#star of david: beautiful girl hunter

[watching-pictures-move]

Star of David: Beautiful Girl Hunter (Suzuki, 1979)

[kaidanalenkosprmanager]

THE BEST OF GRISSOM ACADEMY

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, EDI, and Jack With: Flight Lt. Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Lt. James Vega, Ens. Jason Prangley, Ens. Rodriguez, David Archer, and Kahlee Sanders I never had a family- and these guys... Anyone screws with my students and I will tear them apart. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

[toxioinc]

Top 100 Films

I made this list a few days ago after feeling irritated at the predictability and staleness of the Sight & Sound list, but really I think this a good moment for me to make this list for myself. As you will see from my end of year list in a month, the emergence of a continuous type of filmmaking - Tiktok and Douyin filmmakers posting every day, Youtubers posting every few days - presents a new kind of problem for me who actually wants to make lists that do justice to beautiful filmmaking movements. So this may be the last time to even really want to make an all time list that focuses on the indvidual works rather than the directors filmographies as continuous entities. Although I couldn’t make a normal top 10 poll, and it was better in the end to have a 100 poll as an alternative to the full list, I have put in bold 7 films which I would definitely put in a top 10.

Hypocrites (dir. Lois Weber, 1915)

7th Heaven (dir. Frank Borzage, 1927)

Themes and Variations (dir. Germaine Dulac, 1928)

The Seashell and the Clergyman (dir. Germaine Dulac, 1928)

City Lights (dir. Charlie Chaplin, 1931)

Le métro (dir. Georges Franju & Henri Langlois, 1934)

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1939)

Bambi (dir. David Hand, 1942)

Now, Voyager (dir. Irving Rapper, 1942)

Meet Me in St. Louis (dir. Vincente Minnelli, 1944)

Spring in a Small Town (dir. Fei Mu, 1948)

Song of Love (dir. Jean Genet, 1950)

Awaara (dir. Raj Kapoor, 1951)

Gate of Hell (dir. Teinosuke Kinugasa, 1953)

Sansho the Bailiff (dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954)

The Night of the Hunter (dir. Charles Laughton, 1955)

Pyaasa (dir. Guru Dutt, 1957)

The Cranes are Flying (dir. Mikhail Kalatozov, 1957)

Vertigo (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)

Gertrud (dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1964)

The Young Girls of Rochefort (dir. Jacques Demy, 1967)

For My Crushed Right Eye (dir. Toshio Matsumoto, 1969)

Everything Visible is Empty (dir. Toshio Matsumoto, 1975)

Atman (dir. Toshio Matsumoto, 1975)

In the Realm of the Senses (dir. Nagisa Oshima, 1976)

House (dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)

¡Que viva México! (dir. Sergei Eisenstein, 1979)

Spacy (dir. Takashi Ito, 1981)

Drill (dir. Takashi Ito, 1983)

Ghost (dir. Takashi Ito, 1984)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1984)

Sabishinbou (dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1985)

Alice (dir. Jan Svankmajer, 1988)

Gang of Four (dir. Jacques Rivette, 1989)

The Stranger (dir. Satyajit Ray, 1991)

A Scene at the Sea (dir. Takeshi Kitano, 1991)

Cardiogram (dir. Darezhan Omirbaev, 1995)

The Neon Bible (dir. Terence Davies, 1995)

Kids Return (dir. Takeshi Kitano, 1996)

The River (dir. Tsai Ming-liang, 1997)

Monochrome Head (dir. Takashi Ito, 1997)

April Story (dir. Shunji Iwai, 1998)

The Silence (dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1998)

Histoire(s) du cinéma (dir. Jean-Luc Godard, 1998)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (dir. George Lucas, 1999)

OH! Super Milk Chan (dir. Kiyohiro Omori, 2000)

Brother (dir. Takeshi Kitano, 2000)

Spirited Away (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)

Mulholland Drive (dir. David Lynch, 2001)

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (dir. Zacharias Kunuk, 2001)

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (dir. Steven Spielberg, 2001)

Avalon (dir. Mamoru Oshii, 2001)

Dolls (dir. Takeshi Kitano, 2002)

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (dir. George Lucas, 2002)

Father and Son (dir. Aleksandr Sokurov, 2003)

Waiting for Happiness (dir. Abderrahmane Sissako, 2003)

3-iron (dir. Kim Ki-duk, 2004)

Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (dir. Wang Bing, 2004)

Tropical Malady (dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2004)

Celestial Subway Lines/Salvaging Noise (dir. Ken Jacobs, 2005)

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (dir. George Lucas, 2005)

Seven Intellectuals in Bamboo Forest, Part III (dir. Yang Fudong, 2006)

Fantascope 'Tylostoma' (dir. Yoshitaka Amano, 2006)

Lady in the Water (dir. M. Night Shyamalan, 2006)

Inland Empire (dir. David Lynch, 2006)

United Red Army (dir. Koji Wakamatsu, 2007)

Paranoid Park (dir. Gus Van Sant, 2007)

City of Ember (dir. Gil Kenan, 2008)

Assault Girls (dir. Mamoru Oshii, 2009)

AKB48 - Heavy Rotation (dir. Mika Ninagawa, 2010)

Jewelpet Twinkle (dir. Takashi Yamamoto, 2011)

Spring Breakers (dir. Harmony Korine, 2013)

'Til Madness Do Us Part (dir. Wang Bing, 2013)

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (dir. Isao Takahata, 2013)

EXID - UP&DOWN (dir. Digipedi, 2014)

Tokyo Tribe (dir. Sion Sono, 2014)

Garm Wars: The Last Druid (dir. Mamoru Oshii, 2014)

88:88 (dir. Isiah Medina, 2015)

Creepy (dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2016)

Daguerreotype (dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2016)

Before We Vanish (dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2017)

Idizwadidiz (dir. Isiah Medina, 2017)

Ending (dir. Isiah Medina & Philip Hoffman, 2017)

TWICE - LIKEY (dir. NAIVE, 2017)

Blade Runner 2049 (dir. Denis Villeneuve, 2017)

Ready Player One (dir. Steven Spielberg, 2018)

The Grand Bizarre (dir. Jodie Mack, 2018)

Eden is a Cave (dir. Alexandre Galmard, 2019)

OH MY GIRL - The Fifth Season (dir. Yoo Sung-kyun, 2019)

TWICE - FANCY (dir. NAIVE, 2019)

Alita: Battle Angel (dir. Robert Rodriguez, 2019)

OH MY GIRL - Nonstop (dir. Yoo Sung-kyun, 2020)

IZ*ONE - Secret Story of the Swan (dir. Ziyong Kim, 2020)

s01e03 (dir. Kurt Walker, 2020)

The Last of Us Part II (dir. Neil Druckmann, Anthony Newman & Kurt Margenau, 2020)

Eternal Love of Dream (dir. Yang Xuan, 2020)

おはようございます～ (dir. 小柔SeeU, 2020)

bande fucking annonce (dir. Rafael Cavallini, 2021)

高能来袭～准备好了吗？ (dir. 小柔SeeU, 2021)

NewJeans - Hurt (dir. Shin Hee-won, 2022)

[rawiswhore]

Various WWF Wrestlers, Sunny x Fem Reader- "Vicinity of Obscenity"

This is an actual confession about myself...I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which means that I have more testosterone in my body than what a woman should have.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome causes me to have irregular periods that don't come for months (and I'm not pregnant) and it eventually turns into heavy menstrual cycles that last for weeks.

One of the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome is having a low sex drive, and to be honest, I think I have a low sex drive.

I've had a shot to treat my PCOS, and I wonder in the future if I will have a high sex drive after I get treated for polycystic ovarian syndrome?

______________________________________________________________

During the golden age of burlesque performances in the 1930's and 1940's, men would masturbate while sitting in front of the stage as female burlesque dancers undressed for these men.

In the 1970's, an all female teenage rock band known as the Runaways were created because their sleazy manager knew how girls would lust over sexy male rock stars like Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie, so why not have the same effect for horny guys?

Janis Joplin wasn't exactly a sex symbol.

The Runaway's manager paid men to act like sex crazed lunatics at their concerts just to hype the band up as sex symbols (despite that the girls in the Runaways were underage)---which included men masturbating against the stage during their performances, but those men jacking off were paid by the Runaways' manager after their performance.

There's no doubt there were male wrestling fans masturbating in the audiences and crowds during the Attitude era, ECW and maybe even the Ruthless Aggression era, maybe even the PG era too, where men and boys would masturbate to beautiful, oversexualized divas and the Godfather's hoes.

In fact, when you were at the height of your popularity during the Attitude era in the late 90's (as well as your brief stint in ECW at the end of the year 2000), there were male wrestling fans in the audience jacking off to you, there were even some male fans in the audience masturbating to you in the early 2000's, though you were still a bombshell at the beginning of the early millennium.

You somewhat don't mind it over male wrestling fans masturbating to you in the crowds and audience, but some of those male wrestling fans masturbating to you in wrestling shows are really ugly and unattractive.

Not to mention, those men masturbating in public would be charged for sexual crimes.

Professional wrestling has planted fans---people that are put in the audience to pretend and act like fans, and during the late 1990's you suggested to the creative staff to have sexy planted male fans masturbate to you in the front row.

Vince Russo and Vince McMahon ate that up, but the censors at the USA Networks didn't agree with it, not to mention the rest of the WWF's creative staff weren't too keen on it.

One day in June of 1997, before Rob Van Dam left the WWF and joined ECW again, you invited Rob as well as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Shawn Michaels, Brian Pillman and Tommy Rogers from the Fantastics to the empty seats in the audience.

There were no fans in the audience and no cameras filming these wrestlers as well as you.

When you invited these wrestlers, this day was not on a "Monday Night Raw" episode, a pay-per-view or any other WWF show episode ("Shotgun Saturday Night") broadcast on television for people to see.

You and these wrestlers were having freetime.

You told these wrestlers what you wanted them to do to you when you and Sunny (the WWF's current it girl and biggest sex symbol at the time) come out.

Shawn, Hunter, Tommy, Rob and Brian all stood in the front row in the seats, and all of those men except for Rob had their long hair hanging down.

Once these men all stood in the front row, you and Sunny began to strut down to the ring.

Sunny entered the arena dressed in that blue crop top with matching blue shorts with a black feathered boa draped across her shoulderblades with these matching black boots, whereas you wore a sleeveless black halter top that showed off your midriff and ended below your breasts with these matching black short shorts and black boots.

Sunny wore that outfit on a "Monday Night Raw" episode where she arm wrestled Marlena as well as during a photoshoot; she looks good in that outfit!

Your outfit was arguably not as sexy as Sunny's.  

As you and Sunny strutted together to the ring, Sunny's head was turned sideways looking at the wrestlers standing front row, where she smiled and flirtatiously waved at them and blew them kisses as she walked closer to them.

Sunny actually quickly flashed some bare skin on the side of her body as she strutted to these men, only for her feathered boa to cover it up.

You, too, turned your head sideways and blew kisses at those male wrestlers lined up front row, smiling at them and waving at them.

Shawn, Hunter, Rob, Tommy and Brian, on the other hand, happily cheered for you and Sunny as you and her walked down to the ring.

"They're makin' my dick hard!" Rob stated about you and Sunny with his head turned next to who he was standing by.

"Me too!" Brian, Hunter and Shawn chimed in, although not saying that in unison.

Tommy was getting an erection looking at Sunny and you, he just wouldn't say.

One of Shawn's, Rob's and Brian's fists were pumping up in the air as you and Sunny strolled down to the ring, and Shawn and Brian both whistled at you like how men whistle at attractive women.

Shawn, Hunter, Rob, Tommy and Brian all pulled their penises out of their shorts as you and Sunny paraded to the ring, where one of their hands were masturbating their erections forming.

Those aforementioned men's heads turned when you and Sunny strutted to the ring, their eyes and heads following you and Sunny as you and she pranced down to the ring together.

When you and Sunny were next to the ring, you and Sunny walked up the little stairs leading up the ring and ducked under the ropes.

Those men's eyes were still all on you and Sunny when you were inside the ring as well as walking up those stairs, and those men were still all masturbating to you and her.

You wish other male professional wrestlers like Jeff Hardy, Nova from ECW, Scott Hall, Chris Jericho, Jim Powers from WCW and others could've been the many men masturbating to you as well as Sunny, but those men were in other companies that they're not allowed to come to (except Jeff Hardy).

(Also, I could've set this fanfic in May of 1997 when Jeff Hardy was in the WWF, but I've written and set so many fanfics in that month that there probably wouldn't be a lot of time for Jeff to masturbate to the fem reader in the ring!).

Even though Sunny is beautiful, you wish these men's attention could be more on you instead of her.

You even wish you could've worn her outfit she's wearing.

"So what do you want us to do?" you asked these men while you leaned over to the ropes, your voice loud so they can hear you. "Y'want us to strip? Dance? Both?"

Maybe even pretend to catfight each other, although the WWF making women catfight didn't happen until a year later.

"Show your tits!" Rob suggested as one of his hands was beating off.

Rob's heard that many times in ECW considering the fans in the crowds would chant "show your tits!" at the women.

Your hands grabbed the bottom of your top and raised it up, flashing and exposing your bare breasts in front of these men.

These wrestlers cheered and whistled when you showed off your bare chest, smiling as you showed them your tits.

"Let Sunny do it too!" Shawn Michaels suggested, which these men standing near him agreed.

Rob and Brian could easily chant "Show your tits" at her.

"If you say so!" Sunny said with a smirk on her face, where her hands grabbed the bottom of your top and raised and pulled it up, showing off her barenaked breasts to these men.

Sunny's flash got even louder cheers from these men than you.

While you and Sunny have been standing in the ring (as well as showing off your breasts), these male wrestlers in the audience you've invited have still continued masturbating to you and her.

Precum was staring to form out of their slits and nearly drip on the floor.

You and Sunny both then pulled your tops back down until they were covering your breasts.

What exactly is there for you and her to do in this ring for these men to masturbate to you?

Maybe dance or kiss each other.

Sunny has often danced a few times.

"Y'want us to dance?" you asked these men. "Touch myself?"

"Do a little bit of both!" Hunter suggested.

These men probably want you and Sunny to lesbian out with each other.

Either way, you and Sunny started bouncing around, not jumping up in the air but dancing a bit, Sunny had her arms up in the air as she smiled and danced and so did you.

As you danced, one of your hands reached at your crotch area and started rubbing it, your hand stroking your vulva covered by your shorts.

These men were cheering for you and Sunny as you danced, many of them whistling at you.

One idea you had was where you leaned your chest forward over the ropes, blowing kisses at these male wrestlers lined up while your feet were in the air, doing what Terri Runnels does.

"If I wore a miniskirt, I'd show off my panties to them!" Sunny said.

"Me too!" you agreed.

These men wanted to see that for sure, even though they've seen you in your panties already.

"Can I get a blowjob after this?" Brian asked.

"Sure!" you answered. "I'll give you all head and swallow it!"

Those men cheered hearing that.

"I want Sunny to give me head too!" Brian added.

"Me too!" Shawn, Rob and Hunter chimed in.

There were a few other people in the WWF who saw those male wrestlers masturbating in public to you and Sunny, those male wrestlers could easily go to jail for breaking the law, but you explained to these other people it was your idea to have these male wrestlers masturbating to you and Sunny while you and her strutted to the ring.

When Jeff Hardy and Christian Cage were in the WWF again, you and Sunny invited Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Jeff and Christian front row while the seats behind them were all completely empty (and this wasn't on a WWF episode or pay per view), where you and Sunny strutted down to the ring in skimpy outfits while these men cheered and masturbated to you and her.

[fridaythe13ththeseries]

Repetition

Episode Recap #66: Repetition Original Airdate: February 17, 1990

Starring: Louise Robey as Micki Foster Steve Monarque as Johnny Ventura (as Steven Monarque) (credit only) Chris Wiggins as Jack Marshak (credit only)

Guest cast: David Ferry as Walter Cromwell Kate Trotter as Anne Holloway Vicki Wauchope as Heather Stevens Kay Tremblay as Mrs. Cromwell Sharry Flett as Ruth Stevens Stephen Hunter as Martin Lentz Dan MacDonald as Doctor Aaron Ross Fraser as Bill R.D. Reid as Bart Brent Titcomb as Jimmy Paul Bettis as Undertaker

Written by Jennifer Lynch Directed by William Fruet

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We open on a newspaper office, having a party for a columnist named Walter Cromwell. He has been named American Columnist of the Year, and his editor gives a short speech. Walter's elderly mother is in attendance, as well. Walter accepts the award on behalf of all his coworkers, and gives a speech about responsibility he learned from his mother.

Later, Walter sends his mother home in a cab, since he has a column to finish. A coworker tries to get Walter to go for a drink, but Walter goes back in to work late.

The next morning, a young girl, Heather, goes out to play with her dog. Her mother tells her to come back soon and to avoid the river.

Walter finally leaves work after a long night, driving home tired and yawning and eventually dozing off. He swerves as he drives, flies off the road and into a clearing, hitting and killing Heather. He pulls the girl from under his car and lifts her up. The dog goes home without Heather, worrying her mother.

Credits roll.

A missing poster for Heather is on the pole outside Curious Goods, as inside we see a woman, Anne Holloway, thanking Micki for the items they are donating to the shelter she runs. Jack and Johnny are on a buying trip and will be home soon. Micki unpacks a figurine, which Anne remarks is beautiful. It's from the 18th century and Jack apparently bought a dozen of them. Anne asks if they are valuable and Micki says one of them is. Ruth Stevens, Heather's mother, enters. She has no news of Heather, but has new flyers to post. Anne also takes some, and Micki mentions Anne does counseling, but Ruth isn't interested and leaves. Micki tells Anne how much Ruth is hurting and the woman offers to check in on her.

Walter is at church, in the confessional. He admits to killing the girl but says it wasn't his fault and hid the body. The priest asks if he's gone to the cops, but Walter says he can't, he has to worry about his mother. He wants the priest to tell the cops where the body is, but he says he can't. The priest begs him to come clean, it is his only way.

At work, Walter's boss is irate at the bad writing Walter has been doing for the last week. Walter says he is working through something. His boss doesn't want to hear it and takes Walter off the payroll until he pulls himself together. Walter takes a drink.

Arriving at home that night, Walter hears his boss in is head an dreads facing his mother. He drops papers and when he stoops to pick them up he notices a cameo on a chain hanging from under his car. He pulls it free, realizing it is from the girl he killed. He hears her voice begging for help, and when he looks at the locket, the silhouette of the girl is speaking, begging to be set free.

Walter goes inside, still hearing her beg for help. His mother calls out to him, and the girl asks if his name is Walter. He drops the cameo into the garbage disposal and goes to check on his mother. He gives her her medicine and lies that he took time off to spend with her. She says she is so tired lately.

Later, Walter is pouring a drink and the girl from the cameo pleads with him, telling him she doesn't have to be dead. He fishes the undamaged cameo out of the sink, and tells her he could change things if he could. The girl tells him he can, if he kills someone else at the same place and time he killed her. She begs to live again, as mother again calls out for him.

Next day, Walter has brought his mother to the spot where he killed Heather. She is ill, cold and confused as to what is going on. He gives her the cameo as a present. His mother wants to know what is happening, and the girl tells him it is almost time and he has to kill her. Walter is confused, but grabs the blanket on his mother, covers her face and smothers her to death. Just then, Heather crawls from where he had hidden her and they come face to face before Heather runs off, scared.

Walter is putting his mother's body into the back of his car, as Anne happens to drive by and notice him with an empty wheelchair. Anne drives to Ruth's home to check on her, and the woman is still sure she will find her daughter. Ruth thinks she hears her daughter, and a very dirty Heather runs up, to the shock of both women.

At home, Walter puts his mother into her bed, covering her with the sheet. He takes another drink as he calls her doctor, telling him his mother passed in her sleep. He asks for help in sending someone over. As he takes another drink, he hears his mother calling for his help. He drops his glass. He knows he killed her, and when he checks, he sees she is indeed dead. But she is now on the cameo, begging him for help. He pulls it off her, saying it is not fair.

Heather is telling her mother and Anne about the big car that came at her, then remembers a man with an old woman, and thinks he killed that person instead. Heather realizes the cameo her grandfather gave her is missing. Her mother is just happy to have her daughter home, but Anne is puzzled.

Walter to goes back to the woods, telling his mother on the cameo that her time was almost up anyway. He drops it into an old well. Back at confessional, he tells the priest he has sinned again, but not as bad. He tells the man that the girl lives, but he traded another life for hers. The priest tells him he needs help, but Walter thinks it is all good now. He then hears her mother's voice and talks back to her. He leaves, walking the street looking disheveled and talking to himself. A cop watches. Walter goes in to the homeless shelter.

Inside, he notices all the men, who are alone in the world. Anne is there, and introduces herself to Walter. He goes to leave, but she backs off. Walter continues to hear his mother, and yells at her, drawing some attention. One man goes to tell him if they hear him, they'll take him to "the farm." The man, Bill, says he just got out of the farm. Walter offers him a cigarette. Bill asks if Walter knows of a place to sleep tonight, since the shelter only offers the floor. He does, but when Bill goes to tell a friend, Walter stops him, saying it isn't big enough for more. Bill goes with Walter as Anne watches.

Walter climbs down the well and retrieves the cameo as Bill sleeps in his car. His mother's voice warns him it is almost time. He gets Bill from the car, leading him to the spot he killed the girl and his mother. He gives the cameo to Bill, then looks for a big stick. As Bill realizes he can't let go of the cameo, Walter hits him with a branch, killing him.

At the same time, at the mortuary, the mortician is beginning the embalming process on Walter's mother, who shocks the man when she wakes up screaming.

The doctor arrives at Walter's house as Walter rushes out, asking where his mother was sent. The doc, in shock, tells him his mother just died this morning, while being embalmed. Walter is aghast, and very confused.

Later, walking the streets, Walter is now hearing Bill beg for help via the cameo. He bumps into his boss, and tries to get away. His boss heard about his mother and offers to help. Bill still calls out to him, so Walter walks off.

Back in the shelter, Walter is confronted by Bill's friends, who want to know what Walter did with him. Walter tries to go and they rough him up and hit him until Anne breaks it up. Walter, his glasses broken, goes with Anne. She bandages his face and gets him some food. He still hears Bill's cries for help. Anne asks what's wrong, knowing he doesn't belong there. He tries to leave, but she offers help, asking if he hurt Bill. Walter says Bill is around and will be back tomorrow. He sobs as Anne tries to help, telling him we all make mistakes, and to admit what happened, go back to where it all began. Walter rushes out and Anne sees him pull down one of Heather's missing posters.

At confessional, Walter says he is going to the police tomorrow, but first he has to put things right. The priest offers prayers and Walter leaves.

At home, Heather and her mother are playing, unaware Walter is watching from outside.

At the shelter the next day, Ruth calls Anne saying that Heather is gone again. Anne says she'll be right over. Walter has taken Heather back to the same spot he killed her in, and tells the voice of Bill it'll be okay. He gives Heather her cameo back. Anne is driving to see Ruth and spots Walter's car on the side of the road and pulls over.

Walter tells Heather he didn't mean to hurt her. Heather notices the cameo has a different silhouette on it. Anne calls to Walter, looking for him. Walter checks the time and picks up Heather, hiding them both. Anne continues looking, saying she just wants to talk. He holds up a finger to Heather to be quiet. But Heather sees the well and has a memory of crawling out of it. She yells and jumps up and runs to Anne. Walter goes to get her, still holding the cameo. He tells Anne he has to kill Heather to make things right. Bill's voice tells him to kill Anne instead. Anne tells Heather to run and then stumbles. Walter is confused, telling Anne he didn't mean to kill anyone. He says he's sorry and picks up a bottle, breaking it to a sharp point. Anne screams, but Walter cuts his own throat, killing himself. Anne checks on him and finds the cameo in his hand. Just then Bill stumbles out, confused. Anne leads him away.

At Curious Goods, Micki is holding the cameo and searching the manifest. Anne asks if it is something Micki would want and, having found it listed in the book, Micki says yes. Anne lies and said a homeless person gave it to her, and that it fit the kind of items Jack said they look for. She offers it free of charge for all the donations they've made. Micki asks if Anne heard about Ruth finding Heather. The phone rings and Micki answers to Jack. As Anne leaves, Micki says she got something back before it caused any problems. Hearing that, Anne stops and looks back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts:

I liked this one, even though it is quite sad and depressing.

The cameo is an interesting item with a unique curse. Walter really only had one way out in the end, since no matter who he killed to replace the last, the item would haunt him. He was doomed from the start. And besides his mother's unfortunate death via embalming shock, he was the only other victim, in the end.

A bit odd having Micki in only two scenes, and no Jack or Johnny, but maybe better than trying to twist the story to fit one of them in. Different, but glad it is mostly a one-off. I like having Micki and Jack, and Johnny, involved.

The guy playing Walter did a good job of slowly loosing it. More and more disheveled as his nightmare went on.

One odd thing is the lack of cops, with the girl missing. Even when she is found, it is Anne with Ruth, no cops. And when she goes missing again, Ruth calls Anne? Who she only just met and no cops? Weird.

Liked the little peek into how they find some of the cursed items, with Jack buying a dozen figurines, knowing one is the one they want and the rest will just be broken to look for that one unbreakable object.

Again, I liked this, but not as the norm. Prefer the group hunting together.

But Kate Trotter is great, isn't she? Love her scenes with Micki.

Next week: The Long Road Home

[fantomcomics]

What's Out This Week? 11/8

Upcoming Events: Life Drawing! MtG Beginners Lesson!

Count Crowley: Mediocre Midnight Monster Hunter #1 (of 4) -David Dastmalchian & Lukas Ketner

A dead werewolf would have made Jerri Bartman feel victorious just a few days ago. But this deceased beast was her friend and our beloved monster hunter is shocked and depressed. The return of her predecessor brings no consolation and now there's a ghoulish child-snatcher on the loose in Beloit... Holly Halloween, Count Crowley! Things are really getting batty!

What If...? Dark: The Tomb Of Dracula #1 - Marv Wolfman, David Cutler & Giuseppe Camuncoli

Legend MARV WOLFMAN returns to TOMB OF DRACULA and the character he co-created! WHAT IF...the legendary Dracula transformed BLADE the vampire slayer...into a vampire?!

Petrol Head #1 (of 5) - Rob Williams & Pye Parr

In a climate crisis-ravaged future metropolis, an old, grumpy, obsolete, smoke-belching, cigar-chomping, HOTROD-RACING ROBOT is one 12-year-old girl's only hope. Together, can they outrace the chasing Robo-Cops with an invention that might just save humanity?

Punisher #1 - David Pepose, Dave Wachter & Rod Reis

Is this the return of Frank Castle - or the start of something else? Frank Castle has disappeared, but evil will always need to be punished. With all-new threats rising to claim innocent victims, criminals will need to beware of a dangerous vigilante hunting them from the shadows. Who is the new Punisher? What put him on his path of vengeance? And when the smoke clears, will he even make it out alive?

Star Wars: The High Republic Phase 3 #1 - Cavan Scott, Ario Anindito & Phil Noto

A year after the destruction of STARLIGHT BEACON, MARCHION RO and THE NIHIL stand victorious! The galaxy is in turmoil: The once mighty JEDI are outclassed, the REPUBLIC is on its knees. On the edges of the galactic frontier, JEDI MASTER KEEVE TRENNIS leads a desperate assault against an invading force! The odds are stacked against her, but a Jedi always clings to hope. THE FORCE is with her...right? Not so fast!

Superman '78: The Metal Curtain #1 (of 6) - Robert Venditti & Gavin Guidry

When the planet Krypton exploded, its last son was rocketed across the cosmos and came to settle in a small town in Kansas. But what else came with him, and what if a piece of his home landed somewhere we never knew about? As Superman has become a symbol of strength and pride for America, the Soviet Union looks to crush that image with a creation of their own, built by their own might and forged by their own power!

Thanos #1 - Christopher Cantwell, Luca Pizzari & Leinil Yu

THANOS VS. THE ILLUMINATI! The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they're the ones who hid it from him!

Zawa & The Belly Of The Beast #1 (of 5) - Michael Dialynas

Trapped inside her mountain by pollution-spewing factories, the guardian spirit Zawa only has industrial waste to eat, leading her to a bitter existence of paranoia and destruction.

But when two siblings from a nearby village help her escape, they'll quickly learn that the way to calming Zawa's heart is through a well nourished stomach!

GLAAD Award-winning and Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist Michael Dialynas (Wynd, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) crafts a charmingly macabre eco-fable about nature, greed, the dangers of retribution, and good food shared among friends.

5 Centimeters Per Second HC - Makoto Shinkai & Yukiko Seike

Based on the award winning film by Makoto Shinkai, 5 Centimeters per Second is now compiled into a beautiful hardcover collector's edition! Love can move at the speed of terminal velocity, but as award-winning director Makoto Shinkai reveals in his latest comic, it can only be shared and embraced by those who refuse to see it stop.

Black Night Parade GN Vol 1 - Hikaru Nakamura

A slightly creepy Christmas comedy by the acclaimed creator of Saint Young Men that inspired a live-action film! Hino Miharu spends Christmas the same way every year, working alone at a dead-end part-time job at a convenience store. He'd do just about anything to land a full-time gig, but when he runs into a shadowy Santa Claus dressed all in black, he has no idea he's encountered the real deal. Well, almost. While the normal Santa Claus who dresses in red and white oversees Christmas for all the good boys and girls, his dark counterpart is in charge of handling the bad children-and Miharu just wound up on the naughty list. Gobbled up by a slavering, talking sack, he's spirited away to the Arctic, where he finds himself the newest employee of a massive Christmas operation. Yeah, the pay and benefits are great, and his coworkers sure are cute, but is this the dream job he's been hoping for, or the beginning of a Christmas nightmare?

The Complete American Gods HC - Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, Scott Hampton, Colleen Doran, & Glenn Fabry

Shadow Moon, fresh out of jail, finds his wife dead, his life in shambles, and nowhere to turn. But a chance meeting with the mysterious Mr. Wednesday thrusts him into the center of a conflict between new and old gods, where the future of human and divine life is at stake. The Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, and Nebula award-winning novel and hit Starz television series by Neil Gaiman is adapted as a graphic novel! Collecting the complete American Gods comic book series, along with art process features, high res scans of original art, layouts, character designs, and bonus art by Becky Cloonan, Skottie Young, Fabio Moon, Dave McKean, and many more!

Don't Spit In The Wind TP - Stefano Cardoselli

One man's trash is another man's living.

Since earth became inhospitable, humanity escaped ages ago to live in a space station floating above the atmosphere. Now Travis and his crew of garbage men are tasked with cleaning up mountains of toxic waste, working for a company called Atomic Bros INC., to create a 'Clear World'. But when one of Travis' crew members goes missing near an old nuclear facility Travis' job becomes a bit more complicated.  Collects issues #1 - 4.

Duel GN - Jessixa Bagley & Aaron Bagley

Sixth grader Lucy loves fantasy novels and is brand-new to middle school. GiGi is the undisputed queen bee of eighth grade (as well as everything else she does). They've only got one thing in common: fencing. Oh, and they're sisters. They never got along super well, but ever since their dad died, it seems like they're always at each other's throats. When GiGi humiliates Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy snaps and challenges GiGi to a duel with high sisterly stakes. If GiGi wins, Lucy promises to stay out of GiGi's way; if Lucy wins, GiGi will stop teasing Lucy for good. But after their scene in the cafeteria, both girls are on thin ice with the principal and their mom. Lucy stopped practicing fencing after their fencer dad died and will have to get back to fighting form in secret or she'll be in big trouble. And GiGi must behave perfectly or risk getting kicked off the fencing team. As the clock ticks down to the girls' fencing bout, the anticipation grows. Their school is divided into GiGi and Lucy factions, complete with t-shirts declaring kids' allegiances. Both sisters are determined to triumph. But will winning the duel mean fracturing their family even further?

Ghostlore TP Vol 1 - Cullen Bunn, Leomacs & Reiko Murakami

What ghost stories do ghosts tell, and what can they tell us about ourselves?

An estranged daughter and her father wander a haunted land; they only have the restless spirits, each with its own story to tell, as company along the way.

After a deadly accident of which they are the only survivors, Lucas and Harmony Agate can see the dead-an overwhelming amount of the deceased, all with their own warnings, cries for help, and malevolence alike.

But Lucas and Harmony aren't the only ones with this ability; there are other nearly-deads, some of which have malicious motivations...

Good Girls Go To Hell GN - Tohar Sherman-Friedman

From political protests to personal struggles with school, body image, and relationships with family and friends, Tohar Sherman-Friedman's life is an inspiring story of conflicting convictions, rebellion, and personal growth. Tohar recounts her experience as the youngest of seven children in a conservative Jewish family, navigating a life buffeted by high expectations for school performance and religious adherence at home and tense conflict in the world outside. With utter sincerity and through detailed panel-style drawing, she relates what it's like to be on a journey that ultimately takes her far from how she was taught to think and what she was expected to believe. A coming-of-age graphic memoir set in the West Bank, Good Girls Go to Hell depicts the reality of growing up in a region split by religious tensions-and sometimes violent conflict.

I Am Only A Foreigner Because You Do Not Understand GN - L. Nichols

Some books take the whole of a lifetime to write. I Am Only a Foreigner Because You Do Not Understand continues Flocks, L. Nichols's graphic memoir of growing up trans in the rural South. These comics document L.'s further transition, from living as a man to walking the middle path, facing depression, disease, divorce and death. Healing leaves scars, things fall apart, and pronouns change until there is no I, there is only us.

I Did It! SC - Michael Emberley

Learning to ride a bike is hard. Can I do it? Yes, I can! A fun comic that kindergarteners and first graders can read on their own. Can I do it? I can't do it. I want to do it. I did it! Simple text that new readers can read by themselves, along with delightful pictures in a comic format, show a little creature trying and trying again as they learn to ride a bicycle.  All their friends help with supportive words of encouragement. "You did it!" their friends exclaim.

Keeper Of The Lost Cities GN Vol 1 Part 1 - Shannon Messenger, Celina Frenn & Gabriella Chianello

Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has never quite fit into her life. She's skipped multiple grades and doesn't really connect with the older kids at school, but she's not comfortable with her family, either. The reason? Sophie's a Telepath, someone who can read minds. No one knows her secret-at least, that's what she thinks... But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she's not alone. He's a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well... she isn't. Fitz opens Sophie's eyes to a shocking truth, and she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

The Lesbian Experience With Loneliness HC - Kabi Nagata

A beautiful hardcover rerelease of the critically acclaimed manga that won the Harvey Award, with a new cover and bonus chapter. My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is a raw and heartfelt account of one young woman's struggles with her sexuality, mental well-being, and feelings of alienation in our modern age. Told using expressive artwork that invokes both laughter and tears, this intensely personal and insightful work was previously released in a single volume paperback edition. This hardcover special edition features new cover art and an all-new bonus chapter by the author.

My Pancreas Broke But My Life Got Better GN - Kabi Nagata

The latest diary manga from the Harvey Award-winning creator of My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness and My Wandering Warrior Existence. In this new autobiographical manga, Nagata Kabi has quit drinking in an attempt to get healthier-or she's trying to, anyway. Her former struggles with alcohol led to pancreatitis and a serious hospitalization, and now she has no choice but to give up drinking. Follow the author as she details the quest to improve her health during a global pandemic.

The Nightcrawlers HC Vol 1 - Marco Lopez & Rachel Distler

When things go bump in the night, they bump back.

If you think aliens replaced your teachers or your neighbor might be a vampire, then there's only one group to call for help: The Nightcrawlers.

The Nightcrawlers take on their first case when a friend from school believes werewolves replaced his parents. They get more than they bargained for when their investigation leads them right in the middle of a confrontation between their caretaker William Jones and a former Nightcrawler out for revenge. This story is about the unlikeliest group of friends coming together to help others...with a spooky twist!

Office Gods GN - Catharina Octorina & Hiikariin

Gods, demigods, and true romance? Office Gods, based on the hit webcomic, is an addictive rom-com set in the corporate HQ of the Olympians themselves! Iris, a young human woman, is swept into the world of divine bureaucracy when she's recruited to work in the office of the gods, in the department of Hermes. The gods and goddesses may be beautiful beyond human comprehension, but she quickly learns that they're every bit as petty and quarrelsome as they were thousands of years ago. Can she survive Eros' antics, Aphrodite's temper, and getting caught between a love triangle with the demigod sons of Athena and Hades?

On The Way GN - Paco Hernandez & Jose Angel Ares

Emma, a newly single cartoonist in her thirties, impulsively finds herself standing in Roncesvalles with her gaze fixed on Santiago de Compostela. Following the pilgrimage route known as The Way of St. James, she realizes the path she is traveling is bringing her closer to and somehow farther away from everyone around her, that the weight of her backpack is more than the clothes and pans inside, and that what she believed to be a simple walk to get some miles behind her (and her past) is a chance to learn not only about the people she meets along the way, but also herself.

Osamu Tezuka's One Hundred Tales GN - Osamu Tezuka

One Hundred Tales is a story about being careful what you wish for. Ichirui Hanri is an ordinary accountant serving his master. Though innocent, he is ordered to commit hara-kiri after being entangled in some trouble in his master's house. Just then, a witch named Sudama appears. She signs a contract with Hanri to obtain his soul in exchange for fulfilling three of his wishes. Hanri gets what he wants...but the price he pays is too high.

An enchanting supernatural fable from Osamu Tezuka, known worldwide as the "Godfather of Manga" and the most influential person of the past century in the development of Japanese manga and anime.

Skip GN - Sarah Burgess

Jay is always scribbling poetry in their notebook. When they come across Skip, a Double Dutch team, they befriend the members-and decide to join, too. For the first time ever, Jay has a place to belong-and friends to confide in. But Jay's friendship with their new bestie Beah is intense, both in and out of Double Dutch. As Beah and Jay help each other grow into the people they will become, it challenges their friendship and their own identities. This charming "slice of life" graphic novel is about accepting yourself, navigating "first love" friendship, and finding your own voice. It's rendered in debut author-illustrator Sarah Burgess's gorgeous art style ribboned with playful humor and sports drama.

Soleil: Illustration Lookbook GN - TANAKA

The illustrator Tanaka's second art book is finally out! This illustration collection is based on the concept of the Look Book. Designed and bound like a fashion magazine, this book stylishly showcases Tanaka's characteristic fashion-focused worldview. Starting with Tanaka's new work "Sunflower (SOLEIL)," this book introduces the illustrations thematically through 10 motifs including "flowers," "seasons," and more. This special collection is full of cute and pop dress collections for boys and girls, covering all styles from classic to street attire.

The Tale Of Princess Kaguya Picture Book HC - Isao Takahata

"Why did she choose to come to earth? Why did she long for this world? An old bamboo cutter and his wife find a tiny girl inside a bamboo shoot and raise her. The mysterious little princess grows rapidly into a young lady, enthralling all who encounter her-but ultimately, she must face her fate and be punished for her crime."

The Cliff GN - Manon Debaye & Montana Kane

Schoolyard outcasts Charlie and Astrid meet up after school near a cliff at the edge of the woods surrounding their sleepy town. They make a blood pact to jump together in five days time, before their thirteenth birthdays. With a deft use of colored pencils, Debaye captures childhood's last pivotal moments as it teeters on the edge of adolescence with startling honesty in this devastatingly well-crafted debut.

Virgin Love GN Vol 1 - Tina Yamashina

Six strangers, one house, one shared goal: love. What could go wrong? "Looking for love, but afraid you'll never find it?" Come Live at the Love House! Shoko Shoji, intelligent, reliable, beautiful, has a secret: she's a 26-year-old virgin, and mortified by her non-existent love life. Every day she checks out the self-help and beauty section of her local bookstore, but never works up the courage to go any further. Pushed on by her friends, she moves into the Love House, a social experiment putting six lovelorn strangers under one roof to see what sparks may fly! Will Shoko, and the friendly bookstore clerk she convinces to join her, finally find love? Or will rivalry, lust, and lies bring it all crashing down?

Whatcha snagging this week, Fantom Fam?

[allnightlongzine]

The Glamour (Sigh, Whine) of Heartbreak

Kelefa Sanneh | March 16, 2006 | nytimes.com

Thanks to a nation of enthusiastic high-school kids, emo bands are everywhere; plaintive punk has become the soundtrack of white adolescence. Thanks to a nation of enthusiastic downloaders, sexually explicit images of celebrities are everywhere, too. And last week these two trends finally collided, as Web sites began posting a series of extraordinarily revealing photographs of Pete Wentz, the bassist and lyricist for the emo band Fall Out Boy.

In one, he is merely looking soulfully at the camera. (It could be a camera phone, a device that seems to have been invented for the express purpose of humiliating celebrities.) But in the most infamous shot, Mr. Wentz is clearly overexposed. These pictures aren't just something for blog readers to snicker about. They also help capture the emergence of a new (maybe not-so-new) kind of rock star. Outspoken and insecure and glamorous (is that eyeliner?), Mr. Wentz is one of a handful of stars who represent emo's face. (And as of last week, much more.) A genre that was once mocked for its supposed earnestness is now home to some of the most flamboyant boys in rock 'n' roll.

Fall Out Boy has sold almost two million copies of its current album, "From Under the Cork Tree" (Island Def Jam); the record company celebrated by rereleasing it on Tuesday, with bonus tracks and remixes. And if any emo sex symbol is more popular than Mr. Wentz it is Gerard Way, the singer for My Chemical Romance, an even more exciting band with a similarly successful CD, "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" (Reprise/Warner), as well as a live album due out next week. Mr. Way is more theatrical than Mr. Wentz: his songs are more turbulent, and he wears enough makeup to blur the line between beauty queen and corpse. Thanks to them and dozens more, emo bands are doing something unlikely: they're reviving the fierce, fey spirit of glam rock, complete (sometimes) with eyeliner and lipstick.

This isn't the second coming of glam, though -- it's more like the third or the ninth. In "Performing Glam Rock: Gender and Theatricality in Popular Music" (University of Michigan Press), Philip Auslander assays the music and imagery of David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Bryan Ferry and others. He carefully (almost apologetically) notes that "glam offered no substantial challenge to the conventions of rock as a traditionally male-dominated form." And yet he shows how these heavily made-up British rock stars played with sex and sexuality without forsaking rock 'n' roll machismo.

The book doesn't follow glam to Los Angeles, where it was reborn -- tougher, meaner, straighter -- in the 1980's. For the members of Mötley Crüe, Poison and many more, makeup and hairspray and tight pants were merely part of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, alongside alcohol and drugs and, most of all, groupies. Famously obsessed with "girls, girls, girls," these hunters dressed up like their prey.

Like Mr. Wentz, some of those 80's stars have had private moments made public. But unlike Mr. Wentz, Tommy Lee (from Mötley Crüe) and Bret Michaels (from Poison) seemed not altogether unproud of their sudden notoriety. Then again, their situations were different from his: each was caught in bed with a curvy blonde. (The same one, in fact.)

By contrast, the Pete Wentz photographs constitute a masterpiece of emo porn. For starters, he is alone. He looks sad. And you can glimpse a record in the background: it seems to be Morrissey's ultra-melancholy single, "Everyday Is Like Sunday." When Mr. Wentz finally responded to the pictures, he did so with a fascinating note on the Fall Out Boy Web site. There was a trace of self-loathing when he wondered why anybody would want to see pictures of some "dirty boy." And instead of bragging or threatening (he says the images were stolen), he added a provocative afterthought. ("OMG! gaaah. i forgot the most important part.") He said he was upset that Chloe Dao had won the fashion reality show "Project Runway," instead of Santino Rice: "I could have understood if daniel won but her? blah."

When they're not rooting for Mr. Rice, the boys of emo are obsessed with girls, too, but not in the same way Mötley Crüe was. The central female figure in an emo song is less likely to be a groupie than an ex-girlfriend. In an influential essay called "Emo: Where the Girls Aren't," Jessica Hopper reduced the genre to its brutal archetype. "Girls in emo songs today do not have names," she wrote, adding, "We leave bruises on boy-hearts but make no other mark." She called the genre "a high stakes game of control -- of 'winning' or 'losing' possession of the girl."

Maybe some emo bands have noticed this, too, though they have responded not by repenting but by redoubling, pushing their stylized songs toward hyperbole. They use terms like "sugar" and "honey" to underscore arch lyrics about boys who claim to hate themselves almost as much as they hate their exes. My Chemical Romance writes grand, crashing allegories full of allusions to death and violence. (The video for "Helena" shows a funeral stocked with choreographed mourners.) And Fall Out Boy's current single is "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More 'Touch Me,' " which matches its ridiculous title (and infectious tune) with hopeful and spiteful lyrics: "I don't blame you for being you/ But you can't blame me for hating it." Deliberately overripe songs like this blur the line between earnest lament and theatrical parody.

There's plenty of anxiety in performances like these: anxiety about being a boy who sings about (and, often, to) girls, as well as a related anxiety about going pop. (These songs are full of self-conscious jokes about selling out.) But if you're going to be on the main stage, you might as well act the part, as many of these singers do. Adam Lazzara, from Taking Back Sunday, is known for treating concert stages like catwalks, prancing and sashaying while singing his lovelorn lyrics.

Meanwhile, emerging bands like Panic! at the Disco (which has a charmless hit with "I Write Sins Not Tragedies") and Aiden have helped ensure that Mr. Way is no anomaly: drawing as well from goth and new wave, they seem to spend just as much time in a dressing room as the members of Mötley Crüe did. (Although they probably find fewer creative uses for it.) And on an impressive new album called, "Heroine" (Epitaph), the members of From First to Last make a big, rousing racket, playing widescreen emo full of screaming horror stories ("Relax, baby, that's a good girl/ You're like my work of art") and suicidal fantasies ("I can't eat anything/ Without shoving my hands down my throat"). If you're wondering, the answer is yes: the lead singer, Sonny Moore, paints his face. Indeed, a recent Alternative Press story found the members sharing a Mötley Crüe moment: taking turns "in the bus bathroom applying their stage makeup."

As Mr. Auslander concedes -- and as Mötley Crüe energetically proved -- glam imagery needn't upend rock 'n' roll conventions. Maybe it's a mistake to take lipsticked rock stars too seriously. A few emo singers have talked about kissing guys or dating them, but that's not really the point: the genre is still ruled by avowedly straight boys singing about winning and losing girls. Still, no one can claim that these emo boys aren't putting on an enormously entertaining show. Here's hoping that, somewhere in America, a budding pop star is watching it all, and taking all of it much too seriously.

[weirdjanuary]

(Versione in italiano qui.) And here I am with the second recap-post, which I’ll update gradually, for the series finished between July-December. (Find the first post here.)

Kin (S02) - The series has never particularly thrilled me (all dynamics already seen) and I only watched it for Charlie Cox but I must admit that this season’s finale made me curious about the third.

The Clearing (S01) - Started for Teresa Palmer and Miranda Otto, I liked it!

Van der Valk (S03) - I’ve known Marc Warren for like ten years, since Mad Dogs, and I’ve watched a lot of his stuff because I like him. Classic detective series, not bad but similar to others out there.

Secret Invasion (S01) - I’m sorry to say that, on balance, this series hasn’t left me with much. It started well, the premises were good, but it got lost along the way until it reached a rushed ending. Too bad because the cast was amazing and in the end I have the feeling of a wasted opportunity. Among the new entries, Sonya and Varra were the only ones who fully convinced me.

The Witcher (S03) - This season has left me a little perplexed... The only thing I feel like saying is: too bad it’s the last with Henry Cavill, I liked him in the role. Now I really don’t know how they will introduce the next Witcher, also I want to see if he will live up to it!

The Politician (S01-02) - Very very nice series, I devoured the two seasons in no time! You can find a more in-depth review here.

Warrior Nun (S01-02) - I love intrigues involving the Church (especially the Vatican) and the eternal clash between science and faith! I liked the series very much. You can find a more in-depth review here.

The Chemistry of Death (S01) - Series based on the novels by Simon Beckett starring forensic anthropologist David Hunter. Specifically, the 6 episodes cover the history of the first two volumes. I really loved the paper series so I was curious to see this adaptation (and then to play the main character there’s an actor that I really like). It’s not bad but in my opinion they have “compressed” the books too much with the result that events unfold too quickly. Worth a look if you're looking for something unpretentious.

Justified: City Primeval (S01) - A Timothy Olyphant and his Raylan Givens in great shape! I really liked this season and, given the way it ended, I hope the second comes soon!

Good Omens (S02) - I liked the season but I preferred the first one. I have high expectations for the next one!

Ahsoka (S01) - Amazing!! I was moved several times when I heard/saw the various references to Rebels and Clone Wars (especially at the sight of the mural, with Kanan *sob*, and the purgills). I hope to watch a second season and, if so, I want Zeb in live-action :D (Already seen briefly in The Mandalorian!)

Only Murders in the Building (S01-02-03) - I caught up on the first seasons and caught up on the third. Cute series with a well done crime part!

Loki (S02) - I would say this is one of the few truly successful Marvel series. Congratulations to the excellent cast, Tom Hiddleston above all! He’s truly amazing!

The Fall of the House of Usher (S02) - I reluctantly have to say that I didn't like it much, I preferred Flanagan's previous series.

The Burning Girls (S01) - I really liked this one and found it perfect for the last days of October! I didn’t know it was based on a novel by an author I know (unfortunately only two of her books have been translated in Italy and if this one arrives too I’ll probably decide to read it!).

Bodies (S01) - I started without many pretensions, in the end I devoured it in a few days! I know it's a miniseries so, in theory, there won't be a sequel.

The Vanishing Triangle (S01) - Just started watching this one too. The first episode didn’t excite me but I’m attracted by the fact that it’s inspired by real events so letìs see how it continues.

The Gilded Age (S02) - Beautiful season! I'm ready for the third!

Slow Horses (S03) - I really liked this season and I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Shining Girls (S01) - Not bad but in my opinion a little confusing and slow.

A Murder at the End of the World (S01) - Started well but lost a bit in the end.

Ghosts (BBC) (S01-02-03-04-05) -  A comedy with slightly bizarre characters but who I ended up growing fond of!

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for October 7

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for October 7 include Werewolf By Night, Triangle Of Sadness, Component System with the Auto Reverse, and more.

Werewolf By Night

Werewolf By Night, the new movie from Michael Giacchino, is out today.

On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader's life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic – a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.

Triangle Of Sadness

Triangle Of Sadness, the new movie from Ruben Östlund, is out today.

In Ruben Östlund’s wickedly funny Palme d’Or winner, social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty. Celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the new movie from David O. Russell, is out today.

Set in the '30s, Amsterdam follows three friends who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.

TÁR

TÁR, the new movie from Todd Field, is out today.

From writer/director Todd Field, starring Cate Blanchett, TÁR, set in the international world of classical music, centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors and first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.

The Visitor

The Visitor, the new movie from Justin P. Lange, is out today.

When Robert and his wife Maia move to her childhood home, he discovers an old portrait of his likeness in the attic - a man referred to only as ‘The Visitor’. Soon he finds himself descending down a frightening rabbit hole in an attempt to discover the true identity of his mysterious doppelgänger, only to realize that every family has its own terrifying secrets.

Luckiest Girl Alive

Luckiest Girl Alive, the new movie from Mike Barker, is out today.

Based on the best-selling novel, Ani FaNelli (Mila Kunis), a sharp-tongued New Yorker appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon. But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Brentley School, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life.

Hellraiser

Hellraiser, the new movie from David Bruckner, is out today.

In “Hellraiser,” a young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.

The Inhabitant

The Inhabitant, the new movie from Jerren Lauder, is out today.

High school can be a nightmare for any teenager. But Tara (Odessa A’zion) lives in the shadow of a harrowing family curse — she’s a descendant of ax-murderess Lizzie Borden. As Tara begins to hear voices and have paranoid visions of butchering her family, people in her small town are attacked and killed — and all evidence points to her. Gripped by her family’s past, Tara must confront the demons that possess her — both real and imaginary — and a shocking truth in this chilling psychological horror ride featuring Leslie Bibb, Dermot Mulroney, and Lizzie Broadway.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, the new movie from Josh Gordon and Will Speck, is out today.

When the Primm family (Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Winslow Fegley) moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle - a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) who loves baths, caviar and great music-living in the attic of his new home. The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbor Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), the Primm’s must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality.

The Midnight Club

The Midnight Club, the new TV series from Mike Flanagan and Leah Fong, is out today.

At a hospice for terminally ill young adults, eight patients come together every night at midnight to tell each other stories – and make a pact that the next of them to die will give the group a sign from the beyond.

Let The Right One In

Let The Right One In, the new TV series from Andrew Hinderaker, is out today.

Inspired by the original hit Swedish novel and film, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN centers on Mark (Bichir) and his daughter Eleanor (Baez) whose lives were changed forever 10 years earlier when she was turned into a vampire. Locked in at age 12, perhaps forever, Eleanor lives a closed-in life, able to go out only at night, while her father does his best to provide her with the human blood she needs to stay alive.

Component System with the Auto Reverse

Component System with the Auto Reverse, the new album from Open Mike Eagle, is out today.

Only Built For Infinity Links

Only Built For Infinity Links, the new album from Quavo and Takeoff, is out today.

[typingtess]

Tiptoeing through the “Live Free or Die Standing” guest cast

Mercedes Mason as DEA Agent Talia Del Campo Welcome back Agent Campo after your time on AMC and ABC.   Talia was last seen in "The Guardian", part one of the three-part season 10 finale/season 11 premiere.  And since we're talking about the three-parter, who killed Ellie Simms?

Rick Pasqualone as Martin Henderson Does a lot of voices for animated series/films and video games.

Had guest roles in Weird Science, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Kirk, Caroline in the City, Moloney, USA High, Vengeance Unlimited, Days of Our Lives, Love Boat: The Next Wave, Friends, Falcone, NYPD Blue, CSI, Charmed, Without a Trace, Blind Justice, CSI: NY, Shark, Crash, Desperate Housewives, All My Children, Glee, Children's Hospital, The Young and the Restless, Melissa & Joey, Guidance and General Hospital.  

Was Cpl. Paul Dafelmair in "Hung Out to Dry" the second ever episode of NCIS.  Appeared in three episode of JAG as two different characters, Lt. Kyle in both Smoked and Ares in season one and Capt. David White in season 10's "Fit for Duty".

Trailer/set/post-work photos. The LL CooJ photo is definitely back!

Goya Robles as Miguel Flores Plays Yago in Get Shorty and had guest roles in The Mentalist and Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

Did I mention the LL Cool J photo is back?

Dan Gauthier as Carlyle Huntington Played Lt. John McKay in Tour of Duty, Kyle Parks in Sisters, Kent Atkinson in Muscle, Jonathan Mitchell in Courthouse, Matt Liston in Ellen, Dick Harrison in Beverly Hills 90210, Jeff Baylor in Melrose Place, Kevin Buchanan in One Life to Live and Bruce Cooper in Faking It.

Guest roles include Married with Children, 21 Jump Street, Punky Brewster, Room for Romance, Who's the Boss, Life Goes On, Silk Stalkings, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Winnetka Road, The Cape, Sliders, Friends, Martial Law, Love Boat: The Next Wave, Rude Awakening, Cupid, Jesse, Nash Bridges, Nikki, Will & Grace, Charmed, Still Standing, Oliver Beene, Supernatural, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Lost, No Ordinary Family, Make It or Break It, Hot in Cleveland, The Mentalist and Criminal Minds.

Larry Herron as DEA Agent David Ramirez Had guest roles in episodes of ER, Lie To Me, Numb3rs, Medium, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: LA, Shameless, Modern Family, Adam Ruins Everything, The Brink, Insecure, Life in Pieces, Snowfall and Animal Kingdom.

Played Master Gunnery Sergeant Jason Kelly in the season 8 "Short Fuse" episode of NCIS

Carolina Gutierrez as Emma Ruiz Guest starred in episodes of Scorpion, Good Samaritans and The L Word: Generation Q.

Alicia Urizar as Isabella Cruz Played Amber in Welcome to My World.  Guest starred in episodes of Betty White's Off Their Rockers, Longmire, Code Black and For the People.

Was Gabriella in the season 14 finale "Rendezvous" NCIS episode.

The director's chair photo.

Pam Trotter as Loretta Dawson Guest appearances in episodes of Son of the Beach, All of Us, Boston Legal, My Name is earl, Everybody Hates Chris, Dollhouse, Chuck, HawthoRNe, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Austin & Ally, Happy Endings, Wendell and Vinnie, Kirstie, Melissa & Joey, Murder in the First, The Middle, Stitchers, Life in Pieces, The Goldbergs, One Day at a Time (2018), The Goldbergs, The Mick, Superstore, Good Girls, American Princess, Stumptown, Atypical, Good Trouble, General Hospital, Tacoma FD and As We See It.

Sheila Wills as Thelma Was Angie in B.J. and the Bear, Joan Hopkins in Days of Our Lives and Rita Barton in Generations.

Guest roles include Marcus Welby MD, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kojak, What Really Happened to the Class of '65, Baretta, Switch, Battlestar Galactica (1978), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Quincy, Galactica 1980, CHiPS, McClain's Law, The New Odd Couple (1982), The Jeffersons, The Powers of Matthew Star, Webster, Stir Crazy, The A-Team, The Bold and the Beautiful, Cagney & Lacey, Hunter, Family Medical Center, Knots Landing, Shannon's Deal, Swamp Thing, Beverly Hills 90210, 7th Heaven, Scrubs and All American.

Brian Leigh Smith as Bomb Tech Aaron Roberts Smith returns as Bomb Tech Aaron Roberts from "Mother" but also appeared as a police officer in "Overwatch" and was a wingman in "The Bear" season 12 premiere.

Duncan Campbell as NCIS Special Agent Castor Was in the first part of the Sunday, May 1 doubleheader.

Written by Eric Christian Olsen who also wrote "Mother" in season 11.

Directed by Daniela Ruah who also directed "Russia, Russia, Russia", "Lost Soldier Down" and "Pandora's Box".

Director's/Writer's chairs. Team In-Laws.

[watching-pictures-move]

Star of David: Beautiful Girl Hunter (Suzuki, 1979)

[casxmorgan]

Books Books Books

100 Years of Solitude

11.22.63

120 Days of Sodom

1491

1984

A Brief History of Time

A Canticle for Leibowitz

A Child Called It

A Clockwork Orange

A Confederacy of Dunces

A History of the World in Ten and a Half Chapters

A Land Fit for Heroes Trilogy

A Little Life

A Naked Singularity

A People's History of the United States

A Scanner Darkly

A Series of Unfortunate Events

A Short History of Nearly Everything

A Song of Ice and Fire

A Storm of Swords

A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments

A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Walk in the Woods

A World Lit Only by Fire

Accursed Kings

Alice in Wonderland

All Quiet on the Western Front

All the Light We Cannot See

All the Pretty Horses

America, the Book

American Gods

American Psycho

And then There Were None

Angela’s Ashes

Animal Farm

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Anna Karenina

Anything Terry Pratchett, But, Mort is My Favorite

Anything Written by Robin Hobb

Apt Pupil

Artemis Fowl

Asimov's Guide to the Bible

Asoiaf

Atlas Shrugged

Bartimeaus

Batman: the Long Halloween

Battle Royale

Beat the Turtle Drum

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Belgariad Series

Beloved

Berserk

Bestiario

Black Company

Blankets/habibi

Blind Faith

Blindness

Blood Meridian

Blood and Guts: a History of Surgery

Bluest Eye

Brandon Sanderson

Brave New World

Breakfast of Champions

Bridge to Terabithia

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: an Indian History of the American West

Calvin and Hobbs

Candide

Carrie

Cat's Cradle

Catch 22

Cats Cradle

Chaos

Child of God

Choke

Chuck Palahniuk

City of Ember

City of Thieves

Cloud

Collapse

Come Closer

Complaint

Confessions of a Mask

Contact

Conversation in the Cathedral

Cosmos

Crime and Punishment

Dan Brown

David

Dead Birds Singing

Dead Mountain: the Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident

Delta Venus

Die Räuber (the Robbers)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Don Quixote

Dragonlance

Dune

Dying of the Light

East of Eden

Educated

Empire of Sin: a Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans

Enders Game

Enders Shadow

Escape from Camp 14

Ever Since Darwin

Every Man Dies Alone

Everybody Poops

Everything is Illuminated

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Fahrenheit 451

Far from the Madding Crowd

Faust

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson

Feet of Clay

Fight Club

First Law

Flowers for Algernon

Flowers in the Attic

Foundation

Foundation Series

Foundation Trilogy

Frankenstein

Freakonomics

Fun Home

Galapagos

Geek Love

Gerald’s Game

Ghost Story

Go Ask Alice

Go Dog Go

Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid

Goldfinch

Gone Girl

Gone with the Wind

Good Omens

Grapes of Wrath

Great Expectations

Greg Egan

Guards! Guards!

Guns Germs and Steel

Guts (short Story)

Half a World

Ham on Rye

Hannibal Rising

Hard Boiled Wonderland

Hatchet

Haunted

Hawaii

Heart Shaped Box

Heart of Darkness

Hellbound Heart

Hellraiser

Hell’s Angels

Helter Skelter

His Dark Materials

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Hogg

Holocaust by Bullets

House of Leaves

How to Cook for Fourty Humans

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Huckleberry Finn

Hyperion

I Am America, and So Can You

I Am the Messenger

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

I Was Dr. Mengele’s Assistant

In Cold Blood

In Search of Our Mother's Gardens

Independent People

Infinite Jest

Into Thin Air

Into the Wild

Introduction to Linear Algebra

Invisible Monsters

Ishmael

It

Jacques Le Fataliste

Jane Eyre

Jaunt

Job: a Comedy of Justice

John Dies at the End

John Grisham

Johnathan Livingston Seagull

Johnny Got His Gun

Jon Ronson

Journal of a Novel

Jurassic Park

Justine

L'histoire D'o

Lamb

Last Exit to Brooklyn

Les Miserables

Lies My Teacher Told Me

Life of Pi

Limits and Renewals

Little House in the Big Woods

Lockwood & Co.

Lolita

Looking for Trouble

Lord Foul’s Bane

Lord of the Flies

Lyddie

Malazan Book of the Fallen

Maldoror

Manufacturing Consent: the Political Economy of the Mass Media

Man’s Search for Meaning

Mark Twain’s Autobiography

Maus

Meditations

Megamorphs (series)

Mein Kampf

Memnooch the Devil

Metro 2033

Michael Crichton

Middlesex

Mindhunter

Misery

Mistborn

Moby Dick

Mrs. Dalloway

My Side of the Mountain

My Sweet Audrina

Nacht über Der Prärie (night over the Prairie)

Naked Lunch

Name of the Wind

Neuromancer

Never Let Me Go

Neverwhere

New York

Next

Night

Night Shift

Norwegian Wood

Notes from Underground

Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea

Of Mice and Men

Of Nightingales That Weep

Ohio

Old Mans War

Old Mother West Wind

On Heroes and Tombs

On Laughter and Forgetting

On the Road

One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest

One Hundred Years of Solitude

One of Us

Painted Bird

Patrick Rothfuss

Perfume: the Story of a Murderer

Persepolis

Pet Sematary

Peter Pan

Pillars of the Earth

Poisonwood Bible

Pride and Predjudice

Ready Player One

Rebecca

Red Mars

Red Night (series)

Red Shirts

Red Storm Rising

Redwall

Replay

Requiem for a Dream

Revenge

Riftwar Saga

Ringworld

Roald Dahl

Rolls of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Round Ireland with a Fridge

Running with Scissors

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Sapiens, a Brief History of Humankind

Scary Stories to Read in the Dark

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Schindler’s List

Sein Und Zeit

Shades of Grey

Sharp Objects

Shattered Dreams

Sherlock Holmes

Sho-gun

Siddhartha

Sisypho

Skin and Other Stories

Slaughterhouse Five

Smoke & Mirrors

Snow Crash

Soldier Son

Sometimes a Great Notion

Sphere

Starship Troopers

Stiff, the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Storied Life of A.j. Fikry

Stormlight Archives

Story of the Eye

Stranger in a Strange Land

Surely, You're Joking

Survivor Type (short Story)

Suttree

Swan Song

Tale of Two Cities

Tales of the South Pacific

The Alchemist

The Altered Carbon Trilogy

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

The Art of Deception

The Art of Fielding

The Art of War

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation

The Autobiography of Henry Viii

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The Beach

The Bell Jar

The Bible

The Bloody Chamber

The Book Thief

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Brothers Karamazov

The Call of Cthulu and Other Weird Stories

The Cask of Amontillado (short Story)

The Catcher in the Rye

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Clown

The Color out of Space

The Communist Manifesto

The Complete Fiction of H.p. Lovecraft

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

The Dagger and the Coin

The Damage Done

The Dark Tower

The Declaration of Independence, the Us Constitution, and the Bill of Rights

The Devil in the White City

The Dharma Bums

The Diamond Age

The Dice Man

The Discworld Series

The Dresden Files

The Elegant Universe

The First Law Trilogy

The Forever War

The Foundation Trilogy

The Gentleman Bastard Sequence

The Geography of Nowhere

The Girl Next Door

The Girl on the Milk Carton

The Giver

The Giving Tree

The God of Small Things

The Grapes of Wrath

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gilly Hopkins

The Hagakure

The Half a World Trilogy

The Handmaid’s Tale

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

The Hiding Place

The History of Love

The Hobbit

The Hot Zone

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hyperion Cantos

The Jaunt

The Jungle

The Key to Midnight

The Killing Star

The Kingkiller Chronicles

The Kite Runner

The Last Question (short Story)

The Lies of Lock Lamora

The Little Prince

The Long Walk

The Lord of the Rings

The Lottery (short Story)

The Lovely Bones

The Magicians

The Magus

The Martian

The Master and Margarita

The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect

The Monster at the End of This Book

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

The Music of Eric Zahn (short Story)

The Name of the Wind & the Wise Man's Fear

The Necronomicon

The New Age of Adventure: Ten Years of Great Writing

The Night Circus

The Nightmare Box

The Odyssey

The Omnivore's Dilemma

The Orphan Master’s Son

The Outsiders

The Painted Bird

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Phantom Tollbooth

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Pit and the Pendulum

The Plague

The Prince

The Prince of Tides

The Princess Bride

The Prophet

The Queen’s Gambit

The Rape of Nanking

The Red Dwarf

The Republic

The Rifter Saga

The Road

The Satanic Verses

The Screwtape Letters

The Secret History

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The Selfish Gene

The Shining

The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer

The Silmarillion

The Sirens of Titan

The Six Wives of Henry the 8th

The Solitude of Prime Numbers

The Speaker of the Dead

The Stars My Destination

The Stormlight Archive

The Story of My Tits

The Stranger

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck

The Suspicions of Mr. Witcher

The Tao of Pooh

The Things They Carried

The Time Machine

The Time Traveller’s Wife

The Tin Drum

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green

The Wasp Factory

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle

The World According to Garp

The Yellow Wallpaper

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Things Fall Apart

Thirsty

This Blinding Absence of Light

Tiger!

Time Enough for Love

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Say Nothing of the Dog

Toni Morrison

Too Many Magicians

Traumnovelle

Tuesdays with Morrie

Tuf Voyaging

Undeniable

Under Plum Lake

Universe in a Nutshell

Unwind

Uzumaki

Various

Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia

Walden

War & Peace

War and Peace

Warriors: Bluestar’s Prophecy

Watchers

Water for Elephants

Watership Down

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Wheel of Time

When Rabbit Howls

Where the Red Fern Grows

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Why I Am Not a Christian

Why People Believe Weird Things

Wizards First Rule

Wool

World War Z

Worm

Wuthering Heights

You Can Choose to Be Happy

Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

[faraway-wanderer]

BOOKS BY ASIAN AUTHORS MASTERLIST #stopasianhate

In light of recent events and the growing anti- Asian hate in the US and UK over the course of the pandemic I wanted to put together a masterlist of books by Asian authors. Obviously, it’s not extensive and there are HUNDREDS out there, but supporting art by Asian creators is a way of showing support; read their stories, educate ourselves. It goes without saying that we should all be putting effort into reading stories of POC and by POC because even through fiction we’re learning about different cultures, countries and heritages. So here’s some books to start with by Asian authors!

Here is a link also for resources to educate and petitions to sign (especially if you don’t read haha). It’s important that we educate ourselves and uplift Asian voices right now. Your anti-racism has to include every minority that faces it.

https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/

for UK peeps, this is a good read: We may not hear about the anti Asian racism happening here, but it is definitely happening. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/a35692226/its-time-we-stopped-downplaying-the-uks-anti-asian-racism/

 THE BOOKS:

·         War Cross- Marie Lu ( the worldbuilding in this is IMMENSE.)

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. 

·         Star Daughter- Shveta Thakrar

A beautiful story about a girl who is half human and half star, and she must go to the celestial court to try to save her father after he has fallen ill. And before she knows it, she is taking part in a magical competition that she must win!

·         These Violent Delights- Chloe Gong (I told my little sister to read this book yesterday bc she has a thing for a Leo as Romeo- so if you want deadly good looking Romeos, badass Juliet’s and to learn about 1920s Shanghai- this is for you.)

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. A Romeo and Juliet retelling.

·         The Poppy War- R.F Kuang (My fave fantasy series just fyi- it’s soul crushing in the best way. Rebecca Kuang is a god of an author).

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.

·         Loveboat Taipei-  Abigail Hing Wen  (Really heartwarming and insightful!)

When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

·         Sorcerer to the Crown- Zen Cho (if anyone is looking for another Howl’s Moving Castle, look no further than this book)

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.

·         Emergency Contact- Mary H.K. Choi (very wholesome and fun rom-com!)

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. When she heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

 ·         Jade City- Fonda Lee (I am reading this currently and can I just say- I think everyone who loves fantasy and blood feuds in a story should read this.)

JADE CITY is a gripping Godfather-esque saga of intergenerational blood feuds, vicious politics, magic, and kungfu. The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.

 ·         A Pho Love Story- Loan Le

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighbouring restaurants.

·         Rebelwing- Andrea Tang

Business is booming for Prudence Wu. A black-market-media smuggler and scholarship student at the prestigious New Columbia Preparatory Academy, Pru is lucky to live in the Barricade Coalition where she is free to study, read, watch, and listen to whatever she wants.

·         Wings of the Locust- Joel Donato Ching Jacob

Tuan escapes his mundane and mediocre existence when he is apprenticed to Muhen, a charming barangay wiseman. But, as he delves deeper into the craft of a mambabarang and its applications in espionage, sabotage and assassination, the young apprentice is overcome by conflicting emotions that cause him to question his new life.

 ·         The Travelling Cat Chronicles- Hiro Arikawa

Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. 

 ·         Super Fake Love Song- David Yoon

From the bestselling author of Frankly in Love comes a contemporary YA rom-com where a case of mistaken identity kicks off a string of (fake) events that just may lead to (real) love.

  ·         Parachutes- Kelly Yang

Speak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma.

·         The Grace of Kings- Ken Liu ( One of the Time 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time!)

Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.

·         Wicked Fox- Kat Cho

A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

 ·         Descendant of the Crane- Joan He

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

 ·         Pachinko- Min Jin Lee

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.

·         America is in the Heart- Carlos Bulosan

First published in 1946, this autobiography of the well known Filipino poet describes his boyhood in the Philippines, his voyage to America, and his years of hardship and despair as an itinerant laborer following the harvest trail in the rural West.

 ·         Days of Distraction- Alexandra Chang

A wry, tender portrait of a young woman — finally free to decide her own path, but unsure if she knows herself well enough to choose wisely—from a captivating new literary voice.

·         The Astonishing Colour of After Emily X.R Pan

Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love. 

·         The Gilded Wolves- Roshani Chokshi

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

·         When Dimple met Rishi- Sandhya Menon

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

·         On Earth we’re briefly Gorgeous- Ocean Vuong

Poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling.

·         Fierce Fairytales- Nikita Gill

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.

 BOOKS BEING RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR TO PREORDER:

·         Counting down with you- Tashie Bhuiyan- 4th May

A reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.

How do you make one month last a lifetime?

·         Gearbreakers- Zoe Hana Mikuta- June 29th

Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series

·         XOXO- Axie Oh- 13th July

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

·         She who became the sun- Shelley Parker-Chan- 20th July

Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.

·         Jade Fire Gold- June C.L Tan- October 12th

Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series

  Keep sharing, signing petitions and donating where you can. The more people who are actively anti-racist, the better. And if your anti-racism doesn’t include the Asian community then go and educate yourself! BLM wasn’t a trend and neither is this. We have to stand up against white supremacy, and racism and stereotypes and we have to support the communities that need our support. Part of that can include cultivating your reading so you’re reading more diversely and challenging any stereotypes western society may have given you.

 Feel free to reblog and add any more recommendations and resources of course!

[papermoonloveslucy]

ZIEGFELD FOLLIES

April 8, 1946

Directors: Lemuel Ayers, Roy Del Ruth. Vincente Minnelli, George Sidney,  Norman Taurog, Charles Walters. Robert Lewis Producer: Arthur Freed for Metro Goldwyn Mayer

The shooting schedule ran between April 10 and August 18, 1944, with retakes plus additional segments filmed on December 22, 1944 and then between January 25 and February 6, 1945. The film was first proposed in 1939. 

Synopsis ~ We meet a grayed, immaculately garbed Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. in Paradise (his diary entry reads "Another heavenly day"), where he looks down upon the world and muses over the sort of show he'd be putting on were he still alive.

PRINCIPAL CAST

Lucille Ball ('Here's to the Ladies') is appearing in her 64th film since coming to Hollywood in 1933. 

Fred Astaire ('Here's to the Ladies' / Raffles in 'This Heart of Mine' / Tai Long in 'Limehouse Blues’ / Gentleman in 'The Babbit and the Bromide') also appeared with Lucille Ball in Roberta (1935), Top Hat (1935), and Follow the Fleet (1936). His name was mentioned twice on “I Love Lucy.”

Lucille Bremer (Princess in 'This Heart of Mine' / Moy Ling in 'Limehouse Blues') 

Fanny Brice (Norma Edelman in 'A Sweepstakes Ticket') appeared in the original stage version of many editions of The Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway.

Judy Garland (The Star in 'A Great Lady Has An Interview') also starred with Lucille Ball in Thousands Cheer (1943). 

Kathryn Grayson (Kathryn Grayson in 'Beauty') also starred with Lucille Ball in Thousands Cheer (1943).

Lena Horne (Lena Horne in 'Love') also starred with Lucille Ball in Thousands Cheer (1943).

Gene Kelly (Gentleman in 'The Babbit and the Bromide') also starred with Lucille Ball in Thousands Cheer (1943),  Du Barry Was A Lady (1943), and A Guide for the Married Man (1967). He made an appearance on the Lucille Ball special “Lucy Moves to NBC” (1980).  

James Melton (Alfredo in 'La Traviata')

Victor Moore (Lawyer's Client in 'Pay the Two Dollars')

Red Skelton (J. Newton Numbskull in 'When Television Comes') also starred with Lucille Ball in Having Wonderful Time (1938), Thousands Cheer (1943),  Du Barry Was A Lady (1943), and The Fuller Brush Girl (1950).  On TV he appeared on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in “Lucy Goes To Alaska” (1958). Ball and Skelton appeared in numerous TV specials together. 

Esther Williams (Esther Williams in 'A Water Ballet') also appeared with Lucille Ball in Easy To Wed (1946). 

William Powell (Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.) also played the same character in The Great Ziegfeld (1936). 

Edward Arnold (Lawyer in 'Pay the Two Dollars') appeared with Lucille Ball in Roman Scandals (1933) and Ellis in Freedomland (1952).

Marion Bell (Violetta in 'La Traviata')

Cyd Charisse (Ballerina in 'Beauty') also starred with Lucille Ball in Thousands Cheer (1943).

Hume Cronyn (Monty in 'A Sweepstakes Ticket') was honored by The Kennedy Center in 1986, at the same ceremony as Lucille Ball. 

William Frawley (Martin in 'A Sweepstakes Ticket') played the role of Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”. He also appeared on “The Lucy Show,” his final screen appearance. 

Robert Lewis (Chinese Gentleman in 'Limehouse Blues' / Telephone Voice in 'Number Please')

Virginia O'Brien (Virginia O'Brien in 'Here's to the Ladies') also starred with Lucille Ball in Thousands Cheer (1943),  Du Barry Was A Lady (1943), and Meet The People (1944). 

Keenan Wynn (Caller in 'Number Please') appeared with Lucille Ball in Easy To Wed (1946), Without Love (1945), and The Long, Long Trailer (1954). 

SUPPORTING CAST

Ziegfeld Girls

Karin Booth  

Lucille Casey  

Aina Constant  

Elizabeth Dailey  

Frances Donelan  

Natalie Draper  

Karen X. Gaylord  

Aileen Haley  

Carol Haney  

Shirlee Howard  

Margaret Laurence  

Helen O'Hara  

Noreen Roth  

Elaine Shepard  

Kay Thompson  

Dorothy Tuttle  

Dorothy Van Nuys  

Eve Whitney - appeared on “I Love Lucy” episode “The Charm School” (ILL S3;E15).

Dancers

Gloria Joy Arden

Jean Ashton  

Irene Austin  

Judi Blacque  

Bonnie Barlowe  

Norman Borine  

Hazel Brooks  

Ed Brown  

Kathleen Cartmill  

Jack Cavan  

Marilyn Christine  

Laura Corbay  

Rita Dunn  

Meredyth Durrell  

Shawn Ferguson  

Jeanne Francis  

Jean French  

Mary Jane French  

David Gray  

Bill Hawley  

Doreen Hayward  

Charlotte Hunter  

Virginia Hunter  

Patricia Jackson

Margaret Kays  

Laura Knight  

Laura Lane  

Dale Lefler  

Melvin Martin  

Diane Meredith  

Lorraine Miller  

Joyce Murray  

Janet Nevis  

Ray Nyles  

Billy O'Shay  

Jane Ray  

Dorothy Raye  

Beth Renner

Melba Snowden  

Walter Stane  

Ivon Starr  

Robert Trout  

Chorus Boys

Rod Alexander

Milton Chisholm  

Dick D'Arcy  

Dante DiPaolo  

Don Hulbert  

Herb Lurie  

Matt Mattox  

Bert May - appeared on “The Lucy Show” in “Lucy and Tennessee Ernie Ford”

Jack Purcell  

Tommy Rall  

Ricky Ricardi (!)

Alex Romero

“LIMEHOUSE BLUES” starring Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, and Robert Lewis

Robert Ames (Masked Man)  

James Barron (Couple with Banners)  

Eleanor Bayley (Couple with Branches)  

Mary Jo Ellis (Couple with Banners)  

Sean Francis (Ensemble)  

James King (Rooster)  

Harriet Lee (Bar Singer) 

Eugene Loring (Costermonger)  

Charles Lunard (Masked Man)  

Patricia Lynn (Ensemble)  

Ruth Merman (Ensemble)  

Garry Owen (1st Subway Policeman)  

Ellen Ray (Couple with Parasols)  

Jack Regas (Masked Man)  

Billy Shead (Couple with Parasols)  

Ronald Stanton (Couple with Branches)  

Wanda Stevenson (Ensemble)  

Ray Teal (2nd Subway Policeman)  

“LOVE” starring Lena Horne

Juliette Ball (Club Patron)   

Lennie Bluett (Dancer)   

Suzette Harbin (Flirt)   

Avanelle Harris (Club Patron)  

Maggie Hathaway (Dancer)  

Charles Hawkins (Club Patron)  

Marie Bryant (Woman Getting Her Man Taken)   

Cleo Herndon (Dancer)   

“THIS HEART OF MINE” starring Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer

Helen Boyce (Countess)   

Feodor Chaliapin Jr. (Lieutenant)

Naomi Childers (Duchess)

Charles Coleman (Majordomo)   

Sam Flint (Majordomo's Assistant)

Sidney Gordon (Masked Man)   

Count Stefenelli (Count)   

Robert Wayne (Dyseptic)   

“PAY THE TWO DOLLARS”  starring Edward Arnold and Victor Moore

William Bailey (Subway Passenger)

Joseph Crehan (1st Judge) - played a Detective on “I Love Lucy” “The Great Train Robbery”

William B. Davidson (2nd Judge)

Eddie Dunn (3rd Subway Policeman)   

Harry Hayden (Warden)   

George Hill (2nd Subway Policeman)   

Wilbur Mack (Subway Passenger)   

Larry Steers (Magistrate)

“NUMBER PLEASE” starring Keenan Wynn

Peter Lawford (Voice of Porky)

Grady Sutton (Texan)

Audrey Totter (Phone Operator Voice)

Kay Williams (Girl)

OTHERS

Bunin's Puppets

Elise Cavanna (Tall Woman)

Jack Deery (Man)

Rex Evans (Butler in "A Great Lady Has An Interview”)

Sam Garrett (Roping / Twirling Act)

Silver (Horse in "Here's to the Ladies') 

Arthur Walsh (Telegraph Boy in "A Sweepstakes Ticket") - appeared on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined” (ILL S3;E11). 

‘FOLLIES’ TRIVIA

Sidney Guilaroff, Lucille Ball’s hair dresser, who takes responsibility for her famous ‘golden red’ for this movie, becoming her trademark color.

Although they appear in different segments, this is the only feature film collaboration between “I Love Lucy co-stars" Lucille Ball and William Frawley. Coincidently, Frawley's character in this film shares a striking similarity with his iconic character of Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy.” In this film he plays a money-hungry curmudgeon of a landlord, much like the show. In the above photo, he appears with director Minnelli and co-star Brice. 

The horse ridden by Lucille Ball is the Lone Ranger's Silver!

Lucille Ball was actually fired by Ziegfeld from his road company production of Rio Rita in the 1930s.

In February 1956, Lucy and Desi appeared on “MGM Parade” to promote their MGM film Forever Darling. The show also included footage of Lena Horne singing from Ziegfeld Follies. 

Lucy also played a showgirl in pink in “Lucy Gets Into Pictures” (ILL S4;E19) aired on February 21, 1955. The scene was inspired by Ziegfeld’s legendary stage shows featuring beautiful women wearing elaborate costumes navigating long staircases. To solidify the comparison, Ricky says he is going to a meeting with Mr. Minnelli. Vincente Minnelli was one of the directors of Ziegfeld Follies. 

Lucy Ricardo had previously cavorted around in a lampshade in the manner of a Ziegfeld girl in both the unaired pilot and “The Audition” (S1;E6).

Ziegfeld Follies includes a sketch for Red Skelton called “When Television Comes” aka “Guzzler’s Gin” in which a (future) television spokesman gets increasingly sloshed on his product. This sketch was an obvious influence on Lucy’s Vitameatavegamin routine in “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (ILL S1;E30) aired on May 5, 1952. 

Ziegfeld Girl Eve Whitney appeared on “I Love Lucy” episode “The Charm School” (ILL S3;E15). She used her own name for the character.  

The Telegraph Boy in "A Sweepstakes Ticket" Arthur Walsh - appeared on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined” (ILL S3;E11) as Arthur ‘King Cat’ Walsh. He teaches Lucy how to jitterbug. 

The first Judge in the “Pay the Two Dollars” James Crehan also played the Police Detective on “I Love Lucy in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5) first aired on October 31, 1955.

Porky, a voice on the telephone in “Number Please” Peter Lawford, played “Password” against Lucille Ball on September 24, 1964.  At the time, Lawford was married to President Kennedy’s sister, Patricia. On November 26, 1968, Ball was a guest on “The Tonight Show” when Peter Lawford was sitting in for Johnny Carson.

Chorus Boy Bert May appeared as a solo dancer on “The Lucy Show” in “Lucy and Tennessee Ernie Ford” (TLS S5;E21) in February 1967. 

In the dressing room, Lucy jokes with Fanny Brice, one of the funniest women in showbusiness.  This was the only time Ball and Brice collaborated and was Brice’s last film. 

Ziegfeld’s follies began on Broadway, so it was appropriate that the show featured past and future Broadway musical stars:

Lucille Ball ~ Wildcat (1960)

Carol Haney ~ The Pajama Game (1954)

Tommy Rall ~ Call Me Madame (1950)

Fanny Brice ~ The Ziegfeld Follies 

Marion Bell ~ Brigadoon (1947)

Victor Moore ~ Anything Goes (1934)

There was a lot of material that was not filmed, but written and cast. Some of the original skits would have added “Lucy” performers Mickey Rooney, Ann Sothern, and Van Johnson to the cast.

[thehanwen]

Quarantine Netflix Recs

Since were all at home watching Netflix I thought I would give my fav show/movie for every letter so everyone has something new to watch. Please send me your own recommendations or make your own alphabet list and tag me! Here goes:

A: Anne with an E- This modern take on Ann of Green Gables is quirky, fun, and dramatic. It has good music, writing and is all around a good watch. It deviates from the books a bit, but keeps the spirit.

B: Broadchurch- If you like crime dramas, this is for you. With one crime spanning the complete first season it delves deep into motive and emotions. David Tennet stars in this tense British mystery. 

C: Cargo- A dystopian zombie apocalypse film set in Australia with a focus on human connection, and sacrifice. This is honestly so different than any other zombie movie I have seen in the best way. 

D: Daybreak- Sticking with the apocalypse theme, daybreak is a humorous view on what happens when a nuke kills all the adults and leaves all the teenagers. Its like if high school was the whole world, but the world had also ended. Strong characters and ‘Ferris Bueller’ esc fourth wall breaks give this show something special. 

E: The Worlds Most Extrodiary Homes- For a change of pace this mindlessly beautiful home reality show shows off architecture that could be classified as art and makes me wonder how anyone can actually live here. If you just want something with no stakes what so ever, this is the eye candy for you.

F: Frontier- A gritty, and dark period piece starring Jason Momoa as the badass outlaw working against the British in the Canadian wilderness. Half political, half survival drama this show focus on the fur trade during the 1700s as well as themes like revenge, family history and love.

I have to do two for F: Feel Good- This emotional comedy is about Mae, a gay, ex-addict comic and her previously straight girlfriend. It is real and emotional and hilarious. It’s filled with amazing characters and amazing writing and explores hard to talk about subjects, including addiction, love, coming out, and family and romanitc relationships. 

G: Godless- A refreshing addition to the western genre. An injuryed outlaw, a headstrong widow, the whole of the wild west. Gritty and dramatic, this mini series is a must watch

H: How it Ends- Another apocalypse film, can you guys see a pattern? This one is less about the event however and more about family. A young man and his future father-in-law travel across the desolate wasteland of the USA to save his fiance. 

I: I am Not Okay with This- A sci-fi coming of age story, based on a comic book, about a young girl who develops mysterious superpowers and is not okay with it. Also shes gay and in love with her best friend, its great.

J: John Mulaney- I assume everyone has already seen all of his specials, but if you haven’t go check them out! They are hilarious and relatable on a deep level. 

K: Klaus- This is my new favorite Christmas movie. Its got wit, charm, great character development and beautiful animation. It’s the first original Christmas movie that I've liked. It gives a new spin to all your favorite Christmas traditions while holding on to the essence of the Christmas spirit.

L: Let it Snow- Based of the book co-written by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle this film is a feel good romance with quicky characters that have thier lives changed forever by a snowstorm in their small hometown. Friendships and romances are formed and tested as these teens figure out how to deal with what life throws at them. 

M: Maniac: In an unlikely pair Emma Stone and Jonah Hill work amazingly well together in a drug trial that is supposed to cure all mental illness, of course not everything goes as planned. Our heroes go through multiple stages of the trial and discover their brains are miraculously linked. This series merges multiple genres into something surprisingly cohesive. 

N: National Treasure- “I’m gonna steal the declaration of Independence”

O: The OA- A psychological sci-fi thiller about a blind girl who gets kidnapped and held prisoner by a mad scientist looking for other dimensions. The friends she makes along the way mean everything, but when she gets found not only are they missing, but she can see again.

P: Princess and the Frog- A cute Disney twist of the classic fairy tale. A young woman working hard to buy her own restaurant meets a prince that has been turned into a frog by a shady magic man. But when she kisses him he doesn’t turn human, she turns frog. Together they have to figure out how to get back to being human and along the way they learn what they really need.

Q: apparently I have never watched a single thing on Netflix that starts with Q. So Queer Eye I guess. I’ve never watched it, but I've heard good things.

R: The Rain- After a deadly virus is discovered in the rain, sister and brother, Simone and Rasmus are separted from thier family and hide in a bunker for 6 years. Once they are forced to emerge they discover the world is much different than how they left it and their family wasnt all they thought it was.

S: Sense 8- This sci-fi drama focuses on 8 people from all over the world connected by some kind of psychic link. As they discover the extent of thier new abilities they also find out they aren’t the only ones and some others aren’t so friendly. This series was made with so much love and divotion and it shows throughout. The character development and backstories are rich, the writing is witty and thoughtful and the representation and focus on love above all else is so refreshing. 

T: Tallulah- This drama is dark and witty, while simultaneously being bright and uplifting. When a young drifter kidnaps a baby from a neglectful mother and pretends the baby is hers, her boyfriends mother takes them in. The story is about family and doing the right thing, even when you can’t find the right choice in the grey area.

U: The Umbrella Academy- This series based on a comic book written by Gerard Way is about superheroes with out being about superheroes. They don’t save the day. They can barely save themselves, oh and also the world. Numbered 1-7 these siblings all have their own issues and getting them to work together was the dying wish of their asshole of a father.

V: None? Anyone have any ideas?

W: The Witcher- This series, based on a video game based on a book, is about a mysterious monster hunter and the bard he meets a long the way. Somehow full of action and also full of humor this series delves deep into the history and culture of this fantasy world. 

X, Y, Z: I got nothing guys, but thanks for reading all the way down here. I hope you watch some of these shows and that you send some of your own recs to me! 

Also None of these photos or shows or anything are mine and all belong to their rightful owners

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S3 E3

Zaterdag 08:10

Perfect parallel: An upset Robbe being little spoon to Noor this episode, him being a relaxed little spoon to Sander in the last one.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Moyo has half eaten wafers cookies on his bed. Between the cellphone time and timestamp, it took Robbe five minutes to get dressed and to the beach. The beautiful angel pendant makes its first appearance.

Bonus: This cinematography trick of using a wide shot with nobody else in the sight, makes us actually feel how lonely Robbe actually is. 

°

Zaterdag 08:23

C is for culture: “Vamanos” - As you may have noticed, Flemish has a lot of words that aren’t typically Dutch. These are called ‘leenwoorden’ (= ‘borrowing words’). In some cases, the language has made the word its own, with their conjugation or sound (like barbecue - barbecuet - or e-mail - ge-e-maild), other times the expression is copied completely (like smartphone or laptop). There are various reasons as to why people don’t want to change it: globalization, wanting to be more vague/cool, general laziness, ...

Perfect parallel: 

Sander’s playful “Are you the manager?” and “That’ll be zero stars on Booking.com” to Robbe when they meet in this episode, Sander’s sheepish “Zero stars on Booking.com” and Robbe’s pointed “Where is that manager when you need him?”, when they have their fall-out in a later episode. 

Sander saying “When I booked this room, I explicitly asked for room-service” here and him actually booking a room with room-service for the both of them later on.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jens’ keyboard is lying on top of the closet. Sander grabbing his keys (to his car?).

°

Zaterdag 08:44

C is for culture: The option to use self-scanning is pretty common in Belgian supermarkets, especially in shop-and-go city stores. You pick up the scanner, scan the stuff you buy, go to a counter, pay and walk out with your groceries. A sales assistant is still present to help out with problems or do random routine checks. It’s fast, easy and cost-efficient. The downside? Shoplifting becomes a bit easier this way.

That’s character: Sander is putting up a ‘cool guy, devil may care’ facade. He jokes about not scanning everything, dismisses Amber’s list, whirls the shopping cart around and sings David Bowie to this boy. He wants to make a lasting impression on Robbe. If he’s the most charming, chaotic and adventurous version of himself, then he doesn’t have to think about other stuff like his own crumbling relationship. (Also the reason why he doesn’t answer the question about Amber: they simply met through Britt). As the boxes fall down, so does Sander’s tough exterior, as he never intended to hurt Robbe by playing around in the supermarket.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +3, he almost topples off the cart twice and drops the chocolate bars on the floor. (The crash with Sander isn’t his fault though)

Oopsie: 

Sander is wearing a leather jacket, but we don’t see it in the previous clip. Either he left it in his car or it’s an ‘oopsie’.

When Sander accidentally tosses Robbe into the boxes, we hear glass breaking. However, in the next shot, the boxes seem to empty (and they were supposed to be filled with chips, which don’t make that sound).

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Sander is wearing black Converse. They bought Jupiler beer. Robbe pulls out ‘Delhaize’ Biscuit chocolate bars and Florentin cookies.

°

Zaterdag 13:13

C is for culture: "Croques” - The word ‘croque’ is an abbreviation for ‘croque monsieur’ (= ‘crunch mister’). These are grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, a typical greasy snack at taverns, markets, carnivals, your home, ... Other versions include the ‘croque madame’ topped with a fried egg, ‘croque bolognese’ with bolognese sauce, ‘croque hawai’ with a pineapple slice.

That’s character: It’s clear that Robbe has no idea how to eat properly. All throughout the season he eats unhealthy breakfasts (choco spread with cookies), snacks (chips, cookies) and dinners (Aïki noodles, frozen lasagna). But here we see the reason: he doesn’t seem to know how to cook or work a stove. Exactly why he buys prepackaged or instant food options. So, it’s probably for the best that Zoë helps out his eating habits.

Perfect parallel:

Robbe making an unhealthy breakfast in the previous episode, Sander providing him with an unhealthy snack in this one. (The way to a man’s heart is through the stomach)

Britt’s condescending “Listening to David Bowie again?” in this episode, her calling Robbe his next obsession similar to David Bowie later on. 

Sander’s “Do you know where I can find the coffee?” to Robbe in an earlier scene and his “Was coffee on the list?” to Amber here.

Robbe’s clumsiness meter: +2, he stumbles backwards after Sander touches his shoulder and burns himself after turning the ‘croque’.

Nod to the OG: This kitchen scene is the equivalent of the ‘5 fine frøkner’ scene, as Sander sings his favorite song to Robbe and makes breakfast, whilst both flirt with each other (subtly).

Oopsie: They supposedly went to ‘Delhaize’ for all their groceries, but the ketchup bottle comes from ‘Carrefour’ and the butter from ‘Colruyt’. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Sander messes up the first words to ‘Under Pressure’ - it’s ‘pressure’ not ‘under pressure’. He mixes the weed with tobacco for his joint. The conflict on Sander’s face at the end.

°

Zondag 16:34

C is for culture: "What kind of shit question is this?” - They’re playing ‘De Slimste Mens ter wereld’ (= ‘The smartest human on earth’), a board game by the popular Flemish television show with the same name. The quiz is very challenging. People have to solve associative, general knowledge and out-of-the-box questions with multiple answers in different rounds. Points are awarded in the form of seconds, which are used during the game. The candidate with time left at the end, wins.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The group is drinking white wine out of plastic cups. Sander studied at ‘de!Kunsthumaniora’, the same school as Noor. Sander’s wearing his combat boots again.

°

Maandag 15:12

C is for culture: Aaron is wearing a bunny costume for the paintball game ‘Hunt the bunny’. This is usually played by people on a bachelor party or a corporate team building (with the groom/boss as the bunny). The goal is simple: the bunny has to cross the field from one corner to another, whilst the hunters shoot as much paintballs as possible to ‘kill’ it. Which is... rather painful, especially at close range. 

Oopsie: What they’re doing is actually illegal or even impossible. People aren’t allowed to play paintball in protected environments, like dunes. Unless they’re doing it with a specialized organization who’s trained for these games (and are present at the time of playing) or have the written permission from the ‘Agency of Nature and Forest’, the police, the city, ... There is a whole heap of permissions, administrative papers and laws to deal with. 

Lost in translation: Britt saying “Doe normaal” (= “Act normal”) has nothing to do with her dismissing Sander’s mental health. This Flemish phrase is often used to calm people down, telling them that they’re acting rather irrationally or childish. It’s an angry way of saying “Can’t you behave yourself? Calm down. What are you doing? Be rational!”. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The blue and red flags tells us that they’re going to play ‘capture the flag’. Some of the ‘pfff’ gun sounds you hear, indicate that the air pressure needs to be checked. Moyo took off his protection mask, which is dangerous and sometimes considered a foul during the game.

°

Dinsdag 20:02

C is for culture: "Do you know how to make s’mores?” - Toasting marshmallows above a campfire, isn’t really a tradition in Belgium. So that’s why the girls don’t know how to make s’mores. 

Lost in translation: ’Smoor’ is a Flemish dialect word for smoke or the act of smoking. It does sound a lot like ‘s’mores’. This is why Luca thinks Aaron wants to hold the marshmallow into the fire. 

Oop, there it is, the homophobia / heteronormativity: Of course Robbe had nothing to lose with Noor, he wasn’t actually interested in her. With Sander, however, Robbe doesn’t dare to do anything.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Aaron is drinking ‘Bock’ beer. Amber looks at Aaron like she really likes him, when he’s preparing the s’mores.

°

Woensdag 20:42

C is for culture: 

“An old german bunker” - The province of West-Flanders as well as its coast still has a lot of remnants left from WWI. From German bunkers to trench-networks, burial sites and museums, the 'Great war’ left its traces. Unsurprisingly, every year, people still find around 300 tons of (active) bombs underneath the fields.

“Around ‘All Souls’ Day’ they come back to life” - ‘All Souls’ Day’ is a christian holiday on the 2nd of November, on which the dead are commemorated. However, since that day isn’t an official holiday in Belgium, people visit the graves and honor of their loved ones on the 1st of November, ‘All Saint’s Day’. 

The group drinking ‘jenever’ shots - ‘Jenever’ (known in English as ‘Dutch gin’ or ‘genever’) is a traditional liquor in Belgium and the Netherlands. Young people usually drink these colored, high percentage spirits at Christmas markets, pre-drinks or parties when it’s cold outside. Different flavors include vanilla, chocolate, berries, lemon, apple, ...

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The wooden panel behind Jens says ‘Volg de pijlen’ (= ‘Follow the arrows’). Aaron and Amber are holding hands after their fall. Robbe downs a chocolate-cream ‘jenever’ shot at the end. 

°

Woensdag 21:53

Perfect parallel: Robbe lashing out at his friends in this episode - he feels left out and confused about his sexuality - and blames the pranks. Him doing the same in the next - he thinks his friends are hypocrites by saying homophobic comments to him yet defending the gay teacher - and blames the vlogs. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The second living room has a spinning disco light.

°

Donderdag 21:12

C is for culture:

“In dat jeugdhuis” - A ‘jeugdhuis’ (= ‘youth house’) is a meeting place, run by young volunteers. All teens and young adults are welcome to hang out, throw parties, drink at their bar, organize concerts, attend workshops - just making the space their own. 

“He sounded like a begging Romanian” - Luca is referring to Romanian Romani families, who roam around in the streets of Brussels begging for some money. These ethnic groups have a mostly negative image amongst the Europeans. Which is why she states this harsh and hurtful comparison.

Perfect parallel: Noor asking Robbe for a playlist so she can listen to his favorite songs here, Sander actually making a Bowie playlist for Robbe in the next episode.

Lost in translation: Luca is mocking the West-Flemish dialect by copying what the boy said, namely “Moe’en julder ok ‘n flyer ‘ennen?”. This dialect is known for blowing their ‘g’ and ‘h’ so that they sound similar, conjugating their 'yes’ or ‘no’, having double subjects, seemingly swallowing some letters, among other things. It’s one of the most confusing and difficult dialects for the Flemish to understand themselves.

Oopsie: When Aaron asks Amber if she needs a drink, Britt and Sander are dancing right behind him. When she answers and walks away, they’re suddenly gone, only to be seen again when Moyo walks over.

Nod to the OG/Wink to other remakes: The ‘call your girlfriend’ kiss, duh! 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Jana is wearing one white contact lens.

°

Vrijdag 08:43

Perfect parallel: 

Sander searching for coffee first thing in the morning earlier this episode and him pouring a cup before any task in this clip.

Sander’s “Maybe I’m scared that I will never find someone” here and Robbe’s multi-layered “I’m so happy that I found you” in the last episode.

Oopsie: When the boys walk to the recycling spot, the lighting changes from sunny to clouded to dark in a matter of seconds.

Funny coincidence: Sander referring to his relationship as ‘ups and downs’, probably similar to his experience with bipolarity.

Wink to other remakes: An almost kiss near trash, remind you of certain Italian boys?

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Amber delegating tasks, but doing nothing herself. Robbe smiles for a few milliseconds, because Sander touched him. The flash of panic in Robbe’s eyes afterwards.