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youremyheaven · 8 months

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The Astrology of Muses: A Vedic Exploration 🎨🖌👫💏

This is going to be a loooong post so hang in there besties<3

Claire Nakti observed that Ketu being the root or tail of the dragon is the source of our creativity. So whatever we channel during the process of art making is reflective of our Ketu, its placement etc. While I agree with this observation, I'd also like to add that Venus is also very important in determining the creativity, creative nature and career of an individual, as well as who or what they seek inspiration from.

Obviously Sun-Moon relationships and other aspects with luminaries can also determine how we connect to and draw inspiration from others.

First of all, let's understand what a muse is.

A muse is defined as a person (often, a woman but not always) who serves as a source of artistic inspiration creativity, and passion for the artist.

In mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who symbolized the arts and sciences.

There is a spiritual reason why women serve as the source of creativity for others. This is because of them being Yin, inwardly expansive and vessels that can be receptive to a variety of influences. Water is the most feminine element and the ability of water to take the shape of whatever's its poured into is very important in this context. Water is life giving but it can also be destructive and turbulent. All of these are very telling about feminine nature.

Anyways, let's look through some artist-muse relationships in history and pop culture.

F Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald

Probably one of the most famous literary romances. Zelda was Scott's lover, wife and muse. They had a very tumultuous marriage; Zelda was diagnosed with schizophrenia and Scott was an alcoholic but they also enjoyed immense popularity and success early on in their marriage and career.

It is now known that Scott plagiarized much of his work from the diaries and letters of his wife, Zelda and was controlling & abusive towards her when she expressed interest in furthering her own literary career.

Both of them had Mars in Mrigashira as their atmakaraka

Scott had Ketu in Ashlesha & his muse, Zelda was Ashlesha Rising (and mercury which was her amatyakaraka)

2. Vita Sackville West and Virginia Woolf

They were both married to different men when they began their affair with each other. They significantly influenced each other's work; Vita wrote Seducers In Ecuador dedicated to Virginia, while Virginia's Orlando was about Vita. The relationship lasted until Virginia's death in 1941.

Vita was Uttara Ashada Rising, whereas Virginia had Venus in Uttara Ashada

Vita had Venus in Aswini and Virginia was Aswini Moon

3. Ingrid Bergman & Roberto Rossellini

They began an affair when she was still married to her husband whilst filming the movie Stromboli. She got pregnant and they later got married.

While the movies Bergman made with Rossellini were commercial failures, the films have garnered great appreciation and attention for their contribution to Italian Neo-realism.

Bergman was Magha Sun, Venus & Rising, whereas Rossellini was Magha Rising

He had Rahu in Ashlesha and she had Ketu in Ashlesha

4. Lillian Gish & D.W Griffith

Lillian Gish is called "The First Lady of American Cinema"; she was a muse to the first influential filmmaker in Hollywood, D.W. Griffith. She appeared in his ground breaking movies The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916), Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920).

D.W Griffith was Ashlesha Moon with Mars in Vishaka atmakaraka and Ketu in Chitra

Lillian Gish had Chitra Sun, Venus & Saturn (amatyakaraka) in Vishaka and Ketu in Ashlesha

5. Norma Shearer & Irving Thalberg

Norma Shearer would be dubbed the First Lady of MGM for not only being the contracted actress with the most box-office appeal but also the wife of studio head Irving Thalberg.

Thalberg, was a film executive who was called the “boy wonder of Hollywood” who, as the production manager of MGM, was largely responsible for the studio’s prestigious reputation.

Shearer and Thalberg were married in 1927, after which Shearer had her pick of films, parts, costars, and directors, and she used this advantage to avoid being typecast. Thalberg largely directed her career until his death in 1936.

She played sexually liberated ingenues in the 1920s & 30s and is now considered a feminist icon.

She was Ashlesha Sun (atmakaraka), Venus & Mars in Ardra and Ketu in Rohini

He was Rohini Sun, Mars in Ashlesha (amatyakaraka) and Ketu in Ardra

5. Godard and Anna Karina

Karina served as a cinematic muse to Godard, appearing in eight of his films; during their five-year marriage and after. Karina liked being the muse, stating in 2016: "How could I not be honoured? Maybe it's too much, it sounds so pompous. But of course, I’m always very touched to hear people say that. Because Jean-Luc gave me a gift to play all of those parts. It was like Pygmalion, you know? I was Eliza Doolittle and he was the teacher."

Their contribution to the French New Wave and to cinema in general is widely acknowledged and well-regarded.

Karina was Ashlesha Venus (amatyakaraka), Punarvasu Rising with Ketu in Revati

Godard was Ashlesha Mars (amatyakaraka), Jupiter in Punarvasu (amatyakaraka) with Rahu in Revati

6. Monica Vitti & Michelangelo Antonioni

For 10 years, Monica Vitti was the muse and lover of Michelangelo Antonioni for almost a decade, starring in many of his most famous films, such as L’Avventura (1960), La Notte (1961), L’Eclisse (1962) & Red Desert (1964).

Vitti is Swati Sun with Ketu in Hasta

Antonioni has Hasta Sun, Mercury & Ketu along with his Venus in Swati

7. YSL & Paloma Picasso

Yves Saint Laurent had many muses but perhaps his most overlooked muse is Paloma Picasso

Paloma Picasso was the muse, who originally inspired Saint Laurent’s ‘Scandal’ collection of ‘71, and his career-defining turn away from the perfectionism of couture to a different kind of empowerment of something more wild, free and personal.

YSL was Uttarashada moon (atmakaraka), Paloma had Uttarashada moon & jupiter (conjunct)

8. Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn

Givenchy designed the iconic 'little black dress' worn by Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, which cemented the actress as one of the most stylish women of the 20th century.

"His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality," said Hepburn. The Breakfast at Tiffany's dress also helped Givenchy gain worldwide recognition, and his intricate, feminine designs became the subject of adoration.

Givenchy is Shatabhisha Sun & Jupiter

Audrey is Shatabhisha Moon

9. Bob Mackie and Cher

Mackie is a costume designer. His work with Cher has a place in fashion history, from the sheer dress she wore to the 1974 Met Gala to the beaded see-through gown she wore to accept her Oscar in 1988 (let alone, designing hundreds of her costumes for The Sonny & Cher Show).

Mackie has Ketu in Bharani and Cher has Mercury in Bharani (amatyakaraka)

10.Jean Paul Gaultier and Madonna

The cone bra—one of Madonna's most famous and recognised stage outfits from her Blonde Ambition tour—was created by Jean Paul Gaultier in 1990. The piece soon launched Gaultier's career, and solidified his relationship with the iconic performer.

Gaultier went on to design stage outfits for many of Madonna's concert tours, and she even made an appearance as a model in his spring summer '95 collection. After almost 30 years of friendship, they attended the 2018 Met Gala together (Madonna wearing one of Gaultier's designs, of course).

Gauthier is Bharani Moon & Madonna is Purva phalguni Moon & Rising

This is an example of Venus attracting & partnering with Venus.

11. Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz

They've done numerous movies together in the last 25 years. They are both Punarvasu Moon

Almodovar is a Purvaphalguni Mercury (amatyakaraka) and Ketu and Penelope is a Bharani Sun, so this is yet another Venusian creative partnership.

When it comes to artist-muse partnerships, sharing Ketu/Venus to Sun/Moon/Rising aspects seems to be very common. Its also common to see artists and their muses share the same luminaries. We are inspired by people who project our qualities in different ways. there is a reason we are drawn to certain people and its always because of how subconsciously they remind us of ourselves.

social muses, trendsetters & it girls

I'm not going to mention Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana because I feel like enough has been said about them.

There are some people who seem to inspire not just one person specifically but the tastes and culture of a whole era. They are tastemakers who set trends and are widely imitated and their influence has far reaching impact. They are "muse" to everybody.

Jackie O

she is one of the most culturally influential people of the 20th century and defined her era (60s America) and is probably an early example of an "influencer", which is to say, people imitated her style, her manners etc

Jackie is Pushya Sun & Mercury, Aswini Moon, Ketu & Rising in Vishaka, Venus in Mrigashira atmakaraka.

2. Grace Kelly aka Princess Grace of Monaco

She is synonymous with elegance, flair and grace to this day and is widely regarded for her artistic success as well as her charitable endeavours. She is one of the most influential women in history.

She has Vishaka Sun (amatyakaraka) & Mars, Purvabhadrapada Moon, Swati Mercury, Ketu and Rising

3. Liz Taylor

Liz Taylor was known for her love of diamonds. She always dressed like a movie star, in very extravagant style with her plunging necklines, fur wraps, feather boas, and eye-catching headpieces. She was very glamorous

She was the first celebrity to have her own fragrance and thirty five years later, her perfume empire remains one of the most successful celebrity fragrance ventures of all time. White Diamonds is one the best selling celebrity fragrances in history. She paved the way for numerous others to follow in her foot steps, although not everyone has had her success.

She is Shatabhisha Sun & Mercury, Vishaka Moon, Jyeshta Rising along with Venus in Revati atmakaraka and Jupiter in Ashlesha amatyakaraka

4. Twiggy

She is the world's first supermodel. She is an important cultural icon and was the face of the Swinging Sixties in her babydoll dresses and mary janes.

She's Pushya Moon & Mars, and Punarvasu Rising

5. Diana Ross

Miss Ross rose to fame as the lead singer of the girl group the Supremes, which became Motown's most successful act in the 1960s, and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. After leaving the group in 1970, she launched a successful solo career, with many huge hits across the next couple of decades. She is known for her extravagant style and is a true 80s diva who blurred the lines between costumes and everyday clothing.

She is UBP Sun, Bharani Moon, Vishaka Rising

Mercury in Revati amatyakaraka and Jupiter in Ashlesha atmakaraka

6. Beyonce

Beyonce is one of the most influential women of the 21st century. Her impact on culture is immense and undeniable.

She is Purvaphalguni Sun, Vishaka Moon (atmakaraka) & Chitra Rising

Bey & Jay have been each other's muses for a good while and have multiple albums inspired by each other. They are pop culture royalty.

Jay is Jyeshta Sun & Mercury (atmakaraka), Hasta Moon, Ketu & Rising in Purvaphalguni

7. Rihanna

RiRi is one of the most iconic women ever.

Her music, looks, products, personality- everything about her is influential af. She's multi talented and has excelled in several fields.

She is a Revati Stellium (moon, venus (amatyakaraka) & rising)

8. Paris Hilton

Probably the OG influencer. Paris defined her era (the 2000s) and has had a lasting impact on pop culture that needs to be studied. She was written out of her family will and built her own empire. She paved the way for all influencers.

Dhanishta Sun & Mercury, Pushya Moon & Jyeshta Rising

9.Kim & Kylie

I don't like them but to say they haven't had an impact on beauty/fashion/pop culture would be lying. I personally see it as a negative impact 😬 but its an impact nonetheless.

They normalized plastic surgery to such an extent that every other girl in the West and almost every famous woman at this point has fillers, botox, BBL or something done. They also paved the way for influencers entering the fashion world.

Kim is Chitra Sun, UBP Moon & Jyeshta Rising with Mercury in Vishaka amatyakaraka and Venus in Purva phalguni atmakaraka

Kylie is Ashlesha Sun, Swati Moon & Purva ashada Rising

She has Venus in Uttaraphalguni atmakaraka & Saturn in Revati amatyakaraka

10. Bella Hadid

cannot talk about it girls and not mention Bella.

she's had such a massive impact on pop culture in the late 2010s & now in the 2020s. she made y2k style as popular as it is today and is probably the only true supermodel of our era.

She's Hasta Sun (amatyakaraka), Purva phalguni Moon & Rising with Ketu in UBP, Mars in Ashlesha atmakaraka

she's inspired practically The Weeknd's entire discography. He has Ketu in Ashlesha

it's interesting to me how all the Hadid siblings have inspired a lot of pop music. (Gigi with Zayn, Anwar with Dua Lipa etc)

11. Selena Gomez

Selena's inspired way too many heartbreak songs to not be on this list.

She's Pushya Sun & Rising with Aswini Moon with Ashlesha Mercury (atmakaraka) & Venus

There has been a lot of Vishaka women and Jupiter natives in general, Pushya ladies, Ketuvian (esp Aswini), Venusian influence and a lot of people with Ashlesha atmakaraka/amatyakaraka. Pisces influence and Jyeshta influence is also seen. Why are these planets/naks/rashis recurring?

Talking about people who have a very wide impact, it makes sense as to why Jupiter natives would be here; its expansiveness reaches everyone. In fact if you look at the era defining cultural figures of any decade, you will see a common Jupiter influence. This is also why Pisces rashi (Pisces is ruled by Jupiter) is so common in the world of art & entertainment.

Venusian placements are what creates trendsetters imo. Its what makes others imitate you and want to be like you.

Ashlesha natives dominate the entertainment sphere because entertainment and all art tbh, is in the simplest terms, manipulating others.

Pushya women inspire others with their feminine charms. Ketu being the root or the tail means that its very easy for others to project on to them. They lack identity on their own; its a very shadowy realm. This is what celebrities are to most people; you don't know them or understand them, which makes it easier to project onto them and love them for that illusion.

Jyeshta represents lack and in the world of influence, more than abundance, its that space of lack that makes it easier for people to add/built on to the persona they see of someone.

I'll make a part 2 sometime but for now this is it. I hope it was insightful.

#astrology notes #sidereal astrology #vedic astro notes #astrology observations #astrology #nakshatras #astroblr #astro observations #vedic astrology #astro notes #jyeshta #muses #pisces #pushya #venus #aswini

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sleepythug · 3 months

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could you list movies that has a sense of realism, like cinema verite type films?

broadening the definition to make a bigger eclectic list lol - some films with documentary-like approach to cinematography, or social-realism, or descend from (or in dialogue with) italian neo-realism.

mikey and nicky (elaine may, 1976)

stroszek (werner herzog, 1977)

through the olive trees (abbas kiarostami, 1994)

pixote (hector babenco, 1983)

cockfighter (monte hellman, 1973)

a man escaped (robert bresson, 1956)

made in britain (alan clarke, 1983)

bless their little hearts (billy woodberry, 1983)

breaking the waves (lars von trier, 1996)

julien donkey boy (harmony korine, 1999)

touki bouki (djibril diop mambety, 1973)

the breaking point (michael curtiz, 1950)

ossos (pedro costa, 1997)

wendy and lucy (kelly reichardt, 2008)

the son (jean-pierre dardenne, luc dardenne, 2002)

faster faster (carlos saura, 1981)

hi mom! (brian de palma, 1971)

la libertad (lisandro alonso, 2001)

japón (carlos reygadas, 2002)

medicine for melancholy (barry jenkins, 2008)

#anonymous #ima need to get back on my game #i think im beginning to repeat the same titles #hopefully this finds whomever sent this

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umamidaddy · 1 year

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Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett, 1978) X “Auditorium” (Mos Def & Madlib, 2009)

A landmark in black cinema that was rarely seen mixed with an all-time great hip hop track that is now stuck in streaming purgatory over label disputes. This film was a labor of love by Charles Burnett who wrote, directed, shot, and edited this film, which unfolds like a Los Angeles version of Italian neo-realism with vignettes that show multiple generations of regular everyday life with the affects of poverty and “urban renewal.” The Madlib-produced Mos Def track from The Ecstatic, is a natural pairing as the album’s cover is taken from the roof-jumping kids in the film.

#mos def #madlib #charles burnett #black cinema #the ecstatic #aesthetic edits

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priestessame · 1 year

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★·.·´¯`·.·★ Genshin Bfs watching trash TV★·.·´¯`·.·★

GN reader X Diluc, Al haitham, Zhongli, Childe

🎀 🐔(っ◔◡◔)っ crack 🎀 🐔(っ◔◡◔)っ

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Diluc:

Diluc usually doesn't have much to say about the shows. There's the sit com weekends and the horror Thursdays, but once in a while he knows you want to watch... concerning things.

At the end of a stressful day, he's only left with the emotional capacity of watching Is that cake, but if you wanted to watch Yes to the dress, he'll put up with it.

After all it was just a late night ritual you two did, watching an episode or two on his laptop as you crawled into bed. Knowing him he'll just drift off to sleep 10 minutes into the episode anyways.

Most of the episode is the same, bride wants a dress and the consultant pick out a few options.

But there is a small problem that keeps Diluc from yawning. The mother of the bride is a conniving little emotional manipulator.

Diluc hates her instantly. What an unlikable woman, he almost thinks its a scripted character.

You mumble something about the dress but Diluc hardly hears it. He feels absolutely slighted by this woman.

"She's still not letting her get the dress." you sigh out beside him, shaking your head, "It's not your wedding lady!'

He would have rolled his eyes over these dramatics any other day. But right now, it was just too much. The entitlement, the audacity, the obvious heartbreak on her daughter's face that she entirely ignores.

So when the consultant himself stands up to mother, finally finally shushing the woman, taking the bride's side, and becoming the parent the woman so desperately needed, he's entirely overwhelmed.

The choked sound catches you off guard.

"Luc?!" you call out suddenly, realising how he had buried his face in the pillow. "Are you okay?"

Diluc sniffles a weak yes, "Next time," He says reaching for your arm, "we're watching Love Island"

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Al Haitham

He is a man of academics. Of course he doesn't want to watch the 6th season of the real housewives with you.

"Its ridiculous," he says, giving you one of his exasperated looks,

If he wanted to watch privileged women cry about their money problems, he would have just talked to Kaveh. He would have suggested a great movie on Italian Neo-realism instead. But no, you wanted to watch something that gives him a headache.

"Come on Haitham," You pout at him, "It's surprisingly entertaining."

Your boyfriend just grunts going back to fixing something up for himself in the kitchen. And that was the end of it. So no, no matter how much you beg him to watch an episode, he's not interested.

Or so he says.

Because it's totally not him peeking over the kitchen counter, green eyes glued to the screen as one of the women douses another in wine for no reason. And it's definitely not him gasping lightly at the insults being thrown around.

His ego will never let him admit how much he actually enjoys watching the real housewives. It brings forth a form of sadistic pleasurer he gets from watching people act stupid and vain. Mostly because that's exactly what he has argued his entire life.

But he won't ever address it.

So even when you coyly ask him what distracted him so much that he burnt his dinner.

"The microwave messed up." He'll grumble under her breath.

Mainly because its embarrassing for a scholar like him to indulge in such... antics. And partly because he would never hear the end of it from you.

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Zhongli:

Confused yet intrigued.

He likes how excited you get over it. It does catch him a little off guard in the beginning. He wouldn't have assumed an elegant person like you would have such... acquired tastes.

But if beloved is so entertained by it, he too, could surely find it up to his taste. He brews you tea for your watching party and would love it if you lounge on his lap. (Stop Zhongli makes me so soft)

It's pretty clear that he doesn't understand the concept of 90 day fiancé at all. But that doesn't keep him from thoroughly enjoying it.

Will sit through the entire season and still ask the most basic questions.

"I apologize for interrupting again beloved, But are you sure this promising young woman is affiance to that man... the one without the neck?"

Congratulations Big Ed has completely traumatized him.

It started with him saying an underhanded, "That can't be right-" as he saw short man lather mayonnaise on his hair. And ended with Zhongli completing the entire spin off series on Ed.

Now he gives you the updates.

Will also most probably point out the cultural differences and ramble about it. Midway of a dramatic scene, he'll tap your shoulder and say an interesting fact,

"Fascinating how she says that, because you see in orthodox sumeria culture the mother of the groom-"

"Not now Li i think she's going to flush the wedding ring down the toilet!"

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Childe:

Loves it. What do you mean why? ofcourse he's going to put daily genocide business aside to watch the love is blind reunion with you.

Childe watches the show unironically. So, Obviously he takes the people in it and their relationships very seriously.

"No way those two are working out- I'd give it another episode at most."

Has already followed the entire cast on Instagram. Up to date with all the leaks on tik tok, honestly he's the best guy to watch trash tv with. He even watches review videos' online and sends you crack edits of the show in the middle of the day.

You'll probably stay up late after every episode update to talk about the conspiracies and who you think would end up with whom.

He's the one that stayed up late for the netflix live and then got frustrated when the site crashed. In his defense, he had made a little fort with pillows on the couch with snacks ready by your side. He had even reminded you to go to the bathroom beforehand so you don't stand up in the middle of it.

Keeps getting angry at the hosts and screaming profanities at the screen.

"ISTG ASK HER ABOUT THE RING- WHY IS SHE EXCITED FOR THEM? THEY'RE TRASH!"

Cries when couples say yes at the altar and gasps when someone says no. "But they were in love!!"

You can be as dramatic as you want watching it and he'll join in.

Loves, LOVES Bliss and Zack, will not shut up about how your relationship is exactly likes theirs (it's not).

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#genshin childe #diluc x gender neutral reader #diluc fluff #zhongli scenarios #al haitam x reader #genshin tartagalia #genshin alhaitham #genshin imagines #zhongli x reader

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homomenhommes · 7 months

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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more …

1867 – Wassily Sapellnikoff (d.1941), was a Russian pianist. A more true transliteration of his name is Vasily Lvovich Sapelnikov, however he chose the above version for his appearances in the West.

Sapellnikoff was born in Odessa. He studied at the Odessa Conservatory and became professor of piano at Moscow Conservatory in 1897. He eventually moved to Leipzig and finally settled in Munich.

He toured with Tchaikovsky in Germany, France and England. At his debut in Hamburg in 1888, he played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor with the composer conducting. This concert was a great success and a catalyst for his budding career as a concert pianist in Western Europe. He was the first to play this concerto in England. He was the dedicatee of a piano piece by Tchaikovsky.

Tchaikovsky wrote about him affectionately in his letters to his brother Modest, in terms such as: Since the time of Kotek I have never loved anyone so warmly as him. Because they spent so much time together on these tours, it is often asserted that he and Tchaikovsky were lovers. However, Alexander Poznansky, in Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man, writes:

it seems likely that an erotic element was present in Tchaikovsky's friendship with Sapelnikov and that he recognised it as such. Both men were quite young and good-looking. Almost certainly, however, their relations remained chaste.

Sapellnikoff first appeared in England in 1889 playing the Tchaikovsky concerto at a Royal Philharmonic concert, under the composer's baton. He became a favourite at Philharmonic concerts.

1906 – Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (d.1976) was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is notably known for his films The Leopard (1963) and Death in Venice (1971).

When he was thirty years old, he began his career in film, working as an assistant director and costume designer for French director Jean Renoir, whom he knew socially. As a result of his association with Renoir, Visconti became a leftist in politics. Although he had close connections with Mussolini's son Vittorio, he became active in the anti-fascist movement and, during World War II, in the Resistance.

Also in his early thirties, he had his first serious homosexual affair, with a young German photographer named Horst, who became a well known fashion photographer. The affair lasted three years, but their friendship endured until Visconti's death.

His first feature film, Ossessione (1942), with its insistence on location shooting, proletariat subject matter, and an unvarnished approach to reality, is acknowledged as the first manifestation of Neo-Realism. However, Visconti's film, Bellissima (1951), with a brilliant star performance by Anna Magnani, is a satire of Neo-Realism, as a working-class mother tries to get her little girl cast in a Neo-Realist film.

Early in his career he maintained a scrupulous detachment from the actors and singers whose careers he helped to launch; but by the end of the 1960s, he became passionately involved with several young artists. This aspect of his life came to light when letters that he wrote to several young men, including Helmut Berger, became public in the 1980s.

Visconti made no secret, to those close to him, of his homosexuality. His last partner was the Austrian actor Helmut Berger, who played Martin in Visconti's film The Damned. Berger also appeared in Visconti's Ludwig in 1972 and Conversation Piece in 1974 along with Burt Lancaster. Other lovers included Franco Zeffirelli, who also worked as part of the crew (i.e. production design, assistant director, etc.) in a number of Visconti's films and theatrical productions.

He died in Rome of a stroke at age 69.

1916 – John Burnside, inventor and Gay American activist was born (d: 2008). John was the inventor of the Teleidoscope and the Symmetricon, and was the partner of Mattachine and Radical Faerie founder, Harry Hay for 39 years.

Burnside was sent to an orphanage while still a child because he was caught in sexual play with another little boy. He served briefly in the Navy, and settled in Los Angeles in the 1940s. He married, but had no children.

Burnside met Harry in 1962 at ONE Incorporated. They fell in love and became life partners. They formed a group in the early 1960s called the Circle of Loving Companions that promoted Gay rights and Gay love. In 1966 they were major planners of one of the first Gay parades, a protest against exclusion of Gays in the military, held in Los Angeles. In 1967, they appeared as a couple on the Joe Pyne television show. In the late 1970s, they were instrumental in founding the Radical Faeries.

John died of brain cancer in San Francisco, where he had been tended to by members of the Circle of Loving Companions that had taken care of Harry in his final days.

1943 – Casey Donovan (d.1987) was an American male pornographic actor of the 1970s and 1980s, appearing primarily in adult films and videos catering to gay male audiences.

Following a brief career as a teacher and a stint as a highly-paid male model, Donovan appeared in the film that would cement his status as a gay icon, Boys in the Sand, in 1971. Attempts to build on his notoriety to achieve mainstream crossover success failed, but Donovan continued to be a bankable star in the adult industry for the next 15 years.

Casey Donovan was born John Calvin Culver in East Bloomfield, New York. He graduated from teachers' college in 1965 and after graduation he drifted into being a prostitute and relocated to New York City. He also began pursuing an acting career, appearing in summer stock theatre with the prestigious Peterborough Players.

In 1971, Culver played a supporting role in a low budget sexploitation thriller film, Ginger. This in turn led to an offer to appear in Casey, a gay pornographic film in which Culver played the title role, a gay man who is visited by his fairy godmother Wanda (Culver playing a dual role in drag), and is granted a series of wishes which make him sexually irresistible to other men. Culver later took the character's name, Casey, and that of the popular singer Donovan to create the pseudonym under which he would appear in all his other erotic roles.

Culver first appeared as Casey Donovan in Boys in the Sand, in 1971. The film was an instant success and is considered one of the great classics of male erotic cinema. With the success and celebrity he garnered from the film, Donovan believed that he would be able to cross over into mainstream film. While there were meetings with directors like John Schlesinger and Raymond St. Jacques and talk of casting him in mainstream projects including adaptations of novels by Mary Renault and Patricia Nell Warren, the only film opportunities opened for him were as the star of more erotic films.

Donovan had a successful national tour in the play Tubstrip, written and directed by Jerry Douglas. The play was critically deemed entertaining enough to its target gay audience (having earned, in the words of one critic, a "nationwide gay housekeeping seal of approval").

Donovan's iconic status allowed him to build a lucrative career as a high-priced prostitute although it would cost him his legitimate modeling career as more and more clients made the connection between model Culver and porn star Donovan. He wrote an advice column,"Ask Casey," for the gay-oriented Stallion magazine beginning in 1982.

In 1973 at the height of his popularity, Donovan met actor-turned writer Tom Tryon and the two entered into a long-term relationship the following year. Tryon was deeply closeted and grew increasingly disturbed by Donovan's notoriety. Their relationship ended in 1977.

By 1985, Donovan's health had begun to deteriorate, as he had contracted HIV. Although he had counseled his fans through his "Ask Casey" column as early as 1982 to reduce their number of sex partners and take steps to preserve their health and urged them to be tested for HIV once the test was developed, he himself made little or no effort to change his behavior. Donovan died in 1987 of an AIDS-related pulmonary infection in Inverness, Florida, aged 43.

1944 Patrice Chéreau (d.2013) was a French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor and producer. In France he is best known for his work for the theatre, internationally for his films La Reine Margot and Intimacy, and for his staging of the Jahrhundertring, the centenary Ring Cycle at the Bayreuth Festival in 1976. Winner of almost twenty movie awards, including the Cannes Jury Prize and the Golden Berlin Bear, Chéreau served as president of the jury at the 2003 Cannes festival.

From 1966, he was artistic director of the Public-Theatre in the Parisian suburb of Sartrouville, where in his team were stage designer Richard Peduzzi, costume designer Jacques Schmidt and lighting designer André Diot, with whom he collaborated in many later productions. From 1982, he was director of "his own stage" at the Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers at Nanterre where he staged plays by Jean Racine, Marivaux and Shakespeare as well as works by Jean Genet, Heiner Müller and Bernard-Marie Koltès.

He accepted selected opera productions, such as: the first performance of the three-act version of Alban Berg's Lulu, completed by Friedrich Cerha, at the Paris Opera in 1979; Berg's Wozzeck at the Staatsoper Berlin in 1994; Wagner's Tristan und Isolde at La Scala in 2007; Janáček's From the House of the Dead, shown at several festivals and the Metropolitan Opera; and, as his last staging, Elektra by Richard Strauss, first performed at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in July 2013. He was awarded the Europe Theatre Prize in 2008.

Chéreau was in a long-term relationship with his lover and favorite actor Pascal Greggory. He was not interested in gay topics, saying: "I never wanted to specialise in gay stories, and gay newspapers have criticised me for that. Everywhere love stories are exactly the same. The game of desire, and how you live with desire, are the same."

Chéreau died in Paris on 7 October 2013 from lung cancer. He was 68 years old.

1977 - Today is the birthday of American actor Randy Harrison, Justin of Queer As Folk (US) . Harrison was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, but moved to Alpharetta, Georgia with his family at the age of eleven. He attended Pace Academy, a private prep school in Atlanta. His father is an executive with a large paper company, while he has described his mother as a "thwarted artist."

Randy, who is openly gay, has said: "I love my parents. Coming out to them was sort of coming out to myself. I educated them, and I wanted our relationship to keep growing. I wanted them to be a part of my life still. I wanted to be able to share with them what I was going through."

Harrison attended the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, where he ultimately received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre. During his time at CCM, he starred in university productions such as Hello Again, Shopping and Fucking, and Children of Eden. He also had other roles in other theatrical venues across the United States at the time.

Randy made his television debut playing Justin Taylor, a gay teen, in 2000's American version of Queer as Folk, based upon the British television series. Known for his optimism and cheery disposition, Justin was a gay teen who sought out a gay community in his hometown of Pittsburg. After losing his virginity to Brian Kinney (played by Gale Harold) during his senior year of high school, Justin falls in love with Brian, and their relationship becomes a central part of the series. "When you watch it, you're like, Wow. I look like that. But it doesn't feel like that at all. It was about communicating with Gale Harold and getting across what I wanted to say about the character," he said. The series ran for five seasons, ending in 2005. In 2007, the character of Justin Taylor was voted number three on the list of top 25 gay television characters of all time by AfterElton.

In 2002, Randy starred in the play Deviant at the New York International Fringe Festival. In the summer of 2004, Harrison made his broadway debut as Boq in the musical Wicked. His Off Broadway credits include A Letter from Ethel Kennedy (2002), Oak Tree (2006), Antony and Cleopatra (2008), Edward II (2007-2008) and The Singing Forest (2009). He also has a substantial resume in regional theatre, most prominently as a featured player since 2005 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Roles with the BTF include Equus (2005), Amadeus (2006), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (2007), Mrs Warren's Profession (2007), Waiting for Godot (2008), Ghosts (2009) and Endgame (2010).

"It makes me proud, and it makes me scared," he said of acting. "More than anything, I want to be an actor and I want to keep working, and I think there's a danger in being perceived as a poster boy for something."

In 2006, Randy co-founded the Arts Bureau (tAB), an umbrella organisation encompassing theatre, film, music and writing. He shot and starred in the first tAB short film, Thinking, in 2008, which has since shown at several film festivals.

Randy dated Advertising Age columnist Simon Dumenco from 2002 to 2008; the two met when Dumenco interviewed Randy for a New York magazine cover story. Now single, he resides in Williamsburg,

Brooklyn with his cats Ella and Aggie.

1983 – Fred Rosser who goes by the ring name of Darren Young is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE . Prior to signing with WWE, Rosser competed in Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic independent promotions including Chaotic Wrestling, East Coast Wrestling Association, Independent Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance. He is also the first WWE performer to disclose that he is gay while still active with the company.

Rosser/Young was born in Union, New Jersey. He began watching professional wrestling during the mid-1980s and became interested in becoming a professional wrestler as a teenager, wrestling in several backyard wrestling federations. He attended Fairleigh Dickinson University where he played football for a year, before deciding to focus on his academic studies and professional wrestling.

Rosser became interested in becoming a professional wrestler as a teenager, wrestling in several backyard wrestling federations. He researched a number of wrestling schools before deciding on Camp IWF in West Paterson, New Jersey. This was due in part to his employer, whose uncle was a friend of a local wrestler training there at the time, and helped him enroll in the wrestling school.

In an interview released on August 15, 2013, he publicly discussed being gay, making him the first wrestler ever to come out while still signed to a major promotion. Later that day, WWE released a statement in support of Rosser for being open about his sexuality, and various fellow wrestlers tweeted their support for him. He also revealed that he had a stuttering problem throughout childhood.

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filmhoundsmag · 2 years

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Umberto D. (Blu-ray Review)

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#black and white #Carlo Battisti #Italian #Italy #Maria Pia Casilio #neo-realism #Neo-Realist #Neorealism #Umberto D #Vittorio De Sica

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iwishiwereacartoon · 1 year

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film genre's names are so gender. italian neo realism? neo-noir crime thriller???? don't mind if I do. arthouse drama? that's me, that's my gender

#film #mine

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byneddiedingo · 1 year

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Franco Citti in Accattone (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1961) Cast: Franco Citti, Franca Pasut, Silvana Corsini, Paola Guidi, Adriana Asti. Screenplay: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Sergio Citti. Cinematography: Tonino Delli Colli. Production design: Flavio Mogherini. Film editing: Nino Baragli. There are times in Pier Paolo Pasolini's first feature when he seems to be trying out things that he will accomplish with greater finesse in his later films. For example, there are several walk-and-talk tracking shots in which Accattone and another person walk down a street toward a receding camera. This technique was used with greater force and wit in Pasolini's next film, Mamma Roma (1962), in which Anna Magnani strides down a nighttime street, talking about her life, as various people emerge from the darkness to deliver comments on what she is telling us. We've seen this sort of thing done many times since the development of the Steadicam -- it has become a kind of cliché in films and TV shows written by Aaron Sorkin -- but even though the shadow of the retreating camera rig occasionally creeps into the frame in Accattone, Pasolini and cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli execute it with considerable skill. Skill is not always in evidence in Accattone, which has its rough, raw edges. Pasolini had worked with Federico Fellini on Nights of Cabiria (1957) and it's instructive to compare the two films: Fellini's has greater technical finish, but it's also less harsh and more sentimental, which may be why Fellini, who originally planned to produce Pasolini's film, withdrew his support. But the rawness of Accattone is entirely appropriate for a film that evokes the spontaneity and actuality of early Italian Neo-Realism with its non-professional actors and ungroomed settings. And it has at its center a charismatic performance by Franco Citti, an untrained actor who went on to a long career on-screen that included an appearance as Calo, one of Michael Corleone's Sicilian bodyguards in The Godfather (Frances Ford Coppola, 1972), as well as numerous roles for Pasolini. "Accattone" is a nickname that means "beggar" or "ne'er-do-well" or "layabout" -- the character's given name is Vittorio Cataldi -- and is entirely appropriate for a character who begins as a pimp and, after hitting the skids and even trying work (at which he shudders), winds up as a thief -- a dead thief. Citti's voice was dubbed in the film, but most of the work is done by his extraordinarily expressive face and by a physical commitment to the role. There is, for example, a terrific fight scene between Accattone and the men of his ex-wife's family, which ends with Accattone and his opponent locked together in a struggle in the dirt, neither willing to relinquish hold. Pasolini also emphasizes the dissonance between a world that produces an Accattone and the religious background from which it springs by using excerpts from Bach's St. Matthew Passion on the soundtrack.

#Accattone #Pier Paolo Pasolini #Franco Citti

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the-cat-chat · 1 year

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January 7 - January 21, 2023

John Wick: Chapters 1-3 (2014-2019)

A neo-noir action thriller film series that follows John Wick, a former assassin, who is forced back into the criminal underworld he had abandoned.

JayBell: I love a good retired assassin seeks vengeance story arc. It may not be original, but it’s fun and over the top. And it’s Keanu Reeves!

This was not my first time watching the John Wick movies or even my second. Now I have to admit, they aren’t perfect movies. Keanu Reeves’ dialogue is a little too strangely stilted at times, which I guess is a purposeful stylistic choice on his part? At times it’s like every word is being dragged from him slowly and tortuously. Although this does fit his emo character, so there’s that.

I think my biggest gripe with these movies (specifically the 2nd and 3rd) is that when John is fighting like a mob of a hundred nondescript people in masks or helmets, they don’t always fight back as much as you’d think they would. Yeah I know John is like super skilled and everything and they’re in pain after being punched and thrown around, but sometimes they kind of just lay there slightly too long without struggling. It’s as if they’re just waiting for John to kill them.

Other than that one thing, I really enjoy the fight scenes. I don’t care much about car chase or motorcycle chase scenes, but I love close-quarter fight choreography in movies. I also like that the first movie introduces the rules of this criminal underworld, and the second and third movies flesh it out a lot further. This gives the movies a sense of development and greater worldbuilding. They also strike the right balance between realism and fantasy.

As a character, John Wick can be so dramatic. I love that he wears his little dark suits whenever he needs to conduct “business.” I propose that he shows up in the next movie in a bright Hawaiian shirt and flip flops. How many ways can John Wick kill someone with a flip flop? Stay tuned for John Wick Chapter 6: Beach Vacation Vengeance. But seriously, the series is about a man dealing with grief (or failing to deal with his grief), and man does he need some therapy.

P.S. Can you believe that all the shenanigans in 3 movies happen in like the span of a few weeks?

P.P.S. Charon doesn’t get paid enough for all this.

Rating: 7.5/10 cats 🐈

Anzie:

John Wick 1

I was pleasantly surprised with watching John Wick. Not that I thought it was going to be a dumb action movie but how is it possible there’s multiple?? Like please don’t turn Keanu Reeves into Bruce Willis. But Keanu Reeves could never disappoint. For the first one I think a lot of the intro about who the character John Wick is was really good and not cheesy and was more just like giving the general vibe of “yeah no we’re all scared of him and you’re dead dude.” I do wanna comment on the music bc it’s not annoying but it somehow feels like it’s either making fun of the seriousness but also perfect for the seriousness? I really like the hotel and the concierge guy, and I think overall it’s fun bc you know how this is going to go bc hey it’s John Wick- but it’s not really formulaic how most action movies go. I have strong convictions that John Wick is John Constantine’s new identity (or at least the alternate universe version ) and I’m glad to see he’s given up smoking.

John Wick 2

Soo I have no comments excepted that Italian guy’s a slimeball. And poor John Wick. And are people still trying to kill John Wick. They’re all like “Oh JOHN WICk 0—o, he’s so bad, I can take him.” Idiots.

——-The Italy Continental is way more swanky and the tailor and weapons vibe is cool but a lil weird. The whole pigeon man thing seems weird too like honestly he didn’t need him- he’s kill people with a PENCiL as we’ve heard multiple times. I’m sure he could’ve got creative for a few seconds - since he already had to steal the other gunS. And Laurence Fishburn’s incessant laughing. The mirror/fun house thing was nuts. Anyyyway like I said poor John Wick.

John Wick 3 Parabellum

I have to say the best part of this movie was probs the horse. Forget John Wick can use a pencil to kill a man - he knows how to use a horse as a weapon. I also just wanna know how the normal people in this movie act - like there should just be extra scenes past the credits that are normal people saying “You’ll never believe what I saw today when I was on my lunch break,” or the news covering “Breaking News: 45 Russian Men Found Dead in a Warehouse Used for an Illegal Car Ring.” But I digress, as the third film of this series it holds up solid and was enjoyable- and I KNOW the plot is every contract killer in the world is trying to kill John Wick but it felt a tad heavy on the fight scene- like they were just realllllly looong. (I KNOW OkAY). But let’s just say if everyone’s getting all high and mighty about the rules and EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHING- they should know Santino’s a weasel right?? And that’s my qualm. Shouldn’t this bounty have really been for Santino? Espppecially considering he was manipulating the HIGH TABLE??? But whatever.

Rating: 7/10 Puppers 🐶

(SORRY John Wick😬)

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daincrediblegg · 2 years

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2, 4, 28, 30, and 33 for the film questions!

2.Favorite director(s)?

Oh god there are so many to list and I know I’m going to forget so many but here we go- I’m also gonna include some showrunner directors in here bc honestly there are way more talented female directors making shows than there are those who make feature films and I need to give them credit for how much they inspire me too. Some of these may be painfully obvious and others not so much but here we go:

Guillermo Del Toro, Mike Flannagan, Peter Jackson, Hiyao Miyazaki, Akira Kurosawa, Orson Welles, Lily and Lana Watchowski, Todd Phillips, Wes Anderson, Robert Eggers, Bong Joon-Ho, Mel Brooks, Taika Watiti, The Coen Brothers, Jon Favreau, Terry Gilliam, Makoto Shinkai, Jim Henson, John Hughes, Chris AND Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Noah Baumbach, Sergio Leone, Jordan Peele, Ari Aster, Jonathan E. Steinburg, Sam Mendez, Kenneth Branagh, Vince Gilligan, Spike Jonze, Spike Lee, Rian Johnson, Tarsem Singh, Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola and begrudgingly Quentin Tarantino (bc even tho he is way overrated in the film bro community he does make some fun movies it has to be said)

4.What’s a movie you watched over and over again as a child that you still love?

Another that I remember watching a LOT is legally blonde. When I started sleeping by myself at night my parents let me keep a tiny DVD player in my room and I used to watch movies on it to go to sleep (also bc I was afraid of the dark for a long ass time) and I distinctly remember Legally Blonde was the first one that I put on every night to sleep to lmao.

28.Recommend three completely different movies.

Aight. First if you haven’t seen Top Gun Maverick you should bc it’s all practical and that’s fucking insane to do and nobody else has made a flight movie like this ever. The original looks like fucking tinker toys in comparison I mean like literally but it walked so this film could fucking SOAR so… yeah. There u go.

Next is a deep cut: Bicycle Thieves. Italian Neo-Realism at its finest (which basically means none of the “actors” in it were career actors- just normal people, and no extras either- nothing is staged it’s all 100% just footage from the real world, and also probably the best child actor I’ve ever seen playing the kid in this ever. Also this was Sergio Leone before all the spaghetti westerns and frankly I think this might be my fave film of his to trump them all).

Another deep cut but since we’re thinking about star wars and obi wan kenobi I can’t help but mention The Hidden Fortress by Akira Kurosawa. If you want to know where Star Wars comes from? Thats it. In its entirety. And Toshiro Mifune essentially plays the original Obi Wan Kenobi (and god what a perfect world that could’ve been if he had but this is a great window into that- also I think he’s a better sword fighter than Alec Guinness for sure). I might have to even re-watch again for further parallels to the Kenobi series man.

30.Favorite movie with a pet/animal as an important aspect?

I mean god where do I start. First that comes to mind is Babe bc I watched that so much as a kid it’s burned into my head now. Then I thought Okja because jesus that fucker got dark (but god damn important as a film for sure)… but fuck all that we’re gonna go with Balto because that was my fave as a kid I even had a wolf stuffie I named Balto after him so there u go.

33.Name a film you could write an entire 10+ page essay on. (If you’ve done it, what was the focus?)

Well I mean I have written many 10 page papers on many films lmao. My first was on LOTR and it was focused on Merry and Pippin but in hindsight it wasn’t the most well thought out theme or execution (but then again whose first college paper is?) but WITH that hindsight it’s really a think piece about the vitality of side characters to the movement of plot- using both the book and the films as examples to how Merry and Pippin shape the story of LOTR way more than they’re given credit for. Yes I have always been a slut for them.

Another one I wrote more recently was a comparison of horror director methodology to edgar allan poe’s essays on writing structure in which I of course used GDT and crimson peak as my prime example- given time I would’ve delved more into mike flannagan and robert eggers films and shows too as examples of the grander cinematic gothic revival, but alas, that’s a whole ass thesis and it was only a 7 page assignment and I didn’t have that kind of time. Also I did a critical analysis about the ending of Apt Pupil once that correlated the nazi imagery to the american male teenager that earned me a handshake from my professor and an A for the course but like y’know no big deal. And of course y’all know how bad down I am about midnight mass I mean Y’all have seen the meta posts that are somehow still circulating. I have so much about that series living in my head and never enough time to put it to paper lmao. In fact thats true of a lot of things I literally have so many essays in my head happening all at once and I am always looking for some kind of excuse to write it but never getting one lmao

FILM QUESTIONS

#ask games

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