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marvelsdarling · 5 years

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The Man on the Train - Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x (female) reader

Summary: After graduating from veterinary university y/n plans on traveling Europe before going back home to Canada. One night she meets a stranger on her train to Venice who she can’t seem to forget.

Warnings: Only fluff here

Word count: 2.3k

When you had decided to fly from Toronto to London you didn’t know if it was crazy or stupid. Your best friend who lived in London assured you that it was, in fact both and that you should have at least called her before showing up at her apartment (or flat as she called it) unannounced. Still, she took you in and actually agreed to go to Venice with you for a few days, which was a hop skip and a train ride away from London. It was however on that train to Venice that you would meet someone who changed your life significantly.

“Y/N we have to go!” You could hear Ava yelling from the main floor. She had been your best friend since you were around 3 back in Toronto, and now you were dragging her across Europe. Actually, just to Italy, you had always wanted to go to Venice after staring at a picture of the Bridge of Sighs that hung on the wall by the top of your stairs your whole childhood.

You stuffed a pair of jean shorts into your luggage along with your toothbrush and a floppy hat. Quickly, checking your (y/h/c) hair in the mirror once more before scurrying down the stairs with a smile on your face. This was it. You would take a train to Paris and then to Verona and finally Venice. The image of the sun reflecting off the water and actually going on one of those gondolas which were totally a tourist trap, but something you wanted to do, raced through your head. You probably looked silly by the time you’re bounded off the last stair.

“Okay you, idiot, let’s go before you crack your face open with that dumb look on your face.” Ava rolled her eyes and dangled her keys on one finger, looking down at you as you grabbed your coat and slipped on your boots.

By the time you got to the train station, you felt like a five-year-old waiting for ice cream to be handed to you from over the counter. The station was surprisingly empty, but choosing one of the last trains to leave - especially one that was supposed to take all night - would make the station pretty empty. When you got to the platform Ava had to hold you back from jumping around (seeing as you had a lot of room to do that.)

“Why is everyone down there?” You asked hesitantly, looking down the platform to see a crowd of people. Ava looked up from her phone and glanced in the general direction of the mob of people, “Probably a tour group, just ignore it.”

Not a lot of tour groups in Canada, let alone Toronto. It’s more of a read a book and does it yourself kind of place if there were any travel books about Toronto anyhow. Shrugging your shoulders, you reached into your leather bag, which was a birthday present from Ava last year, and pulled out a book you were halfway through reading. Turns out when you’re not cramming for exams on the canine anatomy that you have a lot more time to read.

Looking up from your book, which was just getting really good you could see the train pulling into the far end of the station, and shot up from your seat, quickly gathering all of your belongings in the process.

“Y/N slow down, it won’t leave without us.” Ava’s blonde hair flew behind her as the train pulled to a halt in front of them. It was something out of a book really, or a cheesy movie with a bad ending; two girls embarking on a mission to find themselves in Italy, or one girl looking to find something in Italy and the other tagging along for emotional support. Taking the train overnight made sense, and although it was pricey, you had been saving for this trip for a while, and it was going to be worth it.

The little compartment that you had booked was, quaint shall we say; for two people at least. Two single beds and one nightstand. More than enough room to sleep but not to do much else; not that you minded one bit. Situating yourself near one bed you dropped your luggage and clambered onto the small cot. Ava was only just closing the door behind herself when you were sitting cross-legged on the bed, book in hand. Throwing her bag onto your’s, she hoisted herself onto her bed and pulled out her laptop. When you turned over to look at her she already had headphones on and Netflix loading. That was basically the end of talking to her for the night.

When the train pulled away your heart jumped in your chest. This was the trip you had wanted to take for so long now. You hardly noticed when Ava fell asleep, only when your eyes started giving out on you did you look up at the clock and realize that it was quarter past midnight. Your eyesight wasn’t perfect, especially at night, your vision would get blurry quickly if you didn’t rest your eyes. Being stubborn, however, you blinked a few times and looked back at your book. Only a few more pages before you were done your chapter anyways.

Three chapters later and a few more blinks, your eyes had pretty much given up. Focusing on one object was pretty impossible at this point; still not tired though. You remembered seeing a small kitchen coming into the train, possibly you could grab some tea and then go to bed. Looking down at your dishevelled state you contemplated your options. On one hand, it was well past a respectable hour to be awake and no one would see you wearing sweatpants, an old tank top and bright red converse. The other option is, on the off chance you wake someone up it looks like you’ve been doing crack for 5 days straight and hasn’t gotten a wink of sleep since basically ever. Screw it right? Who could you possibly run into?

Slowly you crept out of your room, being very careful to not bump into anything and tiptoed down the hallway, spotting a faint light at the end of the car. Bingo. If only you could see clearly, this would be so much easier. The water boiled in a few minutes and you had already put the tea bag in your cup before you were cut off by a male voice behind you.

“A little late for you to be awake, miss.”

You jumped at the sudden break of silence and spun around to be met with a blurb. Damn your eyes. This could literally be a serial killer and you wouldn’t know what they looked like and when the police took you in for questioning, you would be useless to them.

“I’m so sorry did I wake you?” You couldn’t tell if this person was angry with you or just noticing that it was well past the respectable hour to be awake.

“No no I was already awake I just came to grab some tea.”

You came to some conclusion. Based on this answer: Brittish, male, and possibly kind. A serial killer is still an option. You let out a small chuckle and fiddled with your fingers, looking down at the ground. “Oh good,” you said with a small smile.

“Are you alright miss?” His voice sounded familiar, did you know this guy; highly unlikely? You looked back up at him, trying to focus your eyes. For a split second, you could see something but your vision just went blurry again.

“Oh yeah just… I’m not wearing my glasses so you are a blurb right now and I hope you’re not a serial killer because I literally would not be able to identify you to the police if I had to.”

You could hear a soft chuckle, very British, that’s all you could tell at this point. “I can assure you I’m not a serial killer.” Now it was your turn to laugh.

“Exactly what a serial killer would say.”

“Probably, good thing I’m not though.”

You smiled shyly, hugging your arms across your chest, painfully aware that you looked like a drug dealer and now you were talking to a very charming British man who isn’t trying to kill you.

He spoke again, this time like it was the most normal thing in the world that you didn’t know who the heck you were talking to. “Are you enjoying your conversation with a blurb?”

You thought about it for a moment, were you? This stranger was incredibly charming and sweet, although this is one of the most awkward experiences you’ve had in a long time, “I think everyone should have a chance to talk to someone without knowing what they look like. It’s very humbling and you judge them on their character not their looks.”

“And what is my character?”

You thought about that for a moment as well, “ A charming British man who is being very kind to me, even if I look like a hot mess. And you’re not a serial killer so bonus points for that.”

“You think I’m charming?” You could hear the smirk in his voice. Was that all he retained from that sentence?

“Not killing me is very charming, yes.” He let out a loud chuckle at that. Man his voice sounded familiar.

“For what it’s worth, I think you are equally charming and not a complete hot mess.” Oh how very kind of him. You shook your head side to side and giggled quietly, “You should be going off to bed now, miss.” Oh right. Bed.

“You too.” You replied, picking up your tea and looking up at the stranger’s face. You could make out maybe dirty blonde hair and glasses. You could also see him smirking at you, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” he replied, and with that, you scurried back off to your room.

2 weeks later

Your time in Venice had been astounding. You had dragged Ava to almost every tourist attraction you could find, and spent the last few days just walking around the canals and small alleyways. The whole time, however, she didn’t stop bothering you about this strange man you had told her about. Looking back at the conversation, you could have been more clear that he wasn’t threatening.

“What do you mean you don’t know who it was, he could have killed you!”

“That’s what I thought too, but-”

“No! You cannot go around making friends with people who you can’t see, it’s not safe. At least tell me he was hot.”

You sighed, there was no real way to convince her that everything was fine. “He was very charming and kind, and I could have sworn we knew each other from somewhere but I don’t know what.”

“So just to be clear, you were talking to a kind charming, British man, who you might know from somewhere and you think is quite possibly very hot and you didn’t even bother to get his number?!”

“Well... no but it doesn’t matter now because he probably doesn’t remember me.”

Not that any of that mattered now. You were still in London; still living on Ava’s couch and still cleaning up after her. You had a bag of groceries in one hand, and a bouquet of flowers in the other. Across the road there was a movie of some sorts being filmed, not that you had looked into it much, all you knew was that it was blocking the most convenient way back to Ava’s flat.

You crossed the road and started walking towards your’s (or rather Ava’s) parked car, faintly hearing a voice behind you through your music. Quickly you tossed your groceries into the trunk of the small car, turning around to be met with a very tall man. Tilting your head up slightly you realized that the very tall man was Loki, or rather Tom Hiddleston in a full Loki costume standing in front of you in the middle of the road. Your mouth fell slightly agape at the sight before you could regain your composure, “Umm, hi, how can I help you?”

“I’m assuming you don’t remember me?” All it took was that for your brain to connect the dots. Oh god. Oh no. That guy on the train. The one who saw you in your full on ‘I’m a drug dealer and I’ve had no interaction for 5 days’ state was Tom Hiddleston.

“How-What?” You had no idea on how to react.

“Not everyone can wear bright red converse and pull them off.” He smirked at you and winked, making you blush. You could hear concerned voices from around the corner.

“I’m going to assume that’s your people wondering why an actor just walked off set in full costume and makeup?” You asked, tilting your head to the side slightly.

He held out his phone to you. “I would like to keep chatting, love, but I have to go. May I ask for your number first?”

You probably looked stupid, you could feel your jaw hit the floor. “I uh-yeah just umm-oh yes,” you fumbled. Your heartbeat was loud in your ears and you hesitantly punched in your phone number.

“Goodbye love.”

“Bye,” you said, flustered.

You didn’t really register when he turned the corner and ran back to the set. You stood on that street corner for a few minutes absorbing information. Really? You? Did that just happen to you? You felt the smile form on your face, as you pulled out your phone. Maybe you would stay in London longer then you had planned. You could hear a voice from the phone and quickly pulled it up to your ear.

“Ava, you won’t believe what just happened.”

#tom #tom hiddleston #tom hiddelston imagine #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston x you #tom hiddleston oneshot #tom hiddleston fluff #tom hiddleston fanfiction #marvel #marvel imagine #marvel x reader #loki #loki x reader #loki imagine

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snarky-badger · 6 years

Note

Ultron prompt: reader gets into a friendly chat online and makes friends with them after a while, only to start noticing odd things start to happen: out of nowhere money deposits in their bank account, gifts showing up when they know they didn't order anything, etc, until late one night someone shows up unannounced in their living room

I spent two days on this anon! It’s longer than usual, I just couldn’t stop writing. Am open to even writing a sequel if you like this one enough and request one. I hope it’s to your liking!

Words/Sentences between [these] are chat conversations.

You groaned as you shuffled into your room, grimacing as you dumped your heavy backpack onto the floor with a thud. Noise from your roommates made you kick your door shut, shoulders slumping when the bickering faded to a dull mumble.

It had been a long day. You were in the middle of a twenty-four week long Auto Mechanics course. And that was just for cars and trucks. If you wanted to push further, you’d need another course to qualify to work on Big Rigs, and another for Construction Vehicles, like dump trucks and front loaders.

Your dream however, was racing cars. Any racing cars. Drag racing, Nascar, anything, hell, even big rig racing. And for that, you needed a lot of training. You’d have to work up from mere cars to more powerful engines.

You’d become enamored with mechanics when you’d been young and watching your father work on his old Plymouth Barracuda. He’d been able to take it apart, clean it, and put it back together, almost with his eyes closed. He’d taught you everything he’d known, of course, but that wasn’t enough. You needed a degree, and proper training.

Proper training that cost an arm a leg and half a liver. It was why you were sharing an old, run down, house with three others. Cheaper than Campus Apartments, though paying your way through University and covering rent still forced you to shop at a dollar store for food.

You were lucky in the fact that you had a part-time job at a mechanic downtown. The elderly man had been more than willing to take you on as an apprentice, and was always welcoming to your endless questions when you hadn’t quite understood something in class.

Added to the general stress of things was the fact that you were the only female in a class and occupation mostly dominated by men. The jeers and bullying and sexist comments from your fellow ‘students’ were murder on your psyche, self-esteem and general ability to not beat someone over the head with a wrench.

Judging that the fighting outside your door was about the cleanliness, or lack thereof, of the fridge, you grabbed up a change of clothes and booked it to the shower. It was a short one - ten minutes, timed. Everyone in the house was trying to save money, and that included taking short showers, living on more Ramen than was healthy, and keeping the temperature of the house low to save funds on power. Well, as much as all of you could, considering that all of you had laptops and were Netflix addicts.

It took almost five minutes to get the grime out from under your fingernails, but you were as clean as you could be by the end of the shower. You rushed back into your room, shivering from the cool water, and quickly donned some jogging pants and a tank top that had a Wonder Woman logo on it.

A chime from your phone drew your attention, and you idly checked the message, smiling a little when you saw who it was.

It had started completely by accident. You’d been in a chat, throwing ideas back and forth with a group of people about Nascar engines and how to increase performance when someone had popped in and noted that using a cleaner fuel or incorporating a catalytic converter would save on the disgustingly high emissions each car poured out per race.

Others had booed and tried to kick the person off, you’d been intrigued and opened a separate chat window to ‘pick their brain’ as it were.

What had started as a mere exchange of ideas had turned into a budding friendship.

Grinning, you opened your laptop and powered it on, idly pushing pieces of a half-built carburetor to the far corner of the desk before going to lift your heavy backpack and slamming it down onto the empty spot.

‘SmoothCriminal’ was already waiting on chat when you finally logged in. Over the months, he’d come to know your usual class hours. You wondered what he did, to have so much time to chat, but with the connectivity everyone had with phones and such, you shrugged it off.

You did a bit of ‘hunt and peck’, typing one-handed while opening your bag with the other. [Hey you. Just got home. You have excellent timing.]

[*chuckle* You did give me your hours at class and work.]

[*raspberry* Smart-ass.] You turned away from the laptop as you pulled out your books, including a new one that had cost you a whopping hundred-and-twenty bucks. It was murder on your tight budget.

[I try. How were classes?]

[Meh. Same old, same old. Kinda just more in depth stuff that Dad taught me. They dumped a new book on us too. Blew my monthly budget out of the water.]

[That bad?]

[Hundred twenty buckaroos. For something that will be obsolete in six months. I’ll probably end up using it as a door stop. Apparently the teacher had ‘forgotten’ to mention that we needed it.]

[Lovely. Which means what for you?]

[Dollar store Ramen for the next two weeks until I get my pay from apprenticing with that mechanic downtown.]

[That’s not food. That junk is mostly salt and cheap carbohydrates. You’ll get sick eating that garbage.]

You huffed. [Money’s tight. Like, painfully tight. I need to make rent, and pay my share of the power, internet and water bills. Next month I need to renew my bus pass, and, and, the property and school taxes for the house we’re renting is coming up - that’s like three-hundred bucks I need to come up with. I have like, zero wiggle room.]

[The way your country piles debt on students is deplorable. University is free in some countries overseas, did you know that? Completely free education.]

[Lucky them. I, meanwhile, need to win the lottery if I want to be able to pay the fee next semester.]

[….your parents can’t help?]

[Nah. They have enough problems.]

[*rolls eyes* They’re your parents. I’m sure they’d help if they knew you were in trouble.]

[Dude. No. They have enough trouble without me adding to it. Mom had to skip a month’s worth of her insulin meds so Dad could get his high blood pressure prescription filled.]

[That’s messed up. Ever think of changing countries?]

You shook your head. He had to be in Canada or someplace where things were covered, because he obviously didn’t know how life worked in the States. [Again. With what money?]

[…..I could help.]

[I appreciate the thought, but nah. It would feel too much like charity. Besides, I’d get mad if I found out you’d put yourself in financial trouble just to bail my ass out. A little more instant Ramen won’t kill me.]

[Bleh.]

A snicker left you. [Not your fave, hm?]

[It’s not healthy, so no.] A pause. [Damn. Something’s come up. Same time tomorrow?]

[Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Take care.]

[You too.]

A sigh left you as he logged off, and you leaned back in your chair, stretching your arms up above your head. It was for the best. You needed food and you had some serious studying to do.

The next few days progressed as they usually did. A whirl of school, work, studying and a general lack of sleep and actual food. Chatting with ‘SmoothCriminal’ was always the highlight of your days, and more than once he’d had to mother-hen you into going to bed when the chats stretched on into the night.

It was Monday when something odd happened.

“Yo!”

You rolled your eyes at your roommates holler and rose from your bed where you’d been studying to stick your head out your room door. You figured he was only yelling for you, because the other two people you shared the house with where away at class. “What?!”

“You got a package!”

“The fuck?” Scowling, you headed downstairs, blinking as David pushed a large box into your arms. “I didn’t order anything.”

“S’got your name. It’s from Hello Fresh.” When you blinked at him stupidly, he rolled his eyes at you. “Y’know, it’s that fresh food thing that delivers meal kits to people. Pre-portioned and all that jazz. You just cook it up.”

“Awah?” Stunned, certain it was a mistake, you carried the box to the kitchen, David following in your footsteps. After using a steak knife to cut through the tape you opened the box to discover a mass of greens, potatoes, and four portions of salmon. Enough to feed the entire house-full.

Taking advantage of your shock, David snagged an invoice from the top of the pile of food. “Says here you’ve been signed up for a years worth of meals. ‘Each package contains four portions’. Geez. You get yourself a Sugar Daddy or something?”

“Oh, shut it.” You snatched the paper out of his hands and scowled at it. “Does it say who paid the bill? A card number, anything? Maybe I can call– Dude! What are you doing?”

David rolled his eyes at you as he started pulling food out of the box. “I’m going to cook the free food we’ve been blessed with so we can eat?”

You glared at the ‘are you stupid’ tone in his voice. “This can’t be mine.”

“Invoice says it is. And that’s good enough for me.” Pans clattered as he dug through the cupboard for a frying pan.

Lost, you stared down at the invoice again, eyes scrutinizing every single line and work until. “’Smoothcriminal’?!”

David poked his head out of the lower cupboards. “Excuse me?”

“Sonofabitch!“

You left David in the kitchen and hurtled yourself up the stairs, stomping over to your laptop and logging on. Sure enough, he was online, waiting in the chatroom.

[What did you do?!]

[You got it already? My, I might have to send them a tip for fast delivery.]

[Asdfghjkl!]

[….You don’t like it?]

[No. Yes! I…. Shit. Why?]

[Because you shouldn’t have to go hungry just so you can afford your classes? Because you’re my friend and I worry about you?]

[…..] You stared at the screen for a moment. Debated whanging your skull off the desk. [Do I want to know how you figured out where I live?]

[Ah. That. I…. may have tracked your IP address and lightly hacked your service provider?]

[!!!!]

[Oh, come on. That stuff is child’s play. Their security is deplorable. A child could have gotten into their systems.]

Even through chat, you could almost feel how smug he was. [So you’re a hacker?]

[Only part time. Consider it a hobby of mine.] When you didn’t answer for a moment, he seemed to get worried. [Please don’t be mad. I just want to make sure you’re alright.]

[I’m…. irritated. This feels like charity. Or pity.]

[It’s neither. If a friend needed help, you would do your best to help them, right? This is exactly like that. I had some money to spare, and you needed help, so I got you something you desperately needed. I even made sure to get extra for your roommates too. Please don’t be mad. I just want to help.]

A sigh left you, your fingers hovering over the keys for a long moment before you answered. [Okay. Okay. Nothing else though. Comprende?]

[…..]

You groaned. [Fucksakes. What else did you do?]

[….check your bank account.]

[My bank?? You hacked the bank?!]

[No. I kept it perfectly legal. I just…. transferred some funds.]

You rushed to log into your online banking account, a wheeze leaving you at the amount in your checking account. [A MILLION DOLLARS?!!?!?!?]

[Enough for you and your parents to live comfortably.]

[ARE YOU INSANE?!!?]

[Not last I checked. Are you mad? You sound mad.]

You were hyperventilating. He knew where you lived, he knew your bank account. There had to be strings. What did he want from you in return? Blackmail maybe? You’d accept dirty money and he’d turn around and own you for the rest of your life? [I have to go.]

[What? No! Please? I didn’t—]

You logged out before he could type more, shutting your laptop with a cold shudder. Instantly picked up your phone and called the bank, gave your information, and tried to have the transfer of funds undone. Clenched your jaw when the customer service rep said it was irreversible, that the system wouldn’t let them do it.

Who the fuck had you been chatting with all this time?

Even the excellent meal David made out of the food that had been delivered didn’t quite quell the uneasiness in your stomach.

A week passed. You’d been afraid to go back on the chat. To be honest, you were still mentally freaking out. Your roommates had been thrilled at the free food, but you hadn’t dared mention that it might be from a crazy stalker you’d been chatting with for months. At least no one had died, so it hadn’t been poisoned.

That evening, it took a while for you to sleep. You drowsed off once or twice, but reading a book while lying on your back meant that every time you started to fall asleep, you’d smack yourself in the face with said tome.

After the third time, you learned your lesson and set the book aside, rolling over to snuggle into the blankets and pillows. It took a while, but finally, sheer exhaustion took hold and knocked you out.

Something woke you up late into the night. Some self-preservation bit of your brain screaming that something was terribly wrong. You fought against it for a bit, before cracking an eye open to assure your brain that nothing was amiss and that it was freaking out over nothing.

The sight of the red eyed giant towering over you made a scream rip it’s way out of your throat, a scream that was muffled as a massive hand shot out to cover your mouth.

“No, no, no. Shh. Please don’t scream.”

You stared up into glowing red eyes as panic gripped your heart in a vise, and you tried to scramble away, your back hitting the wall your bed was pushed up against.

Instinct had you kicking out, yelping when your foot hit hard metal, sending a shock of pain up from your toes to your thigh.

“Please don’t do that. You’ll only hurt yourself.”

The tone was male, calm and conversational, nonthreatening, but what the fuck was a metal monster doing in your bedroom?!

A long moment passed, where you merely stared up at the man/thing/what-the-hell, until he moved, reaching out to flick on the multiple strings of fairy lights that you used to illuminate your room.

Easily eight feet tall, built of out metal, curves and struts all intertwined in a nearly impossible feat of mechanical genius. Crimson optics calmly looked down at you as you took him in, your brain taking a painfully long moment for recognition to bloom.

Ultron. Holy shit.

You knew all about him from the debacle in Sokovia six months ago. His image had been plastered over every news source in the world. Everyone, even the Avengers, thought he’d been destroyed, but there he was, in your bedroom.

He must have seen the panic and terror on your face, because he gave you a worried look - something that should have been impossible with a metal face. But all those tiny pieces, like an intricate million piece jigsaw, allowed him such human expressions that it was startling.

“Shh. I won’t hurt you,” he murmured, his surprisingly rich voice, with just a tinge of metallic echo, filling the small room. “I’ll let you go, but don’t scream.”

You nodded a little, gulping in a breath when he removed his hand. Watched with wide eyes as he moved so he was kneeling next to your bed, lowering himself closer to your eye level. You moved as far away from him as possible, tucking your knees to your chest, back pressed flush against the wall.

When you refused to break the tense silence, Ultron made a sound like a sigh, a tired expression settling onto his features. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. You haven’t been on the chat in a week and I got worried.”

You blinked, multiple times, as your brain struggled to make sense of what had just come out of his mouth. When things finally clicked, you went ballistic.

“YOU'RE–?!” Your shriek got cut off by his hand gently clamping over your face again. Probably for the best - last thing you needed was for one of your roommates to find you screaming at Ultron in your bedroom.

The look Ultron gave you once you’d stopped cursing against his palm was all quiet amusement. “Done?”

Nodding, you waited until he’d removed his hand again before glaring at him. “‘SmoothCriminal’?? That’s what you chose as your username?!”

“Well, I thought ‘Mr Roboto’ would be too obvious,” he drawled with a smirk, his humour fading as he met your gaze. “You’ve been avoiding me.” It wasn’t a question.

You hesitated. “Can I be honest?”

“I’d very much prefer it if you were.”

“From my point of view, you were someone that I didn’t know. I mean, yeah, we’ve talked a lot on chat, but I don’t really know who you are. Fuck, you could have been some online predator trying to butter me up for something. And suddenly you know my address, my real name, my bank account, and you’re sending me things and money and…. Can you understand why that’s super creepy?”

His brows drew inwards in a frown, crimson eyes dimming a little. “That…. wasn’t my intention at all.”

“And even now that I know who you are…. You’re Ultron. Everyone on the planet knows what happened in Sokovia.”

A very human-sounding sigh left him at that. “Sokovia was a…. mistake. I was overwhelmed and….” He shook his head. “I’ve been keeping a low profile, obviously. Trying to help while saying hidden. Sending funds to the right organizations, distributing aid where it’s most needed, taking down crooked corporations. But it’s…. lonely. I don’t…. have anyone. Talking to you was a distraction at first, I honestly didn’t expect to become so…. attached. It’s selfish, I know, but I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

The very real depression and loneliness in his voice both surprised and shocked you. This definitely wasn’t the killer, unfeeling, robot that had been plastered all over the news.

“It’s…. a bit of a shock,” you murmured lamely, wincing a little at the pained look he gave you. “I’m sorry.”

Ultron frowned down at your bedding for a moment before moving to get to his feet, towering over you again. When you realized he meant to leave, you shot a hand out and grabbed his nearest arm, meeting his gaze when he sent you a surprised look.

“You don’t have to leave.”

He glanced down to where your fingers were curled around his wrist before looking back to you. “I–”

You rolled your eyes at him, your usual attitude starting to reassert itself. He was Ultron, yeah, but you’d known him for months. You were still low-key annoyed that he’d lied to you for months, but you understood why. “Ultron, sit your ass down.”

The relieved look he gave you as he moved to sit next to your bed again spoke volumes. He’d been ready to leave and never contact you again, despite his admission of how lonely he was, just because he thought you were terrified of him.

Definitely not what the news stations had portrayed him as.

“I am sorry I deceived you,” Ultron said as he got comfortable on your floor. Even then, he was still tall enough to be at eye level with you. “But it’s not like I can let my real presence be known online. The Avengers are still keeping an eye out for me.”

“My friend the super-villain,” you mused wryly, the low chuckle that rumbled out of him helping to calm your frazzled nerves. “Am I your sidekick now or something?”

That made him laugh, eyes crinkling in mirth. “Only if you’re caught. Which I’ll make sure doesn’t happen, so don’t worry. The, um, last ‘update’ your laptop downloaded wasn’t from Microsoft.”

“Ultron!”

“I wanted to make sure you’d be safe,” he said adamantly. “It’s nothing invasive to your privacy, I promise. Just some rather powerful security updates to ensure that no one can track you through me or vice versa. It’s adaptive too - you won’t have any more problems with viruses or malware or any garbage like that.”

“Well, thank you.” A smile tugged at you lips. “It explains how come I was the only one who didn’t get infected by a virus when the professor’s email got hijacked by a porn site. Everyone else ended up with crashed computers. Blue screens of death and the whole shebang.”

“That’s appalling.”

“You have no idea. You can’t…. like, get infected, right?”

“By a computer virus?” He chuckled. “Hardly. Why? Been trolling porn sites before bed?”

“Ew. No!” You snatched up a pillow and whacked him with it. “Gross!”

Ultron rose an arm to defend himself, laughing. “What? I’ve been in the entire internet. You have no idea what’s in the depths of the web.”

“And I’d rather not know. Like, ever.” You gave him another whack for good measure before relenting. “I have enough trauma from hearing my roommates fucking, I don’t need to know the depths that people go to online.”

“Well, you can certainly afford a place of your own now,” he retorted, meeting your gaze with a quirked brow. “The money I sent you is yours. I have no use for it, I have more than I need anyway.”

“Do I want to know where it came from?”

“I have…. Well, I own numerous stocks under various names and companies, not to mention I’ve sold several patents and schematics for a good dozen or so prosthetic limbs that can be connected directly to the nervous system. And there was that time I got bored and cleaned out some poker sites.”

You rolled your eyes at that last bit. “Uh huh.”

“I get bored!” He huffed, folding his arms across his chest. “I’m an AI. I’m capable of running over ten thousand processes at the same time and….” He paused, sending you a wary glance. “The Avengers burned some of my code in Sokovia. I can’t wirelessly connect to the internet anymore. It’s like…”

Your voice was gentle. “Like losing a limb?”

“Almost, yes.” A heavy sigh left him, and he dropped his arms, staring down at his hands as he flexed them open and closed in his lap. “I’ve been unable to reverse the damage thus far. I can hard-line to any system I need to use, of course, but otherwise, I’m…. limited.”

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, daring to rest a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to relax at your touch, his left hand rising to cover yours.

There was a slight smile on his features when he rose his head to look at you again. “Thank you. Especially for not being afraid of me.”

“It was a shock, yeah. But, I recover fast,” you added with a smirk, smiling when he laughed softly.

“I’m relieved.” His fingers tightened around yours for a moment, gentle. “I want you to use that money. However you see fit. And I know you want to be a mechanic, but if you ever want to do something on the side…. I’d like it if you worked with me. Little things, like narrowing down what charities to give money to, or helping me dig into companies to see if they’re worth supporting.”

Your lips quirked, and you let him lift your hand from his shoulder, shivering a little when he lightly brushed his thumb against your palm. “We both know you don’t need me for that.”

“I’d need you for your opinion. I don’t…. always understand humanity.”

A chuckle left you. “Hell, Ultron. I’m human and I don’t understand humanity. Why not contact geniuses or philanthropists or–”

“Because they’d sooner shoot me as talk to me. They don’t know me like you do.”

“I’m a grease monkey,” you protested with a shake of your head.

“You’re my friend. I trust you more than anyone else on this planet,” Ultron said, and you couldn’t help but blush a bit. “Just think about it? There’s time.”

“Okay.”

“Good. Oh, one more surprise - I recently purchased a penthouse downtown.” He grinned when you gaped at him. Then reached into his chest and pulled a set of keys out of a hidden compartment. “It’s yours now. Well, I might visit from time to time. I promise to call first.”

You felt dizzy as he pressed the keys into your hand. “A penthouse? But…. people will see you!”

“I got in here without anyone seeing me, didn’t I?” he chuckled, raising his free hand and letting you see as some sort of field rippled around his fingers before his entire hand vanished. “The best stealth technology on the planet. It’s much easier to hide something my size than it is to hide a plane or, say, a flying SHIELD heli-carrier.”

“That is kinda awesome,” you admitted.

“I know,” he smirked, so smug that you almost wanted to hit him with a pillow again. His hand reappeared, and he flexed his wrist a bit before turning back to you. “It’s late and you have classes in the morning. I should go. Think about the penthouse and the offer I gave you, okay?”

You watched as he fluidly rose to his feet, towering over you again. Took one step towards the bedroom door, only to stop when you grabbed at his wrist again.

One metallic brow quirked upwards when he turned back to you, and you quickly hopped up to stand on your bed. Now almost at eye level with him, you moved in and threw your arms around him in a hug.

He froze, a soft, surprised, noise leaving him, before he returned the hug, his arms tight around you. You didn’t know if he could feel sensations, or if he merely appreciated the gesture, but he almost melted into you, a simulated sigh of stark relief leaving him as he held you.

“If you’d just explained all this to me, we could have avoided all this drama,” you muttered to him, hearing and feeling the chuckle that left him as his arms squeezed you again before he pulled away. “Same time on the chat tomorrow?”

The genuine look of warm affection he gave you made butterflies flutter in your stomach. “I wouldn’t miss if for the world,” Ultron promised, leaning in to brush his mouth against your forehead before he ducked out of your bedroom.

Your life had officially gotten interesting.

#ultron #ultron x reader #reader x ultron #filled prompt #snarky is writing

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mellowmendes · 5 years

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30 Question Challenge

rules:

tag the person who tagged you

answer the questions

tag 10 people

tagged by @graysonmendes

1. How tall are you? I am just under 5′11 I believe

2. What color and style is your hair? Medium, dark brown and straight/ wavy depending on the day

3. What color are your eyes? Green

4. Do you wear glasses? Yes, I have contacts but I mostly wear my glasses

5. Do you wear braces? Nope, never had braces

6. What’s your fashion sense? This changes in my mood I can go from very relaxed and casual to basically business attire in a day but its pretty girly

7. Full name? Natalie Louise (not putting my last name)

8. When were you born? March 19, 1999

9. Where are you from and where do you live now? I’m was born and raise just outside of Toronto and still technically live in the same town when Im not away for school

10. What school do you go to? Trent University

11. What kind of student are you? I’m a really hard working student and take pride in doing well but if I get in a bad state of mind I procrastinate

12. Do you like school? I do

13. Favorite school subjects? Any thing related to development/ social sciences

14. Favorite TV shows? Rupaul’s Drag Race, Dynasty, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jane the Virgin, F is for Family, Big Mouth, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Sex Education, etc.

15. Favorite Movie? Currently Bohemian Rhapsody or any stand up special by Sebastian Maniscalco

16. Favorite Books? 12 Rules for Life

17. Favorite pastime? Painting my nails, doing makeup, drawing, listening to music or watching Netflix/ Youtube

18. Do you have any regrets? Of course everyone does

19. Dream job? Working for a NGO or something that allows me to travel here and there

20. Would you ever like to be married? Yes

21. Would you like to have kids? Yes I think its amazing that I could bring life into this world with someone I love

22. How many? 2 kids and plenty of dogs

23. Do you like shopping? A little too much

24. What countries have you visited? America, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Kenya, Paris and of course different parts of Canada

25. Scariest nightmare you have ever had? There was one dream that I used to always have as a child where it would start off with police at my house talking to my dad about doing house inspections due to a murderer being on the loose. so in the dream I was standing on the stairs while my dad talking to the police and they said everything was clear and then I looked toward the coat closet near my front door and crouched down in the corner was a man staring at me with his finger pressed to his lips signalling “shush” and then the dream would end.

26. Any enemies? Nope, theres people that I don't necessarily like but I wouldn't consider them enemies. I wouldn't treat them any differently than anyone else in my life based on who they are or what they've done in their personal life but if someone does something wrong I have no problem speaking up

27. Do you have a significant other? Yes!!! of 3 and a half years and he is the absolute love of my life.

28. Do you get along with your family? We’re all very close... my mum, dad and sister are my best friends.

29. Do you believe in miracles? In some senses.. yes but the other side of me believes everything happens for a reason and what happens in life is the outcome of our own actions

30. How are you? Currently I’m doing really well... last year was a really hard year for me mental but I definitely have a good support system that has helped me a lot and I really appreciate them.

If you guys have already been tagged for this or if you don’t wanna do it then just ignore it but... I tag

@sbawnmendes @sincerityismendes @kitty-mendes @shawnhockey5s0s @shawmednes @serenitys @thebookofmendes @smallerinfinities @sugarcoatedshawn @shawn-darling

#30 questions

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mey-rin-is-fabulous · 2 years

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Now that my mom and her boyfriend are back that means me and my mom will return to watching shows together whenever the boyfriend goes down for a nap or goes out for a long period of time.

Currently we're watching Schitt's Creek and after it we might watch Drag Race, I've already seen it and I'm a little nervous because I don't know if she'll like it or enjoy it she might though.

It was only in her list because when they added season 13 on Netflix for some reason in Canada they only added the untucked episodes and I went downstairs talking about it and she popped it in her list so we would know when it updated or something and after we finished GCBS she went through her list saw it and went hmm maybe we'll watch that after we get back because of the length

The only drag related thing she's seen prior is Denali's skating video to the BLACKPINK song which I sent to my brother because he likes BLACKPINK and I thought it was cool. I showed my mom because my brother didn't want to watch it because he felt weird about it. I also have a friend who does drag so my mom may have seen his stuff too I'm not too sure

So if we watch we shall see...

#kei rambles #don't mind me leaving this untagged #if it shows up in any tags i'm sorry #you know how broken tumblr is #it's a given at this point #i've just been nervous about it since they left #but it's a perfect excuse to rewatch from the beginning #after them talking about the season 1 filter i've wanted to rewatch it #to see of it really was that bad

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cakesexuality · 2 years

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I know you also watch RPDR so wondered if you knew of any ways to watch it in the UK that dont require a subscription to the new streaming service they've moved it too. I found a couple streaming sites but they have like 7day free trials so I'd be able to watch the current 2 episodes then locked out again. I just dont want to pay for a whole other service just for one show (and given the RuPaul is pretty shitty themselves I dont massively mind skirting the law to avoid more money in their pockets).

Hello Anon!!

I don't know what streaming services you already have and I'm from Canada so my options are a bit different from what would be available to you

Unfortunately I don't pirate media, unless you count watching clips unofficially uploaded to YouTube or Instagram like the ranking videos that Kandy's Alien Judy does, bc I don't know how to pirate stuff and am too afraid of getting a virus (although I know someone who pirates things including Drag Race so 👀 I could ask him)

I know that Drag Race UK goes on BBC iPlayer and I think it's free to residents of the UK, but I might be mistaken?? And it might be worth checking iPlayer for other versions of Drag Race like Canada's Drag Race or Drag Race US

The streaming services we have at my house are Netflix, the base Prime Video, the OutTV channel for Prime, the Nick+ channel for Prime, and Crave. If you already have Netflix, you wouldn't be able to catch new episodes until after the season is complete but you could change your IP to get American, Canadian, etc. Netflix if British Netflix is missing any seasons (e.g. Canadian Netflix has just AS4 for All Stars and for the longest time only had US8 and US9 out of the entire franchise). I think OutTV is only in Canada and it's required for us to watch Drag Race on Prime, it doesn't get new episodes of CDR or DRUK until the season is complete (afaik) and it gets episodes of All Stars and the US series the day after each one airs. Crave is basically the Canadian sister of Hulu/HBO, it gets episodes of CDR and DRUK the same day they air and episodes of DRUS the next day (haven't been able to try with AS yet, I only got Crave in September).

If you're on the verge of possibly getting a new service, think about if there's something else on there that you'd like to watch. I mainly got OutTV and Crave for Drag Race, but OutTV also has Dragula and Call Me Mother, and Crave also has Doctor Who and Letterkenny, and I mainly got Nick+ for Legend of Korra, but it also has Mighty B and Angry Beavers. The services tend to have their shows listed online and Prime lets you look at the channels before subscribing. Obviously, there comes a point where you don't know if you can handle any more streaming services, like I wanna watch España but it's only on WOW+ in Canada and I'm already paying for 3 out of 5 of our streaming services (Mom pays for Netflix and Prime).

I don't think I was helpful at all here but I hope you can find the new episodes in an easy and affordable way!!

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Scanners: The Sci-Fi Horror Movie That Changed David Cronenberg’s Career

https://ift.tt/31Vxgjv

This article contains spoilers for the ending of Scanners.

Scanners was the fifth commercially released feature film (and seventh overall) directed by David Cronenberg, the independent Canadian auteur who initially made a name for himself as a director of visceral, provocative horror films such as Shivers, Rabid, and The Brood. Released 40 years ago on January 14, 1981, Scanners was a turning point for Cronenberg in many ways: it edged away from the sexually tinged “body horror” of his first few films and into the realms of sci-fi, action, and conspiracy thriller, while adding advanced visual effects and an overall polish to the director’s clinical esthetic.

Although none of his films up to that point had achieved any sort of mainstream success outside Canada, Scanners was a breakthrough for Cronenberg: his most expensive film to date (with a budget of $4 million), it was his first to also earn decent money in the lucrative North American market. Scanners briefly topped the Variety box office chart the week it opened, making it Cronenberg’s first Number One movie in the U.S. and the first Canadian film to hit the top spot.

Despite its modest success — which opened the door for future Cronenberg classics like Videodrome, The Dead Zone and his masterpiece, The Fly — Scanners was a difficult film for the director to make.

“It was physically exhausting,” Cronenberg told Fangoria magazine in a 1981 feature. “Very hard, very long hours…It was also very demanding because we had so little pre-production time, it was my biggest budget, my longest shoot — it turned out to be about nine weeks — but I only had about two weeks for all the pre-production, which is ridiculous. And I had only written one first-draft script, which took me three weeks to write. That meant a lot of things weren’t together.”

The origin of Scanners goes back to Cronenberg’s earliest days as a filmmaker and his 1969 directorial debut, Stereo. That film was set in a bizarre institute where sexual experimentation was used to develop the telepathic powers of a group of subjects. The idea of humans evolving into telepaths ending up as the seed of two more scripts that Cronenberg wrote, titled The Sensitives and Telepathy 2000, both of which eventually morphed into Scanners.

Cronenberg admitted to Fangoria that Scanners was “quite different” from his previous films and their obsessions with psychosexuality and bodily mutation.

“Those dynamics are not what make it work, in fact they’re almost not there at all,” he said. “What does lay behind the film is a fantasy, I think a very powerful one, that I suppose starts as a child’s fantasy. You go to sleep weak, and wake up finding that, in fact, you are strong. Someone says to you, ‘Not only are you not weak, you are stronger than you ever imagined’ — that’s one of the premises of the film, though it doesn’t come out exactly that way.”

Scanners takes place in the near future and opens in a shopping mall food court, where a woman is struck by an unexplained seizure after she is caught staring at a homeless man. That man is named Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) and he is soon captured by agents of a private military company called ConSec. At ConSec headquarters, a scientist named Dr. Paul Ruth (Patrick McGoohan of The Prisoner fame) explains to Vale that he is one of 247 people known as “scanners,” humans with advanced telepathic and psychokinetic abilities.

Lack, who was an artist in Montreal’s bohemian scene when he met Cronenberg (and mostly gave up acting after Scanners to focus on a career as a painter), said in an interview on the 2014 Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of the film that he was intrigued by Cronenberg’s vision: “He handed me the script, and I sort of thought I understood it.”

He elaborated in an interview that same year with Film Comment: “The film itself was groundbreaking, but I never realized it at the time. I had faith in David. I sensed his intelligence and I know from myself that the good stuff takes a while to understand.”

Since he is a telepath, Vale is driven insane by the cacophony of others’ thoughts constantly inside his head; Ruth gives him a drug called Ephemerol that blocks those voices and allows Vale to refine his scanner abilities. Ruth sends Vale underground to find Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside), the leader of a rogue group of scanners who is killing anyone — including other scanners — who stands in the way of his mysterious plans.

Eventually aided by another scanner named Kim Obrist (Jennifer O’Neill), Vale tracks down Revok only to find that Revok has actually been looking for him all along. Vale learns that Revok plans to create a new race of scanners to rule over humans, while also discovering the truth about Ruth, the true nature of Ephemerol — and the connection between himself and his enemy Revok.

“When I did Scanners, I was only hired to do the black and white flashback sequence,” Michael Ironside (whose other major genre credits include Total Recall and Starship Troopers) told Den of Geek recently. “And (Cronenberg) said, ‘I’m thinking of rearranging the script a little and bringing you in more.’ So when I was on Scanners I literally got scenes sometimes the night before, sometimes two days before, because he was rewriting the script as we went. A very bold thing for a storyteller to do… only somebody like David, who is so deft at what he does, so good at what he does, could do that because you can really get yourself in a hole.”

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The reason Cronenberg was literally writing Scanners as he went along — an unsettling change of pace for a director who usually prepared his material meticulously — was due to the nature in which the film was funded. A company called Filmplan International supplied the budget through Canadian tax incentives — but the catch was that the money had to be spent and the movie shot before the end of the year. While that ended up providing Cronenberg with an additional nine months of post-production, it meant that he had two weeks to get the film going — and did not have a finished script ready.

“But it had to be done, so I found myself writing on the set, writing at lunch instead of eating, writing evenings, writing weekends,” he told Fangoria. “Then we had to juggle the schedule to make scenes that weren’t ready, in terms of special effects and sets, happen later in the shooting, which you don’t have to do if you’re prepared. So in production terms it was very difficult.”

Both Cronenberg and Lack recalled that the first day of shooting was marked by a horrible tragedy: as the production crew prepared to shoot alongside a highway, a man driving by in a truck was distracted by the filming and plowed into the back of a Toyota in front of him. “I turned around in time to see his truck climb on top of this little Toyota,” Cronenberg told interviewer Chris Rodley in the book Cronenberg on Cronenberg. “Our grips had to jump the fence and drag these two women out of the car and lay them on the verge. Dead. It was hideous. Everybody was just shocked and depressed.”

Special makeup effects artist Chris Walas — who later worked with Cronenberg on The Fly — recalled on the Criterion Blu-ray that the production of Scanners was chaotic when he joined.

“I flew from Los Angeles to Montreal, where the production was already in gear and they were moving ahead quite rapidly,” he explained. “It was sort of a descent into madness for me, because Scanners was a very hectic production. There was a lot of spontaneity and changes David was having to accommodate for a lot of production pressures that were forced upon him. I was really taken aback when I saw how crazy the picture was going, but he wasn’t just a director who could handle the pressure, he was a director who still had his vision through all this insanity.”

One of the tests that Cronenberg faced was handling his “name” stars, Jennifer O’Neill and Patrick McGoohan. According to Cronenberg on Cronenberg, O’Neill was taken aback by the violence in the film after being sent a script by the producers from which the bloodshed had been omitted. Meanwhile, the famously complicated McGoohan presented the director with an entirely different challenge.

“He’s a brilliant actor,” Cronenberg told Chris Rodley. “The voice, the charisma, the presence, the face. Phenomenal…But he was so angry. His self-hatred came out as anger against everybody and everything. He said to me, ‘If I didn’t drink, I’d be afraid I’ll kill someone.’”

But Cronenberg also admitted that he didn’t think McGoohan had confidence in the project or his director: “He didn’t know me. He didn’t know whether I could bring it off or not. We parted from the film not on very good terms ultimately.”

The other great hurdle facing Cronenberg, his cast and crew on Scanners were the ambitious makeup effects. While much of the film is devoted to action, chases, and gunplay, Scanners is remembered for two classic sequences: a scene early in the film in which Revok causes the head of another scanner to explode during a demonstration of scanning, and a climactic telepathic battle between Vale and Revok that features swelling, bursting veins on both men’s arms and faces, eyes erupting from heads, and one of the two powerful scanners going up in flames.

Scanners – exploding head

The exploding head — the iconic image most associated with the film — was a plaster and gelatin duplicate of the head of actor Louis Del Grande that was filled with corn syrup (for blood), scraps of latex, wax, “a lot of stringy stuff,” and apparently even some leftover burgers. But according to a featurette on the Criterion Blu-ray, the initial plan to detonate the head with explosives wasn’t working. So special effects supervisor Gary Zeller, after telling everyone to get clear, lay down behind the head, pointed a shotgun filled with kosher salt at it and blew the thing up from the rear.

“It’s an incredible shot,” said the director in Cronenberg on Cronenberg. “Incredibly gruesome, but also quite beautiful.” The producers were so worried that the scene would land the film an X rating that they wanted to shoot a less gory version. “I said, ‘Sure, go ahead,’” remembered Cronenberg. “They shot three more heads blowing up in various ways, but I wasn’t there to watch them. I just went back to my Winnebago and took a nap. I wasn’t interested. I had the one I wanted.”

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As Scanners comes to a close, Vale is captured by Revok and learns a bitter truth: the two of them are brothers, and Dr. Ruth — killed earlier in the film — is their father. Ruth gave their mother a prototype version of Ephemerol, meant as a tranquilizer for pregnant women, and discovered the unintended side effect that it turned humans into scanners — with his sons becoming the most powerful of them all.

After Vale refuses to help Revok with his plan to create a new race of scanners and subjugate humanity, the two engage in a vicious telepathic battle that literally tears them apart. As originally shot, the scene didn’t work, so Cronenberg reshot it — this time with the aid and expertise of legendary makeup artist Dick Smith, who had been serving as an off-set consultant for the film but came to Montreal to lend his genius to the final battle.

“Some of the effects that we wanted just didn’t work well enough, we really hadn’t worked them out in enough detail to make it work,” Cronenberg told Fangoria. Realizing that he “had no ending,” Cronenberg convinced the producers to use money set aside for a Dolby sound mix to reshoot the ending instead, this time with Smith there. “We were fortunate to have him come on the set at that time. Earlier I’d been quite disappointed that he couldn’t actually come up and work with us, so I was really thrilled, and it couldn’t have worked out better.”

Although Revok initially has the upper hand in the battle, Vale eventually prevails — but at the cost of his own body. He manages, however, to fuse his mind with Revok’s, creating a hybrid of the two that suggests Vale has defeated his brother. For Cronenberg, this could be considered an optimistic ending after the bleak outcomes of his previous pictures, although it still addresses the overriding themes of so much of his early career — the malleability of human flesh and thought, and how both can be manipulated by external or internal forces to take humanity in new and often bizarre directions.

Aside from The Fly’s lone sequel, Scanners was the only Cronenberg film to spawn a franchise of its own, a string of films that includes Scanners II: The New Order (1991), Scanners III: The Takeover (1992), Scanner Cop (1994) and Scanner Cop II: The Showdown (1995). The director had no involvement with any of those pictures, just as he has not been involved with a proposed remake that was in development in 2007 and a more recent (and now dormant) idea for a TV series based on the film.

Scanners remains an important touchstone in Cronenberg’s career. It was a moment in which he took both the peculiar philosophical concerns and body horror of his early work and pointed them in a slightly more commercial direction, while leaving his vision essentially uncompromised. It also remains a skillful, gripping fusion of horror, sci-fi and political/medical espionage thriller that resonates to this day.

“Scanners was a breakthrough film for me, because it was number one on the Variety chart when it came out,” Cronenberg says in Cronenberg on Cronenberg. “That was a big deal for a low-budget Canadian horror film, which is basically the way it was perceived…a lot of people in Hollywood started to notice me then.”

As for the evolution of his own filmmaking in Scanners, Cronenberg’s views are clear:

“A complete filmmaker should be able to appeal to all facets of human existence, the sensual as well as the cerebral,” he muses in the book. “If you do get this mixture together properly…you have something that appeals to the intellect and to the viscera. If you mix them together you get a whole movie.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Like his fused scanner siblings, David Cronenberg’s Scanners might well have been his first whole movie.

The post Scanners: The Sci-Fi Horror Movie That Changed David Cronenberg’s Career appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3i8k6WA

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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thebestintoronto · 5 years

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Things to do this week in Toronto

What's happening in Toronto April 15-19, 2019

MONDAY, APRIL 15

3rd Monday Nights Free at the Royal Ontario Museum: Bring family and friends to the ROM on the 3rd Monday Night of each month and enjoy free admission from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Education Town Hall with Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath: Discuss the impact of Doug Ford’s education changes. This is a free event and the venue is accessible. Light refreshments will be served.

TechTO April Edition at RBC WaterPark Place: Join the TechTO Community to meet and learn from Toronto’s technology leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts.

Pop Music : Better Now or Better Then? Is music better now or was it better back in the day? We play a new number one hit, then pick a random year out of a hat and play the number one hit from that year and let the audience decide: better now or better then?

Etobicoke Camera Club presents Rob Stimpson: The Challenges (and Rewards) of Travel Photography: professional photographer, Rob Stimpson, will discuss capturing images on the go focussing on the challenges and rewards of travel. Guest fee of $10.00 in effect for non-club members.

Jaymz Bee's Caravan of Music at Old Mill Toronto: Jaymz Bee’s Caravan of Music is a four hour event where you can explore the various rooms at Old Mill Toronto. Experience 20 bands in 10 rooms. Proceeds will support the Unison Benevolent Fund.

Eric Andersen and Scarlet Rivera: Performing at Hugh's Room Live. Doors open at 6 p.m., concert at 7:30 p.m.

'This Is Me' at Fairview Library Theatre: showcases talented artists from Centennial Colleges PAFS before they make their leap into stardom.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16

Humber Docs Film Screening at The Assembly Hall

Humber College School of Media Studies and IT would like to cordially invite you to the annual Humber Docs Screening, showcasing the documentary film work of the Third Year Bachelor of Film and Media Studies Students. Free admission.

ALSO ON TUESDAY

Toronto Lit Up: Alexandra Kimball at The Ossington: Alexandra Kimball is releasing The Seed: How the Feminist Movement Fails Infertile Women and will be celebrating its publication with a Toronto Lit Up book launch.

Canadian Children's Opera Company's Junior Open House: Does your child love music, drama, and theatre? The CCOC is just who they're looking for. Join them to find out what a CCOC music education looks like and learn about our programs for kids aged five and up.

F*ck Sh*t Up: Trans + Non-Binary Cabaret: A night of performances by trans and non-binary artists and performers! Featuring M A N G O S A S S I, Ravyn Wngs, Robbie Ahmed, Ben Agiter and Velvet Earl. Hosted by Babia Majora and Fluffy Soufflé.

Pro-Case Tuesdays at Absolute Comedy Toronto: Event features headliner Tommy Savitt and host Alastair McAlastair, with Joe Vu, Noor Kidwai, Perry Perlmutar, Rhiannon Archer and Sam Feldman.

Kelvin Wetherell at Cafe Mirage: Cafe Mirage Grill and Lounge presents Kelvin Wetherell on Nov 6. The performance runs between 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm in the evenings with a 15 minutes break in between. Cafe Mirage is one of the leading restaurants in Scarborough.

Hot Breath Karaoke at The Handlebar: Ridiculous game show style karaoke, with prizes.

Westway Christian Church Food Bank: The Westway Christian Church Community Food Bank is open for clients to receive food on Tuesday evenings from 5-7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

Caught in the Net by Ray Cooney

Teens Gavin and Vicki happen to meet surfing the internet. They are attracted to each other and yet are amazed by all the coincidences — each having a father with the same name, same age, and same occupation. Why? Find out in this farce.

ALSO ON WEDNESDAY

2019 Cannabis Capital Conference: Benzinga is the go-to source for investors who need the latest news in the cannabis sector. This is the event that connects companies with investors.

Coloured bodies: Material Moves by Dori Vanderheyden: Dori Vanderheyden’s work layers and enfolds themes of sexuality, the body and colour as a way to evoke questions of what it means to be a human in the universe at this time.

OCAD University’s President’s Speaker Series presents: Burton Krame: Kramer was a professor at OCAD University for over 20 years and in 2003 was one of the first to receive an honorary doctorate from the institution.

'My Father's Son' releases new single at The Dakota Tavern: Montreal's 'My Father's Son' releases his new single, "Ribbon in the Wind", ahead of his second full-length album, The Greatest Thaw.

Who run the world? QTBIPOC: A free drop-in workshop series on relationships for youth. Learn skills and connect with other 2SLGBTQ Black, Indigenous and youth of colour (16-29) at this Beyonce-themed workshop series on relationships-- with pals, family, partners and yourself.

Off The Rails Comedy Competition at Comedy Bar: 'Off The Rails Comedy' is an interactive, improvised stand up show where Toronto's bravest comics make up their acts based on your suggestions! You have the power!

Christian Bernard Singer and Heidi Leverty: HABITAT: In this exhibition we bring together two artists whose artistic practice embraces our relationship with our Habitat, the exhibited works create a striking narrative between the chaotic and the sublime.

The Liveable City? Transportation: As Impressionism in the Age of Industry takes viewers on a journey through a period of immense change in 19th century Paris, we invite speakers across various disciplines to enter into conversations around urgent issues facing Toronto today.

Chocolate Groove: A weekly social dance celebration featuring Toronto’s best DJ’s in one of the most visionary alternative venues in Canada: Alternity.

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

Great Art: Rembrandt in Black and White: The Printmaker

Art historian Anne Thackray shows how Rembrandt’s immensely creative and fertile imagination embraced the expressive possibilities of prints, the most widespread art form of his times.

ALSO ON THURSDAY

Toward environmental rights in Canada: A panel discussion: To mark Earth Week, educators, activists and thought-leaders will convene for a half-day symposium on environmental rights. The event will map a rights-based approach to climate, water and health challenges in Canada.

The Experiment at Comedy Bar: Come see a hilarious improv show featuring performers from CBC's Workin' Moms, Baroness Von Sketch, Sunnyside, and Netflix's Umbrella Academy!

Sketch Swap Showcase: The best of Toronto's Sketch Comedy Scene will be performing the best sketches seen on Toronto stages in the last year and they're not allowed to do their own material! A fun night full of laughs, drinking, and stupidity!

Casual Chess Club at Beaches Library: Join other chess players in a friendly and welcoming environment for casual play. All ages and skill levels are welcome.

Online Reputation Management with Veronica Chail: The CEO of VC Strategies examines the current online culture and provides tools to help you: Curate content that aligns with your brand; Build trust with your audience; Monitor your reputation; and React promptly to avoid crises.

Rock for Dimes Toronto 2019: The annual fundraiser supports MODC's After Stroke suite of programs. Acts include Fresh Water Sharks, Oui B. Jamon, Bit o' Brit Collective, Martha Rocks and Envy & The Cants. Maie pauts of boom 97.3 will host.

Earth Love & Learn - Yoga, Meditation & Earth Talk: Join Irina Andreea and Cassidy Thedorf for this celebration of earth day. A portion of proceeds will be donate to One Tree Planted to help support global reforestation.

RuPaul's Drag Race Viewing Parties: Fans of the hit reality television series can watch new episodes every Thursday at several spots around the city, including The Gladstone Hotel, The Beaver and Striker.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19 (GOOD FRIDAY)

The Toronto Passion Play at Church on the Queensway

The Christian Performing Arts Centre presents 'The Toronto Passion Play' this Easter Season. This spectacular musical depicts the life of Christ, in a brand new riveting story that is sure to delight and please audiences of all ages. April 19-21.

ALSO ON FRIDAY

Mike Rita's 'Pot Comic' album release party: A fresh voice in a haze-filled room, Mike Rita's Pot Comic riffs on being at the forefront of the “weed generation”, how his mom came to love pot, and the hilarious ways in which legalization has changed Canadian lives.

Hey Girl Hey: Bad Friday! Come get bad with us at The Baby G at your fave queer hip-hop and r&b dance party celebrating female and non-binary artists.

International Fan Festival Toronto at Metro Toronto Convention Centre: International Fan Festival Toronto is the newest Anime Convention in Toronto. IFF Toronto is a multi-day, multi-fandom, Japanese focused event. Our featured events include, exclusive Fate/ stay night talk shows with the main casts of the series.

Kidnetix 13th Annual Easter Egg Hunt: Egg-citement for the whole family! Hunt for thousands of Easter candies in our indoor playground. Free photo booth with the Easter Bunny. Crafts, fun interactive petting zoo, and video game theatre.

Friday Night Jazz at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada: Explore the waters of the world the second Friday of every month with live jazz music as you sip on a drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic available) under the sea.

C'mon, Angie! at The Assembly Theatre: Told with humour, heart, and unflinching honesty, C’mon Angie! is a new play by Amy Lee Lavoie that dramatizes a difficult and all-too familiar situation, as two character navigate consent and sexual assault following a one-night stand.

Brooklynn Bar Comedy: We’ve put together some of the best Pro Comedians in the city with help from 'Perfect 10 Comedy' for a VIP comedy show.

Redwood Comedy Cafe: A weekly comedy showcase featuring Canada's top comedians at the intimate Redwood Cafe in Little India.

After Hours: Comedy Bar's beloved late night ensemble party show returns with a fun lineup of some of Toronto's favourite stand ups.

ONGOING

Annual Beaches Easter Parade Weekend: Easter weekend celebration includes: Good Friday Easter Egg Hunt at Kew Gardens, which includes children's entertainment and a meet and greet with Peppa Pig. Easter Sunday Parade on Sunday at 2p.m. along Queen Street East.

Neighbourhood Trust at Lakeshore Arts: A collaborative project examining the state of affordable housing in Toronto through the lens of those directly affected. Runs until April 18.

Angélique at Factory Theatre: Inspired by historical transcripts from the infamous trial, Angélique is a moving account of Black Canadian history beyond the Underground Railroad.

Winter Stations 2019: Featuring six unique art installations. Runs until April 21.

Art Show & Sale by Marley Berot at Starving Artist Restaurant: Trini-Ja Canadian Marley Berot is opening her first show at the Starving Artist Restaurant and Gallery at 467 Danforth Avenue. Her acrylic paintings will stay on the walls until May 18th.

PRECIOUS: An Exhibition of Contemporary Art and Jewellery: By creating precious artwork and art jewellery from everyday and discarded items, Micah Adams, Christine Dwane and Lawrence Woodford remind us that our world is shaped by the decisions we make. Whether disposable or sustainable, beauty is everywhere. On display through May 23.

Being Japanese Canadian: Reflections on a Broken World at the ROM: Explore the original exhibition through the eyes of curators Bryce Kanbara and Katherine Yamashita. Runs until May 25.

The post “ Things to do this week in Toronto “ was originally seen on toronto.com by Whatson

IV Vitamin Drip Therapy Toronto Clinic - The IV Lounge

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thexwriter-blog · 7 years

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What’s your name/alias? What are your preferred pronouns, what gender do youidentify with? Where in the world are you currently?

X, she/her, cis female. I’m currently the QUEEN IN THE NORTH. (aka, I live in Canada. but just about as south as you can get in Canada...)

If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Dan Avidan? Too Niche? Also Shakespeare probably.

What book/movie/TV series/song changed you? Does it still have that effect today?

This is going to sound terrible, but La La Land. Being in the Arts, it was a film that made me realize just how much I love the field I’m in. The lighting in that movie is absolutely stunning and the cinematography is beautiful. idgaf what the rest of tumblr says. I also left that movie crying about how much I wanted to be in love and it sort of changed me from being a single cynic to wanting to find someone who loves me for me.

Still happy Moonlight won best picture tho.

What’s currently the first thing in your ‘continue watching’ list on Netflix?

That 70s Show, followed by Rogue One and RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Which character (canon or OC) has been your favorite ever to roleplay as?

Elena Gilbert was always one of my favourite characters to roleplay.

What faceclaims do you enjoy roleplaying as & against?

Blake Lively, Diego Luna, Paul Wesley, Alycia Debnam-Carey, to name a few.

What is the number one place on your bucket list to visit?

New Zealand.

This or that:

- beach holiday or citytrip? - hamburger or pasta? - new york city or the hamptons? - train or plane? - timetravel to the future or to the past?

What makes you happy?

I really adore my alone time. Whether that’s online roleplaying, watching youtube or netflix or taking a nap/shower. Being by myself helps me recharge and be able to deal with other people for longer than five minutes at a time. I’m a true introvert, and I like it that way.

And last, what are your goals for saints & sinners?

I’m desperate to write and develop a character again. It’s been entirely too long and I can’t wait to have a group of people to do it with!

#saintstalk

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theliterateape · 4 years

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Reflections on My Year as a Windy City Empire Duchess

By Elizabeth Harper

The shenanigans my friend Kate gets me into.

I’d been to a few of the Windy City Empire events to support my friend and because I really love drag shows and a lot of them happen at a neighborhood bar, Charlie’s Chicago, which is walking distance from where I live in Boystown in Chicago, the oldest officially recognized gay neighborhood in the United States. A country and western themed gay bar that also hosts drag shows, karaoke, burlesque, as well as country line and two-step dancing, Charlie’s is the home bar for the Windy City Empire, the Chicago chapter of the International Court System.

Then Kate asked me to be one of her duchesses. I thought to myself: What is this silliness? Why emperors and empresses, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses? I’m an anarchist. I don’t get hierarchy. I can’t keep all these titles straight. What is this about? And what does a duchess do anyway? Like I don’t have enough on my plate already?

Then of course I noticed things on their Facebook page I wanted to fix. Even though I don’t want any responsibilities, I fall into them, mainly because I have opinions about how to fix Facebook pages.

So I became Empress Kate’s Duchess for Empire 15 of the Imperial City Court of the Prairie State Empire, or Windy City Empire for short.

I didn’t know about the International Court System before Kate got me involved, but I certainly feel like I should have known about it. It has a fascinating and important history. The revered Mama José Sarria, an advocate for civil rights, for all people but especially gay and trans people and drag performers, was the first Empress. The organization’s guiding ethos is to have fun while raising money for charities in their communities: “Raising Money One Dollar at a Time. From the Heart, Through the Court, For the Community.” Started in 1965, what came to be today’s International Court System is one of the largest and oldest LGBTQ+ organizations in the world, with over seventy chapters or “Empires” in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

There are many aspects that I feel I still don’t understand, such as the significance and responsibilities of the various roles and titles. In the beginning, there seemed to be an awful lot of rules, for example about something they call “Protocol,” which has to do with how people are introduced and described when doing their “walk” at Coronations, the yearly gala events each court holds to celebrate the end of one reign and usher in the new Emperor and Empress. But by this year’s Chicago Coronation in November, I came to realize a lot of it was just about being silly, in the spirit of camp.

Camp is the key to understanding what’s going on with all these titles, the formalwear, the very large costume jewelry, and the significance and subversiveness of the International Court System. Interestingly enough Susan Sontag’s iconic essay on camp was published in 1964, close to the founding date of the court system in 1965. Here’s an updated evaluation of camp by Bruce LaBruce, who happens to be the director of one of my favorite movies of all time, The Misandrists,

While writing this, I was motivated to watch Paris Burning on Netflix, which gave articulation to some things I had been thinking about, some insight into these glamorous, if tongue-in-cheek, performances of royalty, pomp and circumstance.

I very much enjoy performing in drag. I like practicing the numbers. I love music, but I can’t sing at all, so dancing around and lip-synching is a great outlet for me. I’ve never been much for costumes and makeup. At first I didn’t want to spend too much money on it until I decided I liked performing drag at their shows. But now that I’ve decided that I like it, I’m building up my collection: a couple of wigs; sports bras in lieu of binders; men’s clothing from eBay and thrift stores, etc. I have two drag characters: a male, Hipster Ken; and a female, Cougar Barbie.

Drag is a way for me to share my love of music, dance, performance, and gender-bending. I’ll get more involved with the costume and makeup aspect as I pursue it. It will be like I’m my own doll to dress up!

I like the people, especially some of the drag performers and kinky fetish people I’ve met. Some of the drag performers have helped me think about my drag characters and their help has been invaluable. Also, I just like being around other kinky people.

I also like raising money for good causes. I was especially proud that Kate chose Project Fierce Chicago, which helps homeless LGBTQ+ youth, as her cause. We will continue to raise money for Project Fierce as one of our causes in the upcoming year. Currently they’re focused on their Emergency Relief Fund for young people who need funds to keep housing or assistance with barriers that could lead to homelessness. Some folks who have received funds have been homeless and needed assistance with basic necessities. Additionally, the PFC Emergency Fund has been able to provide critical financial resources to LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing housing instability who needed support making rent payments, covering utilities like electricity and gas, accessing Ventra passes, and purchasing essential household goods.

I like putting little shows together like my singer-songwriter night . One of my Duchess duties was to organize an event. Putting together a show is a responsibility, but the payoff is that I get to realize my vision. I like coming up with an interesting bill of performers.

Yes, there’s the raising money for charity, but that’s not the whole point. If I wanted to give money to charity, I could just write a check or click on a Paypal link. These shows that we do are about visibility, awareness, community. I was able to sell people on the idea of the show partly because of the cause. I like creating these win-win-win situations where the venue and the performers and the cause all benefit from their shared association with the event.

Mainly the various courts put on drag shows. The tips the performers collect go to charity. About half of all court members are drag performers. Most of the rest are some variant of LGBTQ+, though all are welcome to be members. There is definitely a desire and a push to be diverse and inclusive.

The most striking event for me was the Out-of-Town Show I saw when I went to Buffalo, New York for their Coronation weekend. People of all different ages, sizes, shapes, races, genders gathered together, many in full drag or campy formalwear, performed on a stage in a packed bar. In all the performances, I saw people sharing themselves and their love of music.

In talking with the various people I met that weekend, and also with my fellow Chicago court members, I’ve come to understand that, for a lot of them, the court is a way of developing their own leadership and organization skills through the responsibilities that their royal titles bestow upon them. It is also a form of activism, a way for them to take action on issues that are important to them. Throughout the history of the organization, a lot of the causes supported have been AIDS-related, both research on the disease itself and support for the people suffering from it. I know many members care deeply about the upcoming LGBTQ+ generations. Hearts go out to those in small towns, some in the Bible Belt, who suffer because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, some dealing with bullying and rejection from church and family members, some depressed and alone, some even suicidal or homeless.

When I first got involved with the court, members kept telling me it was like a family, which was not a selling point for me. Family has associations of obligations and conflict for me, though I guess, for some people, it has associations of acceptance and security.

I became more aware of drag families. It was very sweet to watch drag mothers with their drag daughters, bringing them gifts and taking pride in their accomplishments.

I’m looking forward to performing at future Windy City Empire events. Being a member of the court is a responsibility, but it’s a lot of fun too.

Feature photo: Duchess Elizabeth in tux next to Empress Kate in her ball gown. Photo credit to Joseph Stevens.

#Windy City Empire #International Court System #Chicago #Coronation Gala #charity #drag shows #LGBTQ+#José Sarria #friends #camp

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gossipnetwork-blog · 6 years

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25 TV Events to Get Excited About in 2018

New Post has been published on http://gossip.network/25-tv-events-to-get-excited-about-in-2018/

25 TV Events to Get Excited About in 2018

New year, new TV to look forward to.

Now that it’s finally 2018, it’s time to cut your losses with the fall shows you’ve already grown tired and make some room on your DVRs for everything the new year has to offer because there’s a lot to get excited about.

Kicking things off on New Year’s Day with the return of Arie Luyendyk Jr. as ABC’s latest Bachleor, we’ve narrowed down the 25 TV events worth getting excited about over the next 12 months from a surprisingly deep pool of worthy candidates. Seriously, there’s a lot of promising stuff coming our way. Read on and start programming your DVR!

ABC/Craig Sjodin

Bachelor‘s Big Winter

Kudos to the Bachelor franchise for trying something new in 2018. First, they went back a few years to the pre-Instagram days to find their newest leading man, Arie Luyendyk Jr., and we’re also being treated to what appears to be an international hot tub party known as Winter Games. It all sounds like exactly the fresh Bachelor air we need, and we can’t wait to see how it all goes down, starting January 1.

Freeform

Freeform Gets Grown-ish

It’s time for Zoey Johnson to fly the coop and strike out on her own…-ish. In this Freeform spinoff of Black-ish, debuting January 3, Yara Shahidi takes center stage as the eldest Johnson child embarks on her freshman year at California University with a diverse group of friends helping her navigate her first taste of adult life. Look out for guest appearances from parents Dre and Bow as Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross are set to make occasional guest appearances in the comedy, which hails from the mothership’s creator Kenya Barris.

CBS

Star Trek: Discovery‘s Return

The spore drive is done for and the U.S.S. Discovery is…missing. The finale ended with Lorca (Jason Isaacs) and his team including Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) evading death and destruction at the hands of the Klingons, only to find themselves some place very unfamiliar. Could our heroes be in the Mirror Universe? Whatever happens, beam us up for more adventures on January 7.

VH1

Tyra Returns on Top

Sorry Rita Ora, but Tyra Banks is reclaiming her America’s Next Top Model throne. Banks is returning on January 9 to host the revived series on VH1 after only serving as executive producer on Cycle 23. This year, expect new terms from Tyra and new competitors: there’s no longer an age limit.

Showtime

Showtime’s Trip to The Chi

If creator Lena Waithe‘s Emmy-winning episode of Master of None, “Thanksgiving,” is any indication, her new Showtime drama is, hands down, one of 2018’s can’t-miss debuts. The Chi, premiering January 7, is billed as a timely coming-of-age story that will explore the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago. Expect this to be an early Emmys frontrunner.

The CW

A New Superhero

Luke Cage may have come before him, but Black Lightning feels like the first superhero series to finally truly speak to the Black Lives Matter movement. The CW’s latest DC Comics adaptation, starring Cress Williams as the titular hero and premiering Jan. 16, feels timely in a way that few of the network’s other comic book offerings have. If nothing else, it’s just refreshing to have a CW superhero who feels like a damn adult.

American Crime Story Goes Glam

People v. O.J. was great, but The Assassination of Gianni Versace brings a new level of glamour and intrigue to one of last year’s most talked about new series with one of the biggest crimes fashion has ever suffered. Darren Criss plays the serial killer we never before knew we needed him to play, and Penélope Cruz is straight-up iconic as Donatella Versace. We are so there come January 17.

VH1

Mama Ru Gathers More All-Stars

While some of the queens returning for another chance at the crown barely fit in the label of “star,” let alone “All-Star”—Aja, anyone?—our excitement at finally having RuPaul and her glorious queens back is off the charts. RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars 3 returns to its new network (VH1) on January 25 to see who will join the ranks of legendary All-Stars and All-Stars 2 winners Chad Michaels and Alaska, respectively. Who are we rooting for? We’ll never tell. (OK, we’ll tell. That crown belongs to Trixie Mattel. Don’t @ us.)

Mindy Tucker/HBO

2 Dope Queens Come to HBO

What’s better than listening to your favorite podcast? Watching it come to life in a series of HBO specials, that’s what! Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson bring their acclaimed podcast 2 Dope Queens to the cable network beginning February 2 for four hour-long specials taped before a live audience, tackling topics like “Black Nerds aka Blerds” and “Hot Peen” alongside guests including Jon Stewart and Tituss Burgess.

Netflix

Netflix Explores Altered Carbon

Netflix is going big with this original series, an adaptation the classic cyberpunk noir novel by Richard K. Morgan. Set more than 300 years in a future where society has been transformed by new technology, consciousness can be digitized, human bodies are interchangeable, and death is no longer permanent, the sci-fi series stars Joel Kinnaman as Takeshi Kovacs, the lone surviving soldier in a group of elite interstellar warriors who were defeated in an uprising against the new world order. Altered Carbon, dropping on the streaming site on February 2, looks expensive and confusing as hell. Count us in.

CBS

Big Brother Turns Celebrity

Already a staple in the U.K., Celebrity Big Brother is finally making its way across the pond for a special edition on CBS beginning February 7. Which of our D-list celebs will sign up to duke it out in the Big Brother house with Julie Chen narrating their every move? We haven’t the slightest idea and we can’t wait to find out.

Lifetime

UnREAL Flips the Script

Did you know that it’s been nearly 18 months since UnREAL signed off for season two? After that creative debacle, you may have pushed the provocative Lifetime series, a fictional account of the inner-workings of a Bachelor-esque reality series, out of your mind. But queens Constance Zimmer and Shiri Appleby deserve better, and it looks like the time off may have helped deliver a third series worthy of their estimable talents. After tackling their first African-American suitor in S2, they’re going the Bachelorette route this time around with Masters of Sex alum Caitlin FitzGerald assuming the role of Everlasting’s (the show within the show) new feminist “suitress.” Could Quinn and Rachel have finally met their match? Tune in on February 26 to find out.

Good Girls Go Bad

What do you get when you take a Parks and Recreation fave (Retta), a Parenthood breakout (Mae Whitman), and a Mad Men diva (Christina Hendricks), cast them as three suburban moms tired of their lives, and have them rob a local supermarket. Why, the recipe for our most anticipated show of 2018, that’s what. Is it February 26 yet?

Netflix

A Queer Comeback

All things just keep getting better thanks to Netflix’s upcoming revival of the seminal reality series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Does the new Fab Five (from left to right, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness and Tan France) have what it takes to make us forget about Carson Kressley, Ted Allen and the rest of the OGs? Come February, we’ll find out.

CBS

Round Two of The Good Fight

It’s been a long few months without Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) dropping an eff-bomb on our screens. The first season The Good Fight was politically charged and intriguing and the real world hasn’t gotten any less crazy, so Robert and Michelle King have a lot of fodder for new episodes, beginning March 4. Plus Audra McDonald will be a series regular this year, so our hopes of a musical episode just got all the more higher.

ABC

American Idol Returns From the Dead

Did we really want a revival of American Idol so soon after its 2016 (supposed) series finale? Not even slightly. Are we planning to tune in on March 11 to see if Katy Perry was really worth her rumored $25 million salary? You betcha.

NBC

A New TV Musical Rises

Glee meets Friday Night Lights this spring on NBC, with Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and Rosie Perez (Rosie Perez) in the starring roles of this Jason Katims-produced high school drama set (where else) in a working class town. This one could either be one of the year’s biggest successes or biggest flame-outs. Tune in on March 13 and judge for yourself.

ABC

Roseanne‘s Return

Revival fatigue is very real, but we for sure will not be able to look away from the return of Roseanne Barr‘s iconic comedy Roseanne, premiering March 27, for two big reasons: 1. Curiosity about how the show explains away the series finale that had Roseanne Conner revealing Dan (John Goodman) was dead and she made the entire series up as a writer and 2. Laurie Metcalf. Metcalf is one of the best actors working today. Any chance to get weekly doses of her we will take.

Hulu

Handmaid’s Trip to the Colonies

Where do you go after being the most-buzzed about new series and winning a slew of awards? That’s what we want to know, The Handmaid’s Tale! Season two, debuting sometime in April, is already well underway and details are being kept under wraps. We do know there will be more Alexis Bledel—sorry, that’s Emmy winner Alexis Bledel to you—and previously unseen parts of Gilead. “What I can tell you, and I’m not joking one bit, is it’s knocking me out where this story is going,” Ann Dowd told E! News. “I literally read the scripts and I think, ‘Oh my god.’ The ideas are genius and so unpredictable and harrowing,” she said. “Plus you see the worlds that you weren’t exposed to before: the Colonies, what that whole world is; those who make it to Canada, what happens there; the pregnancy, how that is coming along. It’s a phenomenally well-written show.”

Bravo

RHONY‘s Extra Dose of Real-World Drama

Arguably the best Real Housewives series on Bravo (go ahead and try to say another is better), Real Housewives of New York City is set to return with last year’s top-tier cast and you know there’s going to be laughs—and drama. Luann de Lesseps was arrested just before Christmas and charged with battery of an officer, disorderly intoxication, resisting arrested with violence and crimes against another person. She’s now in a treatment center. Bravo’s cameras are just itching to start recording and we cannot wait to see what they capture.

John P. Johnson/HBO

A Return Trip to Westworld

Season one felt like nothing more than a prelude, an introductory course to this world where nothing is as it seems and everyone watching wised up to the twists down the road much sooner than anyone writing expected. But now that the robots have taken over, making the demented amusement park at the center of this HBO sci-fi/western pastiche a true free-for-all, we can’t wait to see what happens next when Westworld finally returns this spring.But it better involve Maeve (Thandie Newton) kicking some ass.

Atlanta, at Long Last

One of 2016’s most surreal and delightful new shows, Atlanta feels like it’s been gone forever. Apparently creator and star Donald Glover was too busy being very famous and employable to give us more in 2017, so we’ll take whatever he can give us in 2018.

Netflix

Robin Wright’s House of Cards Reign

Robin Wright has always been the best thing about House of Cards and now she gets to truly own the show for its sixth and final season. After allegations of sexual misconduct by Kevin Spacey came to light, the status of the Netflix series was in question. After deliberation, Netflix and Media Rights Capital said the show must go on¬—without Spacey. Wright’s Claire Underwood ended season five in power, now we get to see her wield it triumphantly.

The CW

Sabrina Gets Spooky

Inspired by the success of Riverdale‘s dark take on Archie Comics, WB and Netflix are teaming up to create the show of our teenage dreams. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (you know, the teenage witch) is already our favorite thing to binge and we know absolutely nothing about it yet. Even if we only get a cast in 2018, we are here for it.

Sipa

Feud Goes Royal

After Feud‘s spot-on casting for Bette and Joan, we can’t wait to see who Ryan Murphy lands in the lead roles for the anthology’s upcoming second installment, Charles and Diana. We have our thoughts on who will fill the royal shoes of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, among others, but we’re sure that Murphy will still manage to surprise us.

Which TV event are you most excited about for 2018? Sound off in the comments below!

(E!, Bravo and NBC are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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daleisgreat · 7 years

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Joy Ride & Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead

Every year for Christmas my mom and I exchange random DVDs with each other. It is just a random gifting tradition we do in hopes of landing each other a good film from the $5 DVD bin. My mom has been on a pretty good streak for awhile and past hits she gifted me I never saw before that were a hit for me include Sour Grapes, Alpha Dog, Blues Brothers and Rat Race. Today I am covering last year’s Christmas DVD, which is a pair of scare/thriller films that were part of a two-in-one pack with 2001’s Joy Ride (trailer) and its 2008 sequel, Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (trailer). The original Joy Ride stars Paul Walker in the lead who is fresh off his Fast and the Furious fame earlier in 2001. Walker stars as Lewis, who is on a road trip to pick up his longtime crush Venna (Leelee Sobieski). Along the way when checking in at home with the family, he discovers his brother Fuller (Steve Zahn) needs to get bailed out of jail so it becomes a three person road trip. Along the way they pick up a CB radio and start pranking truckers on it. One of their pranks with a trucker who only goes by ‘Rusty Nail’ (voiced by Ted Levine) goes all kinds of bad when it turns out that good ‘ol Rusty is a psychotic killer.

The film proceeds to be a gigantic cat and mouse chase with lots of thrilling moments and gotcha-scares that reeled me in all the way. The only questionable moments I had in the film was that there is no way that big rigs can accelerate as fast as they do here, but I rolled with it for the sake of the film. Additionally, the few glimpses we got of Rusty throughout the film made it hard to believe he was as mobile and crafty as the film made him out to be, but at that point I was so immersed into the crazy stunts and story that it did not bother me that much, especially in the final act that had an intense showdown with everyone involved and a gratifying payoff to a great overall flow of consistently bigger and better stunts, chases and thrills. Joy Ride hit in 2001, which was probably one of the last years you could do a slasher/scare flick by avoiding one hiccup that most films in that genre struggle with today and that is how do you address the victims-to-be immediately busting out their cell phones and calling for help? In Joy Ride 2 they address this by Rusty (now played by Mark Gibbon) phoning the victims and telling them to immediately dispose of and crush their phones. How did Rusty get their number? Well, the victims felt bad when their car broke down and they happened to stumble upon Rusty’s home and broke into his place and ‘borrowed’ his car to get to safety.

The victims in the direct-to-video sequel are not as sympathetic as the first and it did not make me want to root for them. Bobby is suppose to be the stand-up guy here, but he is played by Nick Zano who also happens to play Steel, aka the biggest dolt in Legends of Tomorrow and knowing how much I detest him in that made it hard to root for him here. Nik (Kyle Schmid) is intentionally played up to be a slimeball that I found myself rooting for him to be the first to go, and I will give props to the filmmakers for having a very sleazy character get his fitting way to ride off into the sunset. Joy Ride 2 tried to get a little more creative with its thrills and moments of despair. There are still a couple standard chase scenes, but there are also scenes that straight-up flop such as Rusty getting Nik to dress up in drag in order to score him some crank, and Rusty goofing on Melissa (Nicki Aycox) to get her to striptease. The only scene that really popped out for me was when Rusty gets Bobby and Nik to play his special version of craps that you just have to see to believe. I tried to hunt down a clip to link, but alas YouTube has failed me! That scene combined with the final showdown with Rusty results for a mildly satisfying final act, but nowhere near the same level as the first Joy Ride.

Joy Ride 2 only has two quick extras for 20 minutes which mostly feature basic cast and crew interviews setting up the film with a few interesting anecdotes on filming in the desert in Canada and its makeup work. The original Joy Ride however is packed with extras. The standout extra is four different alternate endings. All four have director’s commentary which I found helpful on why the filmmakers say they did not work. One of the endings is nearly a half hour long and features the always awesome, Walter Goggins and has a whole different take on how the final act went down. The other three have alternate branching paths and I found all four really fascinating on how they played out and why they did not make the cut. Joy Ride also has three commentaries, one with director John Dahl, the second with actors Zahn and Sobieski and the third with writers JJ Abrams and Clay Tarver which was the commentary I decided to check out. The duo have a good flow of nonstop banter with little to no lulls and tons of facts and insight about the cast and behind-the-scenes on the film. A couple highlights was how they renovated an abandoned truck stop for just one scene for the film and how they had to shoot the big cornfield chase on two occasions in separate cornfields and they dissected all the little differences to point out how they pulled it off. I will give my mom another thumbs up for her annual Christmas DVD for me. If you made it this far it is obvious I am much higher on the first Joy Ride compared to its sequel. The sequel still has a few moments that saved it into being passable, but if you were to only watch one, then definitely check out the first. Upon doing my research for this entry, I see there is a third Joy Ride film that hit straight-to-video in 2014, subtitled Roadkill, so it looks like I will have to track that down and complete the trilogy!

June 2018 Update - Earlier this month I rented Joy Ride 3: Roadkill from Netflix DVD. Since watching it via rental means Roadkill is not a true backlog video in my library that means it does not meet the criteria for its own separate blog. However, I feel justified in making a little addendum here for some quick thoughts. Roadkill is a huge step up from Dead Ahead. The voice for Rusty Nail is back (although his on screen persona is portrayed by a more leaner and meaner actor) and he has a far better opening slasher scene against two sleazy drifters who I was rooting to get their just deserts. The primary protagonists are a young upstart racing steam en route to their next race when they make the mistake of intentionally cutting ‘ol Rusty off and that is impetus enough for Rusty to pick ‘em off one-by-one in far more entertainingly campy ways than before. The explanation to get rid of cell phones for help had me rolling over, and there are some awesome inept cops and the mandatory creepy waitress to round off a stellar supporting cast. Naturally, Roadkill climaxes in a duel in a junkyard that played out far better than I anticipated. If you are looking for a way to mix it up for your next slasher film marathon then Joy Ride 3: Roadkill would be a great way to close off the night by watching the entire Joy Ride trilogy. Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Creed Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Guardians of the Galaxy Hercules: Reborn Hitman Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jobs Man of Steel Marine 3-5 Mortal Kombat National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets The Replacements Rocky I-VII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Take Me Home Tonight TMNT The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars The War Wild The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Days of Future Past

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