#saving private ryan preferences

[didsomebodysaypancakes]

My favorite Matt Damon movies:

WHERE is Matt Damon

The Space Matt Damon

Matt Damon is GOOD

The Talented Matt Damon

Jesus Christ That's Matt Damon - The Quadrilogy

Matt Damon Bought a Zoo

[persevereforahappyending]

No Man's Land |9|

Pairing: Sam Carpenter x Reader

Summary: Sam can’t help but be drawn to the cute stranger from her gym, even if everything about them makes them the perfect suspect, just when Ghostface has returned.

Warnings: Fighting, Guns, Violence, Attempted Murder, Shooting

Word Count: 3.5k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

You and Sam walked back to Blackmore in a comfortable silence. You preferred the quiet and appreciated that she didn’t ask you questions or push you on anything. Sam had no reason to trust you, but she was taking a chance, and you were going to make sure to prove you were worthy of her trust. When you got to Blackmore you and Sam sat on one of the benches outside the building that held Tara’s class until she came out half an hour later. As soon as you had her, the three of you went back to the apartment.

When you got back to the apartment Tara flung her backpack into the corner and plopped herself down on the couch, kicking her feet up as she reached for the remote on the coffee table. She flicked on the TV and instantly began scrolling through one of the streaming apps.

You mindlessly watched at Tara continued to scroll until you felt her eyes on you. You glanced at her and waited to see what she would say. Mindy was the most suspicious of you, which was fair, though she seemed to be more of a conspiracy theorist than anything, Chad seemed almost too trusting of you, it was slightly concerning, and Tara seemed to be hesitant of you, like Sam was with everyone, though she wasn’t as paranoid Sam. The one thing different about Tara though was half her suspicion seemed to come from just being protective of her sister.

“Do you like movies?” Tara asked, squinting her eyes as she waited for your response.

You shrugged. “I’ve seen a few,” you said.

That seemed to make Tara only narrow her eyes even more. “What’s your favorite movie?” You opened your mouth to give her what would probably be an unsatisfactory answer once again. “Wait! Let me guess,” she turned so half her body was facing you. “Saving Private Ryan!” You opened your mouth, but she didn’t stop there. “No! Hacksaw Ridge!” You closed your mouth and waited; you knew she wasn’t done yet. “You have a dog you love,” she mumbled more to herself than you. “War Horse!” She clapped her hands, quite proud of herself for that one. “Wait!” She shot her hand out, grabbing you on your arm as if you were about to get up and leave. “The Patriot.”

You waited a second to see if she had any more, but she just looked at you with a raised eyebrow. You chuckled to yourself with a shake of your head. “All military related because I’m in the military?” You asked.

She shrugged. You playfully rolled your eyes. “Those are all great movies,” you started. You caught Sam out of the side of your eye, she was in the kitchen making a sandwich, but she tilted her head just slightly, indicating she was listening. “The superhero stuff is also good. I-”

“I bet you’re a Captain America person,” Tara cut you off. You rolled your eyes. “You give off the same vibes.”

You gave her a thankful nod. You had never been compared to Captain America before and you were truly honored, though you were inclined to disagree with her. “Cap is great,” you said. “And Steve Rogers is definitely much cooler than me.” Tara shrugged, seeming to agree with you on that. “But I’ve always been more of a Batman person.”

Tara looked at you and nodded her head. “That tracks.” You tilted your head in question, but she didn’t elaborate any further.

“But my default movie, the one I’m always cool to watch, The Mummy.”

“Where Brendan Frazier plays a soldier,” Tara nodded, clearly not surprised by the answer.

“Only in the beginning do the movie,” you defended. Seriously the movie started with him figuring in the desert but that was it when it came to military related things. Unless Tara was also counting the pilot they found to fly them back out there.

“So, you just really love mummies?” Tara raised an eyebrow.

“The Mummy is fantastic, it’s got everything, action, comedy, a supernatural element, and romance. There should be no explanation required.” You had never had to defend liking The Mummy before, you thought Sam’s sister was going to school for film, you figured she’d know this better than anyone. “Oh, and Rachel Weisz,” you added.

“All good points,” Sam said, coming back into the room. She handed you a bottle of water before taking her seat in the chair next to the couch. You gave her a thankful smile; you hadn’t even asked for a drink for her to just bring one to you.

“You too?” Tara shouted, whipping her head around so fast you were surprised she didn’t get whiplash.

Sam shrugged as she curled her feet up on the chair, tucking them under her before reaching for her sandwich on the coffee table. “Who doesn’t love Brendan Frazier and Rachel Weisz,” she said as if they explained everything.

Sam went on to eat her sandwich while Tara was looking at her sister in a whole new light, as if she was seeing her sister for the first time. You were still new and getting to know the sisters, but you were curious why Sam liking The Mummy would be so surprising. Tara just stared at her sister for several minutes before finally going back to scrolling for a movie, finally deciding to settle on The Mummy.

Not long after the movie ended did Chad walk in with a stack of three pizza’s, quickly followed by the others. “Dinner is served!” Chad said, holding up the pizza’s as he took them to the dining table.

“Thanks for picking them up,” Sam said as she got up to grab some paper plates.

Chad waved her off and flipped open all three boxes. Each pizza was different, there was a plain cheese, a pepperoni, and then a meat lovers. You and Tara got up to join the others around the table, everyone grabbed their slices and then went off to separate corners of the room. Quinn took the seat across the room, closest to the door, Mindy and Anika cuddled up next to each other on the floor, Ethan plopped himself down in the seat furthest from the door, and Tara dropped herself down in what was Sam’s seat because Chad stole her spot on the couch next to you.

Once Chad finished up his pizza, he wiped his hands off on a napkin and tossed it onto his dirty plate. He was still chewing the last bit of his food as he switched the channel on the TV and grabbed a PS4 controller. You wiped your own hands and put your trash on top of his, creating an organized little pile. You leaned back and watched the screen as Chad flipped through games.

“What are you playing?” you asked.

“Crash,” he said mindlessly.

“Racing or the original?”

Chad’s mouth opened and closed, gaping like a fish. He looked at you then back at the TV, only to do a double take and look back at you. It was like he couldn’t believe you were asking him about video games.

“R-Racing,” he said. “Want to join?” he reached over and grabbed the other controller and held it out to you.

You shrugged and took the controller from him. “Sure,” you said.

The two of you selected our characters and started the first race. You let Chad pick the track, you knew he’d need the edge anyway. The two of you raced around, doing your laps, you felt everyone’s eyes on you and the TV but you paid them no mind as you drove your way into first place. You were on the last lap when you dropped a TNT crate, only to hear Chad hit it a few seconds later. You quickly crossed the finish line, coming in first, then you leaned back and watched as Chad tried to fight his way back up the line, striving to just not come in last.

You repeated that with the same outcome another three races. Chad was hunched over, pressing the buttons hard as if that would make the cart go faster. You kept your eyes on the screen, never wavering as you completed lap after lap, coming in first every single time.

“You’re good at this,” Chad said. “How are you so good?”

“I play all the time when I’m home,” you said with a shrug.

“That’s why the only thing in your house is a game system,” Sam said.

You looked over at her and smiled. “Got my PS5 and my dog, what more could one possibly want?” Sam tilted her head, seeming to actually think about the question then nodded with a small shrug.

“One more,” Chad said, already flipping through the tracks again.

You rolled your eyes and got ready again as Chad finally selected the track. You were fully prepared to beat Chad on every track, using any character.

You got distracted when you noticed Sam staring down at her phone. You paused the game, ignoring Chad’s protests as you waited to see what was going on with Sam. “Everything okay?” you asked.

Sam looked up, meeting your eyes. “I don’t know,” she said. “Your dad is calling me,” she looked at Quinn.

Quinn furrowed her brow and leaned forward in the chair. “He’s probably just following up,” Quinn said with a shrug. “Or wanting to update you.”

Sam nodded but she didn’t seem too certain in Quinn’s guess. Whatever doubt she was having didn’t stop her from raising the phone to her ear. “Detective Bailey?” Sam spoke into the phone.

You couldn’t hear the other end of the line, but Sam’s furrowed brow deepened. “Yes, I know him,” she said. You look around the room, seeing Chad, Mindy, and Tara all looked just as confused. “Of course, I’m on my way.”

As soon as Sam hung up the phone she was moving and so were you and Tara. Sam didn’t even so much as look at any of you as she grabbed her keys. “Sam,” Tara said. “Sam, what’s going on?”

“Stay here,” is all Sam said.

“What happened?” you asked as you made your way over to the sisters.

Sam finally paused her movements and looked up at you, then at her sister. “That was detective Bailey.” You and Tara both nodded. “He said Doctor Stone is dead.”

“Who?” you asked. You glanced at Tara to see her furrow, her brow before her eyes widened.

“He’s my old therapist,” Sam dropped her eyes to the floor.

You furrowed her brow; you weren’t sure why Sam seemed ashamed of that. You went to a therapist; she didn’t know it was because you were ordered to, but she knew you saw one. She went with you to your appointment earlier, you couldn’t see why she would think you would judge her for seeing a therapist herself. You didn’t want to pressure her though; she didn’t owe you any answers.

“I need to go down to the station,” Sam said.

“Great, let’s go,” Tara said, gesturing for Sam to walk towards the door.

“No, no,” Sam spun around, holding her hand up to Tara. “You’re staying here.”

“No, we’re not splitting up,” Tara shook her head. “School was one thing, but this?” she pointed around her. “No. I’m going with you.”

Sam let out a tired sigh and ran a hand through her hair. “Fine.”

“Obviously I’m coming as well,” you said. Sam opened her mouth, probably to argue with you as well. “This is why you asked me here,” you whispered, looking her in the eye. You weren’t sure what it was but the idea of Sam and her sister going out there alone, at night, after Ghostface killed someone connected to Sam, it didn’t sit right with you.

“Okay,” Sam conceded, nodding. “The rest of you stay here,” she said loudly, looking at each and every one of them. Once they all nodded in agreement Sam finally made her way to the door.

You followed behind Sam and Tara, keeping close as they quickly ran down the steps and out the door without a second thought. You checked your surroundings as soon as you got outside, making sure to keep your head on the swivel.

“Why would Ghostface go after your old therapist?” Tara questioned. “I though you hadn’t seen that dude in months.”

“I haven’t,” Sam said. “It was only a couple sessions before I left him.”

“So, is he important?” you asked, inserting yourself into the conversation.

“No,” Sam shook her head. “As soon as he learned who I was…” she crossed her arms over her chest. “He wasn’t the right fit, we never even got into the details.”

You nodded, you could understand why she might not want to share that information. You didn’t care about why she was seeing a therapist or why she left this Doctor Stone, it was none of your business.  “Then whoever this is might not know you switched therapists.” You looked around, carefully watching the other people on the street as you passed them. “They might have gone after him, thinking he was your current one still.”

Sam furrowed her brow and then nodded. “The only one I mentioned my new therapist to was Tara,” she looked at her sister.

“And I haven’t told anyone,” Tara said.

You nodded. “Good, don’t tell anyone. Your therapist is safer if no one knows who they are.”

Sam and Tara both agreed and continued their walk down the street. It was only a few minutes later when Sam pulled out her phone, you saw over her shoulder that she was getting a call from some guy named Richie Kirsch.

“Why do you still have his number?” Tara asked, clearly recognizing whoever this was.

Sam looked at her sister guiltily. “I couldn’t bring myself to delete his number,” she admitted quietly. You furrowed your brow; you could only begin to guess who this guy was.

“What do you want asshole?” Sam asked as she answered the phone, her attitude quickly becoming aggressive.

You couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, and you were just watching Sam’s reaction until you caught a shadow moving out of the corner of your eye. You just reacted, your arm shooting out to catch the arm of Ghostface as he tried to bring a knife down on Tara. You knocked Tara back toward Sam with our free arm, and twisted Ghostface’s hand, then punched him in the face.

“Run!” you called out to the girls, hoping they listened to you. As Ghostface stumbled back, trying to shake off the hit you brought your knee up, nailing him in the gut, and sending him falling back into the bushes.

You didn’t hesitate to turn around and take off after the girls, quickly catching up to them. You felt something when you kneed Ghostface, but you didn’t have time to dwell on it as Sam flung open the door to a bodega. You were only a couple steps behind them, swinging the door open to see them begging the cashier to help them.

You looked back and caught a flash of a cloak through the window. You pushed Sam and Tara back, spreading out your arms so that they wouldn’t be easy to hit as Ghostface charged into the bodega. One of the customers stepped forward and was yelling at Ghostface when Ghostface just started stabbing him in the chest and then a few of the other customers.

“The backdoor!” the cashier called out, nodding his head to the side as he reached under the counter and pulled out a shotgun. You glanced back to see a door on the other side of the room. You pushed Tara and Sam towards it so they could get out first as you kept your eyes on Ghostface.

The cashier tried to shoot Ghostface but couldn’t raise the gun before Ghostface reached out and ripped it out of his hands. Ghostface flipped the gun around and blasted the cashier in the chest. Your eyes widened and you turned and grabbed Sam and Tara. Ghostface had just raised the gun and fired at the back door when you pushed Sam and Tara down to the ground behind some of the shelves.

You raised a finger to your lips and then gestured forward, indicating for them the to slowly move. You kept your back pressed against the shelf as Tara and Sam slowly crawled around to the next aisle. When they got over there Sam looked back at you and you gestured for her to continue forward. If they kept going and kept quiet, then they could make it back to the front door and while you distracted Ghostface they could slip right out. Sam seemed hesitant to continue on, but she did anyway.

You stayed low and kept your eyes looking up, waiting for the perfect opportunity. You listened as Ghostface’s boots slowly crunched across the broken glass and bags of chips that were now scattered across the ground. You caught a glimpse of the barrel of the gun when the sound of someone hitting a bottle echoed throughout the room.

You held your breath and froze in place. The barrel of the gun disappeared and then a shot echoed through, hitting the shelf across the room and sending snacks flying. You only had to hear the crunch of Ghostface’s boot to make your move, shooting up from your spot and launching yourself at Ghostface.

You grabbed onto the gun and kept it pointed up as Ghostface tried to turn it on you. The two of you went back and forth, each of you fighting for control of the gun. In your struggle the gun got pointed up and went off, blowing a hole through the ceiling and sending chunks raining down on you.

“Go!” you called over your shoulder. If the sisters didn’t move now, you weren’t sure you could get them another chance.

You heard the sound of footsteps running across the floor and caught a flash of Sam’s jacket out of the corner of your eye. You jerked the gun up, finally ripping it out of Ghostface’s hands. You flipped the gun around and fired, only for nothing to happen, it was out of ammo. You flipped it back around and used the butt of the gun to smack the Ghostface’s chest with all your strength.

Ghostface went stumbling back until he hit the back door. As soon as Ghostface pushed off the door you thew the shot gun at him, making him react and catch it, the impact making him hit the door again. You reached behind you and pulled out your gun, not hesitating to raise it and fired three bullets into Ghostface’s chest.

Ghostface slid to the ground, his back against the wall and his body slumped over as the shotgun rested at his side. You stepped forward, raising the gun to Ghostface’s head when you finally heard the sirens. You dropped the gun back to your side and quickly tucked it back in its holster at your back before making your way out of the bodega.

Almost as soon as you stepped foot outside you were hit with a small impact. You let out a groan and looked down to see Tara with her arms wrapped around her waist. “Thank you,” she mumbled into your shirt. Police officers rushed past the two of you, none of them paying you any attention as they made their way into the bodega, their guns drawn.

“Are you okay?” you asked, looking down at Tara. You weren’t big on hugs but if it made Tara feel better then you were willing to accept it.

“What happened?” Sam asked, rushing up beside you. “Did you get him? Are you hurt?” she looked you up and down, searching for new injuries.

“I’m fine,” you assured her. “I shot him, but I didn’t get him,” you looked back at the front door, just waiting for him to come out.

“What do you mean?” Sam furrowed her brow. Tara finally released you and looked up as she waited to hear your answer as well.

“He was wearing bullet proof vest.”

“Are you sure?”

You nodded. “Flet it as soon as I kneed him on the street.” It took a while with all the adrenaline for you to finally connect the dots as to what you felt. You had more to say btu you didn’t think this was the time or place with all the prying eyes. You knew it was a good idea to keep the information to yourself when the cops came back out and said Ghostface was gone.

You, Tara, and Sam rushed back into the bodega to see the back door open, the lock that was on the door now lay scattered on the ground. Ghostface recovered fast, he could certainly take a hit, but you weren’t surprised he escaped. Just one fight with this Ghostface and you had enough information to narrow down your suspects. You weren’t sure when you’d have the time or privacy to go over everything with Sam though.

Taglist: @thatshyboy1998 @artrizzler19 @btay3115 @acutenobody @godamnityess @luvwanda @rqizzu @riyaexee

[bibibusinessman]

How the batfam would react after seeing the Barbie Movie

Bruce: said he preferred Oppenheimer. (He secretly shed a tear during the scene when Barbie talks to Ruth)

Alfred: politely said it was good but his favorite movie is still saving private Ryan

Dick: bawled in the theater. I’m just Ken is his anthem

Jason: loved it he always treated women well but now he treats them like goddesses

Tim: oddly he sympathizes a lot with the CEO of Mattel

Damian: said he didn’t like it, wasn’t lying

Steph: giggled and cried and when she got home watched it 10 more times

Cass: liked it, came home watched it by herself and sobbed

Duke: thought it was hilarious he’s a feminist but poor kid didn’t really get it

Kate: thought it was kinda ridiculous at first but loved the message and ended up taking her girlfriend to see it the next day

Barbara: thought it was good but could of been better if she directed it

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Yonah Elias

CNN’s Bullet Analysis:

“Experts say the bullets were NATO standard 7.62mm.”

Yes. And also used by… literally every army in the developed world, including Hamas affiliates, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, and probably the Gaza Coast Guard (if that were a thing). But don’t let facts interrupt your award-winning fanfiction.

And as for your audiovisual analysis: I’m sorry, but geolocating a shadow next to a palm tree while assuming the direction of a bullet based on YouTube compression artifacts isn’t exactly court-admissible evidence. It’s what we call in the real world: “a really long guess.”

“The IDF says this never happened.”

And CNN’s response? “Well… we asked some people who hate Israel, and they said it did.”

Stunning journalism.

Imagine reporting on D-Day by quoting Goebbels, then saying, “Well, the Wehrmacht said the Allies attacked first.” That’s CNN logic.

The Cast of Characters:

Yahya Abou-Ghazala (who definitely doesn’t have any political bias)

Jeremy Diamond (CNN’s official “I stand with everyone except Israel” correspondent)

Abeer Salman (whose idea of balance is asking Hamas what kind of hummus they prefer before quoting them)

Gianluca Mezzofiore (whose name sounds like he’s here to explain why it’s actually Italy’s fault)

Mohammad Al-Sawalhi (certified “bullet whisperer”)

And last but not least: Madalena Araújo — whose job appears to be making CNN’s entire Gaza desk look like a UNRWA improv troupe

All of this is stitched together into what CNN generously calls “a report” but what looks more like the script for an Al Jazeera audition tape.

Let’s be clear:

CNN didn’t prove anything. They implied, guessed, cut, spliced, and emotionally manipulated. But the actual evidence? Zilch. No video showing IDF soldiers shooting. No direct footage of tanks firing. Just a pastiche of fear, musicless TikToks, and an overworked audio engineer pretending he’s in Saving Private Ryan.

[hockeypuckk]

please read my intro!! :-) its not pretty i know just read it (a lot of this info isnt important; includes my strawpage)

tldr: im andy but with a ton of different names and i go by he/him. im autistic (and might have adhd) and i probably have social anxiety. i gatekeep wham!, love saving private ryan, and love music. i love learning about history. i love roblox games (g&b, regretevator, forsaken.) yap to me please

im gonna put this on the speaker in the store I GATEKEEP WHAM! THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!!! VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!!!

hi im andy (or missing-andy or klaus or barry?? apparently) but idrc what you call me. he/they in order of preference :-)

i will freely block and i am scared of anyone and everyone and i vague post and i spam like

dont be afraid to yap to me!!! please!!! i love yappers so much

if you’re another wham!/gm fan and i block you no hard feelings im just uncomfy. if you listen to wham! to try and get closer to me i won’t be happy and there is a (big) chance that i will block you

it’s a hit or miss whether or not i block you and you’re a wham!/gm fan (outside-1998 and older1996 you two are fine i ❤️ you guys)

do not message me about donations

guys i gatekeep wham! please read this please it is very important

most of my socials are whamaniac :3

discord is whamaniac (ask before adding please)

autistic (maybe adhd) + probably social anxiety (and i am very forgetful)

debater (entp)

soup enjoyer!!

avs lover stars HATER. number #1 jamie benn hater

interests include

WHAM!/gm

(^ i gatekeep wham! 😞…)

hockey

JFK/RFK

saving private ryan

dead kennedys

eltingville club…☹️

i love saving private ryan (reiben and wade are favs!!!!!! i love them a lot)

i also like roblox games…guts & blackpowder and regretevator are the ones that i will probably post/reblog the most but i also play forsaken

average jukebox the ghost fan

average men at work fan

average dean martin fan

average frank sinatra fan

average stopgap fan (out of the 2 people that like stopgap)

djo fan!!!!! i love djo i love the crux (amazing album listen to it NOW)

biggest wham! fan (this is not up for debate.) (I GATEKEEP WHAM! GUYS DID YOU KNOW THAT)

occasional roar fan

dead kennedys fan

average alex g fan

i’m the biggest wham! fan btw 😁 (over 13,200 minutes, top 100 listener) (I GATEKEEP THEM!!!!! DID YOU KNOW!!!!!!!!!)

husband is @sayingsomethinstupid !!! ily my husband

btw if youre a. republican/trump supporter get OUT!!!!!!!! you are NOT welcome here.

strawpage…send me gimmicks please!

please give me drawing requests. (these will take forever to do because i draw whenever i feel like drawing)

(i will not draw nsfw get out of here you freak. if you send a hockey art req, i refuse to draw stars players 😁😁😁) *BESIDES MIKKO RANTANEN AND/OR ROBO

my tags are:

[randomness-in-motion]

Another Rook Ask Game:

Decided to post the ones that I filled out at random during downtime.

- Did Rook have any crushes within their faction before they left with Varric?

Asrani: In canon, no. In rrau, also no.

Evahn: In canon he has a thing for Illario. In rrau, also liked Illario but knew nothing would ever happen. Might have a bit of a crush on Asrani.

Ash'iri: In canon, developed a crush on the Demon of Vyrantium after hearing the stories. In rrau, same.

Tamrian: No crushes in canon or rrau.

Alaine: In canon, no. In rrau, also a no.

- Is your Rook allergic to anything?

Asrani: Has the misfortune of being allergic to cats, but an inability to avoid them. If there is a cat nearby, he will find it and he will pet/snuggle it, allergy misery be damned. He's also allergic to Viago's disappointment.

Evahn: Has a seafood/shellfish intolerance. Won't kill him, but it will make him sick af.

Ash'iri: Like their sibling they have a seafood/shellfish intolerance. Thanks, mom.

Tamrian: Not that he knows of, unless being allergic to being a Grey Warden counts. 

Alaine: If you want to see someone suffer, take him around Stripweed. 

- Sweet or Savory snacks?

Asrani: Mixed. His favourite candy is a Tevinter travel treat called Poison Stings and he likes baking sweet-loafs. He also likes churros, black licorice(lightly salted), and breaded cheese wands.

Evahn: He leans towards sweets, in AU Asrani's supply of Poison Stings would be in constant danger.

Ash'iri: Chocolate exists, therefore life is worth living. Also loves churros and antivan apple grenades.

- What movie genre would they like best?

Asrani: Documentaries/Biopics and Thrillers - ex: George Carlin's American Dream, André the Giant, Seven, The Crow

Evahn: Give him a horror movie spree and he'd be happy - ex: Talk to Me, Evil Dead, Tomie Re-birth

Ash'iri: Suspense and Dark comedy - ex: Death Note 1 & 2 and L: Change the World(live action 2006 and 2008), Heathers, Zombieland

Tamrian: Action/Action Comedy - ex: John Wick, Deadpool, etc.

Alaine: Historical, RomComs - ex: Saving Private Ryan, Sisu, The Princes Bride, Sweet Home Alabama

- Favorite Season? Why?

Asrani: Fall - The way everything changes colour and he likes cooling temperatures.

Evahn: Spring, loves the rain it brings. Temps are still cool enough to sit by the fire and listen to the rain.

Ash'iri: Spring, everything starts blooming and they love flowers.

Tamrian: When he was in Ferelden he preferred Summer. Once in the Anderfels, he prefers any season as long as it's Not in the Anderfels.

Alaine: In Tevinter - Fall for the cooling less humid temperatures. Once in the Anderfels, same boat as Tamrian.

- Favorite type of jewelry? (Rings/Necklaces/Bracelets)

Tamrian: Doesn't wear jewelry outside of sleeping with his parents rings on his sisters necklace, can't sleep for crap without them.

Alaine: Rings and bracelets were his favourite when he lived in Minrathous. As a Grey Warden he doesn't usually wear any jewelry save for the elven stone set ring that his beloved Revari gave him. As it is a matched set, he also has the other half due to Revari dying. He keeps it either on him or safely locked up. (in the rrau he lets Antoine use it so they can keep in contact after Alaine is sent to Minrathous. Once he gets to the Lighthouse he goes to get the ring back).

- What is your Rook’s favorite animal?

Asrani: Phoenix

Evahn: Griffon

Ash'iri: Raven

Tamrian: Griffon

Alaine: Otter

- Pick a song from their playlist. What is it, and what made you choose it?

Asrani: Birds of a Feather: Billie Eilish. Chosen because I'm closing in on the lock-in scene for Lucanis in his second campaign and Asrani has never felt this way about anyone in his entire life.

Evahn: Don't Stop Me Now: Queen. Because this is my delulu campaign and I currently have Evahn in gremlin mode.

Ash'iri: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go: Wham! Because I need to start progressing their campaign soon, and icly they'd be running around with their sibling/other Crows as much as possible(if multi-boxing were a possibility in Dragon age it would be happening regularly for certain Rooks).

- Extrovert or Introvert?

Asrani: Introvert, though he can be sociable when it's called for. 

Evahn: Extrovert, gravitational pull levels of friendly.

Ash'iri: In the middle, quiet until comfortable, then jovial and talkative.

-  Something that annoys your Rook?

Asrani: Disorganization, he is constantly and without thought always cleaning up/adjusting things that feel out of place.

Evahn: Blood stains, and poorly mixed poisons

Ash'iri: Poorly maintained blades, if your blade is even remotely in need of sharpening then Ash is either going to sharpen it for you or try to give you a lesson in weapon maintenance simply to keep their own mind from suffering a fixation loop.

- What languages does your Rook know?

Asrani: Fluent in Elven, Antivan, Qunlat and Trade, can get by in Tevene.

Evahn: Fluent in Antivan, Qunlat and Trade, can get by in Elven

Ash'iri: Fluent in Antivan, Qunlat and Trade, can get by in Elven

Tamrian: Fluent in Elven and Trade

Alaine: Fluent in Trade and Tevene, Can get by in Elven

- Are they ticklish?

Asrani: No, but you can try if you want to be disappointed.

Evahn: Not really, being tickled just makes him feel like he's itchy.

Ash'iri: Yes, but you will get bitten if you try to tickle them.

Tamrian: Used to be but isn't anymore.

Alaine: Yes, but please don't. He developed a habit of punching as a response due to his older brother tickling him as a precursor to something injurious.

- Would your Rook make a good villain?

Asrani: As a true neutral, possibly. Especially as a Somniari. His ability to shut down and completely separate himself emotionally from what he's doing(it's what allows him to complete certain contracts) could be applied to more nefarious things if pushed enough.

Evahn: Doubtful. He's more the competent and almost essential sidekick type than lead baddie.

Ash'iri: Unlikely, maybe an anti-villain's sidekick at best.

Tamrian: Due to how he was raised, no. He might be a walking bundle of rage, but the rage is only utilized against those that deserve it. 

Alaine: No, like Tamrian he's too good aligned. His cruelty is very specific and only applied to those that deserve it, like Venatori and Darkspawn.

- How easy is it to get your Rook out of bed in the morning?

Asrani: Nine times out of ten, he wasn't even in it to begin with, so pretty easily.

Evahn: If you want him out of bed, he's going to need bait in the form of a strong cup of coffee and depending on his activities the night before- a hangover remedy.

Ash'iri: Early riser no matter what time they crashed out, so they're up and about easy peasy(Micro-naps and caffeine are are how they get through the day).

Tamrian: Warden training be damned, if he has to get out of bed there'd better be coffee involved when waking him.

Alaine: Desperately misses sleeping in. Just five more minutes, please(repeats this until dragged from his bed).

- How organized is your Rook?

Tamrian: Everything is where it should be.

Alaine: His space is neat & clean, but he also just set something down and already lost it.

[panzershrike-pretz]

THIS! This tag game seems so fun! Made by the amazing @ronald-speirs!

Favorite place in the world you’ve visited?

That would be either the alps in Germany or the Salinas beach, here in Brazil! I adored both the snow and thes amount of stuff i find at the beach there

Something you’re proud of yourself for?

The amount of progress I made since being diagnosed with autism, depression and anxiety. Even if I stopped going to therapy, I feel like the diagnosis (esspecially the autism one) shed so much light on my life, and I was able to makes the world around me (even if just at home) more confortable for myself by understanding myself more and adjusting the way I do things so it's easier on me.

Favorite books?

Hmmmmm let's see- the Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children series, obviously, but I also LOVE The Book Thief, American Gods and definetely Warrior Cats (I only read the first arc, so Idk how good's the rest xD)

Something that makes your heart happy when thinking about it?

My dog and my characters! Love them :]

Favorite thing about your culture?

Hmmmmmm probably food? But I'm extremely picky so I don't even eat most of our stuff 💀 i do love feijoada, brigadeiro, pastel and coxinha tho- Idk about the rest KAKAKAKA other than that, the slangs. So cool. Love it

When did you join the HBO War fandom? What was the first show you watched?

Back at the end of 2022 or early 2023 was when I first heard about it, but as for officially joining...? Probably like. 5 or 6 months ago? I have no idea what time even is-

The first show was Band of Brothers :D

Have you read any of Easy Company’s books? If so, which ones were your favorite?

Nope. And won't.

Favorite HBO War character and your favorite moment with them?

Webster. Him shoving himself on the ground was the best. Just like me fr💕

Do you make content for any fandoms, if so; what sort of content?

Uhhhhh I make memes and occasionally fanart? I wouldn't classify this as content but when I'm really into something I take some aspects of it for my own world, so I can always keep it close to me, even if the hyperfixation faded a bit with time

Favorite actor/actress and your favorite film of theirs?

I know no one- but I do like Bud Spencer and Terence Hill's movies. They are the only actors I know the name of 💀 I like the funny coeboy movies, many good memories watching them with dad when I was a kid (and still doing so, every now and then)

Favorite quote/s that you wish to share with others?

"I'll beat you with a dead cat 'till it starts mewing" - a popular brazilian saying (the best ever)

Random fact your mutuals/followers don’t know about you?

HmmmmmmmmI share so much about myself that I don't even know 💀 probably that I once fell facefirst on a river when I was 4, while I was fishing? That was A Day

If you’re a writer, do you need a beta reader (say yes so I can be your beta reader 🤭)?

I don't write much but!! I did write something yesterday about my characters and idk if I should post, but if you're interested, I can show you :D

Three things that make you smile?

My dog, my characters, birds

Any nicknames you like?

Based off my real name I like "Rah", but only when used irl. As for the internet, I love Pretz! And I have a special one my best friend @isazmoon gave me, which is Pretzu, but this ones I feel like it's only hers :3

List some people you love to see around on tumblr!

@1waveshortofashipwreck @xxluckystrike @ronald-speirs @ronsparky @minha-xuh @whollyjoly @sweetxvanixlla!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!! AMAZING PEOPLE!!

What would you do during a zombie apocalypse?

What would I live for, my stupid ass can't even run 😭 i'd die fast as fuck. And I know all my friendswould die too so we all just perish together 💕💕💕 friendship goals

Favorite movie?

How To Train Your Dragon? Wolfwalkers? Saving Private Ryan? Pirates of the Caribbean? Can't probably choose only one, it's torture

Do you like horror movies?

Ehh, not much? I prefer animations

Tags (no pressure): @xxluckystrike @whollyjoly @ronsparky @sweetxvanixlla @grumpy-liebgott @1waveshortofashipwreck @blueberry-ovaries @minha-xuh (hey Gih, if you want you can take off the HBOwar bits and/or replace them with MPHFPC, since you're from another fandom, feel free!)

[mattnben-bennmatt]

Matt Damon: 'You're a better actor the less people know about you'

The Guardian (27 September 2015)

By Elizabeth Day

He is Hollywood’s ultimate everyman. Matt Damon talks about The Martian, missing Robin Williams – and the theory that he and Ben Affleck were gay

I am sitting opposite Matt Damon and he is saying he’s sorry for being a bad movie star. He can’t help it, he says. He’s simply too dull.

“I think people just leave a room I’m in and they’re like: Well that guy wasn’t a movie star,” he explains. “Jesus! Anybody could do that.”

We are sitting in a gloomy hotel room, at a large round conference table which is too big for the two of us. Damon is dressed like a father on the school run: sensible navy blue polo shirt, trousers with practical pockets down the side. He has a smattering of facial hair. The most film-starry thing about him is his muscle tone: he has arms that look like they’ve been drawn by a Popeye animator.

Other than this, Damon insists he’s entirely normal. He has a wife, Luciana, whom he met while filming in Miami in 2003 when she was working behind a bar, and the couple have four daughters ranging in age from four to 16 – Alexia, from Luciana’s previous relationship, Isabella, Gia and Stella. Damon is a self-confessed family man. He has a rule that they will never be apart for more than two weeks while he’s filming. His daily life is so average even the paparazzi have decamped from outside his home in Los Angeles because he never does anything that merits a photograph.

“You know, a guy who’s married happily with four kids is not quite a story,” Damon says with a sorry-but-what-can-you-do smile. “And so they’ll come back and they’ll take an occasional picture… but it’s kind of just updating the file.”

I’m not entirely buying this. At 44, Damon is smart enough to know that his supposed “normality” is his stock in trade. His approachability on-screen, combined with a sense of nuance and depth, has lent his performances a likeable, everyman-ish quality that has proved to be box-office catnip.

In 2007, Forbes magazine named Damon as Hollywood’s most bankable actor, averaging $29 in takings for every dollar he earned in a movie. From Good Will Hunting (which Damon co-wrote with Ben Affleck, winning the 1997 Oscar for best screenplay) and Saving Private Ryan to the big-budget Bourne movie franchise or the dystopian sci-fi fantasy Elysium, he has a capacity to hint at a character’s inner complexity without ever veering into pretension. According to Manohla Dargis of the New York Times, Damon’s power lies in his ability “to recede into a film while also being fully present”.

His latest project is no exception. In The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott and co-starring Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kristen Wiig, Damon plays Mark Watney, a Nasa astronaut who finds himself stranded on Mars after he is injured in a fierce storm and presumed dead by his crew.

Admittedly, an astronaut is hardly your average kind of Joe, but Damon manages to imbue the role with his classic down-to-earth sensibility. When Watney is confronted with a problem, he solves it through the power of science and logical thinking. Despite forever teetering on the verge of an existential crisis, Watney remains quick-witted and optimistic. When he runs out of food, he simply starts growing potatoes in his own vacuum-packed faecal matter. That kind of thing.

I wonder if filming The Martian made Damon contemplate his own resourcefulness. Would he be good in a similar situation?

“Probably not, no. I have too many connections that matter to me. It might be fun for a day, you know, but no. I’d probably go a little bonkers.”

Even as a small boy, he never wanted to be an astronaut, preferring instead the world of superheroes. When he was growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his older brother Kyle, his mother would put out a dressing-up box and he would choose either a red or blue floral towel, safety-pinning it round his neck like a cape. The red towel was for Superman. Blue was for Shazam, the teenage hero of a 70s TV series who could transform into Captain Marvel.

“That was how I broke my ankle,” Damon recalls. “When I was three, I climbed to the top of the jungle gym in my Shazam cape and I shouted ‘Shazam!’ And I tried to fly and I fell.”

He remembers his stockbroker father, Kent, running across from the other side of the playground to come to his aid and what stuck in Damon’s mind was not the pain in his ankle but the way his father was running – like an athlete, with pumping arms and a long, fluid pace.

“I remember afterwards, when I healed, months later, trying to jog [like him]. So I would jog pumping my fists to the ground. I was trying to ape the movement, but I wasn’t quite pulling it off.” He shakes his head, laughs.

He was three, he’d just broken his ankle, but Damon’s focus was already on how another person was behaving and how he could best mimic it.

His parents later divorced and the boys lived with their mother, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a university professor specialising in early education. Apparently, she always knew he was going to be an actor because of his love of costume and role-playing, and his ability to entertain himself for long stretches of time.

But Damon found fame as one-half of a long-term collaboration. Ben Affleck was his childhood best friend – the two of them met when they were eight and attended the same high school. Damon went to Harvard, Affleck to the University of Vermont, but both dropped out before getting their degrees and worked together on the script for Good Will Hunting, which drew on their own experiences growing up in Cambridge. The script was bought by Castle Rock in 1994. Three years later it became a huge critical and commercial success starring Damon as undiscovered genius Will Hunting, with Affleck as his childhood friend, and Robin Williams as the psychologist who helps Hunting come to terms with his talent.

“I laughed the entire time we wrote,” Damon says now. “It was a really joyful experience.” He was less enamoured of his sudden celebrity. “You wake up one morning and the world is entirely the same and you know, actually, all the things that mattered yesterday are the same today, except the world is forever going to be a totally different place for you,” he says.

“That’s the mind-fuck and it takes a few years to even get your head around what’s happening… I remember my brother said: ‘How are you doing?’ And I was, like, ‘I’m the fucking same, but everyone else is different.’”

He credits his “really solid childhood” with getting him through. But for people who lack a support network, or whose fame reaches absurdly overblown levels, it is a different story. We are meeting almost exactly a year after his Good Will Hunting co-star, Robin Williams, took his own life. Williams suffered from severe depression. I ask Damon if he worries about the pressures fame can put on an individual’s mental health.

“Of course,” he says quietly. “Peter Farrelly, who is a friend of mine, the director, he was talking about suicide and he said something really lovely, which was: ‘Whenever that happens to a friend of mine [suicide], I feel like they’re just in a house on fire and they have to get out.’ I hoped that it [Williams’s death] could lead to a wider discussion about mental health because if somebody that incredible and wonderful – just such a light – could be living with that, hopefully it could give other people permission to talk about this to people around them. So that at least something positive came out of something so horrible.”

It’s nice, talking to Damon. Unlike many actors, he answers questions with a reflective openness. There is a feeling that nothing is out of bounds. He is politically engaged – a Democrat, but also a critic of Barack Obama (he has spoken out about Obama’s education policies and questioned the legality of drone strikes) and says he’s deeply worried about the chasm between rich and poor in America in the aftermath of the economic crisis.

“That anger did not go away because none of these guys [the bankers] got prosecuted and they all have our money, and these houses in the Hamptons they live in – that they claim to have earned – are paid for with our money. I mean, that’s what happened! And so, I don’t know what the consequences for that kind of thing are.”

He maintains a steady eye contact and has a dry sense of humour. When I ask, in the middle of a discussion about directors, whether he would ever consider being directed by Affleck, he replies deadpan: “Sure, if the right thing came along.” Pause. “I mean, he usually gives himself the main role in the thing he’s directing, so it would need to probably be a two-hander.”

He says that when picking projects, he is entirely guided by the quality of the director: “That’s all that matters in film. The rest of it is utter bullshit. A mediocre director will ruin a great piece of material.” Has he worked with mediocre directors in the past? “Yes.”

He won’t name names. But for every big-budget blockbuster he has been attached to, Damon has put in a quieter, more complex performance in films like Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley or The Good Shepherd, directed by Robert de Niro, or Martin Scorsese’s The Departed. In 2013, he starred as Liberace’s lover, Scott Thorson, in the Steven Soderbergh television drama film Behind the Candelabra.

Damon was a straight man playing gay. Is it harder for actors to be openly gay in Hollywood? “I’m sure. When Ben and I first came on the scene there were rumours that we were gay because it was two guys who wrote a script together.”

Really?

“I know. It’s just like any piece of gossip… and it put us in a weird position of having to answer, you know what I mean? Which was then really deeply offensive. I don’t want to, like [imply] it’s some sort of disease – then it’s like I’m throwing my friends under the bus. But at the time, I remember thinking and saying, Rupert Everett was openly gay and this guy – more handsome than anybody, a classically trained actor – it’s tough to make the argument that he didn’t take a hit for being out.”

He thinks attitudes are changing, and welcomes the introduction of same-sex marriage in California in 2008. “I think it must be really hard for actors to be out publicly,” he continues. “But in terms of actors, I think you’re a better actor the less people know about you period. And sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you’re straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one of the mysteries that you should be able to play.”

So is Matt Damon just a normal guy, adept at pretending to be mysterious? I don’t think so. He’s cleverer than that: he’s worked out that the appearance of averageness affords the greatest opportunity for privacy and creative space.

How would he describe himself as an actor? There is a long pause. “I don’t know,” he says. “Subtle, hopefully.”

The arms though. The arms give him away.

[bmoorebooks]

Television Review: Masters of the Air

I’m a big fan of the earlier World War II series, Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Both of them brought home just how much of a struggle the war was in Europe and in the Pacific. Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg after they worked on Saving Private Ryan together, the series are both very well done. Acting, casting, plot, production values–you name it. (My personal preference from a…

[owlixx]

CoD Notes: 4 Beat

Yes, I started and finished Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare since the last time I took notes just a couple days ago. Or rather, I started and finished Call of Duty Modern Warfare Remastered, but the campaign is the same.

I had never played this before past the tutorial. I was a little unsure at first, but this ended up being an absolute ton of fun. Already I can already tell how much of MW2’s Spec Ops references this game.

Definitely the standout section is All Ghillied Up. Or is it? I always hear everyone praise this mission, but I much preferred the second half of the Chernobyl flashback, which I think is called “One Shot” or something similar. The heavily ballistic sniper shot, rappelling down, limited time escape, then especially having to carry MacMillan all the way to the Ferris wheel then Home Alone-ing it until helps arrives.

But I enjoyed the whole game, really. It never dragged or felt boring. I had at least some context for each mission, although I will admit that the British missions are far more appealing than the American ones here.

And it’s so much fun to see Price and Gaz and get to be Soap! Now I know why I don’t remember Gaz from playing MW2 as a kid, RIP. His only character trait was wearing a baseball cap, I can’t believe they brought him back or that anyone was mad they changed his skin color. I will admit that I prefer Price’s new gravely voice actor over his old one.

The modern weaponry is just so much more fun to use, especially after trying 6 WW2 games in a row and beating 3. And I also feel like this game does a much better job of providing a variety of locales, objectives, scenarios since it isn’t locked to just WW2.

My biggest issue with this game is the infinitely respawning enemies. I’m sure every CoD campaign has this in places, but it’s most egregious here. Sometimes you literally have to move 10 feet forward to stop the infinite respawning despite no indication of that. It was most frustrating the first time when I didn’t understand what was happening, but it’s not so bad once you learn to push forward any time the enemies don’t seem to stay dead.

I think one key difference from this CoD compared to the previous beyond the obvious time setting, is the tone. Every CoD before has been trying to be a “war movie”, but this one is an “action movie”. The stunts and set pieces in this game feel closer to a James Bond or Mission Impossible than “what if Saving Private Ryan was set in modern times”.

Oh, and of course the iconic nuke mission. Finally, this series uses the “multiple protagonist gimmick” for something useful. It’s so ominous leading into it, too, with the helicopter you’re on making an emergency rescue despite the threat of a potential nuclear bomb. Very fun, helps sell the stakes on the rest of the game too. I didn’t think it would come so early in the plot.

I also generally just really enjoyed the last few mission in sequence for feeling so high stakes and action-y. Maybe I’m just still so fresh on not being in WW2 anymore. And of course the finale where you shoot the big bad is a lot of fun

And finally, a game where I was able to pretty much just use the guns I start with. I recognize that there’s more agency if I’m constantly switching weapons, but it was nice to be able to just be given a solid weapon to blast people with. And I don’t have to exclusively use iron sights! Having attachments at all is a nice change. Definitely at the point where each attachment on a gun makes it into an entirely different weapon, which I kind of miss.

I did play just enough multiplayer to get to level 4 and unlock Create a Class, which took maybe 3 or 4 matches. First off, it is bizarre the way that they have inserted loot boxes and micro transactions into a decade old game. At least the micro content they add is additive rather than charging you for stuff that already existed, but still. It is very funny that this games seems to have only ever gotten 3 holiday events and they seem to just all be permanent now that the game is clearly abandoned.

On the topic of multiplayer, I don’t seem to be very good. But that might just be because i was using default classes and going up against serious veterans of the game still playing after all these years. I do appreciate the simplicity of it all. I had forgotten about the whole “perk 1 is just equipment” thing from WaW that seems to be present here too. No homing launcher in multiplayer??? Grenade launcher takes a peek slot? And of course unlocking attachments through kill challenges seems so antiquated, and how few attachments there are. Also weird to see new weapons added to the game.

Overall, I don’t think I’ll be sucked into this game’s multiplayer. I just don’t have any nostalgia for this one in particular and no existing progress to build off of.

Oh, also the ending credit song is hilarious. Can’t believe that’s Griggs! I liked Griggs, I’m kind of sad he died and didn’t return in the new games. Also I did beat Mile High Club on my first try, granted that was on regular difficulty.

This game was so much less of a chore than CoD 3 and not just because of the remastered graphics.

I may have to replay the game someday on Wii in Squadmate mode because that is simply too funny to resist. I think I’ll be skipping the DS games for now though. Not enough time in the day for that.

[alexcaldownapier]

KEEPER - Pitch Deck Contribution

Cinematographer’s Statement - Alex Caldow

Visual References

The designing principle for KEEPER’s visuals is that the audience should see and feel only what our protagonist sees and feels. This is the best way to understand the stakes and the psychological pressures that directly affect the narrative. 

We see everything from Will’s perspective, through over-the-shoulder shots, close-ups on his reactions and direct POV’s. One departure from this view is the wide shots of Will at the times when he is totally alone and feeling that way. He is small and his dreams are big.

Inspiration still from Win Win (2011)

Because, on top of seeing, we also want to be feeling. Will is coming into the trials with a lot of passion but with that fear of failure, of not being good enough, lurking in the back of his mind. We want to be able to feel this energy and desperation so one aspect of the visual style is the use of tight shutter-angles. We want to begin at 90 degrees, minimising motion blur, to mimic Will’s heightened awareness. He doesn’t miss a detail, everything is crisp, hyper-real. (This technique is used in the opening of Saving Private Ryan to a similar effect, however, our film will not be utilising hand-held camera-work). But then, after the trial, after he’s had his hopes dashed, we come back to the more traditional 180 degree shutter-angle, to reflect his snap back to reality. 

Also playing into Will’s hyper-awareness is the use of wide lenses. I’ve tested the University’s set of Zeiss Ultra Primes and found the 24mm to offer the correct field of view for the character with minimal warping at close distance. This lets us see everything that Will is taking in in his wide-eyed anticipation: the many moving bodies in the changing room, the expanse of the pitch and the relationship between Graham and his players. The wide lenses also give us more room to play with blocking and composition in the tight space of the changing room. However, as the stakes rise and Will’s focus hones in on Graham’s expectations of him and the performance of Aaron, his competition, we move onto longer lenses. Again, from my tests, I have found the 50 and 85mm lenses to be my preference to communicate this feeling as they don’t compress the depth too much, allowing us to still place the details within the space. 

Although Will is hyper and full to the brim with adrenaline, he is still very controlled, as is the environment. Following this idea, I have chosen to shoot the film without any handheld camerawork. However, the film also focuses a lot on the motion and action of the characters, so I will be relying on extensive dolly moves. This is not just to allow us to stay in Will’s perspective as he moves, but also to emphasise his encroaching tunnel vision during the trial, as we push in on details, such as the ball being placed for a penalty or Graham blowing his whistle. 

The film’s world is meant to feel realistic, if brutal and intense. The night-time, open field setting allows me to create stark, high-contrast images that isolate our character, almost creating a non-space, like in Under The Skin (2013), where the pitch is all that exists for Will, the rest falling into darkness. 

The dark void in Under The Skin (2013)

To create a naturalistic feel with the lighting, I want every source to feel motivated by the space. This means that a lot of the scenes will be top-lit, motivated by the floodlights on the pitch or the overhead bulbs in the changing rooms. Will’s bedroom has a very different feel: warm lighting that contrasts with the cool lights of the sterile club environment. This makes Will seem even more out of place at the club. Then, when he returns and the space is lit by the cool moonlight spilling through the window, we see the way that the club has transformed his whole world to feel hopeless and cold. 

Another focus of the film is the relationship between Graham, the coach and Will. Graham wields his power over Will brusquely if not maliciously. To emphasise the power imbalance in their relationship and prioritise Will’s perspective on this, we always look up at Graham, shooting from below his eyeline. The effect that Graham’s presence has on Will’s psyche and playing ability is also shown by using deep framing throughout the training sequences, keeping the form of Graham always in the frame, always in Will’s mind. 

The old woman as a looming presence in the background of The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Having the visual approach tied down to Will’s character and the world of the film, it creates a cohesive, punchy experience for the audience as well as giving me a guiding principle that will help me problem-solve on set and improvise shots.

Main Equipment Needs

To achieve the planned look for the film, we will be shooting on the Arri Alexa (precise model still to be decided) with the Zeiss Ultra Prime lenses. We will also need to be using a dolly and long lengths of track. For the outdoor, night-time scenes, we will need battery powered LED lights - specifically the University’s Nanlite Forza 300s and Kinoflo Celeb 250 DMX. In order to keep focus during the fast-paced dolly moves, we will also need access to the Tilta Nucleus-M Wireless Follow Focus.  

While these are our main needs, we are making sure that we find locations quickly so that we can best find ways around any issues that arise and book equipment to solve those problems.

[lovingunderratedcharacters]

Saving Private Ryan: How They React To Being Separated From The Reader

Anon:  Can I request? How would the guys from Saving Private Ryan react to being separated from you (i.e. The war is over and you go your separate ways home; one of you gets a ticket home and the other doesn't)?

John Miller: He is absolutely devastated. You were his anchor and the only person who was able to bring him down from his panic attacks. Now that you left, he’s not entirely sure what to do. He’s a lot like a lost puppy, trying to track down his owner.

Timothy Upham: He’s actually pretty happy, because he knows that you’re safe now. That’s all that really matters to him. However, he won’t shy away from the fact that he really misses you and how much he wishes that he was with you, away from all the chaos around him.

Daniel Jackson: He heavily misses you, especially because the two of you used to have so much fun together. Now, he knows that he’s going to find you once everything is over, but that doesn’t stop him from wishing that you were still with him.

Stanley Mellish: He gets even angrier, if that’s even possible. He starts snapping at everyone around him, mainly because you were the one person capable of really making him smile. Now that you’re gone, he’s got no reason to stay happy or be nice to the other guys.

Richard Reiben: Richard actually becomes depressed once you leave. He quiets down and doesn’t speak for a long time. He just misses having you right by his side and waking up to see you right there. This was really tough on him, but he’s glad that you’re safe.

James Ryan: He’s upset, he’s not going to lie. But he also is so genuinely happy that you’re safe and sound back home, even if that means that he’s not there with you. Just so long as you are safe and out of harms way, that’s all that really matters to him.

Adrian Caparzo: Adrian has really mixed feelings about you getting to go home. It really depends on the day for him, but some days he’s very upset about you leaving him behind. Other days, though, he is really happy you’re safe and he just can’t wait to get home and see you again.

Irwin Wade: No matter how hard he tries to be happy that you’re safe, he can’t help but miss you greatly and wish you were there with him. This brings him great feelings of guilt that he’s not sure how to deal with, so instead of dealing with them he spends his time writing you letters that he will never send.

Mike Horvath: Mike’s definitely a bit angry about the whole situation, and he takes it out on his men. He gets very snappy and has started fights because of meaningless stuff. It’s just because he misses you so much and he really doesn’t want to not have you with him.

[dweemeister]

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022, Germany)

As a film buff, I retain a preference to reading a book first before seeing its adaptation. But with how many movies I see in a year – sometimes not realizing that a movie is a literary adaptation before starting it – and given how many original source materials are out-of-print or little-read (let alone how slow a reader I am), this is often too difficult a proposition. I make an attempt, however possible, to learn about the themes of an adapted book I was not able to read before heading into a film write-up. Strict fidelity to the text is not a requirement; yet a film adaptation should adhere to the spirit of the text. Any significant changes to that requires the change be done with artistic intelligence and sensitivity. Especially when the adapted book in question is significant in a peoples’ or a nation’s consciousness. Published in 1929, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is a landmark novel in anti-war literature and remains – for its depiction of World War I on the bodies and minds of the young men sent to fight it – an important part of modern Germany’s sociopolitical identity.

Lewis Milestone’s 1930 film adaptation at Universal with Lew Ayres was the first cinematic masterpiece following the introduction of synchronized sound and the era of the silent film. Now steps in Edward Berger’s German-language adaptation for Netflix, starring Felix Kammerer, in hopes of reminding viewers that Im Westen nichts Neues (roughly “Nothing New in the West”) is, despite its universal appeal, fundamentally a German story.  Berger’s All Quiet is a stupendous technical masterpiece – harrowing visual and sound effects, overflowing with blood and mud. It is among the most technically accomplished war movies this side of Saving Private Ryan (1998). Along the way, Berger’s All Quiet tries for too much, and betrays the characterizations and the intent of Remarque’s novel. With some of its violent scenes shot too aesthetically pleasing alongside an offensive and disrespectful electronic score, 2022’s All Quiet casts the French civilians and soldiers as “the enemy” rather than fellow victims. It veers perilously close to fetishizing the violence within.

Before a brief synopsis, it seems appropriate to reproduce Remarque’s epigraph to All Quiet on the Western Front here:

This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.

It is 1917, and the Great War has been plodding along for three years. Along with his friends Ludwig Behm (Adrian Grünewald), Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer), and Franz Müller (Koritz Klaus), student Paul Bäumer (Kammerer) enlists in the Imperial German Army. They all receive uniforms that, unbeknownst to them, belonged to German soldiers killed in action. Skipping almost entirely over basic training, Paul and his friends deploy to the Western Front, on the French side of the Belgium/France border. There, they befriend Stanislaus “Kat” Katczinsky (Albrecht Schuch) and Tjaden Stackfleet (Edin Hasanovic), who are several years older and have been fighting since close to the war’s beginning. These young men muddle on in drenched trenches, freezing weather, and their comrades’ horrific deaths. Parallel to the plight of Paul and his fellow soldiers is German politician Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Brühl), who secretly travels by train to the Forest of Compiègne to negotiate with French General Ferdinand Foch (Thibault de Montalembert) an armistice.

Also featuring in this film are Devid Striesow as the so-villainous-he-must-be-a-moustache-twirler General Friedrichs, as well as Andreas Döhler and Sebastian Hülk as two German officers.

This All Quiet on the Western Front occasionally frames its violent scenes as too painterly, the combat infrequently choreographed too closely to action movies (e.g., 2017’s Dunkirk is sometimes more of a suspense movie than it is a war movie and Sam Mendes’ 1917 from 2019 is an aesthetic challenge and action movie first, war film second). The opening moments are a dolly shot that linger over a patchwork of corpses strewn about No Man’s Land, with the dull rattle of machine gun fire occasionally disturbing the soil. There is an almost gawking approach to how cinematographer James Friend hovers over the bodies. One character’s death is shrouded in a blinding angelic light – applying too picturesque a technique for a non-fantastical moment.  Some exceptions to this voyeuristic, perhaps fetishistic approach to framing warfare appears, including the frightening emergence of French tanks through a cloud of gas. Berger succeeds in displaying war for all its brutality. The film’s sheen, however, comes off as too aggressive and its camerawork reflecting a Netflix-esque polish.

The most glaring misstep from the screenplay by Berger, Ian Stokell, and Lesley Paterson is to include any perspectives not involving Paul and his most immediate comrades. Depicting the insights of Erzberger, Foch, and the fictional General Friedrichs removes one of the central pillars of why All Quiet on the Western Front was such a revolutionary piece of literature. Remarque’s novel, at a time when “anti-war” narrative art was in its infancy, was one of the first war narratives that concentrated entirely on common soldiers – not the officers that commanded them or the politicians that guided them.

Before focusing on Paul and his friends, let us get the officers and politicians out of the way first. The insertion of the armistice negotiations and Gen. Friedrichs’ beliefs over politicians selling the Germany army out – more on this fiction shortly – stunts Paul and his friends’ respective character growths. And despite a decent performance from Brühl, these scenes (except for the final time the elite appear) play out repetitively: Erzberger pleads to Foch for a ceasefire, Foch demands a conditional surrender that will heavily punish Germany, and Erzberger mulls over the terms of surrender. This is all distracting from the common soldiers’ experiences, and provides as much cinematic or educational value as an amateur historical reenactment.

Berger’s stated justification for including these scenes – and letting them drag on too long in the film’s second half – is reasonable. Over the last decade, the actions of far right political groups in Germany have become more visible. These contemporary groups espouse the myths that some in 1920s and ‘30s Germany used to justify the nation’s actions leading up to World War II – all which monolithized and exploited German WWI trauma to serve repugnant purposes. The emotional imbalance of the Erzberger*/Foch scenes paints France and the Allies as an unforgiving “other”, as well as the war’s eventual “victors” (the Allies did prevail in WWI, but Remarque sees no winners in warfare).  For a work never meant to be an accusation and written in between the World Wars, the proto-fascist Gen. Friedrichs spits out an early form of the stab-in-the-back conspiracy theory‡. His behavior and appearance, eerily reminiscent of Allied propaganda of Germans as “the Hun”, casts him as the film’s obvious villain. These decisions all provide Berger’s All Quiet with a juxtaposition of morality more appropriate in a WWII movie than one for the Great War.

Beyond the implications of historical morality, Berger, Stokell, and Paterson’s screenplay undermines, at almost every juncture, Remarque’s critiques of the nationalism that began World War I. The decision to have Paul and his friends join the military in 1917 rather than 1914 (as it is in the book) makes it more difficult to have Paul and his friends to have conversations about the nature and the origins of this war. Instead, the screenplay keeps such dialogue to a minimum. As a result, Berger relies on cinematographer James Friend (in his first motion picture of note) to show us close-ups of Paul’s face to reveal his thoughts. In his film debut, Felix Kammerer is doing all he can with his facial and physical acting, but after a certain point this take on Paul results in him being an empty vessel.

Indeed, in Remarque’s book, Paul Bäumer is very much a reactive rather than proactive character. But that does not mean he is without deep introspection, as he is in this 2022 adaptation. Rather than someone who slowly realizes the nationalistic folly of WWI (“We loved our country as much as they; we went courageously into every action; but also we distinguished the false from true, we had suddenly learned to see.”), muses on how wars begin, and is anything but resigned to war’s inevitability, Kammerer’s Paul emotes and says nothing about these aspects of the war. Any critique from nationalism comes not from Paul in this adaptation, but from Gen. Friedrichs’ cartoonishly villainous behavior and Paul’s teachers in the film’s opening minutes. Paul and his friends are no battlefield geniuses, nor are they intellectuals. But the monotony of war – in the absence and presence of violence – grants them knowledge no classroom can give, wisdom that no elder can impart.

Berger, Stokell, and Paterson have the gall to delete entirely arguably the most critical passage in the book: Paul’s return home after being granted time for rest and recreation. After a lengthy spell fighting in the trenches, Paul’s leave completes his development as a naïve and adventure-seeking student to a detached, disillusioned man. Nationalism manipulates his father and others – mostly older men – into believing the justness of the conflict, that serving one’s country in warfare is glorious.

By contrast, Lewis Milestone’s 1930 adaptation takes Paul’s reunion with his teacher a step further than the book. In that version, instead of a chance encounter at a parade ground, Paul visits his teacher during class, with his newest students a rapt audience. The scene that follows is not subtle. But in the context of Milestone’s adaptation, the film earns it. As Paul, Lew Ayres refuses to gift his former teacher the heroic narrative he requests – paraphrasing Horace, decrying nationalism, and simply stating: “We try not to be killed; sometimes we are. That’s all.” One figures these are the words, delivered in sullen fury, by WWI’s veterans. Berger’s adaptation again leans too heavily on Kammerer to relate any semblance of the above ideas. There is no analogue scene to juxtapose the behavioral and psychological differences between battlefront and homefront, no character or even a faraway figure for Paul to verbally challenge. Kammerer’s Paul does undergo a behavioral and cognitive shift by the conclusion of 2022’s All Quiet. Yet, his transformation is not nearly as dramatic as the narrative needs it to be. These failures all stem from a screenplay that might as well have been titled something else. It is damningly incurious about Paul and his friends.

Major movie studio film scores are moving in a particular direction: amelodic, electronic, experimental, metallic, and minimalistic. It seems, by how awards voting bodies and audiences are reacting to such music, what I am about to write paints me more of an outlier than ever.

Composer Volker Bertelmann (also known as his stage name Hauschka; 2016’s Lion) concocts an anachronistic score that includes all these elements. Devoid entirely of recognizable melody (droning strings), Bertelmann’s score has one repetitive three-note idea – I refuse to call this a motif, as it lacks any sense of development from its first to final appearances – that damages and dominates the movie. Inserted in strangely timed moments and meant to intensify dread, Bertelmann’s idea begins from the root note (B♭), up a minor third (D♭), then descends a minor sixth (F). Bertelmann plays these three notes fortissimo, with synthesizer mimicking blaring brass – trust me, you know the sound and you may know its worst practitioners. When recurring underneath the strings, the idea modulates. Memorable as it may be, this metallic sound is more appropriate for hyping young men before a battle or at a rave rather than suggesting dread. Even worse: this is disruptive music. There is a healthy balance to when music should or should not accompany the imagery onscreen. One should notice music in a movie, and it should empower – but not completely overshadow – the emotions and ideas in respect to a certain scene. Bertelmann’s interruptions appear mostly in calms before the proverbial storms. These are the moments the characters and the audience should collect themselves before the killing restarts. Thus, his three-note idea abuses and instantly overstays its welcome.

Is there a place for such colorless, obnoxious, and offensively manipulative music in film? Certainly. Just not in anything entitled All Quiet on the Western Front.

On its surface, a German-language film adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front would restore a cultural and linguistic authenticity to Remarque’s text, one of the most important literary works in German history. To some extent, Berger succeeds. His All Quiet is a technical wonder, but its human interest is nil. Remarque’s prose is not the most accomplished, but his subjective descriptions of trench warfare and his characters’ philosophizing in moments of boredom and quiet were unlike anything almost any Western reader ever encountered. We, the readers, grow alongside Paul and his friends. In 1930, the viewers saw a small group of friends – Milestone’s adaptation is unique in that Paul does not truly emerge as the main character until halfway through the film – see their youth and optimism pummeled away with each shelling and charge. A humanity remains, but tenuously. Berger’s adaptation treads an easier path by inserting a reenactment of the armistice negotiations and expediting Paul’s characterization by immediately dismantling his inwardness and sense of hope.

As a document of a generation’s experiences, a critique of that era’s nationalism that led to the conflict, and a common soldier’s processing of the war’s origin and purpose, this is a poor adaptation of Remarque’s novel. It clears the hurdle in anti-war narratives by decrying warfare as ugly. Beyond this basic expectation, it accomplishes little else.

My rating: 6/10

* Erzberger was assassinated by the far-right terrorist organization Organisation Consul (OC) in 1921. The group was disbanded the year after, but its former members were absorbed into the Nazi Party’s Schutzstaffel (SS).

‡ This conspiracy theory was primarily associated with Jews, but the Nazis also extended it to the political elite that negotiated the surrender. And as if it weren’t obvious enough, one of our German characters is stabbed in the back in the film’s concluding minutes.

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

[be-my-wingman-anytime]

Requesting Flyby

Callsign Updog. So when people ask 'What's updog?' I can say 'Nothing, what's up with you?'. This is likely the reason why I've not been accepted into Top Gun. Being accepted on Tumblr is a close second.

// REQUESTING FLYBYS \\

SHIPPING: Open For: Top Gun [1986], Top Gun: Maverick, Band of Brothers, Generation Kill, Saving Private Ryan Opening Soon: The Pacific, Masters of the Air

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What you'll receive: Gif of your match-up with some headcanons and ideas on how I perceive your ship. Possible moodboard if inspiration strikes (no promises will be made but you can happily request one!)

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I mainly write for Iceman because who doesn't love the future Admiral but I'll write for anyone.

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Aviator Updates: Inbox (6); Top Gun: Maverick Ship Request (2) BoB Ship Request (2) Gen Kill Ship Request (2) Custom (1)

[intrepidsz]

saucy preferences [ ryan er.zahler ] / stolen from @entityforged

bold for yes. italic for maybe. strike for absolutely not.

general.

heterosexual. bisexual. homosexual. pansexual. demisexual. asexual.

enjoys sex with men. enjoys sex with women. enjoys sex with nonbinary persons.

enjoys sex with one partner. enjoys sex with two partners. enjoys sex with multiple partners.

prefers experienced partners. prefers moderately experienced partners. prefers inexperienced partners. no preference.

one night stands. friends with benefits. serious relationships.

private locations. public locations. unconventional locations. nature oriented locations.

light stuff.

submissive. dominant. switch.

top. bottom. power bottom. soft top. switch. service top. service bottom.

initiates. does not initiate.

no sex drive. low sex drive. average sex drive. high sex drive. hypersexual.

likes to kiss. be kissed. make out. be made out with.

vaginal sex. anal sex. oral sex. intercrural sex.

clothed sex. partially clothed sex. naked sex. lingerie/kink specific clothing.

extra notes: all this to say ryan does *not* have many qualms against intimacy in the bedroom, save for mutual enthusiasm and forward communication.

medium stuff.

general: having toys used on them. using toys on their partner. using a plug. using a plug on partner. being worshipped. worshipping. having their hair pulled. pulling hair. wax play. power exchange. sensation play.

touch: handjobs. fingering. mutual masturbation. likes to be spanked. likes to spank. scratching. being scratched. bruising. being bruised.

oral: cunnilingus. fellatio. anilingus. likes to bite (to the point of bruising). likes to be bitten (to the point of bruising).

sounds: silent. grows in volume. loud. fakes/exaggerates. swears. calls partner’s name. bites to muffle themselves. prefers a quiet partner. prefers a loud partner. prefers dirty talk. give praise. receive praise. being teased. teasing. likes to be humiliated/degraded. likes to humiliate/degrade. calling partner daddy/mommy. being called daddy/mommy.

sight: likes to be watched. likes to watch. third party witness. being blindfolded. blindfolding.

binding: likes to be held down. likes to hold down. likes to be tied up. likes to tie up. wear a collar. make their partner wear a collar. wear a leash. make their partner wear a leash. toys

extra notes: some of these are case by case scenarios as ryan *does* partake in one night stands, so he's less likely to entertain dirty talk or allow power exchanges with partners he's new to.

[ocw-archive]

Owen Up To It, Bikini Magazine (1999)

by Johnny Navarro The drought is over. There's a new breed of moviemakers in Hollywood -- and it's not the Farrelly Brothers, although the Coen Brothers definitely play a part. This is a tribe that evokes the lost art of great filmmaking while at the same time reinventing it -- abandoning "the formula" that was born with the age of the Rocky films. And one of the major players in that gallery is actor-slash-writer Owen Wilson. In '96 Owen and his partner, Wes Anderson, penned a "small film" called Bottle Rocket. If you haven't seen it, take the eight bucks you were gonna spend on Armageddon and spend three of 'em renting it at your local video store. I strolled into the Newsroom late one Sunday afternoon (fresh from the baseball diamond -- sweat, cleat marks, and all) to join Owen Wilson for a meal of Cajun meatloaf followed by a dessert of good movie talk. For those of you who don't know who this guy is, rewind back a few years to The Cable Guy -- in my opinion, one of the most grossly underrated and overlooked films I've seen. Owen was the guy who stole the film in a four-and-a-half minute scene where he played a self-centered macho man who takes Matthew Broderick's ex-girlfriend out for a "date from hell" and gets his head slam dunked in a toilet by Jim Carrey. Owen's commitment to playing this ass-faced frat-boy in a turtleneck was so unflagging that by comparison everything else in film seemed like pantomime. Now, on the heels of spicy little turns like that -- along with the critical success of the great Bottle Rocket -- Owen's made the acting jump to big-budget Hollywood movies like Anaconda and Armageddon. When I inquire about the rumor I'd heard that Demi Moore was a little jealous about the relationship that Owen had forged with her husband Bruce Willis on the set, Owen just laughed it off (but you know, he never actually denied it).

Bikini: So do you prefer writing to acting?

Owen Wilson: I like both equally. Writing is more difficult to do. You have to sit there by yourself and kind of think up stuff. But, when you're acting it's sort of fun to go to a set with a bunch of people around -- and bond with everybody.

Bikini: Do you like working on a small project like Bottle Rocket more than a big film like Armageddon?

OW: Yeah. Working on The Minus Man [his current acting gig] kind of reminds me of the Bottle Rocket experience. I know everybody and we're pretty close. I'm just a lot happier. Although I had a great time on Armageddon. It was a fun group of guys and I got to live out some of my astronaut fantasies that I had as a kid -- you know, going to Houston to the Space Center and going on the Space Shuttle. But there's so much sitting around and waiting and it's not really acting, you're kind of like cartoon characters -- types. It's a good way to pay the rent, but it's not really satisfying. Not as satisfying as a smaller movie where you get to rehearse and play maybe a little bigger role.

You'll soon be seeing Owen in Permanent Midnight, which stars Ben Stiller. In Permanent Midnight (based on Jerry Stahl's narco-memoir of the same name), Owen plays a drug-addled buddy to Ben's character, Jerry.

OW: That was a really fun experience because it was a small movie. I was working with friends. And the director gave us room to come up with stuff and improvise scenes. My character's not even in the book.

Bikini: What have you seen that you've liked recently?

OW: I haven't really been to the movies lately. But, a movie that I love that I just rented is Breaker Morant. A really funny movie that I rented recently is Used Cars.

Next in the line of Wes Anderson/Owen Wilson collaborations is Rushmore, about an off-beat prep schooler named Max Fischer who vies with his best buddy, a middle-aged steel mogul played by Bill Murray, to win the attention of a young teacher. By the time we finished our loaves of meat, Owen was late to a showing of Saving Private Ryan at Mann's Chinese and had to cut out. There's a great shot at the end of Bottle Rocket, when Dignan turns to say goodbye to his friends (for those who haven't seen it I'll leave it at that). I asked Owen about "the look" that Dignan gives and he explained that for Dignan "this is kind of the culmination of his dreams." I caught a glimpse of that final shot of Dignan in Owen as he headed out to the movies.