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hotvintagepoll · 2 months

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Congrats to the ultimate winner of the Hot & Vintage Movie Men Tournament, Mr. Toshiro Mifune! May he live happily and well where the sun always shines, enjoying the glories of a battle hard fought.

A loving farewell to all of our previous contestants, who are now banished to the shadow realm and all its dark joys and whispered horrors—I hear there's a picnic on the village green today. If you want to remember the fallen heroes, you can find them all beneath the cut.

What happens next? I'll be taking a break of two weeks to rest from this and prep for the Hot & Vintage Ladies Tournament. I'll still be around but only minimally, posting a few last odes to the hot men before transitioning into a little early ladies content, just like I did with this last tournament. The submission form for the Hot & Vintage Ladies tournament will remain up for one more week (closing February 21st), so get your submissions in for that asap! Once the form closes, there will be one more week of break. The first round of the Hot & Vintage Ladies Tournament will be posted on February 29th, as Leap Year Day seems like a fitting allusion to leaping into these ladies' arms.

Thanks for being here! Enjoy the two weeks off, and send me some great propaganda.

In order of the last round they survived—

ROUND ONE HOTTIES:

Richard Burton

Tony Curtis

Red Skelton

Keir Dullea

Jack Lemmon

Kirk Douglas

Marcello Mastroianni

Jean-Pierre Cassel

Robert Wagner

James Garner

James Coburn

Rex Harrison

George Chakiris

Dean Martin

Sean Connery

Tab Hunter

Howard Keel

James Mason

Steve McQueen

George Peppard

Elvis Presley

Rudolph Valentino

Joseph Schildkraut

Ray Milland

Claude Rains

John Wayne

William Holden

Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

Harold Lloyd

Charlie Chaplin

John Gilbert

Ramon Novarro

Slim Thompson

John Barrymore

Edward G. Robinson

William Powell

Leslie Howard

Peter Lawford

Mel Ferrer

Joseph Cotten

Keye Luke

Ivan Mosjoukine

Spencer Tracy

Felix Bressart

Ronald Reagan (here to be dunked on)

Peter Lorre

Bob Hope

Paul Muni

Cornel Wilde

John Garfield

Cantinflas

Henry Fonda

Robert Mitchum

Van Johnson

José Ferrer

Robert Preston

Jack Benny

Fredric March

Gene Autry

Alec Guinness

Fayard Nicholas

Ray Bolger

Orson Welles

Mickey Rooney

Glenn Ford

James Cagney

ROUND TWO SWOONERS:

Dick Van Dyke

James Edwards

Sammy Davis Jr.

Alain Delon

Peter O'Toole

Robert Redford

Charlton Heston

Cesar Romero

Noble Johnson

Lex Barker

David Niven

Robert Earl Jones

Turhan Bey

Bela Lugosi

Donald O'Connor

Carman Newsome

Oscar Micheaux

Benson Fong

Clint Eastwood

Sabu Dastagir

Rex Ingram

Burt Lancaster

Paul Newman

Montgomery Clift

Fred Astaire

Boris Karloff

Gilbert Roland

Peter Cushing

Frank Sinatra

Harold Nicholas

Guy Madison

Danny Kaye

John Carradine

Ricardo Montalbán

Bing Crosby

ROUND THREE SMOKESHOWS:

Marlon Brando

Anthony Perkins

Michael Redgrave

Gary Cooper

Conrad Veidt

Ronald Colman

Rock Hudson

Basil Rathbone

Laurence Olivier

Christopher Plummer

Johnny Weismuller

Clark Gable

Fernando Lamas

Errol Flynn

Tyrone Power

Humphrey Bogart

ROUND 4 STUNGUNS:

James Dean

Cary Grant

Gregory Peck

Sessue Hayakawa

Harry Belafonte

James Stewart

Gene Kelly

Peter Falk

QUARTERFINALIST VOLCANIC TOWERS OF LUST:

Jeremy Brett

Vincent Price

James Shigeta

Buster Keaton

SEMIFINALIST SUPERMEN:

Omar Sharif

Paul Robeson

FINALIST FANTASIES:

Sidney Poitier

Toshiro Mifune

and ok, sure, here's the shadow-bracket-style winner's portrait of Toshiro Mifune.

#hotvintagepoll #hot men finals #a winner crowned!#fuck that old man (requiem)#shadow bracket #toshiro mifune

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david-talks-sw · 1 year

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BONUS stuff from the AOTC screenplay...

1. Yoda probing the Dark Side.

In an earlier draft of the Attack of the Clones screenplay, Scene 51 (which I've already talked about here) ends with this comment by Mace, where he explains what Yoda is doing up in his quarters, followed up by Scene 52, showing Yoda meditating:

And it turns out, this is actually a mini plot point in this draft!

Since Qui-Gon's death, the Jedi are actually on the lookout for the remaining Sith Lord, waiting to sense even a trace of him... but then this happens.

And, like, nobody saw it coming! What the hell!

So that leads to this other cut scene (originally set right after Obi-Wan tells Anakin that Padmé "was happy to see us"), Scene 12, which features an evening conversation between Mace Windu and Yoda.

When Yoda says "the dark side of the Force clouds everything", that's not just an expression to say 'he doesn't know'.

The Dark Side has tainted everything around the Jedi, and THAT'S why the Sith have an advantage. Because they're used to it. They were 'born in the dark, molded by it'.

As a result... in this situation, they're the only ones who can foresee the possibilities of the future, while the Jedi are pretty much walking blind, in a fog.

It's not just that the Sith Lord is a master politician and the Jedi are politically inept. It's that, right now, he's the only one who can truly see the future and roll with it, while the only thing the Jedi can do is go forward, have their guard up and hope for the best.

Which a concept explored in the non-canon comic Sithisis from Star Wars: Visionaries (which, if I recall, was created by Derek Thompson after his regular interactions with George Lucas and a 45-minute interview with Ian McDiarmid)!

2. "Sifo-Dyas", aka Sidious

Okay, so some of y'all probably already knew this tidbit. I did, but didn't know it was in this draft of the script so it was a fun surprise:

Sifo-Dyas was originally a pseudonym used by Darth Sidious.

Throughout the script, his name is spelled "Sido-Dyas" (which sounds a lot more like "Sidious").

And when it comes to the mysterious Sido-Dyas, the Jedi talk about him like they've never heard of him before and full-on say he's an imposter.

At some point, there ended up being a typo in the scene where Obi-Wan talks to Lama Su, and the word was mispelled "Sifo-Dyas" and eventually Lucas decided to make him a different character.

Also the Tyranus who hired Jango Fett is referred to as "Darth Tyranus", in this draft, which I guess was changed because it was gonna be to obvious.

But it does indicate that after TPM, they concluded that Darth Maul was the Master, not the Apprentice.

3. Are Yoda and Padmé friends...?

Okay so there's this moment here:

Yoda taps Padmé with his cane!

Thus CONFIRMING that poking/tapping/hitting people with his cane is Yoda's love language!

Seconds later, there's also this line where Yoda tells Padmé to reign the selflessness and politics back and accept their help:

First off, I'm just picturing Padmé just casually kneeling so she can be at Yoda-height and I'm dying!

But also, like... he calls her "Padmé". They're on a first-name basis!

To me, that's gotta be an implication that in the 10 years between TPM and AOTC... I dunno, Padmé visited the Temple while Anakin was off-planet or just met Yoda at a meeting, and now they've formed a bond and they're pals.

If that's the case, then their Ilum mission in Clone Wars (2003) takes a whole new aspect.

And if we're rolling with this idea... how much of Padmé did Yoda see in Luke?? None? Some?

I think it's a case of when Luke is screwing up royally "he's just like Anakin ffs" and then the few times he's actually listening "nice to see you inherited some of your mother's sense!"

Bear in mind, these bits of dialog never made it on the screen but they did make it to the "final" version of the screenplay published in The Art of Attack of the Clones. So if I had to guess the reason for deletion, it was probably for pacing purposes.

Bonus:

Yoda introducing the younglings in his care is such an adorable thing.

Just in general, this scene is great. George Lucas had this to say in the AOTC commentary track:

"This is a chance for me to play with that more mischievous side of his character and get away from the 'official, serious Yoda' that ends up [...] on the Jedi Council, where he really isn't allowed to be as fun and tease people. In this environment with the kids, he's able to lighten up a little bit, which I really wanted to do for his character. It's much more what his character is in the other movies, especially in Empire Strikes Back."

But also... like Yoda is hyping up the younglings! Is that a thing?

Did Dooku & Yoda have competitions and introduce their respective clans like hype men? I'm picturing a scene where Yoda's like:

Yoda: "To a competition, the mighty Bear Clan challenges the Thranta Clan!" Bear Clan younglings: "GROOAAAAH!"

And Dooku is like:

Dooku: "The gallant Thranta Clan is ready to clean the floors with the Bear Clan whenever you want!" Thranta Clan younglings: *POSE MAJESTICALLY*

Glorious...

#I may have had a bit too much fun with this post #star wars #attack of the clones #aotc #yoda #dooku #sifo-dyas #sidious #padmé amidala #padmé #mace windu #george lucas #jonathan hales #script analysis #bts tidbits #long post

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allgirlsareprincesses · 9 months

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Do you think that Rey's story (excluding episode 9 'cause that was a shitshow) could be interpreted as a Cinderella/Ash girl story?

I hope you realize asking me this is like throwing chum to a shark 😈. But the short answer is yes, to a point.

The long answer is more complicated, so to begin with, let's consult the Cinderella bible:

According to the Aarne Thompson Uther Index, there are five primary motifs to a Cinderella tale:

Persecuted heroine, usually by family

Help or helper, usually magic

Meeting the prince, usually with true identity disguised

Identification or penetration of disguise, usually by means of an object

Marriage to the prince

Rey is abandoned by her family, which is a form of persecution, and harassed by the inhabitants of Jakku like Unkar Plutt. Thus she clearly fulfills the first item.

As for meeting a helper, there are several for her, including Han Solo, Maz, Luke, and Leia. Any or all of these may be considered fairy godparents in the way that they offer her wisdom and material help. Further, except for Maz, they all die in the course of the story, which is consistent with many Cinderella tales in which the helper dies and their bones continue to offer wisdom and comfort to the heroine.

Next, meeting the prince. I mean

To the extent that Rey is "in disguise' here, it would be the extent of her force powers, her destiny as Ben Solo's dyad mate, and her role as the heir apparent to the Jedi (chosen by the Force to wield the legacy saber), all of which are obscured from Kylo Ren when he discovers her in the forest. Further, she is grimy and covered in desert sand, similar to how Cinderella is smeared with ashes that hide her true beauty.

So now an object penetrates the disguise. This is obviously the Skywalker lightsaber, which reveals Rey to be everything listed above, especially when she calls it to her on Starkiller Base, and again when she wields it on Ahch-to.

And lastly, marriage to the prince. As many others have pointed out over the years, Rey and Ben have almost too many symbolic marriages to count in the course of the sequel trilogy. They're extremely married, the Force said so.

BUT WAIT! Go back and look at that list again. Who ELSE fits all those criteria?

It's our boy! Consider:

He is indeed persecuted by family, most notably when Luke momentarily considers killing him.

Ben's helpers are both dark and light, as Snoke/Palpatine guide him in the dark while Luke guides him in the light (poorly). But note again what I said above about the bones of the mentor continuing to offer guidance and comfort after their death. Who should appear at Ben's lowest hour but his departed father, Han Solo? With a message of love, acceptance, and encouragement, Han's memory (because in fairy tales, bones contain memory) encourages Ben to at last cast off his beastly skin and become who he always was.

Next, meeting the prince/ss in disguise. He's wearing a literal mask when he meets Rey, so yeah.

An object penetrates the disguise? Rey slashed his face with the legacy saber, thus symbolically peeling away his mask. And I've argued before that the stabbing in TROS (which I still HATE, btw) is another cutting or burning away of the beastly skin.

And lastly, marriage to the prince/ss. As previously stated, that happened. Many times.

So yes, the Sequel Trilogy can definitely be considered a Cinderella story, with but one glaring issue: Cinderella's husband usually doesn't die at the end. But that's another topic that's been done to death, so let's all just read some more fanfic and forget about it. 👑 Thank you for the ask, this was fun!

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lukethompsonupdates · 22 days

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He is best known for Netflix hit Bridgerton, but Luke Thompson’s theatre pedigree encompasses Shakespeare, Greek tragedy and Ivo van Hove’s marathon A Little Life. He talks to Fergus Morgan about his passion for the stage and his worries for its future

Luke Thompson might have shot to stardom thanks to his role as Benedict in Netflix’s smash-hit series Bridgerton, but the 35-year-old actor is most at home on stage.

“I spectate on myself,” Thompson says. “I always have done. It’s been a bit painful in my life. And the only place on earth it doesn’t happen is on stage when someone else is spectating instead and so I don’t have to worry. You’re watching me so I don’t have to watch myself. I feel free. Those are the best moments of my life.”

Fortunately, Thompson has not been short of stage work. Born in Southampton in 1988, he grew up just outside Paris, returning to the UK to study English and drama at the University of Bristol, before training at RADA. He landed his first job almost immediately after graduating in 2013: playing Lysander in Dominic Dromgoole’s staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

Since then, alongside screen roles in BBC One’s In the Club and Bridgerton, Thompson has starred in Julius Caesar at the Globe, Oresteia and Hamlet – opposite Andrew Scott – at London’s Almeida, and King Lear and A Little Life in the West End. Both he and co-star James Norton were nominated for Olivier awards for their performances in Ivo van Hove’s acclaimed adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara’s hard-hitting novel.

“A Little Life was such an intense experience,” Thompson says. “Intense in a good way, I mean. The material was very bleak, but acting is always pleasurable because you are indulging in a fantasy, even if it’s a dark one, and that is inherently fun.”

Thompson also thinks that theatre has lost some of its belief in itself. “Theatre is supposed to be provocative. I’m not on social media, but I think it can be very aggressive and vicious, and I think theatres cave to that a bit. Deep down, theatre is the opposite of social media. It is about people being in a room, exchanging opinions and emotions. I worry that social media is spoiling that a bit, which is a shame.”

What production made you fall in love with theatre?

I remember standing in the Yard at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2009 and watching Thea Sharrock’s production of As You Like It, and thinking: ‘Oh, wow, this is really funny and it actually works. When done simply and confidently, Shakespeare still speaks to us today.’ For my first job to be at the Globe a few years later was magical.

What are you finding inspiring at the moment?

I love watching Ivo [van Hove]’s company do stuff. There is something so wild about the acting in his shows. We get very bogged down with facts in this country, but Ivo understands the dream logic of plays. Some of the most moving things I’ve seen don’t completely make sense. I find that inspiring.

What do you wish you could change about the performing arts industry?

I wish theatre had more confidence. Right now, it feels unsure about how useful it is and about how taboo, complex and provocative it should be. I feel as though theatre has lost confidence in its societal function.

What is the worst thing that has happened to you on stage?

There was a scene in A Little Life in which James ran around naked for a bit, then I would bring him clothes. During one show, I couldn’t find his underpants, so I just brought him his trousers and he put them on. But I forgot that people pulled his trousers off again later and they were expecting him to be wearing underpants. James knew it was coming and I knew it was coming and we couldn’t look at each other for the rest of the play. I hope he doesn’t mind me telling that story. It was so funny.

What is the best thing that has happened to you on stage?

There are so many. That sounds naff but I don’t care. I love the challenge of going on stage night after night and trying to make something feel alive in front of an audience.

What role do you really want to play?

I would work with Ivo again at the drop of a hat. And there are loads and loads of roles I would love to play. I did a reading of a rewriting of The Seagull the other day. The role of Konstantin is really beautiful. I’d love to play that. I’d love to play Iago one day, too. Of course, I’d love to play Hamlet but it’s boring to say that.

What projects are you involved in at the moment?

I’m playing Berowne in Emily Burns’ production of Love’s Labour’s Lost with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has set it on a Polynesian island owned by these big tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, of which I am one. It’s a really smart concept that unlocks a lot of very interesting stuff in the play. Season three of Bridgerton is coming out in May and June, too. And we will be filming season four soon after that. There’s a lot still to come.

Source: The Stage

#luke thompson #interview

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wherebettertoescape · 1 year

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A Little Life - Harold Pinter Theatre

For anyone who does wish to attend this production, please don’t take the content warnings lightly - the self-harm is graphic and two characters have full-frontal nudity.

I (Freddie) attended the matinee production at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London on Sunday 7th May

THIS REVIEW/ANALYSIS DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE NOVEL AND STAGE PRODUCTION, SO PLEASE BE AWARE!

Trigger Warnings: talks of self harm, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic abuse and more

There’s no discernible reaction from the audience when Luke Thompson as Willem makes his entrance onto the stage. He’s wearing a dark blue hoodie, the hood pulled up over his hair - perfectly innocuous, nothing spectacular or grand as he walks about the stage. The lights are still bright, the audience is still chatting, laughter is filling the room. And Luke Thompson as Willem is onstage frying himself some bacon and eggs.

What has struck me again and again whenever I reread A Little Life - because, yes, I get a masochistic kind of joy from putting myself through that pain repeatedly - is the intimacy of it. Naturally with any book, the reader is granted the chance to feel close to the characters, to garner a look at their lives behind the veil. But if you were to ask me, I would say that there are very few - if any - novels that create this illusion as Hanya Yanagihara’s does. For 813 pages you are allowed to experience this life as they are, to experience snapshots of their lives - the good, the bad and the unimaginably horrifying - even as the rest of New York, the rest of the world, goes on as normal, with no thought spared to what is occurring within the walls of Lispenard Street and their subsequent homes.

The awareness that despite what Jude is revealing to the readers about his past, the beyond nightmarish history he has, the world is continuing to go on as normal was perhaps the aspect of the novel I adore so much that I was most scared about losing in adapting it for other mediums.

But from the moment Luke Thompson stepped onto stage, transformed into Willem and beginning to go about his daily life, with the moving images of New York streets surrounding him in his apartment, I knew that my worries had been unfounded. Ivo Van Hove with his unbelievable direction paired with Jan Versweyveld’s set design had found a way to maintain that understanding.

Throughout almost all of the performance, there is no moment of stasis. Be it JB and Malcom painting and working at desks on the right side of the stage, or Andy reading his book in his clinic, or the ever-present Willem and Harold.

The former is always in the same spot on a sofa at the back of the stage, flipping through scripts, determined to make it big as an actor, pouring all of his attention and focus onto learning the lines, dedicated to making his dream a reality, and yet always there ready to support Jude. In the second act, Luke Thompson takes the exact same pose when listening to Jude revealing the details of his childhood, desperate to understand his best friend, and at this stage his lover, in the same way he had been desperate to make it as an actor.

Harold, however, spends much of his time on stage left, stationed at the kitchen set up. Constantly in movement, cooking several dishes throughout the course of the play. A reference, perhaps, to the number of Thanksgivings Jude is reported to have spent with him and his wife, Julia (absent from this adaptation).

Despite the eternal loneliness that James Norton as Jude exudes with just his presence, he is only truly alone for a few moments - the harrowing whisper of “x equals x” that he gasps out after Elliot Cowan as Caleb leaves him naked in the street. It is then that he is alone onstage, laying in his blood, until he is retrieved by his loved ones and taken to rest on Andy’s hospital bed.

It is this detail of James Norton’s performance as Jude that I found the most powerful - which is saying something, considering that I am considering suing him for emotional damages, hasn’t anyone ever told him to think about using his acting powers for good, rather than evil? He captures a side of Jude that I had not previously considered - Jude views himself as a side character in his own life. He doesn’t feel worthy of attention, of his friendships, he is lonely in spite of being surrounded by those he loves the most and as a result feels unable to call out and ask for the help he desperately craves but does not believe that he deserves.

The contrast between this and the fact that Jude is always centre stage is immense and almost disconcerting to watch and caused me to spend the entire performance practically begging him in my head to just turn around, they’re right there!

But this desire to be helped and to be heard is brought to life by the presence of Nathalie Armin as Ana. The first person in Jude’s life to truly care about him, and the only female in this adaptation of the novel. Armin has a commanding presence on the stage, even as she is a mere figment of Jude’s imagination. Dressed in all black, a stark difference to the bright set, allowing her to melt into the darkness when the spotlight focuses on Norton.

In many ways, Ana vocalises the audience’s own thoughts - pleading with Jude to confide in his friends, desperate to stop him from harming himself further, and the relief in Armin’s expression as Jude finally tells Willem his story.

The choice to keep the cast small causes a heavy weight to be put on Elliot Cowan’s shoulders, as he is tasked with portraying three different, truly heinous characters. Even without the costume changes, however, I truly believe it would be possible to tell which of the three he was in each scene.

Cowan gives truly fantastic portrayals of each of the villains of Jude’s life, as Brother Luke he shows the softer touch which allowed for him to manipulate Jude in his innocence, he never handles Norton roughly when playing the part of Brother Luke. Carefully pulling him along, coaxing Jude to trust him to the point that the child does not realise just how wrong it is what Brother Luke asks of him.

This acting from Cowan makes Jude’s words all the more heartbreaking in Act 2 when talking to Willem, as the audience is able to see why Jude insists that Brother Luke was different, that he did love him.

When taking up the role of Caleb, however, he becomes the manifestation of everything Jude believes about himself. He has none of Brother Luke’s gentleness, but all of his intensity and possessiveness. The last that we see of Caleb, is when he lifts Jude up by the arm, Norton’s body used to reflect the words he says - “x equals x”. Being with Caleb has brought to life Jude’s darkest thoughts of himself, and Jude views this as proof that no matter what he will always be the same. Damaged and unlovable, to be blamed for everything he had been subjected to in his youth.

As Dr Traylor, Cowan’s words are clipped and straightforward. He is the most detached of Jude’s abusers, not caring for his name and only referring to him as “a prostitute” and reinforcing what Jude already believes about himself. It is not until Jude’s “release” that we see any true kind of emotion from Dr Traylor. Cowan shows Dr Traylor with a manic kind of joy upon forcing Jude to run from him, all the while on the tail in his car. The chase scene is long, and dramatic with the incredible musicians rising in volume and intensity with their instruments. The length of the scene forces thoughts back to Jude’s earlier response when JB asked about his legs - “I used to run cross country”.

In all of his roles, Cowan has the same commanding presence onstage as Armin. The moment he leaves the wings, regardless of who he is in that moment, the audience’s attention is drawn to him. As though by sheer glares and willpower we will be able to change Jude’s story, that we as mere observers will be able to push against Cowan’s slow, purposeful steps and keep him away from Norton.

Zubin Varla and Emilio Doorgasingh gave masterful portrayals as Harold and Andy, respectively. They are markedly different to the presence of Willem, Malcom and JB - in what proves to be a very physical play, Harold rarely touches his son, while Andy only does so as necessary in his medical examinations of Jude.

This respect for Jude’s boundaries when it comes to physical contact is what truly sets Harold and Andy apart from the other older figures in Jude’s life (those villains played by Cowan). Varla’s portrayal of Harold is always evaluating his own movements, always second guessing himself before moving towards Jude - he does not seek out the easy, casual contact shown by the other three young adults. But when Jude comes to him for comfort, Harold is always eager to provide it.

The final scene of Harold and Jude embracing - Jude in his wheelchair, Harold knelt on the ground in front of him, with the rejected trays of food scattered on the floor around him - when Norton practically falls into Varla’s arms, sobbing into his shoulder, as a screen slowly comes down to hide them, JB on the outside, is one that I believe will stay with me for years to come.

There is an emotion in Varla’s voice when he confides in the audience the story of Jacob, his first son. And in that closing scene we are forced back to that monologue, when he confesses to anyone listening that when Jacob died, there was a little part of him relieved, as that meant it was over. And although it is heartbreaking, it is this statement that makes it no real surprise that when the screen lifts again, Harold is alone in front of that wheelchair to report Jude’s suicide.

Where Armin’s Ana shows the sympathetic side of the audience, the aching desire to hug Jude and promise him it will be okay, to protect him both from the world and himself, Doorgasingh’s Andy exhibits the rougher side of it. His frustration at Jude’s abject refusal to accept help, his anger at watching someone he loves destroy themselves. The hopelessness he feels when his advice goes unnoticed, and his frequent calls to Harold and Willem - often screaming at the two people Jude is closest to, desperate for them to be there for him more.

Andy does not have the same stage presence as many of the other characters do, instead he - and the same can be said for Malcom - almost fades into the background at times. But they are there, ready to pick up the pieces. Both Doorgasingh and Wyatt are spectacular in their characterisations. In the novel, Andy and Malcom show an awareness that they are not the most important people to Jude, that they cannot help him in the ways others can, and in this adaptation, the actors bring that feeling to life.

They are there, working in their own lives, on their own projects. Malcom quietly sees what Jude refuses to acknowledge about his worsening condition and accommodating for it even despite the push back of his best friend. And Andy who can be seen pacing at the side of the stage, calling Jude when he can sense everything is getting too much for him - they are both there for him in their own quiet ways, and their loyalty and love for Jude is never questioned by the audience. It is also important to note that in this adaptation of the novel, neither of these characters address the audience directly - the only two whose focuses are solely within the story with no fourth-wall breaks.

Omari Douglas as JB, on the other hand, stands out more than anyone. First as a result of his costumes - often more brighter than those of his castmates - and then just as how he presents himself. Anyone who watched his performance in It’s a Sin will recall how Douglas’ presence demands to be noticed, and this is carried forth onto the Harold Pinter Stage. He captures the heart of JB’s character - desperate to be heard, to be needed by his friends. Charming in his own way, despite how his messy character causes him to betray his friends at several points in the story.

Douglas transitions well from how JB is around his friends - brash, loud, confident - to how he truly feels when talking to the audience. His voice is softer, he somehow seems a little smaller as he talks about watching Jude, how he feels Willem doesn’t value his friendship as highly as the others, how he feels they don’t need him anymore.

While JB’s drug addiction is rather rushed in this adaptation - it’s discussed at length in the novel - Douglas eloquently displays his anguish to the audience, his desperation to quit. A previously difficult to like character, after having seen him mock Jude’s disability, and betray his trust, the audience is able to empathise and understand him better. And when it is just him and Jude left at the end of the show, Douglas doesn’t say anything, but takes up the same space as had previously been filled by Willem and Malcom. He quietly watches Jude - just as he had before with his painting, only this time, it’s out of concern for his friend, rather than concern for his career and viewing him as a muse.

I have already mentioned how this production brought me to tears on several occasions, however none made me sob more so than Luke Thompson’s monologue at the end before his car crash. Having already read the book several times, I had known that this was coming and yet it didn’t stop me from hoping that somehow I’d misunderstood the plot point and that Willem did actually survive. So when Thompson took centre-stage and I knew what was next, my sister took my hand as the two of us prepared ourselves.

Beyond the tear-jerker of a monologue, when I later considered the adaptation as a whole I wondered over the choice to mention Hemming at that point. Perhaps this mention worked some some of the audience, however for me I felt it should have been mentioned earlier, as it is in the novel. With Willem only mentioning Hemming before he dies and only in reference to Jude, it caused me to reflect somewhat poorly on their relationship. It’s a minor point about the adaptation, however I do wonder if mentioning his older brother earlier, before Jude himself begins to use a wheelchair, it would have been more impactful.

I could sing praises about the chemistry between Norton and Thompson onstage - however considering I have the voice of a dying seal, it’s probably best that I don’t. Instead, I’ll simply say that their interactions in the second act, as Willem confesses his attraction to Jude, and he struggles to understand it caused my heart to skip a beat.

Norton captures Jude’s innocence throughout the play perfectly - from the moments that he slips into his childhood self in flashbacks, to when he’s so unsure in his relationship with Willem, unused to being with someone who does genuinely love and care for him.

All in all, I enjoyed this stage adaptation of A Little Life - if “enjoy” can be the correct word for a production that brought me to tears and caused me to question the meaning of life. It was hauntingly beautiful, heartbreakingly sad and utterly harrowing. I don’t believe I’ve ever been quite so moved by a whole troupe of actors and the way that they characterise their roles. While I certainly have some criticisms and hang-ups about this show and the story in general, I shall save those for another post, hopefully less long and wordy.

Would I return to the Harold Pinter Theatre to watch it again given the choice? Truthfully, I’m not sure. While I fell in love with these actors, the direction, set design and music, I’m unsure if I could watch it again and feel the same level of intensity as I did on this watch. Also, I cried enough to give myself a headache by the end - so if I were to watch again, I’d have to remember to bring a water bottle to ensure I stayed hydrated.

#a little life #hanya yanigahara #jude st francis #willem ragnarsson #malcom irvine #jean-baptiste marion #jb marion #james norton #luke thompson #omari douglas #zach wyatt #ivo van hove #harold pinter theatre #west end #london theatre #uk theatre #theatre review #theatre analyses #plays

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antipolin · 22 days

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Luke Thompson might have shot to stardom thanks to his role as Benedict in Netflix’s smash-hit series Bridgerton, but the 35-year-old actor is most at home on stage.

What production made you fall in love with theatre?

What are you finding inspiring at the moment?

What do you wish you could change about the performing arts industry?

What is the worst thing that has happened to you on stage?

What is the best thing that has happened to you on stage?

There are so many. That sounds naff but I don’t care. I love the challenge of going on stage night after night and trying to make something feel alive in front of an audience.

What role do you really want to play?

What projects are you involved in at the moment?

#Luke Thompson #Bridgerton #Bridgerton cast #Love's Labour's Lost

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icanbeyourjedi-writes · 1 year

Text

Love, Wings and Football

Wing Bro/Mr. Ben x F!Reader

Summary: It's Super Bowl Sunday, a recent breakup and the lack of football knowledge leads to unexpected romance Words: 2356 A/N: Just a quick little one shot involving our beloved teacher Mr. Ben...you can't tell me that Wing Bro and Mr Ben aren't the same person. Anyways, there isn't a lot of football talk in this. If you didn't watch the game, that's ok you can still follow the story and have fun with it. There is also a little Easter Egg for those people who know some of Kenan Thompson's old work.... Thanks to @theewokingdead for the beta and texting with me during the game last night.

**Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story. **

Two months, it had been two months since he had told me he loved me, to get me into bed, then break my heart. Telling me I wasn’t good enough, I was weak and worthless. I know I shouldn’t believe him. I had buried myself with work, putting in 50+ hour weeks. Anything to stay busy and not be reminded of his words. It was Sunday, laying on the Lazy-Boy in the most comfortable sweats and hoodie I had for as long as I can remember. Curling in to watch the latest horror movie with a bowl of popcorn.

“Get up loser, we’re going to a party” Julie your best friend and roommate grabs your bowl of popcorn

“Heeeeey, I don’t even like football. Let me just sit here and enjoy my movie. I’m gonna be so outta place” you reach for your bowl of popcorn

“Mmmm but there’s wings…and you do love wings” she retorts putting the bowl of popcorn in the kitchen island

“This is true, I do love wings” you nod your head and put your feet on the ground

It was Super Bowl Sunday and everyone you knew was having some kind of party. I’m really not that big of a football fan. I’d pretend to be interested, making Luke my dick of an ex happy by watching a game with him. I had no idea what two teams made it, and to be honest I didn’t really care. I thought the season ended weeks ago. My head hasn't been in the right place, and I stopped listening about the ‘home’ team when the only reason I cared wasn’t around.

“There’s something on your bed, throw in on and we’re going to Russ’. It’s a small get together” she says as you walk by

There’s a long sleeve yellow shirt, with a red jersey and the number 15 on the front and Mahomes on the back. She also left a red and yellow beanie next to it. It was 50° there was no need for the sleeves and beanie. I leave the yellow shirt and throw the red jersey over my head. A pair of black leggings and cute ankle boots. Grabbing the beanie I walk back towards the kitchen.

“Do I really have to wear this?” I pull on the jersey. It’s uncomfortable and I am already regretting the decision

“I know nothing about this team, or Mahomes. What if someone tries to talk to me?” I sigh watching Julieh put two bags of chips into a bag

“That’s the best part of a Super Bowl party, no one talks. You talk about the game you get hushed because the game is on. You can’t talk during commercials because it’s Super Bowl commercials…and then half time it’s reload on food and watch the music act” she turns me handing me two large bowls of guac “you’ll be fine. And maybe there’s a cute guy there to help break your funk”

“Thought you said there was no talking” you raise an eyebrow

“Shut up…let’s roll” she moves towards the door grabbing her car keys wearing a white version of the jersey I’m wearing. Taking a deep breath and praying this works I follow her to the car.

*******

She comes to a stop on the small porch before knocking on the door. She turns around to face me. My eyes looking down at the bowls to make sure I didn’t spill anything. She slides the bag she was carrying over her shoulder. Adjusting my hair, and sliding the beanie on top of my head, “stop…what are you doing?” I ask her annoyed

“Smile,” she says and I give her the best fake smile I’ve grown accustomed to being a server “a real one…and try to have some fun ok?” I nod as she turns to the door

A guy comes to the door, opening it excitedly yelling “the wings are….” Before stopping when he sees that it’s not the wings “Nevermind it’s just the girls” he sighs

“Just the girls? Really Russ you know I can turn around and take this guac you specifically asked for and go back home” she shoves him

“THE GIRLS ARE HERE…” he shouts with a bit more enthusiasm “thanks Cat Lady. You’re the best” he smiles giving her a hug

Russ and Julie have known eachother since they were kids. They played hockey together in Minnesota and stuck by one another to high school and college. Inside there were a dozen or so people, everyone in a football jersey. I walked towards the kitchen to set down the bowls Julie had given me when you heard a laugh coming from the other room. It’s a deep contagious laugh that makes me smile and want to know what he’s laughing about. I turn the corner towards the sound of the laughing and find what could only be described as the most handsome man I’ve ever laid eyes on. I smile and watch him as he talks to some blonde women in a green jersey and another man in a white jersey. He catches me smiling at him, and grins. I look away quickly at being caught turning and running right into Russ and his large frame.

“Shit…sorry” I say regaining my balance with the help of Russ

“The TV and party are that way” he turns my body around and gently pushes me towards the handsome man who just caught me staring at him

He looks up and takes a swig of his beer as I walk behind him to what conveniently was the only spot that was left open. “Shit” I say under my breath. Julie brings in two bags of chips and the guac she had made, setting them on the coffee table in front of all of us. He’s even more handsome this close. The angles of his jaw, his strong nose and golden skin have him looking like a Greek God. The worst part, the sound of his voice, it’s the kind that he could read the phone book and it would be interesting.

Leaning forward and reaching for the bag of chips, his hand reaching for the same bag. Our hands brush, and I pull back quickly “sorry,” I say quietly

“Oh no…no ladies first” he smiles, and holy shit that smile…

Reaching my hand into the bag and pulling out a few chips I turn the bag back towards him, “thank you”. The conversation picking up about how long everyone thinks the National Anthem would take “well on average a country singer sings it about a minute and 40 seconds” I chime in and suddenly all eyes are on me “what?”

“Wanna put money on it?” Russ smiles

“Yeaaaaaaaah no. I’m good”

“I’ll take that bet, under two minutes…what’d ya say Russ $50 bucks?” the handsome stranger reaches into his back pocket pulling out his wallet and throwing some money on the table

“You sure you wanna do that Big Boy?” Russ chuckles, throwing some money on the table “First word to last word…”

It was the last commercial break before the game was set to begin. I wandered to the kitchen trying to find something other than beer to drink. Finally, I found a bottle of water in the back of the fridge and the doorbell rang. Big Boy as Russ called him ran to the door just as I was rounding a corner running directly into him with a loud oof. His arms wrapped around me holding me up so I didn’t fall over. I look up into a beautiful pair of brown eyes shining down at me “whoa there…” he chuckles

“Sorry…sorry” I duck my head down. Thanking him I walk quickly back to the living room trying to hide my rosy cheeks from him. Julie quickly sending me a text as I sat down

Jules: He’s cute…and single. Stop being weird. Talk to him

I read, shaking my head. Smiling to myself with my response you said no talking. You could see her eye roll at your text.

“The wings are here!” You hear from the front door, and he walks back in with three large buckets of wings

Setting the buckets down in the middle of the table and settling back on the couch just as the singer was to begin the National Anthem. He pulls out his phone and opens up a stopwatch, clicking the start button as soon as he belts out the first notes.

“Ha two minutes on the dot” he holds up his phone “I’ll be taking this…thank you very much”

He winks at me and I swear my heart stopped for a moment. Sliding the money into his wallet and grabbing a plate. Piling a few of each sun flavor onto his plate. I grab a few of the wings closer to me, a Caribbean Jerk flavor. As the game begins the conversations begin to die down. A few “oooooh” and “what a pass” the first possession of the game resulting in a touchdown for Russ’ team.

The trash talking was short lived by Russ and the game is quickly tied. The few people in red shirts giving Russ a hard time for getting excited so early in the game. I tried to focus on the game as much as I could, but my eyes kept drifting towards the man sitting near me. Him moving closer and closer to the edge of the seat. The wings all but devoured by the second quarter, beer bottles scattered among the table.

I was more than excited when half time had started, the game tied. The group of older men talking through some of the plays while the stage got set up, I stood up and ran to the bathroom. I didn’t want to miss a moment of the real reason I was actually there. After washing my hands I stood in front of the mirror, trying to give myself a pep talk to actually say something to the handsome guy. “Ok, you can do this. He’s just a guy, you can totally say hi…stop being weird” I sigh to myself.

Looking down at my phone while I walk back to the group, googling some kind of information about the team and the game so I can sound smart, I can hear; “anyone else want anything?” right before I get hit against the wall. A pair of large warm hands grabbing my waist, looking up I see him again

“You know, if we are gonna keep running into each other like this, I should at least know your name.” He chuckles, but still holding on to my waist “I’m Ben”

“Hi Ben,” and I told him my name. This close, I swear I know him from somewhere. Russ yelling from down the hall that its starting and telling Ben to hurry up with the beers. I smile at him, and watch as he runs to the fridge grabbing a handful of beers and making his way back to the group.

Singing and dancing in your chair to every hit song, the performance was over all too quickly and talk of the game started again. Russ’ team, dominating most of the quarter, Ben leaning back in his chair with the look of defeat much like the other fans in red. Russ looking gleeful and looking at Ben, “50 bucks, Eagles win the whole thing…Ben wanna take that bet?”

I was a betting person, but I also was doing some research while in the bathroom…odds making. So when Ben agreed with a ’double or nothing Taylor’ I felt the need to chime in and let Ben know exactly what he was getting into. “The team leading into the third quarter have a 77.3% chance of winning the whole thing”

“So you’re saying there's a chance” Ben looks at you

“A small chance, but yes mathematically speaking. There is a chance”

The fourth started, with a touch down from Ben’s team to tie the game. Everyone cheers, and Ben looks at me giving me a high five. His hand lingers for a brief moment and I swear there was a spark between us. He pulls his hand back, watching as the kicker scored an extra point.giving the team the lead for the first time.

Russ’ team didn’t score this time when they had the ball and had to give it back, giving Ben’s team another chance to score, and they did, giving them the lead once again. Ben gives you a huge smile, with just minutes left in the game Russ’ boys tie it up once again. Everyone stands and Russ is covering his face with his hands, you are standing shoulder to shoulder next to Ben and you feel his nervous excitement. A penalty review pauses the game, causing an argument to start on rather or the call should stand or not. When the ref makes his final call of holding Russ disagrees with disgust while Ben does a little fist bump knowing that this could be the play that gives him the win and the money.

With just seconds left in the game, the team kicks a field goal giving them a three point lead. Ben draps his arm over myshoulder when Russ' team gets the ball and throws a Hail Mary down the field when the clock hits zero. The ball hits the ground and Ben wraps his arms around me, giving me a hug and spinning me around with excitement. His hands linger, his eyes locking with mine. For a moment I think he is going to lean down and kiss me and someone claps him on the shoulder and his attention drifts towards them high-fiving them and grabbing the money from the table. “Thanks for the money Russ” he grins before looking back at me

He nods his head towards the kitchen, a hint for me to follow. I do “so, uhm…I think I owe someone a dinner. After all you did help with this” he smiles fanning the money “would you, like to go on a date with me?”

@littlemisspascal

#Pedro Pascal #Pedro Pascal Characters #Pedro Pascal Character Fanfic #Mr. Ben SNL #Wing Bro SNL #Christina Writes

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sharp-and-swift · 2 years

Text

⚡️ SHARP FIC PICKS ⚡️

(aka sharp’s fave smutty smut smut)

• UPDATED 09.18.22 •

I’ll be updating this list with my fave fics for easy access and I’m sharing it bc why WHY would I not want to spread the joy?

WARNING: there’s smut all over this so you NEED to be 18+ (minors DNI!!!) and even then proceed only if you’re comfortable with filth. Ye have been warrrrrned. Also, some of these might get angsty and/or fluffy and oh these are like the cherry on top of the smut sundae.

⚡️ All fics involve sex between/among consenting adults (18+).

Currently mostly who am I kidding it’s only consuming Eddie Munson/Joseph Quinn x Reader and Steddie x Reader fics but plan to update with my other loves Tom Hiddleston/Loki and Luke Thompson /Benedict Bridgerton as well.

⚡️ I’ll be reblogging fics randomly but this is where they all go to sleep at night. Follow/filter by #sharpficpicks so you don’t miss the goods.

(this is my first time ever doing anything like this so if I’m going about it the wrong way/you don’t want me linking to your fics/anything at all, just lmk and I’ll fix those mistakes!)

Come join me as we dive into the pot of golden smut at the end of the fanfic rainbow 🌈✨

•~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~•

STRANGER THINGS

EDDIE x READER

PART I (fic list ending on 8.12.22)

PART II (ongoing list as of 8.18.22)

Distracted (fem!reader) by @roanniom

Inexperienced Eddie Being All Flustered; Soft, Gentle Sex w/Eddie; Eddie’s Guitar Pick Necklace (fem!reader) by @ringpop-poppy

Give it a Try (fem!reader) by @tenseoyong

Baby Talk (fem!reader) by @strangermarvelss

Nothing Else Matters (fem!reader) Part 1, Part 2 by @eddiesdenimvest

Eddie’s Throne (fem!reader) by @eddiesdenimvest

Good Boy and Insatiable Girl (fem!reader) by @peterthepark

18 (fem!reader) Part 1, Part 2 by @eddiesdenimvest

Eddie relieving you while you watch fireworks from your window (fem!reader) by @erosso

No One Knows (fem!reader) by @goldustwomun

When We Were High (fem!reader) Part 1, Part 2 by @eddiemunsonswhxre

Move Me, Baby (fem!reader) by @cryptidcasanova

Camping (fem!reader) @munson-trashcan

Wrapped Around Your Finger (fem!reader) by @lilacletter

Can I Borrow Your Bed? (fem!reader) Part I, Part II by @hard-candy-writing

Play Pretend (fem!reader) Part 1, Part 2 by @webslinger-holland

“Good Morning Sweetheart” (fem!reader) by @dakotalun

"I'm not wearing any underwear... thought you'd like to know." (fem!reader) by @mypoisonedvine

Drink the Lake (fem!reader) by @silkscream

Boo? and Boo? Spellbound (fem!reader) by @eagerbby

Only You (fem!reader) by @eagerbby

First Time (fem!reader) by @forever-rogue

Just Where Our Bones Will Rest (fem!reader) by @indouloureux

She’s Trouble (fem!reader) by @wroteclassicaly

Made For Lovin’ You (fem!reader) by @xechowritesx

New Sensation and Need You Tonight (fem!reader) by @darkdarkroom

Mechanic!Eddie (fem!reader) by @sweetpeapod

Series (ongoing and 3+ parts)

Worlds Apart (fem!reader) Parts 1 through 12 here [*will update as chapters are released] by @munsons-maiden

I Just Want You [another epic series, loving it!] (fem!reader) Parts 1 through 14 here [*will update as chapters get released] by @eddiesdenimvest

Dealer’s Choice; Double Down; Down to the Felt; Take The Edge Off (fem!reader) by @ohcaptains

When I Think About You, I Touch Myself Part I and Part II; Call Me [part of the same series] (fem!reader) by @prettyboyeddiemunson

Ourobouros [3-part series] (fem!reader) by @rosemaremembrance

Meet the Munsons (fem!reader) by @mypoisonedvine

Spring Break (fem!reader) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 by @strangermarvelss

Days of the Week: Tuesdays?, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturday, Sunday, Monday (fem!reader) by @munson-trashcan

A Little Push (fem!reader) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (Part 3 is Steddie x fem!reader) by @ladyfogg

Forbidden Fruit (fem!reader) Part I, Part II by @munsonquinns

STEDDIE x READER

@peachesworld96 has an incredible series with more to come! Best read in order IMO but do your thing

Good Vibrations (fem!reader)

Good Old Fashioned Lover Boys (fem!reader)

Crazy On You (fem!reader)

Burning For You (fem!reader)

========

one, two, three (fem!reader) by @indiefilmfatale

Rock The Night (fem!reader) by @stranger-nightmare

Wild Parts [series] (fem!reader) Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV by @xdirtyx

Matters of Taste (fem!reader) by @rosemaremembrance

Dangerous Woman (fem!reader) by @eddiemslvt

There’s No I In Threesome [series] (fem!reader) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 by @corrodedhawkins

Baby (fem!reader) by @eddiemunsonbrxinrot

A Little Push, Part 3 (fem!reader) by @ladyfogg

Meddle About (fem!reader) by @peterthepark

JOSEPH QUINN x READER

One of my favorites is the Sleepless series by @timejumpbucky holy God it’s sweltering

Sleepless [Part 1] (fem!reader)

Sleepless [Part 2] (fem!reader)

Other amazing JQxReader fics:

Love Me More (afab!reader) by @indouloureux

Reader and Joseph on Honeymoon (fem!reader) by @indouloureux

Role Play (fem!reader) by @corrodedhawkins

•~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~•

#eddie munson smut #eddie fucking munson #eddie munson x reader #joseph quinn smut #joseph quinn x reader #joe quinn smut #joe quinn x reader #steddie smut #steddie fanfic #steddie #steddie x reader #eddie munson fanfic #joseph quinn fanfiction #stranger things smut #steve harrington smut #steve Harrington x eddie Munson x reader #sharpficpicks

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gffa · 1 year

Note

hi lumi! pls don't feel pressured to answer this but i'm currently reading Phasma by delilah dawson (i'm loving it so far) and i was wondering if you would know some nice sequels' books and comics to get into (preferably the ones that delve more into the first order but anything works tbh)? I know your thing is mostly the prequels (it's more my thing too tbh) but i was wondering if you could help me or perhaps if you would know someone who could help me with it?

Hi! I actually do have a handful of sequels-centric content that I've liked! When the expanded world of SW comics and novels was first getting started, there was a lot of focus on the sequels and a lot of it was genuinely delightful and to this day I still heartily recommend them! Phasma is one of them (I loved that that book was just so joyfully batshit in exactly the way a Star Wars book should be) and my recs for other stuff you'll hopefully enjoy are:

Captain Phasma by Kelly Thompson (comic) - Gorgeous art, a solid story, and even some Feelings if you've read the Phasma novel, because it features some flashbacks from there.

Poe Dameron by Charles Soule (comic) - In addition to being one of the best SW comic runs out there, it's also a great look at Poe's character, has gorgeous art, and is just a fantastic read all the way around, I would put it at the top of my recs list.

Aftermath, Aftermath: Life Debt, Aftermath: Empire's End by Chuck Wendig (book) - I always recommend that I think this series almost MUST be in audiobook form, that I could not get into it in novel form, but the audiobooks were such a fun adventure. This does the most establishing of the galaxy after the Empire falls, it gets into several of the characters that would go on to help form the First Order. It's mostly a set of new characters (that I grew to love) and the OT characters, but I think it helps set the world a lot, so if you don't mine the lack of ST characters, it does lead into ST worldbuilding.

Bloodline by Claudia Gray (book) - Is a Leia story and is mostly about why she stops being a Senator and founds the Resistance, but it helps tell the foundation of the New Republic (along with the Aftermath trilogy) and the rising of the First Order. It's still quoted a lot for some pretty iconic Leia moments, but I think if you're looking for ST worldbuilding (as opposed to sequels characters), it's good for that, too.

Star Wars Battlefront II (game) - The story of Battlefront II is focused on the OT characters, but I like recommending it because it does a lot of great work in connecting the OT to the ST, including moments of how the First Order came to be, and has some really great Luke characterization. You can look up a "movie" version on YouTube and watch it that way!

Spark of the Resistance by Justina Ireland (book) - I hesitate to recommend this one whole-heartedly if you're not already hip-deep in SW books, because it is very referential to other SW comics/books, but I genuinely enjoyed it as connective tissue between the ST movies where it showed all the characters coming together in this fight. It was cute and charming and had some delightful moments of the main cast!

Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse (book) - Is much in the same vein as Spark of the Resistance, it does a lot of good connective work, is a charming read, and has good focus on the main ST characters!

Age of Resistance by Tom Taylor (comic) - This was a series of one-shots focused around several main characters and they're solid, fun highlights of the characters. I remember especially enjoying the Rey and Rose ones!

Star Wars Adventures by various authors (comic) - There are two volumes of this (they rebooted the title a couple of years ago) and basically any issue that has the sequels characters is a fun read. I mean, the whole entire series tends to be really great for any era, but the sequels ones are fun--including a darling one from the first volume with Poe and Rose interaction that has forever made me pine for more team-ups with those two.

Allegiance by Ethan Stacks (comic) - A mini-series set post-TLJ where they're trying to gather allies for the Resistance and has some lovely character moments, I especially remember feeling a lot for Leia in her scenes of trying to rally people to stand up against the First Order, now knowing it was her own son leading them.

Join the Resistance by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker (book) - This is a cautious rec because it's set during the time of the Resistance, but it doesn't really have a lot to do with them or even particularly strong worldbuilding, I just REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH THOSE KIDS over the course of the series.

Star Wars: Resistance (TV series) - This show isn't for everyone, it's much more kid-friendly and the animation doesn't do it for everyone, but I adored the characters (especially Kaz, the main character) and their main antagonist is the building First Order, as well as occasional guest appearances by Phasma or Kylo Ren. It had a lot of heart, it was really charming, but it's a cautious rec despite that I loved it very much.

Hopefully, this should help you find some stuff to read!

#fic recs #novels #novel recs

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overobsessedfanboy23 · 1 year

Text

YGO Rivals Ranked

Giving this a try. I put this one off for a while because, to be honest, this is the hardest set of characters to rank or, in some cases, even fully know how I feel about. *glares at one specific character, you all know who it is if you follow me* So... here’s my best attempt but just know, a lot of these are pretty interchangeable for me. Well, except my number 7 pick.

Oh also I’m not caught on Go Rush and it’s not done but Zwijo is looking to be a pretty good rival so far. He’s not on this list but he’s my favourite character in Go Rush so far so I figured I’d honourably mention him.

Anyways, onto the clear worst rival:

7 Reiji/Declan Akaba

Okay, I don’t dislike Reiji but compared to the other rivals… yeah, he falls pretty short. He’s the worst at being Yuya’s rival, they’re really far apart in age (or at least look that way) and Reiji is also basically his leader/general in seasons 2 and 3. Rivals are supposed to have even footing but not only does Reiji have way too much power over Yuya, he’s also an objectively better duellist than him for almost the entire show. Watching the show, it never registered to me that Reiji was “supposed” to be the rival, he fulfills that role so poorly. I don’t particularly dislike him. He’s an awful person but I do feel like the narrative usually condemns his actions (unlike a certain OTHER CHARACTER) or at least uses his awfulness as a way to illustrate the show’s themes of war corrupting both sides. I could never work up much effort to dislike him nut I couldn’t work up any effort to like him either. Sawatari should’ve been the main rival, Reiji really just isn’t anything special outside of his dub voice (which is a given, it’s Billy Bob Thompson) and some sparse moments but otherwise, he serves his role as everything but Yuya’s rival perfectly fine.

6 Roa Kirishima

To be honest, I have no clue who people consider the main rival of Sevens. Luke has the most presence opposing Yuga but he’s definitely more of the best friend character, Romin and Gakuto are both just friends to Yuga so for me, it was a toss up between Roa and Neil. And I’m choosing Roa because A) he was introduced first and B) he has specific beef with Yuga due to Otis choosing Yuga over him. He isn’t much of a rival after that first arc but he was still an interesting foil to Yuga as well as an antagonist to Romin. He’s also pretty funny, especially when the joke is at his expense. He’s not super deep or compelling which is why he’s this low but he’s all he needed to be: an entertaining rival and eventual friend to Yuga.

5 Kaito Tenjo

Hear me out. I love Zexal but one of my biggest problems with it was always how the second half of the show treated Kaito. He was a major character in the first half, a huge threat to Astral and Yuma and a catalyst for their development, and through it all, he was sympathetic and interesting. The final duel of season one is one of my favourites in Zexal because of his dilemma in it. He is great in Zexal I. And then Zexal II just… had no clue what to do with him. He doesn’t do anything but duel Mizael and die on the moon. His death was also poorly conveyed and confusing and yes I am talking about the sub here, that’s the definitive version of Zexal to me. The second half didn’t ruin Kaito or anything but I do feel that it ended up making me like Kaito less than I feel I should.

4 Jack Atlas

(Important note here that I prefer 5Ds in dub and primarily know it that way but have seen the final sub-exclusive arc, so I’m referring to dub Jack, though I’m familiar with both versions.)

While it’s definitely a less extreme case than Kaito, Jack is another character who I feel peaked in the first half of his show and then in the second half, doesn’t get much to do and feels flat as a result. Even putting aside the whole Carly retcon (which really is disgusting in the context of the show’s continuity), Jack just doesn’t have the same presence or narrative importance in that second half of the show and it feels like his development from Dark Signers was a little ignored. Like, as much as I love Yusei and Jack’s final duel and where that finale leaves all its characters, Jack’s obsession with being a lone wolf felt kind of off? Despite this however, Jack remained consistently entertaining (funny) post Dark Signers, even if that arc is where he peaked: it’s where he’s at his most interesting and relatable. And his most tragic. Do you have a minute to talk about our lord and saviour JackxCarly?-

Seriously though, that duel is where he peaked. Sorry not sorry.

3 Seto Kaiba

(Note: DM is the other Yugioh I primarily know in dub so again, I’m primarily talking about dub Kaiba here)

Kaiba has always been my favourite DM character. Heck, he was the one part of the show I legitimately enjoyed in the first half of Duelist Kingdom. Before that Yugi vs Kaiba duel on the tower, I was watching the show for completely ironic reasons. What can I say? I have a soft spot for the douchebags with a secret heart of gold, especially when that heart of gold is for their younger sibling. He’s also hilarious. Actually, out of every character on this list, Kaiba is probably the funniest to me: his snarkiness and absurd duelling obsession is a riot. He’s so over the top and douchey and dramatic and it is hilarious. He was the one thing that kept me going through that dreadful virtual arc. He’s also legit badass when he needs to be, like in the final arc when he went up against Z-Orc. Also, and this is probably because he’s the OG rival, but Kaiba is narratively the best rival of all these characters. He and Yugi are constantly at odds and duel each other multiple times throughout the show. Kaiba is the bane of Yugi’s existence yet also his ally when Yugi really needs him to be and it works pretty well. While I like the other rival characters, none of them ever quite got to this same degree of precise narrative importance.

2 Jun Manjome

And my GX character bias shines through again. But come on, how could I not love this silly dorky little creature of a man? Admittedly, what GX’s god awful dub did to Manjome makes it really hard for me to admit this, especially since it’s been a while since I’ve watched GX all the way through. But honestly, while I’m rusty on some story details of GX, I don’t feel rusty on the characters and I’ve always unironically liked Manjome. At first, he was just a typical snobbish school bully character but then we learn more about him: that his family put all this pressure on him to be exceptional lest he not be the “underachiever” of the family, which is something I relate to immensely to put it lightly. He also had a very relatable story arc in season four (seriously, his words when the students overcome Darkness stick with me the most out of all of them) and is consistently pretty funny. Like, legitimately a funny charming character in the sub. And like. A real person, not just a stupid joke. No, I will not stop repeatedly punching the GX dub in the face, it’s so bad-

But anyways, Manjome good. Really the only thing I don’t like about him is his honestly creepy simping over Asuka, which is more the show’s fault than his in my opinion and it’s not nearly as grating to me as Revolver’s racism.

Oh, right, speaking of which…

…

God, I hate to say this-

1 Revolver/Ryoken Kogami

*bashes head against a wall* God, why the hell am I saying this? Oh my god. Am I seriously this gay?

(Important note: I am ignoring Duel Links in this conversation, do not bring up Revolver’s flanderised stupid ass behaviour in Duel Links. I do not consider that to be an accurate representation of him.)

Seriously, take this placement with a grain of salt: my opinion on this character has changed so many times I can barely keep track anymore. However, he (tied with Ai) is the character I’ve written the most about on my AO3 so I definitely like him. However, while I do my best to keep him in character, I basically give Ryoken the development I felt he should’ve had in canon, which really exacerbates the feeling I’ve always had that canon Ryoken is an incomplete character. His visceral blind hatred toward the Ignis simply for existing always rubbed me the wrong way. I can tolerate it in season 1 since he’s a villain and his actions are very clearly condemned by the narrative. However, when he comes back in season 2 as an ally of the heroes still believing in this bigotry, it seemingly presents said bigotry (which is always phrased uncomfortably similarly to real life bigotry) as a debatable ‘agree to disagree’ topic, which is irresponsible and disgusting. I’ve covered this in more detail in the past so I won’t harp on this for too much longer but just know that this irritates me personally and I am being restrained. I’m aware Ryoken believes what he does because of his father’s brainwashing but… that’s the other issue. Ryoken, onscreen, never grows out of his blind loyalty toward his father, who neglected him, brainwashed him, and tortured children before his eyes when he was EIGHT. It doesn’t surprise me that Ryoken was messed up by this, and honestly it’s a compelling setup, but it’s a set up with no pay off, which makes his bigotry toward the Ignis unbearable. And it didn't need to be this way. Just cut that stupid ass scene in the season 3 clipshow episode where he goes “yeah, I still believe in genocide-ing the Ignis even after everything that happened last season” then maybe I could believe that the moments where he doesn’t seem fully sold that Ai is a threat at first and later entrusts Playmaker with the fate of mankind actually meant something!

…wow that’s a lot of negative things about Revolver. Would you be surprised to hear that I actually really love him? When he’s not being racist scum, his personality is actually pretty appealing. He’s very calculated and downright vicious as a duellist, but not out of hate. He respects his opponents and shows that respect by giving the duel no less than his all and I like that. It’s interesting. I also like how despite being a villain/anti-hero, he still has a level of honour/respect, even for his adversaries. Like when he kept his promise to give Playmaker the cure to the computer virus infecting Blue Angel after Playmaker beat him. The only time I recall him not giving his all in a duel was that first duel against Soulburner and that was in an admittedly clumsy attempt to make amends with him for the Lost Incident. Because Revolver is physically incapable of directly voicing how he feels and honestly, that’s probably the most relatable trait out of every character on this list. I know some people hate it but I relate to it so hard. And use it for comedic purposes in my writing way more often than I probably should. I have nothing but respect for Revolver as a duellist, he’s very skilled and respectful and I love his duels and while I don’t agree with what he fights for most of the time, he still fights that fight with honour. But I just have so much fun dunking on him as a person. He’s so fucking stupid yet simultaneously talks existential shit like some kind of genius and on a side note, his Japanese voice is so good, I could listen to him talk for hours. Oh my gosh-

Okay, I need to be honest for a minute. Revolver is not the best rival character. Kaiba is the best at fulfilling the rival role and Manjome has the most solid character arc. Either one of them is more legitimately deserving of this spot than Revolver. The reason Revolver is here is because I’d feel bad making people scroll past an abnormally long wall of text just to see who all of my picks are. I wrote so much more about Revolver than any other character on this list because whether I like it or not, Revolver is the character I feel most passionately about and that’s… at least partially for canon reasons. So… yeah, I feel comfortable saying I love him, just with the disclaimer of “he was mishandled in season 3 and completely bastardised in Duel Links.”

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thekatebridgerton · 8 months

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Some say Sophie's hair is dark blonde. I honestly don't like the idea of Lily James fancast because most people chose her cuz she plays Cinderella. Then again, the idea of inter-racial cast for Sophie just doesn't fit me. Please understand that I'm not being racist, I just feel like Benedict's story with Luke Thompson portraying him needs something more like what we see on "Pride and Prejudice" or "Emma" (different tropes, obviously).

So the question is, who's your fancast for Sophie Beckett?

YES someone who gets it about how boring the Lily James fancast is!! I’m so tired of people fan casting her as Sophie just because she’s seems to have been the best Cinderella in the last decade (and that’s a seriously low bar) but it’s time to let it go.

Although sorry about dissing Pride and Prejudice for a sec, because I’m seriously bored of P&P too. I mean Keira’s Pride and Prejudice came out in 2005. But for some reason, until Bridgerton came along, that seemed to be the only period drama worth talking about in Tumblr and it’s gotten old. Personally I love Lizzie, but there’s only so many repeats of that movie I can play for 18 years before I start watching Sense and Sensibility. Or the Jennifer Elhe version of P&P.

As a rule, it is fun for me to fancast Jessie Mei Li as Sophie because I’ve yet to see an Asian Cinderella outside of k-drama, and as someone who advocates for fully racially diverse casting in productions like Bridgerton. I want the Asians to have a larger representation…. And also because I like to bet against the odds, and deep down I know that given Shondaland track record of having so few Asians characters in her shows, the likelihood of Sophie being Asian is unlikely. So if it happens, It’ll bring me the highest emotional reward.

That being said, Sophie’s full name is supposed to be Sophia Maria Beckett. We never find out who her mother was, but given her name and what little we know of her mother, who was supposed to be in the theatre business, I assume her mother was a born Spanish or Italian speaker, so Sophie’s mom canonically was either Spanish, Italian, or South American. Since Sophia and Maria were common names for women in those regions at the time.

So if I’m fancasting book Sophie, I would fancast her as a blond haired South American actress. A friend of mine suggested Ana de Armas and now I can’t stop thinking about it. In fact I think I’m going to change my fancast in Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss to Ana, because I would love to see her play Sophie, I saw her in Knives Out and Ghosted, and I think she’s got the mixture of cute and badass that would make her a perfect hardworking Sunshine Cinderella who punches Araminta. There’s a reason it’s not totally believable when she plays role of femme fatales, and it’s because she’s definitely got the type of cute innocent face that just doesn't lend itself well to sexy seductive action roles, even tough she's an excellent actress. In my opinion.

I think that Ana de Armas could in fact pull off the whole 'he didn't recognize her without a mask' scene and make it believable.

But in the end, if we were betting money, and if we were playing with the rules of probability, instead of against them. The most likely thing that’s going to happen, is that Sophie’s actress has already been casted and that she is black, or mixed raced black. And I’m saying this because it was foreshadowed in QC (or so my sources tell me) and also because Shonda is extremely predictable. In the sense that it seems to be what the majority of the viewers seem to want (when it's not Lily James)

So yeah that's the tea. Jessie Mei Li or Ana De Armas for Sophie.

#sophie beckett #fancast #ana de armas is cute

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eleanor-bradstreet · 29 days

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I binged Let Me Be Your Anchor and I want to thank you for sharing it with us, I love AOFAG but I managed to fully enjoy it only after I’ve watched the show and witnessed the way Luke Thompson plays Benedict.

His sweet demeanour and the way show!Benedict is able to express the comfort, safety and respect that book!Benedict sometimes lacked of is what really made me fall in love with the character.

I truly love the way you revisited the story, it’s how I imagined a more respectful Benedict would have handled his feelings for Sophie and it gave me some consolation since his story have been skipped.

So, thank you again! 😊

Can’t wait for the next chapter. 💙

Hello there!

I’m so touched, both to know that you are enjoying the story and that you reached out to tell me! It gives me such a burst of motivation to make sure the story is delivered in a satisfying way 🥹 Honestly, I’m rather speechless, your compliments are so kind!

It sounds like we’re on the same page. AOFAG is made all the better if you imagine Luke Thompson’s rendition of Benedict - the emotive, sweet, playful artist who would never dream of doing some of the more jerkish actions of his book counterpart. I’m chuffed that you are recognizing and enjoying this more respectful Benedict in my story - it’s the whole reason I wrote it 💙

I’m also happy to provide some Benophie content to dream about while we wait an eon to see them in the show. I’m sincerely hoping the show writers find my fics and steal some ideas. I wouldn’t complain! 😅🤞

Thank you again. This made my day 💙

#answers from el #thank you truly #I’m moved #I write for readers like you

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lizardrosen · 9 months

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inspired by @cleverclove 's multiverse of laerteses, here's mine, with relevant playlists by myself and the incomparable kylee @all-mimsy !

default laertes: when i don't have a specific production/verse in mind. unless stated otherwise, laertes is assumed to have dated or hooked up with hamlet at some point. this laertes wears his heart on his sleeve and lives his best life in france, fencing and smoking and going to protests. and then his life falls apart and he's an unstoppable force of nature, but he can be redirected. it's absolutely essential that he dies asking for forgiveness and not saying "the king's to blame". General Laertes: Youth To Itself Rebels (kylee)

luke thompson laertes: from the 2017 andrew scott hamlet, he's the brightest cutest ball of sunshine, and he scrunches up his eyes when he's embarrassed. gertrude was like a second mother to him and really helped him cope with his anger and grief when his own mother died. he and hamlet broke up because they each assumed that’s what the other one wanted. currently dating reynaldo but only when they're in france and they don't call it dating because they're both ridiculous. when he comes back to denmark his whole body trembles and he So Clearly wants to be doing anything else, so he shuts his eyes because it's all too painful. Reynaldo: By Indirections Find Directions Out (kylee) Laertes/Rey: Let Him Ply His Music (me)

edward bennett laertes: from the 2009 david tennant hamlet, he looks a little scowly and imposing but he’s really just a shy nerd goofball under the surface, and is absolutely terrible at being clandestine when he doesn’t want to be spied on. this is also the verse where I get most of my osric headcanons and characterization, and both of them have had a thing with hamlet at various points in the past. best universe is when they somehow figure out how to be a proper triad with actual communication skills. when he comes back to denmark he’s so cold and determined, but he’s also an open wound and claudius is completely willing to throw him under the bus. Osric: Bubbles Are Out (me) Hamlet/Osric breakup: All's Golden Words (kylee)

blc laertes: from the 2013 bethany lutheran college production, which also has my absolute favorite claudius (this is important). laertes starts out very soft and earnest, wearing soft nerd sweaters. when his father dies he has a total glow up and comes raging into the castle with a very hot determination. the chemistry between him and claudius is electric and claudius offers to sleep with him just to help him unwind and get out of his head for a bit, and later trusts him enough to tell him he killed his abusive brother. they both have way more feelings than they’re willing to admit, and after ophelia dies things get messy and sad. he says “the king’s to blame” hoping that claudius will run and save himself, but knowing that he won’t. your honor, I love them. Claudius: Bosom Black As Death (me) Gertrude: Imperial Jointress; Sometime Sister; Wretched Queen (me) Claudius/Gertrude: Delight & Dole (kylee) Fic Series: Put Me In Your Heart For Friend (me and kylee)

more specific AUs and canon divergences under the cut!

d&d au: an offshoot of bethany lutheran college, in which everyone multiclasses, and hamlet is the warlock of the Forbidden Graveyard which messes with the dead of all denmark. laertes makes his paladin oath identifying hamlet as his greatest foe and actually Kills Him Dead in the duel. he and gertrude both get poisoned but claudius doesn’t and stays by their bedsides healing them. meanwhile horatio has gone to wittenberg to resurrect hamlet, which messes with laertes’s paladin powers. he and claudius spend the first half of the campaign hunting hamlet down and fighting him, and the second half reconciled with him and fighting the far greater evils in the land. everyone gets to have a long domestic life, with claudius/laertes/gertrude all married and in love, and they have dogs and gardens and children!! D&D verse: When Churchyards Yawn (kylee) Claudius/Laertes: My Acquaintance Seal (me)

indirections verse: offshoot of luke thompson in which hamlet never returns to denmark. laertes is deeply, catatonicly depressed because he’s been robbed of his chance for vengeance and his whole family is dead. laertes believes he’s a poison who destroys the lives of everyone around him and tries to push rey away “for his own good” and says some incredibly cruel things but reynaldo is endlessly kind and patient with him and makes sure he stays alive — he finds the poison that laertes brought to kill claudius, and quietly gets rid of it so he won’t do anything stupid. it gets very dark and cuts very close to the bone, but eventually laertes starts to crawl out of the hole he’s in and relearns how to love himself and how to love reynaldo, and he proposes to him in a park! Playlist: Both Worlds To Negligence (me)

to this point I stand: offshoot of edward bennett in which hamlet never returns to denmark. if indirections is a slow drowning, then to this point is a flash flood. laertes throws himself into every bad decision he can find just so he won’t have to stay still or think about anything he’s lost. this laertes doesn’t think he’s a poison, he thinks the world is a poison and it’s taking things away from him to punish him specifically, but the truth is that he’s doing a lot of this to himself. osric provides him a temporary escape from the world, and finally challenges laertes to get it together. this laertes is also deeply depressed, but it doesn’t look like depression in the overwhelmingly apparent way luke thompson is depressed, but because he’s such an active disaster zone things escalate very fast and the catalyst to start recovery happens relatively sooner. Playlist: To This Point I Stand (me)

orphic journey au: offshoot of luke thompson in which reynaldo travels to the underworld and makes a deal to save laertes, and oops the terms of the deal mean laertes is in a three year long timeloop and isn’t allowed to talk about it to anyone! so he gets to try to fix things but he also has to experience many variations of the Tragedy of Hamlet. I’m keeping the details of this one very secret for now! Playlist: Orphic Journey AU (me)

roger guenveur smith laertes: from the 2000 campbell scott hamlet, he and his family are the only black characters in an elsinore that’s aggressively appearance-focused, with manners being everything. his father’s drilled into his head that he has to work twice as hard to get half as much and can’t afford to make any mistakes, so he’s incredibly restrained in a way that looks like he doesn’t have strong emotions, but he’s really just tamping them all down. I don’t really write or talk about this one that often but he’s very distinct from any other laertes so he deserves a mention. he and hamlet likely didn’t hook up but did share some reserved but intense kisses.

#hamlet #laertes #shakespeare #reynaldo #osric #claudius #gertrude #my writing #self harm cw #suicidal thoughts cw #(strongly implied but nothing explicit)#hamlet d&d au #to this point i stand #indirections verse #orphic journey au

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