Tumgik
#the SECOND episode of the show. filmed only at most a few months after drake reported brian peck for what he had done.
britneyshakespeare · 2 months
Text
you know. taran killam wrote a letter of support for brian peck in between 2003-2004 after he pled guilty to sexually abusing drake bell and he also guest starred in season 1 episode 2 of drake and josh "dune buggy" which aired in january 2004
9 notes · View notes
Text
Title: In The Act {3}
Tumblr media
Chris Evans x Famous OFC Cassia Drake
Warning: Plot, Cursing, Plenty of Words
Word Count: 5.5k
Summary: After the release of your hit movie “Roman Holiday,” you’ve become Hollywood’s new “It Girl.” Everyone wants a piece of you. While at a Hollywood event, you get pulled into an epic selfie similar to the one from the MET Gala with the megastars of Hollywood. The next day all anyone can talk about is this epic picture but not because of the star power in it, but what was happening in it.
Note: Yep, another one. 
**Loosely Edited/Proofread**
**Heavily Interactive**
Thank you guys for reading!!!! If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG. 😊  ❤️❤️
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 
Tumblr media
Thank god for slow mornings. You couldn’t think of the last time you were able to wake up without Pieter either standing over you or walking into your bedroom. He was the only one your mother trusted with you, and he just so happened to be a big shot entertainment manager. When you told your mother that you intended to pursue a career in acting, she was livid. She went on a tirade of the number of black actresses who either had to do questionable things to even have a minor break and those who just were used and turned away. She stressed the vast inequalities in the entertainment industry and worried for your mental and emotional health in the cruel industry. She didn't want you anywhere near the entertainment industry. She wanted you to fall into her second career field and be a lawyer.
 It took months of you doing it on your own before you got your first role, it was small, but you played the shit out of the third black friend to the white lead actress then did it again and again and again. After your fourth role, your mother came around and brought Pieter into the mix. You knew of him from the industry. He’d been in a few tabloid magazines standing next to a few actresses. Your mother introduced him as her school friend from back in the day. You wanted to question her, but you knew better than that and just accepted the story she fed you. You always suspected there was more to it. The two of them sat you down for three hours to have a meeting on your goals with the industry.
After you went on and on for an hour, they went on and on for the next two outlining what needed to happen, how you needed to take things seriously, and put thought into the roles you auditioned for and so on. By the end of the meeting, you were on information overload, and that was when your mother told you the only way she’d be okay with you in this cutthroat town was if Pieter managed you. There was nothing in you that wanted to say no, so you said yes. That was two years now, and it had been a rollercoaster from the beginning.
 Once in your kitchen still in your bra and panties, you perused the shelves in your fridge and took out the huge fruit salad you found there. After smelling it, you settled that it was still good and hopping onto the kitchen island and turned on the TV. As you ate, you flipped through the channels determined not to go to anything that required a brain cell. After a few moments of searching, you decided to finish the episode of Castlevania you’d started weeks ago.
 You got lost in the lore of the Dracula themed animated series and the deliciousness of the fruit you were eating. You’d tuned everything out so well that you didn’t even hear anyone approach.
 “Cassia!”
 “What!”
 You looked back to see Tiffany with her head poked around a corner looking at you.
 “I think you’re gonna want to come out here,” she said with a look on her face you didn’t recognize.
 “Uhh—why?”
Tumblr media
“Just come look.” With that, her head was gone. Sighing, you pressed pause on the show, hopped off the counter, stabbed a piece of honeydew, and walked to where she’d disappeared. When you walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to your foyer, there sat a rather large floral arrangement.
 “What the fuck is this?”
 “What does it look like?”
 “Flowers,” you answered before you shoved the fruit in your mouth to stand beside Tiffany.
 “Duh.”
 “Who are they from?”
 You both stood there, just staring at it. They were gorgeous.
 “I don’t know. I have been trying not to grab the card,” tiffany added. You looked at her; there was a wide ass grin on her face.
 “It’s probably from Vouge thanking me for the photoshoot yesterday,” you surmised as you approached the arrangement. The scent of roses was powerful but not overwhelming.
 Grabbing the card, you glanced at the front to see your name written across it. You didn’t recognize the handwriting. When you opened it, you scanned the words written, expecting to see “thank you.” Instead, you saw the words, “I’m sorry.” Bringing the card closer to your face, you read the words. Each word you read, your eyes bugged out even more and more until your jaw had dropped.
 “What? Who’re they from?”
 “Not Vouge.” Tiffany walked to you and took the card from your hands and read it aloud.
 “Cassia, allow me to begin by extending my most sincerest apology to you for first my behavior the night of the fashion event and second the position I have put you in with the press. I am embarrassed and ashamed of my actions and behavior,” Tiffany began before she looked at you with eyes wide.
 “Is this who I think it is? Oh my god, Cass!”
 She dropped her eyes back to the card and continued. “I am embarrassed and ashamed of my actions and behavior, and I deeply regret them. I am very sorry, and I want you to know that in no way did I mean to objectify you or your body. I have two sisters and a strong Italian mother, and I was not raised that way at all. I hope that you can forgive me and my actions and not hold it against my family. Please accept these flowers as a token of my most heartfelt apology. Sincerely Chris Evans,” Tiffany finished with the squeal of his name.
 “Oh my god! Cass!”
 You’d been frozen in place for the last two minutes as she read the card. There were a plethora of things running through your head. One of which was the number of formal words he’d used.
 “Oh my fucking god! Cass, is this his handwriting? It looks like it could be, it’s legible. Oh my god.”
 You heard Tiffany reread the card, and as she did, you turned back to the flowers and observed them. You took notice that the flowers were all in your favorite colors. That made you wonder if he knew your favorite colors, or this was just a florist’s decision.
  “Why are you so quiet? Why aren’t you freaking out?”
 “Do you think he knows my these are my favorite colors?”
 Tiffany looked back to the arrangement then let out a “hmm.”
 “Do you think he specially researched you in order to send these? It is possible. this card sounds like he put a lot of thought into it.”
 You took the card from her and reread it for yourself. She was right; the handwriting wasn’t horrible, by no means was it gorgeous, but it was nice. You began to wonder if he had, in fact, written it himself.
 “Are you going to reply?”
 That was the million-dollar question. You didn’t see a need to. Even if you did, what what you say? Thank you, Mr. Evans, for apologizing for looking down my dress. Though I enjoyed the attention, and I am flattered, It was highly inappropriate? Somehow that didn’t seem right.
 “No need,” you answered before you walked away toward the kitchen and your fruit salad.
 “What!”
 Tiffany’s footsteps were loud as she trudged behind you.
 “Why wouldn’t you reply? This could be one of the cutest meet-cute stories for your grandkids.”
 “Oh my god, Tiff, grandkids? Are you insane right now?”
 “Girl, don’t even try and lie and say you don’t think the man is fine.”
 “I never said he wasn’t attractive.”
 “Attractive? Cassia Anjelique Drake, you know you a damn liar. The man is more than attractive. He is gorgeous,” Tiff corrected.
 “And he knows it, Tiffany. You can tell. I bet part of him thought he could have gotten away with x-ray visioning me, and no one would have called him out for it.”
 “Cass,” Tiff began before you cut her off.
 “—We’re not responding,” you finished turning back on Castelvania.
 You knew Tiffany did not approve and also knew you hadn’t heard the end of it. You tried to focus on the show, but it was useless. Your mind only wanted to think of one thing—or person. Chris Evans.
 Your day was just for meetings. Pieter had set you up with six meetings for the day. The first three were about movie roles he thought would suit your brand. They were all varying roles, one the lead in an action flick, another the love interest in a rom-com, and the third in a sci-fi type dramady. He said the worst thing in the world was being typecast. With Roman Holiday being a romcom, you knew he’d want your next role to be on the far opposite side of the spectrum.
The roles sounded exciting, and the scripts intrigued you. When they began talking about the expected salary for the films, you were impressed. They were practically throwing their money at you. You couldn’t believe the money actors actually received for a few months of work. Yeah, the schedule could be daunting and preparation never ending, but millions of dollars for maybe five to six months of work was just fine by you.
 After the three movie meetings where you agreed to take the scripts and reread them before you got back to them, you moved on to a meeting with your team to discuss the next three months for you while going over the last three months. This happened quarterly, and you found the meetings insightful. They kept you on track with your goals and kept things in perspective. Your mother always said you are only as good as a capable team around you.
Tumblr media
Your team comprised of your agent, Eduardo, whose job was to hunt down all the roles he could for you and field calls and interest from anyone and everyone in the business. Second, your publicist Julez, her domain was everything concerning your PR. Her job was to make sure that everything about you in the public remained favorable. She was good at what she did, and took her job seriously. Then was your lawyer, Martin, who was the second-best entertainment lawyer in the business. The best as far as you were concerned was your mother. His job was to keep everything legal and make sure no one tried to take advantage of you business-wise. Fourth, was your accountant, Greg. He was your money man. He made sure every cent you agreed upon with your contracts, was sent to your bank account and that every dime in your account was accounted for at all times. He even helped you invest that money, so it always grew. Then came your part-time stylist, Frenchie. Her job was to keep you looking incredible when she was needed. Finally, there was Pieter who oversaw them all. Tiffany nicknamed them Star Team, in honor of your name.
Though you’d learned to listen and follow along when they talked, you had to admit most of the information was boring to you, so you often drifted off. You never felt guilty about it because Tiffany was always recording the meetings and inventorying them for you if you needed to reference them later.
 “Okay, is that all?” Pieter looked around at their faces around the conference table.
 “One more thing, Julez began. “Have you decided how you’d like to move forward with eh-em, Boobgate?”
 The murmurs around the desk picked up before Julez went on. “The media seemed to love your snarky, comedic comeback, Cassia. They are now doing most of the work for us by calling you good-spirited and easy-going for shrugging it off. A lot of the comments since are in good fun. I don’t see anything negative to come through, so I’m going to say we’re staying in good parameters. I have noticed though a great increase in searches about you and your overall name being mentioned. People love talking about you and Chris,” Juelz finished.
 “Why wouldn’t they? They look gorgeous together,” Frenchie added.
 “That seems to be the overall consensus. It is fascinating even those in his fandom do not seem to be spinning this negatively, which is always a concern with him and his team,” Juelz informed.
 That was not news to you. When you had yet to make your big break, you followed celebrity discourse, and the Chris Evans fandom was insane. It seemed any little thing set them off, and once a fire was sparked, it would burn for weeks. With your rising fame, you worried about things like that on your end and being swept up in someone else’s insanity.
 “So let’s leave it there. Let the media run with it where they will. We’ll do and say nothing on it. We’ll let this work for us,” Pieter finalized.
 Everyone nodded before he called an end to the meeting, and everyone began to leave the room. Before you left, Pieter took the time to remind you about your last meeting of the day and share the news about a few other side projects he’d been working on for you. He shared that within a week or two, he hoped to be able to share the full news but that he was excited at the turn talks had taken today. You were curious but knew if you asked him to elaborate, he would only shoo you away, promising it would be a good surprise. He had your mother’s trust and had earned yours, so you allowed him to keep his secrets—for now.
 After your last meeting, you found yourself home alone before midnight. This was the first time you'd been able to get any alone time. As you made it in your bedroom, you realized the flowers were now perched on your bedside table. They were even more beautiful in the glow of the moonlight that was shining through your balcony windows. Tiffany must have sent a message to the housekeeper to move them there.
 You took up the card and reread it, all the while smiling. It was a sweet apology note and a kind gesture. You were surprised Julez didn’t bring them up in the meeting until it dawned on you that either she didn’t know which meant they came directly from him and not his assistant or team or she didn’t want to put you on the spot. While she technically answered to Pieter, she knew your money was what paid her salary. That meant you and her had an understanding about your PR needs. You liked discretion on things that no one else needed to know. This—you didn’t want Pieter knowing about. There was no need for him to know. It meant nothing.
 The next day before you left your house, there was yet another bouquet and the card that accompanied it read; “Just in case you didn’t believe the first card I sent with the first arrangement I wanted to double down to make sure you knew that I am very much sorry.”
 Tiffany didn’t say one word, all she did was give you a look, and that one look said plenty of things in one. “Heifer, you better reply to that man and live your life while swinging from his chandelier butt ass naked.” You had no intention of doing anything that look said.
 The next day, another bouquet was waiting for you. this card was a little more amusing. “The first bouquet I could say you possibly didn’t receive. I know your life is busy, and anything can happen, but the second one, eh, less believable that you didn’t get no matter how much my pride is screaming at me that you didn’t just to save face. This one, I am sure you got, I had my assistant take care of it and attach a delivered and received receipt. So you responding is a purpose thing, and that makes me think I fucked up really bad, so bad that flowers won’t fix it, and you don’t forgive me. So I propose an alternative option. Allow me to apologize in person and explain myself. You pick the time and the place, and I’ll show up.”
 When Tiffany saw this one, she lost her shit. She went on a full twenty-minute speech on why you should respond and accept his proposal. She went through exhibits A to Z as to why this was a good idea. She conveniently skipped the letter P knowing damn well the only thing you both could think of was Pieter. You knew that if he knew about any of this, he would flip his lid. When she included in her argument that you could make all of his dreams come true that he’s had all his life but was too afraid to inquire about.
 You allowed her to go on her rant but still decided against responding or meeting him.
  ~~~~~~~~
Tumblr media
-2 Days Later-
  “So Cassia, everyone wants to know about this picture that is still the talk of the town. You haven’t made a statement, Chris hasn’t made a statement. What gives?” Ryan Seacrest’s question had you giggling.
 “Nothing gives, Ryan. Not everything needs an explanation. Sometimes as humans, we have to learn to be okay with what is,” you philosophized.
 Silence stretched for a full ten seconds before everyone around you busted out laughing, including yourself.
 “Wow, I almost fell for that,” Ryan added, making you laugh louder.
 “Darn, I almost got away with it.”
 “You would have if I really didn’t want an answer,” Ryan slid in.
 “Ah, everyone wants an answer, Ryan. I don’t have an answer to give.”
 “You weren’t there?”
 “No. It was my twin sister, Alicia.”
 Another long stretch of silence filled the room. You could tell they were trying to figure out if you were telling the truth. “See, you guys are easy,” you teased, making them laugh again.
 “So, you’re really not going to make a statement?”
 “I went to an event and met a lot of cool people and had a great time.”
 “Did you and Chris Evans leave together?”
 “Not at all.”
 “Did you exchange numbers?”
 “Nope.”
 Another silence befell the room, and you knew they didn’t believe you. For the next five minutes or so, you finished the interview while keeping tightlipped about the hottest topic. When you left, you were met with the paparazzi yet again, who were shouting new questions.
 “Cassia, are the rumors true?”
 “What rumors, guys?”
 “That you’re in a relationship with Captain America himself.”
 You tried to hide your shock before you quickly spoke.
 “Who said that?”
 Tiffany snorted beside you, no doubt thinking of her favorite gif.
 “It is all over social media,” one of the paparazzo informed.
 “That’s news to me,” you finished as your security got you to your truck. Before you got in one more question was screamed at you.
 “How’d it feel to have Captain America checking you out?”
 You couldn’t hide your smirk this time, and it was a smirk that only got bigger and bigger. Before you cheesed like a full-on idiot, you ducked in the truck.
 “Your smirk said it all,” Tiffany said as you facepalmed.
 After a quick trip to the market for some essentials, you made it home to finish reading the scripts you needed to have done in two days. When you walked inside, you ignored the second bouquet of flowers, Chris sent you the day after the first and went upstairs. Once in your bedroom, the third bouquet he sent yesterday caught your eye. The first one was a shock, the second a surprise, the third confusing.
 After your shower, you walked back into your bedroom to find another bouquet that wasn't there thirty minutes ago. You knew they were from him. This was now amusing. What was his angle, you thought to yourself as you crossed the room to the flowers. Taking a deep whiff of them, you moaned. You loved the scent of Gardenia. They always put you in the frame of mind of romance and sensual rolls in bed. With that thought, you paused. Was he trying to tell you something?
 Grabbing the envelope, you noted it was a lot bigger than the cards that accompanied the other bouquets. Once opening it, you saw a sheet of paper that felt heavier than standard paper, and with it came what you now knew was his handwriting. “Okay, after thinking about this for the last week trying to figure out what it is about me that you don’t like or won’t even entertain. Let’s start with the massive elephant in the room; I’m white.”
 You had to laugh out loud for that. After almost a full minute of laughter that made you have to sit on your bed, you continued. “I know a major turn off, and unfortunately, it’s not something I can change. However, I can assure you that though I am white aesthetically, I am not fully white in any other department, and yes, that includes dancing.”
 Again you laughed, dropping onto your back while flailing your legs in the air. He was on a roll; you thought before you continued. “Second, it must be you’re not into white guys. For that, the only thing I can offer is I’m not against wearing a paper bag to hide the fact that I am, in fact, white. It would be a case of none are the wiser. If, however, your gripe with me is my behavior from nights before, I promise I’m not a sleaze twenty-four hours of the day. I am capable of looking directly into your eyes for an entire conversation, I promise. Let me prove it to you. 424-947-5639.”
 Your jaw dropped. Chris freaking Evans just gave you his phone number. You couldn’t move for the next ten minutes. You just sat there in a stunned stupor. You couldn’t believe this was real. Half of you was fangirling because hello not too long ago; you were a fan. You still were. The other half was freaking out because Chris Evans just gave you his phone number. Was he just being friendly, or was he shooting his shot?
 MSG: Question.
MSG Tiff: Answer for two hundred Alex.
MSG: How does one shoot their shot?
MSG Tiff: What? Cass, has it really been that long since you’ve made the first move?
MSG: Do you know who you’re talking to? I’ve never made the first move. That is beside the point. I’m not talking about me shooting my shot. I mean when someone shoots their shot at you. What exactly does it look like?
 You saw the bubbles knowing she was probably writing a long ass message. Almost a minute later, the message came in.
 MSG Tiff: Uh, were you not present at the Laker’s game when the Sixers were in town, and Jonah Bolden stopped the game to come over and shoot his shot?
 You laughed. You hadn’t forgotten that, mainly because it was everywhere the next day. The two of you talked for a few weeks, but your schedule and his had things fizzling real quick.
 MSG: Yeah, but he was black, Tiff.
  That was when the facetime call came in. you rolled your eyes but answered it. “So are we asking what it looks like when a white guy shoots his shot? Is that to lead me to think you mean a particular America’s ass?”
 “Oh my god, Tiff. Just answer please,” you pleaded with exasperation.
 “I need to know who first. White guys shooting their shot do not come in one size fits all. So who?”
 Rolling your eyes again, you told her and prepared for the scream. It was as loud as expected.
 “Okay, I knew he was feeling you. A man doesn’t look at any ol breasts like that,” Tiffany joked before she continued. “He looks like he could have game, but it could be cheesy game. Did he send you more flowers?”
 You turned the camera to the new bouquet, and she melted. “Oh my god, those are to die for. They just get more and more beautiful. He definitely put research into this one. you love gardenias.”
 It was true, and the thought had crossed your mind. When she asked what the note said this time, you read it to her. It had her laughing just as hard and long. When you mentioned that he ended it with his number, she screamed again.
 “Call him!”
 “No!”
 “Cassiopeia Anjelique Drake! The man has shot his ultimate shot,” Tiffany shouted, using your entire full name.
 You rolled your eyes and dropped back onto your bed.
 “I can’t call. Pieter will freak,” you excused.
 “Fuck, Pieter!” It came from the depths of her soul, you could tell. “This is your life, your pussy!”
You face palmed yourself again. She had to go there.
 “I’m serious. I know you’ve heard the rumors from that comedian he dated, and he swears his fingering is accurate, and you have seen his beard. A man with a beard like that is good for one thing.”
 You screamed and died again. She was in prime form right now.
 “Cassia.”
 Groaning, you sat up and sighed out. “I gotta go Tiff, I’m supposed to have a video conference in ten minutes, and I’m sitting here in a towel. I’ll call you later.”
 “When you call me, you better be telling me that you talked to that man,” Tiffany shouted out as you were ending the facetime call.
 You quickly got yourself together, and presentable then made it to your office to prep for the conference with the scripts. Seeing how far behind you were with the scripts, you show the participants a quick email to push it back by a few hours. Then you buckled down to actually get some work done instead of thinking about the real reason Chris Evans had a beard.
Tumblr media
Two hours later, you were on the conference and going through the script line for line, film direction after direction. If one script would have taken an hour to go through, then three took you triple the time. By the time you’d finished for the day, you were all talked out, exhausted, and starving. Glancing at your phone, you saw missed calls from Tiffany and your mother and groaned at the fact that it was after one in the morning. If you’d have known following your dreams meant bye-bye to normal sleep hours, then you may have thought twice.
With the craving for the most unhealthy crap raging within you, you got into your car and went for a drive. While the time meant not many were out, you knew anywhere in the heart of LA would be a mistake. You drove half an hour out of the way to Pasadena to the burger spot you found by accident. It was no Shake Shake, but it offered two of your favorite things in one place, Burgers and Pies.
 As you walked inside the small shop, you smiled, grateful it was practically empty. You walked to the back of the retro style burger joint and sat in the last booth. Deciding it was safe to drop your disguise, you took off your hat and sunglasses and took a deep breath of the glorious smell of burger and pies. You weren’t waiting long before a waitress came over with a note pad.
Tumblr media
“Welcome. Can I take your order?”
 “Yes, the Big Ben burger with the works, please.” She looked at you like you were insane.
 “Are you sure? That’s a big plate,” she warned. You smiled and nodded.
 “Oh yeah. I haven’t eaten all day,” you assured.
 “Okay. How would you like it?”
 “Very well done, please.”
 She nodded as she jotted your order down. “Anything to drink?”
 “Ginger Ale with a lemon slice, please,” you finished before she nodded and walked away.
 You really liked this place. It was one of the few places that still had a jukebox. Digging into your purse, you pulled out a quarter then walked to the device that wasn’t too far from the booth you’d chosen. As you perused the selections of old and new music, you tried to gauge the mood you were in. It had been a while since you were able to sneak away on your own. You were in the mood for some relaxation but a bit of fun. You tapped in the key combination and turned the knob, and waited for the tune to play. When the oldie by Rihanna “Pon de Replay” came on, you began flicking your hips from side to side until you began winding it.  You heard the distant ring of a bell that signified someone else had entered the restaurant, but it didn’t register, you were too into the song.
 When you really got into it, you dipped it low as instructed and began singing along. That was when your entire body got into it, and you tapped into your own inner bad gyal. When you turned around, you yelped loudly, drawing the attention of the waitstaff to you. Before you stood the person, you least expected to see. The crooked quirk of his lip gave him the most roguish look you’d ever seen, a look that shouldn’t have turned you on the way it had—but it did.
 “Don’t stop on my account,” Chris teased with an impossibly deep voice. It never sounded that deep in interviews, you thought to yourself before your teeth sunk into your bottom lip. His cerulean eyes fell from yours to your mouth, and you watched as his tongue slowly slid across his lips. Your nipples beaded painfully, and you didn’t need to look down to know that if anyone looked, it would be more than noticeable.
 Why are you turned on right now, you questioned in your head. There was no logical reason for it. Yes, he smelled—incredible. There was no way anyone should smell that good; it was impossible. He smelled like fruits, sea salt, sunshine, vanilla, and a very appealing musk. He smelled like he took four showers a day and took pride in being groomed to perfection. The more you thought about it, the harder your nipples got.
 “Cat got your tongue?”
 Clearing your throat, it came out most exaggeratedly with a long high pitch. Chris’s brows wrinkled as he looked at you as if there might have been something wrong with you.
 “Uh—are you okay?”
 Instead of words, it was terrifying giggles that came out, making you sound like a deranged, cackling Hyena. The look on Chris’s face only became more concerned. You cleared your throat again this time more naturally and straightened your back.
 “What’re—what’re you doing—here?”
 “In a public restaurant?”
 “Yeah, this public space,” you clarified before you crossed your arms over your breasts. “It’s mine.”
 “Yours? You own it?”
 “No, but it’s my secret place.”
 “Ah, I see. If it was so much of a secret, then how did I find it?”
 He was contesting you, challenging you. It was at this moment you got the vibe from him that he was the type of man who liked to debate, compete, and win. A man like that should have had your red flags blaring, but no red flags were waving. The only thing that was waving in front of you was a deep curiosity to know this man in a way that you hadn’t wanted to know anyone before.
 Shrugging, you walked back to your table and sat. He approached you all the while, never taking his eyes off of you. You bit your bottom and tried to keep your thoughts boring. Before either of you could speak again, the waitress came back with your order.
 “Big Ben burger with the works and fries and a ginger ale with lemon slices.”
 When she put it down, she looked to Chris, who dipped his head low and pulled down his hat. The woman looked as if she might have recognized him, but she didn’t speak; she just peered closer. You cleared your throat and slid your plate closer. It was enough to distract the woman.
 “Will there be anything else, honey?”
 “No, thank you.”
 “And you? Will you be staying or going?”
 Chris looked to you with one eyebrow raised. Your eyes met, and you saw the question in them. It was a mix of a question and a challenge. He expected you to answer. It would give you the control of the situation, and it would also make it so you’d have to blatantly turn him down in front of his face rather than ignoring him as you’d been doing the last few days. You bit your bottom lip and took a deep breath. You had enough balls to turn him down right here. You’d done worse to other guys—a lot worse. The question was, did you want to do it to him.
 When you locked eyes with him again, an amused smile spread across his lips. You bit your bottom lip again and sighed.
 “He will be staying,” you answered.
 The waiter looked to you then to him and nodded. Chris slid into the booth before you still keeping eye contact. The longer he looked at you; the more unnerved you became.
 “All right, what can I get you sugar?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***If you want to be tagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tag List:
@chaneajoyyy @caramara3 @sonjashuterbugjohnson @dangerouslovefanfic @maxcullen @momobaby227 @night-of-the-living-shred​ @naturalthrone22@redhairedfeistynerd @thotti3evans @jovanaprime @queenoftheworldisdead @queenshikongo3 @euh-say-what @mrsbarnes-rogers @jd-now-jq now @ashanti-notthesinger @90sinspiredgirl @evemej @minton131 @jamesbarnesappreciationclub@toniilaney @titty-teetee @areubeingserved @kikimiyazaki​@nervousninjatheorist​ ​ @cyntgefel01​ @vintageembrace @smediumsmeatbae  @naturalthrone22 @livinglifeformemyselfandi @onetwo3000  @ajspencer1892 @theskullgoddess@champagnesugamama @minton131 @pananegra @scoop93535​ @try-n-pronounce-it @dumbchick @behindthesehazeleyes27​ @blackmissfrizzle @nervousninjatheorist@dangerouslovefanfic @give-me-a-million-dollars-pls@thinkxlovexloud @chris-butt​ @starlite-starbrite  @alyxkbrl​@angrybirdcr​ @d1ff3r3nt-b34uty-official @twinx007 @a-dizzle777@ab-baybay​ @patzammit @kreolemami @aysha1447 @cutewylie @disaster-rose​ @wondersofdreaming @lo-cheu @livinglifeformemyselfandi​ @magdelen69 @snowpiercer21​ @renfrewscorner @thevelvetseries​ @mery-be @hakunalive4eva @anandalambert @youurkryptonite​ @mizcaptainphoenix @bobbdylann​ @emilykjhgsj @littlepreciousangel @ssaarroonn​ @thummbelina @sweetlittlegingy​ @art-estrange @torntaltos​ @rynabarnesrogers @rororo06​ @anotherblackfangirl @bernie-k​ @theonewithherheadintheclouds @hista-girl​ @coldmuffinbanditshoe @jennmurawski13​ @deathstroke-terminated-deez-guts @shadyskit @someone-really-bored @thejemersoninferno @itsallyscorner​ @cristinagronk16​ @shakemeupthanks-blog @acciolove724@straightforwardly @zsuzstyina @acevansss @evansgirl7 @rdjparker @deadlymistress24 @sunkissedebony97 @turn-thy-paige​ @amelatonin​ @nerdybitchpudding @amennariee​ @shar74nett @likesfairytales @vintageembrace​ @maverickabull​ @est1887 @periodtcevans @thotti3par7on @productofchina @winchwm @jesseswartzwelder @pivictorious​ @anat2507 @euh-say-what-now​ @raveviolet​ @actorinfluence @sadishdelray​ @ljstraightnochaser  @041802 @evermcfearless​ @tashawar @dwights-new-plague @miss-jackson500​@renfrewscorner @baby-iyania @brwnsugababe @evansshine​ @spideydobrik @laketaj24 @munteanhore @almosttherebutnot​ @priya212 @richonne4life @cyntgefel01@brownskinafro @chrissbabybunny @simply-heaven​ @queenoftheworldisdead​ @chrisevansfanfic @bforbbgirl​ @wowthatsbrazy @thejeneralvicinity​  @doublesidedscoobysnacks @richonne4life @cyntgefel01​ @supernaturalvikingwhore​ @blackgurlkillinit @fanfictionaffair​ @sia2raw​ @nervousninjatheorist @wonderlandfandomkingdom​ @partypoison00 @rynabarnesrogers-reading @lady-x-red @ibe-erynn @nakusaych9​ @madixii @chrisevansdaddycap @zsuzstyina @kittykatlow​ @queenshikongo3 @beccacupcakesxo @nakusaych9 @xoxloaveasre @naturalthrone22  @blackgurlkillinit​ @littlepreciousange @queenshikongo3 @blackmissfrizzle @supernaturalvikingwhore @littlepreciousangel @purplehairgawdess @readsreblogsfics @vlvtkyss @misz-adrii @wowthatsbrazy @deadpixie22   @tenaciousperfectionunknown @marvelatthis30 @chaos-crusader @coffeebooksandfandom  @vintageembrace @perplexed3001 @iceebabies @smediumsmeatbae @naturalthrone22 @mrsbarnes-rogers @brownskinafro @winchwm @onetwo3000 @sarswilltakeyouout @crist1216 @itsjustyazz @deadpixie22 @cessamjrmr @simply-heaven​ @offrostandstarlight @shar74nett @cltex84​ @minton131​ @actorinfluence​ @nina-sj @mery-be @tenaciousperfectionunknown @chezdricks​ @fanfictionaffair​ @unknownmystery22​ @marvelfansworld​ @pananegra​
***There are a few that are bold that I tried to tag but your @ wasn’t coming up. I’m not sure why. I’m sorry.***
287 notes · View notes
supermanfanpodcast · 3 years
Link
Download Episode 397!
NEW FUN COMICS 1, February 1935, was published on January 11, 1935. It contained 32 pages for the cover price of 10¢. Lloyd Jacquet was the editor. It was published by National Allied Publications, the company that would evolve into the DC Comics we know today.
FAMOUS FIRST EDITION: NEW FUN COMICS #1 was published on May 19, 2020 for the cover price of $19.99.
- (8:29) I review the book, JACKIE ORMES: THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN CARTOONIST by Nancy Goldstein, published by the University Of Michigan Press in 2019. This book was 226 pages long.
- (11:45) MY PULL LIST, where I review the comic books that carried the November 2020 cover date, which were released during the month of September, and I received from Discount Comic Book Service.
- (26:45) Before the reprint of NEW FUN COMICS 1, this FAMOUS FIRST EDITION  had two introductions. The first was titled, THE START OF SOMETHING BIG, written by comic book historian Jerry Bails for a previously planned reprint of this issue that was eventually never published.
- (28:33) A SECOND INTRODUCTION was written by Roy Thomas, explaining why that first reprint never happened, and what the historical significance is of this issue.
- (30:11) JACK WOOD, subtitled PANCH VILLA Part I, a western adventure was written and drawn by Lyman Anderson, according to Mike's Amazing World Of DC Comics. The Grand Comic Book Database gives this feature the subtitle as, DON NAGLES - CATTLE RUSTLER Part I, written by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson and drawn by Lyman Anderson. Jack Wood rode into the sunset with his final appearance in ADVENTURE COMICS 42, September 1939.
- (33:27) The adventure strip SANDRA OF THE SECRET SERVICE in THE GAVONIA AFFAIR part I, was written and drawn by Charles Flanders, according to Mike's Amazing World Of DC Comics, while the Grand Comic Book Database credits Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson as the writer and Charles Flanders as the artist. Sandra's final mission for the Secret Service would occur in MORE FUN COMICS 35, September 1935.
- (34:11) The comic strip OSWALD RABBIT, which was written and drawn by John Lindermeyer, appeared on the bottom of the page. It filled the gap at the bottom of the page below not only SANDRA OF THE SECRET SERVICE, but many of the early features in this issue. Oswald made his final appearance in MORE FUN COMICS 7, January 1936, but would make various appearances in various titles for other comic book publishers.
- (35:03) JIGGER AND GINGER, a teen humor strip, writer unknown, was drawn by Adolph Schus. They would make only one other appearance in NEW FUN COMICS 2, March 1935.
- (35:50) The adventure strip BARRY O'NEIL, in FANG GOW OF CHINA part I, according to Mike's Amazing World Of DC Comics, was written by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson and drawn by Lawrence Lariar. Barry's final adventure occurred in ADVENTURE COMICS 60, March 1941.
- (37:17) THE MAGIC CRYSTAL OF HISTORY, a kid adventure strip, was written and drawn by Adolphe Barreaux. Bobby and Binks would take their final historical adventure via the Magic Crystal in MORE FUN COMICS 50, December 1939.
- (38:45) The adventure strip WING BRADY: SOLDIER OF FORTUNE began with THE BEDOUINS part I. Mike's Amazing World Of DC Comics credits Henry Carl Kiefer (who signed his name as de Korosett, his wife's maiden name) as the writer and artist, while the Grand Comic Book Database lists Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson as the writer and Kiefer as the artist. Brady's final adventure occurred in MORE FUN COMICS 52, February 1941.
- (40:19) Sir Walter Scott's IVANHOE was adapted to comic book form by Charles Flanders, according to Mike's Amazing World Of DC Comics, while the Grand Comic Book Database lists Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson as the writer of this adaption and Flanders as the artists. This adaption of IVANHOE ended with MORE FUN COMICS 27, December 1937.
- (41:54) JUDGE PERKINS, a humor strip, was written and drawn by Bert Nelson Haig. The Judge would only have one more misadventure, in NEW FUN COMICS 2.
- (42:57) The science fiction adventure, DON DRAKE ON THE PLANET SARO, was written by Ken Fitch and drawn by Joseph Clemmens Gretter, who signed his art as Clem Gretter. Drake had his final adventure in MORE FUN COMICS 17, January 1937.
- (44:17) LOCO LUKE, a western humor strip, was written and drawn by Jack A. Warren. Loco Luke rode into the sunset after NEW FUN COMICS 4, May 1945.
- (46:41) SPOOK RANCH was a western mystery story written by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, using the pseudonym Roger Furlong, with illustrations drawn by Charles Flanders. The story concluded in the next issue.
- (46:41) SCRUB HARDY was a sports humor strip drawn by Joe Archibald. Hardy's sports career was cut short, only appearing again in NEW FUN COMICS 2.
- (48:19) The sports adventure strip JACK ANDREWS ALL-AMERICAN BOY was written and drawn by Lyman Anderson. Andrews' sports career would only last through NEW FUN COMICS 6, October 1935.
- (51:04) BATHYSPHERE - A MARTIAN DREAM, writer unknown, was an article about Dr. Beebe, who descended 3,000 feet in a bathysphere, and the equipment on board.
- (51:59) SPORTS, an article written by Joe Archibald, was about the Toronto Maple Leafs and a brief history of the game of hockey.
- (52:59) ON THE RADIO: THE DIAL TWISTER, maybe written by Lloyd Jacquet,  was an article asking readers to write the staff of NEW FUN COMICS and share their favorite radio shows, and the writer also shares some favorites.
- (54:27) IN THE MOVIES: TALK OF THE TALKIES, writer unknown, described some of the upcoming films in 1935, including one involving the comic book cowboy Jack Wood, a movie serial titled RUSTLERS OF RED GAP (IMDb lists the final title as RUSTLERS OF RED DOG).
- (55:24) MODEL AIRCRAFT, writer unknown, with illustrations drawn by Dick Loederer, was an article about how to make a model of the U.S. Navy plane Vought Corsair, one of the early planes that took off and landed on the first aircraft carriers.
- (56:49) HOW TO BUILD HENDRICK HUDSON'S "HALF MOON", an article written and drawn by Robert Weinstein, about a 17th Century sailing ship.
- (57:08) CAP'N ERIC, a sea adventure strip, was written and drawn by Robert Weinstein, who signed this feature Bob Weinstein.
- (58:33) BUCKSKIN JIM: THE TRAILBLAZER, a western adventure, was written and drawn by Eugene Koscik, who signed his work as "K". Buckskin Jim rode off into the western sunset after MORE FUN COMICS 18, February 1937.
- (1:01:28) The article POPULAR SCIENCE, writer unknown, had illustrations provided by Dick Loederer, who signed his work as "Loe". It covered three subjects, STREAMLINE TRAIN THAT TALKED, PUTTING THE SUN TO WORK, and A BIT OF MAGIC.
- (1:03:06) STAMPS AND COINS, writer unknown, also had illustrations drawn by Dick Loederer, who again signed his work as "Loe". This article was divided into two sections, BEGINNING A COLLECTION, about stamps, and ABOUT COINS.
- (1:03:50) The issue's final article was titled YOUNG HOMEMAKERS, writer unknown, also with illustrations provided by Dick "Loe" Loederer. This article provided advice about a well organized kitchen.
- (1:04:39) AFTER SCHOOL, a kid humor strip, was written and drawn by Tom McNamara. Lefty and Slim had their last humorous adventure in NEW FUN COMICS 6, October 1935.
- (1:05:43) CAVEMAN CAPERS, a prehistoric humor strip, was written and drawn by Dick Loederer. The fire went out for CAVEMAN CAPERS after NEW FUN COMICS 5, August 1935.
- (1:06:42) FUN FILMS: TAD AMONG THE PIRATES, was written and drawn by Adolphe Barreaux. This feature was unique among the others in this issue. It was a series of strips that you could cut horizontally and tape together into a paper film strip, viewed through a paper backdrop drawn at the top of the page. Tad's final adventure occurred in NEW FUN COMICS 3, April 1935.
- (1:07:20) BUBBY AND BEEVIL, a humor strip, was written and drawn by Dick Loederer. Bubby and Beevil's last misadventure was in NEW FUN COMICS 3, April 1935.
(1:07:41) The animal humor strip PELION AND OSSA was written and drawn by John Lindermeyer, who signed his work as Kevin Hay. Their last adventure was also in NEW FUN COMICS 3, April 1935.
- (1:08:35) This issue's final strip was the science fiction adventure 2023: SUPER POLICE, written by John Finch and drawn by Joseph Clemens Gretter, who signed his name as Clem Gretter. The Science Police investigated their last case in MORE FUN COMICS 14, October 1936.
- (1:10:11) After the reprinted issue, there were a few essays to round out this book. The first was titled, THE MAJOR WHO MADECOMICS, about Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, written by his Granddaughter, Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson. She provides a brief biography about her Grandfather, how his interests in life helped shape the features that were included in this first issue, and some of the talented comic book creators whose careers he helped influence.u
- (1:10:38) NEW FUN 1 - THE CONTRIBUTORS, brief biographies of  most of the creators in this issue, also provided by Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson, with special thanks to David Saunders for his original research.
- (1:11:17) The book's final essay was titled, A TABLOID TRADITION CONTINUES, written by Editor Benjamin Le Clear, Manager of DC Comics Library Archives. He explains how and why this issues printed at tabloid size, and a brief history of the evolution of the size of comic books, and finally the origin of the FAMOUS FIRST EDITION series in the 1970's.
- Next episode we return to our journey through the Silver Age Adventures of Superman with: SUPERMAN FAMILY COMIC BOOKS  COVER DATED MAY 1966: PART I: WORLD'S FINEST COMICS 157, PART II: SUPERMAN 186, PART III: SUPERMAN'S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE 65 & PART IV: ACTION COMICS 337 with ELSEWHERE IN DC COMICS' May or May/June 1966 titles.
The home for THE SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST is http://thesupermanfanpodcast.blogspot.com. Send e-mail to [email protected] can join the SUPERMAN FAN PODCASTGroup or Page on facebook, and follow the podcast on twitter @supermanpodcast. You can also keep track of the podcast on Tumblr, Medium, Flipboard, the Internet Archive, tunein, Stitcher, Amazon and Instagram.
SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST is a proud member of:
- The LEAGUE OF COMIC BOOK PODCASTERS and
- The COMICS PODCAST NETWORK. 
The theme of this podcast is PLANS IN MOTION, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com. "Plans in Motion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any art shown on this podcast is for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit. I make no claims of ownership of these images, nor do I earn any money from this podcast.
If you are interested in my artwork, go to wayfarerercomics.wordpress.com. I am available for commissions, so click on the Art Commissions tab for more information. If interested, send an e-mail to [email protected].
Thanks for listening to the SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, creators of Superman!
And don't forget to take care of each other out there.
2 notes · View notes
daleisgreat · 3 years
Text
Firefly & Serenity (2005)
youtube
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
After spending a few years devouring and writing about my voyages with the entirety of Star Trek: The Next Generation, I thought I would go with a different sci-fi franchise that was quicker to consume. Within a few months, I was able to re-watch all of 2002’s Firefly TV series that had a tragically short 14 episode run, along with its 2005 film to conclude their story arc, Serenity (trailer). I already watched both many years ago, but a few years back, I upgraded both to BluRays, and this was the perfect opportunity to jump in and re-experience the cult hit sci-fi/western hybrid created by Joss Whedon. Firefly kicks off with a two-part "Serenity" special that establishes the ensemble cast and the catalyst that brings the crew together on the vessel, Serenity. In the far-flung future, the United States and China emerged as the two dominant superpowers to colonize outer space, and thus everyone only speaks English and Chinese. After some time, a civil war brews up between the two dominant powers. This results in Captain Malcom Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his second-in-command, Zoë (Gina Torres), on the losing end in the war's final battle to kick off Firefly's opening scene. The opening battle scene is an impressive CG-feast for a TV series budget.
Tumblr media
The next scene jumps forward six years, where Malcom and Zoë now command a small independent salvager vessel, Serenity. They work for whoever pays the most, usually transporting sketchy cargo discreetly, which leads them to a heated wild west-esque gunfight on land with other scoundrels after the same shipment. Also aboard Serenity is their trusty mechanic, Kaylee (Jewel Staite), a working companion, Inara (Morena Baccarin), the comic relief muscle, Jayne (Adam Baldwin), the pilot and husband of Zoë, Wash (Alan Tudyk), their mysterious person of faith, Shephard Book (Ron Glass), and the siblings that are fugitives on the run: Dr. Simon (Sean Maher) and his sister, River (Summer Glau). It is quite the crew, but for nearly the entire run of the show, the showrunners do a fine job at balancing out adequate TV time for most of them, and by the end, they have charmingly dysfunctional family chemistry between them all. Nathan Fillion receives major credit for his tremendous work as the lead role in the series as the charismatic Captain Malcom Reynolds. His never-give-up, DIY spirit to consistently turn the insurmountable odds against him is an irresistible character quality that makes it impossible to hate him. He has a unique relationship with nearly everyone on the ship, and it is exciting to see how those relationships develop and grow during the oh-so-brief run of the show. Pardon the aside, but Nathan Fillion and his character on the show are nearly a dead ringer for the protagonist, Nathan Drake, of the mega-hit Playstation game series, Uncharted. When first playing the original PS3 game, I thought for sure it was him. When there was an announcement that they were going to try and make the game into a movie, there was a huge outpouring of fan support to cast Fillion as Nathan Drake until the movie fell apart and never made it into production. At least Fillion was part of this unofficial Uncharted short film as a nice tease of what would have been. Back to the matter at hand now….
Tumblr media
On my notes for Firefly and Star Trek: TNG, I would give a brief description of each episode and would put a star next to it if I enjoyed the episode. It should go without saying how much I enjoyed Firefly when I ended up "star-ing" 11 of the 14 episodes. Here are some highlights from a few of my favorites: "Train Job" is exactly as the episode title indicates, and I was all in on this episode to see the many twists and turns it took for the Serenity crew to evade authorities throughout their heist. "Safe" sees River and Simon kidnapped as more of their past is unveiled. "Jaynestown" is a top three episode of the series that sees Jayne return to a settlement years later after an earlier job where he is adored as a legend by the local townsfolk, complete with the local tavern bard singing a song of his past heroics. "Ariel" is another standout from the season that sees the gang attempt another heist for medical supplies at a hospital, but naturally, nothing goes according to plan. "The Message" has Malcom and Zoë on an escort mission to deliver a fallen comrade to his home, but like all episodes, not all is as it seems to be. "Heart of Gold" features the best on-land wild west shootouts in the series, as most of the episode builds to a climactic final battle that lives up to the buildup. Finally, the inadvertent series finale, "Objects in Space" sees the crew overcome their qualms with Simon and River and embrace them as part of Serenity….all while dealing with an assassin who snuck onto the ship.
Tumblr media
Unfortunately, FOX suddenly pulled the plug on the show after it failed to deliver in the ratings without airing three of the 14 episodes. Thanks to an overwhelming amount of fan support, Universal stepped in to put an exclamation point on the series with a theatrical movie to wrap up as many plot threads as they could in two hours with the 2005 film, Serenity. A constant in the TV series was how Simon busted his sister out of an experimental center doing eerie treatments. As a result, River is in a precarious state throughout the series. One of the two big plot points in the film reveals the secrets of the experiments on River, and the origins of the menacing threat, the Reavers. The Reavers were only touched upon in a couple of episodes that set them up as a grandiose threat to all life. On top of that threat, and hot on the heels of the Serenity crew, is an unnamed assassin (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who has early encounters with Malcom that prove he is a vastly superior match in wits and combat.
Tumblr media
The film is a constant cat and mouse chase with Malcom and company trying to stay one step ahead of the assassin while also discovering the answers to some of these mysteries that were left hanging when the show came to an abrupt halt. It culminates with a fantastic final act that felt similar to the "suicide run" mission in the Mass Effect 2 video game. Here, the crew comes together to put a final front against the Reavers and the assassin while trying to expose some of humanity's deepest and darkest secrets. Watching Serenity again all these years later felt like the cast and crew wrapped everything up as best as they possibly could in the theatrical time allotted. Both Firefly and Serenity BluRays have a fair amount of extras. The TV series has three worth checking out. Here's How it Was is a half-hour must-watch that details the lore and characters of the show and details the behind-the-scenes drama with FOX. Firefly Reunion is a luncheon with Joss Whedon and cast members that have them reminiscing with the show's stories and memories several years later. Serenity: The 10th Character is a thorough breakdown of the spacecraft and its set design we all fell for throughout the show's run. There are commentaries with various cast and crew members on most episodes and two commentaries for the movie.
Tumblr media
I viewed the film commentary track with Whedon and most of the cast, and it is absolutely worth checking out. It has very few lulls and lots of chemistry still there as they shared anecdotes like Glau's fight camp training she had to endure and Whedon's cuts he had to make to ensure a PG-13 rating. Make sure to have subtitles on for the commentary because Whedon cuts off the audio commentary right as the credits start as his stated rule, but the subtitled commentary continues until the end of the credits and seems almost like a secret meeting that should not have been on the disc. There is a slick "Alliance Database" interactive menu feature on the Serenity BluRay that felt like exploring the galaxy map in the Mass Effect games to learn more info and lore from the franchise. Two other recommended extras on the Serenity disc are Re-Lighting a Firefly, which is a 10-minute piece on how the fans brought the franchise back with this film. A Filmmaker's Journey is a unique 20 minute extra primarily focusing on the first table read for the film's script and interviewing the cast on that special intangible feeling with all of them sitting down together again for the first time since the show went off the air.
Tumblr media
I know I am far from the first and last person to be glowing over Firefly and Serenity. If by some chance, you have not seen it and you are a fan of sci-fi, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this enough. This brand has the mysteries of deep space, an endearing cast worth investing in, and land-based wild-west action that combines to be an exquisite entertainment dish well worth devouring. Regardless of how much of a bow the film put on the franchise, I cannot help but crave more adventures from Mal and company, and any sci-fi fan will be doing themselves a disservice for skipping over Firefly and Serenity. Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers: Endgame The Avengers: Infinity War Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve The Clapper Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed I & II Deck the Halls Detroit Rock City Die Hard Dirty Work Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Grunt: The Wrestling Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Hell Comes to Frogtown Hercules: Reborn Hitman I Like to Hurt People Indiana Jones 1-4 Inglourious Basterds Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Justice League (2017 Whedon Cut) Last Action Hero Major League Mallrats Man of Steel Man on the Moon Man vs Snake Marine 3-6 Merry Friggin Christmas Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets Nintendo Quest Not for Resale Old Joy Payback (Director’s Cut) Pulp Fiction The Punisher (1989) The Ref The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VIII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Pilgrim vs the World The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Slacker Skyscraper Small Town Santa Speed Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Sully Take Me Home Tonight TMNT Trauma Center The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild The Wizard Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Days of Future Past
0 notes
prairiechzhead · 7 years
Text
Poldark S3 US Ep 5/UK Ep 6
Let’s see if my opinions from this post by @poldarkpodcast​ still hold up. 
First, a disclaimer. I rewatch the DVD I have and then I write most of this post. Then I watch the PBS broadcast to reconcile the full UK episode I’ve been watching and their edited for time US broadcast, because there is always the chance that something I referenced in my original post was edited out of the US broadcast. 
More answers than you can shake a toad at after the jump. 
What did you think of this week’s episode? 
For me, it was so-so. I didn’t hate it, but I wasn’t left ugly-crying like I was after last week’s episode.
The previous episode was full of action and feels and all the things. This one was not as exciting. But that’s not a bad thing because this episode both signals a wind down from Black Moon story lines and a shift into the Four Swans story arcs. 
Your favourite scene? Why? Basically any scene where Aunt Agatha threw shade at George. Also I loved the discussion between Dwight and Caroline at the end of the show. I think it captured both how each was feeling (in regards to Dwight’s PTSD) and showed that understanding each other is the key to dealing with this. When someone has a mental illness, the family has to deal with it, too, and more often than not, there isn’t much support for them.
I’ve been binge-listening to an older version of the audio book for Black Moon. (Basically, someone ripped it from a CD.) When the narrator is doing Aunt Agatha’s voice, he makes her sound like Gollum, especially when she’s talking about planning her birthday party. This has nothing to do with the scenes in the show, or which ones I like. It’s an observation I wish to share. 
One of my favorite scenes though, is a very short one with Agatha and George, where George is looking at Valentine in his cradle and Agatha makes a remark about being bullied and why George was bullied as a child. It wasn’t that he was poor, but it was because he was trying to deny his humble roots. She mentioned Valentine’s having rickets. 
Another one was that brief moment when Agatha gave Whitworth the stink eye towards the end of the episode. 
Least favourite scene? Why? Ossie’s toe sucking scene. If I were to ever consider toe sucking as a kink, this scene basically ruined it for me. That image of his porcine, red face with someone else’s toes in his mouth and then making the same sounds I do whenever I eat tiramisu will forever be seared on my brain. I can never “unknow” that this exists on film.
Three months later and its still gross. 
Tumblr media
Shockingly, PBS left the toe sucking scene (or most of it) in the episode. They did edit out most of Ossie’s orgasm noises, though. 
It’s just as disgusting as it was the first time. See? 
Tumblr media
I’m not into kink-shaming. But this never, ever makes me want to participate in this kink, either giving or receiving ever. Is it possible to gouge out your mind’s eye? 
Tumblr media
Favourite new character? Why?
There were no new characters in this episode, but my favorite character was Aunt Agatha and her sassiness.
Her excitement over planning her 100th birthday party is one of the joys of this episode. 
Tumblr media
Least favourite new character? Why?
George and his stupid, over-the-top, “Ross is behind every bad thing that ever happens to me” paranoia. If “When George blames Ross for something that goes wrong in George’s life” is not already part of the Poldark Drinking Game, it should be. I can handle that he does things to hurt others if it means personal gain for him. I’m tired of how the writers are having his main motivation always be trying to one-up Ross, rather than stay with his main motivation being his insecurity as it is in the novels.
My thoughts on this haven’t changed and I addressed it last week. As over the top as it is, it’s building to something in the season finale. At the time I wrote this, I did not know it. 
What made you cheer?
Zacky’s promotion to mine captain. While I am sure that there is no one in Cornwall who wishes that it had to happen because Henshawe died, I’m also sure that everyone will agree that Zacky earned it.
This time, I’m going to cheer over the fact that PBS edited out most of Ossie’s orgasm noises when he was sucking on that prostitute’s toes. 
Tumblr media
For what it’s worth, PBS cut out Zacky’s promotion scene. Not happy about that. 
Tumblr media
What made you want to throw things at the television/computer screen?
George blackmailing Morwenna into marrying Reverend Toesucker to keep Drake from the noose. Then having Drake find out about this the way he did. I know it’s for Drama™, but to me, it seemed way too over-the-top. The only thing that was missing was a mustache for George to twirl as he gloated over this.
This plot point was changed from the novel. Winston Graham likes to spring things on the reader and the characters, but in an understated way. One example is in the book Demelza with Julia’s death. We (the reader) don’t learn she died until Demelza’s fever broke. She asks to see Julia and Ross tells her that Julia was asleep or something like that. Then Ross wonders how he should break the news to Demelza that their daughter died. It was the same with Morwenna’s marriage. 
Novel Spoilers:
The wedding was held while Drake was in France, but neither Drake, Ross, nor the readers learned of this until after they returned. Then we learn the details. The engagement between Whitworth and Morwenna was never technically broken and she was not coerced into marrying Ossie as a condition of Drake’s release. Basically, George and Elizabeth lied to her about sending her home and releasing Ossie from the engagement. Elizabeth came to Morwenna on a Sunday and basically told her that the Whitworths were coming to Trenwith and there would be a wedding whether she liked it or not. Morwenna was misled and forced into marriage with this man, because George had dropped the charges against Drake. Because of the times and the circumstances, Morwenna was trapped. 
The audio book narrator in the version I’m listening to who is doing Elizabeth’s voice makes Elizabeth sound especially creepy in this section. 
Tumblr media
So to a reader of the novels, the way they handled this would seem over the top. However, given how it was handled in the novels, the “I’ll let Drake go if you marry Ossie” ploy is actually less icky and makes Elizabeth and George look like way better people than how they looked in the books. It also makes Morwenna look like she’s making a sacrifice for her true love rather than be forced into a marriage to a horrible man because it’s the 18th century and she has no say in it at all. 
Most of Caroline’s reaction to Dwight’s PTSD, but particularly the line “why are you being so girly” was cut. People had taken exception with this originally last summer, because she was “insensitive”. Her reaction to his PTSD is correct for that time and place. You cannot expect someone in the 18th century to know how to react based upon the knowledge we have in the 21st century. There is no way she could know how she is supposed to react. 
Another “throw things” moment is the toad storyline. In the novels, it was a prank. On the show, it’s way too over the top. They gave George a phobia that seems to be the result of being bullied, so it’s not quite as funny as it was intended. 
Tumblr media
In the novels, George did do some impressive mental gymnastics to try and pin the toad prank on Ross, though.
What was your performance of the week?
Caroline Blakiston as Aunt Agatha. She gave us the perfect blend of sassy shade-throwing, serious advice giving when it was needed, and sheer joy when she talked of her party.
I also would say that Elise Chappel deserves a nod for her portrayal of Morwenna in this episode. I do feel her pain. 
So to both ladies...
Tumblr media
Any other observations you wish to share with us!
We’re over halfway through the season now. At this point, I think season 3 is okay. However, the more I watch it, the more I pick up on things I may have missed the first few times I watched, and my opinion on it will change. Because of so many new characters and story lines, it may have been better in retrospect, if they’d done only Black Moon for season 3. Then perhaps they could have taken the time to tell the story properly and without it feeling choppy at times and rushed.
I still think they should have only done Black Moon for all of Season 3. Then there would have been enough time to give to those storylines. By doing this, Four Swans, which is basically where this episode falls (with a few storylines not yet finished from Black Moon thrown in), would be all of Season 4. Then we would be guaranteed a Season 5, which would be Angry Tide, and then they could end the entire show with Angry Tide. 
They used the same exact footage of Ross riding into the gates of Trenwith and dismounting from his horse twice in this episode. First, when he visited Agatha and second, when he went to see George over Drake’s arrest for theft. 
Something I’ve wondered about the PBS broadcast:
How come Darlene Shiley always gets to personally tell us how much she loves drama and Masterpiece, but Conrad Prebys and Debbie Turner don’t? Why? 
Next Time: Oh this episode will be a doozy. It has been 3 months since it aired in the UK and I still haven’t been able to rewatch this. 
10 notes · View notes
usernamefiaren-blog · 7 years
Text
Exclusive artists?
Before you start reading this, I would like you to know that I haven’t done extensive research into this topic. This is just my personal view or opinion about this. This piece is in no way academic, it’s merely a way of starting a discussion by mentioning my own views on this.
Let’s think back 10-30 years ago. Everyone knew who Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Beatles, AC/DC, Van Halen and Mötley Crüe were. Each of these were massive global super stars in their own genre. Each genre had a few artists that most people will know and who are still able to sell out arena’s after 20-30 years, because their music still appeals to the masses. Except for the ones who passed away obviously, sorry MJ. So who are the global super stars of the past decade? Justin Bieber? Well, yes but he only appeals to young girls. One Direction or 5 Seconds of Summer? Same story. Then what about Drake or Jay-Z? That is getting closer, but again they appeal to a certain type of demographic and lifestyle. So which artists exist in modern day Great-Britain that everyone agrees on?
If I think about a global super star I don’t think about someone in a certain genre. I think about artists that have been able to sell out arena tour after arena tour, because of their music. Not because of their live show with pyrotechnics or flying objects. In my opinion you cannot call someone a global super star unless they can check these next three things:
-          Their album sales are insane and one song stays in the UK charts for multiple weeks
-          They don’t have to use fancy technology and background dancers to make their show interesting
-          Everyone knows at least one song of the artist, whether you know the artist or not
So if we look at these three points two artists spring to mind; Ed Sheeran and Adele. So why are they so successful? Ed Sheeran’s last album entered the UK charts in full, the first 16 songs on the charts was the entire Ed Sheeran Divide album. Adele has spent 53 weeks in the top 10 of the UK charts of which 8 weeks at number one. They both don’t have any fancy extra’s to their shows. Adele makes jokes on stage and Ed Sheeran is just a bloke with a guitar. So what makes them so special?
I think to answer this question we need to look at the amount of singles and albums they have released. Starting in 2008 until now Adele has released 4 albums. 19, 21, Live at the Royal Albert Hall and 25. That is 4 albums, one of which a live album, in nearly a decade. So now we know that she hasn’t released that much music. What about Ed Sheeran? Starting from 2011 with his first album + after that came x and just a few months ago he released . So again that is 3 albums in 6 years. Drake has also released 4 albums starting in 2010, but he has also released 2 compilation albums, 5 mixtapes and a playlist. So in the 7 years that drake has been releasing music he has provided his fans with way more content than Adele and Ed Sheeran have.
When it comes to live performances Ed Sheeran has been away since December 2015 until he just started his new tour. So I think the popularity of these two artist has got something to do with the exclusiveness of their music. They have only on average released one album every 2 years and their tours haven’t been hyped up as much as those of Justin Bieber or One Direction. In my personal opinion I think that most people are so hyped up for Adele and Ed Sheeran’s new music and their tours because they don’t tend to have the highest amount of media coverage and they don’t release a new single every year. I think the exclusiveness of their music makes people feel like they are part of something special, something that may well be a once-in-a-lifetime-thing, even though we all know it isn’t. In other entertainment forms we can see the same thing going on with the exact same effect. If we look at TV we see that the Sherlock series gets a lot of views, because there’s only one season every two years and that season is only 3, 90 minute episodes long. When it comes to films, I predict J.K. Rowling’s  Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is going to do the same. She has planned to release 5 films, but the next one is not to be released until 2018, even though the first one was released in 2016.
I think it makes people feel special to be part of something ‘’exclusive’’ and that is my reasoning behind the success of Adele and Ed Sheeran.
Again, this is just my way of thinking, if you feel differently about it feel free to leave a note with your own reasoning. I have only used the UK charts as reference for this piece and that is where I based most of my judgements on.
I don’t know if I’m going to continue my series with artists or that I’m going to write more stuff like this, but I guess you’ll find out next week.
1 note · View note
femkebekker-blog · 7 years
Text
Artists: Supermarkets own brand, or exclusive limited edition top brand?
Before you start reading this, I would like you to know that I haven’t done extensive research into this topic. This is just my personal view or opinion about this. This piece is in no way academic, it’s merely a way of starting a discussion by mentioning my own views on this.
Let’s think back 10-30 years ago. Everyone knew who Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Beatles, AC/DC, Van Halen and Mötley Crüe were. Each of these were massive global super stars in their own genre. Each genre had a few artists that most people will know and who are still able to sell out arena’s after 20-30 years, because their music still appeals to the masses. Except for the ones who passed away obviously, sorry MJ. So who are the global super stars of the past decade? Justin Bieber? Well, yes but he only appeals to young girls. One Direction or 5 Seconds of Summer? Same story. Then what about Drake or Jay-Z? That is getting closer, but again they appeal to a certain type of demographic and lifestyle. So which artists exist in modern day Great-Britain that everyone agrees on?
If I think about a global super star I don’t think about someone in a certain genre. I think about artists that have been able to sell out arena tour after arena tour, because of their music. Not because of their live show with pyrotechnics or flying objects. In my opinion you cannot call someone a global super star unless they can check these next three things:
-          Their album sales are insane and one song stays in the UK charts for multiple weeks
-          They don’t have to use fancy technology and background dancers to make their show interesting
-          Everyone knows at least one song of the artist, whether you know the artist or not
So if we look at these three points two artists spring to mind; Ed Sheeran and Adele. So why are they so successful? Ed Sheeran’s last album entered the UK charts in full, the first 16 songs on the charts was the entire Ed Sheeran Divide album. Adele has spent 53 weeks in the top 10 of the UK charts of which 8 weeks at number one. They both don’t have any fancy extra’s to their shows. Adele makes jokes on stage and Ed Sheeran is just a bloke with a guitar. So what makes them so special?
I think to answer this question we need to look at the amount of singles and albums they have released. Starting in 2008 until now Adele has released 4 albums. 19, 21, Live at the Royal Albert Hall and 25. That is 4 albums, one of which a live album, in nearly a decade. So now we know that she hasn’t released that much music. What about Ed Sheeran? Starting from 2011 with his first album + after that came x and just a few months ago he released . So again that is 3 albums in 6 years. Drake has also released 4 albums starting in 2010, but he has also released 2 compilation albums, 5 mixtapes and a playlist. So in the 7 years that drake has been releasing music he has provided his fans with way more content than Adele and Ed Sheeran have.
When it comes to live performances Ed Sheeran has been away since December 2015 until he just started his new tour. So I think the popularity of these two artist has got something to do with the exclusiveness of their music. They have only on average released one album every 2 years and their tours haven’t been hyped up as much as those of Justin Bieber or One Direction. In my personal opinion I think that most people are so hyped up for Adele and Ed Sheeran’s new music and their tours because they don’t tend to have the highest amount of media coverage and they don’t release a new single every year. I think the exclusiveness of their music makes people feel like they are part of something special, something that may well be a once-in-a-lifetime-thing, even though we all know it isn’t. In other entertainment forms we can see the same thing going on with the exact same effect. If we look at TV we see that the Sherlock series gets a lot of views, because there’s only one season every two years and that season is only 3, 90 minute episodes long. When it comes to films, I predict J.K. Rowling’s  Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is going to do the same. She has planned to release 5 films, but the next one is not to be released until 2018, even though the first one was released in 2016.
I think it makes people feel special to be part of something ‘’exclusive’’ and that is my reasoning behind the success of Adele and Ed Sheeran.
Again, this is just my way of thinking, if you feel differently about it feel free to leave a note with your own reasoning. I have only used the UK charts as reference for this piece and that is where I based most of my judgements on.
0 notes