#American sports drama film
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Rocky IV (1985 ) written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone.
Dolph Lundgren as Captain Ivan Drago
#Rocky IV#1985#80's#80s#Rocky IV (1985)#American sports drama film#sequel to Rocky III (1982#Brigitte Nielsen#Dolph Lundgren#Dolph Lundgren as Captain Ivan Drago#Brigitte Nielsen as Ludmilla Vobet Drago#my gif#gif#gifs#my edit#80's movies#80s movies#Captain Ivan Drago
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Belong (05: Post-Credits) | MYG
Pairing: Yoongi x (f.) Reader
Genre/Tags: exes-to-lovers-to-exes-to-lovers; actress!OC x basketball coach!Yoongi; summer romance; “long” distance relationship; parallel timelines; angst, fluff, smut
Chapter (Series) Warnings: foul/explicit language; alcohol consumption & passing out, family drama, sport injury; dreams & moving away; allusion to depression; basketball and acting talk; 2014 and 2022 Yoongi; shy and nonchalant cocky whipped Yoongi; almost drowning, sexual content (kissing, oral, penetrative sex) (18+)
Chapter Word count: 5k
Series Masterlist
Status: Complete
Series summary: Being an actor has always been your dream. Pursuing it meant many things - leaving the town where you grew up, distancing yourself from your family that had fallen apart, and saying goodbye to the man who made you feel what home was like. When you decide to finally return after being away for so long, you meet Min Yoongi again, and you’re reminded of the summer romance from 8 years ago with the college basketball superstar whose broken dream pushed you away. As you find yourself spending time with him, you’re left to wonder if love changes, if it gives second chances, or if it’s just another illusion that will hurt the both of you the second time around.
A/N: Wrapping up this story and this world now, as I keep its meaning close to me, where this Yoongi was a source of comfort. Thank you to those who took a chance with this one. Please know that in the midst of deciding to stop writing, you told me I could keep going. 😌
It was nice to be able to write about a sport that I deeply love (yes, I am manifesting with the NBA game featured here 🤞🏽) and about a theme I’m personally experiencing. Yoongi told us to live in the present and that we can dream simple, gentle dreams, too. Let’s cheer each other on! 💜
Listen to: For All You Give (feat. Lucy Rose) by The Paper Kites || Playlist 🎶
1.5 years later
You walk past the hallways to head outside the airport, large luggage in one hand and a small one on the other.
Your phone rings and Jimin is on the other end, asking if your flight was alright and if the weather is good. You give him a lowdown of the past 18 hours, including your lovely encounter with a Korean-American family during your Minneapolis layover. Their 6-year old is apparently a fan of yours after you did a stint of hosting her favorite Korean variety TV show, and your heart soared when she told you that she wants to be funny and beautiful like you. You found it amusing that doing cute poses and laughing your way through every episode was entertaining enough for her.
“That’s adorable,” Jimin chirps. “I love how your fanbase gets younger every year. You started with grandparents and now you’ve got 6-year olds under your spell.”
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” You laugh. “I just hope these kids don’t watch my latest movie because it’s gonna terrify them.”
“Yeah, at least keep the variety shows to entertain the babies,” he chuckles. “I already told Hoseok that you want to guest-host again. There are a couple of shows that want you onboard.”
“Ah, that’s great,” you beam. “I need as much joy and laughter in my life after that last project. That took so much out of me.”
“It did, didn’t it?” Jimin hums. “But it’s got the media buzzing about you again. So much for that one so-called journalist who claimed that you’re one-dimensional and can’t do anything other than romance because you’re only good at being in love. Let me smack her face with all the good reviews about your latest role so she can shut her one-dimensional mouth.”
You giggle at Jimin’s words, his protective nature soothing you like it always does. You remember when that article about you came out after you starred in a mini-series, a project you had after the show you filmed in Paris, which did turn out to be your biggest break then. Your role in that drama had you falling in love with someone from a rival family, one of the show’s major plot points, and that journalist went off about your supposed versatility being premised on the emotions of being in love. You can’t really do much outside of it, she said, and it was that same day when you got the lead role for a psychological thriller, with the industry’s eyes on you to see if you’re able to handle a character that’s so different from what you’re used to.
And well, it’s safe to say you blew their minds. Even you didn’t think you could do that well, but you pushed hard, not only to prove yourself to them but to challenge yourself, knowing that there’s more to learn and showcase even after 10 years of being in the industry.
The reviews showed that you delivered. Critics praised your acting, saying how disturbed they felt during specific scenes, and that was a compliment for you, knowing that was the goal. The movie was even shown in a recent foreign Film Festival, and the praises are still coming; Jimin’s been the one sending you every article and post he could find, and he’s been nothing short of amazing when it comes to encouraging and praising you himself for another successful project.
It wasn’t without its difficulties though, as getting into character meant you had to immerse yourself in its darkness, in the disturbing themes that ate away at you sometimes. It was Yoongi who’d been the one to bring you out to the light every time - sending you flowers while on set, giving you a bath after every filming so you’re not left in your own mind, holding you close whenever you slept, and driving you out during days off. It was hard but it was worth it, as you felt liberated from all the negative emotions once filming wrapped up.
Yoongi was supportive all throughout - including all the promotions you had to do and the moments of doubt you’d have about your performance. He held your hand during the premiere and took you to the mountains for a weekend to escape it all for a while. Other than the amazing sex you had and the time away from everyone, you both spent those days wrapped up in each other’s arms, easing back to your normal lives that didn’t include you randomly crying at night or losing sleep from your tiring schedule.
You’d just wrapped up your promos for the film in Seoul and you’re also waiting for the next project while working on some endorsements and guesting on the side. But after the exhausting couple of months, you deserve a break, and you want nothing more than to focus on Yoongi, knowing he’s the one who’ll be needing your love and support this time.
Jimin breaks through your thoughts and asks if the car he’d arranged has arrived.
“Not yet, but Yoongi messaged that he’s 5 minutes away,” you respond. “Thanks, by the way. I know you had to arrange all this in such short notice and had to work with Hoseok to push back all my other schedules. I know it was stressful for you, too.”
“And who said I ever minded?” Jimin replies. “I’ve spent enough time with Yoongi to know how much he takes care and supports you, and that also means I know just how much his career means to him. I’m sure you already know but nonchalant and cool he may be, he’s incredibly nervous. I just know having you there is gonna make all the difference.”
“I know,” you smile, feeling emotional at the thought. “I’m just so happy for him. He’s been sending me photos since he got here and I could just see his eyes sparkling. I’m so excited to see him in action.”
“Me, too, at least from here. We’ll be tuning in and I’ll just pretend I know shit about basketball and the NBA,” Jimin laughs. “I guess it’s weird to be cheering for the commentator and not the players but oh well. Just tell him we’re rooting for him; Jin’s gonna host watch parties in his house. We’ll invite Jungkook and Namjoon so there’ll be people who can actually explain to us what’s happening.”
You laugh at Jimin’s rambling. It’s touching to know just how much your friends have come to support Yoongi as well. You’ve to remind yourself that not long ago, they were all wary of him, given the 2 times he let you go. But they’ve seen in the past year and a half exactly what that love you treasure really looks like. You always said it was transformative for both of you in different ways, and they’ve come to witness that, too.
They’ve seen how tough days for you were always made better whenever Yoongi was around, how negative voices were always drowned out by his gentleness and encouragement, how bouts of insecurities were easily mended by his belief in you.
That love got you regularly going home to Daegu to see his dad and to be with yours, and to make an effort to heal the wounds with your sisters.
That love also got Yoongi to be braver, to take chances and to make the most out of every opportunity he could find. It’s that love that supported him throughout the months that he wrote for that online sports magazine, until he became a regular guest at an online sports show. It’s what encouraged him to apply for a sports channel’s basketball analyst position; you remember the smile on his face when he got the job and the first time he appeared on TV to talk about the sport he’s loved for most of his life. It’s your shared love that got him to dream again - maybe coach a professional team in the future, perhaps become a household name in sports media. It doesn’t matter what form, you’d remind him, as long as it was in the world of basketball.
It’s that same love that’s going to hold his hand through the next 2 or so weeks, as Yoongi lives out a dream he didn’t think he’d have. As a 10-year old who’d imagined himself playing for the NBA too many times, he didn’t think that 20 years later, he’d be reporting on it as part of the South Korean media. He thinks it’s just as much a dream as any. This is the sport he loves, and he told you once that he can’t imagine his life without it.
“Oh, I think that’s him!” You tell Jimin, as you spot the maroon car that Yoongi said he was in. “Thank you again.”
“Just call me for anything, okay?” He says on the other end. “And enjoy Boston!”
You bid him goodbye and rush to the car that stops not far from where you are. Yoongi exits and you hug him immediately, falling into the warmth that you’ve missed this past week. You were at a promotional event in Busan when he left Seoul for the US a few days ago so you didn’t get to say goodbye, but it appeased you that you could spend your break with him here.
But more than anything, it’s the fact that you get to be part of his new world this time, and nothing makes you happier than being able to see that sparkle in his eyes that made you fall for him that first time all those years ago. There’s that confidence again, that drive. Yoongi is all kinds of beautiful everyday, but seeing him do something he loves has always been special. You’re glad you get to witness that again.
“I missed you, jagi,” he hums in your ear. How was your flight?”
“Good. I got a bit of rest,” you reply. “And I missed you, too.”
Yoongi smiles and gives your luggage to the chauffeur who loads them in the trunk. You both enter the car and sneak in a kiss for the seconds that you’re alone, and he smiles against your lips before turning to you.
“You seem excited,” he states.
“Of course, baby. It’s the big day tomorrow. Aren’t you?”
“I’m terrified, actually,” he chuckles to mask the nervousness. “But Mr. Chan called earlier to ask how I’m feeling and he’s been so supportive, saying that his sprained ankle must’ve been a blessing in disguise if it meant I get to take his place. I did the reporting the other day during Media Day and he said I did really well, asking the players and coaches really good questions. He said if I sustain this during the entire championship series, I could be well on my way to reporting more big games even in other sports.”
“Baby, that’s huge!” You beam, turning to him to see his shy smile. “You could be reporting on the Olympics, who knows! But the NBA… this is huge for you. The fact that you’re who they thought to replace him is a big deal. It means they really see something in you.”
“I still think it’s a fluke,” he sighs. “If Mr. Chang hadn’t gotten injured, it would’ve been him. It just so happened that the other guys are either on leave or on another assignment and I was… there.”
“Then you just saved their asses! It means you get to show them how good you are, and I know you’re good. I wouldn’t be paying attention to basketball if you weren’t calling it.”
“You’re biased though,” he laughs.
“Duh. Name one other sports commentator who knows his shit, is incredibly handsome, has such a soothing voice, and looks hot talking about people shooting balls?” You exclaim. “No one! Just you! Baby, you’re saving the industry!”
Yoongi thinks you’re adorable when you go off like this. He always knew you didn’t actually pay attention to his games before because your eyes were only on him. Whenever you’d both watch on TV, you’re often curled into his arms, remarking that he does that same jumper smoothly or that the players are either boring or too cocky. You understand the sport, though. He knows you’re interested because you get basic terms and ask him questions. Sometimes he thinks you just want to hear him talk or analyze a play; sometimes you just giggle when he’s pulling his hair or yelling over a stupid call or when his team’s losing, but regardless of your level of appreciation for the sport, he knows you love it because he does, and that means more to him than you’ll ever know.
He gives in though, knowing you feel strongly about his basketball commentary skills.
“Thank you, jagi. I at least know that if I completely fail at this, you’d still think I’m hot.”
“Baby, I think you’re hot all the time. You could even model or act, you know? The industry will benefit from this pretty face,” you wink.
“Let’s say hypothetically, I do act. What happens if I have an intimate scene with someone? What would you do?” He asks, arching an eyebrow because he can almost predict what you’re gonna say.
“I will cry,” you pout, causing him to laugh.
It’s all hypothetical, but he can tell you’ll really be upset even if it’s something he has to live with all the time. It’s something he’s gotten used to, though. He did survive watching your scenes with Pablo where you both cuddled “naked” in bed, although he admits looking away so many times. He also made it through your mini-series where you had multiple sexually tense scenes with your co-star. He admits he likes it when you’re more clingy and affectionate after each filming and episode, and he won’t complain.
But knowing how affected you’d be if the roles were reversed makes him a little soft. He remembers those summers years ago when you’d eye the girls who’d cheer for him during his games and how you always ran to him after to hold his hand and then kiss him intensely in the bathroom or his car. You would deny the jealous girlfriend allegations and he used to just laugh through it. It seems like nothing has changed.
“These lips are for me only,” you say, cupping his cheeks to hold him in place for a deep kiss.
“They are,” he smiles. “And I know at the end of the day, your lips are only for me, too.”
He kisses you again, no longer minding the chauffeur in the car who doesn’t seem to care that you’re being affectionate in his backseat.
“They are,” you hum. “They’re for your neck, and your chest, and—” you palm his cock — “for this.”
“Jagi,” he laughs, already used to your antics.
You’re usually like this after being away. You were apart for a few days and it’s been a while since you’ve been separated for longer than that.
“I just miss you,” you sigh, hugging him now and liking the comfort of his touch as always. “No one would massage my feet after walking in heels for hours and have a bath with me, no one would make me cum to sleep or kiss me goodnight.”
“Nice to know that’s all you miss,” he teases, earning him another pout.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do, and I miss those, too,” he hums as he kisses your forehead. “Thanks though, for coming here. I know that Jimin and Hoseok had to push back some of your schedules.”
“No issue at all. I wanted to be here, babe. This is a big deal and I’m… I’m just so happy for you,” you say against his chest.
“You know I wouldn’t have gotten here without you, right?” He replies, emotional now at how far he’s come.
It’s been years but the memory of his injury and his subsequent fallout from the sport comes and goes sometimes, so was losing you in the process. And then losing you again. But he’s here now, with you, the night before an important moment of his young career as a sports analyst, and he’s never felt more secure in his life.
“You’ve always been a fighter,” you look up at him. “And you’re here because of you.” You kiss him softly. “But I can also take credit, that’s fine,” you laugh. “But really, thank you for not giving up on your dream, babe. I hope you know that it gives me courage, too.”
That night, you climb into bed with Yoongi, the exhaustion from the long trip overtaking you. There’s warmth in his eyes when he looks at you, and he chuckles when you try to stay awake. It’s his soft lips against your forehead that bids you goodnight, and you fall into his arms, knowing that this is what you’ll be waking up to in the morning.
The next evening, you walk inside TD Garden, Boston’s sports arena, where Game 1 of the NBA finals between the Celtics and Phoenix Suns are being held. The energy is insane, something you’ve never felt before, and it’s making you giddy and excited. You can only imagine what it’s like for Yoongi, and the thought makes your heart warm.
You did see him taking long breaths earlier after he’d dressed up and prepared to leave, and much as you’d been so tired, you just had to hug him to calm him down and tell him that he’s gonna do great. He’s just excited, he claimed, but he’ll look for you in the arena; knowing you’re there with him will be enough to calm his racing heart.
He had to go earlier to cover the press conference and film for their segment in Seoul’s morning news channel. It’s just him, Hee-soo, and a small production crew but it’s all they need. As commentators, they get to call the game but also interview the players and staff, report it, and then write about it. It’s tough and stressful but it’s the kind of buzz that Yoongi lives for now, you can tell, as you eye him in his designated analysts’ table, looking around and taking in the energy of the arena. His smile is priceless. There’s pride in it, there’s acceptance. It looks like the smile of someone who fought hard to have a new dream, and someone who worked to achieve it.
Yoongi’s eyes go to you and you wave. You’re thankful for the connections you have that got you this ticket last minute, and even if you won’t pay attention to the game as much, being here to witness Yoongi call his first NBA match is too special to miss. You can’t imagine being anywhere else.
The game is an exciting one. You get into it with the crowd even if you don’t exactly have a team you’re rooting for but you cheer just the same. Your eyes constantly flit to Yoongi though, whose position isn’t far from where you’re seated.
You listen through the online channel so you can hear what he’s saying, and the way he describes the energy inside is on-point. He narrates the plays effectively; you could be looking away from the court and still feel like you’re watching because of how good he is. His voice is calm and measured, except towards the end when the game is close and his pitch increases and he matches the excitement of what’s happening. It’s intense and exhilarating, and when the final buzzer sounds, you turn to him and see that smile on his face again.
Tears form in your eyes as you feel overwhelming pride. Perhaps it’s similar to what he felt when he was with you during the recent Film Festival where your movie was shown and the audience gave your entry a standing ovation. He knew what you had to go through for that role and seeing your hard work paying off meant so much to him, as he got to hold your hand and tell you he was proud of you.
That was special, he said. So many times in the past, he wanted to tell you all that, and that you did well, and that he’s looking forward to the next big thing you’ll do, but he never had the courage to. That’s why he’d send flowers, he told you.
He also revealed how that came about - how he’d driven to Seoul for your first movie premiere with a bouquet of daisies but that he’d seen you with someone, and how he decided to leave it at the agency for you to receive. He almost took it back but you seemed to like it so he just continued with the tradition. You cried then, and he said he didn’t want you to feel guilty. But you were emotional because he still looked out for you and his care for you never wavered. The flowers gave you strength, and you’d told him you wanted to be like those daisies for him, too.
Seeing him now gives you that sense of fulfillment, that not long from now, you’ll be able to hold his hand and tell him you’re proud of him, and the chance to do that for someone you love is special beyond words. You’re glad you can finally do that for each other now.
Gentle dreams, you think. This life with him and all the simple things you do for each other and together are some of the biggest ones.
It’s quiet in the car on the way to your hotel, the fancier one you booked for both of you instead of the mid-range one they got for him. Yoongi is focused on his notebook, jotting down notes from his memory that he’ll have to write up later on.
He’s then glued to his device once you get to your room, with him seated on the couch and agreeing to your orders for room service for your dinner. It seems he’s going through the messages of praise from his colleagues and his friends. A lot of people tune in to the channel’s coverage of the NBA, and other than you, no one’s prouder than his dad and his brother.
You watch him from the bathroom door, appreciating the joy he exudes. It’s different from what you’d seen all those years ago. This is a man who went through various kinds of pain and had other people suffer because of it, something he still burdens himself with every once in a while. But he did the brave thing of dreaming again; sometimes you think that’s probably harder than when he gave up on the first one.
Yoongi shows you everyday that courage takes different forms. Sometimes it’s letting something go, sometimes it’s fighting for them. Sometimes it’s loving someone from afar and sometimes it’s flying thousands of miles to a foreign country and asking for them back.
But it’s always picking up your broken pieces and learning to love yourself despite and because of them. It’s finding something or someone you can’t live without and offering what you can, trusting that they’ll take you into their world because you deserve it. Courage is dreaming again, it’s loving again even with the possibility of getting hurt. It’s trusting yourself enough that you’re going to be okay if things don’t go your way.
You hear him call your name. You realize you’ve been gazing at him for longer than you intended, and so you walk towards him as he looks at you questioningly.
“I was just admiring how happy you look,” you say. “It suits you, and I’m just so thankful I get to see it.”
His face softens and he reaches out his hand, one that he kisses and he doesn’t say anything else. He just looks at you tenderly and your heart races at the sight.
You bend to capture his lips on yours, your movements gentle yet wanting. But it builds as time passes, until you feel him undoing the knot of your bathrobe, with him sighing in satisfaction when he feels you bare underneath. Your breath hitches when he cups your breast and you want nothing more than to have him right now.
You pull away then remove your robe, liking the way his eyes roam around your naked form and how he gulps at the position you’re getting into, as you get on your knees and spread his legs apart. His slacks get off first, and then his briefs. He removes the rest of his clothes as you take him in your mouth, his cock heavy and wanting as it reaches the edge of your throat.
You take your time, wanting him to feel good after what he’d done tonight, but he’s the one who pulls away, wanting instead to bury himself inside you. It’s what he does, as he directs you on the couch, entering you from behind while his fingers do their magic on all parts of your body. But he lets you both come together, on the bed as he hovers over you, his head no longer buried in your neck, with his eyes looking straight into yours as you both come down from your highs.
He kisses your lips tenderly as his I love you, and the way he holds you later that night says everything he can’t say.
Loving you is what he wants to do in his life. Loving you is courage.
You didn’t realize just how tiring covering the NBA finals would be. Considering their small team, Yoongi and Hee-soo work double time to get all the information they need to cover the games and write about them within a short period of time. They also have to fly back and forth depending on where the game is and you’ve liked tagging along, enjoying the amenities of your hotel and exploring the nearby area. It’s what you do in Boston and then in Phoenix.
And while a game 7 is great for the league and basketball fans, you can tell it’s taxing for Yoongi. He doesn’t complain though. It’s part of the experience; the first one tends to be very memorable, he says.
Both of you find yourselves in Boston's public garden the afternoon after the final game of the series. It’s been a crazy 24 hours, as Yoongi and Hee-soo had to do interviews and then report and then write about the game. You stayed by Yoongi’s side, attending to his needs and helping whenever you can.
It’s early morning in Korea by now and work can resume later, perhaps right before or during your early morning flight back home, but you’re both at what has become one of your favorite spots in the city. It’s nice and simple and quiet. The garden is also accessible. It reminds you of the park in Paris, the one where Yoongi had come to meet you, and you cried in his arms at the sight of the man you didn’t think you’d be able to be with again, but he braved through his fears to be with you.
“I like it here,” you say, as you walk past one of the many statues.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” He hums. “The pond reminds me of Paris.”
You turn to him and smile, letting him know you were thinking the same.
Yoongi watches you lovingly look at the flowers. Your head turns when you hear toddlers squealing on their parents’ shoulders. And you perk up at the dog that stops to sniff his leg. They’re all simple but they’re so unabashedly you - soft, charming, and everything he needs.
He thinks about all the things he loves about you as you smile and laugh at your surroundings. He’s been thinking about a lot of things, actually, constantly pinching his arm to remind himself that this life he’s created with you isn’t just some dream he conjured in his mind to get over losing you twice. You’re actually, truly next to him, living his new dream with him, as he dreams your dream with you. He doesn’t think he can get any happier than everyday he gets to live like this.
You told him a few times that he’s brave for dreaming a new dream. It’s scary to do that, you’d said, so are other things, like loving again and again, accepting the broken pieces of himself and loving every one of them. You’d said that he was brave for flying to see you and asking for you back, and while he agrees to some extent, he doesn’t think anyone can be braver than you.
You love intensely and genuinely; you love so certainly. You love like you heal, and you love yourself and others so you could heal as well. The way you loved him all these years has been filled with courage - you loved when it hurt, when it didn’t feel like he wanted to fight for you, when it felt like your love wasn’t strong enough to carry his burden. You loved so hard that there would be nothing to regret if the world ended the next day, and your love is so transformative that it created a home in his aching heart so that it could be strong enough to love both you and him after everything.
You turn to him and reach out for your hand as you head towards the exit, and he jogs to where you are and intertwines his fingers with yours - not loosely but securely; he wants you to know he’s never letting you go.
There’s no version of life that he’d let you go another time. And so when he gets a message from the jeweler that his order for a customized daisy ring is ready, Yoongi’s heart soars to know that he could at least give you - ask you - something that will let you know that he’ll choose this life over and over again as long as it’s the one where he gets to live the rest of it next to you.
You’ll both go back to Seoul, in the home you both created, in each other’s arms where you both belong.
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Tod Browning's Sideshow Shockers will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 17 via The Criterion Collection. The set collects three films directed by Tod Browning: Freaks, The Unknown, and The Mystic.
Freaks (also known as The Monster Story, Forbidden Love, and Nature's Mistake) is a 1932 horror film written by Willis Goldbeck and Leon Gordon. Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova, and Roscoe Ates star.
The Unknown is a 1927 silent horror film written by Waldemar Young. Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, and Nick De Ruiz star.
The Mystic is a 1925 silent drama film written by Browning and Young. Aileen Pringle, Conway Tearle, and Mitchell Lewis star.
Freaks has been digitally restored in 2K with uncompressed monaural sound. The Unknown has been digitally reconstructed and restored in 2K with a new score by composer Philip Carli. The Mystic has been digitally restored in 2K with a new score by composer Dean Hurley.
Raphael Geroni designed the cover art. Special features are detailed below.
Special features:
Freaks audio commentary by film scholar David J. Skal
The Unknown audio commentary by film scholar David J. Skal
The Mystic introduction by film scholar David J. Skal
Interview with author Megan Abbott about director Tod Browning and pre-Code horror (new)
Freaks archival documentary
"Spurs" - Reading of Tod Robbins' short story on which Freaks is based
Freaks prolgue, added to the film in 1947
Freaks alternate endings featurette
Freaks portrait video glalery
Essay by film critic Farran Smith Nehme
The most transgressive film produced by a major American studio in the 1930s, Tod Browning’s crowning achievement has haunted the margins of cinema for nearly one hundred years. An unforgettable cast of real-life sideshow performers portray the entertainers in a traveling circus who, shunned by mainstream society, live according to their own code—one of radical acceptance for the fellow oppressed and, as the show’s beautiful but cruel trapeze artist learns, of terrifying retribution for those who cross them. Received with revulsion by viewers upon its initial release, Freaks effectively ended Browning’s career but can now be seen for what it is: an audacious cry for understanding and a singular experience of nightmarish, almost avant-garde power.
The most celebrated and exquisitely perverse of the many collaborations between Tod Browning and his legendary leading man Lon Chaney, The Unknown features a wrenchingly physical performance from “the Man of a Thousand Faces” as the armless Spanish knife thrower Alonzo (he flings daggers with his feet) whose dastardly infatuation with his beautiful assistant (Joan Crawford)—a woman, it just so happens, who cannot bear to be touched by the hands of any man—drives him to unspeakable extremes. Sadomasochistic obsession, deception, murder, disfigurement, and a spectacular Grand Guignol climax—Browning wrings every last frisson from the lurid premise.
A fantastically atmospheric but rarely seen missing link in the development of Tod Browning’s artistry, set amid his favored milieu of shadowy sideshows and clever criminals, The Mystic provides a striking showcase for silent-era diva Aileen Pringle, who sports a series of memorably outré looks (courtesy of art-deco designer Erté) as Zara, a phony psychic in a Hungarian carnival who, under the guidance of a Svengali-like con man (Conway Tearle), crashes—and proceeds to swindle—American high society. Browning’s fascination with the weird is on full display in the eerie séance sequences, while his subversive moral ambiguity extends surprising sympathy to even the most seemingly irredeemable of antiheroes.
#tod browning#freaks#the unknown#the mystic#criterion#the criterion collection#criterion collection#dvd#gift#raphael geroni#horror#classic horror#lon chaney#joan crawford#silent horror
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‘Hotel Cocaine’ First Look: Danny Pino Runs Miami’s Infamous Mutiny Hotel in MGM+ Crime Thriller (PHOTOS)
The story of Miami’s most notorious hotel comes to life in Hotel Cocaine, an eight-episode drama premiering this summer on MGM+.
Mayans M.C. star Danny Pino leads the series as Roman Compte, the man behind the Mutiny Hotel, with co-stars Yul Vazquez, Michael Chiklis, Mark Feuerstein, and Laura Gordon. TV Insider has the exclusive first look into the series in the photos below.
Hotel Cocaine comes from Godfather of Harlem and Narcos visionary Chris Brancato. It tells the story of Roman Compte, a Cuban exile and general manager of the Mutiny Hotel, the glamorous epicenter of the Miami cocaine scene of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
The Mutiny Hotel was Casablanca on cocaine; a glitzy nightclub, restaurant, and hotel frequented by Florida businessmen and politicians, international narcos, CIA and FBI agents, models, sports stars, and musicians. At the center of it all was Compte, who was doing his best to keep it all going and fulfill his own American Dream.
Mrs. Dunn Plays Matchmaker for Embarrassed Emily & James in 'Belgravia' Sneak Peek
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Mrs. Dunn Plays Matchmaker for Embarrassed Emily & James in 'Belgravia' Sneak Peek
Vazquez plays Nestor Cabal, Chiklis is Agent Zulio, Feuerstein is Burton Greenberg, and Gordon is Janice Nichols in the crime thriller. Additional stars include Tania Watson and Corina Bradley, with recurring stars Mayra Hermosillo, Juan Pablo Raba, Erniel Baez, Nick Barkla, Cale Ambrozic, Camila Valero, and Maggie Lacey. Guest stars include John Ventimiglia as prolific writer Hunter Thompson and Larry Powell as singer Rick James.
Brancanto created the series and serves as executive producer and showrunner. Guillermo Navarro executive produces the series and directed the pilot episode. Michael Panes and Alfredo Barrios Jr. also serve as executive producers. The series is created by MGM+ Studios, in partnership with MGM Television, and filmed in the Dominican Republic.
Hotel Cocaine, Series Premiere, Summer 2024, MGM+
Get an exclusive first look at Hotel Cocaine in the gallery.
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𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒚 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒏 is a 1950 American sports drama film directed by Jean Negulesco and starring John Garfield and Micheline Presle.
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MY MAN CRUSH MONDAY IS...BRETT GOLDSTEIN
FULL NAME: Brett Goldstein
DATE OF BIRTH: July 17, 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH: London, England
AGE: 43
SIGN: Cancer
BEST KNOWN FOR: Portraying Roy Kent in the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso; Hercules in the MCU superhero film Thor: Love and Thunder. In addition to being an actor, Brett is also a comedian, writer, producer, and podcaster.
HEIGHT: 5 feet and 11 inches tall
#mcm#man crush#mcm 2023#man crush monday#man crush mondays#brett goldstein#brown eyes#london england#cancer#roy kent#ted lasso#thor love and thunder
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Brett Ball 🫡 Salute😍✊🏿🙏🏿
It was very early in Brett Ball’s experience as a student-athlete with the women’s basketball team that things did not go her way. She came to South Carolina in the summer of 2011 as a scholarship athlete. But before the season began, she was diagnosed with myocardial non-compaction in the left ventricle— a rare genetic heart condition that made it impossible for her to play basketball.
photos of brett ball as a team member and as a Ph.D. candidate
Years: 2011-15
Position: Team vlogger
Key stats: Ball was diagnosed with a heart condition and never got to play for the Gamecocks, but she stayed on scholarship all four years and helped fans get an inside look at the team through her behind-the-scenes videos.
Degrees: Bachelor’s in criminal justice, UofSC; master’s in integrated communications, University of Mississippi
Current position: Ph.D. student in health communication, University of Florida
“I totally could have just said, ‘I’m leaving, this is not going to work out for me,’ ” says Ball, a Ph.D. student in health communication at the University of Florida. “But Coach Staley honored my scholarship. I was still part of the team. When we would travel, I was there; when we had film, I was there; I still attended practices. I did pretty much everything the team did, except work out and play.
“She still coached me as if I was on the court, but in a different way,” Ball says of Staley. “I had to be on time for practice. I had to be on time for class. She didn’t let me just go about in my own way.
“At first I didn’t like it because I was just so frustrated with not being able to play. I thought, ‘I’m not playing so why do I need to do these things.’ But it still made me feel part of the team because I was held to the same standards.
“I don’t know if she had ever had a player under her wing who didn’t play. What are you going to say to make them feel better? She would say there was nothing she could do to help me play, and the only thing she can do is be a guide and I totally respect that. The best thing she could do was be a support system.”
Staley and the basketball media team came up with an idea that Ball would do videos with her teammates to highlight their many off-the-court talents and build up excitement among fans. The show was called Ballin’ with Brett.
“Our team was pretty dynamic,” says Ball, who graduated from UofSC with a degree in criminal justice. “We could have had our own TV show. We had rappers, comedians, drama queens. We definitely had a team full of personalities.”
Producing and hosting the videos got Ball interested in journalism and communications — an interest she has pursued since her time at South Carolina, earning a master’s in integrated communications from the University of Mississippi in her home state.
“It was as good an experience as I could have had without being able to play ball.”
She expects to complete her dissertation and Ph.D. in May. Her research focus is on mental health among African American female athletes, a subject she knows much about.
“Being nine hours away from home, if you’re not somewhere with resources — and USC had resources from A-to-Z — it can be difficult,” she says. “The school had people there who helped with the stress. We had two Black psychologists in the athletic department and that was really helpful for me. That’s how I got started looking into the mental health of athletes.”
Ball says she talked with her advisers and mentors at UofSC before each major life decision she has made. She says she is uncertain where her Ph.D. will take her, but lessons learned from her time with Staley and the Gamecocks women’s basketball program will never leave her.
“I am really interested in ways to improve the mental health of student-athletes. I want to figure out ways to destigmatize mental health and mental illnesses within the athletic and sports space.
“I want to use my experience with mental health, my experience not being able to play and experience with cases of depression and anxiety and I want to be able to help athletes, even if it is from an academic standpoint, about what Black female student athletes have to go through."
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MBTI & Celebs
Florence Pugh: ESTP
“Florence Pugh (born 3 January 1996) is an English actress. She made her acting debut in 2014 in the drama film The Falling.
Pugh gained recognition in 2016 for her leading role as a young bride in the independent drama Lady Macbeth, winning a British Independent Film Award, and drew praise for starring in the miniseries The Little Drummer Girl (2018).
Pugh's international breakthrough came in 2019 with her portrayals of professional wrestler Paige in the biographical sports film Fighting with My Family, a despondent American woman in the horror film Midsommar, and Amy March in the period drama Little Women.
For the last of these, she received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. Pugh was awarded the Trophée Chopard at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2021, she starred as Yelena Belova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Black Widow and the Disney+ miniseries Hawkeye.
She has since starred in the thriller Don't Worry Darling and the drama The Wonder (both 2022).”
Sources: video, wiki/Florence_Pugh. Screencaps: transcript.
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Rocky IV (1985) written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone.
#Rocky IV#1985#80's#80s#American sports drama film#sports drama film#sequel#Rocky III (1982)#rocky film series#Dolph Lundgren#Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed#Dolph Lundgren as Captain Ivan Drago#Brigitte Nielsen as Ludmilla Vobet Drago#my gif#gifs#my edit#80's movies#80's film#80s movies
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Director of Next Goal Wins, the sports comedy-drama film Taika Waititi has just landed in American Samoa. The film is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison about Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen's efforts to lead the American Samoa national football team, considered one of the weakest football team in the world, to qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. American Samoas own Jaiyah Saeluas life is portrayed in the Hollywood film, directed by Oscar winner Taika Waititi.
Source: KVZK TV
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[ michelle pfeiffer, cis woman, she/her ] — whoa! evie crane just stole my cab! not cool, but maybe they needed it more. they have lived in the city for their whole life, working as the owner of cover to cover. that can’t be easy, especially at only 63. some people say they can be a little bit reserved and feisty, but I know them to be charming and passionate. whatever. I guess I’ll catch the next cab. hope they like the ride back to manhattan! — (penned by sky, 23, gmt, she/her, no triggers)
— ( pinterest )
basics:
• full name: yvette cecilia crane (née reinhardt)
• nicknames: evie (preferred name) ; eve (by her family)
• gender: cis female
• pronouns: she/her
• sexuality: bisexual (male leaning)
• aesthetics: old leather books, firewood, red wine, expensive perfume, roses, white silk, highlighted and annotated scripts, red velvet, herbal tea
• age: 63
• date of birth: 8th may 1960
• zodiac sign: taurus
• residence: a old townhouse in manhattan
• occupation: owner of cover to cover bookshop ; former actress
appearance:
• faceclaim: michelle pfeiffer
• voice claim: michelle pfeiffer
• height: 5’ 6”
• build: average ; a little skinny
• eyes: light blue
• hair: dyed red with blonde money piece highlights (is a natural blonde)
• piercings: earlobes and left helix
• tattoos: (x) (x)
• style:
personality:
• positive traits: charming, passionate, kind, compassionate, helpful, trustworthy, loyal, nurturing
• negative traits: reserved, feisty, stubborn
• likes: spending time with her family, reading, music. parties, film and television, sweet food, coffee, shopping, singing
• dislikes: spicy food, extremely hot or cold weather, prejudice, heavy metal, sports, being interrupted, arrogance
• phobias: insects (particularly snakes and spiders)
• hobbies: reading, writing, photography, watching films, singing, playing the piano, gardening
family:
• mother: anita genevieve reinhardt (née douglas)
• father: claude frederick reinhardt
• siblings: julian nathaniel reinhardt & marielle frances pennington (née reinhardt) — julian is four years older and marielle is eighteen months older
• husband: tbd (see wanted connections below)
• biological child: tbd (see wanted connections below)
• adopted children: violet hú & other tbd (see wanted connection below)
• pets: a female black cat named audrey
favourites:
• colours: red, gold, silver
• food: caramel apple strudels
• drink: red wine
• film: gentlemen prefer blondes (1953)
• song: dreams by fleetwood mac
• time of the day: evening
• weather: sunshine
• season: autumn
bio:
• evie was born to a swiss-german father and a scottish-american mother in new york city on the late morning of 8th may 1960. her father worked in the german translation section at the united nations headquarters in new york and her mother was history professor at nyu.
• her mother had called her evie from the day she was born, so grew up preferring it over her full name. her father called her eve, but had always been indifferent to it until she was a little older. he also taught her and her siblings to speak fluent german, which is something evie still retains to this day.
• she gets along well with both of her siblings, but is closer to her brother nate. he was the one that encouraged her to pursue her dreams of being an actress and helped her to steal clothes from their mother’s wardrobe to use as costumes in their own homemade plays.
• her parents were often busy with work, but they always made time for their children. they spent their vacations in italy, portugal, and mexico and was the best time for them all to relax and be a family. they also often played board games together, had movie nights, and would celebrate holidays like christmas in excess.
• despite not really enjoying school, evie had consistently good grades. she liked drama, english, history, and sociology the most and even helped put on several school shows. she was incredibly popular and it helped to boost her confidence. she also had her first boyfriend in high school and the two were together for almost three years.
• evie attended juilliard, which she enjoyed far more than high school, and landed a small part in a popular drama show straight after graduating. she also took up a part time job at a local independent bookstore after filming wrapped and loved every minute of being surrounded by books and fellow avid readers.
• it was a little over a year before evie found a decent film role: playing the daughter in a wealthy victorian family whose lives were being haunted by a demonic supernatural force. her acting was praised and she gained a lot of attention from both critics and audiences. she then went straight into filming a sequel, which shot to the top of the box office.
• after the stellar success of her first two films, evie moved out to los angeles. she shared an apartment with a fellow actress named emily and the two eventually formed a romantic relationship. they were together for eight months before things started to strain and the two realised they couldn’t live together, so evie moved out and found a smaller apartment to live alone in.
• evie had several flings with both men and woman whilst living and working in los angeles. she knew very well that the majority of them only wanted to be with her because of her fame, but it didn’t faze her, even when her relationships were subject to being exposed by the tabloids: she was proud of who she was and wasn’t afraid of publicly calling out bigots.
• for the next few years, evie was between california and new york, starring in several films, two long-running tv shows, and a small handful of plays (with one even touring the entire country) and became more popular with each production she was a part of. she met her eventual husband on one of the film sets and they instantly hit it off, but it took her a while to admit that she did, in fact, have feelings for him. in what little free time they had they went out for restaurant dates, strolls in the park, and tried out some fun new activities they’d both been scared to do on their own. it was clear to them both that they were making one another a better, more confident and more loving person.
• eventually evie became so exasperated with all the attention and the invasion of privacy and the relentless hounding of the paparazzi. the press kept trying to dig into her private life and even tried to give mr crane some unwanted time in the limelight. she came to conclusion that she needed to slow down and prioritise what she wanted in life instead: a family. up to this point evie had wanted children, but never had the opportunity because of her hectic work life and because she never had a truly stable relationship. but now she had mr crane and was madly in love with him in every possible way; she couldn’t imagine a better man to be a father. the topic of children eventually came up in conversation and it was something that solidified their relationship. spontaneously, mr crane proposed, eager to proceed to the next step of their journey together, and evie accepted.
• the two quickly packed their belongings and moved back to new york city. during that same week she and mr crane were married in a small ceremony (it was rushed, after all) and neither of them could have been happier. they spent their two week honeymoon in hawaii and one night, after a lengthy discussion, evie decided that she wanted to open her own bookshop, specialising in secondhand books.
• in the autumn of 1992, a year after the opening of cover to cover, their son/daughter was born and neither of them could have been happier and more grateful. they both took to being parents like ducks to water and evie often had her baby with her as she worked, which a lot of customers loved.
• something, however, felt incomplete about their family. evie’s child’s birth had been traumatic and painful and she didn’t think she could put herself through that again, but both her and mr crane wanted more children. the best solution was adoption. it didn’t take long for them both to find fifteen year old violet hú and her sibling and the cranes knew they were going to live those kids as if they were their own flesh and blood.
�� the cranes provided a loving and supportive home for the siblings and gave them their own spaces in their home to decorate as their own. it was also a chance for them to really start to follow their dreams without hindrance or fear of being stopped. the cranes treated their adoptive children with the respect and kindness they deserved and never made them feel like they didn’t belong. moreover, when evie found out that violet was interested in acting it was an incredible opportunity for them to bond. the cranes also never misses any of violet’s performances; they’re so proud of what she has achieved and what she will go on to do.
• every now and then, evie likes to spend time at a local club performing singing and acting for cabaret nights. singing had always been a passion of hers and never truly managed to show off her voice when acting in film and tv.
• most of evie’s customers at cover to cover know of her accolades, but she’s determined to stay down to earth and involve herself in the community. she is also involved in literary charities and does little fundraisers at her shop for both literary charities and for local charities.
wanted connections:
• mr crane: the love of evie’s life. they’ve been together for almost 35 years and they’re still as much in love with each other as they were at the time they met. he, too, was in the film & television industry (doing what exactly is up to you!) and maybe he still is or maybe, like evie, has given up that life to pursue some other passion. they live together in their manhattan home and proud parents to three children (one biological and two adopted)
• the cranes’ biological child: no matter how old they are, evie’s child will always be her baby. she has made sure that they have grown up safe, comfortable, and loved, and is proud of them no matter what career path they’ve chosen to taken. the child themself is also a very proud older sibling to two adoptees: violet hu and (other tbd) and has always been around took after them and make them feel a part of the family.
• the cranes’ youngest adopted child: more info can be found here
• old friends: maybe your muse is still acting or maybe they’ve retired too, but nevertheless they have been friends with evie- going through thick and thin together- since their amateur acting days. they could have met at juilliard or on the first day of shooting a film. they always attend each other’s christmas parties and other such get-togethers as well as going for nights out in Manhattan. they’re also like an uncle or aunt to evie’s children and are practically a family member.
• regular customers: like evie, your muse might be a fellow bookworm, absolutely having to read the latest bestseller and to catch up with all the classics; maybe they’re looking for something new (or in this case, old) to try, maybe they want to make some friends in their fellow readers, and maybe they even want to hear stories of evie’s acting days.
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How Hira Changed My Life - DRAMA
At just 29 years old, I was diagnosed with Uterine Cancer.
Sort of the cherry on top of a sundae made Sjogren's.
As the eldest daughter of a lower middle class American family, I was responsible for more than just my education growing up.
While I was an avid writer, reader, dancer, artist, and vocalist, I was never given the same opportunities as my siblings. When they were being totted off to this practice or that recital, I was forced to focus on my homework, and whichever sibling was not old enough to attend.
That's not to say I didn't get to play a sport or join a club here and there, but overall, I was heading down a path of self destruction.
A people pleaser, avidly ignoring all the issues I'd acquired along the way, in pursuit of other's happiness.
There is nothing quite like a near-death experience to make you reevaluate your life.
6 years ago, I beat cancer, or at least, began my journey into remission, where I remain for the time being.
I decided that it was time to put down the dish rag, quit all but one of my three jobs, and get to know myself better. I'd carried the need to be the caretaker in to adulthood, and the effects were devastating.
I set out to write and publish my first full length novel. I'd written plenty before, but I never had the time, energy, or confidence to publish.
In July of 2021, I published my very first novel in a six part series that I am still working on today: Legend of the Sylph, but that wasn't all I wanted to do.
In 2016, I'd started a podcast, during my diagnosis, I'd been forced to focus on my health, and put that podcast on hold.
By 2018, fond memories resurfaced, and I decided it was time to try again. Heiress Anonymous was born as a faceless online artist, with a heart of gold, and a lot of stories to tell. I even included a weekly advice section, and things were going pretty well.
Until my youngest brother took his own life January 2019, 2019.
Being one of only two siblings that I was close to, and only 19, that loss shook the very core of our family, and it nearly defeated me a second time.
Struggling to keep my depression, anxiety, PTSD and bipolar under control, I did the only thing I thought I could do.
I got help.
During my inpatient therapy, I spent a lot of time reflecting on what made me happy, so that when I left that place, I could find something, anything, that made life seem less like wading through the layers of hell, slowly as an ant through tar.
I'd lost so many pieces of myself and I was tired of slapping a bandaid on a gaping wound and telling myself, and everyone else, it was just a scratch.
Dealing with everyone else's needs and desires, while neglecting my own was causing my Sjogren's to flare up more often than it should. My body wasn't cooperating, and my mind, oh that poor fella was more foggy than a black and white film.
Again, I started to do things I was passionate about.
I started with an online game after Duskwood's completion.
Each month, I'd write a new story, and a team of artists would help me develop a location map, clues, and characters for up to 30 people to play. It was the most fun I'd had in a while.
During this time, I was also playing other immersive games.
Mystic Messenger, The Seven Endgame series, and The Sign.
During my playthrough of the Seven series, I happened upon some... rather cancellable translation errors. In a moment of "Please don't cancel the only games I enjoy", I typed up an email to Reality Games, the developers, offering to scan the rest of their games for similar issues.
I was surprised when my wonderful friend Mel emailed me back, offering to let me test and correct The Healing, their upcoming title.
I accepted right away.
Then I had a thought... What if I took the team I'd been working on games with, made an actual game?
Astro Hollow was born. (Hopefully we'll be completed by 2025. It's not easy now that I have such a small team.)
During The Healings production, I asked if there were any unfilled roles. After knowing me for some time. Mel suggested Hira, and the rest is history.
Reality Games Fandom group was started on FB.
There, I met many great fans.
And some not so great fans.
One of them stood out to me. Stefi, who plays Ina.
She came to me as a fan, but we became fast friends. Similar to some of the others. She expressed her desire to become a voice actress, but was hesitant.
I spent weeks, months even, building her up, encouraging her, offering to help coach her lines, etc.
I introduced her to the group, set her up to mod the RG Fandom so she could learn the ropes and get used to fan engagement.
I even invited her to co-host a podcast.
Things seemed to be running smoothly. Until she decided that she was too busy to steam, but with the German meet and great looming, and her insistence that she go, I wholeheartedly understood.
I offered to hold her place on the podcast, until she had more time.
Tongue Tied Games and I had chatted before on reddit. Imagine my surprise at how small the world is, when I found out he played Charlie! We streamed together for the first time about a year ago, and we just clicked.
Preston and I became fast friends as well. (Cedrik - The Sign EN) His sense of humor is the stuff of legends.
I met all sorts of nice people.
Serge definately stands out to me. Such an amazing, witty guy.
I can't say enough good things about the Author's.
Daniel and Tim especially.
I'd forgotten how dark the internet can be, with all the light surrounding me.
I hadn't stopped to think about the fans, and how this could easily turn into an introverts parasocial hellscape.
For months, I tried to be the bigger person.
I ignored the whispers, the rumors, the blatant disrespect, but something happened that made me realize that if I don't stick up for myself, no one else will.
So here I am, explaining how one of the most important turning points in my life, has become the darkest time.
A fan, whom I will not name, and whom I've never had a conversation with, immediately disliked me. For the past 8 months, I've tried and tried and tried to figure out who or what or why this happened. They don't seem to know themselves. But to anyone that would listen, I was "mean". I didn't "value my friendships".
I was so dead set on not disrupting the community I loved, that I didn't speak up.
Ina was one of those people who turned their back on me.
I asked them why they'd take their word over mine, after everything I'd done.
I'd vouched for them, coached them, let them sit with me while I edit, introduced them to the group, supported them, helped them learn and grow, shared with them, both professionally and privately.
I could not fathom this turn of events.
In fact, I had not even considered it as the catalyst for her quitting the podcast.
It wasn't until a very dear friend of mine, nearly took her life, because she was bullied by this very same member (I'd give you there name, but honestly, I suspect there are many many names they go by) that I'd finally had it.
See what I mean?
I'm quick to defend and protect other people, but I'll let others tear me apart before I disrupt the peace.
I reached out to my mods, and let them know what was happening. They were appalled, to say the least. One even tried to mediate, but of course that didn't work out.
There was nothing to mediate.
This was a para social nightmare.
Growing up, being sickly, I'd never found myself beautiful, but in recent years, that has changed.
Health and happiness have made me a better person, physically and mentally.
Imagine my surprise when I was edged out by women who were intimidated by me, in a group that I was part of, long before most of them.
Imagine consitently helping others, and being forced to step back for a few months, only to come back to someone new, determined to make themselves "Queen PICK ME" or some shit.
I truly still do not understand it.
I've tried countless times to figure it out, but in the end, these are people who want to keep someone to themselves.
Who flirt with a stranger online, thinking they know them, but chastise anyone else who dares to do the same.
I'd seen it.
I'd recognized it.
I choose to ignore it.
FFS - I've got someone I care about already. Who in their right mind would intentionally ruin that for someone they've never even met? Someone they don't know? That's just a silly thought to have.
It has to be jealousy....
Do you know how many times I've been told that, and chose to ignore it, because I cannot fathom what there is to be jealous of?
After I shared my story with mods, the universe answered with a call of it's own.
Message after message from others within the community, who'd been wronged by this person.
Who'd felt unwelcome in the community.
Who'd been attacked, bullied even, out of the groups.
I was shattered.
A near death, a dozen victims.
I reached out to the group owners, and cleaned up my own, but no one made a move to correct the behavior.
Is that what being an "influencer" is?
Should I be reaping the benefits without any of the responsibility?
No.
I refuse to let people suffer, because I don't want to speak up.
I was scared, truth be told, because I thought if I just ignored it, it would go away.
By time I realized that wasn't the case, so many other people had been influenced by this person's word.
This person, whom I'd never had a conversation with.
This person, who I'd promoted their "fan art".
This person, who was continually looking for excuses to hate me.
This person, who clearly knows nothing about me.
And yet, this person was going to win.
I haven't said a word in 8 months.
I've blocked and removed myself where ever I can, but this person, these people really, still haunt me.
The horde gets larger every day I stay silent.
The one who said they weren't feeling the podcast, took the name I had for the post finale of Orphans, and the people I had invited, and did their own, but I knew that was happening, and said nothing.
Until someone came to me and asked me, "Weren't you the reason that Stefi joined the cast as Ina?"
I replied yes, and the flood gates opened.
Stefi was a fan.
She came to me as Hira. Said she liked the character.
We started to chat. Became friends.
I encouraged her to email her audition to the team.
I reached out to the team and told them to give her a chance.
I coached her lines from the first few episodes.
I GOT HER THE ROLE AS INA.
She now gives credit to TT.
If you don't believe me, I have the podcasts still up on YouTube, where we talk about it in detail.
At first, I was sure that she was being manipulated.
Part of the reason that I was adamant that she join the team, was who she is as a person.
She's LGBTQ and on the spectrum. It's very important to me, especially after all of my struggles, to make sure that everyone finds something they're passionate about and doesn't let anything hold them back.
For months I thought she was being taken advantage of. Manipulated.
To discover otherwise was absolutely heartbreaking for me.
Imagine how shattered I was, when someone from the German fan meet up, said she's been telling people that since the German Fan Meet and Great in AUGUST 2023.
I feel used.
I'm at a low I'm not sure I can recover from, especially because she continues to say and do things just to get at me.
I've done what I can to block and move on, and I continue to leave communities I cherish, because of these ghosts.
It's like I'm Sandy, but for real this time, and trapped in that damned Orphanage.
Will we share a similar fate?
Will I let devistation consume me?
Have I made the right decisions?
Time will tell.
I'm leaving most names out of this on purpose, but I'm setting the record straight on how Ina came to be part of the community.
I'm so sick and tired of supporting people from behind the curtain, while actively being used as a doormat.
I love working for RG.
This has nothing to do with the company itself.
Cast will be what cast will be.
I love voice acting. I love writing, so even the editing process is fulfilling, but man I still had a lot to learn about how selfish the industry is.
How competitive.
How jealous and manipulative.
Watching people argue over someone they've never met.
Someone they've never seen.
Someone they don't know.
Watching them gatekeep the communities they stay in, running off anyone who isn't an OG.
Kind of defeats the purpose of supporting that creator, when you're driving good people out.
I'm starting to wonder if the internet isn't going to be our downfall.
If we'll ever truly understand the effects of parasocial relationships.
While I love the work I do, and many of the people who follow me, I cannot condone gatekeeping, lying, manipulation, cheating, stealing, copying, and outright bullying.
Stay in your lane.
At the end of the day, you don't know me.
Very few of you do.
You don't know her, him, they, them.
You just don't.
Speaking or acting on the behalf of others, lying about the people who helped get you where you are, no matter how you feel about them, is just plain messed up.
As with everything else in my life, I've learned a lot here.
I don't love parasocial relationships.
They fascinate me, until they piss me off.
Obviously this is NOT all of what occurred here. There are plenty of screenshots, and stories, but the bottom line is that I'm being pushed around, and I'm tired of staying silent. I work too hard, and help too many people, while barely being able to lift my head up to do so.
I've had it.
If you want to join a discord community where bullying, will not be tolerated: https://discord.gg/C6Edjk3AhX
Please remember. Just because you recognize their face and you know about them through the internet, does not mean you KNOW them.
Please treat actors/streamers as human beings, but also as "entertainers".
Respect their privacy.
Do not speak on their behalf.
Do not bully their followers, even if they are extremely hands off, or they expect the community to police.
You can easily turn one of the BEST things that's ever happened to someone, into one of the worst.
The results can be deadly.
#hira#the healing#the sign#orphans#reality games#reality games fandom#voice actor#voice acting#duskwood#ina#sandy
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Robert Young, Tom Brown and James Stewart in the American drama-sport film 𝑵𝒂𝒗𝒚 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅 (1937).
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Taika Waititi on Casting Himself and Next Goal Wins
Consequence Uncut
16 November, 2023
Celebrated New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian Taika Waititi is known for his quirky, heartwarming, and often absurd comedic sensibilities. His films, such as "What We Do in the Shadows," "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," and "Thor: Ragnarok," have garnered critical acclaim and commercial success. Waititi's unique blend of humor, heart, and creativity has made him one of the most sought-after filmmakers in the industry.
For the episode, Consequence UNCUT Senior Entertainment Editor, Liz Shannon Miller speaks to Waititi about how got involved in his latest film Next Goal Wins, an American biographical sports comedy-drama film directed, which tells the story of the American Samoa national football team.
(Ed.: they also talk about Our Flag Means Death.)
Listen on: Consequence.net | Apple | Listen Notes
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Boxers of Yesterday Today and Tomorrow
Storytelling in Sports
A normal person otherwise devoid of any specific purpose finds their raison dêtre in training for the martial arts.
This single sentence storyline is a fundamental story type in many Asian stories. You find it in Chinese Shaolin Temple epics, Japanese and Chinese rival school epics, Thai action films, Spanish and French sword-fighting fictions, and even American dramas and comedies. Rocky is the most notable example of an American version of this story type. In every example, the storytelling rarely focuses on the action and instead puts the onus on the relationships the character has with the world.
The most notable Japanese examples are Samurai films and combat/sports manga. In most of these examples the protagonist is relatively normal, allowing the audience to relate to them. Then the narrative introduces a reason for the character to evolve during exposition. The main character then is introduced to a mentor, not unlike Joseph Cambell’s example path of the Hero’s Journey. In sports narratives this mentor is usually in the form of a coach or trainer and they are uplifted from normal person to a superior athlete.
In sports manga and other sports fiction, the answer to all problems is always the same: Training.
Discipline provides confidence and training provides strength. Both of these are held together with ‘guts’ or determination. The athletic hero is confronted with stronger and stronger opponents and continues to train until he can defeat them. This type of ‘superiority through training and determination’ is a cornerstone of most Japanese stories. Many deal with an argument between skill and talent as well. In most cases learned skill defeats natural-born talent after enough training has occurred.
The lessons taught in these stories are almost always the same:
Nothing good is achieved without effort
Trust your friends and family
Strength is the product of discipline
Determination will give you victory
In this essay I will be focusing on three Boxing stories from Japanese culture. We will explore their meanings and narratives, the lessons taught, and the importance of their stories on culture.
Joe Learns to Box: Yesterday’s Tomorrow
Pugilism has a long history of nobility and violence. Boxing is enjoyed the world over as the world’s most basic of martial arts. Everyone can do it, but few can master it. Despite the sport’s organization being mostly from a European base, the United States has become the de facto home of the sport. It spread across the world and entered Japan in 1854 and became popular despite Japan’s dominance in the martial arts world.
Post World War II anti-American sentiment led to a lull in the sport, but boxing matches continued. As Japanese classical art like Emakimono evolved into Manga, artists struggled for meaning in a post nuclear world. One particular author found this meaning in the story of a prize fighter from the slums of Tokyo. Asao Takamori under the pen name Ikki Kajiwara teamed up with the artist Tetsuya Chiba to create their seminal work, Ashita no Joe. The story captured the spirit of Japanese determination and also their desperation in the face of their defeat of WW II and the subsequent reconstruction period. Joe’s redemption and anger belonged to the youth of the day and inspired other authors, artists, and aspiring boxers to try their best to grow and learn what it means to be strong.
Using this story as a lens to view other anime and manga you can see its influence everywhere you look, from popular to obscure. Notably Takamori’s story inspired a renaissance of boxing fandom in the late 1970’s. Despite there being several titles going to Featherweight and Welterweight champions in Japan during the time, boxing was relatively unpopular due to its association with the US. Ashita no Joe, or “Tomorrow’s Joe” captured a moment and helped to move its fans forwards toward a brighter tomorrow.
The titular character Joe Yabuki, is a tough-as-nails drifter that wanders into a shantytown and runs into an alcoholic boxing trainer, who sees a bright future hiding inside the brash youth and attempts to coax it out of him. Because of his terrible attitude and criminal behavior he is instead put in jail. Joe redeems himself (somewhat at least) and pushes himself to become a professional boxer. His story can be seen as a successful transition from an economic outcast into a functional member of society. In this case, society can be said to be the true villain of the story. Joe has either rejected society or society has rejected him, he has either turned to violence or been rejected due to his reliance on violence to solve his problems. Similar story origins can be found in gangster movies but also in stories like Rambo: Firstblood.
Classic and contemporary gangster films have characters that as children are shown a violent way of life, either by design or necessity. These children then grow into violent adults, full of anger and contempt for society and view the world as a thing to be possessed or conquered. Society ultimately rejects them for their violent and destructive natures. Stories like Rambo on the other hand, have a well liked child grow into a life of violence for a noble cause, but are ultimately unable to separate this violence from their personality. They eventually reject society as they cannot find a place and the violence in them serves no purpose.
Yabuki is a bit of a mystery as we have no context to put him in, but as with both other character types, his violence serves no purpose. He is defined by his violence and it colors all of his actions towards others. Joe is a fundamentally unlikable character, full of anger, bitterness, and child-like pettiness. His relationship with those that eventually come to care about him serves to instill societal norms in him in an attempt to turn him into a better person.
Instead of society itself, I propose that poverty is the real enemy of Joe and his friends. Every day is a struggle for all of them in San’ya. Economic disparity is on parade throughout the narrative, from the driftwood houses along the Namida Bashi (Bridge of Tears) to the sky scrapers and mansions of the mega-wealthy. Joe is carted around the world boxing in various countries, but he never really grows out of the slums in his mind. Joe is obviously a victim of his own stubbornness, but he was made that way because of lack of economic opportunity. This is one of the primary stumbling blocks on display in gangster stories, but instead of becoming an enforcer and earning a living in the underworld, Joe becomes a homeless wanderer, evoking the Japanese concept of a Ronin. A skilled fighter, disgraced and masterless but clinging on to his own moral code as he wanders from town to town.
While Joe is a product of his time, his story is no less poignant for modern audiences. I enjoy Ashita no Joe for a variety of reasons, but one of the best is its lack of focus on form. Chiba’s art is almost romantic with emphasis on Joe’s inability to care about the world, and Takamori’s rambling narrative is like a daydream at times with no obvious focus or form. If I had to compare it to music, Joe’s story is like a free form jazz with some repeating phrases and a theme, but mostly feels disorganized and yet is familiar. Joe has emblazoned himself into the minds and hearts of Japanese artists and athletes for decades and will continue to guide hearts, minds, and fists for decades to come.
Ippo Steps into the Ring: Yesterday’s Today
In sharp contrast to the unlikable character study of Joe Yabuki, we now come to possibly the most likable character in all of Japanese sports manga. Makunouchi Ippo, the titular character of Hajime no Ippo, has a boundless optimism that is almost never extinguished and his ability to win through sheer will power is incredibly inspirational. When I meet people that do not watch any anime or read manga and they ask me what to start with, Ippo’s story is always close to the top of the list. Of the three stories explored in this work, Ippo is my favorite. I have watched Ippo's road to fight against Date Eji more times that I can remember.
As with Joe, Ippo is a product of his environment and time. He is an example of modern boxing theory and technique tempered with lessons from the past. The origins of boxing are represented by the retired boxers in the narrative and the techniques of famous modern era boxers are on display in this love letter to obscure boxing styles. Ippo is the son of a fishing boat captain whose good naturedness causes him to forgo friendships and childhood distractions to help his mother operate the fishing boat business that supports them after his father's death. He is bullied and taunted until a chance encounter with a professional boxer saves him from a group of wannabe hoodlums underneath a bridge. Ippo awakens to find himself in the world of boxing and puts all of his considerable determination into making himself a professional licensed boxer. He manages this and continues to help his mother without complaining or losing his intoxicating optimism.
Makunouchi is meant to be a representation of the perfect son in Japanese culture. He is mannered, self-effacing, and always does the right thing. Conceptually, Ippo is almost as far as possible from Joe as a character. The world that Ippo exists in is also just as opposed to Joe’s world. While economics do factor into the narrative a bit, it is not a focus of the story. In this world the common everyday experience of Japan’s average citizen is on display. The manga is in full swing with shonen style comedy and slice of life stories, Ippo’s life is beset with heartache, rivals, highschool life, and bad dating advice.
The thing that really sets Ippo apart is the illustration of effort and power in the art of the near constant boxing and sparring matches. Although the art is a bit dated, it still communicates emotion and drama in a way that no other sports show has ever done in my opinion. Some of the later fights continue to give me chills and despite knowing the outcome of every fight, I still find myself cheering on Ippo. The color palette for everyday life is somewhat subdued but still contains a range of colors, but the fights are incredibly bright with flashes and huge blast lines. Usually this style of art would be a turn off for me in other mediums, but somehow Hajime no Ippo gets away with it.
If Joe’s story is Jazz, then Ippo is a Rock Ballad. Guitars scream at times, but other times the story is whimsical or romantic. George Morikawa’s skillful blend of emotions bring you through a chord progression of inspiring notes building to larger than life crescendos, that crash down upon you in a hail of pummeling fists, and knock you out with the power solos that are the crowd pumping championship matches. The drama conveyed in Takamura’s face while he attempts to control himself from opening a refrigerator while dieting to make weight, and the joyful head nod that Ippo gives when he defeats the first villain of the show are highlights that play on an loop in my mind drenched in squealing guitar riffs and the roar of the crowd.
One of the craziest things about watching the show for me is the effect it has on my exercise habits. If I ever want to get motivated to work out, I put on the first season of Ippo. Just as Ashita no Joe’s world is meant to capture the desperation of the downtrodden and the realism of his world, Hajime no Ippo seems to look at the world through Ippo’s guileless naivete. Ippo’s world is both very realistic and simultaneously extremely exaggerated. This offputting juxtaposition is difficult to navigate at times when you are wondering what is real and what is imagination.
Junkyard Dog Bites Mankind: Today’s Tomorrow
When writing about the future one of the things you have to ask yourself is ‘what will X be like in the future?’ Yō Moriyama, Katsuhiko Manabe, and Kensaku Kojima asked themselves, what would boxing be like in the future? How would people fight in the age of machines and artificial intelligence? Gearless Joe is the answer, or rather the inverse of the answer as he is essentially an anti-hero forgoing the future methods of robotic-assisted carnage, for old fashioned human-powered beatdowns.
If Hajime no Ippo is Classic Rock and Ashita no Joe is Jazz, then Megalobox is Industrial HipHop. It is hard, but rhythmic, artistic and catchy. By far the most polished of the 3 examples, it is an extremely fun watch and is effectively a stylized re-telling of Ashita no Joe. The nameless protagonist chooses the moniker ‘Joe’ meaning a man with no real name, but also an obligatory hat-tip to the source material that inspired them. Originally self-named ‘Junk Dog’ is employed to fight in fixed matches in the underworld that our original Joe eschewed. He feels trapped by his life and while attempting to force change, ends up essentially trapping himself even worse. Through a twist of fate, he is forced into the world of professional legitimate boxing in which if he loses he will die. In this brutal and vicious dog-eat-dog world, Gearless Joe shines as a likable anti-hero.
Unlike Ashita no Joe, society is not the big bad guy. There are of course real bad guys in Megalobox in the form of gangsters and fixers and hustlers, but the true villain in the story is greed. The story paints a nasty picture of corruption in the slums and then opens up the world into the bright lights of the legitimate world. With every turn you see another sign of economic elitism, not the least of which is Joe’s lack of personal identity. He is a non-person in the society and cannot even be allowed into the city, there is of course a blackmarket answer for everything and Gearless is allowed to come into the futuristic world of the Megalonia tournament and fight for his life.
His trainer sets up their gym under a bridge bearing more than a passing likeness to the same Bridge of Tears from Ashita no Joe. His team and Gearless Joe are the only desperate ones in the narrative, so unlike the feeling of inclusivity that Yabuki’s gang felt, Gearless Joe feels isolated.
An Abridged Story of A Bridge: Tears to Cheers to Fears
Dieting and sweat, training and bruises, bright lights and cheering crowds. There are a lot of things that the stories share due to the sheer concept of boxing, but one thing that stands out the most to me about the similarities is the geography. Ashita no Joe and Hajime no Ippo canonically occur in Tokyo whereas Megalobox occurs in the fictional ‘Administrative Zone’, but a common point with all stories is their reliance on a single feature of the landscape, a bridge. The bridge in Ashita no Joe is a famous one called Namida Bashi or the Bridge of Tears. It got this name due to the requirement that future prisoners of Kozukahara penitentiary would have to say their goodbyes to their loved ones on that bridge as you had to cross the Omoigawa river to get to the prison. The river was moved and the bridge doesn’t exist anymore, but in its time it was a symbol of loss and heartache and of loss of agency. It was no small symbolism for Joe’s trainer Danpei to open his ramshackle gym under the bridge. Joe’s relatively brief stint in prison and their constant struggle for survival, coupled with Joe’s incessant need to cause trouble always lead to loss, heartache, and usually a loss of agency. Many of Ashita no Joe’s most important moments occur in and around the bridge, borrowing context from the bridge’s reputation. Each of these events is usually a precursor to a major event in the context of Joe Yabuki.
Even though the bridge is now gone, the area around the bridge’s location is close to the Tiato and Arakawa districts that have several rivers that run through them with modern bridges that look remarkably like the one that serves as a setting for many of the critical plot turns in Hajime no Ippo. We see the entire storyline of Ippo’s relationship with Umezawa (Ippo’s school bully that is turned into his greatest fan) unfold under and around the bridge. Ippo manages to catch the 10 leaves that teach him how to jab next to the bridge, and several key conversations and character introductions are in and around the canal next to the bridge. I don’t feel that this use of the canal next to this particular bridge is random and suspect that if it isn’t just an icon from the author’s youth, it is an homage to Ashita no Joe’s use of the Bridge of Tears.
Ippo’s story doesn’t revolve around the same themes, so the bridge being similar but different is important in my mind. Being under the bridge, where Joe and Danpei were, is when Ippo is at his weakest and most vulnerable. The wise tree nearby becomes his first teacher and Ippo learns that he can grow stronger through dedication and training. This causes the bridge to become a symbol for growth and hope for a better tomorrow for Ippo. Even Umezawa crosses the bridge on his way to become a better person. Like Ippo is the inverse of Joe, the bridge in Hajime no Ippo is the inverse of the Namida Bashi. Everytime a character crosses the bridge they are stronger than they were before.
Megalobox as a revamp of Ashita no Joe also has a bridge, and of course they have their ‘gym’ underneath it. The symbolism in Megalobox is missing however and the bridge takes on a different meaning. Joe Yabuki and his trainer Danpei are poor in a community of poor people and they have a community to help them make their gym a home. Gearless Joe and Gansaku Nanbu have no such community to help them and must toil essentially on their own. The bridge and the river are essentially signs of the reality of illegal squatting, evidence that they do not belong in the world they find themselves in. As Gearless Joe and Nanbu rock the boat in entirely different ways than Joe Yabuki, death at the hands of the corruption of the city is their motivating factor instead of prison and poverty. The bridge over their heads instead becomes a symbol of cover, of hiding in plain sight. Not unlike the nameless boxer’s decision to choose the anonymous name of ‘Joe’.
To my reckoning there are a lot of examples of symbolism in all three stories, but none are shared so visibly and with as great an impact as the bridges over the heads of heroes while they train and live life outside the ring. Plans are formed, strategies devised, and history is made under these bridges, while clueless people stroll above them not knowing what extreme determination and strength of will lies beneath.
#boxing#hajime no ippo#ippo makunouchi#ashita no joe#megalo box#anime#animation#stories#modern mythology#heroes journey#joseph campbell#joe yabuki#gearless joe#Danpei#Gansaku Nanbu#Yō Moriyama#Katsuhiko Manabe#Kensaku Kojima#Asao Takamori#Ikki Kajiwara#Tetsuya Chiba#manga#manga art
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I remember you saying that most high schoolers aren't 18+, but I actually just finished High school in June and I didn't repeat any year!
I'm not from America so in my school, after we finish kindergarten and before we start elementary school, we go to pre-first and the whole year is 100% in English (which isn't our first language). All of my classmates were either 19, or 18 -almost 19- when we graduated.
So I was thinking, maybe in Hawkins they have like a whole year of sports/arts or extracurricular activities, and that way they don't need to repeat senior year 😉
Which activities do you think the characters from IKYLLATK would practice? 🤭
It's the same where I live!! I'm not american, so I'm not sure but I also think that they graduate at 18!
And, I love that question!
I think that Steve would do something athletic because he was already in the Basketball team and the captain, I think that he would stick to sports, he would join the swim team and maybe try out something else like baseball!
Cheer would be in the creative writing club, she would also try out poetry but would probably stick to writing. That is also where she would've met Eddie if they weren't friends already :)
Robin would be in the drama club, and in the film/av club.
Chrissy would stay in the cheer team and join the drama club.
Honestly, I have no idea why but Heather would be in the wrestling team, don't ask why, she's just a fighter. (probably joined it so she could learn how to kick Steve's ass cause he kept hurting cheer)
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