#ii director's commentary

[manchesterau]

can they redo ii but 18+

#they need to do a 18+ show pls phil say faggot on stage and talk about eating ass #im watched the ii director’s commentary

[gunsandspaceships]

Recruiting Peter in Civil War: a War Crime?

Today we are going to review this statement:

Tony “blackmailed a teenager to help fight his battles for him (Civil War) (which for the record, constitutes as a fucking war crime)”.

Part 1. Not a war crime: check my post about war crimes here. War crime is a crime committed during a war, by a party of the conflict.

MCU's “Civil War” was not a war. It was a conflict between a few people, that included one fight and a chase. The fight at the end of the movie between Tony and Steve with Bucky was not a part of this particular conflict, but a conflict on its own. From the government’s side, this situation was a law enforcement operation to capture a group of fugitives, where Tony’s side represented the law enforcement group under U.N. authority, not a nation’s armed forces.

The definition of Armed Forces: “the combined military, naval, and air forces of a nation”.

Source

In comics (Earth 616) it was indeed a war, but not in the MCU. That’s first.

Second, “Under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, conscripting or enlisting children into armed forces or groups constitutes a war crime in both international and non-international armed conflicts (ICC Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(xxvi) and (e)(vii)).”

Tony did not enlist Peter in the armed forces or the Avengers.

And third, “The bans on recruitment of children below the age of 15 enshrined in Article 77 of  Additional Protocol I, and in Article 4 of Additional Protocol II are also considered to prohibit accepting voluntary enlistment (P I, Art. 77 (2); P II, Art. 4(3)(c)).”

“2. The Parties to the conflict shall take all feasible measures in order that children who have not attained the age of fifteen years do not take a direct part in hostilities and, in particular, they shall refrain from recruiting them into their armed forces. In recruiting among those persons who have attained the age of fifteen years but who have not attained the age of eighteen years, the Parties to the conflict shall endeavour to give priority to those who are oldest.” (Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, Art. 77 (2)).

Here we got to an actual error from the SMFFH filmmakers’ side. Before SMFFH Peter’s age at the time of Civil War was planned to be 15 (see directors’ and screenwriters’ commentaries). In SMFFH Peter’s birthday was set to Aug 10, 2001, making him 14 years old at the time of Civil War. We cannot use random date placements made by SMFFH creators to define serious stuff, and also use another movie’s filmmakers’ decisions that were made after Civil War. So we must go with the fact that at the time of Civil War Peter was 15 years old, as was stated by the creators of CA:CW.

Conclusion: Peter was 15 years old, and if he were recruited to participate in a war, it would not be a war crime. But, he also was not enlisted in the armed forces. And Civil War was not an actual war, but a law enforcement operation under UN jurisdiction. So, yes, Tony is not a war criminal. Again. Very disappointing.

If you guys have any other ideas of how to accuse him of war crimes – go ahead. I’ll check them all.

#tony stark #iron man #mcu #marvel #the avengers #captain america civil war #peter parker #spiderman

[startrekdescribed]

@thetimetostrikeislater, sure why not.

[Image description: a post by thetimetostrikeislater with an interview by Shatner that says, "He's an alpha male bellowing his alpha male cry, like I have seen an elk do," Shatner explained in commentary for a 35th anniversary director's cut of the film." The caption says, "So who wants to edit the famous KHAN!!! cry with a elk over the top?"

Followed by a 6 second clip from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with Kirk yelling Khan, however it has been dubbed over to have an elk yell instead.

/end image description]

#sound warning #loud warning #tw loud #tw sound #described #star trek #star trek tos

[merakiui]

For the fanfic writers directors cut:

Could you give some commentary on sea glass? Particularly, why azul and the tweels had such an obsession with the main character and not her brother as well?

Thank you for asking!!! I will gladly give Sea Glass commentary.

(ask game)

To begin, the man who was keeping Reader captive is not their brother. The two figures from the man's diary are himself and his (presently deceased) sister; they aren't blood-related to Reader. Reader is just the unfortunate soul who happened to become entangled in this years-long scheme.

In the story, this is noted:

And that was how it began. Grand wishes were to be granted with grand payment. It was decided that every two years the house would provide the trio with a human and in return they would grant the boy’s wish regardless of how outlandish it might have been. He could have anything he wanted—riches, health, or power—and all it took was one person’s sacrifice.

The deal Azul arranged with the man is, essentially, one in which the man benefits at the cost of a human life. Azul needs humans because he's experimenting [redacted for Moonbroch spoilers] (which he cryptically touches upon in the fic when he says his research has concluded), and the most feasible way to attain humans is to get them from another human (i.e. the man). The man keeps one human within his home for two years, caring for and conditioning them according to what Azul instructs, and by the end of the two year period he must relinquish them to Azul and the twins no matter what, as per the terms of the contract. In exchange, Azul grants the man's wish.

Normally, the exchange is emotionless, but this time the trio took special interest in Reader. Most of the reasoning for this will be explained in Moonbroch (the sequel), but I will note that they have all grown obsessively fond of Reader after a few very important events in the story's plot prior to the murder and what follows in Sea Glass. The trio have something of a business partnership with the man; they never cared much for him (or his sister) to begin with, but they do care a lot for Reader. >:)

Additionally, for further context, the story (and hints of the deal) are told from Jade's pov in these tiny snippets, which may just provide more background into the situation from an objective perspective:

i. the house on the hilltop is curious. two bipedal creatures enter, but only one ever leaves. as for us, we are confined to the shadowy depths of the sea, bearing silent witness to the tale of unwilling coexistence.  ii. every other year we receive a gift from that peculiar house on the hilltop. when the debt collector makes his biennial trip to the surface and collects what’s owed, we are permitted to relish in the scraps of what’s left behind. as per the agreement, we grant a single wish to those who can pay the steep price. iii. humans often throw coins into wells and fountains, but such beliefs are rooted in false hope. the house on the hilltop is devoid of such hope, yet its human comes to us with materialistic wishes every two years. perhaps his own fruitless ‘hope’ began when the price for a single wish became the life of his kin. iv. the house on the hilltop is blood-stained. a caged angel exists within, hiding claws and fangs. we are not strangers to the food chain, but the carnivorous nature of a once domesticated angel is certainly a curiosity to behold.  v. the house on the hilltop sits serene and abandoned. there is no business to be found inside and we no longer watch from a distance. having freed the angelfish from devious clutches, there is no reason to regard an empty, hopeless place.

#twisted chit chat

[izloveshorses]

we're almost to the halfway mark, so i thought i'd share another progress update on this little (big) project!! (previous update)

i've almost finished drawing half of all the assets (according to my spreadsheet) and then we can start assembling them into a "book." the bulk of the assets are characters/costumes, but i've also completed several props and started working on some backgrounds as well. I need to decide how the book will be laid out before i make much more progress on those, though. i've been trying to hold off on finishing the principal cast because i think saving them for ~dessert~ will keep me motivated to power through the rest, but i'm so anxious to get to them because i want to play with them in photoshop and put them on their associated backgrounds like little paper dolls 🙈 so that's why ballet tuxedo!dmitry doesn't exist yet, and why i've yet to color the rest of anya's act ii wardrobe.

anyway. progress in my workflow is hardly ever linear, but you can kind of see how i approach the rendering process from these images, i hope. the drawing carries the weight of the image so that step always takes the longest, since getting the likeness, the proportions, the folds, and the expressions right is the most important. if any of that looks off no skillful painting or rendering can save it.

and then i always color skin first because everything else (clothes, hair) goes on top of skin. you can see the color palette i'm using is the same for almost all of them, though act ii requires a few more saturated hues than act i (bright blue, some reds, and green every once in a while). coloring the rest in doesn't usually take very long. once the flats are down i go in for a final pass, laying down those patterns and textures that always give me a hard time lol. and then i clean up and recolor the line work and mark it as done! since i'm working digital i use alpha lock and clipping masks for that.

director's cut commentary of each image included (under the cut bc this post is already so long):

anya's act ii lineup. her phtk outfit is the only one i've marked complete (the linework on the others is still black and need just a few more touchups). I've yet to lay in the flats for the maroon travel coat because i think the drawing needs more work. i might change a few things on big red, maybe her expression, but i haven't decided yet.

dmitry's act ii lineup (sans tuxedo). he just needs a final pass on the first two on the left, and then his finale look is finished, because it's the same from act i :)

vlad's act ii lineup. he's almost done, just needs a final pass on the finale and phtk outfits.

lily's act ii lineup. i'm going to redo the pattern on her neva club dress (linda cho i love u but god) but otherwise she's all finished.

the dowager's act ii lineup. she's done! :) maybe i'll find something to pick at later but rn i'm marking her done lol.

petersburg citizens from rumor! i think these guys are all done. there are more people i could include, but there isn't enough variation on the costumes to make it worth it imo.

neva club patrons. the only two marked complete are the two on the left, sergei the doorman/the male server and count leopold. i still need to find a good reference for the female server lol.

the press! just the men for now lol. i used the obc program as a reference for this one, so i'll get the two ladies in soon :)

the hussies! i've marked it complete, but. we'll see if there's more adjustments i can make.

there's still more i've completed that's not pictured, but i'll definitely share more soon. act i is nearly finished entirely, which is cool, and the only big ensemble sheet i've yet to make much progress on is everyone in phtk. i may end up just drawing one or two people from that and then copying them with different patterns because, honestly, the shape of the dresses and suits are all very similar. hopefully that won't be boring to look at lol.

if there's anything in particular you'd like to see/have any questions, or even suggestions, lmk!! and follow my 'anastasia illustrated guide' tag for more updates :)

#anastasia broadway #anastasia #fan art #my art #iz draws #anastasia illustrated guide #long post #wip

[ac-liveblogs]

The interview between Kinoko Nasu (head writer at Type Moon) and David Jiang (producer Honkai: Star Rail) is quite interesting. Though Jiang is not a writer himself and he himself doesn't get involved in story creation, so I do wonder why he was talking with Nasu...

The interview was mostly about what's taken into account when creating FGO and HSR.

Honkai Star Rail's director is a huge Type-Moon fanboy and has always been influenced by the Fate series since he was a teenager - even/especially in Star Rail, while Nasu plays Genshin Impact and is currently playing the Belobog chapter in Star Rail.

And yes. Clara and Svarog are a reference to Illya and Berserker, we been knew.

There was some interesting commentary early on from Jiang that said that the story-writing and gameplay divisions worked separately, which caused issues early on that needed to be resolved. Receiving confirmation about this is interesting, because it would explain a lot of the issues present in Genshin Impact that are mostly absent in HSR - a world that feels totally divorced from the playable characters that live in it, and - up until Fontaine - a lot of playable characters feeling somewhat disconnected from the plot they're meant to be in.

It was also very interesting to see Jiang start talking about marketing, surveys, meeting modern trends, design vs generating revenue etc. versus Nasu talking about his thoughts as an author and the importance of prioritising your ideal creative vision even if you end up needing to take those things into account as well... and how FGO doesn't incorporate modern trends but instead tries to create something that will be meaningful to the players.

It was also extremely funny seeing Nasu talk about how meta wasn't an important factor in FGO (true) - he just wanted people to care about the characters, and Jiang going "oh yeah we do that too!" ...like a liar.

Something Nasu said in response to Jiang talking about how the character designers at HYV take surveys or add character elements that they think 'might attract a new user group' into consideration struck a chord with me though;

Nasu-sensei: This reminds me of an interview I read about "Street Fighter II," where the interviewer asked, "Why did the game include a character like Zangief?" And the response from the interviewee was, "Once you have a character like Zangief for comparison, characters like Ryu with an average physique become even more eye-catching." In other words, a creative work cannot only have popular characters. If we make a fetish black hole, the diversity of the world suffers.. In terms of results, even protagonist-like characters that are somewhat lacking in personality can have their own unique features.

Which speaks to an understanding of a need for variety in design and personality that HYV consistently fails to achieve. HYV has no characters like Blackbeard, Zhang Jue... or even Li Shuwen. It has pretty girls, pretty boys, and younger characters.

Jiang talked proudly about how HSR risks lowering their revenue by daring to include characters like Qingque and Guinafen in the hopes they might attract a new market, but Nasu says 'well, we think about the themes of our stories and what the characters need to be, as well as the kinds of characters we want to write'.

Nasu also plainly outlining the variety of different elements a writer needs to incorporate into a story - including the importance of each character having their own storyline to engage the players, super simple stuff! - is something I dearly hope HYV keeps in mind. HSR has less of an issue with these concepts than Genshin does, but there are several shared weaknesses between the two works.

I can only hope that HYV is taking notes instead of nodding like it already understands the things he's saying - because it does not, and it could stand to listen. I believe that the world Nasu created in Fairy Britain, despite having a lot less to it, is stronger than any single region in either Genshin Impact or Honkai Star Rail because it, the stories told in it and the characters there, are all thematically consistent and inform each other in interesting ways at all points during the chapter.

I think Belobog achieved a base level of cohesion, but Xianzhou Luofu was a shitshow and Penacony... better pick up soon. Haha. (Jiang describing Xianzhou Luofu as "captivating" though. Bro. Bro Xianzhou Luofu was terrible, what are you talking abou-)

I like reading Nasu talk about the writing process and the things he's enthusiastic about. I don't always like or agree with Type-Moon's decisions or products, but Nasu always strikes me as a down to earth guy that's truly passionate about what he creates and the works he consumes. Jiang seems to have had a lot less to say, though that seems to be because he is... as he himself admits, not a writer.

The two companies seem to have been in talks, so I'm curious to see what comes of it.

#ac plays fgo #ac plays hsr

[brokehorrorfan]

Species II will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on June 11 via Scream Factory. The 1998 sci-fi horror sequel is directed by Peter Medak (The Changeling).

Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen and Marg Helgenberger reprise their roles from the first film, joined by Mykelti Williamson, George Dzundza, James Cromwell, and Justin Lazard. Chris Brancato (Narcos, Hannibal) wrote the script.

Species II has been newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Stereo. A preliminary list of special features is below.

Disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Audio commentary by director Peter Medak

Disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Audio commentary by director Peter Medak

Interview with actress Natasha Henstridge

Interviews with special make-up effects creator Steve Johnson, supervising cosmetic designer Leonard MacDonald, transformation supervisor Joel Harlow, and chrysalis effects supervisor William Bryan

Interview with screenwriter Chris Brancato

Special effects outtakes & behind-the-scenes footage

Uncut footage

Species II: Eve of Destruction featurette

Theatrical trailer

Still galleries – posters, lobby cards, behind-the-scenes photos, special effects behind-the-scenes photos, and H.R. Giger sketches

When countless women suffer gruesome deaths while bearing half-alien offspring, scientist Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger) and hired assassin Press Lennox (Michael Madsen) use Eve (Natasha Henstridge), a more tempered alien clone, to find Ross and his virulent brood. But they underestimate Eve's maternal drive, and before long she escapes to mate with Ross in order to create a pure, unstoppable race that could spell doom for mankind.

Pre-order Species II.

#species #species 2 #species ii #natasha henstridge #michael madsen #marg helgenberger #scream factory #dvd #gift #peter medak #mykelti williamson #george dzundza #james cromwell #hr giger #90s horror

[latristereina]

I wanted, you know, Michael to be haunted by the iciness in his own personal life, the reflection about his child, his wife, that oddly enough, he was, you know, doing all of this to preserve his family and he was destroying his family at the same time, and that was the central theme of that character.

The choice of his wife hearing the sewing machine and working on it�� I don’t know how many women really use sewing machines very much now but it’s just an image that, of course, it evokes Penelope in the Odyssey, you know, the wife, the loyal wife at home spinning or working on some needle point as is really like Greek epic story

-The Godfather part II, The Director's Commentary

@blackvalyrians

#the godfather #the godfather part ii #michael corleone #kay adams #kay corleone #al pacino #diane keaton

[thegothicalice]

Hi! I want to watch more films and well you are kinda the person to ask! So how do you find the time to watch so many films? How do you come up with what to watch and where/how do you tend to watch them?

And any other tips and tricks?

Oh boy, this is a slightly tricky question? But to start— loving movies is a full-on hobby that I make time for, including researching and learning a lot about film history, meta analysis and other things I have shelves of books about.

For one, I’ve used the tv as background noise while doing other things since roughly middle school— so it’s very common for me to watch a movie during breakfast and dinner, and do multiple movies during days off that I’m working on some kind of project. It’s a whole “if I’m not doing two things at once I can’t pay attention to either” situation. (And when I was doing 45-60 hours a week of drawing homework in college and still could find the pirating websites I can’t use anymore I watched so many movies).

I am very much a horror nerd. And in general, the horror community can be like being part of a club and being able to know director filmographies and intricacies of subgenres is part of that community— and since a lot of the actors and directors and effects people worked together in this kind of weird expanding web it makes exploring the genre kind of like a game (like I like The Thing and oh Rob Bottin worked on The Howling too and learned the craft from Rick Baker who was the first to get an Oscar for special effects makeup while working on An American Werewolf in London that John Landis directed but he also did the vampire movie Innocent Blood like ten years later and—). There’s a reason my Letterboxd watchlist never seems to dip below 600 even watching at least once movie every day.

I use Shudder a lot, but also Prime, Hulu and Tubi, and occasionally there’s stuff free on YouTube. I also hoard a lot of physical media. Since I’ve recently given up on Netflix I’ve been finding bootleg Blu-ray’s on eBay, because relying on internet when I’ve had many years of bad Wi-Fi and also a deep love of special features and commentary means physical media is something important to me (there’s a whole thing about preserving history outside of the internet’s ability to make things disappear but that’s a whole other conversation)

(This is about 8’x5’)

Like I can have whole long diatribes about movies, because it’s a thing I get really into— I did rope one of my friends into a whole thing explaining the moral and existential concepts in Saw and Hostel II and the way to make PG-13 horror films function successfully and why 2000s horror in relation to American political landscape was Like That for almost an hour yesterday— which is why giving advice for new or casual watchers is tricky for me 😅

Anyway I have no clue if any of that was helpful but good luck!

#go ask alice #movie questions #physical media

[thelordofgifs]

the fairest stars: masterpost

Considering what a monster this fic has become, I thought it was about time I made a proper masterpost with all relevant links and info. Hopefully this makes it easier for people wanting to tackle it!

Rating: T

Relationships: Maedhros & Maglor, Beren/Lúthien, Fingon/Maedhros, Celegorm & Curufin

Characters: Maedhros, Maglor, Lúthien, Fingon, Curufin, Celegorm (and plenty of others)

The premise: a bullet point AU exploring what might happen if Beren and Lúthien managed to steal two Silmarils instead of one.

Links to the fic

the fairest stars on AO3 (currently updated up to part 30, or the end of the third arc)

On tumblr:

post i (parts 1-9)

post ii (parts 10-15)

post iii (parts 16-20)

post iv (parts 21–25)

post v (parts 26-30)

post vi (parts 31-34)

post vii (part 35, where updates go currently)

Notes on reading

I think of tfs as loosely organised into story arcs; there’s a natural break point of sorts at the end of part 10 (although it’s a cliffhanger so you may not particularly want to stop there. Nonetheless, I’d advise it if it’s 4am and you’re bingeing fic instead of sleeping). The second arc ends at the end of part 20, which is even more obviously a break between storylines. The third arc ends with part 30. The fourth is currently ongoing.

Extra material

The fun part of tumblr is I can share all the behind-the-scenes notes and ramblings that don’t fit as well on AO3! I put everything tfs-related under the tag #the fairest stars, but here are some highlights.

Alternate POV scenes and missing moments:

Maedhros’ POV of That One Scene in part 14 (not essential but pretty important reading after you’ve read part 14. Not recommended if you haven’t read part 14, because spoilers, or if you find That One Scene upsetting although I can’t think why you would).

a missing moment between parts 20 and 21 (not remotely essential reading)

Fanart from the bestest loveliest most talented readers ever:

Comic of Curufin in part 10 by @biginvisiblespider

Maedhros and the slaughtered orcs from part 12 by @biginvisiblespider

Comic of Fingon and Curufin's meeting from part 14 by @biginvisiblespider

Maedhros, Maglor and the old bright songs of their childhood from part 15 by @swanhild

Comic of Fingon and Maedhros in part 20 by @welcomingdisaster

Maedhros and Maglor in part 28 by @eilinelsghost

Maglor and Lúthien in the rose garden from part 31 by @anna-dreamer

An incredible playlist by @fictionalmenjusthitdifferent: listen on YouTube here

A small selection of behind-the-scenes commentary and ramblings:

director's cut: part 6

meta on Maedhros and grief (spoilers up to part 11)

director's cut: part 11

a dissection of That One Scene (spoilers up to part 14)

meta on Fingon, Maedhros and Maglor (spoilers up to part 15)

director's cut: part 15

thoughts on part 18

director's cut: part 18

director's cut: part 20 (the beginning)

director's cut: part 20 (the end)

thoughts on Maedhros and the Oath (spoilers up to part 30)

Maedhros and Maglor in the third arc (spoilers up to part 30)

director's cut: the cheek-touching thing (spoilers up to part 30)

director's cut: the religious language thing (spoilers up to part 30)

director's cut: part 30

#the fairest stars #hopefully this is helpful! since the fic is hard to navigate on tumblr #going to link this from my pinned post as well so it's easy to find

[simplydnp]

Hi, sorry, I was trying to look for the directors commentary of II because ive only ever watched the show, and I couldn't find it. Do you know where I can watch it?

great question anon! unfortunately i've only listened to it using my dvd of ii ☹️ if someone can help anon out, let me know! dms are open

#i know its out there somewhere but i havent paid close attention as i have a physical copy. but i know they arent purchasable anymore #its a lovely commentary so i highly recommend and wish you luck on your journey! #dnp #c.text #dan and phil #answered

[abbystanaccount]

As someone who knows the last of us part ii forward and backwards, inward and outward, would you say the remastered version is worth buying? I’m still on the fence.

Aw thanks haha, and I would say yes! Especially because it’s just a $10 upgrade. The skins are really fun to swap around, No Return is a fun new mode, the photomode upgrades are very nice, and just playing the game in 4k resolution is so 🤌 it’s so crispy and nice looking. My favorite feature so far though was the Directors commentary that can play during the cinematic cutscenes. I loved the insight from everyone. So I’d say yes and recommend a playthrough with that!

#asks

[dr-jem-nutcase]

MvA: The M Files, take-a-peek II - Brain Pain, pt. 1

Ok, after some consideration and a couple requests for the second part of this book after the monster origin stories, I decided to show it off to the world, one section at a time. May I present...Brain Pain! *tada!*

I may or may not be doing commentary, but feel free to just look at the pictures.

Those soldiers probably wonder sometimes, wth is even going on in there?...

Ever since I got this book 12+ years ago, I have never been able to get over the bug plushie on Dr C's bed. 🤣🤣🤣

B.O.B.'s question about the lab coat reminds me of one part of the directors' commentary for the movie: B.O.B. asks Dr C, "Do you think in English or cockroach?"

Dang. How'd Monger let Doc get all that equipment? Let alone, random objects like a rodeo bull or a lava lamp?

T...B...C.

#monsters vs aliens #mva #dreamworks #dr cockroach #dr cockroach phd #bob mva #childrensbooks #doctor cockroach #the missing link monsters vs aliens #the missing link #the missing link mva #bob monsters vs aliens #benzoate ostylezene bicarbonate #mva the m files

[sometimesanalice]

director’s cut for leave a light on vol. ii pls and thank you!!

🩷 @callsignspark

Elle, my babe! 💖 Leave a Light On {vol ii} was a fic that almost didn’t happen! This series is so special to me and I worked so hard to get it right. I love how it turned out!

Deployment Bradley is something I’m so soft about. There wasn’t originally going to be a Bradley POV in this, and I’m so glad I ended up spilling this in two because I loved exploring why this is a life Bradley has dedicated himself to and why he chose the Navy with all of the trauma and hurt tied to it.

I did so much research into what life is like on a carrier and the day-to-day life of aviators when they’re deployed. And to no one’s surprise, it’s rough. They’re flying at night, they get little rest, the food isn’t the greatest, and at all times it’s a reminder that their life really isn’t their own while they’re away.

It was the way he could honor the man who made him and to solidify his bond with the one who raised him.

This line was a last minute addition during one of my final real throughs. And while we know that Bradley always wanted to follow in their footsteps, I do think that for the longest time his main motivation was to prove a point to Mav. The anger and the spite that he must have carried after getting his papers pulled fueled him to get there without his pseudo-Dad’s help. But in this series, since it’s set after TGM, I really wanted there to be an acknowledgement of the healing and reconciliation of the past for Bradley. That was something really important to me in this one, especially since it deals so much with the idea of home and family.

Send me a ⭐️ for director’s commentary on a fic!

#fanfic ask game #ask game answers #ask game #inbox 💌

[princesssarisa]

Since I did this for Carmen and Don Giovanni's deaths, I might as well do it for Violetta.

Not that there's very much variety: in all performances, she suddenly feels restored to health and strength, rises up, and sings a final exclamation of joy, only to drop dead. But the slight variations directors and sopranos have found can be interesting.

I can see why some prefer to keep it simple: either follow the libretto and just have her briefly stand up, then fall back on the sofa, or not even have her stand up at all, but just rise onto her knees. She is dying of a debilitating disease that realistically should leave her barely able to move by the end.

But this last euphoric moment isn't realistic to begin with. The whole concept of spes phthisica, that TB causes feelings of euphoria even as it kills, might be just a romantic myth to begin with, but even if it's real, I'm sure it rarely, if ever causes an apparent complete return of health and strength in the last few seconds of life. With this in mind, why shouldn't some productions make it more dramatic? Opera directors always love a good stagger to center stage and dramatic slump to the floor. Or why not go crazier still: e.g. by having her stand up on her bed, or Richard Eyre's choice to have her run madly in a circle around the room?

The stagings where she dies in Alfredo's arms are good for the romantics among us, for giving her the ultimate final happiness, and for suiting pop cultural expectations the Camille story (e.g. memories of the 1936 MGM film's famous ending, with Greta Garbo in Robert Taylor's arms, or of the end of Moulin Rouge! for that matter).

Yet that one staging I found on YouTube where Giorgio Germont is the one to hold her at the end was very interesting too. After all, everyone agrees that Act II's lengthy Violetta/Germont scene is the heart of the opera, and while Alfredo is arguably just the same romantic, hot-blooded young fool from beginning to end, his father undergoes real growth and change thanks to Violetta.

Then there's the cruel twist from the Zeffirelli film and productions inspired by it, where at the very end it turns out that Violetta just hallucinated Alfredo and Germont's return and she dies alone. On the one hand, it is heartbreaking, and it's truer to the original novel, where Marguerite dies before she can reunite with Armand. But on the other hand, maybe it's too cruel. At any rate, it wasn't Verdi or Piave's intent, it denies Giorgio Germont his redemption by turning it into Violetta's fantasy, and it only works if the other characters' final exclamations of horror and grief are cut.

The last option, from another video I found on YouTube, is also an interesting choice: where she doesn't drop dead, but is still standing in a euphoric pose at the end, bathed in light, while the rest of the stage goes dark. It's as if we're seeing her spirit instead of her body, ending on a note of transfiguration instead of grief. But maybe that's too sentimental and religious for this mostly-realistic tragedy of social commentary.

I'd love to see other people's thoughts.

@simone-boccanegra, @supercantaloupe, @notyouraveragejulie, @ariel-seagull-wings, @leporellian

#opera #poll #la traviata #giuseppe verdi #violetta valery #staging #tw: death #tw: illness

[beautifulgiants]

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We Are Entering Into the Josh Hartnett-aissance

BY LIAM GAUGHAN

PUBLISHED JUL 28, 2023

Are we seeing Josh Hartnett's comeback?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like a movie star’s face can sell a movie on its own anymore — unless you happen to be Tom Cruise. While this is tough news for the stars of this generation (apologies to all four Chrises), it’s even more disappointing for the actors that were iconic in the early 20th century that no longer have the same draw over audiences. Young, charismatic leading men who once starred in action films, romantic comedies, and major blockbusters are now left to fend for minor roles in either independent projects or television shows; it’s been a while since we heard from Ryan Philippe, Ashton Kutcher, Jim Sturgess, or Hayden Christensen in a major, lasting way.

However, Josh Hartnett has had a surprising comeback in the past year thanks to his roles in the sixth season of Black Mirror and Christopher Nolan’s historical masterpiece Oppenheimer. These roles suggest that the “Joshaissance” is about to take Hollywood by storm, and it’s about time that Hartnett’s talents are finally being rewarded and praised.

Josh Hartnett’s Career Had an Ambitious Beginning

While Hartnett’s name is often thrown around as yet another forgotten heartthrob of yesteryear, his career was one that started out in a very ambitious place. Hartnett managed to crawl his way out of the Halloween franchise after his debut role in 1998’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, preventing himself from being stuck with the series for the disastrous Halloween: Resurrection. His next horror film wasn’t in a major franchise, but with a rising auteur in Robert Rodriguez via The Faculty. The role showed the versatility that Hartnett had at his disposal; not only could he play a compelling teenage protagonist in a fun horror film with a tone akin to Scream, but he could deal with some of the weirder decisions that Rodriguez made in order for the film to feel so unique compared to other teen monster movies.

Before Hartnett started becoming a mainstream romantic comedy icon, he worked with several more significant directors. Another role that showed the range of his abilities was Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides; it’s a film that revolves around how young men perceive beauty and innocence, and how misguided their beliefs on love and romance really are. However, Coppola allows Hartnett’s character Trip Fontaine to be one that the audience can feel sorry for, as his feelings for the girls are genuine, and the sense of danger that he adds to their lives feels exciting, and not toxic. It’s a multifaceted role that once again required Hartnett to fit within the parameters of Coppola’s commentary and play the role of a traditionally charismatic leading man.

Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor isn’t a film that anyone is particularly proud of, but Hartnett’s decision to join the film is completely understandable; what actor of his age would turn down the opportunity to star in a major World War II epic (only a few years after Saving Private Ryan) from the director of The Rock and Bad Boys? Hartnett certainly sells the melodrama better than Ben Affleck and manages to add a touch of emotion to a largely soulless action spectacle. Adding charisma to a project that lacked it before is something that Hartnett began to make a habit of; in the next decade of his career, he made rather generic romantic comedies like Blow Dry, Mozart and the Whale, 40 Days and 40 Nights, and Town & Country more entertaining thanks to his personality.

Even when appearing in mainstream films, Hartnett clearly had the ambition to work on more ambitious projects. He tried his hand at something far more unsettling than The Faculty with the gruesome vampire film 30 Days of Night and worked with Rodriguez again for an intimidating role in Sin City. Even some of his failed prospects suggested good intentions on Hartnett’s part; he got to work on a Brian De Palma movie (even if it was The Black Dahlia), co-starred with Harrison Ford (even if it was the disastrous Hollywood Homicide), and tried more than once to work with Nolan.

Netflix’s science fiction anthology series Black Mirror has an affinity for casting A-listers, even if they’re stardom may have faded in recent memory. While Season 6 was a mixed bag that contained some of the show’s most biting commentary and its worst clichés, the standout episode by far was the 1960s space romance “Beyond the Sea.” It served as a surprising comeback for Hartnett, who showed a true villainous, toxic side to himself that has never been seen in any of his previous work. Hartnett isn’t a mustache-twirling supervillain; he appears as David, a lonely astronaut whose family is killed by a cult leader (Rory Culkin) and longs for someone to care for him in their absence. It’s when David starts crossing the line of consent in his quest to heal that Hartnett transforms him from being sympathetic to scary.

Hartnett finally got his chance to work with Nolan in Oppenheimer, a film that co-stars many once promising young leading men whose careers have hit a standstill, including Josh Peck, Alden Ehrenreich, Scott Grimes, Dane DeHaan, Alex Wolff, and Jack Quaid. Hartnett showed maturity himself with his performance as Ernest Lawrence; while he’s friendly with Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and even supports some of his more experimental propositions, he’s also deeply skeptical about any political movements that arise in the laboratory. Hartnett shows these convictions as unrelated to Lawrence’s personal stance; he simply wants to avoid distractions and keep the experiments objective. It’s an understated, subtle role; while Oppenheimer’s Best Supporting Actor campaign during the Academy Award season will likely revolve around both Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon, Hartnett is no less worthy.

2023 was a year when Hartnett recognized his talents and chose to challenge himself once more; he even managed to lampoon his own stardom with a self-referential role in Guy Ritchie’s action comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre as the goofy action star Danny Francesco. Hartnett’s absence from mainstream projects was just a brief setback; he’s now reached the most interesting point of his career, and it’ll be exciting to see where the “Joshaisssance” goes next.

#beautiful giant #josh hartnett #oppenheimer #beyond the sea #black mirror #the black dahlia #the faculty #30 days of night #the virgin suicides #pearl harbor #operation fortune: ruse de guerre #Hollywood Homicide #sin city #robert rodriguez #Liam gaughan #deadline