#zac efron novel

[aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman]

The reason I hate Taylor Swift (other than her musical mediocrity and the cancerous way she’s used as a mass media psyop) is because literally ALL her songs are about men.

Like how is that feminist/ empowering basing every single crappy song on some guy you fucked for like 2 months several years ago?? Ok we get it Jake gyllenhal is a fuckboi but why are songs about this winning Grammys??

The whole point of feminism was to establish that women think and care about things OTHER than men and dating. Tyler swift just set us back 5000 years. Where is our modern Kate Bush who sings about Russian fairy tales and English gothic romance novels instead of about being ghosted by Zac Efron or being called ugly once in high school bc you wore glasses?? I’m done with this basic hoe.

[bedoballoons]

Genshin Men Headcanons:

~What song they would sing to you~

(Includes: Diluc, Bennett, Thoma, Zhongli, Albedo, Itto, Gorou, Tighnari, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Baizhu, Xiao, Kazuha, Venti, Heizou, Wanderer, Kaeya, Chongyun, Mika, Ayato, Childe, Xingqiu, Cyno, and Razor!)

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Diluc:

♪~Ghost Town: By Benson Boone~♪

He'd try any way to get out of singing to you, it's not that he's embarrassed, he's just scared you'll end up not liking what you're hearing. He sounds amazing though and each lyric is sung with so much soul...

Bennett:

♪~Walking On Sunshine: By Katrina and The Waves~♪

He walks up to the mic and just let's loose singing happily, dancing around without a care in the world...till he gets wrapped up in the wire and falls off the stage, the thought was sweet though! His singing wasn't horrible either!

Thoma:

♪~Dont Stop Believing: By Journey~♪

He is extremely red in the face, the entire time before singing saying that he's going to sound terrible...but as soon as he you realize that's not even close to true. He sounds perfect and he adds extra emphasis to the chorus.

Zhongli:

♪~Hallelujah: By Leonard Cohen~♪

When he sings it's like you can see the story playing out in front of you, it makes you wonder if he experienced anything like it. He sounds wonderful, his voice slightly lower than normal and it made your heart beat faster.

Albedo:

♪~Rewrite The Stars: Sung By Zac Efron and Zendaya~♪

He sings the song a bit slower than the original almost like a acoustic version and he's slightly awkward, but he sounds good. Through out the entire song his eyes are on you and at the end he thanks you for giving him the courage to try.

Itto:

♪~Thats What Makes You Beautiful: By One direction~♪

He goes all out, screaming the chorus loudly and putting a hand on his heart as the song comes to a close. He doesn't sound...the best, but he's so funny and cheerful that it doesn't matter.

Gorou:

♪~Just The Way You Are: By Bruno Mars~♪

He's so shy when it starts that he messes up the words, but after you give him a reassuring smile he forgets his stage fright and sings the best he can, he doesn't sound bad either! In fact he does really well and gestures to you whenever he gets to the chorus, making you blush heavily.

Tighnari:

♪~Time Bomb: By Zach Gordon~♪

He teased you till you'd sing, now it was his turn and he wasn't happy about it, everything sounded to loud, he already had a headache from the horrid singers before the two of you. However...he sang really well and it was like he had a special connection to the song. It made your heart flutter.

Alhaitham:

He refuses to sing, claiming there's no point in it other than for entertainment and reading a novel would give the same effect. He did say he that if he were to sing it wouldn't be anything sappy or romantic, most likely something classical and short.

Kaveh:

♪~Uptown Girl: By Billy Joel~♪

He's a absolute blast, his singing isn't perfect but he puts so much effort into the song and into his dance moves. By the end he's completely out of breath and your stomach hurts from laughing, your face is red with a blush.

Baizhu:

♪~Leaving On A Jet Plane: By John Denver~♪

He sings so softly, taking deep breaths between most of the lyrics and you can't help but worry about his song choice. He had soul...and he would sound good if there wasn't so many pauses...was he really going to be okay?

Xiao:

♪~Perfect For Me: Sung By Justin Timberlake~♪

At first he said he wouldn't take part in such a mortal activity, but eventually with enough convincing and promised almond tofu, he eventually agreed. You were in pure shock...he sounded amazing and despite the song being a sad one...he somehow sang it like a love song.

Kazuha:

♪~I Will Follow You Into The Dark: By Death Cab For Cutie~♪

His voice is very gentle and he sings so slowly, you could fall asleep to it, not to mention how good he actually sounds. Poetry and the art of sword fighting are just some of the many things he's amazing at.

Venti:

♪~Tale As Old As Time: Celine Dion~♪

Not only did he play his lyre but he sang so wonderfully, it was right out of a story book and you cheered for him when it was over. Little did you know you were his inspiration.

Heizou:

♪~Perfect: By Ed Sheeran~♪

It was a cheesy song choice and he knew that, but it was one of the few he knew all the words to. He sang it pretty well too, even grabbing your hand and dancing with you while he sang.

Wanderer:

♪~Walls: By Louis Tomlinson~♪

He tried every way possible to get out of singing, saying he'd rather eat garbage then sing a song, but in the end he'd been dared and now he had too. He actually put more effort into it then you expected and as he sang...you could tell he was truly feeling the emotions of the song.

Kaeya:

♪~Sexy And I Know It: By LMFAO~♪

You were dying of laughter, your blush redder than a tomato as he sang directly to you the ENTIRE song. Not to mention his dancing...that was questionable. He truly knew how to do a show and he winked at the end...

Chongyun:

♪~Flashlight: By Hailee Steinfeld~♪

He's completely blushed the entire time as he sings the sappiest song you'd ever heard and afterwords he had to eat three popsicles just to calm down...but it was all very cute.

Mika:

♪~Somebody To You: By The Vamps/Demi Lovato~♪

He was so nervous he could barely sing and although the song was one he knew...he messed up every word, he didn't sound very good but the emotion in the song was there!

Ayato:

♪~Thousand Years: By Christina Perri~♪

You were shocked by his song choice at first, but as he slowly sang the whole song you fell absolutely in love with him all over again. He sounded incredible and afterwords the two of you slow danced.

Childe:

♪~What A Man Gotta Do: By The Jonas Brothers~♪

You couldn't help but smile the entire time as he sang, he was enjoying himself and he sounded pretty good! He was also fairly animated, clearly used to entertaining others and it only made the whole situation that much better.

Xingqiu:

♪~Dandelions: By Ruth B~♪

He sang so gracefully, each note hit perfectly on time and in key...it was beautiful, thoughtful. He had a light blush on his face but the entire time he smiled showing his true feelings through music.

Cyno:

♪~All I Want Is You: By Barry Louis Polisar~♪

The song was a little silly, with more puns then you'd usually like, but the way he sang it also made it feel...romantic? Somehow it became a very special song to you both and he hums it sometimes while at work.

Razor:

♪~Count On Me: By Bruno Mars~♪

He's not the best at talking, so singing really isn't his strong suit but he tried very hard and in the end he sounded adorable. He may not have remembered some of the words and he definitely wasn't in key...but he picked the song just for you.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

✿Hope you have a good day!✿

#genshin #genshin impact #genshin fanfic #genshin headcanons #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios #kazuha headcanons #xiao headcanons #xingqiuheadcanons #chongyunheadcanons #venti headcanons #benettheadcanons #heizou headcanons #childe headcanons #zhongli headcanons #albedo headcanons #gorou headcanons #itto headcanons #alhaitham headcanons #kaveh headcanons #baizhu headcanons #kaeya headcanons #diluc headcanons #wanderer headcanons #tighnari headcanons #cyno headcanons #ayato headcanons #thoma headcanons #mikaheadcanons #razorheadcanons

[d999666]

I got tagged by @cerisia76 on this:

Tag 9 people you want to know better

But I don't have anyone to tag! Now that I've been tagged, I'll write it down. (My native language is not English. Grammar or words may be awkward. Please understand.)

3 ships :

Hiccup x Astrid(How to Train Your Dragon/HTTYD)

You don't know how much I love this couple. I was always happy to see this couple from HTTYD 1 to 3, and in the TV show series. In HTTYD 3, they are married and have children. They look great together. I want to draw their fan art someday. (I'm practicing.)

2. D'jok & Tia(Galactik football)

Yes, I know. Tia's love is Rocket.

I like D'jok and Tia's brother-sister relationship. These two people depend on each other. Obviously, these are my favorite characters in Galactik football. The chemistry between these two is crazy.

3. Zuko & Katara(Avatar: The Last Airbender, ATLA)

I'm careful about this couple, because Katara eventually married 'Aang' in the formula. And Zuko married mai. But the tense relationship between the two in the show was interesting.

( I'm supporting any coupling.) It's interesting how Katara forgives zuko, and how zuko makes mistakes and repents. Eventually, get to the fire episode. Katara and zuko became colleagues. At the end, the scene where zuko threw himself for katara to prevent danger is one of the best scenes.

Last song:

Zac Efron, Zendaya - Rewrite The Stars

It's a song I've been listening to over and over again every day these days. I haven't watched this movie, but I liked the OST, so I put it on my playlist.

Last Movie:

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

I didn't watch a movie this year. The last movie I saw in the movie theater last year was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It was my favorite series in the Marvel series, and I don't want to think it's over. The members had great chemistry. I know that even if they went different paths, they would get together whenever there was a space crisis.

Currently reading:

Kurusiya no Hitorigoto(The Apothecary Diaries)

Recently, I am reading a novel called The Apothecary Diaries. I liked this book even before it became famous for its animation. Recently, 13 books came out and I am reading it. (The animation is on Netflix exclusively.)

Currently watching:

Delicious in Dungeon

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Both animations are on Netflix. I was happy that my favorite works would be animated in 2023 and 2024.

Currently drinking:

I drink americano at work to get rid of my drowsiness. Even if it's cold in the winter, I always drink iced coffee. Coldness and caffeine are the best for driving away sleepiness.

Currently craving:

When I was in college, I couldn't afford to buy animation Merchandise because I was busy working part-time. But now that I start making money, I have some leeway in my life.

I know that I enjoy minor genres (minor fandom).

There are only a few Merchandise that are officially sold.

So I thought, 'If you don't have any, let me make one.' I made a necklace with the names of my favorite characters engraved on it.

I put commission to get the illustration I wanted. (I didn't upload.)

Of course, I draw fan art, but I'm not good at drawing.

Recently, I've been looking for photo cards and doll making.

I want more Merchandise.

#HTTYD #ATLA #galactik football #Guardians of the Galaxy #Kurusiya no Hitorigoto #Delicious in Dungeon #Frieren: Beyond Journey's End #Answers to tags #Youtube

[nicklloydnow]

“To begin, a confession of professional negligence: I wasn’t at the now-notorious first Cannes press screening of Lee Daniels’ The Paperboy, where critics booed and bayed for blood with a vigour and volume exceptional even at a festival famed for feisty audience participation. Instead, having overslept and woken with a customary rosé hangover, I dragged myself to the rather more serene and less-attended catchup screening next door, which traditionally starts half an hour later. Perhaps it’s a false memory, but I could swear I recall hearing a general tremor of discontent from outside early into the show.

(…)

There may have been some complicit giggles mixed in amid the furious catcalls, but by that afternoon, the narrative had been set: Daniels’ sultry American-gothic thriller, the follow-up to his acclaimed, Oscar-graced Precious, was a calamity and an offence, a piss-stain on the reputation of its director, its all-star cast, and the highbrow festival that hosted its premiere. Paperboy-related punchlines became the sport of the festival, as critics competed to nail the most damning takedown: “Lee Daniels: worst film-maker of our time, or worst film-maker of all time?” mused the AV Club’s Mike D’Angelo, perhaps winning that particular race.

There was just one problem, in my view: The Paperboy was genuinely good, in a way that was admittedly hard to quantify at a festival where it was stacked up against the likes of Michael Haneke’s Amour and Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone. Daniels’ fully haywire adaptation of Pete Dexter’s eerie, elegiac crime novel wasn’t shooting for prestige, but the elusive euphoria of high camp, its every provocation – and let it be said, Nicole Kidman peeing on Zac Efron might not even crack the top five loopiest things to happen in this humid cinematic daiquiri – aiming to aggravate, arouse and confuse in equal measure.

(…)

Daniels, in turn, immerses his audience in these alligator-snapping goings-on with the lascivious glee of a tabloid editor, while the actors – most of all, an extraordinary, brazenly against-type Kidman – commit dementedly to the cause. But The Paperboy defies us to care for them, which is partly what prompted those lusty boos: perched somewhere tipsily between Tarantino and John Waters, it’s exploitation cinema in the most unapologetically lurid and grandly enjoyable sense. (Among the film-makers who previously expressed interest in Dexter’s novel, fascinatingly, was Pedro Almodóvar: what subversive queer dog-whistle was embedded in its terse prose?)

Daniels has made far more noble-minded films, from the punishing abuse chronicle Precious to the stodgy historical diorama The Butler to this year’s Oscar-nominated The United States vs Billie Holiday, all variously undone by his innate, conflicting aesthetic affinity for the tacky. In The Paperboy, however, he set out to make trash first and foremost, smuggling in some burning sexual and political nuances along the way, and made the best film of his career: I’ve seen it three times since, finding new flavors in its strange, chaotic stew on each occasion. Credit to the Cannes selectors for getting it right first time and calling its bluff: it’s a glistening polyester outrage that knows exactly what it’s doing, which is to give every appearance of the opposite.”

#paperboy #lee daniels #pete dexter #nicole kidman

[francesderwent]

I've got a couple more media kicking around my guesses for your ships but I can't for the life of me guess the ships (obviously I am bad at this game and DO NOT CARE)

I feel like a Robin McKinley novel must be one of the novels, but you and I took *very* different things from the Damar Duology, I think, so I can't even remember the names of most of the men in them >.>;

Also, The Greatest Showman is on there. This is another thing where I'm iffy on the actual ships.

it felt VERY WRONG for there not to be any Robin McKinley on the list, but there is no Robin McKinley on the list! I don't dislike her romances--Tor and Aerin are so beloved!!--but her romances are never the focus, and so none of them were quite BIG enough to end up on the list??

there is no Greatest Showman on the list! Rewrite the Stars is probably in the top 20 most romantic songs of all time, but Zac Efron and Zendaya get like twelve minutes of screentime and Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams have a BEAUTIFUL love story but it takes a sad detour into his ignoring her for a foreign opera singer, which seemed like an odd thing to have on the Top Most Romantic Of All Time list

(but Cate! I hear you say. look at how many horrifying detours are involved in the stories that are on the list? shhhhh I'm allowed to be inconsistent in my favorites)

#ask game #I'm not giving you full answers for these because you didn't specify couples #and because i'm trying to get through like HALF of the asks I had when I went to bed last night #=P

[hollywoodoutbreak]

Stephen King’s novels and stories have proven to be so reliable to Hollywood that many of his titles have not only been made into movies, they’ve been remade, either for television or the big screen. His 1980 book Firestarter first hit cinemas in 1984 and starred a young Drew Barrymore as a girl with the power of pyrokinesis. Now, the film has been remade for both screens — it will debut simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock — with a new young star, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, in the Barrymore role and Zac Efron playing her father. When we spoke to them, they told us they were very excited to work on a film inspired by King’s writing.

Firestarter opens in theaters and starts streaming on Peacock this Friday.

#stephen king #Zac Efron #Ryan Kiera Armstrong #Firestarter #Movies #Movie News #Entertainment #Entertainment news #Celebrities #Celebrity #celebrity news #celebrity interviews

[brokehorrorfan]

Based on the novel by Stephen King, Firestarter will light up theaters and Peacock on May 13 via Universal Pictures. Broke Horror Fan is giving away free tickets to see the film on the big screen.

To enter to win a pair of passes, email [email protected] with FIRESTARTER in the subject line. In the body, tell me your favorite Stephen King adaptation and include your name and email address.

One entry permitted per person/address. This contest is open to US residents only. 10 winners will be randomly drawn next Thursday, May 12. Each pass is valid for two admissions at any Fandango eligible theater.

FIrestarter is is directed by Keith Thomas (The Vigil) and written by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills). Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes, and Gloria Reuben star. Blumhouse produces.

For more than a decade, parents Andy (Zac Efron) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon) have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) from a shadowy federal agency that wants to harness her unprecedented gift for creating fire into a weapon of mass destruction.

Andy has taught Charlie how to defuse her power, which is triggered by anger or pain. But as Charlie turns 11, the fire becomes harder and harder to control. After an incident reveals the family’s location, a mysterious operative (Michael Greyeyes) is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie once and for all. Charlie has other plans.

#firestarter #stephen king #zac efron #ryan kiera armstrong #sydney lemmon #kurtwood smith #john beasley #michael greyeyes #gloria reuben #contest #article #keith thomas #scott teems #blumhouse #john carpenter

[scary-white]

Firestarter (2022), while being a fun watch, really did not meet expectations. The character dynamics are a shallowed out version of what they should have been. While Zac Efron excelled in his role, you can only do so much with the script that you're given. In the novel, the two of them are incredibly close and Andy is constantly seen making sacrifices for Charlie. Charlie has just lost her mother and is terrified of losing her father as well. She's very afraid of her power, and is hesitant to use it, but does so when Andy urges her to. She's eager to please and protect, and that's a huge plot point in the novel. Wanless warns that Andy's influence on her power and how she uses it will override any one else's influence, and Rainbird uses her love for her father to get closer to her and manipulate her decision making. None of this is discussed or shown in the movie, and the father/daughter relationship is a shell of itself.

The novel opens with a very tense scene where Andy and Charlie are already running from the Shop, there's a very strong feeling of being hunted and their precious time keeps tic tic ticking away for everyone moment that Andy spends trying to push the cab driver into accepting his payment. This heavy feeling of pursuit continues for the first half of the novel. At one point, Andy thinks that in a way, it would be a relief the day they were finally caught and were no longer running, and the reader can relate to this because King is really good at stressing is the fuck out. Where this tension shone in the novel, it wasn't there at all in the new movie. There's no real sense of pursuit, despite the characters talking about it.

I was very disappointed to see that the ricocheting effect that Andy's power had was not explored at all. He drives Cap to madness in the novel, and it was a real shame how that was left out. In the movie, Charlie comments that the Shop "Does bad things here, I can feel it." And if that isn't the biggest narrative cop out I've ever seen, I don't know what is.

They need us to know that the Shop is bad, and yet they're incapable of really showing it. You know that the Shop is bad in the novel. You know that it's poorly managed and made up of trigger happy goons, some of which are misogynists who use their position to laud power over helpless citizens. That would have been incredibly relevant in today's age, and it's a shame that they failed to develop their antagonist.

Don't get me started on Rainbirds character, it's so watered down it hurts. None of his obsession with death or with Charlie are present. His manipulation skills are absent, as well as his stealth and murder skills. Instead, he is given telekenesis and wow, does that take away from his character. It was disappointing.

Charlie's characterization was a bit of a let down, as well as her performance. In the novel, you have this happy innocent little girl who is forced to grow up entirely too fast. She's clever, and unwilling to let her guard down-- adding to Rainbird's fascination with her-- and she really doesn't want to hurt anyone. Her mother's death has hit her hard to the point where she tries not to even think about it, and can barely bring herself to admit that her mom was killed, not just "hurt." In the movie, you can tell that they try to replicate this, but what with the pacing, it's just impossible to do. It's kind of hard to really feel for Charlie in this version.

I will say that I was very impressed with the sequence where they were administering lot six. The video effects were cool, and I enjoyed the questions that were asked and the characters reactions to them. The part where the one kid starts freaking out and rips his eyes out was horrifying and as someone's whose had a bad trip, it hit reaalllly close to home. Really, it was a well done sequence and it really triggered my anxiety.

I also thought it was cool how they combined scenes in order to condense, ie, instead of convincing the taxi driver that the $1 was a $100, he convinces Irv.

The scene with the cat was upsetting, but it worked. I probably can't remember the exact quote, but hearing something along the lines of "It's in pain. You gotta put it out of its misery, that's what's right," come out of an 11 year old's mouth later on was kind of terrifying. And as cheesy as it was, I did like Charlie's "Liar, Liar, pants on fire"

The sound track was also amazing.

Firestarter is an incredibly difficult story to adapt, and you just can't do it in the runtime that this movie had. It's long, it takes place over the course of more than a year, there's multiple different settings that the scenes take place, and they spend a lot of time in captivity. Honestly, they should have split it up into two movies. In the first one, the chase should be emphasized while the back story is built, in the second part, focus on their time spent with the Shop.

Over all, I did enjoy watching the movie, and I don't regret having spent the money to go see it. But once we move past that surface level of enjoyment, there's a lot to criticize about the movie, and I think it failed as an adaptation. But hey, surely it isn't too late for the story to get a good proper adaptation, right? After all, Carrie had three movies made. Third time's a charm, right?

#firestarter #firestarter 2022 #firestarter stephen king #charlie mcgee #andy mcgee #not carrie

[byneddiedingo]

Me and Orson Welles (Richard Linklater, 2008). Cast: Zac Efron, Christian McKay, Claire Danes, Ben Chaplin, Zoe Kazan, Leo Bill, James Tupper, Eddie Marsan, Al Weaver. Screenplay: Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo Jr., based on a novel by Robert Kaplow. Cinematography: Dick Pope. Production design: Laurence Dorman. Film editing: Sandra Adair. Music: Michael J. McEvoy. 

#Me and Orson Welles #Richard Linklater #zac efron

[zacefronews]

#zac efron #ryan kiera armstrong #interview #firestarter #video #2022

[goldcranes]

Hi there!!!!!!!!! I just read your sleeper hit sequel and I have to say, I haven’t been so obsessed with a fic in literal years at this point. Every single aspect of it is PERFECT, and the kicker is— I haven’t still watched the top gun sequel that you literally based it on lol! It’s just one of the greatest things I’ve ever read, and it doesn’t matter to me that I don’t know a ton of context behind it. It’s so utterly glorious that I don’t even need to have watched the movie to know that it’s great, and so, so life changing. All i did was watch the miles teller edits and gifs here and on twitter (and I’ve loved that man for years now, since his divergent and whiplash days; gotta say he’s had one HELL of a glow up even tho he’s always been an attractive guy), and I looked up the actress who played Amelia and that was enough for me to go on with. You’re just such an amazing writer, and even tho I didn’t know anything about the top gun sequel, i knew just by reading your darklina fics that it would be a super amazing read, and I wasn’t wrong. It was literally the most engaging thing I’ve read all year so far, it’s pacing was perfect, your characterisations were perfect, the way you handled Amelia’s daddy issues personally pierced my heart and altered the chemical composition of my brain forever. The plot was AMAZING, and a special shout-out to hangman and maverick, I literally loved them both so much! Even tho I could live in the sleeper hit universe forever, I won’t be selfish because you literally gifted us a 50k NOVEL length fic for them that I’ll cherish (and reread lol) forever.

PS— I do very much intend on watching top gun maverick when it hits streaming, and reread your fic at least 17 billion times because of the newfound context and emotions that the movie will inevitably fill me with. Stay safe, and stay blessed😘💖💖💖

So I have had this message sat in my inbox for days upon days now and I, no lie, have come back to read it every morning because it just makes me soooo happy. Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart! I’m absolutely thrilled you liked the fic so much, especially without having seen TGM (which I fully advocate for you doing as soon as it hits streaming, it is a whole-ass experience).

I also completely feel you on the Miles Teller glow-up, he’d honestly never done it for me before but he came on that screen and I was like OH RIGHT. I GET IT. He’s like Zac Efron, ages perfectly to suit my tastes 😮‍💨

[manie-sans-delire-x]

From a class post- my thoughts on if media coverage of serial killers or school shooters serves to glamorize violence and consequently encourages others, as someone asked me on anon before:

I don't believe that extensive media coverage encourages others to kill with enough significance to take drastic action to prevent it, such as banning all media coverage of serial killers. I do agree that there is some glamorization to it, but there is no evidence that it would push someone to kill if they were not already predisposed to do so.

In "The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds" by Katherine Ramsland, it is mentioned that fascination with killers is not a modern phenomenon. For example, in the 1890's, H.H. Holmes' "murder hotel" profited by charging entry fees, and in the 1960's the Boston Strangler Albert DeSalvo profited off his notoriety by making and selling choker necklaces. 

Fascination with the macabre and murder is arguably part of human nature. Is interest in serial killers any different from war and army enthusiasts? Humans have always enjoyed watching violence, from gladiators to public executions. As society progressed, it simply became more tame, turning into sports and TV. Buying serial killer "murderabilia" mirrors killers taking trophies from a victim, serving as a morbid souvenir. Perhaps "murderabilia" is simply a trophy by proxy. 

On the other hand, extensive media coverage of serial killers and shooters can have the effect of inspiring an already disturbed individual to commit a similar crime in hopes of getting similar attention and infamy. There have been numerous cases where the perpetrator claims that they were inspired by another killer. For example, the Columbine school massacre of 1999 has been named as inspiration, and its perpetrators as “idols” in as many as 50 planned or executed school shootings, even to the point where the term “Columbine effect” was coined. Perhaps most famously, the Columbine massacre is said to have inspired Adam Lanza, who committed the murder of 20 children and 6 staff members at Sandy Hook elementary school in 2012. According to a report given to ABC News, Lanza had a hobby of keeping a spreadsheet of information on mass murders, as well as photocopies of newpaper clippings that reported various shootings of schoolchildren, dating back to 1891 (Curry).

However, it is of course important to note that individuals who felt inspiration from such crimes were almost certainly already disturbed, usually dealing with mental illness, politically extremist ideologies, drug dependence, and/or the effects of abuse or bullying. It is fair to say that the perpetrators might have committed a violent crime regardless of media coverage of similar crimes, and that they could have found inspiration from practically anything. After all, even a fictional novel that does not glorify or even center around violence, J.D. Salinger’s famous “The Catcher in the Rye” is claimed to be inspiration or triggering material for multiple assassinations. 

It is also important to remember that this does not mean that the media should not cover extreme crimes such as shootings and serial killers. It is not a good enough reason to censor news or limit the media. However, perhaps more emphasis should be put on the victims and their grieving family members, and leave the details of the perpetrator with law enforcement and psychology professionals. 

As for the film of "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" and similar movies, it is important to distinguish between attention and glamorization. Giving something attention and media coverage does not equal glamorizing it, it all depends on how it is portrayed and presented and I believe it can be done in good taste. Zac Efron playing Ted Bundy is controversial, but movies tend to cast more attractive actors for any real life person depicted, not just criminals. I believe Efron playing Bundy also worked for that film in particular because it focused on the viewpoint of his fiancé at the time, Liz Kloepfer, who presumably did think Bundy was handsome and attractive. I believe the film allowed the audience to feel the change and process alongside her, as he goes from charming boyfriend to someone she doesn't recognize. It gives viewers a sense of not knowing what reality or version of Bundy is true, which she surely struggled with. As it has a poor end for Bundy and everyone involved, does it really glamorize serial killing, or is it just entertainment featuring a serial killer as its topic? Would it be different if it was about a fictional serial killer instead of a real one?

Curry, Colleen (2013). ABCnews. “Sandy Hook Report Offers Grim Details of Adam Lanza's Bedroom”. X

#op #forensic psychology #uniblr

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

FIRESTARTER (2022)

Starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes, Gloria Reuben, Tina Jung, Hannan Younis, Gavin Maciver-Wright, Jeremy Ferdman, Jamillah Ross, Morrissa Nicole, Sheila Boyd, Darrin Maharaj, Danny Waugh, Lanette Ware, Hunter Smalley, Isaac Murray, Nicholas Vilord, Vas Saranga and Shane Marriott .

Screenplay by Scott Teems.

Directed by Keith Thomas.

Distributed by Universal Pictures. 94 minutes. Rated R.

There is undoubtedly no author whose body of work has been filmed more frequently than that of Stephen King. The insanely prolific novelist certainly has the body of work for it. (He’s released 65 novels in the last 48 years with three more due to come up this year, as well as numerous short story and novella collections, non-fiction works, screenplays, theatrical plays, original audiobooks, graphic novels, children’s books, articles, etc.) And King has always been famously open to working with lesser-known filmmakers, even allowing some of them to purchase the rights to a story for $1.00.

At this point, King movies have been going on for so long that they are even being remaking films which were already done – particularly since the 2017 cinematic reboot of It (which had also been filmed as a 1990 miniseries) became a smash. After all, even with a novelist who has so much product, there are only so many stone-cold classics to make, many of which have already been taken on in the decades that he has been creating.

Firestarter was a good novel as I recall (I haven’t read it since it was new in 1980), although it was a bit of a disappointment as the book directly following up King’s early run of classics Carrie, ‘Salem’s Lot, The Shining, The Stand and The Dead Zone. It was turned into a decent enough (but not great) movie in 1984 starring David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Heather Locklear and George C. Scott.

Since then, Firestarter has been largely forgotten – one of many King novels and films which has a following, but not a rabid cult like some of his splashier titles. And, for better or worse, the new film version of Firestarter is not likely to change that. Honestly, the new Firestarter is not even as good as the 1984 version, although it does have some decent scares.

Still, somehow more than many of his stories, Firestarter is a bit of a product of its time. Even in this particularly politically fraught time, the conspiracy theory and shadowy government agencies feel a bit forced. It was also the story which was the last of King’s early novels to revolve around telekinesis and mind control. While King has periodically doubled back to the that storyline for seasoning over the years, in many his first six novels (all except ‘Salem’s Lot) this was a main thrust of the plot.

The storyline is pretty simple. While they were in college, Andy and Vicky McGee (Zac Efron and Sydney Lemmon) agreed to be part of a government experiment, testing a new drug at a shady government facility called “The Shop.” The drug gave them special, potentially lethal telepathic powers.

They fell in love and got married and had a little girl named Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) who not only inherited their powers but was way stronger than either of them. She is able to start raging fires with her mind. And of course, as a little girl, does not exactly have the impulse control to reign it in. Therefore the family has been living on the lam, using assumed names and hiding from The Shop, because they realize that they would want to try to harness Charlie’s powers.

Of course, eventually something had to give and one of Charlie’s explosions caught the attention of the shop – so the family has to go on the run again, with a deadly assassin (who also has powers from his time at the Shop) hot on their trail. (Pun only sort of intended…)

That’s pretty much it – The Shop stalks the family until the inevitable showdown where they have to find out what the little girl’s powers really entail.

It’s an interesting, paranoid storyline, but honestly a little too buttoned down to get really excited about. Also, considering the fact that CGI effects have grown so much in the years since the original film, surprisingly the more organic effects of the first film, although definitely cheesier, were actually more impressive than the new version.

So while Firestarter will not probably light a flame under the Stephen King cinematic universe, it’s a fine placeholder until the ‘Salem’s Lot and Christine reboots which are on their way.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2022 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: May 13, 2022.

#Firestarter #2022 #Movie Review #Zac Efron #Jay S. Jacobs

[denimbex1986]

'...All Of Us Strangers (Everything)

I don’t really believe in snubs in this context – these things don’t quite work like that. But I do believe in WHAT IN THE NAME OF GOD IS WRONG WITH YOU? Nothing at all for Andrew Haigh’s gorgeous All Of Us Strangers? His script is a miracle – inspired by Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel Strangers, Haigh takes a seed and makes it bloom, planting alongside it his own life experiences, his own trauma, his own dreams, showing us how personal an Adapted Screenplay can truly be. His tender, sensual direction, meanwhile, takes things to metaphysical levels. And as the two lonely men who find each other – in the same apartment block, but across the universe – Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal are the human embodiment of love and loss and longing. To overlook all of this really is egregious. Still. The Oscars come and go. Film is immortal. Go see this one...'

#Oscars #Andrew Haigh #All of Us Strangers #Andrew Scott #Paul Mescal #Taichi Yamada #Strangers

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions December 2023

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies that will be hitting your local cinemas (and streaming services) this month:

December 1st

Silent Night - Joel Kinnaman stars as a man who loses his son and his voice and is bent on vengeance in this holiday-themed action thriller from director John Woo.

Candy Cane Lane - Eddie Murphy is focused on having the most festive house on the block in this Christmas comedy coming to Prime Video.

Eileen - This psychological thriller set at a 1960s New England prison stars Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway.

December 8th

Poor Things - From director Yorgos Lanthimos comes this black comedy fantasy starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe.

December 15th

Wonka - Timothée Chalamet is a young Willy Wonka in this musical fantasy from Paul King.

American Fiction - Cord Jefferson makes his feature directorial debut in this comedy-drama starring Jeffrey Wright that is already getting substantial Oscar buzz.

The Family Plan - Mark Wahlberg may seem like a regular family man, but he is actually a retired assassin whose past comes back to haunt him in this action comedy for AppleTV+.

Finestkind - Ben Foster, Jenna Ortega, and Tommy Lee Jones star in this Boston-based crime thriller coming to Paramount+.

December 22nd

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - Five years after the first film, a sequel finally comes from out of the sea! Based on all the changes that came to DC Studios as of late, don't expect a threequel.

Anyone But You - Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell star in this romantic comedy from director Will Gluck.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire - Zack Snyder returns to Netflix with this epic space opera starring Sofia Boutella. Get ready, part two comes in April 2024.

Iron Claw - The Von Erich wrestling family comes to the big screen in this biographical sports drama starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White.

December 25th

The Color Purple - First it was a novel. Then a film. Then a stage musical. Now it is a film version of that stage musical. Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, and Danielle Brooks star in the film.

The Boys in the Boat - Based on the book of the same name, this biographical sports drama stars Callum Turner and Joel Edgerton and was directed by George Clooney.

Ferrari - Adam Driver is Enzo Ferrari in this biopic from director Michael Mann.

Now for a quick look ahead to January my top picks for next month are Mean Girls, Lift, and The Book of Clarence.

-MB-

[afabstract]

Firestarter Quick Movie Review

The McGee family races to shield their daughter from authorities eager to exploit her fiery abilities. Check out our take on the 2022 movie "Firestarter" starring Zac Efron and Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

⭐⭐ Rating: 2 out of 5. Based on the 1980 Stephen King’s novel of the same name, the 2022 movie “Firestarter” looks like it was made in the 1990s and it’s not a compliment. Directed by Keith Thomas, the film’s plot has been tweaked to set it in the times of wi-fi and smartphones, but for a story about a girl with pyrokinetic powers, the film is very dimly-lit and dull. The plot is pretty…

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#Entertainment #Firestarter 2023 movie review #Firestarter movie review #Firestarter review #horror movies #Reviews #Stephen king #stephen king movies #Zac Efron