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tcm · 5 years

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80 Years Later: Careers Built in Hollywood’s Greatest Year By Jessica Pickens

The year 1939 is often heralded as the most prolific year in Hollywood, yielding the highest quality films released in a single year. Some of the most famous films of all time were first seen by audiences in 1939: THE WIZARD OF OZ, GONE WITH THE WIND, DARK VICTORY and MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. But outside of these films, 1939 was also important to a number of acting careers. For some actors, they received a role that offered the big break they were waiting on, catapulting them into stardom. Others who were already more established, received roles that helped revitalize their career:

Olivia de Havilland: Olivia de Havilland started in films in 1935, and while she had several starring roles, she was frustrated that none of them offered the quality that she was looking for. De Havilland often played second fiddle as a romantic partner to the leading man—particularly Errol Flynn. She appeared in five films released in 1939, but it was just one that was the catalyst for enhancing her career: the role of Melanie Wilkes in GONE WITH THE WIND. She fought for the role of Melanie, a stark contrast to the character of Scarlett O’Hara, and it ultimately transformed her career.

Greer Garson: Greer Garson starred in her first film in 1939 — GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS. The film follows a stuffy school teacher, Mr. Chipping played by Robert Donat, who is disliked by most of his pupils. But when Mr. Chipping meets and marries Katherine, played by Garson, she softens him and teaches him to show more kindness to his students. Garson was reluctant to take the role, because the screen time is brief. However, her role as Mr. Chipping’s wife is important, as it transforms the main character. The film also launched her into stardom and she receive¬d an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress to boot. Garson very quickly became one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s top stars.

William Holden: After two uncredited performances, William Holden’s first credited film role came in 1939 and it was a starring role. Holden starred alongside Barbara Stanwyck in GOLDEN BOY. In the film, Holden plays a violinist who wants to become a boxer to help earn his family more money. The issue is that boxing brings the risk of hand injuries, which would prevent him from becoming a fine concert violinist. The film made Holden a stand-out new star of that year.

Hedy Lamarr: Hedy Lamarr acted in German films but received international attention when she traveled to the United States and starred in ALGIERS (1938). When Lamarr signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, she became one of the studio’s top stars and glamour girls. Her first film under MGM was LADY OF THE TROPICS (1939). Lamarr plays a woman of mixed race –half French, half Asian—who desperately wants to leave French Saigon, or Indochina. She falls in love with and marries rich playboy Robert Taylor, who promises to take her to America, but societal prejudices threatens to ruin their happiness.

David Niven: As early as 1932, English actor David Niven played uncredited, supporting or other background roles in films. But in 1939, BACHELOR MOTHER offered him his first true leading man role. Niven stars alongside Ginger Rogers who plays a department store worker who ends up with a baby by mistake. Everyone –including Niven—believes Rogers is the mother and encourages her to take responsibility for the baby. After the success of this film, Niven returned to England to serve in the British Army. After World War II, Niven remained a leading man and top star in Hollywood and the UK.

Basil Rathbone: Basil Rathbone was a star as early as 1930, with roles in top films like ANNA KARENINA (1935), A TALE OF TWO CITIES (1935) and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938). Rathbone was often a villain and also well-known for his sword fighting prowess. But 1939 offered Rathbone the role of a well-known literary character: Sherlock Holmes. Along with his villainous roles, Rathbone’s Holmes is a character that shapes his legacy. In 1939, Rathbone starred as the fictional private detective in THE HOUNDS OF BASKERVILLE with Nigel Bruce as his Dr. Watson. Together, Rathbone and Bruce reprised their Holmes and Watson roles in 14 films from 1939 to 1946.

Ginger Rogers: Long paired with dance partner Fred Astaire, in 1939 Rogers co-starred with Astaire for the last time until 1949. The two starred in their only biographical picture together, THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE, about a dancing pair that took the world by storm with new dance trends. While Rogers had starred in non-musicals prior to her partnership with Astaire, her role in BACHELOR MOTHER helped her transition to new characters. Starting in 1939, she began a 10 year stretch where she performed in comedies and dramas — none of which required ballroom dancing.

Ann Sothern: Ann Sothern started as a film extra in the late-1920s and slowly worked her way to credited roles and leading ladies in B pictures. After plugging along in thankless roles, the course of Sothern’s career changed in 1939. She left RKO, signed a contract with MGM and landed the plum role of Maisie Ravier in MAISIE. In MAISIE, Sothern plays a brassy vaudeville performer who finds herself stranded in Wyoming. She meets a cowboy, played by Robert Young, who begrudgingly lets her stay at his ranch. Sothern finds herself in over her head when Young’s boss and wife arrive and she gets mixed up in the wife’s extracurricular affair. This film spawned 9 other Maisie films where Sothern played the fast talking, unrefined dame with a heart of gold.

James Stewart: It’s hard to imagine a time when James Stewart wasn’t one of Hollywood’s top stars. But in 1939, he was still up-and-coming. Though he starred in other roles prior to 1939 (such as VIVACIOUS LADY and SHOPWORN ANGEL, both in 1938), Stewart’s role in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON solidified him as a star. In the film, Stewart plays patriotic but inexperienced Jefferson Smith who is appointed a U.S. Senator. While the corrupt politicians hope Smith will be a “Yes” man, he fights for what he believes is right.

Lana Turner: In 1939, Lana Turner starred in THESE GLAMOUR GIRLS, which was her first starring film role and her first film where the storyline focused primarily on her character. In the film, Turner plays a “taxi dancer” who is asked to a spring college dance by a rich, drunk college boy played by Lew Ayres. Turner takes him seriously and arrives at the college along with all of the dates—including Ayres’s other date. Turner’s character isn’t exactly welcomed with open arms by Ayres or the other snooty society college boys and girls. After this film, Turner received top billing and was swathed in glamour for the next 15 years until she left Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1956.

John Wayne: John Wayne had been appearing in films since 1926. While he made a name for himself as a silver screen cowboy, those films were low-budget Westerns that didn’t run much longer than an hour. But in 1939, Wayne was cast in a role that made him the star he is known as today: Ringo Kid in STAGECOACH. Directed by John Ford, the film follows a group of people riding on a stagecoach dealing with their own issues. Wayne’s character of Ringo Kid is an outlaw who has escaped from prison to get revenge for the deaths of his father and brother.

Lupe Velez: Lupe Velez found success in Hollywood in silent films and early talkies. But by the late-1930s, her career was waning. Velez returned home to Mexico to star in LA ZANDUNGA (1938) and was planning on signing a film contract in Mexico when she received an offer from RKO to star in THE GIRL FROM MEXICO. In the film, Velez plays Carmelita Fuentes, a Mexican singer who Donald Woods brings back to the United States to perform for an advertising client’s radio show. Woods and Velez’s characters fall in love and the two decide to marry. What was supposed to be a standalone B-movie spawned a successful film series, revitalizing Velez’s career. She played the “Mexican Spitfire” in eight comedies from 1939 to 1943. The film series also exhibited an early representation of interracial marriage.

#Ginger Rogers #James Stewart #Olivia de Havilland #Lana Turner #Lupe Velez #Hedy Lamarr #Basil Rathbone #David Niven #Ann Sothern #Greer Garson #John Wayne #Jessica Pickens #TCM #Turner Classic Movies

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jandjsalmon · 5 years

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It's sad seeing all these fans of Cole and Lili talking trash about Dylan and Barbara and calling them cringy because of this new shoot. It would be great if some of them practiced what they try to preach on their blogs

Hello! Thankfully, I’ve curated my dashboard so I haven’t seen any of those things. I agree with you though - there is no reason to compare and there is certainly no reason to trash talk any of the four in these relationships.

If it’s SH fans who are on your dashboard calling out Darbara… then they suck as SH fans (because you know SH would hate that!).

It’s not a competition - there is no reason to bitch about other couples. I think it’s important to point out that just because you like one couple doesn’t mean you have to like the others… but it also doesn’t mean that you can’t love all of them (including any of the other pairings that seem to get thrown into this discourse like Cami and Melton - who are totally adorable on their own)!

Imagine how tiring it is to be in a relationship and have people you don’t even know compare it to other couples? Imagine how that would feel in real life…

“Jessica and Jay are a way better couple than Josh and Becky!” (my rl bestie and her husband)

“No way! Jecky call each other ‘sweets’ and go to Oilers games together! They’re the CUTEST!” (the Oilers are gross btw)

“But jandj (what we’re actually called btw) kiss all the time and regularly embarrass their teenagers by talking about all the places in the house they’ve had sex! THEY are the couple to stan!”

“I just don’t like the way they share their love. It’s not genuine. Not like the couple /I/ like better! My opinion should be everyone’s opinion!”

“Well you’re wrong and stupid and I think your pairing is cringy!”

Like… isn’t that childish and ridiculous? It’s icky when we’re talking about people in our real lives and it’s super icky when we talk about couples that we don’t know. It shows serious immaturity on the part of whomever is doing the judging (whether they’re SH fans or not).

The love of one couple doesn’t preclude love of another and not every couple is the same - nor should they be. We’re shaped by our experiences and as a person who loves both couples you mentioned - I’m just SUPER happy that they have found their own way to love and their own person.

Being happy for other people’s successes is a benchmark of maturity. Sounds like some of the people on your dash need to grow up.

#jandy's fandom psa for today #i figure you're probably a concern troll #so im giving you props for working around my no Anons thing #but if you're genuinely being surrounded by crusty people you should unfollow them

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dccomicsbookshelf · 6 years

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Fifty Shades of Bats

Here are my headcanons on BatFam skin tones. (I do vary on these occasionally, when an AU calls for something different, but this is my default, which is very strongly canon based.)

Bruce: Was naturally on the pale side even before he became a Creature of the Night. (It’s the Kane genes) Has been known to get cowl-shaped sunburns when League missions require daytime activity. Does not tan.

Kate: See above note on Kane genes. Though she’s pale even for a Kane and basically goes through life looking like a vampire.

Barbara: pale red-head with freckles. Has gotten a little paler now that she spends so much time inside but not as bad as it could be since she does make an effort to go outdoors (for what that’s worth in Gotham) and have a life. Doesn’t really tan, just gets more freckles.

Dick: Has a naturally golden-tinted skin tone that may or may not contribute to the “golden boy” nickname. He gets paler than usual if he spends too much time being nocturnal but ten minutes in the sun gets him back to normal. His natural skin is just dark enough to be on the edge of “passing” under the category of “Caucasian with a fantastic tan” but his Gotham skin is easily light enough that people make assumptions. (He’s a little darker in my fantasy AU, where he’s ¼ white instead of ¾)

Cass: Jessica Henwick is my fancast/mental image for Cass and has been for years. I really think that says it all.

Jason: This child is a fairly average lightly-freckled white boy. I’m not one of the people who hcs Jason as a POC, though I do enjoy hcs and fics that portray him as such. It’s just that for a lot of the themes I like to connect to Jason and the way I like to write them it works best if he is white. (Mostly privilege and traditional ideas of masculinity, especially white masculinity. Jason loves being obnoxiously subversive.) And because Jason is the kind of person I see as being very aware of his own privilege as a white male (when he’s not in the middle of a trauma + Lazarus Pit-induced psychotic break.) and who uses it to benefit those less privileged than himself. He is also personally familiar with a lack of privilege, as a street kid transplanted among the Gotham Elite.

Stephanie: Looks like your stereotypical ditzy blonde until she breaks your face in with a brick. Then you can’t see her any more because you are clutching your face in pain. Give her enough time and she can get a decent tan together.

Tim: This poor boy never stood a chance. Between the Dark Irish from his dad’s side and the Kane genes from his mom’s (I’ll talk about my hc family trees some other time. for now, just know that I hc Tim’s maternal grandmother was a Kane) and his dedication to the nocturnal lifestyle It isn’t so much “What is Tim’s skin tone?” as “Skin tone? What skin tone? I do not know her.” Stephanie and Jason joke that he would sunburn at night. Stephanie has more than once checked to see if he sparkles. There are literally memes about Tim Drake-Wayne and Twilight.

Damian: Is a few shades darker than Dick and Cass. Arsalan Ghasemi has what I imagine Damian’s skin tone to be, and is usually who I use for anything where I need a live action face for Damian. Damian very deliberately does not allow himself to get lighter because of lack of sunlight. Being friends with Jon has helped with that, as he can go visit the Kents at any time and just hang out outside. He enjoys rubbing his difference in the faces of the snobbiest of the Gotham Elite. Jason loves it.

Duke: Is very dark. He probably has more melanin in his skin than most of the rest of the Family combined. (Though to be fair, Kate, Bruce, and Tim quite possibly have negative melanin so they probably skew the data)

#BatCanons #Bruce Wayne #Kate Kane #Cassandra Cain #Duke Thomas #Dick Grayson #Jason Todd #Barbara Gordon #Tim Drake #Damian Wayne #I tried my hardest to not use any offensive terminology or language #let me know if i failed #(nicely please)#and I will fix it #BatFam #BatBrats #My Posts

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myriad-ocs · 6 years

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OC Questions

huge shoutout to @discord-of-laughter for tagging me in this!! sorry it took so long, i impulsively decided to make 2 more new ocs and couldn’t decide if I wanted them to be in Divergent, The Gifted or Star Wars (they’re still a work in progress)!!

i’m gonna tag @lilysmuses !!

Facts

List five basic facts about your OC:

Eloise:

Was training to be a Guard on the Ark with Bellamy before her arrest

Arrested for aggravated assault.

Knew about Octavia Blake a few years after she was born.

Likes to go exploring Earth

Always wears a jacket which used to be her father’s

Madeline:

Moved from California to Gotham

Became a forensic scientist at the GCPD

Already has a bit of an alcohol dependency problem, which escalates when she becomes an undercover bartender at The Sirens.

Was given the nickname ‘Mirror’ by Barbara

A hopeless lesbian who tries her best to flirt but often fails

Brett:

His mom unexpectedly left Brett and his father when he was 2.

Until Brett found out the truth, he thought his father was a businessman.

Works in the recruiting part of Kingsman, partially because he likes scaring new recruits

Has a bit of an anger issue.

Not very good with guns, but is excellent at hand to hand combat.

Dorothy:

If she hadn’t been recruited by Kingsman, she would’ve probably ended up working in the ER

She and her mother live together, and the two have a very good relationship

She doesn’t know who her father is.

Likes to paint in her spare time.

Buries herself in her work whenever she’s stressed about something

Olivia:

Doesn’t spend a lot of time at home between school and working at a local bookstore.

Very close with her younger brother, Scott, and is very protective of him.

Doesn’t have many friends at school, until Cook invites her to a party one day.

Generally very calm and quiet, but can be very stern if she has to be.

Plans to move out once she finishes school and take care of her brother on her own.

Trysha:

The eldest daughter of the Starks.

Closest to Arya, although she loves all her siblings.

Is very family oriented and would do anything to protect those she loves.

Has a grey Direwolf named Ashwood, who is still alive and is always by her side.

Although she is the eldest and technically the Lady of Winterfell, she declines and insists that Sansa remain in the leadership role.

Alexandra:

Started working at Nelson and Murdock quite quickly after she graduated law school.

A bit of a workaholic.

Doesn’t agree with Matt’s life as a vigilante, especially since she sides with the law more than the work of vigilantes.

Accompanies Matt when he goes to serve as Jessica’s lawyer, which is the beginning of how she meets all the Defenders.

Follows in Foggy’s footsteps and gets a job at Hogarth, Chao and Benowitz when Nelson and Murdock shuts down.

Ryan:

Had wanted to work for NASA and go to space his whole life.

On his first mission in space, an asteroid knocked out his engine, sending him into an asteroid belt.

Rocket had caught sight of his ship, and he was saved by the Guardians.

Thought he was dead or hallucinating when he woke up and met the Guardians.

Creates a special radio, with the help of Rocket, which he often uses to communicate with his family.

Zachary:

Has the power to manipulate and implement death on any living thing around him.

Grew up imprisoned at an A.R.G.U.S. lab until he is freed by Lily.

Accidentally almost kills Ray when the Legends find him and Lily’s metahuman refuge.

Doesn’t trust the Legends and was upset that Lily wanted to go with them.

Is incredibly insecure about his powers and believes he hasn’t fully accessed his full potential.

Lily:

Has the power to manipulate all sort of energy, including life force.

Knows her power isn’t as strong as Zach’s, which she believes is because death is stronger than life.

Wants to become part of the Legends so that one day she can change the timeline and erase A.R.G.U.S.’ existence.

Does not forgive her father for experimenting on metahumans, although she misses her parents very much.

Is very trusting and optimistic, despite all she’s seen

Natalyie

The only survivor the massacre at Tuanul, was saved by Poe and escaped with BB-8.

Becomes close friends with Finn and Rey when she becomes part of the adventure.

Meets Mia when she decides to stay at the Resistance base.

Skilled with a speeder and other vehicles, eventually trains to become a pilot.

Becomes close with Mia when she is assigned to maintain Natalyie’s ship

Mia

Has been a part of the Resistance all her life.

Was taught to be a mechanic from her father and older brother.

Blames herself for the death of her mother when her ship malfunctions during a mission.

Also good with droids

Close friends with Poe and the Tico sisters

Are they in love or do they have a crush? A relationship?

Eloise: If you’d ask her straight up, she tell you no to all three, even though Raven would say otherwise. She has a weird relationship with Bellamy, which is somewhere between best friends and something more, but Eloise is still reluctant to let people too close.

Madeline: Madeline has the biggest crush on Barbara, and she doesn’t even bother trying to hide it. They eventually start dating, even when Madeline is supposed to be undercover.

Brett: Brett has a massive crush on Eggsy, but he’s too afraid to say something about it.

Dorothy: Dorothy has a tiny crush on Jack, but they also have a bit of a weird relationship that borders between mentor/apprentice, friends and something more. But Dorothy knows he’s still not over the death of his wife.

Olivia: Olivia has a tiny crush on Cook, but she’s too shy to tell him about it. Especially since she think’s he’s more interested in Effy than her.

Trysha: Trysha definitely wouldn’t say she’s in love, but she has a bit of a soft spot for Jaime, even though they’ve only met once or twice, because she thinks he’s truly good at heart. But she’s not sure if she’d describe that as a crush.

Alexandra: Alexandra had hooked up with Matt, yet it never went anywhere. They both tried to make it work, but it eventually fizzled out, especially with the arrival of Elektra catalysing it. She’d want to try again if she had the chance, but otherwise, she’d rather focus on work.

Ryan: Ryan’s never had that many crushes his whole life, even back on Earth, and sometimes he wonders if he’ll ever find someone. However, if he doesn’t, he think’s he’ll be content with it, especially he loves being with the Guardians.

Zachary: Zachary is in love with Lily, no matter how hard he tries to deny it. She’s his best friend, and he gets incredibly jealous when she starts hanging out with the other Legends.

Lily: Lily will fall in love with someone at the drop of a hat. She’s pretty sure she’s had crushes on half of the Legends already, but she has a soft spot for Zachary.

Natalyie: Natalyie had been attracted to Mia right from the start, and has asked her out. The two have been in a relationship ever since.

Mia: Mia is been in a relationship with Natalyie, and is secretly grateful Natalyie is so upfront with her feelings and asked her out first, since Mia is pretty sure she’d be to shy to ever ask Natalyie out.

Is there a song that makes you think of your OC?

Eloise: Demons by Imagine Dragons

Madeline: Carried Away by Passion Pit

Brett: The Kids Aren’t Alright by Fall Out Boy

Dorothy: Shore by Daniela Andrade

Olivia: Drop Everything by Barcelona

Trysha: Carry You by Novo Amor

Alexandra: Sick of Losing Soulmates by dodie

Ryan: Some Nights by Fun.

Zachary: Dangerous (feat. Joywave) by Big Data

Lily: Renegades by X Ambassadors

Natalyie: Unstoppable by The Score

Mia: I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers

If you have more than one OC:

Who was the first? Eloise!!

Who is the tallest? Probably Brett, who’s 6″3′

Who is the shortest? Olivia, who’s 5″2′

Who is the most intelligent? It’s a tie between Dorothy and Ryan, with Mia close behind

Who is the most ruthless? Eloise and Zachary for sure, and Trysha could be up there when she wants to be.

Who is most likely to get themselves killed? Brett, possible Natalyie

Who has the prettiest singing voice? Olivia is great at singing when she actually opens her mouth, and Madeline is pretty good too.

Who is most likely to become a crazy cat lady? Madeline, I mean, she’s already halfway there with the crazy part.

Who is the worst cook? Alexandra. She doesn’t even bother anymore, she just gets takeout.

Who is the most likely to steal candy from a baby? Brett, since Eggsy probably dared him.

Who sings in the shower? Lily and back on the Ark, Eloise, although she’d rather die than admit it.

Who doesn’t believe in ghosts? Dorothy and Alexandra. Ryan didn’t use to believe, until he got to space, then figured anything was possible.

Preferences

If your OC could have any superpower, which would it be and why?

Eloise: Eloise would want the power to manipulate time, specifically be able to go back and time and change the past. She wouldn’t be sure how to do it, but she’d make saving her father her top priority.

Madeline: Madeline would love to be able to read people’s minds and influence them.

Brett: Brett would want something that enhances him physically, like super strength or super speed -- something that would make him better in combat.

Dorothy: Dorothy would want healing powers. She’s saved lots of lives as a paramedic, but she’s also lost many -- and she hates the feeling of losing someone she’s trying to save.

Olivia: Olivia would also want to be telepathic. She likes observing people, and she’d be curious to know what goes on in people’s heads.

Trysha: Trysha also want to be able to go back in time and save her family, and everyone else she loves.

Alexandra: Alexandra sometimes wishes she had enhances abilities, like super speed, because when she’s with the Defenders she sometimes feels a little useless being unable to fight.

Ryan: Ryan was fascinated by Peter’s abilities on Ego’s planet, and wishes he could control energy, just because it looks cool.

Zachary: --

Lily: --

Natalyie: Natalyie would want pyrokinetic powers, because she develops a little bit of an obsession with fire, because it makes her think of how The First Order destroyed her home, and reminds her what she’s fighting for.

Mia: Mia would want hydrokinetic powers, because water calms her. She likes sitting by rivers or lakes and just listening to the sound of the water.

What is their favourite kind of candy?

Eloise: Eloise isn’t a fan of sweet things, although she doesn’t mind a little bit of chocolate

Madeline: Lollipops, any flavor

Brett: Chocolate

Dorothy: Gummy worms

Olivia: Also gummy worms, since they’re also Scott’s favorite.

Trysha: Chocolate

Alexandra: Caramel hard candies

Ryan: Any kind of sour candy

Zachary: Any kind of minty candy

Lily: Gummy bears

Natalyie: Lemon sherbets

Mia: Bubble gum, it helps her concentrate

What’s their favourite flavour?

Eloise: Salt and vinegar

Madeline: Any type of berry

Brett: Sweet and sour, jalapeño

Dorothy: Coffee, peanut butter

Olivia: Vanilla, cinnamon

Trysha: Lemon, rosemary

Alexandra: Coffee

Ryan: Apple, grape

Zachary: Mint chocolate

Lily: Anything fruity, except orange

Natalyie: Anything citrusy

Mia: Peach

Which TV show do you think they would definitely like if they could watch it?

Eloise: The Amazing Race

Madeline: The Bold Type

Brett: The Punisher

Dorothy: Legion

Olivia: Stranger Things

Trysha: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Alexandra: Narcos

Ryan: Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Zachary: Mindhunter

Lily: The Gifted

Natalyie: Supergirl

Mia: Black Lightning

Details

Name a bad habit your OC has?

Eloise: Shuts people out really easily. All it takes is for one thing to go wrong, and Eloise can completely shut down. It’s a coping mechanism she’s developed to protect herself, since she figures if she doesn’t let anyone close, she won’t get hurt.

Madeline: Drinking too much. Before she went undercover, Madeline already has a bit of problem with alcohol, but it becomes a full on problem when she starts working at The Sirens. She has problems knowing when to stop.

Brett: Swearing. A lot. Of course, if you asked him, he wouldn’t think it’s a problem, but especially when he’s mad it can get out of hand.

Dorothy: Fidgeting. Dorothy is so used to working and moving around a lot, that when she doesn’t have something to do, she usually finds herself pulling at her sleeves, spinning around pens, and generally just being unable to sit still.

Olivia: Eating too much junk food. Generally, she has a balanced diet, but when she gets stressed she can go through bags of chips and candy without even noticing.

Trysha: Biting her lips. No matter how much her mother tried to get her to drop the habit, it’s just become something she does. She’ll sometimes pick at the dry skin on her lips too, although she knows she shouldn’t.

Alexandra: Overworking herself. She’ll work day and night and won’t look after herself, and she’ll usually end up stressing herself out.

Ryan: Staying up late. He doesn’t mean too, but sometimes he’ll get so absorbed in a new invention he’s building, or talking to his family on the radio, he won’t realise he hadn’t slept at all until Peter or Gamora comes by his room the next day.

Zachary: Incredibly distrusting. He just has a hard time opening up to people, which means often times he comes off as very rude or standoffish when he meets new people.

Lily: She plays with her hair a lot. Usually when she’s nervous, but even when she’s deep in through she’ll find herself tugging it or twisting it, which means the ends of her hair are kinda frayed. She’ll keep it up out of her face most of the time to stop herself.

Natalyie: Being a bit close minded. She’s incredibly stubborn, and it takes her a while to see things from another perspective.

Mia: Stressing herself out too easily, especially over the most minute failure. She’s a bit of a perfectionist, so she doesn’t handle it very well when something goes wrong.

Empty their pockets – what’s in there?

Eloise: A knife. Maybe a few bullets she forgot she had stashed. Possibly a tool or a loose wire Raven asked her to hold onto and she had forgot to return.

Madeline: Receipts. Pieces of paper she’s scribbled on. A pen. One or two lipsticks and maybe some mascara. Some loose change she couldn’t be bothered to put in her wallet.

Brett: Tips from his job as a waiter. His phone. Wallet. Kingsman glasses.

Dorothy: Surgical gloves. A pen or two. Statesman glasses. Her phone. Lots of hair ties and bobby pins.

Olivia: Her phone. Wallet. Probably a folded up drawing Scott had given her.

Trysha: A knife or two. An arrowhead. A small piece of fabric she was intending to make into a dress for her mother, but never finished.

Alexandra: Her phone. Wallet. Apartment keys. Maybe a hairband or two. An earring.

Ryan: A picture of his family. A weapon Rocket had made for him. His radio.

Zachary: Probably just some lint.

Lily: A bracelet from her mother.

Natalyie: Her communications device which she frequently forgets to wear. A small trinket Mia made for her. Knife.

Mia: Loose bolts and screws. Hairbands, both new and broken.

What makes them (unreasonably) angry or defensive, what kind of behaviour in others can’t they stand? Pet Peeves?

Eloise: Eloise will get incredibly angry if anyone tries to bring up her past against her, or try and hurt her friends. She hates being excluded from important decisions.

Madeline: Madeline gets angry if anyone brings up her alcoholism, or even makes a small remark about how much she drinks. She gets annoyed when others are too serious.

Brett: A lot of things can get Brett riled up, since he’s got a bit of an anger issue. If you try to sideline him or underestimate him, if you’re rude to his friends, even if you just accidentally bump into him, he might snap.

Dorothy: Not many things can get Dorothy angry or defensive. She’ll get angry if someone threatens her mother, otherwise she’s pretty patient. Occasionally, she’ll get annoyed when the paramedics she’s working with get in her way or aren’t doing their job right, especially if someone’s life is on the line.

Olivia: Bringing up her family, especially her little brother, is a bit of a sore spot for Olivia and will definitely make her defensive. Other than that, she’s keeps to herself.

Trysha: Thinking about the death of her parents and brothers gets Trysha incredibly angry, and she also can’t stand when people underestimate her and Arya.

Alexandra: Alexandra gets annoyed pretty easily, especially if a case doesn’t go right for her. She’s not very good at losing, and will overwork herself to win a case, and expects the people around her to do the same -- so if anyone slacks off around her, she’ll get angry. She also can’t stand slow walkers.

Ryan: Ryan’s a pretty chill guy, but one of his pet peeves is when someone messes with his stuff. Especially in his room. He has everything in a certain place and has a system for everything, so if someone goes in there and messes it up, which is usually Peter or Drax, that’ll really push his buttons.

Zachary: Zachary gets angry very easily, but will lose it if something every happens to Lily. He also gets defensive when it comes to his family and his past.

Lily: Lily gets angry when people don’t believe in her, and also if they try and agitate Zachary. She also gets angry when she can’t help others, but more so getting angry at herself than others.

Natalyie: Natalyie gets furious thinking about the First Order, and that’s pretty much it. She also gets angry at herself when she fails a mission, or when she’s ordered to fall back or do something she doesn’t fully believe in.

Mia: Mia also gets angry at herself when she fails something. She also gets angry whenever someone doubts her abilities or tries to do her job.

Is your OC a good liar?

Eloise: She didn’t use to be, but she’s developed the skill over time. But she doesn’t usually lie, she prefers to be upfront.

Madeline: When it comes to big things that matter, she can be trusted to lie (Jim did send her undercover, after all). But when it comes to little things, not at all. She either gets too flustered or starts getting all giggly, especially when she’s drunk.

Brett: He’s not great at it. He usually blurts out the truth.

Dorothy: She can be if she needs to be, but people she’s close to can usually tell if she’s lying.

Olivia: She’s a decent liar, and becomes better at it.

Trysha: Although Trysha prefers to tell the truth, she’s an excellent liar when she needs to be, a skill she perfects even more over time.

Alexandra: She’s great at lying.

Ryan: Not the greatest, both when he was on Earth and in space.

Zachary: Pretty good at lying, especially since he’s spent most his life being secretive and hiding his true feelings.

Lily: In a serious situation, she can lie decently. Otherwise, she’s not great at it, and gets too nervous.

Natalyie: Was a great liar as a kid and still is, to this day.

Mia: Not a good liar, she gets too flustered.

#oc tag #ive technically only watched one ep of mrs. maisel but im planning on getting back to it i loved the first ep

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sueboohscorner · 7 years

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#Gotham 3rd Season Finale Spoilers, Recap, & Review

It is with a very excited and heavy heart that I write this review of the third season finale of Gotham. So many things were wrapped up nicely, some did not make it out of the finale, while others merely began their next chapter. Well… let’s get to it.

With the first half of the finale, “Destiny Calling”, shows a captured Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) at the GCPD. He is still brainwashed and super pissed at Alfred (Sean Pertwee) for killing his mentor, the Shaman. In several attempts to bring Bruce back, Alfred recalls different memories of Bruce’s family when he was just a baby and a small boy. But as tear-jerking as these memories were, Bruce still seems to be unwavering.

Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), now infected with the Tetch virus, keeps trying to suppress his anger and violent urges; but a voice inside his head keeps telling him that he is a “killer”. However, Jim isn’t the only one dealing with the virus and their side effects; most of the city has been infected. Harvey (Donal Logue) and the rest of the GCPD have their hands full trying to lock up some of the infected.

In the mayhem of the GCPD, Bruce takes advantage of the chaos and quickly escapes in his search for the Demon’s Head. Alfred and Lucius Fox (Chris Chalk) are tailing him as best they can.

As Bruce searches through Gotham, he is overwhelmed by the acts of anarchy and he just, well, takes it all in. He finds his destination in a somewhat shady shop, and sees and actual demon’s head statue. A dark corridor is revealed to Bruce and he is greeted by some very tame ninjas. I can only assume that these ninjas are a part of the League of Assassins. Bruce is lead to a room where the first thing of notice is a large container with a strange, greenish liquid….I think it’s also safe to assume that the container was the infamous Lazarus Pit.

A shadowy figure and echoed laughter greet Bruce. He demands to know who or what this figure is. Lo and behold, Bruce has found the Demon’s Head, or more formally, Ra’s Al Ghul (Alexander Siddig); an absolute entity of power, fear, and longevity. He inquires Bruce about his history, about how he has lived much longer than Bruce could ever imagine, and that he has longed to find a suitable heir to his legacy. Bruce, still believing all that mess that the Shaman had taught him, insists that he could be the rightful heir and the destined knight to save the city of Gotham.

Before anyone can make a move, Alfred shows up and threatens Ra’s to hand Bruce over. However, Ra’s sees this as an opportunity to test Bruce’s loyalty. He orders Bruce to kill Alfred and then he will be proven to be his legacy. Alfred, on his knees, gives a very emotional speech about how he met Bruce for the first time when his mother and father brought him home; and that no matter what, he knows that Bruce will do what he thinks he needs to be done. A flurry of doubt, anger, and hesitation sends Bruce into a rage as he drives a sword through Alfred, killing him.

Meanwhile, we see Hugo Strange (B.D. Wong) arrive at the train station, you know, to get the hell out of dodge and away from the infected. His goal was within his grasp until two armed thugs stop him in his tracks and reveal Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) herself. You see, while Strange was working on modifying the Tetch virus, he was also working on a cure. This knowledge could be very useful, so Fish decides to kidnap Strange.

While leaving amongst the hoopla of infected, Fish and company cross paths with Jim and Harvey. They hold Fish up at gunpoint because they heard about how Hugo Strange was developing an antidote until streams of ice and fire block their path. Firefly (Camila Perez) and Victor Freis (Nathan Darrow) had been recruited in Mooney’s army as well as Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor).

A barrier of ice block Harvey and Jim’s path and they have to rely on Jim giving into the virus and using his new super strength to bust out of there.

Bullock and Gordon try to locate Fish and confront her. Oddly enough, the League of Assassin ninjas got there first….. awesome action with guns and swords ensue. In the midst of the action, Jim accidentally stabs Fish and kills her. Oswald is stricken with grief as his newly found partner and mentor die in his arms. And to think, people call the Penguin a monster.

Oswald is arrested and held up in the GCPD. With the antidote being destroyed in the skirmish, Hugo Strange admits that there is only one main ingredient that they need….or rather, one person.

On that note, somehow hearing of the Tetch antidote and Fish Mooney’s death, Barbara (Erin Richards) and the Riddler (Corey Michael Smith) intercept the staff of Arkham Asylum and kidnap that very someone who can help save the majority of Gotham City: Jervis Tetch (Benedict Samuel).

The last episode of the third season, “Heavydirtysoul”, picks up where we left Alfred Pennywoth. Where was that again? Oh yeah, DEAD! Bruce realizes just what he has done and tries to stop the bleeding, but it’s pretty late for that. Ra’s Al Ghul is very pleased with Bruce and he truly believes that Bruce is his heir…whether he wants to or not. In a fit of rage, Bruce tries to fight Ra’s to no avail; he has merged himself among the shadows with one last piece of advice: to use the water on Alfred to save him.

Now, we all know that Alfred has to live, but by means of the Lazarus Pit? I guess the only thing to do is wait and see if any side effects will occur in our favorite butler…

Jim and Harvey receive word that Nygma had kidnapped Jervis Tetch from Barbara, Butch (Drew Powell), and Tabitha (Jessica Lucas), who originally kidnapped Tetch to hold the antidote hostage for a bunch of money. Edward is offering Jervis in exchange for Oswald since there whole business is far from done.

Jim is starting to feel the virus taking hold so he has no time to waste. Before any exchange could be made, Barbara, Tabitha, and Butch come busting in on Nygma and start shooting. Oswald manages to knock out Edward and put him in a police car and drive off with a smirk-ish goodbye.

Jim and Harvey quickly take Jervis, who is having much delight in the skirmish and the fact that Jim is infected and fighting the virus, and try to hide in a nearby warehouse with Babs, Tabs, and Butch on their tail. Jim, being completely annoyed at Tetch’s antics, realizes that they don’t technically need just Jervis. Jim punctures him in the throat and takes a small jar of his blood before mounting Jervis on a dolly with duct tape fastened around his neck.

With the cure in development at the GCPD, Jim is becoming more enraged and more impatient because Lee (Morena Baccarin) has propositioned him into meeting her at the train station to leave Gotham together. Only one batch of the cure is made, which kind of looks like Arctic Blue Gatorade, and Jim can’t apparently wait for another hour or so and he takes the antidote for Lee….yeah, so….that didn’t work out at all and now Jimbo has given over to the virus…saw that coming.

Harvey tracks Jim and Lee down at the station. Lee chooses to wait for Jim on the train while he fights his partner. Harvey does manage to get a few punches in, but Gordon clearly has the upper hand. In one last attempt to save himself and his friend, Harvey pulls out the badge of the Gotham City Police Department, saying that he is the best cop he’s ever seen and the best friend he could have. Jim takes the badge and gives one final roar before leaving Bullock and meeting with Lee.

As the guy who checks for tickets come by and as Lee presents the tickets, Jim discovers that Harvey had placed two vials of the cure on the back of the badge. In one last embrace and ‘I love you’, Jim stabs Lee and gives her the cure. As she slowly passes out, Jim holds her hand and gives himself the antidote. The two remain hand in hand as they drift off to sleep.

With Barbara’s constant abusive treatment of Tabitha and Butch, they hatch a plan to finally get rid of her. Since Barbara’s not a complete idiot, she corners Butch in an alley. He claims that Tabitha had nothing to do with any plan to get rid of her. He finally lets Barbara have it until she shoots him right between the eyes.

When Tabitha is confronted by Barbara, she asks if she killed Butch. When she admits it, a fight between Babs and Tabs commences. Barbara seems to be the victor when Tabitha pulls a nearby lamp with her whip down onto the floor, electrocuting and killing Barbara Kean.

We see a comatose Butch being treated by two medical staff, we are informed that Butch Gilzean isn’t even his real name. His real name is Cyrus Gold…..let that sit for a while.

While Edward managed to escape from Oswald’s handcuffs, Oz does succeed in bringing them both to the docks where their conflict began and will end. Standing at the end of the dock, Oswald faces down the barrel of Edward’s gun. He offers Oswald a chance at last words, he politely declines and waits his turn. This confuses Nygma and he pulls the trigger…but no bullets. Oswald reveals all the bullets in his pocket and tells him that he emptied the gun while he was unconscious and he also called for some backup. Ivy (Maggie Geha) and Mr. Freeze to be exactly. Oswald suspected and played on Edward’s need for absolute closure, but he had no idea that he would get the chance to knock him out like he did. Edward charges for Penguin as Freis completely freezes him solid as both a reminder for Oswald of his strength and as a somewhat inspiration for his new club: The Iceberg Lounge.

While waiting for Alfred’s results, Bruce waits anxiously in the hall of the hospital. Surprisingly enough, Selina (Camren Bicondova) shows up to check on him. Understandably, Bruce lashes out at Selina on why she is even there since she doesn’t even care about him or Alfred. Selina quickly comes back with the knowledge of the fact that she at least knows who she is, unlike Bruce, and she leaves.

As Alfred wakes up, Bruce rushes to his side to apologize. They both are informed of the state of the city; over 90% of the infected had been cured and things seem to be dying down. With he and Alfred reconciled, he encourages Bruce to make his own decisions in his own life.

Selina stops by the Siren’s Club and Tabitha appears to take her under her wing when Selina shows her mad skills with a whip.

As the chaos in Gotham dies down, we see a man, a woman, and their kid being held up by a gunman in an alleyway. Before he can shoot the father, a dark figure comes up from behind the gunman and beats the absolute crap out of him. Before the family can look their hero in the face, he was gone. On the rooftop of a nearby building, we see the hero unmask himself and it’s none other than Bruce Wayne, dabbling in a little bit of vigilantism.

With the virus not much of an issue, Jim receives a letter from Lee telling him that she is leaving Gotham; and that she doesn’t think that Gotham should be saved, but if it can be saved it will be saved by him.

I am at an incredible loss for words on how spectacular the season finale was. So many things got wrapped up nicely and many more things began. I will sorely miss Gotham during the summer break, but I will have peace in knowing that the people working on and off camera will bring us their best which is probably best described as, well, magic. I know for sure that the next season of Gotham will be worth the wait.

9.5/10

I’ll see you in the Fall, Gothamites; and as always: Stay Weird.

#Gotham #Ben McKenzie

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the-desolated-quill · 7 years

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WHEEEEEEEEDON!!!! - Quill’s Scribbles

Yes. I’m back. I was aiming to stay away from Tumblr for at least a month so I could fully rejuvenate myself, but that was not to be thanks to Warner Bros. and DC’s latest kamikaze move. Joss Whedon is in talks to write, produce and direct a Batgirl movie.

For the record, I’m not happy about this.

So instead of the over the top, triumphant return I imagined in my head, I instead return to Tumblr like the grumpy caretaker who has to clean up the mess after a frat party.

Okay. Well I suppose the first question I have to ask is:

WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING DC?!

Joss Whedon?!... JOSS WHEDON?!?! You can’t be serious!!!

But hold on, I can hear you saying. Joss Whedon is a self proclaimed feminist writer. Why would there be an issue? Well because there’s a world of fucking difference between saying you’re a feminist and actually being a feminist.

For what it’s worth, I don’t think Joss Whedon is a bad person. He seems to mean well and I’m sure his attempts at writing strong female characters and tackling women’s issues are well intentioned. I believe that he believes he’s a feminist. The problem is... well... his female characters.

We all remember Buffy The Vampire Slayer, right? It recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and at the time it was considered a massive step forward for women on television. Nowadays, while it still has a strong cult following, it isn’t held in quite as high regard. The reason for this is because there are elements to Buffy that were overlooked at the time, but are now considered extremely problematic or just downright offensive. Buffy does succumb to a lot of sexist tropes, most notably the women in refrigerator trope (where a woman’s suffering is used to progress the male character’s storyline), as well as the frequent ways sexual freedom or promiscuity is often punished in the show and the way Whedon’s writing seems to contribute to rape culture. There’s one instance where the gang-rape and murder of a minor character portrays two of its participants in a sympathetic light, and then there’s of course the notorious moment where Spike tries to rape Buffy, after having practically stalked her for two seasons, only for the act to bring them closer together and contribute to Spike’s redemption arc.

Criticism has also been extended to some of Whedon’s other projects. Firefly has been criticised for its casual racism and cultural appropriation, Dollhouse has been repeatedly criticised as being mysogonistic due to its frequent issues with consent and scenes of abuse and violence against women, and of course there’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron. After having done a surprisingly decent job in the previous Avengers movie to make Black Widow more than just a female love interest or femme fatale, in a bizarre turn Whedon decided to undo all of that by having Black Widow sporadically fall in love with the Hulk (despite the two not sharing any kind of romantic chemistry in previous instalments) in a narrative that ultimately removed any kind of independence or free agency the character once had.

For a more in-depth look into the problematic elements of Joss Whedon’s writing, check out this article from The Mary Sue entitled ‘Reconsidering the Feminism of Joss Whedon’. It’s a very good read :)

While Joss Whedon can produce some good work, his attitude regarding his female characters is questionable at best. Like I said, I believe that he believes he’s a feminist. The problem is his brand of feminism seems to be permanently stuck in the 90s. His stubborn refusal to accept fault and move with the times has drawn a lot of criticism, which becomes more and more vocal with every passing year. Just to be clear, those sexist elements have always been present in his writing. The only thing that’s changed is social attitudes. In the past, people were willing to overlook the problems with Buffy because it was rare to see a show with a kickass female lead back then. Nowadays people aren’t quite so willing to compromise anymore. There’s a demand for fully realised, three dimensional female leads that are treated with the same care and respect as the male protagonists. This is why Jessica Jones and Agent Carter were so heavily praised, why the upcoming Wonder Woman movie is being so heavily scrutinised, why people are so desperate to see a Black Widow movie and why everybody throws a hissy fit every time Marvel find yet another excuse to delay the Captain Marvel movie (seriously, who gives a fuck about an Ant-Man sequel?! I think we’ll survive without one). People want female characters and they want them done right.

So, considering the sexist elements that seem to keep reoccurring in Whedon’s writing, I think him helming a Batgirl movie is a downright terrible idea. Especially considering all the baggage and controversy that has surrounded the character for decades now. What’s this Batgirl movie going to entail? From The Killing Joke movie to The Lego Batman Movie, there seems to be a disturbing trend of romantically pairing up Batgirl with Batman (in the case of The Killing Joke in particular, to the detriment of her character. So Barbara Gordon didn’t become Batgirl because of her altruism or her desire to emulate her idol. It’s so she could have sex with Batman. Bite me). Look me in the eyes and tell me Joss Whedon wouldn’t follow that trend too (and in case you didn’t catch that, NOBODY wants to see Batman/Batgirl rumpy-pumpy. It’s never been canon and it’s fucking creepy. Stop it.). And then there’s the whole paralysis storyline. Can we trust Joss Whedon to treat that with respect? It’s not as if the comics did. The whole Oracle thing wasn’t exactly ideal. It was merely damage control after DC treated the character in such a disrespectful way in The Killing Joke (I believe the editor’s exact words were ‘Yeah, okay. Cripple the bitch.’). A strong female character reduced to a woman in a refrigerator for Batman, the male protagonist. Gee, doesn’t that sound familiar?

So why are WB and DC even considering Joss Whedon in the first place? I don’t know, but I can hazard a guess...

Yep. The almighty dollar.

I’ve already criticised the DCEU for shifting away from its original creator-controlled vision in favour of a more Marvel style business model, where you just churn out a bunch of films on an assembly line and see what sticks (in fact I’d go as far to say that DC’s current business model is actually worse than Marvel’s. Credit where it’s due, at least Marvel wait for the first movie to come out before announcing its ten trillion sequels and spin-offs), and it looks like Joss Whedon’s potential appointment could represent the final stage in the DCEU’s Marvel-fication. Its Marvel-lisation. Its Marvel-morphosis. (I’ve got pages of these. I could go on). Let’s not forget that Joss Whedon was originally supposed to write and direct the Wonder Woman movie before that fell through. Why the change of heart?

Well the fact that he made a boatload of money for Marvel with his Avengers movies might have something to do with it. And that’s the problem. Whedon is being considered for Batgirl for the same reasons why Mel Gibson is/was(?) being considered for Suicide Squad 2 and why David Ayer has been chosen to direct a Gotham City Sirens movie. Despite Mel Gibson’s less than desirable personality traits, WB and DC have sensed a changing tide of opinion and decided to try and take advantage of it. And with David Ayer it’s because he’s already made them a shit-ton of money with Suicide Squad and reckon he can do it again, even though David Ayer is so obviously the wrong person to direct a Gotham City Sirens movie considering one of the many criticisms that people had with Suicide Squad is how abhorrently sexist it is. Whether Joss Whedon is right or wrong for the material he’s adapting doesn’t factor into it. At this point, it couldn’t be any clearer to me that any artistic integrity WB and DC once had has officially been chucked away in favour of box office earnings. Welcome to the MCU Mark II everyone!

You know it’s kind of ironic me talking about Joss Whedon and David Ayer, what with Wonder Woman coming out in a couple of months. Considering what a feminist icon Wonder Woman is, it’s funny that WB and DC don’t seem to be embracing the concept. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying men can’t write and direct female led movies. But considering how difficult it is for women to break into this industry, it would be nice if DC could at least consider them. Wonder Woman could and should be ushering in a new era for both superhero movies and women in film, both in front and behind the camera. But what with the potential appointment of Joss Whedon and the reappointment of David Ayer, it seems Wonder Woman is tragically just going to be a temporary blip.

#anti joss whedon #batgirl #dc extended universe #quill's scribbles

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mrmichaelchadler · 6 years

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25 Underrated Horror Films For Halloween

With the horror genre in an undeniable peak with hits both commercial (“Halloween”) and critical (“Hereditary”), and every fan of spooky cinema’s favorite holiday on the horizon, it's time for a great movie marathon. Of course, we would never discourage you from including widely-acknowledged classics like most of the films of George A. Romero, John Carpenter, and David Cronenberg, but what if you want to distinguish your marathon from your neighbor’s? What if you want to think outside the bloody box? We asked our staff to contribute an “underrated” horror film with no further definition of that word—whatever it meant to them. The results are a fascinating array of films from different eras and backgrounds. Pick out a few or get really ambitious and watch them all. Most of these are available on streaming services like iTunes, Amazon Prime, or Vudu.

“From Beyond”

Horror maestro Stuart Gordon re-teamed with "Re-Animator" co-stars Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs (as well as "Re-Animator" co-writer Dennis Paoli and producer Brian Yuzna) for the 1986 gross-out gem "From Beyond," another loose and sticky homage to genre titan and noted racist H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic horrors. Here, Crampton plays Dr. McMichaels, a timid but ambitious psychiatrist who—with the help of traumatized physician Crawford Tillinghast (an endearingly hammy Combs) and wary Detective Bubba Brownlee (character actor god Ken Foree)—conducts a body-melting, mind-splitting experiment that stimulates the human brain's pineal gland. The film's cockeyed humor—"Like a gingerbread man!"—unabashed sexual kinks, and nightmarishly surreal creature effects (designed by John Carl Buechler and Mark Shostrom) suggest that Gordon and his collaborators really committed to delivering much more where "Re-Animator" came from, both in form and concept ("The machine is operating itself!"). This one's freak flag waves proudly and then some. (Simon Abrams)

“Drag Me to Hell”

Sam Raimi returned to his horror roots in 2009 following the immense commercial success of his “Spider-Man” films with the devilishly fun “Drag Me to Hell.” Horror lovers are familiar with Raimi from his series of “Evil Dead” films and “Drag Me to Hell” featured many of the hallmarks that made him such a beloved filmmaker—kinetic filmmaking, grotesque horror, and a twisted sense of humor that mixes the macabre with the Three Stooges. It also stands out as one of the first post-Great Recession horror films, as young bank worker Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) finds herself the subject of a gypsy woman’s curse when she denies the approval of a loan extension knowing full well that the choice will lead to foreclosure. On top of all the sick, twisted moments of body horror and haunting by demons from beyond, “Drag Me to Hell” is a frightening reminder that we’re all just one fateful choice away from losing grip on our lives and being dragged down to the pits of Hell. (Sean Mulvihill)

“The House That Screamed”

In “The House That Screamed,” young female students keep disappearing from an isolated boarding school in the South of France. A domineering headmistress claims they are running away, but the truth is far more sinister. Set in a large, brown Gothic house, every aspect of the girl's lives are controlled and this setting of repression leads to acts of rebellion and retaliatory punishments. In a classic tale of isolated women driven mad by desire, female sexuality grows monstrous, out of control and boils over into violence as the mystery deepens and expands. An underseen masterpiece of slow-burn euro-horror, “The House That Screamed” examines the cultish beliefs surrounding women’s shame and secrecy from director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, best known for the horror cult-favorite “Who Can Kill a Child?” (Justine Smith)

“Parents”

Bob Balaban’s wonderfully weird and creepy “Parents” (or “Daddy Is A Cannibal” if you’re watching it in Germany) succeeds in being both fun to watch in the moment and hard to shake off after it ends. The tale of a boy (Bryan Madorsky) in the Eisenhower-era suburbs who learns his parents have a taste for human remains has a wicked sense of humor, a general sense of unease and David Lynchian flourishes of surrealism. It’s a wonder it all holds together with all these different tones coexisting in the same landscape. Imagine other more serious-minded movies about cannibals—“We Are What We Are” or “Raw”—put to the same soundtrack as “Ren & Stimpy.” Esquival music will never sound the same way again. At the center of it are two terrific performances from Mary Beth Hurt and Randy Quaid as the parents who cannot figure out why their kid always looks so freaked out all the time. (Collin Souter)

“The People Under the Stairs”

If Jordan Peele’s social satire “Get Out” is your preferred flavor of horror, Wes Craven’s horror-comedy "The People Under the Stairs" addressed many of the former’s anxieties as the Reagan years came to a close. Mommy (Wendy Robie) and Daddy (Everett McGill) run their evil household in a hellish vision of white conservatism, where god’s love has abandoned the suburbs and slum landlords have darker secrets than financial exploitation. Craven stuffs the house with plenty of practical effects and a tone that adds a silly bit of splatter to the Lynchian uncanniness of its "Twin Peaks" leads. The young “Fool” (Brandon Adams) has to cut through their haunted house and endless cruelties, which makes for a film that alternates between realistically jarring and bitingly funny. An anti-capitalist explosion with plenty of cannibals, traps, and creepiness, “The People Under the Stairs” is one of Craven’s best. (Jacob Oller)

“Cube”

Impress your friends at a Halloween viewing party with a ‘90s-tastic movie that has no discernible villain, takes place in an unspecified galaxy, and builds its nervous thrills out of solving elaborate math equations. And yet, Vincenzo Natali’s 1997 directorial debut “Cube” is an eerie sci-fi/horror delight, offering paranoia and select gore as a random group of people try to survive the deadly jungle gym of which they’ve been placed. Pre-dating the numbing torture of “Saw” and the torture porn craze, “Cube” gets its thrills out of its unpredictable plotting, with some rooms (spikes! wire! fire!) proving to have deadlier surprises than others. The existential dread of there possibly not being an exit to the Cube is just the beginning. A cherry on top: All three movies are now streaming on Netflix, including the larger-scale 2002 sequel “Cube 2: Hypercube” and the 2004 prequel, “Cube Zero.” (Nick Allen)

“The Company of Wolves”

“The worst wolves are hairy on the inside.” So says a grandmother to her granddaughter, giving a cryptic warning in Neil Jordan’s “The Company of Wolves.” Adapted from several stories in Angela Carter’s marvelous The Bloody Chamber, “The Company of Wolves” is blood soaked and beautiful. The film turns stories like Little Red Riding Hood inside out to reveal them as tales of female sexual maturity, and the attendant fear of that they always were. Pointing the way to the feminist werewolf cult favorite “Ginger Snaps,” “The Company of Wolves” is beguiling, and trembles with ghostly forests and menstrual reds. There’s been a vogue for darker, actioned-up fairy tale retellings in recent years but it’s “The Company of Wolves” very willingness to sit still for a moment and create the feeling of listening to a dark tale by a crackling fire that has given it its lasting power. (Jessica Ritchey)

“The Blackcoat’s Daughter”

Directed by Oz Perkins, “The Blackcoat’s Daughter”—a supernatural psychological horror—requires an inquisitive eye and 93 minutes of patience to receive the maximum payoff. On a visceral level, Emma Roberts and Lucy Boynton’s performances make the experience worthwhile, but it’s “Mad Men”’s Kiernan Shipka who dominates the narrative with her off-kilter demeanor and wild-eyed transformation into a boarding school outcast gone mad. Perkins trusts the audience enough to focus and connect the dots, leaving the most telling information under the surface. As a whole, “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” shows restraint when one might expect excessive horror. Perkins maintains a specific mood and allows his female leads to build upon that vibe and flourish, with the camera keeping them in center frame. If the viewer briefly looks away, the most shocking visuals could easily be missed. Perkins’ approach is at once refreshing and respectful of viewers who commit. (Quinn Hough)

“Bay of Blood”

To have pioneered the “body count” horror movie is arguably a dubious distinction for any filmmaker to achieve. But it’s true: Mario Bava’s 1972 “Ecologia del delitto” (“Ecology of Murder”) first retitled “Twitch of the Death Nerve” for U.S. distribution, now known though the English-speaking world as “Bay of Blood,” was a direct, documented influence on “Friday the 13th.” “Bay” is hardly the first Bava picture to feature multiple murders; the baroque giallo “Blood and Black Lace” and the pop-art Agatha Christie variation “Five Dolls For An August Moon” are pretty corpse-heavy. But this picture, in which a series of seemingly senseless murders play out against a land-development scheme in a pristine bay community, finds Bava working in a visually modernist mode that’s both chilly (the decorative glass in the first scene between characters Frank and Laura anticipates Fassbinder’s “Chinese Roulette”) and messy (the violence is unusually grisly and bloody for Bava at this time). And the actual storyline has enough cynical twists that the film instantly upends the genre it invents. A too-infrequently-acknowledged great. (Glenn Kenny)

“The Innocents”

It may be stretching the definition of “underrated” to include a film widely revered as a genre classic (it’s been on lists of the best horror movies ever made, correctly), but with the general reluctance to watch anything made before 1990 seeming to grow with every passing year, I’m going to take this chance to urge you to check this out. Just trust me on this. Sure, it’s “old,” but there are few films ever made that will send a chill up your spine quite like “The Innocents,” an adaptation of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw that plays with the haunted house subgenre in ways that are still influencing the genre. If you loved "Hereditary" or Netflix’s “The Haunting of Hill House,” you will respond to this one too. I guarantee it. It’s one of my favorite movies, regardless of genre. (Brian Tallerico)

“Halloween III: Season of the Witch”

Figuring that he said all that he could about mad slashers stalking babysitters with the first two “Halloween” films, John Carpenter hit upon the idea of an anthology of unrelated horror films to be released under the “Halloween” banner. Unfortunately for him, when gorehounds turned up to see what promised to be the latest Michael Myers kill spree and were instead confronted with a story of a madman (Dan O’Herlihy) planning to play the nastiest joke imaginable on the kids of America by frying their brains with the help of popular masks, a relentless ad campaign and a stolen Stonehenge rock), they felt as if they had been the victims of a cruel trick. In fact, the film (co-written by Nigel Kneale, though he demanded his name be removed from the credits) is actually a real treat—sort of an adult version of “Goosebumps” that is often bizarre, occasionally gross, goofy and nihilistic in equal measure and, thanks in no small part to the performances by O’Herlihy, Tom Atkins as the increasingly hapless hero and the enormously likable Stacy Nelkin (one of those '80s-era actresses who never quite had the career that they deserved) as the heroine, and hugely entertaining to boot. And hey, it even features a cameo from Jamie Lee Curtis for good measure. (Peter Sobczynski)

“Razorback”

From the mind of Russell Mulcahy, Australia's rockstar expat and the creator of the music video as we know it, comes "Razorback," a sarcastic industrial punk night terror. In the film, TV's Gregory Harrison heads to the outback to look for his missing wife and finds a tusked, godless daemon. Shockingly the local psychos (David Argue and Chris Haywood, the platonic ideal of deranged outback bogan) in the Mad Max truck who waylaid here aren't solely responsible for his wife's disappearance; there's a boar the size of a shipping container feeding on the unlucky.

The animal attack genre is a time-honored Australian tradition (“Long Weekend,” “Dark Age,” “Black Water,” “Bait,” “Rogue”) and “Razorback” is the best of the best. Mulcahy directs like a man who's just experienced a bizarre accident like a superhero with the power to shock the eyes and ears with profound style. He'd never quite live up to the promise of his debut, but who could possibly? “Razorback” is a 95-minute electrical storm, a bloody, hairy, blue-filtered miasma, and a quick-witted, deliberately outsized fracas. (Scout Tafoya)

“The Faculty”

"The Faculty" has one of the most star-studded casts in a horror film. Not bad for B-grade teenage box office bait, and it takes the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" motif to high school and uses social status and loneliness as a means to attack our protagonists. Like all great horror, it's a film about people and this movie's horror subject is the social hierarchy of high school. Josh Hartnett is the bad boy, cocky, arrogant, muscle car driving smart ass. He's a young Harrison Ford, which may explain why the two clashed so heavily when they both starred in "Hollywood Homicide" years later. He turns the film into his own action flick at points, and never before have you ever wanted to be a drug dealing high school bad troublemaker—and he's just one quarter of our magnificent and heroic protagonists. Aliens never had a chance against Hartnett, Clea DuVall, "Animal Kingdom"'s Shawn Hatosy and Jordana Brewster. (B.J. Bethel)

“Lake Mungo”

“Death takes everything eventually. It’s the meanest, dumbest machine there is, and it just keeps coming.” So says grieving mother June Palmer in Joel Anderson’s bone-chilling Lake Mungo. Death and grief are at the heart of Anderson’s effective found footage flick, which presents itself as documentary about a family in crisis. When Australian teenager Alice Palmer drowns during a swimming excursion, her family begins to suspect the girl’s ghost is haunting their home, and attempt to investigate. The specter haunting the frames of Lake Mungo never leaps out shrieking in a jump-scare. It never attacks anyone, or acts the least bit malevolent. And despite all that, Lake Mungo is terrifying. The looming horror of death, and the inevitability of it all, is impossible to break away from here, and the end-result gets under your skin, leaving you in a state of abject, inescapable fear. As June Palmer says, “It just keeps coming.” (Chris Evangelista)

“Bone Tomahawk”

“Bone Tomahawk”’s structure is that of a classic Hollywood Western, with four men (Kurt Russell, Richard Jenkins, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox) riding out in search of a woman kidnapped by vicious troglodytes (not Indians, so we’re told), but its flavor is more in the literary vein of an Algernon Blackwood story. A mesh of sadist and humanist, director S. Craig Zahler has a talent for making all his players endearing before prodding them into an inferno that undercuts the assurances of hope, the pretenses of enlightened civilization engulfed by ageless chthonic shadows. The film’s a fearful projection of sexual and familial anxieties, A Bright Hope being a town where women keep men in line, while what we see done to people in the troglodyte den perhaps constitutes the most hellacious representation of ritualized sexual cruelty in recent movies. A happy ending can’t cleanse our eyes of what we’ve seen. “Bone Tomahawk” is romantic, but it just as much feels evil, exuding the feeling of campfire tales that unsettle the imagination in childhood, such as most horror stories no longer provide us in adulthood. (Niles Schwartz)

“Audition”

"Audition" is a 1999 emotional revenge flick for any woman who's been told she needs to find her inner geisha. The title of both the movie and the Ryū Murakami book (オーディション ) comes from a ploy that could easily be pulled from the lecherous Hollywood directors playbook. Widower and documentary director Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) has not gotten back into the dating game since the death of his wife. His friend, Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura), suggests that Aoyama hold auditions: The women think they're trying out for a film, but in actuality, they're auditioning to be Aoyama's main squeeze. Aoyama focuses in on a beautiful shy woman haunted by childhood abuse, Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina). Although the director Takashi Miike is known for his scenes of extreme violence, "Audition" has a subversive subtly. Besides Yoshikawa's warning words (Daisuke Tengan wrote the script), Miike provides some visual foreshadowing before the gore. There's something delightful about the twist. (Spoiler alert) Yamazaki's fatal flaw? She's a literal femme fatale. The Murakami and Miike cinematic memo to the world: Besides the geisha, Japan was the home of Masako Hojo, Sada Abe, Sugako Kanno and Zeami's Noh play, Dōjōji (道成寺). (Jana Monji)

“The Prince of Darkness”

At the height of Satanic Panic and its association with rock that was harder than Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper’s casting in a movie about the coming of the Devil was very on-brand for both the singer and director John Carpenter. Set in the late ‘80s, the film follows a group of scientists studying an extremely ancient container holding a green, gravity-defying liquid. Those geeks are actually what make this movie so effective, because they root us in reality. They’re dealing with something that, to us, is clearly paranormal, but they still try to understand it through a scientific lens. The evil eventually comes, but it’s a slow build. The spooks are partly delivered by those who become possessed and do the Devil’s bidding. But most of the horror stems from the notion that if this were to happen, science and religion alike would be woefully unprepared. (Olivia Collette)

“The Last Exorcism”

Arriving at the height of the found-footage horror craze, "The Last Exorcism" was well-received by critics and, with its miniature budget, did well enough at the box office to produce an inferior, unnecessary sequel. Sadly, though, director Daniel Stamm's intelligent and character-focused horror film has all but disappeared from the public's memory. It deserves better, especially since it gives us something that we don't typically associate with horror movies: great performances. The first comes from Patrick Fabian, as a charlatan minister who decides to confess his phony exorcism practices to a documentary crew. The second comes from Ashley Bell, who might be possessed by a demon. The story is familiar, yet Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland's screenplay spends time establishing the crisis of conscience—and then of faith—of its protagonist, as well as the discomforting dynamics of the family of the teenage girl. That attention to detail elevates the film above its genre trappings. (Mark Dujsik)

“The Eye”

I first saw the Pang brothers' 2002 film “The Eye” recently after having major eye surgery, and so was already half in the tank for any horror movie involving eyes in any way. Even if that wasn't the case I would still stump for it as stylishly executed and emotionally gripping supernatural horror. The Pangs add elements of the otherworldly with elegant patience, content to let the trauma of the protagonist's eye surgery stand on its own in the early going. Gradually, and mostly purely through canting angles, cutting judiciously, and particularly by manipulating focus to literally blur the distinction between the natural and supernatural worlds, we emerge into a world in which fully manifested ghosts haunt the increasingly terrified heroine, played with precision and sensitivity by Angelica Lee. The film builds to a climax that's at once tragic and, paradoxical though it may sound, fatalistically reassuring. (Danny Bowes)

“Willow Creek”

For its first half-hour or so, Bobcat Goldthwait’s 2013 gem plays like an endearing comedy, as a young couple (Alexie Gilmore and Bryce Johnson, both excellent) encounter the quirky inhabitants of Willow Creek, a mountain community famous for its alleged sightings of Bigfoot. The tone shifts dramatically during an 18-minute unbroken take of the lovers huddled in their tent, as eerie noises creep closer to their makeshift campsite. Taking inspiration from the scariest sequence in 1999’s horror landmark “The Blair Witch Project,” where the voices of children giggle outside the filmmakers’ tent, Goldthwait creates a different sort of immersion by keeping us focused on the actors’ faces, as they gradually morph from incredulous to paralyzed with fear. It is the condescension with which the couple view their surroundings that dooms them in the end. When a threat is treated like a joke, it is guaranteed to get the last laugh. (Matt Fagerholm)

“Land of the Dead”

"Night of the Living Dead" (1968) and "Dawn of the Dead" (1978) are undisputed classics, and "Day of the Dead" (1985) has plenty of defenders. However, George Romero's fourth zombie apocalypse movie, "Land of the Dead" (2005), is the one that gets left out of the conversation right before it turns to fast zombies vs. slow ones. This is too bad, because Romero's gore-laden musings on Bush-era income inequality are sadly his most prescient, which is really saying something for a series that always used heavy amounts of social satire to underpin all that cannibalism.

While filmed in Canada instead of Pittsburgh, Romero's hometown is never far from his mind. "Land" takes place in a city protected from walking corpses by rivers on three sides and walls all around where the ultra-rich live in a Trump Tower-type complex called Fiddler's Green, and everyone else is subjected to Dickensian squalor. The zombies get smart this time around, the walls fall, and fingers are munched on. With “Land,” Romero puts forth the radical (even for him) proposition that humanity might not be worth saving, and true liberation can only come from joining the undead horde. With Dennis Hopper (whom Ebert even refers to as “the Donald Trump of Fiddler's Green” in his three-star review of the movie), John Leguizamo and Asia Argento, “Land” is the only one of Romero’s zombie movies with stars you’ve heard of, but don’t let that deter you. Each one enhances the subversion of Romero’s last great living dead epic. (Bob Calhoun)

“Session 9”

One of the most unfortunately neglected, psychological thrillers of the last decade, Session 9 quietly showed up in theaters in the summer of 2001—practically released a month to the day before 9/11 happened—and was mostly forgotten after that. A crew of working joes (which includes Peter Mullan, David Caruso, Josh Lucas and Larry Fessenden, who has directed many scary movies himself) descend to the abandoned Danvers State Mental Hospital to remove asbestos. Needless to say, things immediately get creepy and unsettling for these guys—and that’s even before one of them discovers taped sessions with a patient who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. (Fans of "Split" will definitely dig this.) After making a couple of rom-coms, Brad Anderson made a risky detour into terror land and, despite the lack of box-office receipts, Session works quite well. Anderson took his low-budget means (it’s one of the first films to be shot on 24p HD digital video) and created an impressively eerie piece of blue-collar horror that’s more about mood and atmosphere than gore and cheap scares. (Craig Lindsey)

“May”

Directed with unnerving confidence by Lucky McKee, the quirky horror film "May" delivers the goods. I'll never forget showing it to a friend, a hardened horror fan who introduced me to George Romero, only to have him recoil in terror and beg me to turn it off. Once you get past imagery like blind children crawling over broken glass, there is an affecting story of a strange woman who craves acceptance she will never find. Angela Bettis is unforgettable as May, a veterinarian's assistant whose obsessions with anatomy is downright homicidal. She meets two people who like her strange nature, but only up to a point. The tragedy of "May"—and it is a tragic film—is that under all her violent impulses, the hero just wants what everyone else has. May finds some peace in the final shot, but it's only pieces of what she needs—literally and figuratively. (Alan Zilberman)

“Coherence”

The less you know about it before you see it, the more you will enjoy “Coherence,” a nifty thriller that craftily makes the most of its micro-budget with a deliciously mind-bending story. As in all great thrillers, the really scary stuff here is not what’s happening outside of the characters, but what it does to the people on the inside, and to us in the audience. Writer/director James Ward Byrkit, who wrote “Rango” and created the visual design for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, wanted to take some time away from blockbusters and create something small and intimate. He literally shot this movie in his living room.

The set-up is simple. Eight friends get together for a dinner party that seems perfectly ordinary, until something happens and someone says he’d better go outside and see what it is. We’ve all seen enough movies to know that this is probably not a great idea. What happens next is not a plot twist but a plot Rubik’s Cube, an ingeniously constructed infinite regression of meta-realities. To say any more would be to spoil the movie’s best surprises. So I’ll just suggest that you watch it—and then when you’re done, go back to watch that “ordinary” dinner table conversation at the beginning again and see how neatly it sets out what’s ahead. (Nell Minow)

“The Blob”

David Cronenberg wasn’t the only director to twist 1958 sci-fi into stinging 1980s commentary. Chuck Russell’s 1988 remake of “The Blob” casts the very hungry Jell-O based alien life form as the harbinger of an apocalypse brought on by a hawkish government and rogue religious zealotry. Russell’s script, co-written with Frank Darabont, blends Cronenberg’s penchant for body horror with John Carpenter’s distrust for authority and is unrepentant in ways the best horror movies are: No character is safe and many of the deaths are brutally unfair. This Blob has a taste for the helpless and the hopeful, from the bratty little kid who tearfully tries to repent to the diner waitress (a heartbreaking Candy Clark) who picked the wrong night for a long-anticipated first date. The gory kills are as mean and clever as the casting of nice-guy Joe Seneca as the evil government agent. The juvenile delinquent heroes played by Kevin Dillon and Queen of the Saw franchise Shawnee Smith feel air-lifted from the 1950’s, which makes them—and the movie—all the more effective. (Odie Henderson)

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maysoper · 6 years

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The Thunder Rolls

If there's one thing that has surrounded me in the last month, it's success. It's not my success either, but rather the teams that I seem to be following. The Colgate Raiders in the NCAA lost in the NCAA Frozen Four Championship after I jumped aboard their fan-wagon this season in what was a season of overwhelming success and firsts for them. The University of Manitoba Bisons, as you're well-aware, won the 2018 U SPORTS National Women's Ice Hockey Championship after their impressive season of firsts. Today, one of the Canadian professional women's teams I follow decided to cap their season off by winning their league's championship as the Markham Thunder downed Digit Murphy and her band of imported American and Chinese elite hockey players by a 2-1 score in overtime! Look, I vowed never to write about a specific league again, and everyone will say I'm going back on my word. Maybe you're right. I did say that I would support the teams and the players, though, and that's where this blog is intending to settle in when it comes to the vow I made. This is less about the league and it's ridiculousness, and more about the Markham Thunder and their celebration in being the best women's team from that unmentioned league. I also wanna give a quick nod to my good friend, Teri, who grabbed the photo at the top of the article. She'll be taking photos for the Markham Thunder next season, and I highly recommend you keep an eye on this up-and-coming photographer. She's gonna be big! There was some surprise when American Megan Bozek decided to sign with the Thunder as there were two trains of thought in that she'd either sign with Toronto to play alongside friend Sami Jo Small or possibly return to the American professional beer league (full disclosure: that league is more ridiculous). Bozek, having been cut from the US Olympic squad in a rather surprising move, shocked everyone in her own right when she signed on to don the green-and-white. While the Thunder got marginally better, you could sense that the confidence from this group was growing. I was lucky enough to take in a Thunder practice this season with Bozek on the blue line, and there was a palpable feeling of camaraderie within the Thunder ranks at the practice. While they were still battling for their playoff lives at the time, there seemed almost be a naivety about their situation which really took the pressure off the players. Players like Melissa Wronzberg, Fielding Montgomery, Taylor Woods, Alexis Woloschuk, Megan Delay, Karolina Urban, and Jessica Hartwick may not have hit the scoresheet every night, but it was their play early in the season that helped buoy this club's standing as they found their footing. These foot soldiers went into corners, won puck battles, gave their hearts and souls to make plays, and sacrificed their bodies to block shots as they kept Markham in the running for one of the four playoff spots all season long. Make no mistake that these players who gave everything they had were vitally important in ensuring that the Thunder got their spot in the postseason dance. There were some outstanding performances by players on the Thunder as well as Jamie Lee Rattray, Jenna McParland, Kristen Richards, Laura McIntosh, Nicole Kosta, and Nicole Brown did the bulk of the scoring up front while Dania Simmonds, Devon Skeats, Lindsey Grigg, and Kristen Barbara did some heavy lifting on the blue line. Combined with the efforts of the players in the paragraph above, this team started to find its groove towards the end of the season as they made a push up the standings towards the Vanke Rays. And by season's end, they had claimed the fourth and final playoff spot in the Clarkson Cup Playoffs. GM Chelsea Purcell decided to welcome back the Olympians they desperately needed to compete with the highly-talented Canadiennes de Montreal, and the additions of Laura Stacey, Jocelyne Larocque, and Laura Fortino really bolstered the team in front of the all-world goaltending tandem of Erica Howe and Liz Knox. Two games later after staring down Caroline Ouellette, Hilary Knight, Emerence Maschmeyer, and the rest of Les Canadiennes, the Markham Thunder punched their ticket to the final with a 2-1 overtime win and a dominant 4-1 win over Les Canadiennes in Montreal. But despite all the adjectives and praise I can heap upon this team, they still needed to beat a highly-touted Chinese Dream Team run by Digit Murphy and backstopped by Finnish Olympian Noora Räty. Digit's Americans and the Chinese Elite wandered into a storm that they almost handled thanks exclusively to the pads of the Noora Räty. They were out-skated, out-shot, out-hustled, and out-hockeyed for most of the game including the eventual overtime period thanks to the score being deadlocked at 1-1 through sixty minutes. The overtime period saw chances at both ends, but it was pretty apparent that one team was carrying the play. With 2:12 to play in the extra frame, we saw a champion crowned.

For the first time in franchise history, the Markham Thunder are your Clarkson Cup champions! I can't claim that I knew they were going to win as they went in as the lowest-ranked team of the four that played, but I can tell you that the growing confidence that I saw in this team in January simply went and ballooned with the two wins over Les Canadiennes and was carried into the final game against The Six Americans, the Finn, and the Chinese. Seeing this team add players of exceptional talent and character to an already good team helped build that confidence as they battled hard down the stretch, earned the trust of one another, and went into the playoffs as a unified force that captured the imagination of everyone in winning the Clarkson Cup! Fred Shero, legendary coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, may have said it best when he stated, "Win today and we walk together forever." The Markham Thunder can certainly wear that motto proudly because they rose to the challenge and won today when it mattered most. This team, no matter where they go and what they do in their remaining lives, will always be known as the 2018 Clarkson Cup champions. Well done, Markham Thunder, and congratulations on your Clarkson Cup championship! You can walk together forever as a team that seized its opportunity and embraced its destiny. No one will ever be able to take that from you! Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice! from Sports News http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-thunder-rolls.html

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micaramel · 6 years

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Artists: Roberto Cabrera Padilla, Lorenzo González Morales, Quique Lee, Naufus Ramírez Figueroa, Alberto Rodríguez Collía, Isabel Ruiz, Moisés Barrios, Jessica Lagunas, Roni Mocán, Jorge de León, Andrea Mármol Juárez, Feliciano Pop, Efraín Recinos, Gabriel Rodríguez, Mario Santizo, Studio Lake-Verea, Ramón Ávila, Darío Escobar, Alfred Jensen, Dennis Leder, Daniel Schafer, Diana de Solares, Vivian Suter, Enrique Anleu Díaz, Chiachio & Giannone, Daniel Hernández-Salazar, Zipacná de León, Carlos Motta, Paula Nicho, Diego Sagastume, Hellen Ascoli, Moisés Barrios, Alfredo Ceibal, Manuel Chavajay, Oscar Farfán, Yasmin Hage, Regina José Galindo, Regina José Galindo, Diego Morales Portillo, Juan Sisay, Julio Zadik, Andrea Aragón, Margarita Azurdia, Alfredo Ceibal, Benvenuto Chavajay, Darío Escobar, Luis González Palma, Carlos Mérida, Eny Roland Hernández, Francisco Tún, Dagoberto Vásquez, Marilyn Boror, Daniel Chauche, Jorge Chavarría, Renato Osoy, Alejandro Paz, Ángel Poyón & Juan Fernando Poyón, Pablo Swezey, Rodolfo Abularach, Francisco Auyón, Edgar Calel, Erwin Guillermo, Rodolfo Mishaan, Manuel Antonio Pichillá, Aníbal López, Luis Díaz Aldana, Jessica Kairé, Byron Mármol, Alejandro Marré, Marco Augusto Quiroa, Elmar Rojas Azurdia

Venues: Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Community Arts Workshop, and Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum; Santa Barbara

Exhibition Title: Guatemala from 33,000 km: Contemporary Art, 1960 – Present

Date: September 17 – December 17, 2017

Note: A publication associated with the exhibition is available for download here.

Click here to view slideshow

Full gallery of images, press release and link available after the jump.

Images:

Images courtesy of Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara. Photos by Juan Brenner.

Press Release:

Organized by Miki Garcia, Executive Director & Chief Curator of Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB), as well as Guest Curator, Emiliano Valdés, Guatemala from 33,000 km: Contemporary Art, 1960-Present brings together works that have rarely been seen beyond Guatemala, but that speak to a range of formal, political, and social concerns that permeate contemporary art both in Latin America and throughout the globe. This exhibition marks the first ever in-depth commitment to the study of Guatemalan art in the late 20th and early 21st century, bringing innovative and visually arresting works produced by Guatemalan artists to a public audience in the United States and abroad.

With the support of the Getty’s Fall 2017 initiative, Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, Guatemala from 33,000 km features artwork in a range of media, tracing the tumultuous route that has traversed the history of Guatemala since 1960. Pursuing the development of art in Guatemala is fundamental not only to understanding today’s production but also in the unveiling of practices and oeuvres that have largely remained underexposed. Political, infrastructural, and economic issues have acted as barriers to the study of art in Guatemala, preventing widespread knowledge of the innovative, perceptive, and aesthetically intriguing artworks that this exhibition compiles.

The exhibition includes over 70 artworks, occupying approx. 8,000 square feet which in Santa Barbara will be installed in 3 venues: MCASB, Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art at Westmont College, and Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop. It is structured around clusters or groups of works that represent central ideas, themes, and media that have been pivotal in Guatemala’s art over the last 50+ years. Spanning different moments and generations, both the works and the clusters are interconnected and often an artist that is included in one chapter could also be part of another so that the exhibition is not installed by clusters, but orchestrated in a way that highlights the multiple connections that exist between the works and the threads. The exhibition will generate a breadth of concerns that illuminate patterns of development in Guatemalan modern and contemporary art for the past 50 years. The clusters are mainly thematic, although a chapter is dedicated to works that through formal and technical experimentation have contributed to the advancement of artists’ production in the country. The exhibition understands Guatemalan modern and contemporary art as made up–seamlessly–of works that range from a strict Western art-historical narrative to local notions of art (so called naïf or otherwise) as well as artists that stand on the meeting point of these traditions.

The clusters are:

From various points of view, formal approaches, and ideological positions, ART AND POLITICS deals with the way in which artists from different generations have examined the thirty-six-year civil war and its consequences. Through these works emerges the nature of the conflict, as well as the polarization that it has generated in the Guatemalan population, which is reflected in artistic production. Given that the dates of this exhibition coincide with the formal beginning of the war and parallel the development of the artist as a critical observer of political circumstances, it is argued that contemporary Guatemalan art cannot be dissociated from this aspect.From various points of view, formal approaches, and ideological positions, ART AND POLITICS deals with the way in which artists from different generations have examined the thirty-six-year civil war and its consequences. Through these works emerges the nature of the conflict, as well as the polarization that it has generated in the Guatemalan population, which is reflected in artistic production. Given that the dates of this exhibition coincide with the formal beginning of the war and parallel the development of the artist as a critical observer of political circumstances, it is argued that contemporary Guatemalan art cannot be dissociated from this aspect.

The group under the heading ART HISTORIES acknowledges the existence of multiple art historical narratives and includes works that, in the spirit of Institutional Critique, refer to local or international art, to the history of art, or to the work of other artists as prime matter for creation. This chapter also includes artworks by artists concerned with the lack of access to art education in the country, interested in publications, and inspired by artistic and cultural producers not necessarily recognized within the official art history.

The works included in FORMAL EXPERIMENTATION have contributed to the renewal of technical and formal artistic practice in Guatemala over the last half-century, touching on fields such as geometric abstraction and the use of industrial materials in sculpture as well as the influence of handicrafts on artistic languages. The group recognizes how, despite a strong tendency towards figuration and social art, geometric abstraction has been, from different angles, a determining component of the history of Guatemalan art, insofar as it has allowed for its renewal.

GENDER PERSPECTIVES analyzes how gender and body rights have been expressed in artistic practices in recent years, largely through dialogue with foreign artists and the adaptation of the development of feminist theories to Guatemalan reality. It also discusses the dissident practices that have emerged from what has been more of an empirical conception of gender theory or activism and its social and cultural manifestations.

LAND, LANDSCAPE, AND TERRITORY explores the complex relationship between landscape, land, and territory, from some of the essential issues behind the armed conflict (such as former President Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán’s agrarian reform proposal, and the expropriation of land to the United Fruit Company) to the central role played by the landscape in the construction of the collective imagination and the country-branding of Guatemala. The artworks in this cluster explore the multiple narratives that emerge from the landscape, such as the country’s natural environment, landscape as a source of conflict, and a particular cultural vision of the indigenous population: one that understands indigenous as an element of an exotic landscape and not as a citizen, member of society, and human being in his/her own right.

POPULAR CULTURES brings together works and artists who, from a Western art historical perspective, have paid special attention to popular culture, both indigenous and Ladino. With one of the most deeply rooted traditions in Latin America, textile handicrafts have influenced several generations of artists, directly and as a result of their formal characteristics, use of materials, and wide dissemination as a distinctive cultural seal.

In RACISMS AND IDENTITIES, the artworks address the idea of a possible Guatemalan identity from the perspective of the cultural clash between indigenous groups and the Ladino population (a minority that has historically had social, political, and economic power). This set includes a series of works that deal with the racial division between Guatemalans (ideological and de facto) and racial conflicts in the course of history, as well as the multidirectional racism that follows suit. It also explores a third way of understanding the question of indigenous and Ladino cultures—through the lens of hybridization and postcolonial theories.

Given the profound influence of Maya cosmology, as well as the great diffusion of “imported” religions in Guatemala, such as Catholicism and more recently, Protestantism, the category RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY, AND METAPHYSICS includes works that deepen the presentation of a spiritual aspect and its relationship with a wider cultural scene. This cluster includes a thoughtful and critical review of the effect that different modes of faith and metaphysics have had on the country in permeating the culture and its material and visual production.

The set of artworks in VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA present the responses of artists to the violence that persists in Guatemala as a consequence of the civil war and as the continuation of a broader historical narrative that goes back to the Spanish Conquest, spanning the military governments of the twentieth century, and deriving from the situation of inequality and social instability today. This group of works addresses the role of the State and the socially instigated violence that has impacted life in Guatemala during the last half century, but also represents work that is produced by a lack of State, institutionality, and social policies that have allowed such tragic phenomena to happen in the country, such as the maras (gangs), migration, and the strengthening of drug trafficking.

Links: “Guatemala from 33,000 km” at Museum of Contemporary Art, Community Arts Workshop, and Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum

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#micaramel

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retrovergo · 7 years

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In late November, I posted here about the fact that, in the wake of the fire, as much as it pained me to do so, I would have to cancel the annual Vintage Secret Santa, as it was simply impossible for us to conduct as usual under the circumstances. I announced such with a heavy heart, but took solace in the fact that hopefully it's a fun tradition that we'll be able to revive again here in future years. Little did I know that more than a month before I penned that post, my good friend Barbara (one of the tiniest handful of fellow vintage lifestylers to be had here in the Okanagan region of British Columbia) and Tony had teamed up for what proved to genuinely be one the biggest and most incredibly heartwarming surprises of my entire life. Together they had taken it upon themselves to contact all those who took part in 2015's VSS to let them know about the situation (re: the fire, VSS being cancelled, etc) and to suggest to past participants, if they were so interested, that they could send me a VSS holiday season gift instead of the usual swap between randomly assigned partners. Mind blowingly sweet of them, I know. From late October to December 24th, I was completely in the dark about this incredibly thoughtful act - including the fact that Barbara and her husband (also a vintage lifestyler himself) were super kindly allowing their house to be used as the address to which participants in what had been dubbed "Jessica's Vintage Secret Santa" (complete with a private Facebook group of the same name) could send their gifts. On a snowy, yet sunny, bracingly nippy Christmas Eve afternoon, Tony and I went over to Barbara and Jeff's house for what I thought was simply going to be a terrific holiday season visit with dear friends. You can imagine my profound surprise then, when a few minutes into our get together, Barbara informed me that a sizeable pile of presents nestled beneath one of their Christmas trees was in fact for me/us and proceeded to let me in on the details of how that came to be and the incredible surprise that had been organized on my behalf. Tears (of joy), shock, trembling, and gigantic smiles all proceeded on my end as I sat on their (gorgeous mid-century) couch in total disbelief. I am one of those people who tries never to take anything for granted and who is grateful for every single kind thing done towards/for me, so to know that ore than thirty past VSS participants - some of whom had already, extremely generously, sent care packages our way in the wake of the blaze - had teamed up to give me/us the Christmas surprise to end all Christmas surprises was nothing short of overwhelmingly beautiful in the very best kind of way. I opened some of the gifts that were sent at Barbara's house and then we loaded up the remainder in our vehicle and I unwrapped them as time would permit over the next few holiday season days. Genuinely, I am still at a loss for words and cannot, really and truly, begin to thank Barbara and Jeff, Tony, and all those involved enough for their profound kindness, love and desire to help give us not just a "good", but a remarkably wonderful holiday season shortly after we lost everything last fall. Thank you with all of my heart to each and every person who sent a VSS present our way. Some folks included items for Tony and/or Annie as well and we are so appreciative to everyone for their staggering generosity and compassion – as well as to Barbara (pictured below) who worked tirelessly for weeks to help make this surprise a reality. Much as with the other (non-VSS related) care packages that we've received, you - our dear friends and fellow members of the vintage community - are helping us to rebuild our home and wardrobes (most of which, for example, the festive outfit I'm wearing in these photos, was created from) to no small degree and we are endlessly appreciate to every single person who has sent anything our way over the past nearly three months now since the fire. Thank you today, tomorrow, and always. You truly gave me an unforgettable and magnificently positive holiday season. I will never forget it as long as I live and sincerely hope that we can revive the group based VSS for 2017 and beyond, so that all those who wish to do so can send and receive gifts themselves, too. {And a shot of Picasso, Barbara and Jeff's adorable cat, who was such a good kitty - never once laying a paw on the presents piled 'round the Christmas tree.} House hunting As many of you know, we were very fortunate to find a temporary home quite quickly after the fire, moving into our current digs precisely one month to the day since that fateful night. As it is indeed a short term rental though, the quest to find something (hopefully!!!) more permanent has begun this month and we've already been into view some places. The real estate market - both from renting and home buying perspectives - has utterly skyrocketed in terms of pricing here in the Okanagan over the past few years (it's not uncommon for houses to go for 25 - 50+ % more today than they did less than a decade ago) and what little does exist - especially that permits dogs - at a quasi-decent price is snapped up faster than you can say "sold". We're working with a modest budget and have certain housing needs that must be met, but are certainly trying to be as flexible as possible and do believe that a good match will come our way before we need to leave our temporary rental house. At the time of the fire we were living in Penticton, in the heart of the Okanagan, which is one of the local areas with the steepest housing costs, so while it is certainly included in our hunt, we have cast a relatively wide net of about three hours in various directions and are diligently searching high and low throughout. I (we) will definitely be sharing the good news when we do find our next place and hope that such will happen at least fairly quickly. Please keep your fingers crossed for the three of us. Hospital time again This coming Tuesday, I'll be going into the hospital again for (thankfully, quite minor) surgery once again. Usually I don't even bring up such small procedures, which are part and parcel to my life as a multiple chronic illness fighter, here, but as I know such will have a further impact on my ability to be online in the coming weeks, I wanted to mention it today with all of you. Rest assured that this procedure has nothing to do with the fire. It was booked back in mid-August 2016 and should - knock wood - be something that only takes a few weeks to recover from. In general though, my health has taken one heck of a serious beating in the aftermath of the fire. Initially I was quite literally getting through each day on a combination on adrenaline, shock and sheer grit, but as more time went on, greater than usual (for me) levels of physical activity persisted, and the continued emotional impact of what had happened to us really started to hit home, my health took a massive nose dive from which it has not really begun to improve (to my pre-fire levels, I mean). It remains to be seen just to what extent this situation will have on my life and blogging (which, officially, remains on hiatus for the time being) in the long run. I will of course continue to let you guys know here and am trying to give myself as much time to rest and recoup as circumstances will permit (which, to be frank, isn't always a great deal). Project 365 photo challenge My health, rebuilding our lives, house hunting, and recently the holiday season have been/are at the heart of our lives right now and will continue to be for quite some time to come. In the midst of such though, I thought it would be fun to *try* and do a Project 365 iPhone photo a day challenge over on Instagram. I've taken the approach of pairing each Project 365 image that I share with a quote that fits, to my mind, the image and welcome you to follow me there, if you're not already doing so, to see what I share. Though, back in 2011, I tried to blog here every day of the year (in an experiment that I called Vintage 365), I've not done a Project 365 before with photos and love that it gives me a chance to share more of my world - the natural beauty of the Okanagan Valley very much included - with all those who tune into my Instagram account. It will be fascinating to look back at the end of 2017 and witness what really caught my eye each day throughout 2017 (I should point out that, naturally, I do plan to share other none #project365 snaps there still, too).

♥ ♥ ♥

My dear, wonderful friends, as we embrace this first week of the new year, please know that I am grateful for each of you, your support, understanding, kindness, and generosity. Last year was a doozy for so many of us and Tony and I were, by no means, the only ones to face great hardship. The world in general was put through the ringer, too, and I'm sure that many of us share our immense happiness over the fact that 2017 is here at long last. Though none of us know what the future holds in store for us, I enter this year with steadfast optimism, determination and hope that it a better, safer, healthier, happier one for all of us. Thank you again for each unforgettable and poignant way that you've been there for us. Both myself and Tony want to wish you all a stellar New Year and look forward to connecting with you in whatever ways we can throughout the coming twelve months.

#vintage #vintagestyle #retro #blogpost

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