#malcolm stuart

[ofsteelroses]

SA POVS >>> CE POVS

(This is not meant to be a contest and is instead, thematic journeys of the following):

Damocles (bk1) + Abira (bk2) -> Leah Weston

2 sides of the same coin of her being a change agent, deciding on the fact of sinborne rights

Refuses to conform to expectations & forbidden loves; specifically w/ abira - dodges marriage, gives up a position of power (throne, Leah's title)

literal mentors in how to be nobility, but still stand for justice - doesn't always work? but they are the ones that have her like "don't you dare settle"

still privileged as fuck, but they try to be chill about it

Rowland -> Mitchell

Defined by wishful thinking and unfortunate absence

literal progression in the sinborne fight (from rowland opening the cause by opening damocles' eyes to mitchell rightfully saying "fuck being patient")

actually sassy fuckers

Maeve -> Jane

need to emphasize in their upcoming scene the fact they connect on words and research and a love of scientific fact

Jane needs to learn to listen like Maeve does if she actually wants to be persuasive in the future

both privileged, who like fine art and wine and dresses, and yet hardworkers who see things others don't

George -> Malcolm

despite their ENTIRELY different temperaments, Mal is just as impulsive as George in SA & (more importantly) fed-up with the status quo

defined in weighty expectations and duty - and they actually live up to their responsibilities

Adelina -> Karyn

outsiders who decide to say 'fuck it, i'm going to act to make a difference' and take either revenge - or act to heal someone, both unexpectedly

in touch with their dark side & happy to be who they are

Marcus -> Geoffrey / Valeria

"somewhere between fuck you and i'd want to fuck you"

Garrett -> Frederick

literal "fuck it i'mma do what i want fuck who i want" attitude (and plot)

often spends the book in a way that ends up with them needing to earn redemption, show humility, etc

Jude -> Arthur

sinborne with One Specific Thing(tm) they care about (music, fine linens)

very, extremely prone to saying "fuck off" to all class distinctions despite their position that is somewhat half-and-half

Evelyn -> Ariadne

survival of self is a reason to betray someone important to them, actually

actual feminist (TM)

willing to bend the rules as long as, in the end, they get what they want

survivors of abuse

Rebecca -> Alec

the fact they are from the future is NOT the most interesting thing about them. their gigantic "you shouldn't know this" intelligence, IS.

literally they break the time continuum to be with who they love. repeatedly.

I HAVE EMOTION ABOUT THE FACT ALEC TAKES AFTER HER A LOT, OK.

[sitting-on-me-bum]

“Post Lunch Nap” by Stuart Malcolm

Location of shot: Neenah, Wisconsin, USA

A chubby winter Grey squirrel has a nap leaning against a convenient tree branch.

Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

[medeaaasworld]

Okay, so, hear me out—

We've got our square share of Riko-Neil's-abusive-ex fanfiction, and the idea is wonderful, truly delicious! But.

What if...it was Lola?

Like— let's pretend for a second that Nathan isn't that bad. A local mobster perhaps. Or just an average alcoholic, throwing kitchen knives at his son during the long benders.

Lola works for him and is—obviously—obsessed with the man (eww)

She is older than Nathan's son, Nathaniel —let’s say about a ten-year difference — and the boy is so delicious! He looks just like a younger version of Nathan himself and is way easier to manipulate. (yes, I'm thinking about this part of the king's men)

So she does manipulate him, abuse even. Clearly it's grooming, 'cuz when she starts Nate is still a minor, and that helps her to build an even stronger connection between them.

Nathaniel Wesninski knows that he is just a more amenable replacement for his father. He hates her. But he's way too deep in that shit to stop, because her continuous manipulation has paid off.

So he suffers. Nurtures his silly little crush on the best friend and surrenders all his resolve to not drag Andrew into his mess — ever the martyr.

Nathan sees everything and doesn't give a fuck.

Andrew sees everything and hates himself for making a deal with Neil, according to which the rabbit gets to fight his own battles.

Foxes are foxes.

Riko is a bitch, but otherwise harmless.

And perhaps Stuart saves his unlucky nephew once again.

Am I writing this? Yes

[pippin-katz]

I may be alone, but the only way I want a movie sequel is if it focuses around their courtship with the drama about his process to decide to give up his title.

Either that or focused on Pez / Nora with their new life in the background (this really needs June to work though imho).

Otherwise I am terrified about what they would introduce for an dramatic arc. I want to hold my happily ever after ending as lasting canon.

Well, I disagree that they need June for Pez & Nora's relationship, considering she doesn't exist in this version of the world, and that's okay. They can still create a brilliant story on them.

As for the other stuff, I don't know what I want to happen in the sequel, but I do know what I don't want to happen.

There would be nothing worse than if they create some kind of conflict between them and have them temporarily breakup. I would totally and completely despise it.

You do not need to make a couple struggle in their relationship to keep them interesting. It is unnecessary and annoying as fuck when movies, or more frequently shows, introduce some sort of contrived obstacle that creates tension between the pair. You do not have to do that! You can make an engaging plot with the couple united against the conflict. You do not need false tension and drama between your leads to keep the audience's attention.

If you can't write an interesting story without relationship drama, that's a skill issue in the writing room.

[wordsofhoneydew]

THEY ARE GIVING WHAT NEEDED TO BE GAVE!!!!!

[starboystudios]

posting for the @25yearsofvelvetgoldmine event - some of my earliest velvet goldmine sketches from 2019. the more of these i post the more my obsession over malcolm velvetgoldmine will become apparent.

the last two are how the film went, right.

[typicalopposite]

I swearrrr if we don’t get Percy dialog in BOTH (not either bothhhh) the Kensington breakfast scene and the polo scene I will riot! I need some off the wall, dirty talking(just something tame will be fine), there’s-nothing-Pez-can’t-do-esque SOMETHING! I mean come onnnn!! give us the iconic Auntie Pezza!!!!! 😤😤

[doodlingstuff]

AU where everything stays the same, but all the bad guys have these mugs

(Riko never gets his, ofc)

[atomicanesthesia]

calling all omd fans!

hi!! i made this account about three years ago and then proceeded to never use it but if there's any chance there's an active orchestral manoeuvres in the dark/omd fandom on tumblr, a discord server was just made for the band and it'd be great if we could get some more people to join! :)

[giena-chaos]

I continue to create non-fancast. Just looking for people who are similar to in how I envision the characters. So, let's talk about the adult characters. First, Wymack. (Kevin is his mother's appearance, so I don't associate David's appearance with him). I actually love Orny Adams, but he's not Wymack to me at all. I see him more like Colin Farrell or Charlie Hunnam in the characters from the movie "The Gentlemen" For some reason for me Wymack is a man with glasses, I don't know why.

I picture Abby a little differently, but I think Reese Witherspoon in her 30s and 40s is perfect. Such a good mom.

I don't know how I envision Betsy at all. It's hard for me to picture her even in my head, so no one comes to mind yet.

Mary. Oh, my Mary. I think she'd be perfect for Eva Green. So beautiful in the beginning and broken afterward. Or with the softer Janet Mantgomery (she's British). She looks softer than Eva, but I think she's very colorful too

Nathan… I know he's supposed to look like Neil, but I can't find anyone perfect for Wadsworth (or Froy Gutierrez) But I like Jason Isaacs. Only with red hair and a beard. (Was also thinking about Mads Mikkelsen, but I don't know).

Stuart is literally any British actor (or non) like Gerard Butler, Luke Evans, Paul Bettany or Rafe Fance. I don't have an exact portrait of this character 😂 But someone in a stylish suit and good looking. For some reason, unlike his sister, I think he's blond, but it's not certain.

Lola is also literally any spectacular blonde. For example, Charlize Theron or Nicole Kidman

[renegadesstuff]

Prodigal son x FBI 🤍

“It's okay. I'm here.” 🥺🥹

[gatutor]

Helen Kane-Stuart Erwin "Dangerous Nan McGrew" 1930, de Malcolm St. Clair.

[transcarcinization]

*waves hands* eclipses. you knwo

sources under cut

Quotes:

"On that day, many hopeless romantics became destined to a lifetime of searching for signals in the gamma-ray sky", A History of Dark Matter

"Do you have a human soul and can you prove it?", The long and short of it, Richard Siken

"Dear God / It is great the way you always get the stars in the right places." Children's Letters to God, Stuart Hample

"Things are similar- this makes science possible. Things are different- this makes science necessary." the dialectical biologist, Richard Levins & Richard Lewontin

"Hinc Itur Ad Astra", translates as "from here the way leads to the stars". Motto of Vilnius University

"Amid energies of the cosmos, you gave as good as you got", Eulogy from a Physicist, Aaron Freeman

"I know that / intimacy is not a clean thing; / it is difficult like this—covert / and common. Bare, as it should be: / someone says I want the mess in you / and you give it to them", Heed the Hollow, Malcolm Tariq

"For all I know, maybe everyone is screaming / as they go through life, silently," Don’t Tell Anyone, Tony Hoagland

"KL: Your honor I am here for a refresh. A renewal of self. I consider this act to be a poetic gesture and a birthday gift. I am ready for an update. An intervention into my life. I am here to be born again as myself, or at the very least, the most current version of myself. I am prepared to let go. To empty my cache. To refill the screen with the same information." Court hearing, Kristian Sue Lucas

Images:

Nasa: solar eclipse, multilength milky way, tycho's star

circuits archive (my love), Enterprise schematics, Franz Joseph, 1973

Other:

shoutout to this post for making me want to learn gradient maps, and @metronn for helping me find the episode where they show Geordi vision! Paintings are referenced from this screenshot (sorry for pinterest link i have no idea what episode this is)

[yesterdayandkarma]

by Stuart Malcolm

[fibula-rasa]

Lost, but Not Forgotten: What Price Beauty? (1925)

Direction: Thomas Buckingham

Scenario & Story: Natacha Rambova

Titles: Malcolm Stuart Boylan

Production Manager: S. George Ullman

Camera: J. D. Jennings

Art Direction: Natacha Rambova 

Production Design: William Cameron Menzies

Costume Design: Adrian

Studio: Circle Films (Production) & Pathé Exchange (Distribution)

Performers: Nita Naldi, Pierre Gendron, Virginia Pearson, Dolores Johnson, Myrna Loy, Sally Winters, La Supervia, Marilyn Newkirk, Victor Potel, Spike Rankin, Rosalind Byrne, Templar Saxe, Leo White Maybe: John Steppling, Paulette Duval, Dorothy Dwan, and Sally Long

Premiere: None, general release: January 22, 1928

Status: Presumed entirely lost.

Length: Variously reported as 5000 and 4000 feet (more commonly listed as 4000) or 5 reels

Synopsis (synthesized from magazine summaries of the plot):

Mary, a.k.a. “Miss Simplicity” (Dolores Johnson) is a starry-eyed, country-to-city transplant. She works at a beauty shop operated by a glamorous matron (Virginia Pearson) and owned by the young and handsome Clay (Pierre Gendron). 

Mary is in love with Clay, but doesn’t have the nerve or feminine wiles to woo him. The uber-sophisticated Rita (Nita Naldi), however, is chock full of nerves and wile. Rita’s fancy clothes and perfumes and advanced flirting skills leave Mary feeling destined to fail at winning Clay’s amorous attention. 

These feelings sublimate into an expressionistic dream for Mary, where she finds herself transformed into a sophisticate like Rita. Her boss is seen as a magnificent wizard, converting her clients into archetypes of glamour: exotic types, flappers, and sirens. Her competition, Rita, is seen as a bewitching spider.

In the end, surprising Mary, it turns out that her fresh-faced, unassuming charm is more appealing to Clay than Rita’s more practiced charm.

Additional sequence(s) featured in the film (but I’m not sure where they fit in the continuity):

Scene of the trials and tribulations of a fat woman trying to “reduce”

Points of Interest:

Only one quarter of Nita Naldi’s Hollywood films have survived (7 extant titles/21 lost or mostly lost titles).

——— ——— ———

What Price Beauty? was the first and only film produced under Natacha Rambova’s own company. Coordinating production for the film was the business manager for Rambova and her husband Rudolph Valentino, S. George Ullman. The couple met Ullman when he was working for Mineralava beauty products, the sponsor of their 1922-3 dancing tour. 

When Rudolph Valentino entered into a contract with United Artists, said contract reportedly stipulated that Valentino-Rambova were not a package deal. Therefore, Rambova could not collaborate with Valentino on his productions for United. Possibly as consolation, Ullman funded a production for Rambova while Valentino worked on The Eagle (1925, extant).

For Rambova, What Price Beauty? was meant to be a proving ground for her idea that an artistic film could be made on a modest budget. She also wished to remind people that she was a skilled artist in her own right.

In an interview in Picture Play Magazine from August 1925, Rambova asserts:

“…I do not want the production in any sense to be referred to as high-brow or ‘arty’. My reputation for being ‘arty’ is one of the things that I have to live down, and I hope by this picture, which is a comedy—even to the extent of gags and hokum—to overcome that idea. “A woman who marries a celebrity is bound to find herself in a more or less equivocal position, it seems, and her difficulties are only increased when she happens to have had some artistic ambitions of her own before her marriage. I am afraid that those who have accused me of meddling in my husband’s affairs forget that I enjoyed a certain reputation and a very good remuneration for my work as well before I became Mrs. Valentino.”

“What I desire personally is simply to be known for the work which I have always done, and that has brought me a reputation entirely independent of my marriage.”

There isn’t a vast amount of information on what exactly prevented WPB from gaining release in a timely fashion. If the film was truly nothing more than a ploy to separate Rambova from Valentino, that would be an absurd waste of time, money (~$80,000 in 1925 USD), and talent—Rambova employed soon-to-be famous designer Adrian for costumes and William Cameron Menzies for set decoration. Not to mention that, in front of the camera, Nita Naldi was still a popular star and the Rambova discovery, Myrna Loy, made her quickly hyped debut. 

When Pathé finally purchased WPB for distribution in 1928, they did very little to promote the film. Naldi had moved on from the film industry—as had Rambova. And, while Loy hadn’t become the huge star we know today by January of 1928, Warner Brothers had already given her top billing in a number of films. Pathé barely mentions Loy’s role in the little promotion they did do.

To put WPB’s release in the context of Rambova’s personal/professional biography (which you can read more about here):

June/July 1925 – WPB is completed, Rambova and Valentino separate (in July according to Rambova’s mother as quoted in Rambova’s book Rudy)

August 1925 – Rambova leaves Hollywood for New York City, reportedly to negotiate distribution for WPB. She and Valentino would see each other in person for the last time. Rambova leaves NYC for Europe.

September 1925 – Valentino draws up a new will disinheriting Rambova

November 1925 – Rambova returns to the US to act in a film, When Love Grows Cold (1926, presumed lost), a title which Rambova objected to

December 1925 – Rambova files for divorce

August 1926 – Valentino dies 

January 1928 – WPB is finally released with no fanfare by Pathé

In my research for my Rambova cosplay, the suspicious production/release history for this film stood out to me. I hoped that I might find some reliable evidence of whether WPB was a consolation prize and/or a scheme to keep Rambova and Valentino apart. Honestly and unfortunately, circumstantial evidence does support it!

After poring over what few contemporary sources cover WPB, there seemed to be no plan in place for distribution as the film was in production. United Artists, at whose lot the film was shot, claimed to have nothing to do with its release. Ullman had a news item placed about negotiating the distribution rights in the East. However, in Ullman’s own memoir, he admits that when he travelled to New York with Rambova, it was in a personal, not professional capacity—navigating the couple’s separation. (Ullman’s book contains many disprovable claims and misrepresentations, so anything cited from it should be taken with a grain of salt.) That said, Ullman’s failure to secure even a modest distribution deal for WPB in a reasonable timeframe speaks to how ill-founded Valentino’s and Rambova’s trust in his business acumen was.

WPB cost $80,000 to produce, which converts to $1.4 million in 2023 USD. While that wasn’t an outrageous budget for a Hollywood feature film at the time, especially one with such advanced production value, it’s certainly an absurd cost if the goal was only to separate a bankable star from his wife and collaborator.

A close friend and employee of Valentino and Rambova, Lou Mahoney, recalled in Michael Morris’ Madam Valentino:

“The picture was previewed at a theater on the east side of Pasadena, and Mahoney remembered the audience reaction as positive, but, thereafter, What Price Beauty? was consigned to oblivion. Mahoney knew why: ‘No help came from anyone, no thoughts of trying to get this picture properly released. No help came from Ullman, Schenck, or anybody else. Their whole thought was that if the picture were a success, Mrs. Valentino would be a success. She would then start producing under the Rudolph Valentino Production Company. But this nobody wanted—except herself, and Mr. Valentino.’”

——— ——— ———

The few reviews from 1928 that I was able to find are not very complimentary of WPB. The critics seem thrown by the film’s tone or genre—reading it as a drama. (Part of that is Pathé’s fault as they listed it as one.) But, according to sources contemporary to WPB’s production, it was intended to be a farcical satire of the beauty industry and social expectations of feminine beauty. Given the simple story, the intentional typage of characters (“The Sport,” “The Sissy,” and “Miss Simplicity”), and the over-the-top-but-on-a-budget art design of WPB, all signs point to high camp. In 1925 as well as 1928, the stodgier side of the critical spectrum would likely fail to see its appeal.

It’s a true shame we can’t find out for ourselves how good, bad, or campy WPB was as of yet, but here’s hoping the film resurfaces!

More about Rambova

GIFs of some of her design work on film

☕Appreciate my work? Buy me a coffee! ☕

Transcribed Sources & Annotations over on the WMM Blog!

[best-character-named-x-poll]

Best Character Named X Poll

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day. New polls scheduled for 1:30PM BST everyday.

If your favourite character is not included in the poll very sorry i have either never heard of them or actively chose not to include them as theres only 6 characters per poll. Characters will only count of that is their first name, surnames do not count.

Round 211: Marvin

Round 212: Maya

Round 213: Warren

Round 214: Christine

Round 215: Cameron

Round 216: Misty

Round 217: Rudy

Past Polls

Poll Ideas under the cut

Names that I have a complete list for*

Rebecca, Steve, Victoria, Katherine, Robin, Nancy, Penny, Erica, Theresa, George, Felix, Charlotte, Diana, Zoe, Connor, Daisy, Andy, Alma, Nora, Juno, Otto, Donald, Angel, Judy, Jo, Hazel, Miranda, Lila, Duncan, Dexter, Meredith, Pearl, Malcolm, Napolean, Joan, Nico, Jamie, Kiera, Tam, Klaus, Luna, Laila, Zack, Imogen, Felicity, Cindy, Alicia, April, Delilah, Jodie, Claudia, Juliet, Jonas, Milo, Celia, Katya, Atticus, Ian, Cynthia, Boo, Corey, Minerva, Ebony, Zia, Quentin, Miriam, Roxy, Percy, Bianca, Shirley, Beatrice, Amara, Cleo, Cecil, Amaya, Ryan, Mabel, May, August, Manny, Francis, Matilda, Deborah, Josh, Jared, Sabrina, Kendra, Ophelia, Liesel, Fitz, Aurora, Ramona, Talia, Orion, Roy, Kala, Madeline, Anastasia, Kit, Marian, Lena, Polly, Cora, Leah, Jules, Artemis, Irene, Laurie, Laurel, Hilda, Valentine, Reggie, Felicia, Joe, Monty, Quinn, Skye, Walter, Marissa, Hope, Oberon, Lorna, Ace, Calvin, Alana, Jasper, Fergus, Bridget, Ulrich, Roger, Mason, Stella, Lenore, Wanda, Miguel, Winona, Hannibal, Newt, Aiden, Oscar, Tobias, Dorian, Dorothy, Una, Marnie, Mirabel, Wendel, Dora, Mort, Olympia, Toby, Chip, Mara, Fearne, Axel, Gil, Bo, Remy, Rue, Leslie, Isabelle, Agnes, Luther, Sally, Delia, Zeke, Richter, Skylar, Scarlet, Bernard, Ray, Nigel, Cosmo, Ruth, Selina, Harley, Blue, Missy, Perry, Paige, Duke, Tao, Gemma, Cornelius, Declan, Wendy, Apollo, Celeste, Clyde, Summer, Hugh, Esther, Cole, Carl, Kieran, Melody, Travis, Vivian, Haley, Prudence, Hans, Ralph, Azrael, Lauren, Molly, Agatha, Pauline, Athena, Darcy, Stan, Dana, Lee, Ford, Red, Stuart, Camille, Bruce, Cliff, Gabriel, Octavia, Tsukasa, Anita, Esme, Ella, Heather, Lois, Viola, Riley, Pyrrha, Rupert, Ada, Orlando, Blair, Parker, Aisha, Lex, Ike, Wolf, Yukari, Tanya, Briar, Iggy, Amber, Akira, Irma, Sloane, Marlene, Trixie, Jed, Rita, Dylan, Harriet, Owen, Letitia, Mick, Hugo, Koichi, Gaius, Tim, Caroline, Katrina, Echo, Annette, Nami, Dale, Rod, Flora, Nina, Carina, Wade, Alucard, Rosemary, Linus, Lance

Names I have an incomplete list for (welcome to send character suggestions)

Richter, Chad, Moe, Guy, Yasmin, Woody, Alina, Freya, Adora, Noah, Taylor, Dawn, Chase, Hunter, Tina, Rudolf, Melvin, Melanie, Melissa, Melinda, Adele, Adeline, Jem, Dolores, Jude, Callie, Ginger, Terry, Bellamy, Jacob, Jackson, Reese, Nemo, Addison, Adelaide, Candy, Abraham, Ragnar, Destiny, Wendy, Hero, Drew, Raphael, Wallace, Jean (feminine), Elena, Cheryl, Shane, Tegan, Matthias, Liam, Caeser, Ellis, Dennis, Josie, Mike, Bailey, Puck, Eden, Giselle, Suki, Zain, Keith, Ron, Olaf, Wilfred, Blaine, Pam, Brianna, Clive, Sabine, Roman, Kalina, Mindy, Julia, Edith, Monet, Marina, Zara, Marcus, Elias, Mira, Sasha, Glen, Dinah, Farah, Norman, Faith, Enid, Ross, Antoinette, Elodie, Mallory, Kay, Renee, Willow, Albert, Howard, Orla, Oswald, Clem, Jace, Howell, Rowan, José, Christian, Craig, Ravi, Dev, Valerie, Norma, Tristan, Jolene, Donatello, Yuki, Yumi, Sakura, Carol, Carrie, Poppy, Casper, Septimus, Rosalind, Rosamund, Rosie, Rosa, Randall, Gerald, Geraldine, Gerard, Ariel, Ariadne, Anya, Dee, Ida, Rocky, Mal, Fox, Solomon, Sol, Vera, Vincent, Nolan, Sage, Alec

Feel free to send more suggestions

*subject to change, you can still submit a character if there is no strikethrough if you think theres a character that its an absolute crime i dont add. Please don't suggest anything for the names with a strikethrough as they are polls that are already in my queue waiting to be published.