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flowerwrites06 · 7 months

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neon smoke — knj

NEON SMOKE | Kim Namjoon | Oneshot | Requested by Anon.

Original Request: Hiii! I have been a fan of yours since break my mind's eye ❤️ Can I request for Namjoon x female reader. I loooove reading angst so make it as much angsty you want for a deranged woman like me :) I am not sure about the exact idea but you can make it either mafia au or e2l. Thank you ❤️ Plot: Namjoon carries out a dangerous love affair. Pairing: Drug Dealer!Namjoon x Mafia Princess!OC (Name: Minnie) Genre: Mafia Type: Oneshot Rating: 18+ Word Count: 4.1k Warnings: violence (guns, blood & gore), minor character death, mentions of drugs, organised crime, sexual content (rough, anal, choking, unprotected, fingering). Author’s Note: not quite the deranged level imo but I hope you enjoyed this! I've posted this while dead tired and sleep drunk atm, it's been a hell of a week so let me know if there are any major posting issues in the fic I've missed. Other than that, thank you for reading!

Requests are open until Oct 1st! Send yours ideas in!

The den closed when midnight swelled. A dingy green painted the rooms and any pungent smell that was ignored during the day fumed thickly in Namjoon’s nose. He found the silence haunting without the workers in the underground or the runners scuttering across the plastic carpet floors. Except there was a peace to it and the familiarity that the silence won’t last too long.

He heard Minnie’s footsteps echo through the door before she knocked four times. Kwan, his right hand man, usually ate dinner during this time and Namjoon made sure it was that way. Except he thought it was some girl Namjoon took an interest to and not the sister of Don Leon, his own boss.

Minnie opened the door when Namjoon responded. He saw the shine of her black heels before she appeared into the room. She wore a pretty red silk dress, delicate pearls around her neck, dark hair thick and curled with a black coat over her shoulders. Her lips, red like blood, smiled as she closed the door behind her. “I saw you hired a new girl. She almost kicked me out.”

Iseul was Namjoon’s new runner. Namjoon forgot to mention that he had a visitor every night, but he wasn’t too afraid of Minnie handling her own.

“Did she recognise you?” Namjoon asked.

“Clearly not, she was very protective of you.” Minnie smirked, stepping closer and leaning herself at the edge of his desk. She shrugged off her coat at the heat of the room compared to the night outside. The red dress had pinstripe sleeves, one of them shyly trailing off her shoulder before she fixed it.

“I didn’t get the chance to explain it to her,” Namjoon said, keeping his eyes on the computer as he had been for hours. Entering data and ensuring every sell was called for. “Your brother has been working us hard.”

“He wants to impress the buyers in China.” Minnie shrugged. “I told him rushing it was going to be a detriment but you know him.”

Namjoon hummed. “At least he’s not asking us to cut the pure stuff.” That was usually when problems began and he had enough scars to know they were never pretty results.

Minnie stayed silent for a moment. “I wouldn’t hold my breath. He’s done impulsive things before.”

As soon as Minnie and Leon’s father passed away, Leon made it his mission to overproduce his supplies so he could get more American and Chinese allies. Except all that forced scheduling made it difficult to keep strong ties with the Japanese and Korean allies. If Leon kept going this way, they would risk war with their age-old allies. Yet Minnie knew all this. Namjoon heard their fights before and Leon’s stubbornness that needed to be crushed for days before it showed cracks.

Namjoon rested back on the chair, as it squeaked in response. “So more runners and dealers.”

“Pretty ones.” Minnie gave a teasing smirk.

Despite the risk that came with seeing Minnie, Namjoon found strange comfort in it. At first, guilt choked him after laying with her, slick with sweat and the smell of sex around them in the hotel room. But then it became habitual and only a few months later, Namjoon looked forward to her visits even if it didn’t always end the same.

“Do you have a problem with Iseul?” Namjoon asked, mainly as a jest to keep her smiling.

Minnie lifted her shoulders, moving off the table and stepping towards Namjoon. Her thigh gently brushed against the back of his fingers. “No. No problem.” She snuck onto his lap, long nails tracing the side of his neck. “Just checking.”

His hand traced up her thigh, grazing just softly on her skin so it raised gooseflesh. “I mean she is pretty now that you’ve mentioned it.” A smirk curled at his lips.

Minnie pouted. “Then I suppose you don’t need me to warm your lap.” She tried to lift off him but his grip tightened, nails digging through her clothes until she gasped lightly.

“Keep that ass right here,” Namjoon said, nose brushing against her jawline.

Minnie giggled, tracing one of her nails down his neck and chest as he felt a tingle down his spine.

Namjoon bit into the skin of her neck until she let out a small whimper. The tip of his nose trailed up to her chin before she took her bottom lip between his teeth. Sinking in until it hurt before letting go, watching how it turned crimson.

A whimper left her lips, eyes blown out in lust as her face twisted to something that no one would ever see outside this door.

Minnie chuckled, cupping his cheek and kissing him. Her lips hot and raw from his bite as her hips swayed, feeling him harden under her thighs. “Excited all of a sudden?” she asked.

“You were late today,” Namjoon said, tracing his fingers up the length of her spine until she shivered.

Minnie hummed as she straddled him. Her warm core perfectly placed atop his taut cock. Arms wrapped around his shoulders while his hands instinctively cupped her ass, squeezing and pushing her to grind against him. “You missed me?” It was a whisper, sweet and teasing.

Namjoon didn’t notice but his lips stretched into smile, full of affection and perhaps a terrifying pinch of worship. He hooked her panties to the side, taking a sneaky touch between her cheeks and feeling something cold with the shape of a gem. “Seems you were more prepared than me.” He held onto the buttplug, gently moving it as she moaned into his mouth.

“You know you like it,” she said.

“I do.” Namjoon brushed his fingers through her thick curls, the soft scent of roses enticing to move closer and consume himself with it. He lifted to his feet, carrying her with him as she let out a small giggle.

Namjoon lay her down on the chair and pushed it to recline. Minnie spread her legs, hanging them over the arms so she give him the best view. A hungry smile graced her features as she watched his fingers rub over her throbbing clit. He pushed his middle finger into her slick entrance, making her feel full.

Minnie threw her head back, relishing in the gentle waves of pleasure. Her thick curls bunched beautifully at her shoulders as the thin straps of her dress hugged her arm.

His fingers glistened as he spread her arousal all over her cunt. Namjoon’s other hand gripped her neck, squeezing just enough to make her breath hitch. He pushed two fingers into her, pistoning mercilessly into her.

Minnie let out a choked scream as the edges of her climax closed in.

Namjoon loosened his grip on her neck so she let out a deep, heaving breath. Minnie held onto her thighs, watching him maintain his aggressive pace. Her vision blurred as her entire body melted into the pleasure he gave her, nothing but whimpered sounds leaving her lips.

Namjoon pulled his fingers out with a light squelch, rubbing her clit again with his thumb.

Minnie lifted her legs to her chest. Namjoon pulled out the buttplug, keeping his fingers inside her to keep her stretched as he put it away. He pushed into her entrance, tight and maddening. Minnie let out a whimper, smiling as he buried himself entirely.

He pushed his fingers inside her cunt, making her feel full and her mind cleared of nothing else but the pleasure that surged through her.

“Touch yourself, princess,” Namjoon spoke in a slight growl.

Minnie did as he asked and rubbed her clit, her wall clenching at the jolt of ecstasy from her sensitivity.

Namjoon pressed his forehead against hers, her legs over his shoulders. “Feel good?”

Minnie whimpered in response, trying to make words but it only came out in unintelligible sounds.

Namjoon chuckled breathlessly, pounding into her ass, moving the chair so it pressed against a wall. He grew relentless as his orgasm rushed to the edge. Hearing her reciprocate so deliciously to every one of his movements sent stars in his eyes. Heat rushed to his tip and his entire body, legs jerking and jolting as he filled his seed into her.

The chair creaked under the pressure, melding with the sounds of Minnie’s whimper and the scream under her breath. A laugh passed her lips as Namjoon caught his breath. “I should be late more often.” She grinned.

Two days had passed with a better mood. The days still filled with endless schedule clutter but at the very least he was able to get a handle on it without a headache. Minnie had to visit every second or third day instead of the usual which put a slight downer on his mood but during the visits she did come in, she made up for the lack of time.

It was only a month later where things rot.

The doors burst open to Kwan in the darkest hour of the night. His clothes soaked in blood as he shuffled to safety. Eyes hooded as he tried to open his mouth to say something but only stumbled.

“What happened?” Namjoon asked.

Kwan let out a shaky sigh, holding onto his shoulder to keep himself up. “Korean gang members. They were sent to ambush the warehouses.”

Namjoon called for Seokjin in as he lifted Kwan onto the table, helping him lay down as his blood left a trail from the entrance to his own feet.

Kwan kept heaving, groaning as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

“Do you know why?” He asked in a gentle tone, not wanting to pressure him but he needed to know. His den or warehouses were never attacked. Not since Leon started yanking at his strings.

Kwan groaned again in response as Seokjin walked into the front entrance. Without a word, he laid his out tools and began taking pieces of the bullet out of his wound.

“They didn’t get their full supply. Leon. . .” Kwan kept speaking but it only ended in a cough, blood at the edge of his lips. “Sorry, boss.”

“Give him time to breathe, Joon,” Seokjin said. His brows were far too scrunched for Namjoon’s comfort.

The bleeding wasn’t stopping and Namjoon could practically hear the heartbeat resounding in the room.

Namjoon touched Kwan’s shoulder. Part of him wanted to speak more, in the hope that Kwan would come up with a joke or something to reassure him that he was going to be fine. But he knew this wasn’t that kind of business. “Alright. Get him better.”

Iseul stood at the archway leading up to the private rooms, tears filling her eyes as she watched Kwan get patched up.

Namjoon patted her arm. “He’ll be okay.” He said to her but mostly to himself.

Fate didn’t give them that kind of luck, however.

Namjoon and Iseul sat near the kitchens, silently at first but Iseul’s shaking fingers and body legs got her to speak.

“That woman probably attracted them to us,” Iseul said with poison lacing her voice. “She’s too close to Leon and they must’ve known she’s coming to us.” Her reddened eyes kept a gaze on the floor.

Namjoon rested back on his chair, the chair squeaking back as he watched one of the den members clean up the floors. “This was bound to happen. Leon was snagging his connections too much.”

“But they came to us,” Iseul said. “We don’t get into the spotlight. We’re not even the biggest den. It’s her. I’m telling you, it’s her.” She built a wall over her words, ensuring that Namjoon didn’t push through and try to convince her.

Before Namjoon could respond, Seokjin stood with a solemn expression before walking towards them, stammering. “There was a bullet shard that pierced his heart.” His throat bobbed up and down.

Iseul’s breathing grew ragged as they both watched Kwan’s still body. Sobs left her body as she rushed to Kwan.

“This can’t go on, Namjoon,” Seokjin said in a lower voice. Namjoon wasn’t sure whether he meant the affair with Minnie or the situation with Leon but knowing Seokjin, he knew he meant both. “We thought having Minnie was going to keep us safe and our business going. Now this.”

It sounded wrong the way he spoke those words. Namjoon knew he only pursued Minnie for reasons aside from the den. The fact that they were safe this whole time was just a coincidence. But he never predicted that it would now cause more harm than good. Namjoon’s breath turned ragged.

Seokjin was right. This has to end.

Minnie came to his room today after four days of not speaking to him. No smile on her face. “I heard about an ambush.” Her tone was so soft and loving. “Was your den involved?”

Namjoon had been drinking to calm himself down but it didn’t seem to help. It probably made it worse. “Yeah, it was involved. Kwan’s dead.”

Minnie walked to him and touched his shoulder. It was so warm and genuine but part of him was still determined. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ve tried to send contact to Leon but he’s not answering,” he said. “Where have you been for the last few days?” Namjoon looked up at her, eyes burning from how tipsy he had become.

“Leon kept inviting me to his meetings,” Minnie explained. “He’s trying to marry the daughter of a Chinese Don.”

Frustration nipped at him. While his dens were suffering, Leon was off to marry a foreign ally with no care. “His own local allies are turning against him.” His words turned sharp and cutting.

Minnie stammered, reaching out to touch his hand. “I’m trying to talk to him.”

He pulled his hand away, standing up to his feet. “Well, you’re not fucking trying hard enough, are you?” Namjoon seethed, his heart aching as Minnie stepped back.

“What Leon’s doing is stupid but these things take time.” Minnie shook her head.

“So you’ll wait until innocent people die before you start actually doing things?” Namjoon walked over to her, towering over her. “You’re no better than your fucking brother.”

Minnie’s expression hardened, not stepping back anymore. “When you work in a place like this, death is a risk you’re taking. Don’t place the blame on me.”

“The blame is on you because you should’ve kept us safe,” Namjoon said. “You come waltzing in here, I expect you to ensure we’re not at risk for attack. Otherwise, don’t fucking come back here.” He wanted her to be angry. He wanted her to cry and scratch at him for only wanting this affair for his own benefit.

Minnie’s face quickly turned to steel, posture straightening as she intertwined her fingers together. “I’ll inform Leon about the casualties and see what he can do for changes,” she said. “You want me to relay anything else?”

Namjoon swallowed the lump in his throat. “No.”

Minnie hummed. “Alright.” She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving a suffocating ache in Namjoon’s chest.

A month had passed. No attacks. Iseul had convinced herself that it was Minnie’s fault but Seokjin calmly explained that there was something else going on since all the Korean gangsters were staying quiet. When it was this much silence in the underground, a big event was about to happen.

As much as Namjoon hated it, Seokjin was right. News came a month and a half later on a piece of paper, handwritten.

Helmina Cordon and Jung Hoseok are engaged to marry on the 27th of November. No weaponry or negotiations permitted in the reception.

Namjoon’s body burned, fingers squeezing the delicate paper as if perhaps he was just dreaming. He was thankful that only Seokjin was in the room so he let his hands shake before curling his fingers into fists.

“With the Min family connected to the Jung family, the Korean gangs aren’t going to touch us,” Seokjin said, trying to make some light out a situation that suffocated Namjoon. “This is good. We wanted this. Jung Hoseok is a precise drug lord, him with Minnie’s organisation and influence will help us get back on track.”

“Right,” Namjoon said, partially focusing on his words.

Seokjin took a breath to say something but sighed in slight defeat. He patted his shoulder and left him to his cluttered lonesome.

This had to happen. What did Namjoon even expect? That Minnie was going to be with him forever with no consequences whatsoever? Of course, she had been holding back marriage proposals. That was the quickest, simplest way to solve most alliance problems. All Namjoon had to do was take it for granted, as if their relationship was immune. When in reality, it was hanging on the balance of how much Minnie trusted him and how much he trusted her.

Now it was gone. And he was cordially invited to watch it all rip away from him.

Seokjin accompanied Namjoon to the wedding reception. The ceremony had been private to the two families but the reception was open to whoever was significant enough in the underworld. Despite Iseul’s assumptions, Namjoon’s den had some traction with Cordon family especially with Minnie’s connection to them.

Namjoon pushed that thought down quickly, not wanting to be reminded of how much of his success was also attributed to her.

They entered the event hall, glittering chandeliers reflecting against the freshly polished marble floors. Tables scattered all throughout covered in white linen and a pianist spread delicate notes through the halls.

He didn’t want to but his eyes did look for her in the front tables. And much to his own misery, he saw Minnie.

She wore a pretty white silk dress, transparent lace gloves, her hair curled beautifully and her lips painted in deep red. While Don Leon sat on the right, ordering another round of drinks. He had the same thick curly hair, cut to his ear and a small build but silvery and convivial demeanour. A man on Minnie’s left was whispering in her ear, making her smile. Jung Hoseok, clad in a deep blue suit and a dahlia in his breast pocket.

Namjoon hated that he could tell Minnie’s smile was calculated and not real. He hoped and prayed that she looked genuinely happy but this was a business transaction. And she smiled just like it was business so they looked the part.

“Just say hello, stay at your table and pass the time,” Seokjin said as if reading his subconscious instincts to walk right up to her and tell her to stop.

As they padded closer to the main table, Seokjin gave a brief bow to Leon and Namjoon followed a minute later.

“It’s good to see you again, Kim,” Leon said, that same silvery tone. This has been his fault. If Leon had just kept the schedules reasonable then none of this would’ve happened. Yet it was Minnie who Namjoon put the blame upon and it was Minnie who took it. “I was hoping this occasion might lift your spirits a little.”

His chest squeezed but he lowered his head again. “I appreciate it, sir.” Namjoon’s eyes flickered to Minnie who kept a neutral expression on her face. He forced a small smile and gave a bow. “Congratulations on the engagement.”

Minnie smiled, still not a hint of joy in her eyes that merely glimmered from the chandelier light. “Thank you.”

Seokjin patted his back as they walked back to their table and Namjoon was ready to drown into a bottle.

Minnie needed to excuse herself. She tried to count the minutes before Namjoon walked away. Struggled past an hour or two of smiling until her cheeks screamed for her to stop lying so much. Eventually after the third hour, Minnie rushed off to the powder room. It was a large expanse with floor to wall mirrors, crushed velvet chairs with the colour of violet and the same pretty white marble floors that led up to the actual restrooms.

She stayed near the mirrors, staring at herself. Minnie had flowed along the path this past month, hoping her numbness would turn to resilience as she agreed to this economic marriage. But today, seeing Namjoon’s face melted her and it made her face the gruelling reality of what she was about to do permanently.

Minnie didn’t have to wait long to ruminate when Namjoon stumbled straight into the powder room. “This is the women’s room.”

Namjoon parted his lips in confusion before closing it. “No one else here, it’s fine.” He rested against the edge of the counter, next to her. He left enough moments of silence to make her uncomfortable.

To make her think and regret what she was doing which only made her angry. “What do you want?”

“How long has this been going on?” he slurred.

“We had a meeting two weeks ago.” Minnie kept her gaze in the mirror. “Having this alliance will help us gain trust with the Korean syndicates. Leon still gets to do what he wants with the foreign allies while I handle the locals.”

Namjoon hummed, not facing her either. “It’s a good deal.”

“It is.”

“Don’t take it,” he said and the entire room turned cold.

Minnie paused in her actions, her body freezing under the sudden request. Both in a yearning satisfaction of hearing Namjoon sound desperate but the anger of how filmy he considered their relationship. “That’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking.” Namjoon shook his head.

Minnie sighed in frustration, trying to walk past him but Namjoon grabbed her arm. “Stop.”

“We’ll figure out a different way to deal with the Korean syndicates,” Namjoon said, leaning forward, his nose brushed against hers. The scent of whiskey hot in his breath.

“The alliance is already made.” Minnie tightened herself like steel, looking at the end of the room instead of him. “It’ll make things worse if I back down.”

“Then we’ll deal with it.” Desperation seeped in his tone. “It wasn’t your fault, okay? I’m sorry I ever implied that.” Namjoon rubbed both her arms, making her feel so comforted and loved yet so much more angry.

“It is my fault.” Her teeth gritted. “I took advantage of what I could do.”

“You were with me because we both wanted to.” Namjoon held her chin, soft and affectionate. “Both of us.”

Minnie’s chin quivered as the chills of the room melted into her chest, tears burning in her eyes. “Don’t do that now.” No more steel cut through her voice. Even if she desperately wanted to. “Please.”

Namjoon rested his forehead against hers. “You mean a lot to me.”

The whisper sent her into a frenzy. “Please.”

Namjoon pulled her chin closer, kissing her. Tongue pushed through her teeth as he pressed her against the edge of the counter.

Tears finally spilled down her cheeks as she felt the warm, sweet kiss on her lips. Every inch of Minnie wanted to keep going, to let him take her here. Even as Namjoon kissed down her neck, hot and wet, Minnie only relished in it.

Then sense kicked in.

She was engaged now.

“Stop, stop.” She pushed him off and Namjoon did as she asked, though brows furrowed and breath heavy. Minnie leaned against the counter, trying to catch her own breath. “Don’t do that. Not now, not anymore.”

Namjoon stammered, sighing in frustration as he roughly raked his fingers through his hair. “I said a stupid thing, are you really gonna upend your whole life just to spite me?” He asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes. You think I wasn’t taking a risk being with you?” Minnie asked.

“I know you were, I was just angry.”

Just angry. The alliances and things she had paused were crushed by Namjoon because of a burst of anger. It sounded pathetic yet that was the reality. Which was why Minnie had to keep that distance and let the thread between them tighten. “Well, this is not the fucking business for word slips. Your word is my trust in you.” Minnie poked at his chest. “Your word slips, I make changes.”

Namjoon let out a shaky sigh, his eyes now glossed. A rare sight which nearly broke Minnie for a brief, weak moment. “Then run with me.”

Minnie grimaced. “What?”

“Run with me. Leon isn’t going to give you the chair and you’ll be stuck being that douchebag’s little wife.” Namjoon gestured outside. “Just run with me.”

She shook her head in disbelief. Minnie knew he was drunk and angry but a part of her felt a painful ring of truth. Was this how Namjoon viewed her this whole time? Perhaps in this course of making a business transaction, she was making a good decision in distancing from Namjoon. “You really have no faith or respect in me, do you?” she asked.

Namjoon’s chest rose and fell. “That’s not what I meant, Minnie, please.”

“No. I’m done making things work for you,” Minnie said, a look of disgust on her face. “Run on your own.” She turned on her heel and walked back into the arms of her future husband.

The thread between them snapped.

masterlist

#namjoon #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts imagines #bts smut #bts angst #bts mafia au #namjoon mafia au #bts #namjoon x oc #bts x oc

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fayewongfuzao · 3 months

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INSIDER STORIES ABOUT FAYE (SUMMARY / ROUGH TRANSLATION)

Veteran promoter and publicist in Hong Kong's music industry Cheung Wing Kai reminisces with Cantopop vinyl collector Ivan Wong

Faye the 'camel'

Faye was like a 'camel' - she could work for a long time without drinking or eating anything.

She is a diva without airs.

When the time came for her to do the work, she did everything well and would leave immediately after doing it properly. After she was finished, she would get in the car right after.

She works the fastest among the many artists he has worked with.

Shot an MV in 15 minutes

He once heard from a TVB director that she took 15 minutes to shoot an MV during the Cinepoly era (he forgot which song). TVB filmed the MV in a back alley in the city. In 15 minutes, the entire MV was shot and the result was not bad because Faye knew exactly what she was doing.

Not as cool as you think

One year he arranged the Po Leung Charity Show (Gala Spectacular). There were many stars involved including Faye, Leon Lai, Harlem Yu, Terry Lin, Candy Lo, Karen Mok, F4, etc. Because it was a charity show, the production did not have a lot of money. Hairstylists and makeup artists for big stars is not cheap. Faye also uses star makeup artists and hairstylists. But they could only afford 'charity prices'. After hearing this, Faye discussed it with her assistant. Because she knew it was a charity show, she would rather do her own makeup. She was willing to save money and didn't want the company to spend unnecessary money. They were really grateful to Faye (along with her managers Katie and Sister Kwan).

"I think this heavenly queen is really not as cool as you think. In fact, I think she is compassionate and righteous. On the surface, she thinks she is cool. She is actually cold on the outside and hot on the inside."

No dancers

Faye only had one request during that performance: she didn't want dancers. But the problem was her performance was over 10 minutes of singing. It’s difficult to do a live performance without dancers (it's usually required by TVB). He told the production to try to keep the number of dancers as little as possible. There were no complaints from Faye or her manager.

Doesn't like to do publicity

Faye rarely holds autograph sessions. When she was at Sony Music, there was a signing event for "To Love" held at Neway's in Causeway Bay. This was before the concert ("Faye Extraordinary"). Katie suddenly said: "Do we need to do some publicity for the concert?" It was suggested that the publicity could be held during the band rehearsal. It would be a good time to meet reporters.

Faye really didn't want to do it. She really doesn't like publicity and doesn't like to socialize. She just wanted to put on the concert. Why do so much?

Sister Kwan (scolded her): If you don't do publicity, you might as well not do anything at all. Don't even do the concerts.

Faye was willing to do it after listening and the issue was over.

On the day of the concert rehearsal, he suddenly received a call from Ah Fei's assistant, requesting him to come upstairs right away. Faye saw so many reporters and was reluctant to do the publicity work.

He usually never talked to Faye before. But when she saw him, she was willing to cooperate with the media again. He guessed that in her mind, it made her at ease because back when she was at Cinepoly, she did a concert with Leon Lai whom he often worked with then. She was familiar with him. She is quiet but she knew who he was and there's a natural understanding.

So she began to take photos, did interviews, and sang. She may have refused at first but finally did it all.

He thinks the heavenly queen is absolutely not as cold or impersonal as everyone says.

(SOURCE)

#faye wong #王菲

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pixelgrotto · 10 months

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March Of The Dead, The FRANCHISE

Approximately one year ago was the release of Book of the Dead, a Pathfinder 2e supplement that focuses specifically on undead. It's the sort of tabletop RPG book that I really like: the type that hones in on a specific creature category and just hits you over the head with new monsters and a bucketload of lore. These sorts of books are less en vogue these days among major publishers than they were in the D&D 3.5e era, probably for economic reasons. (I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to buy 250 pages of in-depth factoids, including treatises on ghost biology and paragraphs revealing that undead learn Necril via steady exposure to constant streams of negative magic.)

Anyway, Book of the Dead is packed to the brim with all kinds of ghoulish stuff, and there's also an adventure in the back dubbed March of the Dead, which involves the PCs investigating a town where all the residents have been turned into zombies by naughty cultists. Basically, it's the village section of Resident Evil 4. I immediately wanted to run this, and began wondering who I could GM it for. Incidentally, around this time I was enlisted by Paizo to freelance on the upcoming Pathfinder Lost Omens: Tian Xia books, which are intended to remake the game's Asian-inspired setting into something a little more fitting for 2023. A bunch of writers from the Asians Represent podcast were called to work on the books ("Up in the sky! It's the Asian Signal!") and after I realized that some of my colleagues hadn't played the game they were writing for, I asked them if they'd be down to try taking cultists to suplex city. They said yes, and me, Daniel Kwan, Drew Quon, Emma Yasui and Jacky Leung ended up playing for a whole year.

This was my first time GMing for a group who all had some kind of public presence on livestreams and podcasts, and it was instantly fun in the sense that here were folks who were naturally charismatic and used to speaking to an audience. At the same time, because our game was private, everyone was freed from the normal restraints that come with livestreaming and able to go as bonkers as they wanted. This commenced almost immediately in our Session Zero when everyone gravitated towards the more colorful character options, because who wants to play one of the Core Rolebook ancestries when you can be a living toy, a robot, a catperson and a skeleton?

And so, March of the Dead kicked off in solid style as the PCs dove into the town of Fiorna's Faith and ripped apart multiple flavors of zombie with much gusto. I ran the adventure pretty close to how it's written in Book of the Dead, and can confirm that the middle section where the party has to lock themselves within a house and defend against multiple waves of undead assailants is pretty awesome, and very close to the scene in RE4 where Leon and Luis get stuck in a house and shoot the crap out of 100 jobbers in a great example of male bonding.

But even more awesome was how each character's personality quickly crystalized into something special, setting the stage for their future development. Daniel's poppet gunslinger Tapio had a kitbashed gunblade and a deranged desire to BUST on his enemies, which led to lots of dialogue which would've gotten all of us cancelled if we'd been streaming on Twitch. Drew's fighter, a automaton named Kaine, unlocked memories of his soul's prior existence by beating the shit out of dudes and just as equally getting the shit beat out of himself. (Kinda like the Thousand Years of Dreams segments in the Xbox 360 RPG Lost Odyssey, minus the shit beatings.) Emma played the coziest member of the crew - a catfolk named Weetabix who was also a summoner who could manifest a giant flying squirrel named Rudiger, thus placing the party on the pathway of aquiring an ever-increasing entourage of furry friends. And Jacky combined the skeleton ancestry and duskwalker heritage (even though I think they're technically incompatible) to make Ozark, a min/maxing Ghost Rider magus of Pharasma who broke the entire system by parkouring 80 feet each turn and constantly healing himself with illegal necromantic juicing practices.

With such a colorful cast, it would've been a shame to stop with just one adventure. So after the party smashed Harlo Krant, the so-called "seed of evil" set up by the cultists to spread undeath through Fiorna's Faith, I homebrewed March of the Dead 2 as a continuation. (No gimmicky subtitles here, just straight up numbers!)

If the first March of the Dead was RE4's village, then I designed the sequel to be the castle section, and I wanted to go big with a bunch of setpieces centered around a fortress siege. It's hard to do mass scale battles in most D&D derivative systems, so instead of trying to have the party command an army I mostly just relied on the supplement Guns & Gears, which has a series of stat blocks on siege weapons which worked better than I expected. The idea was to have the PCs use the seige tools to turn the tides of war in an already ongoing battle between the cultists and a friendly group of Serenrae-worshipping orcs (the Burning Sun tribe, which received a mention in Lost Omens: Knights of Lastwall, another book I heavily relied on for setting lore). Alternatively, I also gave the PCs the means of sneaking into the fortress Sam Fisher-style. The party ended up taking the stealth option, but not before Kain rolled a natural 20 to catch a cannonball in his hands and throw it back at the baddies, which was awesome.

Inside the fortress I had separate rooms and passageways devoted to each cultist, and all of these areas - or the cultists who inhabited them - were meant to hold some sort of significance towards one of the PCs. There was a gnome summoner intended as a foil for Weetabix, a tech-obsessed tinker dude who had essentially created undead automatons for Kaine to contend with, and a fleshwarping dwarf who'd imported cadavers from all across the world and used Tapio's former body to form a flesh cape for his skinstitch golem. Ozark, meanwhile, got a friendly ex-Pharasma cleric NPC to help him in the last fight. Not all of these connections worked out exactly as planned - for instance, the gnome could've turned against her fellow cultists if successfully swayed by Weetabix, but she got her face melted off with an eroding bullet before she could utter five words.

Despite this, it was a fun exercise to tailor the story to everyone in small ways, which is always one of the biggest challenges when coming up with homebrew adventures. Probably one of the most memorable moments was when Daniel was able to obtain the Horn of Aoyin, an item he had previously designed while freelancing for the Pathfinder conspiracy-themed book Dark Archive. There's nothing like a writer getting to add their own magical item to a character sheet, using it in-game to inadvertently cause their companions to go into a cannibalistic rage, and everyone going: "Wow, what asshole made this thing?"

Alas, Drew had a scheduling conflict that kept him from joining us for March of the Dead 3. But the rest of the party was able to go on a final rodeo, and this one marked a dramatic turn as the crew departed Avistan to chase down more cultists in Tian Xia, a development I knew I wanted to do eventually, seeing as how we were all writers for the upcoming Tian Xia books. If we're to equate March of the Dead with a 1970s film series, I like to think that this third movie is the schlockfest that went left field and randomly features the protagonists going to Hong Kong, as in other "third volume in a forgotten franchise" cinematic masterpieces like Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge or The Gods Must Be Crazy III. The PCs also had a good reason to go to the Dragon Empires, thanks to the fact that Tapio was quite literally a made-in-China puppet who now had to return the Horn of Aoyin to the Lantern Lodge in Goka, AKA the only region in Tian Xia that's been updated for Pathfinder 2e thanks to the Fists of the Ruby Phoenix adventure path.

I relied heavily on Fists of the Ruby Phoenix's second volume, which has a Goka gazetteer in its adventure toolkit section but also an article on kaiju. I knew I wanted to do a giant monster attack on Goka, but instead of focusing on Mogaru (AKA Golarion Godzilla who actually does attack the city in Fists of the Ruby Phoenix), I was drawn to Jakabu the Ethereal Leviathian. Jakabu's a flying whale surrounded by undead sea creatures who I like to think may have been inspired in part by the bakekujira yokai. He exudes a Princess Mononoke "nature is mad at the world" presence that I liked, and since I was never able to run the Spelljammer Astral Whale-filled campaign of my dreams for D&D 5e, I figured that now was the right time for a kujira kaiju to take to the skies. Plus, Jacky had mentioned at one point during March of the Dead 1 or 2 that it would be cool to fight an undead whale.

Since the party was level 10 by now and had gone from a village to a castle, it was time to escalate the stakes by giving them an entire city to explore. Jakabu was literally raining thalassic horror on Goka thanks to a bunch of Circle of Despair terrorists from Minkai who were controlling him, and the baddies were led by a Sephiroth-esque bishounen who was in league with a greedy nalfeshnee. (Shout out to Undying Corruption and the good people at Nine Heavens Press for inspiring me with their geumdwaeji, a pig-like demon who takes a lot from both Korean myth and the traditional depiction of the nalfeshnee.) I like hexcrawls, and this "city under crisis" setup was perfect for a simple hex map featuring a slew of random encounters for the party to explore as they traversed Goka's streets. Keeping the Resident Evil theme alive, I looked to Resident Evil 6's China levels for a vibe to emulate. That game has a ton of problems, but the levels in the fake Chinese city Lanshiang remain an awesome standout worthy of becoming inspirational fuel.

March of the Dead 3 ended with the party battling the bad guys atop Jakabu himself, Shadow of the Colossus-style. Along the way they friended the famous sorcereress Hao Jin, who restored Tapio back to his human body via cloning and also gave me an excuse to speak in goofy HK English/Singlish. Which leads me to another important point - I mentioned earlier that this was my first time GMing for a group with plenty of podcasting experience. But it was also my first time GMing for a group composed entirely of players of East Asian descent. This meant that in all three March of the Deads, I was able to make a lot of cultural in-jokes that would've either gone over the heads of another group or simply been inappropriate. These ranged from your typical weeaboo jokes (Ozark read dozens of issues of the world-renowned chapbook SHONEN LEAP while on the trip to Tian Xia) to pitting the party against NPCs who cussed at 'em in crappy Cantonese. This is the sort of thing that often happens when a group composed solely of people of color (or other marginalized folks) get together at the gaming table, and it's freeing, fun, and something that needs to happen more often for every POC who decides to run an RPG.

We started our little March of the Dead trilogy in June 2022, and now we've finished in June 2023. Because of unforseen factors, the Lost Omens: Tian Xia books that we worked on still aren't out yet. But despite delays caused by OGL debacles, I'm supremely glad that my co-workers and I got a chance to catapault off the back of a freelance writing assignment to play for a year. I can guarantee that everything this crew produced for those two Lost Omens books is going to knock the socks off of whoever reads it.

As for me, I'm putting Book of the Dead down for now, since inspiring a three-part FRANCHISE is more than enough usage for an RPG supplement. But who knows where the muse will strike next. Howl of the Wild, the next themed Pathfinder book that I was also lucky enough to work on, comes out in 2024, and I betcha there's enough material in that one too for a year's worth of goofy, high quality fun.

#pixel grotto #musings #pathfinder #pathfinder 2e #pf2e

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ofallingstar · 1 year

Text

My Oscar Predictions for the main categories

Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of the Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All At Once

The Fabelmans

TÁR

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

The Whale

Directing

Edgar Berger—All Quiet on the Western Front

Martin McDonagh—The Banshees of Inisherin

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert—Everything Everywhere All At Once

Steven Spielberg—The Fabelmans

Todd Field—TÁR

Actres in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchet—TÁR

Viola Davis—The Woman King

Ana de Armas—Blonde

Danielle Deadwyler—Till

Michelle Yeoh—Everything Everywhere All At Once

Actor in a Leading Role

Austin Butler—Elvis

Colin Farrell—The Banshees of Inisherin

Brendan Fraser—The Whale

Paul Mescal—Aftersun

Bill Nighy—Living

Actress in a Supporting Role

Angela Bassett—Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Kerry Condon—The Banshees of Inisherin

Hong Chau—The Whale

Jamie Lee Curtis—Everything Everywhere All At Once

Dolly De Leon—Triangle of Sadness

Actor in a Supporting Role

Paul Dano—The Fabelmans

Brendan Gleeson—The Banshees of Inisherin

Barry Keoghan—The Banshees of Inisherin

Ke Huy Quan—Everything Everywhere All At Once

Eddie Redmayne—The Nurse

#oscars #oscars 2023 #predictions

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boardchairman-blog · 1 year

Text

2023 Oscar Predictions

Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

The Whale

Women Talking

Best Director

All Quiet on the Western Front- Edward Berger

The Banshees of Inisherin- Martin McDonagh

Everything Everywhere All at Once- Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

The Fabelmans- Steven Spielberg

Tár- Todd Field

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett- Tár

Viola Davis- The Woman King

Danielle Deadwyler- Till

Michelle Williams - The Fabelmans

Michelle Yeoh- Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Actor

Austin Butler- Elvis

Colin Farrell- The Banshees of Inisherin

Brendan Fraser- The Whale

Paul Mescal- Aftersun

Bill Nighy- Living

Best Supporting Actor

Paul Dano- The Fabelmans

Brendan Gleeson- The Banshees of Inisherin

Barry Keoghan- The Banshees of Inisherin

Ke Huy Quan- Everything Everywhere All at Once

Eddie Redmayne- The Good Nurse

Best Supporting Actress

Angela Bassett- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Kerry Condon- The Banshees of Inisherin

Jamie Lee Curtis- Everything Everywhere All at Once

Dolly De Leon- Triangle of Sadness

Stephanie Hsu- Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Original Screenplay

The Banshees of Inisherin- Martin McDonagh

Everything Everywhere All at Once- Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

The Fabelmans- Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner

Tár- Todd Field

Triangle of Sadness- Ruben Östlund

Best Adapted Screenplay

All Quiet on the Western Front- Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokel

Glass Onion- Rian Johnson

Living- Kazuo Ishiguro

The Whale- Samuel D. Hunter

Women Talking- Sarah Polley

Best Animated Feature

Marcell the Shell with Shoes On

Pinocchio

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Turning Red

Wendell and Wild

Best Documentary Feature

All That Breathes

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Fire of Love

Moonage Daydream

Navalny

Best Foreign Language Film

All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)

Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Mexico)

Decision to Leave (South Korea)

The Quiet Girl (Ireland)

Best Original Score

Carter Burwell- The Banshees of Inisherin

Alexandre Desplat- Pinocchio

Hildur Guðnadóttir- Women Talking

Justin Hurwitz- Babylon

John Williams- The Fabelmans

Best Original Song

“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman

“Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick

“Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

“Naatu Naatu” from RRR

“Stand Up” from Till

Best Cinematography

Greig Fraser- The Batman

James Friend- All Quiet on the Western Front

Janusz Kaminski- The Fabelmans

Claudio Miranda- Top Gun: Maverick

Mandy Walker- Elvis

Best Film Editing

All Quiet on the Western Front- Sven Budelmann

The Banshees of Inisherin- Mikkel E. G. Nielsen

Elvis- Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond

Everything Everywhere All at Once- Paul Rogers

Top Gun: Maverick- Eddie Hamilton

Best Costume Design

Jenny Beavan- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Ruth E. Carter- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Catherine Martin- Elvis

Gersha Phillips- The Woman King

Mary Zophres- Babylon

Best Production Design

All Quiet on the Western Front- Christian M. Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper

Avatar: The Way of Water- Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole

Babylon- Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino

Elvis- Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy and Bev Dunn

The Fabelmans- Rick Carter and Karen O'Hara

Best Sound

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Top Gun: Maverick

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

All Quiet on the Western Front

The Batman

Crimes of the Future

Elvis

The Whale

Best Visual Effects

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Batman

Thirteen Lives

Top Gun: Maverick

Overall

All Quiet on the Western Front: 10

The Banshees of Inisherin: 9

Everything Everywhere All at Once: 9

Elvis: 8

The Fabelmans: 8

Top Gun: Maverick: 6

Avatar: The Way of Water: 4

Tár: 4

The Whale: 4

Babylon: 3

The Batman: 3

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: 3

Women Talking: 3

Living: 2

Pinocchio: 2

Till: 2

Triangle of Sadness: 2

The Woman King: 2

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daily-coloring · 1 year

Text

Best of 2022 - Movies

Including morbid social criticism, soon-to-be cult thrillers, and unconventional fairy tales.

01. Triangle of Sadness - Dir: Ruben Ostlund - 2022 - Watched it twice so far but I’ll watch it again soon, that’s for sure. It’s just genius. He is a genius director. So far all of his films are my favorites.

02. Everything Everywhere all at Once - Dir: Dan Kwan - 2022

03. Parrallel Mothers - Dir: Pedro Almodovar - 2022 - I never cry in the cinema almost ever, but I did when I watched this.

04. Riders of Justice - Dir: Anders Thomas Jensen - 2020 - Laughed so much and so loud, everyone were looking at me on a plane and they couldn’t figure out what’s wrong with me.

05. The Lost Daughter - Dir: Maggie Gyllenhaal - 2021

06. The Father - Dir: Florian Zeller - 2020

07. Good Luck To You, Leo Grande - Dir: Sophie Hyde - 2022

08. House of Sand and Fog - Dir: Vadim Perelman - 2003

09. Spencer - Dir: Pablo Larrain - 2021

10. Help - Dir: Marc Munden - 2021

11. Licorice Pizza - Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson - 2021

12. Knife + Heart - Dir: Yann Gonzales - 2018 - Gay porn and murder in ‘70s Paris with Vanessa Paradies? Sold. Also dildo knives are scary as fuck!!!

13. Great Freedom - Dir: Sebastian Meise - 2021

14. After Love - Dir: Aleem Khan - 2020

15. Rainbow - Dir: Paco Leon - 2022 - Paco Leon, delivers a new fresh concept of Dorothy. Dora (maybe like Marco) is looking for her mother whom she has never met. Definitely not for everyone’s taste. Some people call it “pure art” others “wasted time”. Which one are you?

16. The Mitchells vs The Machines - Dir: Michael Rianda - 2021

17. Another Round - Dir: Thomas Vinterberg - 2020

18. The Nest - Dir: Sean Durkin - 2020

19. Catherine Called Birdy - Dir: Lena Dunham - 2022

20. The Worst Person in The World - Dir: Joachim Trier - 2021

21. The Wonder - Dir: Sebastian Lelio - 2022

22. I’m Your Man - Dir: Maria Schader - 2021

23. As Far as I Know - Dir: Lorincz Nandor & Nagy Balint - 2020

24. 15 Years - Dir: Yuval Habadi - 2019

25. By The Grace of God - Dir: Francois Ozon - 2018

26. Rams - Dir: Grimur Hakonarson - 2015

27. All My Friends Hate Me - Dir: Andrew Gaynord - 2021 - You sometimes sympathise with Pete, you sometimes hate him. But you're always thinking about what is going on!

28. All The Old Knives - Dir: Janus Metz - 2022

29. Swan Song - Dir: Todd Stephens - 2021

30. The High Note - Dir: Nisha Ganatra - 2020 - Loved it. It's not rocket science but it's thoroughly enjoyable. Easy to watch, some great one-liners, excellent performances... Haters gonna hate no matter what.

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aliveandfullofjoy · 1 year

Text

omg final oscar predictions let's goooo

Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

TÁR

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

The Whale

Best Director

Edward Berger, All Quiet on the Western Front

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans

Todd Field, TÁR

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Austin Butler, Elvis

Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin

Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Paul Mescal, Aftersun

Bill Nighy, Living

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, TÁR

Viola Davis, The Woman King

Ana de Armas, Blonde

Danielle Deadwyler, Till

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Paul Dano, The Fabelmans

Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin

Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin

Brad Pitt, Babylon

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Hong Chau, The Whale

Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin

Dolly de Leon, Triangle of Sadness

Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Original Screenplay

The Banshees of Inisherin

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

TÁR

Triangle of Sadness

Best Adapted Screenplay

All Quiet on the Western Front

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Living

The Whale

Women Talking

Best Animated Feature

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Turning Red

Wendell & Wild

Best International Feature Film

All Quiet on the Western Front

Argentina, 1985

The Quiet Girl

Saint Omer

Best Documentary Feature

All That Breathes

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Bad Axe

Descendant

Fire of Love

Best Original Score

Babylon

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Women Talking

Best Original Song

Applause, Tell It Like a Woman

Ciao Papa, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Hold My Hand, Top Gun: Maverick

Lift Me Up, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Naatu Naatu, RRR

Best Film Editing

All Quiet on the Western Front

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Top Gun: Maverick

Best Cinematography

All Quiet on the Western Front

Elvis

Empire of Light

The Fabelmans

Top Gun: Maverick

Best Production Design

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

Babylon

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Elvis

Best Costume Design

Babylon

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Corsage

Elvis

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Amsterdam

The Batman

Crimes of the Future

Elvis

The Whale

Best Sound

All Quiet on the Western Front

Avatar: The Way of Water

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Top Gun: Maverick

Best Visual Effects

Avatar: The Way of Water

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Nope

Top Gun: Maverick

Best Documentary Short

Anastasia

As Far As They Can Run

The Elephant Whisperers

The Flagmakers

38 at the Garden

Best Animated Short

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

The Garbage Man

Ice Merchants

My Year of Dicks

Save Ralph

Best Live Action Short

An Irish Goodbye

Le Pupille

The Lone Wolf

Nakam

Warsha

Nomination totals

9: Everything Everywhere All at Once 8: All Quiet on the Western Front; The Banshees of Inisherin; Elvis 6: The Fabelmans; Top Gun: Maverick 5: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; The Whale 4: Avatar: The Way of Water; Babylon; TÁR 3: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio; Triangle of Sadness 2: Living; Women Talking

#oscars #oscah talk 2k23 #really don't feel confident in most of these lmao it could be a chaotic day

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residentevil2remake · 2 years

Note

Dear, I don't have Twitter to read the whole thread about Ada's VA. Could you be so kind and tell what's in there? Will she be working on Street Fighter and there's some schedule conflict possibly?

The whole thread looks like this: This was a post by community manager of Capcom

then there was one of the replies and it had a comment from Ada's voice actress (and i believe mo-cap as well) from RE2remake

As it being pointed out RE4remake was in development since RE2remake and I doubt that like in a year they are going to suddenly call for her work? (unless she's pulling andrew garfield because DNA or contract) So either: a) they are somehow got a few of old RE4 voice actors for this remake (which i doubt) and to be fair that would clash with the Leon's perfomance by his RE2remake VA in my opinion b) it also was said that Capcom finally hired actual asian voice actress for Chun Li (who is asian canonically, but have been voiced by white actresses) in new street fighter

So Jennie Kwan is voicing Chun Li instead of Laura Bailey So... I'd assume they also done the same treatment with Ada? hence why her RE2remake actress isn't returning? (which begs the question why asian actress wasn't given opportunity before :/ but it's capcom so.)

So it isn't connected to Street fighter, but I would assume capcom can easily do the same with RE4remake AND they done it before Chris changed from re7 -> then annonced to be changed in re8 -> then RE3remake happens -> Chris voice is now Carlos's voice and Nicholai voice is also Heisnberg and Jill voice is that one lady NPC and one of the sisters Like, even nearby numbered titles they don't keep consistency and EPSECIALLY I have questions because Leon's voice actor is BOTH from Remake and Infinite Darkness.

#resident evil #re4: remake #my ramblings #answered

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awardseason · 1 year

Text

2023 BAFTA Awards — Winners

Best Film “All Quiet On The Western Front” — WINNER “The Banshees Of Inisherin” “Elvis” “Everything Everywhere All At Once” “Tár”

Outstanding British Film “Aftersun” “The Banshees Of Inisherin” — WINNER “Brian And Charles” “Empire Of Light” “Good Luck To You, Leo Grande” “Living” “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical” “See How They Run” “The Swimmers” “The Wonder”

Director Edward Berger, “All Quiet On The Western Front” — WINNER Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees Of Inisherin” Park Chan-wook, “Decision To Leave” Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Todd Field, “Tár” Gina Prince-Bythewood, “The Woman King”

Leading Actress Cate Blanchett, “Tár” — WINNER Viola Davis, “The Woman King” Danielle Deadwyler, “Till” Ana De Armas, “Blonde” Emma Thompson, “Good Luck To You, Leo Grande” Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Leading Actor Austin Butler, “Elvis” — WINNER Colin Farrell, “The Banshees Of Inisherin” Brendan Fraser, “The Whale” Daryl Mccormack, “Good Luck To You, Leo Grande” Paul Mescal, “Aftersun” Bill Nighy, “Living”

Supporting Actress Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Hong Chau, “The Whale” Kerry Condon, “The Banshees Of Inisherin” — WINNER Dolly De Leon, “Triangle Of Sadness” Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Carey Mulligan, “She Said”

Supporting Actor Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees Of Inisherin” Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees Of Inisherin” — WINNER Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Eddie Redmayne, “The Good Nurse” Albrecht Schuch, “All Quiet On The Western Front” Micheal Ward, “Empire Of Light”

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer “Aftersun” – Charlotte Wells (Writer/Director) — WINNER “Blue Jean” – Georgia Oakley (Writer/Director), Hélène Sifre (Producer) “Electric Malady” – Marie Lidén (Director) “Good Luck To You, Leo Grande” – Katy Brand (Writer) “Rebellion” – Maia Kenworthy and Elena Sánchez Bellot (Directors)

Film Not in English Language “All Quiet On The Western Front” — WINNER “Argentina, 1985” “Corsage” “Decision To Leave” “The Quiet Girl”

Documentary “All That Breathes” “All The Beauty And The Bloodshed” “Fire Of Love” “Moonage Daydream” “Navalny” — WINNER

Animated Film “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio” — WINNER “Marcel The Shell With Shoes On” “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish” “Turning Red”

Original Screenplay Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees Of Inisherin” — WINNER Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans” Todd Field, “Tár” Ruben Östlund, “Triangle Of Sadness”

Adapted Screenplay Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell, “All Quiet On The Western Front” — WINNER Kazuo Ishiguro, “Living” Colm Bairéad, “The Quiet Girl” Rebecca Lenkiewicz, “She Said” Samuel D. Hunter, “The Whale”

Original Score Volker Bertelmann, “All Quiet On The Western Front” — WINNER Justin Hurwitz, “Babylon” Carter Burwell, “The Banshees Of Inisherin” Son Lux, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Alexandre Desplat, “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio”

Casting Lucy Pardee, “Aftersun” Simone Bär, “All Quiet On The Western Front” Nikki Barrett, Denise Chamian, “Elvis” — WINNER Sarah Halley Finn, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Pauline Hansson, “Triangle Of Sadness”

Cinematography James Friend, “All Quiet On The Western Front” — WINNER Greig Fraser, “The Batman” Mandy Walker, “Elvis” Roger Deakins, “Empire Of Light” Claudio Miranda, “Top Gun: Maverick”

Editing “All Quiet On The Western Front” “The Banshees Of Inisherin” “Elvis” “Everything Everywhere All At Once” — WINNER “Top Gun: Maverick”

Production Design “All Quiet On The Western Front” “Babylon” — WINNER “The Batman” “Elvis” “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio”

Costume Design “All Quiet On The Western Front” “Amsterdam” “Babylon” “Elvis” — WINNER “Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris”

Make-Up & Hair “All Quiet On The Western Front” “The Batman” “Elvis” — WINNER “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical” “The Whale”

Sound “All Quiet On The Western Front” — WINNER “Avatar: The Way Of Water” “Elvis” “Tár” “Top Gun: Maverick”

Special Visual Effects “All Quiet On The Western Front” “Avatar: The Way Of Water” — WINNER “The Batman” “Everything Everywhere All At Once” “Top Gun: Maverick”

British Short Animation “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse” — WINNER “Middle Watch” “Your Mountain Is Waiting”

British Short Film “The Ballad Of Olive Morris” “Bazigaga” “Bus Girl” “A Drifting Up” “An Irish Goodbye” — WINNER

EE Rising Star Award Aimee Lou Wood Daryl McCormack Emma Mackey — WINNER Naomi Ackie Sheila Atim

#british academy film awards #bafta awards #bafta 2023 #winners

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maggiecheungs · 1 year

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hello ! Sorry to bother But I was wondering if u had any 90's Hong Kong movies that you could recommend me ? I'm researching them for school and I usually get the most interesting and gutwrenching sinophone movie recs from your blog so I thought I should ask if u had any ! Thank u ❣️

Hey you 🥰 this is probably waaaaaay to late to be of any help with your research (sorry!) but I'll answer anyway just in case <3 (also, it got. a bit long 😳 so sorry about that lmao)

I'll start off by addressing the elephant in the room, a.k.a. Wong Kar-wai: the director you really can't avoid mentioning when talking about 90s and 00s Hong Kong cinema, and for good reason. I won't mention all his films here, but his best known are probably In the Mood for Love (which is regularly hailed as one of the greatest films ever made, which. yes); Happy Together (a staple of queer cinema starring Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung caught up in a fever-like, destructive love affair in Buenos Aires); Chungking Express (another classic beloved by many, many people); Fallen Angels (a stylish and chaotically seductive about eccentric figures inhabiting Hong Kong's nightlife).

Another director from this period who I think is worth highlighting is Stanley Kwan. He's probably best known for Rouge, which is from 1987 but which I’m including because it’s a classic; it stars the wonderful Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui as the principals in a doomed, decades-spanning love affair, featuring sumptuous visuals, ghosts, and time-slippages between the 1930s and 1980s. His other most notable work is probably Center Stage (1991); it's a very meta biopic of the 1930s actress Ruan Lingyu, who is portrayed by Maggie Cheung, and Kwan uses the film to draw parallels between the two actresses living decades apart. And I'll also mention his Lan Yu (2001), a gay love story set against the backdrop of Tiananmen Square and its aftermath (it's probably weird to admit that this is one of my comfort films but shrugs).

Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996) is an absolute favourite of mine, about immigrant identity, missed chances and lives you could have led, human connection under capitalism, and the love story between two people whose paths keep crossing despite everything--all of which is topped off with fantastic performances from Maggie Cheung and Leon Lai.

Farewell My Concubine (1993) was a Hong Kong-mainland co-production and is probably one of the best known films on this list, starring the fantastic Leslie Cheung in one of the defining performances of his career (tbh it would be worth watching for his performance alone). Coming in at just under 3 hours, it's a cinematic epic in pretty much every sense of the word.

Speaking of Leslie Cheung: Viva Erotica (1996), in which he plays an arthouse director whose Serious Films keep flopping, so he has to turn his next film into an erotic movie financed by a triad boss. It’s funny and big-hearted and has some unexpectedly interesting things to say about filmmaking and cinema as both an industry and as an artform.

Ann Hui is one of the few female big-name Hong Kong directors of the 90s; I'd recommend her 1990 film Song of the Exile--a film about generational conflict, immigration, cultural alienation and family ties, which takes place across the UK, Hong Kong, and Japan, and stars Maggie Cheung in the lead role. (Another prominent woman director from the period whom I've been meaning to watch since forever Mabel Cheung--really looking forward to finally seeing something of hers soon.)

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Kelly Chen had quite a few collaborations which are rather nice. Their Anna Magdalena (1998) is a quirky but poignant love-triangle story that inexplicably turns into a delightful steampunk romp. Lost and Found (1996) is another quirky-but-poignant love story, albeit a little more sedate.

For action films, there's the legendary John Woo, whose films are pretty quintessential action flicks--Hard Boiled is a pretty good example of his filmography. There's also The Heroic Trio and Executioners (both 1993): an action duology starring Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui as a trio of ass-kicking vigilante superheroes. It's sooooo much fun, peak cinema, marvel could never, etc. etc. I'm also going to mention Infernal Affairs (2002), starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau, because it's one of my favourite action thriller films of all time.

Wuxia: a lot of the most well-known titles of the genre are from the first decades of the 2000s, and because of their scope they tend to be international productions, but often had veteran Hong Kong actors in main roles (for example, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004)--all of which I would recommend, btw). But there were also quite a few wuxia films that came out of Hong Kong in the 90s, including New Dragon Gate Inn (a fun 1992 remake of the 1960s wuxia classic, starring Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Maggie Cheung); The Green Snake (1993), a retelling of the traditional Legend of the White Snake that doubles as an interesting deconstruction of lots of the main tropes of the wuxia genre; Wong Kar-wai's 1994 Ashes of Time, which has an insanely star-studded cast and is pretty much what you'd expect a wkw wuxia film to be like.

.......aaaaaaand i'm going to stop there, because this is already a Lot😅 but hopefully there's something of use in here--if not for your research, then at least recommending a new film to watch <3

#mandatory 'sorry for the late reply i was on hiatus'#or well semi-hiatus #although i think everyone knows by now how useless i am at remembering to check my inbox #😅#bbscclmate #ask response #hong kong movie #i also should add the necessary disclaimer that i am by no means an expert and there are definitely lots more films worth mentioning that..#.....i simply haven't seen yet #i've only mentioned ones that i've watched but they're just a tiny fraction of everything on offer!!!!

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