#WATCH IT NOT BE IN MY LOCAL CINEMA BECAUSE I LIVE IN THE VOID

[upperranktwo]

FUCKING FINALLY!!!!!! We have the UK Mugen Train release date!!!!!! My sister’s boyfriend asked her if she will see it with him and she said no because she’s going with me and we’re having a sisters day out shdsahdahdashdasdas sorry mate but my sisters are loyal to me first 

#sky rambles #my twin and second youngest really love the series and they only checked it out because I love it <3 loyalty #WATCH IT NOT BE IN MY LOCAL CINEMA BECAUSE I LIVE IN THE VOID #i will go to the city don't test me

[straightouttaneptune]

Chosen 02

Pairing: Avengers x reader, Natasha Romanoff x reader

Warning: MIND B L O W I N G SCIENCE jk idk if it makes sense lmao. Fluff, fluff, fluff, sassy Dr Strange, implied smut but no smut.

Summary: The reader is a senior in a local high school, watching Avengers: Endgame in cinemas when something absolutely mind-blowing happens.

A/N: I present to you, Chosen pt. 2!! Take that, writer’s block!!! I’m obsessed with Nat, so obvi this one’s Nat x reader as well😂

Special s/o: @ihaeresortedtonothingness @blackreaders-assemble @katykat71114 @hpspngot @pyrowolfgirl1408

Part one

———————————————————————

The next few weeks were mind blowing. The people you thought were fictional for all those years, they all surrounded you now, and you’d slip a few happy tears when everyone else weren’t looking.

Is this what it feels like to finally belong? Steve placing a warm blanket on you during movie nights, Wanda making tomato soups just for you after a tiring day of genetic tests, late nights with Tony down in his lab as he teaches you all you need to know about mechanics, playful banters with Sam and Bucky, talking to pigeons with Clint, and so many ordinary things that you would give your kidney to keep.

"Okay, place your fingers on the trigger, both hands, eyes on the target," Natasha brushed up against your shoulders as she coached you through gun training, all part of Bruce's plan to figure out what kind of spectacular powers you possessed to be chosen by the universe. "And shoot." 

"This isn't just a coincidence?" You furrowed your brows at Bruce, still not seeing what was so surprising that they had to actually create a rip in the multi-verse and reality to bring you here. 

"It's not. We looked through every possible explanation, and we only found that you were meant to happen." Bruce looked over at Tony as if to ask for support, explaining everything as best as he could. 

"We found a prophecy, kid. Well, technically, Chancellor Neighsay found it- but, it means that you were meant to be found, and you were meant to be brought back." 

“Chancellor Neighsay? Did I miss something?”

“He means Stephen Strange. He looks like Chancellor Neighsay from my little pony.”

“Ah. There was a meme about that.”

Bang! The gun forced your hand back with force, making you stumble back a few steps. The loud echo rippled through your eardrums even through the protective ear muffs. The bullet hit right on target, though. You were able to tell from Natasha's proud grin. 

“Maybe your talent is with guns. And fighting, and tech, and science, and, well, everything.”

Natasha stared at you, just as curious as you were of yourself. You’d never learned how to shoot guns, or to fight, or anything about tech. But it all came so naturally. Maybe you did really belong here.

“I don’t know why I can do these things.” You sighed short-breathed, fueled by adrenaline and the excitement.

“Whatever it is, I can tell that you belong here.” Natasha’s smile was contagious, leaving the two of you to stare at each other with a huge grin on both of your faces.

The trance is only broken when Bruce, Stephen, Tony and Steve all runs into the room exhilarated and out of breath.

“Y/N! Y/N, we- we found out why you’re here.” Bruce hunched down to take a breath, while Nat sprinted toward Tony to look at the documents he was holding.

“Oh- okay. Why?” Your eyes twinkled, finally about to find out what made you, a seemingly ordinary girl to be so important. Weirdly, it felt like a scene from a movie. Perfectly rehearsed. But this was reality for you now.

“You passed every test with flying colors because you have the power to do anything. Absolutely anything. You- are the product of the power stone.” Stephen announced as if it was the most dramatic and astonishing thing in the world, but all the reaction it brought from you was a furrow of brows.

“What?”

Stephen sighed discontentedly, expecting you to understand like it was the easiest thing in the world.

“Don’t go all Sherlock on me, Bohemian Cucumber.” You replied slyly to his annoyed reaction, knowing very well that Stephen won’t understand a thing.

“Wha- okay. Anyways, with the Big Bang, came the infinity stones. The first keeper of the power stone, she wanted to harvest and protect its powers so she hid it in the void of the multi-verse. Waiting for the right living thing who would be chosen by the stone to possess its power.” Avengers started to gather in the room, Friday must have called for them.

“It chose you, Y/N. The day you were born. The power was too strong, and it killed your mother, father, and everything inside the hospital. That’s why you were found alone. Why you grew up in an orphanage.” Bruce explained, corners of his eyes dropping as he touched a sensitive subject for you as gently as possible.

“That doesn’t explain why I’ve been normal ever since though... I remember getting sucky grades for P.E.” You reminisce to the terrible elementary school years, cringing at the memories.

“Simple. It’s the nature of your original universe. It blocks your powers. When you got the powers is another story. Your original world contained it as best as it could. If uncontained, it could’ve caused a massive supernova on Earth.” As if reading your mind, Tony answered the lingering question in your mind. It all actually made sense. It was still very surreal, of course... but it made sense.

“And now you’re needed here.” Natasha’s hand enveloped around yours, the warmth radiating off of her palms.

“Now I’m needed here.” Your voice was lighter, feeling like a huge weight has been lifted off of your shoulders. You no longer felt trapped in your own life. Looking deep into Natasha’s eyes, you felt a sense of belonging.

Time skip to 2 years later

“Y/N!!! Sam stole my bedsheets again!” Bucky’s high-pitched yell sounded through the new and remodeled Avengers facility.

“Why would he steal your bedsheets??” You screamed back, placing the teacup onto its saucer.

“Because it’s a pain in the ass to put em back on the mattress!” Sam laughed maniacally, rushing past the living room with a flowing cape that was Bucky’s bedsheets dragging on the floor behind him.

“Let them do their thing, baby. Let’s go to our room.” Natasha placed her empty cup on the coffee table, grabbing your wrist and looking at you with mischievous eyes.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” You giggled as she led you down the hall into the elevator, pushing you into the compartment as soon as the doors opened.

In the next few hours, Tony would regret (again) that he didn’t make the walls sound-proof.

Life truly is a surprise.

#marvel #marvel cinematic universe #mcu #marvel comics #avengers #mcu imagine #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanov #natasha romanoff #natalie rushman #natalia romanova #black widow x reader #black widow #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #female x female #fem!reader #avengers x reader #lgbtq

[blazehedgehog]

On certain shows, such as Animaniacs and Tiny Toons, there is a sort of contempt with censorship reflected in its characters. This got me thinking that writers probably intensely dislike the regulation of their work. Therefore I guess they just want to have freedom from this regulation. Would it be better that the writers are allowed free reign and write whatever they want, no matter what they are working with?

I mean, they totally can do that now, thanks to the internet. Adult Swim shows a version of Venture Brothers where words get bleeped and nudity is blurred, but if you want there are fully uncensored versions of those episodes on different streaming services.

The implications of a question like this are not lost on me, and I’d like to think you aren’t simply JUST asking about Animaniacs and Tiny Toons either, but are coming from this from a perspective of censorship as a whole.

As such, and this may be a controversial statement to some, but I think TV censorship is fine. Usually, anyway. Obviously shows like Animaniacs and Tiny Toons were railing against censorship, and that’s because you occasionally hear horror stories over the years about bizarre, specific problems a censor will have over something genuinely harmless. Like, for example, censors having a problem with Nickelodeon’s Angry Beavers telling someone to “shut up” because it might inspire kids to be rude. Or the story going around about a single British TV censor that railed against nunchucks. Sometimes it is legitimately dumb and unnecessary.

But TV censorship does a lot of good, too. I mentioned just a week or two ago that I am (or was, it’s complicated) pretty squeamish when it comes to excessive gore in horror movies. 

One night in 2013, a local TV channel aired Return of the Living Dead. Now, normally, that’s an extremely violent movie with lots of hardcore language and even full frontal nudity. It’s a kind of a heavy metal movie. And, sight unseen, it’s a movie I’d normally never consider watching, because there are parts that are pretty gross. People could tell me, “oh it’s not so bad” and I probably still wouldn’t watch it, because I don’t like excessive gore, and I wouldn’t want to risk it on principal alone.

But they put it on TV. And not cable, this was over-the-air, network television, the stuff you get for free as long as you plug in an antenna. Even though it aired past midnight, they still had to do their best to cut out the worst, most gross parts.

And in that context, I was willing to watch the movie. It’s legendary zombie cinema and I’m a fan of seeing TV edits of “adult” movies (I saw part of a really great TV edit of Fargo once that replaced all the swearing, it was hilarious).

Through that, through this censored-for-TV edit of a very violent 1980′s horror classic, I could appreciate it. And I thought it was really good! I enjoyed watching it enough that I actually ended up seeking out the uncensored version.

None of that would have ever happened without the censored version existing.

That’s the thing a lot of people are losing sight of in the modern “omg censorship!!!” debate: there are actually acceptable forms of censorship. It can be totally okay to censor something! Not everything always has to be rude, nasty, and uncensored! Sometimes, you even get the rare case where censorship is better!

Take anime like Ghost Stories or Samurai Pizza Cats. In both of those cases, during the process of dubbing those anime, the original Japanese scripts were lost and the American production studios got to play it by ear and make up whatever they wanted. You could absolutely spin that as a case of them censoring the original shows, but it’s also transformative in a way that made those shows more fun to watch. A lot fewer people would remember Samurai Pizza Cats if it was a straight translation of “Kyatto Ninden Teyandee.”

What about Animaniacs and Tiny Toons? What do you imagine an unfettered version of those shows would actually be like? If they didn’t have to write around the censors, would those shows be automatically improved? We may never really know, but at the same time, that censorship was part of their sense of humor. If you took that away, isn’t that in itself also a form of censorship?

A good example of comparison here I think is Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, which is the show that more or less launched Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. The original run of Space Ghost ran just as part of Cartoon Network’s late night programming, when it didn’t have any kind of special name. Cartoon Network had just relaunched the “Space Ghost Brand” through something called Cartoon Planet, which was a block of classic cartoons hosted by Space Ghost, Moltar, Zorak, and Brak. In between cartoons they’d respond to reader mail or do skits. It was weird, a little random, but 100% kid friendly and clean.

Coast to Coast was originally just an extension of that, but through the lens of a late night talk show like The Tonight Show or whatever. Space Ghost would interview celebrities and ask them wacky questions. Early episodes of Coast to Coast were very close in tone to Cartoon Planet, but eventually Williams Street (then known as Ghost Planet Industries) started pushing the boundaries of the show, thanks to the late night slot. It got darker, and weirder, and creepier, but they were still kind of beholden to certain Cartoon Network censorship standards…

…Until the launch of Adult Swim. Here’s a block of programming that spent the first 3-5 years of its existence literally yelling through a megaphone that their late night content wasn’t for children. Williams Street was given a chance to write their own standards, for… well, adults. Space Ghost relaunched, and now unshackled from Cartoon Network’s kid-focused censors, got even darker and weirder. They can swear now! Zorak isn’t just Space Ghost’s foil anymore, now he worships SATAN! This isn’t kids stuff like Cartoon Planet! Isn’t that COOL?

And frankly? I don’t think the show was better for it. There is a point where Coast to Coast gets too edgy for its own good and it loses its charm. There’s a sweet spot to the series, around season 5, where they’re pushing the boundaries but haven’t tipped over the edge just yet. Making the show uncensored (relatively speaking) did not really improve its quality in my eyes.

What you call “censorship” was an ingrained part of what made these shows so good and taking that away does not guarantee any increase in quality. Limitations foster creative thinking. It’s not about the vulgarity they couldn’t do, it’s how they worked around that vulgarity that we remember.

Do not become so obsessed with what entertainment you think you’re “losing” that you forget what we’ve already gained by filling that void with something else.

There are obviously situations in which censorship can be very upsetting and even dangerous. Censorship can absolutely be used as a weapon against the people. But that is not universally applicable in all scenarios. The idea that nothing can ever be censored is, in itself, also a weapon. As always, everything must be considered in moderation.

#questions #censorship #tiny toons #animaniacs #space ghost #ghost stories #samurai pizza cats #adult swim #long #winstein-nin

[furkanandiceng]

FURKAN ANDIÇ BEMAN MAGAZINE (OCTOBER 2017) INTERVIEW TRANSLATION

You are on our screens with a very different role in Kanal D’s TV series “Meryem”. How is it going?

We’re very busy, to be honest. Just like every work in this sector, we film the episodes within a very limited time, which requires working at quite a busy pace. But I can say that, for us actors, the most important criteria of satisfaction is the quality of the final product. Because the feeling of satisfaction we get as a result of the effort we put in is indescribable. Then you think that it is worth the effort. What we do in Meryem really satisfies me, which in turn motivates me to keep up with this busy schedule.

Do you understand the situation Savaş is in? Do you communicate with the characters you play?

Before building a relationship with the characters I play, I create them. In this way, I know everything about the characters I play in the light of all the knowledge I have gained through my acting experiences so far. We form an opinion (about the character) with the help of the information in the script and character analysis. After that, you ask whatever questions you wish about that character into the space and help that character have a physical form, be something living. It may be a traumatic reflex from his past, or the reactions he gives to different emotions. Then, with our directors, we try to create the character by making all the connections  between the total of these and his past given in the script.  

Savaş’s situation is really interesing. Life has wounded him from somewhere other than daily problems such as money, love or work. He is a man who lost his mother at an early age and had to grow up separate from his house because of the conflicts he had with his father. And this has always made him emotionally incomplete. After he loses his fiancée who was filling this void and helping him hold onto life in an accident, everything becomes even more difficult for Savaş. The void created in his life after Sevinç’s death pushes him to avenge his emotional breakdown and to start a search of the criminal.

Can you control your anger? What makes you angry the most?

Anger is a very interesting emotion. A very natural, humane reaction when someone is assaulted or deprived of something. To be honest, I used to have a quick temper and show my anger to the other person. But as I got more mature, I have come to realize how tired the other person becomes as a result of such reactions. So in recent years, I can control my anger pretty well. I don’t make an extra effort for this either. What makes me angry the most is when someone takes me for a fool. We people are social beings; we have a tendency to live together in a community. And communication is the most valuable social tool we use to understand each other. We can resolve everything through communication, but the fact that people try to fool others is, in my opinion, like fraud. Because I think like this, I can say that I dislike when people take me for a fool.

You’ve had your first movie experience with “Damat Takımı”. It is going to be in theaters soon, are you excited?

Damat Takımı is very valuable to me. First of all, the script was good and I felt that the friendship of the characters was very similar to the friendship I have with my friends. This is very valuable. Secondly, both my Volkswagen Beetle car and my best friend and manager have minor roles in it, which I believe will bring good luck. And most importantly, Damat Takımı is my first movie.

I had always filmed TV series before this and was very picky about movies, and this had both advantages and disadvantages. Its bright side is that my first movie is like how I imagined. Such a movie that I will keep a copy throughout my life and watch it proudly whenever I wish. The downside is that I met the magical world of cinema late. Cinema is a very different field from TV. Since we don’t have time problem, every scene can be structured more finely, both by the actor and the director. The beginning and the end (of the script) is there, so you can build the character in more detail. And this made me feel as free as I had never felt before, which in turn was reflected directly in my acting. I am going to watch it for the first time on October 16th in the premiere, to be honest. So I can say that I’m very excited. I hope people who take time and watch it enjoy themselves too.

Is there a specific movie genre or character that you want to play in the future?

I want to work in projects that have good scripts and well-written characters that I believe I can portray well. And of course, I want to do all of these with an innovative team. In other words, like everything else, cinema changes rapidly so I want to work in projects that I think will catch up with this speed.

Frankly speaking, rather than being an actor limited to one genre, I want to play characters with diverse emotions and motivations, so I want to be not only in romantic comedies but also in different categories of movies such as drama, horror and action. I think, as an actor, my job is to wear the shoes of the character I will play and present the paths he walks and the choices he makes to the viewers.

Have you learnt anything from the characters you play?

The script’s uniqueness, the actor’s imagination and curiousity altogether can make the actor feel intense and real feelings that he’s never experienced before. The actor can even collect memories, so to speak, while experiencing those feelings. I learnt  a lot of things from each of the characters I created. And I believe that made me a more mature person in life. Having different experiences and adding something to yourself while playing different characters are great opportunities for actors.

Among the countries you traveled to, where did you feel like you belonged?

Bali, Indonesia. The attractive disorderliness of the location... A lot of people travel from Europe to Bali. And many people who come bring along their cultures. But, on the other hand, the local people preserve their own religious beliefs and cultural values and this kind of creates a very orderly disorderliness in the island. The island’s unique and attractive natural beauties also made me feel like I belonged there. Beside this fascination, I can say that Bali is an ideal place for me considering my personality. I’m a person of warm climates. I like water and water sports. I like to observe different cultures and talk to people from those cultures. I can communicate with them easily and learn something from them. The local people in Bali also have the same sentiments and motivation toward the foreigners. This is why I love that place.  

Have you ever had to break up with someone? If it’s not very personal, why?

Breaking up with someone is something dramatic for me, and I may have never told someone to break up in my life. But I may have played a significant part in the ending of some of my relationships, because at the end of the day, breaking up is a destruction. At work or in friendships, it is the end of a relationship in its general sense. We can say that it is destruction for both sides. That’s why I prefer keeping this destruction at minimum. Even if I’m the one destroying it, I try not to hurt the other person. That’s why I don’t want to say that I’ve broken up with someone. I probably managed to explain myself and my reasons, so I can’t give you any examples since I haven’t broken up with anyone.  

When did you suffer because of love for the first time; are you in love right now?

I was 11 in 5th grade, and it was because I couldn’t confess to her. It was a very painful feeling. Loving someone romantically isn’t something we experience every day. That’s why we definitely have to protect our love. We may often be afraid to confess it to the other person, but I believe that nothing that may happen when we share our feelings can be worse than not sharing them at all. Nowadays, I’m not in love with anyone. You never know what future will bring but I can say that there’s no time for it in this tempo of my life.

Do you get help when you shop?

Yes. I make sure to ask the opinion of the person with me.

Is there anything that makes you say “I don’t want to die before I do it”?

I don’t want to die before filming a full-length movie that I’ve written. I hope I will have the chance to do it.

What is the book that had the biggest impact on you?

“Aşkın Gözyaşları” (Tears of Love) by Sinan Yağmur. Shams Tabrizi and Mevlana are two figures whose wisdom was admired not only during their days but even today. In the book, we see both their divine love and eternal values like loyalty, dedication, belief and reality. I also think that the book doesn’t take any sides and everyone can find sincere values about life in it.  

Have you ever had a moment when you thought you grew mature?

Toward the end of 2000s, after high school, I went to Kiev, Ukraine. Going there made a big difference in my maturity level. Life was too difficult there. It wasn’t like a normal university life. I can say that it was more like a “fight for survival”. There was a huge difference between the living standards I had before I went to Kiev and after I went to Kiev. It taught me to live with less and to create something out of nothing. What made me mature was that I normalized the process and moved on with my life. I learnt a lot. It may also be because I was at an age when my personality was being set. So, in short, the time when I believe I grew mature was when I returned from Kiev.

Is there an attire that you wear all the time? What kind of style do you have?

My black and white t-shirts. As a style, I like getting dressed casually. Wearing simple and plain clothes is an aesthetic appearance, in my opinion. That’s why I don’t prefer very complicated pieces of clothing. Comfortable pants and a plain t-shirt can make me feel good. That’s when I think what I wear looks good on me. Also, I think what we call a style is the choices that make one feel good.

Who do you look up to the most in life?

I actually look up to a lot of people. Artists, athletes, scientists... I look up to every person who makes efforts to add value to the world rather than to achieve something when they are alive. I can say Keanu Reeves, for example. His humility, helpfulness and spiritual world is really admirable. He’s someone who weighs his work only in terms of the value it adds to the world. I believe that he has a focus like “How can the world become a better place with my performance or the money I earn?”. I think that his tragic background didn’t stop him from achieving his goal but even helped him have this vision. This is a level of patience and calmness that I can look up to greatly.

Why did you choose martial arts?

I did sports throughout my life. I was interested in many sports, particularly basketball. But they were all team sports. I learned different kinds of disciplines and skills, of course. But in this tempo of my life now, it’s really hard to form a team and dedicate myself to the team. So I started doing individual performance sports. The reason why I’ve chosen martial arts is the adrenaline and philosophy. You have different kinds of experiences due to adrenaline hormone. It teaches you to think reactively, know the opponent within a short time, foresee what’s coming, weigh the defense and attack at the same time and most importantly, to focus on that moment independently from everything else. They also have humble philosophies like respecting the opponent, preserving the body’s agility, not hurting the opponent, using intelligence more than excitement and achieving a mental tranquility. This is why I’m interested in martial arts.

Do you have a weakness for anything?

I can actually say that I have a weakness for fun. I noticed this through the observations of the people close to me. Like everyone else, I try to be with the people I love and spend fun time with them while enjoying life. And I can sometimes lose the track of time while doing it. Making the most of now is, in my opinion, life itself. So I may be trying to keep that fun time longer.

What does acting mean to you?

An achieved goal. But after achieving this goal, I’ve realized that it is a very deep and long journey. I know I still have a very long road ahead; it makes me very excited. In some scenes, actors can get too immersed in the depth of a moment. We may experience very exciting feelings in such moments. It is like you are given the chance to live a moment of someone else’s life in your own life. If an actor has really tasted this, he will probably want to collect such moments during the rest of his life as much as he can.

Are you happy with where you are?

Yes. I’m at a point where I feel I’m very open to learning. It had never been so fun to learn something. I’m satisfied with the point I have arrived by improving myself in my work life too.

Our motto is “BeStyle”. What’s yours?

“Know yourself.”

(English Sub) Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmLBamZc-Vc

Backstage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BozrkARyLL4

#Furkan Andıç #FurkanAndıç #Beman #Magazine #Interview #Her Yerde sen #HerYerdeSen #Furkan

[sometimesalwaysmusic]

SILENT ERA CINEMA

Silent Era Cinema is the instrumental studio project of Ottawa songwriter and composer Kris Ward (KW), who has been active in the past in bands like By The Lights and Right By Midnight. We caught up with Kris, who is hot off the heels of releasing EP-02, and discussed his influences, scoring a film, and his plans for the future.

VITALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silenteracinema/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/silenteracinema

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBedLq4VB7R5oBb3NGsNrQ

Latest Release:  EP-02 (EP, September 2018)

Upcoming shows: Stay tuned!

SA: How did Silent Era Cinema come to be? KW: Believe it or not, this project came to be as a result of my day job. Ha! How very anti-rock and roll isn’t it? But it’s the truth. I was fairly active in music for nearly two decades, but recent years have found me in said full time job, a house, kids etc. Domesticated. That left me with a bit of a void creatively. Music has always been a big part of my life, especially the creation of music.  I can be having a bad day, or week even, but if I can write a song or idea my whole outlook can shift. So there I was at my day job wondering where I was headed musically. I decided one day to search for some instrumental music to listen to while I worked and up popped Tycho’s album Dive. And that was it! I was hooked. I ended up buying his entire catalog within a few days and was just completely into instrumental music. Ended up watching some live videos of his and was blown away by the idea that all of these sounds I was hearing was, and could be, created by a full band (well his later stuff anyway) and thought to myself, “I think I can do this!” That’s how it all started. I started writing guitar and keyboard parts in my little home-studio I have and built it up from there. By early 2018, I had released my first 4-song EP and now here we are fall 2018, releasing a follow-up 2 song EP, complete with a vocalist on one of the tracks. I’ve found my way to be creative at my own pace and have that outlet, while also having a project I really enjoy doing.

SA: What bands, musicians or artists would you cite as the biggest influences on your sound? KW: Without a doubt my biggest influence has been Tycho, not only because he was the first artist of this genre I discovered, but just because of how in-depth he gets into his songs. I follow him on social media and love watching his stories and videos on how he creates his sounds and builds up his songs. I’m also really into Bonobo and Jon Hopkins. Hopkins in particular is a bit more electronic than I would like to be, but his music is great. His album Opalescent has been on repeat in my headphones quite a bit. I also just downloaded some Aphex Twin that I’m currently listening to. I’ve always been a fan of instrumental rock music (post-rock?) as well. Mogwai is amazing. One of those bands that I find keep getting better and better. I thought Every Country’s Son was an absolutely fantastic record. So there’s a lot of stuff I listen to that really helps influence what I’m doing with my own project. I actually just decided to randomly pick up a Caribou record Our Love a few weeks back, it’s awesome!  

SA: Thus far in the project’s lifetime, what has been your biggest success? KW: I think the fact that this is even at a point where I have two releases under my belt is a huge success. When I decided to start writing this kind of music, I sat down with absolutely no idea how to do it. In the 20 years I’ve been playing and writing music I’ve always been a guitar in hand with pen and paper verse-chorus kind of songwriter. This completely changed everything. I had to up my creative levels, I had to write a bunch of different parts and pieces, I had to up my production knowledge, learn new studio and micing techniques and learn how to mix my own songs. It’s been challenging but so rewarding at the same time. With this second EP, I remember listening back to the masters and thinking, “You know what? This sounds great!” I’m happy with my own work and enjoying listening to my own compositions, so I’d say that’s a pretty big success.

 SA: On the other hand, what is the biggest challenge you have faced, and how have you dealt with it? KW: I don’t look at things as a big challenge anymore. More like some small obstacles to overcome. And I just try and tackle them one at a time as they come along. Obviously being on your own, working out of your own home studio, it’s a challenge to stay on track. Sometimes it’s a challenge to force myself to go into the studio and start writing. But I try not to be too hard on myself. I used to be really hard on myself, force things, but not anymore. If I need a night, or even week off, I take it. I think the music that’s created is all the better for it. I knew for this second release I wanted some vocals on one of the songs, but that idea of bringing in other people and their schedules starts getting daunting. But I reached out to Krystal, gave her the song, arranged a time in the following month to record it, and it just came together really well with absolutely no pressure at all. For the next EP, I’d love to incorporate a drummer into the mix, but not sure that will happen. I’m also tossing around the idea of taking this live, not sure how I will do that either yet. It will definitely be a challenge for sure, but I figure I will tackle it one thing at a time.

SA: How do you approach the song-writing process? KW: I don’t really have a set approach on how I write the music, all I do know is I try to avoid your typical format (intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, end). It’s just not really of interest to me anymore. It’s not to say I can’t appreciate a good song, but as a writer I’ve really enjoyed pushing my own boundaries a lot. It’s been a lot of fun and I think that’s what I try and do for the most part, just keep it fun. For a lot of the songs on the first EP, I actually started with just one riff, be it a beat, keys or guitar riff etc. and then just picked a random time length for the song and wrote a song using that riff in the amount of time I gave myself. For this latest release, I wanted to have a song that had some vocals on it, and I wanted the songs to be a bit darker in tone too. So it’s really just a matter of throwing ideas at the recording program and listening back and seeing what sticks. I’ve started coming up with ideas for my next EP I’m hoping to have out either end of 2018 or start of 2019, and I know I want it to be more guitar focused, but we’ll see what happens.

SA: What are your thoughts on the Ottawa music scene, in particular surrounding the instrumental style of music of this project? KW: I’m actually so new to this genre and type of music I don’t know too many other artists that are of this style. I really need to go out I guess. I’m sure they exist and it would be nice to network and meet musicians that are creating in the same spirit I am. I also want to reach out to other types of artists and creators and collaborate on some stuff together, maybe score a video for them, or come up with some visuals for a live show I hope to put together in the future. It’s funny you know, I’ve been making music in this city for 20 years, but this is one of the first times I’ve been in a project where I’m not at all concerned with what’s going on around me. I think when you’re in a really active band (especially when you’re younger) you have a bit of a competitive edge to you and you want to get where everyone else is, but the thing is you don’t take into account that there are a TON of external factors that result in someone’s success that have nothing to do with work ethic and talent. The music industry is mostly about being the right place at the right time with the right people to hook you up. I used to get hung up on that, but now that I’m older I just really couldn’t care about any of that stuff anymore. I figure I’ll put some music out, see if I can play some shows and if people like it great, and if they don’t that’s ok too. The scene itself, at least from what I can tell, looks like it’s doing great! Lots of cool new venues popping up, some cool shows coming to town. New local bands getting chances to play festivals and open for more established acts, it’s great. I’m happy for those bands, end up checking them out and find some local bands I really enjoy! Like No Mistakes In Space, their latest EP is awesome! So to me as somewhat an outsider, or at least not as involved as a I used to be, it seems like it’s really thriving and there’s some top quality music coming out!

SA: For someone who hasn’t heard your music before, what is the ideal situation in which to listen to your music? KW: Hmmmmm, tough one. I’m not sure to be honest. Some people have mentioned that my music is a bit more chill electronic, so maybe when you’re relaxing at home with a drink in hand and just listening to tunes? I think some of it is cool for that nighttime drive as well, when you’re heading out on the town on a Saturday night. It’s maybe not the music you listen to at the club when you’re dancing, but maybe when you’re driving to your destination under the city lights?

SA: If you could score any film, historically or to be released, which would it be and why? KW: Another tough one! I don’t know to be honest. I really like soundtracks or scores to Ryan Gosling movies for some reason. Whatever I may think of him as an actor, the music and scores in some of his films are great. Loved Drive, both movie and soundtrack. Wasn’t a big fan of Blade Runner 2049 as a movie, but really cool score. I also REALLY liked the score for the Superman movie Man Of Steel. But for arguments sake, although I know there’s a ton of movies out there, let’s go with Drive with Ryan Gosling. But if you asked me again in 20 minutes, that would probably change.

SA: You have the chance to sit down for a meal with three musicians, dead or alive. Who are they, and why? KW: Man, three tough questions in a row! Wow. Each tougher than the last. Well first up, I’d definitely love to sit down with Scott Hansen from Tycho just because of the impact his music has had on me in the last few years. He’s just so knowledgeable and seems like a really nice guy. It’d be great to “shop talk” with him on music, guitar effects, keys, recording, creating beats, writing music etc. Moving into the rock realm that I grew up in/with, I’d say Richard Ashcroft. I am a MASSIVE fan of The Verve (more so their early stuff pre-Bittersweet Symphony) and I think it would be great to have a pint and hear some stories of the band. He definitely has that rockstar persona but I think one on one you could probably have some really great conversations with him. I think the last guy, sticking with the brit-pop I grew up with, would be Liam Gallagher. He just seems like he’d be a riot. Plus he loves popping into pubs and having some pints with people. Can’t go wrong with that. He always came across as stand-offish, but I feel like if you saw him in the street and offered to buy him a pint he’d take you up on it. PLUS THE STORIES he has… I can’t even imagine. Again though that’s my answer right now, I feel like if you asked me this question again in an hour I might have 2-3 different people. I think a younger me would have answered with the “advice on how to make it” reply, but that’s so far away from my goals now.  

 SA: What comes next for Silent Era Cinema in 2018, and beyond? We wish you all the best, and good luck! KW: I’d like to just keep making and putting out music. The third EP is entering the beginning stages. I’d like to collaborate with other artists maybe making videos or YouTube content and eventually I’d like to take this project live with the help of some other musicians. So we’ll see! Just taking everything one small step at a time.

#silenteracinema #tycho #mogwai #ottawa #interview #gatineau #newmusic #livemusic #aphextwin #bonobo #liam gallagher #richard ashcroft #nomistakesinspace

[crowdvscritic]

round up // OCTOBER 20

Hubie Happy Halloween, friends! I’m not sure what October’s been like for you, but here’s a quick summary of my month:

Re-acquainting myself with my collection of (mostly gray and navy blue) sweaters

Ordering an embarrassing—like, I lost count kind of embarassing—number of lattés

Alternating between enjoying the ombré of the fall trees and cozying up with the first logs in the fireplace

Revisiting all-time favorite stories like The Scarlet Pimpernel by the Baroness Orczy, the extended Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, all three seasons of Stranger Things, the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries, and several Harry Potter movies

In short, this month has been all about finding joy in the little things, which is the essence of our search for coziness in autumn. Since these monthly Round Ups only focus on pop culture that’s new to me, that means this month’s list is shorter than usual, but many of the movies and shows feel like warm blankets I’ll return to again. Though, as you’ll see, a few are not…

October Crowd-Pleasers

Enola Holmes (2020)

A movie so charming, I’m on the verge of rewatching even though it’s only been a few weeks. (It’s a rare occurrence for me to return to something so quickly.) It lets a stacked cast of performers known for dramatic roles flex their comedic muscles, including Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and—most spectacularly—Millie Bobby Brown. You can read my full review of the new Netflix movie at ZekeFilm. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10

Murder, She Wrote (1984-96)

This entry comes with a bit of an asterisk* because Kyla and I watched this murder mystery procedural in 2018 for our podcast, SO IT’S A SHOW? At the time, I was open to watching more episodes, but it was never so easy as with the launch of the Peacock streaming service. All 12 seasons are available in the free tier, and I never thought a show about murder—and in the procedural format, which I don’t typically love—could be so enjoyable. Angela Lansbury’s mystery writer/amateur detective Jessica Fletcher has become a non-ironic role model for me—I aspire to be as gracious, intelligent, humble, uncynical, and assertive. Also, who says I’m not aspiring to spending my 60s writing, traveling, and solving crimes while wearing a fabulous collection of cardigans?

The Return of SNL

When Saturday Night Live returns in the fall, I always squeak out during the premiere’s opening credits, “My friends are back!” It’s a silly thing to say about an ever-rotating group of people I’ll never meet, but when you’ve been watching Kenan Thompson do his thing for close to two decades, you can only be delighted to see him after months of absence. While the “At Home” episodes this spring were a treat I didn’t think possible, it’s even better to have my friends back at it in their usual environment with the high production value of Studio 8H. These were the skits that made me laugh the most month:

“VP Fly Debate Cold Open,” mostly for the Jeff Goldblum tribute (4602 with Bill Burr)

“New Normal” (4602)

“Dr. Wenowdis on Weekend Update” (4602)

“Enough Is Enough,” a bit which explains my feelings about almost all celebrity political takes (4602)

“Canadian News Show” (4603 with Issa Rae)

“Election Ad” (4604 with Adele)

“The Bachelor” (4604)

For more on how this season has come together back in the studio, you can read the Vulture interview with Lorne Michaels about it.

Coach Carter (2005)

A based-on-a-true-story movie about an unconventional basketball coach (Samuel L. Jackson) who wants his players (including a baby Channing Tatum) to succeed on more than just the court. It’s a straight-down-the-middle story that shares DNA with many of the inspiring sports movies that came out in the wake of Remember the Titans, but it’ll scratch that itch if that’s what you’re looking for. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

Double Feature — Early ’90s Halloween Classics: Edward Scissorhands (1990) + The Addams Family (1991)

Both of these movies start at Christmastime, but both are spooOOooky movies in their bones. Not all Halloween movies are Tim Burton movies, but all Tim Burton movies are Halloween movies, including Edward Scissorhands (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10). Tim Burton is hit-or-miss for me, but I was pleasantly surprised at how moving this idiosyncratic fairy tale was. Johnny Depp is at his most tortured as a Frankstein’s monster whose inventor (Vincent Price) gave him scissors for hands, Dianne Wiest finds the heart and comedy in your local Avon representative, and Winona Ryder is a queen. The Addams Family (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10) might be even more idiosyncratic. I’ve never watched the TV series, so it took me a minute to warm up to its twisted sense of humor (“Are they made from real Girl Scouts?”), but once I did, I started laughing as often as my nostalgic parents.

The Magic iPod

A nostalgia kick you didn’t know you wanted. I have no idea why or how this site exists, only that it brings me joy. Try mashing up “Ms. New Booty” with “A Thousand Miles,” “Get Low” with “Float On,” “Tipsy” with Bring Me to Life,” “99 Problems” with “All Star,” “Country Grammar” with “Complicated,” or any other combo that brings your favorite songs from your first iPod together.

Hubie Halloween (2020)

You know those dumb movies that just hit you in the right spot? Adam Sandler has a knack for those kind of movies, and Hubie Halloween fills the void of Halloween fun you’re probably missing this year. Sandler plays Hubie, a not-very-bright do-gooder with a very big heart whose self-proclaimed purpose is to keep everyone safe in his hometown of Salem. But there are spooOOooky threats on Halloween night this year, and only Hubie and his thermos (which rivals a Swiss army knife in all its functions) will be able to save it. Don’t miss it you’re like me and love a good celebrity cameo and a Hollywood-designed Halloween costumes. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 6/10

Double Feature — Are We Sure These ‘80s Movies Are for Kids? Gremlins (1984) + Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

After seeing Gremlins (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10), I know why parents were clamoring for the PG-13 rating—this movie may be short on the scares for adults, but I have no idea what I’d do for a tyke not expecting the cuddly Gizmo to spawn homicidal ghouls. In what may be the most ‘80s movie I’ve watched yet, we get a legit bonkers story, both in premise and execution—and it might also be a brilliant and scathing satire of consumerism? Perhaps another spoof of consumerism: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10), which creates an impressively specific world that’s part animation, part live action. It’s a parody of classic film noir with no shortage of innuendo or just plain weirdness—its artistic achievement makes it worth watching, but since when have kids cared much about any of those things?

Double Feature — So-Bad-They’re-Good Action Flicks: Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) + Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

If Gremlins is one of the most ‘80s movies, then Gone in Sixty Seconds (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 5.5/10) is one of the most Nicolas Cage movies. He’s a good guy caught on the wrong side of the law in a ridiculous plot engine where he has to steal 50 cars in less than a week. His pent-up frustration lives just below the surface, and his performance is so committed, you’re not sure if he’s knows  the dialogue and plot twists are zany—in fact, you’re not even sure he’s acting at all. Also committed to whatever the heck it’s doing is a movie that’s exactly what it sounds like, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6/10). An over-qualified cast (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anthony Mackie, Rufus Sewell, and more) just goes for it in a story with the premise that Abe Lincoln fought oppression caused by slavery and by immortal blood-suckers. I think my favorite part is when a vampire throws a pony at our 16th president—I couldn’t make this up if I tried.

October Critic Picks

Triple Feature — ‘60s Horror Classics: Village of the Damned (1960), The Haunting (1963), Night of the Living Dead (1968)

In Village of the Damned (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8/10), everyone in a British village passes out at the same time for hours, and weird events continue for years, centering around a mysterious group of children. In The Haunting (above, Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10), a group is studying events at a haunted house, but it may be the house that’s in control. And in Night of the Living Dead (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10), the zombie genre dawns with a group huddled away from the undead in a farmhouse. All of these are thoughtful, well-made films, but I recommend them with asterisks* because I’ll never watch any of these groups again. The Haunting made me scared of bumps in the night as I was falling asleep, and Night of the Living Dead gave me zombie-filled nightmares. If you’re looking for a dose of heebie jeebies, these are the movies you’ll be needing!

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

I’m not sure I understood any of it, but I think I liked it? If you don’t mind a film that feels more like poetry than a plot, this visual stunner is worth the long runtime and straight-up weird sequence of scenes. Fortunately, I was prepped for my viewing with the help of Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz and writer/director Brad Bird, who selected as part of this season’s Essentials lineup. While Bird loves the film, Mankiewicz admitted it’s not one of his favorites because it’s such an obtuse head-scratcher. Both acknowledged it’s an important one to cinema, so unless The Tree of Life is still making your brain hurt almost a decade later, it’s worth trying to parse through a story that covers the dawn of man, man’s fight against machine, and, um, a lot of other things I couldn’t explain if I tried. Crowd: 5/10 // Critic: 10/10

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

If you’re a fan of Aaron Sorkin’s idealist monologues and ideological pitter-patter, then pause your latest binge of The West Wing to watch his latest writing/directing outing, now streaming on Netflix. Based on the true story of protesters who clashed with the police outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968—which, yes, doesn’t seem to difficult to imagine these days—it captures the spirit of a wild trial about political activism, healthy debate, fairness in government, and even the importance of grammar. If you watch it and think there’s no way this really happened, be sure to read up on the real trial to see how the film toned down the judicial circus. While this Oscars season will be unusual, we can predict this film will be in the awards conversation. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 9/10

Also in October…

My fellow ZekeFilm writers and I collected our favorite Halloween movies and TV specials for your enjoyment. Not-a-spoiler-alert: My pick is not very scary. In fact, it’s a zom-rom-com I’ve only come to love more since reviewing it upon its release.

Though Kyla and I always talk about Gilmore Girls on our podcast, we don’t just talk about the murder mystery TV shows it references like Murder, She Wrote. This month we talked about an ‘80s prime time soap full of shoulder pads and catfights as well as a ‘70s movie starring Rocky and the Fonz. Then we decided there were so many confusing pop culture references in an episode we couldn’t pick just one, so we researched a mish mash of topics like Punk Planet magazine, workout guru Jack LaLanne, singer Blossom Dearie, Manson cult member Leslie Van Houten, and a whole lotta board games.

540 movies and counting! You can follow real-time updates in what I’m watching in quarantine on Letterboxd.

#Round Up #Enola Holmes #Murder She Wrote #SNL #Saturday Night Live #Coach Carter #Edward Scissorhands #The Haunting #Village of the Damned #Night of the Living Dead #Hubie Halloween #2001: A Space Odyssey #The Trial of the Chicago 7 #The Addams Family #Gremlins #Who Framed Roger Rabbit #Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter #Gone in Sixty Seconds

[resistancereborn]

stozier as warring neighbours wc: 2586

He’s gonna lose it. He’s gonna lose it if that music doesn’t fucking stop, because he’s got half a dozen books to read for classes next week and there’s no way he can get through another page with this goddamn racket just above him thumping on the floorboards.

Stan slams his book on the floor and yanks tied his laces, each pull fuelled by his anger and rubbing burn into the sides of his fingers; it’s not worth his coat, and so he troops up the stairs in a Teleman T-shirt and extra soft jeans, a pink cardigan pulled over him to keep him warm.

The music only increases in volume and headache induction as he hurries up the stairs, his fingers tight around the banister. He thinks he might burst before he’s even reached the apartment above at this rate; he knew college wasn’t good for him. His stress levels are through the ceiling to the apartment above.

Gathering himself together and trying to scrape his wandering hair from his forehead, he rings the doorbell; it’s one of those stupid ones that goes on for far too long, playing some annoying little melody.

Nothing moves for a moment, and just as Stan lifts his hand to press the little button again, the door swings open.

The boy standing in the corridor is the same age as Stan, with blue aviator glasses and wild curly black hair that seems to move with him and also live a life of its own; it reminds Stan of a featurette he once saw about the film Brave and the lengths the animators went to to animate Merida’s hair, but seeing it in person is such a surprise that it stops Stan for a moment - that, and the fact that this obvious antagonist in his life is so diabolical that he’s even wearing a Hawaiian shirt like there’s something cool about it.

“Turn down your damn music,” Stan says sharply. “I have to study for my classes, and also, it’d be nice to sleep this century.”

The boy eyes him for a moment, then straightens and grins, wrapping an arm around Stan. “Man, you need a drink. C’mon in, lemme fix you something.”

Stan wants to object, but the music is so loud he doubts he’d be heard anymore - and, if he’s honest with himself, this boy is cute and he’s tired of studying. He indeed could use a drink, and so when one of those stupidly stereotypical red plastic cups is handed to him, he takes a drink of faith - it tastes a lot like elbow and he grimaces, but it also tastes so alcoholic that he swears he can almost feel the buzz already.

The boy laughs and raises his eyebrows at Stan’s scrunched-up expression. “You want some lemonade for that?”

“Please,” Stan groans, ignoring the clear amusement as the boy mixes down whatever the hell it is that Stan has just so confidently chugged a little too much of. He takes another sip once it’s been mixed together with the wrong end of a tablespoon, and this time it’s much more tolerable, and he even lets himself sigh softly.

“Rough time, huh?” the boy asks, guiding Stan through to a quiet sitting room; the rest of the house is throbbing with people flinging themselves around to the overwhelming beat, but this room is empty and even legibly quiet when the boy kicks the door shut behind him. “You the guy from downstairs? The sucker who cried cause you broke your favourite vase?”

Stan presses his lips together, but takes it. “Thank you for the glowing summary of my person - but yeah, that’s me. I’m Stan.”

The boy nods and goes in for what Stan assumes is a handshake but is actually a fistbump; the moment is so awkward that Stan downs the rest of his cup in one, waiting for the fuzz to take over his head. “I’m Richie,” the boy says to fill the glowering void of awkwardness, and Stan is thankful for it. “Your friendly neighbourhood neighbour.”

“Not with music this loud,” Stan says, deadpan, and Richie laughs so hard it almost startles him; wary of himself, Stan puts his cup down on a stack of vinyl records that have taken over one of the room’s few tables.

“You’re fucking ace, Stan. Stan the Man.” Richie grins, spinning the cup precariously in his hand. “I’ll turn it off. Later. I mean, you’re here now, right?”

Stan rolls his eyes. “Yeah, but if it weren’t for you I might be sleeping right now.”

“Why don’t you just go to sleep, then? I got blankets,” Richie says, maybe too earnestly; Stan shorts, and shakes his thrumming head. He’s never going to be able to sleep with this many people around and the music at this ear-splitting volume, so he might as well try and make something of this experience.

He shakes his arms off, lazily, the way he used to be made to do in choir to “improve the blood circulation”; this time, it’s instinct, or perhaps a moment he takes to gear himself up.

“No,” he says. “We’re going to dance.”

--

This is not Stan’s bed: for one, it’s not a bed at all - he can feel his shoulder jammed up against the back of the sofa; second, instead of his thick and gloriously comfy duvet, he’s covered in a series of thin blankets that aren’t tucked in properly and definitely don’t cover him completely.

He forces his tired eyelids open, and stares out into the sight of his party-loving neighbour sprawled out with abandon on the floor, snoring loudly, glasses askew. The light through the window is bright and reflects off him, giving him an ethereal glow Stan’s not sure he deserves.

With a groan, Stan sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he slings his cardigan over his shoulders; Richie looks too crashed out to wake, and it’s still early, so Stan leaves him be, tiptoeing across the floorboards and pressing the front door lightly shut.

The book is still on the floor in his apartment; tiredly, he picks it up, finding the page he left off at.

He next sees Richie when he ventures out later in the day for lunch - Stan’s out of Pot Noodles and microwave meals, and he’s saved enough money to buy himself a coffee, so he trundles excitedly across the road to their local Starbucks (which he assumes will soon become a godsend and a place where they don’t need to ask his name for the takeaway cup), shuffling into the lunchtime queue and trying to decide if he’s going to have an ordinary coffee or some variety of seasonal drink (what is a ‘cool lime refresha’, anyway?), only to bump right in the back of Richie, who spins around and grins sickeningly at him.

“Oh my god, it’s you!” he exclaims. “Where the fuck did you go?”

It takes Stan a moment to regain his composure, startled by Richie’s sudden reappearance (in Starbucks, of all places!). “Home,” he says. “To study. Which is what I was meant to be doing last night.”

“Study shmudy,” Richie scoffs, waving a hand. “You should come over again, c’mon! We could binge watch something and eat Cheetos. Have you ever seen Brooklyn 99? Oh, I got Baby Driver on DVD the other day, we could watch that!”

Stan attempts not to spontaneously combust on the spot; it works well, because he doesn’t burst into flame when he opens his mouth and says coolly: “look, I had a fun time last night and it was okay but I really have to study now. I want to do well. I’m just here to get some lunch right now.”

Richie tilts his head like a let-down puppy dog. “Classes don’t even start til next week, nerd! Can’t you spare the time for one movie?”

No, Stan cannot; he did not pay exorbitant amounts of money for class materials to not have them all read in time for classes starting. How he expresses this to Richie, he’s less sure, and with a sigh, he runs a hand through his hair. “I really don’t have time. Look, I’m sorry.” He feels bad, he does: Richie’s life can’t be peachy if his idea of fun is blackout drunk parties and watching movies with unassuming neighbours, but he’s determined. He got this far from home; he wants to see it through.

Richie chews his bottom lip, clearly scheming, and just as Stan is about to make his way to order, Richie grabs his arm. “If you come over and watch a movie with me, I’ll buy pizza. But not Hawaiian.”

Stan makes a face. “What do you think I am, a monster?” The idea of real hot food makes his stomach growl audibly, and with a sigh he makes sure to deliberately prolong, he nods. “Okay. Pizza and Baby Driver, but after that, please let me study in peace and don’t have any parties.”

“Deal,” Richie says immediately, jutting out his pinkie.

-

Between them, they order two twelve inch margheritas, dough balls, garlic bread, and two chocolate chip cookie dough puddings. Stan lays them neatly out on the table in the living room while Richie builds them seats of duvets, blankets, and pillows with fierce determination.

“Why do you want me to come and watch TV with you so badly?” Stan asks, setting their glasses of water (health is important) by the plate for the garlic bread.

“Cause I’m lonely,” Richie shrugs. “Only college that’d take me was up here, but I’m away from all my proper friends, y’know? It’s hard to get good bants with random assholes who just want to get drunk. And you’re pretty cute, too.”

Stan blushes. “I’m sorry, did you just ask me up here on a date I didn’t know was a date?”

“Fuck, he’s sentient! He knows!” Richie makes some sort of jazz hands of horror, to which Stan merely raises his unimpressed eyebrows. “Okay, fine, sure, I did. Go leave me for your shitty textbooks or whatever.”

“I’m not going to leave,” Stan says pointedly, “but maybe next time you ought to tell me it’s a date.”

“Wait a minute!” Richie gasps. “Are you already planning our future together? Man, and you thought I was bad! What are you, a gay oracle?”

Stan buries his face in his hands; this is going to be a long movie. “Please shut up, Richie.”

Richie does not shut up, not even during the movie, assigning himself an instant place on Stan’s never-take-to-the-cinema list; but his initially irritating chatter descends into the occasional boisterous joke and witty remark, and Stan finds himself becoming rather fond of Richie’s running commentary and sing-along tactics.

His fondness mildly decreases when Richie steals a piece of his garlic bread.

“Hey!” Stan objects. “You have your own.”

“Why would I eat my own when stolen food tastes so much better?” Richie snorts, tearing off a strip with relish; Stan rolls his eyes, sighing softly as he turns back to his pizza. “B’sides, it’s too much for you to eat all at once if you live on, like, Pot Noodle. I have good food. Oven food. You know, that kind of high-calorie bullshit that you put in the oven that keeps you alive.”

“I eat plenty of oven meals,” Stan objects. “It’s just… easier to eat Pot Noodle for lunch, alright? Don’t insult Pot Noodle.”

“Alright, Mr fucking Noodle. Didn’t know the two of you were that close.”

“I will go back to my fucking textbooks, Richie, and take my cookie dough with me.”

Richie gasps. “Heresy! We haven’t even made it to the scene with Hocus Pocus. You can’t leave yet!” He grabs Stan’s arm, not tight enough to hurt but enough to be very noticeable, and Stan turns, surprised; most people give Stan so much leeway that coming into contact with him would be unimaginable, and his stomach swirls in a way he’s not entirely sure he understands. “Come on. You gotta take a break, right? And why not take a break with me, the hot, handsome, and very personable Richie Tozier?”

“Because you’re an asshole,” Stan mutters, and Richie laughs, elbowing him before turning back to the screen.

Stan’s not sure that this is necessarily his kind of film (he’s a slow-paced independent film or Wes Anderson boy himself), but he hasn’t actually seen a film in ages: he’s been too busy moving in and packing and unpacking and trying to sort out his furniture and the paperwork and his college stuff, and so just the act of relaxing on the sofa with a slice of deep pan pizza is somehow almost cathartic. He doesn’t have to think, or read, or even really focus too hard - and it’s just like the party, where he let the world slide by him and did nothing but dance, not caring just how bad he looked in front of his stupid new neighbour.

Maybe Richie Tozier deserves a tiny bit of credit, he supposes. Annoying, yes; helpful, somehow also yes.

Much to Richie’s irritance, Stan falls asleep for the very last act, waking up just in time to save his cookie dough and for Richie to switch to an episode of the so-fabled Brooklyn 99. Shamelessly, Richie dives his spoon in and proceeds to eat Stan’s ice cream anyway, but Stan doesn’t mind so much; he feels well-rested this time, better than he did this morning, better than he would’ve with a Starbucks coffee and a too-hard toastie.

“So, are you gonna go back and study after this?” Richie asks, screwing up his face as the ice cream hits his brain slightly too fast. “Ow. Fuck.”

Stan holds in a laugh. “Yeah.”

“What kind of degree’s worth this much studying, huh?” Richie jabs Stan’s arm. “Let me guess. You’re doing a bachelor’s degree in Fucking Boring Studies.” Stan laughs, shaking his head. “Shit, no way! I thought I had it fucking nailed. Wait, let me try again. Bachelor’s in Ignoring The Lovely And Handsome Richie?”

“If I were doing a degree in ignoring you, I’d be doing it badly,” Stan counters, and Richie nods sagely.

“Good point,” he says. “Just proves how great I am, doesn’t it?”

“No,” says Stan. “Mostly, I just want to punch you.”

The desire to punch Richie Tozier in the face, though, manifests in Stan leaning across the space in between them and placing his hands on Richie’s cheeks, grinning in a way that’s half-manic and also half appreciative of everything that Richie has done (possibly unknowingly, but does it matter?), and kissing him; Stan doesn’t know if the taste of chocolate chip is lingering in his mouth, or if it’s Richie, or if that’s something that’s even important anymore as his mind turns itself over and over.

Richie stares at him, wide-eyed, and Stan feels the remark coming like an electrical charge in the atmosphere. “I fucking knew I was irresistible.” He can’t stop himself, either, from laughing, and he shifts closer to Richie, leaning their shoulders together. “So, you know, you think you might come over for lunch break again tomorrow? Since you don’t have to study all day…”

Stan laughs and shakes his head. “I’ll be here again tomorrow, but who said I wasn’t going to bring my books?”

Richie makes a face of shock, and because he can’t resist it, Stan kisses it, and feels a little more at home.

tagging my fave other stan fan @sunflowerstanley and @stanleyurisisalive and you said it was okay to tag you so i hope it is cause you’re awesome @wyattghouleff

#my writing #it #it (2017) #stozier #stanley uris #richie tozier #stan uris #i enjoyed writing this a lot #stan is just like oh my god why are you such an idiot but also a cute idiot #don't study stan! go dance with richie!

[azurera]

I know you are supposted to get one in your askbox. but guess what. i dont give a shit, and i’m bored as fuck so i did them all. my memory is shit atm so i dont remember some answers to some of these. and my grammar is shit but do with it what you want. g’night ya’ll ~

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? more milk, because i can always drink the extra milk, the other way around you would end up with dry cereal and thats just bleh.

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? no

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? everything i can find. most unique thing is probably a 10 Gulden bill (very old dutch currency before the euro) 

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? I trow as much crap in my coffee as i possible can, sugar, milk. more milk than coffee. give it to me cold, add alcohol. i dont give a shit. thea is just nice to have a little suger thats it. let me enjoy the flaver itself. 

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? 9/10 times probably yeah

6: do you keep plants? since a few weeks i sometimes get flowers, so you could say i kind of own plants some times. 

7: do you name your plants? i should 

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? i scream into the void

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? no, because i sound terrible 

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? side mostly. or when im really tired my back. usually not my stomach because .. well.. boobs. 

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? if i had friends.... no idea tho. i have so many jokes, my life included. 

12: what's your favorite planet? PLUTO. VIVA LA PLUTO. the little rings on saturn are also nice. shit this could have been a nice opportunity to make a uranus joke.. 

13: what's something that made you smile today? i didnt

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? lots of pillows

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! 99% of our soular system’s mass is the sun

16: what's your favorite pasta dish? i dont know. but those swirly things are cute. 

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? every. colour. at. once.

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. i try to stack those memories far far away. 

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? i dont 

20: what's your favorite eye color? i dont have a favorite eye colour. but i love eyes that look like space nebulas. 

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. i bought a nice leather bag on castlefest. its very usefull nice and small but it can fit more in it than you think. 

22: are you a morning person? if by morning you mean still awake at 4, then yes. 

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? lay my dead body to rest on my couch and cuddel with my cat

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? probably not

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? my own house? i dont really break into places. 

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? i have to many shoes man..

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? the really over the top fruity onces

28: sunrise or sunset? sunset, (becouse im not a fucking morning person) 

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? im thinking of to many things at once and yet nothing comes up. 

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? way to many times. 

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. i only own black socks, becouse then you never have the problem of looking for a pair. sometimes im all for socks, i wear them even when i take of all my other clothes just becouse they are soft and then i wear them to bed and they magicaly disappear. but since i wear dresses a lot i also wear panty’s and stuff. so its not always socks. 

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. usually that invloves a lot of alcohol. which means that i don’t really rememeber a lot. (which is also probably for the better) 

33: what's your fave pastry? pie

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? i think it was a little lion called simba. and im sure its in a box somewhere. 

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? yes i love them. but i dont use them a lot becouse a) not many people write me letters and b) i could. write them first. but obviously im a lazy fuck. 

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? i just really prefer silence right now. 

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? i like keeping it clean, but we all know thats not happening. 

38: tell us about your pet peeves! i do not know right now. i think

39: what color do you wear the most? black..... 

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? the 3 things I always wear are a ring my grandma got me, a ring my mother bought for my 18 birthday that she switched her old wedding rings for. and a mjolnor necklace. I just saw so many people with one. and i really wanted to have one aswell, but not just any, so i went and looked all over this fantasy event and i’ve honestly seen every single mjolnor necklace they had, and then i picked this one. 

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? the girl on the train was a nice book (the film a little less)  it was just nice to have a book that i could go through quickly. 

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! not really 

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? god its been to long... 

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? i still wish for this day... 

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? mmmaybe

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. i can not make one up right now. i need to have the righ feel in the right moment. 

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? PINAPPLE ON PIZZA, PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA, PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? death. yes.

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? I only own a few CD’s, and a few LP’s the last one i think was a supernatural christmas cd thing.

50: what's an odd thing you collect? those prayer cards with the picture of the person, you get at a funeral. i have quite a lot of them, so you could say i collect them. 

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? suddenly

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? i like the “you cant xx if you don’t xxx” memes. those make for some good jokes. other than that i make my own memes, fresh and local. 

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? only parts... i should watch them shouldn’t i..

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? u know who u are.. im sorry.. 

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? i secretly moved out in a pretty dramatic way to prove my mom that i couldnt go on like that... 

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? when they shut the fuck up

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? i do not feel like listening to it now, thats how its making me feel. 

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? im both.

59: what's your favorite myth? nice people are my favorite mythical creatures. 

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? im not really into poetry tho, but sometimes there is one thats just nice, discribing beaty in such a subtle way, that i like it. 

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? i don’t give stupid gifts. people either get something epic from me or nothing at all. go big or go home. 

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? ive been drinking this strawberry/apple/ bananna juice stuff sometimes, makes me feel like i try to be healthy. 

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? i keep them in an organized mess (just like my life) 

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? its a lovely gradient of light blue/white/ to a bit darker blue. 

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? so many people, i suck at being social. 

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? ALL THE COLORS

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? sometimes its nice to stare out of the window on those days. 

68: what's winter like where you live? shitty 

69: what are your favorite board games? i like playing monopoly and slowly see the light dissappear from my friends eyes. or cluedo you know, murder. 

70: have you ever used a ouija board? no

71: what's your favorite kind of tea? its this one thea they have at the cinema, the pink one. the rosy stuff. its so good. 

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? i should note it down. but then i forget to read it. so yeah, ill mess up either way. 

73: what are some of your worst habits? i tent to complain a lot, becouse i always hope it will make me feel better when there is to much going on in my head. but sometimes i just keep going, and i dont even know how bad its getting, and i probably pull myself down into some negative spiral and well then we’re fucked again.

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. you fucking pancakes. 

75: tell us about your pets! MY CAT IS THE MOST ADORABLE LITTLE SHIT, HE IS SO CUTE. AND LOVES CUDDLES. AND HIS FLUFFYNESS IS. i can keep going forever. 

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? its getting pretty late. i should sleep. 

77: pink or yellow lemonade? mmmpink? 

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? i hate them. 

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? im trying to think of one. but my memmory is shit atm. 

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? just white. makes it look bigger. 

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. NEBULAS

82: are/were you good in school? soommeeetimessss

83: what's some of your favorite album art? I do like GACKT his album art tho. the costumes he wears are nice.

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? i have been thinking of this design of a music G thingy that looks like a cat. its really cute. but i cant even commit to where i put a sticker let a lone where to put a tattoo. 

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? i have quite a lot of constantine comics, to satisfy the fact that the series quit after 1 season. 

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? no idea

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? stonehenge appocalpyse

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? not sure

89: are you close to your parents? *crying sounds* 

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. i love all cities except the one i live in. Im such a slut for older building and architecture. old gothic churches man. oh my god. 

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? france, for sad stuff, and i hope to see my german potato this year <3 if i can make it... 

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? SMOTHER THE FUCKER IN CHEESE. 

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? just long, straight now. or either in like a clip. when its to hot  to have it all down. 

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? i saw on my calander at internship that one collegue had his birthday today. 

95: what are your plans for this weekend? convention staff meeting on saturday, looking into something for sunday.. 

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? *hysterical laughter*  

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? no idea, leo, huffelpuf

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? in germany i think. to long ago. i love mountains, and walks, and beaches. 

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. PIANO’S 

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 5 years into the past to kill myself. :”D absoluutly.

#blep

[keijukaisvalssi]

That time of the year again (for the first time ever): Best movies I've seen in 2016

 So, wasn’t that a year? Maybe the roughest year of my life, so I’m looking forward what 2017 has to bring. I’ve never gone to the cinema this many times within a year. There were many movies I wanted to see this year but couldn’t, because some movies didn’t come to where I live, or will be coming in 2017. So let’s start the list with those movies, the ones I wanted but couldn’t see.  The biggest bummer of this year was Arrival. Everybody was, and still are hyping this as one of the best movies of the year and I was pumped when I saw the poster for it in our local cinema. But suddenly overnight, all of the movies showings were cancelled, because it didn’t do well in other small cities and towns. So now I’ll have to wait for it to come on dvd/bluray and watch it in our small televisions, what a shame. Other movies I couldn’t see were: Kubo and the Two Strings, Sausage Party, Elle, Hell or High water, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Jackie, Moana and Nocturnal Animals, plus many anime movies like Only Yesterday, The Boy And The Beast and Your Name.

TOP 15 MOVIES I SAW IN 2016:

15: Don’t Breathe/ Ouija: The Origin of Evil - I saw these two movies in a double-screening on Halloween. It was really cool seeing them in a crowded cinema, in the middle of the night. Both are very good horror movies, that break many horror cliches and guidelines. I guarantee that the little girl from Ouija will give you nightmares.

14: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Not as strong as the original trilogy or Force Awakens. It has some really unnecessary scenes and plot points, but the end half of the movie and all the battle scenes made this a Star Wars movie that any fan or movie buff has to see!

13: Doctor Strange - The visually most interresting Marvel movie to date. This mindmelting action movie introduced magic to the MCU, and did it with a bang! This is the third comicbook-movie I have in this list and spoiler alert: None of them are from DC.

12: Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them - Ahhh... This movie brought me right back into the magical world of JK Rowlings. It made me so warm and cozy inside. I’ve always loved the HP movies and this movie has all the wonder and charm those movies had.

11: The Conjuring 2 - Was so excited to see the sequel to one my favourite horror movies ever. I saw the first with my friends and gf when it opened in the theaters, so we decided to do the same with the sequel, and the movie didn’t disappoint and we had a great time. Not as strong as the first, but a fantastic horror film that knows how to make the audience scared.

10: The Jungle Book - THE CGI IN THIS MOVIE! It’s so frickin great! I don’t really care for the original Jungle Book, but this was great. They made the story way more compelling. Sure there were few scenes that could have been taken out, but they didn’t mess the story. And the casting in this is on point! I mean, Bill Murray as Baloo! This year shows if the Warner Bros. version will be as good.

09: Zootopia - A movie that makes you think about the society, even if it doesn’t seem like that superficially. A cute looking movie full of fluffy animals, about human rights and racism. And by cute, I mean hella’ CUTE.

08: HUSH (SHHH in some countries) - One of the most suspenseful films I saw the whole year. It was released to Netflix and I highly recommend you to watch it, if you like horror or just really good suspense.

07: The Nice Guys - There aren’t many good comedies nowadays. The Nice Guys is a great comedy, that embraces the era it is set in. All the performances are great and the characters really likable and charming. Also the dialogue is really hilarious.

06: Captain America: Civil War - The movie, I was maybe the most hyped to see of the good movies this year. Almost all the MCU superheroes are back and have some beef with each other. Also there’s some new characters that are introduced to join forces with them. This is the movie that filled the disappointing void, left by Age Of Ultron, while bringing some of the best action scenes in recent years.

05: The VVitch - This movie is so unnerving.. The use of silence and lack of jumpscares made this my favorite horror movie of the year. The atmosphere is so unsettling and suspenseful, that you stop questioning the events that are happening and just watch silently, as this family is torn apart by a presence of evil.

04: Swiss Army Man - I heard good things about this movie, before watching it. Heard it was an original comedy, and an original concept as a movie. It starts a bit iffy, when a stranded man finds a farting corpse on the island he’s in, and when he investigates the body, he finds out that it might not be that dead after all. After that the movie really kicks in to speed and all I wanna say that I laughed my ass off with this film.

03: Deadpool - Talking about movies that I laughed my ass off: Captain Deadpool! There is no other film this year, I have re-watched as many times as Deadpool. I first got to know of DP from X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Wasn’t that a fun introduction. They got the actor spot on, but then fucked up the character. After many years, and some “leaked” test footage, the movie was made and is now one of my favorite superhero movies of all time. Lets just hope the magic doesn’t wear out for the sequel.

02: The Revenant - So, this is technically a 2015 film, but it was released in Finland in 2016 so I’m justified to include it on this list. The direction and sound designing in this movie are masterful. This is another movie that uses silence so greatly, that you feel all the loneliness and cold this character had to go through. All the actors are perfect and the vast landscapes make this small story feel larger than life. It’s funny how Leo won his Oscar from this film, when two thirds of the movie he is just grunting and panting.

01: Hagsaw Ridge - I had to put this movie as my number one, because when I walked out of the theater, I was just blown away by this movie. This movie was so empowering. It’s about a man who would do anything for his belief and performs miracles by standing behind what he believes in. A soldier going to war without a weapon, because he doesn’t want to take lives, only save them. All the performances are amazing, especially Hugo Weaving and Vince Vaughn. This movie was so heavy to watch, not only because of the horrors of war, but just by all the pressure the main character has to go through, just so he can help others.

So that’s my list. This year really was a mixed bag, when talking about movies. There were great movies I wanted to see, but there were also many bad movies that I saw. 

Hopefully 2017 will be a greater year!

#movies #2016 #toplist #bestof #recap

[falkenscreen]

Film Festivals Bridging the Void

“My son turns around to me and says, take it online, go for it”

A record number of Australian Film Festivals have now either transitioned events or gone entirely online in 2020, with two new Festivals in this day past announcing digital programs the length of traditional runs and five events set for this very evening.

“We were all very happy planning for our second Festival and of course COVID came along,” continued Sydney South African Film Festival Co-Director Claire Jankelson; today announcing a heft of features set to stream from May 16-26. “We ran our first Festival in 2019, we played at Event Cinemas and we sold out six out of eight films.”

“The essence of our Festival is that we are a not for profit and are funding Education Without Borders, a project in the Western Cape in South Africa. It was announced that cinemas are going to shut and I was completely devastated and upset because we have a commitment to Education Without Borders.”

Originally slated for May 7-17, the turnaround of several weeks saw the Festival crew and Claire’s immediate family developing the online platform to deliver flicks only 8 days later than originally scheduled. Permitting patrons to access features and indeed an all-in pass, for the first time SSAFF will go national, with a focus, much like the recently announced We Are One, very much on getting the support to those who need it most.

“This time of COVID has brought everybody much closer to their screens; there have been people approaching us from Melbourne and Perth and other places already after last year’s Festival longing to get the Festival to those places,” said Claire. “We haven’t had the wherewithal to take it there but we’re so excited it now has this reach; we would have liked for it to have an international reach but there are of course so many restrictions because of the licensing agreements with the filmmakers given fears about piracy and security – at this stage it’s only Australia wide.”

“We’re so strongly driven by our commitment to the infrastructure that has been created through Education Without Borders, that was our strong motivating factor; not knowing when the shutdown would end. We didn’t know if and when we would be able to get the money that is needed to South Africa – we’re holding out for a really fantastic response.”

Melbourne’s St Kilda Film Festival have too only just announced an online run for June 12-20; set to replace the beach-side Fest previously scheduled to commence only two weeks prior.

“The screen culture environment is a dynamic one and in recent years it has seen massive changes in digital exhibition and a trend toward embracing streaming services – as audiences have changed, so have how to reach them,” said Festival Director Richard Sowada. “It’s up to Festivals – and the film industry at large – to keep moving, experimenting, seeking out new audiences and shape-shifting accordingly in this new landscape.”

“For us, it’s become a great opportunity and something the team were able to launch into by virtue of our collective experience. It’s quite exciting for us to explore new directions, new contexts and new audiences despite the challenges. Our program content naturally contains a high level of experimentation and motivation, so the filmmakers are right behind everything we’re doing.”

Slated to screen dozens of shorts, the communal atmosphere essential to audience participation at any Festival and moreover continued investment online has remained no small factor, with fixtures at Festivals across the country too poised to reflect, thematically and technically, the challenges uncommon to filmmakers beset by the current circumstance.

“We’re taking that spirit and giving what we can a red-hot crack by re-interpreting the Festival with talks, professional development, retrospective and curated programs, all of which are free to view on the website,” continued Richard. “The most important thing for us is providing access to an already intelligent and sophisticated program that speaks to the high standard of Creative Play short-form filmmaking in this country.”

With a record number of online events scheduled to take place tonight from numerous Festivals that have either gone online or had runs postponed or cancelled, Tasmania’s Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival will become the first major regional Festival to go online, with three weekends worth of screenings commencing this evening. Monster Fest will continue their Friday Fright Night Watch Parties with ‘Sheborg Masscare,’ SF3 will host multiple screenings of 2019 Feature Winner ‘Blue Moon,’ Static Vision will for the first time join Film Club in any evening of Canadian-centric Canuxploitation and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival will too host the Fest’s first virtual watch party.

“We have ‘Freak Show’ playing this Friday; it was actually our Opening Night film a couple of years ago at the Festival,” said MQFF CEO Maxwell Gratton. “We’ve got so far a thousand people interested to join, we’re expecting a reasonable patronage.”

“What we’re really hoping to do is engage with our audience during this challenging time. It can be isolating for many people, particularly those living alone and the elderly, but anyone during this time needs to reach out to other people and we’re hoping to create a forum where people can connect with each other. The moving image is such a powerful medium to build communities and we’re hoping to do this for those who may be isolated, who are alone, who may be vulnerable and everyone who misses that contact and connectivity; hopefully we can help build a little bit of solidarity.”

MQFF called off the remaining 8 days of their 12-day run originally scheduled for March 12-23. Devastated to do so, the Festival underlines that it was the correct decision to ensure the safety of those in the community including those with compromised immune systems, even if the sense of community the Festival engenders couldn’t be realised in its traditional form.

“COVID-19 caused us to look at our online and innovative offerings; I suspect into the future these would be good mediums and avenues to build on our existing audiences and to reach out to audiences who are unable to engage with the Festival say due to geographical constraints, for people in regional areas or for those who are for whatever reason unable to attend in person,” said Maxwell, who is hoping for a physical event in the fourth quarter of the year. “We create safe spaces, a community vibe – for that reason online offerings wont necessarily replace anything we do but can very much complement our activities in the times ahead.”

MQFF have too instigated Couch Critic; a forum where MQFF devotees can still share any and all of what they’re watching.

“It’s a lighthearted way to encourage our audience to remain connected and to share with each other queer films they’re currently seeing in isolation,” continued Maxwell. “We encourage you to do your own review, you can do it on your phone, as fancy or as simple as you’d like; what’s good about it, what’s bad about it, what’s funny, then share it with the MQFF audience.”

“We’re going to have a finale where the weekly winners will become the finalists and there will be a judging panel to present the winner who will become the MQFF Couch Critic at the 2021 Festival, write further reviews and attend films and signature events with an all-in-pass.”

Not alone, the Setting Sun Film Festival, a stalwart of Melbourne’s Sun Theatre, will too venture online for it’s seventh edition and prize-giving with an abridged series of shorts set to screen during the Fest’s original dates of May 6-12, now accessible via the Festival’s website. tilde Melbourne will likewise bring it’s community together for an online event on May 15. The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival will screen online, only four days later than its originally planned run, from May 18-24. Slated to feature one film per day each with an allotted themed, the initiative has been named ‘Humankind.’

With so many Festivals going online, the lack of technical expertise, resources and indeed tight turnovers can be hugely prohibitive. Responding to the barrier, Screen Queensland have launched the V-Fest initiative to reach Festivals where they’ve found themselves.

“The $50,000 V-Fest initiative is intended to help Festival organisers develop and deliver online experiences for existing events, or for entirely new virtual events,” said Screen Queensland via Zoom. “We believe that V-Fest has the potential to help existing events retain audiences that enjoy their physical events, but also engage with people that may have never connected with them before – this is incredibly exciting for us to be in a position to expand the reach and engagement for screen culture in Queensland.”

Helping the successful applicants address the costs involved in running and delivering a virtual screen Fest in the next 6-12 months, no doubt with a reach not limited to the north, the initiative is now open.  

“V-Fest is part of our core Screen Culture funding program that promotes and highlights screen content that inspires, entertains, informs and connects audiences. While the focus for V-Fest is primarily for Queensland-based audiences, we hope to support events that may also reach a larger virtual audience across Australia and potentially the world and that V-Fest will ignite the passion for Queensland-made screen stories in local, national and international audiences.“

on Festevez

#xl #premieres/festivals #film festivals #festivals #australian film festivals #sydney film festivals #melbourne film festivals #festevez #interviews #film/tv #blue moon #claire jankelson #coronavirus #covid-19 #couch critic #film club #human rights arts and film festival #human rights arts and film festival 2020 #maxwell gratton #melbourne queer film festival #melbourne queer film festival 2020 #monster fest #richard sowada #screen queensland #setting sun film festival #setting sun film festival 2020 #sf3 #sf3 2020 #st kilda film festival #st kilda film festival 2020

[squeakybuffalo]

Figure vs. Ground, White vs. Black (Blue)

by Soyoung Yoon

Sondra Perry: flesh out. Installation view. Photo by Kevin Kline. The following essay by Soyoung Yoon refers to works as they were presented in Resident Evil, Sondra Perry’s exhibition in The Kitchen (nyc) Resident Evil in the Fall of 2016. Perry’s exhibition at Squeaky Wheel, flesh out, mutates many of the same materials and thoughts as the previous exhibit. Wall 2 is a re-rendering of her titular two-screen installation Resident Evil; Ashes for Three Monitor Workstation is a continuation of Graft and Ash for Three Monitor Workstation; netherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 2.0 is the latest in an ongoing series; and Wet and Wavy Looks—Typhon Coming On: Fields is a further examination into Turner’s The Slave Ship, here installed in our window space without the rowing machine that accompanied it in The Kitchen. Sondra Perry: flesh out is on View through April 1, 2017. Gallery hours are Tue-Sat, 12-5pm. This exhibition is free and open to the general public.

“And in the theater, I want to change my seat; Just so I can step onto everybody’s feet”[1]: We could argue that the artist Sondra Perry offers another type of modern exhibition space to display her moving images — from the black box of the cinema, the white cube of the gallery or museum, to now “the blue room.” The walls of the gallery are painted a bright, matte shade of blue, precisely, chroma-key blue, citing a post-production technique primarily for removing and replacing a blue or green screen with a different background. In Perry’s blue room, there is also a Roomba vacuum-cleaner, which carries on its back a set of photocopied zines of theoretical texts; it circles the space of the gallery, moving in-between artworks and at times brushing up against or bumping into our feet. After seeing Perry’s exhibition, we might be reminded of the “rogue Roomba” that switched itself on, rolled onto a hot place, and set itself ablaze; reports spoke of the smoke damage—“everything is black” —which forced its owners out of their home.[2]

   The reference to the chroma-key blue of digital world-making speaks to fantasies of space travel: the possibility of positioning a subject against any background, in any space, every space, particularly amidst the darkness of the night or of outer space. The blue screen, because of its low-luminosity, functions as an especially effective placeholder for the black void of space, its infinite nothingness. However, the possibilities of this technique depend upon the sharpness of the contrast between the subject in the foreground and the background, that is, upon the subject’s capacity to separate and define itself as a figure against the ground. Recent scholarship attests to the historic instability of photographing or filming dark skin in color.[3] The very technology of color photography had been developed with white skin as norm, blowing out the varying tones and textures of darker skin, rendering it at times indivisible from the background, as if the illegibility of blackness was but a technical error. Technology is ideology. In Perry’s netherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr series, the chroma-key blue also appears as “the blue screen of death,” a Window’s operating system’s system crash, superimposed with references to “the blue wall of silence,” the unwritten code that police offers do not report on each other, via tactics of intimidation, harassment, false testimony, and silence — a fatal system error that is not so much an aberration as a constitutive necessity of the system as such.

Sondra Perry. Ashes for Three Monitor Workstation (2017). Photo by Kevin Kline.         

   Subject vs. Background. Figure vs. Ground. White vs. Black (Blue)…What then of subjectivities — and bodies — that do not seem to possess the stabilized configuration of an “I”? What then for the figure that is diffuse, diasporic, both one and many, localized in neither a body or an identity?    

   In Perry’s work, the difficult, fraught relation to this “I” is evidenced through the precarity of black bodies, brought (again) to national attention through the circulation of videotaped police violence as in the killing of Eric Garner or Korryn Gaines, which followed years of prosaic surveillance, repeated stop-and-searches, relentless, arbitrary harassment for small-scale infractions. To watch, however, is not necessarily to witness, and Perry underscores the heavy price of witnessing, the weight born by those with the absolute necessity to record — and to share. In 1994, in view of the Rodney King video, Elizabeth Alexander wrote of the spectacle of black bodies in pain as a national tradition, staged primarily for and by white people; she adds, “but in one way or another, black people also have been looking.”[4] For Alexander, emphasis is on the function of this looking and how it constitutes the knowledge of violence and her vulnerability to it, the certainty of “it would be my turn next”— a bodily experience that comes to reside in “the flesh” as shared forms of memory, of history, of the lived experience of becoming/being black in this country. As part of Resident Evil, a centerpiece of Perry’s exhibition, there is a video playing on a TV monitor on top of a piece of living room furniture. The video begins with an audio interview with Ramsey Orta, who recorded Garner’s death on video in 2014; the reporter comments on the steadiness of Orta’s hand, which remains remarkably steady, firm, unwavering, despite the distressing intimacy of the scene (“took my life from me, took my friend’s life from me”). Perry’s video ends with an audio of Gaines narrating her own impending death over Facebook and Instagram in 2016; “record everything,” we hear Gaines say to her five-year old son. This is layered over a scrolling text that recounts an episode from Perry’s own childhood, which eerily echoes the scene of Gaines’s death. The daily strain of such proximity to premature death, its utter normalcy, collapses pronouns as well as verbal tenses: that would be me, that is me.

   In the Resident Evil video, if a walk home at night turns into the horror of stalking/being stalked, scored to excerpted soundtracks of Alien and Predator, the “evil” that awaits in the living room is none other than the glorious Eartha Kitt: “I wanna be evil, little evil me; Just as mean and evil as I can be.” In Perry’s work, there is not only the burden of the necessity to record and to share, but also the exuberance, the black joy, of this existence through sharing. Via her Roomba zines, Perry refers to the proposal for a new measure of virality, indeed promiscuity, for evaluating images, what the artist Hito Steyerl calls a “defense of the poor image”: the image that is valued for the “velocity, intensity, spread” of its circulation, exemplified in the ludic velocity of this Roomba, appropriated as a purveyor of critical intervention underfoot.[5] The zine also references the critic Aria Dean’s comparison of the circulation of the poor image, especially as memes via social media, to what Cedric Robinson in Black Marxism would describe as the collective being of blackness (“ontological totality”); against the surveillance of black bodies and desires, Dean asks, “perhaps we can make ourselves opaque, through our own serial, iterative excess.”[6] As part of Resident Evil, behind the TV monitor, against the chroma-key blue wall, we also see a 3-D animation of an extreme close-up of Perry’s skin; the projection is scaled to the massive proportions of a history painting or a Jackson Pollock. The close-up presents her skin as a diffusive figure, a dispersed scattering that is also a fusing, like lava flow, rock become throbbing, heaving liquid at over 1300 degrees Fahrenheit. Perry’s skin, that overdetermined site for the “fact” of blackness, becomes flesh, in all its fluidity, viscosity, and sensuality of being; it spills over, spreads out and in ceaseless movement, constantly folding into/out of the background, rendering the ground itself into a figure of sorts. The ground moves, like the sea. In the video for Wet and Wavy Looks—Typhon coming on for a Three Monitor Workstation, Perry animates an extreme close-up of the sea in J.M.W. Turner’s 1840 painting of the Zong massacre from 1781, where the British slave ship Zong’s captain drowned 133 slaves in order to claim compensation for these “goods” under the salvage clause of the ship’s insurance policy. (Another ten slaves threw themselves overboard in what the ship’s captain later described as an act of defiance.) Through the animating close-up, Perry draws out the texture of brush strokes, the swell and dissipation of waves, the morph, warp, mutation of the sea-as-flesh, the blur.

  To see videos such as Wet and Wavy Looks, we sit in rowing machines, exercise bikes, or treadmills, advertised as three monitor workstations, but here transformed into infernal machines from which to view Perry’s videos. The machines have ill-fitting seats, the pedals are flipped, and the effort to produce “a healthier, better you” is further impeded by Eco Styler hair styling gel, as if the underscore the fatigue — and futility — of the desire to be a productive subject of capital, a good subject of the state. Indeed, it is the very philosophy of policing behavior (“broken windows theory”), which has been the motor for expanding the scope and intensity of the surveillance of particular communities, exposing the entire community to a harsh, punitive light, where every move, every gesture could become probable cause.[7] “I wanna be evil,” we hear Kitt sing. We could also recall Bertolt Brecht’s description of a police chief’s fitful dreaming, where, amidst the hallucinatory fumes of fear and bad conscience, the tentative stirrings of the people are envisioned as a flood: “Once it has begun, it never ceases…they fill everything, like water, they seep through everything, like water, they have no substance. Of course, the police throw themselves against them, of course, batons are flying, but what’s this? They strike right through the bodies…”[8] In Perry’s blue room, we begin to ascertain the force, the urgency of that flood.

[1] Eartha Kitt, “I Want to be Evil,” Youtube video, 3:02 minutes, posted by mrfnk on Nov.16, 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS02GeKuWQ4, included in video for Sondra Perry’s moving image installation Resident Evil (2016).

[2] “Robot Suicide? Rogue Roomba Switches Self On, Climbs Onto Hotplate, Burns Up,” Huffington Post, November 13, 2013, updated on January 23, 2014, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/13/robot-suicide-roomba-hotplate-burns-up_n_4268064.html

[3] See, for instance, Lorna Roth, “Looking at Shirley, the Ultimate Norm: Colour Balance, Image Technologies, and Cognitive Equity,” Canadian Journal of Communication vol. 34, no. 1 (2009), 111-136.

[4] Elizabeth Alexander, “Can you be BLACK and Look at This?”: Reading the Rodney King Video(s), Public Culture 1994, no 7, pp.77-94.

[5] Hito Steyerl, “In Free Fall: A Thought Experiment on Vertical Perspective” e-flux no. 24 (April 2011), re-printed in Perry’s Roomba zine; see also Hito Steyerl, “In Defense of the Poor Image,” e-flux no. 10 (Nov. 2009) http://www.e-flux.com/journal/10/61362/in-defense-of-the-poor-image/

[6] Aria Dean, “Poor Meme, Rich Meme,” Real Life, July 25, 2016, re-printed in Perry’s Roomba zine

[7] Jordan T. Camp and Christina Heatherton, eds., Policing the Planet: Why the Policing Crisis Led to Black Lives Matter, Verso Books, 2017.

[8] Bertolt Brecht, “The Bruise-A Threepenny Film” in Brecht on Film and Radio, ed. and trans. by Marc Silberman, Brecht on Film & Radio (Bloomsbury. 2000), 142-3.

Soyoung Yoon is Program Director and Assistant Professor of Art History & Visual Studies at the Department of the Arts, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, The New School. She is also a Visiting Faculty at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program [isp].

[theafropolitanglobal]

Silence is No Longer Golden

For me, 2016 was a tough year, especially the last few months of the year. I had the unfortunate demise of a financial hardship which not only impacted my bank account, but emotionally drained me. I am glad to be back on a road of financial recovery. But, my personal situation is not the purpose of today’s blog entry.

Today is the first day of school at Columbia College Chicago, the school I work at and graduated from. For those of you who don’t know, Columbia is an art and media 4-year institution, best known for it’s Cinema Arts and Science program. Infamously, at least on a local level, it has been painted as a school suffering financial and structural challenges since the Great Recession and it still hasn’t recovered. In 2008, Columbia boasted 12,500 students; this semester it will be starting with just more than half as many. I could debate all the causes or blame it on a singular problem, but, instead, I rather detail what I find to be the most egregious, which is close to my heart and illustrates what is really holding the school from success.

Power. In itself, it is not something to fear and can be something good, but history tells us how the desire to have power can be dangerous and, in many cases, fatal. I just recently watched The OA on Netflix and the line that continues to echo in my head is: “Those who want power will always try to control those who possess it.” In Columbia’s case, those who feel as if they have power want to maintain it at all costs necessary, disregarding the school’s supposed mission to be more inclusive, enhance all aspects diversity, and create a bigger footprint in the community.

One particular program that has a decade of success in accomplishing this was Columbia Links, a high school journalism and news literacy program that recruited predominantly students of color from Chicago and its suburbs. The program that served hundreds of students and engaged youth in critical thinking and civic engagement (Links was a big part of hosting the Mayoral Candidate’s Forum in 2015 with the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, for example) was “sunsetted” as of December 31, 2016. Despite the program exposing youth to a college campus, giving young people spaces to speak with people like former Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy to discuss violence as a public health issue, working with and interviewing local and state politicians, activists and intellectuals to bring attention to human trafficking in the city, hosting town halls on deep issues affecting young people, including the school-to-prison pipeline, the Dean of the School of Media Arts, Eric Freedman, decided he wanted to take the program in a “different direction.” To my knowledge, there was absolutely no conversation with now former Executive Director of the program, Brenda Butler, before a decision was made. Instead, the Columbia Links staff was blindsighted and given a month to leave.

To make matters even more bizarre, after some conversations with the McCormick Foundation, the program’s principal funder, Brenda was then told her position was ending and she would be given a new position and the program would stay intact. She was then presented with the new title, with a new salary that was much lower than what she originally was making. She turned down the offer.

I am leaving out one important fact: while this was happening in November of 2016, Columbia Links was in it’s typical two-year limbo where it was waiting to be regranted by the McCormick Foundation. The application had been submitted but the announcement of if the program would be refunded was not slated until February 2017, with funds being disbursed in March 2017. The probability of Links being refunded was pretty high. However, this void was used as a reason by the School of Media Arts to undermine the successes of the program, using the suggestion that there was no money to float the program for January and February 2017, something that has never happened in the past. Somehow, there was money to cover the severance pay of the staff.

Any program that engages young people of color with civic leaders and has them critical watch, read and listen to the news and media should be celebrated and adequately supported when an institution is finding ways to be more inclusive. The demise of Columbia Links is gravely unfortunate because a high level administrator rather have his name on a program to say what he did, instead of collaborating with those running the program. Instead of talking to the young people who have benefitted from the program, he instead listened to people who were envious of the program to make his decision. This is the same kind of desire to have power evident in our current POTUS and similar leaders, like using the term “alternative facts” to cloak lies. These are people who rather squash voices than uplift them.

I’ve decided to no longer let my voice be silent. I’m working at an institution that has a small group of people that rather have my voice and those of many others who work and learn there be silent and live in fear (and perpetuate a culture of fear), instead of working with those they have hired to do important work. They rather have me sit in a room listen to tears of white guilt after eliminating departments and programs, instead of supporting me and my colleagues that they have charged with doing intersectional work throughout the college. I refuse to let this toxic atmosphere for me, the colleagues and students I love to continue. Silence in this instance, is not golden.

#power #Columbia College Chicago #higher education #Columbia Links #youth #Chicago #journalism #news literacy