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rboooks · 11 months

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DC x DP Fic idea: The Royal Consort

Wesley Weston runs a blog after getting over his desire to expose Danny's secret- primarily due to no one believing him- and no one pays attention to it since almost all of Casper high school has one too.

The difference between the hundreds of other blogs is that one of his pictures of Phantom is clear. A perfectly uncorrected image of the famous ghost, whereas nearly all other pictures are blurry due to ghosts disrupting cameras. Even Wes isn't sure how he managed to capture him so well.

Another difference between his blog and others is that one of his followers happens to be John Constantine, who followed the kid a long time ago due to the fanfiction of the Bats and found them hilarious.

John opens his phone app, expecting a new chapter to the Bruce Wayne/Superman fic, and spits out his tea upon seeing the High King of the Dead casually in the human world. Horrified that the King has not been appropriately welcomed- which could lead to a war that the humans would never win- he calls an emergency Justice League and Justice League Dark meeting.

It didn't help that they had allowed a county to pass the anti-ecto laws, which ruined any attempt to appease the Ghost King once the news broke to the public. The League still worried about a declaration of war even after they demolished the laws and the United Nations had the States apologize on humans' behalf.

They quickly discover High King Phantom has been visiting Earth for almost three years. Before his coronation, Phantom had not been outside the Infinite Realms very often though he has appeared throughout history. Cave drawings date back thousands of years before the first ancient Egyptians, but he's visits are few and short.

Life would naturally send him back to the Realms because he had too much power and ectoplasm. After taking the throne, his powers only grew, which meant someone had to summon him as the only way for him to stay on Earth longer than an hour.

Now as King, he appeared only within the small town of Amity Park daily. Why?

John sighs. "He has an anchor. Someone is tying him to this plane. Like the helmet for Nabu, which allows Doctor Fate to exist here without being launched back to the Infinite Releams, Phantom has bonded himself. And I know who that is"

He pulls up a class photo on Weston's blog and points to a boy wearing a particular necklace.

"Danny Fenton is wearing the official Royal Consort of the Infinite Realms symbol and has been since he was fourteen. Phantom's husband may be our only hope to salvage the terrible mess the USA's bloody GIW placed the rest of us in."

Danny loved the necklace he found in Pariah Dark's old haunt. He inherited Pariah's haunt and everything inside once he was crowned and hasn't taken it off since. He didn't think it would be an issue. It's not like it would out his secret to his parents or anyone else since it was in Ghost Speech. Even he didn't know what it said.

Then one morning he comes down for breakfast only to have the most important members of the Justice League sitting in his living room waiting to greet him.

Desperate to keep his halfa status a secret, Danny must convince the entire world watching him, that he's just a human who scandalously eloped at age fourteen with one of the strongest beings in the mulitverse.

Jack's horrified "We were shooting my son-in-law this whole time" became a meme that has trended for months.

( Part 2 )

#dc x dp #dc x dp crossover #Danny is girlboss gaslight his way through this #his parents knew he was bi but married!?#The Royal Consort

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comicaurora · 8 months

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Earth's Mightiest Heroes is just such a goldmine in the Marvel adaptations; especially if you like Hulk as much as I do it's such an ideal interpretation and strikes the ideal balance between the ambiguity between him being a hero or a monster (he can't be TOO straightforwardly heroic or he loses a lot of what makes him compelling, but Hulk shouldn't be malevolent or mindless and MUST be a hero in some way) that I don't think has been properly captured since Planet Hulk or Immortal Hulk. Maybe Thor Ragnarok if you look at the subtext around him.

One thing I consider is that EMH specifically seems to take the earliest characterizations of the Marvel heroes, without being too influenced by the MCU (which if I recall was only just starting out then, enough to influence things but not so much that it completely dominated the characterization) and reinvents this earlier characterizations, making something rather new and unique to this series, so you get things such as Wasp (who is one of the most liked takes on the character here) and as noted, Hulk. Much like the Devil Hulk alter from Immortal Hulk, in this series his characterization here reads as a reinterpretation of his initial characterization as a smarter and unpredictable entity driven by his resentfulness.

Hulk is done so well! I feel like part of why season 2's writing suffers overall is that they had to put him on a shelf for the entire Secret Invasion plot.

What I also like about it is how Banner is incorporated into the story. Bruce Banner is a lot more unconditionally heroic than The Hulk, and that's shown right from the jump when he essentially makes a heroic sacrifice by agreeing to let The Hulk stay transformed indefinitely in exchange for him helping the others fight Graviton. Hell, when Hulk gets briefly mind controlled by the Enchantress, the person we see doing the standard Heroic Willpower Fighting From The Inside stuff is Banner. Banner's appearances are a rare treat after the opener, because he's characterized perfectly - brilliant, businesslike since he's always on a clock, and completely up to speed on everything the others have been up to. And it's also kind of fun how the other Avengers are always quite protective of Banner on the rare occasions he gets forced out mid-fight.

And I like how it's clear that Hulk and Banner communicate more than we get to see. There's Banner knowing exactly how to stop the Gamma World plot even though he hasn't had Using The Body Privileges in weeks, and later there's a cute moment where Tony is trying to analyze some mysterious energy and Hulk just immediately IDs it while noshing on a turkey leg. Banner isn't useless or mired in angst, and Hulk isn't dumb. It really feels like they've long since stopped trying to fight each other and have accepted that they're on the same side, and that's a nice change for Hulk storylines!

Also Hulk's friendships with Wasp and Hawkeye are just. Absolute highlights. The dynamics are so good.

#asks #not aurora #media recs

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bruciemilf · 2 years

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Another ask from your's truly

(i really hope i'm not bothering/annoying you)

But I was thinking about why I like your headcanons and AUs so much. And I think its because you've perfectly encapsulated so much of what I love about Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Canon Bruce and Batsy leaves a lot to be desired. But I think you've captured a core part of his character.

And that's love, everything Bruce does or wants to do is out of love. His love and compassion are some of his greatest strengths.

So when I read your headcanons and AUs about how much he loves his kids. Or how much he truly cares about Gotham and its citizens. I always know its gonna be a treat.

(But also, I think your Bruce and Batsy are a perfect balance of girlboss and drenched kitten)

Don't worry, you're not annoying at all!!!

And thank you, because tbh?? Those are core components of his character that DC leaves out to make room for boring ass gritty, dark, nihilistic bullshit.

I'm very resentful of the " Bruce Wayne is the character and mask; Batman is the real face" because what I get from that? You're saying that Bruce Wayne, the child who had everything taken from him by Gotham and chose to protect it anyway, isn't real.

You're saying that the Bruce Wayne who took Dick Grayson in, who did his best to raise him with all the love and guidance he didn't have the time to learn, but wanted to try because no one else wanted to, isn't real.

You're saying that the Bruce Wayne,who opens his house and makes it a home for people that don't feel like they're good enough, gives them chance after chance after chance, isn't real.

You're saying that the Bruce Wayne, who believes there's goodness in everybody and will bleed to bring that goodness out, who fights to rehabilitate and reform and fix a system that doesn't give a damn about vulnerable people, isn't real.

That Bruce Wayne is very much real. If he wasn't, we wouldn't care about Batman, because Bruce wears the cowl, not the other way around; It's the exact same with Iron Man and Tony and every hero with a double identity.

Everyone can be Batman; It takes work to be Bruce Wayne.

YOU CAN'T WRITE A GOOD BATMAN IF YOU DON'T WRITE A GOOD BRUCE WAYNE CAN I GET AN AMEN

#asks #meta #dc meta #batman meta #bruce wayne #batman #moots!!!#dc

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lylethewaterguy · 7 months

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Some of my favourite dc characters and songs that remind me of them because i felt like it:

Oliver Queen/Green Arrow: Island - Miley Cyrus

Sounds obvious I know, but it really fits him perfectly with his love/hate relationship to the island.

“And I won’t lie, it sure gets lonely here at night - But no one here needs nothing from me, and it’s kinda nice”

Roy Harper/Arsenal: Archer - Taylor Swift

This one also seems very obvious based on the title but I also think it just suits Roy and everything he’s been through both with addiction and with losing so many people close to him.

“I’ve been the archer - I’ve been the prey - Screaming, who could ever leave me, darling? - But who could stay?”

Dick Grayson/Nightwing: Vampire - Olivia Rodrigo

This song is 100% Dick (/Jason) thinking about Bruce and you cannot convince me otherwise.

“And every girl I ever talked to said that you were bad, bad news - You called them crazy, God I hate the way I called them crazy too - You’re so convincing - How do you lie without flinching”

Justice League International: Americana - Jonas Brothers

No thoughts, just vibes. I don’t know why but this song is how I feel when reading or thinking about the JLI.

“We’re gonna get home when we get home”

Beatriz Da Costa/Fire and Tora Olafsdotter/Ice: Green Green Grass - George Ezra

Both perfect colour wise but also captures their partners in crime energy super well I think.

“Green, green grass - Blue, blue sky - You better throw a party on the day that I die”

Scott Free/Mister Miracle: God Must Hate Me - Catie Turner

This is mainly based on the 2018 existential crisis Barbie Scott (aka my favourite Scott).

“Same hands that made the moon and the stars - Got carpal tunnel and forgot some parts - I don’t know what I believe - But it’s easier to think - He made a mistake with me”

Ted Kord/Blue Beetle: Groundhog Day - Em Beihold

I just feel like Ted is a very stuck in the past, doesn’t really have a place in the present, character and this song perfectly encapsulates that.

“I just wanna drive away - But I don’t have a car, so I guess I gotta stay - And it’s easy to say I’m okay - Up and down these emotional waves”

Michael Jon Carter/Booster Gold: Used To Be Young - Miley Cyrus

Modern/post 2007 dad Booster thinking back to his days with the JLI.

“You tell me time has done changed me - That’s fine, I had a good run - I know I used to be crazy - That’s cause I used to be young”

Michael Jon Carter/Booster Gold: DEAD FRIENDS - Demi Lovato

Feels somewhat self explanatory.

“I miss the hell we can’t raise, I miss the time we can’t waste - I miss the texts they can’t send, I miss my dead friends”

Michael Jon Carter/Booster Gold and Ted Kord/Blue Beetle: Loved You Before - Peach PRC

They gay.

“Two complementary colors - The winter, the spring and summer - Forever just lost lovers that keep getting rediscovered”

(I thought about including songs from musicals but then I figured there’s so many more so that’s be better for a separate post)

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newx-menfan · 1 year

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Fav X-23 artists!!

In celebration of Laura’s new mini (🍾🥂), here’s a countdown of some of my FAVORITE Laura Kinney art!

Mike Choi

Let’s be honest- Choi is pretty much *THE X-23* artist! From “Target X” to “X-Force vol. 3”, there’s just something about his art that always manages to capture Laura’s essence perfectly!

2) Joshua Middleton

I KNOW Middleton is a controversial choice…but there’s just something sad and tragic about his rendition of Laura that I really love. He’s one of the X-23 artists that I really wish would return on another X-23 book!

3) Will Conrad

It might be because of the Hellion and Laura “Killing Dream” scene, but Conrad is one of my favorite X-23 artists! While definitely not the strongest X-23 artist listed…I just really like his rendition of Laura!

(I think part of it is that I just like Laura with pouty lips!) 😂🤣

4) Billy Tan

Tan probably SHOULD be higher, simply because he did such a wonderful job with conveying a wide variety of emotions despite Laura being completely silent!!… Tan really makes “Innocence Lost” the power house book that it is and if it wasn’t for Choi and Middleton, I would probably say he is the most iconic X-23 artist!

5) Skottie Young

While I do weirdly enjoy Mark Brooks 90’s style chibi art…Young is definitely *THE New X-Men artist!* While I wasn’t much of a fan of his version of Julian…I deeply LOVE his Laura, Surge, Pixie, and Anole and appreciate how much Young IS the Bill Sienkiewicz of NXM!

6) Sana Takeda

Takeda is kind of a “hit or miss” for me…if I am being honest, I like Takeda’s rendition of Hellion better than I like her Laura.

Some of Takeda’s panels are really gorgeous and really fit the scene perfectly (like the panel of her with Jubilee!), and some just feel kind of out of place in an X-23 book; I would kind of compare it to “Batman: Gotham Knight” with bishie Bruce Wayne… sometimes it’s just a little bit jarring and it kind of takes me out of the moment.

7) Kalman Andrasofszky

While Andrasofszky has ONLY done covers…I tend to think they have all been pretty memorable! I especially LOVE his Hellion and Laura cover and I wish Andrasofszky was doing the main art for the new Schultz book!

8) Marcio Takara

I really enjoy Takara and how fun his art is; my only wish is that he had drawn Laura during her X-23 days, because I think his commission work of her is a bit better than his work on ANW. That being said- his Gabby is positively ADORABLE, as is his Jonathan!

9) Sara Pichelli

I REALLY love Pichelli’s art despite it being a Bendis book, focusing on Laura and O5 Angel, and Laura’s eye color being totally wrong!

Pichelli’s “goth Laura” is just absolutely beautiful! She’s another artist that I would love to see return to X-23, because her art is just Joelle Jones levels of beauty!

The nightclub ANXM issue is hands down some of the best Laura art out there and if it wasn’t for the coloring mistake, she’d probably be higher on the list for me!

10) Juann Cabal

While I don’t always love how Cabal does faces, he is definitely one of the most creative comic artists out there! The detail he puts in and how he stylizes the onomatopoeia is just really engaging! I especially LOVED his work in the “OWL” arc!

11) David Finch

While I am not always a big Finch fan, nor do I always think his art suits every character, I do really like his rendition of Laura. The excess of lines and grittiness just work really nicely with Laura and remind me of Jim Lee or Andy Kubert’s 90’s X-Men, but with a more modern color palette.

12) David Lopez

I really loved Lopez’s art when it first came out but have kind of cooled on it a bit since then. I think part of it is it just doesn’t really “look” like Laura to me. Compared to all the other artists, I just don’t feel like Lopez captures Laura’s “essence” as well as the others.

That being said, Lopez did a great job on “Four Sisters” and the panels in Paris are especially beautiful!

13) Phil Noto

Noto is that artist a LOT of people dislike because all his faces look more or less the same. I will give Noto this- I think his “face” works well for Laura in this instance; there’s just something kind of innocent about it that I like. I also like how Laura is a little more “plain” and “awkward” in his work; she looks like a genuine teenager here. She blends in to the background more.

I know Laura is SUPPOSED to be very attractive, but in some ways I enjoy Noto’s plainer rendition and I often think Noto’s work is in general, better suited for teen books than drawing characters like Emma or Black Widow.

14) Clayton Crain

While I like Crain’s work and think it was a good choice for X-Force…it does sometimes bug me how “CGI”- lite it looks…it definitely hasn’t aged well.

Some panels are absolutely amazing…others…not so much!

While I do think Crain had improved over time, his old work is, for lack of a better word, sometimes kind of clunky!

Those are some of my personal favorites- Let me know if you agree…? Or disagree…?

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mikeylivesattheend · 7 months

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Jason Todd but Not! (AU's)

If you want to read AUs that give you different versions of Jason Todd, this is for you. These 8 fics are all categorized as gen, and I tried to include lesser known works here.

I'll be listing

Word count

Any rating above teen

Archive warnings

Major relationships

Mind the specific tags on a work before you read

~~~

The We in I by forestgreen

12,680; Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne

There never was a Jason.

A fic exploring Jason Todd through the lens of him having DID. There's so much care put into this fic, and it genuinely changed how I thought about certain canon events. I also love the voice forestgreen employs for Jay. They capture the magic of 80s Jason Todd perfectly, while making him sound correct in the modern setting.

I have no tongue and I must scream by Sassaphrass

5,242; The Batfamily Hunger Games AU: Former Victor Jason Todd returns to his District for the first time in a long time. Something is troubling his fellow Victors and he gets a surprising recruit to his murderous crusade against the Capitol.

AND

Red, and Terrible, and Red by Sassaphrass

13,075; Rape/Non-Con, Underage; Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul/Jason Todd On a journey from Victor, to Slave to Rebel (with just a short side-trip through insane vengeance fueled serial killer), for Jason Todd winning the Hunger Games was only the beginning.

I can’t decide which of these to recommend first. They’re part of the same series, and if you get invested you’ll want to read both anyway. The first fic in the series sets the general DC/Hunger Games premise, while the the other one is purely Jason’s backstory. I find myself re-reading Red, and Terrible, and Red because his backstory is immaculate, but you probably should read the setup fic first 😅

Whisper Closely In My Ear by KangaRou

8,518; Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne The words went in one ear, rattled around like bees, before ramming out the other. The doctor was sitting painfully close, only two feet away. The tone of voice implied he was talking louder, not quite a yell but something nearly there; it sounded like a whisper to Jason. So quiet, with every third word unintelligible, except for that first phrase: "Mr Wayne, I'm afraid you're profoundly deaf." --- Jason is profoundly deaf. He learns to cope with it.

The premise is exactly what it sounds like, but so much more. The author goes into detail regarding Jasons treatment, how Bruce (isn't) being helpful, and the genuine fear he feels when he's with his family. It's separated into small scenes that connect beautifully. A must read honestly.

We'll Never Get Free (Lamb To The Slaughter) by AquamarineMemeBender

4,286; Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death; Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne & Colin Wilkes, Batfamily Members & Jason Todd, Batfamily Members & Bruce Wayne "He keeps throwing kids into his own self destruction and never understands that he'll never be able to save them." "I know," she gasps. "I know. I already know. He didn't save me, he didn't save my mom, he didn't save my best friend or-" "You know," Jason assures her, and rests the end of his gun on her forehead as gently as possible. "He doesn't." Or: Bruce keeps making Robins. Jason keeps killing them.

Very dark, and also relies on the Lazarus Pit. BUT! The pit is used differently here, adding to the surreal horror of this fic. Reading this is like watching a car made of hope, love, and familial trust crash into a brick wall.

Turning Point by Neocolai

4,310; Not Rated; Graphic Depictions Of Violence Hood had one standard as a hired gun — he didn’t shoot kids. The Joker should’ve known better than to involve him, even if the party in question was Bat-trained.

Aaand a fic that is the complete opposite of the last one.

I love seeing how people make Jason the Red Hood without the ‘I am a better Batman’ angle or the bruce daddy issues. This is a solid read.

keep on haunting me by Littlearrows

4,090; Dick Grayson & Jason Todd After his time as a mob boss, Jason opens a private detective agency for Gotham's ghosts, investigating their deaths and helping them find justice. A case leads him to getting justice for his own ghost haunting him. (aka a supernatural noir detective AU)

This is a banger noir fic that sprinkles in intriguing worldbuilding, and gives the characters a really cool vibe. Jason feels like a legitimate detective & I could easily imagine this being a slice from a video game.

The Zombie Robin by Penglaive

36,301 Nearly half a year after Jason Todd was murdered by the Joker, Scarecrow launched a plot to delve six feet deeper into the heart of fear. Whether this plot went ultimately right or horribly wrong is a matter of perspective, but everyone involved could agree it went weird quickly, even by Gotham standards.

Jason must deal with his unknown zombie status in this fic, and it has more depth than you might imagine. Penglaive strikes a nice tonal balance between serious and lighthearted, switching perspectives giving context to the greater impact of Jason's return. This one is uberly underrated.

~~~

Sooo that’s my list. Obviously there are a lot more fics that fit these tropes, but this is just a cheese platter of different Jason Todds......

ANYWAYS I hope you enjoy these hidden teasures, like ken.

Ken out 😘

#fic recs #jason todd #alternate universe #red hood #a03 fanfic #deaf character #jason lives #hunger games au #do tags matter?#idk #they dont matter on YouTube ik #and on twitter its pay to win #and on ista/tiktok/facebook its posting shorts?#my post

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popentertainment-moviereviews · 4 months

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THE BOYS IN THE BOAT (2023)

Starring Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton, Jack Mulhern, Sam Strike, Alec Newman, Peter Guinness, Luke Slattery, Thomas Elms, Tom Varey, Bruce Herbelin-Earle, Wil Coban, Hadley Robinson, Courtney Henggeler, James Wolk, Chris Diamantopoulos, Glenn Wrage, Edward Baker-Duly, Adrian Lukis, Dominic Tighe, Alec Newman and Andrew Bridgmont.

Screenplay by Mark L. Smith.

Directed by George Clooney.

Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios. 124 minutes. Rated PG-13.

As a director, George Clooney certainly likes living in the past. Of the nine films that he has helmed, seven of those were period pieces, many of them based on true stories. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind took a look at TV personality Chuck Barris in the 1960s and 1970s. Good Night and Good Luck took place during the McCarthy era of the 1950s. Leatherheads looked at the early days of football in the 1920s. The Monuments Men took place during World War II. Suburbicon was during the 1950s. The Tender Bar was about growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. In fact his two films which did not take place way in the rear-view mirror were The Ides of March (a current-day political thriller) and The Midnight Sky (a post-apocalyptic tale.)

The Boys in the Boat returns the filmmaker to the World War II era – specifically revolving around the leadup to the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. It also is intriguing by looking at the United States in the latter years of the Great Depression. So, in theory, it should be an interesting time capsule.

Perhaps the biggest problem with The Boys in the Boat is simply this – the 1936 US crew team, which did win a Gold Medal and helped to embarrass Adolf Hitler at his own Olympics, isn’t even the most interesting or best-known American athlete during that Olympics. That would be Jesse Owens, who as a character has a few short appearances here, and who has been subject of several biopics of his own which explore this particular crossroads in history.

More to the point, to be perfectly honest, crew may be a fascinating, hard sport to compete in, but it is a pretty dull one to watch. After all, it’s like the old standup comedian said, I don’t want any part of a sport that they used to force slaves to do. And this view of rowing is coming from someone who grew up in a city in which crew is a tradition. In fact, of the four college squads which are shown to have had a chance to go to the Olympics back then, one of them was from my hometown.

In fact, George Clooney acknowledged that part of his motivation in making the film was that he felt there were no films that faithfully and excitingly captured crew as a sport and a pursuit.

Does he remedy that problem? Probably not. But The Boys in the Boat has its moments.

Probably Clooney and his long-time collaborator Grant Heslov and screenwriter Mark L. Smith tossed their net a bit too wide. There were nine members of the crew team being watched in The Boys in the Boat. Then you have to add the coaching staff, friends, families, wives, girlfriends, fellow students, neighbors in their town, opposing teams, opposing coaches, the Olympic committee and more. There are probably like 100 speaking roles, and that’s before they even go to Germany for the Olympics and the cast of characters is multiplied.

That’s a whole lot of characters to fit into a two-hour movie, to the point that many of the characters here are basically given one-dimensional oversimplifications of their roles: The uptight rower, the supportive girlfriend, the unfeeling father, the sexy and sweet coach’s wife. (That character, while often enjoyable, also feels like an anachronism in this film. While I could probably see her acting like this in… say… the 1960s, her open sexuality and confident feminism feels out of place in the 1930s.)

These characters undoubtedly had a lot more room to breathe in Daniel James Brown’s novel of the same title, but too many people here come off as shallow. Of course, the film basically spends much of its time exploring two characters – although they even disappear from the film for chunks of time. These characters are the extremely poor oarsman Joe Rantz (Callum Turner), who has taken on the role on the team as a way of financial survival, and the gruff-but-good-hearted crew coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton), who is doing all in his power to get these talented-but-unmotivated boys into the Olympics.

From the look and the pace and the subject of The Boys in the Boat (and the fact that it is being released on Christmas day), it seems likely that Clooney, et al, were hoping for some award recognition for their film. And perhaps they will, at least in the technical nominations. The film looks spectacular and realistic, from the desperate Washington state streets of the Depression to the tony halls of early academia to the self-consciously grandiose splendor of the Berlin Olympics.

The Boys in the Boat is not as good or important of a film as the filmmakers had hoped it would be, but it’s worth taking a look at.

Jay S. Jacobs

youtube

#The Boys in the Boat #2023 #Movie Review #George Clooney #Joel Edgerton #Jay S. Jacobs #Youtube

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devilfic · 2 years

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FIRST OF ALL

I luv your writing omg

Now second, if you want-tho

Concept were Bruce makes a playlist for his partner

LIKE-

pairing: battinson!bruce wayne x gn!reader. cw: fluff, established relationship. words: 983.

a/n: you are so galaxy brained for this one. I'll also be writing these concepts more like headcanons/blurbs just because it's a bit easier to do (and way more fun ngl)

also! I've plugged this playlist before on clean slate but I just have to plug it again because OP captures what I imagine bruce's taste is PERFECTLY with the grunge and nu metal

now, battinson's bruce definitely doesn't set out with the intention to make you a playlist... at first

bruce is one of those people that has to have music on while they work so he'll be fixing up the batmobile or working out when a song comes on shuffle and he just. starts thinking about you. whether the lyrics express his feelings or he just thinks you'd like the sound, he'll quietly make a note about it and the list just naturally grows on its own

I think bruce is into alt rock and metal—branching into the subgenres a bit as he's feeling out his taste—so expect a lot of music of that vein

(I do like the idea that bruce has also retained some of his parents' music taste which consists of oldies from the 50's and 60's ;-;; he has a lot of respect for jazz and swing and the occasional sappy love song)

for some reason I can't see bruce making you a digital playlist, like I really see him putting in the effort to make you a cd LMAO and he'll scribble on the face of it something like "for you" or "songs you might like" or something unintentionally cheesy so that you can pop it into your car stereo and listen to it in surround sound. he will try to make you something more portable at your behest BUT he insists you have something physical too. not to be soft but he's really adamant about you getting to hold the physical and audial amalgamation of his feelings for you

he is sooooooooo eager to hear your thoughts on the songs too!! I know I said bruce doesn't really set out to make you a playlist but I swear on bruce's electric guitar that that man spends hours combing over every lyric, every singer, and the order of the songs to make sure that it's flawless before he even THINKS about presenting it to you. and you know this loser will still try to be cool about it like leaving it in your vicinity and telling you to check it out whenever you get a chance

there are very few things I think bruce is readily prepped to info dump about but of those few things, cars and music are by far at the top of the list. you'll ask him about one of the songs he put on the playlist and he'll give you the drummer's entire life story just to explain the breakdown during one (1) part of the song

(something something sharing an experience intimately with the one you love something something carrying an arrangement of sounds and words and feelings around with you forever that reach back as far as one moment in one band member's life that resulted in one verse that now perfectly encompasses the love you feel-)

he really does try not to be too bothered if you don't end up liking it but like I said, dude's agonized over every possible aspect of this playlist and even if he doesn't want to show it, he ABSOLUTELY wants you to like it..... he'll very obviously watch you like a hawk when you come to give him your thoughts on it, hanging onto every word

if you like it he is OVER the moon about it. he'll get to work right away on a new one (though he won't tell you) and try to aim for a different vibe so that you have playlists for every mood like he does

(you cannot tell me bruce doesn't have playlists for every mood. he 100% has one just to get him pumped to leave the house for patrol lmao)

he appreciates if you're honest about not liking it too! while music is something very dear to him, there are so many other things that you two can share. it doesn't have to end there. he'll also probably try to make you a playlist of music you gravitate toward more, even if it's out of his comfort zone

if he knows you're lying about liking it he will be crushed. please don't lie abt ur feelings, you can tell him the truth and he'll find a rooftop and cry on it handle it like the adult he is

jk jk but no seriously, if you don't end up liking his song choices or maybe you both just don't share the same music taste at all, it's ok!!! bruce strikes me as the kind of guy who sticks very strictly to his favorite genre and isn't super comfortable branching out but music is a window into his soul, so why can't it also be a window into yours?

he will 100% ask you about your favorite artists and add their music to his usual rotation until he GETS comfortable with it (esp if you're hanging out with him in the batcave. he will hear you get excited and start singing along and laugh under his breath ;-; he might even sing along with you, but you didn't hear that from me)

we also know that bruce has a fucking electric GUITAR and he probably only plays it in his downtime when no one is around, but if you ask him to play for you, he'll... consider it

I headcanon that he wasn't trained in guitar, he just sort of played by ear for years and taught himself until he got decent at it, so he does worry that you won't be impressed by it. but whether you know how to play yourself or not, he would really appreciate any encouragement on your end and probably play for you more unprompted after the fact

(and maybe one day he might write you a song of your own...?)

(there's a box under his bed of failed songwriting attempts from when he was a teenager that will never see the light of day)

#bruce wayne x reader #bruce wayne scenarios #bruce wayne imagine #bruce wayne headcanons #bruce wayne #batman x reader #batman scenarios #batman imagine #batman headcanons #the batman #battinson x reader #mjwrites #anonymous #mjanswers

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eliemo · 1 year

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Reunion

A scene for my Medieval Royalty au because I've had non stop brain rot about it where Bruce and Dick reunite after almost a year of thinking the other is dead

Bruce followed Clark through the mud, the grass still damp with early morning dew, walking vigil at his side with a hand moving to over the hilt of his sword.

Clark glanced at his movement, the corners of his mouth turning up into a small smile, but he didn't say anything about it. The King was far too relaxed for his own good, especially out here unprotected, preparing to meet with a stranger.

“He’s not a stranger,” Clark had said, when Bruce had tried to persuade him to bring more men. “I had a perfectly nice conversation with him when he arrived last night. He just wants to meet for negotiations, I agreed to walk into town with him. He seems like a smart kid, I think he could be useful.”

Bruce had missed the traveler’s arrival last night, Clark granting him the day off when Tim had fallen ill, his fever spiking in the early morning. He was awake now, and he’d proven able to keep water down, so Bruce had left Jason in charge of the kids and insisted on accompanying Clark to meet with his new friend.

“A mysterious stranger shows up in your kingdom and wants to meet privately with the King to discuss the possibility of work and housing,” Bruce said. “He’s offering information on Queen that he couldn’t share with an audience. It’s suspicious and convenient.”

Someone familiar with Oliver’s kingdom also ran the risk of Bruce being recognized, another reason he wasn’t exactly eager to allow this stranger to stay inside the gates, let alone get anywhere near Clark.

On top of that, Clark had said they’d been traveling with a companion from the House Allen. He’d trusted Barry during his reign, his family were good people, but he wasn’t entirely convinced one of them recognizing him or his children wouldn’t spark some sort of conflict.

If they were at risk of capture they’d need to flee again, and none of them were in the place to be on the run right now. Not until Tim was fully recovered at the very least, and that could take weeks.

He caught Clark staring with a shameless grin, and Bruce scowled. “That’s how I met you, B. Don’t be a hypocrite.”

Bruce didn’t have an argument for that, scowl deepening as he followed Clark through the field, scanning the horizon for any signs of an ambush.

Their company didn’t keep them waiting, and Bruce’s guard rose immediately when he caught sight of two figures walking towards them in the distance, still small specks against the gray sky, the orange glow of early sunlight just barely illuminating their approach as it peeked up over the hills.

“Stay behind me,” Bruce instructed, coming to a halt as he waited for the travelers to approach. “We wait here.”

Clark ignored his command, as the stubborn King of Krypton often did, but he at least stopped walking when his knight did, coming to a gentle stop at Bruce’s side, their shoulders brushing.

“That’s him,” Clark said, raising his hand in greeting. “See? Everything’s fine.”

Bruce hummed under his breath, unimpressed, watching him smile out of the corner of his eye. Clark still didn’t seem to understand how to be a king, how to harness that untouchability, the power and nobility that came with a crown. He was too friendly, too approachable, too vulnerable. If Bruce didn’t know better, he’d mistake his King for a commoner. He needed to learn, or his reign would end the same way Bruce’s had.

Maybe, if the opportunity rose, Bruce would give him some pointers.

It was an impossible thought, opening up about that part of his life with Clark, trusting him with that knowledge. It could never happen.

It felt like a distant memory now, something far away and forever out of his reach.

It had caused him nothing but grief, anyway. And he knew Clark felt the same about his own place.

He could see the travelers better now, each of them guiding a horse by the reins, the animals trailing proudly behind them.

Something twisted in his gut when he recognized freckled skin and a mop of wind blown red hair. He hadn’t expected noble blood. He’d met Wally West a handful of times, and only in passing at the occasional meeting with his uncle, but Bruce never let himself forget a face, and a handful of brief meetings still ran the risk of his voice being recognized the moment he opened his mouth.

He squinted to make out the second man through the distance. He seemed to be about West’s age, taller, darker skin and black hair and…

Bruce’s heart dropped to his stomach.

He was pulling off his helmet before he even fully registered the decision, unmasking himself in the crisp morning air. He felt Clark stiffen beside him when he dropped it to the ground, saw the two approaching travelers falter and stare, but it didn’t matter. None of it mattered.

“Bruce?”

Bruce ignored him and started forward, throat closing up tight until he couldn’t catch his breath, boots sinking into the mud as he dropped everything and ran, desperate, pushing to close the last of the distance in between them as fast as he possibly could.

And he was doing the same, running towards Bruce like a string had been cut, months of heartbreak and pain and grief laid out plainly for them both to see.

They met in the middle, skidding to a frantic stop in the mud, and Bruce pulled his son to his chest without another moment of hesitation.

Dick went willingly, melting against his armor, scrambling to cling to his back and bury his face into his chest. It was far from comfortable with the armor they were both wearing, especially ankle deep in the muddy grass, but Bruce didn’t care.

“Bruce?” Dick called, craning his neck and looking up at him with wide eyes, like there was still some doubt, like this was a trick or illusion. Bruce just held on tighter. “You’re…. you–”

“Are you alright?” Bruce demanded, pulling back just enough to scan Dick for injuries. He looked… exhausted. And older- painfully older. But he didn’t appear to be hurt. “Are you alright?”

“Am I alright?” Dick echoed, and Bruce couldn’t believe they were already arguing. He ignored it, reaching up to gently cup his missing child’s face. “I… Bruce you died, you all… I thought you–”

“I’m okay,” Bruce said, brushing overgrown hair out of Dick’s face with a silver glove. “I’m okay, Dick. We’re all okay.”

Dick froze, shiny brown eyes like saucers when he blinked up at him. Bruce had missed him more than he had words to express. “All of you?”

“All of us,” Bruce said. “We’re okay. We got out, Chum. We’re okay.”

He saw Dick’s face crumple, saw the weight of the world slide off his shoulders and was right there to catch him again when he slumped forward with a broken sob.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around Dick’s back again and pulling him close. “I’m here now, it’s okay. It’s all okay now.”

He clutched at him like he was a child again, trembling in his hold, and Bruce was reminded with enough force to knock the wind right out of his chest that he still was. He’d barely been a man the last time Bruce had seen him, nearly a year ago now, and he didn’t even want to begin to imagine what this boy had been through these last months, alone and scared, with the weight of an entire family, an entire kingdom, ripped away from him the moment he’d had his back turned.

Dick squeezed him and Bruce allowed it, resting his chin atop his hair like he’d done so many times before. “I thought… I- I thought–”

“I know,” Bruce said. “We did too.”

It was nothing short of a miracle that Dick had been able to evade capture this long, with what felt like the whole world looking for him. He’d never given up hope, never stopped telling himself that Dick was alright, that he was surviving, that he was out there somewhere trying to make his way home. But he’d long ago accepted the cold truth that he’d never see him again.

And now here he was, back in Bruce’s arms. He supposed if anyone could manage it, it was Dick. Jason had been right, he was the best of them.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before Dick pulled back, Bruce reaching up to cup his cheek again, still marveling at the fact that this was real, that he had his family back together, whole and unharmed.

Dick’s gaze moved to something over Bruce’s shoulder, quickly stepping back out of his space, and Bruce was suddenly reminded that it wasn’t just the two of them, alone to reunite in the dawn.

Wally had his eyes on the ground, hands folded behind his back, sparing Dick a small glance and a smile, before briefly meeting Bruce’s eyes. He recognized him, then. And was decidedly not making a scene. Good.

He could feel Clark’s eyes on him, his confusion and questions bubbling to the surface, and Bruce stubbornly refused to look his way, itching to reach out and pull his son closer to his side.

They had a lot of catching up to do, assuming Clark allowed Dick the same protection he’d given Bruce and they got that chance.

He would. He had to. Nothing in the world could rip Bruce’s family away from him again.

“Your Majesty,” Dick greeted with a bow in Clark’s direction and Bruce stared straight ahead, trying not to count the seconds his son was out of his reach again. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Clark echoed, and Bruce could hear his insufferable smile. “I… see you’ve met, Bruce.”

“Uh, yeah,” Dick said slowly. He turned to Bruce, silently searching for permission. “We–”

“He’s my son,” Bruce said, for once allowing himself to speak without second guessing himself, facing Clark’s startled look head on. “My oldest.”

There was a hand on his shoulder, the King’s eyes going wide, and Bruce felt like the morning was holding its breath. He’d told Clark what he could, as scarce as he could manage, and he knew the questions and suspicions this could raise.

But right now it didn’t matter. Dick was alive, and he didn't have the energy to even try to hide that joy. They’d earned the right to celebrate their family being whole again, his heir coming back to him.

“I thought you said…” Clark trailed off, and Bruce let his relief and fading grief surface, like a book open for the King to read. His gaze softened, his hand squeezing Bruce’s shoulder before turning back to his guests. “Well, then. In that case, Krypton is honored to have you.”

Dick smiled, the tension in his shoulders dropping. “Thank you, sir.”

“Come on,” Clark said, stepping back in the direction he came and motioning for the others to follow. “We’ll walk and talk. I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Yes,” Bruce agreed, falling back to walk alongside Dick as he led his horse through the mud, his smile the exact same as it had been when he was nine years old. Bruce had been terrified he’d never see it again. “We do.”

#batman #superman #nightwing #bruce wayne #clark kent #dick Grayson #dc #dc comics #au #medieval au #royalty au #writing #fan fiction

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hanasnx · 30 days

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i’ve been recently replaying through arkham knight’s batgirl dlc and i’m so disappointed devs choose tim over jason just to cut corners. like that dlc would’ve set up his arc in the main game so perfectly, his hatred of joker, targeting babs at the captured batbrat (because he knows just how much of an asset she is to bruce’s whole operation), coming full-circle with the audio logs reunion. (and we wouldn’t have had to sit through that awful timxbabs flirting).

tim made sense for harley quinn’s revenge but jay defo should’ve been robin in babs’ dlc.

i don’t share your sentiments funnily enough. i think we got enough of jason as the antagonist in the main story as well as his background being the joker’s side project

anything else can simply be explained via proximity and the player’s prior knowledge because chances are people have heard the story before and don’t wanna hear it again. like bruce’s parents dying

i did love the audio logs tbh and i think they sat perfectly without the need to replace tim in family matters.

the tim x babs flirting was very hard to get through i will admit, but i think it’s what made it realistic. when a man flirts it is pretty much insufferable, and romance is not rocksteady’s speciality (see catwoman x batman’s chemistry in the riddler’s revenge mission). my biggest quarrel with tim’s interactions with barbara in the dlc was how often tim kept inserting himself as if he’s bab’s guardian. it felt less like a character choice and more so an annoying byproduct of a male’s videogame company being centered around men for decades but that could be my personal bias getting in the way. i also had a hard time with batgirl being in heels (wedges?) which was part of my evidence as to why i felt tim’s insertion was more so on rocksteady’s part of unable to debunk their internalized misogyny. in the wonderland dlc, it’s the first time batman saves a woman. she’s a cop stuck in a trunk of a car, and the first thing she does? touch batman’s chest. no man in the entire series touched batman’s chest when they were grateful to be saved. but she was blubbery and flushed, and leant on him like a damsel. it was confusing at best.

overall i’m not crazy with how rocksteady handles fem characters to begin with. both as villains, thugs, or side characters. but tbh they don’t really give much depth to anyone besides bruce, and joker. most introspection is done through the protagonist anyway.

i didn’t mind tim’s inclusion in family matters, if anything it gave me context as to how tim and barbara interact as a couple because i don’t think we got any interaction between them at all through the main story if i’m not mistaken. i don’t like how barbara is constantly paired with some batboy, but this post wasn’t supposed to be about what i like and dislike.

#indy shoots the shit #thanks for the msg!!#anon #batman arkham knight

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urbaneturtle · 1 month

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DCAU Rewatch: BTAS 19: Prophecy of Doom

A self-proclaimed psychic is preying upon the wealthy of Gotham City. The con man will find more than he bargains for when he tries to target hapless playboy Bruce Wayne.

Credits

Story by Dennis Marks

Teleplay by Sean Catherine Derek

Directed by Frank Paur

Music by Shirley Walker

Animation Services by Akom Production Co.

Layout Services by NOA Animation

In the last few years when I’ve felt like watching Batman, I’ve picked a few old favorites. I don’t remember having anything particularly against this one but I catalogued it to the part of my mind where I store some of the weakest episodes of the show. That’s not completely fair to this particular episode which is mostly fine if unremarkable.

The first thing that grabbed me in this show was the opening swing music that led into the raucous dance scene and casino on board the cruise ship. It’s an effective sixty second story that perfectly sets a mood—and then introduces drama and tragedy. There are quite a few sweeping camera pans throughout this episode, an assured confidence in the art and visuals. It's surprising this was Akom, as at least this part of the episode is definitely a bit higher in quality than their previous work. But that Akom quality does pop up as the episode unfolds.

As the series goes on we get less and less Bruce Wayne, so it is really nice here to get so much of the hapless facade as Batman uses his identity to investigate Nostromos’ cult. Not only does Conroy deliver the foppish dialogue with incredible comedic sensibility, but the dialogue itself perfectly captures the obnoxious and affable aura this Bruce presents. Even the animators have some fun with the way the character moves. It’s a nice wrinkle of dramatic storytelling to have Bruce lose his love interest as a consequence of his investigation into Nostromos.

Read the full DCAU Rewatch entry by supporting on Patreon.

#Batman the Animated Series #DCAU #Batman #DC Comics #Kevin Conroy #Prophecy of Doom #BTAS

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whipbogard · 2 years

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(redeemed harvey anon again Hi) the comic of yours which planted the seed in my mind was where they’re washing up together and bruce tries to fix harvey’s sleeve — you captured so perfectly the comfortable, mundane pattern they could fall into even while a palpable sense of separation still exists between them because they’re not used to sharing a space Like That again. also now i cannot stop thinking about bruce being bruce and insisting his injury is practically nothing and doesn’t stop him from climbing the stairs until harvey decides he’s full of shit and easily lifts him and princess carries him up to his room. (“that’s your worst trait, you know. stubborn to a fault.” “not everyone can wear determination as handsomely as you, harv.”) i think there’s a high chance the most lighthearted part of this au at the start is that they’ll have to share a hobby to keep themselves occupied

It took me almost an entire day to think about what mundane hobby these two would be up to.

Love you and your big brain, anon! ❤ Everything you've said about this scenario made my days so I hope this meet your expectations kasgkasg

It's like raising a child together :')

Anon's original ask Washing dishes together art

#harvey dent #bruce wayne #bruharvey #bruharv #twobats #wppyart #their monstera new leaves kept dying #this is probably the 5th one

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bubblesandgutz · 1 year

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Hey Brian! Massive fan of Botch, Russian Circles and Sumac!

I was just curious to find out what are some of your favourite books?

Hope to see Russian Circles and Sumac over the pond again in Scotland!

Cheers!

Oh hey! Thanks!

I love Scotland. My genealogy-obsessed aunt insists our family is descended from Robert the Bruce. Who knows if that's true, but got Bruce as my middle name.

Favorite books? Oh man, this is gonna make me look so uncool.

For pure entertainment, I'd have to go with Stephen King's The Stand. I've read it four or five times over the course of my life. It's just a great epic good-vs-evil story, with some good social commentary sprinkled throughout.

As a teenager who discovered the joys of "classics" in the '90s, I have a soft spot for a lot of the 20th century writers that folks on Twitter love to dunk on these days. But fuck it... Kerouac's Duluoz Legend series made me realize that sometimes the way you write about something can be more interesting than what you're actually writing about.

And yeah, Hemingway was definitely saddled with some unfortunate prejudices, but The Sun Also Rises struck upon a very specific kind of melancholy that I haven't found anywhere else. I was talking about it with a couple of friends and there seemed to be a clear division between people who loved the book and people who were unimpressed: all the people who loved it were folks in touring bands. I think there's just something about that experience of parting ways with someone after being in close companionship in unfamiliar territories for a brief period of time that Hemingway captured perfectly.

As long as we're talking about melancholy and classic authors that folks love to hate on: J.D. Salinger's Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters completely floored me. You can skip the Seymour novella that comes bundled with it. But holy shit, I don't understand why Catcher in the Rye gets all the attention when Raise High is right there next to it on the book shelf.

And fuck it. I loved Infinite Jest and I think about passages from the book all the time. I am a walking stereotype of a Gen X male. Sorry.

More recently? I love Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I love Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle series (granted, part six was a bit of a slog). I love Jorge Luis Borges' Collected Fictions. Patti Smith's Just Kids and M Train. Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Every once in a blue moon I'll decide to tackle something "difficult" and the experience is always rewarding: Tolstoy's War & Peace (not actually difficult, just long), James Joyce's Ulysses (get a reader's guide and treat it like a puzzle), Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow (the cashier who sold it to me gave the best advice: at some point you'll have no idea what is goin on... just accept that you're lost and enjoy the ride). While these books are a struggle, they definitely imprint something on the brain. They stay with you.

In the last couple of years, I've really gotten into Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's work, particularly Half of a Yellow Sun, though Americanah and Notes on Grief also bowled me over too. Finally got around to reading Roberto Bolaño's The Savage Detectives and loved it... currently have 2666 in the queue. And I've really been enjoying the stuff put out by a small publisher from the UK called Broodcomb Press that all seems to be in a creepy rustic folk-horror tradition, and I suspect that it's really just one writer working under a series of aliases.

So there ya have it. Kinda basic; nothing crazy. But the classics are classics for a reason, I guess.

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obeetlebeetle · 1 year

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tagged by @emotionsandphenomena and @yesiamanerd to shuffle my music and share the first ten songs! i just threw most of my grad school/post-grad 2021/22 playlists in a folder and shuffled that

andrew in drag by the magnetics fields - shame hes not a fag!!!!!!!! nothing like a very specific song that still perfectly captures how u feel. when i first heard it i played it fifteen times in a row. just a fun playful flirty little tune. 12/3/21

thunder road by bruce springsteen - part of the springsteen moment that ended up being more of a minute. white line fever etc but this was on a playlist i made for a drive down to olympia. don't need to sell it, it's thunder road! 12/10/21

the water by johnny flynn ft. laura marling - johnny my friend johnny from lovesick<3 so wacky. what are u doing here? maddie added this to my summer playlist and i love it dearly. nice gentle folk song if you are wistful for a river or perhaps the ocean. 5/21/22

i just do by dear and the headlights - lmao. when ari finished de they made separate playlists for harry and kim, generously granting me an editorial role:

very earnest new-to-love love song. 5/27/22

downtown by majical cloudz - idk sometimes ur rewatching a show for the fourth time and a song jumps out of a scene and ends up on half your playlists. this is pretty simple and atmospheric and it cracks me in half, great for being cold on the bus when it's dark out and the city is all lit up. 12/8/21

clean elvis by dan reeder - another gift from maddie for my summer playlist. one of those ones that's very nice to sing, if you want to be bummed out while you do the dishes in a sunny kitchen. cant help falling in love is one of my favorite elvis songs too so i like its tongue-in-cheek presence here. 5/21/22

that's our lamp by mitski - laurel hell ruled and i adored this as the closing track, it might be one of my actual favorite songs from the year. i like that it sounds like there's a party in the next room, even tho it's so lonely. 2/5/22

already gone by autoheart - not rly my favorite autoheart song. in general i like autoheart better the faster they're going. still worked as a summer loss anthem (but i would really rec punch over hellbent). 7/23/22

bête noire by on video - very fun britpop tune that kc turned me onto, great for bopping around town. as someone who is often so stressed out i like that it gives me some little advice when im listening to it<3 11/15/22

in my mind by amanda palmer - linking from the lis soundtrack bc this song is from lis. to me. idk i feel like i should connect to this more in my mid-20s than i did in college, which is not the case, but it still gets a spot with growing pain tunes. 6/7/22

tagging @avantguardisme @waitingforgalois @droughtslug @yrbutchgf @oliver-perks @capriciousfelis @alouettesque & @cardwrecks!

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belizedeservesbetter · 1 year

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A Man of No Importance is Really Important to Me

John Doyle really said “Let me show you how it’s done”

In an age of musicals where Big Belting and screaming high notes are all the rage, I am so completely thrilled that the smaller and more modest A Man of No Importance gets a chance to shine - and shine it does over in Union Square at Classic Stage Company.

The shows tells the tale of Alfie Byrne (played by Jim Parsons but more on him later) who is a part time bus driver and full time leader of a small amateur theatre troupe in Dublin. Alfie is determined to stage Oscar Wilde’s Salome, despite objections from the church all the while straining against the homophobic society that has held him down for so long. The show is very charming on its surface but packs a real punch as well.

The show really made me remember just how good of a writer Terrence McNally was. The book is absolutely phenomenal. There are so many characters in this show and yet each feels fully realized. Alfie himself is such a wonderful character and his desperation to stage this play and how deeply in love he’s in with his best friend is so gorgeously written. Everything is so subtle and so perfectly heart breaking at just the right moments and really made me remember how good a musical can be.

Of course the music is excellent, but I was also really blown away by the orchestrations. I know people are hit or miss about John Doyle’s having the actors also play instruments, but it worked so perfectly here. Bruce Coughlin’s orchestrations were so beautiful and brought out so many layers to the already beautiful score.

Truly, this is a show about art and love and deep love for art and deep love for theatre and being gay and what you cling to when the world you live in won’t let you be who you are or love who you love.

John Doyle’s direction perfectly highlights all of these themes and his style is so perfectly suited for this show. Stripping the show down to its bare essentials highlighted the raw emotion of the show and the feeling of Alfie being trapped but desperately trying to find his way out. Doyle also staged a lot of scenes in a way that I can only describe as like a near and far effect? It was really lovely and really captured Alfie’s loneliness and how often he is seen as an outsider.

There was also such a deep theatricality to it that I found so beautiful. Doyle made the show feel like the poems Alfie loves. He created such beautiful stage pictures that will stick with me for a long time.

Between this, last year’s Assassins and of course The Color Purple, I’m reminded that John Doyle is one of our most iconic directors for a reason. He’s able to get to the heart of the show and put it on full display. He pulls phenomenal performances from his actors and knows how to tell a damn good story.

The set, also designed by Doyle, was also very lovely. It set the whole show in the church basement where St. Imelda’s Players rehearses their plays and it fit Classic Stage Company’s space so perfectly. The back wall was covered in antique mirrors, which was a really lovely touch considering Alfie’s big song in Act One.

Which of course brings us to the performances, which were all wonderful. Everyone was excellent, with Jim Parsons, Mare Winingham, AJ Shively and Mary Beth Peil being the highlights.

Peil is always a delight, and it was wonderful seeing her play an actress who takes her performance way too seriously. Shively was surprisingly very wonderful, though really I shouldn’t be too surprised as I thought he was great in last season’s Paradise Square as well. His Robbie grounded Parson’s Alfie very well and his “Streets of Dublin” was a highlight.

Mare Winningham is Mare Winningham, which means of course she was excellent. Alfie and his sister Lilly are the emotional core of the show, and she was absolutely wonderful.

Jim Parsons was also absolutely wonderful, which is no easy feat considering he is on stage for just about the entirety of the show. It is very clear how important this character is to Parsons, and he fills him with so much heart and so much want. He isn’t the best singer, but it somehow works in the show. Alfie isn’t a great artist, so Parsons doesn’t have to be a great singer. Likewise, where he lacks in singing (and occasionally the Irish accent), he makes up in heart and excellent acting. It was an absolute joy to see him on stage.

All in all this show is so wonderful! If you’re able, definitely head down to Union Square to see this beautiful gem of a show.

#a man of no importance #john doyle #jim parsons #theatre #review

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