"LUSCIOUS LIPS"

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Swift Line Movement in the Equilibrium State of Taylor Rest ~ Inspired by the Lovely and Talented Ms. #TaylorSwift.

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This lovely rendering can be purchased as Prints, Posters, T-shirts, Coffee Mugs, etc at: https://michaelallen-mcguire.pixels.com/

◇ "Enjoy!"

"Being a derry girl is a fucking state of mind."

- Derry Girls (2018-2022)

What am I supposed to do now that I have officially finished Derry Girls?

How am I supposed to go on with my week I love them all so much

Madame, November 1983.

Photographed by Michael Doster.

Models: Lise Brand and Deidre McGuire.

Disney Channel Monstober TV Bumpers. 🎃🍂

Nikki McGuire wearing Michael Kors and photographed by Bryan Liston for Harper's Bazaar February 2023

IM A DERRY GIRL!!!!!!!

(you’re a fucking prick that’s what you are)

LMAO I DIED I LOVE THIS SHOW

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD 2015

It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in a language chiefly made by men to express theirs.

#OTD in 1965 – Birth of comedian and actor, Ardal O’Hanlon, in Co Monaghan.

Ardal O’Hanlon was born in 1965 in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, the son of Rory O’Hanlon, a politician and doctor, and has five siblings. RTÉ’s Who do you think you are? programme on Monday 6 October 2008 examined Ardal’s family tree. He discovered that his paternal grandfather, Michael O’Hanlon, a UCD medicine student, had joined the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and…

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Putting all these high res beauties in one place.

I- damn. That's it. No more derry girls. It's been one hellova ride and I'm emotional asf,,,, it's really hard to say goodbye

The Secret of Kells (2009)

It’s unfortunate that The Secret of Kells came out the same year as Up. Any other year, it would've nabbed that Best Animated Film Oscar no contest. Oh well. It isn’t as if a statue - or lack of one - makes the film any different. This is a beautiful story just waiting to be discovered.

In the tightly-knit community at the Abbey of Kells, the monks toil night and day to create illuminated manuscripts while keeping an ear out for possible Viking attacks. Young Brendan (voiced by Evan McGuire) is fascinated with stories of Brother Aidan (Mick Lally), whose Book of Iona  is unparalleled in beauty. His dreams of learning the craft are constantly squelched by his stern Uncle, Abbott Cellach (Brendan Gleeson), who cares only about building walls to repel invaders.

In a time where most animated films are rendered via computer, those created traditionally are a breath of fresh air. Even among those, The Secret of Kells stands out. It’ll sound silly to anyone who sees animated films as children’s fare but a scene where Vikings walk with lit torches fascinated me. How did they get the curves of the fire so perfect? How did they manage to portray the heat and threat of the invaders using those simple lines, curves and so few colors? There’s extra appeal in the way it tackles illuminated manuscripts, which were painstakingly created works of highly-detailed art the likes of which you just don’t see anymore. The film is drawn in a style of its own so when you get glimpses at the illuminated manuscripts, they dazzle. You don’t even have to know about the real-life Book of Kells - considered by many to be one of Ireland’s finest national treasures - to appreciate what you see. What it reminded me of most was The Thief and the Cobbler. Like it, The Secret of Kells is a clear passion project with the confidence to throw realism out the window when it needs to; everything is fair game as long as it furthers its agenda.

Story-wise, the film covers topics we just don’t see in North American cinema. It draws upon Celtic mythology and Irish folklore but also has its feet planted firmly in the real-life drama of a community that is perpetually afraid. Plus, your main character is essentially a monk in training, when was the last time you saw that? It isn’t this grand adventure but it has high stakes because of what you see. You want the book to be completed, for Brendan to be taught the ways of illumination. You also understand his uncle’s decision to forego such frivolities and focus on the incoming dangers. It has sophisticated emotions, the kind only present in the best animated films.

The Secret of Kells is a visual marvel whose unique story is sure to be enjoyed by both the young and old. It’s the kind of film illustrators will want to own on DVD so they can pause it and examine the characters, objects and backgrounds one frame at a time and incorporate elements into their own works. (on DVD, February 8, 2019)

"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" (1958) Review

"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" (1958) Review There have been many versions about the April 1912 sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. Many versions. And I have personally seen at least five of them. One of them happened to be the 1958 movie, "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER".

Directed by Roy Ward Baker, "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" is based upon historian Walter Lord's 1955 book about the historical sinking. Since the 1958 movie was based upon a historical book instead of a novel, Baker, producer William MacQuitty and screenwriter Eric Ambler approached the film's plot in a semi-documentary style. Even the movie's leading character turned out to be the Titanic's Second Officer, Charles Lightoller, who was portrayed by actor Kenneth More. The movie also featured other historical figures such as J. Bruce Ismay, Thomas Andrews, Captain Edward J. Smith and Margaret "Molly" Brown. Due to this semi-documentary approach, "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" is regarded as the best movie about the Titanic. I cannot deny that there is a great deal to admire about "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER". Not only do I feel it is an excellent movie, I could see that Roy Ward Baker did his best to re-create that last night aboard the Titanic. He and Ambler gave the audience glimpses into the lives of the ship's crew and passengers. The movie also went into great detail of their efforts to remain alive following the ship's brief collision with an iceberg. Some of my favorite scenes include the Irish steerage passengers' efforts to reach the life boats on the upper decks, the wireless operators' (David McCullum and Kenneth Griffin) efforts to summon other ships to rescue the passengers and crew, and passenger Molly Brown (Tucker McGuire)'s conflict with the sole crewman in her lifeboat. But my favorite scene has to be that moment when the Titanic's stern rose high before the ship sank into the Atlantic Ocean. For a film shot in black and white during the late 1950s, I must admit that "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" looked very handsome. Legendary cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth's phtography struck me as sharp and very elegant. I do not know if Yvonne Caffin's costume designs for the movie's 1912 setting was completely accurate, but they certainly did add to the movie's late Edwardian atmosphere. Especially those costumes for the first-class passengers. I do have to give kudos to the special effects team led by Bill Warrington. He and his team did a superb job in re-creating the ocean liner's historic sinking. I am even more impressed that their work still manages to hold up after fifty-four years. The cast of "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" was led by Kenneth More, who portrayed Second Officer Lightoller with his usual energetic charm. More was ably supported by the likes of Laurence Naismith as Captain Smith, Michael Goodliffe's poignant portrayal of ship designer Thomas Andrews, Frank Lawton as J. Bruce Ismay, George Rose as the inebriated survivor Charles Joughin and Tucker McGuire's colorful portrayal of American socialite Molly Brown. The movie also featured future "AVENGERS" and Bond veteran Honor Blackman; David McCullum of "THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E." and "N.C.I.S." fame; and Bernard Fox, who will also appear in James Cameron's 1997 movie about the Titanic sinking. Even Sean Connery made an uncredited appearance in the film, but I never did spot him. But despite the numerous good performances, I honestly have to say that I found nothing exceptional about any of them. Like many others, I used to believe that "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" was the best movie about the Titanic. After this latest viewing, I do not believe I can maintain that opinion any longer. In fact, I am beginning to suspect there may not be any "ultimate" Titanic film. And "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" is not perfect, as far as I am concerned. Many have applauded the filmmakers for eschewing any fictional melodrama or using the sinking as a backdrop for a fictional story. Personally, I could not care less if a Titanic movie is simply a fictional melodrama or a semi-documentary film. All I require is a first-rate movie that will maintain my interest. "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" began with a montage of newsreel clips featuring the Titanic's christening in Belfast. One, the ship was never christened. And two, I could see that the newsreel footage used in the movie dated from the 1930s. The movie tried its best to allow the audience to identify with some of its characters. But due to "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" being a docudrama, I feel that it failed to give an in-depth study of its more prominent characters . . . making it difficult for me to identify with any of them. I realize that "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" was a British production, but I was amazed at the low number of American passengers featured in the cast. The 1953 film, "TITANIC" suffered from a similar malady - the only British characters I could recall were members of the crew. I do remember at least three Americans in the 1958 movie - Molly Brown; Benjamin Guggenheim, portrayed by Harold Goldblatt and a third passenger, whose name escapes me. I was satisfied with McGuire's performance as Molly Brown and the nameless actor who portrayed the third American passenger. But Goldblatt portrayed Guggenheim as a member of the British upper class in both attitude and accent. It almost seemed as if the filmmakers wanted Guggenheim to be viewed as a British gentleman, instead of an American one. Walter Lord's book made it clear that one of the last songs performed by Titanic's band was NOT "Nearer My God to Thee". Yet, the filmmakers chose to perpetrate this myth in the movie by having the remaining passengers and crew sing the song en masse before the ship began to sink in earnest. This pious attitude continued in a scene aboard the R.M.S. Carpathia, in which the survivors listened to a religious sermon. Instead of projecting an air of melancholy or despair, the survivors, thanks to Ward Baker, seemed to project an air of the British stiff upper lip cliche. I feel that a melancholic air among the survivors would have made the scene seem more human. I cannot deny that "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" is a first-rate look at the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. More importantly, the movie and especially the visual effects still hold up very well after half-a-century. But the movie possesses flaws that make it difficult for me to regard it as the best Titanic movie ever made. Perhaps . . . there is no best Titanic movie. Just bad or well-made ones.

If I had the ability to make fan vids, these are what I'd create: Eda and Raine (TOH) - "Lovesong," The Cure Ash and Victor (EoA) - "River Lies," Seanan McGuire Wednesday Addam's iconic dance - Isa's song "Grown Up Enough," Elena of Avalor Scenes of Isabel Castillo Flores (EoA) - "Goo Goo Muck," The Cramps Elena Castillo Flores - "Cost of the Crown," Mercedes Lackey Gabriel Agreste/Monarch (MLB)- "Falconsbane," Michael Loncor "The Last Trial" (Dragonlance) - "Never Too Late," Elena of Avalor Elena of Avalor - "Lord of Nothing (Too Late)", The Last Trial Dragonlance Mind you, I'm a talentless hack, so I could never make these videos, but this is what I imagine I'd do if I could.

The Gentlemen: Season One – TV Review

TL;DR – While the characters are a delight in this wacky world, the story struggles in the end.   ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this series. The Gentlemen Review – It wasn’t all that long ago that I sat down to watch a truly bonkers yet very rough film called The Gentlemen. I hadn’t thought in a while, but as I was watching, snippets came…

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