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my-chaos-radio · 6 months

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Release: August 8, 1980

Lyrics:

Four o'clock, I've been walkin' all night

It's the time I always think of you

If you could only see through my eyes

Then you know just what I'm going through

Here am I, I'm taking a chance

In running around with stars in my eyes

Here am I, I'm looking for you

Wondering, why do I feel so blue

I'm dreamin', dreamin' of me and you, oh-oh

I'm dreamin', dreamin' will see me through

Never letting chances pass me by

I'm gonna dream you right into my life

Yeah, dream you right into my life

Woman you'd better believe that I'm

(Dreamin' you into my life)

Five o'clock still walking around

I call you up but you'd just bring me down

I guess you'd say I'm getting nowhere

But in my dreams you always come around

Here am I, I'm takin' a chance

I'm walking on air, flyin' so high

Here am I, facing the truth

There's no other way I'll ever make you mine

I'm dreamin'

Dreamin' of me and you, oh-oh-oh

I'm dreamin', dreamin' will see me through

Never letting chances pass me by

I'm gonna dream you right into my life

Yeah, dream you right into my life

(Dreamin' dreamin' will see me through)

Woman you'd better believe that I'm

(Dreamin' you into my life)

Woman, you've got to believe me woman

Oh woman, you've got to believe me woman

I'll be (dreamin' you into my life)

You've got to believe me woman

Songwriter:

Woman, oh woman you've got to believe me

I'll be forever (Dreamin' you into my life)

Leo Sayer / Alan Tarney

SongFacts:

"Dreamin'" ("Dreaming" in the US) is a song recorded by Cliff Richard from his 1980 album I'm No Hero. The track was the first of three singles released and the album's biggest hit. It became a top ten hit in numerous countries, including the UK and the US, where it became his third and final top ten hit.

"Dreamin'" was composed by Alan Tarney with lyrics by Leo Sayer, whose own hit, a cover of "More Than I Can Say", charted at the same time as "Dreaming" in the last four months of 1980. Richard feared that the song was too high for his range. However, Tarney told him: "It was fantastic and asked [him] to sing it in that key."

It was released with the B-side being a re-recording of "Dynamite", a song Richard had originally recorded with the Shadows in 1959 and released as the B-side of their number one hit "Travellin' Light". The re-recording was later included on Richard's 1984 album The Rock Connection due to a lack of material for that album.

Robin Smith reviewed for Record Mirror: “Golden-toed and almond-clad Cliff snorts a ginseng and climbs to another winner. Smooth as a koala bear's bum in summer and with the same listenability as 'We Don't Talk Anymore', The man who makes the EMI accounting department very happy looks set for another decade."

The release of Richard's follow-up single to I'm No Hero album "A Little in Love" was delayed by the release of his duet with Olivia Newton-John "Suddenly" from the Xanadu soundtrack.

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sunnydaleherald · 8 months

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, October 7th

ANGEL How're you feeling? FAITH Like I did mushrooms and got eaten by a bear. ANGEL That about sums it up. FAITH Yep. ANGEL And now you're going to Sunnydale. FAITH I think I prefer the bear, but the way Willow talks it up, that's where I'm needed.

~~Orpheus~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Vocational Skills by Neemps (Spike & Xander, T)

dream or disaster by The_Eclectic_Bookworm (Giles/Jenny, G)

Back into the crater by To Be Hers (Buffy/Spike, G)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion, Chapter 395 by madimpossibledreamer (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure crossover, T)

All things in season, Chapter 2 (complete!) by eleutheria_has_won (Xander, M)

Moments that Make You: The Hero and The Princess, Chapter 62 by myheadsgonenumb (Cordelia/Doyle, T)

Ice Princess 1: Dawn, Chapters 1-6 (complete!) by BrennaLynn (Buffy & Dawn, Ice Princess and Ice Castle crossover, T)

Saving Sunnydale, Chapter 1 by DeanandSamsGirl (Scoobies, Supernatural crossover, M)

Class of '06, Chapter 1 by Luka (yvochrali) (Dawn, G)

Drive, Chapter 16 by Holly (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Dawn the Vampire Slayer, Chapter 21 by LJ94 (Buffy/Spike, R)

The Aurelian Prophecy: There's No Way Out, Chapter 6 by Willow91 (Buffy/Spike, R)

A Love That Defies Space and Time, Chapters 15-16 by Spikelover4ever (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Destiny or Choices Made? Chapter 10 by charmed4lifekaren (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

A Marriage of Inconvenience, Chapter 11 by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, R)

Dead End Plots, Chapter 3 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Against All Odds, Chapter 2 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Ethan Rayne, Watcher, Chapter 3 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Where Clocks Don't Tick, Chapter 1 by Willow91 (Buffy/Spike, R)

What do you mean I'm Magical Nobility? Chapter 31 by KnightofTempest (Xander, Harry Potter crossover, FR18)

Tuning Frequencies, Chapter 9 by Sithicus (Xander, multiple crossovers, FR18)

What the Drabble? Chapter 19 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

A Marriage of Inconvenience, Chapter 11 by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, R)

Out For A Walk... Bitch, Chapter 2 by MaggieLaFey (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Autumnal Shorts, Chapter 7 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Xanadu, Chapter 2 by violettathepiratequeen (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Buffy and Spike by Lia Livingstone (worksafe)

Artwork: “Go to PROM, they said. It’ll be FUN, they said.” by gleafer on Tumblr (Buffy, worksafe)

Artwork: punk Spike by pass-the-dyanmite (worksafe)

Artwork:🔥 ATS 215. Reprise 🔥 by tmcarlee (worksafe)

Fanvid: Buffy & Angel~I miss you, I’m Sorry by Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Fanvid: Buffy & Angel- Two Ghosts by Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Fanvid: Tara & Willow- A Beautiful Tragedy by Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Music: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) theme song -- Nerf Herder-- bass cover / play along by JohnTheBassman

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: The BTVS Twisted Guide - Episode 10: Nightmares by Twisted View

Video: Buffy Review - 5x3 The Replacement by Reverse Angle

Video: Hellmouth Homos (Season 3 Premiere): Anne by Fear Queers Podcast

Video: Buffy Review - 5x4 Out of My Min by Reverse Angle

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Halloween | Anatomy of an Episode by Better With Bob?

Video: The Body-Slayer Sunday-Featuring @grahamnickless138 by Jane Talks Buffy

Podcast: Normal Again S6 E17 Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast by Lisa M. Lilly

[Recs]

Fic rec: Would They Go On Aching Still by fluffernutter8 (Buffy/Angel, T) recced by I Will Remember You Marathon

Podcast recs: What’s your favorite Buffy podcast? by Striking_Pianist4694

[Fandom Discussions]

The reason why I get so annoyed with Riley in The Yoko Factor by buffy-targaryen

Animal Alters as a psychological phenomena and how it relates to depictions of animal possession in The Pack by doublydeadgirl

Anya being a demon for a thousand years to be doesn’t stop her being autistic by randompersona786b

Fandom Phrases by November

Gunn - direction and representation continued by multiple posters

Is Angel right about Hell? by The Whirlwind

The moral quandary of resouling vampires and resurrection continued by multiple posters

Joss Whedon's Focus On Firefly Came At A Cost For Angel' continued by The Whirlwind and Stoney

Was Wesley a good leader in Angel's absence during season 4? by Boring_Ad_597

"What If...?" Episode Ideas (2) by WriteImagination

My head canon ending [for Angel] by Typical-Owl9521

Connor’s existence by grownandnotalawyer

Question on Darla (AtS spoilers) by hauntedminion

Overthinking the invitation rule by jojory42

"What If...?" Episode Ideas by WriteImagination

Why does nobody ever trust buffys intuition? by Tsole96

Do you guys watch Angel? by D-ry316

[Buffy] Timeline by No-Intention-1948

Why is Buffy a "bad driver"? by Hopeful_Routine8942

Fighting the Uber Vamps by duvet-cover

Can we talk about cappuccinos and muffins at The Bronze? by gwendolyn-post

As scummy as this guy is I’m surprised buffy didn’t consider his offer by Lobothehobosexual

I wish the Buffy/Cordelia relationship was explored for more than just laughs by abitca97

"What's My Line Part 2" - The Buffy & Kendra Dynamic by 410Writer

Thoughts on the Origins of The Slayer by primal_slayer

Lack of technology or cars in the show… by J_Thompson82

Video: Deep Dive into Leadership (Buffy the Vampire Slayer): Dealing with Your Enemies by TVLeadership 101

Video: Deep Dive into Leadership (Buffy the Vampire Slayer): BUFFY ARRIVES by TVLeadership 101

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#buffy the vampire slayer #btvs #angel the series #ats

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dccomicsnews · 1 year

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“Xanadu and Don'ts" Writer: Ivan Cohen Artist: Erich Owen Letterer: Saida Temofonte Review by Lauren Fiske Another month has passed and it's time for The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #2.6! This time, our teamed up protagonists pursue robbers and seek advice from a psychic. Not the most typical adventure for this crew, but it's still entertaining. The Dark Knight Detective and Mystery Inc. solve this one somewhat separately again, but let's dive in and talk about it. For more reviews about The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries, click here! [gallery type="single-slider" columns="4" size="large" ids="178884,178885,178886,178887"] Psychics? Really? The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries usually keeps the villains pretty practical, but from the get-go, this issue's set up a bit differently. Although not really presented as a villain at first, the psychic Madame Xanadu acts very suspiciously. First, she tries to drive the Mystery Gang and Batman apart by telling the "meddling kids" that working with Batman is putting them all in danger. Oddly, Mystery Inc. goes along with Xanadu's predictions. They're not the most superstitious bunch, so it felt strange. The mystic also accurately predicts the occurrence and timing of a robbery in Gotham City, which the Mystery Gang is more suspicious of. The story still feels off though, as Xanadu disappears and reappears with little logic to her comings and goings. The real problem with this whole magical/psychic storyline lies in that the motivations and actions of our protagonists are unclear to the reader. Mystery Inc. states from the beginning that they should avoid Batman, but their reasoning is kept secret from the audience for at least half of the issue. This is frustrating because that's not the usual formula for The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries. The only mystery that's supposed to occur in this series' pages is the one that the reader solves with the Dark Knight and the Mystery Gang. Also, DC Comics does have a real Madame Xanadu and she's way cooler than the lady in this book. Plus she's not anywhere near as suspicious? Modern vs. Classics So the art style's a bit different again, in The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #2.6. While not unusual for this comic, Erich Owen brings his unique art style to the issue. We've seen his work before in previous issues and that drawing style felt classic then. It continues to look classic now. This is clear when examining the characters' clothes. Batman's suit is more blue and less teched out than we've seen in the past. The way in which Mystery Inc.'s faces are drawn resembles older cartoons that they've been in. Heck, even Commissioner Gordon is back to his basics with a mustache and glasses making it almost impossible to see his true face. Owen's colors are also more distinctive from each other in a way that makes it seem like there are fewer colors to work with in the palette. Also, Bruce Wayn's a good looking man, but Batman's face hasn't looked that chiseled in a long time! [gallery type="single-slider" columns="4" size="large" ids="178888,178889,178890,178883"] I personally prefer the more modern comic art style, but there's nothing wrong with the classic approach. I think the older comic style works better with flashbacks or older types of stories, but it's still quality and looks good here. Conclusion The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #2.6 was okay. Personally, this issue was a miss for me but it's an okay comic to read if you're looking for something simple. I think more could have been explored with the ultimate villain of the issue as well as the inclusion of Madame Xanadu. I also think a more complicated crime than a string of bank robberies would have suited the story more, but maybe that's just me. Any thoughts or comments? Let us know below. Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();

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introvertguide · 2 years

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Citizen Kane (1941); AFI #1

The final movie under review from the AFI top 100 is the classic that was ranked #1 both originally and for the 10th anniversary of the list. It is, of course, the Orson Welles masterpiece Citizen Kane (1941). This film has become synonymous with fine film in the United States and truly is the height of art in the medium. The dramatic angles, the shadowing, the use of deep focus, and the constant use of symbolism makes this film stand out from almost any other. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, but only won one award for Best Original Screenplay. There was quite a bit of controversy around this film at the time since it is very similar to the life story of William Randolph Hearst. Hearst owned a lot of newspapers at the time and prevented reviews for the movie, causing a lack of real recognition until sometime in the 70s. I will try to go over the plot as much as possible before looking closer at some of the many fine touches that makes the movie so amazing, but it is really deep and difficult to encapsulate in a short review. Let's start with our standard warning about plot twists...

SPOILER WARNING!!! A MYSTERY IS PRESENTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM THAT ISN'T REVEALED UNTIL THE ENDING!!! WE'RE TALKING FIRST TWO MINUTES VERSUS THE LAST MINUTE!!! THE WHOLE MOVIE IS DRIVEN BY THIS SINGLE MYSTERY AND I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL IT FOR ANYBODY!!! CHECK IT OUT BEFORE READING THIS REVIEW BECAUSE I WILL ADD A LOT BEYOND JUST THE PREMISE OF THE FILM!!! COME BACK WHEN YOU ARE DONE!!!

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In a mansion called Xanadu, part of a vast palatial estate in Florida, the elderly Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) is on his deathbed. Holding a snow globe, he utters a word, "Rosebud", and dies. There is an extreme close-up on his lips as he gives his final words. The snow globe rolls out of his hand and breaks on the ground. A nurse is reflected in the broken glass as she comes in to find the dead body. The audience is aware at this point that the film will put a magnifying glass to the life of Kane so we can decide what this word means.

A newsreel obituary tells the life story of Kane in the news. He is presented as an enormously wealthy newspaper publisher and industrial magnate. Kane's death becomes sensational news around the world, and the newsreel's producer tasks reporter Jerry Thompson (William Allund) with discovering the meaning of "Rosebud".

Thompson sets out to interview Kane's friends and associates. He tries to approach his second wife, Susan Alexander Kane (Dorothy Comingore), now an alcoholic who runs her own nightclub, but she refuses to talk to him. Thompson decided he will circle back around to see her since she is inconsolable at the time. Thompson goes to the private archive of the late banker Walter Parks Thatcher (George Coulouris). Through Thatcher's written memoirs, Thompson learns about Kane's rise from a Colorado boarding house and the decline of his personal fortune. The lighting in the scene when Thompson goes into the record room is highly symbolic. Everyone is in shadow while the table and book are in almost angelic bright light, showing that the answer to the Rosebud question is mentioned somewhere in the memoirs.

In a flashback to Kane's childhood, gold was discovered in 1871 through a mining deed belonging to Kane's mother, Mary Kane (Agnes Moorehead). She hired Thatcher to establish a trust that would provide for Kane's education and to assume guardianship of him. While the parents and Thatcher discussed arrangements inside the boarding house, the young Kane played happily with a sled in the snow outside. When Kane's parents introduced him to Thatcher, the boy struck Thatcher with his sled and attempted to run away. It is made apparent that the little shed-sized house that Kane grew up in is the little house in the broken snow globe from the beginning of the film.

In a bunch of quick flashes forward, it is shown that, by the time Kane gained control of his trust at the age of 25, the mine's productivity and Thatcher's prudent investing had made Kane one of the richest men in the world. He took control of the New York Inquirer newspaper and embarked on a career of "yellow" journalism, publishing scandalous articles that attacked Thatcher's (and his own) business interests. Kane sold his newspaper empire to Thatcher after the 1929 stock market crash left him short of cash. Thompson is shown leaving Thatcher's memoir room in shadow while the book remains in bright light, showing that Thompson had missed the answer and failed to become "enlightened."

Thompson interviews Kane's personal business manager, Mr. Bernstein (Everett Sloane). Bernstein recalls that Kane hired the best journalists available to build the Inquirer's circulation. Kane rose to power by successfully manipulating public opinion regarding the Spanish American War and marrying Emily Norton (Ruth Warrick), the niece of the President of the United States. It becomes apparent that the memories of Kane are exaggerated, or at least influenced, by the perspective of the person telling the story. Thatcher had many focused in shots in which he spoke directly to camera because it was a memoir. He was speaking to a general audience for posterity. He also had almost all of his encounters in a cold banker's office and the mood was affected by the news given, which was shown in the shadowing. Bernstein remembered Kane as a fun-loving boss that was the life of the party, so his memories have a musical number and Kane is always young, handsome, and full of spirit.

Thompson interviews Kane's estranged best friend, Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotton), in a retirement home. (Side note that this was the first major film role of Joseph Cotton in what would be a 40-year career that included almost 100 movies. Seeing the phrase "introducing Joseph Cotton" at the end was really a weird moment) Leland says that Kane's marriage to Emily disintegrated over the years, and he began an affair with amateur singer Susan Alexander while running for Governor of New York. Both his wife and his political opponent discovered the affair, and the public scandal ended his political career. Kane married Susan and forced her into a humiliating operatic career for which she had neither the talent nor the ambition, even building a large opera house for her. After Leland began to write a negative review of Susan's opera debut, Kane fired him but finished the negative review and printed it. Leland seems to remember things more in terms of size and space, so relationships are shown by how far apart the characters are seating or standing from each other. Power is shown by how big the character is on screen or whether the camera is shooting upwards (more power) or downwards (less power).

Susan finally consents to an interview with Thompson and describes the aftermath of her opera career. Susan is not very smart and actually quite childish in manner. Kane is shot almost as if he was being viewed by a child, and the house at Xanadu seems comically large with a mammoth fireplace that is bigger than the actors. All of the lines echo in the vast emptiness, even though Susan often has to repeat herself since she didn't feel like she was being heard. Kane finally allowed her to abandon singing after she attempted suicide. After years spent dominated by Kane and living in isolation at Xanadu, she left him. Kane's butler Raymond recounts that, after Susan left him, he began violently destroying the contents of her bedroom. When he happened upon a snow globe, he grew calm and said "Rosebud". Thompson concludes that he is unable to solve the mystery and that the meaning of Kane's last word will forever remain a mystery.

Back at Xanadu, Kane's belongings are cataloged or discarded by the staff. They find the sled on which the eight-year-old Kane was playing on the day that he was taken from his home in Colorado and throw it into a furnace with other items. Behind their backs, the sled slowly burns, and its trade name becomes visible through the flames: "Rosebud".

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I can't put into words how much I have gotten out of this film each time I have seen it. It has been more than a dozen times and I am astounded by how dense it is on each review. The way that the story is recounted through the memories of those people with different relationships with Kane is phenomenal. The way that the visuals change to match the mindset and complexity of the character is amazing. The use of lighting, props, and camera angles is not like anything that had come before it. For me, this film is pure genius from beginning to end.

The sets and camera effects in this film are phenomenal. This was a black-and-white film, so intense colors were replaced with spectacular light and intensely exaggerated set pieces. The absolutely cavernous house of Kane and his second wife with the absolutely huge fireplace really emphasized how small and lonely she felt in that home. An exceptionally impressive shot is the opening of the opera that the second wife performed in. When recalled from the point of view of Leland, it is the audience view and we can see all the actors. The camera pans up into the rafters and it appears almost like a puppet show, which is how Leland views the whole production. We see the same moment from Susan's view, and it is from just behind her and it appears she is alone on stage, staring into an abyss of darkness. I can't say enough about the attention to detail in this film with all the shots.

An iconic scene is when Kane is running for governor and there is a huge picture of himself looking down on the crowd. This is a memory of Leland's, so it represents how big-headed and egotistical that Kane had become at this moment. Separate pictures are used throughout the film to show where Kane's ego was at any given time in his life. However, the man that he is running against has dirt on Kane and this character is seen high above the rally, looking down on a miniscule Charles Foster Kane and all of his followers.

After Kane eventually loses the election, there is a return back to the office and all of the shots are from an incredibly low angle. This was still the memory of Leland, and everybody was still thinking they were too big for their little newspaper office. Orson Welles and his cinematographer, Gregg Tolland, actually broke the sound stage so they could place the camera at ground level to get that crazy upward angle at the actors. Welles also would have actors carefully lit in both the foreground and background to help tell the story, so Tolland found a way to create a huge depth of field (they called it deep focus) so that many characters could be in full focus at the same time. Welles and Tolland were inventing some of the language of film on the fly. This entire picture was a huge step forward towards how we view and understand film today. Welles was so appreciative of Tolland that he put Tolland's credit on the same card as his own, something that was never done since producer/directors generally took total creative credit for their movies.

Speaking of creative credit, there remains to this day an argument over who had the "real" writing credit for this film. A man named Herman Mankiewicz made a rough outline about the story of William Randolph Hearst after he and Welles had reportedly come with the idea together. Welles gave Mankiewicz 300 pages of notes to doctor up the script, and Mankiewicz made a more coherent story. There was a contract which Mankiewicz signed that said he would take no writing credit, but he changed his mind right before the film came out. Both Welles and Mankiewicz ended up with writing credits, and it seemed like it was settled at that point. A famous film critic named Pauline Kael revisited the subject in 1971 with a book length article in The New Yorker downplaying Welles contribution to the script. More thorough investigations have since been made and the general consensus is that Welles and Tolland made daily script changes to every aspect of the Mankiewicz screenplay to the point that the final product was very little like what Mankiewicz had in mind.

No matter who got the final writing credit, it is very assured that the subject of the film had always been a representation of William Randolph Hearst, a person whom neither writer was a fan of. Hearst had used his massive wealth and influence to persuade public opinion and this film was an obvious shot at him. Hearst was the owner of many newspapers, he cheated on his wife with actress Marion Davies, and he created a huge mansion out in San Simeon (still there if you want to visit) known as Hearst's castle. Hearst dabbled in politics and lost many elections because of his romantic scandals. Hearst was even given partial blame for the Spanish American War, which his papers propagated due to the increase circulation following the sinking of the USS Maine that started the conflict. Hearst did not enjoy the ribbing and refused to advertise or critique the film in any paper he had influence over and blocked the theatre distribution as much as he could. The film did eventually receive 9 nominations for Academy Awards, but strangely only garnered one win (maybe not so coincidentally?).

The film is a passion project for Welles and is a political shot from a low budget movie in which the writer, producer, director, and lead actor are all the same person. Given those dynamics today, I would have guessed that this movie would have been awful, especially from a first-time film maker. If only one of the scenes actually told the story and the rest was just filler nonsense, I would probably think this film was pretentious. The dedication, however, that Welles had to having every shot, every scene, every shadow, every movement, and every set piece contribute to the story makes it a masterpiece. He even bled for the role. In the room trashing scene after Susan leaves Kane, Welles cut his hands severely to the point that they were openly bleeding from broken glass wounds. He finished the scene and did not do a second take, but he said he was cut early and could definitely feel his wounds throughout the take.

So, does the film deserve to be number one spot on the AFI top 100? It is debatable, but I think so. It is an American story about one of the great American influencers that contributed vastly to the language of film. Whether you consider it more about Hearst or about Welles, these were the biggest names on the national stage at the time. Also, having a young director just go out and break all the rules to tell a story against a national bully of the time sounds so American. It is not my favorite movie of all time, but I believe it is the most influential American production of all time and deserves the number one spot. Would I recommend it? Oh god, yes. The film is amazing, and it is more impressive with each watch. I could spend a week explaining all the things worth noting. In fact, I took a film class in the late 90s in which we spent 3 weeks discussing all the different aspects of the movie, and we didn't come close to covering everything. If you consider yourself a fan of film, then you should see this as a treat for yourself. Undeniably a film everyone should see at least once before they die.

#william randolph hearst #orson welles #citizen kane #best rated films #movies #black and white #great movies #movie review #movie recommendation

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hexenfleur · 2 years

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Got @kirythestitchwitch to watch Xanadu with me, aka one of my favorite 80s movies. The review:

“I cannot tell the difference between watching this movie and actually being high”

#a fair and valid reaction #Andy talks to himself

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ijustkindalikebooks · 2 years

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Review: Atlas Of Vanishing Places: The Lost Worlds As They Were and As They Are Today by Travis Elborough.

Following the international bestselling success of Atlas of Improbable Places and Atlas of the Unexpected, Travis Elborough takes you on a voyage to all corners of the world in search of the lost, disappearing and vanished. Discover ancient seats of power and long-forgotten civilizations through the Mayan city of Palenque; delve into the mystery of a disappeared Japanese islet; and uncover the incredible hidden sites like the submerged Old Adaminaby, once abandoned but slowly remerging.

I love books like this, where something that is lost brought back to life in a small way, and 'Atlas Of Vanishing Places' certainly is the perfect book if you also love that kind of thing too.

Filled with incredible photos and profiles of different places around the world, there are places in this book I thought were practically mythical they seem so unreal yet these entries give you a great insight into these missing places and the photos really allow you to see what you've missed and where these places are in the world today.

Really bringing to life these places for you, the photography is so good in this book, particularly the photos of Xanadu and Helike really are incredible and I would also recommend the profiles in the section about Shrinking Places, particularly the chapter on The Everglades, which is just depressing that somewhere like that could disappear entirely one day. (Not to mention that chapter on Venice.)

A really interesting and fascinating book that really explores some incredible places, I'd highly recommend this book for anyone with a love of travel and the curious.

(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).

#books #booklr #bookblr #book review #book reviews #non fiction #geography #travel

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quasar1967 · 2 years

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Cinefantastique #35

Winter 1980

This issue includes the following: a feature on Clash of the Titans (including an interview with Ray Harryhausen); articles on The Howling and Funhouse; reviews of Dressed to Kill, Flash Gordon, Battle Beyond the Stars, Xanadu, and The Island; and more. Clash of the Titans cover painting by Dan Gouzee.

#cinefantastique #clash of the titans #horror magazines

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taiblogcomics · 19 days

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Joke's On Us

Hey there, sugar skulls. Now that we've refreshed ourselves with a somewhat decent Mountain Dew flavour, let's ruin the mood with a much worse comic book. What fun, right? What I love best about Taiblog is the diversity of review topics, said nobody ever~

Anyway, here's the cover:

So we went from a bunch of characters in a white void, to just one character in a red void. Is that an upgrade, downgrade? I dunno. I do know I always kind of hated this Joker design. Like, exaggerate the man, sure. It's a comic book! We're used to fun exaggerations. But he is, at the end of the day, just a man with a weird bleach job. Falling in a vat of chemicals should not give him teeth like that. The other details of this are good, though. The Joker has Jimmy Olsen's accoutrements to imply something bad has happened to Jimmy. And something bad has, he's starring in Countdown!

Last time, we kicked off this grand tale of god-awfulness by introducing a few of our major players. Darkseid has an action figure collection. Mary Marvel is out of her coma, out of powers, and out of friends. Trickster is joining the Rogues on a grand plan to put them back on the map. And most pertinently, Jason Todd watches Duela Dent get murdered by the Monitor, only for another Monitor to come in and stop his colleague. The other Monitor then goes to the Source Wall and asks it how to stop the Great Disaster. And instead of "CANCEL THIS SERIES EARLY", it responds with Ray Palmer's name.

Well, speaking of Jimmy Olsen, we open in a dirty alley in Manhattan. I'm sure that narrows it down for you. He's tracking down a lead for a story, and Superman's helping. More specifically, he melts the lock off the door with his heat vision--from outer orbit, mind you. That's precise to the point of impossibility, but since it's Superman, I'll give it to him. He warns Jimmy that his target is unpredictable, then wishes him good luck before flying off into space. Thanks, very helpful, Clark. I'm sure Jimmy will be fine, given the cover.

Anyways, it turns out the guy he's meeting is Jason Todd, who's wrapping fighting a bunch of orange ninja clones. And I don't mean Naruto. Even Jimmy sums up Jason Todd's recent return to life as "it happens", which probably shows how dumb the frequent resurrections are if they're being treated as this banal even in universe. And this was 2007, it only gets worse! Blackest Night hasn't even happened yet! But I digress. The real question is, how does Jimmy Olsen know Jason Todd by name? Did Superman tell him Red Hood's identity? Is it public knowledge post-resurrection? Is it just Countdown's poor writing? Let's go with the last one.

As Jason cleans up his fight, Jimmy fields an interview. (And lemme say, it's a little confusing writing up a rappaport between two guys whose names both have five letters and begin with J.) He wants to know the details on Duela Dent's murder. Jason first asks how he found him, and Jimmy just shows his Superman signal watch. Which I guess is also public knowledge. Jason quips it must be nice to not do your own legwork, and Jimmy doesn't comment. Regardless, the gist of the interview is that, since Jason didn't recognise the Monitor(s), he concludes they must be aliens. And Jimmy should be familiar with that.

Meanwhile, Mary Marvel is chasing her own mysteries. She's talking to DC's resident blind seer, Madame Xanadu, who notices magic stuff beyond Mary's questions. She's only asking where Freddy Freeman is, but Xanadu is much more intent on telling Mary she's going to be tested in the future. Her path is unclear when it comes to whether her magic lies on the light or dark sides. She also tells her to stay away from Gotham City, which seems like good life advice in general. And if she feels lost (which, who wouldn't after such cryptic answers), she should find a guide.

Speaking of Gotham, though, here's three wordless pages of Batman fighting Legion of Super-Heroes' Karate Kid. He manages to take Batman's utility belt, which apparently just comes off with no repercussions. With no transition, Black Lightning shocks Karate Kid, knocking him out. Batman notes that Karate Kid seems to be having an amnesiac incident, since he's dressed like (and responding to the name of) C-list Titans villain Trident. The fact that he's having such an identity crisis and managed to attack Batman in the Batcave is a bit concerning.

So the Rogues are hanging out in a run-down shitty place, doing hookers and blow. No, literally. No disrespect to the ladies, of course, work is work. But this place is seriously filthy, so I hope they're getting hazard pay. Heat Wave lays out some lines of cocaine on the table, and Mirror Master appears in the reflection to snort one. But the main point of the scene, other than to show the shitty lifestyles of the Rogues is to illustrate that the rest of them don't trust Trickster and Pied Piper, which we also established last issue. Great! Next scene!

Following his talk with Jason, Jimmy finally decides to pay off this issue's cover by going to talk with the Joker, who's currently in Arkham Asylum. I wanna dissect his logic a bit here. First of all, Duela did occasionally call herself "Joker's Daughter", so that seems like a connective line. But the real moment that gets him going "Hmm" is something Jason says after he postulates the "But it was aliens" meme. "It's a crazy theory, but we live in a crazy world. And there's a guy in Arkham who wrote the book on crazy." Apparently Jimmy takes this as a legit tip for his investigation.

To wrap things up, Jimmy's led to the Joker's cell. Jimmy interrupts the Joker's taunts by telling him his daughter's dead. Joker briefly feigns remorse, and then taunts Jimmy to come closer so he can tell him what he knows. To give Jimmy credit, he's smart enough to stand back behind the line of approach and not get goaded by Joker's taunts. Joker gives up and replies that his daughter isn't dead… because he doesn't have a daughter. He erupts into laughter, and will offer no more info. As the comic ends, Killer Croc breaks out of his restraints and is about to attack Jimmy, just as he quips "Well, that was a dead end." Wah-wah-waaah~

Now you begin to see how this series is going to go, yeah? We've got over a dozen protagonists (which we still haven't introduced all of) and eight different viewpoints to juggle. So some characters are only going to get a couple pages or even less per issue. So not only do you have to keep track of eight different viewpoints from week to week, some of them might be barely worth updating you on--or might not even get updated at all. And since this series was not so tightly plotted as its predecessor, this will quickly start to unravel as the series progresses.

And honestly, this is kind of a nothingburger of an issue in itself. Other than introducing Jimmy Olsen and Karate Kid as two more of our protagonists (and if it wasn't giving headlines each time the POV changes, would you even think Karate Kid was the protag? You'd think it was Batman and possibly Black Lightning), did this one really advance anything? Despite being one of the protags, Jason Todd did nothing but beat up some entirely unrelated Mortal Kombat fan characters. Jimmy Olsen had a pleasant chat with the Joker and ended on a cliffhanger. Mary Marvel got advice, Karate Kid got amnesia and knocked out, and Piper and Trickster got in a fight instead of getting sex and high. Isn't this fun~?

#comics #reviews #Countdown #Countdown to Final Crisis #Taiblog

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emachinescat · 1 month

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A Year in (Book) Review: My 2024 Reading Journey 📚

#13 - Unbirthday by Liz Braswell

Fantasy / Twisted Tales #10 / 380 pages / published in 2020 / Finished Jan. 25

One Sentence Review: A surprisingly dark iteration of Wonderland, this Twisted Tale is a striking commentary on political power, xenophobia, and the importance of Nonsense not only in our fantasy worlds, but in the real world as well.

Favorite Quotes

"Let us do just ... be."

"Please do not attempt to inform me what well-behaved girls do or don't do, or assume I am well-behaved or wish to be well-behaved, or even if I am a girl."

"The landscape was empty of movement now; not a single creature gyred or gimbled out in the open or the shadows; not a mome rath, or mouse, or bandersnatch."

"I'm tired of being something else for everyone else. It's long past time Wonderland started changing for me."

"'A man cannot walk into the same river twice, for later he is not the same man and it is not the same day and it is not the same river,' the Cheshire answered."

"But Xanadu was destroyed the moment Coleridge awoke. He never went back."

"Saving the world was one thing. Fixing it was another."

My rating: 4/5

A Few More Thoughts (Spoilers)

I really enjoyed it, though I had a harder time getting into the Wonderland parts - perhaps because I was so much more invested in Alice's real-world story. The ending fell a little flat since it felt like all Alice did and went through was for nothing. I loved Mr. Katz and their dynamic, though.

I was surprised that I was more invested in Alice's real-world narrative than that in the fantasy world. I just really loved the political and social drama of the xenophobic politician and the way this paralleled what was happening in Wonderland. I was also unusually invested in the romance with Mr. Katz.

We all need a little Nonsense in our lives. We are often all so serious, and certainly, there are many serious issues, but in the end, isn't it all Stuff and Nonsense?

#book reviews #liz braswell #twisted tales #unbirthday #booklr #spoilers #a year in book review #books #polls #quotes #january read #disney #wonderland #book rec

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kazuma-kun24 · 1 month

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I should probably update this site again

I completely forgot about my review site so next week i will be uploading more reviews on more Falcom Games so ill be puting up Cold Steel 4- Kuro no kiseki 2 , ys 9 and X Nordics and maybe Tokyo Xanadu. I also want to see if i can create my own Background theme instead of this old boring greyish one

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mortifiedandawesome · 2 months

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gonna get some hot, juicy, william randolph hearst if you know what I'm sayin'.

She's gonna yellow my journalism until I kid.

gonna rosebud on her xanadu until the reviews come in

gonna

#mortifiedandawesome

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meathookcinema · 3 months

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Is It Really That Bad?- Can't Stop The Music (1980)

When the film purporting to document the formation of The Village People opened in 1980 it garnered almost universally bad reviews. The film was also seen as being so bad that (along with Xanadu) it brought about the formation of an annual awards ceremony celebrating the worst of cinema, The Golden Raspberry Awards. But, is it really that bad? The story revolves around Steve Guttenberg’s…

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#1980s #disco #Gay #LGBT #the razzies #the village people

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sunnydaleherald · 8 months

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, October 1

COLONEL: You're a dead man, Finn. RILEY: No, sir. I'm an anarchist.

~~New Moon Rising~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Let’s Talk by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, Dawn, PG-13)

Juicyfruits by JaqofSpades (Buffy/Faith, E)

The Uses of Magic by LittleRaven (Buffy/Tara, T)

Leather by Greensword101 (Angel/Spike, E)

Dancing with Dimensions by Laragh (Willow, Scoobies, T)

Voices in the Woods by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Rare Snow by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, series rated R)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Xanadu - Chapter 1 by violettathepiratequeen (Angel, Buffy/Spike, M)

Lavender Haze - Chapter 1-2 by Sera (Sons of Anarchy crossover, Buffy/Jax, T)

Texts From the Hellmouth - Chapter 1 by dwinchester (Supernatural crossover, Buffy & Dawn, Dawn/Sam, T)

Stained: epilogue (COMPLETE!) by bakedbakermom (The X Files crossover, Spike, Scoobies, not rated)

Out of this World, love... Ch 5 by Miss Kitty (Buffy/Spike, PG-13, in French)

Bound, Ch. 51 by RavenLove12 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Twice Broken, Thrice Burnt, Ch. 16 by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

New Normal, Ch. 13 by holetoledo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Destiny or Choices Made? Ch. 5 by charmed4lifekaren (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

No One Is Innocent, Ch. 1 by DeathTheKat (Buffy/Spike, R)

Goodbye to Everything That I Knew, Ch. 1 by fortes775 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Dead End Plots, Ch. 1-2 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Out of Time: 1942, Ch. 50 by Jonayla (Harry Potter crossover, Buffy/Tom Riddle, FR18)

Chosen One 2: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Ch. 7 by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, R)

A Marriage of Inconvenience, Ch. 4 by all_choseny (Buffy/Spike, R)

Slave Unto The Night, Ch. 1 by VioletMoon (Buffy/Spike, R)

The Magic of Time, Ch. 1 by tbd (Buffy/Spike, R)

Autumnal Shorts, Ch. 1 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

New Banner Art by veronyxk84 (Buffy, Spike, worksafe)

Spuffy halloween icons by mcgnagallsarmy (Buffy/Spike, slightly NSFW)

Halloween icons by onegirlinallthewrld (Buffy, Faith, Nikki Wood, Kendra, potentials, worksafe)

Cozy little tomb with a view... by MoiraBarrie (G)

The Basket by Dirtyaim (Buffy, PG-13)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Favorite episodes: Something Blue by winterlovesong1

The Buffy Re-watch: S2E22 (part 3) by jvstheworld

The Buffy Re-watch: S2E22 (part 4) by jvstheworld

What's a thing people usually hate/dislike (episode, character, arc, etc) and you actually like? by Imaginecoolname

Share something you like about your least favourite episode, and something you hate about your favourite episode by notwritingasusual

[Recs & In Search Of]

happenstanceandnonsense seeks AtS fic where Spike loses his soul and everyone panics

[Community Announcements]

October 2023 Monthly Paring and Prompt at btvscrackships

Threesome Month (posting starts in November) at btvscrackships

Buffyverse Top 5 to Open Oct 20

The Revamped IWRY Marathon (run on tumblr) will be hosting fic superlatives to shout out the amazing works coming this November

[Fandom Discussions]

One thing that annoys me about some of the ships in the Buffyverse by oveliagirlhaditright

ever notice that robin wood and daniel holtz both... by thepunkmuppet

a comprehensive list of all the Implications (TM) of the Wishverse by thepunkmuppet

time to shitpost one of my fav ships in buffyverse (Angel/Angelus) by fblckt

On your first watch, did you correctly predict something would happen? by little_moustache

I... I think I finally understand the Dracula episode by hornybutired

I loved Riley Finn by Sweet-Siren

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

#btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series

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