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A witch nabbing! Crowley’s Coven are on the loose!

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“you’re safe now.”

“you can rest now.”

“you’ve fought so hard.”

“you don’t have to fight anymore.”

“just sleep, okay?”

“i won’t let anything hurt you.”

“it’s over. it’s all over.”

“you don’t have to worry about anything right now.”

“shh, shh, i’ve got you. you’re safe here.”

“i know it was scary.”

“i know it hurts.”

“you’re all done hurting. there’s no more pain.”

“just focus on resting, okay?”

“you need to save your strength.”

“your job right now is to heal.”

“i’m getting you out of here.”

“i’m taking you home. we’re going home.”

“you’re safe in my arms. the hard part is over.”

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I’ve lived a lot of lives, but I’m done running from my past.

BLACK WIDOW (2020) dir. Cate Shortland + BLACK WIDOW (2019) by Jen Soska & Sylvia Soska

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sorry i overreacted i had no idea everything would be fine

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David Tennant in Staged vs Campbell Bain/David Tennant in Takin’ Over the Asylum

(yes, because of his hair)

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'As a famous tortured poet once said, “It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero.”

She’s right, it is exhausting, especially for those of us who have watched a lot of prestige television in the past couple of decades. Pop culture has given us a lot of great, complicated characters to ponder — our Tony Sopranos, Don Drapers, Walter Whites and Logan Roys — but also might have saddled a generation of viewers with a case of anti-hero fatigue.

A compelling anti-hero places the viewer in a bind. These protagonists are charming and charismatic, but usually flawed in obvious and irreparable ways. Since the stories paint such rich portraits, however, we cheer them on despite, or in some cases because of, the qualities that make them reprehensible.

But we can’t just like them, can we? We have to look in the mirror and ask ourselves serious questions about why we like them. So these days, whenever a big new streaming show gives anti-hero vibes, I wonder, can I just enjoy the series or do I have to do a bunch of introspective work afterward?

The character of Tom Ripley presents an interesting twist on the anti-hero template, because he is explicitly not likable. Not unlikable, exactly, but more so characterized by an absence of likability.

It is difficult to imagine anybody identifying or empathizing with Ripley, and yet the story, based on the 1955 Patricia Highsmith novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” has been adapted for screens at least five times, most famously in the 1997 Anthony Minghella film of the same name and most recently as “Ripley,” an eight-part Netflix series starring Andrew Scott in the title role.

What about the character keeps filmmakers and audiences returning? “Ripley” does not answer this directly, but series creator Steven Zaillian more than justifies his revival of the material. Photographed in sumptuous black-and-white and driven by a darkly compelling lead performance, it is surely among the most exquisite streaming series ever produced.

As in the other versions of this story, “Ripley,” set in the early 1960s, follows a small-time New York hustler who is sent to Italy to convince the layabout son of a wealthy industrialist to come home. That son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), has been living handsomely off his trust fund in the gorgeous seaside town of Atrani with his girlfriend, Marge (Dakota Fanning).

Tom arrives and is entranced with their leisurely existence. He patiently insinuates himself into Dickie and Marge’s lives, getting close enough to enjoy their largesse but not close enough to reveal what he actually wants, if anything.

Scott, known to peak-TV viewers as the “hot priest” from “Fleabag,” makes his character’s actions compelling while draining them of any discernible motivation. Is he in love with Dickie? Is he just lonely? Is he going to con them, or worse?

It is difficult to discuss the plot in depth without delivering large spoilers, but much of the series involves Tom traveling around Italy, impersonating Dickie and trying to evade authorities once a series of decisions forces him to kill to cover his tracks.

But for all the romance and beauty Zaillian’s camera finds in the streets of Rome, the canals of Venice and the museums of Milan, the contents of his protagonist’s head remain inscrutable. It is never clear what we are supposed to think of him. The viewer experiences anxiety and relief on his behalf, but roots neither for nor against him.

Ripley’s elusiveness makes the character an appealing canvas upon which to project the anxieties of whatever decade produces a new adaptation. In the Tom-Dickie “situationship,” we see a series of all-too-modern binaries: the scammer and the scammed, the identity thief and the catfished, the desperate hanger-on and the influencer.

The emptiness at Tom’s core is a container into which an audience can pour whatever it wants, a reflection of how easy it has become to curate whatever version of ourselves we want the world to see and to create whatever reality we want to experience. Disposing of a body, however, seems to be as difficult as ever.'

#Andrew Scott #Steven Zaillian #Ripley #Netflix #Patricia Highsmith #Anthony Minghella #The Talented Mr Ripley #Marge Sherwood #Dakota Fanning #Dickie Greenleaf #Hot Priest #Fleabag

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'For costume designers Giovanni Casalnuovo and Maurizio Millenotti, creating the costumes for Netflix’s drama series “Ripley” was a “unique challenge,” given the eight-episode show was filmed entirely in black-and-white.

Based on the bestselling novel series by Patricia Highsmith, Netflix’s limited series stars Andrew Scott as the titular Tom Ripley, a grifter living in New York City in the early 1960s, who travels to Italy after a wealthy man hires him to convince his son, Dickie Greenleaf, to come home. The series also stars Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn, Eliot Sumner and John Malkovich.

Casalnuovo and Millenotti explained the series’ costumes were central to furthering the narrative, as the main character goes through several transformations as he embarks on a journey of deceit and lavish living during his travels in Europe.

“Tom Ripley’s wardrobe is a fascinating journey that reflects his internal transformation,” Casalnuovo said. “Initially, his clothing is modest and practical. Clean lines dominate, hinting at an aspiration for sophistication, but also revealing limited resources. The muted color palette emphasizes a sense of restraint. As the story unfolds, Tom’s wardrobe begins to subtly shift. This evolution reflects his growing confidence and his attempts to navigate a world beyond his own.”

The series begins in New York City in the 1960s, where Ripley is committing petty crimes to sustain a meager lifestyle. His costumes reflect his precarious financial position, with Scott sporting a scruffier and disheveled style with casual pieces like a leather jacket.

Since the series is shot in black-and-white, Casalnuovo and Millenotti had to leverage the costumes’ silhouettes, texture and patterns to help further the narrative. The costume designers explained that while Ripley’s costumes are anchored by classic tailoring throughout the series, viewers can see his transformation through the subtle details of the clothing, such as a clashing pattern or a fabric’s texture that indicates its quality.

“As the series progresses, we see hints of his evolving personality emerge through his clothing choices,” Casalnuovo said about Ripley. “He might incorporate a subtly patterned tie or a textured fabric that suggests a desire for something more. The key to Tom’s style lies in the details. These details offer glimpses into his inner world and his aspirations.”

In addition to mirroring Ripley’s evolution, the costumes are also said to reflect the geographical diversity throughout the series. The series follows Ripley from New York City to multiple cities in Italy, such as Rome, Naples and Palermo.

The costume designers explained that each city had a distinct look, such as characters in Rome appearing more polished and tailored, while characters in Naples or Palermo were seen wearing more prints and relaxed styles.

For their research process, Casalnuovo and Millenotti stated they didn’t reference the 1999 film adaptation “The Talented Mr. Ripley” as the Netflix series’ director, Steven Zaillian, had a different interpretation of the original novels.

They instead embarked on a robust photo research strategy to accurately reflect the fashion of the late 1950s and early 1960s in Italy, looking to photo archives, street markets, vintage family albums and other sources.

“A major breakthrough came from a hidden gem — an obscure photo archive,” Casalnuovo said. “There we unearthed a treasure trove of unseen and unpublished photographs depicting everyday life in Italy, particularly in the cities central to our story. These candid images provided a priceless window into the era’s fashion, social dynamics and overall atmosphere.”

Despite the challenges presented with costuming a black-and-white project, Casalnuovo and Millenotti look back at the experience fondly and believe they’ve taken away many learnings from the series.

“Through this process, we discovered a whole new way to think about costume design,” Casalnuovo said. “Black-and-white became a powerful storytelling tool, allowing us to focus on the details and textures that would define each character and enhance the atmosphere of the series.”'

#Ripley #Netflix #Patricia Highsmith #Andrew Scott #Johnny Flynn #Dakota Fanning #Eliot Sumner #John Malkovich #Giovanni Casalnuovo #Maurizio Millenotti

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'...it was Fanning’s work as a Charles Manson acolyte in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood that convinced writer-director Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) she would be the perfect Marge Sherwood in his eight-part series Ripley, a provocative adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. An aspiring writer whose understated confidence exudes the air of upper-crust society, Marge is a constant companion of Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), the errant playboy who is suddenly orbited by an odd stranger named Tom Ripley, played bewitchingly by Andrew Scott. Where others are taken in by the suave grifter, Marge can sense that the man is not what he seems.

Fanning jumped at the chance to play the character and take on the challenges associated with the role — not least of which was learning Italian prior to the months-long location shoot that visited Rome, Venice, Palermo, Capri, and Atrani on the Amalfi Coast. Perhaps the greatest artistic thrill, she says, was working opposite Scott in the confrontational moments between Tom and Marge: “I knew that it would be really fun to do those scenes with Andrew — and it was.”

Krista Smith: What drew you to Ripley and why did you want to play Marge Sherwood?

Dakota Fanning: Having eight hours to explore these characters that you think you know, whether through the book or through the [1999] film adaptation, I was like, “Oh, that’s going to be amazing.” I was such an admirer of Steve and of Andrew. So when I [was cast as] Marge, I was overcome with excitement. Just hearing Steve’s vision and how devoted he was to the story, you knew that you were going to be supported. He’s so detailed, you were always going to know exactly where you stood. And that’s what I like as an actor.

Watching your back-and-forth with Andrew Scott is mesmerizing. How was that to play some of those scenes and what was happening between takes?

DF: There were some moments where we were so [in character that we just wanted] the other one to drop dead. Steve would cut, and Andrew and I [would say to each other], “You bitch!” Then we’d crack up. We had to bring that play and joy to it. The tension between the two of us [would be so palpable] that when “cut” would happen, my whole body would relax. That energy is harder than running all day. So, I loved it. I was happy to not just be a pawn in Tom’s game as Marge. You see her own opportunistic tendencies come out sometimes and you explore that vanity in her as well. I think that’s deeply human.

Ultimately, in this series you’re exploring people and what people are capable of. You almost feel like you’re reading everyone’s thoughts through their eyes, which is what I like to do as an actor — finding what’s underneath and not focusing on the exterior.

You shot all over Italy, and so much of the aesthetic of that country plays through. How does being immersed in that kind of environment influence your performance?

DF: It’s really comforting. Having the luxury of actually being where it’s written that you’re supposed to be, that’s a rarity these days. So I didn’t take any of that for granted. It was a lot of hard work from a lot of different people.

I once found Steve rearranging the knitting needles in the knitting basket in [Marge’s] house. There’s that closeup of the knitting basket and it’s this perfect mess, [which] says something about Marge. It’s all for a reason. Every shot is important, every moment is important, every costume is important. I’ve been doing this a long time, and a lot of the time, it’s hurry, hurry, hurry and rush, rush, rush. That was not ever said [here]. Watching [the series] was a very moving experience for me because it all came full circle. You see how him rearranging those knitting needles did do something, and you think, Whoa...'

#Steven Zaillian #Marge Sherwood #Dakota Fanning #Andrew Scott #Ripley #Netflix #Once Upon a Time in Hollywood #Patricia Highsmith #The Talented Mr Ripley #Venice #Rome #Palermo #Atrani #Amalfi Coast #Dickie Greenleaf #Johnny Flynn #Capri

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SOOOO good!!!

I regret to say the Andrew Garfield/Cynthia Erivo/Andrew Scott 1984 audio play is very good

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POOR THINGS (2023) dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

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You call yourself the 'Lord of Thunder?' God of Thunder. Tell him. THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)

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Normal People (2020)

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all of us strangers physical release june 17. fuck yes.

#So SO happy about this #Seen the film three times already and have a download but yay for physical copies #well done AOUS fandom

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Get you a girl who speaks in parentheses. Get you a girl who includes information in a sentence that isn't necessary but adds additional context or commentary.

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Good luck? Crowley!