#i know his last release was in 1993 but the one before that was in 89 so i think we can all agree that River of Dreams was a Finale/Epilogue | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shinyzango · 2 months

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Just curious, opinions on the different nutcrackers that you know of from all kinds of media and stuff?

Sorry if anyone asked this before I wouldn't know

Love your art and characters by the way keep it up!

Hohohohohohohoho, we be opening the Pandora Box here. Not that I'm complaining~

So, this is going to be a very long post as I've seen a lot of the movies. I also have a couple books which I can give my opinion, and I'm familiar with various apparitions in videogames and such. So yeah this is going to be a loooooooong post.

So buckle up, grab a drink and enjoy the ride into my personal madness o7

[ CAREFUL, VERY LONG POST UNDER THE CUT ]

So, let's start with movies as those are easier to grab and talk about for me. I'm gonna go with their year of release ot keep things organized.

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Shchelkunchik (1973)

Small silly dramatic guy, I like him! The animators did a great job animating his design and make him incredibly appealing. As for his human appearance, eeeeeh I don't really care for him. Definitely a shock the first time you see it lol But yes, adorable silly guy

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nutcracker Fantasy (1979)

Li'l guy. It is Sanrio so it's bound to be on the cute side. The Nutcracker itself doesn't do much in the movie, but as for Fritz himself, I... honestly don't care about him. He looks pretty, but personality wise he needs to work on it pff Idk he just comes out as plain and a little arrogant... Still a fine fellow, though.

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Nutcracker: The Motion Picture (1986)

One of the two ballet-based movies I've seen, and definitely the better one of the two imo. And good lord I love this guy. He may look terrifying but good lord if he's silly. And I actually don't mind his human appearance as simple as it is. Silly man, this one.

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The Nutcracker Prince (1990)

HIM. MY BELOVED. THE GOOD LAD. Definitely my favorite, and not because this was my most beloved childhood movie. He is such a sweetheart with a hint of awkwardness but who can still kick your ass. And the final scene in the castle in the Italian dub is just *chef kiss* 10/10 lad.

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The Nutcracker (1993)

The other ballet-based movie... it's just Macaulay Culkin. And his nutcracker costume looks hideous lol. Nothign to say. Surprisingly, he's not the worst one.

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The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)

Ripoff Ken. He is incredibly dumb, and a tiny bit of a freak, but could be worse honestly kdjng They did Barbie before Barbie did it lol that's p much it.

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Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)

THE OTHER GOOD LAD. I love Eric so much he's such a sweetheart wanting to fix his mistakes. It's so easy to root for him. As for his human appearance... he's just Ken skjngf 10/10 lad #2

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The Nutcracker and the MouseKing (2004)

Oh boy what to say about this one. Very hateful in the first half. At least he learns and becomes bearable at the last third of the movie. But I do like the nutcracker form, they made the blocky design work as well, like later on it's actually very nice to see him move. Still, horrible personality. Needs a slap in the face.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nutcracker in 3D / Nutcracker: The Untold Story (2010)

Hellspawn. Nightmare fuel. Abomination. Who the hell approved to that design?? And why did they pitch up his voice like that?? At least the kid playing human NC is not as bad, but good lord. 0/10 Just burn that puppet with fire, please.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

This one just pisses me off. This one had so much potential, and the actor is actually good. It's just the way his character was written that is dog awful. They made him basically a dumb side character who barely does anything despite everyone in the movie treating him like he's a big shot. And the the fact that this was made by Disney just makes this worse. Just so much lost potential.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Nutcracker (???)

I actually don't know who made this movie or in which year, but I do like this one. The movie is comedic so he's a bit silly, but he's still quite enjoyable. And for some reason he reminds me of Waluigi.... Still, silly guy.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

That's all for the movies. There are a bunch more that I've missed or that I can't find anymore so my list of opinions on them is not complete. But one day...

---

As for other medias, hm... I have a couple books that are just the original story by Hoffman and the retell by Duman (of which I don't have much to say) and the graphic novel by Natalie Andrewson.

He's just a li'l guy, silly kid but enjoyable.

---

Lastly, while there are no actual nutcracker based games, I do want to mention a few skins and characters I am aware of for the hell of it. I'm pretty sure I will be forgetting some but eh.

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Terraria

Silly guy that speeeens. I wish I didn't have to kill them skgjfn.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Overwatch

As much as I now despise Overwatch for many reasons, I still love Zenyatta's nutcracker skin to death. Look at this silly guy. Definitely my favorite skin in the game.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Saints Row IV

SR4 had a Christmas themed DLC, and among all the xmas reskins of the enemies, one was the terminator-like enemies being turned into Nutcrackers. And their design look so sick.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Fortnite

I don't play Fortnite, but I do have to admit that the nutcracker guy looks neat. The crazy look fits the look quite well. If I would ever get in there (I doubt it but still), that would definitely be the skin I would use.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lethal Company

I don't play LC neither but I've seen videos of the nutcracker enemy in action, and yeah he looks silly. I love how he moves around.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

That's all of the apparitions that I can think of. I'm also aware of the point-and-click game made by Big Fish Games, but I have not played it myself. I really should do that one day...

---

Aaaaaand that's a wrap. I'm definitely forgetting a nutboi or two somewhere but these are all the ones I can think of at the top of my head that are officially published and all.

If we start talking about folks in social medias I've come to know over the years... I'm gonna be here for 3 months trying to talk about them dkjfgn

Well, hope you enjoyed this personal spiraling into nut madness :V

#nutcracker #the nutcracker

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roeroe-world · 6 months

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teach me.

starring: elindasan as shanice, devante swing as himself

set in 1993.

warning: not much plot, detailed smut, mentions of drugs, use of profanity

The lights in the musician’s home studio were dim as per usual. A clad of unique instruments of different colors, shapes, and sizes were displayed neatly within the spacious area. Being a part of the successful R&B band, Jodeci, means there were a lot of accolades. Gold and platinum records hung on the walls, showcasing the quartet’s hardwork and dedication.

Mistakenly, the young woman’s manicured index finger hits the wrong piano key. A snort is heard from her as she attempts to play the notes yet again. Her dainty hands pressed against the piano keys smoothly, finally playing the melody her boyfriend had been trying to teach her for the past two hours.

“There you go, baby.” DeVante sends her a nod of approval.

On this specific day, Shanice decided she wanted to learn to play the piano. Her boyfriend being a musician was a perk because he could literally teach her to play any instrument. But it wasn’t easy.

It takes a lot of patience when it comes to Shanice. She isn’t a fast learner like he is or wanted her to be. If she wasn’t his girlfriend, he would’ve given up before they even started.

Thinking she’d got it, unexpectedly, she hit the wrong key. A loud, abrupt sound meeting their eardrums, resulting in the couple to cringe. He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, mentally thanking himself for smoking a blunt before returning home. “…Shanice, Shanice…” DeVante was growing impatient. “We’ll continue tomorrow. Aight?”

“Baby, I want to do this now.” She whines similar to a child earning a heavy sigh.

“Shanice, I just got home from the studio. I been working all day. I’m high, tired, and hungry.”

Despite possessing an at home studio, DeVante would work at another recording studio. He worked with a plethora of other artists so he couldn’t invite just anyone in his home anymore especially given that Shanice moved in a year ago.

With an eye roll, “You used that same excuse last time. To this day, you still haven’t really taught me to play your electric guitar.” She was gaining an attitude and so was he. Both were highly frustrated. “I know how busy you are but the least you can do is teach me the piano. Come on, D.”

His deep hazel orbs pierced into her direction, sending her a look infused with irritation and annoyance. She was a beautiful woman whom sure could work his nerves. Though, DeVante couldn’t help but think how funny life can be.

Shanice began to work as a receptionist at Uptown Records in ‘91. Her looks and hourglass frame garnered much attention from the male artists yet she never gave either of them a chance. He thought his chances were slim to none as well so he wrote a ballad inspired by her titled, Come And Talk To Me. If he couldn’t say it then he’ll write a song about it.

Before the track was released and became a worldwide hit, he let her listen and the expression etched across her captivating canvas read nothing but pure amazement. “Wow…” was all she could say.

A proud smirk was etched across his pink lips, “What you think?”

“I loved it.” She replied, fighting her smile.

He finally gained the courage to do what he’d been aching to do for the longest. “…love it enough to let me take you out?”

And so she did.

Two years later, here they were. Still a couple and living together. At times, he couldn’t believe he had ‘the fine receptionist’ in his bed. She was still as fine as ever and she was still his. He knew some of the guys at the label envied him because she was on his arm. He didn’t give a fuck.

Their relationship hasn’t always been perfect. Sometimes they were on, sometimes they were off. His feelings for her never changed in the midst of their issues. He loved her and he couldn’t say that for all of the women he’d been romantically involved with.

After moments of contemplating, “Aight. Imma show you one last time.” His plate in the microwave was calling his name. “This ain’t something you can learn overnight, baby.” He shoots her an arrogant wink.

Shanice’s dark brown swirling irises observed him lifting his arms to plant his long and thick crooked fingers against the keys to create a beautiful melody. The way he played the piano— any instrument was effortless. He could write, produce, play instruments, and sing. He was a genius in her eyes. DeVante inspired her in more ways than one and he didn’t even know it.

Observing his fingers closely, she began to scan the side of canvas. His eyelids were shut as his head moved from side to side, indicating that he was becoming engrossed in the melody he curated.

DeVante was a very talented man and on top of that, gorgeous. He had it going on. Women went crazy over him and she saw why, she saw it every day. She wakes up with him. Shanice was living every girl’s dream.

She too was engrossed… but it was for something else.

“D…” The young woman began, her tone of voice dropping and transitioning into sultry. Her left dainty hand sliding across his thigh to grip his member through his dark sweats.

Instantly, the musician stops what he’s doing. The moment his head turns in her direction, she plants a plethora of loving pecks against his lips. His masculine hands sliding along her back while hers gripped each side of his captivating canvas. Soon the pecks grew into a passionate kiss, their tongues dancing around one another’s harmoniously.

Shanice climbed onto his lap, her clothed wetness grinding against his hardened clothed member in a circular motion.

The musician disconnects their lips, “You ever made love against a piano?”

“Unh, unh.” She smiles brightly, her fingers twirling his little curls. They’ve made love countless of times, in many places, some strange. But on a piano? Never.

“Let’s change that.”

In a swift movement, he lifts her upward by her thick thighs as he stands to his feet and sits the beauty on top of the instrument. Her top row of pearly whites digging into her bottom lip, watching her boyfriend slide her panties along her smooth glowing chocolate legs. His hazel irises darkening in arousal at the sight of how wet she was and he barely even touched her.

Lustfully, she watches his tall frame lower between her widened legs. His arms wrapping around her thick thighs so she couldn’t run. Shanice was trapped into his tight embrace.

DeVante didn’t have to touch her for her to get turned on. All he had to do was give her that look and she would melt, willing to do any and everything in an instant. He had her wrapped around his finger and so did she. No matter how many arguments and fights they’d get into, they would never leave each other alone.

Soft and wet.

That’s how she felt in his mouth. Her taste was sweet like honey, essence dripping along his chin. “Mm,” His baritone groans against the woman, earning a plethora of soft moans before her lips widened growing speechless as two of his crooked fingers entered her warm walls.

“Shit, D…” Her manicured left hand grips his box fade as the other held onto the edge of the large black piano for balance. The musician was making her melt, inside and out, especially in his mouth.

“That’s it. Gimme more, baby.” His soaked fingers skillfully digging in and out of the woman’s tightness. He sucked, licked and kissed as if it was his most prized possession.

Shanice’s juices were never ending. DeVante’s hunger quickly diminished as she fed him, slowly grinding herself against his beautiful face. Her jaw agape, completely speechless. He was eating her like he hadn’t eaten in days, though, it had been hours since he’s had a meal.

Clearly, Shanice was his meal for now.

He couldn’t get enough of her. He never could. Her taste, her show-stopping love faces, her moans, the way her juicy lips would fall open as that little squeaky sound passed her throat. DeVante lived for every single moment of pleasuring his woman.

His piercing light orbs staring a hole into hers while she stared downward in his direction, perfectly arched eyebrows furrowing together while she threw her head backward occasionally. At times, her eyes would roll to the back of her skull, giving him a clear indication of how well of a job he’s doing.

“Fuck..” She releases the pent up sensation within her stomach without warning.

Smirking, he stands to his feet, “We not done yet.” Their eye contact intense. Though he could tell her orgasm left her a bit exhausted.

Soon, every single article of their clothing were on the floor. They were kissing on one another’s tattoos as DeVante gave her deep, breathtaking strokes. The sound of skin slapping, heavy breathing, and loud moans filled the musician’s spacious home studio.

“Look at me.” Gaining a tight grip onto her neck, he forces her attention on him. His deep voice meeting her eardrums immediately results in the young woman’s top row of pearly whites to dig into her bottom lip.

Her right leg upon his shoulder for more access, diving deeper much to her pleasure. She was in complete bliss, speechless. Glossy eyeballs peering upward at her man as he fucked her so good. His thick, long member always hit spots that left her eyes rolling to the back of her skull and screaming to the most high.

The feeling of her warm walls hugging his phallus drove him mad, his strokes grew increasingly rougher. As speechless as DeVante was making her, the pace of his hips were making her grow more vocal. She was growing louder and louder, screaming to the top of her lungs. Luckily, they were alone in their shared spacious luxurious mansion.

“You feel so good, baby…” He groans, pressing his sweaty forehead against hers.

“You too,” A helpless moan escaping her lips, caressing the skin of his back. “Fuck, fuck, fuck… ouu, fuck!” Shanice bends backward, back shivering at the coldness of the top of the piano as she laid against the instrument, taking him like a good girl. Her dainty manicured hands gripping her breasts, a fucked out expression etched across her canvas.

“D, ah…” The beauty loses her train of thought, completely and solely lost on the fact that his dick was diving in and out of her. He was so hard, long enough to hit that well needed gummy spot that left her legs shaking.

“Make a mess. Yeah, just like that, sexy.” His deep baritone encouraged her as she squirted uncontrollably, juices spilling along his pelvic area. She was so wet that she was dripping down his legs.

A plethora of high-pitched whines passed her widened lips and DeVante’s top row of pearly whites embedded into his bottom lip, observing the woman lying in front of his standing frame losing her mind. Her large breasts bounced intensely along with each stroke, her gushiness curating a prominent macaroni sound.

Shanice could feel him pulsating inside of her walls, indicating that he was close. “Gimme your babies, D.” Their eyes connected and the minute it did, the couple never looked away from one another. “I want every drop inside of me— shit—”

He knew that she wasn’t thinking clearly but he took what she said seriously.

“I love you, baby…” He breathes heavily, meaning every word he said.

“I— I love you so much. Hmm…” She drags out, eyelids shutting in pure pleasure before admiring the sight of where their intertwined bodies met. “Shit. I love this dick.”

Shanice was drunk off of the musician’s dick, letting out raunchy moans and pornographic screams before releasing yet again without warning. Meanwhile, DeVante’s pink lips hung open slightly as he focused on her reaction. Though, she’d gotten hers already… he wasn’t going to stop whether she liked it or not.

“Fuck…” He curses aloud, feeling his orgasm approaching. His strokes grew rougher and rougher earning several helpless whimpers.

“D… oh yes… come. Just come for me.” As encouraged, he did and spilled every single drop of his semen inside of his girlfriend’s warm walls. Both of their bodies shook at the sensation, their mouths falling agape in ecstasy in unison.

Silence falls between the couple until DeVante breaks it, his nasally baritone speaking, “You can have as many piano lessons as you want.”

Smiling weakly, “Electric guitar too?” Hope filling her low tone of voice.

“Acoustic, electric, whatever. You name it, baby.”

In response, Shanice just giggles. She was ecstatic that he was finally going to teach her.

#black love #black women #black men #romance #90s #devante swing #smut #elinda san #music #jodeci

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dd-is-my-guiltypleasure · 4 months

Text

A LIFE IN THE DAY

David Duchovny: ‘Love can happen at any age, right?

The actor, 63, on The X Files, songwriting and snacking

EKATERINA GERBY

Interview by Helen Cullen

Wednesday January 17 2024, 12.01am GMT, The Sunday Time

Duchovny was born in New York City. He studied English at Princeton University and Yale, before breaking into acting in the late 1980s, starting in TV adverts and working his way up. In 1993 he began playing the role of the FBI agent Fox Mulder in The X Files, which ran for nine years. He later played Hank Moody in Californication. He has also released three folk-rock albums and published five novels — last year he directed a film adaptation of one of these, Bucky F***ing Dent. Duchovny has two grown-up children from his former marriage to the actress Téa Leoni. He lives in California, with his girlfriend, Monique Pendleberry, and his two dogs, Brick and Rookie.

I like to get up at dawn because those are my best thinking and writing hours. I love the sunrise but it also means I can get some work done before the sun gets too much. That’s the best time of day for me. I have a coffee that makes me think I’m brilliant for ten minutes and that’s all I need to get going.

Food to me is just fuel and I don’t have very advanced taste buds. I think everything kind of tastes OK, which people react to with suspicion. For breakfast I like oatmeal — what my Scottish mother called porridge.

If I’m filming I still like an early start, but I shot my recent film What Happens Later, with Meg Ryan, all through the night because we filmed in a regional airport after it closed at 9pm. That’s a bit of a nightmare for me as a morning person, but we developed a great camaraderie from working while the world was asleep. My daughter, West, thought it was great to see a romantic comedy film with people my age, but I don’t think of myself as any age, so I hadn’t thought about that. Love can happen at any age, right?

Everybody wants me to have a hobby, but I’m blessed because I love my work. I’ve been able to branch out into music, writing and directing. With songwriting I can pick up the guitar at any time. If you wait for inspiration to hit, you’ll be sitting on your ass for ever.

I knock off for lunch about 12pm. That’s when I have the one big meal of the day that would be recognisable to other humans as a proper meal — vegetables and a protein such as fish. The rest of the time I snack.

In the afternoon I work out. I love the games I played when I was younger — boxing, tennis and basketball — but as I get older I tend to get hurt doing those, so I’ve found Pilates is best for me. It’s still super hard but the least dangerous.

I live in Malibu and the height of my fame has passed, so it’s not difficult for me to move around any more. It’s a different era now because everybody has a phone, so paparazzi are more a thing of the past. I tend to go to the same places where people are bored of seeing me.

There are always different reasons why fans might stop me — it could be still because of The X Files or Californication. I am very proud of The X Files. I can’t think of another show like it in terms of cultural impact and longevity. I just thought we were making good, goofy TV but Chris Carter, the creator and director, saw what was coming in terms of the culture of conspiracy theories. Gillian Anderson [his co-star] and I went from being unknown to globally recognised in a couple of years. We don’t get to see each other that much as she lives in London, but there’s no one else I can share that with.

West is an actor now too. It wasn’t something that I would have charted out for her because I know how difficult it is, even more so for a woman, but I want her to do something she’s passionate about. There are still dark corners in Hollywood but the pitfalls and dangers are much more upfront.

I do enjoy a party, but I’d rather spend time with friends in the evening. Because I like to get up so early, I go to bed early also. I feel electric light has really f***ed with our sense of mind and body, and that we were made to hide in the cave at night from predators and wake up with the sun, so I try to do that. Constitutionally, I feel like that works for me.

Words of wisdom

Best advice I was given

It doesn’t matter if people laugh; it matters if it feels funny to you

Advice I’d give

There’s no such thing as good advice — you have to come to it on your own

What I wish I’d known

Take a moment to appreciate what you’ve done before worrying about the next thing

What Happens Later is in cinemas now and available to stream in spring. The Reservoir by David Duchovny is out now (Akashic Books £19.95)

#david duchovny #2024 #what happens later #txf #meg ryan #mo #malibu #his life now #west duchovny

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 8 months

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Can you do more with player!reader x Marauder? Maybe something with Marauder learning about the players life during battle, and being surprised about there being a fandom (and the "humiliating" art of the slayer) I have seen enough catboy doomslayer to last a lifetime. Pretty sure he'd get a kick out of fanart and memes.

Bonus if the reader is an artist and finds a way to show the Marauder their own art of him.

"So in your world...you--this game..has its own cult following?"

"We call it a "fandom", Marmar-"

"Do not call me that."

"..okay, Marauder. But yes." You nodded to the screen, having the Doomslayer chainsaw through one of the zombies that spawned into the room, granting you extra ammo. Then you had him dash to evade the glowing orange wolf that the Marauder summoned, finishing it off with a shotgun round.

Yes, you were indeed communicating with one of the toughest enemies in the game Doom Eternal--who so-happened to be aware that he is a video game character and knows he's destined to respawn every time you entered the final room in the ARC Complex level for his boss battle.

And he now sees that the Slayer was merely a vessel controlled by you.

Instead of getting too freaked out, you struck up a small friendship with this Marauder. Why wouldn't you? He was your favorite demon of all the ones you've encountered.

He was curious about your world--one that he quickly learned that not even the Maykrs themselves could reach--so you've been explaining small things about it, although the subject of how others of your kind perceived him and Doom Eternal as a whole.

That's when you mentioned the fandom and online following it had.

"It's more than just this one, though, the fandom goes back as far as the first Doom game released in 1993."

"It's...that old? How fascinating.." The Marauder was intrigued.

"Yeah, it's come a long way from being a simple shooter game. It was the first one ever created, in fact, and it paved the way for more like it."

"And then it became Eternal about three years ago?"

"Precisely."

"I see. Are there other versions of me in previous---GRRAH!!" As a stray bullet suddenly flew towards him, he brought up his shield and scowled. "Are you trying to catch me off guard, mortal?"

"No, I promise." You shook your head, before adjusting the mic connected to your headset. "To answer you...no. You're unique only to this game. And to be honest, you became quite a hot topic for debates in the community."

"Is that so?" Taking a pause, Marauder lowered his shield, red eyes narrowing at the Doomslayer and whatever skin you chose to use this time around. He was always amused by what your vessel looked like, be it the menacing Praetor skin or the ridiculous Doomicorn. "Let us pause our duel. Elaborate."

"...okay, um....ah, how do I say this without sounding like a jerk..." You mumbled to yourself, before looking back at the screen. "Some people think your attack methods "ruin" the flow of the game...and before you get mad, Doom was always known for just shooting demons and moving on. They whine about it being too "complicated" now, but I like what you brought to the table: you give us a true challenge."

"Of course..I only bring the toughest challenge. Lest they forget, Marauders were amongst the Sentinels in legion with the Slayer...so I ought to be a worthy enemy. One that players shan't forget." He chuckled, grabbing the head of a zombie who had the misfortunate of spawning right next to him. "Nothing like these...simple-minded corpses. They're forgettable. So easily crushed by a simple action."

With one squeeze, its head disintegrated into a bloody pulp before it collapsed to the ground, despawning.

"But not me."

"Right." You were surprised he could do that, but you shrugged it off. "All debates aside...I think you'd get a kick out of all the art this fandom has made, too."

"Art, you say? Let me guess..they're all tributes to the Slayer? Covered in blood? Scorching fire and relentless rage in his eyes? Standing over mountains of demonic corpses?" He scoffed.

"...some of that, and a lot of catboy pictures and maid outfits."

".....what is a "cat-boy"?"

Oh no.

This was taking quite the awkward turn.

"Let's. just say there's a lot of degrading and humiliating stuff about him, and god, don't even get me started on the fanfiction.." You shuddered a little, although hearing Marauder's deep chuckle made you refocus on him, seeing him sit on the stairs.

"This has enlightened me..oh, what I would give to see such humiliation with my own eyes. The great and mighty Slayer, reduced to a-"

"There's art of you, too."

He blinked. "Me? I, too, have left that much of an impact on your "fandom"?"

"Oh for sure! People love your voice, and uh...your physique."

"...they like this..hideous rotted body of mine?" He put a hand to his chest, taking all of this information in. "It's merely a husk of what I once was..before I was denied an honorable death."

"Yeah, well..at least your abs stayed with you." You joked.

"Glad to hear I am somewhat admired among your species. But am I subjected to the same degradation?"

"Sorta..on a lesser scale."

"........"

"But it's not all bad! I've actually made some cool art of you looking completely badass!" You hastily mentioned before he could get too upset. "Since you're my favorite demon, of course I had to. Wish I could show it to you somehow.."

"Not to worry." He sounded relieved. "I'm grateful to be idolized in some world, if not my own."

"Right--hey!" Distracting by your chitchat, you failed to see the zombie take a slash at the Slayer, and in revenge you made him do a Blood Punch to regain the health he lost. "I forgot we're supposed to be fighting."

"You wish the Slayer's "Blood Punches" worked on me.." The Marauder teased, rising up and scraping his axe against the ground. "Now shall we continue? Perhaps..you could let me have this win?"

"...I would, but I have over ten extra lives in my inventory and I'd hate to waste them." You smiled awkwardly, watching his expression grow frustrated.

"What..? Now how is that fair?" He growled. "True warriors don't get second chances. Are you using those "cheat codes"?"

"No. I found them all on my own. No cheats here."

"Hmph...well said, human. Now let us fight."

#clanask #anonymous #doom x reader #doom eternal x reader #doom marauder x reader #marauder x reader #player reader #platonic

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stwritings · 1 year

Text

September 1993

He doesn't know if it's the repetitiveness of the song or the crowd instantly erupting into a choreographed dance that he's never been able to master, but Eddie D E S P I S E S the Macarena. You were first made aware of his aversion to the song when it came on the radio as you two were riding around in your beat up 89 Toyota. He was quick to change the station, attempting to find anything else to listen to.

"Hey!" you protested, slightly offended by the music suddenly being replaced by radio static.

"Nope, sorry, can't do it." he replied, struggling to find a different station.

Upon questioning him further, he expressed his grand dislike of the song, ranting on about how overrated it was.

It wasn't. At least, not to you and the thousands of people buying copies of the newly released track. Nevertheless, you listened attentively, always getting a kick out of how passionate he was about virtually everything he spoke of; good or bad. As much as you loved hearing him speak about topics he was fond of, there was something so unintentionally hilarious about him going off on tangents about things he hated. The mere mention of said things would get him riled up, no matter how little or insignificant they were. This song, for instance, was one of them. It aggravated him to his core, and over the next few months, became inescapable.

As the song's popularity reached new heights, it seemed like he couldn't go a day without hearing it against his will. It would play in nearly every store on popular radio stations. It could be heard at his job where his boss was in charge of picking the music. He would even hear it at the most unexpected places like the dentist office or his barber; an older man who usually enjoyed listening to Jazz music.

It was everywhere and it was driving Eddie crazy.

While the song was the bane of his existence, you actually got quite the kick out of seeing his visceral reaction, without fail, every time he'd hear it. So much so that you'd gone out of your way to purchase a copy of the record just to mess with him. Eddie was quite the prankster himself and it wasn't uncommon for him to play tricks on you, so this small annoyance was justified. Besides, you enjoyed the song so buying the CD wasn't an entirely useless purchase.

For a while you would play the CD at odd times, giggling as you'd wait to see how long it would take to summon him to your shared living room. Once he had stormed in, he'd be starring at you with narrowed eyes before darting to the stereo to shut it off. As much as he hated the song, he loved your laugh more. He put up with your antics, often times exaggerating his reactions and upping the dramatics to make your day.

Over time, the gag became old, and you did feel a little sorry for him, so you retired the CD to give him some peace of mind while he was home.

June 1994

The following year was the summer of weddings, many of your friends choosing to tie the knot within the same month. This gave you the perfect opportunity to fuck with Eddie one last time with this infamous song. Without fail at some point in the night, usually after a few drinks, you would sneak away to the DJ booth to request it, even if the song had been played already. You'd make sure to point out Eddie to the dj to ensure that the song would be played while he was in the room. You would even have the DJ dedicate the song to Eddie to be an even bigger menace.

Soon enough, the entire friend group caught on to the gag and would often form into a circle around Eddie performing the silly little dance until he would ultimately run away to the bathroom or bar. Much to his dismay, that sometimes wouldn't stop his friends from chasing after him to further terrorize the poor boy.

Eddie thought he was in the clear one night when the song hadn't been played, assuming you had forgotten or were too drunk to remember. However, it inevitably played. Only this time it wasn't your doing, and you were no where in sight. You had planned to play it as one of the last songs to try to trick him, but the DJ had beat you to it as the night was coming to a close. You began to panic as you were missing the song, being stuck in line in the bathroom. With only a minute to spare, you managed to sprint to the dancefloor, putting your need to use the washroom on the back burner. You made it just in time for the last chorus, dancing closer to your table in order to make eye contact with Eddie as you expertly performed the last few moves to the dance.

Shaking his head while chuckling, Eddie made some sort of comment about how much of a little devil you were and shook his hips slightly to the final beat of the song. At least he got that move right.

#eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson stranger things #eddie x reader #eddie munson #eddie stranger things #stranger things netflix #stranger things #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fluff #stranger things blurb #stranger things 4

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thebreakfastgenie · 4 months

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Songs are often not about just one thing I'm not saying I have a deep spiritual connection with Billy Joel that no one else does, but I do have a good track record at understanding the meaning of Billy Joel songs, even when they're widely misunderstood (because I have a deep spiritual connection with him that no one else does) and I think at least to some extent Turn the Lights Back On is about his music.

[Verse 1] Please open the door Nothing is different, we've been here before

The door to the recording studio perhaps... it's also less literal, just opening something back up. It's something familiar! He knows about writing lyrics and recording songs. It's this reassurance that he remembers, that it isn't new.

Pacing these halls Trying to talk over the silence

Silence... from the lack of music.

And pride sticks out its tongue Laughs at the portrait that we've become

Pride could refer to a lot of things, but it's certainly a feeling that can go with creativity. Taking pride in his work... In some ways he has become a portrait of himself. He's been playing music that reflects who he was thirty forty, fifty years ago.

Stuck in a frame, unable to change I was wrong

He hasn't changed, he's been playing, in his words, the same old shit. He thought he was done writing songs, that he had nowhere left to go artistically, but he was wrong.

[Chorus] I'm late, but I'm here right now

His last album was in 1993. He's also been touring and playing his residency for over ten years now, and he hasn't released any new music. People have asked, and he's always brushed them off. So maybe he's late. It's been a long time. But he's here now.

Though I used to be romantic I forgot somehow

He used to write a lot of love songs. He hasn't written any for a while, or any lyrics. He feels like he forgot how, or forgot what he liked about it. He's also used romance and being romantic as somewhat of a metaphor before.

Time can make you blind But I see you now As we're laying in the darkness

It's easy to forget how much you loved something when you haven't done it in so long, but he remembers now.

Did I wait too long To turn the lights back on?

He wonders if it's too late. After all, it's been decades, and he's turning 75 this year. Turning the lights back on evokes literally turning the lights on in a long empty room, like a recording studio, but also more generally suggest starting again, starting back up.

[Verse 2] Herе, stuck on a hill Outsiders inside the homе that we built

Maybe the hill is an obstacle, a thirty year bout of writer's block. Or maybe it's a peak. Maybe he hasn't written songs all these years because he felt like he'd already peaked creatively and there was nowhere left for him to go. He feels like an outsider in his own career now, because he's not writing. He's also influenced a lot of younger musicians, so maybe the home we built refers to that too.

The cold settles in It's been a long winter of indifference

He hasn't cared much about writing songs in a long time, but now he's starting to notice it feels like something is missing. The Genius annotation also tied this lyric to the early fall references in Famous Last Words. The teaser video showed him turning a page from Famous Last Words to Turn the Lights Back On so there's definitely some level of connection there. Famous Last Words was about feeling he had nothing left to say, but even then he left hanging the possibility of other words some other day. These are the words.

And maybe you love me, maybe you don't Maybe you'll learn to, maybe you won't

I think you here refers to both the personification of music--his muse--and the audience. Maybe his muse will be good to him, maybe not, maybe he'll get back in the swing of it, maybe not, this is new and he's trying. Maybe the audience will love his new music, maybe they won't like it and won't buy it. I think this also works in the reverse, where he's the second person. Maybe he realizes he loves songwriting again, or maybe he doesn't at first but he does with time, or maybe he doesn't and this song is it, just one experiment.

You've had enough, but I won't give up On you

He had previously had enough of writing songs, maybe his muse had had enough of him, but he's not giving up on doing this art.

[Chorus] I'm late, but I'm here right now And I'm tryin' to find the magic That we lost somehow

He wrote some really magic songs. As much as he claims lyrics are just what you have to write to sell songs, he wrote twelve albums worth of songs over twenty years, there must have been some magic in it for him. He lost that along the way and he's trying to rediscover it now.

Maybe I was blind But I see you now As we're laying in the darkness

He couldn't see what he liked about songwriting for a longtime, what the draw really was, but now, after all this time in the darkness not doing it, he sees it.

Did I wait too long To turn the lights back on? [Chorus] I'm late, but I'm here right now Is there still time for forgiveness? Won't you tell me how?

He's wondering if he still has a chance to go back. He's old, he's been away a long time. But he wants to figure it out.

I can't read your mind But I see you now

It's not easy to understand. Maybe it's his own mind he can't read, he can't understand where his creativity comes from or how to turn it on and off. But he sees that it's there.

As we're layin' in the darkness Did I wait too long To turn the lights back on? [Outro] I'm here right now Yes, I'm here right now Looking for forgiveness

He affirms that he's here now. Maybe the thing he's looking for forgiveness for is how negative he's been about the songwriting process, and how dismissive he's been about the idea of going back to it.

I can see as we're laying in the darkness Yeah, as we're laying in the darkness Did I wait too long To turn the lights back on?

Putting all of this in the context of his first new song in decades and the deliberate connection to Famous Last Words, which is also about his music, I think it makes sense. He's also done a lot of things in the last ten years or so that at one point he thought he was done doing: playing concerts, getting married, having children and now, writing songs. Or at least this song. It's about trying to find the lost spark in a relationship, not with a woman but with music. I think it does suggest the possibility of more music from him, although it's very far from a guarantee.

#billy joel #turn the lights back on

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dgtn · 1 year

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As y'all know, BTS is celebrating their 10 year anniversary this year! Crazy that they've been together for 10 years...even longer if you consider the time before their offical debut. Sometimes it seems like 10 years is not that long of a time cause we just love them SO much. So it got me thinking about other similar groups/bands and how long they were together in comparison to BTS.

The Beatles: I included the Beatles because I have seen BTS compared to them in terms of their influence on the music industry and their popularity. They initially formed in 1958 and slowly built their fanbase by playing gigs in England from 1960-1963. By 1964 we saw "Beatlemania" in full force. For 10 years they dominated the music scene until they broke up in 1970. At this point and began to pursue solo careers. Over the years they have had many partial reunions.

New Kids on The Block: They formed in 1984 and were active until 1994. Then came back in 2008. They were the first modern era "boy band" to achieve such a high level of success.

Back Street Boys: They formed in 1993 and released a greatest hits album in 2001 before taking a 2 year hiatus. After that time they came back together for reunions multiple times. Some of them enoyed moderate success as solo artists over the years but never the level of success they had as a group. In 2023 they celebrated their 30 year anniversary.

N'Sync: They formed in 1995 and last released new material in 2002 before going on hiatus. I'm sure we all know who the break out solo artist of the band was... a one Mr. Justin Timberlake. He stills continues to have massive success to this day, even moving into acting.

One Direction: they formed in 2010 and were together until 2016. Many of the band members have had successful solo careers. Hands down the most successful member is none other than Mr. Harry Styles. Much like Justin Timberlake, his star continues to rise!

So BTS has been around the same time or longer than some of these other groups. I think one of the big differences is that they really have given us unprecedented access into their lives. SM has made all of that possible. I think that's why so many of us have come to love them even more... we just know so much more about them. And the crazy thing is, for as much as we do know; there is still so much we don't know. I think over time, especially after MS, they will open up a bit more to us. I am looking forward to those days!!!!!

#bts #bts 10 year anniversary #jimin #jungkook #suga #jhope #namjoon #v

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interact-if · 11 months

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I feel like this is my last hope here. I've been trying to find a game I played as a kid, would've been 1993 so most likely released before then. I've asked in a few forums and a couple times on reddit, and spent many hours trawling through many a list of games by release date, and gotten no closer to figuring out what it was.

The premise of the story is that your family has moved into an old house that once belonged to a sea captain, of a fishing boat I believe. The first night you're awakened by the ghost of the sea captain and the rest of the game is exploring the house and I think maybe going into town (I remember a library? School maybe?) in order to figure out what's the deal with this sea captain so you can help free his spirit.

The main interface for movement was just a blueprint of the house and you click on a room to go there and explore. "Click" I say, but I don't think it used the mouse, just a cursor that you moved with the arrow keys and then hit ENTER to select. Anywho, that's all I remember.

I realize this is a longshot given the age, but maybe Tumblr has captured a wide enough audience to have some idea.

Hi there,

This might be too long of a shot to ask here, as very few of us have played this quite old (I am assuming parser/input-command) IF Games. Most older ones we tend to remember were from the past decade (maybe two?).

You might have more luck asking the IntFiction Forum, as most of its users have played many old-school IF games.

If someone here does remember this game, let us know!

#interact if asks #name that game

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sweetdreamsjeff · 4 months

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Jeff Buckley: The Lost Interview

In this previously unpublished conversation from 1994, captured just days before the release of ‘Grace,’ the mythic singer-songwriter pushes through self-doubt, professes his undying love for the Smiths and New York City, and interprets a dream wherein he critiqued a serial killer’s photography.

July 21, 2022 by Tony Gervino

In August of 1994, I interviewed the singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley for over an hour at the New York offices of Columbia Records. Other than pulling a few quotes for a regional music newspaper profile I wrote at the time, this conversation went unused. I put the recording in a box in my closet, where it remained for a quarter-century.

I went back over the transcript a couple of years ago and realized that our conversation offered a rare snapshot of the most pivotal moment in Buckley’s too-brief career. He hadn’t yet sat for many interviews and was trying to figure out his own narrative, just before he was to leave on a national tour that would make such quiet, thoughtful introspection a luxury.

The son of folk visionary Tim Buckley, he had made his mark in New York City as a solo artist in 1993, performing a suite of original songs and genre-spanning covers with only his guitar and multi-octave vocal range. The buzz didn’t really build; it seemed as if one day no one in the city’s music scene knew who Jeff Buckley was, and the next, everyone knew.

Prior to entering the studio to record his landmark debut album, Grace, which featured his most successful single, “Last Goodbye,” as well as his transcendent rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Buckley mothballed his troubadour set. To help bring dimension to the music swimming around in his head, he recruited the collaborative working band of guitarist Michael Tighe, bassist Mick Grondahl and drummer Matt Johnson. He wanted his solo album to sound big, ambitious and genre-slippery as he headed to Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, N.Y.

Even though our meeting was less than two weeks before the album release, Buckley was still tinkering with the mixes on Grace, tormenting producer Andy Wallace with sonic flourishes and rewritten bridges, and hoping to squeeze every bit of inspiration out of himself before the tape stopped rolling. In the pre-streaming world, this was an unheard-of high-wire act for a debut artist. But for a young musician who was signed to Columbia Records after a prolonged bidding war, it indicated a bit of acquiescence on the label’s part. From what they’d seen of him, Buckley was a can’t-miss artist. He just needed time, which, tragically, he was ultimately denied. Jeff Buckley drowned in Memphis in May of 1997, just 30 years old.

I’ve edited this interview for length and clarity and removed some passages where I thought Buckley’s sarcasm could be misinterpreted, or where it spun off into tangents that ended with Buckley impersonating everyone from Paul McCartney to the French poet Baudelaire. He had the nervous energy of someone about to embark on a long journey, uncertain of its destination, and I wanted to ensure his answers would properly reflect not just his wit but his wisdom. ***** How does it feel to have to do interviews?

Well, at the outset I guess I figured why would anybody care? But I’m smart enough to know that people would want to talk about my music. I just didn’t think anyone would for a publication. But at this point the fatigue hasn’t set in, and no question is a stupid one. It’s still early.

[laughs] Mainly it’s helpful because I’m getting some ideas out about exactly what I think about some things. And the important thing in doing interviews is not to have any pat answers. That would make it unenjoyable for me. Like a … a murder suspect or something, in terms of having your story straight. Have you finished mixing the new album? No, I have one last day in the studio — one last gasp of creative breath before I have to go away. I’m totally pissed. Absolutely.

Did you write in the studio, or did you go in with the songs ready?

One of them was completely organized in the studio. But that was still prepared beforehand. A lot of stuff we’d done at the last minute because I was trying to get the right people to play with, and it took a while before I found them.

But that was only three weeks before I’d gone up to Woodstock to record and we hadn’t known each other that long, and the band material hadn’t developed as much. Some things were completely crystallized, and some things needed care, and they got it. I’m still not satisfied.

Let’s see: I get to go into the studio on Wednesday, the day before I leave and the night after I perform at [defunct NYC club] Wetlands. So I have one, two, three, four, five precious days to [work on the music], along with all the other stuff I have to do. I have to shoot some pictures, possibly for the album cover. Then at night I’m free to get these ideas together, and I’ll still have one last shot on two songs in particular. The producer [Andy Wallace] doesn’t even know what I want to do to this one song. [laughs] He’ll be horrified.

Have you played it out?

Uh-huh. There are just things I want to crystallize about it.

Is figuring songs out onstage a conscious effort on your part to fly or fail?

Yeah, because I love flying so much. But, really, it’s still a kind of discipline. I guess it’s an engagement. It’s not like having “song 1 to song 6 and then a talk.” I don’t know anybody who really does that. I know a lot of performers talk about not being so structured. … Sometimes you can see bands that have a set of songs, and that shit is dead. That … shit … is … dead.

When I perform, I’m working off rhythms that are happening all over the place, real or imagined, and it’s interactive. It’s got a lot of detail to it, so I can’t afford to tie it up in a noose, and put it in a costume that doesn’t belong on me. So yeah, it’s free but it has its own logic, and sometimes it completely falls flat on its face. But it’s worth the fall, sometimes. Because that’s life.

To me it makes sense to do things in that manner, because that’s really just the way life is when you step out of it and see that, like, your car has a flat and somebody smashed in your windshield and then, shit, you’re walking home and all of a sudden you run into somebody that turns out to be your favorite person for the rest of your life. It’s always … unfolding. You just have to recognize it, I guess. And that’s my philosophy, that I haven’t really thought about until you asked me.

Have you been a solo performer out of desire or necessity?

Both. I did it to earn money to pay rent in the place I was staying, and bills, and my horrible CD habit, and failing miserably all the time, always playing for tips and always just getting by — by the skin of my teeth.

To get this sound in order, you can have a path laid out in front of you, but if you don’t have the vehicle to go down the road you’ll never get to where you want to go. So I guess I was building the parts piece by piece or going through different forms, reforming them and trying out different ideas and songs.

How long have you been building these parts?

Some of them I wrote when I was 18 or 19, and some of them I wrote weeks ago, and some of them I’m still writing. [laughs] The rest of this album is kind of a purging, because the rest of the albums ain’t gonna happen like this. [points to chest] You’ll never see this person again.

Who and what are you going to become, Jeff?

I don’t know, just something deeper. Nothing alien, just something deeper. I’m just not satisfied. I’m really, horribly unsatisfied. Cause I kind of got an idea of where I want this thing to go. It’s still gonna be songs. I think about deepening the work that I do, and other problems I try to solve, like, “If I go to see this band in a loft, or if I went to see this band in a theater, and I wanted to be very, very, very enchanted and very engaged and maybe even physically engaged to where I’m dancing or where I’m moshing, what would that sound like? If I wanted to be cradled like a baby or smashed around like a fucking Army sergeant, what would that sound like?” I daydream all the time about it. And that’s sort of what I work toward. It’s more of an intimate thing.

In America the rock band is not an intimate thing, but in America soul bands are very intimate and blues bands are very intimate, like way back in the day, when people who invented blues were doing it. It’s all very interdependent and it’s all very … people had to listen to make the music. And it comes around in a lot of different ways. Things I’m doing now are pretty old-fashioned: I’m going on tour to little places to play small cafés. [He lays his itinerary out in front of us.]

What do you expect the reaction to be? You play New York City and, by now, the people here know your deal, but there are some cities where they’re not going to know.

That’s OK.

Will you tailor your performance to different tour stops? Does it change the way you perform?

Every time I perform it’s different.

How long have you been in New York City?

Three years. But I’ll always be here. I’ll always live here.

What is it about New York?

Everything. You know all the clichés: It’s the electricity, it’s the creativity, it’s the motion. It’s the availability of everything at any moment, which creates a complete, innate logic to the place. It’s like, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t have this now. There’s no reason I shouldn’t have the best library in the country, and there’s no reason why the finest Qawwali singer in all of Pakistan shouldn’t come to my neighborhood and I’ll go see him, and there’s no reason that Bob Dylan shouldn’t show up at the Supper Club.

There’s no reason that I can’t do this fucking amazing shit. And if you have a certain amount of self-esteem, it’s the perfect place because there’s so much. It’s majestic and it’s the cesspool of America. And there’s amazing poetry in everything. There are amazing poets everywhere, and some real horrible mediocrity, and an equal amount of pageantry. There’s also a community of people that have been left with nothing but their ability to put on a show, no matter what it is — whether it’s a novel or a performance reading on Monday night at St. Mark’s Church for 20 minutes. Where do you do the bulk of your writing?

Everywhere. You know what? Mostly it’s in 24-hour diners, on too much coffee. That’s an old Los Angeles thing.

How much does the location affect the writing?

To me music is about time and place and the way that it affects you. There’s just something about it. There’s just some spirit that somebody conjures up and then it floats out at you and helps you or hinders you throughout your life. It’s either Handel’s Messiah or it’s “All Out of Love” by Air Supply.

Music is just fucking insane. It’s everything. Music is like this: It’s always seemed to me to be one of the direct descendants of the thing in the universe that’s making everything work. It’s like the direct child of … life, [of] what being “people” is all about. It’s incredibly human but it touches things that are around us anyway. [pauses, then quietly] It’s hard to explain.

Give it a shot.

It gets into your blood. It could be [the Ohio Express’] “Yummy Yummy Yummy” or whatever. It gets in. It’s not like paintings and it’s not like sculptures, although those are really amazing and powerful. But I identify with music most.

And is live music the next degree of intensity?

Oh yeah, if they’re singing to me. You never hear it again, but you never forget it. I mean, you never forget it. It’s like the first time your mother cries in front of you. But I like making [music] and … I want the music to live live, even be written live, so it’s always forming, it’s ever unfolding.

The king of improvisation is [the late Qawwali singer] Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan — the most I’ve ever been filled with any performer’s energy. I have over $500 of his stuff. And I never got to see Keith Jarrett, but there was a time when he was my big hero for the same reason. Big, huge improvisation. Improvisation is something that I identify with.

Which of your new songs is your favorite? Is there one that you can’t wait to get to in your live set?

Not yet. I give each song pretty much the same attention, and I have the same reservations and the same carefulness about making sure I bring out its best. No favorites.

What’s a song by another artist that you wish you’d written, that completely devastates you?

Most of Nina Simone’s songs completely devastate me, although she didn’t write [most of] them. A lot of things that Dylan did are so impressionistic, even though his originals are supposed to be folky. Like “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands”: If I was a woman and he sang that to me, I’d be like, “Whatever you want, Bob. You want casual sex whenever you want it and still be with your wife? I don’t care.”

I’d like to write something like “Moanin’ for My Baby” by Howlin’ Wolf, and I’d also like to write something like [Gerry and the Pacemakers’] “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” I have schoolgirl crushes on a lot of songs that never seem to go away. Lots of Cocteau Twins. That’s somebody I got to tell exactly what I thought of them.

Where were they playing?

In Los Angeles, a long time ago on the Heaven or Las Vegas tour. I’m immensely in love with their originality, their shyness. … But … um … the Smiths! [stands up abruptly, then sits back down] I wish I’d written half the fucking Smiths catalog. There are so many: “I Know It’s Over”; I wish I’d written “How Soon Is Now?” I wish I’d written “Holidays in the Sun” by the Sex Pistols. I could go on forever, and I know you don’t have forever.

Maybe sleep on it. I’m curious, do you sleep a lot? No, I don’t.

Is your mind constantly racing? Are you always just … fast forward?

Have you ever seen those film montages when a guy’s going crazy, and it just gets faster and faster and…

Yeah, sure, that’s exactly what I mean. It’s exactly like that. It’s like, I don’t want to miss a thing, and [I get the] feeling that I will miss something. But usually I’m wrong. [laughs] But when I do sleep, I sleep hard and have the best dreams.

Do you remember your dreams?

Sometimes, and they become the basis for a lot of my learning. That comes along with my development as a human being. Lately I’ve been having a lot of killer dreams — like a killer is coming after me or I have to confront a killer. And when a killer is coming after me, what am I going to have to do? To kill him.

Interesting. What do you think that means? That something in me is going to be murdered. That a psychic killer is coming. Actually, I met him. Sometimes I meet people inside of me that don’t like me; sometimes I meet people inside of me that want to make love with me more than anything; sometimes I meet the most bizarre animals and am in the most bizarre situations.

One dream, I met a serial killer who lived out in a small town in, like, Virginia. A small suburban town, very nice, white picket fence. And he lived in the town in a church with the pews taken out. And he was an artist.

You remember this much detail? Just wait. He was a very short young man, probably about 28 years old with thinning black hair that I think he was ashamed of. He also had all of these photos of these people mangled beyond belief, carved up, dissected alive. They were still alive in these photos, and there was a wall of all of these seductively beautiful, textured, processed black-and-white photos. One man had been made into a basket. One man had been totally deboned but still kept alive, and his skin had been made into a basket upon which his head stood, looking straight into the camera. And right before he died, this snapshot was taken. And this is what this guy’s job was. And my task in the dream, I was the person that saw this amazing horror and this amazing pain. The photographs were screaming, and all of this madness, all of this waste at the hands of this person with a warped soul.

The irony of the dream was that his self-esteem was nothing, and he was saying, “This sucks. This is horrible. I don’t even want to show you.” I was so afraid of him and wanted to keep him in the same place long enough for the police to get him and take him away — while not being killed myself. Obviously. [laughs] So in order to be cool I had to ultimately be compassionate and point out the details in the picture where I felt there was brilliance and really good workmanship — all the while feeling that I would vomit any second, all the while so scared I thought I would cry. And that was the dream.

Sometimes I have really rhapsodic dreams, and sometimes I have little bits of memory … but lately it’s been killer dreams, and the police almost don’t come in time, although they do come in time. And then I met a woman inside me that hates me. I met the girl, I met the person that doesn’t like me, and then I met this person who was so lascivious sexually that she masturbates publicly all of the time, like she’s fixing her hair. And she looks beautiful doing it and really great, but everyone’s around her and she’s practically naked. I’m pretty transfixed by [dreams]. I link them to the way I perform. I don’t see any separation, because when you sing there’s a psychic journey that happens.

Do you write a lot of poetry?

I garner my songs from my poetry. If anything looks like it’s vibrating, yeah. But it’s a raw thing.

Was the Live at Sin-é EP, released in November of ’93, supposed to hold people over until the album comes out?

No, it served that purpose, but no, it’s just because I love that place.

How often have you played there?

I’ve played there a lot. I played there for over a year. At first I couldn’t get a slot. Shane [Doyle], the owner, had too many demos to listen to. I gave him a demo and a review, which is something I never ever, ever fucking do: pay credence to any one journalist’s opinion. But this was a good review. [laughs] Some positive, some negative. Mainly the negative stuff was my fault. So I thought that maybe I could get a gig at this little place because I wanted to play in little places to establish my sound and do the work and learn how to sing the way I wanted to sing. Because I didn’t have any teachers. There were teachers around Sin-é to teach what I needed to learn, but Shane couldn’t be bothered.

Then somebody crapped out on a bunch of Monday nights and my friend Daniel Harnett got me in. He said, “I’m doing one, and so you can do one too.” I was like, “Wow, thank you.” As it turned out, that was it. Bang! I really worked my ass off to get that gig and get others and to make money. How did you hook up with Columbia Records? They came to me. I didn’t intend for them to. I was just making music. Were they the only label that came to you? Nope. I met Clive Davis. Shook his hand. I met Seymour Stein. Seymour’s at Sire; Clive is at Arista. A lot of people were interested. I met somebody from RCA. Peter Koepke at London. Were they in the audience at your shows? Then they’d come up to you afterward? Yeah, and I didn’t really like it. I didn’t like Clive showing up in a limousine on the Lower East Side, in a fine suit. Poor guy — it was so hot in that fucking room. This was Sin-é, right? Yep, you were there — like a fucking furnace. In the middle of the fucking summer. I had my shirt off; the guy’s still in his work clothes ’cause his life is fully air-conditioned.

Did you have any misgivings about signing? Of course I did. Being brought up around the music business in Los Angeles, you see the turnover of people being signed and dropped day after day after day, and it’s all written off as a tax loss. To the company, it’s no sweat off their nose.

But here in New York it’s more about the work, and you don’t get anywhere without the work and that’s what I was doing. But I had misgivings about the size of the places. I had misgivings about my deservedness, about how good I was. I had misgivings about who they thought I was and what they thought I was. And how I wasn’t what they thought. At all.

Which is? Don’t record companies think that every male solo performer with a guitar is the New Dylan?

No, they thought I was the second coming of Tim Buckley. [quietly] That’s what I thought they thought.

Is that a recurring worry of yours?

It was that as a child. But now I’m totally immersed in what I do. If someone asks a question about it, I just tell them as much truth about things as I know. I had no misgivings once I saw my first and only liaison to Columbia Records, [former head of A&R] Steve Berkowitz. He was there from a pretty early stage, just listening. Which is what he does. Because he loves music. And he’s smart. And he’s smart enough to work this fucking gig at Columbia and to do a good job. The personnel here [at Columbia] are what really changed my worries, but I’m really worried up until, like, now. How would you describe your sound? I can’t explain it because I’m actually confused. It’s not really a tremendous literary feat to describe it. It’s just an amalgam of everything I’ve ever loved and everything that’s ever inspired me. I’m using that now. How do the Columbia folks describe you? They don’t know. At a recent convention I played in Boca Raton for A&R folks at like 11 in the morning, the guy that introduced me said, “We really don’t know what this is. We don’t know what kind of record he’s gonna make. We just know he has to make it.” … a.k.a. “Introducing the boy genius…” I’m not a boy genius. I’m neither one, actually. But I’m aware that these people have to move units. I’m aware that this company, by inertia alone, has an agenda. That it can function without me, and I can function without it. But there’s a certain thing that I can’t have without it, and that’s making little plastic discs and traveling the world and being a musician, and they seem to want me. A lot. And I feel that where I’m going is worthwhile, that maybe when I get there this all will have been … whatever crappy shit I’ve ever done will be redeemed. Do you think you’ll ever get there? Sure. Or you’ll find me swinging from somebody’s dressing room [laughs] with a big blue arm holding a Jam tape.

#jeff buckley #jeffbuckley #Tony Gervino #The Lost Interview #TIDAL

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benboulette · 1 year

Text

Some of my Icemav headcanons frfr

Every friday they cook together and they choose which kind of cuisine they wanna eat every monday, they listen to music on an old vinyl player that they got from mavs parents and they got the vinyls from ice's parents as an anniversary present. All the vinyls are old cheesy 60s

love songs and they like to dance while cooking whenever one of their favourite songs comes on no matter what theyre doing. It doesnt matter if the foods about to burn if be my baby comes on theyre are grooving to it while singing off key.

Along with the songs, they memorized eachothers favourite songs just by observing how the other acts depending on what song comes on. Mav could tell that ice always liked slow songs more because whenever they came on ice would hum and bop his head more than the other songs (he also loves Frank Sinatra and The Ronettes)

Ice could tell Mav was more into bittersweet love songs that sounded more upbeat although it was harder for ice to figure that out since Mav seemed to sing along with his whole heart to every single song they ever listened to, but whenever his favourites came on Mav would move a lot more and genuinely just smile a lot mroe while singing.

The day that the ban on gay people in the navy was lifted (December 21, 1993) they slow danced in Ice's office while kinda just crying in eachothers arms because they were so happy that they didnt have to hide how much they loved eachother anymore (ofc they didnt immediately announce it infront of everyone but they def had to hide less and got to be more open about it even though everyone already had an idea)

Mav's ringtone for ice is literally the song "ice ice baby" and it has been since the song was released.

Sarah was Tom's lesbian friend and they would rant to eachother about the ppl they had crushes on bc they were the only queer ppl they were aware existed around them. (they were actually surrounded by gay ppl they just didnt know)

Mav and Ice used to try to make eachother listen to new artists atleast every month and in that tradition they discovered Joe Dassin which ended up being their favourite artist to listen to together and they always sing his songs in a really bad french. Their first dance at their marriage ended up even being to "Et si tu n'existais pas".

Ice tried to learn guitar with Goose (goose side headcanon: he plays almost every instrument in existence, like if he wasnt in the navy he would be a music teacher in highschool) but Nick didn't tell him that Mav already knew how to play after having played in a band with him and slider in highschool all together. Mav (voc. and guit.) Goose (bass and backup voc.) Slider (drums) and Ice learnt through Slider that Mav knew how to play guitar infinitely better than him after slider caught him trying to learn a love song he was gonna play when he wanted to ask Mav to officially be his boyfriend.

Every. single. time. one of them got deployed the night before they would ALWAYS spend the night together listening to music and dancing the whole time, they always made their last dance "Till Then" by The Mills Brothers and they always cried no matter what.

Mav is an ugly fucking crier and gets snot everywhere but since Ice started being there where ever he was he would always use his shirt as a kleenex so when Ice isnt around when Mav cries he is completely lost and just slimes everywhere.

Before they were official Mav caught Ice singing "If I Loved You" by Dick Haymes in his office once and when he heard him singing he literally felt his heart skip a beat and now he asks Ice to sing for him a lot more than Ice would like. (He likes the way Mav's eyes light up every time he sings for Mav) and before Ice lost his voice he recorded himself singing for Mav and it made Mav ugly cry when he found out abt it

Ice has a journal and he writes about Mav and Mav only in it. Mav found it and cried again.

Ice and Mav keep matching pictures of eachother in their helmets bc Ice refused to get those necklaces that can have pictures inside with Mav so they settled on that bc it was still risky to get caught. They eventually evolved to them just bringing a full sized picture of eachother in the plane anytime they went flying. They also keep pictures of eachother in their wallets and while he doesn't admit it Ice was the happiest he ever was when he could finally stop hiding the picture of them he kept in his office and being able to grow his collection of pictures of them as his office also got bigger was his biggest accomplishment in his own eyes

Wehenever they would fight or something, Mav did the cliche of showing up infront of ices house with a boombox to sing as an apology for Ice, Carol and Goose went with him as his backup vocalists and it always worked.

Once while Mav was on a mission, he got hit (he was fine in the end and someone called his parachute) and Ice was listening to the comms on the ship and as soon as he heard that Mav was hit he had to leave the room bc he had to throw up because his mind of course went to the worst possible conclusion. They both had to be in the hospital in the end bc Ice was breaking down (NOT. breakdancing) and couldnt move bc he was shaking so bad. While they were in the hospital, even though Mav was the one who got hit, he was the one taking care of Ice.

The first song they danced to was Be My Baby by The Ronettes and they both started singing to it at the same time when it came on and had a moment where they looked at eachother like "how tf do u know this song" but turns out its bc they're both hopeless romantics.

They lived together and said they had separate rooms so ppl wouldn't be suspicious, one time Nick and Carol needed them to babysit Bradley and Bradley slept in the room that they said was Ice's, and when he went to bed he asked "Why does Ice have his own bedrooms if he always sleeps with uncle Mav?" Of course they just avoided the question but he ended up asking Goose the same question and he just burst out laughing.

Ice and Mav are the reason that Bradley had a relatively easy time accepting he was bi, he attended their "wedding" when he was like 10 so he never thought bad of gay ppl. (I put wedding in quotes bc in 1992 gay marriage wasn't legalized so they technically only held a ceremony in secret and said they were married, but when gay marriage WAS legalized they immediately made it official)

#icemav #i loev them so much it hurts #my babies #the sillies #tom kazansky #pete mitchell #bradley bradshaw #carole bradshaw #nick bradshaw #top gun

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spinningbuster98 · 5 months

Video

youtube

Castlevania Chronicles (Original Mode) Part 1: Another Castlevania 1 Remake

So!

I originally didn’t wanna do this mainly because I had never completed this game until...well earlier today! For reasons that some may already suspect

But you know what? I’ve already covered one Castlevania 1 remake, might as well also do the other, lesser known one!

What we’re looking at here is a game originally released in 1993 for the Sharp X68000, a home computer released exclusively in Japan, which was then later ported internationally on the PS1 with the name Castlevania Chronicles, which featured both the original version of the game and an “arrange” mode which made a couple of alterations such as new designs by Ayami Kojima, remixed music, a couple new graphical effects.......rebalanced difficulty...

So when compared with Super Castlevania IV this is in some ways a much more faithful remake! Many elements from the NES original are kept here, some levels are kept but modified with extra stuff, others are partially original and partially taken from the OG while others are wholly new. The bosses themselves are, again , mostly from the original but have been given makeovers and new ones have been added

Weirdly enough though musically only 2 tracks are kept from the original: Vampire Killer and Spring Yard Zone Wicked Child . All the rest is either new stuff or remixes of past tunes

The first stage is pretty much a 1:1 recreation of stage 1 from the original but already you can begin to spot all the enhancement: this game just looks great across the board with some great spritework and a bunch of neat details: here you can spot some peeping eyes flying outside the windows looking at you and every once in a while the windows will open letting a bat fly in

At a certain point there’s a breakable wall that, in the original, held your first piece of meat.

Here on the other hand it spuns an infinite amount of Flea Men

Ha! Good one developers! Aww man that was some nice foreshadowing trolling!

The second stage starts mixing things up: it’s essentially a recreation of the first half of stage 4 from the original, though the structure is completely redone and has an absolutely bitchin’ tune

The last part when you’re on that tiny platform as the water rises quickly, with the mermen attacking you and the platform getting destroyed bit by bit is to be considered a gatekeeping moment: it’s the first point in the game where you’ll inevitably die.

A lot

If you can’t make it past this point go play something else ‘cause the game is....

well...

you’ll see

The third stage starts as a semi recreation of the second half of the original stage 4 but quickly turns into its own thing. Those things that come out of the trees I believe originate from Haunted Castle, an Arcade reimagining of Castlevania 1.

There are also Mudwomen! With visible and I think jiggling boobs! Someone must’ve been horny in the development team...

The last part is the only section in any Castlevania game to feature ice physics, which initially horrified me....but to be fair they’re not so bad and the section isn’t too long

The boss is...honestly the second easiest in the game besides the Giant Bat

Controls-wise Simon can control his jumps like in Castlevania IV and can whip straight downwards and diagonally downwards...but not upwards in any way, though his whipping speed has been significantly increased

Stairs are back to being every bit as obnoxious as before and subweapons are once again activated by pressing up and attack

So in general it’s like a mixture of the classic controls and those of Super Castlevania IV

Which means that at least this game won’t be as punishing as the NES games right?

....right?

......

.........

..........

.............

#youtube #akumajou dracula #castlevania chronicles #my gameplay

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thewaltcrew · 1 year

Photo

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Fantasmic! and the recent reopening of the show in Hollywood Studios last month, let’s give a spotlight to three people who were pivotal in its creation: director Barnette Ricci, art director Tom Butsch, and composer and music producer Bruce Healey.

Fantasmic! was created as a stopgap attraction between the releases of Splash Mountain in 1989 and Toontown in 1993. Michael Eisner liked the idea of having a show in the Rivers of America to pack the restaurants along the riverfront, and possible ideas for what could kind of nighttime show could occupy the river were thrown about for years before it developed into a celebration of Disney’s animated feature films. But figuring out how to be able to project scenes from the films turned out to be a big problem, for raising and lowering traditional projection screens would not only be a clunky process on the river but also a slow one that would break the momentum of a show. Luckily, Barnette Ricci, a long-time show director for the Disney Parks who would be named a Disney Legend in 2019, found the solution on a research trip to Paris: she discovered a piece of tech developed and patented by a French company named Aquatique Show. The “water screens,” as they were called, used high-pressure nozzles to create fans of mist onto which the film clips could be projected through rear projection.

Ricci: By layering the dancing water fountains, special lighting, lasers, pyrotechnics and black light, along with live performers on watercraft and this new way to project animation on water, I was convinced all of these elements combined would create a rather exciting show! …It took months of searching through Disney film footage to find the right clips for the storyline and to create the film elements so they would look great on the water.

The Rivers of America was drained and reconstructed to accommodate the infrastructure that would be needed for Fantasmic!. The team was on a time crunch to be able to get the show done to serve as a proper stopgap between Splash Mountain and Toontown. Ricci wrote the script (as well as the lyrics to the song “Imagination”) and continued to re-edit it as Bruce Healey re-scored the iconic music from these films, but according to Tom Butsch, the story and spirit of Fantasmic! hardly strayed from Barnette Ricci’s initial vision.

Tom Bustch originally worked as a set designer in theater and then moved onto sitcoms before finding work set decorating on shows and seasonal attractions at the Disney Parks, where he would work for over 20 years. He storyboarded the entirety of Fantasmic! and materialized Ricci’s vision and brought it to life through the many set pieces used in the show. With a limited budget, his team made Fantasmic! economical as they could without ever sacrificing quality or scale. When they found that they were unable to afford the technology required to animate their Maleficent dragon, Butsch devised it so that a mechanical head would be raised on a genie lift (cherry picker) rigged with chains for the wings which would be flapped by performers (this dragon would eventually be replaced with a fully mechanical dragon in 2009).

Bruce Healey is famous for having reportedly produced every musical score in every parade and show at Disneyland between 1984 and 2017, but he’s done work across Disney Parks around the world and has been a composer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor on everything from nighttime shows to television specials during his tenure. But out of the hundreds and hundreds of projects he’s worked on, Fantasmic!, on which he not only arranged and rescored the classic music from Disney films but also composed the main iconic theme to the show, is the work he says he is most proud of.

Healey: Fantasmic! still tops the list. I’m grateful for the chance to do some of my best work on that show.

It is more important to me that people around know and enjoy the music I’ve created and produced. If I’m not well known, but my music is well known because it’s part of the Disney legacy in some way, then that is great with me.

Fantasmic! was only supposed to run for a few years, but its enduring popularity has allowed it to become a classic staple of Disneyland and, with its recent renovation and reopening, will likely play on for many more years to come.

research and photo sources [x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x]

#fantasmic #disneyland #disneyedit #bruce healey #tom butsch #barnette ricci #my edit #music #artist #technician #director #disney parks #imagineer

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waugh-bao · 1 month

Note

i saw your previous ask about keith's solo work and now i'm curious about your opinions on charlie's solo work! also, do you have any recommendations for charlie, i've only listened to from one charlie

If you discount session work (because Ronnie did a ton both before and after he joined the Stones), Charlie actually has the most extensive solo/non-Stones catalogue. It’s very diverse and I think the vast majority of it is very high quality.

So in terms of his session work, far and away his best contribution (that we know of - this isn’t even listed on his Wiki) was as the drummer for The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions. He, Bill, Stu, Steve Winwood, and Eric Clapton acted as the backing band for Howlin’ Wolf on a Chess Records-Rolling Stones Records collaboration covering some of his most famous songs in 1971. For my money it’s one of Wolf’s best albums and showcases beautifully what a talented blues drummer Charlie was. He could have gone toe to toe with the old Chess guys like Fred Below if he wanted to.

It was only for one song, not an entire album, but he, Keith, and Ronnie were the backing band for Marianne Faithfull’s cover of “Ghost Dance” by Patti Smith in 1993:

Charlie was in a few non-Stones bands. Probably the most famous, although it’s really not terribly well known, is Rocket 88. The founding line-upwas Stu, Charlie, Alexis Korner, and Dick Morrissey and membership fluctuated during different projects and concerts during its active period (1978-1981). You can find a couple videos of their performances on YouTube, but their one released album, from a live concert in 1981, is really fantastic. Jack Bruce does bass and vocals on it and he and Charlie make an absolutely amazing rhythm section. 20x times better than anything he ever did with Wyman.

He was also associated with another boogie woogie band, The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie, which he didn’t co-found, but which he got into through Dave Green (his childhood best friend and the bass player for most of his solo work). That band also unfortunately only has one album, but there’s a lot more available on YouTube to enjoy because they were around in the early 2010s. This is my favorite song they covered:

youtube

It’s never been entirely explained how it came about, except that it was initially facilitated through one of his friends, the trumpeter Gerald Presencer, but Charlie did an album with the Danish Radio Big Band in 2010 that was released in 2017. The 7 tracks include 2 original compositions and 5 re-arranged Stones songs. Whoever did the arrangements and composition did a wonderful job and it’s great highlight of Charlie’s flexibility and originality as a drummer.

In the late 1980s, he and Keith did a cover of Charles Mingus’ “Don’t Let Them Drop That Bomb on Me”, it’s worth it just for the little documentary clips of the two of them, never mind the song itself, which is also well done:

youtube

That’s not everything Charlie ever did which wasn’t explicitly his own project, but it’s the highlights.

As far as his own bands/albums go, unfortunately his first album, Live At Fulham Town Hall (1986) isn’t available to stream, but you can find the tracks on YouTube and a neat little documentary/live performance clip:

youtube

(This would also be a good time to mention that there’s a beautiful, very high quality segment of Charlie playing a Duke Ellington composition on BBC4 in 2019 along with Dave and some American jazz musicians, as well as a cute little interview with the two of them after):

youtube

Everything that follows that album, with one exception, is a variation on The Charlie Watts Quintet, the group which appears on 1990’s From One Charlie to Another:

The biggest difference between his jazz albums, other than the number of players (it tended to range between a quartet, a quintet, and a tenet), is whether or not they have a vocalist. The last one, Watts at Scott’s (2004) is the one which does not and it’s a mixture of original compositions (generally written by his pianist Brian Lemon) and covers of jazz standards, including Ellington’s “A Train”:

1991’s A Tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings is a really neat, original project. It has Bernard Fowler narrating the story of Parker’s life through Charlie’s book about him from the ‘60s and covers songs which were on Parker’s own With Strings album as well as original compositions like “Terra de Pajaro.” There is one song “Lover Man”, which has vocals provided by Bernard, the rest is purely instrumental. Pete King was the saxophonist for all of Charlie’s jazz projects and he absolutely kills it on this album.

The two albums which really showcase his collaboration with Bernard and his skills as an accompanist to a vocalist, Warm & Tender (1993) and Long Ago & Far Away (1996), are lovely collections of jazz standards and standouts from the Great American Songbook. I love them both, I think which one you want to listen to just depends on your mood. The second album is definitely more melancholy:

It also has Charlie’s only solo music video, for “I’ve Got a Crush on You”, which is gorgeous and good humored:

youtube

The weirdest album in Charlie’s oeuvre, to put it bluntly, is the Charlie Watts/Jim Keltner Project (1999). It’s very avant garde, probably the most purely creative but also least accessible thing he ever did. The album was made at the same time the Stones were recording Bridges to Babylon, so Mick and Keith pop up on two different tracks (separately), but the bulk is Charlie, Jim Keltner, and a few other percussionists who contributed bits and pieces. It’s a world music-jazz-techno-beats melange of original pieces, some of which were inspired by the work of certain jazz drummers and some of which are more entirely abstract. To be honest it’s not really something you can describe, you sort of just have to listen and see if it’s your thing.

#hope that’s helpful!#the rolling stones #charlie watts #ask response #music reccomendations #music exploration #clothwaltzes #music guide

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