#this is a rachel barry hate blog

[lady-of-the-spirit]

This is like 10 years too late but the "Tina hits her head and dreams everyone is swapped" episode of glee was so annoying, first because it wasn't even an episode that "plot" was like 15 minutes long, and second because why would Tina dream up a world where everything and everyone relies on Rachel and her talent and come out of it thinking that Rachel is deserving of everything she wants? The world Tina dreamed up is not how Tina sees the world. If anything, it's how Rachel sees the world. Why would Tina dream of a version of herself (or Rachel as herself) who sees herself as small and incomparable to Rachel when Tina started her "plot" angry that that was how others were seeing her?

[allamericansbitch]

Hey everyone! Here’s this weeks addition to my Creator Shoutout Series (may 1 -  may 8) ! For info about the series, I explained it in the first post here, but generally, it’s to show appreciate to editors and their creations that i love from the past week. To track this series or look at previous shoutouts, please check out the tag on my blog *creatorshoutouts. Have a great week everyone!

heartstopper: charlie and nick + love languages gifset by @wheelernancy

russian doll: nadia vulvokov in season two gifset by @trueloveistreacherous

taylor swift: state of grace graphic by @cruwlwinterr

abbott elementary: janine and gregory gifset by @tim-lucy

olivia rodrigo: met gala 2022 gifset by @r-pattinson

heartstopper: rainbow gifset by @jakeyp

taylor swift: this love movie poster edit by @carlytayjepsen

barry: 3x02 gifset by @viagobf

heartstopper: elle argent wardrobe gidset by @elletao

f.r.i.e.n.d.s: ross and rachel gifset by @buffysummers

taylor swift: this love graphic by @mlssmlsery

heartstopper: charlie and nick + it’s nice to have a friend gifset by @swearphil

stranger things: the gate episode gifset by @elleargentz

taylor swift: this love gifset by @cametotheshowinsd

euphoria: 2x01 script directions gifset by @kiekiecarrera

heartstopper: character names + meanings gifset by @rodrigolivias

legally blonde gifset by @stars-bean

taylor swift: coney island gifset by @cametotheshowinsd

succession: kendall roy + musical moments gifset by @diazeddie

heartstopper: bully, boyfriend soundtrack gifset by @madeline-kahn

russian doll: 1x02 and 2x04 gifset by @orla-mcool

brooklyn nine nine: amy and jake gifset by @katherineebishop

taylor swift: eras gifset by @lemoncupcake

heartstopper: charlie gifset by @guerrasfrias

taylor swift: this love x cardigan lyric parallel graphic by @lochsides

gracie abrams: the bottom music video gifset by @judsonryders

legally blonde: elle woods gifset by @naiey

taylor swift: i bet you think about me graphic by @ssafeandsound

heartstopper: charlie and nick x taylor swift songs gifset by @thatwasthenightthingschanged

orville peck gifset by @themarshalstale

taylor swift: karma album concept and design edit by @ssafeandsound

the lizzie mcguire movie: lizzie looks gifset by @mulderscully

heartstopper: nick nelson gifset by @charles-spring

taylor swift: this love gifset by @antoniosvivaldi

heartstopper: tao xu + best character traits gifset by @els-hopper

taylor swift: this love graphic by @crimsonred-pain

olivia rodrigo: brutal performance gifset by @everelore

heartstopper: 1x02 script gifset by @kieumy-vu

taylor swift: this love edit by @notmuchfordancing

heartstopper: charlie spring gifset by @kieumy​

only murders in the building: wardrobe gifset by @selenaigomez​

taylor swift: this love graphic by @cruellesummer

10 things i hate about you: wardrobe appreciation gifset by @sarahmichellesgellar​

heartstopper: 1x04 gifset by @arthurpendragonns

taylor swift: all too well graphic by @ohh-goddamn

taylor swift: this love gifset by @likeafaceinthecrowd​

[emeraldskulblaka]

Top five underrated musical theatre actors/actresses? (In case you'd like to share I'm not sure??)

It's so great you're asking this now!! Perfect time.

What I'd like to say in advance - this is just based on what I see on my dash/when I search for people in the tags here on Tumblr. I have no idea about their recognition in the acting business.

In no particular order...

1. Laura Michelle Kelly. Surprise surprise. I feel like everyone has heard of her, but never paid much attention to her since she hasn't been in popular shows like Wicked, Phantom, Hamilton, Heathers, etc.

Her big successes were in the West End a while back - her Olivier Award win in 2005, ... although she has originated a few roles, she's mostly known for Mary Poppins, somehow, and that she played Sylvia opposite Jeremy Jordan as J.M. Barrie. I can only hope more people will discover her now because of Christian Borle and Me and My Girl.

Not only is she an extraordinarily talented singer and actress, she's also a ray of sunshine and a real cutie pie who cares a lot for everyone and everything.

I know I post a lot about her haha, that's why I kept this relatively short

2. Scarlett Strallen. It was International Dance Day two days ago, so I decided to watch a few A Chorus Line clips, and remembered Scarlett had played Cassie in the London revival. The obsession started anew. I originally discovered her when I found an audio of her in Candide with Fra Fee at the Menier Chocolate Factory 2013. And rediscovered her when my Michael Ball obsession started, because of an audio of them singing All I Ask Of You. And now - I don't know where to actually start. There's no way one person can be THAT talented. She can do it all. Mary Poppins? Cunegonde? Cassie? Sibella? Clara? Yes.

While I'm not the biggest soprano fan (at least, in the classical sense, i. e. Cosette's voice. There are exceptions, and it doesn't affect my view of the characters at all, but I don't really enjoy it that much any more), Scarlett has that gorgeous darker soprano voice - you really need to listen to her sing.

Plus, she's a real-life angel. Look at her.

Anyway, she's on Broadway RIGHT NOW, in Travesties!

Her two sisters, Summer and Zizi, are also fantastic. You might know Summer as Meg in the OLC of Love Never Dies and Zizi is currently starring in Strictly Ballroom in London.

3. Sifiso Mazibuko. He's an understudy in the West End production of Hamilton and played Burr when I saw the show. I (and especially @priority-palaven, since she only knew the OBCR and Leslie is... just Leslie who has that lush smooth voice) had pretty high expectations, and they were met as closely as somehow possible. What a guy. Plus, he came out at stagedoor and signed my programme yay!!! I'm sure he has a great career ahead of him and I'll make sure to share more of him!

4. Michael Ball. He's that musical theatre veteran you can find at every Phantom and Les Mis anniversary, on several cast recordings, and on tour with Alfie Boe. But tumblr doesn't talk much about him. There are a handful of blogs that love him, but otherwise - nothing. He's known for ALW musicals, and I'm aware it's cool to openly hate ALW and his shows. But look at the guy himself. Two-time Olivier Award winner, Olivier Awards host, went from Marius and Raoul to Edna and Sweeney. Has the time of his life every time he's on stage, and shows it. Has a puppy face. And the sweetest smile. He's a star, and hearing him sing Love Changes Everything has changed my life.

5. Drew Sarich. He's been - everywhere. Lestat? Tanz der Vampire? Sister Act? Les Misérables? Love Never Dies? Hair? Rocky? He can do anything. Maybe it's because I found a post with a lot of video gifts with him a while ago, but I've grown really found of him. My favourite Graf von Krolock, even though I've seen Kirill Zolygin live... I don't have that much to say about him though😅

Performers who have gotten really popular recently and therefore didn't make the list: Eva Noblezada, Rachelle Ann Go, Shoba Narayan, Lexi Lawson, Jordan Donica

Thank you for the ask! Ask away any time :)

[valeriemperez]

Do you know when The Flash is finished shooting before they go on winter break? Thank you & love your blog.

They will finish shooting mid-December, after filming 4.13. And thank you for the compliment!

I think Iris Night Out is great, do you think we can also tweet about how awesome it is to see female friendships & a female centric episode? It’s just that I’m already seeing the misogynistic men saying they’re going to skip this episode & how stupid it sounds & of course hating on Iris & Felicity & I just want to show them the power of women supporting women on SM and how important it is.

I hope you do tweet that if you feel it. I certainly will! And it’s not just misogynistic men who will disagree, as women can be misogynistic as well. Not to mention other fans who are concerned about the episode and against these particular friendships for a variety of reasons. But you and I can be hopeful and excited!

Tati, I truly enjoyed 4.03 because it showed the best friend vibe that B/I still have while maintaining a romantic relationship. They know how to be playful with each other. Their foundation has truly led them to have a healthy relationship. I also appreciate that Barry didn’t give her annoying looks during the church antics. He was just easygoing and apologetic, but not in a “man, I can’t take you anywhere” sort of way.

That’s how I felt about it, too. I like that we’re seeing the best-friends-in-love side to their relationship a little more this season.

I don’t know,Tati. Heck no to the gossip that the actors have any say about how much affection to show onscreen, but heck yes to a previous anon who said that they are trying way too hard to be funny to make up for last season’s darkness while (accidentally) putting affection to the side. Maybe they don’t know how to just be normal with a balance between the two like in s1 anymore?

It’s totally valid if you feel that way. We’ll see if the season evens out to your liking, or if the affection you feel is lacking shines through more in serious/emotional episodes. I’m sure there’ll be a few.

Grant has not requested less WA, in fact he recently said in an interview that he loves that more WA is happening. This is the same man who put his hand on her butt in 3x09, and it was not in the script! Either way, actors don’t control what happens on the show. That’s not how TV shows/movies work. Further proof: DP has mentioned that she has suggested different storylines and they never do what she requests. Grant does know the season storyline starting at ep 7/8, but he doesn’t control it.

Exactly. Even if Grant was as awful to and about Candice as Ryan Gosling was about/to Rachel McAdams in The Notebook, that wouldn’t make the showrunners change the show for him. Heck, Nathan Fillion supposedly hated Stana Katic on Castle and look at that pairing!

I’m sure the writers have heard the stupid sibling mess. B/I aren’t the same race, Joe never adopted Barry, and Barry’s real parents are the reason that he has created different timelines. If anyone is still calling them siblings, they are trying to be dense. Also, the show has from the beginning, literally episode 5, shown that Joe supports their relationship. They are not willing to sacrifice B/J relationship to pander to the haters. Good for them! That rl is comic canon too, just a bit diff.

Agreed with all of this. Are you referring to Joe clearly being Darryl Frye, lol? Or to Barry and Ira getting along because of science? Either way, I agree.

This idea that GG and CP hate each other and don’t like working together is propaganda from the SB part of the fandom. We all know this isn’t true. Don’t fall for their trap.

It’s not just SBers, but it is fictional. I very much agree there’s no reason to believe this.

[moonraccoon-exe]

Coon was tagged!

I was tagged by @jade-bellatricus84 and @roses-and-oceans! Thanks a lot, buddies!  (o´▽`o) It’s a Get to Know Me of sorts; I’ve done a similar one, but this is actually longer so why not?  ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

Name/Nickname: Raccoon, Racc, Coon (ahaha), Moon. The Most Illuminated and Sacred Prince Raccoon Charming the Adorable. Mama calls me Getoffthetable. (o´▽`o)

Gender: Firegender master.

Star sign:  ☆<--- signed

Height: 30 cm or 11.8 inches :3

Hogwarts house: Ravenpuff!  ( ´ ▽ ` )

Favorite animal: WOLF  (」°ロ°)」

Hours of sleep: Around 8, I think 

Dogs or cats: DOGGOS.  I mean, I love both, but I’m a very doggo raccoon

Number of blankets: Three! Coon’s apparently very coldblooded (; ω ; )

Dream trip: ICELAND AND JAPAN AND I WANT TO GO TO THE NORTH POLE AND EVERYWHERE.

Dream job: Royal Mage

Time: 11 and some minutes pm right now 

Birthday: *nervously sweats*

Favorite bands: Green Day and Rhapsody of Fire and Eluveitie and MCR and FOB and Queen and Halestorm and yes

Favorite solo artist: *nervously sweats* why only one

Song stuck in my head: *dramatic violins* PUGNAA-AAATE BELLATOOO OO OO RES RUUUBRI- Divine Fire, from Final Fantasy Type-0 OST! 

Last movie I watched: Pixar’s Coco c:

Last show I watched: MY NAME IS BARRY ALLEN AND I AM- *dramatic pause* The Flash

When did I create my blog: Right, this is always tricky...around October 2016, started using it around May 2017?  ヽ(´ー` )┌

What do I post/reblog: I spam FFXV content, freak out in the tags, and answer asks :3

Last thing I googled: "Cold clooded” (non speaker reviewing every concept to make sure it’s fine, leave me alone okay)

Other blogs: Not yet but I plan to make a second one for important notes I wanna take c:

Do I get Asks: Ohboi. So many. They’re 99% of the time always so pretty. I’m slow and I’ve got loads and I hope people don’t hate me for taking so long, but I’ll answer and I love each of them. Coon likes answering things. :3

Why did I choose my URL: Well. I am a raccoon. I come from the moon.  ヽ(´ー` )┌ what were you expecting

Following: 53 

Followers: Up to today, 432! I don’t know why but it’s when I’m spamming most and feeling “omg everybody hates me” that people start randomly appearing to follow. Hhnfghfdngf, I love each of these people. Every person following me is a Raccoobo by default, and a raccoobo is friend.  (˙︶˙) ♡

Lucky number: 11 and 9!

Favorite instrument: As in to listen to? Because I love harps and classical guitars and I love flutes and pianos.  (˙︶˙) ♡

What am I wearing: My Prince crown and my fabulous royal cape, and that’s it because I’m a raccoon. Probably should be getting in my PJs tho. Coon’s sleepy and tired ( ˙꒳​˙ )

Favorite food: I cannot choose  (」°ロ°)」

Nationality: The moon is not a nation, it’s one big raccoon garden! :3

Favorite song: how do you ever pick only one

Last book I read: Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman.

Top three fictional universes I’d like to join: Right, but only if I get some skills or powers to survive or if I live in the peaceful times? Right. Obvioulsy FFXV because it’s consumed my soul. Some Hyrule. Avatar: Last Airbender’s :3

Aaah~ This was lots of fun!  ( ´ ▽ ` )

I’m rather shy so I’m gonna tag the people I always tag, maybe some I hadn’t tagged before but let’s see, obviously @yuu-be-good & @sahara-rose, and @onpanwa  @pikachubird and @nemo-ne-impune-lacessit only if you want, buddies, no pressure  (」°ロ°)」 and I DON’T KNOW WHO ELSE, but listen here

If you wanna do that, you tag me as if I tagged you and I even edit this to tag you, just have fun and be safe, okay and I love you all raccoobos hngnnfgh <3

[helloanime247-blog]

Tag!!

Thanks so much for the tag @akatsuki3519 and @yuratchkaplisetskys!! :D It really was a lot of fun to do!! :D

Name: Rachel

Nickname(s): One of my friends calls me Ray....and actually now that I think about it so does my sister. However, she only ever calls me this when she is being super nice to me......and as you've probably already guessed she's rarely EVER that nice to me!! :P XD Some people also call me Rach!  

Height: 172cm (5′8″).....However, I might be a little bit taller!! ^^' My goal was always to reach the colossal height of 6 foot, but my genes failed me!! I'm still a little bit salty over this fact! :P

Ethnicity: Irish

Favourite Fruits: Kiwis, blackberries, bananas, melons, pears and passion fruit! I love (nearly) all types of fruit....though!!

Favourite Season: Winter!! There are just so many reasons to love winter! Firstly, Santa Claus comes to town and who doesn't love Santa, right??!! ;) Also, I love how you can turn on the radio and instantly start listening to Christmas songs! Plus I always make Christmas cake with my Mum and it just feels really festive! :D I also love how crisp and fresh the weather is! There is always the chance of snow, but that very rarely comes to fruition! :(

Favourite Book(s):

I'm going to have to go with the stereotypical response to this question and say Harry Potter! I love this series so much and it was such a large part of my childhood!! <3

A Series of Unfortunate Events- I was seriously obsessed with these novels when I was younger, as I read and reread them countless times. In the words of Lemony Snicket.....he would (probably) tell you that these books are filled with woe and misery and at all costs you must not read them, unless you want all of your future dreams to be haunted by the tales of the Baudelaire orphans!! XD 

Any novel written by Anthony Horowitz. I mean this man could write literally ANYTHING and I would read it! I love his 'Power of Five' series and let's not forget the adventures of the junior spy Alex Rider. These books are so creative and fun that instantly you are absorbed into another world. He also tried his hand at writing Sherlock Holmes novels and let's just say that I LOVE them too!

I also love the 'Noughts and Crosses' novel series by Malorie Blackman. These novels really do make you think and I enjoyed that about them,

Lastly, I'm going to have to go with the 'Peter and the Starcatchers' series, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. I remember my Mum and Dad bought me these books for Christmas, and I'm not going to lie I thought I would hate them! However, now I can say that they are definitely one of my favourite set of novels EVER! Initially, they were meant to be a trilogy, however, I only found out about a year after its release that they had actually written a fourth novel! I was so excited, but I was also slightly nervous that if the book was terrible it may perhaps.....ruin this series for me.....eeeeeeekkkkkk! You couldn't actually buy this book in a bookshop, so I bought it instead from Amazon....and it was such an amazing book, and thankfully it actually added something to the series and made the series as a whole move even higher up in my estimations! :D

Favourite Flower(s): I like roses and snowdrops.

Favourite Animal(s): Okay, I'm probably going to have to go with rabbits, as I'm the proud owner of a really cute and precious rabbit! <3 However, I also love dogs, cats, guinea pigs, horses.....!! To be honest, I really do love all types of animals.

Favourite Beverage: Water, I drink a lot of water....lol! My Mum also picked up a smoothie drink from Tesco the other day and it was so good, I kept going back to the fridge for more...lol!! ^^'

Favourite Fictional Character(s): I have way too many, but I'm willing to narrow it down for the sake of this post, as I don't fancy being here all night! XD

Killua Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter) 

Yuuri Katsuki (Yuri on Ice)

 Rin Okumura (Ao no Exorcist)

 Levi (SnK)

 Yato (Noragami)

 Maou Sadao (Hataraku Maou-sama!)

 Sakata Gintoki (Gintama)

 Sugawara Koushi (Haikyuu!)

 Hazuki Nagisa (Free!)

 Basically any character from Bungou Stray Dog.....in particular Osamu Dazai,    Nakajima Atsushi and Nakahara Chuuya

 Mikoshiba Mikoto (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun)

 Tachibana Taki (Kimi no Na wa)

 Katsuki Bakugou (Boku no Hero Academia)

L (Death Note)

I'm not sure if I've forgotten anybody or not!! If I have.....please forgive me! XD

Number of Pillows and Blankets You Sleep With: So I have two pillows, one duvet, a blanket and if it's quite cold I have an extra blanket. However, its's quite hot at the moment so one blanket normally does the trick!

Dream Trip: I really really really want to go to Japan. I've discussed it with my parents and they are all on board for going there next year, I seriously cannot wait!! I also want to go to Canada and maybe Russia!!

Number of Followers: Ehhhhhh....22! My blog is really popular...as you can see!! Most of the time I always get those bloody (excuse the language ;)) porn blogs to follow me.....which I immediately block, of course!!  

Song You’re Listening to Right Now: Hmmmmmmm.......I'm currently listening to the ending song from the anime 'Hataraku Maou-sama!'. It's such a summery song and  I would definitely recommend anybody to listen to it!!

Tagging: Emmmmmmmm.....I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you feel like doing it......please do.....as it's a lot of fun! If you do end up doing it, feel free to tag me in it so that I can see your answers! :D

[nicolesangel]

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway. because bees dont care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Oh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Coming! Hang on a second. SEND THIS to 10 blogs you beelive deserve the blessing of the bee movie script!

rachel i hate you omg aobdisnsi

[weekendwarriorblog]

56th New York Film Festival Preview Part 1

This year’s 56th New York Film Festival will be my 15th time covering the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s annual festival if I’m doing my math correctly, and it’s certainly gone through a lot of changes in that time with the departure of Richard Peña as its director a few years back and lots of personnel changes behind the scenes. The selections tend to be geared towards the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s older clientele, rich Upper West Siders who want to make themselves feel more special at dinner parties by saying they’ve seen the latest movie from this foreign director or another that most Americans a.) Do not know and b.) Do not give a flying fuck about. Sorry to be so blunt about it, but this is my blog and as long as I’m not getting paid to write it, I will do and say whatever the fuck I want. Got it?

Anyway, the festival offers enough variety and diversity and movies that haven’t played at previous film festivals like Toronto (TIFF), which I missed for the first time in over 13 years sadly.

The 56th New York Film Festival kicks off on Friday, Sept. 28, with The Favourite, the latest film from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, whose early film Dogtoothwas nominated for an Oscar in the foreign language category, followed by The Lobster, which received an Oscar nomination for screenplay. I didn’t like the former and didn’t much care for the latter either. Lanthimos’ last movie, 2017’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer I walked out of it at TIFF because I was hating the fact that everyone was talking like a robot. I haven’t seen The Favourite yet – see my note above about missing TIFF – but this one is getting even more raves. It’s a period comedy starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, three actors who I absolutely love, and I’m happy to see Colman, who will take over as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown season 3, getting lots of attention for her performance, which is either lead (going by the credits) or supporting (depending on who you’re talking to).  I’ll be seeing this early Friday morning and hope to have some thoughts in the second part next week.

I’m even more excited about seeing Roma, the latest film from Alfonso Cuarón, which was selected as this year’s Centerpiece and has also been getting raves out of Venice, Telluride and Toronto. Unfortunately, it’s nowhere near a premiere of any kind for the NYFF. What’s exciting about Roma is that it’s Cuarón’s return to his native Mexico (at least on camera) for the first time since 2001’s Y Tu Mama Tambien, which for many was their introduction to Cuaron. It’s also his follow-up to 2013’s Gravity, for which he won an Oscar, and it’s likely to be another visual spectacle that few others could master.

This year’s Closing Night film is the North American premiere of New York artist Julian Schnabel’s new film At Eternity’s Gate, which reunites him with Willem Dafoe as well as with making films about artists, this time being about Vincent Van Gogh. I loved The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which was nominated for four Oscars but not Best Picture, sadly, and many people I know still love his first film Basquiat, so maybe this will be Schnabel’s return to greatness after the disappointing Miral. The movie skipped TIFF and Telluride, so it will indeed be the first time many will be able to see it.

I’m also looking forward to the Coen Brothers’ Netflix series-turned-movieThe Ballad of Buster Skruggs, which will play during the festival’s second and third week; that’s also a North American premiere. Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight follow-up If Beale Street Could Talk is also playing later in the festival, and I hope to get to that review sometime later in Part 2. I’ve also heard good things about Bi Gan’s Long Day’s Journey into Night and Claire Denis’ High Life, the former I’m not sure I’ll have a chance to catch before its theatrical release by Kino Lorber. Other returning filmmakers represented are Jafar Panahi with 3 Faces, Oscar winner Pawel Pawlikowski with Cold War, Korea’s prolific Hong Sangsoo’s Grass and Hotel by the River, Louis Garrel with A Faithful Man and more. (I can’t even THINK about making the time to see Mariano Llina’s 13 ¾ hour – yes, you read that right -- Argentine film La Flor, which will be shown in three parts or eight parts depending on your patience and free time, neither which

I tend to focus on the Main Slate films and documentaries, but the festival has grown rich with revivals and even a VR Arcade as part of its Convergence slate. If I only had time….

So let’s get to a couple mini-reviews of films I’ve seen so far…

Her Smell

Director: Alex Ross Perry

I’ve long had a strange love-hate relationship with the indie filmmaker who continually makes inroads into the mainstream (like writing Disney’s Christopher Robin, for instance). He’s a regular at my local theater, the Metrograph, and I’ve interviewed him a few times, and I just find him to be a fascinating filmmaker and interesting guy in general. What got me excited about this one is that Elisabeth Moss (who starred in his earlier films Listen Up Phillip and Queen of Earth) plays punk rocker Becky Something making a comeback with her girl group Something She, which is set for disaster due to her self-destructive behavior. Perry really takes a different approach to this than his last film Golden Exits, making a movie a bit like Birdman where the camera flows smoothly from one room to another in the various locations. The film begins in a club where Something She are playing their comeback gig, then follows them into the studio a little later and then to a club where Becky is trying to play with a bunch of younger female musicians. It’s not gonna be for everyone, and to be honest, I’ve worked with musicians/rock stars as nutty as Becky gets at her worst, so it was hard to watch sometimes. Moss is amazing but the rest of the cast around her is also amazing including Dan Stevens as her ex-husband, plus Eric Stolz as her manager, Virginia Madsen as her mother and all the unrecognizable women as various musicians in Becky’s circle, including Amber Heard, Cara Delevigne but particularly Gayle Rankin from Glow as Becky’s put-upon drummer Ali.

The Other Side of the Wind

Director: Orson Welles (kind of)

There’s been a lot of ballyhoo about this film which Welles was working on up until his death in 1985, and the fact that Netflix will be releasing it after it was finished by others is kind of a big deal, I guess. Honestly, I’m really not sure why stuff like this is done with filmmakers’ work even thirty years after their death. The plot involves a filmmaker played by the late John Huston who is throwing a party to show a rough cut of his latest film and all of the drama that surrounds the movie and the filmmaker’s entourage. My biggest problem with the “movie” was that it’s clearly edited together from stuff filmed at different dates, possibly even different years, and it uses the pretense of being a “found footage” movie cut together from various video cameras around the filmmaker documenting this party and the movie’s release. It certainly sounds like something Welles might do, putting him well ahead of The Blair Witch Project when it comes to “found footage.” Because of that, I had the same problems with The Other Side of the Wind, which could have used some color correction to make the editing between characters in the party scene not quite as jarring. The actual film within a film (also called “The Other Side of the Wind”) was much more interesting as an artsy and trippy film with two very attractive and frequently naked actors. (The NYFF is also screening Morgan Neville’s related doc They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, which documents the 15-year history Welles spent trying to make and finish this movie. Both will play as a Special Event at the NYFF before Streaming on Netflix on Nov. 2)

American Dharma

Director: Errol Morris

Having just seen Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9 the day before, I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to sit through Morris’ new movie about Steve Bannon. I mean, I don’t have the hatred some of my colleagues do for Bannon, since I literally have no opinion of Breitbart and what goes on there. I certainly would never go to a right-wing site for any reason, let alone one that promotes the alt-right’s racism. As I expected, the movie is a lot of Bannon bragging about himself, but Morris comes into this story in an interesting way, since Bannon has respect for the filmmaker due to his Oscar-winning film The Fog of War. Maybe it’s that respect that gets Bannon to open up about what was involved with getting Trump elected as well as his involvement with Breitbart’s exposing of Anthony Weiner (sorry for the pun) and other endeavors. What I like about the film is that Morris is a true artist, accompanying Bannon’s boasting with clips from classic films (many which Bannon references) but also some beautiful visuals including the set which was based on the airplane hangar in Twelve O’Clock High, one of Bannon’s favorite films. This is playing as part of the festivals’ “Spotlight on Documentary” which includes fourteen films, but not all of them will have press screenings, sadly. I hope to catch at least Carmine Street Guitars, Ruth Beckerman’sThe Waldheim Waltz (Austria’s Oscar selection!) and Charles Ferguson’s Watergate in this section.

Non-Fiction

Director: Olivier Assayas

I’ve long been a fan of the French filmmaker since seeing Irma Vep many, many moons ago. While not all of his efforts have been masterpieces, he has enough great films under his belt that I’ll always give his movies a chance. This one worried me because it looked like another movie about French people talking about movies, books, relationships ala Summer Hours and just about every other French film made in the last couple decades. Surprisingly, the movie about an author (Vincent Macaigne) who tends to base his fiction on real life and his off-and-on publisher (Guillaume Canet) ended up being far funnier than I was expecting. It’s Assayas’ third film with Juliet Binoche, although her role is more of an ensemble one and more of the focus is on the two men. She plays the wife of the publisher who has an affair with the author, and if that seems like standard French fare, then not the way Assayas handled it. The entire cast is good but Macaigne is particularly funny, since he’s the perfect caricature of a schlubby and unapologetic writer. I guess in some ways, this is Assayas’ first official comedy even though he’s often played with satire and dark humor in his past films, and ultimately, this ended up being quite enjoyable for one of his talkier films.

Ash is Purest White

Director: Jia Zhangke

China’s Zhangke is another filmmaker whose work I’ve heard praised so much over the years, but I haven’t been able to get into either of the previous films of his I’ve seen (Still Lifeand Mountains May Depart). Not sure why I haven’t been able to get into his work, especially with the osmosis that comes with living in Chinatown for 26 years, but Ash is Purest Whitedeals with things I’ve liked in other Asian films. It starts out a bit like a Johnny To film with its look at the jianghu gangs of a small mainland mining town run by the beloved Brother Bin (Lao Fin) and his girlfriend Qiao (Zhao Tao). Things are going well until something happens that gets Qiao thrown into jail trying to protect Bin. When she’s released, things have changed, and she has to find her own way, but then Bin eventually needs Qiao’s help and she puts their differences in the past. Even though there’s definite genre aspects to the film including a section that reminded me a bit of Park Chanwook’s Lady Vengeance, this is still very much a character piece in the vein of Zhangke’s other work, but I think this one works better than some of his other efforts, mainly since the director has two fantastic actors in the leading roles, particularly Zhao Tao, who goes through such a transformation from one section of the film to the next and then into the final act, as the film covers a good ten to twelve years in their lives. Ash is Purest Whitewill be released by the Cohen Media Group, although I’m not quite sure when.

Burning

Director: Lee Chang-dong

It’s hard to call the latest film from the Korean director of Poetry and Secret Sunshine a “genre” film even though it has genre elements, because it’s more of a strange character drama involving three people. Mind you, I wasn’t a fan of Secret Sunshine even though many of my critical colleagues had raved about it, but Burning is a much stronger film even if it’s tougher to explain what it’s about (mainly due to possible spoilers). A young man named Jong-su Lee (Ah-In Yoo) runs into Hae-mi (Jong-seo Jeon), a girl from his old farmland hometown in the middle of Seoul and she convinces him to feed her mysterious cat while she’s travelling to Africa. Jong-su thinks that he might have a new girlfriend until Hae-mi returns with a rich and charming guy named Ben (Steven Yeun from The Walking Dead). Jong-su continues to hang with the duo even though he feels like a third wheel, although both men are clearly enamored with the strange girl. And that’s pretty much all that I can say about the movie. It’s a fairly long 2 ½ hour film where Jong-su gets more and more suspicious of Ben’s intentions, and there’s an odd exchange when Ben tells him that he likes burning down greenhouses. I think the film might be somewhat frustrating to those always looking for clear answers to all the questions the film raises, but it’s still a strong film from Director Lee that’s going to be South Korea’s selection for the Oscars. I’ll be curious to see if it’s too weird for the Oscar foreign language nominating committee. Well Go USA will be releasing Burning.

That’s it for Week 1 of press screenings, and I hope to get to some of the other movies. Here’s the official trailer for this year’s festival:

[jenmedsbookreviews]

You have to admit – this is not a bad way to start a week huh? It was lush if somewhat sickly but highly recommended. I love Ole & Steen on Haymarket. Best Danish pastry I have tasted. If you are in London then you simply must go. Their sandwiches and coffees aren’t bad either.

After starting last week’s post with a puppy picture, I was asked for a cat this week so here you go.

Not what you were expecting? He’s still pretty cute though. For those wanting a kitty of a slighter small size and shape here’s one for you.

None of this has anything to do with books but then what is new. Well … the cake kind of links back to books as I did eat it prior to heading on over to City University and First Monday Crime last week. A wonderfully bookish night of entertainment courtesy of Barry Forshaw, Stuart Turton, Leigh Russell and john Connolly. Sadly, thanks to the sudden descent of fog upon the country Rachel Abbott didn’t make it but the panel still kept us wholly entertained with discussions on why kids don’t read much, whether Stuart Turton loves or hates Agatha Christie and whether John Connolly writes horror or crime or a hybrid. For more on the evening as a whole I recommend that you read Joy Kluver’s write up here. I was far to enthralled and entertained to take decent notes but I did grab a couple of pictures.

Now, you may or may not have worked out from my overly gushing post the other week about The Woman in the Woods that I’m a small fan of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker books. I did the thoroughly bookishly geeky thing of queuing to get my copy signed (even though I have a signed copy on the way from Goldsboro books anyway – this was personalised) and unlike me, I managed to get out more of a sentence than ‘I liked your book’. When Mr C remarked that I had already read it, I explained that I’d reviewed it the previous week. After a surprised ‘that was you!’ I got a totally unexpected and unsolicited hug of thanks from the man himself.

Now I am not prone to the old huggage, hand shakes are still somewhat of a necessary evil IMHO, even for work. I want to die when I meet my European colleagues with their strange air kiss/cheek rub ways. I can never remember which is which and who is going to fire in for one, two or even three kisses. Three!!! I mean, what the heck?Where I come from that’s borderline asking for your hand in marriage or at the very least an indecent proposal!

Those who know me well know that this hugging phenomenon is something I am struggling to come to terms with about the bookish world. You lot are very huggy people. This one though I did not mind at all. Not in any weird kind of freaky stalkerish way I hasten to add, but it was just so surprising as I am sure that authors such as John Connolly and the rest of the panel get hundreds of reviews and kind comments all the time, so to know that he read and was genuinely thankful for the review makes this whole blogging thing worth while. In it’s own odd way it’s kind of different to greeting people who you may have conversed with a bit on line or perhaps met before too as that’s where you expect a kind of happy but strange hug/air kiss/pre proposal type scenario 😉😬. I mean I’d have been as happy with a genuine and enthusiastic thank you but I’m not complaining.;) And I now have another book in my signed collection which also contains huge hugs (at least this is what we deciphered it as saying lol)!!! Good night out.

This was the most exciting thing to happen to me all week as other than this I have had a trip just south of Lille for another two hour meeting (and the kiss/don’t kiss, one two or three nightmare) and a lot of work twaddle to contend with. I completed week 4 of my Forensic Psychology – Witness Investigation course and week 1 of the Forensic Science course that I am trying to undertake alongside blogging and working and travelling and occasional sleeping so that is a bonus. I also got two other new signed books this week. First up was a copy of DM Mark’s The Zealot’s Bones (warning to the sensitive the cover has a scary rat and you may wish to scroll on) and a second signed copy of Written in Bones by James Oswald, simply because it was signed and dated on my birthday last year. That seemed like fate to me so it had to be done.

Ahhh. Book. Heaven. Not too shabby a week huh? Well apart from work but we can gloss over that part …

New book wise I have been ordering from Goldsboro again. This time it’s a signed copy of The Blood Road by Stuart MacBride which is released in June. Happy bunny time over here then. From Amazon my purchases have been limited (yeah right) and I only ordered the US hard cover of Ragnar Jonasson’s Black Out because it is stunning (and I have the first two in the set so it seemed rude not to). From the UK I ordered The Zealot’s Bones by DM Mark (I can’t read a signed copy…); Down To The Woods by MJ Arlidge; Counting the Dead by Victoria Jenkins and No Turning Back by Sam Blake.

Netgalley wise I have had a few books. It’s a mixture of tour requests, direct invites to review in the case of Peter James and Ruth Dugdall and ‘I just want to read these’ requests. I picked up Body and Soul by John Harvey; The Things You Didn’t See by Ruth Dugdall; The Retreat by Mark Edwards; Dead If you Don’t by Peter James and One Little Lie by Sam Carrington. I was also sent an early copy of The Chosen Ones by Carol Wyer which is absolutely bloody fabulous I might add.

Reading wise I’ve not had too shabby a week all things considered. I am still shattered so i think to have finished reading four books again this week is quite pleasing.

Books I have read

The Ice Swimmer – Kjell Ola Dahl

When a dead man is lifted from the freezing waters of Oslo Harbour just before Christmas, Detective Lena Stigersand’s stressful life suddenly becomes even more complicated. Not only is she dealing with a cancer scare, a stalker and an untrustworthy boyfriend, but it seems both a politician and Norway’s security services might be involved in the murder. 

With her trusted colleagues, Gunnarstranda and Frølich, at her side, Lena digs deep into the case and finds that it not only goes to the heart of the Norwegian establishment, but it might be rather to close to her personal life for comfort.

Dark, complex and nail-bitingly tense, The Ice Swimmer is the latest and most unforgettable instalment in the critically acclaimed Oslo Detective series, by the godfather of Nordic Noir.

My review of this brilliant novel will be out later this week but I truly love the writing style and the feel of this Oslo based thriller. Slower in pace than most Detective novels it is still engaging and has so many hold your breath moments that you won’t be able to turn away. You can buy your own copy here.

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Body and Soul – John Harvey

From the master of British Crime Writing comes Frank Elder’s last case.

‘The heavy manacles around the girl’s wrists, perhaps not surprisingly, looked very much like the ones that had been found on the studio floor. For a moment, she had a vision of the chain to which they were attached being swung through the air, taking on force and speed before striking home.Then swung again.’

When his estranged daughter Katherine appears on his doorstep, ex-Detective Frank Elder knows that something is wrong.

Katherine has long been troubled, and Elder has always felt powerless to help her.

But now Katherine has begun to self-destruct.

The breakdown of her affair with a controversial artist has sent her into a tailspin which culminates in murder.

And as Elder struggles to protect his daughter and prove her innocence, the terrors of the past threaten them both once more …

The last in the series this is the first book I have read by John Harvey. Nothing new there for me. Fast paced and gripping from the off, it does contain spoilers for prior novels so be aware before setting off, but as a first read it also gives enough back ground to put everything in context and keep you on edge all along. My review will be posted later this week and you can buy your own copy here.

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The Chosen Ones – Carol Wyer

They had not been forgiven. And they would never be forgotten …. When a doting young father is murdered and his body discovered in a cornfield for his family to see, it’s a harrowing new case for Detective Robyn Carter. But just as Robyn starts to investigate, a popular local doctor and young mother, is found dead outside her surgery.

As Robyn tries to find the link between the victims, she uncovers a dark web of secrets. Were these much-loved members of the community as innocent as they seemed? 

The killer has a message for Robyn and the carefully chosen victims. Can Robyn get to the truth before she becomes the next target? 

If you love Angela Marsons, Patricia Gibney and Rachel Abbott, you’ll love the latest pulse-pounding thriller from Carol Wyer. The Chosen Ones will keep you guessing until the very last page.

What I love about this series, aside from the great characters and the brilliant writing, is that it is set very locally to me and I always chuckle when I see local references. Plenty of that in this book, alongside a chilling set of murders which will make your toes curl and keep you right at the edge of a very uncomfortable seat. Loved it. My review will be a long time coming as publication isn’t until later next month, but you can preorder a copy here. Totally worth it.

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The Girl Who Got Revenge – Marnie Riches

Revenge is a dish best served deadly…

A twelve-year-old girl is found dead at the Amsterdam port. An old man dies mysteriously in a doctors’ waiting room. Two seemingly unconnected cases, but Inspector Van den Bergen doesn’t think so…

Criminologist George McKenzie is called in to help crack the case before it’s too late. But the truth is far more deadly than anyone can imagine… Can George get justice for the dead before she ends up six-feet under too?

A heart-racing thriller packed with secrets, lies and the ultimate revenge, perfect for fans of Steig Larsson and Jo Nesbo.

Love this series, loved this book. George McKenzie and her lover Van den Bergen are back and boy what a case they are faced with. Human trafficking and unexplained deaths of admittedly quite aged men. Full of the humour, darkness and brilliant plotting that threads through this series, fans will not be disappointed. My review and an extract from the book will be up on the blog this weekend, but you can order your own copy here.

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Busy week on the blog so here is a recap:

A Grand Old Time by Judy Leigh

My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland

Too Close To Breathe by Olivia Kiernan

The Summer Theatre By The Sea by Tracy Corbett

Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza

Keeper by Johana Gustawsson

Cover Reveal: The Picture – Roger Bray

The week ahead is pretty tame in comparison although I do have a few tours on the cards for the Ice Swimmer by Kjell Ola Dahl; Body and Soul by John Harvey; The Dark Web by Christopher Lowery; East if India by Erica Brown (Mandie’s review) and The Girl Who Got Revenge by Marnie Riches.

Do have a fabulously bookish week everyone. I will be mostly reading, studying and possibly (maybe) thinking about starting writing myself. Only possibly maybe ish. But probably not. Bust, busy and all that.

Jen

Rewind, recap: Weekly update w/e 15/04/18 You have to admit - this is not a bad way to start a week huh? It was lush if somewhat sickly but highly recommended.