#incredible how a streaming service can just wipe a show from existence

[saltygilmores]

If you’re in the USA and meant to watch or rewatch The Company You Keep you have one day left to do it before Hulu pulls it. Unless somewhere down the line another streaming service picks it up, it’s about to vanish forever.

[closecry]

The Back-up Plan (Pagan Min x Reader)

Word Count: 2,223. Rated T for light cursing. Cross posted to my AO3, MadQueen. Based off a recent shitpost I made.

It's 2018. Late 2018… Maybe. Probably. These days, it was hard to pinpoint what day it was exactly. You were on an island Pagan had purchased for his retirement from being the King of Kyrat. What with the constant sunshine and nice weather, it was hard to tell exactly what time of year it was.

Pagan had a calendar in the villa that he used to keep track of time (It went to the year 3000. Which you thought was ridiculous.). It wasn't needed, because while you were on an island in the middle of the ocean, it wasn't without the "necessities".

There were solar panels that were used to power the house, there were satellites that adorned the roof of the villa that could pick up stations halfway across the world, 4 swimming pools, a tennis and basketball court, and of course, Internet Access. Pagan couldn't live without access to Netflix, Prime, HBO GO, Hulu-... all of the subscription services. He had all of them.

Most days for Pagan are spent at the villa, enjoying one of the many activities he could while there.

As it stands, though, you were sitting on the edge of the sand at your favorite beach on the island. It had nice tide pools you enjoyed exploring when the option is made available to you. You were enjoying rereading one of your favorite books, one that Pagan had first introduced you to.

Today, you had been able to convince Pagan to come out with you, and while he was in the shade far away from the ocean's side… he was there. A nice steady presence behind you. He had a radio sitting beside him blaring music in order to be heard over the raging sound of the crashing waves.

The water laps up to your ankles and startles you from your book you had been engrossed in.

You had been sitting on the edge for hours, and the tide apparently had time to rise up to meet you. To be be fair, it was a good book. And Pagan's choice of music had really lulled you into a sense of bliss that left you ignorance of the passage of time.

You sigh, and lean back, your book now momentarily forgotten as you instead focused on the radio behind you and the waves crashing in front of you. It was playing ABBA, one of Pagan's favorite artists. You're not surprised about that, if you're being honest. He adored most music in the same sort of genre, the over the top ballads and upbeat songs being his go to jams. You suppose it did fit his drama queen personality, though.

You lay down against the sand, and your head lulls back in order to focus on getting a good look of Pagan from behind you in the shade tree that he often frequented these days.

For a man that bought a tropical island to spend his retirement on, he didn't really enjoy exploring the edges of the island, or the ruins of the former village, or the small mountain tops that littered the island, or even swimming.

No, he much more enjoyed sitting down in the shade reading through Vogue, a magazine he specifically had shipped to the island monthly. When he didn't have a new copy to peruse he often would pick up a book, but for now, being at the beginning of the month it was, it was time for his magazine.

Pagan had let his guard down on the island, no longer fearful of assassins around the corner, or an uprising in the shadows. He was just allowed to be himself.

The only other people on this island were a few farmers, chefs, repairmen, and cleaners who kept the island's villa and guesthouse up and running… and well, Gary. (You weren't sure Gary's exact job title, he just kind of did whatever Pagan wanted him to. He was deeply devoted to the former king.) There were shipments of whatever exotic item Pagan were craving, but for the most part you were incredibly self reliant.

You didn't have a care in the world on the island, it was bliss. While it was humid, you, unlike Pagan, enjoyed the island for what it was. You explored, and swam, and even had your own little garden by the house… Perhaps that's why he had picked the island, if he didn't himself enjoy the activities?

Pagan was still Pagan, though, somehow always able to tell when eyes were on him from years of being on the run. It was like he had a sixth sense for the thing. So, after a moment, his magazine slides down and he meets your eyes with a questioning look.

You're confident that if It weren't for the deafening noise of the ocean and ABBA drowning out any possible noise that he could make, he would perhaps teasingly ask what you were doing watching him, but as it stands he simply smirks, motions for you to take up the space beside him, and slides the magazine back up after a moment.

There was an empty seat beside him, across from the table where the radio sat. It was an over the top lawn chair, incredibly expensive and adorned in exotic metals in the frame with your name embroidered into the fabric covering the cushions. A set of seats fit for a king and his spouse.

You let out a chuckle at his overconfidence, knowing that he was now waiting for you to join him, but sure enough, after a few seconds you do stand up and make your way over. You couldn't deny, his company did sound preferable to the crashing waves and small sea creatures that had washed up on shore.

You wipe as much of the sand off your body as you can while you walk, and when you end up in front of Pagan you're left with two choices. As it stands, you could easily take the chair beside him, the one that he was motioning for you to take, but the area between his legs looks too tempting for you not to at the very least try.

It wasn't often he denied you anything you wanted, so you're fairly certain he won't push you away if you attempt to share the seat.

You lean down, sitting down at the space between his legs. When Pagan realizes what you're doing, the magazine slides up slightly to make room when you start to slide between his spread legs. You gently lay your back against his stomach and your head against the lower part of his chest. Your arms fall against his thighs where they surround you, essentially making makeshift arm rests.

You half expect him to simply move the magazine up to your head and use it as a sort of stand, as he has done before when you've interrupted his reading by doing similar feats. He especially did it when you were back on Kyrat, where his task had to do more with life and death rather than whatever Vogue was featuring this month. He throws the magazine to the side table, and tangles a hand into your hair, beginning to stroke the strands.

You push gently up into his hand, nuzzling back into his chest with a satisfied smile. Now this, this, was nice. Pagan normally only gave intimacy when it was first initiated, he rarely reached out. He was normally a reserved person, and before you had moved to the island he enjoyed showing his affection in other ways. Mostly monetarily, but his kind words did also hold a sort of reverence for only you.

Pagan can't help teasing you though, always finding a way to do so when at all possible. As it was, with you pushing back into his hand with contentedness, it wasn't hard for him to find something to point out. "Needy." He breathed, but the word was spoken with such fondness that he carried with him in nearly every breath.

He would never readily admit it, but you knew he liked it when he felt needed. Wanted. Before, when he was king, he had hundreds of people constantly reaffirming him. You tried to fill in where you could, and you're sure he understood exactly what you were doing. If he did, he didn't comment on it.

***

You're half asleep when the noise of the radio's static alerts you. You jerk against Pagan's body at the sudden change, surprised. It's cut out from Dancing Queen to a sort of alert noise that's taken the place of ABBA's voices.

Pagan's hand stops it's careful and calculated strokes, and he offers a glare to the radio. "What?" He grumbles, seemingly to the object as though it would answer him back.

As it is, you make no move to get up in order to inspect the radio, but instead watch it with confusion. Perhaps it had somehow switched stations to something else? Maybe it lost signal?

It beeps again and a voice starts speaking, sounding panic when it does so.

"There has been a nuclear attack on United States soil," You hear what sounds like the person shuffling papers.

You move forward, sitting on the edge of the seat now with bated breath. The lazy afternoon turning into the most stress you've had in years.

The voice starts up again after a moment. It doesn't sound any less nervous than it had previously. "It appears to been a direct retaliation from North Korea as a recent change in policy-"

The radio cuts out, and static takes it's place. You stare at it for a moment, your eyes widened with disbelief.

You had known about the rising nuclear threat of the other countries, but you never thought it would come to this. Sure, there would be alerts on the radio occasionally interrupting the stream of music that Pagan had playing, but… they were never like this. Never this severe.

You look at Pagan now, unsure of how to react to news of one of the biggest countries in the world being nuked. Millions other casualties, what with the tech that existed nowadays. There would undoubtedly be retaliation from the United States as well, thereby creating more death. Destruction.

Eventually, Pagan's arm reaches forward and he switches the radio over to the CD that he had in the device, and ABBA once again overtakes the noise of the waves in the background. He was never without his contingencies.

"Well, that's unfortunate." Pagan says, his voice not sounding the least bit sorry or worried. "A real shame." He says, reaching forward as to pick the Vogue magazine he had dropped when you plopped down into his lap.

You reach over to the radio and turn it down, but not off. He would complain if you turned it off entirely.

"Pagan." You say, your voice patient.

Still, he doesn't look up at you, he offers nothing but a simple hum in response, dismissively.

Your eyes narrow at him now, and while you want to take the magazine away and throw as far into the ocean as you can at his blasé attitude to all of this, you restrain yourself to moving a single finger over to his magazine and gently sliding it down, until his eyes meet yours again with a roll that doesn't go missed by you.

He looks entirely unimpressed. "It wasn't my fault, why are you looking at me like that, darling?" Pagan asks, his voice sounding almost annoyed. "I can't control what other countries do, hell, I can't even control what Kyrat does anymore-"

"Pagan," You start, effectively cutting him off, a sigh being unable to hold itself in. "We should still talk about what this means." You say, and after nothing but a raise of his eyebrow in question, you continue. "I mean, they are undoubtedly going to retaliate, and that means that most of the rest of the world is fucked."

Pagan, once again rolls his eyes. You want to hurt him. (Not really, but, still… He's being an asshole.)

His tone is still unworried when he speaks. "It won't reach us here, we're in the middle of nowhere." He assures you, but it's said like someone might talk to a child. As if it's obvious. "And, God-forbid if they drop one close enough for fallout to reach us, we'll simply move to the underground shelter. It has food and water enough for 30 people for another 30 years, the same as the one in Kyrat that Ajay is undoubtedly occupying currently..." He chuckles, and shrugs. "Hell, I believe the one here has it's own set of swimming pools as well, among other things."

He moves a hand to your shoulder and pats it softly. "We'll be fine." And with that, he has the magazine back up. A hand blindly reaches out and the radio is back to the volume it was before.

You believed him when he said you would be fine. The rest of the world might be going to shit, but here, on the island in the middle of nowhere, Pagan's retirement would not be interrupted. He couldn't save the world, society may be collapsing around him, but he could protect what was important to him. His world.

...Pagan never was without his contingencies.

[aion-rsa]

Why I Am Legend Has One of the Most Frustrating Endings in Science Fiction

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Last March, confronted with a pandemic none of us had expected or understood, many people found themselves rewatching Stephen Soderberg’s Contagion. Whether out of morbid fascination or as a guideline to what we might see in the future it quickly topped charts on streaming services. A year on and another pandemic movie has made it into Netflix’s top 10 – 2007’s I Am Legend, a horror sci-fi starring Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville, who thinks he’s the last man on Earth after a virus has wiped out most of the population. Directed by Francis Lawrence, who would go on to make the Hunger Games sequels, a new adaptation of Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel had been in the works at Warner Bros. since the mid ‘90s, with various talent attached, including Ridley Scott and Michael Bay as directors and Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger to star. 

At its release the movie was praised for Smith’s performance but criticised for an overuse of CGI and a weak third act, but rewatching against the backdrop of 2021 what really sticks is how much of a wasted opportunity I Am Legend was. This is an hour of an excellent film, then 30-odd minutes of rubbish.

What you might remember of I Am Legend is this: cool empty New York stuff, Batman V Superman logo on a building, Will Smith talks to mannequins, the dog dies, CGI zombies, the end. But it’s so much better than that (until it’s not).

The first hour of I Am Legend is incredibly sparse. Virtually silent except for flashbacks, Dr. Neville is alone and talks only to his dog, Sam, and to mannequins he’s placed around shops and the street to try to emulate real life. New York is deserted. Each day when the sun is at its highest point, he waits at a meeting place he’s broadcast on the radio for other survivors to find him. Each day he is disappointed. His routines are down pat. He and the dog eat well from food scavenged during the day. At night they lock down and stay silent, hidden from the initially unseen threat outside. Neville is immune to infection but not to being killed by the creatures that keep him locked away at night, and on whom he experiments during the day. Neville is trying to find a cure using his antibodies, testing first on zombie rats and then on the infected human subjects he keeps chained up in his underground lab. He keeps failing. Is he really trying to save humanity? Or does he just want someone to talk to? Perhaps the two things are the same.

Forget zombies, I Am Legend is an exploration of the pure horror of being alone – it’s resonant as all hell in the current climate where we know that hordes of other people exist but that they pose an actual threat of death. That loneliness is so acute that talking to a dog or a shop dummy – or indeed a plant, your computer, the TV – seems completely legit. Neville’s struggles with socialization once Alice Braga’s Anna is in the picture feel entirely authentic and familiar – has he gone slightly mad from the loneliness and isolation, the film posits? In 2021, have we? 

Keeping the CGI baddies in the shadows is a wise move, and even though they really haven’t aged well, in the first hour there’s still scope for a few decent scares. The best comes when Neville is caught in a trap set for him by one of the creatures – a trap which mirrors one he himself had set earlier to capture the latest of the infected he’s experimenting on. Hung up by a foot with the sun rapidly fading, when Neville wakes from his concussion he is in a serious rush to save himself with his faithful friend Sam barking in panic below him.

When it’s him and the dog, Smith is brilliant. Sam (played by two dogs – Abbey and Kona) is also excellent. And at the end of this sequence when the dog dies, bitten by zombie hounds and euthanized by Neville, it is genuinely devastating. Forget Marley and Me, this isn’t canine grief porn – instead the moment a grief stricken Neville goes to the record shop and talks to a mannequin, begging her to “please say hello to me,” is deeply upsetting. Smith does some very heavy lifting and it really holds up. Neville has hit rock bottom. Without Sam there’s nothing left to live for. Neville heads out into the night on a kamikaze mission to take as many creatures with him as he dies. The end. Except it’s not.

Instead, the film is completely ruined by the deus ex machina arrival of another survivor, Anna (Alice Braga) and her son Ethan (Charlie Tahan) who rescue Neville. Anna says she believes God sent her to find Neville and take him to a survivor colony she thinks exists in Vermont. 

Anna’s arrival is no doubt supposed to provide hope and redemption in the final act after the incredibly moving end of the previous act but ultimately it does the opposite. Her random appearance undermines the three years Neville has endured. Neville has lived with the frankly torturous concept that he was the last man alive, but instead he’s faced with the possibility of a survivor community that somehow she has managed to track down while he has not, and the thought that for three years (or however long he’s been sending his own broadcast) survivors, in all likelihood, did hear his missive but never responded. His strength and resilience, his battle to stay sane, these were nothing, there were other people who could have found him, or he them, all along. Bad luck Neville, you spent three years trying to find a cure when you could have just had a chat with God (or worked harder on your telecoms). Bleak for him but in this version he becomes a martyr of sorts.

Anna and her son arrive and trigger a mega zombie showdown in the house. In a stroke of luck, Anna’s arrival has coincided with the latest strain of antidote actually working, so when Neville, Anna, and her son barricade themselves in the lab, Neville is able to extract a vial of the cure to give to Anna and then sacrifices himself so she can escape the creatures. Neville is killed but the cure is safe and arrives at the encampment with Anna, his life’s work wasn’t futile, and Anna gives a speech essentially saying how much of a legend Robert Neville was.

Yep, the title of the film has been completely reinterpreted from the original text here to mean “I am a total legend!” rather than the much much darker meaning found in Richard Matheson’s wonderful novel.

In the novel Robert Neville’s foes are vampires and other than the traditional vampire weaknesses – garlic, sunlight, stake through the heart, etc – they are intelligent, articulate, and human-like. In Matheson’s book Neville meets and becomes involved with a woman whom he discovers is a vampire sent to spy on him; the race of infected have managed to treat and control their symptoms and are forming a new society, while he’s been hunting them down. And the woman’s husband is one of the vampires Neville has killed. 

The book ends with a dying Neville realizing that, to the vampires, he is the bogeyman, the stuff of nightmares, as vampires themselves were once to humans. He will become a legend, not because he’s a great man, but because in his extinction he will be a cautionary tale and a mythical figure to a newly formed society. 

The director’s cut alternate ending of I Am Legend gives more of a nod to Matheson’s book – it’s better but it’s still not great. In this version the alpha male zombie who set the trap for Neville is bashing his head repeatedly on the locked door of Neville’s lab where Neville, Anna, her son, and his latest test subject, a female, are barricaded. Through the glass, the alpha male makes the sign of a butterfly (a call back to a gesture Neville’s daughter makes earlier in the film) to indicate the butterfly tattoo the female has. Neville understands finally that the “darkseekers” have their own relationships and community. The woman is the alpha’s partner. To the darkseekers, Neville is the monster, who has been capturing and torturing members of their group. Behind him is a photo wall of each creature he has experimented on and eventually killed. Willing to sacrifice himself so that Anna and her son can escape, he is now at the mercy of the alpha. In fact, when he apologizes and returns the captured female, the darkseekers show Neville mercy and don’t kill him. In this version Neville, Anna, and her son travel to the survivors’ community together and Neville lives.

This ending works better and gives more resonance to certain earlier scenes – the alpha male exposing himself to sunlight after the female is captured, the trap alpha uses on Neville matching the one Neville used on the female, the scenes of Neville experimenting on the female causing her excruciating pain – the final beats still don’t land. The outdated CGI renders the creatures so far away from humanity that the emotional resonance is lost. “Sorry about torturing your missus,” doesn’t have quite the impact it should and the existence of the community in Vermont, far from feeling hopeful, gives a sense that Neville has just wasted the last three years.

Neither ending properly gets across the significance of Matheson’s title, and the inclusion of reference to Bob Marley’s album Legend only muddies things further.

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Lawrence’s I Am Legend is so nearly a brilliant, thrilling, troubling exploration of loneliness and isolation and it could have had a gut punch ending which remained faithful to the book had they gone for something other than the CGI zombies. Instead it’s a movie which builds to an electric crisis point and then throws it all in the bin with unnecessary new characters, a religious message, and a faux happy ending that no one needed.

I Am Legend is available to stream on Netflix (US) and Sky and Now TV (UK).

The post Why I Am Legend Has One of the Most Frustrating Endings in Science Fiction appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[ramajmedia]

Tim Baltz The Righteous Gemstones Interview | Screen Rant

Tim Baltz chats with Screen Rant about his character on HBO’s new comedy The Righteous Gemstones, and what it’s like being a counterpoint to chaos. Fans of comedy are likely familiar with Baltz, whether they know it or not. The Chicago iO Theater and Second City-trained funnyman has a long list of roles from Better Call Saul to The Opposition with Jordan Klepper to Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Fresh Off the Boat, Drunk History, and more. He’s also the creator, executive producer, writer, and star of the absurdly entertaining and criminally underseen comedy series Shrink (which can and should be streamed via the NBC app), which was part of the now-defunct OTT subscription service Seeso. 

Right now, Baltz is regularly popping up as B.J., the somewhat innocent and eager-to-please finance of Judy Gemstone (Edi Patterson) on HBO’s latest dark comedy from Danny McBride and Jody Hill (Eastbound and Down, Vice Principals), where he is regularly upbraided by members of the Gemstone clan, including John Goodman and Adam Devine. And while it may seem that B.J. exists solely to be a doormat on which the Gemstone’s frequently wipe their soiled soles, Baltz sees his character as a necessary contradiction to the disorder caused by Jesse (McBride), Judy, and Kelvin (Devine). 

More: Fall 2019 TV Premiere Dates: All The New & Returning Shows To Watch

In speaking with Screen Rant about his work on The Righteous Gemstones, Baltz discussed what B.J. is meant to represent, and he also went into detail on what it’s like working opposite a talented improv comedian like Patterson, and how their collaboration has resulted in one of the funniest (and, despite how deliberately absurd it sometimes can be, oddly believable) relationships on TV at the moment. Check out Screen Rant’s interview with Tim Baltz below:

Tell me about how you came to be on the show and what working on the first season was like for you? 

It was incredible. I auditioned for Vice Principals many years ago with Bialy/Thomas Casting, who I auditioned with many times. They booked me for Better Call Saul. They're really incredible among my peers and friends who audition a lot. They're very prestigious and always have the best projects and great taste. It was an honor just to get called in for that. 

And obviously I didn't get it, but my reps were like, 'No, it's okay. They're introducing you to the world.' And then when this came along, I read the script and I thought, 'Man, I gotta really take a solid shot at this.' It's in the wheelhouse of characters that I play often. And I grew up in Illinois so I'm no stranger to ... Illinois has all kinds of accents. I'm no stranger to that Southern accent. I toured the Southeast side of the city a lot. 

So, I went in, auditioned, felt good about it, didn't really think about it - which to me is always a good sign. It means I either did really terribly or really well. And they called me and said, 'Yeah, we need you to fly to LA and test for it in front of, you know, HBO and the whole Rough House team.' 

Danny and Edi was there. Edi, I had only known in passing. I met her once at Groundlings. We were supposed to do a show together at one point - just a little improv show but we didn't. I just really, really trust and appreciate her improv skills. She's brilliant and she's super easy to play with. And when I found out that I was reading with her, I was like, 'Oh, no matter what, I'm going to have a really good time.'

Rough House [Pictures] runs such an amazing ship. Their cast and crews are always perfectly selected. Everyone is really excited to be there. They believe in the project. And there's just this, I don't know... it's like every good set feels like a summer camp. You see this glee about being able to do something like this and get paid for it. And that fun feels like the fun that you had when you were first discovering [acting] as a kid or your teens or twenties when you're doing it for free. So that's always a great time. 

But then, you know, they're also film school nerds. And I mean that in the most complimentary way. So, you know [the project is] going to be richly textured and come with all the knowledge that they bring to the table, which is a huge privilege to get to work on a set like that. And HBO, you know, they're prestige TV. So it was very, very, very exciting and welcoming and a little nerve wracking because all of a sudden you're walking in and John Goodman is there and he's like, 'Hello. Looking forward to this?' 

And you're like, 'Yeah, I mean I'm definitely looking forward to this. You're John Goodman.' But he couldn't be nicer and sweeter. And everyone from the top of our cast list on down is a pleasure to work with. 

One of the things I found so funny about your character and your performance is the degree to which BJ is something of a nonentity. His very obvious plainness drives so much of what's funny about him. How do you see the character and what do you think is the source of the humor he brings to the show?

Well, he's very ... Like he means so well, you know? And I think that in the midst of all this drama, like the family tragedy and corruption and the really, really high stakes that are behind it, B.J. stands apart from all of those stakes as someone who just genuinely deeply loves his fiancée. And I think that he does have - as we see in the pilot - a little bit of insecurity about fitting in when it comes to some of the materialistic ideals or glamour. I feel it's the reason why he gets a nose job. It is absurd, but he means so well that he's a nice counterpoint to all of that drama and chaos. 

And he really does say what he means, which isn't necessarily the case with any of the other family members, especially not when they're talking among themselves and they're feeling themselves out when it comes to, you know, the conflict in the first couple of episodes. So he's definitely a change of pace. 

Danny [McBride], when we first sat down, when we went to Charleston to film the pilot, he told me B.J., in a way, is the voice of the audience. He's looking at this family and he's probably more open-minded about giving them the benefit of the doubt than the audience. But we still see B.J. reacting to them and meekly speaking his mind when he disagrees with something. And the audience is going to relate to that. And that's how I feel about this crazy family, too. 

Mostly, I tried to go into it by reminding myself that [B.J. doesn't] know any of the drama that's happening. All I know is that I love Judy so much and I want to not only be the best fiance for her possible, but also give her the boost that I think she deserves. Because I look at the family and I know how much Judy works. I know what she deserves and she's not getting it. It's really fun to play because he has a naivete to him, but he's also mostly naive to just in the circumstances, which means that I get to play very emotionally with Judy. And Edi is just, she's such a joy to act and improvise with. Especially as the season progresses, you'll see where the two of them are headed and I think it's very unique. 

Speaking of working with Edi. What's it like working opposite her? How does  your process work with hers, in terms of playing your comedic styles and sensibilities off one another? 

Well and it starts with the scripts, which are great. Every single one that rolled in, I just kind of would shake my head at and laugh out loud, which is rare when you're reading a script alone. Those are kind of baseline. David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, Danny, whoever was directing, they cast ... I think that the cast so well and specifically across all their projects and the history of their work and careers, that I think they trust the people to go off the page when they want. 

I think the scripts are great, and I always want to get what's on the page first. And Edi wrote on the show, so I'm sure she agrees, too. But Edi and I ... we've been studying improv for over 20 years, independent from each other. And when we first started talking during the pilot about what our approaches were, just to get a sense of each other I really, really respected her take on it. 

I was trained at iO in Chicago at Second City. I toured and did three shows there on the stages. I played at the Annoyance once it reopened in Chicago. And then I moved to LA in 2014 and I played, you know, various theaters out here. But a very broad range of improv education. And she has a very similar broad range. She's part of the Improv theater and Groundlings here, which are two very different things. And she studied all over and studied theater in college and she had as as wide of an appreciation for all these different sub genres of it and all of these approaches. And so it was very easy to almost like ... I don't want to be someone who likens improv to jazz, but it kind of is like that. You're making an offer and have to trust that your scene partner is going to recognize what that offer is, right? And you trust they will respond with a note that corresponds or compliments what you did. And so it is musical to a certain degree. And with Edi, I always trust that she's going to recognize exactly what my offer is and I try to return that to her. 

For me, especially if you're improvising around a script on camera, it's different than on stage, in the sense that the scene has a function within the script and episode itself. And so there are some parameters that you have to work within. And in order to make the improv ... to maximize its potential for actually getting in and past the editor and into the episode, you're always keeping in mind what your character's emotion and knowledge to this other character and what that dynamic is and what the scene needs for the episode itself. Then you can maximize the number of improv takes that are useful to the editors and the producers when they're looking at it in post. 

And whether I've ever verbalized that to Edi or not, she plays it that way and it makes it really seamless. And then, you know, you do anywhere from three to six takes and it's done and you're like, 'Oh, dammit. We could have gone forever.'

More: Carnival Row Review: Amazon’s Victorian Fantasy Wants To Be Your Next Genre Obsession

Can you, without giving anything away, what can audiences expect from BJ as the season rolls along? 

Well, they can expect him to be by Judy's side as she deals with all the family chaos and still continue to be, you know, a nice blend of naive, supportive, and caring. But he's on Judy's side before anybody else. And I think the audience is going to have a good time seeing where the line is for what he'll put up with and what he won't put up with. And when he discovers that line, I hope that it's as enjoyable for the audience as it was for us. 

In what way is  The Righteous Gemstones different from your experience on Shrink. Is it a little difficult moving away from something where you have more creative control or is that something that you like to have a mix of when you're working?

I mean, well, Shrink was...it was really difficult. You know, it was about 8 85-90 hour weeks in a row. And that was after two months of writing where we wrote eight episodes in eight weeks, which is breakneck speed.

It really, it was a great acting challenge. And I do think that I rose to the occasion. I had a great team around me. We went through a gauntlet and I'm super proud of what we came out with. Improv wise, I'd worked on Bajillion, which was based off an outline curve style. And I went into that knowing, okay that we have scripts, but we had about a quarter of it improvised. So we were improvising probably a good two to four hours a day, which is hard to yield a lot of material when you're working that way.

But I was really proud of how seamlessly integrated all the improv. And then the show came out, my dad was sick. My dad ended up passing away from ALS in November of 2017.

 When Seeso went under, we knew about it a few months early, so I took this job in New York because I came up with Jordan Klepper in Chicago and I think the world of him. And I was like, al lright, so Shrink isn't getting a season two, Seeso is going under, my dad's going to pass away. I want to keep working but I can't be in charge. I don't have the bandwidth.

I went to New York and I worked for Jordan, but I was away from home. I was all the way across the country and it was brutal. So, to slide into something as seamless and as already figured out as Righteous Gemstones, as the Rough House world, it's been a since such a welcoming change of pace, and I'm so, so grateful. I'll get back to developing and running my own thing and being an EP or whatever it is or lead of something at some point. But for the break from that to include a project like this, I'm the luckiest luckiest guy. So giving this everything that I have is, it feels like I've trained at 10 times gravity and I show up here and I'm like, 'Yeah, you just want me to emote and love this character and think that her family treats her poorly? Oh, my God, I'll put 100 percent into this. of course.'

It's a real privilege. Every character's storyline is great to me. I'm so excited for everyone to see  episodes six, seven, eight, and nine. 

Next: The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance Review: Adult Nostalgia Gets Its Very Own Puppet Show

The Righteous Gemstones episode 3, 'They Are Weak, But He is Strong' is streaming early on HBO Go and HBO Now.

source https://screenrant.com/the-righteous-gemstones-interview-comedian-tim-baltz-hbo-shrink/

[namelessblacksheep]

MARVEL MOVIE MAYHEM

Anyone lucky enough to be born and raised in the late 70s and 80s has to put their hands up and admit that they are truly blessed. Okay, so house prices suck, nobody has a frigging clue about Brexit and Donald Trump is the leader of the free world. However, if you look past these ‘inconvenient truths’ you come to realise that we have been offered a smorgasbord of truly awesome fantasy reality to allow us to forget about the day-to-day grind.

2019 marks the culmination of one of those incredible masterpieces with the wrapping up of no less than 22 interwoven movies of all of our favourite comic book childhood friends. With the assistance of excellent story-telling and special effects, we are now seeing those stories we loved as kids playing out on the big screen.

In the past decade, you could argue that the small screen is King. The rise of binge-watching boxsets, streaming services and the death of the local Blockbuster, cinema-goers could argue that movies are dead. Marvel Studios, however, have found the right recipe to keep us going back every year for the past decade or so to bring us to this seminal moment. Anyone who has seen the most recent offering (Captain Marvel) would know that even the geek squad at marvel agree with what I’m alluding to here. Nice touch by the way guys.

I remember the anticipation and build up to the last movie Avengers: Infinity War, that I went full geek mode and ended up composing many art pieces in what was a pre-movie hype of epic proportions. I realised that my sole purpose for putting up with the utter turd of modern existence was to embrace those epic moments that movies of this nature can create.

Week after week I was spending hours composing these pieces and rewatching key movies in readiness for that release that was definitely going to blow my mind.

My mind was absolutely blown watching that movie. Everything I ever hoped for did not, in fact, play out on screen. I spent the whole movie trembling with fear that another one of my favourite characters was about to get wiped out. Now if you haven’t seen Infinity War I would suggest you stop reading now. I cannot guarantee that there won’t be any spoilers, but come on man, where the fuck have you been hiding?

The trauma of the opening scenes absolutely knocked the stuffing out of me and it just kept getting worse. My heroes were getting absolutely battered like a sausage with relative ease. In my dizziness, I wondered if the writers of the Avengers had decided to let the Game of Thrones guys have a go to see what they came up with. The whole movie was like a Red Wedding moment where most people’s heads could be seen twitching from the screen to whomever they came with. All expressions said the same thing - what the fuck just happened?

After a while, I just couldn’t take it anymore and had to get up and get some air. Plus I had stupidly downed my entire large Cherry Pepsi Max drink mainly through anxiety and needed to relieve myself.

That trip to the toilet was more disorientating than any heavy night out on the sauce I have ever had. The whole time I was just shaking my head and murmuring ‘Marvel motherfuckers’ under my breath, which made me look like a total crazy person. I have never seen so many people avoid a urinal and spend time queuing for a cubicle in my life.

My trauma was far from over though. In fact, it was about to get so much worse. As I re-emerged into the den of destruction and looked for my seat that crazy cunt Thanos only goes and chucks the hot green chick off the top of a fucking mountain. What-the-actual-fuck!

I’m properly pissed now and readying myself to declare this utter shit-fest the worst movie of my entire life. How dare you make me invest so much time, all those years to watch this and then destroy all hope of a happy future. Thanos really is the Kim Jong Un / Donald Trump love-child nobody would foster in a month of Sundays.

The whole movie was an epic rollercoaster of emotions that by the end I really didn’t know what the hell was going on. I left the cinema in daze unsure of what the rest of my day or life held in store. My friend looked just as defeated. We couldn’t speak and somehow just ended up telepathically agreeing that fantasy for today was just as shit as reality.

I didn’t like the outcome of this movie and in line with current affairs, I demanded that it was remade to my liking!

I have never left a movie feeling so utterly in need of counselling other than when I watched Gone Girl. This was as much of a mind melter as that. Seriously, since the latter mentioned movie I have never been able to trust a woman again. Fuck. Marvel, we used to be such good friends, how could you do this?

It wasn’t until several months later that I was able to watch Infinity War again in the safety of my own home that I realised what a truly brilliant movie it was. It was like Empire Strikes Back on acid.

I think I have come to realise like many of my Marvel-loving friends that all good things must come to an end. This epic rollercoaster will not necessarily be the end full stop, but it will be the closure of a significant chapter in the franchise. The Infinity Stones saga is coming to a close in just under a week.

It may have taken me the better part of a year to fully recover from the last trauma, but I have faith that the Avengers plus Captain Marvel might be able to put a big smile back on all our faces again. I’m especially pleased that Antman and Hawkeye are in the movie too, mainly because I did a picture of them and they didn’t show last time around. Plus because technically most of the ones I did capture ended up disintegrating into weird looking fart particles. My mate rather enjoyed pointing this fact out to me.

My main hope for the movie is that I don’t experience some weird twist of fate that kills me before seeing it. I have been super cautious all year to make sure that no ill should befall me prior to seeing out what looks like being an epic year of closures on both the big and small screen franchises.

As a Gen-X person who has been able to enjoy various comics, stories, cartoons and toys and to see them made into epic movies and TV shows, I can only say a massive thank you to the geeks, nerds and losers who survived the traumas of school to bring me such joy in my adult life. Don’t mess with my emotions too much though (oh go on then).

As for Thanos, click your fingers you fucker. This time you are going down you crazy mofo. Captain Marvel is a badass. Between her and Thor I reckon even Brexit would be doable. Sign them up.

Bring on the Endgame.

For more artworks feel free to check out: https://www.deviantart.com/tronic33/gallery/

[bffhreprise]

Entry 330

 I snarled, ordering my son to return home immediately.  How dare he injure someone so valuable when acting on my behalf!?  Godric was too immature to be of any use of the family.  Was the fault mine?  I considered for a moment, just growing angrier.

 “Adelmar?” questioned my wife.

 I barely could contain the anger building up inside of me, but forced myself to stand and get away from the crowd.  I didn’t want to kill anyone here.  That endless song pounded through my head, ceaselessly calling me to join the dragons.  I couldn’t!  Not yet.  There was too much to do.  Something streaked toward me with incredible speed.  Shock pierced my anger.  I had thrown a punch, but James was holding my fist, having stopped it with ease.

 “Adelmar.  It’s me, James.  What’s wrong?” he asked, perfectly calm.  He obviously didn’t even consider me a threat.

 “When did you get this strong?” I demanded, trying to focus on the shock instead of the anger, but that terrible calling was still so loud to me.

 “Is it time already?” questioned Alma, having arrived shortly behind James, her dress hiked up in her hands.

 Guilt struck me.  My cousin would forgive me anything, even ruining her wedding.  Giving in to an idea, I dropped all of the spells defending me against magical attacks, immersing myself in James’ power.  In seconds, I was feeling better, the anger gradually subsiding.  Even the call of the dragon mother wasn’t a match for James’ peculiar magic.

 “Cousin, I wasn’t aware that your husband was holding back so much during his challenges.” I told her, restraining the spark of anger more easily now.  Why hadn’t she reported this to me?  I straightened my suit, sensing where my movements had displaced it.

 “I did inform you that he was much faster and stronger than I originally believed.” she calmly reminded me.

 “YOU SHOULD HAVE SHOWN ME!” I yelled, taking a step toward her.  The anger was spiking again.  When James casually blocked my path with his arm, I hugged him.  My cousin had chosen well.  “I’m sorry, James.  I’ll be fine soon.” I assured him as I stepped back.

 “What’s wrong?” he asked once more.  The obvious concern for me on his face was enough to keep my anger in check.

 “His time’s coming soon.” replied Alma, leaning against her husband.  She always did her best not to show her volatile emotions, but I could see her sorrow plainly.

 “Time?” questioned James.

 “There’s something I haven’t told you yet.” she replied, looking at him.

 “I imagine there are many things you haven’t told me yet.” he jested.

 “Just tell him.” I ordered, knowing James was family now.

 “My family is descended from dragons, and each member of the Slayer family is destined to become a dragon.  My mother didn’t die.  She became a dragon and went… elsewhere.” explained Alma quite succinctly.

 “Elsewhere?” he inquired, obviously interested now.

 “She doesn’t know.  None of us do.” asserted Adelmar.  “Welcome to the family.” I told him, forcing a smile.  Trying to deny these two their honeymoon was tempting.  James’ company would be invaluable to me right now, but I wouldn’t do that to Alma.

 “Yes.  Welcome, James.  We’re thrilled to have you.” agreed my beautiful Anwen as she hugged me.

 “Would you two care to come back for more photos?” asked James.  “We were just about to send for you, so your timing is rather great.”

 My smile turned wry as I said, “Timing on almost turning into a dragon and disrupting your party?  I think my timing needs improved.  Then again, I don’t know that I could have stopped were you not here.  Despite the other effects of your magic, there is a very calming effect to it.”

 “I’m glad I decided to attend my wedding today then.  Alma certainly would have been fired up if I had skipped out, and you apparently would have been as well.” he teased, grinning at me.

 Alma lightly hit him before saying, “Sorry, Adelmar.  He can’t take anything seriously at times.”

 “All part of his charm, I’m sure.” I acknowledged.  Then I told James “I still cannot believe your strength and speed.  If you had struck Hyun-woo full force, the man would have died on the spot.”  James had easily convinced me that the fight was somewhat of a struggle for him, but deception was valuable to my family as well.

 I was enjoying the company of my family quite fully before the vampires arrived.  Thanks to James’ influence, I didn’t lash out at them, which could have been a fatal mistake.  Even as a dragon, I doubted I could take the three old relics in a fight, and Ariadne was known to have wiped out an entire army of my brethren when she was two thousand years younger.  Knowing that Aaliyah claimed to be her niece made things even worse.  I mentally thanked James again for being able to calm me.

,,,^._.^,,,

 Even my concern for Adelmar couldn’t weigh me down today.  My wonderful husband had saved my cousin for now.  The reception went even better than I had hoped.  The speeches were a bit long, largely thanks to my cousin, but the meal was fantastic.

 “James, we should do some dancing while we’re away.  That ended too soon.” I told him, remembering every moment fondly as I nuzzled his arm.  We were on our way to the airport now.  At least, I had thought we were.  “Mila, you missed the turn.  Where are you taking us?”

 “I have a surprise for you, so please forgive this little stop before we fly out.” replied my husband, smiling at me as I tried to read his face.

 “Oh.  Does the pilot know?” I questioned, hoping he had considered it.

 “Yes, he was given the correct schedule rather than what you were given.” explained Mila, sounding amused.

 I should have assumed that she’d never fail in that regard.  “Lovely.  Our marriage has already started with more secrets.” I teased, already looking forward to what I’d be seeing.

 “Actually, this is to be a bit of explanation.” insisted James, obviously enjoying the suspense.

 “Oh?” I asked, just before the vehicle’s location changed.  We had driven under a bridge, away from heavier streams of traffic.  Then we appeared in a parking lot.  “We just teleported.” I acknowledged aloud.

   “You didn’t really want us to deal with traffic, did you?” teased James as he opened the door.

 After realizing where we were, I said, “I’m not allowed in there.”

 “As one of the primary shareholders, I give you permission.  The others have already confirmed.” he replied, offering his hand to me.

 I accepted his hand, sighed, and said, “Of all the places to go first, you had to pick one of the most plain-looking buildings around.”

 He merely shrugged, seeming quite pleased with himself.  I knew, of course, that this restaurant supposedly hosted the best food in the world.  The catering at our picnic and at our wedding had shown that the restaurant’s chefs were a match for Marco, which was very impressive.

 I nearly tripped after passing through the second set of doors into the restaurant.  My ability to sense heat had never been able to pierce any branch of this building, and what I was feeling now was inexplicable.  The inside of the building was absurdly large, far larger than the outside.  “What sort of illusion is this?” I questioned, as what I sensed from the diners finally registered.  

 “No illusion.  The Intergalactic House of Awesome Sauce is present on thousands of worlds, offering the best fine dining services in all of time and space.” insisted a familiar voice.  Evanna, the girl who had catered for us in the park.

 “You weren’t there a moment ago.” I stated, watching her.

 Smiling, Evanna said, “No, I wasn’t.  Please follow me, and I’ll show you to your room.”

 I had countless questions, but I didn’t resist when James pulled me along by the hand to follow Evanna.  In a couple steps, we appeared in a much smaller, even more lavish room boasting a single table.

 Motioning into the room, Evanna said, “Please wait here for your next host to attend to you.”

 “You won’t be taking us around?” questioned James, sounding surprised.

 “No.  Sorry, James.  As much as I would like to give you another tour, Carl has me assigned elsewhere today.” she told him, waving before she vanished again.

 “How is this possible?” I questioned, hoping he really did mean to provide explanations as he had suggested in the car.

 “Stabilized passages through space-time with radiation buffers, annoying people buffers, and other fun buffers.” explained Aaliyah, having appeared right beside us.  “Buffers… Don’t you love buffers?  Along with some other useful tech I designed, they allow the Intergalactic House of Awesome Sauce to simultaneously exist throughout all of space and have room for all.  Pretty slick, isn’t it?”

 I shook my head in disbelief and said, “You’re just messing with me, aren’t you.”

 “She really isn’t.” asserted James.  “Where would you like to go?”

 “When and where, really.  The ‘when’ is just as important.  I’m calling first choice though.  See ya!” exclaimed Aaliyah.

 We were suddenly transported to an open field near some mountains.  Far more astonishing, I could see my mother taking notice of us.  “Mother…?” I asked, fully convinced my senses were deceiving me.

 “Alma!” exclaimed Mother, arriving next to us in one leap of her enormous, draconic body.  “You’re married?”

 Illusion or not, I hugged her and said, “Yes.  Just today.  Father was there.  He misses you.”

 “No telepathy today?” asked James, sounding surprised.

 Mother snarled at him, looking annoyed, but James didn’t seem remotely startled.

 “Today?  You two have met?” I asked, pieces falling into place in my head.  I glanced from my engagement ring to my mother, realizing what had inspired him.

 James shrugged and said, “Of course.  How do you think I decided on a ring design?  I forged your engagement ring in a volcano on this planet.”

 “We’ve been fools, Alma.  After I attacked James, the dragon queen told me a great many things that I would like to share with you.” explained Mother.  “Why can I not see your thoughts?” she asked, sounding shocked.

 “I was given something that protects my mind from intrusion.  Adelmar approved of its use on Ai and Mai as well.  There are many things I would like to share as well.” I admitted, still struggling to believe this was really happening.  First, Father was granted sanity for the duration of my wedding.  Now, I was seeing Mother for the first time in years.

 “I’ll hang out over that way and give you two a bit of time to catch up.  We’ll probably be on this planet for a while.” stated James, jogging away as soon as I nodded.

 I didn’t even know where to begin.

[ignot0]

Ancient Art, Modern Science: An Introduction to Modern Hypnotherapy

The setting is an elegantly improved office. "Sally," a thirty-multi year-old amusement official, reclines in an agreeable chair and takes a few moderate, full breaths. Her specialist darken the lights at that point starts addressing her in a calming, dulcet manner of speaking https://gomovies-online.vip/ Inside a couple of moments, clearly Sally is profoundly loose; truth be told, she gives off an impression of being sleeping. Watching inconspicuous physiological responses in light of his patter, the specialist finishes the enlistment - "five, four, three, two, one, zero, profound rest." Sally breathes out with very nearly a moan, flagging a last discharge into profound mesmerizing. 

The advisor starts to work.

Scarcely the stuff of a Las Vegas organize appear, this. There is no cheering crowd, no gathering of willing volunteers anxious to have the trance inducer "change" them into human kid's shows. The subliminal specialist will spend the following twenty to thirty minutes essentially conversing with Sally in a calm, practically conversational voice.

It is a monolog rich with stories, pictures, and allegory - language intended to coordinate Sally's own etymological learning examples, and proposed to interface straightforwardly to her subliminal psyche, the wellspring of most human conduct; great and awful, wanted and something else.

Sally's explanation behind looking for hypnotherapy was to beaten a nearly incapacitating trepidation of open talking that was getting progressively hindering to a promising profession. She additionally needed to diminish and control the pressure that accompanies her activity. After just four meetings, she currently directs most introductions effortlessly and assuredness. Addressing enormous crowds is still fairly scary, yet given her fast advancement, her dread will probably before long be an insignificant memory.

Toward the finish of the meeting Sally 'stirs' on signal, feeling revived and loose. Ask her and she will reveal to you that past the way that she is effectively vanquishing her dread, when all is said in done she feels essentially preferred about herself over she did before she started her treatment.

These are normal symptoms of helpful mesmerizing - developed mental self view and certainty, and a significant feeling of accomplishment and strengthening. Of course, Sally enjoys the inclination, as do most who experience contemporary hypnotherapy- - an exceptional mix of an old workmanship with current social science.

The utilization of mesmerizing as an impetus for conduct change and physical recuperating goes back to the most punctual times of written history. From the hour of the antiquated Indian and Egyptian societies, hypnotherapy has ebbed and streamed in prominence, once in a while thriving, now and again nearly vanishing, however continually enduring - across societies, geologies, advancements, and time itself.

In the time of present day human services - in the course of recent years or somewhere in the vicinity, and proceeding with today- - several investigations directed at huge numbers of the most esteemed scholastic and clinical foundations around the globe have over and again and experimentally checked the adequacy of hypnotherapy for some clinical circumstances.

For instance, a catchphrase look for entrancing or hypnotherapy on the Websites of the American Medical Association, the National Institutes for Health, the American Psychological Association, or the World Health Organization will prompt scores of articles, modified works, and reports on clinical investigations with respect to the utilization of spellbinding in current medication and psychotherapy. Entrancing is used in driving foundations like the Mayo Clinic, incorporated into the acts of thousands of doctors and analysts, and rehearsed by a huge number of lay subliminal specialists around the world, and all things considered.

Hypnotherapy is incredibly adaptable. It tends to be applied to extraordinary impact over an impressive assortment of professional, avocational, and clinical circumstances. It assists individuals with wiping out feelings of dread and fears; kill unfortunate propensities, antagonistic feelings and mentalities; and improve their presentation grinding away, in games, or in for all intents and purposes some other territory of their own, proficient, or recreational lives; and regularly rapidly.

In clinical settings, where lay trance specialists must work under the referral and supervision of authorized doctors, hypnotherapy is frequently a viable assistant to regular medications for an assortment of conditions like Obesity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lupus, Migraine, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Tinnitus, Asthma, Allergies, Warts, HIV, fruitlessness, and even a few malignancies. Dr. Joan Friedrick, PhD, MA, composing on clinical trance for ABC News Online's Healthology: "It is assessed that 94 percent of patients profit by hypnotherapy, regardless of whether it is just connected to improved unwinding."

Hypnotherapy can assist patients with planning for and mend quicker from dental methodology, medical procedure, and labor. It is utilized effectively to control incessant agony, and as an extra to, and here and there a swap for, synthetic sedation. Numerous patients likewise discover help from distress related with cruel medicines like chemo and radiation treatment. Under referral from authorized psychotherapists, trance inducers additionally give adjunctive treatment to an assortment of emotional wellness gives that surpass the extent of professional/avocational personal development. Simultaneously hypnotherapy despite everything exists in a kind of netherworld between standard medicinal services and supernatural pretense, fenced in perfectly by fantasies, fears, and confusions around what it is and how it functions. These second thoughts are in all likelihood conceived of the way that a great many people's just introduction to mesmerizing is through stage shows and awful sensational plot gadgets that may engage, yet additionally totally mislead.

Unquestionably, watching a gathering of entranced stage-show volunteers experience their paces may lead any sane individual to presume that the subjects' have without a doubt lost control of their brains, unequivocally the main dread in regards to spellbinding. All things considered, who in their correct brain would act that way?

[edivupage]

Why and how you simplify IT with Microsoft 365

During this past week at Microsoft Ignite, it was an honor to spend time sitting with customers, listening to them explain what’s working and what’s not, and learning more about where they need our help.

In my session on Monday, I showed 75 minutes worth of examples of how we’ve applied a new philosophy to the way we build tools and services for IT pros. We refer to this approach to architecture, development, and end-user experience in Microsoft 365 as being “Integrated for Simplicity.” Our goal with this integrated simplicity is to make it as easy as possible for our customers to shift to a modern desktop and make their modern workplace a reality.

As part of my session on Monday, we made a series of announcements that align with this approach:

The shift to a modern desktop is an extension of what many organizations are already doing or are planning to do in the near future. There are many ways to start this process; for example, many tools and processes you’re using right now—like ConfigMgr and Active Directory—can easily be cloud-connected. Doing this not only reduces complexity—it also harnesses the power of Microsoft’s cloud-driven intelligence.

Modern desktop puts the power of the cloud in the hands of both end users and IT

The makeup of a modern desktop is simple: Windows 10 with Office 365 ProPlus—which are built in and driven by the cloud so that their scale, compute, automation, intelligence, and flexibility can simplify your IT. Supporting your end users with the Office ProPlus apps is a fundamental component of a modern desktop. These are the only apps with an artificial intelligence (AI) that can do the hard work of security while simultaneously improving and beautifying documents and presentations.

If you didn’t watch my session live, you can check it out in this recorded media stream. At the end of the session, I share three ways you can start using that cloud intelligence right now—and you can do these three things in minutes, not days.

1. Cloud-connect what you have today

A powerful way to begin cloud-connecting your existing infrastructure is to link your on-premises Active Directory with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). This process is simple and it adds significant flexibility, security, and mobility to your organization’s identity.

I also strongly encourage you to cloud-connect ConfigMgr with Intune. The process takes #Just4Clicks and, once enabled, reaps immediate rewards including superior visibility into device health, as well as access to actions such as remote wipe and security features like conditional access.

For more information, you can watch the #Just4Clicks video on our Microsoft Cloud channel.

You can also get your files up into the cloud with OneDrive Known Folder Move. This simple process immediately gives you protection from ransomware, and it improves real-time collaboration.

Find more information in our Tech Community blog, Migrate Your Files to OneDrive Easily with Known Folder Move.

2. Gain superior visibility and control

One of the many announcements we made at Ignite was the work we’ve done to merge 20+ separate web consoles into a single point of entry called the Microsoft 365 admin center. This consolidation is a part of our focus on integrated simplicity, and it features seven specialist workspaces for security, compliance, device management, and more.

I encourage you to check out the preview at admin.microsoft.com

Another simple action with big benefits is enabling conditional access so that you can better understand how corporate data is being accessed by personal devices. Configuring conditional access is easy and it dramatically increases your security posture while also reducing the risk of both intentional and accidental data leakage.

Learn more about how to enable conditional access.

In addition to support for Win32 app deployment in Intune, we also announced Intune security baselines. These baselines are pre-configured (but still customizable!) and published every month. I strongly encourage everyone using Intune to enable these as soon as possible.

More information is available in Using security baselines in your organization.

3. Shift to a modern desktop

For years, engineers at Microsoft have dreamed of building a service that learns from the millions of devices, billions of authentications, and trillions of signals in the Microsoft Cloud—and then applies that information to the estates of our customers in real-time. Desktop Analytics is the realization of that dream.

Desktop Analytics is one of the most powerful tools we have ever created—and it is custom built to give IT teams the insight and information they need to deploy, manage, and service apps and devices.

Desktop Analytics offers a tightly integrated, end-to-end solution that automates the mountain of work required to validate the compliance of your hardware, drivers, applications (both 3rd party and your own internally developed), as well as the Office add-ins. This doesn’t just eliminate hundreds of hours of work for IT teams, it wipes out thousands of hours otherwise spent on manual compliance checks which have chronically stolen your bandwidth at a time when you could be pursuing strategic projects that make a lasting impact on the way your company operates.

Desktop Analytics is currently in private preview (public preview will be announced soon), but you don’t need to wait to use it: The Windows Analytics service (which is part of Desktop Analytics) is available to use right now. I think you’ll be really surprised by how much Windows Analytics will simplify and improve your ability to manage devices and apps, as well as simplify the task of upgrading to Windows 10.

More information is available in Windows Analytics Overview: Device Health, Update Compliance, Upgrade Readiness.

I also want to highlight how simple and valuable it is to shift from Office perpetual to Office 365 ProPlus with the Office Customization Tool in ConfigMgr. This is proof of how easy it now is for your on-premises infrastructure and the cloud to work together to reduce the complexity of what would otherwise be arduous manual tasks—e.g., migrating from MSI deployments of Office perpetual editions in favor of Office 365 ProPlus Click-to-Run.

Only the Office ProPlus apps offer the AI required for these scenarios.

More information is available in Overview of the Office Customization Tool for Click-To-Run.

As you plan for the future of your organization, prioritize finishing Windows 10 upgrades before January 2020. Both Windows 7 and Office 2010 will reach the end of extended support in 2020, and based on our data, we can see that there are now more devices in the enterprise running Windows 10 than any other previous version of Windows.

If your Windows 10 deployment hasn’t also reached the halfway mark yet, now is a great time to reach out to our FastTrack team for help with upgrades, migrations, and (as of Ignite) application compatibility as part of the newly announced Desktop App Assure program.

More information is available in Helping customers shift to a modern desktop.

Make the shift today

I started Monday’s session talking about the past instead of the future.

This look backwards focused on the little-known story of John Napier. In the early 1600s, Napier was an eccentric inventor and treasure hunter who never left his home without a wooden box of spiders in his pocket or a black rooster he considered magical. From this very unlikely source came a project 20 years and 10 million calculations in the making.

In 1614, he published a 147-page book that ushered in the technical underpinnings of the modern world. With no advanced notice or fanfare, he introduced the concept of logarithms and how to use them.

Once logarithmic tables were available, the sciences and engineering professions surged. Almost overnight, a world full of equations that could not be solved by hand within the time limits of a normal lifespan could be unraveled in minutes. This made the world a dramatically simpler place, and the sciences surged with this new, user-friendly computational technology.

Logarithmic calculations offered the means for accurate measures of planetary orbits, which led to interstellar cartography, which led to satellites and moon landings. Trade routes could now be measured and planned across oceans instead of counties. Engineers could now build things bigger, safer, and stronger—which led to industrialization, internal combustion, and skyscrapers. In very short order mobility leapt from carts, to steam engines, to intercontinental flight, and human productivity took flight by moving from hand tools, to electricity, to the cloud.

I believe we’re at another pivotal moment in history. All hyperbole aside, I see the volume and quality of the new tools demonstrated at Ignite as a huge opportunity for IT. Not only do these tools work with and expand upon the elements you already have within your infrastructure, but they put the power of the cloud in the hands of every one of your end users. The integrated simplicity and functionality of what has been built for IT pros allows you to cloud-connect the work you are doing and use cloud-based intelligence to transform your organization.

Please evaluate and investigate all of our announcements—and don’t hesitate to share your feedback. I appreciate your partnership and I am grateful for the incredible work you do every day.

The post Why and how you simplify IT with Microsoft 365 appeared first on Microsoft 365 Blog.

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The Number One Question You Must Ask For Front Entry Door For Sale In Houston

The Number One Question You Must Ask For Front Entry Door For Sale In Houston

Floor Covering Tips: Top 10 Treatment Recommendations Genuine Hardwood Floor Covering

Did you know that actual hardwood flooring can include significant value to your home? This is not just because it is a top quality floor covering product, but additionally due to its ageless beauty as well as ability to match most décor. Currently, if you're going to invest in the considerable price of mounting genuine hardwood flooring, you ought to be prepared to secure your financial investment by established some guideline as well as make a couple of adjustments to make sure that your pride and joy remains in beautiful condition for a long time to come.

 There are several wrongdoers in charge of destructive actual hardwood floor covering. UV rays from the sunlight, damp spills, overzealous cleansers and rough contact with home furnishings could all do significant injury. Below are a couple of ideas on the best ways to appreciate your floors without being a slave to them.

 1. Affix felt or plastic pads to the bottoms of chairs, tables as well as other furniture to make sure that they can be moved around without scraping the flooring.

2. Raise furnishings, and also do not scratch it, as you relocate around the space.

3. Stay clear of using playthings, big or small, with wheels. The wheels are often constructed from tough plastic that becomes harsh with usage.

4. When vacuuming, utilize the brush accessory. It's even suggested to save one particular brush accessory for the genuine hardwood flooring as well as use a separate one for other areas of your house.

5. Sand and also dust are rough so keep floor coverings at entrances to the rooms where hardwood flooring is in place. Wiping feet removes most traces.

6. Ask your flooring expert concerning the proper cleaning agents to make use of on your flooring. Various therapies on floorings can call for customized items for cleaning.

7. While sunshine streaming in via the window makes us really feel great, it has the potential to fade your floors with time. Keep drapes and blinds closed whenever possible.

8. Spills ought to be cleaned up instantly as fluids, consisting of water, can tarnish real wood floor covering.

9. Never ever stroll on hardwood floorings while putting on high heels, especially those with stiletto spiked heels.

10. If pets are housed in the area, make sure their nails are trimmed to avoid damaging the flooring.

 While the above listing could appear like a lot of trouble, it deserves focusing on these points to make sure that your real wood floor covering can remain in leading condition for the long haul. Enjoy your home and also your floor and also utilize it ... an extra room is a squandered expenditure, despite exactly what's on the floors, wall surfaces or ceiling.

Flooring Tips You Have To Know

Purchasing a brand-new floor can be an irritating and confusing procedure. Below's a checklist of things to bear in mind before heading out to purchase your brand-new floor.

 1. Bear in mind of the area layout.

 - Attract an overview of the room or areas. Indicate where the entries are put.

 - Step the room thoroughly as well as properly with a determining tape. Jot down the width as well as length of a space. Keep in mind to include closets as well as other areas that need the new floor covering. Smaller print patterns could make the area appear a great deal bigger.

 - Think about adjoining rooms and also the floor covering on those spaces.

 - Make a note where direction the area is dealing with as well as if there is a sliding door. Establish how much all-natural light goes into the space. You might wish to consider a laminated floor, ceramic floor tile or porcelain tile.

 - Bring along swatches of textiles from your furnishings, drapes as well as wallpaper. These will help you select the color as well as design of your floor covering.

 2. Respond to these questions in order to help you out in choosing the right floor for your area:

 - Just how much foot traffic does the area get in any type of provided day? The number of people passing or making use of the space would certainly show the degree of damage the space would certainly take. This would assist you in determining the type of floor covering to get. An area with a high quantity of website traffic needs a lot more durable flooring.

 - Just what is the main feature of the room? A room used generally for leisurely tasks will certainly have much less wear and tear. Delicate floor covering materials can be selected in this situation.

 - The number of pets do you have? Pets tend to abuse the surroundings they are in, floor coverings perhaps damage from square one.

 - How many kids do you have in the house? All the roughhousing as well as playing that the youngsters do tend to abuse the flooring. The more kids you have in your home, the even more misuse your flooring will obtain.

 - What color do you desire? Remember that lighter shades make rooms seem larger.

 - How long do you want the floor covering to last? We would obviously like the floor covering to last permanently however damage problems the floor covering.

 At some point, it will need to be replaced or you could intend to simply change the look of the room after a specific amount of time.

 3. What does it cost? is the floor covering mosting likely to cost?

 - Are the subfloor prep work part of the priced estimate cost?

 - Is the priced quote rate inclusive of the installment or is that a separate fee? This is a budgeting issue, you would like to know the real amount you're mosting likely to invest.

 - Is the removal of pre-existing floor covering included in the quoted rate.

 - Is the priced estimate cost inclusive of the moving of all appliances as well as furnishings in the space.

 - Are all the necessary products consisted of in the priced estimate price? You would not intend to learn during the setup that some products are not consisted of which you still need to purchase more materials. That could be incredibly frustrating and also aggravating.

 4. Inquiries to ask the installers and also the store:

 - Are the installers independent, or are they keep staff members?

 - Whose insurance policy will pay for installation mistakes?

 - Are every one of the materials recommended by the maker so warranty will not be voided?

 - Go over with the salesman the service warranty information of the producer. Maintain a duplicate of the service warranty.

 - Go over the maintenance procedure and also maintain a duplicate of the handbook or brochure.

 - Have whatever documented consisting of the diagram of the installation. Likewise, the amount of flooring needed in the room

 - Ask that will be in charge of the elimination of repaired functions in the area, e.g. bathroom.

 - Constantly check the internet site of the store, if any, to provide you a suggestion of the store. Keep in mind of the affiliations to groups or various other organizations.

 It would certainly be best to email the store beforehand to have actually some inquiries responded to before going there. It saves a lot of time.

 - Have all the item details recorded. The file must consist of the name of the supplier, product name, color, style as well as the installation treatment.

If you are trying to find futon covers with flower prints, after that you have actually come to the right site online. We have a range of pastels, brilliant shades as well as different floral designs to match your interiors.

Where do florals fit

Floral prints can be used for any kind of type of futons. You could choose flower prints for enhancing your sitting room, the bedroom or your little girl's area. It is best recommended to leave out flower prints and choose solids or retros while embellishing a young boy's space or in business homes.

Sorts of florals

There are vast array readily available today. One can select self-prints, where the floral print is of the same color however a different appearance. It could be a shade darker also. One could pick brilliant florals that could include in the brightness of an area. One can opt for soft shades for a look of beauty and also course. You could select among consistent print of similar flowers or an abstract design. You could likewise opt for prints with various colored blossoms.

Kinds of products

Floral prints are readily available in the majority of type of products today. You could get florally published cottons, polyesters, combination of materials, silks or brocades. You can additionally obtain embroidered floral prints if you desire. Silks and brocades can include a touch of course to your living-room while cottons might be an excellent alternative for the bed room.

Types of covers

We have covers in standard sizes for mattresses of solitary beds, twin beds, king-size bed and queen beds. You could additionally get covers for cushions of all basic dimensions. We also undertake custom-designing for bulk orders. If you need to obtain the chairs at your workplace repaired with futon covers, we can occupy the job and provide within short time routines.

Quality

Our prints are high quality and do not run shade. All the more, many futon covers come with discolor immune textile treatment that protects against the covers from getting spoilt. Besides this we offer premium quality service in the form of complimentary shipping and examples of fabric examples for bulk orders.

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[juliandmouton30]

Architecture film is "a genre in the making" as festivals multiply

Architecture film festivals are booming, as filmmakers turn their attention to the genre, new events launch, and audiences grow.

2017 has been a particularly standout year for film festivals dedicated to architecture, with new festivals opening in London and Melbourne, and already established ones adding more dates and cities to their programmes.

"I noticed that increase over a number of years," Kyle Bergman, founder of Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF) told Dezeen. "And now, since there's more and more festivals about it, there's more and more films actually being made on the subject, because there's a great audience for them."

Bergman already runs screenings in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, which this year included a documentary about Australian architect Glenn Murcutt and a movie set among the modernist gems of Columbus in Indiana.

He will add Washington DC and San Diego to the ADFF festival roster for 2018. He said the popularity of architecture on film is "snowballing", with filmmakers being driven to produce by the demand for film festivals, and vice versa.

More festivals means more films, which means more festivals

ADFF started off in 2008. In addition to its solely architecture and design offerings, Bergman has also successfully lobbied larger film festivals such as the Chicago International Film Festival and Doc NYC to include sub-sections for architecture films.

"I think that really stems out of us showing, and other film festivals showing, that there is a real interest in this little niche," said Bergman.

"I'm not even sure it's established as a genre yet. But we're working on [it]," he added. "It's a genre in the making."

Across the Atlantic, London played host to the inaugural Archfilmfest in June 2017, a six-day festival exploring architecture through screenings, installations and workshops.

"To be honest I was really surprised there hadn't been one in London before we started. There's such an obvious relationship between architecture and filmmaking," the festival's co-director Charlotte Skene-Catling told Dezeen.

Related story

Movie protests demolition of Helmut Jahn's Thompson Center in Chicago

For Skene-Catling, the traditional drawings and renderings employed by architects had become staid in comparison to the avenues opened by employing cinematic techniques.

"Architects for so many years have represented buildings devoid of any kind of activity in them," she said. "People are always cartoon like or they are wiped out completely. Places are filmed or photographed completely empty. That's a very primitive approach to what architecture does."

Film can bring drama to architecture

Skene-Catling, the co-founder of architecture studio Skene Catling de la Peña, had been experimenting with using filmmaking in her practice and became fascinated with how the two overlap. She said film can push architects to design more exciting built environments.

"Buildings can be so incredibly powerful in creating an atmosphere. That's something that filmmakers seem to be more in control of than architects," said Skene-Catling. "There's so much architecture that exists at the moment that feels very devoid of atmosphere or emotion."

"Buildings need to have some of the drama of great films, so you have a beginning, a middle and an end. You have a series of events, you have drama, you have excitement, you have things that make your heart race," she said.

While architecture has played both a starring and supporting role in film since the medium began, technological advances have made it easier than ever to capture exciting and dramatic footage of the built environment.

Drone-mounted cameras have become particularly prevalent when it comes to capturing previously inaccessible shots, whether it's Hong Kong high-rises shot from above, Zaha Hadid's museum on a mountain-top, or footage of Robin Hood gardens pre-demolition.

Architects can learn from filmmakers

For its first London line-up, Archfilmfest functioned as a showcase for how buildings are sometimes more alive in the hands of filmmakers than the architects who first designed them.

Skene-Catling is keen to show that the symbiosis of architecture and film is very much the future. For students today, the boundary between the disciplines of architecture and film-making are increasingly fluid.

More universities are offering courses that train architects in filmmaking, and students are adopting new technologies such as CGI and 3D modelling with vigour. Of the seven students that the RIBA awarded its President's Medals to this year, three of the winners used short animated films as a central part of their project.

"They can start moving naturally between different disciplines. They have to become more fluid, more mobile," said Skene-Catling. "They have a way of strategising and diagramming, but also of representing ideas through visual media that includes film. That's very seductive, it's very convincing."

Established festivals keep getting bigger and better

In May and October, Sydney and Melbourne respectively hosted film and documentary screens alongside panel discussions, as part of ArchiFlix festival.

The success of this year's ArchiFlix, which was founded by business developer Sally Darling and producer Ron Brown in 2013, will see the programme expanded to include three-day festivals in Perth and Brisbane, along with the four-day festivals in Melbourne and Sydney, and satellite events in Adelaide and Hobart.

"The first ArchiFlix film night was held in 2013, with the audience demonstrating a real thirst for the inspiration and storytelling of architectural documentaries," Darling told Dezeen. "After a couple of years of these one night events, I felt the industry was ready for a festival."

The pair are set to launch ArchiFlixTV in the near future, offering a global streaming platform solely for architectural films.

Related story

Architecture at its best is "pure fiction" says Bjarke Ingels in new Netflix documentary

While ADFF, Archfilmfest and ArchiFlix are relative new-comers and fast growing in the world of architecture film festivals, more established film festivals continue to go from strength to strength, as enthusiasm and awareness for this putative genre grows.

Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR) was established as a biannual architecture film festival in 2000, with a particular focus on architecture, film and the city.

In 2007, after a brief hiatus, the AFFR came back with a bigger programme than ever, with each edition centred on a theme exploring architecture and urbanism. Past themes include Think Big, Act Small, Time Machine, and City for Sale.

The 2017 AFFR was so successful that the organisers announced earlier this month that the festival would become annual instead of biannual. AFFR 2018 will be its 10th edition, and the foundation that runs it also organises screenings and events throughout the year.

Budapest Architecture Film Days was started in 2008 after its founders, already keen to bring the conversation around architecture and film to Central Europe, were spurred on by an encounter with AFFR co-director Jord den Hollander.

"He was very supportive of the idea of establishing a similar festival in this region," spokesperson Gábor Fehér told Dezeen.

Architecture films are alerting people to urban issues

Now in its 10th year, Budapest Architecture Film Days is organised by KÉK, the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre, which is an independent organisation run by young architects and artists.

They chose film as a medium for its broad appeal, hoping to attract as wide an audience as possible.

"Our motto 'Do you live in a building? Do you watch movies? Good reasons to join us!' perfectly captures the principle behind the festival," said Fehér.

"[We're] making use of the medium of film as an egalitarian tool to converge people towards the topics of not just architecture, but also to various issues surrounding urban conditions and communities, neighbourhoods, and living spaces."

When they started out, awareness of how architecture and film could interact was limited. The first festival was held in a single room in KÉK's former headquarters.

Since then the venue has been Toldi, an art cinema with 250 seats. Today screenings are often fully booked out, prompting the festival to hold multiple showings.

As the audience has grown, so too has the number of films being made. Fehér has also noticed a growing trend for longer architecture films being made, suggesting filmmakers have more time and resources to dedicate to the subject of architecture.

"We are receiving more and more submissions each year to our annual call for films from filmmakers all over the globe," he said. "The cinematic scene of architecture and design is definitely going strong."

It all began in Florence

Marco Brizzi founded what was arguably the world's architecture film festival in 1997, which was Florence's Beyond Media event.

Beyond Media charted the new ways in which architecture and audiovisual tools were being created in relation to each other. Over nine editions, it documented how architecture and the media interacted.

The Florentine festival ran until 2009, spanning a period of immense change for the media and a time of rapid technological advances in filmmaking.

Screenings were at its core, with past line-ups including early videos from architecture notables such as UNStudio, MDRDV, Rem Koolhaas and the late Zaha Hadid.

The online audience for architecture films is also booming

Online, people can't get enough of architecture on video. Dezeen's total video views across all platforms have doubled to 60 million from last year, with a series on moving buildings racking up 17 million views on Facebook alone.

Netflix has been getting in the act too. Earlier this year the digital streaming service launched an eight-part series of documentaries profiling big names from the world of architecture, including BIG's Bjarke Ingels.

Architects have been enjoying their fair share of the spotlight too. Last year Dezeen sat down with Tomas Koolhaas to discuss his film REM, which was the result of following his superstar architect father around the world for four years.

Related story

Rem Koolhaas "doesn’t respond well to having a lens shoved in his face" says his movie-maker son

Photograph is by Fabio Duma.

The post Architecture film is "a genre in the making" as festivals multiply appeared first on Dezeen.

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Best Horror Anime To Watch on Crunchyroll

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One of the best things about October is how every content provider gets infected with Halloween madness and succumbs to horror-centric programming. Some networks even curate a full 31 days of scary content to prove just how gung ho they are about this spooky holiday. At this point you’ve likely already made a checklist for all of the big horror films that are on the horizon and all of the older classics that you need to catch up on. However, if you’re still starved for even more horror-based content, then look no further than Crunchyroll and their catalogue of frightening anime. 

Whether you’re a committed member of the anime streaming service or you’ve never checked out the site before, it’s likely that the service will have something that catches your eye. It can sometimes be rather overwhelming to sift through a whole collection of anime, especially when you have no idea what’s supposed to be good or not, let alone a series that’s actually scary. In order to make your Halloween a little less frightening, we’ve streamlined a list of some of Crunchyroll’s most notable anime series—both in terms of horror shows that go straight for the jugular as well as lighter fare that centers around a supernatural premise—to make the experience as easy as possible for you.

Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories 

How Many Episodes: 72

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Yamishibai has steadily been trucking along for over six seasons and it’s turned into one of the more traditional horror anime staples in Japan. The series gets its inspiration from classic urban legends and ghost stories from Asian culture and distills them into brief four-minute bursts of horror. A lot of Yamishibai’s charm comes from its creepy atmosphere and short stories, but the anime’s quality wildly fluctuates over the show’s six seasons. Some episodes are more uncomfortable or strange than terrifying, and the show’s low production values may deter some viewers, but it’s a great source to learn about all kinds of creepy new stories.

Kagewani

How Many Episodes: 13

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Kagewani looks at a desperate video blogger who attempts to find success by faking the appearance of cryptids and monsters in his videos. Before he knows it, there are real monsters that are loose on the city and a growing epidemic begins to sweep the community. This hapless blogger, Sousuke, attempts to eliminate these creatures, but the mystery he’s put himself in continues to deepen. Kagewani is easy viewing with its short seven-minute episodes and even though the art style leaves plenty to be desired, it features creative monsters designs and a mystery that holds up until the end. Dedicated fans can also check out the show’s sequel series, Kagewani: Shou.

Angels of Death

How Many Episodes: 12

Sub and Dub

Angels of Deathis a boiled down psychological horror title that throws its characters and audience into a high concept premise. A young girl named Rachel wakes up in the basement of an abandoned building and has no idea how she got there. It’s not long until she encounters Zack, a man who’s completely covered in bandages and has a penchant for waving a sickle around. Angels of Death explores the unconventional friendship between these two as they try to figure out where they are and how to get out. The prison that Rachel and Zack find themselves trapped in is full of unusual horror-friendly characters and the series understands how to make this action-packed mystery engrossing rather than draw out the adventure and withhold answers.

GeGeGe no Kitaro (Kitaro of the Graveyard) (2018) 

How Many Episodes: 97 (and still running)

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GeGeGe no Kitaro is an anime series that’s actually been around since the 1960s, but every decade has featured some fresh attempt at remaking the series. 2018’s rendition of GeGeGe no Kitaro seems to have learned much from its predecessors and feels like the most polished execution of the anime yet. The series focuses on a number of yokai that are determined to keep the world safe from the more dangerous spirits that are out there. Each episode features a “yokai of the week” that must be handled, but a larger serialized story also courses in the background. GeGeGe no Kitaro has a wide cast of weird, enjoyable characters and even though it skews younger, it still manages to surprise. The basic premise behind the series may sound played out, but incredible art design and addictive storytelling help keep this anime on top.

Another

How Many Episodes: 12

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Anothertells an unnerving mystery that sees class 3-3 in a middle school turn into a hotbed for supernatural activity after a popular girl passes away in the ’70s. Now in the present, a new transfer student enters class 3-3 and he’s the only one that’s able to see Misaki, the girl who passed away over 20 years ago. Mysteries continue to grow and this transfer student forms an unexpected alliance with the mysterious Misaki to figure out what evil forces have ahold of their school. Another plays up the mystery and suspense angle over pure horror, but it still knows when to turn up the blood and guts when it’s appropriate. Another benefits from a concise 12-episode story and even though the series’ central mystery changes in some major ways in the second half of the season, it’s always engrossing. You truly want to see Kouichi, the transfer student, find some peace and hopefully be able to give Masaki’s soul some rest, too.

Parasyte: The Maxim

How Many Episodes: 24

Sub and Dub

Parasyte: The Maxim hits the ground running and is bonkers from its very first frame. The series revolves around a number of alien parasites that have landed on Earth and start possessing hosts. Shinichi Izumi is a mild-mannered high school student whose life drastically changes when one of these parasites possesses his right hand. This sets Shinichi on a dangerous journey to wipe out the other parasites that have landed on Earth, as well as figure out how to work alongside his new alien host, and if there’s a way to rid himself of this threat. Parasyte: The Maximoperates like a superhero series at times as Shinichi acclimates to the new strength and powers that his parasite gives him. The series also navigates tricky moral territory as Shinichi, who’s now a human-alien hybrid, must fight against the aliens that are now part of his biology (think Tokyo Ghoul, but with aliens instead of vampire demons). 

The path that Shinichi finds himself on gives the anime a strong narrative drive, but honestly, this is just a beautiful show to watch in motion. The fluid, bewildering effects that Shinichi’s parasitic hand puts to use are ridiculous and it’s just crazy to watch a boy partner up with an alien version of his hand for an entire series. H.P. Lovecraft would give this madness his full stamp of approval.

Junji Ito Collection

How Many Episodes: 12

Sub and Dub

If Yamishibai is the tame horror anthology that you can watch before going to bed, then Junji Ito Collection is pure nightmare fuel. This is not a series that should be watched with the lights turned off or even with a large amount of shade in the room. The series adapts some of the most disturbing stories from renowned horror manga artist, Junji Ito. Junji Ito Collection packs two sordid stories into each episode and the subject matter ranges from supernatural curses, to deranged killers, to some of the most extreme body horror you’ll ever see in an anime (can David Cronenberg please take on a live-action adaptation of “Honored Ancestors”?). Ito conjures up unbelievable ideas that are truly a rarity for horror and stories like “Greased,” “Long Dreams,” “Slug Girl,” and “Blood-Bubble Bushes” are all behemoths of horror.

Unfortunately, not all of the Ito stories that the anime chooses to adapt are winners, but the series’ unsettling art design still helps the weaker tales carry a strong punch. With any justice a second season of this will soon be announced to terrify anime fans well into 2019.

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Erased

How Many Episodes: 12 

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Erased is a tight psychological thriller that feels like what would happen if David Fincher had written and directed Back to the Future. The anime centers around the pursuit of a child killer who’s been on the loose for decades while someone else has wrongfully taken the blame. This compelling serial killer mystery also throws in supernatural elements with how the central character experiences a phenomenon known as “Revival” that sends him back in time a few minutes to prevent incidents. The 29 year-old suddenly finds himself sent back 19 years and in his 10 year-old self with the opportunity to stop and catch the child murderer before his initial crimes take place. It’s an incredible mix of genres with a villain that’s genuinely scary and phenomenal characters that you want to see survive. Erased is only 12 episodes and not a single one is wasted as this mystery plays out and goes to dark places.

The Promised Neverland

How Many Episodes: 12 

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The Promised Neverland is the kind of anime that M. Night Shyamalan would absolutely fall in love with. It’s a masterstroke of storytelling and it builds tension in amazing ways as it keeps the characters and the audience in the dark about so much. It makes all of the series’ payoffs become absolutely incredible. The anime is set in a dystopic vision of 2045 within an orphanage where an 11 year-old named Emma and dozens of other young children are given a cushy existence at the cost of never leaving the grounds and venturing to the outside world. Emma and company soon learn of the horrific truth of the world and the real reason that they’re being kept at this orphanage. It’s truly chilling and The Promised Neverland tells a gripping story where these children have no one to trust and are in way over their heads. A second season of The Promised Neverland is set to hit in 2021, so it’s the perfect time to jump into this series.

Death Note

How Many Episodes: 37

Sub and Dub

Death Note is a series that’s turned into a colossal hit and even though various live-action versions of it exist, there are none that compare to what the anime accomplishes. Death Note succeeds in taking something as outlandish as a magical killing notebook and an apple loving devil shinigami and tie it with a hard-boiled cat and mouse crime saga. Light Yagami’s plummet into darkness and L’s pursuit to apprehend him and keep the blast radius from increasing is really great stuff. It digs into the inherently scary nature of what misdirected rage can make people do. It’s such a different take on a serial killer and the anime remains unpredictable until the end, even though it takes a major turn after the halfway point that isn’t for everyone.

Other horror-centric or monster-based anime titles to check out on Crunchyroll when you’ve scared yourself stiff off of everything else: Jin Roh, The Laughing Salesman NEW, The Garden of Sinners, Interviews With Monster Girls, and Attack on Titan

The post Best Horror Anime To Watch on Crunchyroll appeared first on Den of Geek.

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