#taylor ramos

[thefugitivesaint]

In case you didn't know dear reader, 'Every Frame A Painting' has returned with a new video essay (it's been about 8 years since Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou put a video essay together outside of some special features they crafted for The Criterion Collection [examples one & two], Filmstruck, and for the Netflix series Voir). It seems like this return is set to be a "limited series" of video essays. The series will be followed by a short film called "The Second," starring Paul Sun-Hyung Lee & Ethan Hwang (which is briefly described as being about "an alternate version of today’s world where dueling is still acceptable Philip, a man of tradition, must perform the role of “Second” on the day of his only son’s duel.") if you enjoy movies and you have an interest in video essays, then I highly suggest giving 'Every Frame' a watch. The essays are concise, insightful, and well crafted. The duo of Zhou and Ramos are often credited for establishing video essays as a "legitimate" medium on Youtube. Whether or not this claim is valid is besides the point, all I know is that their channel was one of the few channels I subscribed to and was always happy to watch. Glad to have more from them to enjoy.

[pippin-katz]

Alex & Being Bisexual 🩷💜💙

I've seen a lot of people complaining about Alex not having as big of a crisis over being bisexual as he did in the books, but I feel like a lot of people are overlooking the development he does go through.

Henry is the first guy he has felt attracted to that he actually knew prior to getting physically involved.

Alex & Miguel

Nora's asks specifically about men Alex has "been with", not men he's liked or interested him. She means physically, and he knows that too. Alex doesn't even bother with giving any context or details for his high school hook up. His description of his hook up with Miguel is straightforward, direct, and factual, because he doesn't have an emotional attachment to that moment or Miguel.

This, and his interactions with Miguel, gives the impression that they don't really know each other that well. It seems like they met during the campaign, made out in a hot tub, and now occasionally they talk at school.

They don't seem like friends, rather acquaintances after a one night stand, which is pretty much what they did. Their first conversation is mostly Miguel trying to get quotes for his journal and flirting with him rather than any kind of real discussion.

Gifs courtesy of @phakphumm from this post

Alex isn't stupid; he knows Miguel is flirting with him, however he chooses not to acknowledge it. He doesn't discourage him, but he does not encourage him either.

He avoids saying anything about it at all. His expressions after the eyelashes comment show him at a bit of a loss for how to respond. Alex seems flattered by the compliment, but doesn't seem to have any real desire to hook up again.

Everything Miguel says, he says in an attempt to get something out of him, whether it be flirting to hook up and/or get quotes for his journal.

Same thing at the state dinner; Alex isn't fully paying attention cause he's busy staring at Henry, but Miguel opens with compliments, specifically about his memo, which is definitely an attempt to flatter him. Then he starts asking direct questions about the campaign, Alex doesn't answer, and he walks away. They're not really friends.

New Territory

It's one thing to admit being somewhat attracted to the same sex, under limited, physical circumstances. Lots of people often joke about "being straight/gay but I would sleep with this person".

It's another thing to develop an attraction to a person you know of the same sex when you've never had those feelings before. It's not just physical anymore, because you know and like this person outside of that context, and the physical intimacy gains a new meaning.

Alex VS Feelings

This is a new feeling for Alex. This man practically makes out with two women he barely knows without any qualms, but when he's waiting to see Henry? His close friend who he knows and plans to kiss?

He is nervous; not just a little nervous either:

Alex is a pretty confident guy, able to host massive parties and dance without any reservations about it, unlike Henry who awkwardly bounces. He's a fantastic public speaker. Excluding the wedding, which were extreme circumstances, he's able to navigate a room comfortably. We know from the closet conversation that he used to get scared, but it's clear based on his campaign efforts, the DNC speech, and so on that he's grown into his role and can play it well.

Here, Alex can't sit still. He doesn't know how to stand. He's shifting around, almost pacing. He visibly tries to muster up the confidence we know he has, but can't. He's trying to pose, or look confident, and almost gets there, but the second the door opens, he panics and just stands there.

"But that's just cause he really likes Henry!"

Yes, exactly; Henry is his first step towards fully realizing his identity.

Once the tension is broken, Alex is confident again and doesn't hesitate anymore. He may not be completely sure of his identity, but he is completely sure that he wants Henry. Those thoughts take priority when he kisses him. He knows physical intimacy. He knows how to kiss with someone regardless of who they are. He has been with a couple men, and is a man himself, so he knows what feels good. His confidence stays intact during their exchange when they get to his bedroom.

There are very small moments where you can see his nerves poke through.

When Henry pushes Alex over the couch, not only is it surprising to him, it also disconnects them for a few seconds. He has a chance to look at Henry while they're not touching or kissing, no direct distraction.

When Henry starts undoing his pants, he looks up, inhales quickly, blinks a couple times, and swallows; it's almost like he's thinking "okay this is actually happening now". Again, no direct distraction, as Henry isn't doing anything yet, and Alex isn't touching or kissing him.

Both moments go by fast though because he's focused on what he knows, the physical part. He knows he wants Henry physically, so he can focus on that, and deal with the other feelings later.

Alex is aware that he has feelings toward Henry that are new to him. He doesn't know what they mean, and it's nothing even close to what he feels later in Paris and at the lake house, but they're starting to form. He's the one who suggests that he and Henry see each other again, and you would have to be blind not to see the brief disappointment on his face when Henry says it has to be very casual. It's also important to note that this is right after Alex comes out.

The Bisexual Label

While his feelings make Alex nervous, Henry is still his friend and he feels comfortable around him. He's the first person he comes out to; he was unable to say anything definitive about his identity during his conversation with Nora, despite her best efforts to help him.

Henry is the first person he tells and he distinctly shows uncertainty when he first uses the bisexual label:

He's serious about it; not overly serious, but he's coming out very formally. He's nervous, even though he's telling Henry, who he literally hooked up with five minutes ago. Henry already knows he's attracted to men. Alex is not nervous about that; it is clearly the label that he's uncertain about.

Confidence

A lot of people get taken by surprise when they start questioning their identity because they had simply never thought about it before.

The uncertainty Alex has about his identity was initiated by his feelings for Henry. Alex clearly never considered the idea of being in an actual relationship with a man. Without Henry, he may have never figured out that he was fully bisexual. He may have continued fooling around occasionally with guys, never giving serious thought to the other possibilities, unless/until he met someone like Henry who basically smacks him in the face with a mirror.

Being with Henry makes him truly think about himself, and come to the conclusion that he's bisexual. Seeing/dating Henry also makes him more comfortable and confident in his identity over time.

While Alex hadn't acknowledged Miguel's advances before, after he sleeps with Henry, he actively calls him out on it and refuses without hesitation as soon as Miguel puts the suggestion out there. Miguel even says "Well, I don't anymore", confirming that had been his intention in earlier scenes.

He had been trying to hook up with him again, and because Alex never addressed it, Miguel thought that it was possible. Alex may not have addressed his comments, but Miguel could see for himself that they had a positive reaction; he felt flattered and bashful. That response coupled with the fact that Alex did not outright tell him to stop was enough reason for Miguel to think it could happen again.

Also, Alex told Nora that he got the feeling Miguel wanted to hook up again, but that he was a journalist, which does not say he wouldn't be down. He never says he wouldn't want to; instead he expresses his apprehension to the idea due to his job. So for all intents and purposes, before Henry came along, Miguel was correct to think it was a possibility.

This seems to be the first time Alex has ever actually addressed their tension, and it occurs after he starts seeing Henry and using the bisexual label.

Owning The Bi Label

Then Zahra finds him and Henry the next morning. She is kind enough not to tell Ellen immediately, because even if she won't admit it, she does care about Alex a lot and recognizes the importance of something like this. However, she makes it very clear that he needs to tell her ASAP or she will.

When he comes out to his mom, he is significantly more sure of himself when he uses the bisexual label. He laughs and uses the shorten term "bi" which is a small detail but indicates his confidence, compared to how he cautiously said "bisexual" when coming out to Henry. He's not at all nervous to use the term, and says it grinning.

This is also indicative of his confidence in his label because Alex doesn't lead with his sexuality. He leads with meeting someone, and clarifying that it's a man, and that it's Henry. So once they're on the couch talking, Ellen is also already aware that he is attracted to men, but this time, he's prompted about his label and he shows zero nerves about using the term "bi".

Queer Identity

By the end of the movie, Alex is able to publicly refer to himself as having a queer identity. Obviously, he was outed against his will, but he is still able to stand up and acknowledge who he is without nerves about it. He has been with Henry for a year, and he knows who he is, and he’s not ashamed of it. As he says, the leaks were an issue of privacy, not shame. Alex is not afraid to say who he is, and he is queer, he is bisexual. He’s a different person than he was before Henry. He’s learned about himself because of him.

Does he have a complete, computer-error-noise breakdown over it? No, he doesn’t, but he does not immediately start waving a bi flag around either.

Okay, that’s all! This took so freaking long to put together, but I hope it helps people understand how his bisexuality is addressed in the movie. Just because he has a different journey than he did in the book does not mean he did not have a journey at all, and I hope this allows people to see it more clearly!

Thanks for reading!! If you enjoyed this essay & would like to support me, you can give me a tip on my Ko-Fi! ☺️

[lovinglampcalzonepalace]

RWRB Incorrect Quotes

[meraki-yao]

Question: Do we want Miguel in the sequel or is that done?

Like, logically speaking, he would be investigated and persecuted for stealing data from the presidential server or something right? So that should keep him behind bars? (guys I have no idea how the American criminal/justice system actually works)

Plus at least I think it'd be better to focus on the emotional and social aspects of the outing and just quickly tie up the ends when it comes to the technical aspect so we can focus on the new conflict

But at the same time: One: when Matthew was gathering the rwrb cast like Pokemons, Juan (Miguel's actor) was one of them; Two, I have seen fics where Henry and/or Alex confront and threaten Miguel, very badass doing so, and that might make a interesting scene

So... what do we think?

[cruwuisal]

RAMESSI NATION PLS BE MUTUAL WITH ME HERE OR ON TWT I NEED MORE OF THEM 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[jamiehe4rtsmen]

my dark-haired celeb crushes <3

shown (in order): josh hutcheron (as mike schmidt), jschlatt, aaron taylor-johnson (as john lennon), anthony ramos

p.s.:

chat what type of man is this called ?? (and how do i get one lol)

[circle-with-me]

I'm in a silly goofy mood today so here's a list of men, in no particular order, that I want to scream in my face. I don't care what it's about. Just scream at me, king.

This is not a comprehensive list and may turn into multiple parts if people care enough idk. Stay tuned I guess?

[liverpool-enjoyer]

footballers when they sing

another LOVELY request by the EQUALLY LOVELY lynn!!! thank you sm for requesting <3 @liverpoolfanfiction

leo: his voice is solid enough, sounds pretty much the same as his speaking voice. wouldnt sing with a gun to his head tho. the closest anyone will get to hearing him sing is happy birthday at someones party. except for ney, who gets a lil lullaby in spanish when he rests his head on leos shoulder <3

ney: well we all know what his voice is like. ney is confident when he sings n does not care whos listening. likes pop songs n probably top forty hits when hes cooking or doing stuff around the house.

alisson: oh he has the prettiest voice!!! AND he can play the guitar so sometimes when the teams hanging out he'll do a lil something something. he tends to be pretty shy but his teammates always tell him how much they love his singing.

trent: fuckin SCREAM SINGS youll never walk alone on the bus after every away game win. most of the others join in n they keep going until milly yells at them to stfu so he can sleep.

luka: his catalogue consists of 1970s/80s yugoslavian hits he grew up hearing that no ones ever heard of. usually can only be heard singing after a big win when hes a couple drinks in, so his voice is,,, not perfect. sergio always records him on his phone tho hehehe.

christian: sings LOUDLY. is also a die hard swiftie n BLASTS her albums on the bus. everyone accepts that theres no use arguing with him, or else theyll be accused of being "like jake gyllenhaal but also worse."

lewy: okokok. sometimes he'll loudly sing top forty pop hits JUST to see the younger players CRINGE. like he purposely sings horribly off key n pitchy. he thinks its hilarious. gavi n pedri do not.

luis: will avoid singing at ALL COSTS. doesnt even sing happy birthday. he'll jus mouth the words so no one gets suspicious.

erling: honestly his voice isnt that good but he rlly likes singing!! so he always sings along when a song he likes comes on in the car, n kevin jus death glares anyone who looks like theyre abt to comment on his subpar voice. erling has yet to notice this.

klopp: its a well known fact amongst his players that if you sit next to him on the bus after an away game n rest your head on his shoulder or lap, he'll sing or hum some old german lullaby in that lovely deep voice of his n youll get the best sleep of your LIFE. seriously. its like crack.

[nazali]

roster of my detectives from @seraphinitegames' wayhaven chronicles!

template cred.

[scintillulae]

[chiegetseven]

Every Frame a Painting - Vancouver Never Plays Itself

[pippin-katz]

(about the alex-miguel potential hooking up more often topic)

i feel like if miguel wasn't a journalist, but alex and miguel still had met under different circumstances, then probably miguel would not have pursued alex, because miguel would not have chosen alex as a "target"... because he might have a different job but still the same personality

in the movie it very much seems like even the one time they hooked up, it was probabaly miguel going after alex bc of him being potentially the future fsotus, so miguel wanted to get connected/extreme-networking... (maybe even blackmail material) and then alex was like yeah he's kinda hot so whatever let's go

so i think kinda if miguel wasn't a journalist, then alex would not have even had the option to hook up with miguel, cause miguel would not have pursued alex in the first place

Lmfao I know you're being logical and detective-like about this, but I cannot help but laugh at the idea that anyone with an attraction to men would ever pass up the opportunity to hook up with a man that looks like Alex/Taylor does. 😭😂

ANYWAY

I stand by the fact that Miguel did like Alex on top of the political stuff. Not saying that he was in love with him or even wanted anything serious or frequent with him, but he did genuinely like Alex as a person, prior to the email leaks.

I also stand my ground on the stance that claiming Miguel was entirely false and completely manipulative the entire time is indirectly an insult to Alex's intelligence and perception levels. This man is in law school, and works in goddamn politics. He knows how to read people. There's not a chance in hell that the Miguel we see in the movie would be able to fool him if he was being ingenuine the entire time.

Hope that kinda makes sense? Idk if you actually actually asked me anything, or if we're just sharing our thoughts lol

[glennethph]

Taylor Swift’s Love Story being the soundtrack to Richie’s episode is hilarious & genius. A love song that chronicles him falling in love with the restaurant business and finding his purpose in life.

[lovinglampcalzonepalace]

RWRB Incorrect Quotes