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otterskin · 3 years

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Dumb Details From the Loki Trailer I noticed but then got too serious about

First - apparently it’s not a trailer, so I guess we’ll get ‘Trailer 1′ later? ‘Exclusive Clip’ hardly seems accurate, but hey, I’m not Disney’s marketing division. I wouldn’t live in a shoebox if I was.

Dumb detail no. 1:

Owen Wilson’s jacket is...weird. Look closely.

And another shot:

Yeah...his jacket has a ‘reversed collar’. It’s a cut-out rather than cloth folding on top. Huh. What a strange design choice. What could it mean?

I’ve no idea, but that I watched the trailer enough times to notice this should concern you.

Detail No. 2

In this scene, we see what we can presume to be President Loki’s ‘Throne’. Notice the candy-canes. This is a Santa Claus throne, presumably from some mall Santa. This whole place might be in a mall, judging by the stuff in it.

But the Loki in this shot is not President Loki. Notice that he’s wearing brown pants, a thin brown tie, and the beige shirt he’s seen wearing in other parts of the trailer after he's apparently joined the TVA. President Loki wears black pants, a green vest and a wide green tie with a golden clip that resembles Loki’s little chevron he always has (more on that later).

So it would seem that Loki might meet President Loki here. President Loki might even be addressing him at the end of the trailer. It’s possible that his minions turn on him because there’s two Lokis and they don’t know which is the ‘imposter’.

Speaking of, there’s a minion with bicycle handlebars grafted to a football helmet here, likely meant to resemble Loki. I dig it. There’s also cans of food scattered among the rubbish here. Makes sense that food production is non-existent since everyone has resorted to wearing license plates and spoons. Love how tattered the whole aesthetic is.

This reminds me of the opening Michael Waldron’s script ‘Worst Guy of All Time’, which featured a similar post-apocalyptic setting after the ‘worst guy’ ruins everything and makes himself king of the ashes. That’s likely what’s happened here, but I hope that Loki isn’t anything like Logan Paul, who was the inspiration for that title character.

Ah, the mysterious female character watching a meteor shower WAY TOO CLOSE UP. But my eyes are drawn to one thing...

What is that oblong object with a shiny handle? Could it be...

A sword? I do love swords. Did you know there’s a bunch of pictures of me in the stock photos for ‘Fencing?’ That’s my cred for loving swords.

I suspect that this female character will be an amalgamation of Amora (shudder) and Sylvie and an alternate Loki of some kind. This sword is currently in her possession, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it or another timeline version of it becomes the Loki Show’s Loki′s weapon.

Loki has lacked a ‘weapon of his own’ in the MCU for quite some time. I mean, yes, he has his little knives, but they are many and disposable and something he chose for himself, rather than the two legendary weapons wielded by Odin and Thor, Gungnir and Mjolnir. In fact, throughout his appearances, Loki has seemed to want such a thing of his own - he briefly had Gungnir, and then the Gungnir-like scepter, and even tried to lift Mjolnir.

One might ask why Odin would’ve overlooked such an obvious show of favouritism. Why give Thor a storied weapon and leave Loki empty-handed? Heck, even Hela had the Necroblade.

In Thor 1, we might’ve assumed that the Casket of Ancient Winters was perhaps intended one day to be given to Loki, as it is shown with Mjolnir in the Vault and thus connected to it and the children who would inherit it. But in the comics, Odin did have another weapon of storied history put away for his second son: Gram the Sword.

It was locked for eons by Odin in a special vault which required five keys to be opened, and it was meant to be for Loki if he be worthy.[2] The five keys were infused by Odin with the powers of "journeys", "endurance", "secrets", "new beginnings", and "brotherhood", respectively.[3]

The sword, like everything else in comics, has a complicated history full of take-backs and twists, but let’s just leave it at ‘it’s a representation of Loki’s worthiness and belonging in the trifecta with Odin and Thor as a King of Asgard’. It gives him ‘equality’.

In the original mythology, it’s wielded by Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir, and the only relation it has to Loki is that Loki is partially responsible for Fafnir existing in the first place (my username is nod to this myth by the by. Sorry Ottär.) But hey, maybe that means we’re getting a dragon? The Fafnir would be very cool.

Or it could just be a bit of rebar in this mining quarry.

Then again...it appears somewhere else...

It’s easier to see in motion, but that’s a sword swinging on this person’s back.

So the hooded figure is this lady...shall we call her Amylkie? Does that mean she’s the antagonist of this show? Well...maybe, but I suspect the true antagonist is foreshadowed here -

So, what’s going on here? A young girl (Young Amylkie? Some other TVA prisoner that the guard is watching over? An oracle, A Norn, or a kid who wandered off from the tour group in a basilica somewhere?) She’s giving Mobius M. Mobius a...piece of chocolate. Maybe he saw a Dementor, I dunno. I suspect it’ll be a MacGuffin of some kind later. He looks pretty concerned here, which contrasts with his ‘another day at the office’ blaséness when dealing with Loki. But of course this is the eye-catcher:

So, Norse Mythology. It’s been Christiannized. You can thank Snorri Sturluson for that, but you can google all about him later. Let’s just say that he made many Norse figures into equivalents for Christian ones. Baldur is Jesus, pure and a sacrificial lamb who dies for a greater good. And the devil is...Loki. Something the Marvel comics and the MCU have continued.

Here we have a devil, dressed in green and with a distinct shape on his chest:

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

Ah. I’d say that cinches it. This is meant to be Loki. If you look at the devil’s hair, it also resembles Loki’s, being shoulder-length and black.

So, what’s devil-Loki doing? Laying an egg? Trying out a foot massager? For a second I thought it was a moon, but we see the moon over his left shoulder, amongst the stars. Which means this is - probably the Earth.

...Dammit; I live there.

So Earth is barren and being devoured by flames, likely caused by this Loki sitting atop of it (in a throne, no less). Aw gee, things look pretty bad, don’t they?

But wait - what’s that? Under the Earth (and, possibly, under the earth)?

It’s a plant. A shoot, to be exact.

Back to Ragnarok for a second. Ragnarok isn’t the apocalypse (something we see a lot of in this trailer - all of it seems to be exploring the end of days). Ragnarok is the fire meant to wipe out the old and fertilize the ground for the new. And after the gods have died, what happens? Well, Baldur emerges from Hel, one of the only surviving gods (hmm, seems him dying worked out, didn’t it?). He’s joined by Líf and Lífþrasir, who are the new first man and woman, who’s names mean ‘Life’ and who are pictured, usually, with plants and new life. It is they who are tasked who growing a new Yggdrasil after the destruction of the old. The previous first man and woman are Ask and Embla, meaning Ash Tree and Vine/Elm tree, so there’s a theme there.

So a new sprout, possibly a tree, growing out of the destruction of the old.

This fits with Loki’s role as understood in mythology. He checks the arrogance of the gods, including when they tried to achieve immortality (sorry, Baldur, nothing personal), and that keeps the gods at their best. After Loki is imprisoned, the gods become weak, unhelpful and foolish, and Yggdrasil starts to rot. Eventually Loki escapes and returns along with Surtur (who also resembles this figure) to burn it all to the ground. This is also referenced in Thor:Ragnarok, with Loki releasing Surtur in the Vault, a place of thematic importance to Loki and one that represents the hidden secrets and sins of Asgard). You could say Ragnarok continued into Infinity War, where Loki played an important part in aiding Thanos’ destruction, giving up the stone to protect his brother and essentially dooming the rest of the universe - but also ultimately leading to its salvation, even if, like Myth Loki, he wasn’t around to see it.

So, we see Amylkie literally start a fire in the trailer -

- in fact, this whole trailer is awash in flame -

It’s fire, fire everywhere and she’s setting them!

It’s possible Amylkie’s our big bad, but I think there’s a chance she’s either a red herring, or, much like how Loki ‘worked’ with Thanos in The Avengers, she is the pawn of a greater foe -

- a Loki bent on destruction, for some reason or other. The TVA is obviously aware that this is the case, and it seems like they might be trying to ‘fight fire with fire’ by enlisting one Loki to combat another. The villain could be President Loki, since there's evidence of 2 Lokis in that scene - or maybe that's one of many Lokis, and the Big Bad Loki is being played by Hugh Grant as Old Loki. In any case, it would appear that Loki will be coming face-to-face with the worst versions of himself, and many of them. And, if I’m right about this scene:

...Loki will likely eventually discover that even his ‘good’ timeline ended in the destruction of his people and home, plus his own gruesome and torturous death. Although I think the TVA will keep that from him, and just show him the happy parts in an effort to inspire ‘good behaviour’. Until Loki inevitably discovers the rest of how that timeline played out and realize he’s been lied to. I don’t imagine he’ll take that very well...

Damn, even our ‘hero’ Loki is burning stuff down! Does this mean that Loki is doomed, always meant to be an avatar of death and toasty destruction?

Well...let’s go back to that stained glass.

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

And there’s something else...the bottom of the Earth is being lit up, and not by fire. Light appears to be coming off this little plant.

What colour is this plant again? That’s right, green. Green is the colour of new life and growth and change and...hang on, I’ve heard that before, too...

Hang on hang on HANG ON... let me have a look at the shape again.

That’s...a letter. An L? For Loki? Like in the title sequence?

Wait...no, a different letter. An older letter. After all, Loki is old Norse. How do you spell his name in that again?

ᛚᛟᚲ ᛁ -

And ENHANCE on that third letter!

This, my friends, is a Kenaz/Kaunaz, or what would become 'K' in our alphabet. It is also known as the 'Loki Rune' (and the Ulcer Rune, for some reason. I suspect Odin understands why). It’s used to spell his name, but is also used on his own to represent him. Heck, it's even his Superman 'S' in the comics:

Runes are more than letters - they are symbols for concepts. So what else does it mean?

Primarly, it means ‘torch’.

And also ‘knowledge’ (ken). As well as ‘growth, change, the search for truth, decay, arrogance, elitism, feminine, kinship and creativity.’

...Okay, that’s a lot, but you have to admit it fits.

More specifically, it means ‘Mastery of the Fire’. As in, someone who has learned to tame fire so that it is helpful, not harmful. To bring light and, symbolically, knowledge.

There’s another way Loki’s been associated with fire - in the Wagner Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold, the opera that inspired much the Thor films’ aesthetic and certainly their helmets, Loki is called ‘Loge’, which means ‘Fire’. He’s usually dressed to match, too -

Many trickster figures are associated with fire. They are usually called ‘Fire-bringers’ - See: Raven, Lucifer, Prometheus, etc. They are often complex figures with a foot in different worlds, but who nonetheless help mankind with the gift of ‘fire’ - although they usually pay for it, and tend to be self-destructive.

(Side note. Lucifer means light-bringer, which is what luciferase is named after. Because it glows. Which is helpful in labs. In case someone needed to know that.)

Moving from a destructive fire-starter to a fire-bringer seems like a great character arc for Loki to take, especially given his rehabilitation in pop culture, the comics, and even wider culture. Loki has gone from being seen as an evil, deviant, destructive character to one who’s seen as a patron of the arts and creativity, of stories rather than lies. Heck, some scholars of Norse Mythology even posit that he’s the closet thing to a protagonist Norse Mythology has, so I guess that backfired, Snorri!). Being dressed in green and with the sprout clearly also being stylized after his Kaunaz, there’s foreshadowing that he’ll be capable of growing good things even out of ashes.

So, to sum up: Being ‘Satan’ sounds pretty bad, but with a little letter re-arranging like we see in the title sequence, you can be...

...practically a saint. Maybe even a saviour.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

#loki #trailer #details #meta #theories #theory #explanation #thor #tva #santa #devil #snorri sturluson whinging #christmas #fire #kaunaz #loki trailer

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estellaestella · 3 years

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Hi estella! I saw your post about Frantz and and then I read about the movie - I will definitely watch it! Thank you for writing about it!

Last night I watched for the second time “Cloud Atlas” and I was brought to tears again. I wanted to ask you if you watched it and what you think. I have a feeling the book will be more shattering, I still hadn’t a chance to read it. All this intertwining of destinies, predestinations, impossible love between two men (Ben Whishaw!), the anti-utopian story, the fateful significance of the decisions we make, etc. And last but not least, the great performances of all the actors!

Thank you for your amazing edits you make of Timmy!!! I love them and always look forward to them! ❤️💫❤️

You're very welcome 🤗 . Ah, I'm so glad you're planning to watch FRANTZ. I came across its name while reading a CMBYN review (two days ago) and, quite frankly, remembering that I'd seen a selfie of Timmy with François Ozon the director might've made up my mind to watch it. I went in thinking it was one thing but it turned out to be quite something else. And I have to say, I loved not being able to see where the story is taking the viewer.

As for CLOUD ATLAS, I watched it a few years ago and didnt like it that much. Which might be my fault coz I always expect so much from the Wachowskis. I felt Cloud Atlas was too sprawling and figuring out who's-playing-who-again? is almost too distracting. But yes, I can imagine a second viewing might be far more rewarding. As it is, I remember Hugh Grant and Tom Hanks doing a good job and that the Frobisher storyline was the best bit. But then again I dont think I've ever seen Ben Whishaw in a role he has not delivered on. The man is amazing. Even when he's a bear. ❤️

Speaking of PADDINGTON, I wasnt quite sure how I felt about the director for that -Paul King- helming WONKA. While the PADDINGTON films are warm and cuddly they dont hit any high notes for me other than the jungle scenes (specially the dream sequence in the sequel). But I looked him up and he directed the tv show THE MIGHTY BOOSH and that gives me a lot of hope. TMB is a surreal, bonkers tv series that is a genius blend of weird and wacky. I'd say it's rule-bending but it just flat out throws the rule book out of the window while driving thru a forest...with a shaman and a talking gorilla in the backseat. So yeah high hopes are back on the menu.

Thank you so much for your compliment 🙈. I do love making these weird little edits. At some point I ought to look into why I enjoy what is essentially a version of playing with dolls but till then I'm going to enjoy this silliness 😘😘😘

#frantz #cloud atlas #the mighty boosh #the second season of THE MIGHTY BOOSH is the best #you can skip the first season and just dive into that #paddington #ben whishaw #Anyone in need of a good cry should watch him in LILTING; it's a movie about grieving and Ben is devastating in it.#if anyone cares for another recommendation I'm watching QUEEN & SLIM today and its definitely a solid watch #havent finished watching it but i'm hoping they subvert all the tiny bits of foreshadowing #that wd make it brilliant

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astralaffairs · 4 years

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french vanilla 01 | gilbert lafayette

title: french vanilla 01

pairing: lafayette x reader

words: 5.7k; this is probably going to shake out to be a trilogy :)

warnings: abundant sexual innuendos, hand fetish lowkey, maria reynolds’s abs, hugh grant mentions, painfully thick sexual tension

desc: you can’t quite place it – maybe it’s his unchecked confidence, or maybe it’s just his arms – but there’s something about your new dance instructor that makes your palms sweat and your head spin – which is, unfortunately for you, not the best combination while suspended two yards above the floor.

tags: @stargazelaurens @ivory-haired-queens @exoticxchicken8 @assbuttstyles777 @superbarriobrothers @distinguishedpotsticker @fukaaaaaaaa @hereforthepsyche-assessment @ivetoldamillionlies @fangirl570 @thealaddinkid @lasciviouspeach @shy-and-awkward-daveed @rachelhermionerose @soft-weeb-s @gryffinclxw @anamrnk @daveeddiggsit @ayayayayana @marinovakovich @cryinghazelnutt @thefandomgirl03 @a-hopeless-fan @cloudywlw @tinywhim @lolidunnoaboutnow @siriusorionblackiii— lmk if you want to be added

You took a deep breath as you examined the door in front of you, the sign on it confirming that you were in the right place, despite the fact that you -- though you'd never admit it -- desperately hoped you weren't. You'd signed up for pole dancing classes on something of a dare, when you joking about it with your friends lead to you being challenged to really try it. And you never backed down from a challenge.

So there you stood, only feet from the door that determined the next two hours (and two hours every Tuesday and Thursday for the next six weeks) of your fate, ponytail tied tight at the back of your head, still just a bit sore from spending the past few weeks since you'd signed up trying to improve your upper body strength. (You'd quickly found out that you despised lifting, as well as that you were not in nearly good enough shape to continue doing it without every one of your joints aching for the following week.)

Your eyes darted to the clock that hung from the wall to your left, swallowing hard when you saw that if you didn't move soon, you'd be late. As much as you didn't particularly want to pole dance, you wanted even less to be late to pole dancing classes.

You reluctantly entered, less than thrilled to find the class both relatively small (you wouldn't be able to hide at the back just to tell your friends you'd gone) and filled mostly with fairly attractive women in their twenties and thirties. And just like that, you remembered why you preferred not to leave the house.

You dropped your gym bag off to the side near the door, bringing only your water bottle with you, and made your way toward the mass of people in the middle of the room, all stretching and chatting. All right, this wasn't so bad. You could work with chatty women.

"Hey." You approached one on the edge nearest to you, seemingly zeroed in on what she was doing, long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, only having donned leggings and a matching sports bra. "Mind if I sit?" She looked up at your hopeful, if not slightly anxious, smile, and her expression brightened.

"Of course!" Her reply came slightly breathlessly, seeming surprised at your presence, but welcoming nonetheless. She nodded her head toward the space next to her, scooting over just a few inches, but the gesture wasn't lost on you. You gave her a warm smile as you took a seat on the polished hardwood floor, reaching out to stretch one leg. "First time?"

You turned your head to her with wide eyes. Was it that obvious? "Oh! Um, yeah. I'm kind of here on a dare, so we'll see how this turns out," you said with a nervous laugh, "What gave it away?"

She just smiled at you, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Might just take one to know one," she confessed, "I took a one-session beginners' class a few weeks ago with some friends, but I'm the only one who stuck around, so I think we're in the same boat right now."

You grinned at her. "Y'know what they say; two shipmates are better than one."

"Do they?"

You shared a slight laugh as you held your knee up toward your chest, extending your free hand toward her in greeting. "Y/N."

"Maria." She gladly took your hand, meeting your eyes with a friendly gaze, and you decided then and there that you liked Maria. Besides, you felt safer knowing that you had an ally going into this.

A loud clap and the shuffling of hands came from the front of the room, attracting all your attention. "Alright, ladies!" You lifted your head, breaking her gaze, to look curiously up at the source of the deep French accent, who was also presumably your instructor. Your eyes widened.

You'd been surprised enough that your instructor was a man. Registration had only given you a last name, and while you supposed the class hadn't specified that it was just for women, the lack of men attending the class made it feel strange that it was being taught by one. That wasn't the main source of your surprise, though. The man standing in front of you all as you sat up was, to be quite blunt, gorgeous. He had dark skin and a gorgeous smile, curls pulled back in an unruly bun, arms bulging through the sleeves of his less-than-loose t-shirt. If you'd been nervous before, it was nothing compared to how you felt then.

"It is good to see all of you eager and ready to get right into things. I am your instructor, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch, Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, but I am not expecting any of you to remember all of zat, so please, call me Lafayette," he greeted you all warmly, and you thanked whatever god was up there that he was the instructor, letting out a soft sigh. Otherwise, you thought, your gaze drifting down to the outline of his abs, the staring would probably have weirded him out by now. Though, you realized only moments later that you still weren't quite safe of that as you looked back up to his face, only to find him watching you as he spoke, an eyebrow cocked. You swallowed hard. From that point, though, while he continued talking, his smile didn't revert back from the smirk it'd become.

"I 'ave been a trained pole dancer for nearly seven years now, and 'ave been giving classes for more than three, so I can assure you zat you are in good 'ands with me." You had no doubt about that as he folded his arms across his chest, and you eyed the bulging veins in his forearms, his large hands -- perhaps being attracted to his hands bordered on skeevy, but your moral compass wasn't at the forefront of your mind just then. You couldn't help but admire his physique. "I will be spending ze next several weeks with you building your skills up from ze fundamentals into full pieces of choreography, 'elping you every step of ze way. You will become skilled pole dancers in zis class, although 'ow you choose to use zat skill is entirely up to you."

He gave a playful grin at that, eliciting a laugh from most of the women in the class, though Maria and you shared a weary glance.

"But no matter your choice," he finished, "I look forward to getting to know and to work with each and every one of you." He met your eyes as he said that, and while you couldn't imagine the words could've been directed at you, the intensity of his gaze had you tugging your bottom lip in between your teeth.

You could be in for a long six weeks.

Beyond that, though, you quickly learned that pole dancing was not nearly as easy as you hoped it would be, nor as easy as Lafayette (and surprisingly, Maria, though you should've seen it coming based on the size of her arms and her very prominent abs) made it look.

"Back straight, Y/N," Lafayette commented as he passed you. He'd learned your name about fifteen minutes earlier and had since used it on every opportunity he'd had to visit your side of the room. "Keep your hips out; it will make it easier to 'old ze structure of ze position." You huffed, pushing your chest forward and your hips back, your arms shaking as you struggled to hold yourself up, let alone maintain proper form. "Perfect. Now loosen your grip a little bit; swing your legs slowly around ze pole."

"I'm gonna fall if I do," you whined breathlessly, focused on your own conquest to not bruise your tailbone too much to glance up and take notice of how he was watching you. He laughed.

"Just try it. Do not worry so much." While you scowled, trying to pull yourself up a bit so as to have more room to slide down as you tried to swing around the pole, you heard heavy footsteps approaching you from behind. "'ere. Let me 'elp you."

You inhaled sharply as you felt Lafayette rest his hands on your hips. You glanced back nervously over your shoulder, found his face only inches from yours, a small smile resting on his lips, and you gulped, turning back.

"Go ahead; I will not let you fall. You can trust me." While you could feel your heart rate increase in the close proximity, your face heating up, you let out a shaky breath and nodded. You could feel his warm breath dancing over the skin of your neck as you loosened your grip on the pole, sliding down a few uneven inches, and began swinging your legs off to the side, little by little.

"Careful, chérie," his voice came from behind you, hardly a breath over your shoulder as his grip tightened on your hips, pads of his fingers pressing ever so slightly into your skin. He pushed you slightly forward as you slowly went through the motions. "Ah! Back straight."

You could still hear his grin in his voice but could do little more than scowl in your struggle. You pursed your lips, arched your back, and the pressure from his fingertips began to ease as you reached a suspended sitting position next to the pole, using your momentum to swing yourself around.

"Bon travail, Y/N," he said softly, his lips only a breath from your ear as he pulled back. Your heart pounded, grip still shaking, though you weren't sure anymore that it was only from struggling to stay up.

He went back to wandering through the rows of women, shouting tips and encouragement over the music with a wide smile, and it took all of your willpower to not stare at his retreating form. You repeated the move a few times, making sure you could get it on your own, watched the ease with which Maria seemed to go through it. Eventually, your face stopped burning (you didn't like having to admit to yourself why it'd started), and you went on with the choreography, Lafayette demonstrating the next moves. Your eyes widened as you realized how little you had of the skill the rest of the dance needed.

"Now do not worry, everyone," he called out, as everyone sat on the floor in front of him, drinking some water and resting. "I know 'ow intimidating zis looks right now, but none of you are expected to get it on ze first try." His words did little to comfort you as you glanced around the room, knew most of these women would probably be able to pull it off better than you would.

"And if you cannot seem to get it after a while, remember: I am 'ere to be your teacher. You can always," --he caught your eye at those words, the corners of his lips quirking up in a mischievous smile-- "Always, ask for 'elp." He shot you a wink at the end of his sentence, and while most of the women had already begun chattering to those around them (you caught snippets about not minding him helping them out, if you knew what they meant), you couldn't break his gaze, a chill running down your spine.

You couldn't quite place it just yet -- maybe it was his unchecked confidence, the tempter integral to his person, or maybe it was just his arms -- but there was something about your new dance instructor that made your palms sweat and your head spin -- which was, unfortunately for you, not the ideal combination while trying not to fall on your ass, suspended two yards above the floor.

_______________

"You were looking pretty good today, Y/N." Maria winked at you as you packed up your bag. You'd known her for only about a week, now, but had grown quickly attached to her, enjoyed getting to know her. The pair of you had become fast friends. You'd expressed offhandedly your insecurity being in that class alone -- albeit a pole-dancing class -- and she'd subsequently taken it upon herself to tell you how great you were doing about twice a minute.

You rolled your eyes at her with a laugh, taking a drink of water. "Not so bad yourself, Lewis." You wiggled your eyebrows at her flirtatiously, and she scoffed.

"Don't lead me on like this," she teased, "I just might get the wrong idea."

You only grinned, tucking your water bottle into your bag along with the rest of your things. "And if I want you to?"

She laughed, shooting you a wink as she turned to leave. "If you're interested, L/N, you know how to find me," she sang as she walked over to the door, flashing a smile over her shoulder as she shut it behind her. You laughed to yourself as she left, fixing your ponytail before zipping your bag. The rapport was all playful, of course, neither of you expecting the other to take your words as being in earnest, but candidly, you were struggling to figure out whether you'd rather screw Maria or be her. Either way, she was undeniably adding excitement to your life.

As you tightened your ponytail, you swung your bag onto your shoulder, phone in hand as you checked the time. You walked up to the front of the room as everyone began to slowly filter out, needing to talk to Lafayette before you left about your plans for the next class, and feeling astoundingly anxious to do so.

You found him off to the side chatting with someone you didn't recognize, another woman from your class, and his eyes met yours as you neared him. His expression lit up, brows raising and smile broadening as his eyes met yours, and while he nodded along halfheartedly to what it was he was being told, for the time being, it took him about half a sentence after that to wave her off with an "au revoir" that left her giggling. (You couldn't judge her; you'd heard his accent, seen his blinding smile. You'd be no different in her position, and you very well knew it.)

"Y/N, what can I do for you?" he asked, folding his arms with an easy smile as you approached him. You returned the smile, pulling your bag higher up on your shoulder as you reached him.

"Hey, Lafayette," you breathed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "I just wanted to talk to you about next class." He arched a brow. "So, I'm not going to be able to make it here this Thursday; I have a board meeting for my job in the evening. I was just thinking, since I know we're working on like a full piece of choreography and everything, is there any way I can keep up with it outside of class?"

He raised his eyebrows, considered you for a moment. "Are your Wednesday nights free?" You pursed your lips, shook your head, and he let out a hum of discontent. "Alright. Zere is a video and walkthrough I can send you of ze next part of ze choreography, so zat you can learn it on your own time. Would zat 'elp?"

You smiled. "Yeah, that'd be great. Is the video of the whole dance, or...?" You trailed off, the question left unsaid, and he nodded as he began to dig through the bag he had left near the front of the room, slinging it over his shoulder as he did so.

"Oui. I can tell you which part of it we will be learning zis Thursday, so zat you can just follow along." He finally emerged from the bag, holding his phone with an easy smile. "Can I 'ave your number, chérie?"

Your eyebrows shot up. What had he just asked? "I'm sorry?"

"Your number?" he repeated, slowly that time, his smile widening, "So zat I can send you ze choreography for Thursday?"

Your eyes widened at your own foolishness, and you let out an anxious breath. Heat was creeping up the back of your neck. "Oh! Right, yeah--"

"Now why did you think I was asking you, hm?" He cocked a challenging brow, seemingly enjoying your reaction. "Did you think I 'ad some ulterior motive? Zat would be entirely inappropriate, chérie." Despite his words, his expression, his teasing grin told you he was amused by the idea, if not intrigued by it. However, you were winded.

"You just caught me off guard," you said, breathless, and he let out a light laugh.

"Of course." He glanced back down at his phone and up at you with an expectant gaze, and your eyes widened. He was still waiting on your number.

"Oh! Right." You gave him the string of numbers as he made you a contact in his phone. Finally, he nodded, looking up at you with a small smile.

"Thank you," he said, eyes shining as he regarded you, though, now, his mischievous gaze had begun to turn wolfish. "I'll be texting you, chérie."

____________

As promised, Lafayette did send you the choreography; the videos were more helpful than you'd expected them to be, considering the only place you had to practice was the bar that divided your doorway in two. (How foolish you felt doing it was extraneous to your ultimate goal.) Thankfully, the next Tuesday passed without a hitch. As did the next Thursday. You were getting noticeably stronger, or otherwise less helpless in your ability to stay upright; you were getting closer and closer with Maria, and more and more intrigued by Lafayette. He was abundantly friendly, and his ability to command a room was enviable, but your unfortunate sticking place was how it seemed he'd already become more than familiar with every woman in the class. He was chatty, obviously, but it was impossible to determine whether his flirty demeanor was unconscious, or whether he knew exactly what he was doing to you. You didn't know quite what to make of him, but you certainly enjoyed eyeing him from the back of the room as you pondered it.

However, his earlier words were stuck firmly in the back of your mind, regardless of whether they'd been sincere. He's your teacher, you reminded yourself, every time you caught yourself staring at his straining biceps when he demonstrated the choreography. It would be entirely inappropriate.

And while your rational mind was right there with you, more than ready to jump ship on the fruitless ordeal of pining after your gorgeous dance instructor with the even more gorgeous accent, neither your hormones nor your heart seemed to agree. While, yes, they understood very well how inappropriate the scenario was, their mantra was something more along the lines of, I'm so fucked.

To say the least, you were in deep.

You wiped sweat from your brow with the hem of your tank top as you retreated to your bag, Lafayette still shouting to everyone from the front of the class as they began to disperse, and you all but entirely tuned out his naive encouragement, reminding you all to keep up the good work. Instead, you grabbed a drink of your water as you walked over to find Maria.

"Hey." You grinned, taking a drink of your water, and she looked over at you with an easy smile, brow raised.

"Hey." She swung her bag onto her shoulder. "You find that any easier than I did?"

You had to scoff at the question, reminiscence painful despite her teasing tone. "Are you really asking me that, now? You're supposed to be the in-shape one in this relationship."

She grinned. "I can't pick up all your slack, L/N. A relationship is supposed to be a two-way street."

"Guess I'll have to step up my game, then." You had to remind yourself exactly why you'd approached her as she dug through her bag, pulling out a sweat towel, her abs flexing as she strained to support the bag in front of her. (You were getting progressively less sure you wouldn't be sliding into her DMs at any point.) She raised her eyebrows at you as she took a drink of water, waiting for you to continue.

You cleared your throat. "So, I was thinking, me and a few of my friends are planning on going to grab dinner after work this Friday, just to go hang out. Would you wanna join us? I think you'd like them."

She pursed her lips, and despite her nonchalance, her smiling eyes gave away how she'd softened at the invitation. "Yeah, I'm down. Where are you all going?"

"Dunno yet." You shrugged, but couldn't help your grin. You were just a bit too excited for Maria to meet your friends. "Probably just someplace downtown?"

She held your endeared gaze another moment before she spoke. "Yeah, sure, can you text m--"

"Y/N!" Both your heads turned as Lafayette approached with a wide smile, cutting off both your invitation and your eagerness to tell Maria everything there was to know about your friends. You hoped desperately that they'd hit it off. (You noticed in the corner of your vision Maria rolling her eyes as he approached.)

It seemed everyone else in the class had cleared out at that point, so he'd apparently decided that interrupting your conversation was appropriate. "Was ze video 'elpful?"

You let out a light sigh, nodded with a smile. "For sure. Thanks for sending it."

"Of course, chérie."

You pulled your bag further up on your shoulder as you glanced away from him, again meeting Maria's eyes. "So are we on for Friday?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." She grinned, threw you a playful wink. "I'll be sure to wear something tight."

"What is Friday?" Lafayette interjected as you laughed, and you turned to see his raised brow. Maria had at that point begun to leave, checking her missed texts; apparently, she didn't have much interest in sticking around to chat with Lafayette. You shrugged.

"Not much. Just bringing Maria out with some of my friends. No special occasion."

"And you did not bother to invite me?" He raised his eyebrows, letting out a mocking gasp, and despite being unable to stifle your smile, you rolled your eyes. "I am not sure whether to be offended."

"Sorry, Lafayette; this one's girls only." His facade of a pout grew. "Can't just violate the sanctity of ladies' night like that. Wouldn't be fair."

"So when do I get to meet the rest of your friends?"

"You've met Maria, haven't you?" He huffed, and your grin grew at his adverse reaction. You knew, by then, not to take Lafayette's quips as being in earnest, but you didn't have to avoid being entertained by them.

"Ah, Y/N, I see 'ow it is. Do not worry, I take no offense."

"Wasn't worried," you reassured him, digging through the side of your bag to retrieve your sweatshirt.

He let out a snort of laughter. "Now I take some offense."

"Why would you?"

He ignored that, continuing, "Perhaps I will 'ave to get Maria to invite me to her 'ladies' nights' instead. You would not be invited, of course, since I am apparently not good enough to penetrate your inner circle."

You didn't bother even to humor him, fishing your phone out of your pocket. "Buy me dinner first," you teased, tone dry, and he grinned.

"Per'aps I will."

____________________

You didn't think about that interaction even once before Friday. Though Lafayette and Maria both maintained a place in your subconscious, your dance lessons, your Friday plans, all slid to the back burner as you spent your time working day and night, redrafting and finishing a long-term report for your job. It happened to be due Friday, so that ultimately became your priority leading up to the end of the workweek.

Thankfully, after the exhaustion the past few days had put you through, no one had been all that invested in the idea of going out on the town, so your night out became a night in, watching tacky romcoms at low volumes on Eliza's couch and arguing over which Hugh Grant film was the best of his phases. (The answer was obviously Notting Hill, but to each their own.)

Maria was meshing well with your small girl group, much to your delight, but seeing the way she and Angelica had been making eyes at each other all night made you groan internally. (Angelica still had a boyfriend, mind you, but she seemed to have conveniently forgotten that detail.)

You were just reaching the first confession scene in Bridget Jones's Diary when your phone first pinged. Your instinct was just to turn it over, hide the glow of the screen in the couch cushions, but whoever had messaged you apparently had plans other than letting you all pine for Colin Firth's Mark Darcy. Your notification sound went off once more before you decided you had to turn it on silent -- that, and Eliza's glare when it kept going off had scared you into submission. (Did whoever was texting her not know that double-texting was a bother, or did they just not care?)

When you finally turned your phone over to turn the ringer off, your pulse jumped, and your stomach turned.

lafayette sent: hey

lafayette sent: u up?

However, after you processed the initial shock of seeing his name show up in your notifications, you couldn't help but roll your eyes at the content of the texts.

Y/N sent: are you deliberately interrupting my girls' night out of spite, or did you need something?

lafayette sent: your assumption hurts me

lafayette sent: i could never be so spiteful

Y/N sent: i'm sure

Y/N sent: other than the alternate girls' night you've decided to set up just to exclude me from it, of course

lafayette sent: extenuating circumstances :(

Y/N sent: how??

lafayette sent: you excluded me first :((

Y/N sent: isn't that like, the definition of spite???

lafayette sent: depends on your perspective

Y/N sent: don't think that's how that works

"Y/N," Eliza hissed, yanking your attention from the text string. You were sure you looked like a deer in headlights when you met her eyes, instinctively pulling your phone closer to hide the screen. "Either put that away or go to the kitchen; I'm trying to appreciate corporate Hugh Grant."

"Sorry for distracting you from your very important engagement," you grumbled as you picked yourself up from the couch, sliding your legs out from under where Maria and Angelica were all but in one another's laps. You eyed them with an amused smile before retreating from where your friends lay.

Y/N sent: anyway, why'd you text me?

lafayette sent: turns out working late on a friday isn't the party it's made out to be

lafayette sent: can you blame me for looking for a bit of entertainment?

Y/N sent: what happened to texting me being "entirely inappropriate"?

lafayette sent: didn't i just mention how bored i am???

lafayette sent: desperate times, desperate measures

You rolled your eyes.

Y/N sent: calling talking to me a 'desperate measure' isn't the way to stop me from blocking you

lafayette sent: my apologies

lafayette sent: but what's more entertaining than doing something "entirely inappropriate" on a friday night?

Y/N sent: the girls night that you weren't invited to

lafayette sent: hurtful

lafayette sent: i had to work anyway, so you would not have been graced with my presence

Y/N sent: why are you still at work??

Y/N sent: who the hell is taking dance lessons at 11 pm on a friday

lafayette sent: teaching dance isn't my only job

lafayette sent: i have to pay the bills somehow

Y/N sent: what else do you do?

lafayette sent: unimportant

Y/N sent: ah yes because that makes it seem less suspicious

lafayette sent: i am glad

Y/N sent: seriously tho, are you a bartender? secretly a cook at some fancy dinner place?

Y/N sent: a spy sent to infiltrate city hall by night??

lafayette sent: you are a poor guesser

Y/N sent: i don't have much info to work with

Y/N sent: that'd be like me telling you to guess what i'm wearing while i was dressed in drag

Y/N sent: you aren't exactly making it obvious

lafayette sent: what ARE you wearing? 👀

You inhaled sharply, heat creeping up the back of your neck as you leaned back against the kitchen counter.

Y/N sent: go back to work

lafayette sent: am i not exciting enough for you?

Y/N sent: i think you can find a different 'entirely inappropriate' way to spend your friday

lafayette sent: perhaps you're right

lafayette sent: i suppose my job fills the same purpose

Y/N sent: ?????

Y/N sent: you do know you're just making yourself sound more and more like some kind of criminal, right??

lafayette sent: goodnight, cherie

lafayette sent: i am sorry to leave you with your boring evening

Y/N sent: ur loss

lafayette sent: i cannot disagree

lafayette sent: dream of me ;)

Despite how clichéd the line was, you could, by then, feel your cheeks burning as you rolled your bottom lip between your teeth. You should've turned off the phone right then; he was done texting you, and it'd saved you a world of trouble, but your fixation on reading and re-reading the messages was your downfall.

"Who have you been texting?"

You jumped at the voice from the entrance to the kitchen, pulse spiking. There stood Maria, a skeptical eyebrow raised with an empty wine glass. You forced a smile, shrugged as she neared you, holding the phone up to your chest.

"No one. Just a friend."

She hummed in understanding as she walked around to your other side, reaching for the bag of Takis you could only assume Eliza had sent her to grab. "Seemed like you were having quite a reaction to texting 'just a friend.'"

She gave you a knowing smile that you couldn't help but return, despite rolling your eyes when she wiggled her eyebrows at you. "Don't worry about it. It's no one."

However, with how self-conscious and consumed in your own thoughts you were, you didn't notice her peering over your shoulder when you went to turn off your phone screen.

"Lafayette?!" Her whisper-shout directly in your ear had you flinching away, taking a step back when she reached for your phone. "You've been texting Lafayette all evening?"

If you'd felt embarrassed just reading his texts, by then, your skin was burning. Maria looked well-beyond intrigued, and you pursed your lips to hide your smile. "It's not like that. Let's go finish the movie."

You tucked your phone into your back pocket, turning to go with her back to your living room, but as deftly as you should've expected from her, she swiped your phone from your jeans, turning away to snoop through your messages before you could even begin to react.

"Maria!" you scowled, whirling around to find her wearing a mischievous grin.

"Now, what exactly is on here that you don't want me looking through?" She glanced back over her shoulder at you, her gaze teasing as she went and unlocked your phone. You would never have imagined this would be why you came to regret giving her your passcode.

"Give me my phone," you groaned, following her back toward the counter, your anxiety spiking alongside your fatigue. You were too tired to earnestly give chase. "It's just logistical stuff for class. It's not what you're thinking."

"Mhm." Her skeptical tone told you all you needed to know.

You buried your face in your hands when she turned back to you with wide eyes. "Y/N. Are you fucking serious?"

"What?"

"Why haven't you fucked Lafayette yet?"

"What?" You looked at her in shocked disbelief, brow furrowed. She only looked at you expectantly, apparently still looking for an answer, and you scowled. "Give me my phone back. C'mon."

"Listen, I'm the one who's had to listen to you two flirting every day after class; I think I'm allowed to have an opinion in this by now." Apparently, she was ignoring your pleas for her to leave your sex life alone for the evening.

"We have not been flirting. Don't be dramatic."

"He started a conversation with, 'you up?' That's how people start booty calls, okay? There is nothing platonic about this."

You rolled your eyes, reaching over to snatch your phone from her hands, and this time, she put up little resistance, if any. "That's just how he is. It's not personal. Have you seen the way he talks to every other woman in our class?"

She folded her arms, pinning you with a skeptical stare. "I can promise you he isn't texting the rest of the women in our class at 11 PM on a Friday looking for an invite to their place."

"That's out of context!" you argued, but she didn't seem convinced. "Can we just go back to the movie? Please?"

For a moment, neither of you said anything, and she pursed her lips. "Fine." She brushed past you as she unrolled the bag of Takis, throwing you one last sly grin over her shoulder. "But don't think you're off the hook, L/N. This is far from over."

"Duly noted." Your dead stare didn't discourage how smug she looked as you walked together back into your living room. You couldn't help but think that her snooping into your sex life was mildly hypocritical as you eyed how touchy she and Angelica had become in just a few short hours, but you decided to put it out of your mind. The movie only had about an hour left, anyway.

You pulled out your phone to check the time as Eliza leaned over to you on the couch. "What was all that about? We could hear you and Maria from here."

"Don't worry about it," you murmured, glancing down at your phone screen. The time read 11:24 PM, but when you went to power it off, a notification caught your eye.

lafayette sent: i know i'll be dreaming of you

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monicalorandavis · 5 years

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The definitive list of sexy, ugly dudes

I ain’t got no type, ugly motherfuckers is the only thing that I like. Some of y’all are patting yourselves on the back for supporting the dad bod. I double down. I am here for the weirdos, the creeps, the fat ones and the like. If you don’t quit playing with these pretty boys who don’t know where a clitoris is already, you’re just hurting yourself, sweetie. Here is the official list of the sexiest ugly dudes, living and dead.

1. James Gandolfini. The fucking GOAT. I want a Gandolfini in the streets and a Tony in the sheets.

2. Steve Buscemi. Yes, he’s got huge, watery bug eyes that are always seemingly reddened from stress, or maybe allergies? Doesn’t matter. Steve Buscemi has a certain je ne sais quoi that leaves me shivering in me timber(land)s.

3. Paul Giamatti. Ever since Sideways I knew that Giamatti had that special self-loathing gift of gab that is simply irresistible.

4. Philip Seymour Hoffman. RIP, big dude. You were a fucking maestro in the art of acting. Scary, unhinged, impulsive, emotional - a tour de force in sexual energy.

5. Anthony Bourdain. Also dead. I’m suspecting a theme here. Do I want to be dead?? I don’t think so...

6. Rhys Ifans. Not a household name. But you know his face. He’s Hugh Grant’s insane, unemployed, lurching roommate in Notting Hill. Sweet, honest, funny and principled. What he lacks in good hygiene he makes up for in heart.

7. Adam Driver. This one is so obvious it’s dumb to include it. Have you seen him shirtless? Good grief.

8. Pete Davidson. I even wrote a whole goddamn sketch about it because the man’s sexual magnetism is off the charts. He’s bagging the baddest ladies in the world so casually that it feels like there’s no one he can’t holler at.

youtube

9. Tim Roth. There is nothing quite like an Englishman who is so disinterested that it comes across hostile. It’s rude, it’s self-important, it’s hot.

10. Robert De Niro. He’s maybe 85 (??? I’m not fact-checking so...) and can get it any day of the week. Best part of all, he probably doesn’t even want it!

11. Peter Dinklage. Tyrion Lannister was such an OG that he didn’t need the famous name to woo the finest of maidens. I’m not one but he can woo me any time he feels so inclined.

12. Billy Bob Thornton. Damn, just writing his name gives me goosebumps. The thought of his beady, judgemental eyes stirs my mind up with lurid thoughts.

13. Daniel Day Lewis. Is he ugly? Is he handsome? I don’t know anymore. His nose is crooked and he seems weird as fuck so you know I’m on board. He can get lost in the character study that is my bosom. Knowing him, he’ll probably refuse because it’s “too easy”. He isn’t wrong!

14. Tommy Lee Jones. Can’t forget this raspy devil. He’s old and gritty and we haven’t seen him in a while but something tells me he’s doing chin-ups in a garage as we speak.

15. John Malkovich. The creepiest man I’ve ever seen is also...the sexiest? I don’t write the rules, guys. I’m just a hot-blooded, American woman with a thing for men with emotional problems. Sue me!

Good looks are so overrated. Don’t @ me.

#sexy ugly #hot ugly #adam driver #steve buscemi #john malkovich

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d-criss-news · 5 years

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If you watched the Golden Globes, you witnessed Darren Criss hitting a major career milestone when he won Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film, beating out big names like Hugh Grant and Benedict Cumberbatch. However, before taking on his now award-winning role in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” Criss had an impressive career that expands well beyond this major win.

In addition to starring in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” on Broadway, many know him for his Blaine Anderson character on “Glee.” Playing the role of a lead vocalist jumpstarted his real-life musical career, eventually debuting his own Indie Pop band Computer Games in 2017.

But Criss’s success doesn’t stop there. Just last month, he partnered with Clorox on their What Comes Next Project, an initiative that spotlights young “changemakers” leading cleaning-driven projects in their local communities. Being an activist himself, Criss’s involvement with the project showcases his passion for supporting young leaders looking to make a difference.

In other words, what doesn't Darren Criss do?

In an effort to understand what makes him tick, we asked Criss what helps him unwind—because we all know that is crucial to success (and sanity). See below for our chat with the actor-meets-songwriter-meets-activist.

Set The Scene

Your perfect homebody scene in 5 words: Piano, time, scotch, guitar, repeat.

Are you alone or with someone else? I’m with someone else. My fiancée is with me, or if I’m doing music, it would be nice to have a fellow musician there.

Night-in uniform: Same as everybody else: really nice slippers, your best sweat pants, and like a comfy, new cotton shirt that hasn’t been washed too many times so it’s got that new kind of cozy on it.

What two people, dead or alive, would you let crash your night? Howard Ashman is my number one who I’d love to chat with, then Paul McCartney. They’re my two favorite song writers.

Now playing

TV or a movie? Let’s say a movie.

What are you watching? It would be a movie that I was dying to see for forever. We all have that movie when people mention it and you silently don’t say anything because you know you haven’t seen it.

eBooks or the real deal? Real deal, 100 percent. There’s no battery life to my book.

Currently reading? The time that most people spend reading books, I’m practicing languages. I’m really big into vocabulary and conjugation books because I like practicing languages—it’s one of my favorite hobbies.

Silence or music? Music. If I’m playing it, I’m working on new stuff. If I’m not playing it, it’s usually Miles or Coltrane.

Board games, yay or nay? 100 percent yay. I f*cking love board games. There’s a game called One Night Ultimate Werewolf. It’s really popular in my group of friends and that’s something you can bring around everywhere we go. Also honestly, I’m a huge chess fan. I love it.

What’s cooking

Order in or cook for yourself? Definitely ordering in.

What are you eating? In New York? Usually it’s something from Westville.

What’s for dessert? Something with a lot of dark chocolate.

What drink are you pouring? With a nice chocolate, the thing I would do is a nice glass of port.

Late night snack? You’re really getting a glimpse into my health and lifestyle here. I would go for a low glycemic snack, like nuts, trail mix, or bananas. Something that’s not going to be too rough on your digestive system.

Take care

Do you have a self-care ritual? Oh my God, so many. Skincare in general is something my mom instilled in me as a young kid. I’m a big believer in essential oils! Shout out to The Motley; they have a revitalizing face oil to use at night called Buckler’s.

Candles, yay or nay? Super yay! I’m saying The Motley again, but they have a lot of soy wax candles that are really incredible. Like the tobacco or campfire smells that gives off warmth.

Face masks, yay or nay? 100 percent yay. One of my favorite brands is Urth, and they have a mask that’s really, really great. It’s like my own self-spa day, you know? I take a hot bath or a steam shower, I put that sh*t on, and look like a crazy person and nobody has to see it.

Bubble bath, yay or nay? F*ck yeah. I’m a really big fan of Epsom salt baths.

Chores, yay or nay? It depends on what the chore is. KonMari and the phenomenon of sparking joy, I’ve always gravitated toward that. And truly, the most valuable thing in my life that I chase is time, and I have very little of it. But having the chance to clean that office, to me, would give me so much joy.

Ideal bedtime? There’s no ideal sleep time. For me, I will only go to sleep in increments of 90 minutes. I’d rather have an hour and half of sleep than two, or two and a half. So it’s an hour and a half, three hours, four and a half, six, or seven and a half. And if you’re really, really lucky and had a crazy night, nine.

#darren criss #apartmenttheraphy.com #press #jan 2019

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joealwyndaily · 6 years

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Interview with British GQ (November 2018)

Joe Alwyn’s dream scenario was that just maybe after drama school he’d land a small theatre role at the Young Vic, or at best The Old Vic. Yet before he finished the course, and only a few weeks after getting an agent, he got the chance to audition for the lead role in Ang Lee’s latest film, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, about a heroic US marine reliving past trauma in Iraq. His co-stars were Kristen Stewart, Vin Diesel and Steve Martin. Before his audition tape was seen, he got a call: Lee would instead like to meet him in New York. It was the first time Alwyn had even been to America. “I literally left school and they put me on a plane.”

He wore every possible layer of clothing – partly due to the cold (it was snowing) and partly to bulk up his skinny frame to look more like a marine. It didn’t quite work: at the end of the audition they asked to see him in just his T-shirt. “You know, I was, like, skinny, long-haired, British...”

Yet two nights in the States turned into ten days. He flew to Atlanta to audition on set – the first he’d ever set foot on – and spent his 24th birthday there. They got him a cake, then Lee gave him the part. “It was... definitely unusual.”

Perhaps just as ridiculous, for the now 27-year-old, is that since Billy Lynn in 2016, Alwyn has appeared in five major films, four of which are out in the next few months. Oh, and did we mention he’s the current Mr Taylor Swift?

Not long after Billy Lynn and his role alongside Jim Broadbent and Emily Mortimer in The Sense Of An Ending, he landed The Favourite, a costume drama from the surrealist director of The Lobster, in which he says lines such as, “I should have you stripped and whipped!” to Emma Stone (Stone: “I’m waiting”). Then he plays Queen Elizabeth I’s lover in Mary Queen Of Scots – the Queen is played by Margot Robbie – written by the creator of Netflix’s House Of Cards. Next is Boy Erased with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe playing a couple who send their son to gay conversion therapy (“Something I didn’t know a lot about and you have Mike Pence believing those insane, crazy places”) and in which Alwyn plays the son’s friend. Then Operation Finale, as the son of Sir Ben Kingsley’s Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi who masterminded the Holocaust.

All of which isn’t bad for someone whose sole acting experience before Billy Lynn was, as a child, auditioning for the part of Liam Neeson’s son in Love Actually (“I remember reading some scenes with Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis”).

Working with Kingsley, he says, was a particularly interesting experience, in that he didn’t speak to him.

“I’ve never been on set with someone who didn’t make contact with anyone else and just wanted to stay in their own mental headspace and in their own zone. It was interesting to watch... and also slightly intimidating. But it suited the film. Eichmann’s son loves him but is fearful of him, so it played into that.”

Google Alwyn’s name and you’ll fall into a Taylor Swift-shaped internet vortex, with fan theories rivalling the complexity of Roswell and QAnon picking the relationship apart. The most accepted theories floating around in the Swiftverse being: they first met at the 2016 Met Gala (fans think the track “Dress”, referring to “your buzzed cut” hair, is about his solider-short trim at the time); Emma Stone later set them up; that last year’s “Ready For It” video refers to their years of birth (the “89” and “91” spray-painted on a wall at the start); and that from her “Delicate” video earlier this year, she spells out “Joe” via dancing.

So, for the sake of internet fansites, some fresh meat: his favourite TV show (“The Bridge, but not all-time favourite”); film (“On The Waterfront... or Boogie Nights. I like Paul Thomas Anderson a lot”); and music (“I like rap music. Lykke Li I like a lot”). At school he was sporty – tennis, athletics, football, rugby – loving the latter until he ripped his shoulder muscles (“They never recovered”). He used to support Chelsea, but “I don’t care much about football any more. I’ve gone off it.”

Most telling is his choice of actor – he loves Mark Rylance and Marlon Brando, but his favourite is Ben Whishaw, who, at 37, is only ten years his senior.

“I think it’s tied to the fact I saw him on stage when he was just out of Rada,” he says. “I remember seeing him be Hamlet – I was 14 and thought, ‘I want to do that...’”

Talking of his much-noted private life, he says, “Someone’s private life is, by definition, private. No one is obliged to share their personal life”, which, of course, is fair enough.

But what, I ask, of the dual Instagram shots – on both his and Swift’s accounts of the same desert cactus at the same time? Wasn’t that sending a message?

“No. I didn’t even think of that until I was in New York and someone else mentioned it.” So it wasn’t on purpose? “No, no! It wasn’t purposeful at all!”

The Swift-centred gossip sites will tell you Alwyn still lives at home, with his parents in Tufnell Park, North London. This, he says, is no longer the case (“I mean, I still go there”). But when I ask if this means he has his own place, he demurs, simply saying his parents’ house is “not his base”. Swift, according to reports, has rented a house in the area. Does he still live in North London? “I mean, obviously I’m not going to say exactly where, but yeah.”

The attention has led, naturally, to tabloid scrutiny, with a former classmate describing Alwyn to the Daily Mail as “a quintessential panty-dropper”. What did he think when he read that?

He smiles wanly. “All I will say is that he called me after that, apologising, not realised he’d been tricked by the tabloids.”

Before I depart, I ask a final question. Favourite Swift song?

He laughs. “I’m just not even going to go into that side of the world.” That night, they’ll be snapped hand in hand on a date – fair to say, he already is.

#joe alwyn #interview #british gq

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denimbex1986 · 3 months

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'Cillian Murphy has won the leading actor Bafta for the biopic Oppenheimer.

Accepting the trophy he said: "Oh boy, holy moly, thank you very, very much Bafta."

He paid tribute to "the most dynamic, kindest producer-director partnership in Hollywood: Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, thank you for seeing something in me that I probably didn't see in myself."

The Cork native said to Nolan: "Thank for always pushing me and demanding excellence because that is what you deliver time and time again."

He also acknowledged his "fellow nominees and my Oppenhomies", adding: "I know it's a cliche to say, but I'm in awe of you."

He said J Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, was a "colossally knotty character", adding: "We have a space to debate and interrogate and investigate that complexity and it's a privilege to be a part of this community with you all."

Christopher Nolan won the best director Bafta for Oppenheimer, his epic tale of how the nuclear bomb was created.

Before accepting the award from actor Hugh Grant, Nolan hugged his Irish star Murphy.

Nolan joked that his brother "beat him up here" by being in a chorus of a production 40 years ago.

He paid tribute to Murphy and added to those who backed the film: "Thank you for taking on something dark".

The director also acknowledged the efforts of nuclear disarmament organisations to bring peace.

Oppenheimer was also named best film at the ceremony, The award was presented by actor Michael J Fox, who was greeted with a standing ovation as he came on stage in a wheelchair but stood at the podium.

Collecting the prize, producer Emma Thomas said: "This is not at all what I imagined when I was sitting at UCL film society with Chris dreaming about making films for a living."

Paying tribute to her husband, the film's director Christopher Nolan, Thomas said: "He is inspired and inspiring, he is brilliant, often infuriating, he is always right.

She also gave a shout-out to their 16-year-old son Magnus, who she said was "looking at me with daggers in his eyes", adding: "Your dad and I are the luckiest people in the world but our greatest fortune is being parents to you, Flora, Oliver and Rory."

Murphy’s co-star Robert Downey Jr won the best supporting actor prize for his role as Lewis Strauss, head of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Collecting the trophy, the Iron Man star paid tribute to Nolan, saying: “Recently that dude suggested I attempt an understated approach as a last ditch effort to resurrect my dwindling credibility.”

He said he owes the award to Nolan, producer Emma Thomas and star Cillian Murphy, as well as “British influence”.

Oppenheimer also won the Baftas for best cinematography and editing.

Murphy faced competition from fellow Irish man Barry Keoghan, who took on the role of a student at Oxford in high-society thriller Saltburn, and Canadian actor Ryan Gosling for blockbuster success Barbie.

Paul Mescal was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his turn in All of Us Strangers where he starred alongside Andrew Scott...'

#Cillian Murphy #Robert Downey Jr.#Christopher Nolan #Emma Thomas #Oppenheimer #BAFTAs #All of Us Strangers #Paul Mescal #Andrew Scott #Saltburn #Barbie #Lewis Strauss #Michael J. Fox

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adamwatchesmovies · 2 years

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American Dreamz (2006)

I came into American Dreamz with low expectations. While I was more pleasantly surprised than not, this film aims at too many targets and sabotages its satirical point in the process. It’s good. It could have been great.

The film follows four characters: Newly re-elected U.S. President Joseph Staton (Dennis Quaid), who suddenly decides to start reading the newspaper and care about what other countries think about America; Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant) the bitter, cynical, and self-loathing host of American Dreamz, a weekly television show not unlike American Idol; Omer Obeidi (Sam Golzari) a would-be terrorist who accidentally ends up competing on American Dreamz; and Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore) a scheming young woman sees the show as a gateway to fame and money.

Something needed to be cut from this film. I would've chosen the subplot about the US President suddenly realizing that he’s been a buffoon his entire career. While topical in 2006, it doesn’t contribute to the story. The bulk of American Dreamz centers around the titular show. What ties the President to the singing competition? Only his appearance as a guest judge during the final round. That could have been achieved without any subplots and would've done two things. First, it would have given us more time with the film’s most interesting characters, Omer and Sally. Secondly, it would have trimmed the 107-minute running time. I get what the goal was, but it belongs in a different movie.

American Dreamz is at its best when it focuses on Sally and Omer. The two different characters balance each other well. Omer’s story is ludicrous. He’s accidentally selected to compete in the most American competition there is and if he wins, he’ll be charged by his terrorist brethren to blow himself up on live TV, killing the president in the process. You might have mixed feelings about him if he wasn't being coerced into the assassination plot or if he was the least bit frightening. He’s humble and only wants to sing his favorite musical numbers without fear of persecution. There’s something funny about a grown man being bullied into competing in American Idol. On the other side, there’s Sally. She’s not up to anything criminal, but she might as well be. She’ll stab anyone in the back to get to the top, which makes for some darkly funny moments with her boyfriend, a moron named William Williams (Chris Klein).

The picture’s uneven. The stuff with the President is disposable and the ending is a misfire. It's like it was hastily re-written to leave you feeling differently than was originally intended. Considering how much disdain writer-director Paul Weitz seems to have for the American Idol-style competition and the people associated with it, I wouldn't be surprised if the "happy" conclusion was mandated by a focus group-obsessed studio. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it more than I didn’t. I did laugh and the moments where it satirizes the show are on-point. I'll give American Dreamz a mild recommendation. (Full-screen version on DVD, March 9, 2016)

#AmericanDreamz #movies #films #MovieReviews #FilmReviews #PaulWeitz #HughGrant #DennisQuaid #MandyMoore #MarciaGayHarden #ChrisKlein #JenniferCoolidge #willem dafoe #2006movies #2006films

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aadics · 6 years

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★. 73 ( & MORE ! ) QUESTIONS WITH ADELINA MONJE:

BELOW ARE ##150 COMPLETED QUEENS THAT ARE BASED ON THE CHARACTER, ADELINA HERSELF. TOLD FROM A THIRD PERSON PERSPECTIVE, LEARN OF HER DISTINCT DETAILS, INNER WORKINGS & HOW SHE HAS COME TO BE.

1. if they were a candle, what scent would they be ? april showers. 2. what female celebrity do they wish was their sister ? mandy moore or reese witherspoon. 3. what male celebrity do they wish was their brother ? young hugh grant. 4. how old do they think they’ll be when they get married ? very young & she’ll learn. 5. how many countries have they been to ? zero. 6. what would they name their daughter if they had one ? billie or lucy. 7. what would they name their son if they had one ? elton, short being ellie or timothy, short being timmy. 8. what was their favorite tv show as a child ? between the lions. 9. what language, besides their native language, would they like to be fluent in ? french. 10. would they ever change their name ? if so, to what ? no, she actually appreciates her name as it was her father’s mother’s name & it’s the closest thing she has to her. 11. what was the last compliment they got ? you’re very pretty. 12. what is their favorite flavor of tea ? rosebud. 13. how did they find out that santa and the easter bunny weren’t real ? when she saw “santa” from one of the local stores changing out of his costume in an alley & removing his adhesive beard at the age of six. 14. what is their hogwarts house ? (recommended: take pottermore quiz) hufflepuff. 15. what tarot card are they ? (recommended: take this quiz) judgement card. 16. are they more of a marvel or dc fan ? she doesn’t really watch or read either, but marvel ? 17. who is their favorite superhero ? women. 18. everyone has a song that deeply reminds them of their childhood. what is theirs ? como la flor, selena quintallina. 19. what are the meanings of their first, middle, and last name ? adelina means noble & monje means monk. 20. have they ever stolen a street sign before ? definitely not. 21. what is their biggest pet peeve ? unmade beds. 22. if they were a month, what month would they be ? april. 23. what is their least favorite movie ? she can’t really say, as she hasn’t watched a movie she’s disliked. 24. what five movies would they bring with them if they were stuck on a deserted island ? that night, a walk to remember, breakfast at tiffanys, sound of music, & waitress. 25. out of all of the late night talk show hosts, who is their favorite ? she’s not an avid television watcher. 26. what are three things they are afraid of ? being forgotten, never fulfilling her dreams & running over something in the road & thinking it might have a kitten in it. 27. what was the first concert they went to ? never been. 28. is there a nickname that only their family calls them ? adie kind of originated from her father & hasn’t stopped since. 29. what side of the bed do they sleep on ? usually the middle, but it always shifts throughout the night. 30. what is their favorite comfort food ? mantecados. 31. what award shows do they watch ? the tonys. 32. do they have any weird body skills (example: being double jointed) ? she can raise each of her eyebrows one at a time. 33. if they drink coffee, what is their coffee order ? absolutely not. 34. what social media platforms do they have ? instagram & snapchat. 35. are they a cat or dog person ? both. 36. if they were a supernatural creature, what would they be ? an angel. 37. what show are they currently watching on netflix/hulu ? gilmore girls. 38. what is their favorite disney movie ? sleeping beauty. 39. do they wear any perfume or cologne ? perfume at her wrists & neck. 40. what genres of music do they listen to ? forties, fifties & sixties. 41. have they ever seen the bee movie ? yes. 42. what are their favorite memes ? older vines, maybe the guacamole video. 43. what celebrities do they share a birthday with ? her birthday is july eighteenth, so it appears vin diesel, nelson mandela & wendy williams to name a few. 44. what is their moon (zodiac) sign ? virgo. 45. which of the seven cardinal sins do they embody the most ? envy. 46. do they watch sports on television ? if so what ones ? occasionally baseball, the la dodgers were her father’s favorite. 47. what do they put on their typical sandwich ? usually it’s a grilled cheese & just the cheese. 48. what was the name of their first significant other ? michael. 49. do they care if people think badly of them ? immensely. 50. what was the last thing that made them cry ? just about anything, she’s an easy crier. probably just the sunset, or a duck. 51. are they an iphone or samsung user ? iphone 5. 52. what type of computer do they use (example: apple) ? she doesn’t have one. 53. what is one of their nervous habits ? twirling her hair. 54. out of all reality shows, which one would they have a chance winning ? wheel of fortune. 55. would they ever go bungee jumping or skydiving ? not at all. 56. what do they call their grandparents ? she never knew them. 57. what do they do when they can’t sleep ? read a book, or drink tea. 58. what time do they normally go to bed ? depends. 59. if they have instagram, what was the last picture that they posted ? probably a picture of clara. 60. if they have twittter, what was the last thing that they tweeted ? she does not. 61. who is their otp ? frenchy & doody, from grease or allie & noah, from the notebook. 62. do they like sweet, salty, or sour ? sweet. 63. did they play any sports in the past ? she only really went to the bating cages with her father, or bowling. nothing competitive, like teams & such. 64. what is their favorite cheesy pick up line ? do you have a band-aid ? because i just scraped my knee falling for you. 65. what tv show or movie is their guilty pleasure ? grease. 66. if they were a fruit, what fruit would they be ? strawberry 67. do they sing in the shower ? a full performance. 68. what is their favorite type of chips ? more of a pretzels kind of girl. 69. do they drink juice ? if so, what is their favorite kind ? fresh squeezed orange, or grapefruit juice. 70. what is more important to them: power, money, friends, family, love, or fame ? love. 71. what does their handwriting look like ? (x.) 72. do they have reoccurring dreams ? if not, what is their most memorable dream ? often with her father, mostly nightmares come to mind. however, she does daydream often of many, many things. 73. if they were a taste, what would it be ? sweet. 74. what is one random fun fact about them ? she has performed the scene from sound of music, sixteen going on seventeen & is devoted to being both parts equally. 75. what is their lucky number ? 14. 76. do they have any pets ? homeless cats when she can without being caught, warmed milk & tucked underneath her blanket with her. 77. do they believe in the paranormal or the supernatural ? to an extent. 78. have they ever had any paranormal experiences ? a few when her father passed, mostly soothing one’s. 79. can they sing or dance ? although she’s come quite far with both, she can’t carry a tune or dance elegantly. 80. who is the first person they call/text when something exciting happens ? her group chat of lola & amy. 81. what is their social media handle ? just her name. 82. what swear word do they use/like the most ? shit has to be her most vulgar. 83. what is their ideal first date ? a ride in the countryside & a picnic on a hill, stargazing in the evening. 84. if they were a type of weather, what would they be ? not a cloud in the sky, or summer showers. it changes. 85. what is their least favorite holiday ? can’t imagine such a thing. 86. what is the first thing that they do in the morning ? write. 87. who is their ultimate celebrity crush ? paul anka. 88. do they usually pay with cash or card ? cash. 89. what was the last thing that they bought ? a glass soda & pretzels at a side of the road store. 90. are they a good or bad driver ? decent. 91. if they could meet one person (from history or currently alive), who would it be ? selena quintanilla. 92. have they ever gotten into a physical fight ? not a single one, she has broken up many in her time. 93. do they prefer pepsi or coke ? coca cola. 94. do they prefer the city or the suburbs ? she’s only really known small towns, she sure would love a trip to the city though. 95. do they have any special or odd talents ? she can write backwards, as much as she can forwards. 96. when they were little, what did they want to be when they grew up ? a teacher. 97. do they have any favorite smells ? probably a simple vanilla, or lavender. the smell of baking cookies, too. 98. if they could visit any place in the world, where would they go ? the coastline of france. 99. do they wear jewelry ? she has worn a heart locket ever since it was given by her father, with a cross on the same string. it has a picture of her & her father in it, or so she tells. it’s simply the one that came with it, when he bought it from a pawn shop. besides that, scrunchies on her wrists count, right ? 100. who is the last person they talked to on the phone ? no one really, because all her friends are here with her. if it was before camp, jackson. 101. do they prefer ‘would you rather’ or ‘truth or dare’ ? she tries to be missing in action for either, but has fallen to a few rounds of spin the bottle. 102. what has been their favorite halloween costume yet ? she’s only been audrey hepburn, recreating her looks from scenes in her films. so, all of them. except, when she was four she was a nun like julie andrew’s character, maria in sound of music. 103. do they like horror movies ? not particularly, not much can be said from underneath a blanket. 104. what is their typical breakfast like ? waffles & fruit, or oatmeal: peaches & cream. fresh squeezed juice. 105. are they a netflix or hulu person ? netflix. 106. do they like to gossip ? hardly. 107. if they were a song, what one would they be ? he loves & she loves from the film, funny face, audrey hepburn & fred astaire. 108. what was their best subject in school ? english. 109. what was their worst subject in school ? probably gym, because she wasn’t learning anything & she was always last picked in everything for her height. 110. have they ever met anyone famous ? no. 111. who was their childhood hero ? julie andrews. 112. were any tv shows or movies that they weren’t allowed to watch as a child ? anything above pg. 113. what is the strangest thing they have ever eaten ? french fries dipped in a chocolate shake & she liked it. 114. do they prefer friends or family ? friends who are her family & clara, of course. 115. how do they feel about pineapple on pizza ? no way, she’s not a huge pizza fan to begin with. 116. do they put the milk or cereal in the bowl first ? cereal, then milk. 117. how do they think dogs would wear pants ? with the front of the pants on their stomach, not back. 118. do they believe in luck or fate ? fate. 119. do they use emojis when they text ? a little too much. 120. who was their favorite character on friends ? she’s never seen it. 121. what character on friends are they most like ? i’d say . . . rachel or monica. 122. would they rather read the books or watch the movies ? both. 123. what is their favorite time of day ? high noon. 124. did they watch the teletubbies as a child ? if so, who was their favorite ? no. 125. do they check the rating (like a rotten tomatoes rating) of a movie before they go and see one ? no, her town only has a theatre that plays older movies so she’s never really seen a new film in theatres before. 126. do they have any favorite old hollywood movie stars ? audrey hepburn & james dean. 127. if they had to live in any other decade, which would they choose ? the fifties for just a moment, to witness paul anka & for the fashion. maybe the fifties in france, too. 128. if they could only listen to five music albums for the rest of their life, which ones would they choose ? dulce amor by selena y los dinos, velvet mood by billie holiday, grease soundtrack by the grease cast, cheek to cheek: the complete duet recordings by ella fitzgerald & louis armstrong, songs for swingin’ lovers by frank sinatra 129. do they believe in heaven/hell or reincarnation ? she believes in some sort of heaven. 130. do they like chewing gum ? depends if she needs her breath to smell very nice, other than that it’s not a natural habit. 131. do they like to go see musicals or plays ? yes, of course. 132. were they apart of any clubs or teams in high school or college ? newspaper, old hollywood & student government in high school & now, she is focusing on just her classes. 133. what was their high school superlative ? most likely to make it out of this town. 134. are they good at cooking or baking ? baking, it’s a stress reliever she’s found. that & photography. 135. could they beat bobby flay ? well, she has worked in a diner her whole life so she has experience. she’d probably get caught up in complimenting him. 136. do they watch actual television ? if so, what channels do they watch ? very little, if she does it’s lifetime or telemundo, maybe food network. 137. have they ever seen rupaul’s drag race ? yes, very little. she doesn’t watch television very much. 138. do they prefer pink or yellow lemonade ? yellow lemonade. 139. could they lip sync for their life ? without a doubt. 140. is their room messy or clean ? clean, so clean. 141. if they were a body part, which one would they be ? fingers, because she enjoys tracing things throughout the day. 142. if they were an emotion, what would they be ? joy. 143. if they were a planet, which one would they be ? neptune. 144. how would they describe their clothing style ? denim, denim, denim & floral. thrifted articles of clothing. 145. do they shower in the morning or at night ? depends, but mostly morning. 146. do they order regular fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, or tater tots ? regular fries. 147. do they normally wear socks ? frill socks. 148. do they fear natural disasters ? as much as the next person. 149. can they ice/roller skate ? barely, though she loves a date to a roller rink. 150. are they good at video games ? if wii bowling counts.

#stillwater:task3 #- ̗̀ ★ ∙ 𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒋𝒆 : musings.

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