#CABARET. METAPHORS. KILL ME

[erotetica]

Wrote 1k in silly response to this, indeed, fic-slash-maladaptive-daydream discussion so. Winning ! -> I was talking abt fuzzy coat Seth Rollins booker abt like. Whats the deal. Monday night messiah ? (cunt. I love wrestling. Im Seth rollins’ biggest fan no I dont watch the product) but like honestly 2tone mullet kind of everything to me or like the Kenneth o’ Meghan vibe of looking absolutely horrid trash on purpose (he’s the hottest girl in wrestling) 

NICO LOOKS. He’s hard. He’s difficult to pin down. <- everyone laughs at my pun. Instinctively Im like well surely he just looks like mox like honestly I think a lot of mox’s vibes fit Nicky in that first of all this isnt actually abt Nicky but can we talk abt Jon moxley being the one whose intro song is wild thing . Wild thing you make my heart sing etc etc . Deeply fun to me. babygirl theres something wrong with him. Anyway I think Nico’s intro song would also be wild thing + I like that mox doesnt use the tunnels to come in I feel like thats a bit Nicky except then Im wondering is that safe like where does the heel/face dynamic come in w his feud w joe. But anyway. Getting off track. (also I dont think nicky:mox is 1:1 bc mox moves weirdly and languidly when coming into any event which is STRANGE btw he’s so weird. But it works for mox but I dont think itd work for nicky.) anyway all of this to say I think Nicky would just show up to the function like ‘im wearing cargo army pants.’ Except mox’s pants are still a great fit nd Nicky wouldnt have that. SO LIKE basically to wrap up this tangent I think Nicky would either wear dadjeans or cargo shorts + kick pads OR he’s go the full punk route and like even tho he’s one of the hottest things in wrestling & also a full adult w self respect he still shows up in budgie smugglers printed with the Italian flag (ultimate heel move) 

Or you’ve got dan the dad who’s great but its a different sort of Nicky vibe. Thats like. Adjacent addtional 2nd au of an au.  (btw when I said Andy’s nile’s sting I meant that more in terms of the dynamic going on there but actually Andy in sting face paint is a marvel to me.) 

Yassified house of black kills me. (look at this art btw. yassified house of black ily) Im now also thinking abt how itd work in a situation where Nicky & Joe r feuding but they do end up on the same faction so not to steal absolutely everything from the house of black story line but the whole spitting in the face thing that happened w Julia hart I think itd be cool if that happened w either Joe or Nicky (OR BOTH!) To get them on the same faction. Actually itd be so fun if it was like Joe and Nicky’s feud is STILL going on and its not that ppl are getting sick of it its just that ppl are getting. Sick of it. Theyre like well girl take care of it in the back stop making it OUR problem. Ppl are like well this is clearly at least 50% shoot and its getting uncomfortable. -> and then nile (house of black nile) runs in & spits black mist in BOTH their faces. And now theyre the house’s tag team. But they still hate each other a lot. But also theyve been fighting so regularly that they work like a dream bc they know exactly what the other’s gonna do. 

splitting up the response for ease of reading. Unless this is more confusing in which case well I still did it so yk) ^ u kno when ur going thru the insanity stage of thinking up a new au and all avenues r still open to u so u might say things that dont make sense w what you’ve said before / what youre going to say next bc BOTH options are good and it doesnt matter that it doesnt work together ? Disclaimer that this is what that is. Bc joenicky tag team is one thing but joebooker tag team and then booker turns heel to join capitalism Dudley (scream) is another and I have to marinate in that one for a while bc a) yes b) ough . Part of me’s like booker turns into wardlow but I actually have a deep seated love for mjf and dont want to compare capitalism Dudley to him. And ig merrick already has his wardlow in that other dude (completely forgot the names I havent seen this movie in like . forever.) but still i do feel like the pinnacle does somewhat work as an existing equivalent to the merrick dynamic. OR . Speaking of Kenneth o’meghan. Booker’s bulletclubcleaner era ? I actually think that could work bc a) cleaner is a fucking vibe of all time nd b) I think booker would do good going from one gimmicky faction to one which is if anything even more gimmicky like if we’re doing a mostly 1:1 equivalency I think house of black in general (and togofblack) might be this evil heel faction but also I KNOW they paint each other’s nails and gab about their emotions. I KNOW that faction has emotional regulation. And I know the bullet club doesnt. So then I think in booker’s mind that move also makes sense cause he’s SAD , like All The Time but he doesnt actually wanna talk about it too much so now he moves to bullet club where he can be sad but also hide it behind kayfabe. Its full circle. We’ve performed faggotry at the wrestlemania.

Anyway yes andy in daddy shorts and face paint. Andy in daddy shorts and face paint and quynh interrupting a promo and Andy swallowing her own tongue and breaking kayfabe immediately. Wrestle-nile who’s standing next to her like uh Andy ? R u ok ? <- surely she like knows who quynh is (or not it could be equally fun if nile is clueless she really was just olympic darling nile and then said nah time for a new thing idk shit about any of these ppl btw) but like if she knows who quynh is she for sure doesnt know how #Real it is btwn Andy & quynh. Very fun. Nile rly thought oh I’ll just switch careers to become more of a performer and that’ll be a good time and surely won’t cause permanent damage to my psyche (wrong) (all of this happens in like 3 months. Welcome to the business nile we’re so happy to have you here !)

Cabaret style narrative is sooooo ……. Literally I could never do that bc I’m too impatient for shit like that but it would literally be so insane and delicious. <- I feel like Im watching this play out already and already Im like in the comments on ao3 screeching my head off waiting for the next chapter. If You Were Writing The Fic Etc Etc. If We Were Writing The Fic Etc Etc and not just doing this in your inbox and the replies of my posts (though Im sure everyones having a great time clicking back and forth in btwn our blogs and sharing our brainrot. Im sure)

Also yeah catharsis kink. Thats what tog is all about. You got your joebooker for catharsis you got your nickybooker for star wars (literally such a good comparison)

WE’VE ENTERED READMORE TERRITORY & I HV A WORD DOC, WINNING IMDEED.

Booker would also be the hottest girl in wrestling, you’ve nailed his vibe. What if he looks like someone started dissolving him in lye scalp-first, AND he’s got a fuzzy coat. Dual wielding. With sheamus mutton chop + soul patch facial hair

The roadblock I was hitting was LITERALLY ‘Costco cargo shorts’ echoing in my head like an apple tornado warning. Hive mind. Bc yeah, on one hand, nicolo is not cool. On the other, bondage harness. Jon moxley vibes splits those uprights, I like that. Or the effy fit from the gif what started it all.

Fucccc everybody’s music tho. Digressing for Joe and la hafla. Or Sophie. His face is the front of shop :)

ANYway I think wild thing would work for Nicky, bc it’s ironicsexy. Is he coming onto u with a boom box? No but you had to ask. However—like, ok, in my opinion modern au Nicky should feel like he’s done meth a LITTLE. So I also wouldn’t mind him w/ a Funeral Derangements intro. Or hank Williams III Hellbilly. Especially if he’s normal, the fuckedness of the music should rise w/ how many pockets his pants have. If his outfit is Dan the dad’s then he comes out to Cocaine the White Devil. Also I’m still a lil stuck on Nicky/booker tag teaming from the orig posts, & their intro is stooges’ I wanna be your dog SEND POST!!

Not using tunnels is killing me bc Yusuf absolutely has a curated parkour entrance. He gets up on the fuckin. Corner pole thingy and backflips into the ring, and starts almost eating shit looking for Nicky. Without fail, when his dumb psychobilly wraps, that motherfucker appears and swings under the ropes like the satan of gym teachers. It kills Joe bc he gets over w/ what he KNOWS is just low effort disguised as jumpscare. It also kills him bc he can’t find him either but that’s different. (Nicky is usually in the empty behind-camera seats, eating stolen popcorn like ‘he looks good. I should learn to backflip.’)

Andy should absolutely have face paint. And cowboy BOOTS. I hv a rollerderby wip where I gave her an optio helmet plume, and like. Just saying. Also I can’t thread the needle between Andy and Memphis style right now but I want to

Being willing to alienate the audience/ruin their careers to beat ass is extremely yusufnicky. Getting vibes of like…a, ppl are getting sick of the shoot, and so Joe tries 2 rebrand w/ Andy and quynh’s face clique (replacing lykon who dipped bc [dialup noise], also I just Feel andy starting as a face). & Quynh, who strikes me as very gimmick savvy/a great storyteller being like ‘Hey. brosuf. you know what would fuck severely. bring ur weird dog and we have a deal.’ And they have a face run until The Fuckening. This also works 4 me bc I feel, before he internalizes and seeks out booing simultaneously, Booker’s baby-depressed, a jobber dying to live vicariously thru being a face and winning abt it. But like, AS he joins house of guard, Quynh is gone and Andy’s done a heelturn bc she’s emo in real life, and Booker is like *sad wojack*

Or b, the four of them aren’t a faction but they’re always on the same cards. Joe and Nicky fuck up so sincerely. Like, they fuck up through 3 cameras, the ref, and the parking lot. I think it would be funny if it was a ‘last ride’ match that went off the rails. They get blackballed from most sane venues is my point tho. The quynh fuckening happened offscreen. Andy comes up craving conflict, don’t ask why, but do they want to do fucked up hardcore so niche it’s barely profitable? And Nicky is like ‘BET’ bc again, there is something so wrong with this man, and Joe is *sad wojack but disgruntled*, bc he wanted to get WWE-famous & say something fucked up on live Saudi tv. Like Kanye. But then he realizes he’s doing impact play on straight ppl professionally, and it’s a smaller victory, but equally funny.

This one works for me bc they give starving artist vibes. Like, they should be poor and obscure. Disgraced post-fame. Do not know why. It’s funny if Nile is like, didn’t I sneak out of bed to watch you on Monday night raw? and Andy is like yes, now hit me with the thing they beat Jesus with.

Either way you’re so right abt Julia hart Nile.

Is Copley the ‘smark’ that helps them take down the merrick team for like, insider trading or whatthefuck?

Vibing to the bullet club thesis. That’s the perfect bimbofication of his canon conflict. Also. Booker trying to wallow around heterosexuals. ‘The risk I took was calculated, but FUCK’

Nile’s like OH THE OTHER MILF I COMMITTED KID CRIMES @ 9PM TO SEE—oh you’ve taken back the cat o nine tails—oh you’re committing seppuku with it. I’m going to have an investigative journalist moment with this later.

Nile as a fan who has a ‘hm’ moment abt how oh, you’re fucked up. I see. The POV introduction to the cabaret thing, 1st look behind the curtain into the binary.

Speaking of songs. Which we weren’t anymore but. Speaking of them. Quynh & sympathy for the devil. She comes back from [etc etc] w/ a masked gimmick. Part of it is legitimately no one knows who she is. Andy splashing her face in a shitty bathroom after the interrupted promo & the lights are flickering bc the arena is taking so much power. In the bg you hear PLEASED TO MEET YOU. HAVE YOU GUESSED MY NAME?

#asks #Booker: I wish I was liked but unfortunately my personality #self fulfillment needs: drawing Andy in this fit; cobbled together from 5 posts of vibes #O I CHANGED ALL MY MINDS Nicky comes out 2 mi piacerebbe. Toto cutugno is also how I told ppl I was gay thanks for coming!! goodnight!!! #but. voglio andare a vivere in campagna. unironic face Nicky. #voreing my fist to not say shit abt lividi sui gomiti bc that’s very tiktok of me #actually fuck tiktok I’m saying many things abt Nicky;s teatro d’ira (theater of rage) BECAUSE. #CABARET. METAPHORS. KILL ME #tog

[solaris-seraphim]

I love songs that are about things that may seem small to other people but are a big deal to me.

“I had to kill a mouse!😭😭😭!!!!! THIS IS A TRAGEDY!!!! HE DESERVES A EULOGY”

“HOW DARE YOU SAY MY MUSIC IS A “CABARET” forget about the cheating how dare you attack my music”

“I just really really like jaws this one isn’t a metaphor”

“Messes are really hard to clean up LIKE THE NEVER ENDING ENTROPY OF LIFE”

“I just really like Bill Waterson THIS ONE IS A METAPHOR”

“That older woman is writing an email AND I LOVE READING EMAILS THE TEA!!!!!”

“I have insomnia”

“Acting feminine does not make me gay!”

“Acting feminine does not make me trans!”

Bonus points if you know the songs

#indie music #will wood #lemon demon #neil cicierega #girls night penelope scott #penelope scott #jack stauber #bug hunter #mother mother

[themaninyourcomputer]

Ranking every song in Spring Awakening

(Feel free to correct me, I had a hard time choosing favorites.)

1. Don't do sadness/blue wind

My god. I have no words. The way Moritz contains his rage at first, and then finally lets it out during the chorus. Ilse's vocals, the color metaphors. This song is so cathartic, both to listen to and to sing. All of Mortiz's pent up frustration is released, and it's spectacular. I have never related more to a song in my life. (This is actually the song that got me into Spring Awakening, I heard it and was like "who is this man and why does he want to be a little butterfly?")

2. left behind

This is the song that always makes me tear up. Every time without fail. Also the cabaret version where Jonathan Groff starts crying??? I was in shambles, shambles I tell you.

3. Touch me

Such a good song. It's so..wow oh my god?? Everyone sounds so good, and when Otto comes in it's just...wow. Also, so fun to sing.

4. The dark I know well

I mean, what do I even say here? This song is phenomenal. I love how you can feel the anger seething out of every word that Ilse and Marta sing.

5. And then there were none

This is when we really begin to see Moritz unravel, and it's fantastic. You can literally pinpoint the exact moment that Moritz decides to kill himself. ("Another day of utter shit...and then there were none." That's it, that subtle change in tone between the two lines. That little pause: you can hear the resolve settle into his voice. Ouch, man.)

6. The bitch of living

There are only so many ways I can phrase "good song" but yeah, good song. Poor Mortiz.

7. The word of your body (reprise)

Honestly? I prefer the vocals in the reprise over the original version. I adore both though.

8. Mama Who Bore Me (reprise)

Listen to those harmonies, dear lord that's breathtaking. But...why bongos?

9. Those you've known

Heartbreaking. I love how hollow Moritz and Wendla sound, like ghosts. Only shells of the actual characters (which I think is the point).

10. The word of your body

It's good, I love how (and this is the case for a lot of songs in this musical) it is deceptively innocent. It's so pure in its discussion of lust, which is sort of beautiful. This song is haunting and deserves more appreciation.

11. Totally fucked

Overrated, but not awful. The Tony Awards performance where they censor themselves by comically slapping their hands over their mouths makes me giggle.

12. Whispering

This is a hot take, I know. I just feel like this should have been Wendla's moment, you know? It should have been devastating, it should have been emotional! I was, however, not devastated. I was slightly bored, actually. This song could be so much better. I dislike how much the diologue breaks it up. (I know Don't Do Sadness is also mixed with diologue, but unlike in Whispering it makes the song feel more intimate and creates more of an emotional buildup. In Whispering it just kind of...interrupts the song.)

13. The Guilty One's

It's a slow song, sure, but listen to those harmonies bro. I'm ranking it lower on the list because there are better songs but just know that I actually like this one a lot. I love Lea Michele's voice here, it's so soft.

14. The song of purple summer.

It's just okay. I understand its narrative purpose, but honestly there should have been another reprise or just like, a callback to an earlier song at the end. That would have made it feel more cyclical. It's a strong song though, I don't dislike it. (The ending is great, I don't want to be too harsh on Purple Summer. I love the metephors ((blue + red and summer rather than spring)))

15. All that's known

The intro is so good, solid melody. It's just kind of background noise though.

16. The mirror-blue night

I love this song, but the build-up to the good part is so fucking long. Also why is Melchior doing an interpretive dance?? I mean, I guess we all cope in our own ways?

17. Mama who bore me

Perfect for an opening number, it builds anticipation, and it's a great tone setter. It's just kind of boring on its own.

18. My Junk

Stupid lyrics, stupid song (the dialogue is hilarious, but the song itself is not that good)

19. I believe

I am literally so bored. I love the ending, but I always skip it when listening to the album.

#spring awakening #jonathan groff #lea michele #john gallagher #moritz stiefel #melchior gabor #wendla bergmann #spring awakening broadway #broadway #musicals #musical theatre #theatre

[deanwasalwaysbi]

What my brain's like watching The Winchesters ep 2 and noting what I want to post:

First moment, Russian dolls metaphor, GIF it

Lata at zombie v willow at body in call of the wild episode with abusive boyfriend GIF

"The box is not working" oooooo theories. Is that only for demons? Not zombie....

Mary on Samuel, thinking he's infallible even though she knows he's not. Samuel... marks his shotgun shells yet always covers his tracks. "Only bc he wants to send me a message" .... who says these messages are even from Samuel (probably are bc spn s1)

At commune: "the people who hurt you, but for most people, it's their parents" (cuts to John) GIF (Why why why. I want it to be that he'll hurt Dean but millie hurt him. Whyyyy millie thooo)

Millie ada at garage: Henry planted it, somehow it's still here after all these years. it's jasmine, for protection

WHERE THE FRAK IS DEANNA

Mary is posing as what she thinks she has to be, SO early Dean coded

Ada is going to be making tea. Hahaha yes it was tea

Ada and lata: the intelligencia

John with pipes, literally use a wrench John. Many explainers are maybe more than we need. Can't trust the audience anymore but, could be smoother.

Not cabaret, what did Joel Grey ever do to you

Mary was steamrolling but the moment Lata says she's wrong she listens. She apologizes. John also apologizes in this episode. Winchesters capable of growth. Who knew

Millies in a dress? No way. Not millie. I love that they've already established her enough for that to work. The audience saw ada tell her for us, but John should question it.

John being sure enough to attack millie is SOMETHING, just on her knowing Mary's name. Easier in a small town than knowing where to find you, idiot.

Old TV in hotel room.

AUDREY 3

She doesn't like children who disobey

Lata talks about the tunda attacking children, but these folks (although babies) are grown!

Monty Python "we're lost in a dark and very expensive forest"

This show needs better wig work. Psst psst psst hire me

Boy returning home, what was his "rebellion"? It seems like he just left, but rewatch for gay allegory

Every time John talks he sounds like early Tom Welling and it's so distracting

John and Millie are talking at the garage, but behind them ISN'T the aquestrian star. It's PART of it. 👀 Rune theory lives on.

Oh god. They're going to kill millie and she's going to tell John she loves him as she leaves through a door.

Clubhouse gives the Sunnydale library vibes

Ah crap. More writings to be normal about. Probably more runes.

Not millie smiling at Henry's Jasmine! Uggghh if Robbie wasn't writing this the fear of outing and killing millie would be massive

song title- cloak person

This could be Rowena even if Ruth won't be here until later, but seems like my for guess is akreda related

Omg the way I expect the grr arg end title card

#the winchesters spoilers #the winchesters speculation #spntw 1.02 #original content #my drafts #to read #to gif #my process

[ukaiknowsbest]

i know i am 6 years too late in replying to this post by @gintamajustaway but if i may add my 2 cents here even if the original anon wasn't even talking about Silver Soul Arc yet.

Personally I was surprised by the Otae's lack of action in Silver Soul arc. She often got overshadowed by Sarutobi, Tsukuyo, Pirako and Kyuubei when they arrived. However it got me thinking that Otae's main purpose in silver soul arc was mainly leading the defense and protecting/leading the other cabaret girls until the end. I did wish to see more of her martial prowess but I also get that the safety of the cabaret girls was her top priority and she couldn't just swing her naginata recklessly like the rest of the fighters.

It was then I realized that Otae and Shinpachi almost seem to have similar roles as being the "weaker" fighters in the company of experts/monsters such as Kagura, Gintoki, Sarutobi, Tsukuyo and Kyuubei. think about it:

Kagura is a one man army,

Gintoki was literally a war general,

Sarutobi is the vice commander of the Oniwabanshu, the shogunate's main protectors

Tsukuyo is the general of citizen's army for the dangerous red light district

Kyuubei is the heir of one of the most trusted samurai clans of the shogunate and basically leads their own private army

Pirako is the heir to the biggest yakuza factions in kabukichou

Shinpachi and Otae, while strong in their own right and during peace time don't hold as much power and prestige as the rest.

The Shimuras are basically backwater samurais just like Kondou's Shinsengumi. Given time and enough experience it wouldn't be a stretch for Otae to develop her female army into killing machines just like how kondou/hijikata had years to develop the shinsengumi into a formidable police force. Bottomline is Otae's real skill is in leadership and defense. I bet she was the one who hastily gave crash courses in naginata techniques to the rest of the cabaret girls who should not even have any combat experience in the first place. Otae was the only expert leading amateur naginata corps and she had to make sure all of them were safe. More than anything, she had to keep a cool head at all times and desperately hold on until reinforcements came. Otae's strength isn't in combat but it is in being a general in the last line of defense. I think she's basically Otose's protege of some sort. Remember how Otose acted more like a Matsudaira's counterpart in organizing/planning the guerilla tactics that kabukichou people participated in. Otae played similar roles to Saigo and the Yakuza boss in her own way. Gintama is a shonen anime and it is normal for people to be bedazzled by fancy intense fight scenes and long winded speeches. Hence we can understand Tsukuyo and Kyuubei's intense popularity. However what I don't see being discussed often is how Gintama has such an excellent depiction of war. It has got vanguards, rear guards, cavalry, scouts, supply and logistics, baggage train, guerilla warfare, pillaging, looting, reinforcements, negotiations, diplomatic endeavors, court/political drama, destabilization, paying off tribute and sht, the list goes on.

What I'm trying to say is that Otae and the rest of kabukichou represents one aspect of war, which is the normal citizens fighting back with what little they can offer. They're the real victims that got embroiled in senseless war. They're as important as the war general and leaders who're usually the ones who make it into history books.

Moreover, In historical wars, losing the baggage train (which consist of soldiers' families, belongings, loots, mobile home, lives) is one of the most devastating things that can happen and have caused loss of morale and desertion throughout the centuries. Edo/Kabukichou is the gang's metaphorical "baggage train" and "country they want to return". Otae's real purpose is being part of the last defense for this home. It fits her and Otose's character the most, being the place everyone is trying to protect and can come home to. I think that is pretty profound.

EDIT 11/22/2021 I only found out a few days ago that IN THE MANGA the other cabaret girls with Otae in Four Devas arc were equipped with brooms, not naginatas. In Silver Sour Arc, only Otae was armed, while the Cabaret girls didn't bring any weapons. This continues to drive home my point. Otae was the only available Naginata user helping Kabukichou. That makes the success of her leadership towards the cabaret girls in times of strife and war much crazier.

#gintama #tae shimura #shimura tae #silver soul arc #gintama thoughts #gintama meta #ive got no one to talk to and i cant shut up

[hazeldough]

okay while i’m playing judgment (i’m only at the beginning of ch 4 before meeting with higashi ahdfsdf) and i have SO many thoughts-- mainly what if 6 didn’t happen?

like do not get me wrong-- i love 6 and it’s my second favorite game, right behind 0, but i also wanna see everyone’s daughter haruka kick some ass!!!!

im gonna rattle off of headcanons and just overall thoughts

basically Y6 never happened, or won’t happen until at least 5 years later

Haruka is 20 years old

Haruka arrives in Kamurocho in 2017 and went to Akiyama for help after doing odd jobs

Stuff happens at Sky Finance, and Yagami gets involved. Haruka wants to help because Akiyama is currently indisposed and Hana needs to manage Sky Finance in his absence.

While solving Akiyama’s case, Haruka and Yagami bond a bit because they both have a past they keep on getting reminded of by other people that they don’t want to bring up.

They also walk in on Kaito’s expulsion from the Matsugane family

After they close the case, Haruka asks if she can join Yagami Detective Agency and Yagami lets her on, because she’s been really helpful and insightful when it comes to talking to people and finding clues.

Also she doesn’t fear most yakuza and honestly Yagami and Kaito are really impressed by that

The overarching story would be how Haruka is waiting for Kiryu to be released from prison, but he never turns up so she’s WORRIED

Yes, it’s Tojo Clan drama again

The main theme is everyone acknowledging how important Kiryu is to them and also acknowledging that he’s been the band aid solution to Tojo Clan problems since 2005

Haruka’s main goal is to get her dad to actually live life as a civilian

Haruka’s side story would be her helping out an agency on its last legs and offering her expertise as a former idol for the people there

She says that she isn’t sure if people would be okay with her on and each substory or progression would be people understanding that she’s a good person and so is her dad

It’d be a combo of Majima’s cabaret club where there’s some aspect of micro managing and Y5′s dance battles where Haruka has to do them again to enlist new dance instructors, vocal coaches, or security

Haruka gets 3 mentors and 4 fighting styles in total, something similar to Y0 where the 4th style is unlocked after completing her side story

Honestly, this is where most of my self indulgence goes-- as if this isn’t all already self indulgent lmao

Miss Tatsu - Beast style

Miss Tatsu is introduced when investigating Akiyama’s case and they run into her while she’s out collecting

Miss Tatsu talks about an old acquaintance of hers and Haruka connects the dots along the way.

Haruka’s brute strength is built up and it’s REALLY focused on flow and momentum.

Nair - Parrying

Nair is introduced also while investigating Akiyama’s case and she’s back because she needs Yagami’s assistance

Nair teaches Haruka a more balanced fighting style, but with a focus on parrying and using her enemy’s strength against them

Areshi - Breaker

Areshi is introduced when Haruka’s side story opens up

He’s an instructor now, but he still wants to make a break

Areshi helps Haruka develop the skills she learned as an idol into battle

Komaki is present and offers help, but Haruka would say that she wants to develop her own path-- so he’s just there as a pillar of support.

Haruka’s 4th style combines the above 3. I’d like to think that she’d basically be a human beyblade at some point, maybe as a heat action LMAO

Haruka’s dynamics with everyone!!

Akiyama, Yagami, and Kaito have BIG uncle energy lol

Akiyama watches out for her the best he can, but entrusts her to Yagami since she’s working for him

Haruka and Yagami get along bc of similar feelings towards their past

Haruka gets along with Kaito because he reminds her of her dad and Rikiya

Haruka and Hana bond too!!

Hana acts like she isn’t a little happy when Haruka comments that she and Akiyama act like a married couple

Haruka and Daigo low key acknowledge each other as siblings because of how Kiryu’s acted like a father towards them

They both bond over how they were in a position they were too young for but how they grew from it

They think about while it Was troublesome along the way, they’re just glad that Kiryu put That much trust in them and that’s what motivates them

Saejima really watches out for Haruka because she kind of reminds him of Yasuko

He talks a lot about Yasuko to Haruka

Majima and Haruka are only A LITTLE awkward around each other

They haven’t really seen each other in over a decade-- maybe a LITTLE bit but not much

Majima gives Haruka a legitimate apology for kidnapping her when she was 9. Haruka says that she gets why he had to do it, but she hasn’t really held a grudge over it-- especially after Saejima told her what Majima said to him.

TEAM BATTLE THROUGH TOJO CLAN WITH HARUKA, DAIGO, SAEJIMA, AND MAJIMA!!!!

Final fight is up in the air but wouldn’t it be something if Haruka fought essentially a girlboss character LMAO

Basically the main antagonist is trying to take over the Tojo Clan and honestly she makes some good points-- but she has horrible execution of it

Since this is self indulgent: Haruka may not shoot to kill, but she may shoot as a warning

I want Haruka to be the type of character that Does refuse to kill, but also wouldn’t leave a weapon lying around within reach of the antagonist or she’d do something if the antagonist is threatening multiple lives

At the end, everyone reunites

Kiryu sees how Haruka’s metaphorically and literally fought for him and his freedom and how Daigo’s been doing his best to keep the Tojo Clan in line

One nice happy family :^)

I mainly focused on Haruka here, but I feel like it’d REALLY work if the second protagonist would be Daigo

Yes, he’s the chairman, but he has to be on his own away from the Tojo clan for Reasons lol

And then Y6 happens ( but with some differences )

#aj rambles #what was it that one tweet said? something about seeing a character and just developing more background and stuff on them? #that's me with haruka #rgg #haruka sawamura #someone enable me in haruka kicking ass indulgence #like i loved the dance battles in y5 but i also feel robbed of her throwing down y'know? #saves

[dykeceit]

janus' playlist not-really-analysis just me screaming

so first of all this whole playlist absolutely SLAPS, its the first side playlist that's just my taste and it doesnt surprise me that it's janus' bc of course it is i am absolutely 100% more attracted to him now somehow,

im absolutely not okay and this isn't gonna be articulate in any way but i. have to.

1. black hole sun

???hes sad?? apparently its about depression with some sexy snake metaphors....maybe hes just sad in general or he misses virgil. also postmodern jukebox hell yeah

2. it seemed the better way

this feels like it could be about patton or like thinking one thing and then realizing its not true ig could be that w society in general or people...him developing his trust issues possibly "i better hold my tongue, i better take my place" or like oh the other sides hate me ig ill be a villain then...

3. anywhere

janus sanders says fuck capitalism!

4. talking at the same time

eat the rich,,,virgil left me:(

5. all the good girls go to hell

he's needed and the others are starting to realize it. hes quite smug abt it "my turn to ignore ya, don't say i didn't warn ya" damn right boy

6. denial

he blasted this song after svs while crying "please don't turn the light out, i don't think the conversation's over" he had to wait almost a year but he finally got to continue that conversation,, "i know where you'd wanna go, oh i do, but do you?"

7. trust in me

i mean yeah sexxy snake moment right here

8. razzle dazzle

so obviously its just his aesthetic tm but the lyrics...are the jabs at roman or himself, perhaps both? i never took him to be very insecure but that's a possibility

9. when the chips are down

basically his speech about society in svs and how he doesn't want thomas to be disadvantaged in it

10. mandy goes to med school

uhhh yeah who knows there's a bit of a i know what im doing jk vibe going on and Doing Harm but the thing itself is necessary to Have yknow right to abortions its just theyre not legal so hes doing them illegally and apparently two ppl died from them so not great,,"my partner brian" at the end made me think of remus tbh "hes a nice man, thoroughly reliable, he's in a rock band" kinda gives off the vibe of eh yeah hes totally reliable lmao dw tho, so basically what im taking from this is dukeceit is canon thanks for coming to my ted talk

11. i put a spell on you

i mean its definetely his Vibes but idk if its @ anyone specifically...could be virgil, could be roman, maybe thomas himself...its a vengeful kinda song, hes like fuck you you're listening to me now im done you treating me like shit

12. evil night together

so aside from this being an extremely hot song its def dukeceit vibes as in they'd both like it but the hero part as others have pointed out is giving out major roceit vibes and thomas and co know this those bastards

13. cabaret: don't tell mama

im assuming this is more of a..this is what he likes to listen to plus its about secrecy which is his thing but i guess "mama" could be someone in particular as well, and/or he could be singing it to someone in particular...

14. you're a cad

bruh. first of i loved this song already secondly iM SORRY THOMAS WHAT ARE YOY IMPLYING HERE like first i was like this isn't abt Him right that wouldn't make sense so is it about...virgil...well ofc it is bruh what the fuck bro....im loving this bc its casting virgil in an unsympathetic light and i love that shit but also its revealing janus still Feels quite a lot for him and idk how to feel abt this i. the part of me that still loves anxceit is screaming and the part of me that hates virgil is also screaming they haven't stopped for a minute-

15. as far as i can see

so dukeceit vibes possibly virgil reference since he "went down the staircase" to his spot,,so basically he and remus maybe virgil and orange too like pushing ppl down the stairs bc they feel unheard

16. criminal

this is where the angst train rly starts choo choo....so. who is he singing about here. my god i want it to be roman so bad but it Could be virgil...which would imply he thinks he's wronged him somehow which would mean virgil has a more valid reason to dislike him and I Don't Like That. but whoever hes singing about is clearly important to him... "he's all i knew of love" bro....that's just screaming virgil right i dont like it op...basically he feels guilty for smth and to be "redeemed". he clearly doesn't need redemption from his canon actions so far, and he hasn't acted like he regrets any of them, which is making me think its abt smth in his past buut maybe he does feel bad for manipulating roman now bc he realized how hurt roman was and thats what i wanna believe it's about ok roceit rights except roman youre a bitch apologise

17. change

this made me fucking lose it bro im still losing it ive lost it. he's not okay and neither am i....bro i didnt think he'd be so....insecure but....i mean all of them seem to be so...but yeah this song is very,,,i have trust issues and im learning to love again vibes and i am crying while my wig is being ripped cruelly from my head....i choose to interpret this as less like ive been bad uwu i can change and be good now and more as ive been too afraid to care bc im so aware of the harm it can do to me but i realized its worth it so im trying now....and i think that's beautiful

18. devil in the details

hes telling thomas to Just Do It. he "made amends in the general sense" but "the devil's in the details" and he "knows the cause" and "wants to stop" but he "just can't do it". this seems kinda like more virgil angsty times for me or maybe the cause is just him being...him and just being well i cant stop being my function so...but he sees it as The Reason theres still animosity even if hes "made amends".

19. come little children

first i was like bruh its a bop but y is it here. but the lyrics are basically repeating how horrible the world is, "murdering beauty and passion", and the singer doesnt have to be killing or kidnapping the kids maybe its just a friendly fae helping some abused kids yknow you never know...basically fae!janus confirmed i know you have connections with them thomas i know you do

20. into the unknown

i like that this is short it kinda feels like hes coming to say okay im done bye after this whole musical that is his playlist. i am ashamed to say im not familiar w the plot of over the garden wall but someone said smth abt killing kids. well yknow how it is sometimes...but yeah very sexy, very fae, i will stan forever etc.

#janus sanders #deceit sanders #roceit #dukeceit #sanders sides #idk bro im losing it #i love him and his music taste #basically all the songs are hot

[lovejustforaday]

2020 year in review - honourable mentions

It’s year-end list season folks. I’m gonna be listing off my top 10 for this year with some tasty reviews, but I also wanted to make an appreciation post for a few albums that didn’t make the cut, so here’s a collection of mini reviews for five albums that almost made the top 10:

WEST OF EDEN - HMLTD

Main Genres: Art Punk, Glam Punk, Art Pop A decent sampling of: Dark Cabaret, Progressive Pop, Synth Punk, Post-Punk, Punk Blues

West of Eden is what I imagine what happens when a bunch of theatre kids become punk rockers. I had no idea who HMLTD were before I checked them out this year on a whim, and boy am I glad I did. This is very eclectic punk music with pop hooks and a lot of influence from cabaret and musical theatre. Definitely the kind of album where the artist throws everything at the wall to see what sticks, so it’s a mixed bag, but there’s a lot of pay off too. “The West Is Dead” is a wondrously flamboyant opener, and “Satan, Luella, and I” is a such a massive song, with a brilliant clash of aesthetics that is one part wild west, one part gothic, and one part broadway fanfare. Also I swear they’re sampling a vocaloid voice track on “Why?” so that’s something. Check this album out if you wanna get weird. 8/10

Highlights: “Satan, Luella, & I”, “The West Is Dead”, “Where’s Joanna?”, “To The Door”

FUTURE NOSTALGIA – DUA LIPA

Main Genres: Nu-Disco, Dance Pop A decent sampling of: Funktronica, Synth Pop

Ironically, 2020 has been a really big year for nu-disco even though we can’t go out to the clubs. Likewise, this somehow ended up only being my second favourite disco/pop crossover project this year, but this is still a great album and the singles are easily the best thing to dominate the charts this year. If Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? is classy, sensual, and soulful, than Future Nostalgia is spunky and free-spirited, like the perfect soundtrack to a night out with the girls. Dua Lipa has really proven she’s a force to be reckoned with in the pop world, and I’m glad she’s starting to approach the level of stardom of artists like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande who frankly I think she’s starting to really outperform musically. The last two tracks standout as easily being the weakest, although unlike some man-children I’m not mad at the lyrics of “Boys Will Be Boys”; it’s just a weak song musically, but not enough to make me forget how much the rest of this kicks ass. Honestly, it’s a crime that I can’t be drunk off my ass shouting the lyrics to “Hallucinate” in a gay bar right now as I’m writing this, but I digress. Very good album, proud of Dula Peep. 8/10 Highlights: “Hallucinate”, “Break My Heart”, “Don’t Start Now”, “Levitating”

SILVER LADDERS – MARY LATTIMORE

Main Genres: Ambient A decent sampling of: Post-Minimalism, New Age, Electroacoustic

I checked out this album because it was co-produced by Neil Halstead of Slowdive (my all-time favourite band), and I didn’t know what to expect from the process of a shoegaze giant producing an album of instrumental harp music. Thankfully, I’m happy to report that the end result is both unconventional and beautifully mesmerizing. Mary Lattimore’s Silver Ladders is a heavenly ambient album comprised mostly of just gently plucked harps, warm reverb, and the occasional addition of sparse bass and synths. Lattimore’s harp work is intricate but subtle, and the songs make a lot of good use of the space between notes, especially on the title track “Silver Ladders”, a haunting siren song that ends in a crescendo of shimmering echoes. I find the shorter ambient pieces on the album work a lot better than the two darker, longer pieces “Til A Mermaid Drags You Under” and “Don’t Look” which I find to be a tad bit dreary. Still, like all good ambient music, this entire project is a lot more than just ‘background music’ and it really captures the imagination of the listener. I want to get lost at sea listening to the cold air of Mary Lattimore’s harp, but I’ll gladly settle for listening to Silver Ladders on the bus ride home instead. 8/10

Highlights: “Silver Ladders“, “Sometimes He’s In My Dreams”, “Chop on the Climbout”

SHRINES – ARMAND HAMMER

Main Genres: Abstract Rap, Experimental Rap, East Coast Rap A decent sampling of: Conscious Rap, Hardcore Rap

Definitely my favourite album cover of the year, and it’s a completely real photo of an incident that actually happened so that’s pretty crazy. As for the music, Shrines is a hypnotic, cryptic hip hop album with hard leftist politics and very interesting production that sounds like the sonic manifestation of a head full of cynical thoughts. Billy Woods and Elucid spit rhymes with a lot of poetic frustration, expressing the feeling of utter disenfranchisement by the power systems of classism and racism that dominate their society. The first half of the album is mostly tracks that are energetic like the absolutely ferocious “Leopards”, while later tracks like “Flavor Flav” and “Ramesses II” are mostly mellow and bitter. The beats can be disorienting and confusing, and some of the tracks are kinda formless, so its definitely not an album to dance to, but Shrines is great for a more introspective listen on a late night walk. If I had to pick an album that captured the zeitgeist of 2020, this is probably it. Great music and important subject matter. 8/10

Highlights: “Leopards”, “Dead Cars”, “Flavor Flav”, “Pommelhorse”

ISLAND – OWEN PALLETT

Main Genres: Chamber Folk A decent sampling of: Art Pop, Modern Classical, Ambient

Owen Pallett is an indie folk artist who has had one foot in the sophisticated world of modern classical music for some time now. Likewise, Pallett’s 2020 concept album Island is grand and orchestral with distinct movements. Continuing the saga of his character Lewis from his 2010 LP Heartland, the new album is equally philosophical and complex, telling the story of Lewis being metaphorically stranded after killing his manipulator god at the end of the last album in the saga. The majority of this album is brilliantly nocturnal in a way that is neither creepy nor unsettling, instead conjuring the invigorating fantasy of a mysterious and enchanting night of a full moon. “Paragon of Order” is particularly enchanting, and while this album only sits at #11 on my year-end list, this one track in particular is probably in my top 3 of the year because it’s just so incredibly magical and captivating in a way that feels like it’s lifting me to a heightened sensory experience every time I listen to it. The last few tracks are a little confusing, especially “Lewis Gets Fucked into Space”, taking a somewhat abstract direction that deviates from the gorgeous imagery of the first half that I fell in love with. Nevertheless, Island is an album I’ll want to revisit on nights when I’m feeling excited or inspired. 8/10

Highlights: “Paragon of Order”, “--> (i)”, “Perseverance of The Saints”, “--> (iii)”, “--> (ii)”, “The Sound of The Engines”

#2020 #2020aoty #aoty #album of the year #best music #mary lattimore #owen pallett #armand hammer #dua lipa #hmltd #island #shrines #silver ladders #future nostalgia #west of eden #music review #album review #year-end list

[incarnateirony]

Hey dude! Do you have any recommendations for LGBTQ+ movies in the romance genre that have like a happy ending. I really don't care how old they are. I'm feeling the Gay™ hence I need the Gay™. You feel me?

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NONNIE

First sorry for taking so long, not only did I have to timeline this :) but :) my computer :) froze :) after writing like :) 2 pages :) and I had to do it again :)

So anyway let it be said, the LGBT dialogue is one of osmosis and shared growth and awareness. Some of these films will be very poorly dated, but as you (thankfully) mentioned that them being old wasn’t a *problem*, expect a lot of old stuff. Because one of the most important things to have under your belt when talking about the LGBT media representation battle is the actual journey from A to B – be that incrementalization, subtextual inclusion, text-breeching features, outright evocative and groundbreaking films at the time (which is what MOST of this list will be) and an improvement in our dialogue; let us never forget that while tr*nss*xual is considered a slur and transgender is proper, tr*nss*xual was at one point the politically correct way to speak it – things like that breach in our growing understanding of the spectrum of human sexuality. 

I *WILL* disclaimer these aren’t all romance, so if you explicitly want romance, google them and take a look if it sounds to appeal, but I’m taking this as a general cinema history plug considering what a confused mess fandom conversation about LGBT history in film or modern text as applicable, accepted or not.

Wonder Bar (1936) (I wouldn’t really call this queer cinema, but if you have the time to watch it too, I think it was the first explicit mention of homosexual engagement even if it was fleetingly brief. You might even call it Last Call style. A blink and you’ll miss it plug that was still decades ahead of its time)

Sylvia Scarlet (1936) (Again, I wouldn’t call this queer cinema, but a lot of the community takes it as the first potential trans representation on TV due to the lead literally swapping gender presentation, even if the presentation is… not what we would modernly call representation IMO)

Un Chant d'Amour (1950) (Worth it for the sheer fact that it pissed off fundies so bad they took it all the way to the US supreme court to get it declared obscene.)

The Children’s Hour (1961) (also known as the 1961 lesson to “don’t be a gossipy, outting bitch”)

Victim (1961) (The first english film to use the word “homosexual” and to focus explicitly on gay sexuality. People might look on it disdainfully from modern lenses, but it really helped progress british understanding of homosexuality)

Scorpio Rising (1964) (Lmao this one deadass got taken to court when it pissed people off and California had to rule that it didn’t count as obscene bc it had social value, worth it for the history if nothing else)

Theorem (1968) (Because who doesn’t wanna watch a 60s flick about a bisexual angel, modern issues and associations be damned)

The Killing of Sister George (1968) (by the makers of What Ever Happened To Baby Jane)

Midnight Cowboy (1969) (…have I had sassy contagonists in RP make a Dean joke off of this more than once, maybe)

Fellini-Satyricon (1969) (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THIS)

The Boys in the Band (1970) (This… this… this made a lot of fuss. Just remember leather)

Pink Narcissus (1971) (a labor of love shot on someone’s personal camera)

Death in Venice (1971) (This is basically a T&S prequel but whatever, based on a much older book)

Cabaret (1972) 

Pink Flamingos (1972) (SHIT’S WILD)

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) (The title doesn’t lie, be warned)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) [god I hope you’ve at least seen this]

Fox and His Friends (1975) (some really hard lessons that are still viable today, that just because someone acknowledges your sexuality doesn’t mean they give a shit about you as a person, and that some will even abuse the knowledge for gain)

The Terence Davies Trilogy (1983) (REALLY interesting history look it up, it’s sort of one of those “drawn from own experience” story short sets)

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) (Documentary)

Desert Hearts (1985) (Pretty much the first film to put lesbianism into a good light as a true focus based on a novel from the sixties)

Parting Glances (1986) (the only film its creator got out before his death from the aids epidemic)

Law of Desire (1987) (two men and a trans woman in a love triangle, kinda ahead of its time)

Maurice (1987) (This one’s really interesting, cuz it was based on a book made about 15 years before it, but the book itself had been written half a century earlier and wasn’t published until after the guy died, he just thought it’d never get published Cuz Gay, so basically it’s based on a story written in like, the 20s finally getting screen time. It has a bittersweet but positive-leaning-ish ending without disregarding the cost that can come with it and even addresses class issues at the same time 100% DO RECOMMEND)

Tongues Untied (1989) (a documentary to give voices to LGBT black men) 

Longtime Companion (1990) (This one’s title alone is history, based on a NYT phrasing for how they talked about people’s partners dying, eg longtime companion, during the AIDS epidemic)

Paris Is Burning (1990) (Drag culture and related sexual and gender identity exploration as it intersected with class issues and other privileges explored in a documentary)

The Crying Game (1992)( I should correct this that I guess it’s more, 1992 considered, “SURPRISE, DIL HAS A DILL!” – I guess I really didn’t do that summary justice by modern language and dialogue as much as how people in the 90s were talking about that and that’s a my bad. LIKE. SEE, EVEN I CAN FUCK UP MY LANGUAGE I’M SORRY CAN I BLAME THE STRAIGHTS T_T) #90skidproblems – I guess I should call it a trans film. And this alone tells me I should go watch it again to recode it in my brain modernly rather than like circa de la 2000 understanding.

The Bird Cage (1996) (So you mix drag culture, otherwise heterosexually connected lovebirds, and then realize the girl comes from an alt-rightish house and the guy comes from a Two Dads Home and does cabaret, how to deal with the issues OF this conflict when it’s between you and your happiness, even if the fight isn’t even your own as much as it is that of the person you love. The answer is PROBABLY NOT to dress in drag and pretend to be straight, but what are you going to do? – while played for laughs we’d consider modernly crude, the fact that they even dared to approach this narrative was pretty loud)

The Celluloid Closet (1996) (Ever heard of the Vito Russo test for LGBT representation? This is based on a book by Vito Russo.)

Happy Together (1997) (Ain’t this shit an ironic name; a mutual narrative, via chinese flick, of hong kong ceding to china and an irrevocably tangled MLM pairing as a giant mirrored metaphor)

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) (one of the most groundbreaking films about trans identity at the time)

Stranger Inside (2001) (As easy as it is to recoil to the idea of “black gays in jail”, the film makers actually went and consulted prisoners and put a great deal of focus into intersectional african american issues that really weren’t around even in straight films at the time)

Transamerica (2005) (While it made a bit of a fuss for not casting an actual trans actor, it was one of the first times a big budget studio really tried to tackle it which really pushed us forward)

Call Me by Your Name (2017) (since I’ve apparently leaned really heavy old cinema throw in a modern one lmaooooo)

Also honorable The Kids Are All Right (2010) mention for the sake of the fucking title alone. 

And to any incarnation of “On the Road” by Kerouac, which

Was originally a book

Released a sanitized de-gayed edition because of the times

Later released the full homo manuscript

had a few film adaptations

Was one of Kripke’s founding inspirations for Supernatural once he left behind “Some reporter guy chases stories” and took the formula of Sal and Dean (and tbh later, Carlo) in a beat generation vibe gone modern as we know it today.

Reading both versions of this can actually help some folks currently understand that when you get confused over some shit (WHY IS CARLO SO UPSET? WHY IS HE ACTING LIKE AN UPSET GIRLFRIEND??? WHY IS HE SO JEALOUS AND SAD WHEN DEAN IS AROUND GIRLS???? WE JUST DONT KNOWWWWWWWWWWWWW) it’s because some big money asshat bleached the content, and sometimes, it takes a while for the full script to come out and again, surprise, it’s been GAY, they just didn’t want to OFFEND anybody. *jazz hands*

Now if you wanna go WAY WAY BACK, during 191X years, a bunch of gender role flicks came out like Charley’s Aunt, Mabel’s Blunder and the Florida Enchantment.

Also where is @thecoffeebrain-blog to yell about the necessity of watching Oz, for the next few hours? But no, seriously, just look into the entire LGBT *HISTORY* of Oz.

Beyond that though I’m gonna stop here cuz hi that’s a lot. I really don’t know how much counts as “happy ending” but if I had to give an LGBT cinema rec list, that’s it as a sum. I don’t really have like, a big portfolio of UWU HAPPY ENDING GAYS because 1. there aren’t a lot of those but 2. to me, it’s not about the ending, it’s about the journey. Be that in flick or through culture and history itself.

If you want more happy ending stuff, you definitely have to look at 2010+, but it’s not like we’re in a rich and fertile landscape yet so honestly just googling that would probably serve you better since I don’t explicitly explore romance genre or happy endings to really have a collection. LGBT life is hard and film often reflects that if we’re making genuine statements about it and really representing it, and we’re just now getting to a point of reliably having the chance at a happy ending. That or maybe someone can add like “Explicit happy endings” lists after this that has more experience in that subgenre.

Also, I can’t emphasize ENOUGH to remember what was progressive then is not what is progressive now, and frankly, what some people think is progressive now they’ll probably look back on what they said and feel really fuckin’ embarrassed. See: “It’s not text because by alt right homophobic dialogue, M/M sex isn’t gay if you do the secret handshake” MGTOW kinda crazy ass dialogue or parallel narratives they inspire that encourage self-closeting and denial based on the pure idea that being gay makes you somehow lesser, so It’s Not That. Like. I am. 99% sure. At least half of the people talking in this fandom. Are going to regret that the internet is forever. And maybe hope hosting servers end in the inevitable nuclear war that will annihilate this planet.

Also, edit: Speaking of mistaken dialogues and words aging poorly, I’d like to apologize from the poor description I rendered “The Crying Game” with, but that really goes to show how deep-seated the issue is we can so casually fuck up identifying a trans narrative as SURPRISE DICK IS GAY when we were all absorbing the content like 20+ years ago and HOW HARD it can be to de-code yourself from that kind of programming because here I am, writing a giant assed rep post and fucking it up because my brain hadn’t soaked that movie since Y2K. Guess what, time for me to go watch the Crying Game again.

#lgbtqia #representation #media #cinema history

[beatrice-otter]

Yuletide Recs 2019

Happy Yuletide, everyone! First, I got a delightful little fic written for me: promenade.  My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle and Mrs. Higgins.  Wonderful story.  Mrs. Higgins was superb, and Eliza's reactions to the English upper class abroad are perfect. Here are some other fics I have enjoyed: 4'33"--John Cage The Sound Of A Yuletide Fic Not Being Written. There sure are a lot of cars going by.  Great meta look at writing, and 4'33" The Addams Family (movies) An Addams Family Contract (Written in Secret, Signed in Blood).  “I’m an Addams,” Debbie protests indignantly. Immediately after making this statement, Debbie realized that it was true.  (Or, Wednesday wants to exorcise Debbie. Debbie wants to kill Wednesday. A negotiation begins.)  This is AMAZING and hysterically funny, and the thought of Debbie and Wednesday working together is TERRIFYING. Don't I Deserve Love (and Jewelry).  The plan to win Wednesday’s friendship did not start well. She shared her admiration for the girl’s blowtorch, then hinted about her own childhood affinity for matchsticks and fire accelerants, but Wednesday was unimpressed.  Do better,” she said before lowering her hockey mask and stalking after Pubert. Honeymoon in Transylvania.  Ahahahaha, this is wonderful.  Gomez and Morticia vs. the TSA! Alien Series A Room with a Crappy View. 17k of Ripley and Hicks awesomeness post-Aliens. This is an absolutely AMAZEBALLS fic, and I LOVE it. I love that they deal with their trauma. I love how they wrote the Colonel, doing the best she could on the evidence she had and how frustrating that was and yet, when you look at it from her POV, what better way could she have handled it? The action is great, the relationships between Ripley and Hicks and Bishop were awesome, this is an absolute treat. All About Eve Getting Back to Being a Woman.  Karen knew enough not to go to New Haven.  Never let it be said that Margo Channing doesn't know how to take care of her friends.  I love this. I could just hear Bette Davis and the others saying their lines, and the ending is perfect--I think Karen and Lloyd will be able to have a much better relationship after this, if he's willing to accept and live into the changed relationship. Till I have the possession of everything she touches.  Addison DeWitt/Eve Harrington and their daughter.  VERY well done Addison perspective. Aubrey-Maturin series. Vent de Boulet.  Jack & Aubrey, Teen.  The aftermath of Stephen's escape from the French interrogators at Port Mahon.  Wonderful portrayal of the relationship between them and natural consequences of their trauma-filled lives. Babette's Feast Body and Soul.  After the French dinner, a new normal established itself among the faithful. Ballet Shoes A Long Way from the Cromwell Road.  Petrova visits Pauline in Hollywood after the war ends. Bletchley Circle Logical Recovery.  After the showdown with Marta Magro at the warehouses, Jean, Millie, and Lucy embark for Glasgow to find Eliška. Archival research, an extended stay with Jean's cousin, undercover rescue missions, and much emotional processing of past events ensue. Cabaret Infinite Variety.  London, 1950. Clifford has coming looking for Sally. Instead he finds a girl who may or may not be her – or their – daughter, the reclusive former Master of Ceremonies, and an annoying parrot. He becomes part of their strange household, full of love and bickering; sorrow, pain and music. No-one will tell him where Sally is, or even whether she’s alive. No-one will tell him anything. Except the parrot, who tells him that life is a Cabaret.  Oh, wow, this is painful but SO GOOD and the ending is perfect. DC Teen Titans From Cold to Fire.  "Do you want to go out with me?" "What?" Young Justice Getting Stupid in your area.  Hang-time includes considerations of evil clones and taking down a newly raised lich lord.  Love the banter. Die Hard Your Answers Please.  “Come on, kid,” McClane said gruffly. “This place is fucking depressing. You’re coming to stay with me.” Enchanted Forrest Chronicles Best Served Cold.  In which Antorell causes trouble in the Enchanted Forest, and Cimorene and Alianora make an amphibious new friend.  Hilarious, I love Ribbita! Ghostbusters Better Than Roses. Janine dates. It's...something. The Goblin Emperor Imperial (non) Immunity.  Csevet doesn't get sick. Maia's not so confident. Light a Mourner's Candle.  The Archprelate finds a chaplain for Maia. Against a Sure Winter.  When the opportunity arose to become one of the four ceremonial bodyguards for the new Emperor, Cala Athmaza volunteered. He didn't fully realize what he was letting himself in for, but he knew in his heart he had made the right choice. Sugar Lumps.  Maia spends some time with his horse. Greek Mythology beauty, her artificers.  Shortly after their wedding, Aphrodite sustains a small wound.  Really great Aphrodite/Hephaestus dynamic. a thing of beauty, golden.  Olympus’ one-century wonder appears in Hephaestus’ workshop between one strike on his anvil and the next..  Another really great Aphrodite/Hephaestus fic. Hancock yeah I know the shortcut, rather take the long way. Ray daydreams a New York that looks a lot like something out of an old Daredevil comic - towers looming over the city like cragged, jaded sentries, impartial to the neon kaleidoscope of chaos churning along below them. Hancock roosts on the tallest, craggiest one of course, brooding as he watches the slow pulsing heartbeat of the city below him. Ready to dive off his perch and into action with the first cry of distress, and there’s probably lots of those in a city like New York. Lots of zooming around, saving people, saving the world. Hopefully with slightly less metaphorical middle fingers to the world. And less alcohol. Ray’s not an idiot though, and one sparkly life-changing month doesn’t just fix people. History RPF 15th Century. these late eclipses.  Anne Neville, like others of her line, is born with a gift.  I LOVE the way magic is brought into this, it melds so well with the history. 19th Century/German folklore The Bargain.  Bettina finds a secret door at her grandmother's house, one that leads to something very unexpected. The things she learns as a result change her life in small but important ways. Imperial Radch Still Left in Want of Mercy.  The Republic of Two Systems is about a month old. Seivarden is having yet another crisis - can Mercy of Kalr get her through it? Maybe, with the crew's and Fleet Captain's help.  Interesting Ship perspective. high above the trees.  An unexpected embassy. Really excellent, probably the best way I've ever seen "Awn Lives" done. The Incredibles Life of a Superhero, Junior Grade.  Fortunately, this was Tuesday night training, not a real villain-chasing experience. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell The Magicians of Starecross Hall.  Being a series of interludes in the life of John Segundus, newly practical magician, in the year following the disappearances of Messrs. Strange and Norrell. Including: a new school for young magicians, explorations of the King’s Roads, Lady Pole’s alarming needle-work, unanticipated trips to Faerie, and John Childermass.  I love this story!  How the school got started, and 'Miss Wintertowne' (although I do think she would style herself 'Mrs' Wintertowne, because she is married and up through the 18th Century 'Mistress/Mrs' vs. 'Miss' had as much to do with age and experience and such as it did with marital status) and how she uses embroidery as a kind of art therapy.  I love the slow burn, and I love the stuff about exploring the King's Roads and Faerie.  It is excellent and awesome. Lilo & Stitch The Dance.  Lilo peeked out from behind the curtains and looked over the stage. A Little Princess Discipulae.  "I just realized," Sara said. "Becky, I could have a tutor now. I could hire someone to teach me anything I wanted. All the things that are hard to learn alone from books — Greek and Latin, Sanskrit, algebra, anything I wanted. What would you learn, Becky, if you could?"  Really great look at what their lives could be like post-canon. Marvel Captain Marvel Take my hand (and we'll march to the front lines). There's a dream Vers has sometimes. this youthful heart can love you. Carol waited a week before she left with the Skrulls. Space Cases.  Monica tried many other times to win her mother over to a pet. A rabbit, a pony, a parakeet. This is not any of those stories. This is the story of Monica Rambeau and a Flerken named Goose.  Or: Why Nick Fury is never allowed to babysit ever again. The Tesseract's Wife.  A straight line is not the shortest distance between two points: non-linear snapshots of a love story. Fly Me To The Moon.  "It's a vacation. Like spring break," Carol says. Monica's eyes widen. "Really? So we can hang out? What are we going to do?" "Well," Carol says, leaning back in her chair and flashing that old, familiar smirk. "I thought we could go to the moon." Into the Spiderverse i got you.  Miles thinks he's hiding the truth about Spider-Man, but one unfortunate night, it comes to light. one last leap.  Telling his parents he's Spider-Man is a leap of faith Miles can't bring himself to take. My Life to Liv.  Liv survived her encounters with her interdimensional Spider-nemeses, of course. So what's next for her? Interdimensional Phone Pals.  Gwen Stacy is many things, but open to friendships isn’t really one of them.  Or,  Five rules Gwen makes for herself, and how Peter B. makes her question them. Into the Spiderverse/Murder, She Wrote Spider, She Wrote.  Miles and May visit her old friend Jessica in Cabot Cove. Mulan (1998) the proper order of things. Great outsider perspective. The Mummy After the Mummy.  London was becoming Rick's least favourite place, and not just because of all the rain. Loving Evy was one thing: figuring out whether she loved him back after the Egyptian heat faded away was something else. Where's a good rising of the undead when you need one? Don't worry, Jonathan found one.  Lovely fun adventure. Course Correction.  Jonathan really is serious about staying away from tombs and mummies this time (except trouble always seems to find him). Good thing Ardeth is there to help him stay on-track. Travelers by Night.  Very quickly, Jonathan weighed the odds. On one hand, potential death, whether by armed bandits, a mummy’s curse, or people who looked like bandits and who were very angry about someone unleashing a mummy’s curse. On the other hand, potential riches, home ground, and topics of conversation other than what happened at school fifteen years ago and who got it in the neck where. Murderbot How I Spent My Vacation Between Survey Missions. What happens when ART reunites with Murderbot during another break between research survey missions? Media gets viewed, of course, but there might also be some bad news for more shady corporations. Situation Normal.  Hi, I said, along with amusement sigil 159 = wave. It seemed a little inadequate, but what do you say to the ship that radically altered your appearance, helped you figure out your past, and also threatened you with terrifying weapons? Amusement sigils seemed like my best bet. My Fair Lady Here We Are Together.  Eliza and Freddy are working together. Henry isn't happy, and makes sure everyone knows it. One Day at a Time what they say about the young. Without the kids around, it feels like everything has changed, except for all the other things about Penelope's life that could change, too. a return to normal.  Penelope and Schneider's Friday night plans fall through, so they have a movie night instead.  Very sweet. Persuasion. The Pen in Their Hands. Five letters that were written, but were never sent, aboard H.M.S. Laconia. (And one that was.) Smooth Water. “If I wanted easy comfort, I should not have become a captain’s wife.” Wonderful Austen voice. A Step Not Taken.  What if that day at Lyme had gone just a little differently? Peter Wimsey The Duke's Parlormaid.  A story in correspondence, with detective interruptions.  Really captured the feel of the books and all the character voices. Poirot The Mice Will Play.  When Poirot returns unexpectedly from a case, he finds out something new about Miss Lemon. RED The One Bathtub.  “I did have dinner plans,” Han said, grudgingly, and so Victoria kicked the door in and graciously allowed Han to be the first into the bathroom. She understood the pain of missed reservations. Rivers of London Through All the Years, This Is My Home.  At night, when the rest of the staff and most, if not all, of the masters were asleep, Molly would wander the moonlit halls and remember what fresh air felt like on her skin. Of Molly, of Thomas, and of the years they've spent together - and of the Folly, strong and everlasting.  Lovely Molly perspective. Peelian Principles.  "You're very calm about this," Seawoll said on the fifth day.  Nightingale's perspective on Peter's time as a hostage, and REALLY AWESOME. UXB.  When one the deadliest weapons of the Blitz threatens London once again, Peter finds himself on the front line.  Wonderful casefic, just perfect. Saved! Conversation Starters. Cassandra and Roland have five important conversations. Sense and Sensibility Realization and Renewal.  As Marianne recovers, Elinor and Colonel Brandon find themselves drawn to one another. Sense8 Blue and Gold.  Wolfgang comes home with Kala and Rajan after Paris. Finding a place with them. Star Trek: Rihannsu Day Comes Up New.  "I have done something spectacularly stupid," Arrhae said.  This is a wonderful extension and meditation on what might happen past canon.  Ever since I first read The Romulan Way as a teen, I've wondered what happened to Arrhae in the end, and the subsequent books were great but didn't answer the ultimate question.  This doesn't either, but it suggests something further, which I appreciate. Terminator Movies A Fistful of Sarahs.  The sky cracks open, and Sarah watches herself tumble out of a rift in the space time continuum. She’s older than she is now, and she’s got a lot more scars, and she’s carrying the biggest and weirdest looking gun Sarah’s ever seen. with all the hope in my heart (and doubt in my mind). Sarah Connor has done this before. Dani has not. Post-Terminator: Dark Fate. Fate, the Future, and Other Sons of Bitches.  Sarah and Dani hit the road. Winnie the Pooh In Which Pooh Hunts for the Meaning of Christmas.  Pooh finds a mysterious envelope pinned to the door of his house. In Which Eeyore Loses His Tail Again, Or At Least Plans To.  It's a bright, sunny day, and Eeyore has a plan to make it tolerable. Now if only his friends will cooperate.

#fic rec #fanfiction #fanfic #yuletide

[flying-elliska]

salut ellie! someone once asked you about your writing and you recommended falling in love with language and finding ways of writing you love. i was wondering, what books and/or writing styles are you in love with? it's just so interesting to know what somehow had an impact on the way you're writing bc i honestly adore your style

wow do you remember that ? that is such a flattering question oh my god. well, i’m still working on it. some of my favorites are (i’m very eclectic lmao) : 

- His Dark Materials (it’s a fantasy book series ‘for kids’ but it’s actually insanely deep and philosophic) is pretty much the first book series that made me fall in love with stories, and made me want to write. I think I found it when I was 10, and it completely shaped me. It’s so ambitious and clever, it never talks down to the reader, brings up those amazing worlds and philosophical concepts and is still accessible to kids. Most of all it is so committed to atmosphere, to making it vivid, to really make you go through what the characters are. I’m thinking of it and I can remember exactly certain passages in an almost sensory way : the witch Serafina Pekkala describing what it feels like to feel the Aurora Borealis on her bare skin as she is flying through the arctic. The polar bear Iorek giving Lyra frozen moss to help bandage his wounds after a battle. The grilled poppy heads that the Jordan College scholars at Oxford eat during a meeting. The little Gallivespians on their dragonflies and the way the sun reflects off their poisonous spurs. That’s how you make a story stick ; that’s how you can put in deep stuff without ever making it boring. I am so excited they’re making a tv series because that shit deserves some recognition. And I mean the whole plot about the importance of stories, free will, the horror of religious fundamentalism....always relevant. Philip Pullman’s stuff is great in general, I love his Sally Lockhart series, which is more adult and adventure focused, and is a great deal of fun. And of course, the sequel to HDM he’s been putting out recently. 

- I spent a lot of my teen years reading either crime novels or historical novels. (When I think of some of the stuff I read when I was 13 I’m like oh my god what were my parents doing lmao some of that was really horrible.) And I think it gave me a good feeling for suspense and setting, and how important tension is. One of my all time faves is Andrea Japp. She is a French writer who does mostly crime, involving complex/monstrous woman characters and a very sensory, poetic approach to language, often involving food, plants and poisons. My favorite by her is the “Season of the Beast”/Agnès de Souarcy chronicles, which is a crime series set in medieval times, with a cool independent lady at its core, crimes in a monastery, and this very gloomy end of times vibe that I love. I also read a lot of Scandi Noir stuff, I love the kind of ...laconic approach to life. And again : vibe. Vibe is so important. And Sherlock Holmes stories. I love the Mary Russell series that take place in that universe and are basically a big Mary Sue self insert guilty pleasure but are just. So much fun. 

- I like poetry a lot - not stuff that is too wordy, but something short, sharp and vivid. i think reading poetry is essential to feeding your inner ‘metaphor culture’. I love Mary Oliver. Rimbaud, too, that I read at 17 and rocked my world. One of my underrated faves is  Hồ Xuân Hương, a Vietnamese poet from the 18th century who was adept at using nature metaphors to hide both erotic stuff, irreverent jokes, and political criticism, and correspond with all the great scholars of her time under a pseudonym. Badass.  Recently I bought ‘Soft Science’ by Franny Choi, which is about cyborgs, having a female body, emotions and politics and it’s absolutely brilliant. 

- I love reading fairy tales, too. Currently reading (i always read a lot of books at once lol) Angela Carter’s Book of Fairy Tales, basically fairy tales for grown ups, collected from folklore all over the world, with an amazing kind of gruesome humor and wisdom. Norse mythology is also so damn funny. That one bit with Thor dressing up as a bride or Loki’s shenanigans...amazing. And I like fantasy, I find it very soothing to read for some reason, my fave has to be Robin Hobb and her Realm of the Elderlings series. And Terry Pratchett, especially the series with Death or the Witches. Just brilliant. Neil Gaiman too. 

- I tend to be very impatient when it comes to literary fiction, I find a lot of it is self-indulgent, dreary. I’m a genre reader through and through, I need to be amazed. I loved ‘the Elegance of the Hedgehog’ by Muriel Barbery though. Some stuff by Amélie Nothomb, Virginie Despentes occasionally (they’re French writers with a very dark, wry approach to life, tho the first is more polished acid and the second very punk rock). And ‘Special Topics in Calamity Physics’ by Marisha Pessl is pretentious as hell but a lot of fun, if you like dark academia. Salman Rushdie has a way with language that is amazing. 

- I read a lot of non-fiction. At the moment : the Cabaret of Plants (about the symbolic/socio historical meaning of plants and how they shaped history) by Richard Mabey and ‘Feminist Fight Club’ by Jessica Bennett. One I absolutely love is ‘the Botany of Desire’ by Michael Pollan in which he traces the history of four plant species (apple, potato, cannabis, tulip) and how they impacted us as much as we impacted them. I was obsessed with plants for most of my life as you can see lol (my mother is a herbalist and I wanted to become a botanist for quite a while.). Also philosophy/anthropology in little bits. I love Tim Ingold. Things about witches. Anything by Rebecca Solnit is incredible. 

- I’ve been reading a lot of YA recently, because it’s fun and quick and keeps me reading, and has a lot of good female characters. Big fave recently : Jane Unlimited by Kristin Cashore. It’s about a young bisexual woman who’s grieving and comes to this weird house full of doors, each of which leads to a different path in life, and we follow her through each choice she can potentially make, each of one becomes a different genre of story : creepy ghost story, spy story, sci-fi, cute romance, etc. It’s so innovative and it’s a story that is also bisexual culture at its core. Also I absolutely love love love love love (etc forever) the Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater. What she does with language is just so cool, because she stays simple and efficient but uses her metaphors in such a fulgurant, vivid way. Some of her lines are just. bam! genius. #goals. Also Ronan Lynch is probably THE character that helped me the most with my coming out. He’s one of my forever faves.  Of course Harry Potter, lmao, I was of the generation that pretty much grew up with him, the last book came out when I was 17. JK Rowling really should just stop rn. But I learned so much from those, about the importance of making your story feel like home, and having a clear emotional journey. And Harry is such a sarcastic little shit, I love him. And I love a Series of Unfortunate Events too, the darkly funny tone of it, the celebration of knowledge and resilience. 

- I think in terms of the classics (I had to read in school lmao), I do like Victor Hugo a lot even though some of his stuff just doesn’t fucking stop. I also like Balzac and his Comédie Humaine, he’s very observant, mean and funny when it comes to people (even though it’s depressing.) Colette is my grandma’s fave writer and she is a rockstar, I love her (also hella bi culture). Jane Austen is great, I read Pride and Prejudice in one night straight, I was so hooked. Love Jane Eyre too. I read On the Road by Jack Kerouac while hopped up on opioid pain killers and that’s probably the only way to appreciate it, but it did mark me.  

- But to be completely fucking candid, I probably read the most fanfic nowadays still. Esp since I got to college, I need to unwind when I read, and having characters you already know can be so comforting. Now, of course, there’s a lot of fanfic that is just fluff (nothing wrong with that) but I honestly really believe in the literary value of fanfic. Because some of that shit simply just really slaps and is well written. But also as a genre on its own : you just simply don’t get so much emotional nuance, and depth in most other things. Because these are characters we already know and the writers are not afraid to be self-indulgent and plot is secondary, we see shades of things that we never see anywhere else, we see relationships developping in the small things and wow that shit is breathtaking, bro, sometimes. The art of infinite variation on a theme. Even though a lot of fic writers could use a bit of stricter editing, and do stuff a bit too many unnecessary details in here, so does Victor Hugo soooooooo....

lol i could go on forever. i love book soooo much. uni kinda killed my reading appetite, I used to read several books a week when I was in middle school. hope i can get back there (although maybe not as much bc i have a life now lol.) but thinking about everything i have yet to read makes me sooooo happy. I want to get more into sci-fi, English lit classics. Basically I like stuff that’s witty, dark, political, hedonistic, with dry humor, but a warm heart. Stories that celebrate knowledge, curiosity and human weirdness. And that gets to the point. When I get bored by a book, I put it down, because I just don’t have the time. I also hate writers where you can tell that they think they’re better than other people. Misanthropy is boring. Thank you for this question anon I had a blast

#reading #books #book recs #literature #anon asks

[allbeendonebefore]

oc ask thing - oc of your choice - numbers are 3, 19, 30, 37, and idk 50 (completely random)

3. What kind of things is your OC allergic to?

Canonically I haven’t determined who’s allergic to what BUT how about this: every single one of the AB kids is allergic to rats lmao.

19. What kind of music do they listen to? Do they have a favorite song?

Because my own music taste is heavily skewed towards Edmonton music and I have this ongoing joke that Ed’s favourite song is Old Buildings by Bryce Kulak because Ed is a dramatic sad gay at heart who listens to cabaret music on the side of the highway and cries, here is that.

The band outside my apartment just started playing Old Town Road and that’s Calvin’s favourite song of the hour (and he’s very chuffed he managed to get lil nas x to stampede this year)

30. Do they want to get married? Why or why not? Would they ever want kids? Do they have kids? Why? 

Hey Windex What AU is this for jkjkjkjk

Canonically and publicly Edward is dismissive of the idea of marriage because that’s not a Thing For Him and it’s never been About That for him and 2005 kind of soured him on the whole ordeal Even More. However, Edward is also a) a huge sap who is actually quite Rooted and Traditional as well as b) the sort of person who takes in strays even though he claims he’s not the Mom Friend and ToOOOtally doesn’t care if you go out and die in the cold at all (but if you’re set on doing that you might as well take this blanket and this thermos so you have a pleasant memory before you go).

Calvin has always Assumed that marriage must be in his future at some point because That’s How Life Works, Duh and just because people like him don’t really do that doesn’t mean it’s not POSSIBLE, right, he’s just not at that stage in his life and he’s working on his career. And while he gives off the Strong Dad Energy he’s a little low-key terrified of children because HEllo how can I take care of Child when I’m Child so he’s currently living up the bachelor life and Oh, no no I’m just focusing on my Career of Course : ). 

37. What’s something that your character does, that other people don’t normally do?

aside from living indefinitely and aging at seemingly random rates... well related to that, i think one thing they have the ‘luxury’ of doing is a lot of random jobs over the years. Calvin was ‘born’ into police barracks so it would make sense for him to attempt to pursue that at least for a little while(even though he was also trying out a lot of other odd jobs at the same time, Many of them happening to be get-rich-quick schemes to avoid having to work... but those backfired on him. But because he was cute and always gets back on the horse literally and metaphorically, he’ll just trot off and go find something completely different to do somewhere else.)

edward worked a lot more in 1) retail 2) agriculture and 3) trades so he has a very different career trajectory, also because he was essentially ‘forced’ (read: he forced himself because he didn’t trust anyone else enough) into the government role as well.

50. If your character was presented with imminent and unavoidable death/fatality, how would they react? Would they try to avoid death anyways? Would they try to make their last days count?

I accidentally first read this question as “they’re in unavoidable death like a sudden car accident” and then i went “oh they have DAYS ok”

as much as edward is like ‘lol kill me’ i think he’d probably panic hardcore while calvin would just pretend nothing was happening (and cry himself to sleep over it anyway). Considering this is sort of Mac’s reality i guess it depends what ‘making them count’ means because in terms of being way too indulgent and buying whatever he wants he’s fine but in terms of making amends with people or communicating at all he’s kind of screwed himself over. 

#hapo rambles #pc headcanon #projectcanada cities #pc: edmonton #pc: calgary #pc: fort mcmurray #randomoranges

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

After a trio of very personal, critically acclaimed independent films, John Cassavettes attempted to acquiesce to the popular sway with a deceptive passion project in the form of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.  While being a memorable and entertaining film, it was also one that became the bane of Cassavettes' personal and creative experience, resulting in a pair of releases years apart from one another that reflect the independent vision versus the influence of the money men.  The film has always fascinated me as much as it has entertained me, and after a recent revisit, I felt the need to share my thoughts on it, as Cassavettes inspires me heavily.   

Cosmo Vittelli (Ben Gazzara) is the owner of Crazy Horse West, a strip club located on the famous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.  Cosmo not only runs the business aspects of the club, but he is hands on in nearly all aspects of the operation, including designing and choreography of the dancers’ performances.  As a self-proclaimed man of ‘style’, Cosmo longs for a chance to run a clean business where his art is appreciated at something more than a carnal level.  After paying off a gambling debt to local loan shark Marty (Al Ruban), Cosmo meets Mort (Seymour Cassel), a gangster who runs a gambling hall with is associates.  Cosmo talks himself into an invite, and after picking up three of his dancers, he visits Mort’s establishment, where he promptly racks up another sizeable debt to the gangsters.  The following night, Mort brings his associates to Crazy Horse West and make a power move : hand over the Crazy Horse West, or kill a heavily-guarded bookie named Harold Ling (Soto Joe Hugh), who turns out to be Benny Wu, a formidable leader in the Chinese gambling world.  With the biggest decision of his life in front of him, and pressure coming from Mort and his associates, Cosmo must put his integrity and morals to the test, once and for all.

Having a character like Cosmo (who longs in the deepest recesses of his heart to be an accomplished artist respected for his ‘style’) wishboned between the worlds of cabaret workers and gangsters makes for an interesting perspective on standard elements of vice and danger.  Cosmo is very human in the sense that, although his intentions are lofty and dignified, his actions are often ham-handed, ill-thought out and poorly executed, save for when his life is on the line.  It’s actually these moments when Cosmo’s back is against the wall that he actually lives up to the character qualities he aspires for, as if normal life or standard level inspiration gives him an excuse to phone in his actions.  Ultimately, Cosmo is the true antagonist to his role as protagonist, as the majority of his issues have a straight line of responsibility connected to them that one can trace right back to Cosmo himself.

Outside of its neo-noir narrative, the film plays as a metaphor for John Cassavettes’ views on, and experiences in, Hollywood and the film industry.  Crazy Horse West symbolizes Cassavettes and his company of actors, with each of their performances representing the work they release independently and outside of the system.  Mort and the gangsters represent outside monetary and production influences, dead set on exerting their power and will come hell or high water.  All of the narrative tension and conflict in the film are allegories for the endless problems and stress that come with the labor of love that is filmmaking.  The lengths that Cosmo goes through to protect Crazy Horse West and those connected, even at a detriment to himself, represent the insane amounts (and levels) of choices and hurdles often placed at the feet of a director during a production, be it independent or otherwise.  Even Cosmo’s brief trist that betrays the trust of Rachel directly after his gambling pitfall symbolizes the unhealthy way that creatives sometimes attempt to use work as a way to avoid their real stress, pain and problems.

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, in my opinion, serves as the first major jump in the Cassavettes independent canon in terms of production level... as much as I love Shadows, Faces and A Woman Under the Influence, this film is the first one to resemble its peers.  This aesthetic, however, does not take away from the Cassavettes technique, as the lighting still has an edge to it, and the camera is much more introspective in its observation as opposed to the standard Hollywood style of framing.  The patience that Cassavettes allows his tension-filled moments, be it the original or the truncated cut, holds well on the screen, and gives the audience a true interpretation of what Cosmo is going through mentally.  For such a simple narrative, it’s impressive how much of a character study that Cassavettes was able to shape out of the project.

Ben Gazzara holds the weight of the film surprisingly well, managing to look both oafish and classy with an almost effortless manner of swinging between the two states.  This plays well against Seymour Cassel’s sharp, slick manner, as if he is always angling, and Cosmo just happens to be the sucker born at that particular minute.  Meade Roberts and his wonderfully dismissive attitude pop as Mr. Sophistication, with his closing moments between a wonderfully punctuating button to end the ride that is The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.  Timothy Carey, Robert Phillips and Morgan Woodard are wonderfully intimidating, tiptoeing the line between caricature and tough guy.  Azizi Johari, Virginia Carrington, Alice Friedland, Donna Marie Gordon and Carol Warden bring charm and personality to their roles as staff of Crazy Horse West, especially when a few of them are given a chance to double-down on the personality aspect once allowed into the bigger world by the Cosmo character.  Appearances by Haji, Derna Wong Davis, Kathalania Veniero, Val Avery, John Finnegan and a very sobering moment by Soto Joe Hugh round out the cast. 

Plain and simple, this film is chock-full of actors that I love, and its off-beat approach to a genre I love makes it a refreshing view despite how often its watched or how recent the last viewing is.  While not my favorite of the independent Cassavettes canon, I find it the one that I rewatch the most, and the one that impresses me the most in terms of production value balanced against narrative value.

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #JohnCassavettes #TheKillingOfAChineseBookie #BenGazzara #TimothyCarey #SeymourCassel #MorganWoodard #AziziJohari #RobertPhilips #MeadeRoberts #JohnRedKullers #AlRuban #VirginiaCarrington #AliceFriedland #DonnaMarieGordon #Haji #CarolWarren #DernaWongDavis #KathalinaVeniero #ValAvery #SotoJoeHugh #JohnFinnegan #JamesLew

[back-and-totheleft]

The turning of the worm

As one of four hundred thousand American servicemen and women serving in Vietnam, Oliver Stone was a true believer in the cause of anti-Communism, his enlistment in the U.S. Army had also been the rash act of a young man in disarray, in flight from his privileged background. The watershed event of his life had occurred in February of 1962, during his sophomore year at the exclusive Hill School in Pottsdown, Pennsylvania, on the day he learned that his parents were divorcing. His father, a stockbroker, had lost his money and closed up their Manhattan townhouse and moved to a hotel; his mother had left New York for her native France without even telling him. The family life he had known had disintegrated in a single afternoon. By the time he dropped out of Yale, Stone was suicidal. "They were great parents but not always consistent. They betrayed me, lied to me about a lot of things...Yes, I was scared and felt persecuted, running from one institution to another - boys schools to churches to the merchant marine to army life." He joined the army seeking both the anonymity of the ranks and the opportunity to prove his manhood. "I wanted to see what I was made of. Would I be a coward? How would I react? I really wanted to kill myself, but instead decided I'd just go into combat. I asked for Vietnam and the infantry - and they gave it to me."

Stone was about to take part in the first psychedelic war in history. Resolute in his determination to show that America would win in Vietnam, President Lyndon Johnson had authorized one of the fastest and largest military expansions in the history of warfare. By doing so, he also unwittingly sent the men and women of the armed forces of the United States into a country where the most powerful opium, the purest heroin, and some of the most potent, resinous marijuana on earth would be readily available, turning the troops into potential drug users. Neither LBJ nor his commanders could ever have imagined or calculated the impact of drug use on the war - how it would change the lives of a generation of soldiers, how it would affect the conduct and perception of the war itself, or how the blowback effect of the policies of the U.S. government and the returning veterans on the drug scene and at home.

In the screenplay that would write about Vietnam in the summer of 1976, which would become Platoon, Stone attempted to portray his in-country initiation rite of marijuana as accurately as possible. Chris Taylor, the character Stone based on himself, played by Charlie Sheen, is taken down into a "specially constructed cellar-like hutch dug deep into the ground on an isolated edge of the battalion perimeter." Taylor has entered "another world. Chris looking around amazed. It's like a private cabaret for the heads who are there cooling out," decked out in their "Saturday night rage" of headbands, medallions, "anything distinctive and individualistic," with the Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" setting the mood as it plays from a tape deck. Chris begins smoking and isn't sure he's getting high until the benevolent Sgt. Elias takes him under his wing: "Elias pulls out a Remington 870 shotgun, jacks it to the rear, points it at Chris...takes a hit and blows it down the bore - 'shotgunning' it into Chris' lungs." As Chris falls back in a fit of coughing, everybody cracks up.

ELIAS: First time?

CHRIS: Yeah.

ELIAS: Then the worm has definitely turned for you, man.

For Oliver Stone, the turning of the worm meant many things, foremost among them being membership in the fraternity he depicts at the end of the scene. The hutch now looks like a "Turkish bath," and the heads have their arms around one another, passing the pipe and snapping their fingers as they sing Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" into the night. It is a display of precisely the kind of brotherhood that seems so sorely missing from the platoon as it becomes increasingly polarized into two separate camps that reflect the same bitter cultural and poltical divisions emerging in American society in the 1960s. In Stone's experience, this division would become tantamount to "civil war" - "on the one hand, the lifers, the juicers, the moron white element (part Southern, part rural) against, on the other hand, the hippie, dope smoking, black, and progressive white element (although there were exceptions in all categories, and some lifers did more dope than I ever dreamed). Right versus Left."

The demarcation of Right versus Left, hawk versus dove, Jack Daniel's versus Cambodian Red, and the growing conflict in the ranks it produced were most dramatically embodied in two sergeants, Barnes and Elias. Barnes (played in the movie with ferocious intensity by Tom Berenger) was "Achilles," "a warrior king" with a "cold, quiet stare" that could wither you completely - "you'd feel it right down to your balls." Sgt. Juan Angel Elias - "dashingly handsome, with thick black hair, a flashing white smile, and Apache blood" - was every bit the soldier that Barnes was, but unlike Barnes his men loved rather than feared him. In a place like Vietnam, his compassion and sense of morality seemed nothing less than saintly, an oasis of sanity and spirituality amid the madness and carnage, but he pissed off the lifers because he smoked dope and spoke the truth about the war. The character of each soldier would become powerful metaphors for Stone because they represented a conflict that was happening in every unit.

-Martin Torgoff, Can't Find My Way Home: America in the Great Stoned Age, A History of Illegal Drugs in America (2005) [x]

#oliver stone #the vietnam war #platoon #can't find my way home #marijuana #drugs #elias #barnes

[romancevsreality-blog]

the bachelor, season twenty-two, episode six: i had falling slowly stuck in my head the entire time i wrote this

Oh god.

We’re in Paris.

The most romantic city on Earth.

I literally cannot see straight because my eyes keep rolling and rolling and rolling. Are these broads sleeping on a boat? I’m pretty sure they’re sleeping on a boat. We see Chris Harrison, excited for his first real international vacation in a few weeks, pretending he can tolerate Arie as usual. Arie’s like, “I’m falling in love with some of these women.” We finally see this person called Jacqueline, who looks like Cristin Milioti1, who somehow made it to the halfway point without ever being seen on camera. I’m pretty certain Jacqueline really is Cristin Milioti and she literally took time off to shoot that crazy episode of Black Mirror and came back at the halfway point. CONSPIRACY THEORY.

Krystal is positive and enthusiastic and honestly, she’s going home this week on a two-on-one and we haven’t even confirmed this week’s dates.

Speaking of, Chris Harrison takes a break from touring the Louvre to let the girls know there’s four dates instead of three this week - two one-on-ones, a group date, and a two-on-one.

My tummy rumbled when he said two-on-one, because let’s be real - it’s the thing we look forward to most in any season. They might as well call it The Battle To The Death.

Everyone knows Krystal is going on the two-on-one, even herself. It’s amazing that she even has that much self-awareness. Oh, but there’s a date card!!!!!!!!!

It goes to The Last Remaining Lauren, which is what I have basically started calling her. I was hoping we’d run out of Laurens by this point, but I guess I was mistaken. All these girls looked the same this season, it was hard, okay?

Arie picks TLRL up from the boat, and they speed away in the gondola. All the girls are basically like...

And they’re right.

If Arie is a wet pair of boat shoes, Lauren is a Marilyn Monroe poster in a college dorm room.

Arie’s like, “this is going to be an incredible date!” and then they walk around Paris in silence. Like, monosyllabic answers. Arie’s concerned that she’s not super into him. Meanwhile, back with the girls, Tia and Kendall are hopeful that Lauren opens up on her date, because she takes a while to get comfortable. Arie’s literally like, “Lauren, I have a crush on you. I want you to like me.”

Why? Because she asked you your favorite color once?

... Oh, it’s because she looks like someone he’s dated. Someone whose name rhymes with Memily Shmaynard.

At the Boatel (Boat Hotel), all the girls are waiting to see who’s next for the date. Jacqueline puts a T so hard on the word geT that I am now fully convinced she is Acclaimed Trained Actress of Stage And Screen Cristin Milioti, as that affectation is very theatrical, very Katherine Hepburn2. There’s a date card! Becca K, Seinne, Tia, Chelsea, and Jenna are going on the group date.

That leaves Kendall and Grammy Award Winner Cristin Milioti to find out who’s going on the two-on-one with Arie. Neither girl has had a one-on-one, so this is messyyyyyyy. Krystal thinks it’s a little “unfair” to have either girl on a two-on-one with her, and I love her the most in this episode.

Arie and TLRL’s date starts with him talking about how busy it was in Paris that day. Oh my GOD I would rather go to a lecture about dentistry than ever hang out with these people. Lauren’s got trust issues so that makes her push guys away, and then Arie’s like, “let me top THAT, boring girl!” He had a girlfriend who was pregnant with his child, and when he left for a race, she lost the baby and told him she wasn’t going to be there when he got back. In response, Lauren’s like, “my parents’ marriage was rough, oh and I was engaged before but it didn’t work out.”

I have never chuckled at such an obtuse response like I did at that moment.

Lauren, for whatever reason, gets a rose. Like, I really think it’s interesting how even if the chemistry isn’t there (at least in my opinion), Arie’s really trying to make this shit work with Lauren. Compared to the last time he went on a one-on-one with the other Lauren, he was just... there. He didn’t really try at all. Huh.

The girls meet Arie and they’re all convinced they’re doing a fashion show. They walk over to the Moulin Rouge, and they say what everyone says - “oh, it’s not that big.” Like, have you ever seen a Baz Luhrmann film3?? If the Moulin Rouge was as big as he made it look in the movie it would be a part of the Paris skyline. They enter and are greeted by dancers, who are provacatively dressed, and the girls are going to learn a Cabaret routine.

They could have stayed in America and gotten Sonja Morgan and the quality would have been the same. It also would have been a charitable donation4!

Seinne is a professional trained dancer and she’s in her element, of course. Bekah’s process is “Wrong But Strong”, which has always worked for me5. Jenna’s loving it, but Tia’s hating it. She gives up on the dance almost straight away. The girls are taken upstairs to put on costumes - headdresses and thongs, my new favorite clothing store - and Jenna, Bekah and Seinne are living for the glamour, while Becca K is given a huge headdress with feathers and it looks heavy.

The girls perform a routine for Arie, and whoever is deemed best will get to perform on stage with Arie at the Moulin Rouge later on that evening. I love the black box they put over every girl’s butt, it’s my new favorite character. But I have a weird problem with this prize - what if someone has crippling stage fright? Are we really going to put someone in an anxiety-inducing situation like that in order for television?

Wait, I forgot this show has zero integrity.

At the after-after-after-after-after party, Arie makes sure to let them know that the rose that evening will be given on their connection and not on the performance. Tia can’t help but compare her relationship with Arie to everyone else’s. Meanwhile, we’re setting up the back-end conflict, which will effectively be about Bekah’s age. Chelsea’s like, “She’s 22, and I’m 29 AND I HAVE A BABY.” In case we had forgotten about her having a baby, the only words we’ve seen come out of her mouth all season.

Bekah M. gets the rose, and we’re tortured with Arie doing a Valentina-level bad lip-sync at the Moulin Rouge. They should have given Arie a mask or not had him LIP-SYNC IN FRENCH if he didn’t know the words! God, it’s like Valentina contributed nothing to the world.

At the Boatel, Krystal approaches Lauren, Kendall, and Star of Season Two of FX’s Fargo Cristin Milioti with a date card.

Two women.

One rose.

One stays, one goes.

Kendall and Krystal, let’s get the fuck into it.

Krystal is wearing sailor pants and a crushed velvet top and Kendall is wering a cold-shoulder jumpsuit, so I guess this is how you dress to kill or whatever. They meet Arie in the French countryside, and shit’s already tense. As if this wasn’t enough of a battle, Arie leads them to a literal labyrinth and tells them to come find him. This show sometimes just tries to smack you in the face with a metaphor. Kendall gets lost, and Krystal is successful.

Oh no.

Arie says this is Krystal’s last chance because of her behavior last week, and essentially gave her the two-on-one as punishment. He was really mad about her talking shit about him last week and she’s got a lot to prove. He would rather her come directly to him instead of putting him blast to everyone else, which is entirely a reasonable and decent opinion to have. Krystal apologizes sincerely and promises to work on it. They kiss and make up, and then Krystal proceeds to tell Arie that Kendall might not be ready to get married at the end of all of this.

KRYS. (hand-clapping emoji) TAL. (hand-clapping emoji)

GIRL, NO.

You had it all locked away and you fucked it up by going immediately into Shit Talking Mode. The minute you got your mouth on his you should have shut it the fuck down. She really thinks she’s so slick.

Arie almost immediately goes to Kendall and is like yo, she’s talking mad shit over here! And y’all, Kendal proceeded to come for my heart and my brain and I adore her. I’m sorry for shit talking her ukulele. I’m sorry for calling her a basic Pinterest girl. Kendall might be the most emotionally mature contestant to appear on this show to date and I have no shame in saying so. She tells Arie that the entire basis of Krystal’s argument is stupid because - who operates on a timeline like that? No one wakes up and is like, “Okay, I’m ready for love today. I wasn’t ready yesterday, but I’m ready for love today.” You find someone that you can see a future with and that’s how love works. And Kendall is pissed.

She heads over to Krystal, who is sitting with a coupe of champagne peacefully on a couch outdoors. She asks Krystal why she feels she’s not ready to get married, and Krystal says she doesn’t know, and Kendall’s like, YEAH DUH. And in situations where Krystal feels like she’s been backed in a corner, she lashes out and tries to hurt other people in order to get the heat off of her. She reminds Kendall of an ex of hers who used words as weapons in arguments, and reminds us all:

Saying the most hurtful thing... doesn’t mean you win. It just means you hurt somebody.

She takes Krystal’s hand and tells her she knows she’s experienced a lot of pain in her life and needs to stop trying to maintain an image of perfection and composure. I loved this because sometimes the two-on-ones are just savagery, but Kendall maintained her dignity and basically said, “What you did hurt me. I understand why you felt hurt and why you needed to attack someone, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been hurt too.” And it feels out of place because empathy and compassion is rare thing on this show.

God, I want so badly to be Kendall in this moment, but I’m so much like a Krystal. I hate that.

Krystal has no response. And because Krystal has no response and the producers aren’t getting the explosion they desire, Arie’s decided to extended the two-on-one into dinner instead of sending anyone home. At dinner before Arie arrives, Krystal’s trying to appeal to Kendall by saying they have similar beliefs, but as soon as Kendall rejects that notion, she’s like, “you were patronizing. “ Kendall DGAF, though. She’s there for Arie, and Krystal’s an emotionally stunted Thighmaster, so. That’s that.

Arie arrives and it’s still tense. Krystal tries to say something really really flowery and apologize to Kendall in front of him to secure her fate. Arie takes Kendall aside and we don’t see the conversation?????????????? They come back, her lipstick is gone, and Arie gives Kendall the rose. I cackle.

They leave Krystal alone at the dining table. We see the girls at the Boatel celebrating as Krystal’s suitcase is rolled away by a PA.

The next day6, Jacqueline, The Artist Formerly Known As the Mother From How I Met Your Mother, Cristin Milioti, is nervous about going on her date. Arie rolls up in a red convertible to pick her up, which promptly breaks down. We literally know nothing about her since she’s just back from working with Charlie Brooker and Jesse Plemons, and Arie has her try on dresses and walk down a staircase.

On their date, Arie admits that he was a little frightened by Cristin Milioti Who You May Remember As Sexy Baby on 30 Rock because she’s so smart, and that’s why it took so long to get her on a one-on-one. He didn’t want to come across as insecure around her. It’s weird because again, we have seen none of her, and they seem to actually get along and have a rapport. She tells him she’s not even close to being done with her educational goals - it takes six years to complete her Ph.D - and it’s a concern for him, because he’d like a partner he can move to Scottsdale and start crankin out shorties with ASAP.

I mean, I get it - he’s thirty-six, time’s running out. And it’s not like a Ph.D is the easiest thing in the world to get - it takes a lot of time and a lot of emotional energy. I don’t know if I’d be able to do that when I was newly married or engaged to someone I barely knew. Like, if she was closer to the end of her program, maybe. But she hasn’t even started. He doesn’t want to hold her back, but... he’s willing to go the distance with her. He says, “I don’t really see her ambition as a hindrance. It’s just another obstacle to get through together.”

And I hate him all over again. I mean, an obstacle? That’s an interesting choice of words there, buddy. I hate Arie because he seems to have good instincts and have great intentions and when he sees red flags he investigates but HE IS SO BAD AT WORD CHOICE. Ugh.

Star of Wolf of Wall Street Cristin Milioti gets a rose.

There’s no cocktail party this week - we head directly into the Rose Ceremony, where three girls have roses, and three girls are staying. Tia, Seinne, and Becca all get roses, and Someone’s Mom Chelsea gets sent off to be a mother7, and Jenna, who I liked but am fine with never seeing again, disappears into the ether.

We’re off to Tuscany next week, and Lauren’s bitch flower is beginning to bloom. We see her talking to a producer in a corner about how pissed off she is, and how terrified she is that Arie will pick someone else. Oh, now we see who you are, Lauren.

Next Week: Tuscany!!! It’s the week before hometowns, so pressure’s on. Everyone’s crying.

And Later This Season: Someone’s there to propose to someone. Someone’s parents are concerned about Arie’s intentions. And finally... a shot of Arie on a couch while someone’s sobbing in the background.

Random Assessments from the Desk of Amanda:

WHY DID WE SEE MORE OF TLRL THIS EPISODE THAN BECCA? Ugh. Do not disappear my Becca.

Krystal elevated herself to likeable villain in her exit episode. I loved that.

Seinne is the Sharleen of this season.

I rdesperately need to know the conversation that Arie and Kendall had right before kicking Krystal off.

What happened to Kendall’s rose on the two on one?

Is this the best cast of hair we’ve had on this show ever? Bekah’s groundbreaking short pixie, Jacqueline’s gorgeous Mariah Carey in 1988 mane…

Arie has more chemistry with literally the nine other girls left than he does with Lauren, the one he seems to WANT the most.

Is it just me or is this season full of the most dopplegangers yet? ↩︎

I purred this demurely with my lips pursed, just in case you were wondering. ↩︎

I high-key love the 1996 Romeo + Juliet, which I recently learned is a hot take opinion. But also, I will never forgive the 2013 Gatsby. Ever. What did Joel Edgerton do to deserve that? Then again, Tobey Mcguire deserves no better than that film. Ugh. ↩︎

I love Sonja. This is a little mean. ↩︎

Yeah, my inability to be incorrect is a problem??? ↩︎

Presumably, time is a construct on this show. ↩︎

God, bringing her abroad just to cut her is just as savage as Maquel coming back just to go home last week. ↩︎

#the bachelor #the bachelor recap #reality tv recap #god arie has the personality of a dry sponge #who is jacqueline #cristin milioti #i am doomed to misspell cristin milioti's name forever #two i's one l

[thotyssey]

On Point With: Charles Busch

A native-born playwright of considerable success both on and off Broadway, Charles Busch captured our hearts and funnybones with material that hearkened gently back to to a time when stories were told with a glamorous  sheen and a heavy hand... yet their comedic appeal remain timeless. Soapy melodrama, hilariously earnest dialogue and fabulous fashions are his bread and butter, and his most famous leading lady has always been Busch himself. Now bringing a new cabaret show about growing in in 1960′s New York to town, Charles sits down with us to talk about his incredible life and career, the people and things that influenced his own work, and the queens of today whom he’s inspired.

Thotyssey: We’re so honored that you’re talking to us, Charles. Let’s get right into it! This summer at the Pines, you performed a show called Naked & Unafraid. Was that literal?

Charles Busch: Whoa!!! I was not actually "naked." It was metaphorical in that I was performing my cabaret act NOT in drag. Of course, what I call "not in drag" would be considered "full drag" by some. That's funny that you thought I was actually nude. People are doing that sort of thing now, and I think it's very cool. But for me, I'm happy with myself from the neck up and the waist down. In between, I need some work.

You are known largely for writing comedic plays that pay homage to the melodrama and style of movies from the 40s through the 60s, and for starring in them as the female lead. It’s a very enjoyable experience for audiences that are fans of that era of film, but as younger generations become farther removed from that period, do they respond differently to your work in that genre?

Good question. Well, my audience has certainly aged with me, but there are SOME gay people under thirty who watch TCM and love classic film. I may be delusional, but I like to think that my plays and performances are funny in themselves and not totally reliant on a knowledge of old movies and stars. But  a familiarity with that type of star certainly adds to the experience. 

I've never actually done a parody of a specific movie. It's always an homage to a movie genre, and usually one so obscure that it's a given that 90 per cent of the audience has never seen any of those movies. It doesn't seem to be a problem. Funny is funny. 

I was raised on the film versions of two of your best known works where you play female characters, Psycho Beach Party and Die, Mommy, Die. Were you happy with the adaptation process in these cases? 

Both films were great experiences for me, particularly Die, Mommie, Die. I loved every minute -- and I mean every minute -- of making that film. Every day I couldn't believe my incredible good fortune at being able to star in my own movie and get to play all those wonderful scenes: love scenes, suspense scenes, mother love scenes. I suffered real withdrawal when the filming was over. I would lie on the sofa, replaying the entire movie in my head over and over. 

Needless to say, I would kill to make another film. Both Psycho Beach Party and Die, Mommie, Die were basically handed to me and put together very quickly. Now I'm in the position of trying to get a movie made, and it's been very frustrating. One week it sounds like we're about to start shooting in a month, and the next week the entire movie has fallen a part. 

Will we ever see a film adaptation of your first stage hit, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom?

Years ago, there was some talk that evaporated. However, these days it's looking optimistic for movies of both The Tale of the Allergist's Wife and The Divine Sister.

There’s a rumor that Lauren Ambrose of Six Feet Under fame may take the lead of a My Fair Lady revival! Lauren got her breakthrough as Chicklet, the heroine of the Psycho Beach Party film (a role you originated). What was it like working with Lauren during that early period of her career, and do you think she’d make a good Eliza?

I think Lauren would be a wonderful Eliza. She is a trained opera singer, and has great comic and dramatic skills. We haven't stayed in touch. But I like her a lot, and she was a joy to work with on Psycho Beach Party. We were very, very fortunate to have found her. She carries that movie with great authority.

You’re a native New Yorker. Can you describe the NYC that you grew up in, and were exploring, during your early creative years? Were you going to the bars and clubs, off-Broadway, etc.?

Oh honey, New York in the late seventies and early eighties was so much fun. Sex in the seventies was the best sex in the history of the world. I was in my twenties, and while I was too much of a hypochondriac and broke to get into drugs or alcohol, I adored going to the baths and back room bars. Orgies! I would leave the bar with seventeen gentlemen callers. It was my only experience enjoying the physical camaraderie of men. Sex was a great sport, individual and group. We thought "what's the worst that can happen to you?"  

As far as my creative life, I was full of hopes and dreams and gritty determination to carve out a career in the theatre. I think the older men I dated found me a bit exhausting, when they'd take me to the theatre and afterwards I'd be shaking my fist. "That oughta be me  up there!!"

Did any drag queens in the city influence your look and performance style? I know that famous female impersonator Charles Pierce was an inspiration. Charles Pierce was hysterically funny and terribly glamorous, and that certainly intrigued me. I was very influenced by the work of a brilliant actor/ playwright/ director named Charles Ludlam, who had his own theatre company, The Ridiculous Theatrical Company. Before I saw him, I had no idea that I could have a career creating my own theatrical universe. His plays employed drag and camp humor, and film and theatre history references. His plays were wildly funny but also at times poignant. He was dazzling, and changed my life forever.

One of our city’s top queens today, Paige Turner, credits working on an early production of yours as an inspiration for her own drag. She’s gonna be a reality TV star soon! I adore Paige Turner. She is a true original. Paige in her boy alter ego has had a very full career as an actor/ singer/ dancer in plays and musicals. Many well known drag performers seem to have been in my plays early in their careers. My plays seem to be a halfway house for young actors who become drag stars. 

Tale of the Allergist’s Wife was a hugely successful production that ran on Broadway in 2000, which many consider your first foray into “mainstream” playwriting. When you were writing that, were you conscious of how different it was from your previous work? Did you intend it to be different?

I had actually had something of a commercial success five years earlier with a very mainstream comedy called You Should Be So Lucky. It was conveniently forgotten when The Allergist's Wife moved to Broadway and the narrative about me was streamlined into "East Village drag queen writes Broadway comedy." Everyone has a publicity narrative, and the simpler the better. 

I'm beginning to think that the only difference between "downtown" and "mainstream" is the size of your publicity budget. If the Broadway play A Doll's House Part Two or even Dear Evan Hansen were done below 14th Street with very little publicity, they would be downtown. Conversely, if some very obscure avant garde piece was produced on Broadway and had subway posters and TV ads, it would be considered mainstream.

There are so many great works of yours that we can talk about (Our Leading Lady! The Third Story! The Divine Sister!), but then this would stretch into the longest interview ever. Is there any one work of yours at this point that you are the most fond of, or have the happiest memories attached to?

I'm very sentimental about a play of mine called The Lady in Question that was first done in 1989. It was the apogee of the work we were doing with my theatre company Theatre in Limbo. It was a beautiful and rather lavish production, and we all loved each other and were so proud of the work we were doing. And it was the last show we did with the original company before we lost two of our great colleagues, Bobby Carey and Meghan Robinson, to AIDS.

Do you think that Hollywood lost a little bit of its flavor when actors, writers and directors moved towards more “realistic,” grounded storytelling? It seems like even in these outlandish comic book blockbusters today, there is an attempt to tell the story like it is really happening, and that the superheroes and villains are these real, multi-layered people.

That's a very good point. I'm often asked to compare today's stars with the great pantheon of stars of old Hollywood. It's not really fair, since the actual technology influenced story telling and style. The stars of the past were seen in silvery black and white, and in a highly stylized world. It's an entirely different art form, and a different kind of actor is required.  

Whose take on Joan Crawford did you enjoy more: Fay Dunaway’s in Mommie Dearest, or Jessica Lange’s in Feud?

I love both. I think Faye Dunaway's performance defines the word "brave." So audacious and committed. I've never seen any actor convey such undiluted rage. However, I also appreciated Jessica Lange's more vulnerable Joan. You must remember that Mommie Dearest was an adaptation of Christina Crawford's book, and Christina had a definite point of view of her mother which was definitely not sympathetic; whereas Ryan Murphy in Feud wanted the audience to see more facets of Crawford's character, and what prompted her more outrageous behavior.

As I’m writing this, I’m watching this goofy “psychedelic” movie called The Big Cube on TCM from 1969, where this heiress and her evil boyfriend are trying to poison the heiress’ poor stepmother Lana Turner with LSD. It’s ridiculous fun, and I never heard of it before. Have you ever seen this?  

It's one of the great truly bad movies. Lana Turner's array of blonde wiglets alone makes it a camp semi-classic. It was actually one of the many movies that I was evoking in Die, Mommie, Die. It was very interesting in the sixties and early seventies, when Hollywood was taking the old genres and trying to be more hip and putting in references to LSD and sexual promiscuity, but they couldn't really pull it off without looking silly and exploitative.

This is a good segue to discuss My Kinda 60’s, your new cabaret revue that’s coming to Feinstein’s for four nights starting Tuesday, October 17th! You’ll be telling stories about growing up in the 1960s, plus covering songs from the stage and the pop charts of that decade. What inspired you to do this?

I love the intimate quality of cabaret. My act is a combination of music and true stories of my life in a very conversational way. I love the music of the sixties. It's the decade in which I grew up. This show is all about my childhood and coming of age in the sixties, when I was raised by my indomitable Aunt Lillian in Manhattan against the background of that fascinating decade. All of my shows are personal, but this one is very much a dual portrait of my Aunt and I.  My musical director/ arranger Tom Judson and I have put together a very eclectic and fun collection of songs.

What’s your favorite song to do in this show?

We loved singing duets, and we're doing a very cool arrangement of the Henry Mancini film theme song Two for the Road. 

Also oddly enough, the Glenn Campbell song By the Time I Get to Phoenix.  Every performer hopefully brings something unique to a song. And for me singing it, it can be read as a gay man who has led an inauthentic life and finally has left his girlfriend to become his true self, and how painful that decision is for both of them. I haven't changed a single word. It's just interpretation and the audience creating their own subtext.

Are you mad at hippies for not fulfilling their promise of creating world peace and harmony, or is that an unfair expectation of anyone?

That would expecting far too much. The hippies made their mark. They did influence the gay rights movement. They did influence the civil rights movement and the women's movement. Let's not discount the influence of the counter culture.

What’s something about 1960’s pop culture that should inspire younger people today?

Well, it was the beginning of every movement that we're still fighting for today; gender and racial equality. A relaxation of gender roles. Rebellion against government authority. These song,s and hopefully my personal stories, should not seem like something redolent of the past and sweetly nostalgic. These are cool, tough songs that could be written today.

Would a Melania Trump-inspired character in a future, theoretical Charles Busch production be a villain or a tragic heroine?

Well, you're talking to someone who has always felt great sympathy for Marie Antoinette. She does seem like someone who signed on for one thing and got in way over her head. I would not like to be Melania.

Piggybacking from that -- you’re famous for writing about nostalgic eras, but do you ever want to tackle the gritty reality of times like this in a play, script, etc.?

I have written contemporary plays, ya know! Not all of my plays are based on classic film. Some of my more recent plays, Olive and the Bitter Herbs and The Tribute Artist, were very much about life in NYC today, and how real estate forces so many life choices onto people.  I'm not a didactic or issues-oriented political writer. If I attempted something like that, it would come off fake and pretentious. A creative artist has to have the insight to know what they personally have to offer.

So, what else is coming up for you?

I've written a new play that we'll be doing for a very limited run this spring called The Confession of Lily Dare where I age from a sixteen year-old convent girl to an old crone. Gotta get it done now, while I can still put off the sixteen part. No wisecracks, please.

In closing: OMG. when will we be seeing you judging on RuPaul’s Drag Race!? These queens out there need to go through the Charles Busch musical theater challenge!

Start the whispering campaign. Start it now! I would love to appear as a judge, It's such a fun show, and RuPaul deserves all of those Emmys. World of Wonder, sign me up! I think I have something to offer those girls. I would be encouraging, loving but tough.

Thanks so much Charles, and have a great show!

Charles Busch’s stage show “My Kinda 60′s” runs from October 17th through the 21st at Feinstein’s. Check Thotyssey’s calendar for other scheduled appearances, and follow Charles on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and his website.

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