#we’re going to get 1989 tv slowly
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Nostalgia sells - or does it? About BBC’s rehiring of a previous showrunner for Doctor Who as a marketing strategy
All, right, this is the one where I deal with my issues about RTD’s rehiring from the standpoint of BBC’s business strategy . Brace for passive agression, swearwords, brief history of british television and numbers. So, so many numbers.
Allright, so I already wrote a post about my problem with RTD’s (re)hire from the creative standpoint (it’s here in case you’re interested), but hey, I can bitch about it all I want, but we all know what caused the BBC to make this decision, right? You’ve heard about it for sure. The Dropping Ratings. You’ve read about it on so many posts, lots of them probably oh-so-gladly conflating this fact with their own opinion about the deteriorating quality of the show. (Don’t worry, we’ll get to that.) So Obviously the execs at the Big BBC Quarters needed to do something about it, and what better way to go than rehire a guy who’s run at Doctor Who is a warm childhood memory for so many in it’s fanbase? After all, it’s what we’re seeing nowadays: from Star Wars return to wave of 80′s nostalgia to every old blockbuster star doing a comeback, there is but a single conclusion - nostalgia sells.
Or does it?
Part One: Moving with the change; or very much refusing to.
Let’s start this off with some facts about the ratings for Doctor Who. (Well, I warned you there’s gonna be numbers, didn’t I. Stick with me, I’m going somewhere with this I promise.) In it’s beginnings, in the sixties and seventies , the series flown high, averaging a viewership from 8 up to 10 million viewers per season. Collin Baker’s series 17 brought in a record of 11.21 milion viewer asses in front of a good ol’ TV screen, real champagne opener here. But, as it happens, things were downhill from here. During the eighties, the rating started dropping steadily, reaching an all-time low of 4.15 milion couch-warming bottoms in 1989, the last season of the classic era.
Years passed, 16 of those years to be exact, and here comes our saviour RTD. Under his wings, the revived series premiered, bringing in over 10 milion viewers to the premiere episode of season 1, Rose. A viewership this high did not last for long, but still, RTD’s seasons averaged between 7 and 8 milion viewers per season, which seemed pretty respectable. But then, as the story likes to repeat itself, not unlike the bbc execs just did, along came the decline again. Ever since 2010, the ratings began steadily dropping again, from 7.95 in 2010 to 5.46 in 2017. Then DW experienced an unexpected peak in 2018 with the premiere of Jodie Whittaker’s first season, which averaged 7.96 viewing asses, but then continued the dropping trend on the next season, averaging 5.40 viewing butts.
So what went wrong?
You see, part of the reason that Doctor Who was bringing in such great viewership numbers in the 60′s and 70′s, was that, to put it simply, BBC did not have much competition. Or, to be exact, only had one competitor. ITV was literally founded in order to break BBC’s monopoly over British television. But in the 80′s, with the launch of Channel 4 and Sky, the british viewers had more and more options to choose from. So logically speaking, they no longer had to watch BBC’s programming just because there was nothing else on. There was more and more new programes to boredom-watch. And here’s something y’all need to know about the tv industry: the boredom-watchers, the casuals? That’s the most important demographic. As hard as it might be to swallow, us hardcore fans, forum dwellers and Ao3 gremlins, we’re not as big of a group as we’d like to think. Loving fans are important to the tv execs as providers of word-of-mouth advertisment, but the real numbers come from the casual, everyday viewer who will just put on the next episode cause the other one was kinda fun I guess. Or more fun than the other options, anyway.
And this is why, by the way, when someone is conflating low viewership with the show Dissapointing The Fans, they’re full of shit. I’m sorry, but we’re really not that much of a force here, definitely not enough to make such a big impact on the numbers. Another factor, that some of you probably noticed already, is that the numbers I’m quoting are from british tv only, while the online fandom is very much international, so our opinions matter even less to the british execs, I’m sorry again, hard pill to swallow I know, but true nonetheless.
But I digress. So, to sum up the previous paragraph, Doctor Who’s viewership decline in the 80′s was the effect of the changing landscape of the TV industry, with which the BBC struggled to come to terms with.
Sound familiar?
Let’s move on to the 2010′s, shall we?
2010 was is actually a good marker of a year to choose, because it marks one important thing that begun a big change in the industry. This was the year in which Netflix expanded their services overseas, from being a DVD rental company to providing VOD services. Over the next decade streaming services grew in importance, from being an add-on to your cable TV that you didn’t really want but they were throwing it in for cheap, to very much self-sustainable media services you might very well buy instead of buying the cable. And if you look at the numbers for Doctor Who viewership declining over the last 10 years, that’s precisely what’s been happening. It’s not that people don’t want to watch Doctor Who on tv, they don’t want to watch tv in general. Do you know what was the most popular channel in Britain this year? Can you guess? Fucking Netflix that’s what. It’s just slowly-yet-steadily ceasing to be the way we use home entertainment anymore. Again, not much to do with the audience approval, because for that matter, let’s see about the specific episodes that saw the spikes in viewership.
Rose, which i mentioned at the start of it, was for the longest time the unquestionable queen when it comes to viewership, at 10.81 milion. The next episode, The End of the World, pulled in 7.97 - almost 3 millions worth of lost viewer-butts in one week? Is it because it was so much worse than it’s predecessor? No, it simply did not have the smell of Newness, the Event You Must See, and as such brought forth less of the casual viewers who were simply curious about The New Thing. The next season followed the similar formula, peaking at the premiere, when the marketing was at it’s strongest, going down during the season, sometimes rising slightly for the finale, sometimes not. The most popular episodes are, of course, the specials - yet again, the vibe of The Event To Be Seen worked here, but one more thing working to their advantage is they often aired in spaces between seasons, serving as both a long-waited Crumbs of Content for the fans, and the basically stand-alones for the casuals. Do you know what the single most watched episode of revived DW is? No, it’s not Tennant’s goodbye with the role (yeah I know, I thought it had to be that as well). It was Voyage of the Damned, between seasons 3 and 4. The perfect standalone for the casual watcher. And last but not least, you know one more special feature that brought, maybe not as much, but definitely more than expected? The 1996 movie Doctor Who, with 9.08 million. Again, a perfect standalone.
But the standalones aren’t the only way to grab the viewership. The currently-highest viewing non-special episode of DW? The Woman Who Fell to Earth, Jodie Whittaker’s introduction. In 2018 no less, in the year when the streaming was the ruler supreme, this episode brought a whooping 10.96 million buts to the good ol’ TV again. Let me reiterate: this episode brought in more viewers than Rose did in 2005, while having WAY more competition and way less favorable circumstances of release that RTD’s debiut did. Not only that, it managed to bring on some numbers for the entire season as well, not as good of course as the premiere (because again, the Event vibes faded), but still brought a better average than the last six seasons did. (Again, let me reiterate: more than the last SIX seasons. More viewership than any series since 2010, since the Streaming Wars.) So clearly, this must be the way, right? Catering to this Weird New Trend, that saw directors notice there do in fact exist other actors than white men, that surely brought in some profit, even Marvel does it now, right? Out with the old, in with the new!
Part 2 The Deceitful Charm of Nostalgia
Well, it turns out the whole Doing New Things deal didn’t work out that well after all, now did it? The second season penned by Chibbnal averaged 5.40 milion, that’s 2.5 million drop from the previous one! It must mean it didn’t work, right? Well, yes and no. As much as the refreshment of the formula as simple as Let’s Put A Woman In It absolutely worked for one season, it very visibly did not hold up for longer. An Event-Episode is something that can still happen on TV, Event-Series? That’s pretty much reserved for streaming now, if you think about it, and it’s honestly kind of a miracle that Series 11 did as well as it had. Two consecutive Event-Series on network tv? Flat out impossible.
So how to make those ratings great again? How to get those butts in seats of the Good Ol’? Well, the execs of the BBC have a plan for that. They brought in a devouring beast, and it’s name is: Nostalgia.
Without a doubt, there is a number of people who feel nostalgic about RTD’s era of Doctor Who. It’s a lot of people’s fond childhood memory, or the series they started with, and judging by the numbers, there should be quite a lot of them. So the new plan, as it appears, is to get to those who maybe lost interest in the show and lure them with the promise of the thing That Is Totally Like The Thing You Used To Love, Remember? (This is why I don’t actually think that RTD will be allowed to do anything new and interesting, that’s not what they hired him for. And that’s why I think this is bad from the creative standpoint.) So there are two questions here: One, will the people be lured? And two, for how long?
Nostalgia as a marketing strategy is something that you’re probably sick of seeing already (I know I am). But it has very much been effective on many levels, especially the eighties-baiting, Stranger Things style, can bring a new IP up to relevance. But what about old IP’s that want to have a comeback?
It’s kind of dificult to find another TV show that I could compare to Doctor Who. Most series that have been running for that long are mostly soap operas, that operate on slightly different rules, and are also targeted to a different audience. So as much as the movie series is still not exactly the best comparison, when I think about a big IP, campy sci-fi, family-oriented (at least in theory) on its path back to relevance, I think about Star Wars, obviously. The Force Awakens gambled on that nostalgic feeling and won big, but the next two movies, while still financially successful, were nowhere near the astounding success of the first one. And that’s because - you guessed it - it created the Event You Must See again, The Great Comeback, but merely two years later, the comeback became old news. So what we can gain from that is that nostalgia can create an Event as well as a new trend, if not better. But the question remains: how long will that last?
That is, after all, the main difference between a movie franchise and a TV series in the traditional, network TV sense of the word: movie franchise must bring in the viewership every year or two, and TV series must bring in viewers every week for at least two months. Is RTD’s Nostalgia Vibes enough to provide for that?
I’ll say this: I’m absolutely certain that the 60th anniversary will be very popular. I still don’t think it will break any records because, as I’ve been trying to explain for this whole post, it is not 2007 anymore no matter how much the tv execs would like it to be. But ironically, the almost-certain success of the special is the very thing that could undermine the effect of bringing their precious Nostagia Boi back onboard. Remember, the first Event Episode is The Big Oof. That’s the one that gets asses to the Good Ol’, if anything ever does. After the first big event one, that’s the point when things start going down. They’re wasting their Special Event Boi for something that already would be an event, dear fucking gods, I hate your plan and I would still execute it better. Either have RTD be the Anniversary Guy and then hire someone new, use that hype and keep it going, OR have RTD come in after the anniversary, then at least you get the Event Effect for the premiere of his first return season. Fukin’ amateurs.
But even if they did that, here’s the thing: do you think that the people who departed from the show years ago actually want to watch another three to five seasons of The RTD Show? I mean, I’m sure the thought warmed some hearts, for sure. A number of people will definitely gladly watch the anniversary, probably the first few episodes of the first return to the basics, but after that? In the world when, due to streaming, they have an easy way to revisit the actual thing they’re nostalgic towards? I honestly don’t think so. And you’re not really gonna get many new people by going back, if that nostalgia factor isn’t there. And then there’s casual viewers, the backbone, as we established. And here’s the thing: lots of those people don’t even know who the current showrunner is, cause they’re not Terminally Online like we are, and the second thing? Lots of those people ARE JUST NOT WATCHING NETWORK TV, IM SORRY GARRY. They’re just. They’re just not. I don’t know how to spell it out better. Even my mum has netflix now. Your biggest base is in another castle mate, gotta get moving and gotta get moving quick, cause here’s another thing: all the nostalgia in the world will not do SHIT for you if your target, people who were kids/teens when the RTD era was airing, PROBABLY DON’T EVEN HAVE A FUCKING TV ANYMORE CAUSE THEY MOVED OUT OF THEIR PARENTS FLAT AND LOTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE JUST DON’T BOTHER. Just. I’m sorry but you’re trying to resuscitate a decade-deceased corpse there buddy. It just won’t work. The times have changed and you gotta swim or drown, and it’s just not gonna be 2005 again, no matter how hard you pretend it is. It’s not your content it’s your business model. Just push more marketing for your iplayer or whatever, focus on streaming as your primary not your secondary cause that’s just what it is now, and maybe don’t rely on the viewer-counting systems of the yesteryear to evaluate your business. Or else you’re gonna get stuck sacrificing the creative growth of your show for a marketing strategy that probably won’t even fucking WORK.
There, I got it of my chest. Feel free to reblog, and also: you somehow got to the end of this, congrats! I’ll make numbers nerds out of y’all yet.
#it's like. my sister and I were#watching a movie lately. the one with multiple will smiths and the de-aging tech#(don't recommend it it's real boring)#but when Youngened Will Smith appeared on the screen my sister got my spiting my tea laughing by innocently saying:#"oh i don't know this actor. it's nice that they're giving opportunities to the young actors. great to see a new face in the biz''#and u know what#this rehire is the same fucking vibe to me#some cunts from marketing plastering make-up to an old man's face and pretending its 2005 still#anyway#doctor who#i guess.
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Bill and Ted do a scary movie marathon but then cant sleep
hello yes its no surprise that my first thought was nightmare on elm street so we're going with a 5 movie marathon of THAT up to the 1989 film HAHA 🤙 hope you enjoy!!
A/N: there are some very vague spoilers for the nightmare on elm street series (i mean like VAGUE) and also uhh small warning for like mentions of the slashing in the films?? its NOES i mean 🤷
this came out very kinda cute and idk if that's what you wanted but it's what my brain created 🎸
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Bill and Ted have never done very well with especially scary movies.
Of course, they could handle one by itself, so long as it's followed up by something else lighthearted and definitely not The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
However, the newest A Nightmare On Elm Street was supposed to be coming out soon, and it was Bill's brightest of ideas that they marathon the first five in preparation for the plotline. The last thing Bill remembered happening, vaguely, is an unborn baby and something about a nun. Ted hardly remembered the first one.
Hence, the marathon.
"Dude, we're totally gonna dominate this horror marathon," Bill said as he started busting out the VHS box set, laying them side by side so he wouldn't forget what order they had to watch them in. "I highly doubt that we, as mature adults of modern society, will cower in the face of Freddy Krueger." Bill looked up to see Ted's face scrunched with pension, and immediately started to back away from the whole thing entirely, putting the first movie back down.
"I just...," Ted huffed where he was slumped on their couch, and whipped his head up to look at Bill. "Remember when we saw the first one in the theatre and screamed so loud that the attendant dude had to escort us out?"
"Yeah..." Bill remembered the memory well. They totally missed out on the ending of that movie the first time. Bill shook his head, "But Ted, that was, like, seven years ago. We've totally grown up! I'm sure that it'll be a most excellent experience."
Ted could hear the hope in Bill's voice, so he gave a small huff and a firm, brave nod for Bill to put the tape in. Bill pumped his fist as he inserted the tape, jumping back up onto the couch next to Ted and nearly knocking their popcorn bowl over. Bill suggested they start the marathon around five, considering they were about to embark upon nearly eight hours of monster movie magic. The two had already spent the afternoon together making sure they had easy meals for when they got hungry later.
Ted had almost wished they didn't need the marathon as an excuse to do so, but of course, it was quickly a thought to be pushed to the back of his head.
The opening sequence of the first film began, and soon enough, both Bill's and Ted's eyes were laser-trained on the small TV, Ted giving a jump at any scare and Bill giving a gasp at any gore.
They managed okay through the first one. "The first one's never the scariest, dude," Bill said with forced confidence, though Ted could clearly see him shivering as he set up the next tape. He was shivering too, and he kind of wished Bill would sit closer to him, just to make sure he was actually there, and it all wasn't a dream where Freddy was about to slash open his insides at the last second.
They pushed their way through the second and the third without moving from the couch, and Ted finally chanced a glance over at Bill as soon as the credits started rolling.
Bill was visibly shaking, in a way that made Ted wonder if he was having some sort of horror-induced seizure.
"Dude," Ted said quietly, and Bill blinked as he let out a deep breath and looked over at Ted. "Are you okay?" Bill swallowed as he nodded.
"I'm totally cool, duder," he said assuredly, though his face didn't say the same. "Uh... Snack break?"
"Yeah, dude, definitely." Ted looked up and over at their wall clock to see it was almost ten at night, and they hadn't eaten a single mouthful of anything since their popcorn. "I'm egregiously starved."
Bill nodded as he stood up before stopping completely in his tracks.
"Dude," he said, quiet. "I have a most terrible feeling." Ted swallowed thickly as he watched Bill turn away.
"Dude, whatever joke you're about to pull, I swear, I'll punch you," Ted warned immediately. "Don't."
"Dude, it isn't a joke, I think-" Bill suddenly whipped his body around towards Ted and Ted let out a loud scream as he cowered away from Bill's figure. Bill let out a relieved sigh and Ted slowly uncovered his face to see Bill rubbing at his back. "I twisted my back, dude."
"Oh," Ted breathed out. He shook his head, "Dude, I totally thought you were about to Krueger me." Bill looked at him for a long moment before he started to laugh, and Ted couldn't help but join in.
The thought was so ridiculous, of course, but Ted could never be too sure with the things he'd experienced in life.
"C'mon, Ted, let's eat dinner," Bill huffed as he stretched out a little more before heading to the kitchen to heat up their pre-made spaghetti. Bill returned five minutes later with two bowls of noodles and two forks, passing one into Ted's lap and setting the other on top of the TV before reaching for the next tape.
"Bill, dude, already?" Ted said as Bill slid out the tape and inserted the next (he'd have to remind himself to rewind them all later the next day).
"Ted, the sooner we get through them, the sooner we can be done," Bill reasoned as the fourth movie began, grabbing his bowl and sliding back onto the couch, this time within Ted's immediate reach. Whether or not it was intentional was beyond either of them.
"You make it sound heinous," Ted mumbled, though his eyes were already studying the screen with apt attention.
"Sometimes, my friend, you have to suffer to enjoy masterpieces," Bill mumbled back, mindlessly twirling his spaghetti in the bowl without picking it up.
The fourth movie ended more abruptly than either of them expected, with only half of each of their bowls eaten. Bill blinked into the suddenly eerie and dark room as he abandoned his bowl and fork and dove for the TV to stop the tape. The room went suddenly quiet and Ted didn't dare move.
"One more," Bill whispered despite the fact that they were the only ones there, and Ted listened to Bill insert the fifth and final tape.
"Dude," Ted pleaded, unsure what he was pleading for. Probably for Bill to finish and get back up on the couch so Ted didn't throw himself in a full-fledged panic. They'd already come so far and they weren't about to give up now, but it would help immensely if he weren't alone.
Bill jumped back up onto the couch, thigh to thigh with Ted as the last opening sequence of the night played in their dark living room at nearly midnight.
Bill's closeness was more distracting than ever, Ted almost missing the best and most heinously gorey pieces of the film every time Bill tensed up and shook against him. He's sure he'd been doing the same thing, though Bill didn't seem at all affected by it.
It was strange how fear seemed to literally bring them closer together, and it almost made Ted laugh at the thought that Freddy Krueger could possibly be some kind of ingenious cupid, creating connection through collective terrorising.
However, as he listened to the children sing Freddy's rhyme at the end of the movie, he thought better of that notion because Bill was hiding his face in his shoulder, and he was pretty sure no cupid would do such a thing as to make his best friend cry.
"Bill, dude, you're shaking," Ted whispered quietly. "The movie's over." Bill breathed in as he lifted his head to look at the TV, relieved to see that it was over. He subtly began to wipe at his eyes, and it amazed Ted how this had all been Bill's idea, and yet he was the one most terrified.
"Ted, I do believe," Bill began, doing his best to puff up his chest, "that we are truly the most bravest of all the brave." Ted smiled as he nodded. He would've made fun of Bill for getting scared were it not for the own lingering terror he was still feeling.
"Bill, we are most definitely two of the bravest men alive," Ted agreed with a nod. He paused for a second before adding, "Next time, though, maybe we should just see the new movie by itself."
It took a moment before Bill nodded, and they both collectively said, "Agreed."
Ted did the liberty of turning the lights back on and throwing out their half-eaten dinners, Bill putting the tape pile aside for rewinding later. They both finished and met up at their bedroom door before nodding and heading to their respective beds.
It was quiet as they slipped underneath their sheets, Ted reaching and turning off the bedside lamp, shrouding them both in darkness. Ted could hear Bill's unsteady breathing from the other side of the room, large breaths in and out like he was having trouble calming down.
Ted was having a similar issue, wincing every time he tried to close his eyes and seeing gruesome scenes from the movies behind the lids. He did his best to think about other, less Krueger-y things, but ultimately, it seemed like even through film, Freddy seemed to have a hold on both of them.
After nearly a whole hour of heavy breathing and occasional wincing, Ted finally spoke up, "Dude, I totally can't sleep."
"Yeah, me neither," Bill said instantly, taking another deep breath. "I keep thinking that Freddy dude is gonna get me as soon as I fall asleep."
"Dude, me too." Ted huffed. "You think if we fell asleep at the same time, we'd have the same dream? That way if he does end up coming after us, at least we'll be together."
"Ted, that's total bogus," Bill groaned, rolling over to look at Ted. "He isn't real."
"Yeah, but our brains think he totally is," Ted countered. "So, if we trick our brains into thinking he can't fight the both of us at once, maybe we'll get some sleep." A long silence seemed to stretch before Bill let out a snort, and Ted let one out right after. "Yeah, dude, that's definitely not how it works."
"Nah, dude," Bill laughed. "But your idea would be most outrageously correct within the Elm Street universe." Ted laughed as he watched Bill shake with his own in the darkness.
"Let's try to sleep, Bill," Ted said when the chuckles died down, and he tried to shut his eyes. The images still flashed, however, and he had to open his eyes again. Bill was still staring at him. "Dude, this is most non-triumphant."
"...Hey, Ted," Bill spoke up, voice nervous, and Ted gave him his undivided attention. "D'you... Like, would it be okay if-"
"-we shared the bed?" Ted finished the thought, and Bill let out a barely visible grin. "Yeah, dude."
Since Bill had the bigger blanket of the two of them, Ted was the one to climb under Bill's covers and lay down inches from his face. Somehow, this was far better than sleeping ten feet away from him. This way, Ted could feel him and make sure he was there.
"Hey, dude," Ted said, breath hot against Bill's face, and he managed a smile.
"Thanks, Ted," he found himself saying, and Ted furrowed his brows.
"For what, dude?"
"I would've never gotten through five of the most egregiously gorey and triumphantly horrific movies in cinema without you."
Ted laughed as he hid his face in Bill's chest, and Bill found himself holding him as he did so, until they were just lying there, together.
"And we'll get through the new one together, too," Ted mumbled into Bill, whose breathing had finally gone steady.
This time when he closed his eyes, he didn't catch the flashing images of Freddy Krueger. Instead, he saw the flashing images of Bill and his grin that said there was no way Freddy Krueger could ever best the both of them as long as they were together.
#the king speaks#the king writes#bill and ted#bill s. preston esq.#ted theodore logan#bnt#a nightmare on elm street#freddy krueger#billandted
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What are your thoughts on all the evermore songs?
oh my god. this is such a hard question for me so brace yourself. it’s taken me nearly 2 months to write this out and i still don’t think i’ve managed to encapsulate all my thoughts.
So, I have very strong feelings about evermore. I immediately loved it three times as much as folklore, for a variety of reasons. I can do a song-by-song breakdown alongside my general thoughts of the album below:
Firstly, I want to preface this by saying that I do not disregard the impact that folklore had on me prior to evermore’s release. I am not oblivious to the fact that folklore likely primed me for the sound that evermore had and that my mind was set up for a similar sounding album so was willing to receive it with more open ears.
That being said, I think that evermore is the superior album. The overall emotional range and sonic variety of the album is wider and more thought out. The different songs provide a more well-rounded listen in my opinion and give me much more emotional investment than folklore. Each individual song feels strong and there are far more songs with single potential than folklore.
So let’s get down to it:
1. Willow - iconic. The big sister that cardigan deserves. The song that I wish the Lover album had been. A song so fully devoted in such a soft and sweeet way without feeling sickly. A mature way to dedicate a song to the person that you can’t live without but in a way that doesn’t throw pink confetti at your face and tell single people to fuck off. TAKE MY HAND? OKAY TAYLOR. WRECK MY PLANS? FOR SURE BABES. THAT’S MY MAN? 100% FEEL U GAL.
2. Champagne Problems - LOOK. I AM CLAIMING THE NAME SAMPAGNE PROBLEMS FOR ALL FUTURE CONTENT. I want to be proposed to just so that I can reject them and then get wildly drunk on overpriced alcohol. It’s heartwrenching in a way that Taylor hasn’t been since the likes of Treacherous. It doesn’t throw sadness at you, overwhelm you with tears. It hides heartbreak within a soft piano riff and gorgeous imagery.
3. Gold Rush - a sapphic daydream. i cannot believe this is real. The return of a heart-thumping drumbeat and the most lovely, pure song that just describes the infatuation with someone beautiful and how you can wonder about them and be so happy about them and jealous of them all at once.
4. ‘Tis The Damn Season - this christmas song makes me wish i had a boy next door in my hometown that i could randomly sleep with. why don’t i have a fluffy hallmark holiday film based upon this premise? why isn’t there a christmas music video to show me how their interactions work during the holidays and how it differs so vastly with their normal lives? Why can i feel both the distance and the closeness that these two people feel? the cutest dedication to a very un-cute casual relationship. a bittersweet shout out to the people who make us happy for a few fleeting moments spread out over the long haul.
5. Tolerate It - i have very VERY strong feelings about this one. it feels like it both encapsulates romantic and non-romantic love so perfectly. It pairs perfectly with the likes of Closure (more on that later). We all deserve to be celebrated. In a world of people settling for less than they deserve, we should reach for those who deserve us. We are worth it. Find someone who will show us how worthy we are. It’s aching and slow and painful and just....everything. Just because someone has always been there doesn’t mean they deserve to continue to be there. Tolerating you is not the same as deserving your loyalty.
6. No Body, No Crime (feat. HIAM) - IT TOOK 14 YEARS BUT TAYLOR FINALLY MURDERED A MAN IN COLD BLOOD AND I AM HERE FOR IT. MEN ARE TRASH, LADIES. REMEMBER THIS. ENGRAVE IT INTO YOUR TOMBSTONES. TATTOO IT ON YOUR FOREHEADS. MEN AS AN ENTITY DO NOT DESERVE US. MURDER THEM. A YEEHAW DREAM. (I have no strong feelings about HIAM but the existence of Este’s name is a blessing in itself, their backing vocals are a lovely addition and a true testament to their friendship as we know how protective Taylor is about mixing business and friendship through collaborations)
7. Happiness - this song is HURTFUL. a song about growth, a song about finding yourself amidst the loss of a partner, a friend, a family member. a loss so deep that it will hurt you for years to come and take a piece of you away forever. but a loss that you have to be resigned to and grow from and let go of. the slow build of the backing is something i haven’t heard since Holy Ground. Both songs talk about loss and moving on in such starkly different ways but still encompass the feeling of reminiscing on something good and pure and perfect whilst battling the knowledge that it’s over and trying to be happy for the person now that they’re gone.
8. Dorothea - the sweetest girl in the neighbourhood. a childhood friend that we all miss having. a person we watched grow into something massive and successful and we’re so genuinely happy for them. the song encompasses the feeling of a distanced joy. a joy that has nothing to do with you, everything to do with this person that you’d be happy to accept again with open arms but will be equally as happy to watch succeed from a distance. a bouncy backing track and lovely vocalisations that really build a sense of a warm hug and the feeling of soft morning sun on your skin.
9. Coney Island (feat. The National) - alright. so i’m sat on a bench in the cold, wrapped up in a winter coat and a hat and gloves and a massive scarf that covers half of my face. i can see the air when i breathe out. there’s an empty ferris wheel at a deserted fairground and i can remember when it was alive and bustling and when i was surrounded by all of the people closest to me on a late summer’s day. and i miss them. i yearn for that to be back. the way we yearn for a time before covid, before masks and elbow touches and sanitising everything. a time when you could sit around a table with your friends and welcome someone with a hug and visit your family for the holidays. a time of joy that was so overlooked until it was gone. The presence of The National is also a breathtaking addition and truly deserved after Aaron’s input on both folklore and evermore. I’m glad they saved it for this song.
10. Ivy - this song just radiates GREEN. Am I in a forest? Am I just in a greenhouse, watering the plants? The guitar/banjo sounds make me so horrifically nostalgic for Speak Now era. The male backing vocals remind me that Taylor has evolved so far from the girl we used to exclusively listen in conjunction with Caitlin Bird and Liz Huett.
11. Cowboy Like Me - one of the only songs I don’t really care about? it’s not bad, it’s just not great. it’s yeehaw without the accompanying passion. It’s the end of a sad, sad wild west movie. It’s a backing track in a scene of a TV show when someone is going on a journey alone to find themselves. But it’s nothing special.
12. Long Story Short - DO NOT FUCKING TOUCH ME. THE BEST SONG ON THIS ALBUM IN MY OPINION. THE STRONGEST BEAT, THE NOSTALGIA OF 1989, THE LYRICS OF RED, THE FUCKS GIVEN OF REPUTATION. THE PERFECT IMMERSIVE TAYLOR EXPERIENCE. TRULY A 10/10 ENTITY. I WILL HAVE THIS PLAYING AT MY GRADUATION. I SURVIVED.
13. Marjorie - the loss of a grandparent is always a lot. i’ve lost 2 due to Covid and it’s cut me deeper than I ever imagined. Marjorie is the 50′s sepia toned daydream that sends you flying back to being a child and being taught life’s most important lessons when you were far too young to understand them from someone so much wiser than you. It feels like I’m being taught to live again. Another build up backing track, but in such an uplifting way? A way that makes you think of the sun slowly coming out of the clouds. Of the end of a rainstorm and the start of a new day. Optimism and innocence. Peace and hope.
14. Closure - right, the return of sadness. The use of the clatter and discord in the background. The death of a Big Machine (subtle and perfectly done). She’s doing better. We all are. It reminds me of the friends I’ve lost and crave to have back but know I’m better off without. We have to let go of this. Close the chapter. You don’t even need the epilogue, it’s over. The production makes me so uncomfortable and it’s SO NECESSARY because lack of closure is UNSETTLING. It’s horrifying. It’s devastating. But the lyrics and the power of the song show how strong you can be and how important it is to push through the discomfort and continue to live.
15. Evermore (feat. Bon Iver) - the titular song. The return of Bon Iver’s vocals and the lone piano background are truly something to be commemorated for years to come. Although it lacks the painstaking hurt of Exile, this is one of her most simple pieces of artistry on this album and it’s BEAUTIFUL. Something that feels bare and raw. A song that cuts deep and shows us the true core of what she’s currently feeling right now: that although pain might feel forever, it’s not. all pain, much like joy, is fleeting and we have to feel it but we need to remember that it’s only a piece of our experience and place it into context. The song veers on self-pity and wallowing in hopelessness until the latter third, where suddenly hope rises out of the ashes alongside a slightly padded out production from Bon Iver’s vocals. A strong end to the album. This song sets us up for future albums on a note of optimism. It’s a new dawn.
#ask#asked#answered#answer#anon#anonymous#evermore#folklore#taylor swift#willow#champagne problems#gold rush#tis the damn season#'tis the damn season#tolerate it#no body no crime#happiness#dorothea#coney island#ivy#cowboy like me#long story short#marjorie#closure#haim#the national#bon iver#opinion
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her Nebraska (1982)
In July I flew to Massachusetts with a plague on, and I felt that it was wrong, but my mother had begged and I’d been out of work for months. Mornings there I ran in long, uneven ovals on the same roads I’d memorized in high school. There’s no sidewalks, but the few feet of dirt between the craggy pavement and the open mouths of the fields serve all right for a single body in motion. When a truck comes up close from behind, the ground shakes, and I step away bouncingly from the street toward thigh-high yellow weeds and grass, and keep going. I was slowly picking my way back in that dirt, sweat-slick from only a plodding couple of miles in peak summer heat, and sucking the wet cotton of my mask in between my teeth on every inhale, when Taylor Swift announced she was releasing a surprise album produced by the guy from The National. Not the guy from The National, like, the voice, but the guy from The National whose photo was circulated on Twitter earlier this year as some kind of antifa super soldier, which isn’t the case, but would’ve been rad. First, I stopped dead to send some outraged, misspelled text messages, and then I ran home faster than I’d moved in years.
Tall, blonde, patrician pop star Taylor Swift is to me something like a cross-between a wife and a boogeyman. Bound we’ve been since we were really children. Time and its changes haven’t rid me of her, and what’s worse is I have never quite been able to wish they would, though I claim as much all the time. Countless hours of my one wild and precious life have been spent on endlessly analyzing the minutiae of Taylor Swift’s music, the mind that made it, the real world events which influenced it. And though all the while I have known she is only a person, and that people, while each strange and lovely in their own ways, are, in the end, mostly dull, needful in just the regular manner, the fantasy is better, the sick dream of a megalomaniac songstress, curious, thrilling, probably evil, and I choose that. I don’t know Taylor Alison Swift, born to this world in, I presume, the usual way. But my Taylor Swift? I’m a renowned expert. I’ve always eaten up stories—movies, music, celebrity news, the one my grandfather tells about falling off his bike once in Ireland as a boy and his face “cracking open like an egg”—like a starved dog. I’m obsessive about my interests, but not inclined to intense fandom, and certainly not fandom in the mode of the stan. For one, I’m too self-absorbed. But caring intensely for a famous person is falling in love with a ghost, and that’s all right—I mean, what the hell? We’re here together just dying... Let’s enjoy—but is an affair best undertaken with the knowledge that everyone alive has their own complex interiority, as unruly as your own, and that you, a stranger, are not in any real way connected to the lawless, blurry middle of that celebrity, and will never be. It’s freeing and fun to know this. I mean, these people are basically in your employ. Glamorous dollhouse dwellers. Acknowledging that uncrossable distance allows for a different, healthier closeness of pure imagination. My feelings, then, can comfortably be at once both fiercely intense and entirely silly. I am a foremost scholar in the art of the Taylor Swift who exists in my head. The real person raised in Pennsylvania I don’t know at all. I have some conjectures on the matter, and, as with all my conjectures, every hackneyed theory, each picky little opinion, I’m sure they’re perfect, brilliant, just absolutely right, but that’s still all they are. Taylor Swift, figure of the cultural imagination, is the Jodie Comer to my Sandra Oh in Killing Eve, annoying and pretty in frills, taunting me endlessly and holding us trapped together in a dance of most enchanting death. But the real Taylor Swift has favorite bed sheets and a social security number and a British boyfriend, none of which I have any desire to know about, and if I saw her at a restaurant I’d politely avert my eyes before, yes, dive-bombing the group text. There’s nobody on Earth I’d stand in line to speak to, but then I’ve been speaking to a certain figment of Taylor Swift for nearly half my life.
I went to a Taylor Swift concert the night before I moved into college in 2009. My father’s work friend, firefighter by day, near professional gambler by night, got comped tickets to the Fearless Tour stop taking place at the nearby casino, and he let me have them as a reward, mainly, for happening to be seventeen. Live in-person and performed acoustically, “Fifteen” made me cry. A few years after that, in the thick, sticky part of my first post-college summer, I wrote approximately twenty-three million words about her in these very pages. (”Pages”) At that point, Taylor’s most recent release was 2012’s Red, and the work I produced that long ago July about Taylor and her career, writing I was fairly pleased with at the time, feels now, besides just being extremely clearly written by a twenty-one year old, strange to me for the way it favors the sweet over the sour almost uniformly. There is a wholesome kind of ardor in that writing which maybe I’ve outgrown the ability to hold. Or maybe Taylor just proceeded to spend the next half a decade plus releasing one bad single after another, and it was taste—and trespasses against taste—and not some shift in my nature which altered the tenor of our bond. I have real love for my particular image, gleaned from public statements and published art, of smart, bizarre famous woman Taylor Swift, and I admire the bulk of her output very much. I’m just no longer so inclined to fawn. This is not to say I am here to offer a Taylor Swift hate screed. I couldn’t swing it, and, anyway, I’m not a pop feminist-for-hire circa 2010. But we’re older now. Things are different. At twenty-eight, twenty-nine this month—Taylor will, also this December, turn thirty-one—I regard Taylor Swift warily, like an ex with whom you have a tentative friendship, perpetually on the brink of falling one way or the other into hatred or delight, only to wobble back the opposite direction again at the slightest provocation, but still, despite best efforts, even, I regard her all the time.
folklore was released at midnight on July 24th 2020, but I was at a cabin in rural Vermont without Internet or cell service. I drank Bud Light seltzers with my mother while watching the eerie pandemic return of Major League Baseball, and when I got into a strange bed there I stewed, knowing there were people out in the world all over who were hearing Taylor Swift songs I never had, and that this was a fundamental wrong, a disruption in the balance of the universe. I listened to it the next morning in a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot.
And folklore is great. That’s the terrible thing. Slightly less great, maybe, than some people have insisted, tricked, I think, by just the pronounced shift in sound. But it’s great. A little gift I asked for a thousand times and was still surprised to get, like a wife who didn’t expect her henpecked husband to ever follow through and buy the paraffin wax hand bath as-see-on-TV. For years, I’ve been halfheartedly insisting that Taylor had a great album in her. I’d say it even, perhaps especially, while she stubbornly fed me gruel. Or worse, gruel with the occasional whiff of something better. With a ripe, little raspberry dropped into the slop. The bright, villainous thrill of “Getaway Car” made me believe Taylor, my Taylor, was in there somewhere under the lacquer of sequins and synth, which, while not objectionable by default, seemed a costume, and an ill-fitting one. The lived-in world of “Cornelia Street” made those old scars sting. That gay “Delicate” video. When she did “Call It What You Want” on SNL and played guitar while wearing an ugly sweater. If the abominable “ME!”, lead single off Lover, was the stick, 1989’s “Clean” was the carrot. I was Charlie Brown, and Taylor my Lucy, yanking the football back again and again. Over drinks I still yelled that Taylor Swift’s next album would be, “her Nebraska”, referring to my favorite Bruce Springsteen record, and learned to live with that egg on my face for good. I suppose I even came to like it. There was something inherently funny in taking up, like, “blind faith in the as of yet untapped greater artistic potential of massively wealthy and popular singer Taylor Swift” as my totally inane personal cause du jour, and eventually it was a bit, a gag I performed to be obstinate and didactic, but way down somewhere awful near my kidneys I meant it the whole while. And then she did it. A pandemic befell the world and amid a sea of human suffering Taylor Swift remembered she can write. She wrote, and with a massive, crucial assist from Aaron Dessner, whose music on this record is sometimes so beautiful it actually angers me, as the last thing I needed in already perilous times was to be made to try and marry my uniquely perverse emotional responses to beloved divorced dad band The National and fucking Taylor Swift, she made an album which, if not her Nebraska, per se (I’ve come to realize that a major part of believing Taylor Swift will one day make an album I find as quietly devastating and gorgeous as Nebraska is knowing that no album will ever actually be Her Nebraska... That each will, rather, to me, be more and more evidence that it’s coming still, more proof that the limit is untouched, on and on ad infinitum, or at least until the seas take us into a place of salty peace.) is a shocking credit to all my hard-fought and deluded confidence. folklore is great. This fact has made me feel almost equally as disoriented from my understanding of the world as the time-melting COVID-19 lockdowns have, and it turned my Spotify year in review annual collective AI humiliation kink thing into a glaring indictment of my mental state, but still, I mean... It’s great.
In talking about folklore a bit this week, there are a number of specific topics I intend to cover—what a thrill it is to hear Taylor say “fuck”; Taylor’s terrifying birth chart; the astoundingly perfect bridge of “the last great american dynasty”; “because my ass is located at the back of my body”; the bit in last year’s “Lover” where deranged WASP Taylor Swift implies that to “leave the Christmas lights up til January” is some signifier of being a love-struck bohemian, when actually everyone who doesn’t employ domestic staff to take their lights down does this; how reputation is the best of the Taylor Swift records released in the latter half of the 2010s, actually, and the people who can’t see that are cowards—but intend mostly to let the muse move me where she will. Against the advice of my better angels, she—that tie-in marketing eldritch terror—always does.
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Dr. Colossus Return With One Of Their Rowdiest Spins Yet!
~By Tom Hanno~
Artwork by Glenn Smith
The tail end of May saw the release of a several albums that are just fantastic. First, there was the new Mothman and the Thunderbirds album, 'Into the Hollow' (2021), which I reviewed for this very site. Second, and the reason we're all here today, was the release of 'I'm a Stupid Moron with an Ugly Face and a Big Butt and My Butt Smells' (2021) by Australian Simpsons-inspired stoner-doom group DR. COLOSSUS.
The Simpsons have been a cultural icon since they first debuted on December 17th, 1989. The diverse, zany cast of characters were an instant hit because they were hilarious and added in realistic problems, situations, and insanity. The show has also influenced people from across the globe, including at least two musical groups -- the aforementioned Dr. Colossus and Okilly Dokilly, a band based on Ned Flanders. Both acts are great and have even toured together in Australia.
Admittedly, I'm one of those people that lost touch with the show when Family Guy came out, so I'm not up to date on some of the lyrical content on this amazing spin, a record that many are already claiming as a contender for Album Of The Year. I shall, however, do my best to talk about the lyrics of each song covered in this review.
I'm a Stupid Moron With an Ugly Face and A Big Butt and my Butt Smells and I Like to Kiss My Own Butt by Dr. Colossus
For lack of a better starting point, we'll begin on the first track, a massive tune that goes by the name of "Sex Cauldron." Right from the very beginning, we find the band conjuring Mastodon vibes, but with a bit of Motörhead mixed in. An even better comparison would be Hyborian, which is a band I really dig. It turns out Krusty the Clown serves as lyrical fodder for this one.
"Once respected TV host
The finest of talk shows
Shadow of my former self I slowly decompose"
"Pickabar" is up next, and a quick Google search has informed me that this song is about the time Homer couldn't remember what he was supposed to do as he sat soaking in the bathtub.
"I forgot...
What am I supposed to do?
I’m On My Way
But the message won’t get through"
As he sits, his mind is going, "Pick up Bart, Pick Up Bart, Pick up Bart", and he says out loud, "What the hell is Pickabar?" Musically, this is one bad mother! The riffs are super catchy, the vocals are expertly executed, and the lyrics are well written homages to Dr. Colossus' preferred television show.
"Hummingbird of Bengal" is a tribute to the owner of the Quickie Mart, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. The first thing you'll notice is a heavy, groove filled riff, and this groove may change throughout the track, but it never let's up for even a moment. I love it when the chorus hits and the vocals get higher as they sing, "Apuuuuuuu, I'm the Hummingbird of Bengal!" They're only high for the "Apuuu," but it's the perfect compliment to the rest of the singing.
The other tracks on this album are also amazing, but I'll leave those for you to experience without my thoughts on them creating expectations. For a group that loves to riff on Simpsons insanity, Dr. Colossus surely take their music seriously, and here it really pays off. Album of the Year? You decide. For many fans (and critics) it truly is that good (currently ranked #6 on the Doom Charts). Enjoy!
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Get Their Music
#D&S Reviews#Dr. Colossus#Melbourne#Australia#stoner rock#doom metal#The Simpsons#Tom Hanno#HeavyBest2021#Doomed and Stoned
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The Ghost Between Us ( possibly part 1 of 2?)
So this was a request from a friend of mine in class to test out my other character Adina Spengler. I hope you guys enjoy it.
1989 was the year that the Ghostbusters took victory yet again over New York City. They had defeated the dark lord Vigo bringing a chaotic peace back, but no matter how much turmoil hit the city the ghostbusters always were there to save it no matter what, that was until the event of a lifetime happened,
December 6th, the front row seats of the elementary school auditorium had been occupied by the ghostbusters to support one special girl, "Up next is Adina Spengler!," one of the teachers announced, It was the Christmas talent show and Adina had begged her parents not to take any missions up for that day, she even begged Peter, Ray, Winston, Dana, and Janine not to have anything planned on her one special day.
"And what are you going to perform for us!"
"I'm going to dance!" Adina said, with a grin on her face.
Years had passed since that moment, and Adina was older now, the trophy from Kindergarten still was sitting on her bookcase along with a picture of her dearly missed father. "Hey, dad if you can hear me, try to get mom off my case?" she laughed, heading downstairs from the Manhattan home Adina could taste that today would be the day,
"Oh, Adina you got a letter from Columbia University," Alexandra said, her head down fixing another invention,
"Mom, you can stop inventing you know," Adina sighed, taking the letter from the coffee table, she had finally done it, she was accepted to Columbia University for dance,
" You know I'll never stop inventing right,"
"Just like you'll never stop ghostbusting?" Adina rolled her eyes annoyed,
"Busting makes me feel good," Alexandra replied, "You would have known this had you taken after your father and me-" she was cut off by her daughter's abrupt attitude.
"Here we go again," Adina mumbled, "Look mom dancing is my passion! being a ghostbuster is stupid, and it always will be!" Adina shouted, "That's why dad died!"
Alexandra sat there silently as she heard the door shut behind Adina.
The year was 2016
It was a regular Thursday in New York for Adina another class finished, and another night of going home alone and hoping she wouldn't have to deal with that problem again in her apartment, She swore that it was from the many nights of energy drinks and coffee mixed together, but if she asked her mom she'd say it was a ghost. And that was the answer she didn't want to hear, or so she thought.
"There's been an entity spotted at the Aldrige Mansion museum." a voice said.
There was a mysterious lab that Adina had passed every day that she had always wondered about, she never did go inside of it, but today felt as though something would pull her towards it or so she hoped,
"Ms. Spengler, the dean wants to see you!"
And that was the moment her plans had changed for maybe the better. " I'm sorry, but as of today we no longer need your services." the dean said, handing her a box for her to clear out her office, Adina felt as though she was down on her luck in a world that was shattering around her,
"You can't fire me! " she shouted from the top of her lungs, banging on the now locked door. Adina was now left without a job and running mascara down her face.
" I get fired, but paranormal studies get to stay!"
Walking back into her apartment she turned on her tv, and lounged in a pit of sorrow, Adina was upset she had been fired from the only job she had ever loved, and there was nothing she could do about getting it back, Adina looked down at her feet she looked back up at what was in front of her. a glowing specter though nothing like the one she saw the night before this one was different
Adina stood up from her seat seeing that the ghost wasn't harmful which meant that it was a level one entity that hopefully wasn't too violent,
"What are you?" she asked, her father's old PKE meter in her hand, she watched the ball of light transform into what looked a man, "C- Clearly you're a ghost.," she said reading the meters scanner, "Can you reveal yourself-"
As the ghost transformed itself into that of a person, Adina couldn't believe what she had been seeing.
"Dad.." she walked slowly towards the specter reaching her hand towards it as it did the same, "How are you even here?" she took a look at him. Egon was just as peaceful as she remembered him to be.
"Has mom seen you yet? " she asked him as he nodded, "Good so I'm not crazy!" she laughed, Egon shook his head in agreement, "Are you able to talk?" , "Wait am I talking to a ghost?" she mumbled the question to herself before repeating it, "this is crazy I'm turning into you and mom,"
Egon only glared at her his eyes looking over his glasses as though he were scolding her, "So what sent you here," she asked as he pointed towards her tv, the channel flipping through to the news,
" 3 women were seen catching a gho-" Adina turned the TV off as her father only turned it back on " Ost, will this be the rise of the Ghostbusters again?" Adina looked up at her father who had his usual smirk on his face,
"I am a dancer, not a Ghostbuster we've been over this," she grumbled, watching him point at his old PKE meter, then at her notice she had gotten earlier. "I'll find another job trust me," once again he glared a bit harder as he pointed towards the tools that were on her kitchen table, " Those we're my ex-boyfriends!" she shouted, "And those goggles were a costume piece, " she smirked before she noticed him putting his hand on his forehead.
"Fine, you want me to be a Ghostbuster fine I'll do it," she growled at him,
"Hello, this is Kevin how can I help you with your metamorphosis," he asked,
"Is this the ghost finders, I saw your post in the paper looking for someone who can file papers?" she said not wanting to step her boundaries of getting this job,
"One moment, you've got the job!" he said
"No, you can't just hire them! they need an interview!" a voice in the background said.
"You need an interview then you get the job!" he said, responding to the woman on the other line, Adina snickered while listening in on the conversation, " And where are you guys located? " she asked.
"We're in a firehouse!" Kevin smiled and hung up the call.
Adina arrived at the fire station, looking around seeing that nothing had changed, she was surprised that at this point they didn't try to demolish it, walking by the old cubbies that held the suits she couldn't help but remember the sweet memories that the fire station had, as she looked at the pole she remembered the time that Ray let her take a ride down as her mother and father were both worried waiting at the bottom of it.
Walking up the steps, she remembered the times that Janine would carry her back down from her father's lab and into the arms of her mother. She remembered that her life started here no matter how much she wanted to deny this part of her life she couldn't.
"Can we help you?" a woman with glasses and brown hair said watching Adina walk towards a once familiar table, the table was covered in nothing but dust and a few scrapes from a screw gun, as she rubbed her hand across it the memories began to flood back, "Sorry I'm here for the interview as an assistant?" Adina said,
"Names Yates, Abby Yates, lovely table isn't it," she said pointing towards it,
"Yeah, I had a few memories growing up with that table," she replied, finding a few drops of old slime residue on it.
"Let me guess an old sweetheart?" the blond receptionist said, cutting into the conversation,
"Actually no, it belonged to my father, and that one over there belonged to my mother," she said pointing towards the table that a very beautiful blonde-haired woman was sitting at,
"So your parents are ghostbusters?", Erin another brunette asked,
"My mother still is, while my father was?" she sighed taking another glance at the table,
"What do you mean was," Abby asked peering from behind her,
"He died from crossing streams." Adina looked around some more.
"What the hell does that mean?!" Abby questioned.
"Meaning a stream of highly focused, and radially polarized protons that electrostatically traps the negatively charged energy of a ghost, allowing it to be held in the stream." Adina shrugged, "It's common knowledge."
"What's your name?" Erin asked, "It just sounds like I've heard these theories before."
"Adina Spengler.," she said looking as the room fell silent.
"I'm sorry, but we can't have you as an assistant," Abby said watching Adina's expression,
"And why can't you?"
"Your the daughter of the 2 most legendary Ghostbusters there is that means you know more about this than the rest of them." Adina looked as she sat there a bit confused.
"What they're saying is how would you like to be a Ghostbuster," Jillian asked sticking her hand, "I could use someone to test out the new stuff I've got cooking over here." she winked.
" well as we say in the business I ain't afraid of no Ghost, ladies you've got yourself a ghostbuster."
#ghostbusters#ghosbustersoc#adina spengler#egon spengler#ghostbusters 2016#fanfiction#new stuff#new OCs#Alexandra morgan#jillian holtzmann#request
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Cluttered Thoughts
These are just random thoughts I've collected on my Google Keep App and also kind of an update. So yea.
Things have been pretty tough lately. I'm trying to stay positive and to not dwell on all the negativities, but it's too hard. Sometimes you've just reached a point where everything is too overwhelming. All these problems and conflicts continuously pile up until you can't take it anymore, and you eventually just stop caring about everything. It's sad how things are turning out. Life really does get harder as we get older. I hope things will change for the better anytime soon.
Some people are just plain rude. Does it hurt to be a little kinder? I hope people are more considerate of other people's feelings. Yes, you may be going through some hard times, but it doesn't give you the right to be mean to someone. We all have our own battles to fight. We are all hurting. We are all scarred. And some of us are barely hanging on, so please, be kind. It's free.
As we grow older, I've realized that it's possible for us to dislike someone who had been once close to us. How life changed them and turned their personality into something worse. How the years of knowing each other now will be for naught but just mere memories. It's crazy how life works, really. Sometimes, disconnecting and letting them go will do you good.
Every parent should know that their kids are not their retirement plans.
My Psoriasis is getting worse. I don't think I'm that stressed. Maybe it's my unhealthy way of living? Maybe it's the weather? Maybe it just wants to be back every year to make everything hard for me?
Our internet connection has been really crappy this month. It has been affecting my work. I don't even want to go to my usual cafe and buy an expensive coffee in exchange for their free Wi-Fi that will expire every two hours, then I'll have to buy another drink or food again just to get another two-hour access. What a waste of money! The internet in the Philippines really is messed up.
I've never been into fashion, and I have disliked shopping for as long as I can remember. The only place where you can really see me enjoy and take my time is in a bookstore, but last week Asis and I did some shopping. I bought six T-shirts, and most of them are plain ones. It has been years since I last bought nice clothes. I can now stop myself from borrowing Asis' clothes.
My Psor looks like seamless constellations on my skin right now. It's getting worse.
It has been raining almost every day for the whole month, and I'm really loving this kind of cold wet weather, but unfortunately, it's making my Psor itchy and dry. Really glad it is slowly healing, though. Can't wait to wear T-shirts in public again.
I was really not a fan of anime until recently when I saw the movie, Kimi no Na wa. Yes, I remember I grew up watching animes on the local TV stations, but I never got to finish or follow the whole story, and as a kid, it was really entertaining to watch. As I grew older, I started to dislike it. I thought it was childish, but that view changed over time. Now can I just say some anime movies/series are better than the live-action ones? It's just that anime characters are much more expressive, and it takes you somewhere that isn't achievable in real life. Anyway, I also did lists of all the anime I've finished watching.
It has been a month already since we moved to our new home. We're still adjusting, but everything seems okay. Or not? Haha. The expenses and the incoming bills make me want to cry.
I just saw the four-part Netflix series, When They See Us. It's about five Harlem teens wrongly accused of raping a jogger in 1989 in Central Park. Based on the true story. I had a hard time watching this. It was beautifully acted. It truly pains me what these young men and families were put through because of a corrupt and heartless system. Heart-wrenching series with a powerful message. A must-watch!
Books I've Finished Reading:
Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng 4/5 ☆
I really liked it. The story was intriguing, and I did actually feel what the characters were going through. It was messed up and sad. Reading chapter after chapter was difficult. A great read though. Really engaging.
“People decide what you're like before they even get to know you.”
A Spark Of Light - Jodi Picoult 2/5 ☆
It was okay. I started reading this in December of last year, and I finally decided to finish this first before moving on to a new book. Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, and I was really looking forward to reading this latest book of hers. I was pretty disappointed, though. The story was dragging. The reverse chronology of the chapters and the multitudes of POVs of all the characters were really confusing. It took me a while to fully grasp the writing style and the characters. Anyway, I love that Jodi still tackles serious, controversial issues. It was nice being able to understand both sides equally, whether you are pro-life or pro-choice. Would I recommend this book? Yes. Maybe you'll like it!
“She had come to the clinic because she didn't want to be a little girl anymore. But it wasn't having sex that made you a woman. It was having to make decisions, sometimes terrible ones. Children were told what to do. Adults made up their own minds, even when the options tore them apart.”
Shout - Laurie Halse Anderson 3/5 ☆
I applaud Anderson for this book. An eye-opener. But I gave it 3 stars because I think it was all over the place. Cluttered. I can hardly understand some, but there were a few verses that I really loved. My favorite would be "Wired Together."
“Don't get raped
cuz the jackasses and idiots will say
that's your fault, too.”
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz 5/5 ☆
What a beautiful book. It was well-written. A page-turner. I love all the characters. I really loved it. Exceptional. Did I already tell you how beautiful it was? Well, I just had to tell again and again. It was beautiful. A must-read!
“Sometimes, you do things and you do them not because you're thinking but because you're feeling. Because you're feeling too much. And you can't always control the things you do when you're feeling too much.”
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Mornings
@encounterthepast request 3, 21, and 29 with Steve.
3.) oops? - you blew up a building and oops is all you got?
21.) And so, I start another day being kidnapped.
29.) I told you, I don't know anything about him, never met him.
Mornings are hard for everyone, first you have to rouse yourself out of a comfortable and most the time a nice snuggly warm bed. Then you walk half asleep to the coffee pot, set that up to go while you trudge yourself to the shower and wash up. By the time your out from cleaning yourself up your coffee is ready and steaming in your cup, ready to doctor as you choose. There is always a fight with traffic on your way to work, cussing out the slow mover just ahead of you keeping pace with and equally slow sedan in the lane next it to it. Mornings are always the hardest.
This morning though beat the cake, you slept harder then usual and when you woke up this morning you figured out why. The coldness of the chains that wrapped around you tightly securing you to the bed was your dead give away. The stench of musk and dust with hint of oil was your other. You blew a strand of hair off your forehead before opening your eyes, a soft yellow bulb from the lamp in the corner was your only light.
Wallpaper slowly fell from the walls, yellowing after years of neglect. The floor boards were beginning to pull upward, making them an uneven surface. You moved slight, the bed under you groaned in response and the smell of moth balls invaded your senses once again.
“And so, I start another day being kidnapped. Though I’ll give them some massive credit for kidnapping while I was asleep.” You said to yourself.
The door opened, surprisingly quietly. You turned your head, and watched as a thin pale man stepped in pulling a tray behind him. The sound of metal on metal squeaked as it moved, the tray shaking lightly with each board it crossed. The tray itself wasn’t anything to cause you worry, it was the various tools on the tray that cause you to worry.
“Hello dearie.” He said as he stopped right next to you. The smell of decaying teeth and body odor hit you at once making you gag right there. He looked from the various tools of torture on the tray back to you. “So, I just need to ask you a couple questions.”
“Go to hell.” You spat, turning your head away, you didn’t want to see what he had in store for you.
You had been kidnapped before, but the couple of times you had had been by a deranged ex that couldn’t take the words we’re done. So your life had never been in mortal danger like it was this time. And maybe you thought to yourself if you didn’t see it coming it wouldn’t hurt as bad as you thought it would, kind of like getting a shot as a child.
“Where is Captain America?” He asked.
“I don’t know!” You told him.
Pain exploded across the side of your leg as the smell of burning fabric and flesh filled the air. A scream tore through you in response as the pain became overwhelming. You had never felt a pain like this before in your life and as the tears collected in the corner of your eyes you wondered why he had chosen you to torture.
“Captain America, where is he?” The man asked again.
“I don’t know who that is.” You replied as the pain relented allowing you to breathe for the moment.
Once again your response was greeted with searing pain coursing through your thigh, causing another scream to fall from your lips. Your leg spasmed as the heating iron was pulled away from your flesh, your eyes popping open and looking down as the skin stuck to it and tore from your body.
“Captain America?” He asked a third time.
“I told you, I don’t know anything about him, never met him.” You screamed as the tears fell freely.
“Yes, I think you do.” He replied to you calmly as you heard him set the iron down.
“I don’t I swear, I’ve only heard about him from the tv.” You cried. “You’ve got the wrong person, I don’t him.”
“Your neighbor?” He tilted his head and smiled as he grasp ahold of a knife.
“My neighbor, Agatha? What does she have to do with this?”
“No, your new neighbor across the hall.” His eyes darted to you.
Your mind reeled in a million different directions. Your new neighbor was a good looking man with sandy blonde hair and an amazing physic, sure. His name was Steve but that didn’t make him captain America not by a long shot.
“He’s not the guy you’re looking for.” You breathed, you slammed your head back on the table.
You had talked to Steve and gotten to know him, even had him over for dinner a couples of times. He was great person to talk and to be honest you had developed a bit of a crush on him. It wasn’t just cause he was easy on the eyes but because he was just easy to be around in general.
The pain brought you back, blinding pain in the same spot as before, different more intense. Your eyes snapped down and you saw the hilt of the knife stick out. Tears continued to roll down your cheeks as the pain was the only thing you could focus on.
Something loud downstairs rocket through the building shaking the whole room making the knife in your leg to move causing you even more pain then you thought was possible. Something came flying in the room, the sound of metal humming, a red and blue disc flashed quickly before bouncing off the wall on your left making the man on your right look up from the knife. The disc hit him straight in the face, lifting his body slightly off the floor and sending him in the wall behind him ripping the blade from your thigh. You screamed in agony.
“Y/n?” A man asked as he stepped in, clad in navy blue with red and white stripes on his abdomen. A star blazed on his chest and you knew he was in that instant. Captain America had come to save you.
“Yeah.” You breathed heavily, your voice barely audible.
“We gotta get you out here.” He stated, stomping on the edge of the shield. You watched as it flipped off the ground and into his hand. Quickly he took the edge of it and slammed in it the chains causing them to break easily.
Gently he lifted you from the bed and cradled you to his chest, gingerly avoiding the knife wound. He turned and started back the way he came.
“Don’t look.” He told you as he descend down the stairs. “Trust me, it looks like a war zone down here and you don’t need to see it.”
“Why are you here?” You asked softly, keep your face buried into the nook of his neck.
“Because.. I can’t loose you.” He replied quietly, it wasn’t long before you felt the cool breeze across your back and the smell of fresh air around you.
“I don’t understand?” You told him, looking up from his chest as he continued to keep walking away from the building.
“Who else am I going to have dinner with on Saturdays?” He smiled, those familiar blues eyes looking down at you. The guy was right, was the only thing you could think of. Your neighbor was Captain America.
Suddenly the building behind him exploded in a fiery red ball, the sound of the explosion was deafening. Captain turned slight and looked back confusion on his face till he saw a streak of fire and red come up from behind the inferno.
“Seriously Stark?” He sighed.
“Oops?” Came the reply from an ear piece you saw slightly hang down from his ear.
“You blew up a building and oops is all you got?” Steve stated to the other man, who no doubt was Iron Man.
“I made a few adjustments on the suit, wanted a test run. Alright kids, got to go, be safe, use protection. Don’t need any super babies.” His response was clipped as you watch the streak in the sky turn sharply.
“Tony!” Steve stated in exasperation.
Permanent tag-
@kitkatkl
@octobermermaid @ajosieface @instantnoodlese @crystlblu @coffeebooksandfandom @thisismysecrethappyplace @the-wayward-robot t @lokilvrr @shynara51 @fourtyninekirbygamzeegirl @loislp @savedbyimaginations @bubblycypres87 @ifyousayyouloveme @courtmr @blue-cat-1989 @saharzek @lokiodinsoninwriting @silverhart93 @rynabarnesrogers
Sorry to anyone that I had tag for just Steve, I have lost my list for those.
#steve rogers x reader#steve rogers oneshot#steve rogers x you#steve rogers#steve rogers fic#captain america fic#captain america x you#captain america x reader
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penny lane
summary: unlikely friends come together as madness unfolds in their formally proper suburban town.
chapter one
ao3
TJ
Our story takes place in a small town called Shadyside. Once a town of perfectionism, peace, and elegance, the events of 1989 would taint that forever. There were four main roads of Shadyside; Richmond Heights Avenue, Lansdon Street, East Iron Hill Road, and Penny Lane. Richmond Heights Avenue ran by the ever-so-elegant gated community Richmond Heights and the Shadyside Mall. Lansdon Street was the desolate street that went past the side of Richmond Heights. East Iron Hill Road went to the side of East Iron Hill Academy, the only school in Shadyside. It also went past the side of Southern View, “the poor community,” where I lived with my sister and my mom. Penny Lane was where everything happened. It ran past Iron Hill and Southern View and went through the Iron Hill Woods.
CYRUS
Iron Hill Academy was a cold place - in more ways than one. Every student knew something about someone else, every rumor spread like wildfire. The halls were desolate. You could always hear every footstep someone took, every time the art teacher opened up a display case to put something new inside of it. It didn’t matter who you were, if you walked by a group of students, they’d start to whisper about you instantly - whether it was about your hair, or who you hung out with, or if you were a teacher’s pet. It was just the way that Iron Hill worked. And every student knew that. However, it didn’t stop newcomer TJ Kippen from picking fights with anyone who breathed.
TJ Kippen and his sister Amber had moved into Shadyside in the middle of the semester. It was now the end of the entire school year, yet TJ had never cleaned up his act. Amber was almost the same, minus the fighting. She was as cold as Iron Hill, never talking to anyone but her brother, and shooting glares at everybody who disagreed with her.
Andi Mack and Buffy Driscoll were the self-proclaimed “popular girls” of Iron Hill. They did everything together and anyone who merely said “excuse me” or “bless you” to them was given a crude nickname and was the new target for cruel pranks.
Jonah Beck and Marty Wilson were the jocks. Both of them like a golden retriever - always happy, but never straying from “their pack” as they called their teammates. Jonah was oblivious to everything while Marty understood things but could never come up with an actual intelligent response. Personally, I can never figure out why their parents even sent them to get an education if they never used the knowledge they gained.
This, of course, leaves me and my best friend Walker. We were considered the “preps,” but it’s beyond me what the explanation for that is. Walker and I kept to ourselves most of the time but didn’t mind walking in the hallways looking like we think we're better than everyone else. But what can I say? We are better than everyone else. It’s just kind of a widely known thing in Iron Hill.
AMBER
[Shadyside Mall! Fun for the whole fami-]
I clicked off the TV. The eleventh ad I’ve seen for the mall since nine am this morning. I’d already memorized all the words, and it was getting boring. It was the fifth day of summer break. I’d painted my nails different colors about seven times in these past five days, and I was slowly running out of colors to use.
I didn’t have very many friends here, the only “friend” I had was my brother, TJ, but he wasn’t always my favorite person. I could make some new friends, but everybody at that stupid school I go to is cocky and annoying. Especially that priss Andi Mack and her goody-goody friend Buffy Driscoll. I cannot stand either of them and they’ve never said a word to me. And I hope they never do.
…
“Amber! Can you get some things for me from the drugstore?”
I reluctantly agreed, having nothing better to do. Once my mom gave me her list of what to buy and some money, I got on my bike and started to ride to the store.
My bike was nearly broken, but it rode well enough that I didn’t have to fix it just yet. I had gotten it when I was twelve, it was big for me then, so it was perfect for me now.
I arrived at the drugstore and leaned my bike against the wall. The kickstand had fallen off while TJ was messing around on my bike with his stupid friends.
Walking into the store, I nodded hello to the cashier and looked at the list.
“So then I told him that he’s not better than everyone else like he thinks he is.”
“Good! It’s about time someone put his snotty ass in its place.”
The sound of my two worst nightmares talking to each other in the medical supplies aisle gave me goosebumps. It was enough to make me want to leave the store altogether, but I knew I couldn’t do that to my mom.
For the next few minutes I avoided the medical aisle like the plague. But the last thing on the list was a wrist brace for TJ, who had stupidly fallen off his skateboard and injured his wrist.
Turning the corner into the aisle I grimaced, seeing Mack and Driscoll standing right where I needed to be standing in order to get the item that would allow me to leave the store. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot until the two noticed I existed.
“Oh look Buffy! It’s Amber, here to glare at us some more?”
“Oh look, it’s the demon queen! Mind getting out of the way?” I gave her a fake smile and motion to the shelf that they’re standing in front of.
Andi scoffs but her and Buffy move anyway.
I grab what I need and quickly go to the checkout counter, not wanting to see those two ever again.
JONAH
“Ghost player on first!”
“You know, it’s really hard playing baseball with two people.”
Marty rolls his eyes and runs back to home plate anyway, ready to bat again.
“Just pitch the ball, Jolamajama!”
I do what Marty says because he’s my best friend. Also because I know I can get him out with a curveball.
I throw the ball three times, all missing the bat due to Marty’s awful batting skills and I know he’s going to start whining about it.
“That’s so not fair, Jonah! I told you to pitch easy ones!”
“Uh, no you didn’t, Marty. You said ‘just pitch the ball, Jolamajama!’”
“Alright, whatever. Let’s just do something else, I’m bored of baseball.”
…
A few hours later found me and Marty in his house watching old sports movies. Although Marty was asleep.
There’s a knock on the door and I try to wake Marty up. He barely notices, and there’s another knock. I sigh and get up to answer.
When I open the door, there’s a kid standing there. He’s our age, and I think I’ve seen him around school a few times.
“Uh, you’re not Marty.” He smiles and looks down, kicking a little pebble on the porch.
“Oh, no, he was sleeping and I didn’t wanna wake him up.”
“Well okay then, I’ll get going. I’m Walker by the way.”
“Jonah. Nice to meet you, maybe I’ll see you around sometime?”
Walker smiles again and nods before waving and walking away.
#fic: penny lane#my fics#tyrus#tj kippen#cyrus goodman#jonah beck#walker brodsky#buffy driscoll#andi mack#amber kippen#amber andi mack#marty from the party#marty andi mack#muffy#wonah#ambi#tyrus fic#muffy fic#ambi fic#wonah fic
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'I’ve never sought fame so I’m loving it ... I hope it lasts!': As she returns in the hit BBC sitcom Mum, Lesley Manville reveals how a surprise Oscar nomination finally made her hot in Hollywood at 63
By COLE MORETON FOR EVENT MAGAZINE
PUBLISHED: 22:01, 27 April 2019
'I can’t believe this late flourish that I’m having,’ says Lesley Manville, beaming with happiness. ‘It just keeps on giving!’
She’s about to star in the third and final series of the brilliant BBC comedy Mum, playing the kind and loving widow Cathy, surrounded by a family of not-always-lovable fools, and slowly falling for her old friend Michael. It’s hugely popular, for reasons Event’s TV critic Deborah Ross explains below, but that’s not all. Suddenly, to her own astonishment, at the age of 63, Manville is Hollywood hot property.
‘I don’t really share this much, except to my very close friends, because you’ve got to let off steam to somebody about how extraordinary it is,’ says Manville, hand fluttering briefly as if to fan herself. ‘And the enormity of how it has shifted things. Everything has changed.’
Scripts and offers are flooding in since she was Oscar-nominated for her role in Daniel Day-Lewis’s 2018 film, Phantom Thread. After decades of working ‘under the radar’ – as she puts it – in the theatre, on television and in Mike Leigh movies such as High Hopes, Secrets & Lies and Another Year, Manville was thrust into the brightest spotlight of all. ‘I got to go to the Oscars with my sister and my son!
‘But, oh my God, it was a mad dash. I was on stage in the West End on the Saturday, got home at midnight, only had time to wash my hair and catch two hours’ sleep, then I was on a plane in the early hours.’ The Oscars were that Sunday night. ‘I got there with an hour-and-a-half to get ready.’
She rarely gives interviews and hasn’t talked about this publicly before, but there was something else remarkable about that night – her ex-husband Gary Oldman was also up for an Oscar, for his role as Sir Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. The Hollywood media went wild at the idea of divorcees being nominated at the same time, and there was even talk of ‘fisticuffs on the red carpet’ – particularly since he had walked out on her in 1989, when their child Alfie was only three months old.
‘I had a son to bring up,’ she says, sounding matter-of-fact rather than bitter after all these years. ‘I was 32 and I had a baby. I wanted to carry on working and I did. I must have been knackered. I was up at dawn and looked after Alfie all day. Then my sister, who was working for me, would come and do teatime and bedtime. I’d go to do Miss Julie or Top Girls. Nice light plays!’
Somehow she gave her all to those far from light works. ‘I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I never wanted to stop working. And also I didn’t want to be a slovenly mother – not bothering, just phoning in motherhood because I was working. I wanted to be the best mother, with a proper meal on the table every night, and proper things in the lunchbox. All of that. And I’ve done it. That’s my biggest achievement, I think.’
Did she feel that way because Gary had abandoned them? ‘No, I’m just like that – I’m quite a perfectionist in my life and my work.’
That’s easy to imagine. Manville is friendly and engaging but happily describes herself as ‘a control freak’ and looks very much like she’s got it together in her chic, cream baggy pants with matching boots, Breton striped top and leather jacket. She speaks with the diction and bearing of someone who has spent a lifetime on the stage. Does Alfie appreciate what she did for him? ‘Oh, yes. We’ve got a really nice relationship. We do argue, but we’re very close.’
Oldman later admitted that work and alcoholism had made him ‘anxious, neurotic and hell to live with’ – but he moved in with the much younger Uma Thurman soon after taking off to America. His fifth wife, Gisele Schmidt, attended the Oscars with him, while Manville is single and walked the red carpet with Alfie, now a cameraman. So just how awkward was this public reunion?
‘Gary and I are fine. We’re friends. We’re more than fine. People wanted to make something of it that didn’t exist. Christ almighty, we’re 60. We’ve got a 30-year-old son. Come on!’ She does understand why there was such interest. ‘I even stayed sober for one night in LA at the Oscars so that I could do a live interview on the Today programme. Something should be made of it, for the sake of our son. Very few children have been to the Oscars and seen both their parents nominated. It was nice because Gary was there with his wife – who I get on with very well – his other two sons and my son. We’re grown-ups.’
In her eagerness to demonstrate that they’ve worked out their differences, Manville even reveals that the two former partners are planning to work together again.
‘Gary’s asked me to be in a new film he’s hoping to shoot soon. So of course we’re fine. It’s a film about Eadweard Muybridge, the man who invented film.’ The Victorian photographer devised camera techniques that laid the foundations for the motion picture industry. He also shot and killed his wife’s lover, but was acquitted by a jury on the grounds of justifiable homicide. ‘It will be amazing.’
And although she did not win the Oscar for best supporting actress last year (Oldman did win best actor), Manville says she has been almost overwhelmed by offers since then. ‘You get inundated with scripts and immediately I got offered a film with Liam Neeson, Normal People, that’s virtually a two-hander. It comes out at the end of this year.’
Neeson got himself in a lot of trouble earlier this year by confessing that in the past, after the rape of a friend, he had taken to prowling the streets with a cosh, hoping ‘some black b******’ would come out of a pub looking for a fight. He was actually expressing shame at having had those feelings and drew support from Whoopi Goldberg and the England footballer John Barnes, but others called for his films to be pulled. Did that put Normal People in danger?
Manville draws in breath, pulls back her shoulders and says: ‘I’m not going to talk about it at all... except to say that Liam is one of the nicest gentlemen I’ve ever worked with. And he’s a friend.’
Is she just like Cathy in Mum, who insists on seeing the best in people? ‘Oh, I don’t compare to Cathy. I’m kind, but I’m a bit more judgmental than she is. I’m from this chippy world of acting, where people are beautifully acerbic, funny, and sarcastic and cutting. I enjoy all of that. It’s banter.’
Still, she is firmly supportive of Neeson then quickly moves on. ‘Then I got a film I haven’t shot yet, called Dali Land, about Salvador and Gala Dali. I’m going to play Gala. Last week I was filming the new series of Harlots [in which she plays the madam of a high-class 18th-century brothel], then preparing for the film Let Him Go with Kevin Costner and Diane Lane.’
Does Manville thrive on all this new attention? ‘My sister can’t believe I’m not exhausted. It is overwhelming at times, but I do sort of feel I’ve earned it. I’ve put in decades of doing what I feel were the right jobs. I’ve never sold out. I’ve never sought fame. So I’m genuinely loving it and I’m hoping it will last, but it will only last if I keep turning out the work.’
Does she wish this had all happened before? ‘No. I’ve had an amazing, steady career. And I’m grateful for that. A lot of young people who get success very quickly come under huge pressure to maintain it and that is very hard. Especially if they’re good-looking, because if you’ve built a career based on your good looks when you’re young, it’s very difficult to carry on in a real and proper vein.’ Has she come under any of Hollywood’s infamous pressure to go under the knife?
‘No. I went to a lot of meetings while we were there, and the reaction I got is: ‘Oh, you’ve done nothing to your face, isn’t that great!’ If I suddenly started doing all that, it would make nonsense of this career I’ve had for 40-plus years. I’m setting myself up as somebody who likes to play characters. This Bible-bashing mad woman with a gun that I’m playing in Let Him Go isn’t going to have gone under the knife in 1963. Just leave it alone.’
Manville grew up in Brighton, where her father was a taxi driver, and at the age of 15 she started commuting to the Italia Conti stage school in London. She declined the chance to join the steamy TV dance troupe Hot Gossip. ‘I thought, I can’t wear stockings and a suspender belt on telly with my dad watching! He wasn’t a prude – it was more that I was a bit of a prude. I was a good girl. I never broke the rules.’
Just like Cathy in Mum, then? ‘I am a good girl at heart, so there is a bit of Cathy there, but the other side of me is very driven and single-minded.’
Her father couldn’t believe it when she gave up a perfectly good, lucrative part on the soap Emmerdale Farm to concentrate on theatre. ‘My dad was like, “What are you doing? Why would you want to do plays?”’ But Manville went on to have a truly illustrious and highly acclaimed career on stage, from her early days at the Royal Court through numerous leading roles at the National Theatre, The Old Vic and with the Royal Shakespeare Company to her performance in Ibsen’s Ghosts, for which she won the Olivier in 2014. This was the pinnacle of her career at the time, and she said: ‘Ghosts is my Olympic moment.’
There was no way of knowing that the Hollywood legend Paul Thomas Anderson, director of There Will Be Blood and Magnolia, would call her out of the blue, having seen her in the Mike Leigh films he loved.
But before that happened and she got really famous, the director Richard Laxton approached Manville in 2016 about making Mum, and had some persuading to do.
‘My only experience of comedy was 25 years ago, a series called Ain’t Misbehavin’ with Peter Davison,’ says Manville. ‘It was well written, but you had to be funny. I didn’t enjoy it. I wasn’t very good.’
Laxton sent a script and a box set of Him And Her, a series also written by Mum creator Stefan Golaszewski and shot in a very similar, low-key way. The actors play the drama and not for laughs, although they certainly come. In Mum, we see the craziness of the family from Cathy’s point of view as she tries to keep going, do her best and be kind.
‘Just the slightest twinkle from Cathy, and the audience knows what it’s going to mean,’ says Manville.
Series one began just after Cathy had lost her husband Dave. Series two saw her become increasingly – but very slowly – close to old family friend Michael, before she finally declared her love. Now, at the start of the final series, they are together, but haven’t broken it to her son or anyone else yet. ‘I love the way the writer does that,’ she says. ‘We last saw them tentatively holding hands. At the start of this series she just gives him a very casual kiss on the lips, when she’s showing him the bedroom she is staying in.’
The inference is that they have made love. ‘You don’t see them having sex. You don’t see them having passionate kisses.’ Is that a relief? ‘Yes. You wouldn’t want to go there really, but I knew they were going to get together.’ The pair have such joy on their faces, as if they can’t believe their luck.
‘I think younger people – 20- and 30-year-olds – don’t think of anybody aged 60 falling in love. They don’t really imagine that all those feelings an 18-year-old in love has – all those butterflies, uncertainties and insecurities, all that joy – is the same for everyone, whatever your age. That’s an emotion and a set of feelings that we never lose. Thank God! I love Mum for showing that.’
The characters are also very understated. ‘I love the fact that Cathy and Michael are not glamorous, they’re not thinking about how they look. They’re good, kind, thoughtful people. They’re intelligent. They’re very in touch with their own feelings and emotions and reality. They have a very acute understanding of the people around them.’ The cast and crew all stayed in the same hotel and found a local pub to eat and drink. ‘Lots of times, someone would spot one of us up at the bar – say Lisa [McGrillis, who plays Kelly] – and they’d go: “That’s her from Mum!” Then they’d turn around to see where she was taking the drinks and we would all be sitting there!’
How are people with her? ‘Mum is the thing I get stopped in the street most about. They say very kind things. They love the series. When I say it’s back in May but this is the last series, they can’t bear it.’
So why is Mum finishing? ‘Stefan wants to move on to other things. But it’s got a nice finite ending and why would you do any more? Either they get together or they don’t. Either way, that’s it.’ We don’t see so-called late love like this on the television much, do we?
‘No, but I think that’s shifting very slowly. Women and men of my age want to see themselves represented. And there are those actresses who are just carrying on – not just Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, but Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Annette Bening.... We are fronting films. And all those female-led films like Mamma Mia!, Quartet and The Best Marigold Hotel that have been huge box- office successes have made studios think: ‘We can have a film about a 50-year-old that people want to see!’
She says ‘we’, but those women are older than her. Thanks to her sudden Indian summer, Manville is now poised to lead a new generation of female actors taking on those kinds of roles. ‘Those actors have opened up the way for us, absolutely. I’ve always felt my life was a slow burn. I’m pleased with the way it has all turned out. Delighted, really. I can’t wait to see what happens next!’
The final series 3 of ‘Mum’ begins on BBC 2 next month. Series 1 and 2 are available on iPlayer.
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Ghost of You - Part Two
Pairing: Luke Hemmings x Reader
Author: @cxddlyash
Words: 1989
Author’s Note: We all know I’m a sucKer for happy endings! If you didn't know... well you do now. So, here it is! ALSO POSTED ON THE SAME DAY AS THE FIRST PART. WOW, RIGHT? Thanks to @h0tsos for fixing a couple of mistakes and letting me know her thoughts on it!
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Luke worked nonstop in the studio, wanting to get the beat of this song just right. He had some help from a couple writers, telling him their ideas and the blonde managed to finish the song in about two weeks.
He found himself standing outside of Calum’s door, knocking quietly as he waited for his best friend to open the door. Luke hasn’t actually been to his house since before the breakup, only in the studio.
The door opened and Cal stood on the other side, his eyes growing wide. “Luke? What are you doing here?” He asked, closing the door a bit and Luke’s eyebrows furrowed together.
“I, uh, finished the song. I wanted your opinion on it,” he mumbled, tangling his fingers together before just pushing past Calum despite the brunette’s plea for him to stop.
You were sat on the couch, snuggled into a blanket you took from the house, Luke’s scent slightly on it as you watched a sad movie. Your head picked up to Calum shouting Luke’s name and your heart dropped, not wanting him to see you like this.
Luke’s eyes landed on you as you perched yourself up on the couch. He could see the tears in your eyes before his gaze went to the tv. “Y/N… w-what-“ he started, confused but realizing why your here and before he could get out a coherent sentence you ran off to the room you stayed in.
His heart broke slightly, staring down the hallways. “Luke…” Calum started, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder and Luke pulled away from him.
“Yo-You didn’t even tell me she was here? Or how she was!?” He yelled, glaring at him.
“She didn’t want you to know,” the bassist calmly spoke, giving Luke a sad look. “She’s far from fine though. Just know that.” Luke ran his fingers through his curls, shaking his head a bit before rushing out of the house, walking back towards his.
-
You heard the door slam shut and you jumped a bit, knowing that he had left in anger. You say cross-legged on the bed, hearing Calum’s footsteps coming closer to your door before he knocked on the wooden surface.
He walked inside the room after you mumbled for him to come in. “I’m sorry. I-I should’ve just let you tell him where I was. I didn’t want you guys to get into a fight,” you whispered, a tear sliding down your cheek and Cal sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed beside you.
“It’s fine. I didn’t expect him to come over. He hasn’t left the house unless it was to go to the studio,” he mentioned and you frowned knowing that’s not like Luke at all. “He’s a mess… you know that right? I don’t think he can live without you.”
You shook your head, trying not to cry. “Please don’t tell me that,” your voice strained, sniffling a bit. The two of you sat in silence for a few moments before Calum pulled you into his chest. “T-This is all my fault. We’re both broken because of me.” You cried into his shirt, damping the fabric with your tears as you shook. Your breathing picked up as the task became a little harder, Calum noticing.
He pushed you away from him, moving some of the hair from your face as you kept hyperventilating. “Hey, it’s okay. This isn’t your fault. You were just doing what you thought best… everyone makes mistakes,” Calum gently cooed, rubbing the sides of your arms as you nodded, wiping the wet streaks from your flushed cheeks. “I know you won’t want to, but you should go talk to him.”
-
Calum dropped you off at your and Luke’s shared place, staring at it as you took a deep breath, gathering the courage to just go up to the front door. “Bye, have fun!” Cal called out as he drove away, not giving you the option to really run.
You sighed defeatedly, stepping slowly towards the place. You bent down, grabbing the key from under the flower pot, unlocking the front door before stepping inside. It was eerily quiet, the sound of Luke’s piano playing in the distance as you noticed the house to only be slightly messy.
Papers strewn about the coffee table caught your attention and you walked towards it, sitting gently onto the white couch. You picked up the pieces of paper, fingers grazing against the ink smudges knowing Luke put his heart into this song Ghost of You.
Here I am waking up, still can't sleep on your side
There's your coffee cup, the lipstick stain fades with time
If I can dream long enough, you'd tell me I'd be just fine
I'll be just fine
So I drown it out like I always do
Dancing through our house with the ghost of you
And I chase it down, with a shot of truth
Dancing through our house with the ghost of you
Fresh tears were added to the paper, except these were yours. You placed the papers back in their original spot, covering your face with your hands as you silently cried. He wrote a song about me… Luke’s voice singing throughout the house made you peek your head up, missing the way his voice sounded but this… this sounded nothing like the Luke you knew. His voice cracked while singing the lyrics you just read, the sound of the piano softly playing along to his voice.
You pushed yourself up from the couch, following the sounds of his voice to find him sitting in front of his piano, singing his heart out as he was hunched over a bit. You bit your knuckles to stop yourself from letting out a sob, continuing to watch him until he finished. Your eyes moved to Petunia who was lying on her bed beside him, her head picking up at the sight of you.
She immediately got up, trotting towards you as you crouched down, petting her belly as she laid on her back.
The piano playing stopped as Luke noticed Petunia wasn’t in her bed, glancing behind him to see you crouched down by her, petting her. A sad smile came to his lips, wondering if you were actually here or a figment of his imagination.
“You came back?” His voice spoke out quietly and you glanced over at the blonde, seeing this tired blue eyes looking at you.
You pressed your lips together while standing up before making your way towards him, sitting down next to him at the piano. “I figured we needed to talk,” you mumbled, toying with your fingers as he nodded, the two of you facing the piano.
His slender fingers played with the keys, pressing one every minute or so as you sat in silence. “Calum said you were far from fine…” Luke trailed off, gazing down at you as you sighed, nodding your head.
“He’s right. I don’t think there’s been a time where I didn’t cry myself to sleep,” you explained furthermore. “He said you were a mess.”
Luke let out a dry laugh, biting his bottom lip before nodding. “He’s also right. I haven’t left the house unless it was to go to record or write, I-I stare at your side of the bed every morning and every night, trying to figure out what I’d done wrong,” he mumbled quietly, the crack in his voice returning.
“Luke… you didn’t do anything. I should’ve just talked to you about it, but I-I honestly thought leaving was the best choice for both of us. I realize now that it wasn’t the right choice,” you told him, scooting a bit closer as your hips slightly touched.
Your hands were in your lap as Luke looked down at you, taking a big risk and reaching over to grab your hand. He laced your fingers together, butterflies erupting in your stomach as you squeezed his hand. “Can you just tell me why? What your reason was? It’s been eating away at me for three months.”
“Well, the distance was one. I hated that you were gone most of the time, but I knew it was for what you loved and I was okay with it. Secondly, the cheating rumors. I know… I know you’d never cheat on me, but the pictures, th-they looked so real and I thought that I wasn’t good enough for you anymore. Lastly, your fans. They were great in the beginning, but I guess they shipped you more with Sierra than they did with me and they became hateful. Sending me threats and hate and it topped everything off. I-I had to do something,” you explained in more depth to him, your free hand fumbling with his fingers.
Luke sighed, leaning down to press a kiss to the side of your head. “I love you so much. I honestly don’t want anyone else in my life like you were. You were the one for me, you still are. I-I’ll say something to the fans, have you come with us on tour-,” he started listing off things and you briefly cut him off.
“Who’ll watch Piggy?” You asked, looking down at the bulldog-terrier who was sleeping in her bed.
“I’ll find someone. I don’t wanna be away from you anymore. I-I don’t wanna risk the chance of coming home for you not to be here again. Please… please come home. Come back to me,” Luke whispered, resting his forehead against yours.
“Of course I’ll come back. You’re my home, Luke. I’m sorry for leaving. If I could go back in time I’d change the way I handled it,” you mumbled, one of your hands resting on his chest. Luke pulled away from you, getting up as you curiously glanced at him, wondering what he was doing.
He picked you up bridal style, a small squeal leaving your lips as Luke carried you to the bedroom, Petunia following you. You hid your face in his neck, taking in his wonderful scent as you missed it so much.
Luke set you down on your side of the bed, moving some of your hair from our face before laying down beside you. His hands reached for your waist, pulling you closer as you rested your head on his chest.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered as he combed his fingers through your hair.
You turned your head to look at him, leaning on your elbow before dipping down to press a kiss to his lips. Luke let out a small moan, his large hand resting on your cheek as he began kissing you back, missing the feeling of your lips against his.
Luke flipped you over, hovering over you as he deepened the kiss. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your fingers running through his curls as your heart fluttered. He pulled away, breathing heavily as you slowly opened your eyes.
“I’m glad I’m here too. I missed everything about you.”
Taglist: @honeymoonmuke @gotta-try-something-new @thebookamongmen @dashlilymark @ashs-cheergirl @lukeskisses @shower-me-with-roses
#luke hemmings#luke hemmings imagine#luke hemmings imagines#luke hemmings one shot#luke hemmings oneshot#luke x reader#luke hemmings x reader#luke hemmings x reader imagine#luke x reader imagine#luke hemmings fluff#luke hemmings angst#luke hemmings smut#calum hood#5sos#5 seconds of summer#5sos imagine#5sos imagines#5sos preference#5sos prefrences#5sos oneshot#5sos one shot#5sos x reader#5 seconds of summer imagine#5 seconds of summer imagines#5 seconds of summer preference#5 seconds of summer preferences#5 seconds of summer one shot#5 seconds of summer oneshot#5 seconds of summer x reader#5sos fluff
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Reddie as an old married couple
—IT did bit Eddie's arm off, but they managed to get him out and take him to the hospital in time. You know why? Because a person can be happy with just one arm. Disabled people deserve amazing lives, too, and we've got to stop making stories about how accidents "ruin lives". Eddie has just one arm and his life is just beginning.
—After he recovers, he gets divorced and goes to LA with Richie.
—They get married and travel around the world, having adventures, eating exotic food and making love in a regular basis. Life couldn't be any better.
—When they reach their 60s, they settle down and take it easy in a beautiful country house.
—They love to chill by the pool. They sit on their sunbed and Eddie has to beg Richie to use sunscreen. And Richie will rub sunscreen into his shoulders. He loves caressing the spot where his arm should begin. At first Eddie hated it, but years taught him to enjoy it. He knows Richie needs to show him that he loves every part of him.
—They have a small vegetable garden and they love taking care of it together. Richie thought it was boring and he would hate it, but then he realized how relaxing it was. Eddie is happy because, since they're so proud of their hard work, it motivates Richie to eat more vegetables.
—Their favorite thing to do is sit by the fireplace when it's raining outside and watch TV. They cuddle in the couch and get under a blanket, holding hands since Richie's body wouldn't take the weight of Eddie's head resting on his chest anymore. They laugh at old jokes on old sitcoms and remember the good times.
—Eddie buys an old, rusty car just to fix it. In hot summer days, he will work on it for hours, Richie handing him tools or holding his lemonade. He jokes about how hot mechanic!Eddie is.
—Their house is full of old pictures. The first thing you will see if you go there is a portrait on the small table by the door. Kid!Richie with mud on his face and the biggest grin, holding a frog he got for Eddie; Kid!Eddie disgusted but intrigued. Over the firescape, a big picture of the whole Losers club in the summer of 1989, after a day of playing at the quarry. Lots of pictures of the wedding, of Richie playing with Benverly's baby (his goddaughter), of them at Christmas parties and karaoke nights.
—They've got a big backyard where Benverly's grandchildren love to play. They're five years old twins and love all the Losers as they all were their grandparents, too. Them, Benverly's daughter and her husband and the rest of the club will visit periodically. They like having barbeques and every birthday party is organized at Reddie's house. Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday, because Richie's pathetical attempts of making a good dinner are hilarious.
—Richie sometimes gets self-conscious. He stands in front of the mirror and looks at himself. His white hair, his wrinkles, everything. He can't help but feel sad. But Eddie always makes him feel better. He rests his chin on his shoulder from behind and smiles dreamily. "Even being handsome is annoying when it comes from you," he says, kisses his cheek and walks away. That's the biggest confidence bust.
—They slowdance in the kitchen. Always. They stop making dinner just to turn up the radio and hold each other. Richie puts his arms around Eddie's waist and Eddie hides his face on his chest, Richie kissing the top of his head as I want to know what love is or Eternal Flame plays. Sometimes he sings along, voice barely hearable.
—Everytime they're driving or doing something and Africa starts playing on the radio, they look at each other with knowing smiles. "You remember, right?". "Of course, that's our song". And even when they say they won't, they always sing it.
—Sometimes they make love. Not very often, but at special ocassions. And they feel like fifteen years old. Every time feels like a first time. It's always been like that. They know the other's body by heart, they're no longer the unconventionally attractive guys they used to be, but they still find each other so incredibly hot. A few minutes and it's over. And Richie can't even feel embarrased of his performance because he simply feels so lucky to have Eddie like this.
—They always end up crying. Lying side by side, staring into each other's eyes, still sweaty, they kiss slowly and caress the other's face and cry, whispering sweet nothings. "I though I lost you, Eds." "I thought I lost you!" "We're together, fuck, we're together." "Shit, I know. Kiss me again."
—They're just so happy. They go out for sunday walks, arms intertwined, enjoying the view. And as they move under the shadow of beautiful trees and the heat of the midday sun, they sometimes look at each other and still can't believe it. Richie says "fuck, I can't believe I married this grumpy old man." And Eddie says "beep beep, Richie", chuckling and shaking his head.
—Richie exclaims "cute, cute, cute!" and attacks his cheek, putting his arms around his waist and picking him up. He sets him back on the ground before even doing a full turn, complaining about the pain on his back.
—"Oh, so I'm the old man," Eddie chuckles again.
—"Beep beep, Eddie Spaghetti," Richie says, resting his arm around his shoulders as they keep walking.
—Life is beautiful and they feel infinite. The end.
#reddie#richie tozier#eddie kaspbrak#it (2017)#it (movie)#it (film)#it (book)#it#beverly marsh#it (1990)#hc#the losers club#headcanon#ben hanscom#benverly#it (2019)
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Roswell, New Mexico is The CW’s latest entry into the reboot and revival craze that’s brought back so many old TV shows, whether they should have been resurrected or not. As a fan of the original Roswell series, I had mixed feelings going into this version. After watching the pilot, I think that if viewers can focus on this version and leave behind expectations based on the original series, it’s an enjoyable show. Roswell, New Mexico has the potential to live up to some of the early promise that the original showed, before it turned into a charming mess.
We (Metamaiden and Metacrone) loved the original Roswell fiercely. We own the DVDs and have watched the entire 60 plus episode series ‘I don’t know how many’ times. Actually, we should probably write a Quick Review of the series and recommend essential episodes. Keep an eye out for that review.
We also own the original Roswell High Series of 10 books by Melinda Metz. The original TV series was commissioned based on the first book, so the two series don’t have much in common beyond the basic premise.
What we’re trying to say here is twofold: This is a major fandom for us, and Roswell has always been a story with multiple versions. The novels and the original series were written at the same time. So which is the real cannon? Neither. The story works best if you’re open-minded about many things, from “mixed relationships” to different versions of stories about aliens to reinterpretations of beloved characters.
Stories stay alive and vital because they are periodically reinterpreted. The Roswell story has been around since 1947, but stories about alien invaders have been around for even longer. Jason Katims and Melinda Metz didn’t invent the basics of this story. They wanted to make a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, based on Shakespeare (who is no stranger to reinterpretation) and settled on an alien story, as a distinction that would still pose issues between two people who are in love.
Let’s give executive producer Julie Plec, the creative force behind the wildly successful Vampire Diaries franchise, and Carina Adly MacKenzie, Plec’s young protegé and the showrunner for Roswell, New Mexico, a chance to take their shot at this timeless story of strangers in a strange land and true love that must beat impossible odds. And let’s applaud The CW for continuing to support female showrunners, and giving young women a chance to prove themselves.
Recap
The Pilot’s opening is narrated by Liz Ortecho, who introduces us to her hometown of Roswell, NM, site of the infamous alien spaceship crash which took place on June 14, 1947. The ship’s crash landing, which happened on Foster Ranch, in the desert outside of town, is summarized in images, while Liz discusses its impact on the town. We’re shown a meteor-like green glow which has a high-speed collision with the ground. The glow turns out to be an alien spaceship. It breaks into glowing pieces which are investigated by local and military authorities.
Liz tells us that the crash has drawn in tourists and seekers ever since, searching for answers to their existential loneliness. While growing up, Liz was searching for something in Roswell, too, until she realized that it’s really just a mundane small town, full of small-minded people, living small, petty lives. She couldn’t wait to leave, and never looked back.
Switch to the present day, and the action happening in real-time.
Liz is alone in her car, driving back to Roswell, late at night, when she is stopped at a police checkpoint. She assumes she’s being stopped because she’s a Latina. Max will deny this, but I’ve seen it happening at checkpoints in southern New Mexico, and that was before the immigration issue got crazy.
If you want to move illegals around without getting stopped, ask a middle-aged Anglo friend for help. Youngsters are always suspicious in a state with drug issues.
The cars are supposed to drive slowly through the checkpoint, so the police can look at their license plates, registration stickers, the people inside, and anything else that catches their eye. But this is a made for TV moment. Only the Feds check immigration status in New Mexico. Other branches of the justice system leave the Feds to their business.
Liz rolls down her window, already making a speech about her rights as a citizen and the call she’ll be making to the ACLU, as she pulls out her passport. She stops cold when she sees that it’s Max, and flashes to a high school memory. They realize that it’s been 10 years since they’ve seen each other. Max has stayed in town. Liz seems surprised. Max seems happy that she’s back.
Sheriff Valenti, who is the mom of Liz’s ex-boyfriend, Kyle, interrupts them. She assumes Liz is in town for the ten year high school reunion, and is the same good girl that she always was. She lets Liz go without further ado.
Liz goes straight to her family’s restaurant, none other than the Crashdown Cafe, where the food has an alien aroma to it and the waitresses have little green antennae. An alien conspiracy theorist is podcasting from a booth in the diner as we speak. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which kind of illegal aliens he’s referring to.
“I know you think you’re safe, but you’re not. Aliens have already ruined your life. Aliens are the illuminati. They’re conditioning us. You ever tangle with a Beyoncé fan on Twitter? Relentless. They’re brainwashed by subliminal messaging in the music. And soon, the war for the soul of America will be on. This is the Gravity of It All Podcast. Now a word from our sponsor, Alpha Testosterator gelcaps.”
Liz enters the diner just as the podcaster finishes. They strike up a conversation. When he asks if she’s a believer, she tells him that her great-grandfather was abducted and impregnated by an alien in 1947. Ever since, only the men in the family have been able to carry children.
Liz’s father, Arturo, catches her teasing the customers again and can’t believe his daughter is such a miscreant, after he carried her for 14 months before giving birth. 😉
They have a warm reunion, then Arturo goes back to work. Liz tells him she went through an ICE checkpoint (ICE= Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and suggests, again, that they move to a sanctuary city where his immigration status wouldn’t be such an issue. Arturo doesn’t want to leave his home and his super cool business, which he obviously couldn’t transfer anywhere else. Liz just wants to sleep at night knowing he won’t get deported.
Not going to happen for the next few years.
Arturo asks how the drive was, and Liz sarcastically says it was awesome, since there’s so little to look at between Denver and Roswell.
The New Mexico and Colorado natives always think this. There are actually spectacular mountain and desert views, plus you go by Colorado Springs, Santa Fe, other small cities and a couple of casinos.
Liz gravitates to a bulletin board on the kitchen wall, where a funeral notice for her sister is still hanging. It says, “In loving memory of Rosa Ortecho, January 17, 1989- June 1, 2008.”
Liz sends her father to bed, promising to finish the shift for him and close up. After a bit of negotiating, she wears the antennae that go with the waitress uniform. Once everyone is gone, she puts her favorite song, Mrs Potter’s Lullaby by Counting Crows, on the jukebox and dances to unwind.
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Max slowly makes his way in, watching her dance and clean up the dining room, but not wanting to be too creepy. After a minute, he coughs a little to let her know he’s there. The music fades, because they only have eyes for each other. It may not be a teen romance, but they’re still soulmates who’ve been separated for ten years.
I’m holding back on those crying emojis, ok? Imagine original Max and Liz being separated at the height of season 1, supposedly for their own safety, and her mind being wiped by Isobel or Tess. Then they meet up again 10 years later. That’s roughly the situation we have here.
This reboot moves beyond Romeo and Juliet, to give us Persuasion, my favorite Jane Austin novel. It’s so much more meaningful when grown ups who’ve suffered find love than when it’s teenagers who don’t know what they’re doing. I have nothing against teen romance, but grown up love is so much more complex, and a love that’s been lost and rediscovered has so many obstacles to overcome, but also has so much depth.
Nathan Parsons is really nailing that whole soulful staring at Liz thing that made Jason Behr a heartthrob. I could cry just watching that.
Remember when I said this was a major fandom for me? I may be happier to see it return than even I realized. But I will attempt to be a professional, if unpaid, recapper from here on out.
Max explains that he came by to tell her that one of her running lights on her car is out. That’s why he stopped her at the checkpoint, but she didn’t give him a chance to mention it. He wants her to know that he’s not one of the bad guys. He makes to leave, but she’s been doing her own soulful staring, and doesn’t want to let him go. Just as he’s on his way out the door, she asks him if he wants a milkshake.
Liz makes him something green and offers to put a couple of shots of bourbon in, to make up for the way she treated him earlier. He tells her not to worry about it. Immigration has been pestering them, but he didn’t join the force to tear families apart. Liz asks why he did join. He wanted to protect people. It helps him sleep at night. Liz remembers that he wanted to be a writer.
Max notices the song playing on the jukebox. Liz explains that it’s her favorite song, the song that picks her up when nothing else can. It was her sister Rosa’s song, too, and Liz always copied her big sister.
Max asks where she’s been lately. She tells him she’s been in Denver, working on an experimental regenerative medicine study. They were onto something special, but their funding was redirected to building an unnecessary border wall, and she lost her job. So she came home, and now she’s sharing a milkshake with her high school lab partner.
Just as Max starts to get serious, several shots are fired through the front window of the diner. Max pushes Liz down to the floor to protect her, but he’s a few seconds too late. She’s already been hit in the chest, on the left side, and is bleeding out quickly. He puts his hand on the wound and heals her, but she’s mortally wounded, so it requires an immense amount of power. Max draws power from the environment around him to supplement his own. Apparently that includes the power grid, since lights explode and the power goes out, but there also looks to be a small earthquake.
As Liz starts to regain consciousness, Max breaks open a bottle of ketchup and pours it over the wounded area to disguise the blood. He makes sure she’s alright, then races out of the cafe to pursue the shooter. Liz tries to understand what happened to her, and discovers the bullet hole in her dress.
The Roswell, New Mexico title card comes up.
There were definitely sparks when they began their relationship. And blood. And ketchup. There must be some significance to that combination.
At least he’s not a vampire.
There’s a lone gunman, on foot, but Max is too depleted from healing Liz to keep up with him. Max follows the perp into an alley, then collapses to the pavement. He uses his special alien psychic communication powers to let his sister, Isobel, know he’s in trouble.
Isobel is having a date night in with her husband, Noah, and trying something new. Noah is tied to the bed and wearing a red eye mask, while Isobel has on a black Teddy and stockings. Noah has agreed to obey her all night long. When she tells him she has to leave for a while, she also says that it’s part of the thing, possibly called “hoverboarding” (she’ll have to check the book), and he’s not allowed to question her. She puts on her coat and rushes out to find Max.
After the noise and excitement, Arturo has woken up, and is cleaning up the dining room. Liz asks why he stays in a town where people hate them for no good reason. He disagrees, pointing out that they have a reason. Rosa did drugs and drove, got in an accident, and killed two innocent girls, along with herself. The ten year anniversary is coming up, which is bringing up memories for everyone, and putting people on edge.
Sheriff Valenti arrives at the diner to make sure everyone is okay. Liz goes on the attack, wondering why no one is protecting her father and his business.
Isobel finds Max in the alley, still on the ground, and hurries to bring him a bottle of nail polish remover. He drinks it as fast as he can. As he does, the power comes back on, so he must have still been pulling whatever energy was available from the grid.
But what’s the deal with the nail polish remover? And how did they, as tiny kid aliens, figure out they needed to drink an otherwise poisonous substance, then convince their parents to buy it for them? Did it smell good to them? I hope it tastes good. Shouldn’t Max keep a flask of it on him for emergencies, like you’d keep an epipen for a serious allergy? So many questions about this development.
As Liz gets ready for bed, she notices a red mark on her shoulder where the bullet entered. She goes to see her ex-boyfriend, Kyle Valenti, who is now a surgeon, at the local hospital to ask him to examine her and do some scans. She remembers getting shot, but obviously she didn’t, so maybe she has a concussion or she’s going crazy. Kyle suggests she’s suffering from trauma because of the gunfire and orders the scans.
At dawn, when Max is done with the night shift, he checks in with Sheriff Valenti, who tells him Liz seemed okay after the shooting, though just as mouthy as ever. She orders him to write up his report, then go to bed. And shave. He replies that he knows how she feels about patriarchal dress and grooming standards, and he’s just supporting her feminist agenda. She’s amused, but not fooled. And, by the way, there’s a surprise for him in the drunk tank.
It’s not that much of a surprise, since Max’s alien brother, Michael Guerin, is a regular and a ne’er do well. He’s also in the process of using telekinesis to steal the keys to his cage so he can escape. Max grabs the keys and reminds Michael of the cameras. Michael has insider knowledge that the cameras are all malfunctioning, darn the luck. Max still mildly suggests that Michael follow procedure for getting out of his cell.
Michael wonders what’s up with Max, since he would usually get a lecture along the lines of: “Why you got to cause a scene, Michael? Why don’t you drive the speed limit, Michael? Why don’t you spend your nights like I do, crying and masturbating to Russian moralistic literature, Michael?” It almost sounds like a song, doesn’t it?
Isobel joins the party, looking for an explanation about the night before. She tells Max he has 30 seconds to start talking, or she’ll melt his brain. Michael, who is a total gossip, is all in on the conversation, and dying to hear what Max did. When Max is done explaining about healing Liz, both Isobel and Michael have fits at him. Isobel can’t believe he risked their secret after 20 years, especially for Rosa Ortecho’s sister. Michael blasts his way out of the cell and blames Max for putting heroics over protecting his family. He blasts Max across the room and walks out.
Isobel remembers the cameras in the room, but Max tells her not to worry about them. She goes into a vicious rant: “Don’t worry? I have been worried my entire life that someone would find out about us. That we would end up dissected, imprisoned. I am married to someone who can’t ever know who I am, and that kills me. But I keep this secret, because you, me and Michael swore that we would. And now in one moment, you’ve thrown that all away, on some girl you had a thing for in high school. I hope she was worth it, Max.”
So, call me crazy, but don’t all of those burdens she just listed apply to Max and Michael as well? Isn’t Isobel, in fact, the only one who isn’t alone? And that last part was just mean and cold. The narcissist red flag is rising on this one.
Michael goes home, which is an airstream trailer on Foster Ranch, the same ranch where the alien ship crashed. His landlord and some military men are waiting for him outside the trailer. The landlord tells him that the Air Force has acquired the land, so Michael needs to move and take his trailer with him.
Michael sees another man peeking in his windows and goes to pull him away. When he does, he discovers that it’s Alex Manes, just back from a tour of duty in Baghdad. He came back minus a leg and is working with his father, Master Sargeant Jesse Manes, who is nearby collecting samples.
Michael’s too caught up in seeing Alex again to think about the implications of the Air Force acquiring the crash site and collecting samples. I’m thinking it’s not a coincidence.
Alex asks what Michael is doing in the trailer. Michael baits Alex by telling him he’s doing weed and casual sex. Plus, “Covert plans to violently overthrow the government. Quick, Alex, run and tell your daddy.” It sounds like there’s some history there. Michael goes inside. He has spaceship plans all over the walls, and some sort of sparkling, rainbow colored solution in a plastic bag.
Liz drives out to the site of Rosa’s car crash, where there’s a small memorial set up. Before she gets out of the car, she remembers telling Rosa about Max, just before she graduated from high school. Liz realized she cared deeply for Max and didn’t want to leave him behind when she left town. Rosa tried to convince Liz that she was already gone and shouldn’t weigh herself down with any baggage from Roswell.
There are three small wooden crosses at the site, with the names of the three victims on them. They all have flowers and rosary beads, but Rosa’s has been pulled up out of the ground and tossed aside. Liz puts the cross upright in the ground again, noticing that there are friendship bracelets on the arm of the cross.
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Liz goes back into town and brings Max a milkshake. She waits for him outside of the police station, while Michael watches her from his truck. When Max comes outside, Liz tells him the shake is to make up for the one that got interrupted the night before and to thank him. He insists he didn’t do anything special.
Liz tells Max that her mother and her sister both had mental health issues, and she’s worried that she’s developing them, too. She was hallucinating, and thought she was shot. She even went to see Kyle at the hospital, and had him check to make sure there wasn’t a bullet still in her body. But there wasn’t, so she must be going insane.
Liz turns and starts to walk away. Max calls her back, but before he can say anything, Michael blows out all of the windows in a nearby car. There’s a woman in the car, so Max has to make sure she’s okay. Max knows this was Michael’s doing. Liz puts a plastic bag over the milkshake straw to protect the DNA in Max’s saliva, and hurries away.
Liz visits her high school best friend, Maria, who now works as a bartender at the local townie bar, The Wild Pony. Maria does fortune-telling, and is just finishing a palm reading for Hank, who makes a nasty, racist comment about Liz when she walks in the door. Maria calls him on it and sends him on his way. Then she tries to send Liz to the town’s tourist bar. Liz thanks Maria for leaving something at Rosa’s memorial. They drink a toast to Rosa.
When Max gets home, he finds Isobel waiting for him. She needs a photo of the three of them from high school for the reunion. She coos at the photo Max gives her, then goes straight to a cutting remark about Max and Liz. Max tells her that he’s going to tell Liz the truth. At this point, it will be less dangerous than leaving Liz in the dark. Isobel loudly insists that he can’t bring a stranger in on their secret. Max yells back that he’s not asking permission.
He immediately apologizes, having surprised them both. Isobel asks, half jokingly, if he’s in love with her. Max says that he hasn’t seen her in ten years. Isobel reminds him that there are too many secrets that Liz, in particular, can’t know. Being with her would just be too complicated. He needs to find someone, anyone else. Max sadly tells her that it’s been ten years. If he were going to move on, he would have done it by now. Several emotions cross Isobel’s face. Remorse, and the awful realization that she might have ruined his life for good, are in there somewhere.
Maria thinks it’s romantic that Max and Liz went through a shooting together. Liz notes that Max doesn’t seem to have any romantic interest in her. Maria tells her that the cure for rejection is sex with a rando. Liz has had a few shots by now, and decides that’s her cue to leave, before one of the townies in the bar starts looking good.
She goes outside to call an Uber and runs into Kyle. He asks if she wants to spend the evening together and forget about whatever’s bothering her. She takes him up on the offer, which turns into car sex, though he was up for whatever she wanted to do. I guess she’s a cheap date.
He tries to stop things at one point, thinking that using each other for random sex is a bad idea, but Liz wants to keep going. A minute later, he sees the telltale glowing, rainbow alien handprint where Max healed Liz. When he asks what it is, Liz cuts the date short.
Great job playing it cool, Liz.
The podcaster is back at the Crashdown Cafe, sure that the blackout was caused by aliens who are out to takeover the town by raping, murdering, and stealing their jobs.
Liz looks at Max’s cells under a microscope and discovers that they aren’t human. She goes looking for him, but finds him looking for her. She shows him the handprint. He asks her to take a drive with him.
Kyle calls Jesse Manes, because, before he died, his dad drilled into him the mantra, “If you see the handprint, go to Manes.”
Max and Liz go out into the desert, where he takes her into a boarded up cave. She fusses the whole way there, sure that he’s actually a stranger who’s going to serial kill her and lumping him in with the way she feels about the rest of the town. Max reminds her that he’s not a stranger, he’s a decent guy who stays in Roswell because he likes it there and the people have been decent to him, even though he knows people treated her badly after Rosa died.
Inside the cave, Max shows her three glowing pods that are floating, save for a spot where they’re tethered to the ground. They think the pods are the reason they survived the 1947 crash. They woke up 50 years later, in 1997, looking like 7 year old children, and wandered out into the desert. They were found by a trucker, then Max and Isobel were adopted and Michael went into foster care.
Liz is actually relieved to find out the truth, because it’s better thinking she’s going crazy. She’s already proven to herself that his DNA isn’t human, now he’s just confirming it. Max explains that keeping their secret has always been the most important thing to him, until he realized she was dying. Liz promises to keep the secret, too.
Jesse Manes also takes Kyle for a drive so that he can explain some things. He tells Kyle that after the 1947 crash, the Valentis and the Manes started an organization together that’s dedicated to keeping the town, the country, and the planet safe. He uses a digital palmprint reader to open what looks like old, metal storm doors on a derelict old building. Inside, it’s a huge underground facility, which Manes calls Project Shepherd.
At the high school reunion, Isobel and Michael are plotting the best way to ruin Max’s life, for the second time. Michael wants to make sure that Isobel is prepared to use her mind-wipe powers on Liz to take away her memories of Max, should Liz betray them. Just like Isobel did ten years ago, when they made her leave town without Max.
Liz has lots of questions about aliens for Max, but he doesn’t have answers. He’s just a guy from Roswell who happens to have powers. He did consider leaving town once, ten years ago. If it wasn’t for Michael and Isobel, he would have followed her- followed in her footsteps that is.
He has to leave to go to the reunion, because it’s important to Isobel. Liz decides to go with. She asks about the other times he’s saved people, but he never uses his powers to save anyone. Liz realizes that he did it because it was her. She asks why.
He responds by asking if she remembers the first time they met. She doesn’t but he does. He offers to show her by connecting through the mark, but he has to touch it. She tells him to do whatever he wants. He’s a gentleman, so he just steps forward and touches the handprint.
Through a montage, he shows her images from their childhood and teen years. They were close friends who spent a lot of time together. She often shared her music with him by giving him one earbud while she kept the other.
When it’s done, she looks at him and says, “After high school, you would have followed me.” He replies, “Yeah. Anywhere.”
She tries to kiss him, and he wants to, but he stops her. He explains that the handprint is part of a psychic bond that the healing creates between them. It allowed him to show her his memories. What she’s feeling right now are his own feelings, coming through the bond. Until the handprint and the bond fade, he won’t get involved with her. It would be taking advantage.
It will take a few days to a week for the handprint and the bond to fade. Liz decides that she’ll wait and kiss him then, when she can prove her feelings are real.
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Back in the bunker, Jesse is about to initiate Kyle into the family conspiracy business. He and Kyle’s dad were close friends, and everything he shares with Kyle in this room is fact.
The Facts, as Jesse knows them: The 1947 crash was real, and what crashed was a ship full of monsters. Most of the monsters died the night of the crash (he doesn’t specify if they died in the crash or if humans killed them afterward). But at least one survived. If Kyle saw a handprint, the violence isn’t over.
What I love about the way Jesse talks about the aliens is that it’s clear that the humans were and are the perpetrators of the bulk of the violence.
At the high school reunion, Alex confronts Michael about his trailer. The Air Force chemical engineers found high levels of phenyl-2-propanone around the trailer, which would be present if Michael were cooking meth. Michael stands up, and says that it’s not P2P, but it’s something similar. Alex gets right up in his space. As Michael tries to brush past him to walk away, Alex grabs his hand. Michael asks if Alex is trying to hold his hand. Alex asks if he ever gets tired of doing his macho cowboy thing. Michael asks the question right back and walks away. Alex watches him until he leaves the room.
Their lips were about two inches apart during that exchange, in case the actual conversation wasn’t enough to convince you they were hate-flirting. Michael is a cat, or a Klingon, and all romantic endeavors must begin with a heated, possibly violent, argument.
When Liz and Max get to the reunion, people stare at her and make rude comments. She and Max are ready to leave, but then Maria proves she’s a truly great friend by getting the band to play Liz’s favorite song and dancing in the middle of the floor. Liz knows she has to join in.
Max remembers watching Liz dance to the song in high school with her sister and friends. She was inside the diner, while he stood outside. As has happened several times throughout the episode, words and lines from windows and reflections cover his face and mouth, a reminder that he’s trapped by circumstances he can’t control, and things he can’t say.
Alex adjusts his prosthetic in a room off to the side of the reunion. Michael finds him there. Alex says that he thought sure Michael would have left town by the time he got back. Michael asks if Alex wants him to leave. Alex thinks that what he wants doesn’t matter, since he’s not a kid anymore.
As they’ve been talking, Michael has been slowly walking toward Alex. Alex sort of gravitates closer to Michael, and they finally smash themselves together, kissing like they’ve been starving without each other.
Isobel finds Max, who’s watching Liz dance with Maria. She guesses that he told Liz. He admits that he did, and explains how well it went. He’s sure they can trust Liz. Isobel scoffs at him.
When the trust breaks down, as it inevitably will, it’ll be Isobel’s fault.
Jesse, still talking to a rapt Kyle: “They are a violent race. They despise compassion. They despise freedom, love and they thrive on our tragedy. They are at their very core, killers.”
Michael and Alex are just existing in each other’s space and letting it bring them back to life for a few minutes.
Isobel asks if Max told Liz about the other thing, and he cuts her off before she can finish. Liz can never know the truth about what happened to Rosa.
Liz touches the handprint, which is close to her heart. Then she pulls Max out onto the dance floor with her.
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Commentary
The Alien Diaries* Roswell, New Mexico has a 13 episode season, of which 5 are directed by women. The pilot and one other episode are directed by Julie Plec. Shiri Appelby, who played Liz Parker in the original series, directs episode 9. Paul Wesley, from The Vampire Diaries, also directs an episode. There are female writers credited on 8 of the episodes.
The regular cast includes Jeanine Mason as Liz Ortecho, Nathan Dean Parsons as Max Evans, Lily Cowles as Isobel Evans-Bracken, Michael Vlamis as Michael Guerin, Michael Trevino as Kyle Valenti, Tyler Blackburn as Alex Manes, Heather Hemmens as Maria DeLuca, Trevor St. John as Jesse Manes and Karan Oberoi as Noah Bracken.
Recurring characters include Rosa Arredondo as Sheriff Valenti, Carlos Compean as Arturo Ortecho, Riley Voelkel as Jenna Cameron, Amber Midthunder as Rosa Ortecho, Sherri Saum as Mimi DeLuca, Claudia Black as Ann Evans, and Dylan McTee as Wyatt Long.
I’m looking forward to seeing Claudia Black as Max and Isobel’s mother. Amber Midthunder plays Kerry Loudermilk on Legion. Though she’ll only be seen in flashback, since her character passed away 10 years ago, it’ll be fun to see her in a new role. Michael Trevino appears to be playing another character that I just can’t bring myself to like. I’m sure he’s a lovely person in real life, but the werewolf and now the jealous snitch both get on my nerves.
They left out Liz’s childhood cupcake dress, which is in both the books and the original series. That was a chance to show a little levity and put their own twist on a beloved image, while providing continuity with the other versions.
Themes in this episode: Dangerous secrets; What helps you sleep at night; Protecting people; The varying ways hands touch people- with good or bad intentions; The positives and negatives of loyalty; The meaning of home and how much it’s worth sacrificing to stay in one’s home.
Personally, I might draw the line at dating someone who smelled like nail polish remover. Too many chemical fumes. I’ll still fight for their equal human rights, obviously. But my chemical sensitivities probably preclude a relationship. However, I do miss the addiction to hot pepper sauce that the original trio had. It made sense for New Mexico, the chili pepper capital.
Mysteries and Potential Storylines
What really happened to Rosa? We saw her trying to convince Liz that Max wasn’t worth getting fussed over. Did Isobel control Rosa’s mind and force her to say that? Is that why Rosa thought she was crazy? Did Isobel and Michael drive Rosa to her death, then Max helped cover it up, and let Liz go to keep peace in the family? What about Rosa and Liz’s mother? Did an alien also cause her to think she was insane? Do interactions with aliens run in the Ortecho family, instead of mental illness?
It looks like it’s the Manes and Valenti families who have issues with hereditary mental illnesses, especially illnesses involving obsession, delusions, extreme paranoia and anxiety. Those guys have been feeding their hate and fear off of ancient history for decades. Neither Jesse nor Kyle’s father would have ever even seen an alien.
Now Jesse’s initiating Kyle into their cult, and it looks ike Kyle is buying into the lies. Of course he is. He told us earlier in the episode that he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough, despite his good looks and accomplishments. Joining a secret warrior cult puts him a step higher than everyone else, making him feel important and special. Giving him a specific target for his free-floating hatred and anxieties let’s him release those feelings against a real world target, which is very satisfying in the short-term. In the long-term, a cult that’s devoted to hatred can eat away at your core until nothing good is left, just an angry shell that follows cult leaders’ orders.
Whatever Isobel and Michael did to Liz and Rosa, they didn’t understand how serious Max and Liz were about each other. Whatever the other reasons for wiping Liz and killing Rosa, part of it was to keep Max for themselves and put something between him and Liz that could never be overcome. Now, ten years later, Isobel, at least, realizes the seriousness of their actions, and how badly they screwed up. But Isobel is a defensive person who doesn’t admit when she’s wrong and doesn’t like to share Max with anyone but Michael. Realizing her mistake may cause her to treat Max and Liz worse instead of better.
It’s ironic that Max and Isobel are so worried about Liz, and apparently always have been worried about the Ortecho sisters and Max’s connections to people in general, but don’t give a moment’s thought to Michael’s connection to Alex. Michael saw Alex looking into his windows and Alex told him there are military chemical engineers investigating him. But Michael thinks he’s too smart for anyone to figure out what he’s up to.
Meanwhile, his ex-boyfriend distracts him from the nefarious alien hunting and investigation activities of the Air Force and Project Shepherd. It doesn’t seem like Alex knows about Project Shepherd, but he could be using Michael. Or, Jesse could be pushing an innocent Alex toward Michael for the purposes of distraction and incidental information gathering. Jesse doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d be okay with a gay son or a handicapped one, neither being manly enough for him, so using his son wouldn’t be a problem for him. He wants Kyle, the straight, able-bodied hero-doctor, as his replacement son.
Roswell, NM kept each character’s specialized powers from the original show, which wasn’t in the books. In the books they all have the same powers. In the old show, their powers are related to their previous positions as royalty on their planet. The way that they are doing each character’s personality feels like they might be planning to do something with that aspect of the storyline, even though it was part of the messed up plotlines that didn’t really go anywhere. There are many directions you could take a story about exiled alien royalty. I wouldn’t mind seeing where it could go, if done well. The Roswell novels that followed the series did follow up on that storyline in a more gratifying way.
I would bet good money that the experimental regenerative medicine study that Liz was working on was based on alien DNA from the aliens captured in the ’47 crash. That thread will be picked up again, sooner or later. And the scientists will want fresh DNA to work with. Could they have hired Liz because she’s from Roswell, then have laid her off hoping she’d go home and lead them to an alien?
Roswell vs Roswell, NM
The original Roswell pilot was one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen. I still go back and watch it sometimes. Its climax is at the Crash Festival, where all of the story elements come together. The visuals are amazing, speaking to questions of identity and the nature of what makes us human. The Dave Matthews song “Crash into Me” is used as a centerpiece, highlighting the tragedy that befell the aliens’ parents, which is now celebrated as a tourist attraction, but has left them alone and hunted.
So far, Roswell, NM doesn’t have the visual pizazz that the original had. In the new pilot, the high school reunion replaced the festival, and it’s visual and musical styles were workman-like, using a cover of a song when we’d already heard the original and a space that was indistinct and industrial, like every other poorly lit space on TV this year.
Roswell, New Mexico is obviously trying to forge its own way and not copy the original’s big moments, which is both a good idea, and frustrating. There are some iconic elements that they didn’t change, like Liz getting shot in the diner and Max healing her, but they changed much of what surrounded the moment. My guess is that scene plays fine, if you aren’t comparing it to the original, which had a song playing over Max healing Liz that became iconic, and witnesses who became a big part of the story. But “fine” isn’t the same as creating new iconic moments of their own.
They seem to be focusing on making Roswell into a drab little town, so the cinematography also comes off as drab. Maybe that will change as Max and Liz get closer and the aliens explore their powers. A world that feels more magical should look more magical, and there were touches of that in this episode, in the pods, the handprint, the sparks outside the Crashdown Cafe, and Max and Liz alone in the diner.
They did use several big songs at key moments, and the showrunner has said that her dedication to the soundtrack is her homage to the original, which also had a great soundtrack. But if the show is going to work, they also have to be able to do what I asked viewers to do in the beginning of the recap: Put aside the original, and let this show be something all its own. If it makes sense to highlight a moment, do it, even if it was also an iconic moment in the original. If the show is worth watching, it will develop its own audience, who won’t care about the moments from a 20 year old show.
In the original pilot, the scene where Max reveals to Liz that he’s an alien is unforgettable. Even Mr Metawitches was looking for those iconic lines. I didn’t mind that they were changed, but I did mind that the scene was played down to the point where Liz decided that it was no big deal that Max is an alien. She’s a scientist. She should feel some excitement and wonder looking at those pods and hearing what Max has to say. Her reaction shouldn’t be emotionless interrogation of a man she cares about and has known all of her life.
Max and Liz have a sweet, passionate chemistry. Michael and Adam have intense chemistry. The actors who play Liz, Michael, Alex and Max all work as the characters they’re playing. Michael Trevino seems like he’ll work out as Kyle, especially if he remains conflicted or turns against the aliens. We didn’t see enough of Maria for me to form an opinion of Heather Hemmens. Rosa is an intriguing character and I love Amber Midthunder, so if there’s any way to bring her back to life, I vote we go for it.
Isobel is a bit of a problem, since the actress and character come off as petty and selfish. She’s married, but Max can’t be with Liz, who she’s already driven out of town once? She seems like the type who pulls out her claws every time a woman comes near her brother, with the excuse that they have to keep their secret, and he can’t be trusted. That’s a soap opera-level downgrade of the high-strung but generous and intelligent character Katherine Heigl originated. I hope this Isobel will grow into a better person, fast.
The adults who we met in the pilot seemed well-cast. I like the switch up of making Sheriff Valenti a reasonable Latina woman, and bringing in military man Jesse Manes to play the evil alien hunter that Valenti was in the books.
Project Shepherd and the underground facility are straight out of books (though Project Shepherd has a different name), so that may be the biggest way that Roswell, NM intends to differentiate itself from the original series. There’s a wealth of material in the books, that the original series didn’t touch on, for the new series to mine for inspiration. I’m excited at the prospect of Roswell, NM going in that direction.
Original Roswell’s giant failings were its plot and consistency. Showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie says that she has a detailed 5 year plan already laid out for Roswell, NM. A showrunner with experience in making a supernatural/scifi show, with a plan and a show bible, and a network that’s on board with that plan, is much more than the original show had at any point in its run.
This show knows what it is and where it’s going, which should help it avoid accidentally reinventing itself every season and contradicting what’s come before. And help keep Roswell, NM from succumbing to plain old silliness, though sometimes that’s too much to ask for on any show based on speculative fiction.
Still, if Roswell, New Mexico is going to compete with original Roswell, it needs to go big or go home. It’s off to a good, but not great, start. Hopefully, with a little time to find its own rhythm, it will grow into something amazing.
Carina Adly MacKenzie did an amazing interview with Collider.com in conjunction with the series premiere in which she addresses all of the typical viewer concerns. As far as I can tell, we couldn’t be in safer hands.
Related items from Amazon.com:
*Couldn’t resist!
Images courtesy of The CW.
Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 1: Pilot Recap Roswell, New Mexico is The CW's latest entry into the reboot and revival craze that's brought back so many old TV shows, whether they should have been resurrected or not.
#aliens#Carina Adly MacKenzie#Jeanine Mason#Julie Plec#metacrone#Nathan Dean Parsons#Pilot#recaps#review#romance#Roswell New Mexico#science fiction
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Stormy Nights (Richie/Eddie)
Summary: Richie and Eddie are both teenagers (roughly 16) and both of their family lives are getting worse, particularly Richie’s. One night Richie cant take it anymore and sneaks through Eddie’s window to stay the night.
Warning(s): Mentions of emotional and mental abuse, cussing, FLUFF/ANGST??? fuck i love reddie
A/N: Hello all! My main account is @edsrich and I wont be posting my imagines for IT here anymore is based around marvel- but I created this one here! And I livE AND BREATHE for Reddie. Yes, this takes place whilst the Losers Club are all in their teen years, frankly because I find it easier to write certain things that aren’t as cute and innocent (despite Richie & the other boys being fAR from iNNocent). I hope you enjoy! Feedback, positive and negative is appreciated!
Eddie laid in bed watching ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, whilst wearing a navy shirt and oversized sweats to keep him comfy. It was currently 9PM on a random Wednesday in the middle of Summer, today was a basic day; it involved hanging out with Bill and Richie for the day as Stan, Ben and Mike were busy.
Ever since the incident that happened back in 1989, some had became distant from the group more than others. Beverly moved away the day after the losers defeated Pennywise itself, whilst Stan slowly distanced himself and Mike seemed to be working a lot. Ben was just busy on this random day and couldn’t hang out with the other boys.
Eddie rumbles a grunt in the back of his throat, sitting up and adjusting his white pillowcases in a more comfortable position and he places his smaller frame back down onto his mattress and continues to watch ‘Little Shop of Horrors’.
Ripples of lightning sliced through the cloud smothered sky, alongside with the summer showers that poured down upon the town of Derry, which alone created a moody atmosphere for Eddie. Eddie flinched as the crackles from the rumbling thunder shocked him every now and then. Branches tapped against his window as the wind swirled them against the glass repeatedly, too startling the teen.
Suddenly, a large bang- much larger than the small twigs- impacted the glass of the window, causing Eddie to squeak.
The startled boy frantically looked to where the noise was, only to see large bulky glasses and brown curly hair. Richie.
Eddie, at first, thought he was seeing things- which caused him to raise his hands and wipe his eyes from the sleep that stuck in his inner corners, but to no avail- it was Richie, soaked for that matter.
Eddie stood up, walking over to his window and slowly and silently opened the window- careful not to wake his over protective mother, he quickly helped his best friend into his room with a soft grunt and no noise from Richie.
“Dude, what the fuck are you doing here?” Eddie whispered a bit, rain splatting his pale cheeks before quickly shutting the window before any more rain flew inside.
“It’s nice to see you too, Eds.” Richie mumbled, for once not making a snarky remark.
Eddie went over to his door, shutting it before looking over his shoulder. “Don’t call me Eds.”
The corner of Richie’s lips tugged up into his signature smirk at Eddie’s signature remark to his own, as he removed his thick rimmed glasses, attempting to wipe away the droplets that stuck to his lenses. He pushed his fingers inside of his wet shirt and rubbed the material against the glass, his attempts failing.
“Here, hold on.” Eddie sighed, walking up to the taller boy and taking the glasses away and using his own shirt to smear away the droplets, this time much more successfully.
Richie watched, his tongue poking his cheek with his thoughts all over the place- but continued to keep remotely silent unless he was spoken too.
Eddie finished cleaning his friends glasses, before holding them up and putting them on Richie’s face for him, a confused look remaining on his face as he watches Richie’s eyes grow larger due to the lenses that were suited for his eye sight.
“What happened, Richie? Why are you here- I-I mean, I’m not complaining but this is just fucking unusual.” Eddie rambled a bit, a voice crack slipping into his sentance
This caused Richie to smirk despite the emotions he currently was feeling, Eddie knew his background and what his family was like. He knew his Mother was an alcoholic and that his Father was just plain cruel to him for no apparent reason. Both parents had in fact told him this very night that they would’ve rather had a daughter than for him to even exist. Sure, his Mother was drunk; his Father was beyond stressed, but he was sober and agreed with every word that his Mother slurred.
Not to mention, ‘a drunken mans words is a sober mans thoughts’, even if his Mother wasn’t a man.
“It was them again, Eds.”
Eddie chose to ignore the nickname that he had a love-hate feeling for, instead becoming concerned, “Who?”
Richie sighed, “Mom and Dad, as fucking usual. I fucking hate them.” His cusses had a bite to them, the brown hairs of his eyebrows furrowing more and more.
Eddie quickly realised the situation, “Oh shit, alright- fuck, um, do you want some of my clothes to sleep in?”
Richie smiled genuinely, glad he had Eddie as his friend. “Yeah.”
Eddie nodded, turning and kneeling as he dug through his pyjama’s drawer, nervously shoving away the porno magazines that were messily tossed at the top of the pile. He as a teenage boy had his needs, but that wasn’t what he was embarrassed about showing or even Richie seeing- he was embarrassed incase Richie saw that his porn stash wasn’t full of lewd pictures of women, but of the opposite gender.
Richie looked around the familiar bedroom, seeing posters of movies that Eddie was fond of and even photographs of him in his childhood and with his friends, being Bill, Stan and himself with Eddie dangling on the end next to Richie.
Richie’s eyes then snapped to the cheap TV, smirking to himself. “Little Shop of Horrors? Really? This is what you come home to and watch for fun?”
Eddie frowned, without looking at Richie. “Little Shop of Horrors is in fact, one of the best movies of all time.”
“No, Eds, it’s one of your best movies that you like. Hell, it’s a damn musical.” Richie snickered.
“Actually, Richie, it’s labelled as a Science Fiction and Romance movie, which to me is quite entertaining.”
“But it’s funny because you’re watching a movie with ‘Horror’ in the title.”
“Now why is that funny?” Eddie spoke stubbornly, standing up and turning to look at his friend with a shirt and sweatpants in his arms.
“Because you cried in fear watching Jaws, Eds.”
Heat rose to Eddie’s cheeks, scoffing as he didn’t push the subject any more and dropped the clothes onto his bed.
“I’ll just turn around whilst you change, you can’t leave this room just incase my Mom comes in and see’s you.”
“Your Mom has already seen all of me, Eds.”
“That’s so not funny.” Eddie grumbled angrily, his nose lightly scrunching up at Richie’s words.
Richie rolled his eyes smugly, smirking towards his friend. “Whatever Eds, I’m sure you’ll be tempted to turn around.”
The heat flared even more on Eddie’s cheeks, his eyebrows furrowing and turning around. “Whatever, shut up and change.”
Richie stared at the small boys frame, his eyes wandering for a second as he began to strip and too turning away to look out the window. Awkward silence filled the air, the two boys hearts pounding profusely for each other, without the other knowing it yet.
Richie holds up the shirt once the sweat pants are slid on in front of his bare chest, tilting his head.
“Now, what the fuck am I supposed to do with this?”
Eddie turns around, again- his heart pounding in his throat and his blush spreading to his chest. “Put it on, asshole!”
“I don’t like sleeping in shirts dude, you know this.” Richie partly whined this comment, stomping his bare foot lightly against the creaking wood beneath him.
Eddie hesitated his words, “Fine, but don’t be fucking creepy about it.”
Richie hummed in satisfaction, plotting his rear on the bed that belonged to his best friend, bouncing on it for a second. “Your bed is comfy.”
“Oh, thanks?” Eddie tilted his head in confusion before sighing and going to his VHS system, “Since you’re a huge hater on Little Shop of Horror’s, what do you want to watch?”
Richie stood up, walking behind the smaller boy with one hand on the upper side of his body and looking over his shoulder at the selection of VHS tapes to choose from, causing Eddie to stiffen up at first, only centre-meters were between Richie’s bare chest and Eddie’s back. “What do you have for me to choose from?”
“U-Uh, I got Star Wars, Dirty Dancing- um, Back to the Future, Batman-”
“Hold up, did you say Dirty Dancing?”
“Yes, I did. It is a beautiful romance musical about dirty dancing, what more could you want?” Eddie spoke with annoyed sarcasm, frowning, “Just because it’s in my collection, doesn’t mean I watch it dumbass.”
Richie grinned at Eddie’s temper flaring slightly, “Calm down, Eds. Its fine if you want to watch dirty dancing at 1AM, we all understand.” Richie teased, “How about we watch Batman?”
Eddie ignored Richie’s teases once again, before nodding and grapping the VHS tape that was labelled ‘Batman’, taking out Little Shop of Horrors and sliding in the new tape.
The rain poured down heavier and violently pitter pattered against the window, the cold air chilling the two boys equally.
“Nice weather we’re having, don’t you agree?”
“Fucking lovely.” Eddie retorted, chuckling a bit and responding with equal sarcasm.
The two eventually laid down side by side on the bed side by side with the lights off and Batman playing in front of them in low quality. Their arms grazed each other every now and then, as well as their legs too.
“I’m sorry about what happened with your parents.” Eddie whispered over the film’s sound.
Richie took his eyes away from the screen, looking down at his friend. “Don’t be, they’re assholes.”
“They are, but you don’t deserve that shit.”
“Yeah, neither do you though. Your Mom’s a bitch too.” Richie sighed this out, inching closer to Eddie.
“I know but, both of your parents… you know-”
“Hate me, yeah I get it.” Richie mumbled, “I’m not surprised, I’m a shit son. I’d hate me too.”
Eddie sits up lightly, frowning at Richie’s harsh words that were stabs at himself. “Not everyone hates you Richie.”
“I’m annoying, I put up this stupid act and I make unnecessary dick jokes all the time.”
“I don’t hate you…” Eddie trailed off, blushing a bit but hoping it was hidden by the dark room.
“It’s actually weird to hear someone say that to me, considering I get it all the time.” Richie chuckled dryly, sighing and tilting his head back. “Thankyou, Eds.”
Eddie didn’t even care in this moment that he was called ‘Eds’, but instead rested his head against Richie’s bare chest. Richie was at first startled with wide eyes, his cheeks becoming red instantly. But soon settled, his heart beating heavily and resting one arm around Eddie. His only hope was that Eddie couldn’t hear his heart.
Batman continued to play lowly in the background, but the boys only solely focused on each other and nothing else. Both becoming sleepy as the night carried on and it became later and later, both laying with each other like never before.
Eventually, Richie used his free arm to take his glasses away from his eyes and places them on the side table of Eddie’s bed quietly, yawning whilst Eddie snuggled a little closer sleepily, with lidded eyes.
“You know, Eds? I’m really fucking glad I have you in my life.” Richie whispers to a half asleep Eddie.
Eddie just about lets out a dazed smile with closed eyes, “I love you too, Richie.”
Richie’s cheeks steam up, his eyes widening a bit and he slowly shifts his eyes to the boys well kept head of hair, rubbing his fingers into his shoulder and pulling him closer as Eddie, unknown of confessing his feelings, drifts into a sleep.
Richie then, noticing that his best friend has fallen asleep- leans down carefully, without wakening him, and then presses his chapped lips that had a small taste of cigarettes and candyfloss against Eddie’s temple.
“I love you more, Eds.”
#IT 2017#IT#Pennywise#Eddie and Richie#Reddie#Reddie Imagine#Eddie and Richie Imagine#IT imagine#richie tozier#eddie kaspbrak#it cast#it cast 2017#it reddie#reddie one shot#eddie x richie#beverly marsh#bill denbrough#stanley uris#mike hanlon#ben hanscom#IT fanfiction#IT 2017 Imagine#IT 2017 reddie#are you reddie#no#reddie smut#clickbait???.. never
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Black Actors Who Played White Characters
Celebrities Leisure
Black Actors Who Performed White Characters
2019-12-212019-12-21
ViraLuck
Movie star Information, Leisure
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Shade blind casting, or non-traditional casting, has opened up alternatives for black actors, albeit slowly. There have been many black actors who performed white characters, however there’s nonetheless room for extra range in Hollywood general.
White characters performed by black actors have paid off on the field workplace as a result of audiences recognize a wonderful efficiency – no matter race. Whereas many followers reacted negatively the casting of black actress Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Youngster, others had been excited that such an completed actress was moving into the position. Even Potter creator J.Okay. Rowling defended the casting selection.
In lots of instances, black actors who’ve taken on white roles have modified the way in which a personality was seen eternally. Pink has been portrayed as black ever since Morgan Freeman performed the half within the movie adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption. We’ll all the time consider Agent J in Males in Black as Will Smith. Michael Clarke Duncan was so excellent for The Kingpin in Daredevil, that Marvel wrote a tribute to the actor when he handed.
This record seems to be at among the prime black actors who performed historically white characters. And whereas we’re speaking about non-traditional casting, which position would you prefer to see a black actor tackle? Let everybody know within the feedback
Zendaya Coleman as Mary Jane Watson
In August 2016, it was introduced that African American actress Zendaya Coleman will play Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man’s love curiosity, within the 2017 Marvel reboot Spider-Man: Homecoming. Zendaya beforehand appeared in numerous Disney Channel exhibits, together with KC Undercover and Shake It Up!, starring because the title character within the former.
Mary Jane (who, in line with IMBb, will be called Michelle within the reboot) was played by Kirsten Dunst within the authentic Sony Spider-Man movie sequence and by Shailene Woodley in scenes that had been deleted from The Superb Spider-Man 2. Within the comics, Mary Jane is a pale redhead. Survey says? Change is nice.
The casting resolution ignited a mini-furor in fan communities, as such selections have done in the past(and likewise this). James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy, took to Fb to handle these considerations, writing:
I can’t reply to the racists – I’m not ever going to vary their minds. However for the considerate majority of you on the market:
For me, if a personality’s major attribute – the factor that makes them iconic – is the colour of their pores and skin, or their hair shade, frankly, that character is shallow and sucks. For me, what makes MJ MJ is her alpha feminine playfulness, and if the actress captures that, then she’ll work. And, for the document, I feel Zendaya even matches what I consider as MJ’s major bodily traits – she’s a tall, skinny mannequin – rather more so than actresses have previously.
Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger
Play: Harry Potter and the Cursed Youngster
Regardless of her accomplishments as an actor, there was backlash over Dumezweni’s casting as Hermione within the play. J. Okay. Rowling, the queen of getting none of it, squashed the criticism, tweeting, “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and really intelligent. White pores and skin was by no means specified Rowling loves black Hermione.” Different Harry Potter forged members supported Dumezweni within the position. Matthew Lewis tweeted, “And Neville Longbottom was blonde. I actually don’t care. Good luck to her.”
Dumezweni said to the haters, “It stems from ignorance. They don’t need to be part of the inventive act. To say it’s not because it was supposed is so unimaginative. I don’t assume they perceive how theater works. We’re right here to heal you, make you smile and whisk you away.”
Will Smith as Robert Neville
Movie: I Am Legend
Neville is the final man in New York Metropolis, or so he thinks. There have been many variations of Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel, however this was the primary time a black actor performed the virologist.
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Movies: The Avengers franchise
David Hasselhoff performed Fury in a 1998 TV film, but it surely’s Jackson who conjures a particular form of Fury.
Morgan Freeman as Red
Movie: The Shawshank Redemption
Within the e book, Stephen King describes Pink as white and Irish. The road “Perhaps It’s as a result of I’m Irish” was left within the film as a nod to the e book. Stage variations of the e book now forged Pink as black, because of Freeman’s iconic efficiency (which earned him an Oscar nomination).
Idris Elba as Heimdall
Movies: Thor, Thor: The Darkish World
Within the Marvel comedian sequence, Heimdall is a Norse god, however he’s simply as mighty within the arms of Elba on display screen.
Denzel Washington as Bennett Marco
Movie: The Manchurian Candidate
Richard Condon’s 1959 novel was made into a movie in 1962, with Frank Sinatra asBennett Marco. Washington, who lends one thing to each position he takes on, performed Marco effectively sufficient in a so-so remake in 2004.
Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie
Movie: Annie
Many actors have tackle the position since 1982, most notably Aileen Quinn. However Wallis was a refreshing replace to the white, freckled redhead. Wallis’s efficiency obtained a 2014 Golden Globe nomination for Greatest Efficiency by an Actress in a Movement Image – Comedy or Musical.
Brandy Norwood as Cinderella & Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother
Movie: Cinderella
The 1997 ABC TV particular was the primary time Cinderella and different characters had been performed by black actors. In addition to Norwood and Houston, Veanne Cox and Natalie Desselle performed Cinderella’s stepsisters, and Whoopi Goldberg was Queen Constantina. Filipino-American Paolo Montalban performed Prince Christopher.
Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm
Movie: The Improbable 4
Say what you’ll in regards to the 2015 movie, however Jordan was a refreshing replace to Storm. Chris Evans, who performed Storm in 2005, thought Jordan was a positive selection as effectively.
Will Smith as Agent J
Movies: Males in Black franchise
Within the Aircel comics, Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers depicted each brokers as white. Smith, being an enormous star (particularly in 1997), was a straightforward selection as Agent J alongside Tommy Lee Jones as Agent Okay.
Michael Clarke Duncan as The Kingpin
Movie: Daredevil
Duncan performed the villain to perfection in 2003, and left his mark on the character. A lot in order that Marvelhailed him after his passing in 2012.
Pam Grier as Jackie Brown
Movie: Jackie Brown
In Elmore Leonard’s e book Rum Punch, Jackie Brown is a blonde flight attendant. Tarantino noticed the character as black and particularly wished Pam Grier for the position in his 1997 movie.
Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent
Movie: Batman
The Batman comedian sequence portrayed Dent as white. Williams added his personal particular qualities to the villain onscreen in Tim Burton’s 1989 movie. He additionally revealed that he was on the right track to play Two-Face within the sequel, however producers went one other method, selecting Tommy Lee Jones.
Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Ted Ross, Nipsey Russell, and Richard Pryor
Movie: The Wiz
One of many first black casts to tackle the beloved 1939 The Wizard of Oz, the 1978musical was an on the spot hit with audiences and continues to be produced and toured worldwide.
Alfre Woodard, Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashad, and Others
Movie: Metal Magnolias
The all black forged – rounded out by Jill Scott, Adepero Oduye, and Condola Rashad – appeared within the 2012 Lifetime remake, however confronted a troublesome reception from the diehards of the 1989 film.
Dwayne Johnson as Hercules
Movie: Hercules (2014)
Hercules is Greek; The Rock just isn’t. Nonetheless, that didn’t cease him from being an superior Hercules. Steve Reeves, who performed Hercules in two totally different motion pictures within the late ‘50s, would pull down some columns in approval. Kevin Korbo’s fashionable portrayal in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys ran from 1995 to 1999 and he was irked when producers turned him down for a cameo within the Dwayne Johnson movie.
Eartha Kitt and Halle Berry as Catwoman
Movie & TV Collection: Catwoman & Batman
On the web page of the comics, Catwoman is white and plenty of positive actresses from Julie Newmar to Michelle Pfeiffer have performed the character. However Eartha Kitt made Catwoman iconic together with her well-known growly voice within the late-’60s TV sequence and Halle Berry introduced Catwoman again to black within the 2004 movie.
Bernie Casey and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter
Movies: James Bond franchise
A number of white actors have performed Leiter through the years within the Bond franchise, most notably Jack Lord. Casey took on the position in 1983 in By no means Say By no means Once more; Wright introduced weight and realness to the character in 2006’s On line casino Royale and 2008’s Quantum of Solace.
Will Smith as Jim West
Movie: Wild Wild West
Robert Conrad performed James T. West within the fashionable 1960s TV sequence, with Will Smith portraying the character within the 1999 movie.
David Oyelowo as Henry VI
Play: Henry VI
In 2000, David Oyelowo was the primary black actor to play the English king for the Royal Shakespeare Firm.
Sam Jones III as Pete Ross
TV Collection: Smallville
Within the comics, Clark Kent’s pal is white. Ross turned a fan favourite when he stepped into the position in 2001 on the TV sequence.
Mos Def as Ford Prefect
Movie: The Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy
When followers noticed 2005’s The Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy, they had been delighted and puzzled to search out Mos Def within the position of Ford Prefect reverse Martin Freeman’s Arthur Dent. Prefect is a pink head in Douglas Adams’s e book. Def’s model is considerably extra cool than David Dixon’s Prefect on the BBC TV sequence, however each work in their very own method.
Colin McFarlane as Gillian B. Loeb
Movie: Batman Begins, The Darkish Knight
Loeb was a corrupted baddie within the comics. McFarlane’s Loeb performed him with sophisticated motivations in each movies.
Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny
Movie: Skyfall
Lois Maxwell performed Miss Moneypenny for 23 years. Then 4 different actresses (Barbara Bouchet, Pamela Salem, Caroline Bliss, Samantha Bond) took on the position. Producers and forged stored the key till Skyfall’slaunch in 2012, as Naomie Harris turned the primary black Miss Moneypenny.
Laurence Fishburne as Perry White
Movie: Man of Metal
Fishburne portrayed the primary black the Editor in Chief on the Each day Planet in 2013’s Man of Metal. A number of white actors, together with John Hamilton, had portrayed the character up till then.
Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford
TV Collection: Hannibal
Crawford has been performed by Scott Glenn, Harvey Keitel, and Dennis Farina. Fishburne was tapped for the position of the FBI agent within the NBC sequence from 2013 to 2015.
Associated
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