As someone who had to struggle to find a fitting voice for my thesis' film's main villain this is such a priority that people overlook. Good enough isn't good at all.)

Honestly though, the real kicker here is that the Sonic franchise should never have been a "live action" film at all. I loathe "live action remakes" of animated films no matter what they are. I especially hate CGI/live action fusions that make that the selling point when Roger Rabbit proved that it can be done much better with 2D/hand-drawn animation. (To a lesser extent: compare the og. Space Jam with the remake, or even Space Jam with the og Smurfs. The quality difference all these years past is not even comparable.)

Also, it's not even a "live action remake", because, spoiler alert, the characters are still animated and no amount of life-like special effects will change that.

Hollywood (and America as a whole) needs to quit disrespecting animation and calling it "for kids" when it is a medium. It always has been.

[romancomicsnews]

Who should play Supergirl in the DCU?

One of my favorite characters in the Superman mythos is Kara Zor-El AKA Supergirl. She embodies the values of the El's in a way Clark can't because, well, she was there. She knows Krypton, she has seen it destroyed, and is more of an immigrant to Earth than Superman.

Supergirl is a character built on loss, loss of a home, loss of time, loss of her culture. But she is also built on finding hope after, and becoming something greater than she could've ever imagined because of her losses.

The last daughter of Krypton is set to make her DCU debut in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, based on the comic of the same name. I'm excited to see David Corenswet and whoever takes on the role be my favorite cousin hero duo.

I thought I would give my choices on who should play the Girl of Steel, what characteristics I want to see, and who they should emulate from the past.

Past Live Action Depictions

While I know she has depictions in film from Helen Slater and in Smallville by Laura Vandervoort, I don't have strong opinions about either performance. So I will be pulling from some others.

Melissa Benoist

Melissa Benoist is Supergirl.

She has the right balance of kindness and strength that a El needs to work. More than that, Benoist was inspiring like a Supergirl should be. I don't think we've gotten a better live action look at the Els than her and Tyler Hoechlin.

I also loved that she wasn't an entire retread of Clark. Yes she was also a reporter, but she wasn't a bumbling fool. She was cute and charming and Kara, and just a different type of confident as Supergirl. We need someone who can be confident, charming, and believable as both.

Kara also brought the pain of Supergirl, the loss, just as much as she brought the comedy. We need a real talented actress who can do it all.

While her fighting could've been more believable (it's the CW so it's tough), I think this is a fantastic version of the character, and should be the blueprint.

Sacha Calle

While I was not a huge fan of The Flash film, Sacha Calle was a delightful surprise. Of the 3 leads (4 leads I guess cause Ezra twice? Great job DC), she is the least utilized, but with what she is given, she is very good.

While we don't get the hope, we definitely get the trauma and pain, and you feel it through her entire performance. While she doesn't feel like Supergirl we typically know, she does feel like the version that would be Henry Cavills cousin.

She also has a brutality to her that I'd like to see more of in live action. I like the idea of when she gets there, it may be harder for her to hold back given all her trauma. I'm not sure if that's the intention, but that's what I picked up.

While she wasn't an exact Supergirl, I think she captured the spirit of the character, and if they decided to bring her back for Woman of Tomorrow, I would not be against it.

Stipulations

Our Supergirl should be younger than our Superman, David Corenswet, who is currently nearly 30. While Supergirl tends to be 15-16, I think making her in her early 20s would be beneficial. That way she has been on Earth for a while, has seen her cousin grow up, and is finally donning the cape.

Much like in the DC Universe, the S means something in our world. Because Superman is such an icon, I think we can swing for a bigger named actress for Supergirl.

While Kara is Kryptonian, she does need to look like David Corenswet's cousin, who is white. However, she could be mixed.

Kara also is typically blonde, but we have dye these days so anyone can be blonde.

I am looking for an actress who can lead a movie, feel like a mentor to Superman in some ways and a mentee in others, with dramatic acting skills, in their 20's to early 30's, and who hasn't been known for a superhero role before.

Let's get started.

3. Anya Taylor-Joy

Starting off strong with an actress with range, Anya Taylor-Joy has done it all. From hit shows like Queen's Gambit to films like The Menu, Split, and Last Night in Soho, Joy is constantly proving she is one of the best actresses working today.

What often is not talked about is her choices. Unlike other huge actors, Joy is willing to have some fun. She was Peach in Super-Mario, Magik in the New Mutants, and Brea in the Dark Crystal. She is no opposed to sci-fi or more out of this world roles.

And Yes, she was in New Mutants, but no one remembers that movie or cares.

I can see her as a constant in the DC universe, pulling off the drama, pain and kindness easily.

My only concern is whether Joy can pull off Hope in the way some of the others can. Can she convince a people to go to war? Can she bring up the Man of Steel when he is at his lowest? I am not sure, but I'd love to see her try.

I think she is a fantastic pick, and can really make the character her own.

2. Natalia Dyer

Known primarily for her role in Stranger Things as Nancy Wheeler, Natalia Dyer has great Kara energy.

While she has been in other projects like Velvet Buzzsaw and Yes, God, Yes, showing off both her drama and comedic sides, it's Nancy Wheeler that truly is just a great Kara audition.

She has seen horrible things, but takes lead, kicks ass, and remains hopeful for the future.

She tows the line between cute hopeful person and someone who would absolutely destroy you if need be.

I think Natalia is a great pick and could use a big role other than Nancy to show what she is capable of. Sadly, she's one of those castings that I think I found someone just a little bit better.

1. Elle Fanning

What can I say, she's Great (see what I did there?)

Known for roles in Maleficent, The Girl from Plainville, and The Great, Elle Fanning is a fantastic actress with the range we need.

While all three actresses have the necessary skills needed for the role, I think much as David Corenswet looks like Superman, Fanning looks like Supergirl. She's just got it. Blonde, big smile that can turn into an intense fearsome hero. It's too good.

And as much as Nancy Wheeler is an audition for Kara, Catherine the Great is an even better one.

She is a new leader of her people, forced into a terrible marriage with a terrible man, and must find ways to be hopeful, charming, and kind in a horrid situation. While the marriage is an add on, it's similar trials that Kara has to face.

As Catherine, she must play the dotting wife and the rebel leader, which can easily translate to doe eyed reporter to warrior.

While the show is fantastic and has its fans, Fanning doesn't really have a role she can attach her acting career to yet as big as Supergirl. I think she is in the right stage of her career where she's a big name but feels fresh.

Elle Fanning would make the perfect Supergirl.

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[klc-archive]

“I almost cried with laughter when I read the first script and then I met Keith-Lee Castle, who plays the Count and just looks like a rock star, and I knew it was going to be cool.” -  Donna Grant (Magda)

Daily Record interview with Donna Grant (Magda) By Samantha Booth.

Sinister, calculating and scheming is how Scots actress Donna Grant describes her character in the BBC’s new kids’ show Young Dracula. In fact, vampire mum Magda sounds quite despicable - but that’s exactly why the 30-year-old actress from Inverness was so desperate to play her.

The mum-of-one said: “I just couldn’t resist playing her because she is such a fantastically nasty character. She is a vampire and like all vampires she thinks she is better than everyone but Magda really does take it to another level. She is just so brilliantly evil.

The show is about Count Dracula’s move to Britain with his two children after his wife, Magda, has run away with a werewolf. And in tonight’s episode Magda returns to her family - although I am not saying if they welcome her back or not because, not only is she not the best mother in the world, she also broke the Count’s heart.

"But he loves her for her evil - so in a way she can do no wrong.”

Donna was intrigued by the role of Magda from the minute she heard about it and as soon as the show’s producers set eyes on the Scot, the role was hers.

She said: “I think it was a combination of me getting into the part  and because they thought I had the right look. They offered me the part on the spot.”

Since then Donna has been filming the show in the Brecon Beacons in Wales and has thoroughly enjoyed every minute if it. She said: “I almost cried with laughter when I read the first script and then I met Keith-Lee Castle, who plays the Count and just looks like a rock star, and I knew it was going to be cool”

"And it really has lived up to all of my expectations.

"The show has been great fun to film and some of my outfits have just been fantastic - I have a wedding bouquet with dead bird skulls in it.

"I know it is meant for children but I really think some adults will love it too.

"It is incredibly well written and because the whole Goth thing is pretty cool at the moment I think it could be a huge success.”

Growing up in Inverness with her mum and grandparents, Donna always wanted to act. She had an idyllic childhood, spending a lot of time out riding on her family’s horses, but when she left school as a teenager she was desperate to get out into the world and, in particular, she had her sights set on London.

She said: "I absolutely loved growing up in Inverness and, if I could, I would bring my own daughter Scarlet up in that way too – but I have to be in London just now for my work.

"But when I was 17 I was just desperate to get out and get started living and working. "I didn’t even want to go to university. I just wanted to get stuck right in.”

Luckily for Donna, some photographs she’d had taken by an Inverness photographer found their way into the hands of a London talent scout. The next thing Donna knew, she was being invited down to the city for a meeting with a top agency.

She said: “It was always acting I had wanted to do but modelling found me, so what could I do? The agency liked me and before I knew where I was, I had moved down to London and was thrown into this mad world of modelling.

"At the time it was the easy option but I quickly discovered it also meant I could make lots of money, travel and meet really interesting people so I wasn’t going to walk away from it in a hurry.” Donna did every kind of modelling, from catwalk to billboards.

She worked for a time in Japan and Germany, shot ads for Agent Provocateur and Baileys and appeared in several television commercials. BUT just because she was finding a certain level of success as a model, it didn’t mean Donna had forgotten her dream of becoming an actress.

And in 2001 she finally got her first acting job in a film called Is Harry On The Boat?, following the loves and lives of a group of young holiday reps in Ibiza and co-starring Danny Dyer and Davina Taylor.

Donna said: “It was brilliant fun to film and I’m still friends with a lot of the people I met out there in Ibiza.”

It wasn’t long until Donna found herself having to take time out from acting to have her baby daughter Scarlet, who is now three years old.

A bit of a rock chick at heart, she met Scarlet’s dad Chris McCormack, guitarist in hard rock outfit 3 Colours Red, when his band at the time, Grand Theft Audio, were supporting The Cult in concert at the Brixton Academy in London.

The pair had a whirlwind romance, married and had baby Scarlet. Donna said: “I have always been into my rock music and through modelling I did hang about with a lot of rock types at the time. So I was instantly attracted to Chris and we ended up having a whirlwind romance. Sadly, things just didn’t work out and we are now in the middle of divorce proceedings. But we really are still best friends.”

Donna now lives a much quieter life with Scarlet in north London and loves nothing better than the chance to return to Scotland to see her family and get out into the hills.

She said: “I love coming back up to Scotland and I am so excited because I just booked my tickets for Christmas so I’ll be spending the holidays at home.

"Drinking wine, eating lots of nice food and going for walks in the hills - it will just be wonderful. My life is a lot quieter now than it was a few years ago but that’s the way I like it. Where I live in London is a bit like a village so I do get the best of both worlds down there and I do like it, but nothing beats coming home.

However, I don’t think I would have settled down as well now if I hadn’t had my wild time when I was younger. It was a load of fun at the time and I met loads of amazing people. I even met some of my heroes, such as Joe Strummer from The Clash, although my most star-struck moment came when I met Chris Morris from Brass Eye. I really admire him and think he is so funny and clever but when I met him I just didn’t know what to say. I mean, because of my modelling, I am quite used to meeting famous people but when I came face to face with him all I could do was make a bit of a whimpering sound. I just thought that he is so witty and cutting he’s just going to chew me up and spit me out whatever I say. Can you imagine what he would have said to me if I had said I really liked his work? And I know I said I lead a quieter life now but my uncle has just opened up a new venue in Inverness called The Ironworks and we have Dirty Pretty Things playing there at New Year - so I might not be able to resist digging my rocker gear out once again. Especially as I will have my mum on hand to babysit.” A rock ‘n’ roll loving mum in rocker gear … Magda would be proud.

[heizelnutlatte]

💬 Harper's Bazaar [041222020]: Kwak Sunyoung Interview on Hospital Playlist

Interview with Actress Kwak Sunyoung on Her First Fashion Photoshoot

Hello! Upon entering the photoshoot, Kwak Sunyoung spoke in a Tanaka accent, just like what we saw in her audition video for "Hospital Playlist."

TROIKA

Hello! Entering the set, Kwak Sunyoung used a Tanaka accent as seen in her audition video for "Hospital Playlist." Her speech was deliberate and refreshingly cool. "Ah, I really do that, don't I? I actually didn't know. I'm quite shy. I think I unconsciously adopt that mannerism to overcome awkward or unfamiliar situations. I've seen that video too. I wondered why I went that far, but even today... (laughs)."

"Hospital Playlist" achieved high viewership and showcased the charm of its actors. Among them, Kwak Sunyoung, a name once unfamiliar, has become well-recognized. Immediately after the drama, she returned to the stage for the play "Lungs," having been a theatre actress for 13 years. "It's a two-person play full of continuous dialogue, allowing me to fully immerse in my acting. I poured everything into it and then rested well." The shooting for "Hospital Playlist 2" is already approaching.

Iksun is strong, humorous, and cool. She creates a pigeon with her hands while bleeding profusely in a hospital bed and engages in a rap battle with Ikjun, played by Jo Jungsuk, the embodiment of comedy. When asked by her lover for a memorable photo, she sends one with camouflage cream and a fierce expression. Kwak Sunyoung, naturally cautious and needing time to warm up to people, learned the 'humour' inherent in Ik-sun's character through the script. "I stuck to the script. I didn't try to be funny, but the situations were set up to naturally provoke laughter. The pigeon scene was my first shoot, and I finished it without a single NG (no good take). It was something that would come naturally to Iksun, so I had to make it a part of me. I practised a lot."

Kwak Sunyoung considers making people laugh and taking on challenging roles as part of her job. When looking at scripts, she prefers characters with clear goals or backstories, believing that a person's past and desires drive their actions. This approach helps her convey the character's intentions and life direction through her acting. Over the past two years, she has portrayed a variety of roles including a sexual assault victim, a tsundere secretary, a working mom, and an army major, leaving a unique impression in each project thanks to her natural acting skills.

What does she do when not acting? She doesn't even have the typical Instagram account to peek into. "I don't feel the need for it. I just like being at home. There's so much to do at home. I'm too busy! (laughs) Right after waking up, I need to water dozens of plants. Recently, I started doing French embroidery, making coasters to give as gifts to people around me. It seems I like doing things with my hands, using my fine motor skills. I also read a lot. The last book I read, Nietzsche's 'On the Genealogy of Morals,' was fantastic." Kwak Sunyoung believes in Nietzsche's idea that it's important to live happily and enjoy life to the fullest, and she feels that this year has been filled with enough joy and happiness.

|| Kwak Sunyoung for Harper's Bazaar Korea, 2020

[blues-valentine]

The little mermaid was amazing!!! In ur opinion, what are your favorite Disney live actions???

I don’t remember how many Disney live actions there have been and I haven’t watched them all so I will rank some of them from best to worst, giving my personal opinion on them:

The Little Mermaid (2023):

A beautiful adaptation of a classic, captures the magic of the original while feeling updated. You can tell a lot of effort and heart was put into this movie. Halle as Ariel was breathtaking. She feels like an animated princess come to life. Her vocals are show stopping and casting someone that actually sings makes a big difference. The visuals and that tail design were beautiful. The overall cast was also fantastic and the songs feel very theatrical, except for one song, but it’s short and not enough to ruin the movie.

2. Cinderella (2015):

I think it’s a solid adaptation. The few changes are good. It feels boring at times but it’s enjoyable and charming. The overall cast was pretty outstanding and on point. Lily James was a good choice as Cinderella and so was Cate Blanchett, but the reason why it’s so high on this list is because it easily has the best Disney princess dress. That blue dress was just too magical so props to their department.

3. The Lion King (2019):

A bit unpopular but I found it enjoyable. It had beautiful visuals and great design but it lacked some heart. It would’ve benefit from some changes since it feels like the exact same animated version just less magical. However, I don’t think it was that bad and it’s still one of the best Disney animated movies so it was never failing in my book. I just wished it had something more to make it surprising.

Now...after this it gets trickier so bare with me.

4. Maleficent 1 (2017):

This is a huge unpopular opinion but I actually like this movie. Angelina Jolie as Maleficent was one of Disney's best casting choices and she does a fantastic job. She just got that intimidating presence. Elle Fanning wasn’t bad as Aurora. She was sweet and charming. I think the movie does the job and the meaning at the end being more about mother-daughter love than just the love of a prince was great. The sequel was bad but the first one was great.

5. Beauty’s and The Best (2017):

Another unpopular take (or maybe not) but Emma Watson wasn’t a good choice for Belle. It was clearly a stunt casting and wasn't based on the ability to portray the character. I will always have a soft spot for her because of Hermione but she isn't a very good actress. For Belle, she lacked emotion and charisma. The auto tune in her voice was very evident while watching the movie and they needed to hire an actual singer. Emmy Rossum was reportedly in the running so the fact she lost this role is insane. The actor playing Beast was okay. But Gaston and Lefou were the only memorable things of the movie. A big let down was that ugly yellow dress. It made the scene extremely underwhelming. Evermore is a good prince song, second just to Prince Eric with Wild Uncharted Waters.

6. Aladdin (2019)

You see, this movie is very confusing to me and It's not my place to speak on this but I agree that the casting should've focused on arab actresses for Jasmine. Naomi is a great singer but I don't think she should've been casted for this because Arab culture is very important for the world of Aladdin. The actor playing Aladdin wasn't great (and is a nasty person). And he wasn't a singer which lowkey ruined A Whole New World and had Naomi doing all the work. And overall, the movie had great visuals and some interesting changes for Jasmine but it fails to create that extravagant spectacle I associate with the animated film. Will Smith tries to be a good genie but it lacks and I don't know if it was the direction or the script. It had the material to be excellent but just wasn't that. Speechless is a great new song, thought.

7. Mulan (2020)

It breaks my heart this movie was disappointing because Mulan is one of my favorite animated movies but it had a lot of problems. I won’t talk about the cultural inaccuracies because that’s not my place but there’s a lot of videos on that. Sure, the visuals were beautiful but it doesn’t feel like Disney. They gave Mulan super powers which removes the impact of her being an ordinary person doing grand things. They also removed the songs from the movie and Mulan has one of the best Disney soundtracks. They also removed Li Shang because “strong women can’t have love interests”. They should’ve advertised this as a movie about the legend of Fa Mulan, the real thing, and not as a live action of the Disney animated movie version.

8. Cruella (2021)

It was bad. Emma Stone is a great actress but not for this role and the script was not good. Not every villain needs a sob story to justify their actions but I feel this movie didn't even try. It feels like a joke or a bad constructed comedy. But, my biggest pet peeve about this is how bad the fashion is. Cruella is the type of character you can allow yourself to be extravagant and over the top with. In the live action, there's not those huge big fur coats or those elaborated hats, not enough animal print or punk rock. It feels so boring. The 90's gave her better fashion and it didn't have half the budget. The movie was bad, not needed at all.

[bemusedandconfused-blog]

Claire watches Asian Dramas - Korean Fox edition

Goblin -the Lonely and Great God (2017)

Fantasy romance drama, with a great cast! 16 episodes at about 70 minutes each, plus 3 making-of specials. The story focuses on the Goblin, cursed with immortality until he meets a prophesied “Goblin Bride” who can remove the sword from his chest and release him from his torment. The secondary storyline about the Reaper (and his great hat), Sunny, and supporting character of a spoiled chaebol heir who does errands for his immortal employers, weaves together with the main storyline very well. I watched this one on Viki.com 

(Confession, it’s been awhile since I’ve watched it, so these are my lasting impressions rather than specific call-outs)

Pros:

Strong cast, everyone has a dramatic moment to shine

The scenes between odd-couple roommates Goblin and Reaper are comedy GOLD

Beautiful set pieces for the Goblin’s house and Reaper’s tea room/afterlife lobby

Love the mythology around the reapers and the afterlife transitions

Fun ghost characters!

Has a happy ending for all the couples if you don’t mind a time jump! 

Cons:

I couldn’t get past the age difference of the main leads. I’m not a fan of the grown-man looking character having a relationship with a highschool-age looking character. Not my bag. 

The “villain” is a cartoon baddie. And not that interesting, ultimately. 

Edited to add: the product placement in this one is extremely silly. Just FYI.

Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020)  구미호뎐

My new favorite Korean drama! Lee Dong Wook was so good in Goblin, I looked up what else he was in and found this fantasy romance drama, where he has the lead role as a 1000+ year old Nine Tailed Fox (gumiho) who serves as a kind of bounty hunter, capturing other immortals who break the rules, while looking for his reincarnated love. 16 episodes, about 70 minutes each, plus a making-of special. (Watched this one on Viki.com as well - I actually bought a subscription so I could watch it, after they hooked me with the first three episodes!)

Pros:

The female lead is awesome and competent! She is my favorite non-powered heroine from any of these shows so far, I think. 

Lee Dong Wook. What else do I need to say?

Great Found-Family ensemble cast. 

Actually, all the supporting characters are fantastic. There’s a Bear character (immortal spirit, like the foxes) who is in like one episode and I want to write fanfic about him. 

They call out tropes and avoid them as much as possible;

Cool action sequences

Love the mythology, and the set design of the Afterlife Immigration Office

Has a happy ending, at the very, very end! 

Cons:

We only get to see Lee Yeon’s tails once. ONCE. 

That’s all I can think of right now. I might edit this post later if I think of anything else. 

Touch Your Heart (2019)  진심이 닿다

No fantasy element to this one, just a standard workplace romance dramedy. Once again, the promise of watching Lee Dong Wook be stupidly handsome and talented drew me into another show. I did not have high expectations, as the summary described it along the lines of “spoiled, ditzy actress takes a job at a law firm to save her career, butting heads with the firm’s ace lawyer, a stern, demanding attorney”. I was expecting a bossy alpha type lawyer who was abusive until he learns to love the girl, and instead we got a charmingly awkward Mr. Darcy type, who is only stern because he cares about justice and doing things the right way. 16 episodes, about 70 minutes each. I liked this one so much more than I thought I would! It’s gonna be on my rewatch rotation, I think, which is easy since it’s on Netflix! 

Pros:

The female lead grows over the course of the show! She’s really only annoying for the first two episodes!

The main couple’s relationship is actually really sweet and wholesome, not unhealthy at all! 

It’s a very funny show, plenty of slapstick humor from the supporting cast.

Personally, I really enjoy the show-within-the-show storylines, so I enjoyed that we get to see a bit of her life as an actress

Playing with rom-com tropes with a wink and a nod; so good! 

No car accidents or comas! 

Happy ending! 

Cons:

Once again, Cartoon-Bad-Guy syndrome strikes. Stalkers are a real threat, but it’s harder to take them seriously when they’re mustache-twirling caricatures. 

I would have liked to see our heroine be more physically assertive and stand up for herself, but she learns to be brave in other ways! 

Edited to add: Product placement kind of disrupts the episode flow in a couple places. But not as bad as other shows I’ve seen. 

Last thoughts:

Half the show takes place in a different genre, as prosecuting attorney  Kim Se-won (male lead‘s best friend) and his prosecutor ex-girlfriend (Yoo Yeo-reum) are in a serious workplace drama across town; 

Lawyers probably shouldn’t watch this show unless they have a strong stomach for tv-lawyer speak. 

It’s a paint-by-numbers rom-com, but performing at the highest level of the genre, IMHO!

[vii-is-free]

My Love/Hate Relationship with Rhaenyra Targaryen

AKA I really wanted her to be the Daenerys of the show

TW for SA talk

——————-

Alright, I admit it. I haven’t read the books. I’m a TV asoiaf fan.

The reason for that is honestly, especially after the rampant s*xual violence shown on GOT, I didn’t have much interest in reading a book about the systematic oppression of women and non-nobles (aka white people) that was written by a white guy.

YEAH I ADMIT IT. It gets tiring as a DV survivor having someone born with privilege tell those stories.

But there was one person (okay three people) kept me hooked on the story.

Watching Daenerys’s struggles, growth and eventual victory was incredibly cathartic for me. By the start of season 8 I was about in awe of her as I was of Jon Snow.

We’re not going to talk about season 8 today. That’s for another wall of text lol.

I wanna talk about Rhaenyra. Specifically, Milly Alcock’s Rhaenyra vs Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra. I’m not sure if this was done purposely. It may just be the consequence of two different people playing the same role. But to me there really is a tragedy in the character when you examine the two actresses.

After the first episode I immediately knew Rhaenyra was my favorite character. This had nothing about her actual story, and everything to do with Milly’s portrayal of her.

She’s a free spirit trapped in a stifling, patriarchal world. She was given the title of heir despite of tradition, and she wore it proudly on her chest. She wasn’t going to let anyone, even the Queen Who Never Was, tell her anything different.

She offered advice during the council as cupbearer on the Stepstones conflict. And while her father was annoyed, she received a nod of respect from Corlys. When Otto faces off with Daemon and Dragonstone, they are literally at each others throats ready to strike when she randomly shows up ON A FUCKING DRAGON AND STOPS A CIVIL WAR.

And let me remind you that she was the only one who held NO FEAR of Daemon. NONE. Milly made a strong female lead out of Rhaenyra. I really believed that she was going to be the wheel-breaker of the show. She would do what she wanted, not allow herself a political pawn, marry who she wanted to marry (cristoncolecristoncolectistoncoleakdhfkas) and be the strong queen of the seven kingdoms that Daenerys wanted to be.

Now let’s talk about Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra

That’s it. That’s the whole argument.

I kid I kid, but I’m also not kidding.

This is not a slight on the actress herself. In fact, I think Emma is doing a fantastic job of portraying the reality of Rhaenyra’s story - fantastic potential that ultimately became tragedy.

She decides to take her uncle’s advice and play the game. She does what her father wants. Agrees to a political marraige while finding comfort in someone else. In her misery, she becomes part of the wheel. She also makes reckless decisions - aka having sons with Harwin. If Laenor truly was sterile, she could have petitioned for an annulment and marry someone else. But I think at that point, she was so miserable that she didn’t even care about sabatoging herself. She was no longer living true to the Rhaenyra that Milly had showed us.

I honestly look forward to Emma’s acting when the Dance actually begins. We’re going to see a dark ruthlessness in Rhaenyra that we haven’t seen yet.

By the time she finally does return to herself, it’s far too late. The Dance of Dragons had already been set in motion.

Not only that, but Rhaenyra is not that young girl full of promise. She’s bitter, she’s paranoid, and she’s angry. Angry that the road she took did not lead her to the crown.

She betrayed herself for absolutely nothing.

The promise of that strong, just queen we see in the first episode was just that. A broken promise. It’s SUCH A FUCKING TRAGEDY.

And unfortunately, for dreamers like me, the tragedy is the story.

[getmemymicroscope]

I'm not sure this really qualifies as a "black comedy," despite what the internet might want one to believe, because it is really lacking in the comedy.

I mean sure, the characters are laughing (for a bit) and maybe there's a random joke or two that hit - but they hit the way a gut-punch does. Because, from the start, you already know the truth that is being hidden - and you know that our main character is already seriously flawed. And then, as the movie unfolds, you start to realize that almost no one in this 'friend group' is without flaw - and hell, it's not even that great of a friend group. I mean, sure, we're only catching them on one (really bad) day, and maybe it just happens to be the day that all the selfishness comes out, but you walk away very uncertain about the friendship. (Of course, at the end, after they've taken a drastic step in the name of friendship, you have to wonder if there is any actual friendship left - if they'll even meet again, ever.) And the extra people there on top of the core group - obviously they were just there to add more characters, give a reason for Chhaya to show up, and stoke some fires before leaving.

Or maybe I was just put into an 'off' mood early on when that Paro lady, who shows up and essentially throws a fit when Malti is like "he's sick, maybe we should cancel," starts literally telling everyone to "break the door down" (this isn't your house, lady!) when the guy has been in the shower for "too long." Right at that point, I already knew I wasn't going to be a huge fan of this friend group - and sure enough, as the night passes, everyone grates on each other's nerves - and your nerves too. And that is probably the point of this movie, but it also does make it a bit hard to watch.

And we see it all: the over-drinking; the breakdown of Ranvir's psyche; the selfish interactions (Cyrus talking to Rajat about his publishing deal being a failure on the happiest day of Rajat's life); the overreactions (the whole money thing while playing cards); the poorly-timed jokes, if it was in fact a joke (Joshi to Paro); the awkwardness (Kalki's character; Manoj Pahwa & wife showing up unannounced).

Though, honestly, hopefully most friend groups don't have secrets this large or parties this fucked up. And also, like, if you go to a friend's party and they're like "he's sick, maybe we should cancel," I feel like saying "it's Diwali" is not a valid reason to overturn that and force your way in. Not that that justifies any of the events that happen after, but like, what sort of friend are you if you're like "fuck that, I want a drink" and barge in, and then threaten to break down their bathroom doors?

That scene where they bring the chest out from the room is very reminiscent of Hitchcock's Rope (also reminiscent - very grating characters).

The worst, if you will, 'red herring' (or whatever you want to call it) is Ranvir constantly thinking he's smelling something (admittedly, could be the fracturing of his psyche, plus also opening the chest a couple of times) - but then Malti's aunt is like "I have a sharp nose that can smell anything" and yet, despite sitting right next to the chest for a good portion of time, she never smells/says a thing. Like, why throw that line if it isn't going to lead to something...

The star-cast contains a lot of Rajat's usual folks (no Neha Dhupia this time, though), and they're excellent as usual.

The actress playing Malti and Ranvir Shorey have the biggest roles and do fantastic jobs - in fact, Malti might be the only character you really feel for as things progress (and, eventually, end). And as, when the bombshell drops, everyone loses their mind (and even show their lack of humanity, as one of the characters quickly points out) before banding together to pick 'status quo' and 'keep more trouble out of my life,' you find yourself hurting a bit for Malti. Sure, maybe she was partially in the wrong by agreeing to the cover-up, but of everyone, until that final bit, she was probably the most sympathetic character - if only because you knew the truth (I'm sure it'd be different if this movie was told from, like Rajat Kapoor's character or Tara Sharma's character's point of view).

I can't in good consciousness say that I "liked" this movie, because all of the characters were grating by the end (even Kalki Koechlin and Manoj Pahwa, ever-so-slightly, in smaller roles; and many of the characters honestly were grating from the moment you met them) and you never really get to the point of liking most of them (you're happy for Rajat when he breaks his news, but everything sorta implodes after that), and I definitely didn't laugh nearly enough to call it a comedy, but it's by no means a bad story or even a bad movie. People have secrets, people are flawed - and this movie lights a match (metaphorically), throws a bunch of such friends into that fire hazard, and lets us watch the events unfold.

[themovieblogonline]

Daredevil Movie Director Admits Backlash On Kingpin Casting

Did you know that a live-action Daredevil Movie exists? Daredevil is enjoying its 20th anniversary this year! That's right, Daredevil had it's opening way back in 2003 to great fanfare. You are forgiven if you never heard of it but it seems the movie is a hot topic. The movie stars Ben Affleck as the lead character Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil. The movie also stars Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Colin Farrell as Bullseye, and Michael Clarke Duncan as Wilson Fisk AKA The Kingpin. Director Steven Johnson is sitting down with Yahoo Entertainment to reflect on the movie and talk about his experience making Daredevil. I like the interview because the director seems to be pretty open to discussing his regrets. Daredevil did 'ok' at the box office and went on to generate a spinoff movie for Elektra actress Jennifer Garner. The director mentions  regrets and challenges from making the movie and one of the comments is a bit... well, you tell me: You cast the late Michael Clarke Duncan as the movie's other villain, the Kingpin, who has traditionally been depicted as white in the comics. That kind of color blind casting is more common now, but ahead of the curve then. Did you get any blowback from comic fans? Oh yeah, I got a lot of blowback. It's the strangest Catch-22, because you want to have opportunities for everybody. You say, "I'm not going to pay attention to race: I'm just going to cast the right person for the role." But then you get killed for that who say: "The Kingpin should be white" or "He's not my Kingpin" and all that kind of stuff. So I definitely got heat on that, but I don't regret the decision at all. Michael was fantastic. It's hard to find a guy who is that big and also that formidable, and Michael was definitely that guy. God bless him. Were you sorry that casting tradition didn't continue with Netflix's Daredevil series that's now coming to Disney+? Not at all. I think Vincent D'Onofrio is wonderful as the Kingpin. It's all about finding the right actor for the character, you know? Vincent is a great Kingpin and Michael was a great Kingpin. And the show is terrific. It's fun, because everybody gets to have their imprint on it: You don't own the character, you just get to be the steward for a short time and then pass it on for someone else to do something with it. That's why it was so fun to see all the different Spider-Men come together in the last Spider-Man movie. Seeing all those different versions from different decades and different filmmakers coming together was such an exciting moment. Kudos to Steven Johnson for his casting choices. I don't find it surprising at all that he got blowback and that sort of casting would get a strong reaction today. There's a very large audience who does not like race-swapping of characters and there are some that don't mind. I think Michael Clarke Duncan did a fantastic job as The Kingpin. I remember being really excited about his casting, especially after his string of hits like The Green Mile. Sadly the actor didn't get to reprise his role for a sequel so that one film will remain his only outing as The Kingpin. I get apprehensive to talk race-swapping in these sorts of roles. I think it can work at times but I also have seen it backfire badly. Have you seen the original Daredevil? What do you think of MCD's portrayal and what do you think about this topic? That's all for this one... Read the full article