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little-spicy · 2 years

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| Experimental |

Otto Octavius x Reader

WARNING: NSFW; Sex Pollen; SMUT 🔥🔥

Summary: When Otto experiments with a brand new substance, it doesn't go well. Y/N sees the big bad doctor in a whole new light.

A/N this gif 🥵🥵

IT WAS A NORMAL DAY IN THE STARK INDUSTRIES LAB, Y/N was looking at documents Fury wants her to look at as she sat down at her desk in the lab.

"Hey Doctor Octavius, here's the file the Fury had with the stuff you've been dealing with." Y/N said and turned to the man as him and his tentacles were studying the substance.

"Thank you Miss L/N." Otto said to her and Y/N gave him a smile and he gave a nod. "Norman and Curtis took the day off, so I'll be working late tonight."

"Of course, I probably will as well with all these files Fury wants me to look at." Y/N said with a sigh. "I'm gonna need coffee."

Y/N got up from her chair and went over to the coffee machine, glancing every so often at the physicist.

Ever since Peter had accidentally brought men from other dimensions they had all begun trying to get their lives a little bit normal.

Norman, Otto, Max, and Curtis all worked at Stark Labs with Y/N as they were all interested in the advance technology and investing in their own research.

Flint actually had begun a flower shop with Clint, after hitting it off with Clint and his family and becoming an uncle of sorts.

Of course Strange was trying to figure out how to get them all home but in the meantime, all of them had a good life after being fixed and helped by Peter and Peter and Peter.

Y/N was introduced to all of them when Peter had given them a tour of the lab. Y/N was one of the top alchemists in Stark Labs, being friends along side Bruce Banner.

Peter had been able to get Pepper to allow the men to work in the labs as long as Y/N was there. Y/N agreed as she could see the men's talents and they were all happy that she agreed.

Though Y/N got along with all of them, Otto was the one that normally kept to himself.

He would indulge in the occasional conversation or two, but when he was focused on work, he would only be focused on that.

Y/N understood though she felt sometimes that it was personal, every time she would invite him to lunch or grab coffee he would always decline. Even if the others would come, Otto always declines.

Norman, Curtis, and Max all assured Y/N that he didn't hate her, it was just Otto being a grump. Y/N tried to believe it but she still felt a doubt in the back of her mind.

"So Doctor Octavius, do you know exactly what this substance is?" Y/N asked.

"I have no idea, but by the looks of it, it's not toxic." Otto explained, looking at bright blue powder.

On the last mission with Peter and Sam, they had gone into a hydra base and when they had gone into one of the rooms, there were rows and rows of a bright blue powder substance.

Peter and Sam got a couple of samples before they had to escape from Hydra agents. Bucky had seen it before but never knew what it did and this Fury put Peter's friends to the case and Otto was stuck doing the beginning of the work.

"I wonder why Hydra had so many?" Y/N asked and as she came in closer to look.

As Y/N came closer, Otto didn't notice her standing so close and when he turned, he accidentally drop the vial and it spilled everywhere.

"Dammit!" Otto yelled and Otto and Y/N stepped back as the powder blew up. Y/N moved to the other side of the room but it was too late, they both inhaled the sweet and sickly scent. "You should of watched where your going!"

"I'm sorry, there wasn't a distance printed on your back!" Y/N yelled back, holding her shirt up, covering her nose. "Dammit now we have to quarantine."

"What?" Otto asked, looking at her in anger.

"We don't know what this stuff is! We can't just walk out and assume it isn't a plague." Y/N said and looked up. "F.R.I.D.A.Y set up quarantine and let Fury know that we are in lockdown in Lab A."

"Of course, Miss L/N." F.R.I.D.A.Y said and suddenly all the doors looked and the windows were then laced in an electric shield. As Otto watched as they were put in lockdown Otto looked back at Y/N and glared.

"Listen we will be fine, there's always a protocol for this, why do you think there's a bedroom and bathroom in this lab?" Y/N asked.

"Incase you overwork or you decided to spend the night?" Otto asked.

"Okay that or incase you are exposed to a dangerous chemical." Y/N explained. "You'd be surprised how many times Bruce has dropped something on himself."

"So what? We just sit here?" Otto asked and Y/N shrugged.

"We can figure out what this is, the sooner the better." Y/N said and as she tried to approach Otto stopped her.

"You've done enough, thank you." Otto snapped and Y/N looked at him a bit hurt and went over to her desk as she saw Fury pop up in a video call.

Y/N sighed, already having enough anger toward her for the day. She sadly answered the call and an annoyed Fury showed up.

"What happened?" Fury asked as Y/N looked at him with a deadpan.

"The chemical Doctor Octavius was inspecting broke, I told F.R.I.D.A.Y to quarantine cause we don't know what we are dealing with." Y/N said. "We'll be fine, once we figure out what this is."

"No need cause we sent it to a couple of other people and Carol found out what it was." Fury said and Otto turned his head toward Y/N's computer. "Carol said it's an aphrodisiac, she remembered encountering it a long ago and had tried stopping a couple of smugglers getting it on Earth."

"Well somebody smuggled it in." Y/N said and Fury nodded.

"Yes but it's not as dangerous, Carol said it was used in different cultures and couples that wanted to be- to be-" Fury was trying to explain but Y/N could tell he was holding back.

"To be what Fury?" Y/N asked and Fury sighed.

"That wanted to be sexually active, it causes them to go into a sexual drive that you can't stop unless you do it." He said and Y/N's eyes widened and looked over at Otto and they both realized what was going to happen.

"You mean that Otto and I-" Y/N was cut off by Fury.

"Are gonna be in bed like dogs? Yes." He said. "Now we don't know how long it's gonna take for it to kick in, but just stay in there and- and you know what just do whatever- goodbye."

Fury ended the call and Y/N and Otto both looked at each other.

"Great! This is definitely how I wanted my evening to go." Otto seethed, his face full of anger and let out an angry huff. "Stuck in here with you."

Y/N felt her heart crack, the sound of venom in his voice and she looked down, and away from him. Her fists clenched and she tried not to breakdown.

"Am I really that bad?" Y/N asked and Otto looked at her, his anger fell immediately. "Am I really that awful?"

He looked at her as she had glossy eyes, she fought off the tears, not wanting him to see her cry.

"Y/N-"

"Don't Doctor Octavius." She said, using his professional name and opened the door to the bedroom in the lab. She shut the door harshly and a tear fell from her cheek.

She locked the door, not wanting Otto to come into the bedroom. She wanted him to suffer, of course she felt bad but it wasn't like she planned on getting them both exposed to a sex pollen.

She decided if she was going to be in the lab, she might as well get out of her professional clothes and grab the spares.

When she opened the drawer she found a couple of Stark T-shirts and they were big thankfully, and there were a few pairs of sweatpants.

But as she began to take off her clothes, she begins to feel hotter as she takes her clothes off. Letting the cool air hit her body and her nipples hardening from the cool.

"Fury wasn't kidding when he said the effects would kick in." She said and decided to strip, leaving her in only her underwear.

She didn't feel too bad as she laid on the bed, letting herself feel the cold air. But as she continued to stay in bed she could feel herself grow more and more sexually aroused.

She didn't know why but she just couldn't help it as she began to touch herself.

She immediately took her panties off and began to play with herself, the slickness coaxed her fingers. Hearing herself moan as she dove her fingers into her pussy.

She began to pump in and out of herself, the sound of gushing and moans filled the room as she felt pleasure in maturbating.

"Fuck." She moaned as she continued until she felt the familiar feeling in her stomach, her walls clamped on her fingers and her juices coaxed her fingers.

But as her orgasm began to fade, the heat came right back and even stronger.

"Oh god." She cried out and she heard the door handle jiggle.

"Dammit, Y/N please let me in." Otto urged, and she could hear he was struggling as well.

No matter how much she wanted to be fucked, she was too prideful.

"No, fuck yourself, literally fuck yourself." She said angrily, and began to masturbate again. She dove her fingers right in again, and Otto could hear it through the door.

"Don't make me fucking break down the door, we both can tell masturbation doesn't work." Otto seethed. "Its either you let me in, or I'm gonna break down the door and make you beg."

When Y/N heard that, she couldn't help but feel turned on and she didn't know if it was because of the pollen or if it was her own thoughts.

Y/N moaned loudly as she felt her orgasm coming, and as Otto heard her loud moans, he did as he said he would and ripped the door open.

His tentacles tore the door hinges off and as Y/N came, Otto held a hungry look in eyes when he laid eyes on Y/N.

She was spread over the bed, fully naked and he could see the cum on her fingers and thighs. She was wet and ready, and his cock was rock hard and throbbing with need as he stared at her.

She couldn't help but feel more arousal when she saw Otto in all his glory. He was naked and his cock was hard, dripping with precum, just waiting to be put in her.

Her mouth watered when seeing his cock, it was average length but he had such girth. She was surprised that it was that big and he smirked as he watched her look at him.

"Now, now, no need to be shy." He said and walked over to her and got into the bed. He looked over on top of her and she quivered in arousal and a bit of fear. "Your fucking mine now, dear."

He went down and began to devour her breast, sucking and nipping. Making Y/N hiss in pleasure, making her wetter if possible.

"You don't know how long I've wanted this." He said as he began to kiss down her chest. "How I've always dreamed to taste this pussy."

Her eyes widened at his confession, but said nothing as her mind was racing as she watched this man.

He kissed down her stomach, and onto her thighs, smiling as his face went down to her pussy. He inhaled her sweet scent and immediately came close to her pussy and began to lick, he did so gently, so teasingly that it made her whine.

His tentacles suddenly came forward and grabbed her wrists and ankles and made her spread out. Completely helpless as this man began to eat her out.

He flicked her clit with his tongue and she moaned out, and he smirked as he saw the affect he had on her.

"You seem all nice and wet for me, you told me to fuck myself but seems I just needed a fuck toy to help me." He said, and got on his knees and began to tease her with his cock. "I just need to fuck my cum into you, so you can remember who fucked you good."

He covered his cock with her slick and she cried out as she felt so empty.

"Please, please- I need this." Y/N pleaded, fight the tentacles restraints and bucking her hips.

"I need to hear you beg, my dear." Otto said. "You need to learn that my cock is better than your fingers."

"Please Otto, god, I want you- I need you to fuck me." Y/N begged. "I'll be good, I'll your good- ahhh!"

As Y/an begged suddenly Otto went fully in and thrusted into her pussy. They both moaned loudly at the feeling of being full and tight.

"So good." Y/N slurred. "Better than my dreams."

Otto raised an eyebrow as he heard her confession as well and he bent down and kissed her.

Her eyes widened and she melted into the kiss, his tentacles let go of her wrists, and her hands immediately went around his neck.

She kissed him back with lust and passion, moaning as she bucked her hips up. Otto pulled away and groaned, letting out a deep chuckle.

"You are driving me mad." He said and kissed her again, pulling his hips back and slamming into her.

She screamed out in pleasure as she felt him do it again, and again, and again.

"Oh god yes." She said as he began to thrust into her nonstop, one of her hands went down to her clit and began to rub circles.

She gripped his cock tight, feeling herself coming closer to her high.

"Fuck I'm gonna cum Otto." She whined and he laced his hand around her throat and gentle squeezed.

"Your gonna wait for me, your gonna cum with me because your a good girl, and a good girl would grip my cock and let me fill her up." He said and Y/N nodded, he other hand gripping his arm that was around her throat.

"Please, I want to cum, cum with me Doctor." She said and Otto felt more turned on when she called him that, he began to speed up.

The sound of skin slapping and the bed creaking roared in the room, but neither of them cared. They only focused on each other, and Otto could feel her click on his thighs as he pounded into her.

"I'm gonna cum, dear." He grunted. "Cum with me."

Y/N didn't need to be asked twice and with a jolt, screamed and felt the wave of pleasure wash over her. She shook and used both hands to grab Otto's face and smash her lips onto him.

He kissed her back and felt his ropes of cum coat her walls, he felt his dick cum and thrusted a few times to get it deep inside her.

They pulled apart and both of them were panting, the feeling of the sex pollen was cooling down.

Otto's tentacles let go off her ankles and he immediately pulled out and laid beside her. He draped an arm over her.

"So better than your dreams, huh?" Otto asked with a smirk, Y/N blushed and slapped his arm.

"Same could go for you." Y/N said and now it was Otto's turn to blush and she laughed. "Is that why you were-"

"Ever since Rosie- I- I thought I wasn't good enough, I didn't think you wanted a guy like me- so I kept my distance and waited for these feelings to- to-" Otto was cut off by Y/N kissing him softly.

"It's alright, this probably isn't how we both wanted to start out, coffee would of been nice." She said with a laugh and Otto pulled her close to his chest.

"I think this is way better than coffee." Otto said and she snuggled into him.

As they cuddled, the could feel the pollen's warmth coming back again. They both groaned as their embrace made it better.

"Maybe your right." Y/N said and got up on Otto quickly and stared down at him. "Maybe this is better than coffee."

Otto chuckled darkly and grabbed her hips and sunk his cock into her.

"Darling, you have no idea." He said and she moaned out.

Both of them cried out and were happy that they had the whole night of nothing but pure and ravishing sex.

Y/N was mostly happy that she knocked over that vial, because without it, she surely would of missed out.

Hope you liked this! If you want to give me prompts or suggestions for another preference or one shot let me know! I do Marvel, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter! ✨✨

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strawwritesfic · 2 years

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Clint Barton x Pregnant!Female!Inhuman!Reader: Where Gods Do Fear to Tread [Ch. 4]

Summary: Even Prince Charming can’t ensure a happily ever after.

Challenge: “9 Months” challenge by crackleviolet on Lunaescence Archive -- Single Motherhood

Rating/Warnings/Tags: T (sexual reference; pregnancy; not canon compliant; canon character death; canon character death does not reflect canon; physical violence against androids; some foul language; canonical Barney; no Laura Barton; Inhuman!Reader; Avenger!Reader; Avengers Compound; Wanda & Reader friendship)

Pairings: Clint Barton/Female!Reader; Wanda/Vision

Tag List: @imaginesfire

Master List

Chapter 4: Picking Names

Dawn broke over the grounds of Avengers HQ one morning to the unusual sight of you and Wanda sharing breakfast. She was already dressed for the day; you wore workout gear. Your pregnancy meant even longer in human form than originally planned, and your resulting tantrums had forced Steve to assign you to join Bruce for yoga and meditation each day. Of course, the good doctor had to have his sessions at four in the damn morning. The one upside to getting up so early was that Wanda was always awake by the time you were finished. If Vision wasn’t around, she was usually willing to eat with you.

“What about…Aspen?” you said as you tucked into a bowl of oatmeal.

“How about Lukas?” Wanda countered.

“Knowing you, you’ll want me to spell it with a ‘k.’ What do you think about Jace?”

“After that horrible boy in that horrible book?” She wrinkled her nose. “I like Rune.”

“Denver.”

“Mikkel.”

“Shawn.”

“Otto.”

“What are you two talking about?”

Steve entered the kitchen after his daily many-mile run. Even though he’d been working out much longer and harder than you had, he looked as perfect as ever. Stupid Steve. But you didn’t want him to assign you more anger management lessons for insulting him, so you held your tongue and did your best to remain civil.

“Trying to pick a name for the baby,” you answered.

He turned to you with eyebrows raised. “You find out what you’re having?”

“I had my ultrasound a few days ago. It’s a boy.”

“You told Clint yet?”

“He’s…aware,” you said evasively.

“Found any good names yet?” He pressed a button on the coffeemaker and waited for his mug to fill.

“Nothing yet.”

“I can’t convince her to go with anything from where I come from,” said Wanda.

“He’s not growing up in Sokovia. I just want him to have a nice, normal, American name.”

Steve, having obtained the coffee that would do absolutely nothing to wake him, pulled out a chair at the table and took a seat next to Wanda. “If you want normal, what about Walter or Edwin?”

“I said normal, Cap, not ‘meant for a senior citizen.’”

“There are lots of people named Walter and Edwin.”

“Lots of grandpas, maybe. Try again.”

“I had an older relative named Erik,” Wanda put in.

“What’s going on?” came a new voice. Bruce appeared. He blinked owlishly at your trio.

“We’re discussing possible names for [Name]’s son.”

“You’re having a boy? Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” you said.

That was enough invitation for Bruce to join you as well. “Have you considered Albert?”

You threw your hands up in frustration. “Why are all of my friends so old and-slash-or obsessed with Germany?”

“Anthony is a good name. Not old or German, in my very humble opinion.”

“I am not naming my child after you, Tony.”

When had he got there anyway? The kitchen might have been large enough to accommodate everyone, but it didn’t prevent you from feeling seriously crowded. What, was the whole team going to show up to give their thoughts about who was currently renting out your womb?

“You could have my old name, if you’d like it,” Vision said as he drifted in as well.

“It might be nice to have another Jarvis around,” Tony agreed.

“No offense,” you said, struggling to stay calm, “but I’m not naming my child after a glorified butler.”

Wanda narrowed her eyes, but didn’t get the chance to scold you before someone else showed up:

“You all discussing names? This I’ve got to hear.”

Natasha, too? “Who are you texting over there?” you demanded.

“Sam. He won’t want to miss this.”

“You’ve got to involve your boyfriend?”

“Of course.”

Sure enough, the entire team found its way to the kitchen shortly thereafter. Thor wasn’t even on the planet last time you’d checked, and he made an appearance as well. Everyone chattered on top of everyone else. Cold sweat broke out across your forehead. If only you could have turned into a puddle and escaped between the tiles. Since you couldn’t, you had to just sit there and take it.

“What’s everyone doing?”

They all fell silent upon spying Clint standing in the door. All of them, that was, except for Natasha, who said:

“Picking names for your kid.”

“Uh…shouldn’t I be involved in this?”

She shrugged. “You weren’t here. Jealous?”

“Kinda!”

“I believe Troels would be the most appropriate choice in this instance,” Thor declared. He was met with several vehement arguments against his decision at once. You couldn’t pick one voice out from the throng. Then:

“All right, everybody leave!” Clint shouted. Again, silence fell. “You’re freaking [Name] out. Go on. Get out.”

Mildly as he spoke, the team listened to him. They filed away, chatting amicably among themselves and clapping Clint on the shoulder as they passed him. Once the room was empty, he came to sit beside you.

“Thanks,” you said weakly.

“Don’t mention it. You really picking names without me?”

“No.”

This was a bald-faced lie. Although you and Clint had gone on several dates by then and you definitely liked him, you still felt weird discussing the baby and the future with him. Like a whole lot of decisions were being made without either of your consents. Like certain choices weren’t really choices. If you did things yourself, maybe you’d stop feeling that way—but Clint wasn’t going to make it easy.

“Right.” He drummed his fingers against the tabletop. “Got anything good yet?”

“Nothing at all.”

“Hmmm. You like Benjamin?”

“Benjamin Barton? Double ‘B’s? That’s cruel.”

“Hey, my brother’s Barney Barton.”

“Is that the same brother that abandoned you at the circus?”

“The point stands.”

“No,” you laughed, “it really doesn’t. No double ‘B’s.”

“But he’s definitely getting my last name either way?”

Your face went hot. Why had you told him that? At this rate, Clint really would be in your life forever, and you’d never be able to shake the feeling he was with you out of pity. If you’d just gone with Anthony like Tony wanted, Clint never would have had to be involved. The cat was out of the bag, however, so all you could say was:

“I guess.”

He grinned, scooting closer to you. “Okay, then. No ‘B’s. Let me think…”

“Let me guess. Clinton Barton?”

“Absolutely not!” Clint looked horrified. “I’m not gonna saddle a kid with being a junior. What’s there to live up to here anyway? Skylar? No, too on the nose. Hm. Thomas?”

“Thomas?” you echoed.

“Sure. Normal, right? We call him ‘Tommy.’ Nothing too formal. Just a good, solid name.”

“Tommy Barton.” The name felt right on your lips. Slowly, a smile of your own spread across your face. “I like it.”

“Good enough for now?” Clint reached down to take one of your hands in his. You settled your head on his shoulder.

“Good enough for now.”

After all, time remained before the baby was to be born. Time to get to know his father better. Time to pick the perfect name. Time for all the worries that prickled at you that morning at Avengers HQ. For the time being, though, you could put them out of your mind, and enjoy Clint’s company and care.

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justin-hammers · 2 years

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Fancasting (Just My Take and For Fun):

(Only using characters from Marvel and DC, and Expect Gender Flipping. Plus, it involves my only 3 crushes, and their previous roles in Superhero movies won't count.)

Don't like? Don't read.

Do like. Then comment on which one you like. Love feedback btw. ❤️

Thank you 🖤

For Joel Kinnaman:

Main 6 Choices (Not in Order) -

Kraven the Hunter (Remember that one time they were using him in a way for casting? I dunno how to word it tbh)

Moon Knight/Marc Spector (cuz he Jewish. I did my research guys)

Emma Frost (we need more sex appeal on him tbh)

Mystique/Raven Darkholme (I mean.....)

Green Arrow/Oliver Queen (Imma be honest with y'all, how he looked in the first half of 2016 Suicide Squad convinced me thinking he's playing him instead of Flag lol)

The Punisher/Frank Castle

Runner-Ups -

Metallo/John Corben (research character if you don’t know)

Poison Ivy/Pamela Isley (Considered how he's an environmentalists, it would be a fine choice)

Gamora (I dunno why, but it just works in my eyes)

Taskmaster/Tony Masters

Black Widow/Natasha Romanov (an AU ideal choice if the Avengers were Gender Flip)

Nova/Richard Rider

The Thing/Ben Grimm (again Jewish, but CGI tho)

Hawkeye/Ronin/Clint Barton

Venom/Eddie Brock

For Alexander Skarsgård:

Main 6 Choices (Not in Order) -

Thor (Obviously, especially since it's pretty accurate for him)

Emma Frost (His sex appeal and his alluring looks/behavior is to blame, especially since he likes to be shirtless/nude. Plus, imagine his gender flip take on this character being somewhat similar to Eric Northman and/or Randall Flagg)

Green Arrow/Oliver Queen (He was one of the popular fan favorites for this character that I could see)

Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Another character he was a fan favorite for in alternative fancast)

Adam Warlock

Sentry/Robert Reynolds (Don't know the character? Google or Bing it)

Runner-Ups -

Captain Marvel/Mar-Vell

Angel/Warren Worthington lll

Doctor Doom/Victor Von Doom

Mystique/Raven Darkholme (Blame him for the sex appeal and certain roles that gave me a vibe for him being that character)

Kraven the Hunter (His upcoming role for The Northman gave me this vibe)

Poison Ivy/Pamela Isley

Cheetah/Barbara Ann Minerva

Hawkman/Carter Hall

Metallo/John Corben (Again search up character if you don’t know)

For Sam Rockwell:

Main 6 Choices (Not in Order) -

Green Goblin/Norman Osborn

Hawkeye/Clint Barton (half of his roles convince me tbh)

Carnage/Cletus Kasady

Deadpool/Wade Wilson (his recent roles convince me)

Two-Face/Harvey Dent (Weirdly enough, it was convincing in my eyes tbh)

Harley Quinn (based on his comedy roles, and it convinced me a lot more than the Joker tbh)

Runner-Ups -

Ant-Man/Scott Lang (based mainly on MCU)

Rocket Raccoon (attitude and his typically iconic Owen Wilson voice is the biggest reasons why)

Howard the Duck (don't ask)

Joker (based on his pre-Oscar era)

The Riddler/Edward Nigma

Black Mask/Roman Sionis (based on how he was in consideration for that character)

Constantine

Lex Luthor

Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius

#sam rockwell #joel kinnaman #alexander skarsgard #marvel #mcu #dc #dc movies #fancast #future ideas #my opinion

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letterboxd · 3 years

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Watching John Malkovich.

To understand better why Letterboxd members set out on quests to watch specific actors’ entire filmographies, we invited Tim Rod to describe her dangerous and seductive journey through John Malkovich’s screen history.

For many film lovers, 2020 has been a year of catching up: on franchises, on directors’ filmographies, on historical gaps and top 100s. But for some Letterboxd members, the year indoors has been an opportunity to hyper-focus on a single actor and their work.

Jeremiah Lambert is on a Bacon Fest, Naked Airplane has embarked on a wild ride through the works of De Niro, Hackman, Hoffman, Nicholson and Pacino. Joey is preparing for next year’s centennial of The Kid by churning through Charlie Chaplin’s catalog (with David Robinson’s biography Chaplin: His Life and Art in hand). A quick Twitter survey found others churning through a performer selection as wide-ranging as Burt Lancaster, Parker Posey, Maggie Smith, Nicolas Cage, Cary Grant, Kevin Costner, Robin Williams, Adèle Haenel, Alan Arkin, Sam Rockwell and a Seth Rogen thirst project.

It can be a bumpy journey. In one performer’s oeuvre the quality will range widely, the genres too. But the rewards are many in a close study of craft, and there are revelations, whether it’s that Australia’s Miranda Otto deserves more recognition, or it’s “the total acceptance, lack of judgment, and vulnerability with which Alan Arkin has played so many of his flawed and wonderful characters”.

With Christian Bale in ‘Empire of the Sun’ (1987).

In 2020, no fewer than three movies and two television series starring John Malkovich have been released: Arkansas, Valley of the Gods and Ava, as well as The New Pope and Space Force. The legendary actor has kept himself busy, and I know this because I have seen most of his filmography—41 films and two series—in the span of a single month. I adore Malkovich, always have, and I came out of this experience with a deeper admiration for him, and with some thoughts about his unique, remarkable skills as an actor. (And, I had a really good time.)

Allow me to begin by saying that John Malkovich is the best part of every movie he is in. No matter the movie, Malkovich will always steal the spotlight, and he can turn a good movie into a masterpiece, or an average movie that wouldn’t catch anyone’s attention into one worth watching, if only to see him do his thing.

He’s starred in movies that are considered masterpieces by many: Being John Malkovich (1999), The Killing Fields (1984) and Empire of the Sun (1987). Movies that may be considered the opposite of masterpieces, like Supercon (2018), Eragon (2006) and the most recent Ava (2020), and he’s also starred in some gems that I knew nothing about but am glad to have discovered, such as The Convent (1995), Eleni (1985) and The Ogre (1996). Malkovich has brought to life iconic characters including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Tom Ripley, Hercule Poirot (in BBC’s The ABC Murders), the artist Gustav Klimt, and several of David Lynch’s people, in the short film Psychogenic Fugue (2016).

As Mitch Leary in ‘In the Line of Fire’ (1993).

Malkovich has received two Academy Award nominations, for Places in the Heart (1984), in which he played Edna’s lodger, the solitary yet kind Mr. Will, and for In the Line of Fire (1993), where he played the complete opposite: the psychotic Mitch Leary, determined to kill the President of the United States. Though Malkovich is not a classic action-film actor, his work in that genre is driven by logic, intellect and emotion, and the delicacy that he employs to challenge concepts of masculinity and keep us guessing. His soft and collected voice threatening Clint Eastwood over the phone is scarier and more effective than a deeper one would have been.

That voice. Malkovich has admitted that he hates the sound of it, that he would always avoid listening to it, just like so many actors avoid watching their own films, but I’m bewitched by his voice and I could never get enough of it. It can be tender, sweet and calming, seductive when the role requires it, and terrifying. With that versatility, it’s not surprising that he has done some narrating work as well, for films including Paul Newman’s The Glass Menagerie (1987) and Alive (1993).

Malkovich is at his best when seduction and villainy combine, as they do in Dangerous Liaisons (1988). Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont has been performed by many actors over the years, but I find Malkovich’s take to be the most memorable and exquisite. He captures perfectly the depravity and evilness of Valmont, but also the nuances, his journey from womanizer to man genuinely in love and, ultimately, his tragic redemption. He even brings a comedic aspect to the character that adds more depth and dimension.

With Glenn Close in ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ (1988).

Valmont is an awful human being, a monster even, and yet, every time I watch this movie, I find myself fascinated by his mastery of the deception, his sensuality and complete control of the situation, until the situation is “beyond his control”. In her review of the film, Catherine Stebbins calls John Malkovich “a sexual force of nature”, and I completely agree. If you want to see more of Malkovich’s sensual side, other notable mentions include The Sheltering Sky (1990), The Object of Beauty (1991) and Beyond the Clouds (1995).

And then there’s Being John Malkovich (1999), in which ‘John Horatio Malkovich’ displays so many facets of his craft. The fictionalized Malkovich is possessed by different characters, one of them a woman. Catherine Keener’s character falls in love with a subtly different version of Malkovich, when he is a vessel for Lotte (Cameron Diaz). Even though Lotte doesn’t have full control of Malkovich, he uses his femininity to bring the character-inside-the-character to center stage, delivering a subtle-yet-perfect performance. Even when we don’t see Lotte, we know she’s there.

John Malkovich as John Horatio Malkovich possessed by Lotte, in ‘Being John Malkovich’ (1999).

Not many actors could pull this off as brilliantly as John Malkovich does. To be fair, not many actors have been given the chance that Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman gave Malkovich: a film with his own name in the title.

I’ve discussed some of the most well-known of Malkovich’s performances, but I’d like to mention an overlooked one that I found heartbreaking and noteworthy. I didn’t know of the existence of The Ogre (1996) until I took a closer look at Malkovich’s filmography. It’s not without its flaws, but I found myself absorbed in the fairy-tale story of Abel, a naïve French prisoner of war who is taken to Nazi Germany and used to recruit children for Hitler’s Youth. Once again, the actor’s duality is on display, as Evan writes in his Letterboxd review: “Malkovich is both queasy and endearing as the (ig)noble simp who just wants to save the babies.” The Ogre tells a tragic story, but thanks to Malkovich’s tenderness, we can’t help but have sympathy for his character. At times it reminded me of the innocence of Lennie in Of Mice and Men (1992), another of the actor’s more noteworthy performances.

One of Malkovich’s great contributions to cinema is elevating an average movie just by being in it. One such role is as English conman Alan Conway in the bizarre true story, Colour Me Kubrick (2005). Malkovich admitted in an interview that he thought his performance was good, and I agree. If there’s one reason to watch that film, it’s to see Malkovich playing an eccentric conman who poses as Stanley Kubrick, using different voices and accents. As TajLV writes, “if there were anything to commend this film other than Malkovich, I’d happily rate it higher”.

As Alan Conway in ‘Colour Me Kubrick’ (2005).

One fun fact: I sometimes forget John Malkovich is American. Maybe it’s because he has starred in many European productions—out of the 41 films I watched, 18 were European. Malkovich is of European descent, has lived in France for a decade and speaks fluent French, which allowed him to star as the mysterious Baron de Charlus in Time Regained (1999), with entirely French dialogue. He also delivers lines in French and Portuguese in A Talking Picture (2003) by Manoel de Oliveira.

You’ve probably heard Malkovich use words, expressions and even entire lines of French dialogue on more than one occasion. He does this often, which gives him a certain European vibe, consistent with his own character, mannerisms and dress sense—elements that he sometimes brings to his characters. Maybe that’s the reason he has played so many intellectuals and artists: professors, scientists, detectives, painters, writers, a scientist and a robot, and even the Pope… It seems there’s nothing John Malkovich can’t do, including directing.

To end my marathon, I watched his directorial debut, The Dancer Upstairs (2002), an assured movie adapted from a novel about the Maoist uprising in Peru in the 1980s, starring Javier Bardem. It was a nice surprise, and a strong start to what could have been a career as a film director, if not for the fact that he doesn’t have the patience to do it again. I recently read an interview where Edgar Wright revealed advice he always gives to directors, which is to make their second movie the one that will define them. I wonder if we will ever see John Malkovich’s second film, but for now, I hope he keeps gifting us with more unforgettable performances. At least we know that in the distant future, along with all the movies he has already appeared in, people will enjoy a never-seen-before performance when Robert Rodríguez’s short 100 years is released in 2115.

If there’s one thing I have learnt after watching most of his filmography, it’s that John Malkovich is one of the best and most versatile actors of our time, with the most unique voice I have heard in cinema, and with a rich filmography that encompasses every genre. And he’s not only a brilliant actor, but also someone I find personally fascinating. I truly find comfort in him. I hope we all get to enjoy his art for years to come, because his talent is limitless and I know he still has so much more to give. John Malkovich deserves all the praise for being a force of nature in the theater and film industry for over 40 years.

Tim is a Letterboxd member based in Spain, who has recently moved on from her John Malkovich marathon to a Sacha Baron Cohen quest.

#letterboxd #letterboxd community #john malkovich #actors #actor #acting #craft #acting craft #dangerous liaisons #most watched actor

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local-gotham-kid · 4 years

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Thank you Otto Schmidt, very cool!

God I love how you draw Clint

#this is just me whoring out his art at this point.....#otto schmidt #ty otto schmidt #i love your art sm #anyone who draws hawkeye really cool just has my respect already lolol #welp time to add Hawkeye:Freefall to my clint shrine #hawkeye #hawkeye: freefall #clint barton #gambit #remy lebeau #loz link #kate bishop #bucky barnes #winter soldier

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ofsecondwinds · 5 years

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okay so now that i finally have wifi at our new house, i’m putting my hat in the ring with an official official starter call !!

please specify muses, thank you thank you ! current list is under the cut !

bruce wayne from dc comics. [ 003/003 : victor stone, tim drake, diana prince. ]

garfield logan from dc comics. [ 002/003 : chris hartley, harley quinn. ]

wally west from dc comics. [ 002/003 : tony stark, diana prince. ]

marcus lopez arguello from deadly class. [ 001/003 : harry osborn. ]

james from the end of the f***ing world. [ 003/003 : chris hartley, dani ardor, alyssa. ]

troy otto from fear the walking dead. [ 002/003 : leorio paladiknight, ethan montgomery. ]

remus lupin from harry potter. [ 003/003 : jay, hermione granger, narcissa black, ron weasley. ]

peter rumancek from hemlock grove. [ 002/003 : letha godfrey, victor stone. ]

adrian mellon from it. [ 003/003 : don hagarty, sebastian smythe, ben hanscom. ]

stan uris from it. [ 003/003 : richie tozier, harry osborn, ben hanscom. ]

oskar eriksson from let the right one in. [ 003/003 : eli, sebastian smythe, landon kirby. ]

bruce banner from marvel. [ 003/003 : leorio paladiknight, cindy moon, steve rogers. ]

clint barton from marvel. [ 003/003 : tony stark, steve rogers, natasha romanoff. ]

eddie brock from marvel. [ 002/003 : harry osborn, dani ardor. ]

erik lehnsherr from marvel. [ 003/003 : jay, phoebe halliwell, bella swan. ]

peter parker from marvel. [ 004/003 : victor stone, sam wilson, cindy moon, michelle jones. ]

gansey from the raven cycle. [ 001/003 : minho. ]

kavinsky from the raven cycle. [ 001/003 : jay. ]

achilles pelides from the song of achilles. [ 001/003 : leorio paladiknight. ]

billy hargrove from stranger things. [ 003/003 : chris hartley, eggsy unwin, robin buckley. ]

dennis rafkin from thirteen ghosts. [ 001/003 : jay. ]

five hargreeves from the umbrella academy. [ 002/003 : minho, michael langdon. ]

josh washington from until dawn. [ 003/003 : chris hartley, xavier plympton, ashley brown, sam giddings. ]

#amber:call #//i'm limiting everyone to 3 for my sanity #//i can perhaps be enticed however #//i also let mevee have first go at everybody so yknow

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selene467 · 5 years

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Sticky Situation Chapter 24

Fictober19 Day 24 - Prompt #24: "Patience... is not something I'm known for." fanfiction Fandom: Spider-Man/Avengers [Superfamily, Tony/Steve with Peter as their son.] Warning(s): minor language and violence. Nothing at all graphic. Rating: Teen and up, to be safe. note: all characters will probably act way out of character and some things have been exaggerated for fun and to suit the prompt. Just so you know why something might feel weird. --- "Peter, are you there yet?!" "Almost, just a little longer!" "We don't have much longer!" Peter swung himself through the narrow passage of the bunker, propelling himself forward as fast as possible. Please let me make it, please let me make it! He thought desperately. Hydra had gotten hold of an enormous source of power enver before seen and energy readings were indicating an explosion was going to happen and not just any explosion. This would wipe out the entire city if not more and Peter had been the closest to the base. No pressure, right? There! Light! He burst into the room, eyes darting about to try and locate the errant scientist before he could set off the 'bomb'. Looking up, he saw the man up on a catwalk holding a big wire in his hand while the energy source pulsed in front of him, floating in a circular orb. The black waves coming off it were not comforting. "Stop!" Peter yelled hoping the man would see sense. When it was clear he wouldn't, he tried to web the man, but the angle was awkward enough without the man stepping out of view. Left with no other options, Peter jumped up there. "Please stop. I don't want to hurt you." The man simply turned to face him and before Peter could notcie, stretched his hand out to attach the eletric wire to the sphere. He smiled as the sparks shot everywhere. "Hail Hydra!" "NO!" Peter took one step forward before the source exploded and a wave of energy so powerful washed over him, instantly knocking him out. /-/ When Peter came to, he was no longer inside the bunker. The first thing he saw was a blue sky and some trees. Carefully getting up, he noticed he was on the outskirts of the city. The city, which was still standing and appeared undamaged from what he could make out from this far away. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?" His comms were silent. Not a good sign. "What the hell happened?" Peter jumped when he looked at his hands which were black, or rather his suit had turned black. "What is this?" He wondered out loud. Why was he out here? Why had no one come to look for him? What had happened in that bunker? Where was the scientist or the energy source? Where was anyone for that matter? He needed answers, right now. Despite feeling uneasy in this suit -which was weird as it was exactly the same except for the color- Peter swung his way home, hoping he would get answers there.

/-/ Peter gaped at the scene before him. Everywhere he looked he saw familiar faces, but nothing else was familiar. His dad's suit was a shocking black with red accents, his pops matching with a hint of orange here and there. In fact all of them were clothed in startlingly different shades. "Hey! the kid is back!" His uncle Clint yelled across the room holding up a beer. Various shouts of welcome back or something similar went around as Peter remained frozen in the doorway. His dad approached him, clapping him on the shoulder like he always did, the first familiar thing so far. "Welcome back, son. Killed anyone today?" "What?!" "Aww, does that mean you didn't?!" His dad turned and pointed accusingly at his pops. "I blame you for this. You coddle him too much. Seventeen years old and he can't even kill anyone on a routine run." "Killing someone isn't always the best way to instill fear. Besides, if you kill too often people get used to it and harden against it." Neither man seemed to notice the shocked expression on their son, even when his pops turned to him. "You did at least destroy something right? Cause some trouble for the little ants?" "What." his dad said at his silent stare. "Do I have something on my face? Clint, if you did something...!" He wandered away in an angry huff, his threat trailing off unfinished even as Clint waved in response. "You sure you are feleing alright, son?" His pops suddenly asked, feeling his forehead. "Hmm, you can take it easy today but you really need to make up for it tomorrow. Can't let the people think we're getting soft." He left Peter standing there unable to utter a single word in response. What was that?! Peter stumbled into the bathroom, splashing his face with far more water than neccessary before slapping his own face. "Wake up already!" He snapped at his reflection in the mirror. "You are currently not asleep and thus cannot wake up, Peter." Friday's voice startled Peter, but it was another familair thing that soothed his frayed nerves right now. "Friday! It's so good to hear your voice." "Thank you, Peter. Can I offer you any other assistance?" "You can tell me what the hell happened to everyone!" "I agree, the avengers are behaving quite strangely." Peter was about to sigh in relieve that someone else thought so, when Friday's next words had him questioning his sanity. "Normally they would be terrorizing the city on such a beautiful day. They've grown quite complacent lately." "Not you too, Fri." Peter grumbled to himself. Surely he must have gone insane. This couldn't be real! Red flashing lights interrupted anything else Peter could say or do, along with Friday's message throughout the tower. "Alert! Guardians spotted in the city!" "Let's go, kid!" Peter heard his uncle Thor shout as he stormed past the bathroom. Cautiously, Peter stepped out of the bathroom only to be intercepted by his dad who handed him a mask. His mask, apparently and just as black as the rest of his suit. "Don't lose it this time, got it?" His dad ordered jokingly. "Let's go! Mission time!" "Wait, you're letting me come?!" Peter was hardly ever taken along on avenger missions as they were too dangerous for a minor they kept saying. Only when the need was dire, like last night, did he get to come and even then he would need to beg. "Of course you're coming." His dad answered as his pops appeared beside them with his famous shield, now also in the new color scheme. "Never too young to get started in this business." His pops said with a smile. Peter followed them even as his spider sense tingled in the back of his neck. This was so wrong and it was going to get worse. He could just feel it. /-/ The mission as it was called, was nothing like Peter expected. It was utter destruction. His family had launched at the guardians as their opponents had been called with no care for the city or its people. There was no delegation of jobs, just pure madness and chaos as his family tore the city apart trying to get these guardians. But even worse than that, were in fact these so called guardians. Peter recognised some of them and it was too much to wrap his head around. In bright colors were some of his worst enemies, reacting to the sudden assault form the Avengers. Peter hung back on the quinjet, watching and observing an absolute nightmare. His family fighting reckless and withour regard of innocents caught in the fighting, even sometimes aiming to harm them to gain the advantage over the guardians, who much to Peter's shock were fighting as his family used to fight. A front line group, fighting directly with the avengers, while the rest worked to help the people get away from the main battle. It was like the roles were completely reversed! "Peter! Catch!" Aunt Nat, who had been flying the quinjet, tossed him a brightly colored, orb of some kind. "Toss it and have some fun!" She laughed as she tossed her own out the open door. It exploded upon hitting the side of a building, causing in instability that made the top half tilt dangerously. Peter watched in horror as the building collapsed against its neighbouring one. Glass and pieces of structure rained down on the streets below. People screamed as they tried to outrun the debris. Familiar metal arms, belonging to none other than Otto Octavius, grabbed the runners and pulled them to safety. A scream from his other side caught Peter's attention. A woman lay on the ground stuck under some rubble. His spider sense alerted him of a big piece of wall breaking off from the building above her, a split second before it happened. He tossed the explosive he was still holding towards his aunt nat, knowing she was watching him closely, and dive out of the quinjet. He swung underneath the falling wall, using his webs to stop its descend by tying it between two adjecent buildings like a hammock. He dropped beside the woman, lifted the rubble to let her crawl out before turning concernedly towards her. "Are you alright, miss?" "Get away from me!" She screamed as she stumbled away from him, tripping over her injured leg and falling down. Peter reached out to help her but it only invoked more hysterics. "NO! Help! Someone help me!" she threw whatever she could get her hands on. "Get away from me! Leave me alone!" Little did Peter know, he was being observed by some of the guardians.

"Did I see that right? Did Spider-Man just save an innocent person?" "Something isn't right here." "I agree, he's acting unlike himself." "Otto, take him. I want to know what he's up to." Peter was so thrown by the woman's reaction, he didn't react fast enough to his spider sense and got thrown across the street. As he struggled to get up, he saw Otto Octavius standing above him, his metal arms hovering menacingly behind the man. Off to the side, Peter glimpsed the green goblin helping the woman he'd just saved. She did not fight him or scream at him. In fact she seemed quite trusting. "Goodnight, Spider-Man." Otto said criptically before a smoke bomb of some sort exploded in his face and he lost consciousness. /-/ "Why did you save that woman?" "Yeah, what gives, Spidey? Suddenly grew a conscience?" Peter looked away from the collection of villains, despite evidence indicating they were anything but villains. His world didn't make any sense anymore and he'd had quite enough of it. It was childish perhaps, but even he had his limits and this day was the worst he'd ever had. Kidnapping seemed like only a minor issue to deal with and one he was oddly familiar with. It was easier to focus on just that, rather than the obvious issue of the guardians or his own family. Norman Osborn stepped forward, sitting down in front of him. "Patience... is nto something I'm known for. But you were Harry's friend once, so for his sake I will cut you some slack. Please answer our questions and make this easier on yourself." Peter scoffed at the offer. "Oh come off your high horse. We all know you're going to torture me if I don't answer. Just get it over with." "I think you've got us confused with your own family. We don't hurt unless we have to, not even our enemies. But I was hoping you were no longer one." "What do you mean?" "We saw you save that woman, Peter." Otto interrupted, stepping beside Norman. "What of it?" Peter snapped back. Kidnapped, bound and thoroughly confused and frustrated by everything, Peter could only fall back on his snarky attitude. "Why did you save her? What did you hope to gain by it?" Peter sighed as he frustration rose. "What kind of question is that? I saved her because it was the right thing to do. I saved her because it's what I do. I don't know what the hell happened since last night, but everything it turned upside down and nothing makes sense anymore! Saving her was the most normal thing that happened today!" They all stepped away after his outburst, huddling together in some kind of team discussion too far for Peter to overhear. Peter recognised a few of the guardians but there were plenty he'd never seen before. Obviously there was Norman Osborn, better known as the Green Goblin. Otto Octavius had captured him, Venom skulked about as did Electro and Vulture. He'd even seen Mysterio off to the side.

"It could a trap." "Or he's gone mad." "He's faking it, he has to be." "I'm not sure about that." "I know you want to believe him, Norman. But this is Stark's kid. You know the things he's done." "Yeah, no one changes that abruptly." "We can lock him up until we know more." "Don't fall for it!"

"Enough!" Peter looked up at the sudden shout. Norman turned around and looked straight at him. "Spider-Man will remain our prisoner until we have more to go on." "Norman!" The Vulture stepped forward looked concerned at Peter. "The Avengers won't stand for that. They'll come at us with everything they've got." "A risk we're going to take. Spider-Man is not to be harmed, not even as a bargaining chip against the Avengers. That's not how we work." With that announcement, Peter was hauled off to his supposed cell and no closer to the answer of this strange world he'd woken up in. fin

#fictober19 #fanfiction #superfamily #spider-man #avengers #24

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bobbimorses · 3 years

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glad to see otto is bringing back strutting-in-a-towel clint:

#'it's one time' and?#thank you otto once again #otto schmidt #clint barton

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fabiofernandes · 7 years

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Italian Design: Moto Guzzi

It was not until I moved to Italy that my love for Moto Guzzi started to grow. I was always a BMW fan, mainly because I never had much contact with Guzzi motorcycles in Brazil when I was growing up, but BMW Motorcycles were always around and were aspirational. If you follow this blog you may have seen the 4 thousand kilometers my friends and I traveled in four BMW R1200GS during only 7 days around Europe - if you missed that post you should start here.

When I moved to Italy I decided to emerge myself in the local culture and brands, especially since I am an Italian citizen. That is when I started the blog and this special column called "Italian Design" where I show some of the most iconic Italian brands and designs.

Joining my passion for motorcycles with me living in Italy, it was certain that eventually, I would try to get closer to an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. The first thing I noticed is that Italians are particularly proud of the brand Moto Guzzi and even people that don't actually have one confess having a special admiration for its accomplishments.

It all started in the historic Italian marque founded at Mandello del Lario on the banks of Lake Como in 1921. Since then, the company has produced over 50 different models, many, like the famous Le Mans, powered by the transverse V-twin, which has become a Guzzi trademark over the years.

My favorite thing about the Moto Guzzi is probably the fact it's the most customized bike ever and the only European Motorcycle brand to fight with fair chance against Harley Davidson in the US market.

"For me, it's remarkable how customizable their bikes are"

ICONIC MODELS

The most iconic model is the 1955-57 ‘Otto’ V8 GP racer. The sadly short-lived Moto Guzzi V8 GP racer, also known as the ‘Otto’, was arguably one of the boldest and most advanced motorcycles of all time. In the early 1950s, Guzzi was already renown for its engineering prowess and racing success, being the first company to have it's own wind tunnel.ì. The new V8, conceived in 1954 to challenge racing rivals like Gilera’s 500/4, took things to a whole new level being liquid-cooled with DOHC, producing an unprecedented 78bhp and capable of an unheard of 172mph 20 years before the speed was achieved again in GPs. Unfortunately, it was also unreliable and considered dangerous to ride and when Moto Guzzi withdrew from racing entirely in 1957 it was consigned to history. Two examples remain at Guzzi’s own museum.

My second favorite model is the 1971-74 V7 Sport. Despite its reputation for V-twins today, Guzzi’s first transverse "V" didn’t arrive until 1967 with the 703cc V7 which proved such a success it quickly led to other variants including the 1968 757cc V7 Special and one of the most iconic Guzzis of all, the 1971 748cc V7 Sport. Designed by Guzzi engineer Lino Tonti as a pure sportster the Sport was intended to be the first five-speed, 200kg (440lb), 200kph (120mph) production bike and, as such was a major step forward and, effectively, the R1 of its day. Compact (thanks to a new frame), light (ish) and fast it led directly to the 750S, 750S3 and, most importantly, the iconic 850 Le Mans and is today considered one of the most collectable of all Guzzis.

With the enourmous sucess of the V7, Guzzi realized sales in the US were critical to its success and growth. They lauched in 1972 the Guzzi California. This model is remarkable because, to help promote the new bike the very first two V7s were sold to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for just $1 each. This grew into a series of orders for police-spec machines from not just LA but ultimately Texas and Georgia and the production, from 1970, of a special police version (with footboards, different instruments and black and white livery) of Guzzi’s touring, ‘Eldorado’ V7 (these are the bikes, incidentally, featured famously in the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry sequel ‘Magnum Force’. This in turn led to public demand for a similar machine with the 1972 California being the popular result. The US-style tourer has lived on ever since as one of Guzzi’s most popular models.

1976 850 Le Mans Possibly the most famous Guzzi of all was actually, originally, not much more than a ‘suped-up’ V7 Sport. However, with extra displacement, new disc brakes and striking styling, when the first Le Mans debuted in 1976 its combination of looks and performance really grabbed the public’s imagination. That success led to four successive models from the Mk II to its ultimate culmination in the ‘90s, the Mk V, although none of those bikes are as highly regarded as the original which remains among the most desirable of all Guzzi classics.

CURRENT PRODUCTION MODELS

#Moto #Guzzi #V7 #California #Italia #Italian #Eldorado #V9 #V7 Special #V7 Racer #Review #Design

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gokinjeespot · 4 years

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off the rack #1305

Monday, March 16, 2020

It's official. We have cancelled our tropical vacation plans. We were supposed to fly to Cuba in April for a week but now that Canada has called for the return of any Canadians abroad as soon as possible, we feared that if we went we wouldn't be able to return as scheduled. I'm good with our decision being the reluctant traveller anyways. "Self isolation" and "flattening the curve" are two new terms that have entered the collective consciousness and I wonder how many average citizens understand what these terms mean. A good education has never been more important than during this time of crisis. Learn what's real and protect yourself and your loved ones.

Catwoman #21 - Joelle Jones (writer) Fernando Blanco (art) FCO Plascencia (colours) Saida Temofonte (letters). Thank Thor that's over with. Selina saves the day after fighting off a zombie horde. The wicked Raina Creel gets what's coming and Catwoman hits the road outta town. I love this character but I didn't like her stay in Villa Hermosa and the art these last few issues wasn't nice to look at. The art in the next issue will decide whether I keep reading this book or not.

Avengers of the Wastelands #3 - Ed Brisson (writer) Jonas Scharf (art) Neeraj Menon (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The team is joined by new member Viv Vision as their search for Doctor Doom continues. Their trip across the Wastelands will have an unexpected detour when more super villains get in their way. I like how Ed is using the Wastelands version of Marvel's heroes and villains.

The Dollhouse Family #5 - M. R. Carey (writer) Peter Gross (layouts) Vince Locke (finishes) Cris Peter (colours) Todd Klein (letters). We find out how the dollhouse was made and it's gross. I hope Alice's inheritance isn't the death of her.

Punisher Soviet #5 - Garth Ennis (writer) Jacen Burrows (pencils) Guillermo Ortego (inks) Nolan Woodard (colours) Rob Steen (letters). Ah man, Frank's buddy won't make it to next issue's bullet filled conclusion. I liked Valery.

Young Justice #14 - Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker (writers) John Timms & Michael Avon Oeming (art) Gabe Eltaeb (colours) Wes Abbott (letters). Impulse tracks down Sideways, Spoiler, Aqualad and Arrowette to help the team find Conner and give the evil S.T.A.R. Labs scientist what for. Mission accomplished. But wait! There's more. I can't wait to hear what Dr. Glory has to say for herself. I'm not a fan of Michael Avon Oeming's art but I have to say that it's marginally more palatable in colour.

The Immortal Hulk #32 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils main story) Ruy Jose & Belardino Brabo (inks main story) Paul Mounts (colours main story) Javier Rodriguez (pencils & colours Xemnu sequence) Alvaro Lopez (inks Xemnu sequence) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This new version of Xemnu is even freakier than the original. Xemnu has managed to totally change the world's perceptions with the promise from Dario Agger that he will rule the planet once Dario is done with it. Bruce's brain might have been affected, but his alter egos are still their good old green selves. I can't get enough of this Hulk.

The Batman's Grave #6 - Warren Ellis (writer) Bryan Hitch (art) Alex Sinclair (colours) Richard Starkings (letters). Okay, I'm done with this 12-issue maxi. Just over half of this is Batman and Commissioner Gordon running a gauntlet of criminals to get out of Arkham Asylum. The rest is Batman spouting a running monologue at a crime scene where someone has been murdered. This issue just annoyed me so I'm burying the rest.

Avengers #32 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Francesco Manna (inks) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue features Earth's Mightiest Villains and has to be this week's Earth's mightiest scripted comic book. Boy, there is a lot of dialogue. The forces amassing against the Avengers are overwhelming. There's no way the good guys are going to win against these evil allies. You've got bad Namor of Atlantis, Dracula and his vampire army, the Red Widow and her Russian Winter Guard and the turn coat Agent Coulson and his Squadron Supreme of America. Wait until you see the bad guys' ace in the hole. This war on the Avengers is going to be epic.

Hawkeye: Freefall #4 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Otto Schmidt (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I love this convoluted plan to take down the Hood that Clint has concocted. Him hitting the villain's criminal empire as Ronin while joining his super hero buddies in trying to catch Ronin is hilarious. I love all the guest stars. I can't wait to see how everyone reacts when they find out Clint's scheme.

Jessica Jones: Blind Spot #5 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Mattia De Iulis (art) VC's Cory Petit (letters). A trap is set for the bad guy and Jessica closes a cold case. I thought that this would be the last issue but I see that #6 will hit the racks March 25. Is it an epilogue or a new case?

The Amazing Spider-Man #41 - Nick Spencer (writer) Ryan Ottley (pencils) Cliff Rathburn (inks) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). "True Companions" part 1. Spidey teams up with Boomerang to track down pieces of a powerful mystical tablet to keep it out of the hands of Wilson Fisk. Meanwhile, the Lethal Legion reforms. I don't find this new story intellectually stimulating but I'm a die hard Spider-Man fan so I'll keep reading.

X-Men #8 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) Mahmud Asrar (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The X-Men are fighting battles on multiple fronts and a new one breeds this issue as the Brood land on Krakoa. They're on an egg hunt just in time for Easter. This could have been an issue of New Mutants since Rahne, Dani and Magik play a big part in this story. I'm starting to get overwhelmed by all the plots in these new X-books and am thinking of dropping more titles.

Decorum #1 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) Mike Huddleston (art) Rus Wooton (letters). Meet Imogen Smith-Morley. She's an assassin who insists on good manners. I like her. What I didn't like was all the rigmarole leading up to her contracted hit. Did we really need all the information about this science fiction universe? I don't think it added anything to the main story. If I read more issues it's because I think Imogen is cool.

Cable #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Phil Noto (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Most of this debut features young Nathan Dayspring Askani'son Summers AKA Cable. For some reason there's a 3-page scene in the back with old man Cable. This issue was nothing to write home about but the art is nice and the kid's got potential. If you're looking to add another X-book to your pile, this one would be okay.

Superman #21 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ivan Reis (pencils) Joe Prado & Oclair Albert (inks) Alex Sinclair (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Oh Mongul, you're such a jerk. Mucho macho punching between Mongul and Superman with the fate of the embryonic United Planets at stake and then Mongul laughs it all off and leaves. Meanwhile, Lois has to deal with fallout from the big secret ID reveal. Things are interesting again in this book.

Thor #4 - Donny Cates (writer) Nic Klein (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The Black Winter is coming and Galactus is ready to face it with help from King Thor. I really liked the epilogue to Thor's fight with Beta Ray Bill that starts off this issue. The Lady Sif is now the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge and the changes in her character are awesome.

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ramialkarmi · 7 years

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AI and CGI will transform information warfare, boost hoaxes, and escalate revenge porn

Humans can generally trust what they see and hear — but that won't be the case for long.

Advances in AI and CGI will soon make it possible for anyone to create photorealistic video and audio.

Experts say it will transform information warfare, allowing the creation of sophisticated propaganda and misinformation.

The tech's impact will be profound, turbocharging everything from fake news and hoaxes to revenge porn and DIY entertainment.

Hoaxes and trickery are almost as old as human history.

When the Roman Republic first conquered the Italian peninsula between 500-200 BC, it was known to send fake refugees into enemy cities to "[subvert] the enemy from within." "Pope Joan" was believed to be a woman who allegedly tricked her way into become pope in the Middle Ages by pretending to be a man — but the entire story is now viewed as fake, a fictional yarn spun centuries after her purported reign.

"Vortigern and Rowena," a play that debuted in 1798, was initially touted as a lost work of William Shakespeare — but was in fact a forgery created by William Henry Ireland. And in the 1980s, the Soviet Union attempted to damage the United States' reputation and sow discord among its allies by spreading the myth that American scientists had created AIDS in a military laboratory, in an "active measures" disinformation campaign called "Operation INFEKTION."

Some fringe historians even believe that almost 300 years of medieval history were a hoax — invented retrospectively by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III for political purposes in 1,000 AD.

But humanity is now rapidly approaching the holy grail of hoaxes: Tools that will allow anyone to easily create fraudulent, photo-realistic video and audio.

Thanks to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology, over the coming decade it will become trivial to produce fake media of public figures and ordinary people saying and doing whatever hoaxers can dream of — something that will have immense and worrying implications for society.

In a previous feature, Business Insider explored how the tech will make it far more difficult to verify news media — boosting "fake news" and exacerbating mistrust in the mainstream media. But experts now say that its effects will be felt far more broadly than just journalism.

It will open up worrying new fronts in information warfare, as hostile governments weaponise the technology to sow falsehoods, propaganda, and mistrust in target populations. The tools will be a boon to malicious pranksters, giving them powerful new tools to bully and blackmail, and even produce synthetic "revenge porn" featuring their unwilling targets. And fraud schemes will become ever-more sophisticated and difficult to detect, creating uncertainty as to who is on the other end of any phone call or video-conference.

This may sound sensational, but it's not science fiction. This world is right around the corner — and humanity desperately needs to prepare itself.

The technology is basic — but not for long

Right now, the technology required to easily produce fake audio and video is in its infancy. It exists mainly in the form of tech demos, research projects, and apps that have yet to see a commercial release — but it hints at the world to come.

A few examples: In July, researchers at the University of Washington used AI to produce a fake video of President Barack Obama speaking, built by analysing tens of hours of footage of his past speeches. (The audio used also came from an old speech.)

The tech to do this live already exists. In 2016, "Face2face" researchers were able to take existing video footage of high-profile political figures including George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump, and make their facial expressions mimic those of a human actor, all in real time.

People are also working to spoof human speech. Voice-mimicking software called Lyrebird can take audio of someone speaking and use it to synthesise a digital version of that person's voice — something it showed off to disconcerting effect with demos of Hillary Clinton, Obama, and Trump promoting it. It's in development, and Adobe, the company behind Photoshop, is also developing similar tools under the name Project Voco.

The next generation of information warfare

In early August 2016, the US had an international crisis on its hands, and Americans were beginning to panic. As many as 10,000 armed police had surrounded the US Incirlik airbase in Turkey, and Twitter users were worrying that the situation could rapidly escalate — perhaps even with the nuclear weapons on the base falling into the hands of the demonstrators.

Except, it didn't really happen like this. As The Daily Beast reported, the reality was a peaceful protest of around 1,000 people. Russian state propaganda outlets Russia Today and Sputnik pushed the false narrative, aided by thousands of English-language tweets sent from accounts identified as bots controlled by the Russian government, Foreign Policy Research Institute fellow Clint Watts told the US Senate Intelligence Committee in 2017.

This is an example of Russia's longstanding policy of "active measures" — spreading misinformation for propaganda purposes or to help it achieve its strategic objectives. Gregory C. Allen, an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security, argues that these efforts from Russia — and others like them — will receive a powerful shot in the arm from developments in CGI and AI.

"We have seen foreign governments be more than willing to rely on ... propaganda in the text real and in the fabricated imagery realm," he told Business Insider. "They have demonstrated their willingness to sprint as fast as they can in this exact direction, and making use of every tool that is available to them."

The future could see authoritarian states using forged media to help generate dissent in the populations of rival countries, much like what happened at Incirlik — and to discredit and damage political opposition at home.

Allen also discussed the national security implications of artificial intelligence in a recent paper, warning: "We will struggle to know what to trust. Using cryptography and secure communication channels, it may still be possible to, in some circumstances, prove the authenticity of evidence. But, the 'seeing is believing' aspect of evidence that dominates today — one where the human eye or ear is almost always good enough — will be compromised."

The tech is a bonanza for fraudsters

A popular technique employed by modern scammers is "CEO fraud" — an email sent to a company employee, masquerading as from the CEO or another executive, asking them to make a payment to an account or take another action.

These kinds of attacks will soon have a whole new line of attack: Voice.

Imagine your boss calls you up, and asks you to make a transaction, or send over a password or a confidential document. It's clearly her voice, she knows who you are, and you might even make some small talk. Today, no-one would think anything was amiss.

This is because, Allen says, you "are currently using voice as an authentication technology, but [you] don't think of it as an authentication technology because it's just a background of human life that you can trust."

But in five or so years, that trust may have evaporated — replaced by a mistrust of what you hear on the phone and even see with your own eyes in a video-conference: "In the very near future it's not going to be something that you can rely on. Likewise, a video forgery techniques get further along, the same will be true if you were to have a video chat with someone."

Old people and those are less tech-literate will be particularly vulnerable, Francis Tseng, a copublisher of The New Inquiry (who curates a project tracking how technology can distort reality) suggested: "Many people deal with their parents or grandparents falling prey to phone scams ... And an easy rule of thumb to tell them is 'don't give out private information to anyone you don't know!'. With these voice synthesis technologies, someone could easily forge a phone call from you or another relative."

It will turbo-charge fake news

We're already living in an era of "fake news." US President Donald Trump frequently lashes out online at the "phony" news media. Hoax news outlets have been created by Macedonian teenagers to make a quick buck from ad revenue, their stories spreading easily through platforms like Facebook. Public trust in the professional news media has fallen to an all-time low.

When anyone can throw together a video of a politician or celebrity saying whatever they want, it seems likely to engender further mistrust — and allow hoaxes to spread more easily than ever before.

And there's a flipside to this: It will also cast some doubts on even legitimate footage. If a politician or celebrity is caught saying or doing something untoward, there will be an increasing chance that the person could dismiss the video as being fabricated.

In October, Trump's presidential campaign was rocked by the "Access Hollywood" tape — audio of his discussing groping women in vulgar terms. What if he could have semi-credibly claimed the entire thing was just an AI-powered forgery?

Read more: CGI and AI are going to turbocharge 'fake news' and make it far harder to tell what's real »

It will transform cyberbullying

This technology won't just be misused to pursue political and strategic objectives, or to defraud businesses: It will be a weapon for bullies, capable of inflicting arbitrary cruelty.

In the hands of children, it seems likely to be misused to hijack the image of victims', and to animate it for malicious purposes. A child's digital avatar might be made to confess their love for another, embarrassing them — or their voice could confess to a misdemeanour, landing them in trouble with school authorities.

Justin Thies, who helped develop Face2face, predicted it would "lift cyberbullying to a whole new level."

A spokesperson for child protection charity NSPCC acknowledged the danger: "Emerging technologies, such as AI and CGI, pose both potential risks and opportunities to young people and we must make sure they do not leave children and young people exposed to danger and harassment online.

"We know that cyber-bullying can be particularly devastating to young people as it doesn't stop in the playground and follows them home so they feel they cannot escape."

It will create a new category of sexual crimes

In August 2014, hundreds of intimate photos of dozens of celebrities were released online — causing a media frenzy, and the creation of huge online communities dedicated to sharing the images. That the photos were stolen and being shared without the consent of the subjects did little to dampen many sharers' enthusiasm — even as Jennifer Lawrence, one of the victims, described it as a "sex crime" and a "sexual violation."

The episode indicates there is likely to be significant interest in on-demand pornography produced using these technologies in the years ahead, regardless of whether the subjects of these CGI films give permission.

"Revenge porn" websites already exist dedicated to cataloguing and sharing the intimate photos and videos of non-celebrities, and it seems likely that media-editing technology will be used to produce material featuring "ordinary" people, as well as the rich and famous — bringing with it the widespread risk of shame and blackmail.

A whole new world of entertainment awaits

Not every use case of this tech will be negative, however. The internet is already home to a vibrant remix culture — just look at the Reddit community "Photoshop Battles" — and photorealistic video-editing tools may well spark a huge wave of DIY creativity.

"There could be a lot of interesting IP cases if amateur filmmakers start synthesizing films using the likenesses of celebrities and start profiting off that. I can imagine a whole culture of bootleg films produced in this way," Tseng said.

The tech that powers face-modifying filters in apps like Snapchat is "primitive compared to the Hollywood CGI or today, but it's actually significantly more advanced than the Hollywood CGI of the Eighties," Allen said. "So what we're seeing is the state-of-the-art capabilities slowly come down in price and availability such that amateurs have access to ultimately what are rather impressive capabilities."

The tech likely to be used by the established entertainment industry as well as amateurs, Tseng suggested: "We've also seen movies adapt their scripts for certain markets (e.g. the 'Red Dawn' remake changing the villains from China to North Korea). There is already a practice of filming scenes to be slightly different for different markets but this technology could lead to it on a much larger scale, where even individuals experience a version of a film totally personalized for them."

Just look at "Star Wars: Rogue One" for an example of how this tech will be employed by Hollywood studios in years to come. Peter Cushing reprised his role as Grand Moff Tarkin — even though he had been dead for 22 years. His image was reconstructed using CGI overlaid on a real actor.

This is all right around the corner

This is all currently theoretical. But it won't be long until it becomes a reality.

"I think we are one to two years away from these sorts of forgeries, especially in audio where progress is a little bit easier," Allen said. "One to two years away from forgeries being able to fool the untrained ear and somewhere between five to 10 years away from them being able to evade certain types of forensic analysis."

So how do we prepare? Journalists and organisations will have to rely increasingly on cryptography to "sign" media, so it can be verified when required. Big platforms like Facebook will have a roll to play in policing for fraudulent material, Face2face's Justus Thies argues: "Social-media companies as well as the classical media companies have the responsibility to develop and setup fraud detection systems to prevent spreading / shearing of misinformation." And it will force ordinary people to be far more skeptical about the media they consume.

In some cases, "it may be possible to come up with a video format that simply rejects editing," Allen suggested. "But this will still be a suboptimal solution compared to what we have now ... in the best case scenario, this results in there [being] trained experts who can discern the most likely version of the truth, and that is just so far away from where we are today which is amateurs can rely upon their own eyes to discern the truth."

We don't realise just how lucky we've been

These advances mean that humanity is rapidly approaching the end of a unique period in human history. We "live in an amazing time where the tech for documenting the truth is significantly more advanced than the tech for fabricating the truth. This was not always the case. If you think back to the invention of the printing press, and early newspapers, it was just as easy to lie in a newspaper as it was to tell the truth," Allen said.

"And with the invention of the photograph and the phonograph, or recorded audio, we now live in a new technological equilibrium where — provided you have the right instruments there — you can prove something occurred ... we thought that was a permanent technological outcome, and it is now clear that is a temporary technological outcome. And that we cannot rely on this technological balance of truth favouring truth forever."

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