#there’s that famous etho gem thing

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

there’s something about the life series and laughing.

when etho’s fighting and he’s losing, he laughs. the slow, easy chuckle of a man who knows he’s already dead, with the reassurance that only the moments that precede inevitable death can bring. there’s nothing to lose but your life, and you’ve already lost that.

when gem’s fighting and she’s winning, she laughs. the cheerfully sinister giggle of a warrior whose moves grow sharper and victory grows surer. there’s something about being so confident that you laugh, that terrifies the opponent and rightfully does.

when grian’s fighting, he laughs. whether he’s winning or not, it doesn’t really matter to his slightly crazed, mischievous titters. to him, in the end, it’s all the same anyway. someone’s going to die, and it would be great if it wasn’t him, but incredibly funny if it was.

they fight, and they laugh, because their feelings are only pure when the soul is balancing on the brink between life and death.

[red-velvet-0w0]

life series curses

another thing I find so interesting about the life series is the idea that every character in the games are cursed in some way. I know there are the obvious ones, canary curse, black widow curse, etc, but I feel like the idea of the watchers locking them in the games with their own curses to be so interesting. It really adds to the feel that a) they are all extremely unique characters with their own things going on and b) they are all in their own way doomed by the narrative as I really like thinking about the fact that the life series is inherantly a tragedy.

as for what curses I think everybody has, the obvious/well known canonical ones are of course:

Jimmy - Canary curse: probably the most famous curse in the life series, Jimmy is cursed to always be the first to die

Grian - Black Widow curse: grian always ends up betraying his teamates or being the cause of their deaths (killed scar in TL, jimmy & mumbo in LL, Scar again in DL, Jimmy in LimL)

Mumbo - Miners curse: always is the next to die after the canary, within a minute of jimmys death.

Scott: Sacrifice Blessing - only one to not exactly be a curse, his teamates will always make it top 3 but he will sacrifice his lives to do so.

Skizzleman: Bad Angel - always tries to help his friends but has legendarily bad luck and loses a lot of lives

Tango: Ash Curse - will always die by himself in a pathetic and underwhelming way (I call it the ash curse because I like the idea of him not dying in a blaze of glory but instead burning out, leaving nothing but a small pile of ashes)

Joel: Insanity Curse/Red Fever - will always end the series by going insane and trying to kill everybody

And then there are the curses I dont think Ive heard many people talk about:

Scar: Villain curse - Scar is cursed to always become enemies with almost everybody, usualy being isolated in a small corner of the map by himself

Cleo: Retribution Curse - will be betrayed by a teamate leading to them swearing vengeance and lashing out in anger (BigB, Martyn)

Ren: Last Stand Curse - dies alone in his own home trying to defend it

Etho: Loyalty Curse - will make a teamate at the very begining and stick with them the whole way through, though in the end his loyalty to them will lead to his death

Martyn: Betrayal Curse - will always plan or attempt to kill his teamate

Bdubs: Wierdly enough also the Betrayal Curse. just the exact same curse Martyn has. I dont know what this means

BigB: Isolation Curse - will always end up living on his own or seperate from the rest of the server

Pearl: Duel Curse: always dies (or wins) in an orginazed duel or battle, usualy including or orginized by Scott

Gem: hasnt been in the series long enough to have a recognizable curse, though she does have the boogeyman curse from secret life.

Lizzie: Failed Avenger Curse: when turning red will try to take revenge on the people who she believed wronged her, but will fail misserably and die trying

[alienssstufff]

the night compel me to draw gemcyt! divorceduo so i did

Bdubs and Etho designs byyy @//chrisrin Snow Quartz design be meeee :3

Stuffs I made up:

-Because of the whole semi-unstable thing, Snow Quartz's voice would sounds like both Etho and Bdubs' voices separately overlapped. Sometimes one voice is stronger than the other depending on how passionate that gem is about [topic]

-Etho (cuz he falls into the quartz category) is renowned for his fighting abilities he's very respected. He is however classified as a rebel as the guy straight up disappeared one day. Centuries later turns out he ran away to pursue his true interest in technological advancements and is famous amongst the rebels for that too.

-Bdubs used to pilot ships. He had a whole crew before they crash landed (same planet Etho had been hiding at) and essentially sent on suicide mission by a higher up. In the delusions that his superiors would one day come back for them, Bdubs made a knack for building in the meantime.

-By some miracle someone out there does respond to their cries for help, but the number to take gems back is limited causing everyone to turn on eachother and Etho also ends up in the mess too.

-.... This was basically an excuse to put the plot of Bdubs' Survival of the Fittest competition so it happens the same way. And their first impressions of each other is through Bdubs nearly shattering Etho forcing him into a truce for escape (like canon their alliance is short-lived they die/are captured) and both of them are bubbled (Etho bc he's wanted, Bdubs bc he's now an accomplice)

-Etho manages to escape wherever they've been containing him and Bdubs goes back to his job as a pilot. Their interactions for many centuries consists of coincidental cat and mouse between them (neither of them win)

-I don't know why I wrote all that um...

[teddybearsandspaceships]

Again, way too detailed notes about a Cleo stream (15.3.2024) because it was great and I want to remember. (Please Cleo upload your VODs again please.) Featuring an Ancient City, Hermit scariness ratings, a new Emerald Daddy, and Life series reminiscing with the Clockers.

Plan for today: Ancient City raiding!, to get books

She´s definitely going alone because Ancient City raiding on her own is terrifying but you know what else is terrifying? The other people on the server.

The only person on the server Cleo is afraid of is False. Not Gem, Gem´s a kitten. False could take Cleo in a fight and kill her dead, but more importantly False can scare Cleo because she´s quite sinister. 5am Pearl is kinda cute. “can kill you, probably won´t,” if you entertain her. Cub isn´t scary either, the only thing to be scared of with Cub is the grind. Doc is 95% bark.

(In hindsight, finding a Swift Sneak II book so early is a tease knowing that it´ll be the only one.)

Chat is way more scared of the Ancient City than Cleo is. Worst that can happen, you summon a warden, you die, and your gear despawns, so what. Cleo thinks people are trying to freak her out and scare her into making mistakes.

This stream was right after or during Mumbo´s video on Hermits´ weird playing habits came out so there were plenty of questions about Cleo´s set-up. Cleo defends their choices, also they have a desk now.

Hypno drops by to show off his new armor and announce a raid. Cleo calls Cub her Emerald Daddy because he supplies her with emeralds.

Hypno drops off a shulker full of emerald blocks for Cleo, for free. Cleo then tells him he gets free books now. Hypno is astonished and delighted, and asks for a written voucher. Cleo writes him one and calls him Emerald Daddy too. Cleo: “Double Emerald Daddy, I´m good.”

Cleo won´t tell her fellow Hermits that they´re great to their faces because it would ruin her tough guy image.

Fun in chat: Etho sleeps. Bdubs: “sorry dad” Etho: “son I am at your place to give you a scolding” Bdubs: “be right up” – Cleo is sorry she saw that

Cleo discovers Joel´s glow ink shop and the glow squid Joel built from candles and is delighted. Joel is now her absolute favorite person. Armor stand buddies!

Taking advantage of the fact that all words are made up, Cleo makes a few more hoppadingdongs

Bdubs demands quiet because he and Etho are about to record one of their famous Bdubs-and-Etho clips. Cleo says they should get in a group. Etho: “Mum is so bossy, right Bdubs?” Bdubs: “She´s so bossy.” Cleo: […] *hits him* “Don´t talk to me that way.” Bdubs: “I´m sorry.” Cleo: “You will be.” Bdubs: “I´m sorry. That was a no-no, I´m sorry.” Etho: “Never talk back to your mummy.” Bdubs: “No, never.” Cleo: “Yeah, you two role-playing this thing again, it´s weird.” Etho, laughing: “You´re done with it, aren´t you, Cleo.” Cleo, also laughing: “I´m done with it. I was kind of done with it when it started, to be honest.” Bubs: “That shows your level of commitment.” Etho: “I feel like we move on from it and then Scar brings it up once in a while, and then Bdubs…” Cleo: “Me and Etho are kind of over it, so…” Bdubs: “Really? I saw Joel today and I thought, this is my uncle.” Etho: “Baby-sitter, right?” Cleo: “Cousin.”

Cleo offers to mute again but Bdubs asks her not to, having her there is great. Like audience chatter.

Bdubs shows Etho and Cleo his scaffolding challenge as his shop advertisement. Etho: “He´s so clever.” Cleo: “He is, he´s a genius. That´s our special boy.”

Bdubs starts his spiel: “You think you´re so cool…” Etho: “I thought I was…”

Bdubs wins the first game because Etho has trouble ringing the bell. And the second one. Cleo soon realizes that it´s easy to make Bdubs lose by sabotaging the scaffolding. Bdubs swears Etho and Cleo to secrecy about this easily exploitable weakness.

Cleo keeps talking about how wealthy they are. Very profitable shop, after all! (…true but I saw Cub´s stacks of diamond blocks the next day. Fear the grind.) Cleo bankrolled Etho already.

After a conversation about pricing Etho tells Cleo they have to teach Bdubs about peer pressure. Then remembers that “she doesn´t like it when we do that, we gotta stop.” Cleo says it´s fine. (Yay boundaries.)

Cleo asks Bdubs for a horse. Bdubs accuses Keralis of fraud (secretly swapping the horses people bought from him if they don´t buy the extended warranty.) Cleo asks if Keralis is gingering his horses. They talk about the meanings of the word, and why ginger is also used for red-heads. Etho: “Is it ´cause gingers are spicy?” Moment of silence. Cleo: “…sure?” Bdubs: “Yeah…” Etho: “I think we nailed it.”

Some talk abut spelling variations. “You can just say you don´t know how to spell, Etho, it´s fine.” And then talk about British dialects, how they drop the “t” in the middle of words (or phrases). Etho and Bdubs try to imitate it, badly. They don´t seem to understand what “in the middle of a word” means.

Shopping district talk, and some reminiscing about Shade-E-E´s. Cleo steered clear because she didn´t know Etho very well back then. Etho has a different glass prank in mind for this season. Etho and Bdubs also remember an end rod exchange thing they did, they neither remember what started it or how it ended. 

Cleo: “I feel like you´re not spiteful enough, Etho.” He lets too much go. Bdubs protests that Etho lets it go with him, because they have a history – Etho: that´s right – but to anybody else Etho is very spiteful. Cleo: He´s never been particularly spiteful to me, “and I deserve it.” Bdubs, dismissive: nah. Etho: “Well, to be fair, Cleo *builds up a dirt wall like he did between them in Third Life* I am kinda scared of you.” Both crack up. “You´re not necessarily who I wanna be poking.”

Cleo clarifies that the reason why False is the only one who scares her is because False is very quick on the insults. Cleo can be fast, but False can be faster. Bdubs: “Now I´m scared.”

Etho tells Bdubs the story of why he´s scared of Cleo: “I always viewed Cleo as, like, sweet, innocent, you know, quiet…” Cleo cracking up. It was because Cleo stole Pizza, for no reason. “She was laughing the whole time, like a crazy psycho.” Cleo: “It´s a llama.”  “I just thought it was interesting, I had a complete shift of what I thought of you at that moment.” Bdubs: “Yeah, she can do anything.” Bdubs was also shocked at that moment. They hadn´t talked about it, Bdubs just supported her in her plan to cause trouble. Stealing Pizza was more of a crime of opportunity because Scar didn´t want to talk to her and left Pizza there. “Bold move.” “It´s just Scar.” Etho reminds everyone that the Life series was fresh at that point, they know now that this sort of thing happens but they didn´t then. Cleo didn´t know most of the people in the series very well so she went full-on chaos gremlin. She blames Bdubs.

Etho repeats that that´s when his perspective on Cleo shifted. “And it never shifted back. Like, the more stuff she did, it just got further in that way.” Cleo can understand that: she got worse, as time went on, chaos-gremlin-wise. Etho: now we´re in season ten of Hermitcraft, she´s stealing villagers… Cleo points out that it wasn´t her idea, but admits that she fully embraced it. Etho isn´t sure he would have, Bdubs says he wouldn´t have. Cleo: “What´s Doc going to do to me.” Bdubs: “Uh, have you seen the sand dial?” Cleo: “Have you seen what´s inside it?” Bdubs, clearly grinning: “Oh, yes, yes.”

Scar is online and Bdubs invited him over to find out if he was actually upset about Cleo stealing Pizza. Scar arrives on his horse, but stays away a few blocks. Etho walks up to him: “You may approach, Scar.” Scar ender-pearls up to them. Bdubs asks how mad he was at Cleo over Pizza, Scar claims he was looking up tickets to the UK to seek his revenge. “Pizza meant more than I can express.” Does a whole sad monologue. Cleo and Etho think it was funny, Scar demands they take it back. Worse, and what also really threw Etho, when Scar asked Cleo to her face if she stole Pizza she denied it.

Cleo: “Yeah, but I´ve had my punishment now, ´cause now I´m your mother forever.” Scar just realized: “The family! What a wonderful moment.” Etho: “Out shopping together.”

Scar has to wait for Skizz to enforce rules in the shopping district, but Skizz is off on the high seas. Scar: “What if the boat went down.” “What the hell, Scar!” “That´d be awful!” Scar imagines it as, you float for a while, maybe see a shark, then get rescued in a helicopter. Cleo: you might see someone else die, while you survive ´cause you´re the main character. Scar asks after a Titanic character and is surprised Etho immediately knows her name because Etho is usually bad with movie references.

Cleo: “I would never do anything to you guys, you´re my family.” Bdubs: That´s sweet.” Scar: “That was sinister.” Etho: “Trolls us.” Cleo: “Correct.”

Scar got a tip to keep a horse from wandering off inside a circle of berries from an e-mail. Only the best things come from e-mails.

Bdubs tries to prove scaffolding superiority to Scar. Etho and Cleo support the pitch. Scar is disappointed by mom and dad. Etho and Scar agree to give it a try sometimes. Bdubs says Tango puts redstone on scaffolding sometimes, Etho is horrified. Etho shows them that you can use scaffolding to clutch a fall. Scar tries it because it would also work on leaves – unfortunately Etho forgot to tell him that you need to crouch and he dies. He´s not going to be happy, but ultimately it was clearly his own fault. It´ll take him a while to come back, Bdubs feels like he should go get him but Etho and Cleo need to leave.

[yashvitours]

Unwind and discover: Revealing the charm of Goa’s magical tapestry

Goa, a name that brings to one’s mind reminiscences of picturesque seashores, boisterous nocturnal activities, and serene calm, attracts explorers with its distinct combination of Portuguese lineage and Indian ethos. Set on the western shores of India, this place unravels like an enchanting tale, out of which there’s always something fascinating for different kinds of people such as historians, deed catchers, naturalists, or mere pleasure lovers. Immerse yourself in this captivating state with our expertly curated Goa tour package.

There are so many things you can do in Goa, from visiting old churches which have existed for centuries and forts to parasailing over blue seas you have never seen before. This entrancing state has even more things that it displays when further inspected: noiseless yoga retreat centers among them, besides waterfalls plunging noiselessly one after another breaking the silence of the forest or else bustling flea markets selling embroidered clothes as well as souvenirs made from seashells all under this particular geographical area we associate with Goa.

North Goa’s Buzzing Shores:

The contagious enthusiasm pulls in Goa is in its Northern part bringing together revelers and ardent worshippers of the sun, who see beaches as colorful places bustling with different activities and adventure sport vendors offering hair raising water rides while the others invite visitors to relax by the sea.

Baga Beach: A noted attraction, on Baga Beach stands the profusion of colorful shacks, pulsing music, and a plethora of water sports. Try out parasailing or banana boat for a thrilling experience, jet skiing.

Calangute Beach: Calangute Beach is full of creatures, especially water sports lovers. Look around the busy Saturday Night Market for some souvenirs after an adventurous day.

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The northern region of Goa offers more than beautiful beaches. Here are some hidden gems:I would like to introduce myself as a candidate for this project & your positive consideration will be appreciated.

Arpora Saturday Night Market: Immerse yourself in the colorfully buzzing Arpora Saturday Night Market which is filled with live music, food stalls, and handcrafted items.

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Colva Beach: Shaded by swaying palm trees, Colva Beach provides a peaceful break. You can either have a relaxed stroll along the golden sands or opt for a romantic sunset cruise.

Palolem Beach: The palolem beach is an area where you can relax being sheltered in the form of a horseshoe. There are various colorful beach huts scattered around and lazy cafes. This makes it great for reading a nice book and releasing stress.

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Se Cathedral: The Se Cathedral is a real masterpiece of Portuguese architecture, it’s the tallest church in Goa standing upright

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Arvalem Waterfalls: Hidden among rich greenery, a visit to Arvalem Waterfalls would indeed be a moment of escape from your busy life. You can hike along scenic routes and bathe in refreshing waters early in the morning.

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Goa offers a diverse range of experiences, making it the perfect destination for a quick getaway or a longer exploration. Here are some tips to plan your dream Goan adventure:

Choosing the Right Time: The best time to visit Goa depends on your preferences. The peak season (November to February) offers pleasant weather and vibrant nightlife, while the monsoon season (June to September) boasts lush greenery and fewer crowds.

Getting There and Around: Goa Dabolim Airport connected to major Indian cities. Taxis, rickshaws, and motorbikes are readily available for exploring the state.

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[darkleweather]

ETHO VS EVIL part 18

Etho scrambles up and to the door. Iskall has rolled back onto his side, and he’s doubled over, coughing.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Doc says. “Take it easy, Iskall.” He looks up. “Ren, can you get a glass of water?”

“On it, dude.”

Iskall manages to half sit up and get his breathing under control, but when Ren squeezes past Etho with a glass of water, Iskall gratefully takes it and downs half of it. He takes a minute to sit and breathe, then he gives Etho a sideways glance.

“Hallo.”

Etho feels as though a physical weight has lifted off his shoulders. He grins back. “How’re ya feelin’?”

“I have the worst killer headache ever.” Iskall grins wryly. “Still feels like I’m not quite here. What happened? I remember EX storming into the base, but it gets blurry after that.”

Etho grins crookedly. “Well, for starters, I saved you.”

“My hero. My knight in shining armor,” Iskall says sarcastically. He holds up a hand and wiggles his fingers. “Eugh, everything hurts.”

Doc presses on his shoulder. “Lay back down and go back to sleep. It’ll be the best thing for you right now. Give your body time to resettle all the code EX and I messed with today.”

Iskall settles back onto the pillows and gives him a thumbs up. “You’re the doc.”

“There’s a famous science fiction movie quote I could say here, but I don’t think I need to,” Doc says.

Etho moves out of the doorway, giving Doc room to get out of the room and close the door behind them. Ren motions towards the front door of the RV, and they all troop outside, Doc grabbing a couple of full mugs of coffee on his way out.

Etho grips his coffee tightly and inhales the scent of the steam wafting upward. It’s almost night--the beach is washed with an orange glow from the setting sun. It’s so peaceful, after the last week, it almost doesn’t feel real. Ren grabs a stack of chairs sitting beside the camper and drags them to the firepit. Etho follows and sits down.

“So. We have a game plan?” Ren asks, using his flint and steel to light the campfire.

Doc settles into his own chair and kicks his feet up on the edge of the firepit, rocking his chair back on two legs. “Etho, is EX going after any other hermits?”

“He mentioned Iskall and the ‘newbies’ specifically, but, like I said...I think I scared him off any schemes for a while.”

Ren’s ears are still pinned back. “Yeah, but for how long?”

Etho shrugs.

“So. We wait. We listen. We watch.” Doc taps the metal plate below his cybernetic eye. “We make sure Gem and Pearl and everyone else are okay. And we prepare. Make sure we’re ready to act as soon as we figure out his scheme.”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Ren mutters.

Etho sips from his coffee again. He knows Doc is right. They have no way of knowing how to counteract a plan they know nothing about. And with EX controlling Xisuma...there was the added risk of Xisuma’s admin status. They would have to go about this very, very carefully.

Doc passes Ren a mug, then holds up his own. “I predict this stuff right here is gonna be the most valuable thing on the server before this is over.”

Ren laughs, throwing his head back, and Etho grins. It feels good. They need that moment to reduce the tension buzzing in the air. It will come back, he knows--but for now, knowing he has friends to help him, this feels doable.

They can watch, they can wait...and they can strike when the time is right.

***

PART 1

[prismadog]

I decided to finish the Making a Nest a Home fic all in one go [not like it was very hard considering it's not that great, but oh well, it wasn't meant to be a masterpiece to begin with]

There's technically speaking, two chapters - one an actual chapter and the other more of an extra scene. I'll put them both here in one post.

ao3 link -> Making a Nest a Home chapter 4 [the extra scene is uploaded as a chapter 5]

-------------

Gifts Given

They stood side by side in front of the nest, blocking it from view as best as they could, and they waited for their friend to show up. It took him a few minutes, he was underground afterall, but he finally stepped through the doors of the Barrel Beast.

The Tegg, his most prized possession, was in an egg sling. 

“All right, what’s going on, guys?” he asks, looking at them with slightly narrowed eyes. He still looks tired, maybe more so than a week ago when they swore to make him a nest that wouldn’t fall apart.

“Well, we made you a promise, didn’t we?” Pearl asks.

“Did you?”

“Yeah, mate, remember last week?” Mumbo asks, fidgeting where he stands. Impulse places a hand on his elbow to keep him steady and from wandering too far and giving away their gift.

Grian just looks confused. “No?”

“Oh sure you do, Grian!” Scar exclaims. “You were all moody and broody and sad over not being able to make a proper nest -” the avian frowns at the unintended slight “- and we took that as a challenge to make one that wouldn’t fall apart.”

“And we did it, Grian!” Impulse says. “We made you a nest!”

They all move aside to reveal the nest they made - Pearl and Scar both stretch out their hands in a dramatic reveal kind of way.

Grian’s dark eyes glance over the thing in the center of the room - they had to mess up the floor a bit in order to put a raised platform there for the nest to sit on - then he walks over. He moves around it, reaches out a hand to touch a couple of the items.

He’s very quiet as he examines their work.

“The base is made of obsidian,” Pearl says.

“And Mumbo and I made a machine that’ll regulate the temperature for you -” Impulse starts.

“Or you could adjust it yourself,” Mumbo finishes the sentence.

“And Jellie and I worked hard to make you the finest bedding that our famous Swaggon technology could create!” Scar says.

Impulse notices Grian picking up one of his i-shirts. “We also lined it with some of our own belongings to make it more comfy.”

“And we asked the other hermits to lend you something too,” Pearl tells him. “There’s a birch deer carving from Gem, a pink sweater from Stress, a pair of goggles from Stress and some feathers from her eagle, then Jevin gave you a bouquet of orchids, and then there’s a headband from Etho and Iskall gave you one of his green shirts.”

“TFC gave me an option of carvings he made and I thought you’d like the deepslate parrot and the diamond ore dragon the most,” Impulse says. “The old labcoat there is from Cub, the stuffed lizard toy is from Beef, the stuffed chicken with the cool sunglasses is from Ren, then Doc literally gave up the lab coat off his back, and Wels gave you his cloak.”

All while they talk, Grian is quietly looking at each item they point out. He could probably figure out what item belongs to what hermit on his own, but they tell him anyway to fill the silence. He runs a hand over a moss cloak.

That’s Scar’s cue to start talking. “I visited the boys at Big Eye Bay and the X brothers,” he says. “Bdubs was kind enough to give you one of his comfiest moss cloaks, then bush-boy gave you one of his favorite azalea bushes, Tango gave me a whole pile of Big Eye sunglasses and Fifi - lemme tell ya, not as mean as he looks - gave you what I hope is an animal bone from his collection - it’s the thought that counts, right? Then the X boys both gave up one of their helmets.

“By the way, I’m not supposed to tell you this,” Scar lowers his voice, “but Evil X was very touched that we’d want something from him too. He got all emotional behind his helmet and it was very cute.”

“I uh, I visited a few hermits too,” Mumbo says, playing with his sleeves. “I went to Joe and Cleo first and they both gave you books, uh, Joe gave you one of his favorite poetry books and Cleo the uh, the armor stand statues book thing. Then I went to Horse Head farms and Hypno gave you one of his bandanas - he had so many in his pockets - and XB gave you a horse head - uh, stuffed horse head, I mean. I went to Zedaph last and uh, he gave you a stuffed sheep toy.”

Silence fills the room again and it stretches on for a long, long time, as Grian looks over and carefully touches each item.

“So…” Pearl says slowly after several minutes. 

But before she can say anything more, their friend looks up at the four of them. His wings start shaking and tears fill his eyes. “G-uuuys…” that single word is wobbly and his voice cracks. 

The tears fall.

“Oh, Grian!” Pearl rushes to his side.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Impulse is on his other side, a large hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, oh, is it that bad?” Mumbo asks as him and Scar crowd the avian as well.

“Grian, it’s okay,” Scar says.

“Guuuys,” Grian sniffles as more tears fall. He tries to wipe them away with the ends of his sleeves but his efforts are in vain. “Guuuys, this is t-too much.”

They look at each other briefly then Impulse wraps an arm around the short hermit. Pearl does too, then Scar and Mumbo join in. They might even shed a few tears of their own.

The Boatem Crew stands there huddled together for quite some time, just cuddling. Later on, they’ll go back to their own bases and let Grian settle in his nest at his own pace, but right now, they just want to cuddle.

-------------

Grian's Nest

As the sun inches closer to the horizon, most of Boatem leaves the Barrel Beast to return to their own bases. Pearl and Impulse offer to restock the G-Train for him and they refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer - he gives them the shulkers and watches them leave.

Then he’s all alone. Just him and his dragon egg. Standing in front of the nest that his friends worked so hard to make for him.

“They’re so amazing,” he says quietly, hand running over the covered edge. “To think they went through all this trouble for me,” he glances down at the Tegg, “For us.”

He can feel the love radiating off the nest, from the obsidian base to the temperature device to the bedding, and to each and every special item from every hermit on the server. 

He’s drowning in their love and affection but he doesn’t think he minds too much.

“Well, Teggy, shall we test it out?” he wonders aloud.

The Tegg stays silent.

Grian carefully removes the Tegg from the sling and places it on several shirts, then stashes the sling in his inventory, and he carefully climbs in too after toeing off his shoes. He lays down beside his egg and gets comfy, his wings shiver and feathers ruffle as he does so.

It’s a lot roomier than he first thought, despite all the different items in the nest, but it’s cozy, very cozy.

He pulls an armful of items close and rests his head on the yellow sheep from Zedaph that’s tucked under Doc’s lab coat.

Different scents fill his nose and it’s like he has the entire server at his side. He relaxes more, wrapping his arms around the dragon egg, and pulls a few items over his shoulder to cover him.

For the first time in what feels like forever, Grian falls asleep quickly and without trouble. And when he does, he dreams of his friends and family.

-------------

[alexsamcurren]

Why Python More Popular Than Ruby in Nowadays?

Python and Ruby are the maximum famous new-generation programming languages which are dynamically typed, scripting languages with strong help for objected oriented programming architecture and whose implementation is pretty extraordinary from that of the reigning programming languages such as Java and C. Neither of the brand's new languages have strict syntax or hierarchy and alternatively attention on helping builders "do things rapid" as an alternative worrying about missed semi-colon or ultimate curly brace. Then each Python and Ruby have an interactive shell and collections of libraries which make the respective languages greater effective. They also are extensively used for internet development with the help of their respective frameworks - Django (Python) and Ruby on Rails. So, whilst Python and Ruby are in many approaches, comparable, they're also rival languages and feature some key differences. But first, allow us to go through a quick overview of the 2 languages.

Ruby

Ruby was designed by Japanese Computer Scientist Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto and launched in 1995 as a dynamic, reflective, objected-orientated standard motive programming language. Ruby's philosophy revolves around the idea that a programming language has to be a person (developer)-pleasant as opposed to being created to run quality at the system. In other words, the programming language needs to not be such that whilst programming the focus has to not be on what the device can do, as a substitute it ought to permit the programmer to work out the best way to perform an undertaking. Ruby's Principle of Least Astonishment (POLA) reflects the ethos that current code needs to motive the least confusion to developers due to the fashionable manner in which it's miles written.

Ruby is strongly object-oriented, every value along with lessons, times of sorts, or even methods are handled as gadgets. Methods described at the pinnacle stage scope end up members of the Object class that's the ancestor of all other instructions and are as such visible in all scopes, serving as international procedure. Ruby has been defined as a multi-paradigm programming language as it helps each procedural programming and functional programming. Ruby's syntax is rather just like that of Perl and Python but with the robust influence of its object-oriented architecture. Ruby additionally has its network of developers who comply with its tendencies carefully and help expand "gems", Ruby's period for libraries and in a few instances, programs and IDE. Ruby is open-supply and However, Ruby's biggest strength is the framework, Ruby, on Rails which popularized the language immensely after its launch in 2005 and has been used to broaden popular websites like Twitter and Groupon.

Python

Python is a fashionable-reason high-level programming language that is also described as a multi-paradigm programming language for its aid for item-orientated programming, established programming, and purposeful programming in addition to component-orientated programming amongst others. It became first implemented in 1989 through Guido Van Rossum 1989 but won big recognition within the 2000s. In the assessment of Perl and Ruby's philosophy of "many ways of doing a thing", Python's motto " "There has to be one -- and preferably best one -- apparent manner to do it." is an instantaneous task to Perl in addition to Ruby and factored majorly in the competition among the two new technology languages. However, what sets Python aside is the strict layout of the language such that even indentation of whitespace is crucial to the code shape. But Python code is easy to read, almost making it appear like pseudo-code, so it is simple to research for novices and offers exceptional clarity to skilled programmers. Python additionally has an extensive series of libraries, the legitimate repository of Python libraries (Python Package Index) gives functionalities as diverse as graphical person interfaces, multimedia, web frameworks, databases connectivity, networking and communique, device administration, check frameworks, automation, textual content and photo processing, scientific computing to call a few. Also, Python is compatible with a wide variety of platforms and is bundled with maximum Linux distributions.

The popularity of Python Over Ruby

While each Python and Ruby have been around for a while, Ruby received a reputation with the appearance of the Ruby on Rails framework in 2005. By the time, Python had already mounted itself as a programmer-friendly and effective language and created a gap for itself. Although even now Ruby on Rails remains a greater famous framework over Python's Django, it also way Ruby has remained constrained to an internet development framework whilst Python has diversified and emerged as the preferred language in several different regions. Python has additionally garnered a larger community of users dependable on it and a big repository of library modules and documentation. While Ruby too has a few very devoted programmers championing it, the truth remains that Python nevertheless manages to have a larger community of Python collaborators.

One of the important thing reasons for Python's popularity is its language architecture which makes it easier to write and examine code. Since it is easy to analyze, a variety of beginners are adopting it and colleges and faculties are such as it as a part of their syllabus. As the readability of code is a sturdy benefit of Python, experienced programmers are adopting it too to reduce downtime in maintaining and upgrading code. Further, Python runs nicely on most platforms and is included as a trendy thing with maximum Linux distributions, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, OS X, and AmigaOS4 and is fully well suited with other OSes consisting of Windows which makes accessibility of the language to the programmers easy and encourages beginners to explore it. From an easy net search, it seems obvious that Python is emerging as the more popular language among some of the new era programming languages.

[regionalkaraoke01]

Celebrate Onam This Year With Evergreen Malayalam Karaoke Songs

Just as the rainstorm says goodbye to the land of South India, the atmosphere is loaded up with power, bliss, and joy with the appearance of Onam, a wonderful festival celebrated significantly in Kerala. From the unpredictably decorated elephants to the wild Pulikali artists, and from the tremendous snake boats arranged at the shore to the dazzling flower embellishments, this celebration paints the state in a larger number of tones than you can envision.

Marking the end of monsoon and beginning of harvest season, Onam is a festival celebrated all over India with its origin in Kerala state. Being one of the biggest festivals, it reflects the rich culture and tradition of the state in the most unique way. There are numerous songs too that captures the intrinsic feeling of the harvest festival resonating the ethos of the people of the state. 

Unfortunately, this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are certain limitations on Onam festivities at various places. Indeed, to keep up the genuine soul of the celebration, people have chosen to go serene this year, and to commend the delight of celebration and togetherness with their family and friends at their homes. Regional Karaoke has come up with a list of popular Malayalam Karaoke Songs for you to make Onam celebrations bigger, bringing along fun, happiness and hope with it.

Kuttanadan: This beautiful song is an absolute crowd favorite. It is being sung very popularly and is loved by the listeners as well. Download the Kuttanadan karaoke track available here and let others enjoy while you sing along with it. It holds a sure place in your karaoke playlist and is just the perfect song to start your Onam celebrations.

Neeyoru Vasantham: This is another famous song sung by the evergreen Malayalam singer. It perfectly enshrines the pure joy and happiness people experience during the entire festival season.  This song definitely makes it to the list of top 5 popular Malayalam karaoke tracks.

Devi Nin Roopam: Join into the Onam celebrations and make the event more joyful by singing  in your voice. Enjoy this cheerful melody and mark the coming of harvest season in a melodious way. Get the karaoke track of this popular number downloaded instantly only at Regional Karaoke. 

Oru Theeyalayi: This gem of song definitely deserves a place in your karaoke playlist. Sung in the mellifluous voice of , it is an evergreen favorite track of the music lovers. No matter how many songs you have in your playlist, Onam celebrations will always be incomplete without this song.

Thaalangalil Nee: This is undoubtedly one of the best Onam songs, that truly captures the essence of the festival. Sung by popular singers, this song will take you to a great journey of happiness and will make people enjoy the day to the fullest. 

Interestingly, there are many melodies which have a solid association with this extravagant festival of Kerala. All things considered, we have picked the best Malayalam songs to perk you up on this wonderful occasion in case you are seriously missing the festivals this year. Head to the Regional Karaoke website now and download your favorite Malayalam Karaoke With Lyrics instantly. We bring you great offers and special discounts on every purchase. So, why wait for more, get ready to celebrate this great festival with us in a melodious and sweet way!

Blog Source URL: https://blog.regionalkaraoke.com/celebrate-onam-this-year-with-evergreen-malayalam-karaoke-songs/

[your-dietician]

Entertainment heat wave is coming this summer: What to watch for | Entertainment

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/entertainment/entertainment-heat-wave-is-coming-this-summer-what-to-watch-for-entertainment/

Entertainment heat wave is coming this summer: What to watch for | Entertainment

Remember 2019, when hot girl summer became a motto for living with confidence?

Well, with life getting closer to normal and vaccines nudging the pandemic into — fingers crossed — the rear-view mirror, 2021’s entertainment calendar for the next few months has a similar mood.

Call it a hot everything summer.

Blockbuster movies are returning to theaters. Live concerts are set to resume. Television and streaming shows are back to being a nice part of the mix, not a sole entertainment lifeline. And with travel heating up again, beach books can actually be read on a faraway beach.

To navigate this soaring heat index for fun, here is a list of recommendations that are sunny, breezy, steaming and sizzling. You get the idea.

Hot Jeff Daniels summer

Michigan’s resident acting great always keeps it real — remember his plaid dad shirt at February’s virtual Golden Globes? His latest project evokes his home state’s ethos of blue-collar endurance. “American Rust,” a nine-episode series premiering Sept. 12 on Showtime, stars Daniels as the police chief of a Rust-Belt Pennsylvania town who is feeling “ticked off and kind of jumpy” when a murder investigation tests his loyalties. If the preview looks a bit like HBO’s gritty “Mare of Easttown,” that’s a very good thing.

Hot goofy summer

In real life, metro Detroit native Tim Robinson could be a calm, collected guy. But as a sketch comedian, he’s made an art form out of wildly overreacting to life’s little embarrassments. “I Think You Should Leave,” his mini-masterpiece Netflix show, is back July 6 with a second season. Besides brilliantly making himself the butt of the jokes, Robinson always remembers his hometown friends. Let’s hope for repeat appearances by his pals like “Detroiters” co-star Sam Richardson and Troy’s own Oscar nominee, Steven Yeun.

Hot retro Motor City summer

The Detroit of the mid-1950s comes alive in director Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move,” available July 1 on HBO Max. The crime drama starring Don Cheadle, David Harbour, Benicio del Toro, Jon Hamm and more is about some low-level criminals given a simple assignment that draws them into a mystery that stretches to the heights of the automotive industry’s power structure. The film was shot last year in Detroit under strict COVID-19 safety measures, because Soderbergh, who filmed 1998’s “Out of Sight” here, would accept no other city as a substitute.

Hot road trip summer

Six years ago, a young waitress from Detroit created a viral Twitter thread about a bizarre journey she took to Florida with a new friend to do some freelance stripping. It was as compelling as a novel and as vivid as a movie. Cut to June 30 when “Zola” hits theaters starring Taylour Page and Riley Keough. It’s a comedy and a thriller that defies expectations and makes J-Lo’s “Hustlers” seem mild. Director Janicza Bravo and screenplay co-writer Jeremy O. Harris have created a raunchy adventure that still respects A’Ziah (Zola) King as a strong woman and original writing voice.

Hot action dad summer

Yes, Matt Damon is now old enough to play a Liam Neeson-esque outraged father out for justice. In “Stillwater,” Damon is a worker for an Oklahoma oil rig who must travel to France to try and clear his daughter (Abigail Breslin) of murder charges. Think “Taken,” if it were a serious drama directed and co-written by Tom McCarthy of “Spotlight” fame. It comes out July 30, just in time to make Damon’s fans from his “Good Will Hunting” days feel ancient.

Hot reboot summer

It has been almost a decade since “Gossip Girl” ended its run, which is way too long to be without fashion tips from impossibly beautiful rich kids. The newly reimagined “Gossip Girl” on HBO Max arrives July 8 with some notable improvements, like the inclusiveness of its cast of newcomers. But it’s bringing back the original narrator, Kristen Bell (who grew up in Huntington Woods), as the voice of the title character with the hidden identity.

Hot sweating summer

Sweating is a bodily function, but what exactly is it all about? “The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration,” out July 13, will explore the biology, history and marketing behind the moisture that makes us glow (to use a polite term). It covers everything from the role of stress in sweat to deodorant research that involves people who can sniff out, literally, the effectiveness of a product. Since the New York Times recommended the book as one of its 24 summer reads, you know that author Sarah Everts did sweat the details.

Hot Olympic star summer

The 2021 Tokyo Games, which run July 23-Aug. 8, will feature the world’s best gymnast, Simone Biles. She still enjoys competing, but quarantining gave her some time to improve her work-life balance, as she told Glamour for its June cover story (which comes with a dazzling photo spread of Biles). “Before I would only focus on the gym. But me being happy outside the gym is just as important as me being happy and doing well in the gym. Now it’s like everything’s coming together.” For the 24-year-old GOAT, the sky — or, maybe, gravity — is the limit.

Hot variety show summer

“What percentage of white women do you hate? And there is a right answer.” That was among the questions posed by internet sensation Ziwe to her first guest, Fran Lebowitz, on the current Showtime series that carries her name. Combining interviews, sketches and music, “Ziwe” deploys comedy to illuminate America’s awkwardness on issues of race and politics. The results are hilarious, so find out about Ziwe now before her next project arrives, a scam-themed comedy for Amazon called “The Nigerian Princess.”

Hot ice road summer

Take the driving skills of the reality series “Ice Road Truckers” and add one stoic dose of Liam Neeson and you’ve got “The Ice Road,” which premiered Friday on Hulu. The adventure flick involves a collapse in a diamond mine, the miners trapped inside and the man (Neeson) who’s willing to steer his ginormous rig over frozen water to attempt a rescue mission. Crank up the AC temporarily!

Hot kindness summer

There is a better way to be a human being, and he shares a name with an Apple TV+ series. “Ted Lasso,” the fish-out-of-water sitcom about an American football coach (Jason Sudeikis) who’s drafted to lead a British soccer team returns for a second season on July 23 —the date that Lasso fans will resume their efforts to be more empathetic and encouraging, just like Ted. Only there’s a new sports psychologist for AFC Richmond who seems impervious to Ted’s charms and home-baked biscuits. She doesn’t like Ted? We’re gobsmacked!

Hot podcast summer

When Michael Che guested on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” recently, his segment was interrupted repeatedly by Dave Chappelle, who kept plugging his “The Midnight Miracle” podcast available on Luminary. What Chappelle was selling is worth the listening. “The Midnight Miracle” brings him together with his co-hosts, Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey, and his famous friends from the comedy world and beyond for funny and though-provoking conversations interspersed with music. If you were a fly on the wall of Chappelle’s home, this is what you might hear.

Hot series finale summer

The last 10 episodes of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” start airing Aug. 12 on NBC, a too-short goodbye to one of the most underrated comedies in TV history. You can give all the glory to “The Office,” but the detectives of the Nine-Nine could go toe to toe with Dunder-Mifflin’s Scranton branch in terms of quirkiness, humanity and office romances and bromances. It’s hard to pick a favorite dynamic among the characters, but the irritated father-incorrigible son vibes between Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) and Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) are sublime.

Hot musical comedy summer

Keegan-Michael Key and “Saturday Night Live’s” Cecily Strong lead a star-studded cast in “Schmigadoon!,” an AppleTV+ series premiering July 16 that magically transports a backpacking couple to a land of 1940s musicals. Until Broadway reopens in September, this parody love letter to the power of musical theater should do nicely. And the premiere episode’s song “Corn Pudding”? Catchy!

Hot nostalgia tour

Hall & Oates are criss-crossing the nation with enough 1980s hits —”Maneater,” “Kiss on My List,” “I Can’t Go for That,” “You Make My Dreams Come True,” etc. — to make you want to trade your mom jeans for spandex leggings. As if they weren’t enough top-40 goodness, their opening acts are Squeeze, still pouring a cup of “Black Coffee in Bed” all these years later, and K.T. Tunstall, whose “Suddenly I See” is immortalized as the anthem of “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Hot all-female, all-Muslim punk band summer

A British import now airing on the NBC streaming spinoff Peacock, “We Are Lady Parts” would be notable alone for defying stereotypes about Muslim women. But this sitcom about an all-female, all-Muslim aspiring rock band is a gem of both representation and laughs, thanks to characters like Amina, a shy doctoral candidate in microbiology whose complaints about a guy she calls “Bashir with the good beard” inspires a song.

Hot documentary summer

While Woodstock has become synonymous with epic music gatherings, the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 is finally about to get the pop-culture recognition it deserves. “Summer of Soul: (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” directed by the Roots drummer Questlove, will hit theaters and Hulu on July 2. It chronicles a mostly forgotten event that drew superstars like Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, the Fifth Dimension, Sly & the Family Stone and B.B. King. Using his vast knowledge of music, archival footage and interviews with performers and those who attended, Questlove has created a history lesson that’s also the best concert you’ve never seen before.

Hot Marvel summer

Once you’re all caught up with the summer streaming sensation “Loki” on Disney+, please turn your attention to two new films. “Black Widow,” the long-awaited star turn for Scarlett Johansson’s former KGB assassin Natasha Romanoff, makes its debut July 9. It’s followed by “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” set for Sept. 3 and starring Simu Liu (“Kim’s Convenience”) as the martial arts master of the title. All brought to you by the corporate global entertainment domination machine that is Marvel.

Hot biopic summer

“Respect,” starring Jennifer Hudson, arrives Aug. 13 at theaters, nearly three years to the day the world lost the Queen of Soul. Although Cynthia Erivo gave a fine performance earlier this year as Franklin in “Genius: Aretha” on the National Geographic network, the odds are good that Hudson, chosen by Franklin herself for the part, will be the definitive screen Aretha.

Hot fiction summer

Terry McMillan calls “The Other Black Girl” essential reading. Entertainment Weekly describes it as “‘The Devil Wears Prada’ meets ‘Get Out,’ with a little bit of ‘Black Mirror’ thrown in.” This debut novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris mixes office politics with suspense in its story of Nella Rogers, an editorial assistant who’s the only Black staffer at a noted publishing company. When Hazel, a new Black employee, is hired, things seem to be improving. But then Nella starts receiving ominous unsigned notes. Sounds like yet another reason to keep working from home.

Hot slow dance summer

After nearly four months on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, “Leave the Door Open” remains the song most likely to provoke a quiet storm on the dance floor. The hit single from Silk Sonic (aka Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) may sound like a cover of a long-lost ‘70s classic R&B tune, but it’s a contemporary song that can make you forget the humidity long enough for “kissing, cuddling, rose petals in the bathtub, girl, lets jump in.”

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[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND October 4, 2019  - JOKER, PAIN AND GLORY, DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, LUCY IN THE SKY

It’s October and we only have two more months to the year, but we have to get through one of the tougher months of the year (in terms of quality of films) to get to the good stuff. Fortunately, the month starts out with Todd Phillips’ JOKER (Warner Bros.), starring Joaquin Phoenix, which is looking to tell the definitive origin of the Batman arch-nemesis

You can read my mostly positive review of the movie right here (and more over at The Beat), but I want to talk a bit more at length about two movies that will get a limited release this weekend.

The first movie I want to talk about is Pedro Almodovar’s PAIN AND GLORY (Sony Pictures Classics), which in my opinion is his best and possibly most personal film in a decade or more. It stars Antonio Banderas as filmmaker Salvador Mallo, who has mostly retired as he faces illness late in life that makes him unable to work on a film set… or get the inspiration to make a new movie. Salvador has been invited to do a QnA for one of his classic films as it celebrates its 30thanniversary along with the film’s star with whom he had a falling out due to the actor’s drug use, the two having not spoken since. And it’s Salvador’s job to get the star to agree to do the QnA with him…. An encounter that ends up being catastrophic for Salvador, who starts using drugs himself.

To reveal more about the plot of Almodovar’s latest would be a huge disservice to the filmmaker who has created another intricate plot where every element has a purpose that’s all resolved by the film’s end. The film frequently flashes back to Salvador’s childhood in a small Spanish village with his single mother (played by another Almodovar regular, Penelope Cruz), which add to the troubles the filmmaker is having later in life. (Almodovar has cast an older actor to play Salvador’s mother sixty years later but she doesn’t look even remotely like Cruz.)

This is a film where you’re drawn into the story as Salvador’s life unfolds, and we learn more about what made him the way he is, and it’s easily one of the best performance of Banderas’ career.  The warmth and humor he brings to Salvador allows you to be with him even when he’s doing questionable things. I also want to call attention to the amazing Asier Etxeandia, who delivers an equally compelling performance.

I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s one of those confounding things that can be interpreted in so many different ways…and I can’t wait to see the movie again to see if I can unravel it. Pain and Glory is another beautiful and brilliant piece of art and storytelling from Almodovar and a welcome return to form both for him and for Banderas.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

The other movie I want to draw special attention to is Craig Brewer’s DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, which Netflix will give a theatrical release this weekend before streaming it on Netflix starting October 25. As you may have heard, it stars the great Eddie Murphy back in his first leading role in ages, playing Rudy Ray Moore, the stand-up comic and sing who wanted to be famous more than anything else. If you haven’t heard of Moore and his comic character Dolemite, you just have to look on the influence he’s had on everyone from Murphy to Samuel L. Jackson to just about every rapper who has ever gone on record (especially the 2 Live Crew!)

We meet Rudy as he’s trying to convince a DJ played by Snoop Dogg to play his records with no luck. Rudy is working in a record store with his faithful assistant, played by Tituss Burgess (from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and he’s desperate to break-out as a failing stand-up comic. When he starts hearing the raunchy stories of Dolemite from the local bums, he puts together a new act where he plays a raunchy, foul-mouthed pimp named “Dolemite,” which goes over huge for his mainly black audiences. That soon turns into making a record that’s a huge hit with Moore touring the country selling them out of his trunk, and that eventually becomes an idea to make a very DIY movie.

This has a great cast but some of the real breakouts around Murphy include Da’Vine Joy Randolph as his protegé Lady Reed (aka Queen Bee) and Wesley Snipes in an amazing performance as “serious” actor D’urville Martin, who agrees to direct the movie but clearly has no idea what movie Moore and his team are trying to make. There’s also great stuff from Keegan-Michael Key as Jerry Jones, the serious dramatic playwright who also finds a way into Dolemite’s world. Randolph has the best moment when she thanks Rudy for putting “someone who looks like her” on the screen.

The script by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski is fantastic, but Brewer – whom I’ve been a fan of since his early film Hustle and Flow – does terrific work in keeping things moving and making sure that Murphy is doing his best work.

Sure, it’s impossible not to avoid comparisons to The Disaster Artist, but I’d prefer that it be compared to Mario van Peebles’ excellent 2003 film Baadasssss!, which was about his father Melvyn van Peebles’ going through similar efforts to make his own film that appeals directly to black audiences years earlier. There’s actually more in common between the accomplishment by Van Peebles (a much more capable filmmaker) making his film and how he got it out into the world to Moore’s DIY ethos and its results. The Room was a bomb and a disaster that eventually became a cult hit; what Moore created was much more lasting.

I’m a little bummed that so few people are going to see this in theaters surrounded by laughter, but just the fact that Netflix is getting a movie about Dolemite into the world makes it easier to forgive them.

Rating: 8 out of 10

(Also, check out the repertory section below for a way to see the movie in double features with some of Moore’s “Dolemite” movies at the New Beverly theater.)

LOCAL FESTIVALS

The 57thNew York Film Festival continues this week with screenings of Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite– which I reviewed for The Beat– Kelly Reinhardt’s First Cow, and a special event screening of the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems. (Oh, yeah, and who could forget that Joker is screening with Todd Phillips doing a QnA on Wednesday?) Friday will see the Centrepiece premiere of Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, starring Adam Driver and Scarlet Johansson with SIX screenings! The weekend sees the debut of Michael Apted’s 63 Up, continuing his long-running doc series, as well as Olivier Assayas’ Wasp Network, which I’ll also be seeing on Friday. There are also a few revivals and restorations, which you can read about in the repertory section below.

Also, Beyond Fest 2019 continues at the Egyptian in L.A. with more fun genre films. Your best bet is to click on that link and see what’s being shown but you can read about the rep stuff below, as well.

LIMITED RELEASES

On Wednesday night (with a repeat screening on Sunday), Trafalgar Releasing will release Roger Waters: Us and Them nationwide into a bunch of theaters, the movie documenting Waters’ 2017 tour, which sadly I missed, but I’m excited to see what I missed.

Opening Friday is Legion and Fargo creator Noah Hawley’s feature film directorial debut LUCY IN THE SKY (Fox Searchlight), starring Natalie Portman as Lucy Cola, an astronaut who has spent time in space but has trouble adjusting when she returns to earth and her husband (played by an unrecognizable Dan Stevens).  She’s in training for one of the next two shuttle launches, but she starts having an affair with fellow astronaut Mark Goodwin (Jon Hamm) while competing fiercely against a younger trainee (Zazie Beetz). Things go downhill from there as Lucy – who is based on the real-life Lisa Nowak– starts messing up more and more. I think I can understand why critics have been so rough on Hawley and this movie, because really, it isn’t the outer space adventure some might be expecting, and that’s really just used as the set-up for Lucy having trouble adjusting at home. In fact, this could be an episode of a Fargo-like true-crime anthology that goes into other realms than just the Midwest. Once you get used to Portman’s heavy Southern accent, she’s quite good in this, and if you go into it expecting more of a true-crime story… with Hawley’s artistic filmmaking touch and some gorgeous imagery… Lucy in the Sky really isn’t so bad. I definitely think that people are going into this with certain expectations from the trailer/commercials that isn’t necessarily accurate.

A movie I saw at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and really enjoyed was Kevin McMullin’s LOW TIDE (A24 /DirecTV) starring Keann Johnson (Alita: Battle Angel) and Jaeden Martell (It) asbrothers living on the Jersey coast who find a bag of valuable gold coins and try to hide it from their no-goodnick friends Red (Alex Neustaedter) and Smitty (Daniel Zolghadri) with whom they break into vacation homes to steal valuables.

Another decent lower-profile film about brothers opening Friday is Henry Alex Rubins’ SEMPER FI (Lionsgate), starring Jai Courtney and Nat Wolff as brothers “Callahan” and “Oyster” who are part of the Marine Corps Reserve. When they get into a bar altercation in which a man dies, Oyster is sent to jail and his brother feels the need to get him out in a plot that involves his Marine buddies. It’s a movie that starts off as a military drama but actually has some decent action in the last act, and I liked it more than Rubins’ last narrative feature Disconnect.

You can read my interview with Jai Courtney here, and I hope to have an interview with Nat Wolff soon, as well.

I haven’t had a chance to watch Michael Beach Nichols’ doc WRINKLES THE CLOWN (Magnet) but I’ve heard great things that makes me curious. It revolves around a YouTube video from 2014 that shows a man in a clown mask who has been hired by the parents of a young girl to frighten her for misbehaving. This genre-based doc looks into where “Wrinkles the Clown” came from and how he turned into a viral video, similar to the great HBO doc Beware the Slenderman.

Memory: The Origins of Alien (Screen Media) is the new doc from Alexandre Philippe, whose 2017 film 78/52took apart the shower sequence from Hitchcock’s Psycho. This one is just as intriguing as it goes through the processes of creating Ridley Scott’s Alien, which celebrates its 40thanniversary this year. I’m such a huge fan of Alienthat I just ate this movie up, and I could probably watch it over and over since I love hearing stories about the ideas and design that went into the movie.

Playing at the Film Forum starting Wednesday is Olivier Meyrou’s doc Celebration (KimStim) about fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent, commissioned by his business partner Pierre Bergé, has been sitting on the shelf for over a decade because it was deemed to be “too revealing” as it followed the ailing fashion designer during his last three years.

Unfortunately, I’ve run out of time for this week’s column but I’ll have more stuff to add here by Thursday afternoon sometime, if not sooner. Please check back for a few more limited releases!

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

Metrograph’s latest series “NYC '81” which was more self-explanatory when it included the subtitle “A Series of NY Films from 1981 Leading into (the) Re-Release of Downtown 81.” Some of the films showing this weekend include Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45 (also playing as part of Late Nites at Metrograph), Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City, Steve Gordon’s comedy Arthur, starring Dudley Moore, and Louis Malle’s My Dinner with André.Alain Corneu’s Série Norie will continue at least through Thursday. This weekend’s Playtime: Family Matineesgoes with Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands(1990) starring Johnny Depp (plus you can still see David Lynch’s Mulholland Driveone last time tonight!) Also, Saturday afternoon you can see the Humphrey Bogart classic, The Maltese Falcon (1941).

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

You might notice that the New Bev has been released from the corner it was put in for misbehaving by playing new movies. It makes up for it by having a Wednesday matinee of Hitchcock’s 1960 classic Psycho and also having screenings the next couple nights of David Fincher’s Zodiac. Friday is a matinee of Final Destination 2, one of my favorite movies in the series, and then the weekend “Kiddee Matinee” is the popular 1976 favorite The Monster Squad. Friday night’s midnight movie is Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, while Sat night is Kill Bill: Volume 2. Monday’s matinee is Wes Craven’s 1986 horror film Deadly Friend. Next week starting Monday, the new Bev begins a special program celebrating Netflix’s Dolemite is My Name with screenings of the movie as double features with actual Dolemite films, Monday and Tuesday nights being double features with the original 1975 movie Dolemite (the making of which is shown in the Netflix film). Welcome back, New Bev!

FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER (NYC):

Thursday, as part of the New York Film Festival, there’s a special retrospective presented by Warby Parker to celebrate the 100thanniversary of the American Society of Cinematographers. As part of that, you can see Robert Altman’s Western McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) and a new restoration of Jack Arnold’s sci-fi classic The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).  On Saturday is a screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather: Part II (1974) just after a special The Cotton Club Encorewith a screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1984 movie at the Alice Tully Hall with a conversation with Coppola, Maurice Hines and James Remar afterwards.On Monday, Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978) will screen as part of this retrospective, followed on Tuesday by a screening of Jim Jarmusch’s 1995 film Dead Man, starring Johnny Depp. It’s a pretty impressive sidebar to the festival from one of the uptown’s only retrospective theaters remaining.

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE BROOKLYN (NYC)

Ooo… Bong Joon-ho’s amazing 2006 monster film is playing at the Alamo Thursday night at 10pm, and as of this writing, it’s not completely sold out yet! On Sunday, the Alamo is doing an “ultimate Willy Wonka Party” showing the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (one of my favorites from childhood) with some of the grow-up young cast from the movie! (Noon is sold out but there’s another screening at 9AM… good luck with that!)  Next Tuesday’s “Terror Tuesday” is the 1991 Scary Movie, starring John Hawkes, while Wednesday’s “Weird Wednesday” is Lucio Fulci’s The Devil’s Honey from 1986.

FILM FORUM (NYC):

Film Forum is beginning another great series this weekend called “Shirley Clarke 100” celebrating what would be the 100thbirthday of the African-American documentary filmmaker who passed away in 1997 at the age of 77. Some of the films in the series include Ornette: Made in America, Portrait of Jason, The Connection, The Cool World and more, including a series of shorts including Skyscraper, which received an Oscar nomination. Also playing for one week is a new restoration of Bill Forsythe’s 1981 film Gregory’s Girl, a film set in Glasgow that has been deemed one of the 100 greatest British films of the 20thCentury by the BFI. (Bill Forsyth will be there Saturday afternoon for a conversation.) Joseph Losey’s Holocaust drama Mr. Klein is also returning for one more day on Friday. This weekend’s “Film Forum Jr” is the coming-of-age film Breaking Away (1979).

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Beyond Fest 2019 continues this weekend with a sold-out screening of The Exorcisttonight with William Friedkinin person. Otherwise tonight you can catch one of three free screenings of the 1971 film Mooch Goes to Hollywood and on Thursday, there’s a free screening of 1975’s Dolemite and a free screening of 1981’s Madman on Saturday. Unfortunately, Saturday’s West Coast premiere of the 4k restoration of Sam Raimi’s 1981 horror classic The Evil Dead is also already sold out. The Sunday triple feature of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Night of the Creeps and The Fog is also sold out unfortunately.

AERO  (LA):

The AERO celebrates “50 years of Monty Python” with double features of the 1975 classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Terry Jones’ Erik the Viking  (1989) both in 35mm printson Friday, The Meaning of Life  (1983) and And Now for Something Completely Different  (1971) on Saturday, A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and Fierce Creatures  (1997) on Sunday. Tuesday’s “Tuesdays with Lorre” matinee feature is The Maltese Falcon.

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

This weekend’s “See It Big! Ghost Stories” screenings are the 2001 Japanese horror film Pulse, clearly sharing the same 35mm print with the Roxy. Jonathan Demme’s 1988 film Beloved, based on the novel by TonI Morrison and starring Oprah Winfrey and Thandie Newton screens Saturday afternoon, while The Innocents andThe Others screen again on Sunday evening. On Friday night, you can also see the fairly recent Yuen Woo-ping action film Master Z: Ip Man Legacy. Saturday afternoon there’s a Serbian double feature of Ognjen Glavonic’s 2016 film Depth Two and 2018 film The Load.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

It doesn’t look like the IFC Center has posted their new series yet, although on Friday and Saturday at midnight (actually 11:59pm), you can see Satoshi Kon’s Paprika, if you haven’t seen it yet despite it screening for months here and at the Metrograph. Also, the IFC Center is showing George Miller’s 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Roadat midnight (actually 11:59pm) those same nights.

BAM CINEMATEK(NYC):

This weekend, BAM is showing the 1997 film Selena, starring possible Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lopez in her break-out role. It doesn’t seem to be connected to any series.

ROXY CINEMA (NYC)

Tonight and tomorrow night, the Roxy is screening the Japanese horror film Pulse (2001) in 35mm.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

Friday’s midnight screening is Tommy Wiseau’sThe Room… again.

STREAMING AND CABLE

This week’s “Netflix and Chills” offering is In the Tall Grass, the new movie from Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) based on the novella written by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill. It’s about a brother and sister, her pregnant with a baby, who hear the cries of a young boy from a field of tall grass and they go inside to rescue him only to fall foul of a sinister force within that separates them along with a few other people, including one played  by Patrick Wilson. I wasn’t a huge fan of the movie as much of it involves people running around yelling each other’s names in the tall grass, so it’s not particularly scary.

Next week, we’re back to three wide releases as Ang Lee’s Gemini Man, starring Will Smith, takes on the animated The Addams Family and the tech-comedy Jexi.

[paris-je-taime7-blog]

It’s worth the “Monet”

le 20 juin

I am no expert on places to live or just life in general, but in my humble opinion Monet was doing something right. Like him, I believe that the best things in life are the simplest, like soaking in the sun, smelling flowers, skipping stones on a pond. Through taking respite whether it be in the countryside or in a park in the city, creativity and happiness can thrive. Monet chose the perfect little nook away from the hustle and bustle of city-life and created beautiful masterpieces that we cherish today. 

Personally, I was surprised by the fact that Monet battled with depression for a good chunk of his life. Since painting can be therapeutic, I wonder if many famous artists became who they are due to the pain they felt. The impressionist artist was trying to capture the little moments in life in his quick-stroke artwork but also add ethos (perhaps feelings he couldn’t feel) to his pieces. Some of the paintings brought forth a sense of curiosity, sometimes nostalgia, and even happiness when I viewed them. However, I do imagine how Monet and other artists who experienced mental illness viewed their own art, was it with nostalgia, sadness, or no feeling at all? 

Lastly, I was slightly disappointed by Monet’s gardens since there was seldom any room to lie down in the grass and, for Monet, to set up an easel to paint. The only grass within the gardens was only a small patch or two that was not open to the public. The flowers, shrubs, and trees scattered around the creeks and pond, on the other hand, were otherwordly. I have never seen so many fleurs packed into such a small area; it felt like stepping into a fairytale book. 

The gem of the garden was the willow tree hanging over the pond upon which was a smorgasbord of water lilies. I can just see Monet sitting across the pond adding stroke after stroke to his canvas painting of that majestic tree. 

Bonne chance,

Sophie

[mattbrothersscriptwriter]

My Top 20 Films of 2018 - Part One

Hello people, time to once again resurrect this defunct blog to ramble about some films again. You may notice a trend if you scroll back through.

OK so I saw a BUNCH of movies this year, thanks again in part to some fantastic arts cinemas, film festivals (well, Sundance London and Frightfest) and yet another banner year for Netflix original content. There were many I didn’t catch like A Star is Born, First Reformed, Aquaman, BlackkKlansman etc but for my FULL ranking of all 135 films I did manage to see, as always go to my letterboxd list here - https://letterboxd.com/matt_bro/list/films-of-the-year-2018-1/

Alrighty then, let’s kick things off:

20. A Quiet Place

As a writer who is hugely inspired by high concept ideas with a grounding in genre, it thrilled me no end to see this ‘elevator pitch’ of a thriller do so well, both critically and commercially. Set in a world where making the slightest noise means certain death from these horrifying, Starship Trooper looking motherfucking bug aliens, we follow a desperate family trying to survive and all the hardships that entails when communication is cut down to a bare minimum.

Of course, this film – which in the wrong hands with a lesser script could easily devolve into a Birdemic style mess – has a helping hand right out the gate in both the star power and gravitas of Emily Blunt and the assured (almost TOO assured) direction of co-star John Krasinski. Their performances ground the action superbly (along with the excellent, actually deaf newcomer Millicent Simmonds) and the tension can be cut with a knife for practically the entire runtime. Famously, people’s enjoyment of the film usually came down to how well behaved their cinema audiences were, which is perhaps the most cruellest of circumstances because the irony is that this is a film that simply must be seen with a rapt audience in a huge dark room… but the second anyone breaks the unwritten code of the cinema, the illusion is shattered. Luckily, within the first three minutes, my crowd were practically holding their breath to maintain the silence. And when I felt a sneeze coming on, let me tell you, that was maybe the scariest moment of the lot!

A tense thrill ride with a genuine ‘why didn’t I think of that’ premise, A Quiet Place is another runaway success for modern horror and I truly hope the inevitable sequels don’t fuck with it’s power.

19. Avengers: Infinity War

Inevitable spoilers for the ending of Infinity War below:

The blockbuster to end all blockbusters, this culmination of ten years of the MCU was a huge triumph, somehow managing to juggle a billion characters jostling for screen-time via some savvy scripting and a focus on a core combination of story strands; namely Thor’s personal journey of revenge, the last stand at Wakanda, Tony’s crew misadventures in space and Thanos being ingeniously positioned as the protagonist. For a mainstream Disney movie to essentially end with the villain winning, there were perhaps no bigger statement this year than the words ‘Thanos Will Return’ at the end of the credits, cementing the fact that while we thought we had been watching a fun, superhero greatest hits package, we’d actually been watching the story of an ambitious, driven individual overcome the odds and claim his victory over all those pesky superheroes. Yes, his plan might be insane but you have to hand it to him; he did it. He actually did it. 

This being a comic book movie - with at least a further ten years of comic book movies to come - obviously means that what is done can always be undone but still, this climax provided such a stark (pun intended) resolution that it left half of my audience in stunned silence and the other half in tears.

Outside of the game changing finale, the film has a lightning pace and a whole host of fun set pieces, characters colliding (hello Rocket meets Bucky) and a real sense of... at least occasional... intimacy that somehow doesn’t get completely swallowed up by the spectacle.

18. Annihilation

Now here is a fascinatingly original sci-fi movie that I just was utterly transfixed and terrified by. Much like Jonathan Glazer’s mesmerising Under the Skin, this jettisoned much of the source novel (outside of the general premise and characters) in favour of a stronger focus on the things that a visual medium can really excel at, namely atmosphere, tone and deeply disconcerting visuals/sound design. I quite enjoyed Jeff VanderMeer’s book but this feels like a much more authored and singular vision. Book weirdness has been replaced by movie weirdness and it actually ends up feeling like a true adaptation and if any book truthers are upset, believe me it could have been so much worse. 

A group of scientists, led by a stoic Jennifer Jason Leigh, including Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson, venture into ‘the shimmer’, a baffling electromagnetic field surrounding a crashed alien meteor. Each has their reasons for volunteering for this suicide mission and they are soon faced with the simply unknowable machinations of this particular alien biology, leading to some incredibly memorable encounters, not least of which is a nightmarish mutant bear attack. The practically wordless finale is something I WISH I could have seen for the first time on the big screen.

Eerie, haunting and a miracle of mid-budget, practically distribution-less filmmaking, this is one I can see revisiting many times over and I continue to be obsessed over anything Alex Garland is involved with.

17. Anna and the Apocalypse

Now here’s a surprise. And a delight. And a goddamn joyful burst of sunshine in a bleak bleak world. I went along to see this at the Frightfest Film Festival in August and boy did it deliver. It’s a (*huge breath*)  super independent, low budget, Scottish, high school, coming of age, zombie comedy… Christmas… musical! That’s too many things, I hear you say! And normally you may be right but this film has so much heart, so many breakout stars, so many ingenious, human moments, that it transcends the hurdles of it’s genre mashup trappings and actually works dammit.

The film follows Anna (a wonderful, future star in the making Ella Hunt) who falls out with her father (Mark Benton, the heart and soul of the piece) when she tells him that when school finishes, she’d rather go travelling than go to university. Dad being Dad, he’s appalled at the notion and though he clearly has her best interests at heart, their relationship has been strained since Anna’s mother died and this conflict soon gets ugly. Joining her in this teenage angst are her friends; John (Malcolm Cumming), her best friend who is hopelessly in love with her, Steph (Sarah Swire – who pulls double duty as the film’s choreographer) a gay American outcast, Chris (Christopher Leveaux) a struggling filmmaker and Lisa (Marli Siu), Chris’ girlfriend and talented singer. Together, they butt heads with the panto villainy of the hilarious, scene stealing, scenery chewing Paul Kaye as the maniacal headmaster Mr Savage. Then of course, comes the ultimate spanner in the works… a zombie apocalypse.

As the film pivots from charming high school/slice of life melodrama to genuinely threatening zombie horror comedy, we cannot forget about the musical numbers (!), which are all pretty uniformly catchy as hell, singalong ready and really fucking integral to the entire emotional arc. You start out laughing as Anna sings her way to school completely oblivious to the zombie uprising happening behind her but by the time she’s singing a powerful duet with her father during the finale, there won’t be a dry eye in the house either. It’s a credit to the consistent tone and solid performances that the whole thing doesn’t descend into an overlong sketch and it’s the core relationships that make you care and give weight to the heavier moments in the second half.

It’s funny, smart, endlessly rewatchable and bound to be a new Christmas staple but above all else, it earns it’s emotional gut punches, marrying showtunes with real, life or death stakes that the film doesn’t fuck about with or ignore. People die here, sometimes unfairly but that’s the key to a great zombie flick. And if nothing else, you’ve got bad boy Nick (a stand out Ben Wiggins) shepherding his gang of idiot lads lads lads as they gleefully smash zombie heads in whilst singing “when it comes to killing zombies, I’m the top of my class!”. 

The year’s best kept secret and a real hidden gem. Seek it out.

16. Black Panther

Ryan Coogler man… Ryan fucking Coogler. 

Fruitvale Station and Creed are both five star movies to me and while this foray into the Marvel machine didn’t quite hit those heights, I think he did the best job he could have in blending his own style, ethos and interests with another chapter in the MCU – a production line rather famous for (until recently) stamping out individuality in favour of the bigger, uniformed picture. Sometime around Phase 2, we were getting somewhat bland creative choices like Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World) and losing auteurs like Edgar Wright (initially set for Ant Man) but after the success of the nutty, bold and gleefully anarchic Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s like the flood gates opened, Kevin Feige learned the lesson of diversity and taking bold risks in his directors and suddenly we had a mostly improvised Thor movie from idiosyncratic Kiwi Taika Waititi and then Black Panther.

Having introduced the character in Captain America: Civil War, this film was free to dive right in – and what a world we’re introduced to, one full of colour, afro-futurist designs and the grand daddy of Marvel villains (in my eyes) in the form of Coogler’s lucky charm, Michael B. Jordan, as Killmonger. Here was a man who believed himself abandoned and betrayed by his own people - his own family - who had massively different ideas about what Wakanda’s secretive technological advancements could do for other marginalised societies around the world. Of course, this being a comic book, his plan inevitably boils down to arming terror factions but in theory, it did address the imbalance and selfishness of the Wakandan people.

Outside of some dodgy super suit vs super suit CG fight scenes and some rather silly battle scenes involving rhinos, this was the most engaging and confident Marvel movie in some time, with the aforementioned B. Jordan and T’Challa himself Chadwick Boseman being supported by a whos who of incredible performers, from Letitia Wright and Lupita Nyong’o to Daniel Kaluuya and Andy Serkis.

15. The Square

This film killed me. It’s so very very dry in its humour and nearly every scene plays out in these often painfully long takes but it never fails in making every moment that bit funnier as a result, swinging right round from awkward to cringe back to hilarious again. From Christian’s (Claes Bang) repeated encounters with a very angry child to a deliriously off-kilter Elisabeth Moss fighting for control of a used condom, there’s a Curb-like immaturity to many of the sequences here that clash with the high brow, art world characters that populate it.

Not to mention one of the scenes of the year - period - as Terry Notary terrorises an elitist crowd of poshos, descending into performance art hijinks as he embodies a roaming Gorilla. Becoming genuinely threatening as the line between acceptable “art” and full blown menace gets increasingly blurred, the reactions (or lack thereof) from many of the crowd says much more than words maybe ever can.

14. Summer of 84

Another genre hit that I caught at Frightfest, this is the follow up to one of my favourite films of 2015: Turbo Kid. Directed once more by RKSS (the group moniker for François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell) the film seems to operate, at first glance, in the same territory as their previous movie (aka as a horror influenced, 80s throwback) but it is treated with a completely different tone. Whereas Turbo Kid is ‘Mad Max on BMXs made like an 18 rated Saturday morning cartoon’, this plays like a much straighter Stephen King style pulp thriller. 

The comparisons to Stranger Things are inevitable (group of nerdy teenage boys, suburbia, bikes etc) but unfair. This story doesn’t wallow in nostalgia, rather it is played like a film from the 80s rather than knowingly about the 80s. Yes there are references but they aren’t shoehorned in and it doesn’t take long for the central mystery to take centre stage. A little bit Rear Window, it follows these goofy teenagers (all unknowns to my eyes, all equally brilliant and believable) who begin to suspect that their homely, cop neighbour (Mad Men’s Rich Sommer) is actually a serial killer. It’s to the film’s credit that the outcome of this central question – is he or isn’t he – teeters back and forth so well for so long... that by the time it nosedives into a nasty, pulpy final act - taking the conventions you’ve come to expect and beating you into the ground with them - your heart will be so far in the back of your throat that you won’t notice. And again, another classy retro score from Le Matos helps tie this all together. 

A genuine change of pace from RKSS, despite the continued 80s fixation, and further proof that they have many more tricks up their sleeve.

13. First Man

Along with Ryan Coogler, Damian Chazelle is the other wunderkid whose career has been producing nothing but five star films for me (well, Whiplash and La La Land; I haven’t seen his actual debut). And First Man, like Black Panther, is another one that gets really close to perfection but falls slightly short. Having said that, I definitely think I like First Man a lot more than the general audience consensus. People have complained about its insular, intimate focus on a rather dull, introverted lead subject and the nauseating treatment of space travel but I loved both of these elements. 

This is less a film about triumphantly going to the moon and waving a flag around and more about a grieving man who is so out of touch with his own emotions that he a) speaks to his own children as if he’s attending a press conference and b) is hurting so internally that rather than talk to anyone about the loss of his daughter, he’d rather make the dangerous, unprecedented, insane mission to a cold, dead rock about as far away from anyone as you can get. That feeling - of wanting to shut yourself away from literally everyone - is universal. The actualisation of it - man goes to moon - is personal. And made history. And having the foresight to connect that emotional journey of Neil Armstrong with the otherwise feel-good true story of astronauts (and America!) winning the space race is genius. 

Add to that compelling supporting turns from everyone from Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Christopher Abbott and Shea Wigham, another dynamite score from long-time collaborator Justin Hurwitz and some nerve shredding rocket based set pieces and what you have is a fresh direction for Chazelle to take and one that I think we be re-evaluated in the years to come when his filmography expands to much more than just jazz-infused dramas.

12. Phantom Thread

This film is just gorgeous. A riveting character study of a supremely difficult man, Phantom Thread portrays a constant battle for dominance in a troubled yet surprisingly cinematic relationship. Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville give as good as they get from Daniel ‘this is my last film, I swear’ Day-Lewis, an undeniable acting giant who effortlessly breathes as much life into Reynolds Woodcock here as he did Daniel Plainview before, in his last collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson. 

Beautifully shot with another fantastic score from Johnny Greenwood, this one really feels like old school movie magic, like a lost melodrama from the 50s but with a modern mentality bubbling underneath, ready to blow it’s top at the mere, ear-splitting scrape of butter on toast.

11. Widows

Who’d have imagined the director of Hunger, Shame and 12 Years a Slave would be the one to team up with Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn to deliver one of the best action thrillers of the year? 

Adapted from the 80s TV mini-series and given a modern makeover, this film wastes no time getting right to the important stuff as Liam Neeson’s latest heist takes a deadly turn, leaving the widows of him and his crew to deal with the fallout of the failed money grab. Forced into desperate action to pay off their debts, Viola Davis leads this mismatched group of women into the belly of the beast. The cast in this thing is insane - even outside the main players (Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo) you have Colin Farrell, Bryan Tyree Henry (having one hell of a year), Daniel Kaluuya, Robert Duvall, Carrie Coon, Jacki Weaver, Garrett Dillahunt... not a weak link amoung them.

It’s clear that McQueen is a master storyteller and this is a supremely exciting and suspenseful thriller that if nothing else, adds fuel to my ‘Jon Bernthal shared universe’ fan-theory, haha. Imagine, if you will, that he plays the same character in this as he does in Baby Driver. In both films, he takes part in an opening heist and then disappears for the rest of the movie. In Baby Driver, as he’s walking off after a job well done, he says that if you don’t see him again, he’s probably dead. Cut to him joining up with Neeson on THIS job and promptly getting blown to pieces. 

Boom.

COMING UP - star shaped earrings, reloading biceps, fish sex and a mutant pig

[esonetwork]

Timestamp #200: The Unicorn and the Wasp

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/timestamp-200-the-unicorn-and-the-wasp/

Timestamp #200: The Unicorn and the Wasp

Doctor Who: The Unicorn and the Wasp (1 episode, s04e07, 2008)

  The mystery meets the mystery writer.

The TARDIS materializes to the scent of mint and lemonade in the air. If the vintage car in the drive is any indication, it’s the 1920s and Donna’s excited to attend a party with Professor Peach, Reverend Golightly, and the butler Greeves. The Doctor produces his psychic paper, meaning that invitations are all taken care of.

Unfortunately, the party will be one short Professor Peach falls victim to the lead pipe in the library. The suspect is a giant wasp.

The Doctor and Donna are greeted at the party by Lady Clemency Eddison. They also meet Colonel Hugh Curbishley (Lady Eddison’s husband), their son Roger (who flirts with Davenport, a servant), Reverend Golightly, socialite Robina Redmond, Miss Chandrakala, and the famous mystery writer Agatha Christie.

It’s a regular game of Clue.

The Doctor notes the date of the newspaper: It’s the day of Agatha Christie’s disappearance. Her car will be found abandoned and she’ll resurface ten days later with no memory. Her husband has recently cheated on her, but she’s maintaining a stiff upper lip.

Meanwhile, Miss Chandrakala finds Professor Peach, and the Doctor stands in as a police officer with a plucky assistant to boot. The Doctor finds alien residue – Donna’s beside herself that Charles Dickens was actually surrounded by ghosts at Christmas – then teams up with Christie to question the guests while Donna looks about with a magnifying glass from the Doctor’s endless pockets.

Each of the guests has an extraordinary story of where they were at the time of the murder, but there are no alibis. Each is hiding something except for the reverend. The Doctor asks Christie about the paper she picked up from the murder scene, and together they discover the word “maiden” on it.

Upstairs, Donna finds an empty bedroom. Greeves informs her that Lady Eddison has kept the room shut for the last 40 years, after spending six months in it recovering from malaria following her return from India. Inside, Donna finds nothing but a teddy bear and a giant murderous wasp. She attacks it with the magnifying glass and the power of the sun, and the Doctor and Christie arrive to sample the stinger that it left behind.

Miss Chandrakala is murdered by a falling statue. When the Doctor, Donna, and Christie find her, the wasp attacks, but the Doctor cannot find it after it flies off. The guests convene in a sitting room and talk through the events with Christie, but she’s discouraged because she doesn’t know what’s going on. All they have is the clue in Miss Chandrakala’s dying words: “The poor little child…”

Later, she confides in Donna that she feels like the events are mocking her. They commune over lost loves before finding a box in a crushed flowerbed. The Doctor, Donna, and Christie examine the as Greeves brings refreshments, but the Doctor soon realizes that he’s been poisoned by cyanide. A short comedic scene later – complete with ginger beer, walnuts, anchovies, and a shocking kiss from Donna – and the Doctor has detoxed.

The cast gather for dinner, which the Doctor has laced with pepper to test each guest to see if they are the wasp. The lights go out, the wasp appears, and Roger is dead after being stung in the back. Greeves is cleared by being in plain sight during the murder, but Lady Eddison’s necklace (the “Firestone”, a priceless gem from India) is missing.

The Doctor encourages Christie to solve it, knowing that she has the ability. Christie works her way around the assembled guests, uncovering Robina as a thief known as the Unicorn. The Firestone is recovered, but the murderer is still at large.

Christie further (accidentally) uncovers that Colonel Curbishley has been faking his wheelchair-bound disability in order to keep his wife’s affections. She also discovers that Lady Eddison came home from India pregnant, with Miss Chandrakala as a maid and confidante, and had to seclude herself to hide the scandal and the shame.

But, as the Doctor discovers, her tryst was with a vespiform visitor from another world. The alien gave her the jewel and a child, who was taken to an orphanage, and whose identity was uncovered by Professor Peach since “maiden” led to “maiden name”. The Doctor works his way around the room, landing on the reverend who had recently thwarted a robbery in his church. He also notes that the reverend is forty years old, and pieces together that Golightly’s anger broke the genetic lock that kept him in human form. Golightly activated, and the jewel – a telepathic recorder – connected mother and son, including the works of Agatha Christie since Lady Eddison was reading her favorite, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

The reverend transforms in rage, and Christie leads the wasp away with the Firestone, believing that this whole thing is her fault. The Doctor and Donna pursue Christie to the nearby lake, realizing that the two are linked. Donna seizes the jewel and throws it into the lake. The wasp follows and drowns, and while the Doctor is aghast at its death, the three of them are relieved that the mystery is solved. Before the wasp dies, it releases Christie from the psychic connection, and the Doctor puts history in motion: The events of the night are erased from her mind and the mystery writer turns up ten days later Harrogate Hotel courtesy of the TARDIS.

The Doctor consoles Donna about the adventure, showing her that Agatha Christie’s memory lived on. She got married again, wrote about Miss Marple and Murder on the Orient Express (which Donna had mentioned during the night’s events), and even published a story about a giant wasp. The last one – Death in the Clouds, filed away after Cybermen and Carrionites – was reprinted in the year five billion, making Agatha Christie the most popular writer of all time.

Donna reminds the Doctor that Christie never thought that her work was any good. He replies simply:

Well, no one knows how they’re going to be remembered. All we can do is hope for the best. Maybe that’s what kept her writing. Same thing keeps me traveling.

With that, they fly onwards to the next adventure.

  This story was a rapid-fire mystery, and the power of the acting mixed with the pace kept it entertaining throughout. Fenella Woolgar’s turn as Agatha Christie was well done, mixing her intellect and modesty about her craft with the pain and tragedy of her husband’s betrayal. I particularly liked Christie’s gradual awakening to the Doctor’s alien nature, best evidenced in the scenes where they interrogated the guests using each other’s strengths to unravel the mystery.

Combine that with the chemistry between Tennant and Tate bulldozing through a game of Clue and you have a rather entertaining (if not bloody) dinner party.

The final words that the Doctor uses to summarize his ethos remind me of quote from a recent episode of Outlander. While discussing last words and legacies, a certain character (whose identity I’ll not spoil for fans who haven’t seen the episode yet) said this:

I’d say let history forget my name, so long as my words and my deeds are remembered by those I love.

It doesn’t matter if anyone remembers my name so long as my life made an impact on the people who meant something to me.

Life lessons from the Doctor. Words and ideas to live by.

    Rating: 4/5 – “Would you care for a jelly baby?”

    UP NEXT – Doctor Who: Silence in the Library and Doctor Who: Forest of the Dead

    The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.

[wanderonwardsvanessa]

With nearly 22 million inhabitants, most first-timers are going to need a guide to Mexico City. Also known as ‘CDMX’ (Ciudad de México) there’s an undeniable heartbeat that you just have to experience for yourself! Did I mention there’s NO BAD FOOD in Mexico City? From the littlest street vendor, to some of the most incredible high-end restaurants, your soul and stomach will be thanking you for making it down south to Mexico.

In this guide to Mexico City, you’ll learn about:

Brief history of Mexican history & culture

Accommodation & Neighborhoods

Food & Tour Recommendations

Safety

FREE Google Maps Guide

As a 2nd generation Mexican-American, this was a particularly special experience for me because I got to explore my heritage on my own terms. So much of Mexican culture is diluted in North America to ‘make room’ for American culture, which is such a shame. I loved the vendors in the streets, the fresh-made corn tacos, and the general warmth and trusting nature of Mexicans in Mexico. I am determined to show you a side of Mexico that unfortunately never makes it to the headlines of FOX News. It’s time to display the true nature of Mexico for all to enjoy.

A Brief History

Mexico City has always been the cultural renaissance capital of Mexico, but it does have a dark past. 5 centuries ago, CDMX was actually a chain of lakes, filled with canals that people used for goods, food, and general transport. For centuries, Teotihuacan (now the Aztec ruins north of Mexico City) was the capital of an impressive Aztec empire that spanned across Central-American all the way to the borders of Guatemala.

When the Spaniards arrived in 1519, all of the native Mexican inhabitants were turned into second-class citizens after just two years (Lonely Planet, 2019). Then disease struck and the native population shrank dramatically from 1.5 million to just 100,000 in just 1 century. From this immense loss of life, Nueva Espana was born as the capital of the Spanish new world.

It wasn’t until September 27, 1821 that Mexico gained independence from Spain and then, present-day Mexico City was born. From then on, Mexico started to accumulate wealth and with it, a variety of issues with corrupt leaders/dictators along the way. However, like most countries with a complicated past, the people continued to thrive and create incredible traditions, culture and ways of making the most out of not much. Today, Mexico is a vibrant cultural and food hub. In fact, in 2010 UNESCO designated traditional Mexican cuisines as ‘cultural treasures’ and in my opinion, there is NO BAD FOOD in Mexico; at all.

For a more indepth experience dive into Mexican history, I would recommend that you do a ‘Free Walking Tour‘ through the Historic Center of Mexico to learn more.

Culture

Mexican culture is VIBRANT! This is expressed in the wonderful colors and delicious cuisine that covers the streets of CDMX. I wanted to include a few nuggets about Mexican culture stood out to me in particular in my guide to Mexico City.

Mexicans are always on the MOVE. Many people endure up to 2-hour commutes (one-way) every day so food and consumer culture reflects this. You’ll see multiple food stalls and businesses along the roadside or even in the middle of the road! Food is shaped and organized to be consumed whilst on the go and this is to make life easier for the average busy commuter.

Mexicans are so sociable. When the sun is out (like it is normally), all of the parks, main squares, and playgrounds are covered in people. They bring food, drinks, and are always willing to share. For that reason, loads of people bring trinkets to sell or services to provide and advertise them with booming voices. This is cheap and effective marketing in my opinion and I saw lots of business being done.

The hospitality is quick and efficient. Whenever we wanted anything (restaurant recommendations, Mexican candy, a car for the day, etc), it magically appeared in seconds. If it wasn’t quite what you expected, that’s okay because they have 3 other options! We were never troubling anyone; they were just taking pride in their job.

There’s no ‘scamming’ or bartering culture. Coming from China, I was ready to negotiate till the bitter end, but I never had to. Throughout the markets, I was constantly being given a fair price or the prices were clearly labeled for all to see. Even though my Spanish is nothing to write home about, I was still treated fairly by all vendors and I was honestly blown away. It’s way more relaxing to shop in the mercados this way versus in the Souks of Marrakech or the markets of Beijing, where I’m so used to negotiating.

Accommodation

There are a few popular neighborhoods to consider staying in when visiting CDMX. In this guide to Mexico City, I’ll give you a few options based on what type of experience you’re looking to have.

Historic Center – Touristy

If you want to be in the mix of it all, definitely stay in the Historic Center of CDMX. This will give you walkable access to the most famous historical buildings, significant plazas and parks, and you’ll be in the heart of the political scene. There are incredible local and upscale restaurants scattered along the streets of the Historic Center so you won’t need to learn during your time there if you really don’t want to. I’ve included loads of things that are in walking distance in my Google Maps guide to Mexico City.

I would recommend Hotel Punto MX during your time in the Historic Center. The location is absolutely unbeatable. We easily walked to every major historical point of interest and we felt quite safe the entire time. Nearby are incredible local restaurants with thousands of positive reviews so we never had a bad meal; not even once. The amenities are all brand new, with luxury accessories – such as an indoor jacuzzi 😉 – that made it such a relaxing place to call home whenever we returned from a long-day of sightseeing. The staff and customer service was unparalleled as they had wonderful and accommodating staff members that spoke multiple languages. Anything that we might have needed would be delivered to us after a few seconds, which was basically MAGIC.

Details:

3.5 Star Hotel

85£ – £100 ($110-130) per night

Restaurant, concierge, gym

Book Hotel Punto MX NOW!

Condesa – Trendy 

Condesa is where all of the cool kids are. With almond-milk lattes and vegan eateries, Condesa is where the rich and trendy go to live their best lives. It’s a quiet, affluent neighborhood with families walking their pedigree dogs and pushing their upscale prams. It doesn’t entirely feel like the ‘real’ Mexico City, but rather, a bit like SOHO in Manhattan.

If you plan to stay in trendy Condesa, I would actually recommend that you book an AirBnb whilst you’re in the neighborhood for the best experience. The houses are lush and often empty for long periods of time as many international families live here. Be sure to use my FREE £34 Airbnb credit when booking! 

Coyoacán – Cultural

Home to the Frida Kahlo Museum, Coyoacan is a hidden cultural gem amidst the noise. The little neighborhood is super colorful (great for Instagram!) and has a wide range of local culinary options that are INCREDIBLE, local, and affordable. This is where you get to see the REAL Mexico and all of it’s splendor with normal families, living normal lives. I’ve included the best local joints in my guide to Mexico City that can be found in Coyoacan.

We called H21 Boutique Hotel our home during our time in Coyoacan. The owner – Cristian – and his wonderful sister run the hotel together and their attention to detail and attentiveness is spectacular. We were able to bond immediately during our short stay with them and this is what’s so beautiful about boutique hotels. You can see exactly where your money is going and customer service tends to be unparallelled.

As for the amenities, this was the most carefully curated suite that I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying in. The interior design was breathtaking; with each detail a representation of Cristian’s personal style complemented with mementos from the surrounding neighborhood. Even the delightful Mexican candy that awaited us every afternoon was curated from a local shop down the road. These are the special details that I fall in love with every time I say in a boutique hotel.

Details:

3 Star Hotel

~£100 ($130) per night

Concierge, luxury amenities, personalized experience

Book H21 Boutique Hotel Now!

Food Tours

With Mexico being a UNESCO-recognized food hub, an organized food tour is your BEST BET to sample the street food safely and most efficiently. Bonus: you’ll be taken to multiple mercados (or markets) so you’ll be able to do some sightseeing along the way!

My Recommendation: Eat Like a Local MX

I cannot recommend Eat Like a Local MX enough!! It is a women-owned food tourism company that focuses on sustainability and creating social programs for the children in the mercados that you’ll visit. Honestly, I do a lot of traveling (duh) and this was the most incredible sustainable food tour that I’ve been on because of the variety of food, knowledge of local vendors and their family history, and the diversity of each food type. I ate just over 15 tacos during the 3 hour tour, along with multiple sweets, small appetizers, and local delicacies…. like bugs 😉

On a personal note, I enjoyed my time with Eat Like a Local MX immensely because our ethos are so similar. They focus deeply on paying their guides and vendors a fair wage whilst establishing a deep relationship with each person. We heard wonderful stories about the history of each vendor’s speciality, how younger generations have assumed the responsibility of the stalls, and how Eat Like a Local MX is sponsoring classes for the vendors and their children to learn English. By supporting Eat Like a Local MX, you are supporting these communities in a meaningful way.

Safety

Despite much of Mexico’s recent bad press, Mexico City has been able to largely distance itself from the drug war and the streets feel safe and welcoming. In any major city, you need to be careful with your personal items and to stay aware of your surroundings, but I’m happy to report that I actually felt way more safe on the streets of CDMX than in London. I think this was because everyone was so friendly on the street. We never had a single rude or aggressive person approach us.

3 Safety Tips:

Pickpockets are your ‘biggest concern’ in CDMX so I used a little lock on my backpack, which worked perfectly.

Take Uber everywhere in the city. It’s quite affordable and the safest/easiest way to get around.

If you’re going to tourist hubs outside of the city, have your hotel book a private cab that will wait around for you. We booked a cab for 6 hours to Tenochtitlan and it cost us about 1500 pesos or $80 USD.

Google Maps Guide

Mexico City, Mexico: A Guide to the Best Food, Neighborhoods, and Culture With nearly 22 million inhabitants, most first-timers are going to need a guide to Mexico City. Also known as 'CDMX' (Ciudad de México) there's an undeniable heartbeat that you just have to experience for yourself!

[doomonfilm]

Favorites : Boiler Room (2000)

As mentioned in an earlier post, my old roommate Omari used to bring random movies home that looked cool, and a world of wonderful movies were introduced to me in that manner.  I remember him bringing a movie home once with a ton of young actors we both dug in it, but we had no idea what we were getting in to once Giovanni Ribisi quoted the famous Notorious B.I.G. lyrics ‘you either slang crack rock or have a wicked jumpshot’... all we knew is that we were more than likely in for a treat.  This blind introduction was how I discovered the often overlooked gem that is Boiler Room.

Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) is a Queens College dropout running a casino out of his apartment to make a living, much to the chagrin of his father, Judge Marty Davis (Ron Rifkin).  A random visit from Seth’s cousin Adam (Jamie Kennedy) results in Seth meeting Greg Weinstein (Nicki Katt), who sells Seth on the idea of working at J.T. Marlin, the brokerage firm that Greg and Adam work at.  Seth journeys far from Wall Street, down the Long Island Expressway, and joins the training staff at J.T. Marlin.  His goal is a simple one, according to those above him : pass the Series 7, close 40 accounts for Greg, and earn the right to begin working independently as a broker.  Things are good at first, as Seth utilizes his natural people skills to excel at his new position, while simultaneously meeting and getting close to Abbie Halpert (Nia Long), a secretary at J.T. Marlin, and former girlfriend to Greg.  As tension grows between Seth and Greg, Seth begins to dig deeper into the workings of J.T. Marlin, only to learn secrets that rock and his world and force him to make tough decisions that may impact his lives, and the lives of those close to him.

My favorite aspect of this film is the clear choice to make Menace II Society meets Wall Street, where the character scrutiny and aspirations are parallel, but the details are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.  The characters constantly quote Gordon Gecko, reference Glengarry Glen Ross, and act like Wall Street brokers, despite their noticeable distance from Wall Street.  This characterization is offset by a CHOICE late 1990′s hip-hop soundtrack, as well as a tough guy ‘machismo’ that permeates through nearly every member of the J.T. Marlin staff, including the occasional use of the N-word.  The way that many of these characters interact with the world around them, be it through violence, excessive celebration or garish gestures of financial prowess, mirrors the aspects of gangster films that are meant to appeal to our senses while serving as warning tales.  

This aesthetic is backed with an incredibly intelligent script that is clearly based in personal experience with the world of finance and stock brokerage firms.  The film was especially telling in light of the many financial scandals that rocked the American economy in the years following its release, and many markets were revealed to be built on hollow foundations due to practices similar to those used in Boiler Room.  Much of the ‘jargon’ associated with finance is given enough reference to understand without pandering to the audience, but enough frame of reference is given for one to immediately recognize the fact that J.T. Marlin is stealing from ‘potential investors’, revealed to be members of the individual public unlucky enough to end up on a call list.  This awareness of wrongdoing, choice to thrive in it, and environment of locker-room antics by misogynistic man-boys gives Boiler Room a bubble of tension that gets thinner and thinner before eventually bursting.  

The warmness of Seth’s casino is offset by the blue nature of J.T. Marlin, which allows the on-location shots in-between to pop in their natural lighting.  The score does a great job of falling somewhere between the hip-hop soundtrack and the standard fare for a drama-thriller, with small DJ touches sprinkled throughout (just enough to not be annoying).  The film does have touches that reek of first-time director, mainly in terms of how the score is applied like a sting to punctuate exposition or narrative, but enough of this is offset by good camera moves and placements that lift the film’s energy.  The casting (which will we get to momentarily) is amazing, as the majority of the young faces in this film have moved on to monumental success in the industry.

Giovanni Ribisi’s naturally uneasy nature, mixed with his slick verbal tone and manner, make him perfect for the role of Seth, as his skill-minus-confidence in the casino environment grows into resentful power as a stock broker.  Nia Long holds her own among the male-dominated cast, bringing strong energy and plenty of knowledge/awareness of the inner-workings of the world around her, keeping her from seeming like a victim or a prop, narratively.  Nicky Katt embodies the ‘man-boy’ ethos mentioned earlier, pea-cocking at every moment that he’s not undercutting someone.  Vin Diesel plays equally strong, but has a much more sincere energy to him, coming off as one of the few J.T. Marlin associates with warmth in their personality.  The J.T. Marlin staff is jam-packed with impressive performances : Jamie Kennedy, Scott Caan, Tom Everett Scott and Ben Affleck all have amazing moments.  Ron Rifkin and the armor he displays against Ribisi is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, providing a real search for connection that radiates off the screen and grabs the viewer.  Memorable appearances by Taylor Nichols, Bill Sage, Siobhan Fallon Sage, Marsha Dietlein and Peter Maloney, as well as a few early appearances of young faces that got steady work down the road, round things out.

Boiler Room is one of those films that I love to introduce people to, hopefully in a similar manner as it was introduced to me... knowing as little as possible about it.  The film still plays strongly to this day, even more so in light of how the times have changed as made people more aware of how acts like those portrayed by J.T. Marlin associates in the film go on all the time in the real world.