#also quite a few songs from moulin rouge which is my all time favorite musical

[hhactorauofficial]

Actor Alastor! What's your favorite musical? I know your show counterpart is fond of musicals so surely you are too no? I love musicals too and I'm dying to know your preferences!!!!

Alastor: "Oh! I'm so glad you asked my dear! I'm glad to see someone still appreciates the art of theater! Lord knows Vox- Liam, the actor, not the overlord- doesn't even have the the bare minimum attention span to last half an hour whenever I take him to see a musical. Though, I have been told that my favorite picks are quite... predictable."

Alastor would just smile cheerfully at the camera, rubbing his chin thoughtfully with a hum.

Alastor: "I would have to say that my very favorite was and still is 'Phantom of The Opera'! Most of what you see performed can be left up to the interpretation of the viewer, it's not something you can simply watch and take at face value. Perhaps it's even a little nudge of critical thinking some kids need nowadays. I encourage you to go watch it if you haven't yet darling, the creepy undertones and mysterious atmosphere are quite alluring. Not to mention the themes of the musical are quite thought provoking!"

Alastor: "And while we're on the topic of creepy tones in musicals, I also quite like 'Little Shop of Horrors' which also holds the same ambiance with a dash of comedic showmanship! The songs and the performances are such a treat to behold, hence I may have even taken some points of inspiration from it for Hazbin Hotel as well."

The actor would twirl his microphone staff with a grin, humming one of the songs from 'Little Shop of Horrors' as he thought of what to say next. Most specifically "Dentist".

Alastor: "Now do not also think for a second I would leave out 'Annie the Musical', you'd be a fool! After all, it's where my dear character's iconic quote came from. 'You're never fully dressed without a smile.' sung by the radio host Bert Healy! Quite a peculiar character really, he frankly reminds me of the radio demon in the stages of the pilot planning for the show. Not to mention that the little girls from the orphanage would often tune into the radio to listen to the broadcasts, what a cute little thing! Now, I've heard it said somewhere that both my character and his are eerily similar, and while I would not confirm nor deny if he is another source of inspiration for the radio demon or the similarity is sheer coincidence- I will say it seems to be something like, in the words of Bob Ross, a happy little accident."

Alastor: "I also have an honorable mention, 'Moulin Rouge'! Granted it's set in a time I wasn't exactly alive in, the roaring twenties, I have a soft spot for the old and the antique. It's a shame it's all pretty much gone now with modernity and all that... stuff that comes with it. The dancing scene at the cabaret may have also lent some inspiration to a few traits in Mimzy's character. She's a flapper girl after all!"

Alastor would then notice the camera was still rolling, chuckling nervously and holding his hands behind his back. He looked quite similar to a child that had just been caught red-handed in a mess.

Alastor: "Oh my, it seems like I've been talking for quite some time now. I would say more but I don't want to bore you all, I hope this satisfies your query my dear!"

#hazbin hotel rp #ask blog #hazbin hotel roleplay #hazbin hotel rp blog #hazbin ask blog #roleplay #hazbin hotel ask blog #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor the radio demon #alastor #alastor altruist #alastor hazbin #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor reacts #headcanons #producer favs #THIS WAS SO HARD TO WRITE HELP

[incandescentflower]

So identity crisis anon, this question was like asking me the answer to the wonders of the universe. Not only because there are just so many films to choose from, but because I tend to like longer stories more, which is why I gravitate to TV shows and books series, more than shorter stories. And for me, movies are often "of a time" where I loved them at a time in my life and then maybe loved something new later. But, I think I have somewhat of an answer for you in terms of my interests. Many of my faves come from watching them because they were my parents faves or in my childhood. I don't know, maybe that is similar for most people.

So maybe not exaclty my top 5 of all time, but 5 faves that I think demonstrate my story interests because it was impossible to pick.

The Matrix - Easily my favorite movie. I remember my mind just kinda being blown by a lot of it. I really enjoy stories about perception/reality. I like more modern world building and also character and relationship exploration. This movie has it all. And it has sustained. I really enjoyed the latest Matrix film. The best movie I have seen recently is Everything, Everywhere All at Once, which reminded me in some ways of the Matrix, although it took it to the level of multiverse. EEAAO will defintely be one that lasts for me.

Into the Spiderverse - I love watching this movie. I love Miles. Like I said, I love the multiple universe concept. I am not often into animated movies but this one was simply perfection and I can't wait for the next one. I do however enjoy superhero movies. I have watched quite a bit. I don't think I am hyper into them like many, but the right one can get me. I also love Wonder Woman although the second one wasn't good for me. I am psyched we are getting some good female led films after historically...not.

Moulin Rouge - I also love musicals. My favorite movie musical is Baz Luhrmannn's visual stunner. The music was fun and the style was gorgeous. I've enjoyed other movie musicals along the way. I most recently enjoyed Tick, Tick..Boom!

The Mummy - I love explorer and adventure stories. This one and the Indiana Jones series was fundamental for me. But the Mummy has both Brendan Frasier and Rachel Weiss. They are amazing in this.

And to round it out, I guess I need to pick a romcom. I enjoy the genre a lot. I will watch the heck out of them and you can probably tell by my writing that anything forced proximity, like fake dating, will hit me.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before - This one came out a few years ago and is delightful. I have watched it many, many times. There are plenty of other movies in this genre that would be faves, but this one comes to mind first. I love coming of age stories and yeah, have I mentioned fake dating?

Top 5 Songs at the moment (this was much easier to just pull from spotify lol)

Somebody to You, Acoustic Version - The Vamps

Blow - Jackson Wang

Rescue my heart - Liz Longely

NANANA - Got7

love, or lackther eof - Isaac Dunbar

Still, this is seriously just a moment. I have playlists for my fic that I make and obsessively listen to those when writing, or I listen to sountrack songs. When I finished Stranger Things I listened to Kate Bush on loop.

So yeah, that's some stuff about me, I guess.

Anyone else want to play? I am now super curious about everyone else. 😊

#asks #anon #answers #rabbit hole of self reflection #lol #bet you didn't expect a book for an answer here #did ya anon #oops

[thekavemangagemarshall]

Playa Del Carmen June 8th thru June 13th

This trip was with Michelle Ramirez, Devin Albaugh, Eric Harris, and Alex Anguiano

The five of us planned this trip almost last minute since the trip before was cancelled. We planned it over a phone altogether, it was quite nice. I have never been on a trip with Eric nor have I ever met Alex before June 8th but it was a good time to get to know them. Alex was very helpful getting us hooked up with deals, rides, hotel stuff, etc. She is originally from Mexico but moved to America quite young. I have a hard time finding things in common with Eric, but it was nice getting to know one of Devin’s best friends a little more.

The first day of the trip we went to the pool to start getting what we paid for in our all inclusive trip to the Paradisus De Perla hotel. This included our food and drinks! It started to rain when we went to the pool. It was nice enough relaxing in our rooms because they were so nice for suites, they had two bathtubs (one inside and one outside). The crew had trouble finding things to do on that Thursday night, but I was straight chilling. I could have suggested to go to the night life for adults in the Red Lounge, but I just wanted to be present. They hoped to find more things going on throughout the weekend.

Friday started out eating breakfast with the gang, nice coffee and mimosa drink and chill with the crew. We started drinking really early. Shots were being taken when we went to the pool right after. We are still eating AND drinking a lot at this point. Devin and Eric eventually knocked out under the umbrellas because they were too drunk/tired while me, Michelle, and Alex stayed in the pool and drank some more. We got to talking, chilling, and getting to know each other more. I imagine my closest friend being Michelle yet I believe we get closer more when we drink together. The 3 of us talked about how lit we were the rest of the trip and how nice it was. When I got to my room though, I puked 🤮. When everyone wasn’t tired and drunk, we got ready to go eat some more food and then go to Coco Bongo, thank you again Alex. I started feeling dehydrated at this time and had trouble getting around. I eventually felt better when I got to this club. I will talk about this club a little bit. It is a world famous club where people dress up as famous people and lip sync/dance to popular music. It has a dance floor in the middle that seems to be a ladies only spot. I can see how the club will be ‘poppin’ at some points. Very good experience. I remember my favorite performance being the Moulin Rouge song and dance. I also liked the Beetlejuice dressups. When we were done with the club, we went to a taco place to eat. Drive back was interesting because we had some chats with some England folk and New Yorkers.

Saturday was a day at the hotel for the crew. A few of us were tired, I was at this trip for relaxation purposes, I was chillin. Alex vocalized at one point that she doesn’t just want to sit around at the hotel the whole trip, I understood this. I also understand that we aren’t all there to just do everything all the time. My friends were just tired. We did go to the water park and chillax a little at the hotel this day. They spent a little of their time signing up for the Xcaret the next day. That night we played Truth or Drink, where we learned a little about each other at a Peruvian restaurant.

The four of them went to Xcaret the next day while I stayed at the hotel by myself. I did some relaxing, some gaming next to the jungle, music listening, swimming, etc. I wanted to see myself in this ‘other world’ and how I would do at this resort. Michelle and Devin were nice enough to come visit me when they got back to tell me about there day, it seemed nice and I am glad they had fun.

Monday was our technically last day there. I ate an early breakfast with Michelle in which she showed me another restaurant across the resort, very nice breakfast. Once everyone got together again, we started the early drinking…again! During this trip I would start to feel a little anxiety on and off, but it got worse this day. We were drinking and having a nice time though but all of a sudden the anxiety hit me! I know I came into this knowing that there are two other couples and then there is me, the 5th wheel. I started to get a little anxiety when they started having their little couple chats, comparing each other or whatever. I remember at one point I was with Michelle and I said to her that I did not know what to talk about because they were talking about relationship stuff. She said to me something along the lines of day what you think and talk about past relationships. I was certainly hoping that she would change subjects in fact while in the group, but no biggie. I spent the rest of the day wanting to be alone. We still ate some habashi grill food.

The next morning we found ourselves waking up early to end our trip! I rated this trip an 7.5 or 8 out of 10. I definitely would recommend the hotel except the AC was not strong enough. I found myself sweating when I woke up in the middle of the night. I would say the most memorable thing about the trip was Friday when we got super drunk in the pool and least favorite was being a 5th wheel in the pool 😅. I am really happy that Michelle invited me to join them on this journey!

[dwylafn-bye]

me listening the the burlesque soundtrack at 1 am: ah yes, the kayli vibes

#out of daggers #also another song that comes to mind is cell block tango #also quite a few songs from moulin rouge which is my all time favorite musical

[365days365movies]

March 9, 2021: Orpheus (1950) (Part One)

Greek mythology was my first mythological love.

And yes, that is ironically a very cliché thing to say about Greek mythology, since it’s by FAR the most popular and well-known mythology in the Western world, but...what can I say, I’m a sucker for the classics.

When I was 6, my mom got me a copy of the Odyssey, followed by D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths, and that book was my SHIIIIIIIIIIT. From the Titanomachy to the Trojan War, from Decaulion to Daedalus, from the Lernaean Hydra to Ladon, and from Zeus to Dionysus (my second favorite Olympian), I LOVE Greek mythology.

There have been countless adaptations of these stories over the last century of so, some better and more faithful than others. We got Blood of Zeus (which I...genuinely dislike) on Netflix last year, Lore Olympus is a fantastic webcomic and modernized retelling of the universe of stories in general (fuck Apollo, that’s all I have to say), Hercules by Disney is fun (though extraordinarily inaccurate), and who doesn’t like some Percy Jackson (the books, not the movies)?

Today’s entry won’t be the first of the Greek mythology stories this month; after all, it’s DEFINITELY fantasy, so there were going to be a few entries in here. Some will come pretty close to each other later this month, but for this one, we’re jumping forward 10 years from The Thief of Bagdad to 1950. Let’s get back to France, shall we?

Famous for his adaptation of Beauty and the Beast is Jean Cocteau, legendary French surrealist filmmaker. His stylings definitely capture a sort of practical magic, compounded with clever angles and fascinating visual and practical effects. It’s evident with the classic fairy tale, which I would’ve done this month had I not already seen it. So, instead, we’ll be looking at the middle film in a trilogy known as Cocteau’s Orphic trilogy. This is, apparently, the most important one. And that makes sense, since it’s focused upon...

Is Hadestown good? I’m real tempted to find a way to watch it, and it sounds like it’s just up my alley. I’ll probably check it out one of these days.

Orpheus was (maybe) the son of Calliope, the muse of poetry, and Apollo, god of music. Maybe. Parentage differs based on the retelling. No matter the parents, he was renowned for his charm and grace, as well as his voice and music. He was loved by animals, nymphs, and maidens alike. He was invited to be the Bard of Jason’s DnD group (AKA the Argonauts), and used Bardic Performance to inspire his comrades (and also helped them overcome the sirens by singing EVEN LOUDER).

But the one whom he loved most was his wife, Eurydice. Unfortunately, a satyr (AKA horny horned half-goat man) chased her right into a viper’s nest, where she was bitten and died. Orpheus was CRUSHED, and his song was so depressing that even the gods cried. They said, “Dude, go to the Underworld, get back your lady from Hades, please!” And he did.

Hades, the old romantic that he secretly is, agrees to let Eurydice’s soul, on one condition. That he doesn’t look back at her as she follows him out. Orpheus agrees, but the man can’t stop himself from looking back to make sure that she’s there. And she was...and then she wasn’t. So, our sad boi fucked up, and then...well, it’s spotty. 

See, some people say that he stopped worshipping Dionysus (his previous patron), and the wine boi’s female followers tore Orpheus to pieces as punishment. Some say that these same women got a liiiiiiiiiittle too into the Bacchanalia (think orgies, but religious and violent), and ripped him apart in a frenzy. And some say that he only took male lover from then on, and women tore him to pieces for not paying attention to them (also, possible homophobia). You know, it varies. Still, we can agree on the ripped apart by women thing. His head could still sing, and as the women threw his body parts into a river, it sang a song so beautiful that the rocks and branches in the river refused to strike it. His instrument of choice, a lyre, was eventually interred amongst the stars as the constellation Lyra.

The story of a pained artist searching for a lost love and losing her is all over the goddamn place, with the crazy-ass Moulin Rouge being a solid example of it.

But OK, let’s finally begin Orpheus, or Orphée to be more accurate. Gonna be a weird ride, I guarantee it. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (1/2)

The story starts with a recap of the original myth, and notes that it doesn’t need to be limited  by time and place. This sort of story, after all, could happen anywhere and at any time. And in this case, that time and place are 1950s-era France, where we quickly meet famous poet Orpheus (Jean Marais).

At a café, he meets a friend, the Editor (Henri Crémieux), where they speak on Orpheus’ fame, which is not well-liked in a cafe frequented by poets. Also arriving there is a young drunken poet, Jacques Cégeste (Édouard Dermit), who is accompanied by his patron, known only as...the Princess (María Casares). Come on, guys, can we give our female characters names, please?

Anyway, Jacques quickly gets into a drunken brawl with other patrons, which leads to the arrival of the police at the café. They forcefully arrest him, but before they can, he’s hit by a couple of motorcycles, and potentially killed. The police bring Jacques back to the Princess’ car, with the help of her driver Heurtebise (François Périer). For unknown reasons, she summons Orpheus to help them. He agrees, and goes with them to the hospital.

Or he would be, if they were going there. Instead, as they drive off, Orpheus discovers that Jacques is dead already. They aren’t going to the hospital. Instead, they head to a mysterious mansion, as ominous and oblique poetry plays on the radio. They’re soon accompanied by the men on the motorcycles that killed Jacques, who work for the Princess. The plot fuckin’ THICKENS.

Back at her mansion, they bring the body of Jacques upstairs, much to the confusion of Orpheus, whom the Princess keeps calling stupid whenever he asks questions. However, he’s not proving her wrong, as she immediately convinces him that she’s actually dreaming at the moment. Although...maybe he is?

She sits in front of a mirror, which breaks...somehow. Frustrated, she commands Orpheus to wait there for her to return, as she goes to check on Jacques and her men. Like me, Orpheus is confused. This gets worse for me, though, as the Princess goes to the other room and tells the dead Jacques to get up. AND HE DOES. Well, Jacques’ a zombie, I guess. He identifies the Princess as “his Death”, which she agrees to. She tells him to hold on to her coat, and then...

...I got questions. I GOT QUESTIONS HERE.

They go through the mirror, and the Princess’ henchmen follow, just as Orpheus walks in. He also has questions, and he tries to go through the mirror, to no avail. Completely confused at this point, he passes out against the mirror, alone in the mansion. And then...he’s outside.

Yeah, he’s just outside now, and waiting there is Heurtebise, the chauffeur! Orpheus is freakin’ out, and Heurtebise has no answers for him, but has been told to take him back to town once he...arrived. OK. Still questions.

In town, the disappearance of Orpheus is being discussed by a police inspector, his wife Eurydice (Marie Déa), and her friend Aglaonice (Juliette Gréco). Aglaonice doesn’t seem to like Orpheus very much, as she’s trying to convince Eurydice that he’s cheating on her. And that’s hard to argue, since he was last seen with the Princess. However, just as there’s about to be a scandal reported by a spontaneously appearing journalist, Heurtebise and Orpheus arrive home.

After a rough encounter with the journalist, he arrives home to a relieved Eurydice, and an enraged Aglaonice, whom Orpheus also dislikes heavily. He’s apparently forbidden her from entering his house, and tells her off. The Inspector leaves too, and asks Orpheus to come to his office to discuss the matter of the missing Jacques.

Eurydice reminds Orpheus that Aglaonice is dangerous, as she runs...the League of Women. Well...I think we know what role Aglaonice is going to play by the end of this. Her and her League of Bacchanalian Women, get me? Yikes. Anyway, the conversation turns into an argument, when the EXTREMELY ornery Orpheus basically just storms off, being a DICK to his poor wife. And when he goes upstairs to his room, he actually sneaks out of the window.

Meanwhile, Heurtebise comes into the house to offer an alibi to the pained Eurydice. While she doesn’t quite believe it, the two share some time together and seem to bond. However, when he smells gas from the stove, Heurtebise lets it slip that he committed suicide by using a gas stove. He covers it up before Eurydice notices the slip-up, but...OK. So, “the Princess” is death. Going by the traditional Greek myth, she’s some form of psychopomp, and the world beyond the mirror is the Underworld, I can only assume. OK...I can dig it.

Orpheus, meanwhile, is at the car, listening to the strange radio poetry and writing it down. The, uh, “Princess” is busy as well. Like a ghost, she walks into the household and watches Orpheus as he sleeps. A narration refers to her as Orpheus’ death. Funny, I’m pretty sure that’s going to be Aglaonice’s role.

Two days later, Orpheus is increasingly obsessed with the poetry from the mysterious radio and its odd messages. While Eurydice seems to mock this obsession, Orpheus also seems to be far too enraptured in it. But, interestingly, the messages seem to be coming from nowhere known. However, it’s all beginning to affect their marriage greatly.

On the phone, the Inspector comes calling, and Eurydice asks Heurtebise to answer the phone. He does so, and soon after, we see the phone float into place, as if placed there by a ghost. That’s confirmed as Heurtebise phases to the outside from nothing, where he meets Orpheus and informs him of the message. The two decide to head to the Inspector in his car, rather than the mysterious talking car.

While Orpheus goes through town, looking for the Princess rather than the Inspector, there’s something that I wanted to mention here. Call it an interpretation. Apparently, Heurtebise is often considered an angel by critics and interpreters. However, I’m gonna suggest that he’s actually supposed to be a representation of Hermes, the messenger god and a psychopomp who escorted souls to the Underworld. Not sure about the Princess yet, but Cocteau apparently never meant for her to be portrayed as actual death. Interesting.

Meanwhile, at the Inspector’s office, both Aglaonice and Orpheus’ poet friends (supposedly) are accusing Orpheus of being involved in Jacques’ disappearance. The Inspector turns them away, just as Heurtebise and Orpheus reconvene in town. While Orpheus didn’t find the Princess, Heurtebise says that she came by, saying that he could stay with the married couple for now.

Speaking of the Princess, we see her at night, staring over Orpheus. And her eyes are...strange. They seem artificial, and it bothers the EVER-LOVING SHIT out of me. And the whole affair isn’t helping Eurydice either, as she’s tired of Orpheus’ obsession with the car, and is planning on going to Aglaonice for advice. Heurtebise tries to stop her from doing so, but she insists. But when she goes...the motorcyclists come for her. And she’s dead. As proven when the Princess arrives through the mirror.

Alongside her comes Jacques, acting as the Princess’ servant. She notes to him that their work isn’t easy, and couldn’t be done if she were dressed in the way the humans portray her. So, she is seemingly Death, or at least an aspect of Death. Obviously, as we’re talking about the Greek story, we can assume that she’s meant to be Hades in particular. But, we’ll see. It’s also confirmed, by the way, that the mysterious messages are indeed Jacques’ poetry, recited by him on the radio waves from beyond the grave. Neat.

Heurtebise is clearly upset with what’s just happened to Eurydice. He asks if the Princess actually had orders to kill Eurydice. She avoids the question, and guesses correctly that Heurtebise has fallen in love with Eurydice. He confirms this, and counters with the fact that the Princess has seemingly fallen in love with ORPHEUS. The plot fucking THICKENS.

Good place to pause, I think. Halfway mark and all. See you in Part Two!

#orpheus #orphee #Orphée #cocteau #jean cocteau #orphic trilogy #jean marais #François Périer #María Casares #Marie Déa #Juliette Gréco #Édouard Dermit #fantasy march #greek mythology #user365 #365 movie challenge #365 movies 365 days #365 Days 365 Movies #365 movies a year #surreal film

[study-van]

10 questions

Rules: Answer the questions, then tag 10 people with ten other questions. (I think I’ve done this several time so I am not sure how many people I’ll tag..)

I was tagged by two lovely people @studying-nando and @mathias-researches!! Thank you

Now onto @studying-nando‘s questions

1.Favourite breakfast food?

Egg on top of a toast with turkish tea

2.Movies or TV shows?

Definitely movies for me!!

3.What is a memory that seems insignificant, but you still think of?

This is something with my ex boyfriend and even before we dated but I remember this game night we were having. We were like 8 people and were playing taboo and he laughed at something so insignificant (my teammates weren’t able to guess the word honey, truly not their brightest moment) and I can never forget how lovely he sounded (that was the moment I realized I had a crush on him)

4.Favourite author?

Oh, I’ve a lot. Tess Gerritsen, Haruki Murakami, Jane Austen, to name a few

5.A country that you would like to go to simply for the landscape.

Sweden!! A friend from that summer childhood friend group is held Swedish and lives in Stockholm but he always goes on these nature tours and it’s simply divine.

6.A task that you keep putting off, but will have to eventually have to do?

Signing my apartment contract and putting the first payment rip

7.Knitting or painting?

If you asked me this before quarantine I’d say painting but during quarantine I picked up knitting and it’s actually so relaxing

8.Coffee in old gothic style libraries or tea in a sunlit corner surrounded by plants?

Tea in a sunlit corner with plants simply because I love tea

9.Hanging photos with or without frames?

I prefer to hang them with frames just to protect them

10.Playing guitar or violin?

So I’ve been playing the violin for a really long time but I also know hot to play the guitar... Ig I’ll have to go with the violin because it was my first love

Now onto @mathias-researches questions!!

1.If you could shape-shift into anything, what would it be and why

Probably a bird so I could fly 

2.If they made a Broadway musical about you, who would you want to play you?

Probably Taylor Swift sjdgjs I actually really like her voice and I feel like she could belt some really powerful ballads about the summer nights at the beach

3.What’s your favourite mythical/ supernatural creature?

Dragons!!! (httyd affected me a lot)

4.Favourite tv show(s) and movie(s)?

Hmm, that's hard. I guess some recent favorites are Snowpiercer, Ask 101, Anne with an A, The Untamed, Veronica Mars(the last season does not exist). As for movies, I guess you can never go wrong with Gerard Depardieu, I’ve recently watched his Bonne Pomme and quite enjoyed it. Also, Current Wars, Moulin Rouge, Murder on the Orient Express, The Departed to name a few.

5.Who is the one person, or the one group of people, you want to interview the most?

La Maupin!!

6.Favourite music genre?

I listen to everything I find pleasant ngl but you can never go wrong with jazz

7.Plan your ultimate road trip.

Backpacking trip through Europe or a train trip

8.What are the top five songs you want on your road trip playlist?

mgmt, electric feel

august d, people

alphaville, forever young

pomme, pauline

clea vincent, jmy attendais pas

9.What kind of learner are you?

Really depends on the lesson but I show signs of all of them...

10.Who is your favourite person?

I’ve a lot of people ngl My little brother, the summer childhood friend group, my best friend with THE cat

My questions:

If you could get fluent in one language immediately, what language would you choose?

What kept you/has been keeping you sane during quarantine?

Which book would you like to re-read for the first time?

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Do you have a favourite quote?

What’s your favourite part about school?

If you could talk to your 13 year old self, what would you tell them/advice would you give them?

If the pandemic magically ended today, how would you spend tomorrow?

Without saying who the person is, what is a question you wish you could ask someone but can’t?

If you could go out to dinner with one fictional character who would you choose?

I tag: @easeupkid @procrastilate @studyingstuffwithem @satie-studies @clabujo @peachblossomstudy @studyingwithsky @studyingel @lostinmynotebooks @daydreamst (hey I did end up tagging 10 people!! obviously no one is obligated to do it)

#tagged #tag game #thank tou for tagging me

[purplesurveys]

990

survey by starsareonly2nd

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? No. Doesn’t sound like my type of city. I wouldn’t mind visiting the rest of Nevada though.

What did you have for breakfast this morning? Just a cup of coffee; I skip breakfast except on Sundays, when we actually sit down at the dining table and eat as a family.

Do you have any loose change in your pocket? I don’t have any pockets right now but I do have very few coins in my wallet. I used to have plenty, but I’ve given most of them away because I usually give tips to the nice people who help me get out of parking spots.

Do you like Taylor Swift? I like some of her songs, especially the ones from 1989, but I have no idea why I just can’t get into her as a person.

What's your favorite Disney Channel movie? I haven’t tuned in to that channel for a very long time now, but the movies that I got the most excited about as a kid were Twitches, Wendy Wu, Camp Rock, The Cheetah Girls, and High School Musical 1 and 2.

If you met your favorite celebrity, would you be calm or star struck? I’d be starstruck in a calm way; like I’d most likely be too shocked to get more than a few words out. I’m sure I’d come off as shy or boring haha, which is why I’ve refused to meet or interact with my favorite celebrities even if I’ve already had the chance to.

Are there any lights on in the room you're in? I have a ceiling light and a desk lamp, but both are turned off. My only light source at the moment is my laptop screen.

What's your favorite subject in school? History.

What's your favorite holiday? My birthday, if that counts. Christmas can also be great but only for the food, the reunions with extended family, and the freedom to guiltlessly cut off contact with colleagues for a couple of weeks. All other aspects of it make me miserable though.

Do you ever have to do yard work? I’ve never had to do that before.

Is your school close to your house? I mean, it wasn’t a 10-minute walk away but it’s relatively close and driving to my university objectively doesn’t take too long unless there’s heavy traffic. If there’s absolutely no barriers I could get to school in 15-20 minutes, but this is really only just for weekends where I have to go to school for some reason. If there’s traffic (and there always is), I take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half.

Speaking of school, how did you get there today? I haven’t been to my school since the first week of March, and I’ve already graduated since then.

Do you think Bad Romance is a catchy song, or an annoying one? I can honestly tell you that I have genuinely never gotten sick of that song. It’s a late 2000s classic, man. Of course it was too explicit for my 11 year old ears when it first came out, but I found it catchy nonetheless.

Do you use perfect grammar online? I always try to be correct, yes. When I use improper grammar it’s usually because I’m joking.

Are you currently using a laptop? Yup.

Do you have any live versions of songs in your music software? I haven’t used iTunes in a while and Spotify, which I do use, doesn’t work that way.

Did/do you listen to Britney Spears songs? I’ve never skipped her singles whenever I caught them on the radio and I’ve always fairly enjoyed the music she puts out, but I normally don’t voluntarily listen to her i.e. look up her songs myself on Spotify.

Is it a windy day? It is now that it’s nighttime, but it was a little humid all day today.

In the past week, have you ridden in a taxi? No. I’m not actually sure if that’s even already allowed...the possibility of public transport is still pretty murky where I live.

What shorthand do you use the most? I have no idea what this means. I did try looking it up but I dunno if I’ve ever had to use shorthand at any point in my life.

Do you ever wish on stars at night? Every now and then, but it’s just the little kid in me.

What color are your eyes? Dark brown. I feel like I answer this at least once a week.

What album is the current song you're listening to off of? Not listening to music but the last song I heard is from an album called Petals For Armor.

What are you doing after you finish this? Try not to cry/break down. Find something to watch on YouTube. Maybe play with Cooper to destress and forget about my problems for a bit.

In your opinion, what song is the most overplayed right now? Other than songs I occasionally put on repeat, I have not heard any new music for a while now.

Are you in a band? Nope, never been.

How clean is your bedroom? We just tidied it up and rearranged a few things last month so I’d say it’s clean - at least tidier than it used to be. And I’m a little proud that despite how rough life has been, I’ve managed to keep it clean. It’s the little things.

Is there a pen within reaching distance of you? Yeah, there’s one on my desk and I can easily reach out and grab it.

Are you sitting at a desk? I’ve moved to my bed for now. My back does not appreciate sitting at a desk all day.

Does your favorite band have a male or female lead singer? Female.

Do you normally shut your bedroom door before you go to sleep? Yesssssssss. We have a light source by the stairs that extends to the hallway and reaches my room, so it gets super annoying if my door is even just slightly ajar because my eyes get distracted by the faint light. My door has to be completely shut for me to feel comfortable in the privacy of my room.

Have you seen the movie Moulin Rouge? I haven’t. I loooove Lady Marmalade, but I’m just not sure if the movie itself is my cup of tea.

Would you ever dye your hair a different color? I’d love to have the chance to do that, yeah.

Are there any framed pictures in the room you're in? There are a couple.

Have you ever been to a Broadway show? Nope.

Do you watch So You Think You Can Dance? I don’t think so but I do remember watching a few episodes of Dancing with the Stars because a wrestler that I liked was one of the contestants for one season. I’m just not sure of SYTYCD also featured wrestlers in their shows; if that has been the case in the past- and I’m just not sure because my memory is a little hazy - I would’ve given it a watch.

What's your favorite movie soundtrack? The Twilight Saga churned out some bomb ass soundtracks. Other than that, I also enjoyed Interstellar’s and Requiem for a Dream’s.

Do you prefer group or individual work? Depends on what kind of work needs to be done. If a task is graphic design or video editing-heavy, I would prefer to work with other people; but if it’s gonna be heavy on something that’s already my forte, I like to work by myself.

Do you have a key to anything besides your house? Just my car.

Are you wearing anything with stripes? Not at the moment.

What time did you go to sleep last night? 9:45 I think? A little later than 10? Somewhere along that range.

Did anyone tell you you were beautiful today? No.

What show did you last watch? Friends.

Do you think you'll do anymore surveys today? I doubt it. This one is already quite longer than the surveys I usually take.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Cookies and cream; and more recently, chocolate chip cookie dough.

When was the last time you stayed home from school sick? Sometime in February last year. I developed a fever the night before but wasn’t able to start feeling better by the next morning, so I had to skip the one class I had that day.

Could you ever complete a 500-piece puzzle? Yes. I’m actually planning to buy a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle; it’s one of the items I’ve put on my cart recently. Depressed Robyn is also spend-a-lot-of-money-on-artsy-craftsy-supplies-Robyn, so.

If you could run a red light and not get caught, would you? Hell no.

Do you like to listen to music as you do your homework? Not usually, but sometimes I’ll put on lo-fi since that’s the only kind of music I can listen to and still keep my focus.

Did you think Adam Lambert's AMA performance was really that controversial? I’ve never encountered it, but I doubt I’ll have a problem with it if I do get to watch the performance. I love Adam Lambert and I've never found myself shaking my head at whatever he’s doing.

Do any bands flat-out annoy you? They’re a boy band more than anything but The Vamps has consistently irritated me through the years.

Do you have a mirror in your bedroom? No. I used to, but I gave it to my sister.

Was today a birthday for any of your friends? I don’t think so. With all my social media being deactivated I never get notified about birthdays anymore, but I’m fairly sure none of my friends blow out their candles every October 22nd.

When was the last time you rode in a limo? I’ve never been in one.

Do you take naps daily? No. I can’t really do that anymore since I have an 8-hour shift on weekdays, lol.

Do you still make Christmas lists? No.

Do you watch the show Dexter? I tried getting into the show because it used to always be said in the same breath as Breaking Bad, but I never got invested. I heard later seasons sucked too, so that also turned me off from continuing to pursue the series.

What's the background on your phone? I have a motivational comic that says “You’re doing really well given the circumstances” as my lockscreen. Cooper smiling is my home screen.

When were/will you be a a sophomore in high school? That was six years ago.

Are you scared of any animals? Any flying insect or bug, and I find them scarier if they come with a loud buzz.

Have you ever been to any sort of convention? YouTube Fanfest, if that counts as one. I’m not really sure what counts as a convention haha, but that’s the closest thing I’ve got.

Which song did you last listen to on repeat? Why We Ever by Hayley Williams.

Where do you want to live when you grow up? I’ve stopped thinking about that for now. My focus has since shifted to asking myself if I’ll still even be alive in a few years...ugh, how far we’ve fallen.

Are you currently using a blanket? No. It’s not cold enough for a blanket yet, but maybe in a few hours.

Are there any songs that make you cry? A lot.

How many siblings do you have? Two.

What are you doing this weekend? I have no idea.

Do you prefer swimming at the beach or in a pool? BEEEEEEEEACH. Once I took my first dip in a beach, I never wanted to swim in a pool ever again.

When was the last time you had a haircut? March.

Which musical instrument do you think sounds the prettiest? Piano, saxophone, and violin. Can’t pick a favorite; I think they all sound beautiful.

Are you in band or chorus at your school? I was never in either.

Do you know what you want for Christmas? Yeah but they’re all intangible. I want to be happy, be at peace, normalcy, etc. I’ve stopped pining for presents, especially now that I can afford my own shit.

Do you watch fireworks on New Year's Eve? Always.

Is your birthday within the next three months? Nope. You’ll have to add three more months to that timeframe.

How long is the song you're listening to? No music.

Are you anticipating anything this week? I’m waiting for a couple of very specific emails to come in, and I hope they do before the week ends.

Is your mom or dad the older parent? My dad, but only by 8 months. They were born in the same year.

Have you taken the SATs yet? I never had to take them, but I heard they’re triiiiiiiicky.

Do you watch anything on E? We never had E! in our cable service but I like tuning into that channel whenever we stay at hotels because I get to watch KUWTK, hehe.

Are you going to get off the computer now that you've finished this? Most likely.

#survey #surveys

[thatsamoireh]

Moncton show and meet & greet recap! I put together my thoughts about the show, my meet & greet experience, photos of the things I made them, and their reactions. It got wordy.

Here’s a preview in the form of some bald skater babies pre-hair styling.

Thoughts about the Moncton show:

We were in the third row but I was behind/between two incredibly tall women. I could see if I moved my head a lot and I still ultimately had a fantastic view but it made photos and videos pretty impossible. A couple sort of came out so I’ll post those later.

 I knew I couldn’t keep myself entirely unspoiled but I wanted to enjoy the show in the moment as much as possible. I’d let myself watch videos of VM’s solo things as much as I wanted, the group numbers fully exactly once each, and no one else’s solos at all though I knew what the songs were.

Tessa and Scott skating live in person was still a thing I wasn’t prepared for because can you ever be? They are so in tune with each other. They have to be able to do programs like MR in their sleep at this point but there were little moments and touches and looks that made it seem like a brand new unique experience at both shows I went to. MR was so intense, 4 Minutes was so playful, and Diamonds was so... elegant? Graceful? Regal? Tessa is a queen. Scott knows it, we all know it, and that dance showcases her so breathtakingly. The gasps when she skated out in her diamond bodysuit. I’ll never forget that.

I can’t get over how much FUN Scott was having, particularly during group performances and the moments that he could interact with the audience. That boy is having the time of his life and he deserves it.

I was particularly blown away by two non-VM things that took me by surprise: First, Patrick is unreal on the ice in person. Wow. WOW. Videos don’t do him justice. W O W. Second, I loved Weapo’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody so much. It’s my favorite thing they’ve ever done. More of this from them, please.

One of the best parts was my friend’s reactions during the show since she had no idea at all what was going to happen and was mostly there to humor me. After Moulin Rouge: “...Um. Okay, yeah. I ship it.” After Phantom: “Has Patrick Chan ever fallen once in his life? It feels like he was born ice skating.” After I Weapo’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody: “Okay, so now I’m crying.” After Sweet Dreams: “That was cool. Scott definitely had the best sunglasses.” She was so concerned for Meagan’s safety whenever Eric spun her around that she kept making these little alarmed noises. 

After the dance off as Elvis was talking to the crowd, Scott skated up behind him in the way that I could just tell was going to be a last show prank situation. For a hot second I thought he might pants him which would have been a terrible idea but he either poked his sides or pulled UP on the back Elvis’ pants instead. Elvis startled and turned and shot him a look that meant Scott might pay for that later. I am SO sad that Scott’s back was to me because I would have loved to have seen his face during all that.

The cheering was pretty equal so Meagan said Elvis should break the tie since it was his last show which got Elvis a big cheer too. He couldn’t/wouldn’t declare a winner so Meagan went into Dancing Queen.

Elvis got standing ovations after his skates and he was clearly getting emotional and taking it all in as his last show on the tour. I’m not sure if the crowd even really knew it was his last show after his Dragon skate yet (Meagan said it during the dance off and the crowd reaction kind of implied they maybe didn’t know), which means they all just really appreciated him that much. MR, Patrick’s Phantom, and Eric/Patrick’s Storm all also got standing o’s to my recollection. Plus the finale of course.

During the encore after a moment when they were all grouped together at center ice, Elvis started skating out like they’re supposed to but everyone else stayed put and did some ta-da arms to give him a special little last show send off. He put his hand on his heart and knelt down and it was all so sweet.

There are more things that I’m forgetting right now probably. Oops?

My Moncton meet & greet experience:

Okay. So. I make and sell amigurumi crochet dolls. Here are my Hamilton and Hocus Pocus dolls, to give you an idea of the kinds of things I make.

I decided before the tour that I’d make the nine of them to give the cast at my meet & greet in Moncton. (Thanks to @peacefulboo for the cheerleading along the way!) Here they are done but still hairless, which in my opinion is peak cuteness honestly. Please, please don’t repost any of my doll or m&g photos anywhere, thanks!

And fully done. Photos never do my dolls’ hair justice, I swear. They’re better in real life I promise. (I’ll put more close ups at the end of the post in case anyone is interested.)

I’d decided to do everyone’s Pyeongchang free skate/free dance costumes but wasn’t sure which to make for Elvis until I saw he was doing Dragon for the tour. So I did his Olympic Dragon costume, complete with his 1994 hairstyle. He was so nice and as he was putting the doll down on the table he noticed the hair and pointed it out, laughing. When he got home, he regrammed his wife’s Instagram post featuring my doll (!!!) and their dog’s reaction made my LIFE. (Screencaps near the end of this post.)

Kaitlyn and Andrew got so excited about the dolls. I told Kaitlyn that her dress ended up being the hardest by far to recreate in doll form and she slapped her hands on the table, leaned in toward me, and said, so earnestly, “IT WAS SO HARD TO MAKE IN REAL LIFE TOO!” Meanwhile Andrew was smiling hugely and moving his doll’s legs to make him dance. I love them both so much.

Meagan wondered at me about how I make things like this (which like, it’s all relative I guess because I wonder at how she can do the things she does on the ice) and Eric got a little grin and told me that he loved that I did his sheer sleeves. (I think Eric’s doll might have secretly been my favorite, or at least tied with Tessa. The stubble really made it.)

Just as we were about to get in Patrick and Kaetlyn’s line Tessa went hurrying past us out of the room with someone in a tour jacket. She was smiling, so my guess is that nature called and she couldn’t wait anymore to answer. (No idea if that’s true, just a guess.) I looked over at Scott and he didn’t look concerned, was just wandering around, joking with Patrick, drinking a smoothie.

As the cast members near the start of the lineup finished up with fans they were leaving. The m&g music was excellent (my friend got confirmation from Scott that it was Andrew’s playlist that night) and Kaitlyn was dancing as she headed for the door just as Tessa was coming back in a few minutes later. They had a little dance party (the song was Hey Ya I’m 98% sure) as they danced toward each other, danced together for few seconds laughing, and then Tessa danced all the way back to her signing table. Scott loudly announced, “MS. VIRTUE HAS RETURNED!”

Before he sat down again, Scott crept silently up behind Patrick and poked him in both of his sides, making him jump mid-sentence while talking to the fan at his table. Scott grinned, so proud of himself, and it was pretty amazing.

I stayed with my friend L in Fredericton during this trip. We’ve known each other for 18 years and she’s in the States a lot so I’ve seen her in real life several times over the years but this is the first time I’ve been able to go visit her. Due to a last minute emergency my other friend that was going to drive up from NY for the shows with me couldn’t come, so L humored me and came along since I had the extra tickets. She remembered Elvis from her childhood skating phase and she knew who VM were in the casual way many Canadians do. So she wanted photos with those three but otherwise was perfectly happy to volunteer to be my mom friend and hold the little gift bags with the dolls and the Orlando postcards I’d made up for them.

I mention this because there was someone working for the venue/tour at the head of each line to use our phones/cameras to take our one photo per person for us in order to keep the lines moving along relatively quickly (note: I never felt the slightest bit rushed and everyone was lovely). When we got to the front of Patrick and Kaetlyn’s line the woman there had apparently seen me give the others their dolls and sort of wink-wink said that if my friend wasn’t getting a photo with Patrick and Kaetlyn she could “donate” it and that I should definitely take a second photo with the two of them and their dolls, too. It was so sweet of her to suggest and the photo came out so cute that I’m gonna share it.

Most of the designated camera people actually did take multiple photos, which was nice. Before my first photo with Patrick and Kaetlyn (before I gave them the dolls) Patrick had looked over at Scott and started laughing at something he must have said that I couldn’t hear. In my couple photos, Patrick went from laughing-at-Scott smiling to normal smiling and it’s quite an adorable progression.

My friend L went up to Tessa and Scott before me. Go Your Own Way was the song currently playing and we had been dancing to it in line. As L went up for her photo she joked to Scott that she should probably stop dancing now. He got this shocked look on his face and said, “NO! Never stop dancing!” She joked that she’d be blurry for the photo if she didn’t and he admitted that she had a point.

Can I just say that Tessa Virtue is radiant in person? Like, I expected it and they are all strikingly attractive humans, but Tessa just… glows or something. And Scott’s eyes are so kind. I can get very awkward turtle meeting people I admire but Scott and Tessa have this warmth that just puts you at ease right away. 

(Please, please don’t repost any of my doll or m&g photos anywhere, thanks!)

While Tessa and Scott were signing my flag I told them I’d come up from Florida to see them and how it was the first time I’d been able to visit L in our 18 years of friendship. L and I thanked them for putting together the tour so I had the excuse. Scott perked up and said, “Oh yeah? Where in Florida?” (I’m guessing he was curious if it was near where he’d recently visited so he’d have a frame of reference? Idk.)

I gave them the dolls and they both smiled so big while examining them intensely. I was a little overwhelmed so I can’t remember what Scott said to me exactly but part of it was, “You made this?” Tessa said something about how amazing it was that I could make them and I told her I had a little business, which I thought she would appreciate in a girl power kind of way. I told her that I’d made her doll first since I suspected it would be the most complicated (little did I know how Kaitlyn’s dress would prove me so, so wrong there) and it would make or break if I was going to be able to make the rest. She said she loved the details on the dress a lot and was going to show Mathieu and that he’d love it too. (!!!)

In conclusion they are all lovely, talented angels. I had such an amazing time and the show alone was 110% worth my trip to Canada, plus I still had another show in Saint John on Tuesday and all the adventures/hangouts with L over the long weekend too.

Okay, some closeups of the dolls and progress shots. I didn’t get every angle I’d have liked and photos don’t ever do their hair justice, but in case anyone is curious. Also, pardon my crafting mess in the backgrounds.

Seventeen little ice skates starched (so the blades stay semi-firm) and drying. The eighteenth was already dry and had a leg crocheted to it as a proof of concept that it would work. It would eventually become Tessa’s leg and skate, which seemed fitting.

Details on still-headless Tessa. I used sheer organza ribbon for parts of Tessa, Scott, Eric, and Kaitlyn’s costumes.

Details on still-headless Scott.

Tessa and Scott. Tessa has a bun like Kaetlyn’s but low on the back of her head.

Some screencaps from Elvis’ regram of his wife’s Instagram post. His dog’s reaction made my LIFE.

Kaitlyn and Andrew. Andrew was the easiest doll to make, while Kaitlyn was the hardest. Oh, Weapo.

Kaitlyn’s hair, which I think was my favorite hair.

Meagan and Eric. Meagan’s back was entirely covered in those jewels and I didn’t realize I never got a photo of it.

Kaetlyn. Her dress was fun to do but the embroidery thread stitching took forever.

Kaetlyn from the back. (Her bun looks lopsided from the angle of the photo.)

Patrick. I tried my best to recreate the swoopy neckline from his free skate costume and... sort of succeeded?

If you made it this far, honestly I’m impressed. Possibly some show photos to coming soon, along with my recap/photos from Saint John. (I already posted two videos from that show in case you missed them.)

#ttyct #the thank you canada tour #ttyct 18 #ttyct18 #moncton 2018 #moncton 18 #moncton18 #ttyct recap #vm #patrick #kaetlyn #elvis #meagan #eric #kaitlyn #andrew #tessa #scott

[justreviewingokay]

D.C. Beetlejuice Review

Let me cut to the chase.  I know what you’re gonna ask, is Beetlejuice “good”?  Now I have a very complicated answer, but I will say this: if a Tim Burton styled stage show is what you’ve always wanted, then should probably be off to see it as soon as you can.  Hold your sandworms, I’m not done yet.  Beetlejuice may be a visual masterpiece, but it is also a work in progress.  If you’re looking for more than high caliber Broadway comedy actors and half-baked humor, it may be better to wait and see what the move to the Winter Garden Theatre has in store for us.  

Now for the complicated answer.  If spoilers aren’t your thing, turn back now, for the surprises of Beetlejuice are extremely rewarding.

Making it Beetlejuice’s given job to usher the dead into the netherworld is an excellent addition to the character, except there isn’t very much character to begin with.  The opening makes the blind mistake of relying on the audience already knowing who Beetlejuice is.  A newcomer to the show might find him confusing or vague.  “The Whole Being Dead Thing” is an explosively entertaining number where BJ bashes some funeral goers.  Cutting in half way is Lydia mourning with “Invisible”.  Although the long arm gag is good and the bus driver costume from the film is much appreciated, the big B is introduced all too soon. The buildup is killed rather quickly and consequently, the anticipation.  Alternatively, since the scene starts off with a dirge, Lydia could plunge right into “Invisible” with Beetlejuice popping out of the casket and delivering the brilliant line “a ballad already?” The audience cheers as he climbs out and begins “The Whole Being Dead Thing”, uninterrupted.   Act One’s pacing is quite tangled, so this jumpy establishing song is important.  Alex Brightman is an absolute tour de force and does his best with the often immature dialogue.  It’s obvious that Brightman is doing a good job of balancing the voice, but it’s still a bit much when he’s singing.  His vocal talents are betrayed in this respect and some of the lyrics are hard to understand because of it.  

The Maitlands are brilliantly portrayed by green clad Rob McClure and Kerry Butler, known for Something Rotten! and Little Shop of Horrors, respectively.  “Ready, Set, Not Yet” is funny, but far too frantic to be endearing. Contrary to the writers’ belief, Adam and Barbara can be thoroughly lame and likeable simultaneously.  In the following scenes one could argue that too many pelvic thrusts are performed.  The scene progression is quite choppy, with so many reprises that one wonders if the song ever ended in the first place.  “Fright of their Lights” has a weird 1980’s sound and it has a great joke where Adam informs BJ that they can still hear him, with BJ responding “Well that was a soliloquy, so you’re the one being rude.”  BJ’s interactions with them are typically crass, but not in a clever adult way, an almost childish mentality instead.  Many of the jokes end with an unnecessary “F You,” which often feels like it’s only there to keep children out of the theatre.

The show really begins to pick up when the Deetz family begin to move in and Lydia sings “Dead Mom,” easily one of the best numbers. Sophia Anne Caruso plays the iconic goth girl in a way that doesn’t leave you cringing at all.  As the show progresses, Lydia upstages everyone.  An odd thing to note though, Lydia comes downstairs to dinner wearing a yellow dress to confuse her dad, which is exactly what Wednesday Addams does in the Addams Family Musical.  

Slapstick is the name of the game, considering BJ himself isn’t given many witty lines in the first act.  The sight gags are what work best, so you’d assume that the iconic Day-O scene would be the hit.  Instead of ascending to a new level of ridiculousness, it stays at relatively the same length.  A puppet roasted pig is added to the song which is funny by itself, but they didn’t stop there.  The pig’s male organ begins to invade Delia’s personal space.  Leslie Kritzer (a delightful scene stealer) appeared to be having troubles realistically interacting with it, awkwardly thrusting herself into the pig’s appendage for the remainder of the song.  Even though it garnered some laughs, initially it was a distraction from more clever effects such as the shrimp hand.  This is a perfect example for most jokes in the show; something clever is undermined by something vulgar.  They say a funny person can make a good joke, but a comedian can take it to the next level.

Act Two is significantly better than the first, giving the ghost with the most just the right edge.  “That Beautiful Sound” is my personal favorite, showing off the comedic prowess of Beetlejuice and Lydia as a pair, only seen before during “Say My Name.” Casting actual teenagers as the girl-scout and Lydia was a great move, considering the big concern among fans after the misfires in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

“Children We Didn’t Have” is a wonderfully somber piece, (beautifully sung I might add) but would have made a larger impact if the audience had learned to see the Maitlands in a more positive view throughout the first act. If any song is to be removed, I hope that this one survives instead.  

Otho’s lines aren’t too brilliant, but luckily for them, they’ve got Kelvin Moon Loh to deliver.  Brief as the character is in this version, Kelvin’s comedic talents make the scenes memorable.  His days on SpongeBob SquarePants especially prove that he deserves a bigger spotlight.  

“Everything is Meh” by Boy Inferno is quite brilliant considering… well… boy bands are dead.  The netherworld has a well-designed look and the characters are quite faithful to the film, including Mrs. Juno Shoggoth exhaling smoke through her neck, Miss Argentina, a shrunken headed hunter, (the effect works surprisingly well) and that one guy who appears to have been run over.  “Running Away” has a nice tune to it and its enjoyable right up until the “woah-oh’s” start off.  This trope feels almost anachronistic and quickly evokes the desire to attempt Miss Argentina’s “little accident” on yourself.  It does end up being a good moment though, with character development for Lydia and Charles.  

The ending is hilarious and pretty unexpected. Beetlejuice’s exit is somewhat delayed though; every time you think he’s done, he turns around and delivers another cheesy one-liner.  BJ being carried off into the netherworld was quite enough. Even though it doesn’t really make sense, (does Lydia somehow have a karaoke record?) it is indeed surprisingly pleasing to hear the cast sing “Jump in the Line”… and the levitation effect is flawless.    

In fact, probably the best aspect of the show is special effects and scenic design.  David Korins has done an absolutely astounding job of fulfilling Tim Burton’s vision, all while presenting his own take.  Michael Curry’s puppet design is not to be missed, with smooth movement and grand scale. Enough cannot be said about the visual aptitude of Beetlejuice.

The music by Eddie Perfect is ironically not… perfect.   Sorry.                                Rock and Roll style ballads may be a good choice for the musical, but a few things it still lacks.  Remnants of Danny Elfman’s original score are always welcome and can be heard during some cues.  After all, the music is half of what makes Beetlejuice feel like Beetlejuice. Thankfully, the keys and trumpets are pretty prominent in Perfect’s score, which helps greatly to set the tone. It’s important to mention that one thing is missing… strings.  Violins are either utilized very little or are nonexistent.  Sound design should be looked in to, most of the time the music overpowers the voices or the voices hide the music.  Even though I have no hearing problems whatsoever, the lyrics were frequently hard to understand.  (I do realize that this could entirely be the National Theatre sound system’s fault) When you come down to it, the music needs beefing up. Giving it a fuller, more orchestral sound to complement the rock instruments is the exact way to accomplish this.  (See Hans Zimmer, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Kansas, or Foreigner with the David Eggar Orchestra)

Overall, Beetlejuice is a spectacular show with immense potential.  That fact is, frankly, quite enough to satisfy considering it could have been a huge misstep, similar to the fate of Moulin Rouge.  With the fabulous cast and crew carrying it through, Beetlejuice could be an absolute Broadway hit in the making.

We’ll see at the Winter Garden Theatre on April 25th, 2019.  

#Beetlejuice #Lydia #betelgeuse #TimBurton #Broadway #Theater #Theatre #Musicals #Netherworld #Spoopy #BeetlejuiceMusical #StrangeAndUnusual #AlexBrightman #RobMcClure #kerry butler #KelvinMoonLoh #TheBox

[seosamhmooney]

My Top 10 Favorite Musical Movies

I love top 10 lists for no legitimate reason, and I really don’t understand why they’re a thing other than the fact that they’re somewhat pleasing in some inexplicable way. So here’s one of my “Top 10s” lists. Enjoy

10. Into the Woods

Honestly, this one just makes this list because I enjoy shitting on it. Although it was decently cast, I’m still not sure what Johnny Depp was doing as the wolf (or even why the wolf was present? Does he actually serve a purpose to the ultimate story? Didn’t think so). Anna Kendrick is always charming, and frankly, her “On the Steps of the Palace” song was just fabulous. And sure, intertwining fairytales sounds like a cool or innovative idea, but seriously, it’s been done so many times (re: abc’s Once Upon a Time, Cornelia Funke’s Reckless books, etcetera)--and perhaps Sondheim did do it before it became a “thing”--but the movie comes across as tacky, boring, and generally pointless. Next.

9. Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Also known as, What Happens When Tim Burton Directs a Musical. It’s almost so gaudy it works, but not quite. Helena Bonham Carter does some good work in this one, but certainly not her best. It’s almost a shame to see someone who has done such beautiful movies as A Room with a View and The Wings of the Dove fall into this constant cycle of playing these borderline goofy characters (see Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Dark Shadows, etc.--none of which I did not enjoy, by the way; I absolutely loved all three of these mentioned films, but HBC plays such one-dimensional characters it’s f r u s t r a t i n g. Johnny Depp was actually nominated for a Golden Globe for this movie, which I don’t think was necessarily called for, but did he win? Nope. Wasn’t going to. When the kid and the mostly mute prison girl are the best parts of the cast, something isn’t working right. Plus, the movie was just so gray. I get it, London is no pretty city, but--oh, wait, yes it is. London’s beautiful, shut the fuck up.

8. La La Land

Oh, La La Land. So right, but so, so damn wrong! I adore this movie, although it took me three times to watch the full movie to get to this point of appreciation. When I first left the cinema, I was livid. I had gone with my aunt and uncle for my birthday, and we all left just frustrated. Damien Chazelle had given us such a visually stunning and cinematically innovative film, but he also gave us a shit excuse for a love story. Honestly, Mr. Chazelle, please don’t write another script. Leave that to actual writers. You stick with cinematic brilliance, hun. Thanks, x. Justin Horwitz, however, ABSOLUTELY KILLED IT. The music is astounding. Simply astounding. I had the privilege of seeing La La Land at the Hollywood Bowl with a live orchestra, and damn, it was good. It was so good. Ryan Gosling is nothing special (unfortunately!), and as much of a bitch as Emma Stone’s Mia is, she absolutely deserved that Oscar. Now about the singing: frankly, I didn’t mind it. I have friends who hated it (because they’re trained singers so they have a bit of a superiority complex about these kinds of things), but as someone who cannot particularly sing well myself, I enjoyed seeing two more realistic characters thrown into a musical world and pull it off more than adequately well. 

7. The Phantom of the Opera

I want to rank this higher. I really, really, really do. But for obvious reason, I cannot. The singing is mediocre, and the acting is even worse. I don’t know who cast Gerard Butler, but yikes. A lot of the editing is rather shoddy, and as much as I do love Minnie Driver as Carlotta, they should have chosen an actual opera singer instead of choosing a decently known Hollywood name. Also, the deformity is literal horse shit. Just horse shit. But now the good things: 1. Patrick Wilson; yes! I absolutely love his Raoul. He’s tragic and a little girly and a bit of a pussy but so in love that he steps up when he needs to. And his voice is arguably the best in comparison with his coworkers’. 2. The cinematography and set design are stunning, absolutely stunning. I get the chills every time the chandelier is raised during the “Overture”, and although the Phantom’s lair isn’t exactly a house on a lake, I thought it was very reminiscent of the stage production, which I appreciated greatly. 3. The costumes! Jesus! Although Christine’s “Think of Me” dress does not go with the time period of the opera she’s supposed to be performing and the Phantom’s last few costumes are waaaaay too hot, I thought the costume department did a fabulous job creating dazzling costumes that just worked with the whole “pretty” feel of the film. 4. They nail the story. I remember watching Phantom as a child and sobbing every time I finished it. The Phantom doesn’t deserve Christine, but he deserves to know what love is just like any other man, and in telling this, the story succeeds. 

6. Grease

I’m not one for teen movies, I’m just not. Clueless is nice, and Heathers has a special place in my heart, but I’ve never been into the whole high school drama film thing. Still, I must admit that I loved Grease. I refused to watch it for the longest time because I had a friend who literally based his entire look on Danny Zuko, and it was so obnoxious I refused to watch the film. Plus John Travolta has always sort of creeped me out. But I gave in, and I was so surprised. Olivia Newton-John is just darling as Sandra Dee, John Travolta isn’t unbearable as Danny Zuko, and Frenchy is such a charming character, but the one person I think gets so overlooked but could be such a show-stealer is Rizzo. Stockard Channing set the bar high for this character, as she does a fantastic job conveying the too-cool-for-school but has-a-heart-of-gold-kinda Rizzo. My favorite player on the Chicago Cubs is Anthony Rizzo because of this movie (Can you tell I’m not a huge sports fan?).

5. Chicago

Many people call this the best musical movie ever made, and really, it’s very, very well done. I mean, it is. A movie doesn’t get six Academy Awards just because. The dancing is actual fire, Richard Gere is one dazzling bastard, and Catherine Zeta-Jones absolutely steals the show as Velma Kelly. Sorry, Renée Zellweger. Zellweger's Roxie is charming, sure, but she comes off as so weak a character and a person that it’s difficult to even enjoy most of her scenes. The set designs are nothing spectacular, but what makes everything come together is the musical numbers (somewhat ironic, because almost every musical number physically departs from the story’s setting). “All That Jazz” is a killer opening, Queen Latifah’s “When You’re Good to Mama” is too much fun, “Cell Block Tango” practically changed the game for musical movie choreography, and where do I even begin with “Roxie”? Spoiler: it was Zellweger’s most convincing scene, but that’s almost completely due to the choreography and set design. Chicago will certainly be studied in film schools in years to come. As much as there is on the surface of the film, there is so much more than meets the eye, and for all these reasons, Chicago is a fabulous, fabulous film.

4. Les Misérables

I actually considered ranking this between Phantom and Chicago but ultimately decided to move it up. Victor Hugo’s novel is a challenge for a number of reasons, but chief among them being the massive span of time his novel covers. So a musical version obviously has to fit this all within three hours, and say what you will, I do believe Les Mis does a good job. The story is obviously cut down tremendously, but it really does not lose much (if any) of the message it has to offer. Now, the film is not perfect. For instance, I absolutely hated Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. I really did. A lot of people hated Amanda Seyfried, but I really loved her portrayal of Cosette (but maybe just the acting part, her singing is a bit shaky). Samantha Barks and Eddie Redmayne are class-acts, and HBC does a fine job as Mme. Thenardier. I almost have nothing to say about Anne Hathaway. Her performance speaks for itself. I sob every time Fantine dies. She is so, so, so, so good. And three cheers for Colm Wilkinson. He’s just a great guy and a great performer. The film’s direction is often debated, whether it is good or bad, but I really thought it was quite good and quite different from what others might have done. Tom Hooper took advantage of the screen in ways the stage cannot be taken advantage of, offering the audience a chance to look closely at the faces of the actors, to really appreciate the emotional tolls the characters endure.

3. Cabaret

Liza Minelli embodies Sally Bowles. I mean, never have I ever believed so strongly that an actor was born for a role, but Minelli was born for Sally, and as the soul of the show, she breathes life into the film and somehow manages to carry the story on her shoulders. Joel Grey is a fantastic Emcee, and the supporting characters are great as well. Although I don’t care for several of the subplots, I thought the primary storytelling was borderline flawless (except for the ghastly ending; Lord help me, I have so many qualms with the ending; the level of vague is off the charts and unnecessarily so). But the singing is splendid and the dancing is spectacular. The way the Kit Kat Club fits into the story almost as a character itself is subtle and brilliant, and just about every single set is exactly how I imagine it should be. Again, Liza Minelli was born for this, and she rightly won the Oscar for Best Actress. Go you, Liza. Lots of love, x. 

2. Moulin Rouge!

Usually, I would consider Moulin Rouge! my favorite movie of all time, but I’ll explain in the next entry why this is not the case for this list. Like I said, this is my favorite film of all time, and for a plethora of reasons. 1. It is unique and innovative; Moulin Rouge! made the 21st-century musical possible, and everything from Chicago to La La Land owes much to Baz Luhrmann. 2. Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman’s chemistry is everything. They work well together, they sound good together, and they carry Luhrmann’s admittingly wild storytelling techniques with grace and fun. 3. The sets and general production design. This entire movie was filmed in a single room (granted, a very, very large room), but Luhrmann creates a world so vivid and so alive that it hardly feels claustrophobic. 4. The music is different but familiar and well-orchestrated. Luhrmann did something most people wouldn’t even think twice about doing because it’s “tacky” or “unoriginal”, but he instead takes familiar and beloved songs, sets them all to a beautiful story about love and loss, and creates a new musical so vibrant, it changed the face of the musical genre. 

1. The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music. Arguably the greatest musical of all time, The Sound of Music is a timeless story of faith, love, war, family, and hope. The only musical on this list based on the actual events of Maria Kutschera and her life as the governess and step-mother of the von Trapp children, The Sound of Music embodies everything a musical (and a good story!) should be. Life is no fairytale--it is full of hard times and beautiful times and times when it seems the whole world will collapse upon itself. Life is no fairytale, and as beautiful as this film is, it relates to its audience real life morals and real life messages that should be taken to heart by anyone in search of a happy life. Julie Andrews is the only person to embody a character more than Liza Minelli embodies Sally Bowles, and her Maria is a sweet, powerful, kind woman, who, though unsure of the direction her life will go, stands for what she believes in and positively changes the lives of so many along the way. Christopher Plummer is the perfect Captain von Trapp, and the children are perfectly cast as well. Actually, fuck it, the whole cast is perfect. Governess Elsa Schräder, Max Detweiler, and the Mother Abbess are flawless secondary characters, who come and go throughout the film flawlessly. I would also like to note how it stayed in cinemas for FOUR YEARS after its release. Now that’s a bloody good film. The sets and cinematography are fabulous, the script is so well done it’s unreal, and the songs--the songs!!!--are as good as they are iconic (and damn, are they iconic).

So here is my first (second, actually) post on Tumblr. Cheers. x

#musicals #film #musical movie #top ten list #the sound of music #moulin rouge #cabaret #les miserables #chicago #grease #the phantom of the opera #la la land #sweeney todd #into the woods

[greyliliy]

Well, I’ve come back from the new Beauty and the Beast and I am a solid...neutral. There was a lot of stuff I liked, and a lot I didn’t, so it all evened out into a “I liked it well enough & glad I saw it, but I’m just going to put in the DVD of the animated version now.”

If you’re curious, I’ve got stuff I did and didn’t like under the cut, so have at it! (And I guess spoilers? I mean, they didn’t change *that* much. Heh.)

I’m going to go back and forth between things I did like and didn’t like, just so it doesn’t feel like I’m ranting about the movie too much. XD

The Beast - Loved him. I really loved his “I’m gorgeous” shiny make up and big parties at the beginning of the film, and I liked how he was played after he became a beast. Very charming in his own way, even if they downplayed his temper a bit (he seemed scarier at times in the Animated feature). And I really liked how Belle got the library in this version -- the Beast going “Yes! There is plenty of other things to read, here ya’ go!” was a lot better than “Oh? You like books. I can give you books” though they’re both charming in their own way.

Belle - I did not hate Emma Watson’s performance. She wasn’t bad. But I also think she probably wasn’t the best choice for this role. She had this air of self-confidence that made her seem “I’m better than everyone here” that I think conflicts a little bit with Belle’s total-kindness thing. She had a lovely singing voice though.

The Enchanted Castle & Servants - Loved all of them. I was scared of Uncanny Valley, but it ended up looking much better than I originally thought it would. So, good job. The casting of everyone was also wonderful, and I’m upset I didn’t notice Lumiere was Ewan McGregor. I’ve been waiting forever for him to sing since Moulin Rouge and I DIDN’T NOTICE IT WAS HIM. *cries* But no, they were all great.

Gaston & LeFou - I don’t even know where to start with these two. The fact LeFou had to pay everyone in the Pub to cheer up Gaston was the big “I hate this” that tipped me over the edge. One of the things that was always great about Gaston, was that he was genuinely loved by the town. He was actually that skilled and that good at everything. There was a reason he had an inflated ego - he could back it up. The part of Gaston that was a monster, is that he couldn’t take “No” for an answer, and his obsession with Belle grew and grew until he went from “Stuck up town favorite” to “Obsessed monster willing to murder.”  And LeFou being a “good guy.” I don’t know. I don’t mind that they made him less of a straight up slapstick punching bag, but part of his charm in the original was the zealous hero-worship that represented the rest of the town. Well, that and I’m always upset when Villains get...written out of being Villains. Which is what happened here. Anyway, I had feelings about this part because Gaston is one of my favorite movie villains ever and this just did not deliver.

(Also: Why the heck was it LeFou who caught Mrs. Potts in the final battle!? There was a huge missed moment there when her HUSBAND WHO SHE RECOGNIZED could have caught her.)

The Music - Loved all the added songs & Everyone had a wonderful singing voice (even Emma - my iffyness with her casting aside, she had a wonderful voice). I especially loved the Beast’s solo there near the end. Good stuff.

The Dress - Yeah, I didn’t like that Gold Dress in the ballroom scene. It...next to all of the wonderful period costumes it looked even worse than when I just saw flat promo photos. It was so flat and well, boring? The dresses in the opening sequence with the Prince’s ball were all so much better and I just. *sigh* It could have been better. If you’re not going to recreate the dress from the Animated Feature, it could have at least matched the costumes in the rest of the film.

The Costumes - I loved everyone else’s costumes. They all looked fantastic. (And I need a million fanart of the Prince from his scene in the opening with the make up and the coat and the outfit and just man was he pretty.)

The End Fight - I have mixed feelings. Most of it was great, on the enchanted objects end. However, Gaston was...lacking. His Villainous breakdown in the original was almost perfect. And it just wasn’t there in this one. He didn’t sneak off without anyone noticing. He wasn’t full of passion and jealous anger. He just...shot the beast a few times and had a scuffle. It could have been better. Also, “I am not a beast” felt unneeded. The simple “Get out” he uttered before was better. But yeah.

The Enchantress - Breaking the pattern. This is another thing I didn’t quite like. I mean. I did and I didn’t. I like that they got around the “Wasn’t the prince like 12 when she enchanted him?” thing by making him an adult, but on the other hand, her upping the curse to “Hey, if you don’t get the girl by this point everyone in your castle dies” is a lot more harsh than “You just stay enchanted.” That and to make her more important to the plot, Belle’s “I love you” came after the last petal fell which made me want to throw something. She beat the petal. That was important. *SIGH*

Maurice - I really liked Belle’s dad in this movie. He just...really worked. Good stuff.

Overall - I think the movie looked amazing & I really liked the cast (mostly) and the music. But some of the changes they made are why the original Animated Feature is always going to be my favorite big-changes-from-the-original-story Adaptation.

#And now I'm going to watch the animated picture #while I draw my comic #because it is a wonderful movie #that didn't really need a remake #but here we are. #It was okay. #Beauty and the Beast #Mini Review

[purplesurveys]

249

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? No. Doesn’t seem all that appealing to me anyway. What did you have for breakfast this morning? I didn’t eat breakfast which is a stupid idea considering I drank quite a bit last night...I did have a small piece of chocolate Pop-Tarts from at Gabie’s place this morning to mask my breath when I came home. Do you have any loose change in your pocket? I don’t have pockets on me right now. Do you like Taylor Swift? Her past singles were catchy, but that’s all I’ll give her. Everything I’ve heard about her attitude has just yelled petty to me. What’s your favorite Disney Channel movie? Strictly Disney Channel? High School Musical or Tw*tches.

If you met your favorite celebrity, would you be calm or starstruck? LOL I would probably cry if faced with Kristen Stewart. I’ll be starstruck in a calm way (so to answer your question, I’ll be both) and just maybe pull her in for a huge hug because I love her so much. Are there any lights on in the room you’re in? Yeah we have lights in the dining room but it’s daytime so the natural lighting from the sun is enough for now. What’s your favorite subject in school? I was always the teacher’s pet in history. I’m in college now though and have different classes per semester; my favorite class in the last sem would have to be art studies.  What’s your favorite holiday? Halloween, even though I hate referring to it as a holiday because it’s not. I just pick that because I hate every other holiday. Do you ever have to do yard work? No. Sounds like something I’ll always put off haha. Do you think Bad Romance is a catchy song or an annoying one? Catchy. Whether played in 2009 or 2018, best believe I’ll sing along and even slightly dance to it. Do you use perfect grammar online? If perfect = formal then no. Are you currently using a laptop? Yep. Do you have any live versions of songs in your music software? Music software? Damn. Anyway, no I don’t really like live editions of songs, no matter how much I love the artist or no matter how good it is. Did you or do you listen to Britney Spears songs? I never did voluntarily, even as a kid in the 2000′s. I remember her songs were everywhere though - in kid’s parties, at the mall, on TV, everywhere. Is it a windy day? It has been today, actually! The nicest surprise I’ve had all day so far. In the past week, have you ridden in a taxi? No, I never ride taxis because the drivers here are creepy and even be kidnappers. I’d much rather book an Uber or Grab, which is an alternative to Uber but in Southeast Asia. Do you ever wish on stars at night? Not really. I would if I chance upon a shooting star, but those never happen in my area. What color are your eyes? Dark brown. What album is the current song you’re listening to off of? I’m not listening to music at the moment. What’re you doing after you finish this? Move upstairs and either take a nap or another survey. What song’s the most overplayed right now? There is another song by The fucking Vamps called Personal and as usual they are bugging the living shit out of me. It literally plays in three different radio stations within five minutes and it drives me nuts when I’m driving. They are the actual worst. Please break up. Are you in a band? No. How clean is your bedroom? Super tidy. Is there a pen within reaching distance of you? No, there isn’t. Are you sitting at a desk? No. I’m at the dining table but moving to my bed after. Does your favorite band have a male or female lead singer? [continued after taking a nap three hours ago] Female singer from an awesome band that rhymes with ‘paramour’! Do you normally shut your bedroom door before you go to sleep? Yes, absolutely yes. Rest assured I will not fall asleep if it’s ajar even the slightest bit; it has to be shut all the way through. I can’t sleep with any light around, so. Have you seen the movie Moulin Rouge? No. I know Gab has a physical DVD but I’ve never seen the movie. Would you ever dye your hair a different color? Of course. It’s just a matter of when I’ll do it, because right now I’m still pretty indecisive about which color I’ll be getting, bitching about how expensive and high-maintenance it’s going to be, and worrying about everything having to do with bleach. Are there any framed pictures in the room you’re in? Yeah. My kindergarten grad photo is framed, and my high school clique’s photo is also in a frame on my bedside drawer. Have you ever been to a Broadway show? Nope. Not really my thing, but it’s the sort of thing I’d surprise my girlfriend with since she’s all about Broadway. What’s your favorite movie soundtrack? I don’t have one. I’ll just stick with my default answer Carol. Do you prefer group or individual work? Really depends on what kind of work we’re talking. Anything with creatives or logistics, I would much rather be in a group since I cannot for the life of me be creative, or even be forced to be creative. I can be helpful in other ways when it comes to that; but every other work outside of that–say a research paper, or a chapter report, or an investigatory project, I’m okay with doing on my own. Do you have a key to anything besides your house? Just my car. Are you wearing anything with stripes? Oooh I am. My top is black and white striped. It was actually the top I wore to the high school batch reunion last night, but it’s a little comfy so I haven’t changed out of it yet. What time did you go to sleep last night? Er around 1 or 2 AM, not really sure. I just instantly passed out on Gab’s bed and don’t remember anything since I was waaaay too tired. Did anyone tell you that you were beautiful today? Yep. What show did you last watch? RuPaul’s Drag Race, which I watched with Katreen and Gabie when we were at the former’s house last Thursday. I initially groaned when Katreen suggested it cos I thought the show was going to be too loud and fast-paced for my taste, but thEN OH MY GOD EVERYTHING IS PINK AND BRIGHT AND FABULOUS. We ended up watching a second episode. Do you think you’ll do anymore surveys today? I hope so. I’m kinda disappointed with myself for taking very few surveys during my break, when I said I was excited to finally spam my own blog with them after the last sem practically ate me up and never gave me time. I go back to school Tuesday and I probably took like 10-15 surveys total in four weeks, yuck @ self. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Cookies and cream. I also really liked queso real in my early teens. When was the last time you stayed home from school sick? 6th grade. Eight years ago. Insane. Could you ever complete a 500-piece puzzle? I could try! My girlfriend actually has a 1000- or 1500-piece puzzle of a painting that we tried to finish with her little sister during a sleepover, but I was boring and fell asleep by 2 AM. It’d be nice to try it again. If you could run a red light and not get caught, would you? No. Thing is, so many Filipino drivers do that already; hence why we are one of the most terrible on the road. I’ve seen enough videos to not want to even try it. Do any bands flat-out annoy you? I would say yes but it’s an insult to the word ‘band’ if I referred to The Vamps as one, because they’re my sole annoyance. Do you have a mirror in your bedroom? I had before my mom got it removed ugh. Was today a birthday for any of your friends? It’s Reggy’s birthday, who’s a girl I went to grade school and high school with. I wouldn’t consider her a friend. When was the last time you rode in a limo? I’ve never done it. Do you take naps daily? Hahaha yeah almost everyday. That’s gonna stop when I go back to school. Do you still make Christmas lists? No. I think I made it for one or two years before I finally called bullshit on Santa. Do you watch the show Dexter? Yes, mainly because they said it was like Breaking Bad and because CM Punk watched it. Didn’t like the first episode, haven’t tried rewatching it since. Have you ever been to any sort of convention? No. Which song did you last listen to on repeat? Probably Tessellate by Alt-J. < Good choice. I’m now super garbage compared to that, because mine is Bruno Mars’s Finesse collab with Cardi B hahaha. Where do you want to live when you grow up? Just in the city where all the hurly-burly is. It gets boring living in a suburban ish environment. Are you currently using a blanket? Nope. Are there any songs that make you cry? Yeah sometimes, there are instances I’ll sing along to a certain song and feel them more than usual. I’ve cried to When It Rains by Paramore on my bad days. How many siblings do you have? Two, both younger. What’re you doing this weekend? Binge-watching Black Mirror and enjoying the final days of my Christmas break. Do you prefer swimming at the beach or in a pool? Beach. The chlorine in the pool turns me away from it, plus with so many kids swimming in pools you never know if you’re already swimming in wee. When was the last time you had a haircut? Some time in November. Which musical instrument do you think sounds the prettiest? PIANO. Without a shadow of a doubt. Do you know what you want for Christmas? I didn’t want anything for Christmas for the first time in my life. That’s a little sad, innit? I got the 2018 Starbucks planner, which I was more than happy about. Gabie got me all sorts of jewelry, a blanket, and a sparkly pink tumbler and I loved each gift; and my sister got me a doggy pencil case and made personalized stickers for me. I loved all of them. Do you watch fireworks on New Year’s Eve? Yes, that’s a family tradition. Not going out to watch them just feels foreign and empty to me, since we’ve done it all my life. Is your birthday within the next three months? Yup. *silent panicking* How long is the song you’re listening to? Three and a half minutes. Are you anticipating anything this week? Yeah I am pretty excited to attend my new set of classes. It’s my first sem to have four majors too, so that’s another thing I’m waiting to experience. Will I be okay? Will it kill me? Will I have nervous breakdowns? Who knows. Is your mom or dad the older parent? They were born in the same year, but my dad is older by eight months. Do you watch anything on E!? Just Keeping Up. Are you going to get off the computer now that you’ve finished this? No, I might take another one.

#survey #surveys