#irish film board

[thatskeletonbitch]

i love movies that are cut together so that they flow like a daydream. that they have the mannerisms of novels. of storytelling. where they are so incoherent that they become peaceful. scenes that change from dialog to four landscapes or different weathers. never knowing what content you are going to receive next. its beautiful

[phantom-of-the-memes]

And just the parallels these people are drawing, trying to insult me, an Irish person, when I’m talking about freeing Palestine. They’re sooo telling.

All these people demanding Palestinian activists tell them whether or not they “condemn Hamas”, which is just such bullshit and a bad faith question. I highly recommend watching the interview the Palestinian ambassador gave on the bbc, just completely obliterating this question. But yes these people will then turn around to me as soon as I speak on Palestine, and ask “do you condemn the IRA!?!?!”.

Once again asked by people without a shred of knowledge on the history of Ireland or Palestine.

First, on the IRA. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) was formed in 1917 from the members of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army. Notice the key words “volunteers” and “citizen”. It was never an army, just a volunteer resistance force of Irish citizens. They didn’t even have weapons at the start. They would train in the woods holding hurls to substitute guns. It wasn’t until the risings when they received weapons donated by other nations supporting the Irish gaining freedom.

More Irish people (who didn’t have the army training the British forces had) were killed and imprisoned by the British, than they killed the British. Various risings and civil wars continued until the Republic came to be in 1948. The six counties of the North are still of course under British rule.

My point is, people (*cough cough* Americans) who “love” Ireland and are so happy that Ireland gained freedom, then turn around and ask us to “condemn the IRA/ Hamas”…

I’m not even going to go into the fact that the IRA has since splintered off into a million different factions and some of them are involved in organised crime, blah, blah. Because again, “condemning the IRA” for gaining freedom for the republic because of the later actions of SOME of them, is just bad faith!

People looovvvee Ireland and Irish culture and are glad the republic exists and are “sad” for the North, but don’t want to acknowledge that we’ve only come this far by violent resistance! If we could’ve just asked real nice for England to fuck off, in the 700 years they occupied us, we would’ve! Peace talks don’t do shit when one side is a colonising power that doesn’t want to leave the other alone!

And again, it’s assuming that colonisation and apartheid states aren’t violent themselves. In both Palestine and Ireland, our oppressors subjugated and forced us into unimaginable conditions for so fucking long. Then when people try to oppose them, they’re called terrorists?

I mean shit, you Americans even have your 4th of July where you celebrate how you guys violently overthrew the English and gained independence. Do we condemn those soldiers for killing British soldiers? I mean every Independence Day of every country involves form of violent rebellion… that’s how shit gets done.

Hamas is a small resistance group. The IDF is a literal army with actual training and the world’s best weapons provided by the biggest powers of the world. EVEN IF somehow Hamas was a big scary terrorist organisation with military grade weapons, what Israel is doing has nothing to do with Hamas. They are bombing fucking children, hospitals, refugee camps, journalists!! All of which are fucking war crimes.

Israel is flooding social media with propaganda about how the hospitals were “Hamas headquarters”. Taking pictures of a board with the days of the week in Arabic and claiming it’s “Hamas terrorist plans”.

This is what the English depicted us as, and it’s what Israel will depict Palestine as. Of course we’re going to support them.

A great quote from on of my favourite films (Pride, 2014) is: “I don’t believe the papers when they talk about us, why should I believe it when they talk about them?”.

[samheughanswife]

Laura Donnelly and Ophelia Lovibond staring in The Hills of California directed by Sam Mendes. Both in Caitriona’s and Sam’s friendship and professional circle.

Looking back to that week of theatre sightings in mid March after Sam’s St Pats day video and the surprise reunion with his Alexander co-star on the busy streets of London Town.

Things that make you go 🤔

Theatre goers in London right now are spoiled for choice.

So it would be a given that 🎭 tickets to a hit play with a former costar and Irish friend pour deux? Getting a culture hit before the slog of filming?

As I said to my mystery DM photos or it didn’t happen ( and lord do I know that!). Waiting…

A photo kinda like ⬇️ Friends taking 🤳 perhaps a backstage photo with Laura?

What would have been so wrong about a couple of costars, who are like brother and sister, seeing their former costar, who was their sister/sister in law in OL treading the boards?

[pigeonflavouredcake]

My Grimoire Research Library

this is a list of my major resource I've referenced/am currently referencing in my big grimoire project. For books I'll be linking the Goodreads page, for pdfs, websites and videos i'll link them directly.

There are plenty of generalised practitioner resources that can work for everyone but as I have Irish ancestry and worship Hellenic deities quite a few of my resources are centred around Celtic Ireland, ancient Greece and the Olympic mythos. If you follow other sects of paganism you are more than welcome to reblog with your own list of resources.

Parts of my grimoire discuss topics of new age spiritualism, dangerous conspiracy theories, and bigotry in witchcraft so some resources in this list focus on that.

Books

Apollodorus - The Library of Greek Mythology

Astrea Taylor - Intuitive Witchcraft

Dee Dee Chainey & Willow Winsham - Treasury of Folklore: Woodlands and Forests

John Ferguson - Among The Gods: An Archaeological Exploration of Ancient Greek Religion

Katharine Briggs - The Fairies in Tradition and Literature

Kevin Danaher - The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs

Laura O'Brien - Fairy Faith in Ireland

Lindsey C. Watson - Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome

Nicholas Culpeper - Culpeper's Complete Herbal

Plutarch - The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives

R.B. Parkinson - A Little Gay History: Desire and Diversity Around the World

Rachel Patterson - Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey to Self-Awareness

Raleigh Briggs - Make Your Place: Affordable & Sustainable Nesting Skills

Robin Wall Kimmerer - Braiding Sweetgrass

Ronald Hutton - The Witch: A History of Fear in Ancient Times

Rosemary Ellen Guiley - The Encyclopaedia of Witches and Witchcraft

Thomas N. Mitchell - Athens: A History of the World's First Democracy

Walter Stephens - Demon Lovers: Witchcraft S3x and the Crisis of Belief

Yvonne P. Chireau - Black Magic: Religion and The African American Conjuring Tradition

PDFs

Anti Defamation League - Hate on Display: Hate Symbols Database

Brandy Williams - White Light, Black Magic: Racism in Esoteric Thought

Cambridge SU Women’s Campaign - How to Spot TERF Ideology 2.0.

Blogs and Websites

Anti Defamation League

B. Ricardo Brown - Until Darwin: Science and the Origins of Race

Dr. S. Deacon Ritterbush - Dr Beachcomb

Folklore Thursday

Freedom of Mind Resource Centre - Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control

Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Royal Horticultural Society

The Duchas Project -National Folklore Collection

Vivienne Mackie - Vivscelticconnections

YouTube Videos

ContraPoints - Gender Critical

Emma Thorne Videos - Christian Fundie Says Halloween is SATANIC!

Owen Morgan (Telltale) - The Source Of All Conspiracies: A 1902 Document Called "The Protocols"

The Belief it or Not Podcast - Ep. 40 Satanic Panic, Ep 92. Wicca

Wendigoon - The Conspiracy Theory Iceberg

Other videos I haven't referenced but you may still want to check out

Atun-Shei Films - Ancient Aryans: The History of Crackpot N@zi Archaeology

Belief It Or Not - Ep. 90 - Logical Fallacies

Dragon Talisman - Tarot Documentary (A re-upload of the 1997 documentary Strictly Supernatural: Tarot and Astrology)

Lindsay Ellis - Tracing the Roots of Pop Culture Transphobia

Overly Sarcastic Productions - Miscellaneous Myths Playlist

Owen Morgan (Telltale) - SATANIC PANIC! 90s Video Slanders Satanists | Pagan Invasion Saga | Part 1

ReignBot - How Ouija Boards Became "Evil" | Obscura Archive Ep. 2

Ryan Beard - Demi Lovato Promoted a R4cist Lizard Cult

Super Eyepatch Wolf - The Bizarre World of Fake Psychics, Faith Healers and Mediums

Weird Reads with Emily Louise -The Infamous Hoaxes Iceberg Playlist

Wendigoon - The True Stories of the Warren Hauntings: The Conjuring, Annabelle, Amityville, and Other Encounters

[palmviolet]

true detective s1 rewatch: thoughts on the finale

— our theme for this final masterpiece of an episode is: fiction. the series has skated near this before, of course, with its context themes of seeing and image, but this is the episode that really dives into an awareness of genre and storytelling. we begin with an in-depth look at errol childress and his home, the way he lives. he truly inhabits the southern gothic archetype — the grand, decaying house, the incestuous dynamic with reference to the 'cane fields' (something i haven't really discussed yet is the role of louisiana's history of slavery, which hangs over the narrative most conspicuous by its absence; angola, for example, that fabled threat used most often to imply sexual violence, is named after the slave plantation that once occupied the same plot; the place they filmed carcosa was an old civil war fort), the faceless dolls and the mummified father kept in a shack with horrors literally inscribed on the walls (including 'cassilda', another reference to the chambers work).

— childress also watches the television and apes the aristocratic british accents on display. he absorbs fiction and inhabits it, in the same way that he puts on an irish accent to flirt with betty, in the same way that he has her tell him the story of her assault while they are 'making flowers' (a metaphor that once again suggests we are beyond the realm of reality). he and betty are deliberately, exaggeratedly gothic, full of rot — they are designed not as fleshed-out characters, as most of TD's cast is, but as avatars for a gnawing belief in the void that consumes all in its path.

— this is the crux of rust's own beliefs about the futility of selfhood — that identities are illusory defence mechanisms against the void, that all we are is 'sentient meat'. (will be talking more about this line in my reply to an excellent ask by @queixumes, so look out for that.) that life is just a story we tell ourselves. and so with the childresses the veil grows thin: as rust follows childress into carcosa, childress's impossible taunts ("come die with me, little priest") echo around him less as character moments and more as authorial interjections, a manifestation of rust's own nihilistic belief and suicidal ideation. thus when rust does not complete the narrative ("take off your mask"; rust doesn't say the corresponding, "i wear no mask") he is breaking type, paradoxically defying the vacant literary formula in which he's trapped by expressing a self.

— the final scenes of the series entail rust's struggle with this newfound self. he has turned away the offering of the cosmic void; more than that, he has been to the void and found it not as empty and personality-less as he thought, but rather a void 'like a substance', a darkness that held the love of his daughter and his father in one. their selves persevered after death — and now finally he begins to recognise his own selfhood as well.

— this is reified by marty as a sounding board. for the first time, rust experiences recognition through the other with marty as that other — marty who listens to him cry ("talk to me, rust"), marty who encourages him to tell his stories of the stars. this is the other side of storytelling — the side that is not corrupt or empty, the side that has meaning because it is sincere, because it is earnest and with feeling. childress's storytelling is directly opposed to rust's, with childress an empty caricature of the rotten southern gothic and rust as a person looking to the stars: storytelling that does not suck inward to the void but looks outward to the world.

— i think it's significant that our final image of marty and rust is marty helping rust escape the hospital several days early. marty reifies rust's selfhood by something so simple as recognising what he likes — buying him his brand of cigarettes. but this is also in opposition to the medical institution. should someone with a hole in their guts be smoking? doubtful. but that's not the point — the point is that they have to "get out from under this [hospital] roof" in order to see the stars, that rust's lasting glimpse of hope ("the light's winning") is as he flees the institution, propped up not by its mechanics, in the form of the wheelchair, but by marty himself.

— as i've discussed in the past, TD's implications of the medical institution as a further corrupt branch of the state are very veiled, but they are present. there's a further signal of this in one of the hazy, slowly cross-fading shots towards the end: we see a doctor in the hospital hallway, carrying the image of a human body, fading into a shot of the childress shack with a human body drawn on it.

placed directly one after another, this is a juxtaposition that only associates the two. the shack is where childress keeps his desiccated father, talks about bringing him water, hosing him down — in some perverse way, treating him as a patient. this isn't designed to say explicitly that the hospital is involved in the conspiracy to the same degree as the tuttles, but it implies a broader institutional sweep of wrongness. within the medical institution is where most of us will experience ourselves at our most powerless; out of necessity, medical treatment strips identity and agency away, regimenting schedules and meals and visiting hours, labelling patients with identifying bracelets. in the same way that childress's narratives of southern gothic were a seductive call to the void of nothing, the absence of selfhood, the hospital, too, denies personality and self.

— this is why we finish with marty bringing rust his cigarettes against medical advice; this is why rust leaves the hospital, if not exactly on his own terms then at least on his and marty's. it is a final reclamation of the selfhood he has been denying himself all along — and an escape into a world that contains only one story, "light versus dark", as our final shot is of the stars winking into light. he is beyond our (potentially corrupting, as sight and image has been throughout the series) interpretation; he is in the void, yes, but it is a void with substance, a void with love.

[letstalkshipping]

I just started watching "The Delinquent Season" because Cillian Murphy is in it, and colour me shocked when I see Jim Mori- *ahem* excuse me, Andrew Scott in the film too!! Seeing these two actors in the same scene is a mind melt, but of course it makes sense since it's a film by the Irish Film Board. Crazy though. It's like a fanfiction crossover wish fulfilled almost.

[princesscatherinemiddleton]

The Princess of Wales’ Year in Review: June

June 1st - The Prince and Princess of Wales were present at the Marriage of The Crown Prince of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with Miss Rajwa Al Saif which took place at the Zahran Palace. They then attended the wedding reception June 6th - The Princess of Wales visited Windsor Family Hub. That afternoon, she received Mrs. Alice Webb (Trustee of The Royal Foundation) at Windsor Castle June 7th - The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron of the Royal Foundation and Patron of the Rugby Football Union, visited Maidenhead Rugby Football Club June 8th - The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron of the Royal Foundation, held an Early Years Meeting June 14th - The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron of the Royal Foundation, held an Early Years Meeting June 15th - The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron of the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, visited Riversley Park Children's Centre. Later, she received Professor Eamon McCrory (Board Member of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Advisory Group) at Windsor Castle June 16th - A film was released highlighting the vital role that health visitors play in the community, which includes footage of The Princess of Wales shadowing health visiting teams at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. That evening, the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards, and The Princess of Wales, Colonel of the Irish Guards, attended the Senior Colonels' Conference and Dinner at Clarence House June 17th - The Wales family joined the extended members of the British Royal Family at The King's Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour June 19th - The Princess of Wales was present when the King, accompanied by The Queen, The Prince of Wales, and others, held a Chapter of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in the Throne Room, Windsor Castle. The King later gave a Luncheon Party for the Companions of the Most Noble Order of the Garter at which The Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales, and others were present June 20th - The Princess of Wales, Patron of the National Portrait Gallery, officially reopened the newly renovated National Portrait Gallery June 22nd - Prince George was spotted touring Eton alongside his parents June 23rd - The Prince and Princess of Wales honoured Royal Ascot with their presence June 24th - The Princess of Wales joined Roger Federer in a video for Wimbledon, focusing on the ball boys and girls June 27th - The Princess of Wales officially opened Hope Street June 28th - The Princess of Wales, Patron of the Victoria and Albert Museum, officially reopened the newly renovated Young Victoria and Albert Museum June 29th - The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron of the Royal Foundation, held an Early Years Meeting. Afterwards, she held further meetings. The Country Life cover photographed by the then-Duchess of Cambridge won the Cover of the Year title at the PPA Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of the magazine world June 30th - The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron of the Royal Foundation, received Professor Eamon McCrory (Board Member of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Advisory Group) at Windsor Castle

[ornii]

Folie à deux II: Addams

As the crowd roars as the final note plays, (Y/n) stands before them, exhausted but smiling. He raises the mic to his mouth and gives one last speech.

“Before I leave.. i Wanna say something, you can do anything you put your mind to, put your mind towards it and you’ll reach the top, legends never die. “ with those parting words he departed the stage to applause that could be heard around the world, (Y/n) walks off stage and to his manager, Karl, after a bit of reluctance he accepted one, and he’s never looked back on it. He slumps down wand Karl sits with him.

“Last city, and ended it with a bang, gotta say you did perfect, Celebes are all over your Twitter.” He said smiling and pats (Y/n) on the shoulder.

“Thanks..” (Y/n) Said, obviously weary.

“Look get on the bus, we’ll head home and you take a long break, I’m sure you got more music to work on.” He says and (Y/n) nods and stretched, and headed back to the tour bus, after sitting inside the exquisite bus, he hears the tv play.

“(Y/n)‘s “Welcome World” Tour had ended and with over 40 concerts done it ends and overall fantastic reception, after a debut single and his first Album “Beyond.” Eyes Are on the young star and we can only imagine what he has in store.” They say, he turns the tv off and falls into a deep sleep.

A Few months pass, and all seems well for you, while a big chunk of the internet is absolutely crazy for you, you never let it get to your heard, more importantly your music is slowing down unfortunately, working 20 hours straight trying to focus on producing a beat takes its toll physically and mentally. As you slump in your chair across your station, Karl enters and peers over.

“You Look Tired, Cmon take a Break, i Wanna talk to you about somethin.” He said, you reluctantly stop the beat and remove your headphones.

“What’s up?” You say and Karl sits down.

“I’ve been thinking and you’re burned out, you can’t keep this up forever and you’ll end up hating it, so, why don’t you focus on somethin different for a bit?” He says.

“Like?” You say asking for an example. Karl leans in.

“This is between you and us, but I chatted with some executives on Netflix and they’re producing a show, you know the Addams family right?” He says, and you smirk and snap your fingers twice.

“Who doesn’t?” You reply.

“Okay Okay Smart ass.” He replies jokingly, “Netflix wants to do a series on the Uh, what’s her name? Wednesday.. yeah and it’s going to be in a boarding school, and with that type of young actors, it’s perfect for you to get your feet wet.” He explains.

“Sounds cool Enough..” you say. And check your phone. “How longs the shoot?”

“Few months? They got the girl from scream or whatever.” Karl says, which immediately catches you off guard, your head jerks up and you lean in.

“Jenna?” You ask.

“Uh yeah that’s her name, she was in other movies but yeah— so—“

“Yes!” You say a bit too excited for Karl, who was caught off guard. He chuckles, “Okay kid don’t go kissing her feet when you see her.”

You scoff at this.

“Ha! As if I-I don’t.. do that.” You say, and Karl shrugs, “I’ll call the executives and let Em know.” He says and leaves you alone, a giddy feeling in your chest goes wild as you stand up, reinvigorated!

The next week was the first week of shooting, and was nerve wracking, sitting inside your trailer you read the script, the director, the Tim Burton stood across from you, a legend who made some of the most unique films, a Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride, Beetlejuice! Even the 1989 Batman film! It was like meeting a figure from your childhood.

“Okay, so.. who am I going to play?”

“You’ll be playing a man named (Y/n) Healy. An Irish demon, you’ve heard of the old tale of Balor and the evil eye? Basically that, but a more, human aspect.”

“Okay… and his role is he the, Villian?”

“No, in fact he’s going to be with Wednesday.” He says and your face loses color, wether it was excitement or embarrassment, you weren’t sure but you don’t hate the idea. “Okay.” You say nodding.

“I’ll method act the blindness, I’ll need a cane..”

“The props we have will work wonders, but it’ll be up to you to make the watchers believe it.”

“Yeah.” You say with confidence, Tim nods and leaves and you read over the first episode, and start to come to some terms with what you’ll be doing. You stand up to go get dressed and out of the trailer, and you’re suddenly almost face to face with a blonde haired girl.

“Oh! Sorry.” She says, and you step back, but accidentally bump into the the trailer with a bang.

“Oh! Hey!!” You day as she obviously tries not to laugh. You awkwardly chuckle. “My bad if this was your trailer..”

“It’s not.. i just came to say hey, I’m Emma, I play Enid.”

“Myers?” You reply and she nods, you shake her hand.

“It’s great to meet you!”

“You too! Your musics pretty amazing, so when I heard you were a part of this I just had to say hello at least.” Emma says and you thank her immensely.

“Thanks, seriously I mean it, so.. are you heading to make up?”

“I am, ready?” She says and you nod, following, entering another trailer to get your face to look as unrealistically handsome as possible, you continue to talk.

“So, your character is a, Werewolf? That’s.. pretty cool.”

“really?” She replies, “I’m glad, Tim showed me how her character works and, I think I can make it, yours sounds charming, charismatic and kinda chaotic.”

“Huh, then I’ll do just fine.” You say, the words barely rolled in your mind before you said that, which made you just sound egotistical, but Emma smiles

“You’re confident! That’s good!” She says, and you couldn’t help but crack a smile. You get dressed with your glasses and work on your script with Emma, and prepare for the first scene for you to shoot. You sit on a stone bench and are awaiting, and you hear a “Action.” You pretend to drink Tea, before Emma, (Enid), walks over and places her hands over your “Blind” eyes

"Guess Who~" She says, and You play your role to perfection

"Enid.. you know that doesn't work, right?" You say, and she lets go, and sits next to you. You turn to her, but act as if you can’t see her.

"I know, but I didn't want to cover your ears, you couldn't hear me then (Y/n)." She says smiling.

"Well, what's new? You're pretty exited.." You ask. And she acts so; amazingly, her cheerful tone, the cute highlights in her hair.

"I should and called you about it but let me give you the deets, I'm getting a roomie!" She says, and you smile in response to this

"That's great, is someone changing dorms?" You ask.

"No, she's transferring from another school, Wednesday Addams! I did. my research and she got expelled from her last school." She explains and you Sip from the tra

"Yeah she tossed piranhas into the school pool and a boy lost a testicle." She flatly said, and you, which wasn’t part of the script almost cough up the tea. Instead of asking to stop you roll with it

"E-Enid, are you... sure You want someone like that to Room with you? I think Principal Weems would understand you wanting a transfer."

"What? No! We're going to be the best of friends! I can already picture it! Doing each others hair, nails, talking about all the gossip at Nevermore, the Boys~" She says, you nod sadly and go with it

"Well, I hope you have fun then." You said, before Principal Weems spoke up from behind you.

"Miss Sinclair." She said with this gaudy and proper tone, Enid quickly turns around, and smiles.

"Please, allow me to bring you up to your new Roommate, good morning also to you Mister Healy." She said, turning her attention towards you, and give a bow.

"Good Morning Principal." He replies, "Could I ask you what time it is?" You say, and she checks her watch.

"Nearing Seven."

"Ah, well I should get to feeding the crows then." You stand up with your cane and walk over to a cage of birds, granted the bird keeper said they don’t bite, but you don’t prefer to take risks, you “feed” them, you act oblivious of the two approaching and you recite the lines in your head.

"And this, is (Y/n) Hearly. (Y/n), this is Wednesday Addams." Emma says, you turn around to act oblivious again, but you couldn’t this time, her clothing, her deadpanned face, even though she showed no emotion you were absolutely smitten by her, Wednesdays Addams, Tara carpenter, those names meant nothing to you, the only word that rang though your mind, was “Jenna”.

[dansnotavampire]

if you like Henry in RWRB you'll LOVE Handsome Devil!

It's a film about a boy (Ned Masters) at an Irish boarding school that's obsessed with rugby - which he does not like. His life is a misery until Conor (played by Nicholas Galitzine, AKA Prince Henry) a star rugby player moves in as his roommate. The two form a close friendship, but it is fraught with drama coming from the rugby team, coach Pascal, and the real reason Conor left his last school.

Also featuring Andrew Scott as a charismatic English teacher, a secret trip to a gay bar, and an essay about my cousin Kevin.

obligatory content warnings for casual homophobia, someone being outed, and a slight bit of underage drinking.

you can watch the trailer below:

and if you watch it you should yell about it in my inbox because it's a great film and I love it 👍

[justforbooks]

Lynne Reid Banks, who has died aged 94, hit a jackpot with her first book, The L-Shaped Room (1960), the story of an unmarried middle-class girl, Jane Graham, who takes a dingy room in London to hide her unwanted pregnancy. The novel was a cracking read that caught the cusp of a momentous change in social attitudes. Its profile rose even higher when it became a film in 1962, with Leslie Caron playing its heroine. It sold in its millions and never went out of print.

This success was both a blessing and curse for Reid Banks. In the decades that followed, she published nine further novels (two of them sequels to The L-Shaped Room), two award-winning volumes of biographical fiction on the lives of the Brontës, two books about Israel and numerous books for younger readers. But nothing she wrote ever matched the acclaim for The L-Shaped Room.

Reid Banks was a dramatic and dynamic woman who lived her life with gusto. If the slights of the literary world sometimes hurt her, they never quenched the energy and passion she brought to her work. Stories flowed effortlessly from her pen, characterised by lively dialogue, well-crafted plots and compulsive readability.

The Indian in the Cupboard (1980), a children’s book she wrote for and dedicated to her youngest son, Omri, came closest to her first success, in sales, translation into 20 languages and transformation into a Hollywood film in 1995. That pleased her. But in the same year, she expressed outrage that her longstanding publishers had turned down her latest adult novel. She nevertheless found another publisher and received considerable praise for Fair Exchange (1998), a book she dedicated to her friend Norma Kitson, whose remarkable struggle against apartheid in South Africa infuses its story.

Lynne was born in Barnes, London, the only child of a Scottish doctor, James Reid Banks, and an Irish actor, Muriel (nee Marsh, who went by the stage name Muriel Alexander), and began her education at a Catholic boarding school. At the start of the second world war, aged 10, she travelled with her mother and a cousin to Canada, which she thoroughly enjoyed. On her return to London, she went to Rada, and thence began acting in provincial rep, like the heroine of The L-Shaped Room.

It was during this period that she met and enraged the young John Osborne, whose first wife, the actor Pamela Lane, was her close friend. Osborne’s letters revealed not only his dislike of her, but the probability that she inspired one of the main characters in his own first success, Look Back in Anger.

A combative streak in Reid Banks got her into spats all her life. But she was no less forthright in her judgments of herself than of others. She did not hesitate to call herself a failed actress, failed playwright (of several plays) and failed television reporter, before her true career took off.

In the doldrums, she began writing freelance journalism, and when she went to interview the head of the embryonic ITN for the Radio Times, she also talked him into employing her. She thereby became one of the first two female reporters on television in 1955. This did not satisfy her for long, however, as (she claimed) they only gave her “the rubbish” to do. When she complained, they put her into a cubbyhole and set her to work writing scripts.

Bored stiff, she began using ITN’s stationery supplies and time to start work on her first novel. She later recalled how the newsreader Reginald Bosanquet would read a page off her typewriter in mocking amusement. But the laugh was on Reggie when the Evening Standard later ran the headline: “ITN girl sells film script for £25,000.” The real sum for The L-Shaped Room was £20,000, but that was still princely in those days.

She was not happy with the film, which changed the book’s story. It was a hit, but it took her 30 years to forgive the director, Bryan Forbes. It also infuriated her that people assumed she had written of single motherhood from personal experience, rather than imagination. Although on the crest of a wave of fame, money and success, Reid Banks left the country and did not return for a decade.

She had met the man whom in 1965 she was to marry, the Israeli sculptor Chaim Stephenson, while he was visiting Britain. She was not Jewish, but she went out to Israel and loved it, becoming an Israeli citizen. The couple lived on a kibbutz near the Sea of Galilee, and their three sons were born there.

It surprised but delighted her, soon after her arrival in Israel, to be asked to leave her hot, tiring work in the vineyards to teach English to a class of children. She threw herself into this new occupation with zeal, relishing the chance to use her acting skills, and achieved outstanding results.

But as the years went by, she missed Britain, and in the early 1970s she came back, the family settling uncomfortably at first in the London suburbs, but later living happily in a farmhouse in Beaminster, Dorset, and later still settling in Shepperton in Surrey. Her output of books for children continued (she produced many sequels and series), and she travelled, gardened and wrote for newspapers.

Chaim died in 2016. Reid Banks is survived by her sons, Adiel, Gillon and Omri, and her grandchildren, Daniel, David and Paloma.

🔔 Lynne Reid Banks, writer, born 31 July 1929; died 4 April 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[drumlincountry]

in the og script patrick's character description says he's jewish 🤷🏻‍♀️ and zweig is a culturally jewish last name anyway

all this to say i think it's meant to contrast art's WASPiness. art has a superrr american name, classic easy to market good old money american (which helps his pro career). Patrick being catholic would contrast this pretty interestingly as well tho given the catholic - protestant dynamic.

but with either interpretation, Patrick's first and last name's etymology cement him and his outsider status in the world of tennis, despite his family's wealth since tennis is considered a WASPy game. but he's still a rich white man at the end of the day and is able to float around the pro circuit aimlessly without having to try. unlike Tashi who is seen as the true successor to women's tennis and was able to get there all on her own, no pretenses. she's a low/middle class Black woman and not some rich tennis boarding school kid (like art and patrick). culture, class, and race are just barely explored in this film but it's all very interesting

anon I am kissing you on the mouth, if you're into that kind of thing!!!

I am fascinated by the class aspects of the film but as u say they are lightly touched on & for myself I don't know USA class markers except thru media so I probably miss a lot.

The way class/race/gender plays into Tashi's story is soOooo!!!! Tennis was something she succeeded at in spite of the ways ppl look down on her. It's in her first lines in the film - her competitor was a racist bitch and a sore loser! She's aware how her race influences how ppl treat her on the court and she is not afraid to speak on it.

Typing it now, I wonder if that was a bit of a test for the boys. Like "you seem interested in me. Can you be normal about me experiencing racism? Can you be normal about me being angry about it?" All that as a teenager!

Tennis was a way to force people to see her not just as an equal, but in the sport, as a better. She's better than all of them! She's the best. And then she loses that. Ugh this adds so much more to the "you're not a member of my fan club?" Scene.

Patrick can be both Jewish and irish American! I vote we explore that one. There's so much to say about the conditional nature of the white privilege Jewish ppl can have in the global north - I usually leave that to my Jewish friends to explore but I Have Heard About It! The actor has Jewish & irish heritage fwiw.

Also fascinated with Patrick's relationship with his generational wealth. Like, clearly he has it. Ppl reference it. But he has eschewed it to pursue tennis. His family have decided he can be a rich man or he can be a tennis player (third option=getting a different job. Unexplored). He has made the choice that results in sleeping in his car and not EATING between competitions.

Like that seems like dramatics of a man who has never known true precarity. and yeah partially! But also, have you heard of financial abuse? I had friends in college studying degrees they didn't want for careers they hated the idea of. Because generational wealth meant they didn't qualify for financial support from the state. Leaving them dependent on parents who can withdraw their support at any time if they do something which looks Bad for the Family. The capacity for abuse in these situations is staggering. And yeah, he could get a "real" job. He'd have an easier time doing that than ppl without his class background. But the man would literally rather starve. And he is.

I would love to know what u think of Art's class background! I feel its least explicitly explored of the 3. I saw someone saying he didn't come from money at all and I thought That's Not Right I Saw His Grandmother's Ring. But I really can't say beyond that

[favescandis]

NEW interview with Alexander Skarsgård and Sharp Magazine!

(photos from Corey Nickols/IMDb at Sundance and by George Pimental at the Canadian premiere of INFINITY POOL in January 2023)

Alexander Skarsgård Admits He’s ‘Quite Boring’

by Marriska Fernandes, February 22, 2023

Alexander Skarsgård is mostly a private person who prefers to use his craft as a platform to tame his wild, primal side — and he’s certainly one who opts to wear his Chuck Taylors to a snowy Toronto red carpet premiere of his latest film, Infinity Pool.

The Swedish actor has been digging his teeth into darker roles that are far removed from himself, and roles he finds thrilling. From the abusive husband in Big Little Lies that earned him an Emmy, to the testosterone-fuelled Viking in The Northman, Skarsgård likes tapping into the primal nature demanded of these roles. In Toronto filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg’s horror “Infinity Pool,” he certainly taps into a violent and visceral portrayal of an unsuccessful writer.

The film, which is now playing in theatres, follows James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman), who are on an all-inclusive resort in a fictional country. When Gabi (Mia Goth) and her friends take them outside the resort grounds, James accidentally runs over and kills a local. The punishment is either be executed, or if you can afford it, allow yourself to be cloned and watch the clone killed instead.

Skarsgård is not the classic industry nepo baby some imagine him to be (he’s the son of famed actor Stellan Skarsgård) — his insecurity runs deep; just like his onscreen character James, he too suffers from imposter syndrome. In fact, Skarsgård shared how he thought he was surely getting fired on Generation Kill, his first major role in the U.S. It was only until two months in that he calculated he was likely safe as it would have been too expensive for HBO to recast.

Skarsgård, 46, approaches his roles passionately, studying the ins and outs of his character as if they were his own. He thinks, plans and sleeps on it — structure, for him, is key, he says. So when it came to playing James and his many clones, the actor found himself mapping out the psychological journeys of each one – which he did for himself, really.

The jaw-dropping horror is one that will live rent-free in your mind as Skarsgård frightens, impresses and marvels in his haunting turn. We spoke with the actor about the film, his performance (he apologizes for the nightmares), his process, and his personal style.

I’ve been following your work having seen most of it, from Big LIttle Lies to True Blood to The Northman. So having the luxury to do any kind of role, what were you looking to do next as an artist when this one came your way?

I was sent the script when I was way deep in mud in the Irish soil, shooting The Northman. It was a very, very intense shoot; a tremendous experience and I loved it, but it was very physically and mentally exhausting. James (in this script) is so diametrically opposed to Amleth, my character in The Northman, who’s very much of a testosterone-filled berserker and James is definitely not that. So that was exciting and tonally, I was familiar with Brandon’s work; I had seen both Antiviral and Possessor and I thought they were terrific films and Andrea Riseborough is a dear friend of mine and so obviously, the star of Possessor had spoken so highly of Brandon, what it was like working with him and how he ironically, is the sweetest, most humble, lovely, gentleman which is strange, because the stuff that he comes up with is so dark and twisted. Maybe that’s his… I don’t know if it’s his therapy and he gets it out of his system by writing about it. I found him to be such an inspiring and singular and interesting filmmaker and it’s a gift as an actor to get to play a role like James because the journey he goes on; what he experiences is psychologically absolutely fascinating to me. So I was thrilled to jump on board.

You said that the sweet spot for you is when you’re intrigued by the character and you understand aspects of him, and he makes you curious to learn more. How did that apply to James and the different versions of his clones?

Because there’s so much to interpret, I’m still thinking about it (laughs). It’s such a rich character, and what a treat to get to play three, four versions of the same character and to play around with the juxtaposition between James the author and James the clone, and the different iterations of the clone and what happens to James after the first time he watches the execution of the clone, what happens after the second, third? How does that change him? What does it do to someone psychologically when you have to witness your own death in such a brutal way, where he can’t look away. It’s horrifying. But it’s also exhilarating in a weird way. I found that really interesting to play around with who is James? And also literally who is the character we’re watching? Because it could also be open to interpretation. Is this James or like Dr. Modan says in the movie, ‘Do you ever wonder whether you are the clone and they killed the real James?’ And that was fascinating to me and very interesting to play around with that notion when I was prepping the movie, and honestly shooting it I’d like to leave that open. This could be James but this could also be the clone.

And did you really map out the psychological journeys for all the clones?

I did for myself and then obviously tried to leave room for interpretation for the audience.

There seems to be a through-line with some of your roles because there’s always something primal whether it was the beast quality in The Northman or the wolf in Hold the Dark and now in this you’re wrestling with a naked version of yourself as a dog.

Yeah, I think I guess I’m quite drawn to the primal. The more people that revert back to something more atavistic and that friction that is being human in a modern day society, the friction between functioning in a civilized society. Right now, I’m in New York City, and I’m surrounded by millions and millions of people. But deep down, you also have the more atavistic equality and the more primal qualities and that animal within that we sometimes let out, most often try to suppress and that I find quite fascinating. I think that’s been the through-line in some of my films.

So when it comes to creating roles, you have often said that you like structure and you read the script once a day, every day until shooting. Was it any different with this one?

I do like structure, I compartmentalize so that helps me map out the character and the journey. I do find it very useful to read the script, go over it in prep once a day because it helps me trigger inspiration and discover new things. And even if it’s the 30th time I read the script I’ll notice something that I’ve not noticed before or makes me think about something in a different way. Most of those ideas, I just discard but occasionally you’ll find something that’s really fascinating and that might be even the foundation for the character and you start building off of that.

Did this structure help you process any scene in particular?

It helps me with everything; it helps me understand the character and map it out. The most obvious was the first transformation, the first execution. The first cloning is a pivotal moment because it is the first time James witnessed his own execution and so that was a very big moment and important to understand in deciding how James would react to it. James’ wife is looking away as she’s horrified by it but he is mesmerized by it, almost transfixed by it. And that was fascinating to me to try to kind of go in that direction and see what we discovered.

A few years ago in an interview you were asked what scares you and you said you have the tendency to scare yourself sometimes. So did that happen during the making of this horror when you’re in the process of trying to scare us?

(Laughs) I don’t know if I scared myself but it was definitely intense… (laughs) in a very primal way. I don’t know… working with Brandon was so wonderful and there was so much love and trust there and I really just genuinely believed in his vision for the film and for the role and that’s what it’s all about. Create that trust on a movie set and then you just let yourself go and I feel like most of the cerebral work is done in prep. That’s when you think about the character and you map it out and all this is interesting, but it’s very practical. And the goal is to once you show up on set, you can just hopefully that is somewhere in your systems you don’t overthink it, you don’t actually think about it at all, you can just throw yourself into the situation and where that takes you and on Infinity Pool, as you’ll see in the movie, it took us to some really weird, dark places.

So do you find it thrilling to deep dig into these darker roles that require you to tap into a different aspect of yourself as an artist?

Tremendously. I think I’m privately a very mellow human being. I’m quite content, probably quite boring and so it is thrilling to open up a channel that I never do in real life. It gives me an excuse to tap into that and explore that darkness or wild or more kind of eccentric or crazy or the more primal side of who I am.

James does tend to have this kind of imposter syndrome because when he’s trying to write. Have you ever felt that and when?

I quite often feel that. I’ve been working for quite a few years, but I still feel that. I definitely still struggle with insecurity or feeling that I’m not talented enough or that I’m miscast. The biggest one was probably on Generation Kill, which was my first major role in the U.S. and it was a project that I was incredibly excited about. It was an opportunity to work on it. It was an HBO miniseries about the invasion of Iraq, made by David Simon and Ed burns. They did The Wire show that I was a big, big fan of; It was such a terrific role and I was completely unknown. I hadn’t really worked. I’d done a couple of days on Zoolander, five, six years prior to this, but I definitely wasn’t… I felt that I couldn’t believe I was cast in this really great role in this really great HBO series. I had a very, very strong sense of imposter syndrome there. We were in Africa for seven months shooting it and I was so certain that they would recast and fire me that every day I would figure out how much time or how much money HBO had spent on shooting this and how expensive would it be for them to replace me? So it was like two, three months into production when I realized, well, if they fire me and recast the role, they have to reshoot 40% of the show when that would cost a lot of money. So maybe that won’t happen now. That’s when I first started feeling like I might actually get to finish this job. But up until that point, I was certain that we would get a phone call saying, ‘You were miscast; you’re out!.’

Oh wow. Thank you for sharing that and I think you were well cast in Generation Kill. Before we wrap, I do want to ask you about your red carpet look in Toronto. I love the casual sneakers and T-shirt look in the midst of the snowstorm. Is that your personal sense of style?

Yeah, that was. (laughs). That’s kind of what I wear. I almost missed the red carpet or the Toronto trip didn’t happen because I was flying out from New York and because of the blizzard in Toronto, I was delayed by three or four hours. So that’s why unfortunately, you have to do this over the phone. I was supposed to come in to Toronto and do press in the afternoon and then have to relax a bit and maybe put on some real boots instead of my Chuck Taylors. But instead, I was so delayed that I came straight from the airport to the red carpet.

Is that the classic Alex look?

Yeah. I’m on the road so much that I love to travel with just carry on, which means I have to really plan what to pack. So I can only bring one pair of shoes, maybe two pairs of trousers and one or two sweaters. That even goes for when I’m home. Like I don’t have much clothes. And I prefer to have items that I really love to wear and I don’t really feel the need to have 45 different pairs of sneakers on. If I love my sneakers and have one of them for two years and when I need a new pair, I’ll buy a new pair. But that’s all I really need and the same goes for all my clothes.

That’s very minimal and I love to hear that. Glad you made it out to Toronto!

I’m really glad. It was important for me to come out there because again, Brandon’s hometown and most of the crew and even some of our producers are from there. So it was on this tour that we’ve been doing Sundance, New York and we’re going to the Berlin Film Festival next month. It was really not only because I love Toronto, it’s always fun to be there. But again, to come home to Brandon’s hometown and have a night of celebration together was really really important to me, even though I almost missed it.

Thank you and congratulations again on the film!

Thank you and I appreciate it.

We’re sure to see more of Skarsgård, who is currently filming season four of the HBO familial drama Succession. He was introduced in season three as tech mogul Lukas Matsson and we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the new season.

Infinity Pool is now playing in theatres.

via sharpmagazine.com 

[from-a-reckless-writer]

i forget if you’re still doing the prompt list, but if you are and haven’t done #13 it would be really cool :) you’re a really great writer so i think it would be interesting but anyways i’ll leave you be now bye :)

Alex is already getting ready for bed when her phone chimes in the dark. She picks it up from the nightstand--it's Ruby.

1 new message.

RUBY <3: AUNT ALEXX!! HAVE U SEEN THIS??

And no, she has not seen it.

There's a Youtube link attached with Kara's name mentioned. She fires off a quick, 'no, checking it out rn.' before clicking on it.

More press junket for Kara’s film, no doubt. Her sister is still in Asia promoting the film, they haven’t seen each other in months. They call each other every single day though, but still, Alex misses her so much she would willingly watch Kara's latest Youtube video near midnight if only to see a glimpse of how she is.

The link opens, and it’s one of those CatCo celebrity vids.

"Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions"

Oh.

Oh, no.

Alex can already see where this is going, if the thumbnail of Kara laughing with her hand on Lena's thigh is anything to go by.

She braces herself and presses play.

******

"Hi, my name is Lena Luthor-" Lena says, smiling brightly at the camera.

“I'm Kara Danvers-" Kara's grin equally as bright.

"And today we're here with CatCo to answer the web's most searched questions."

Somebody hands Lena a little board. "Is Lena Luthor—" the board reads.

"Wait, wait, here, let me hold it for you, I'll read. You answer," Her sister instructs, grabbing the board from Lena's hands ever the considerate gentlewoman.

Kara peels off the white sticker and reads the first one, "Is Lena Luthor Irish?"

"Hm, as you all know, I'm adopted," Lena tells the camera, "which- thank God, I'm not genetically linked to Lex Luthor."

"I don't know," Kara interrupts, "I think you can rock the Bald Lena Luthor look."

"Shhh, don't give the internet any ideas." Lena hits her lightly on the arm.

And okay, it's not too bad. Yet, Alex thinks. Not too bad yet.

"As I was saying,” Lena pointedly says, "before I was so rudely interrupted, I'm adopted. But I haven't really looked much into it. So, I don't? Really know?" Lena shrugs. "Maybe I'm Irish, maybe I’m not. We'll see."

"Ohh, maybe we should take one of those 23andMe kits!" Kara exclaims, eyes lighting up.

"Oh, yeah," Lena nods, "I've heard of those. We should do that. That sounds cool."

"Stay updated guys," Kara announces, pointing to the camera, her silent audience. "We'll let you know if Lena really is Irish or not."

Turning back to Lena, she asks, "Wait, but where'd you get the accent though? I think that's why people are asking. You have an accent you know."

"Oh, that's easy," Lena says, "I went to boarding school in Dublin."

"Oooh, hear that guys? Lena Luthor is a preppy."

Lena rolls her eyes fondly, and ah, there it is; the smitten look Alex had seen one too many times.

God, they're so fucking stupid.

******

"Is Lena Luthor villain?" Kara squints, and then raises one finger. "A villain," she corrects, "'Is Lena Luthor a villain?' Come on guys, grammar."

Trust Kara Danvers to be annoyed about improper grammar in web searches.

"Yes," Lena confirms, nodding slowly. "I am, in fact, a villain."

"A very hot villain, if I might add," Kara chimes in.

This makes Alex groans loud enough that she feels Kelly shift next to her at the noise.

"Kara, shut up," Alex hears Lena quip, dragging her attention back to the screen. "As I was saying, yes, I did in fact play the antagonist in 'Trinity'. Directed by the one and only Cat Grant. Without whom, we would not be here. So, thank you Cat Grant."

"She played the really super hot evil dictator there. You should totally watch it guys."

"Oh my god, Kara!"

Oh my god, Kara.

Alex manages to suppress her groan this time. Even though what Kara says next sickens her further.

"What? It's true!" Kara protests as Lena shakes her head, tries to shrink away and die quietly. "You used your boobs for evil, Lena" Kara whispers.

"Oh my god." Lena looks so exasperated and embarrased. A bright blush painting her cheeks.

"Please just edit that out," Lena pleads with the camera.

God, why did nobody edit it out? Alex shakes her head, the secondhand embarrassment dripping through the screen and seeping into her bones. Jesus Christ, she can't believe this is her sister. She stares at the red line at the bottom; 3 minutes down, 12 fucking more to go.

******

"Is Lena Luthor vampire?" Kara reads before bursting out into loud laughter. "I'm sorry- I'm sorry this is just so funny. God, Lena, are you a vampire???"

"Is this what those 'ma'am bite me' tweets are about?" Lena asks, eyes widening, and Alex makes a mental note to bombard Lena with as many thirst tweets as possible tomorrow morning.

"Yes," Kara answers her, still laughing. "Sorry this is so freaking funny. I can't-"

The shot cuts and transitions to the next question.

******

"Is Lena Luthor MIT?"

"Did I go to MIT? Yes, yes I did."

"Yeah, guys, don't you know we're in the presence of a genius."

Alex shakes her head. Good God, Kara, could you be more obvious?

"I have a BioChem degree that I don't use, because, and as my mother loves to put it so very eloquently, 'I went and ran off with the circus.'."

"Hey, Lillian is nice though," Kara argues.

Of course, Kara would say that.

"You're just saying that 'cos you want to suck up," Lena counters as Kara pouts.

Exactly, Lena, exactly, Alex agrees.

"No, I'm not!" Kara defends herself, before turning away from Lena and facing the camera. "Okay, Lillian, please don't listen to your daughter. I genuinely think you're lovely, and we will see you next Friday dinner.”

Great, Alex thinks. This interview will no doubt awaken their thousand sapphic shippers. God, she really wishes she could just smack Kara on the head sometimes.

"Is Lena Luthor sister of Lex?"

"Yes, unfortunately," Lena answers. "We’re siblings. I grew up with a monster. Anybody with a brother knows the feeling." She turns to the camera, voice dripping in sarcasm, before smiling and shaking her head. "No, I'm just kidding, I like Lex well enough to bring him to my premieres."

She runs her fingers through her hair and Alex can already see the hundred gifs resulting from that tiny slip of habit.

"Oh, and might I add," Lena continues. "if you're a really gorgeous model attending one of my movie premieres, I'm so sorry if my brother had hit on you."

"Lex is-" Kara tries to interrupt. Again.

"Kara, stop sucking up to my family," Lena cuts her off.

Yes, Kara, stop being an idiot, Alex adds in her head.

"I was gonna say, annoying," Kara clarifies, throwing a pout in. And the way Lena lovingly looks at her caught in 4k makes Alex want to retch.

"Oh, oh okay, fair. Lex really is annoying."

******

Kara hands off the board to someone off-cam as Lena reaches for another one.

"Okay your turn, now," Lena says, peeling off the first white sticker.

"Is Kara Danvers Supergirl? Mmhmm yes, yes she is," Lena asks and answers in the same beat, a dreamy look playing in her eyes.

"Lena, I'm supposed to answer the questions," Kara reprimands with playful eyes.

"Sorry, yeah go ahead." Lena shakes her head and Alex watches her flush.

"Yes, I did play Kara Zor-El in Supergirl," Her sister confirms, "One of the best times of my life."

"And you did a very good job with it too."

"Thank you. That is very high praise coming from Lena Luthor."

The amount of goo-goo eyes this video contains is just-

Safe to say, the sapphic community is feasting on content right now.

******

"Is Kara Danvers abs?"

Oh God, why is Alex still watching this?

"Wait, are they asking if you have abs or- Kara what are you do- oh. "

She watches Lena stutter her way; watches her sister stand up and pull up her shirt high enough; watches Kara reveal her abs; watches Lena thirst after her sister on record.

"Yeah.” Lena gulps, clears her throat. “Well, as you can see. She- uh- Kara Danvers definitely, definitely has abs."

Is this what hell is like?

"Is Kara Danvers..." Lena clears her throat, after she recovers from the stunt, cheeks still a little pink. The sticker slowly comes off. "Gay? Is Kara Danvers gay?"

"I'm pan, guys."

"And just a little note,” Lena cuts in, “celebrities don't owe telling you their sexuality alright? Just a little reminder they are humans too."

"Yes, that's true. That's important. Listen to Ms. Prep school guys. She's smart."

******

"Is Kara Danvers beefcake?"

"I don't even wanna know what that means,” Kara murmurs and Alex can’t help but agree.

"No, wait but now I wanna know,” Lena says, fumbling for her phone, “wait I don't have my phone with me."

She turns to somebody off the screen, "Hey, can anybody google it? Does any of you know what a beefcake is?"

Somebody, who suspiciously sounds a lot like Nia Nal, answers, “According to the Urban dictionary, ‘Beefcakes are usually good-looking and enjoy showing their muscles off.”

Lena’s shoulders are shaking so hard in silent laughter, but she manages to wheeze out, “Oh, god, yes. You are a beefcake, darling.”

Kara blushes up to her ears, and Christ this is just so fucking gay.

Alex will never recover from the fact that people on the internet, open their browsers just to type in the question, Is Kara Danvers beefcake?

******

"Is Kara Danvers dating?"

"I don't know, am I?" Kara evades smoothly. A conspiratorial look passes between the two.

Then the shot cuts and it’s Lena’s turn again.

"Did Lena Luthor kiss Kara danvers?"

"Oh, wouldn't you guys like to know," Kara quips, "Buy tickets to our movie and maybe you'll see us kiss. Premieres on October 22.” Kara winks to the camera and Lena flushes next to her.

Alex already knows they’re going to kiss. Kara had a massive gay panic the day she received the script. Guess who had to calm her down enough to get through the scene?

******

“Did Lena Luthor Andrea Rojas?"

"Are they asking if I did Andrea?" Lena asks, in an uncharacteristically high pitched voice.

"Yes," Kara affirms, eyebrow quirking. "Did you?"

"I refuse to confirm nor deny anything." Even from Alex's tiny screen she can see Lena's pixelated form blush.

"You totally did."

******

“Did Lena Luthor break arm?”

Ah, Alex remembers that one. Especially after finding out that Kara filled Lena's hospital room with flowers for an entire month. Talk about a simp.

“Unfortunately, yes," Lena tells the camera, fingers running through her hair. "I did break my arm, yes. The injury wasn’t that bad though, it just looked like it was.”

“You had to wear a cast for three months," Kara points out, scoffing. "It was bad, Lena.”

“Well, I mean 'No Boundaries' was an action film. Sometimes things go wrong, you know." Lena shrugs as Kara shakes her head. "What? It's true," Lena defends. "It comes with the job. But I’m better now, and now I take extra precaution in filming scenes like that.”

“It was a great film though, not gonna lie,” Kara admits, her hand finding home on Lena's thigh again.

“Oh yeah?” Lena smirks, raises a brow at her.

“Yeah, Lucy and I saw it," Kara tells her, "and like, it was a spy movie. An intense spy movie. But she cried at that one scene with you and it was Sam Arias, I think?”

“Oh, oh yeah." Lena adjusts her collar and Kara's eyes follow. "The scene at the lab?" Lena clarifies and Kara nods dumbly. "Yeah that was a whole thing. Sam was amazing in that.”

“She was," Kara agrees, gulping, clearly struggling to drag her eyes away from Lena and back to the camera. "She really was. Both of you, actually. Imagine making Lucy Lane cry.”

“Wait.” Lena raises a hand to lay on Kara's arm. Her sister stops mid-peel. “I thought you saw that with Alex though?”

“I did with Alex, too.”

“Oh, you saw it twice?”

“No, no uh- I saw it four times.”

“Oh.”

Alex just had to pause the video at that, lest she throw her phone across the room.

Deep breaths, Danvers. Deep breaths.

******

"Did Lena Luthor get oscar nomination? Yes, yes she did!" Kara exclaims, squeals to be more accurate. "And not only that, she won too."

"Kara, I'm supposed to answer the question,” Lena reminds her. Kara just smiles sheepishly, gestures at Lena to continue.

"Yes, yes I did win.” Lena turns back to the camera. “I never expected that to happen, and every time I look at the golden man on top of my fridge, I cry."

"You- It's on top of your fridge?" Kara asks, turning away completely from the camera.

"Yeah."

If anybody asks Alex when she knew Kara had truly fallen in love with Lena, she’d play them this clip. Never has she seen Kara look at another human being like that.

The golden man atop the fridge, who would’ve known?

******

“And that’s it for the Web’s Most Searched Questions.” Lena claps her hands together, and god, Kara isn’t bothering at being subtle at all, just openly staring at Lena now.

“Hope you enjoyed watching that as much as we enjoyed doing it. Gal Pals out in theatres on October 22! Save the date!”

It’s a miracle that Alex made it to the end. She sighs a breath of relief as the next video plays, she exits before it could continue.

why are they so dumb? Alex types out to Ruby.

Ruby <3: COS THEYRE GAE!!!

Well, Alex can't argue with that logic. Before she can even type out a reply to Ruby, her phone pings in rapid succession.

Kara: Good morning from Japan! Ohayō, Alex!

A picture of Lena comes through.

This Lena is a thousand worlds away from the Lena Alex just watched on her phone screen mere minutes ago. This Lena is wearing a messy bun, thick black glasses perched on her nose, chopsticks raised by one sweater paw, a bowl of noodles in front of her, smiling without reservation, no doubt at her sister behind the camera.

Kara: she’s just so pretty!!

Kara: its like 7 in the morning here and she looks like dat alex!

Kara: kawaii!! thats what the fans here say

Kara: r u asleep already?

Kara: call me later i miss u

Oh, yes. Alex will definitely call her later. There are words that need to be said.

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday Scottish actor Jimmy Yuill, born March 6th 1956 in Golspie, Sutherland.

Yuill is another of those Scottish actors that has been in an abundance of shows, and will be known, but not as a household name.Fans of the Crime drama series Wycliffe will know him best as DI Doug Kersey, in almost every episode, I will come back to that later.

Known mainly as an actor on the stage Jimmy began in 1976 in The Jesuit at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. After, as he put it “some joyous years” working on new plays and classics countrywide he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1983, as Snug in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ended his time there, in 1987, as Young Wackford Squeers in Nicholas Nickleby on Broadway.

In 1988 he joined Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company for Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Hamlet directed by Judi Dench, Geraldine McEwan and Derek Jacobi, respectively. Also for RTC, Sicinius (Coriolanus); Telygin (Uncle Vanya) and Kent in Richard Brier’s ‘King Lear’.

Other roles include Toby Belch in Twelfth Night and as Henry IV parts1&2 at the Bristol Old Vic; In 2013 Jimmy played Banquo in ‘Macbeth’ at the Manchester International Festival and the following year at the Park Avenue Armory, New York. Most recently Jimmy played the Old Shepherd in The Winters Tale at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End – both productions directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh.

Jimmy Yuill, while always being busy treading the boards, has also found plenty time to appear in many TV shows, they include, in the 70’s The Mackinnons, The Omega Factor and the TV film A Sense of Freedom. in the 1980’s Eurocops and Boon and the 90’s mainly in Hamish Macbeth as Lachlan McCrae and the aforementioned Wycliffe. Into the new millennium he is a s busy as ever in the mini-series Monsignor Renard, A Touch of Frost and a recurring role in 14 episodes of Eastenders as Victor Brown an old frien of Ian Beales. Jimmy also appeared in several episodes of The Bill as D.S. Cottrell.

Yuill has had a longstanding friendship with Kenneth Branagh and has appeared in some of the Irish actor/directors films, including, Much Ado About Nothing, Frankenstien and As You Like It.

I said I would return to Wycliffe, where Jimmy starred in all but two episodes. The series was cancelled after that because Jack Shepherd, who played Wycliffe, refused to continue in the title role when the producers had sacked Yuill “for insurance reasons” after he contracted life-threatening meningitis during filming, and then would not reinstate him even though he made a full recovery. He says he owes his life to Shepherd with whom he was sharing a house while on location, and who rushed him to hospital in the middle of the night. Shepherd and the rest of the cast and crew felt so betrayed that they decided not to make any more episodes once filming of the current series had finished.

Along with Richard Briers he is one of only two actors other than Branagh himself, to appear in all five Shakespearean films that Branagh has directed: Yuill has worked as a performance consultant on a number of productions, and also as a producer.

More recently Jimmy has been in the movies Artemis Fowl , Kindred and my pick The Road Dance, which is set in The Outer Hebrides just before World War One. He also popped up in the Scottish dark comedy series Guilt, There are no pdates on his work in the past three years

[miseria-fortes-viros]

(brings microphone to your face) tell us abt ur au!!!! whatever you're willing to share, i love hearing abt wips.

OOHOOHOO OK!! so i have talked abt this before but i don’t think i have a tag for it however im going to go back thru and tag ALL of it bc well. i like all of my things in one place. ANYWAY. i’m going to put this under a cut bc it will be LONG because i cannot help myself ever. so, i present: trc rival bands au!

this is the pinterest board i’ve made for the au that i cannot stop adding to. i’m refraining from sharing my spotify playlists because uh. those are a major part of the story and i don’t want to take that away from it 😭 BUT trust me they are SO good. im obsessed.

anyway. rival bands au LETS GO!!

gansey, ronan, henry, and noah make up the (pop punk?/alt rock?) band Kings of Henrietta.

ronan plays lead guitar. he’s the son of legendary irish rockstar niall lynch and also ex lead guitarist of the boyband the lynch brothers. he plays a seven-string ibanez xiphos in black flat (VERY sexy guitar VERY difficult). its name is chainsaw. he has perfect pitch. he’s also very, very irish

gansey’s lead vocals and rhythm guitar. he grew up hollywood royalty but was never really interested in acting, just did it because it was expected of him. his exodus from the film industry in order to be in a band was originally widely considered a long shot but now. well. one of the most famous bands in the world and all that. he plays an obnoxiously orange gretsch jet that fans have dubbed “the pig”.

henry’s bass and backup vocals. he’s the heir to two tech fortunes but ran off to be a musician and was a solo artist for a few years before the formation of KOH (think yungblud). he has a classic rocker haircut, he’s openly queer, he’s a weirdgirl fashion icon. he plays a custom made electric blue fender precision with lightning detailing. he calls it “madonna” but this name has yet to catch on

noah plays drums (and also provides vocals on occasion if the occasion is screaming). his parents are music producers, his sister adele is also in the industry. he breaks at least one drum stick per show and tosses it into the pit. hardcore fans can and will fight for it.

they are SO fucking famous. like taylor swift 95m monthly spotify listeners famous. like people recognize ronan just from his hair like eminem famous. about to leave on one of the longest world tours ever famous. it is INSANE how famous they are.

they all met at aglionby and often played together but didn’t form a band until after niall lynch’s murder and the disbanding of the lynch brothers. there’s a few years gap between graduating aglionby and the formation of KOH

some circles still believe ronan killed his own father however they are very few and far between. WHATEVER

blue grew up in a house full of musicians. she can play pretty much anything under the sun but prefers drums and guitar. she went to juilliard on scholarship, which is where she met adam

adam did not grow up playing music with his family. he grew up learning it in secret. he cannot play everything however he is a VERY quick learner out of sheer willpower. he graduated high school as valedictorian and immediately got the fuck out of there to go to juilliard (also on scholarship). he and blue were inseparable almost immediately

they moved in together after graduation and blue took him home to henrietta when the rent started to get a little too high. they officially formed their band page of wands in blue’s room at 300 fox way

“page of wands” merges both of their symbolic tarot cards together (page of cups + magician). did i mention blue was raised pagan? she was. as to be expected. anyways.

virtually unknown indie rock band page of wands posts a cover of a KOH song. they do not expect KOH to see it. they also do not expect KOH to return the favor in front of tens of thousands of people. KOH does it anyways. because gansey is ENAMORED. he is SO FAR GONE.

blue hates this. she hates it so much. unfortunately POW’s sudden success is now irreversibly tied to KOH and there’s nothing she can do about it. or is there

their record labels agree to a rivalry. success! this is what she wanted

except it’s not. but she doesn’t know why

cue enemies to lovers. and long distance pining. mutual destruction. the entire music industry watching this all unfold. bluesey. pynch. way too many spotify links. you get the picture

guys i literally CANNOT stop thinking about this i don’t know what to do. what do i do. i am so lost. please help me

[canmom]

post-animation night 177 comments

brief thoughts on kizazi moto (more substantial tomorrow perhaps): visually that was so lush. we're really full post-Arcane/Spiderverse nonphotorealistic stylings here, with a powerful dash of Trigger/Flying Bark-esque Neo Kanada School as well. this was like a cross-section of the current big styles in animation and it kicked ass for that. I'm not entirely sure what the production pipeline looked like - the Irish film board was apparently involved somehow! and maybe some Irish studios so it wasn't a purely African production - but it was an extremely impressive showing all round.

narratively, putting it right beside Fatenah kinda highlighted the places it wasn't willing to go. though I had heard the directors had a lot of freedom, there were some very consistent themes running throughout the anthology - nearly every film involved parent-child relationships, many of them revolving around a kid hoping to prove themselves in the eyes of their society/ancestors. the uglier side of history is touched on lightly: one film shows us a flashy cyberpunk city from an alternate timeline where 'Great Zimbabwe was never colonised', complete with 'the most advanced justice system in the multiverse' (a giant robot bird that chases our protagonists), but doesn't expand on that as more than a colourful backdrop. the last film gets closest, presenting a mother-child pair of two gods who are wounded by extractivism and retreat from the world - I appreciated the understated bleak implication of its ending.

I think while the creators were probably not given too much overt creative restriction, they were surely aware this was to be broadcast in English on Disney's streaming service, and tailored their stories accordingly. so you'd probably avoid "Disney is the face of American imperialism: the movie". Disney money is a bit of a double-edged sword that way.

besides parent/child reconciliation, we had a lot of ancestors and more than a few gods. a few stories centred on coming of age rituals; other had a more or less central focus on social media fame and its corrupting effect. at times it verges into the preachy - characters who stand between two families, or between humans and aliens, and resolve to honour both sets of ancestors - but the presentation is more than engaging enough to make it a compelling watch, regardless.

there's a lot of wonderful lighting, set design and architecture throughout. Mọrémì had a very cool desaturated style with toyetic, colourful 'soul-stealing giants' that put me a little in mind of Absolver.

Stardust had a bit of a Star Wars feel, almost feeling like an extra Visions short, but the injection of Islamic architecture was very effective.

a certain Arcane/Riot influence is very overt in many of the films - not just in the widespread use of paint textures in the CG environments and the approach to light and colour, but also with plot elements like the neon-drenched surfer gang in Surf Sangoma (episode 4) - which was definitely a fantastic-looking episode with the wonderfully out-there premise of a world where you have a squid suck on your face to gain surf skills. (just say no to squids, kids! you don't need 'em! rely on your magic ghost mum instead.) but I think this is something that's true in the animation industry more generally of late - the last few years have really kicked the door open to 2D stylings in 3D (paint textures, reduced framerates etc.). no doubt having a Spiderverse director as exec producer played a role in that too!

all in all I really enjoyed this anthology, and I'm super excited to see what comes next from the studios involved.

Fatenah meanwhile was fantastic, and an absolute gut punch. the fact that the hospital seen in the film has been in the news for being emptied out at gunpoint in the last week gave it a special level of 'oof'. its style may seem disarmingly simple, but the puppet-like styling ends up bestowing a huge degree of weight to the characters. the scenes of the border checkpoint, the monotony of cages and guards, and the concrete environment resembling a Half Life 2 map, were very impactful. highly recommend taking 20 minutes to watch this film.