#also the lines are also from that one song about Jack and Diane | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tabloidtoc · 3 years

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National Enquirer, December 28

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Ghislaine Maxwell scandal explodes

Page 2: George Clooney was rushed to the hospital after rapidly dropping 28 pounds to play an ailing astronomer in his latest movie The Midnight Sky and the harrowing incident has infuriated worried wife Amal Clooney -- George’s scare came when he was diagnosed with life-threatening pancreatitis days before he was scheduled to start filming on a glacier in Finland -- Amal was unhappy and angry that he put his health on the line for the role and she was also furious because this wasn’t the first time the father of her twins has been in harm’s way and she’s demanding he take better care of himself so he’ll be around to care for his kids

Page 3: Lori Loughlin’s deluded daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli is clueless over the college admissions scandal that landed her parents in jail and believes her own hype according to a body language expert -- in an interview on Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk Olivia claimed she had no idea posing for pictures on a rowing machine to finagle a crew scholarship to the University of Southern California despite never having practiced the sport was deceitful but body language expert Susan Constantine said Olivia doesn’t appear to have any understanding of the consequences of her actions or those of mom Lori and dad Mossimo Giannulli -- after observing Olivia’s confession Constantine said she didn’t notice any deceptive indicators such as pauses in her speech or shrugging of her shoulders however she labeled Olivia completely unequivocally oblivious which she said made it challenging to judge Olivia’s truthfulness

Page 4: Lonely Diane Keaton is longing for love and she’s turned to former flame Jack Nicholson for help in landing a new guy -- Diane is truly desperate to find a man and she knows if there’s one person who can help her navigate the dating scene after all this time it’s Jack -- the Oscar-winning actress shocked the world when she recently admitted she hasn’t been on a date in 35 years and she made a joke of it but the pandemic has made her realize how lonely she really is -- Diane would never date Jack again but knows he has a lot of eligible friends who would fit her dating profile

* Dying Olivia Newton-John worries endlessly about her daughter Chloe and made a touching final request of close pal John Travolta: Please take care of Chloe after I’m gone -- Olivia’s concerns for Chloe spiked after she blasted the COVID-19 vaccine on social media writing that natural medicine is the party she belongs to -- Olivia has been battling stage 4 breast cancer while John lost his wife Kelly Preston to the same disease and John loves and admires Olivia for the way she’s battled this disease and she’s given him the hope and encouragement he needs -- now Chloe’s ongoing issues have pushed Olivia to beg John to pledge he’ll be there for her daughter because Chloe has spent over $450,000 on multiple plastic surgeries including breast enhancements and a nose job and lip enhancements and Botox and she’s also battled anorexia and depression which led to bouts with cocaine and alcohol addiction -- Olivia has always been deeply concerned about who would look out for Chloe if she wasn’t around and now that she can see the end is near she asked John to be that person; he never blinked an eye and said of course

Page 5: Ozzy Osbourne’s frail and feeble appearance has friends fearing for the rocker but he has no plans to abandon a 2022 comeback even if it kills him -- the 72-year-old singer has battled Parkinson’s disease and crippling nerve damage but has vowed he will die onstage -- nobody disputes he has the heart of a lion and it’s great to see him out and about again recording music and talking the good talk but ultimately Ozzy is a very sickly guy who needs to protect himself and not charge around trying to delude himself by living life at a pace that doesn’t make sense anymore

Page 6: Rattled reality star Kylie Jenner is living in fear after being terrorized by two crazed fans and is now spending $350,000 a month on a 25-person security detail -- Kylie filed court documents seeking a restraining order against Justin Bergquist who allegedly broke into her $36.5 million California home last month

Page 7: Lonely Ryan Seacrest may have nearly half a billion bucks in the bank but he’d trade in his riches for another shot at love -- he was so devastated by his breakup with on-again off-again galpal Shayna Taylor last summer he fears he may never find a woman to spend the rest of his life with and he now realizes her put his career before his personal life one too many times and may suffer for it forever -- Ryan’s recent health woes have been a wake-up call and forced him to understand the price he’s paying for taking his partners for granted for so long -- Ryan now realizes life is too short to go it alone and it’s finally dawned on him he’s not invincible and not so self-sufficient after all

* Miley Cyrus’ admission that she’s had a lot of FaceTime sex has left friends and advisers fearing she may be setting herself up for some unwanted exposure -- though Miley explained she’s turned to virtual hookups to avoid physical contact during the pandemic but she’s putting herself at an entirely different kind of risk and she’s setting herself up as a potential victim of revenge porn

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Brooke Burke showed off her toned figure in Malibu, Andrew Garfield looked bored on the NYC set of Tick Tick...Boom!, Busy Philipps cleaning, Audrina Patridge and her daughter Kirra on a Beverly Hills playdate

Page 11: Guy Fieri is eating up heaps of praise for handing out $500 grants to more than 43,000 restaurant workers across the nation -- he scrambled to raise over $21.5 million in seven weeks to help legions of unemployed restaurant laborers who have suffered financially due to the COVID-19 health and economic crisis -- through his new Restaurant Employee Relief Fund Guy personally buttonholed fat cats at cash-rich corporations such as PepsiCo and Uber Eats and Moet Hennessy USA to make donations -- he shows how he did it and shines a light on the industry’s continuing challenges in Restaurant Hustle 2020 a documentary he produced for the Food Network

* Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are spreading yuletide cheer with their TV holiday special but they’re more interested in ringing cash registers than Christmas bells -- Garth and Trisha rake in $60 million a year from concert ticket sales and CD purchases and merchandising but the couple saw their cash flow slow during the pandemic -- they lost a bunch of money but they had the unique opportunity to do TV specials and grab a big chunk of it back -- while the $10 million they are pocketing for their TV specials won’t make up for what they would have netted on tour it was a sweet stocking stuffer and they both want to get back on the road and really rake it in but TV has made the wait a lot easier

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- With Beyonce and Taylor Swift facing off for Song of the Year at the upcoming Grammy Awards producers are scrambling to prevent another Kanye West explosion like what happened in 2009

* Killing off The Talk may be the only hope of saving Drew Barrymore’s tanking talk show

* The Real Housewives of New York are treating the first Black cast member Eboni K. Williams with kid gloves because no one wants to come across as racist

* Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts (picture)

Page 13: January Jones’ desperate bid for online attention has pals concerned she may be cracking up -- her red-hot career appears to have cooled since Mad Men ended in 2015 and January is dying to land another plum part like Betty Draper but she’s going about it the wrong way -- she’s been posting sexy bikini pictures and leggy dance numbers on Instagram but that’s not the way to catch the eye of casting directors especially with so few shows in production during the COVID-19 lockdown

* Caitlyn Jenner has reached out to trans actor Elliot Page offering to be his big sister in an opportunistic PR ploy -- while Caitlyn was one of many trans celebs including Jazz Jennings and Geena Rocero to offer Elliot congratulations and support, Caitlyn viewed the announcement as a new opportunity to leap back into the limelight and she believes that by aligning herself with Elliot she can regain her status as an activist and the symbol of transgender rights in Hollywood -- Elliot is happy to listen to Caitlyn’s advice but he’s been navigating his gender issues for years and doesn’t need guidance and he’s not going to be rude but he doesn’t need the help

Page 14: Crime

Page 15: A never-before-heard audio recording is of iconic soul singer James Brown’s wish to leave his $100 million fortune to educate poor children -- in the garbled 1999 recording the singer who died suddenly in 2006 called the creation of his I Feel Good foundation his lasting legacy but his precious foundation has not seen a dime because his fortune has remained tied up in court since his death which is the subject of an investigation by the Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney’s office after allegations surfaced that Brown might have been poisoned by someone after his money

Page 16: American Life

Page 17: What Shocked and Rocked in 2020 -- the best scoops and stories of the year

Page 25: Fired Hillsong Church pastor Carl Lentz was so starstruck by his celebrity parishioners he believed he was a star himself and his ego fueled his shocking fall from grace and now he’s getting mental health treatment after being accused of cheating on his wife and getting sacked for moral failures -- Carl tended the trendy megachurch’s New York City flock and regularly rubbed shoulders with celebs including NBA star Kevin Durant and singer Selena Gomez and even once invited Justin Bieber to live with him before being booted by bigwigs but now he’s said to be getting help at an outpatient facility specializing in depression and pastoral burnout but cunning Carl may have made the move simply to revamp his wrecked reputation

Page 26: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are heading to couples therapy in a desperate bid to stay together because their marriage is hanging by a thread -- the pair are at each other’s throats as they struggle to adjust to their new life in America -- Harry’s gone from being excited about the move to feeling tortured and it’s like he swapped his royal prison in Britain for a new hell in a $14 million California mansion and he fears he’s made a terrible mistake but Meghan’s ordering him to man up and grab this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make millions away from the monarchy’s suffocating shadow -- the fighting came to a head before the holidays when Harry was feeling especially homesick and guilty about abandoning his family especially his brother Prince William and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth -- adding to their troubles Meghan seems hellbent on staying in the public eye during the pandemic and she masterminded their personal video calls to charities in London and the U.S. and the secret deliveries of meals to the needy but then she made them public and the truth is it’s The Meghan Show now and Harry’s just the side act

Page 27: A charming Chinese spy bedded two Midwestern mayors and courted other clueless politicians to weasel her way into U.S. government circles -- Chinese national Christina Fang also known as Fang Fang, reportedly entered the U.S. as a college student in 2011

Page 31: Candice Bergen moaned that at the age of 74 she’s a wreck and that she has a wattle -- Candice admitted to having her eyes done while filming the Murphy Brown reboot because they were very hooded and as for today she knows she should have injections because she has deep lines along her lip but she can’t take the pain

* Rachael Ray lost her New York home to a blazing inferno but her holidays were salvaged by the warmth of community spirit -- following the devastating fire she and her husband moved into the property’s guesthouse and in a clip on The Rachael Ray Show the emotional host showed off her festively decorated digs and gushed she didn’t know where she’d be without friends and a community and people so dear to her that helped her bring Christmas to life even when you’re not at home

Page 32: Health Watch -- blood test predicts Alzheimer’s

Page 34: Longtime lovebirds Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are hoping to make a movie with their whole family -- the star-studded cast would include Goldie’s kids Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson and the couple’s son Wyatt Russell -- as for filming with the entire gang Goldie gushed that they have thought about it and she’d love to do something with her kids and the grandchildren too

* Hollywood Hookups -- Kristin Cavallari and Jeff Dye heating up, Malik Beasley and Larsa Pippen dating but Malik’s wife Montana Yao filed for divorce, Chrishell Stause and Keo Motsepe dating

Page 36: Infamous Hollywood hotel Chateau Marmont has a storied history of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll ever since it opened its doors in 1929 and nearly a century later it hasn’t been tamed -- even during the pandemic the majestic hotel is wild with drunks, overdoses and luckily averted suicide attempts and according to 911 records the debauched celebrity haunt is filled with people having breakdowns -- the Chateau’s crazy days and nights are legendary: it’s where John Belushi died in one of the bungalows in 1982 from a deadly cocaine-heroin concoction

Page 38: One of the most iconic images from the James Bond films which is a handgun used by Sean Connery in Dr. No has sold for $256,000 at auction in Beverly Hills -- the gun is a deactivated semi-automatic Walther PP pistol -- the winning bidder who asked to remain anonymous is an American who’s seen every James Bond film with his children -- a helmet created for Tom Cruise in Top Gun also sold at the auction for $108,000 while a sword used by Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction sold for $35,200

* Dolly Parton has one major thing left on her bucket list which is she wants to see Beyonce sing Jolene one of the country star’s signature songs -- Jolene has been recorded more than any other song Dolly has ever written but that isn’t enough for her because she also wants to see it updated by one of the top female stars of a new generation -- it has been recorded worldwide over 400 times in lots of different languages but nobody’s ever had a really big hit record on it and Dolly always hoped somebody might do it someday by someone like Beyonce

* Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has wrestled his way into the alcohol market with his own tequila brand and lifted it into first place as the most successful spirit launch in history and he’s even on track to double George Clooney’s first-year launch -- Dwayne is expected to move more than 300,000 cases of small-batch Teremana Tequila in its first year of trading

Page 40: Smitten singer Rihanna has fallen hard for A$AP Rocky but friends fear the playboy rapper will leave her broken-hearted -- Rocky is a charming guy but he also has a love ‘em and leave ‘em reputation and everyone’s concerned she’s more into him than he is into her -- Rihanna’s desperate to meet a man she can see herself with for the rest of her life and she believes Rocky might be the one but everybody thinks she’s rushing into things with Rocky -- Rocky is not interested in a long-term romance and Rihanna shouldn’t be thinking of this as more than a port in the storm

* Lizzo is livin’ large and she’s showing every inch of her jiggles and folds on TikTok -- the body-positivity enthusiast wore a white bikini for an all-angles video in which she amply demonstrated the tricks models and celebs use to look slimmer -- she bared her belly and back and legs and sometimes jiggled her thighs or grabbed a hunk of herself to prove there’s more to luscious ladies than meets the eye and wrote, “Wild to see the body positive movement come so far. Proud of the big girls who gave it wings.”

Page 42: Red Carpet -- The Crown stars -- Claire Foy, Emma Corrin, Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Kirby, Erin Doherty

Page 47: Odd List -- baseball fan Darren Johnson hatched an unusual idea for his new chicken coop making it a model of Houston’s former Eighth Wonder of the World The Astrodome

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fyeahcamcountry · 4 years

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Cam: The Otherside - track by track

(Apple Music)

'...“I was a total idealist,” Cam tells Apple Music. The Nashville country singer, who’s also one of the city’s most sought-after songwriters, says the five years she spent writing her sophomore album were some of the hardest of her life. “I had this Disney idea of how the world worked, and at some point that just...broke.” Tracing a string of major life changes—breaking up with her old label, inking a new contract, marrying her husband, and welcoming her first child—The Otherside reflects a dramatic shift in thinking, or her journey through disillusionment into clear-eyed realism. That evolution unlocked a new side to her sound. “My songs have always pulled from my psychology background, but I had this filter on and didn’t even know it,” she says. “Once I took that off, I could be so much more honest. I could see the world, and myself, for exactly what they were.” Read on as Cam tells us the inside story behind each song.

[[MORE]]

Redwood Tree

“I grew up in the Bay Area with a redwood tree in my backyard, and I did a lot of thinking up there. I wasn’t raised in a specific religion, but the most magical, awe-inspiring experience I can think of is being in the redwoods, feeling so small. It’s like a cathedral in that it reminds you of your place in everything. Fallen redwoods have rings that represent the thousands of years that they lived, and you’re like, ‘Oh, we’re just flies buzzing around.’ We wake up one day shocked to realize our parents are suddenly old. Like, when did my dad's beard get so white? I had watched the movie Arrival around the time we wrote this song, and I loved the idea of time not being linear. The soundtrack has these voices that go ‘Da, da, da, da,’ and we nod to that in the production. I hope time isn't linear. I hope I get more time with my parents.”

The Otherside

“Tim, or Avicii, came to Nashville a few years ago to write for one of his albums, and we were in the studio with Hillary Lindsey and Tyler Johnson. He started playing this piano melody over and over and over again, and I don't smoke cigarettes but when Hillary took a cigarette break, I was like, ‘I'm going, too.’ It was just so intense. He was really stuck on this thing. While we're out on the back porch, she and I came up with an idea for the chorus, and he loved it. But he fiddled with it for hours. He was thinking about cadence, about how we speak, about code-mapping it onto a melody, and about the actual phonetics. Tim never wound up releasing that song, so I was like, ‘Ooh, maybe that means I can.’ Even though it’s such a heavy thing not having him around for the final edits, I did feel this great responsibility to work my ass off to get it right. Because I knew that’s what he would have done.”

Classic

“On the other side of the spectrum, this is one of those songs that just magically fell into place. I went up to New York for a few sessions with Jack Antonoff at Electric Lady Studios, and it was so fun. Creatives tend to beat themselves up a lot, but Jack and I sat there jangling around on this 12-string guitar and writing a song that had this nostalgic Simon & Garfunkel ‘Cecilia’ vibe. It’s about how there are people in your life that outlast everything else—technology, fashion trends, swings in politics, whatever. Nothing's a constant in life, but a few people are. It was inspired by this moment when my husband and I were in Argentina and he found a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes. He doesn't smoke anymore, but he goes, ‘I’ve got to smoke these because they don't make ‘em like this anymore.’ And then he looks at me and goes, ‘That's a country lyric.’”

Forgetting You

“I was writing with Lori McKenna, Tyler Johnson, and Mitch Rowland, and we’re all pals from working on various projects together. Still, I always get nervous when I go write with Lori, even though she's so humble and chill, because I’m like, ‘Don't embarrass yourself in front of the poet of our generation!’ Which is to say, I knew I needed to bring in something cool. I had this line, ‘I'm getting older/But you never change.’ The song is about holding on to the concept of someone from the past, and measuring everyone up to them even though it’s no longer real. That's why you keep moving forward but they never seem to age.”

Like a Movie

“Before we were married and had a kid, I’d come home from tour and my husband and I would have this tiny bit of quality time together. And the truth is, we’d usually get high and go to Walmart. One day, we were unloading all our groceries and I was like, ‘How did you know it was me? How did you know not to settle for someone earlier or wait for someone else?’ And he just smiled and said, ‘Because when I met you, it was like a movie.’ Now, I can remember when we met. I was a mess. It did not look like a movie. But it was so, so sweet. I wrote with the love junkies—Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, and Hillary Lindsey—and the strings are David Campbell, who’s actually Beck’s dad. Jeff Bhasker wanted a ’50s movie soundtrack vibe with strings that swelled like an orchestra, and David immediately got it. Apple Music did a teaser video for the album, and if you watch it, there should be video footage from that string session.”

Changes

“I usually write all my own music, but this is the first of a couple songs on this album that I didn’t. I guess I feel like it's cheating. I'm supposed to be digging all this personal stuff up and figuring myself out, so taking someone else’s song feels like a shortcut. But I trust Harry [Styles]’s writing. I feel like he tries so hard to be himself in his music, and he doesn't take it lightly. That pursuit resonates with me. The demo had Lori McKenna singing with Harry on background vocals and his whistle, which is still in the track. It was amazing to hear a song that someone else wrote that clicked so much with me personally. It’s about feeling like you’ve outgrown where you're from, and you don't really want to admit that. It’s kind of an uncomfortable thing to say, but I love when things are uncomfortable. That means it’s important.”

Till There's Nothing Left

“This song has steamy sexual energy... Like, ‘I'm giving you my whole heart but also my body and a quickie in the back seat.’ While we were recording my vocals, I was trying to sit back and make it cool and sexy, and I realized I was blushing. I was blushing because society tells us that sexuality is a private thing. If you want to be respected as a woman, if you want to be considered intelligent, you can’t be sexual. But then I was reminded of my grandmother who was raised Baptist on a farm in Saskatchewan. She's the one who gave me the sex talk, unbeknownst to my mother. She said, ‘Sex is like a milkshake. Once you have it, you're always going to want it.’ She was comfortable with her sexuality without it being the main thing about her. So I thought, ‘If a woman born in the 1930s on a farm in Canada can own it, I can own it.”

What Goodbye Means

“A friend of mine was going through a divorce. It was pretty ugly, but he was being so kind. I asked him, ‘How are you being so nice right now? I don't get it.’ And he said, ‘Because she might change her mind.’ I still get goosebumps thinking about it. We've all been there, not quite ready to accept the reality of something, and that's okay. You've got to take it at the rate you can take it. This song has such a classic melody. It’s warm. For some reason it feels like a summer evening in New Mexico to me.”

Diane

“This song is a response to Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene,’ and man, it really seems to resonate with people. Crowds sing it back to me in this emotional, over-the-top, theatrical way. I suppose most people have had infidelity affect their life one way or another, but it’s hard to watch people you care about go through it. There's so much shame around it that you don't get to talk about what you need or how to heal. And you almost never get to hear the other party’s side. So ‘Diane’ is my moment to role-play, I guess. I'm the other woman and I slept with your husband and I didn't know he was married, but you’ve got to know the truth. Parton's lyrics to the other woman include the word ‘please,’ and that just killed me. She's so humble and human, asking someone to please not take the love of her life away. Immediately, I was like, ‘That's the narrative. That's what is so often left unsaid.’”

Happier for You

“This is the other song that I didn't write, and it’s from Sam Smith and Tyler [Johnson]. Sam and I have a great relationship because I helped write the song ‘Palace’ for their album and then they brought me out on tour. We have a lot of trust. When Lindsay [Marias, Cam’s manager] and I first heard this demo and Sam came in singing, our jaws dropped. The emotion was so raw and honest and real. I love the juxtaposition of saying something very loud and publicly—to the point where it almost feels proud—but actually it’s something that makes you want to curl up in a ball.”

Girl Like Me

“This is the author's note at the end of the book. Natalie Hemby had come over and started playing a verse on the piano, and I was like, ‘Oh god, that is so sad.’ And she's like, ‘It's your story. This is your comeback story.’ It’s funny how sometimes you can’t recognize your own self. Writing this song was uncomfortable but in the best way, trying to pull lyrics out in the chorus (‘They’re going to give up on you/You're going to give up on them’). You can’t just become jaded. You have to push through. It’s a gift to be able to see life for what it is, and to see yourself for who you are. I think anyone who has been through that phase of disillusionment will think, ‘Oh, yeah, tough. But this side is better.’”

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freddiesaysalright · 5 years

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My Man Part VII

A Ben!Roger Taylor x Reader Fic

Summary: Reader is a Broadway actress currently starring in a West End production of Funny Girl. She’s a widow, thanks to the Vietnam War, but it’s a well-kept secret. She also wants everyone to think she doesn’t care for rock music. She met Roger Taylor when he brought his date backstage. They didn’t start off great, but a party at Freddie’s turned them around. Now, they’re friends. After she was attacked by a director, Roger is there for her. Then she gets a surprise visitor with some wise words for her. Her brother and her director drop some bombs on her.

Word Count: 2.2K

Tag List: @bohemian-war @kittygirlno @rebelrebelyourefaceisamess @rockyroadthepastryarchy @goodoldfashionedloverboyy @jennyggggrrr @discodeacygotmorerhythm @x1975sos @slytherinxval @cyndagoaway @doingalrightt @lovvliies @hopefully-aesthetically-pleasing @capsparrowtara @they-call-me-peaches @hyosong @riddikuluslypotter @orchideax @shishterfackisback If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: Sorry this update took so long! Ya girl moved into an apartment and I had no internet! But I do now and I’m thrilled!

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI

Part VII here we go!!!

Your eyes fluttered open and for a moment, you wondered why you were on your couch. As drowsiness left you, you recalled you fell asleep with Roger. You felt so safe and warm in his arms. He slept soundly beside you. You gazed at him and then you carefully brushed his hair out of his face. He didn’t stir. You could have stayed this way forever, in Roger’s embrace with the soft morning light falling across you both. You hummed contentedly and snuggled closer to him. He reacted accordingly and unconsciously shifted to bring more contact between you. Just when you were going to close your eyes and try to sleep some more, your phone rang.

Roger lifted his head groggily, irritation turning his mouth down. He grumbled something along the lines of “fuck that” under his breath and then held you tighter. You giggled and shoved him off of you. He groaned in protest.

“Don’t worry, I’ll come right back,” you said as you walked over to pick up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Y/N!” came Jack’s chipper voice on the other end. “I’m surprised you’re up.”

“I wouldn’t be if you hadn’t called,” you replied, annoyed. “What’s up?”

“Are you and Roger free for dinner tonight?” he asked. “I’d love to get to know him more. Plus, I’ve got some news I didn’t get to tell you yesterday.”

“Just a sec,” you told him. You called to Roger. “Rog, Jack wants to know if you want to get dinner tonight.”

“He’s calling this fucking early to find out about fucking dinner?” Roger returned.

You turned your attention back to Jack. “He says yes.”

“Great, I’ll come to your place at eight,” Jack said, “Love you!”

You didn’t get to answer before he hung up. You did the same and then headed back to the couch, taking a seat.

“That was weird,” you said.

“I’ll say,” Roger agreed. “It’s the middle of the night, why is he worried about dinner?”

“It’s eight in the morning,” you replied.

“Yeah, it’s the bloody middle of the night!”

You laughed. “We probably should get up.”

“Why?” he replied. “Have you got a date?”

“Does laying on the couch with the drummer of Queen count?”

“Absolutely,” he said with a grin, and opened his arms to you.

You fell into him and settled down.

“Thank you, by the way,” he said, resting his head on your shoulder.

“For what?” you asked.

“For waking me up last night,” he said. “And everything after.”

“Roger, you’ve been there for me through so much,” you reminded him. “It’s just what you do when you care about someone.”

He smiled a little. “Still. I appreciate it.”

“If you never need anything, I’m here for you,” you promised.

You drifted back to sleep for another hour or so. When you woke again, Roger had to go so you decided to practice your Funny Girl songs again. You wanted to be back on stage by the end of the week. You grabbed your sheet music and started your mini-rehearsal. Your voice needed the exercise.

The first song you tried was “Who Are You Now?” The words were getting to you as you reflected once again about Roger. Was he better for earning your love? Were you better for earning his? You resonated with Fanny so much more now that you had someone on whom your affections were placed, whether he knew it or not.

You felt stronger after singing. It always helped you put your emotions out into the world. It was therapeutic. It got you through your loss of George. Now it would get you through the attack by Mark and your feelings for Roger.

That night, after Roger returned and you got dressed, Jack arrived right on time. He had already picked a restaurant for dinner, which you and Roger were relieved to hear, and it was within walking distance from your flat. As you headed down the sidewalk, Roger took your hand. You intertwined your fingers with his and flashed him a sweet smile.

Jack had reserved a table already, so the three of you were seated right away. You told them you were going to the bathroom first and the hostess showed you to it. When you were gone, Roger turned to Jack.

“Jack, can I ask you something?” he asked.

“If you’re wondering if I’m single, the answer is technically no, but for you, I might be,” he joked.

Roger laughed. “I’m flattered. But it’s actually about Y/N.”

“Yeah, what do you need to know?”

Roger hesitated, wondering if he should even ask. It was a heavy question, but he felt weird asking you.

“How did she end up with George?”

“Oh, God,” Jack began. “They met in school when they were like sixteen or so. Y/N was already not on great terms with my parents because she wanted to be an actress. And then she met George and it all plummeted from there.”

“I don’t understand,” Roger said. “Why would your parents not want her to be an actress?”

“Did she not tell you?” Jack wondered. “Y/N and I were born to one of the oldest and richest families in the United States. She was supposed to marry whatever man they selected and be his little wife. She chose George - a poor kid from the wrong side of town - ran away, and married him as soon as she turned eighteen. Then she started her Broadway career and they disowned her. Took her out of the will and everything. She didn’t give a shit, though. She never wanted their money anyway.”

Roger sat back in his seat, shock coming over him.

“I guess that’s why it took her so long to move on,” he said.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “Until I got back in touch with her, George was the only family she had in the world.”

Before Roger could say anymore, you returned from the restroom and took a seat.

“Sorry,” you said as you placed your napkin in your lap. “There was a line. What were you two walking about?”

“Nothing, really,” Jack said, since Roger was still recovering.

You looked at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“So,” you began, turning to Jack. “What’s this big news?”

Jack took a sip of wine before speaking. “Don’t freak out, but, I’m getting married.”

Your mouth dropped open. “Wh...to who?”

“A very nice woman Mother and Father picked out for me,” he said. “Her name is Diane and we got the okay from her father this morning.”

“Jack...I don’t even know what to say,” you said. “Are you happy about this?”

“Of course!” he replied. “We’re gonna be so rich!”

He held up his glass to Roger, who met it.

“But, what about you? You’re not in love with her!” you cried.

“Honey, you know my kind of love will never end in marriage,” he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“So you’re just going to live this lie?” you wondered. “What about Diane? Can you really give her a life?”

“Look, I’ll do my duties as her husband,” he said. “If she wants kids, fine, we’ll have some kids. I’m just gonna do what I want on the side as well.”

“You mean you’re going to be unfaithful?”

“Ugh, Y/N, you’re looking at this all wrong,” Jack groaned. “I’m going to have the best of both worlds.”

“But it’s not fair to this poor woman,” you insisted. “Jack, why can’t you just be honest?”

“Because not everyone can be as brave as you are, Y/N,” he said. “I want my share of my inheritance and if I have to play by a few rules, then so be it.”

He and Roger shared a knowing glance, but you didn’t notice. You couldn’t believe your brother was capable of something so selfish. It was all brutally unfair.

“Don’t you want to be happy?” you asked him. “Truly happy?”

“Having so much money that I can do whatever I want will be close enough,” he said. “People like me don’t get happily ever after. But I didn’t tell you this for you to judge me.”

“What do you want then?” you asked.

“I wanted to prepare you because I don’t want you to come to the wedding,” he explained. “I’m not exactly proud of this. And I don’t want you to witness it.”

“Mom and Dad told you I couldn’t come, didn’t they?”

“They did,” he admitted. “But it’s the other stuff too, I swear.”

You sighed. Then you looked at Roger. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to drag you into our family drama.”

“No worries,” he said with a shrug. “I admire your moral fiber. But for now, why don’t we just say cheers? Your brother’s getting married, and we should be happy.”

“Thank you!” Jack cried.

You held up your glass. “Cheers, Jack.”

When you got home that night, Roger helped you out of your jacket when you came in the front door. Immediately, you turned to face him.

“Was I wrong?” you wondered.

“No,” Roger said. “But neither was Jack. Not everyone can do what you did.”

“What I did?” you asked.

“I asked Jack about how you ended up with George,” he explained. “He told me about your family and that they cut ties with you over him.”

You looked down. You didn’t know why you felt embarrassed about it. It was something you were proud of. You got away from a situation that would never make you happy and reached out for happiness with both hands. You had it too. Until the Vietnam War snatched it away from you.

“I think it’s amazing,” Roger said. He took your chin in his hand and made you look at him. “You’re amazing.”

“I did what was right,” you replied. “I only want to be happy. I want that for my brother, too.”

“He will be,” he assured you.

“I hope so.”

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Happy?”

You held his gaze. “I could be happier.”

“How can I help?” he asked.

“Kiss me,” you said in barely a whisper.

He did. The feeling of Roger’s lips on yours put everything else out of your mind. Jack’s marriage, your anxiety since the assault, your grief for George, everything. The only thing that existed was the taste of wine and cigarettes lingering on Roger’s mouth. He was soft at first, but after a small moan from you, he deepened it. Your fingers found their way into his hair. You broke apart for air, both breathing heavily. He leaned in so your foreheads touched.

“God, Y/N,” he sighed. “I want you.”

You put a hand on his chest and stepped back. He opened his eyes to look at you.

“I want you too,” you said. “But I can’t right now. I’m still -”

“Don’t say dirty,” he cut across you.

That was a word you had consistently used when talking to Roger about your feelings after you were attacked. He insisted you weren’t, that the only people at fault were Stephen and Mark. They were the dirty ones. But you couldn’t help but feel it. You were so violated. And you could still see the bruises in the mirror. It had only been a few days, so they were green and ugly. You didn’t want Roger to see.

“I’m sorry,” you said, your eyes brimming with fresh tears.

“Don’t cry, my love,” he said gently, pulling you close to him. “Kiss me again.”

You smiled as you obliged. You felt heat surge through your blood as your mouth moved along with his. It felt right. You fit perfectly together. When you parted again, you looked up at him.

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch tonight,” you said.

He smiled. “That’s generous. Are you sure?”

You nodded. “But just cuddling. You can wait and hope for better things if you want.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll hold you.”

Smiling, you led him to your room. You spent the second night in a row in Roger’s arms.

The next day, you carefully inspected your face. You called Gary and told him you were ready to come back. Then you called Jack and told him to come see the show. Roger assured you he was proud and would support you through the process of getting back on stage.

It felt great to get back in your dressing room. You got yourself ready to be Fanny Brice once again. It felt like coming home. Only now, it wasn’t empty. Because in the back of your heart, you had Roger as well. Everything was coming together at last. You weren’t sure if you’d been this happy since the day you married George.

Gary called the cast together after everyone was dressed. As you all gathered on stage, you took in his expression and your brow furrowed. He looked distressed.

“Hey, everyone,” he said, a glum tone coming over him. “I’ve got some bad news. Our show is closing in two months. They’re replacing us with Mark Hudson’s Oklahoma.”

171 notes · View notes

kimabutch · 5 years

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JLCR: kimabutch edition

To celebrate somehow reaching 1000 songs on Jam Like Critical Role, the giant fan-created playlist that I’ve been curating since February, I’ve decided to put together a mini-playlist of own, featuring two of my favourite songs for each member of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein! Each song has a YouTube link, but you can find the whole mini-playlist on Spotify here.

By mini-playlist I meant that there are “only” 36 songs, and also that I’ve pulled out my favourite lines and explained why I associate the song with them, so that this whole thing is approximately 5400 words long. I tried to restrain myself, but, well, Jam Like Critical Role is a testament to my lack of self-restraint. If it helps, I’ve tried to incorporate a diversity of artists, eras, and genres, from folk-punk to techno, country, dream-pop, classical, and beyond. I hope you find something you enjoy.

Grog

We’re Going To Be Friends, Jack Johnson (cover of White Stripes), for Grog and Pike’s incredibly wholesome childhood friendship. While many of the lyrics describe friends at school, which is not totally accurate for them, I can just imagine the two weirdos playing among the bugs:

“Walk with me, Suzy Lee/ Through the park and by the tree/ We can rest upon the ground/ And look at all the bugs we’ve found”

Not to mention Pike teaching Grog his ABCs:

“Tonight I’ll dream while in my bed/ While silly thoughts run through my head/ Of the bugs and alphabet”

I just love these two silly monstahs.

Giant, Juno Reactor: to balance out that last song, have some techno that makes me want to yell “Vox Machina, Fuck. Shit. UP!” and split Kevdak in half with a nat 20 from the sky. Appropriately named for our goliath friend, this song always temporarily convinces me that I, too, am a seven foot tall barbarian (which is not recommended while you are trying to do anything that requires brainpower.)

Keyleth

I Lost Myself, Lauren Mann and The Fairly Odd Folk, for Keyleth’s self-doubt about whether she can do her Aramente (or whether she even wants to) and fear that she’s hurting everyone:

“I’ve got voices in my head Making me think that this is where I end Hey, what do you see, if anything What do you see in me”

This specifically reminds me of her Aramente, and how it taught her so much more than she was expecting:

“You and me we made a plan To travel from here to there and back again Somewhere on that weathered road I found the dreams that I’d been looking for”

And “Hey, we’ve got the world to see/ So let’s forget our anxieties and get on our way” makes me think of Keyleth and Percy’s friendship, and how both of their stories are about trying to figure out what to do once you’ve achieved your goals. I want to think that after the story ended, they were still occasionally able to leave behind their responsibilities and travel the world together.

Take Us Back, Alela Diane, for a post-canon Keyleth, reminiscing on the old days and eventually outliving the rest of Vox Machina. I get a strong image of Kiki coming down from Zephra to see her friends:

“Atop the crags and cliffs the air is thin/ So we’ll find a mountain path on down the hill/ Meet me where the snowmelt flows/ It is there, my dear, where we’ll begin again”

And of her listening to Scanlan’s music, centuries later; they’d be the last two alive: “I’ve a friend who lives out by the river’s mouth/ He knows the fiddle’s cry is an old sound”

And then Keyleth, alone, listening to a river’s gurgle or the wind’s howling, and almost thinking she hears her friends: “Muted voices, just beyond/ The silent surface of what has gone.”

Percival

The Devil Spoke Here, Chicken Little, which I think is actually about the aftermath of a protest, but which I feel works eerily well for Percy’s development following the Briarwood arc. The beginning reminds me of his guilt, feelings of brokenness, and anger issues after he’s cast out Orthax — right down to his guilt about guns:

“There’s bullets in the streets/ and broken dishes on the floor/ enough anger in my heart/ to take the blame for it all/ I could take every bullet back/ if I could never feel like that”

It also covers Percy’s realization, after his conversation with the Raven Queen, that he’s free from the judgment of the gods, and acceptance that he’s the one who has bad thoughts for the greater good:

“I have no god for guidance/ still I’m praying all the same/ may everything I do/ be done for everybody’s gain”

And then this, for a reason that I can’t quite explain, feels so much like Percy’s forgiveness of Ripley at Glintshore, and his death at her hand:

“May we always fail/ with the best of intentions/ with our hearts always pure/ and our souls only human”

Wandering Star, Portishead: the weird trip hop vibe to this song somehow feels appropriate to Percy, and in particular to his darkest thoughts. The song addresses the possible punishments for these thoughts: “Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved/ The blackness, the darkness, forever.” It helps that this is an allusion to a Bible passage about atheists.

The second verse makes me think both of Percy’s relationship to the concept of eternity (because of the “needle’s eye” — a parable about the entrance of heaven for the rich) and his raven mask:

“Those who have seen the needle’s eye, now tread Like a husk, from which all that was, now has fled And the masks that the monsters wear To feed, upon their prey”

Additionally, “Doubled up inside/ Take a while to shed my grief” is reminiscent of Percy’s revelation, in the last episode, that he just really fucking misses his family. This whole time, something inside of him has been curled up into a little ball like the teenager he was five years ago, grieving his family.

Pike

Holy, Jamily Woods: a song about self-love and self-assurance, underscored by Christian imagery:

“Though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no love/ Oh my smile my mind reassure me I don’t need no one […] Woke up this morning with my mind set on loving me”

Many of the lyrics can be interpreted either as the singer being self-sufficient because her god is there — or being sufficient even beyond her god: “I’m not lonely, I’m alone/ And I’m holy by my own.”

I think both interpretations work for Pike: that she has found (or is attempting to find) peace when she’s not with her friends, or that although she worships Sarenrae, the Everlight doesn’t necessarily interfere in her day-to-day life and she makes her own happiness. Either way, the song makes me feel at peace in the same way that Pike does.

The Otherside, Ohbijou, for Pike’s feelings about Scanlan during the year gap. Particularly, I’m reminded of Pike’s attempts to talk to Scanlan on the earring: “With things left unsaid so unsatisfied/ And a burning to hear your voice just one more time.”

And in these lyrics:

“And it’s so silly for me to worry/ About situations that don’t exist/ We create these problems and try to solve them/ Why waste each passing moment?”

I hear Pike trying to figure out her feelings for Scanlan, but shooting herself down because he’s gone, why even try?

Scanlan

The Pilgrim - Chapter 33, Willie Nelson (cover of Kris Kristofferson), which really encapsulates, for me, Scanlan’s complex relationship with religion: the fact that a guy who regularly produces lightning from his dick, messes with people’s memories, and actively attempts to cultivate a drug habit finds himself praying to the Everlight at night and eventually becomes Ioun’s chosen:

“He’s a poet, he’s a picker/ He’s a prophet, he’s a pusher/ He’s a pilgrim and a preacher/ And a problem when he’s stoned”

The lines “He’s a walking contradiction/ Partly truth and partly fiction” reminds me of all the identities he’s taken on, both for fun and to shield his emotions from his friends, whereas “Taking every wrong direction on his lonely way back home” makes me think of Scanlan’s long road back to Vox Machina after leaving them.

Handle With Care, Traveling Wilburys: almost every single song on this album works for Scanlan, so choosing just one was a real challenge. But this song is so good for all the shit that Scanlan’s been through (and all the shit that he’s been), and his relationship with Pike through all of that:

“Been beat up and battered around/ Been sent up, and I’ve been shot down/ You’re the best thing that I’ve ever found/ Handle me with care […]”

“Everybody’s got somebody to lean on” reminds me of Scanlan’s feeling, in episode 85, that he’s the odd one out in Vox Machina.

The last verse encapsulates Scanlan acknowledging his own fuck ups, working to make them right, and eventually, having a healthy relationship with Pike:

“I’ve been uptight and made a mess/ But I’ll clean it up myself, I guess/ Oh, the sweet smell of success”

Taryon

Father and Son, Cat Stevens, for Tary’s relationship with his father and his decision to leave home; the song is a duet of sorts. I think the father’s part of the song is a little generous for Howaardt Darrington, but retains the message of (somewhat condescendingly) trying to keep his son at home and have him reconsider his far-reaching plans: “I know that it’s not easy to be calm/ When you’ve found something going on.”

The son’s part, though, captures Tary’s frustration with his father’s strictness and inability to actually understand his passions:

“How can I try to explain?/ ‘Cause when I do he turns away again/ It’s always been the same, same old story/ From the moment I could talk/ I was ordered to listen/ Now there’s a way and I know/ That I have to go away”

And the last verse is some real closeted gay feelings that always make me tear up:

“All the times that I cried/ Keeping all the things I knew inside/ It’s hard, but it’s harder to ignore it”

What’s It Gonna Be, Shura, not so much for the song’s lyrics, but for its music video, which is all about falling for a different gender than you expected, and which is incredibly sweet and beautiful.

That being said, you could definitely take the lyrics to be about his crush on Percy and his obliviousness about who in Vox Machina is sleeping with whom:

“Do I tell you I love you or not?/ 'Cause I can’t really guess what you want/ If you let me down, let me down slow”

Vax’ildan

Glorious, Muse, for Vax’s early relationship with faith. He can’t help but feel drawn towards Sarenrae’s light, even as he has doubts and perhaps even anger towards the gods:

Faith: It drives me away/ But it turns me on/ Like a stranger’s love It rockets through the universe It fuels the lies and feeds the curse And we, too, could be glorious”

He wants that glory that he sees in Pike, but he doesn’t know how to approach it or reconcile it with his life experiences. And then he finds his whole world shattered as he’s chosen by the Raven Queen, and he once again has to find faith, though in a way that he never expected:

“I need to believe But I still want more With the cuts and the bruises”

Fields of Gold, Sting: a song from Vax to Keyleth. I can imagine them so perfectly in this scene, perhaps during their year of downtime, with the winds of Zephra blowing through the fields and their hope beyond hope that they’ll be able to stay together:

“Will you stay with me? Will you be my love?/ Upon the fields of barley/ We’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky/ As we lie in fields of gold”

“See the west wind move like a lover so/ Upon the fields of barley/ Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth/ Among the fields of gold”

Years later, Vax knows that Keyleth will see those fields again and think of him: “You’ll remember me when the west wind moves/ Upon the fields of barley.”

Vex’ahlia

Half Jack, The Dresden Dolls: a truly haunting song about the pain and unavoidability of being her father’s daughter — she’s always half Jill (her mother) and half Jack (her father.) The whole song is incredibly painful for Vex, and the lines:

“It might destroy me But I’d sacrifice my body If it meant I’d get the Jack part out”

always makes me think of “If I could pull the blood of you from my veins and give it back, I would.” Also,

“But if you listen/ You’ll learn to hear the difference/ Between the halfs and the half nots”

reminds me of her asking Percy if she looks like she comes from money — or a younger Vex, in Syngorn, gradually realizing why everyone looked down on her and Vax. Lastly, isn’t “I see my mother in my face/ But only when I travel” absolutely heartbreaking for her?

Fall Down or Fly, Lindi Ortega, only partly because Lindi Ortega strongly resembles my headcanon for Vex. The other part is because of my abiding love for how Vex learned to fly, and how that worked with her character arc: from the first time, in the Briarwoods arc, that she discovered her love for flying, to her flaunting convention and stealing the broom, to Percy modifying it for her, to her friends cheering her on with chicken target practice, and finally to her soaring through the skies with confidence. And the song captures that so well for me, as well as her decision to keep going even when her father, Saundor’s words, and her own self-doubt bring her down:

“This is your life/ You can fall down or fly/ You can burn out a shot if you want/ This is your life/ You can live it or die/ You can quit now or try if you want/ But don’t you give up, don’t you give up”

This also reminds me of how much all of Vox Machina adores and supports Vex (and I will join them in crying about how awesome she is):

“You said what is there to lose?/ Do it if you choose/ I got faith in you/ Everything you do/ I know you are gonna make it to the top”

(I also maintain that a modern Vex would be really into country music, particularly the genre of country song in which women tell people to fuck off.)

Vox Machina

Call Them Brothers, Regina Spektor feat. Only Son, for Scanlan’s departure from Vox Machina and the whole team’s attempts to deal with it. I first heard this song in an absolutely heartbreaking TAZ animatic, and my pain increased exponentially when I realized how much it also worked for Critical Role. It’s perfect, in my opinion, for the sense that their family, which has seen them through so much, is irreparably broken — “That’s it, it’s split, it won’t recover/ Just frame the halves and call them brothers.”

But then you also get “Over and over, they call us their friends/ Can’t we find something else to pretend?” for Scanlan’s insistence that Vox Machina doesn’t really care about him, and “Find your fathers and your mothers/ If you remember who they are” for “what’s my mother’s name?”

Maybe this should go on Scanlan’s playlist, but I think “The hunt is on, everyone’s chasing a shot” also works for the way that the rest of Vox Machina independently searched for Scanlan during their year of downtime… and the feelings of defeat in the song just feel appropriate to the whole group.

(I actually have a playlist full of songs for episode 85, because I enjoy making myself sad; it took a lot of effort not to put them all here.)

Freaks, The Hawk in Paris: I can never decide whether this is a Mighty Nein or Vox Machina song, but I’m putting it here mostly because “If you come along with us, the doors are never ending” is absolutely hilarious in for Vox Machina’s single greatest enemy.

That, and there are a lot of lines that work for individual members of the group: “We have a flair for the shade and the inbetween” (Vax); “We like to run with the wolves from the darker scene” (Keyleth); “When we turn the safety off, the shots are automatic” (Percy); “All our friends tell their friends we’re so dramatic” (Scanlan); and “We’ll make you swoon, make it hurt just a little” (Vex).

Additionally, “We have a plan, we’ve got the means for your liberation/ You’ll only have to blur the lines on a few occasions” makes me think of the Briarwood arc, and I makes me think of Percy dramatically revealing his identity to the priest — and cut to Grog pulling out a guy’s tongue.

Anyways, if I learn to make AMVs by the time that the animated series is released, this will be the first that I’ll make.

Beauregard

Saint Simon, The Shins, for Beau’s escape from the Cobalt Soul. The song expresses frustration at weighty intellectualism and how much it doesn’t teach you — which i think is something Beau felt strongly with her monk teachers:

“After all these implements and texts designed by intellects/ So vexed to find, evidently there’s still so much that hides […] Since I don’t have time nor mind to figure out the nursery rhymes/ That helped us out in making sense of our lives”

So she tries not to care about anything because it’s safer that way (“The cruel, uneventful state of apathy releases me”), and she runs away:

“I’ll try hard not to give in, batten down to fare the wind/ Rid my head of this pretence, allow myself no mock defence/ Step into the night”

I think the last part of the song could also work for her meeting the Mighty Nein and starts understanding friendship and love: “Mercy’s eyes are blue when she places them in front of you/ Nothing really holds a candle to the solemn warmth you feel inside you.”

Jonas and Ezekiel, Indigo Girls, because what kind of lesbian would I be if I didn’t put at least one gay-written song on Beau’s playlist? This one is about road trips, wandering, and looking for a purpose:

“I left my anger in a river running Highway 5 New Hampshire, Vermont, bordered by College farms, hubcaps, and falling rocks Voices in the woods and the mountaintops”

But also contains one verse that I think fits her strict family, her new family in the Mighty Nein, and the “devils” — or tieflings — of which her family would certainly not approve:

“Now when I was young my people taught me well/ Give back what you take or you’ll go to hell/ It’s not the devil’s land, you know it’s not that kind/ Every devil I meet becomes a friend of mine/ Every devil I meet is an angel in disguise”

And something about this reminds me of her journey into Xhorhas and attempts to uncover conspiracies and work out the truth: “In the war over land where the world began/ Prophecies say it’s where the world will end.”

Caduceus

Born at the Right Time, Paul Simon, for Caduceus’s belief in destiny and his place therein. The chorus describes his occasional naïveté, and the happiness of his life in the Blooming Grove, with his family:

“Never been lonely Never been lied to Never had to scuffle in fear Nothing denied to”

And then gets into his conviction that his goddess and the world itself put him where he is:

“Born at the instant/ The church bells chime/ And the whole world whispering/ Born at the right time”

The very chill vibe of the song is also very Clay, to me.

Happy All the Time, Danny Schmidt: the singer himself has said that he doesn’t know whether or not this song is ironic and/or melancholic, so I’m going to go with a sincere and cheerful interpretation for Caduceus, with maybe a hint of nostalgia for more peaceful days among his family. It’s got some incredibly lush and occasionally strange nature imagery that I think is perfect for him:

“I took the time to breathe cause I was happy all the time/ Among the rootbuds and the weeds cause I was happy all the time/ But the peat moss and the leaves took turns with both my feet/ Until my toes took root and I was happy, I was happy all the time”

I think Caduceus is still happy, but he was definitely at peace as a hermit.

Caleb

I Miss That Feeling, Tennis: a song about panic attacks and how the physical effects, when described, almost seem like falling in love. It works not only for Caleb’s panic attacks, but also, relatedly, his relationship with fire, which scares him, even as he likes the way it feels — “Something like pleasure, you’d never believe it.”

The fiery way that the singer describes panic attacks is also very Caleb:

“I miss that feeling/ Flicker hot and hovering/ Like my own discovering/ Eagerly, tenderly/ I miss that feeling/ Flicker spread into an itch/ Into a burn, into a twitch/ Slow and even”

It brings me back to the first time we saw it, in the gnoll mines. Also, “Every little thing starts trembling/ Recorded by the needle of an EKG” feels very reminiscent of his hospitalization, though from a modern perspective.

Putting the Dog to Sleep, The Antlers, for Caleb’s very tentative trust in the Mighty Nein, and in particular his friendship with Beau. I think this song really encapsulates Caleb’s pain and skittishness, especially near the beginning of their campaign, as well as his desperation (unknown even to himself) to love again:

“Well, prove to me I’m not gonna die alone/ Unstitch that shit I’ve sewn/ To close up the hole that tore through my skin/ Well my trust in you is a dog with a broken leg/ Tendons too torn to beg for you to let me back in”

And this feels like something that Beau would say to Caleb — upfront and caring all at the same time, reminding him that his actions affect everyone else and asking him not to run:

“You said, ‘I can’t prove to you you’re not gonna die alone/ But trust me to take you home/ To clean up that blood all over your paws/ You can’t keep running out […] Kicking yourself in the head/ Because you’re kicking me too.’”

By the end of the song, Caleb is starting to believe her, and even asking her to trust him: “Put your trust in me/ I’m not gonna die alone… I don’t think so…”

Fjord

Release the Kraken, The Daysleepers: I added this to Fjord’s playlist back when everyone was speculating that his patron was something kraken-like, and even now that this is clearly not the case, I think it still works for Uk’otoa (Uk’otoa) and his attempts at freedom: “It pulled the ships down/ It’s rising from the deep below.”

But also for Fjord’s relationship with Avantika — for his attempts to get close to her in order to save himself and his friends:

“Turn the lights down Careful as a serpent’s tongue Move without a sound Gentle as the cold wind moans”

I think “When you sold love/ Your heart becomes a monster” is some of what Fjord felt after those encounters: like he gave part of himself away.

21st Century Child, Daggy Man, for Fjord’s self-hatred and the masks he puts on. Many of the lyrics could fit several characters (particularly Beau, Caleb, and Scanlan), but

“I hate the sound of myself/ When I’m being honest/ Sounds like somebody else/ And I don’t wanna listen/ To the whinings of a 21st century child”

just perfectly captures his feelings about his voice and his past self — weak and whiny, and not who he wants to be. And then we get these lines, which feel like a good summary of his issues with identity and deception:

“And I’ve struggled with how/ Others perceive me/ And I can’t tell if I’m better/ Or just better at deceiving And I’ll keep going until I’m called out”

Jester

The Sweetest Sounds, Ella Fitzgerald (cover of Richard Rodgers), for pre-stream Jester barely waiting for her exciting life to begin. I first heard this song in Rodger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and while there is something fairy-tale-like about Jester, I think this upbeat, jazzy cover fits her well:

“The most entrancing sight of all Is yet for me to see And the dearest love in all the world Is waiting somewhere for me”

I can just imagine a 10-year-old Jester listening to the band at the Lavish Chateau play this song, dressing up in Marion’s clothes, and pretending she’s in a storybook romance.

One Hand in my Pocket, Alanis Morissette, which really captures her beautiful complexity:

“I’m free, but I’m focused/ I’m green, but I’m wise/ I’m hard, but I’m friendly/ I’m sad, but I’m laughing”

because Jester is so many things all at once, and none of them negate each other. It’s so hopeful (“What it all comes down to/ Is that everything’s gonna be quite alright”) and comforting (“What it all boils down to/ Is that no one’s really got it figured out just yet”) in a way that really reminds me of my favourite blue cleric.

The whole song has such a fun, free, summer vibe that always makes me smile — just like Jester.

Mollymauk

Carnival Overture, Antonín Dvořák (Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic Orchestra): one of my favourite pieces of classical music ever — when I hear it, an entire music video about a carnival plays in my head. The exuberant theme that bowls you over from the start reminds me of Molly’s effervescent, ostentatious personality.

The slower and quieter part in the middle with the violin and woodwind solos gives me a picture of Molly and Yasha sitting alone in the evenings just outside the carnival encampment, cuddled together — Yasha talking about her wife, Molly telling jokes, and the both of them making up names for constellations and flowers. Then the quick-paced minor section makes me think of the bloodhunter tiefling in combat, deadly with his swords and vicious mockery — before the return to the joyful, triumphant original theme.

Wonderful Everyday, Chance the Rapper & The Social Experiment**: this is sort of a cover of the Arthur theme song, but in the absolute best way possible. The meandering, loose, and extraordinarily happy vocals always remind me of Molly’s way of living.

Although some of the lyrics are more optimistic than Molly (I think he’d laugh at “Everybody that you meet/ Has an original point of view” and say that their points of view are usually bullshit), the message of appreciating every single day is just wonderful for him.

And the last bit hits me like a ton of bricks:

“And when I go down/ I'ma go down swinging/ My eyes still smiling/ And my heart still singing”

“Eyes never shut,” indeed.

**not on Spotify, sorry!

Nott

The Sore Feet Song, Ally Kerr: at first it appears to be a simple song about traveling long distances to find your love, which certainly describes Nott’s search for Yeza: “I walked ten thousand miles, ten thousand miles to see you/ And every gasp of breath I grabbed at just to find you.”

But the second verse is where it really gets into Nott’s thieving, rat-eating, badass ways:

“I stole ten thousand pounds, ten thousand pounds to see you I robbed convenient stores cause I thought they’d make it easier I lived off rats and toads, and I starved for you I fought off giants bears and I killed them too”

I love this strange little goblin.

Fox in the Snow, Belle & Sebastian: this song has always been a bit of a mystery to me, but the lyrics remind me of Nott’s intense vulnerability after she was transformed into a goblin — and in particular her self-image as something animalistic:

“Fox in the snow, where do you go/ To find something you could eat?/ Because the word out on the street is you are starving/ Don’t let yourself grow hungry now/ Don’t let yourself grow cold”

The second verse, which switches to describing a human girl, reminds me of pre-transformation Veth, more acceptable in body but no less socially ostracized than Nott:

“Girl in the snow, where do you go/ To find someone that will do?/ To tell someone all the truth before it kills you/ Listen to your crazy laugh/ Before you hang a right/ And disappear from sight/ What do they know anyway?”

I can just see that exact scene play out with a young Veth, right down to the “crazy laugh.” I’m glad she found Yeza, but she must still have been pretty lonely without any other friends.

Yasha

Into the Barrens, Grizfolk, for Yasha’s years of blank wandering after Zuala’s death. This song fits Yasha so well that for months, I somehow tricked myself into believing that Ashley had put it on her playlist. But I feel like this encapsulates her hopeless feelings, away from all society, not living for anything or anyone:

“Cast me away, my shadow’s cold/ Into the barrens where I will grow old/ Well, I’m not looking for answers/ And I’m not looking for gold”

And I can see this verse for the beginning of her relationship with the Stormlord, following voices she can’t understand as she wanders, barely alive:

“The voices in my head/ They echo in the wind and I begin to sway/ I follow what they say/ I can’t see their eyes, but I hear howling through the haze”

Dreams, Fleetwood Mac: technically a break-up song, but I can’t help but think of Yasha’s ever-present guilt and her memories of Zuala when I hear:

“Listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness/ Like a heartbeat drives you mad/ In the stillness of remembering what you had/ And what you lost”

The storm imagery also works for Yasha — “When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know” makes me think of her fight with the Stormlord on the boat, which allowed her to open up to her friends. And it touches on Yasha’s opaque dreams (“Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions/ I keep my visions to myself”).

(Ally and Stevie also have a lesbian mash-up of Dreams and Rhiannon, two of the gayest Fleetwood Mac songs, that I associate strongly with Beauyasha.)

Mighty Nein

Old Black Train, The Blasting Company (from Over the Garden Wall): trains don’t exist in Exandria (yet! — Percy or Taryon should get on that) but this is more of a metaphor for life. It reminds me of the Mighty Nein setting out from Alfield, not knowing the twists and turns they were going to face, the places they’d go, nor the family they’d become:

“This journey is a long one/ It will take you all around/ Life rushing by your window/ Before it lays you down”

Then there’s this verse:

“Oh come on now young stranger/ Weren’t you someone’s son? How’d you find this depot 'Cause it ain’t where you belong”

which feels very appropriate for many members of the Mighty Nein, separated as they are from their families and wandering in lands that aren’t welcoming to them. There’s also a verse that’s reminiscent of the graveyard they passed on the way to Zadash, which more and more feels like a portent of things to come:

“You will pass a graveyard/ Stones worn by the years/ The train’ll stop a minute but don’t let it leave you here”

Sailing, Leisure Cruise: another song about transportation, although this one is a little less metaphorical. As you can probably guess, I associate it with their adventures on the Mystake and the Ball Eater, which begun by total accident but which, in my opinion, was a turning point for the group, and ultimately helped them grow closer together:

“And to our surprise we’re sailing The high seas in the middle of the ocean […] We’re sailing the wildest mystery And to our surprise we’re happy and free”

Okay, so maybe “happy and free” is a bit of an exaggeration for that arc (particularly for poor Nott) but I think there were a lot of moments in which the Mighty Nein learned unexpected lessons about themselves.

And I think this is a good summary of the Mighty Nein’s modus operandi: seize every passing opportunity, because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring:

“Maybe it’s today Maybe it’s tomorrow But we have to make a play Or the chance will fade away”

And that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening and reading. Love you all <3

#critical role #Cr music #my stuff

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imagitory · 5 years

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D-Views: Mary Poppins

Hello, everyone, and welcome to another installment of D-Views, my on-going written review series where I dive into and analyze movies from Disney’s extensive film library, and even occasionally those influenced by that library. For other reviews in the series for movies such as Frozen, Enchanted, The Little Mermaid, and Lacewood Productions’ The Nutcracker Prince, feel free to consult the “Disney Reviews” tag! And as always, if you enjoy any of my reviews, please consider liking and reblogging them!

Today, thanks to the votes cast by @karalora, @banana-9-pancakes, and @aceyanaheim, we’ll be looking at the story of a magical woman -- one who is prim, proper, and practically perfect in every way...Mary Poppins!

Production-wise Mary Poppins is in some ways the culmination of everything Walt Disney learned in his thirty-year-long film-making career. It adapted a classic, whimsical story as an charming, emotion-heavy screenplay, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -- it featured a fresh-faced, but extremely talented young singer in the title role, like Sleeping Beauty -- it seamlessly combined animation with live action, like Song of the South -- it had state-of-the-art special effects, like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -- and it featured music by two songwriters who later went on to write Disney film scores for decades. But all of that started with a tiny, little spark. As a little girl, Walt’s daughter Diane had started reading the Mary Poppins books, and when Walt read along with her, he was absolutely enchanted by them and knew he wanted to adapt the stories for the silver screen. All the way back in 1938, one year after the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Uncle Walt had his first meeting with Mary Poppins’s creator, P.L. Travers, but as anyone who has seen Saving Mr. Banks knows, the two did not see eye to eye. Uncle Walt spent the next twenty years trying to convince Travers to give him the rights to her stories, but unlike in the film where they had a sincere meeting of the minds, Travers recalled their final meeting where she gave him the rights as being more like Walt “holding up a gold pocket watch and dangling it tantalizingly in front of [her] eyes.” Admittedly one factor in the situation was that Travers herself had been having some financial trouble, and Uncle Walt’s payment for the rights to her books, as well as a portion of the gross profits for a film adaptation, was a boost that Travers severely needed. Despite the rights being given to Disney, however, Travers retained script approval rights, and for the next few years of production, she had quite a few complaints about the product. Even at the premiere of the film -- which, incredibly, she had not originally been invited to until she shamed a Disney executive into action -- Travers was very vocal about how much she disliked the film. The animation, done by some of the best in the business? Had to go. The story, which created such memorable and likable characters? Lacked teeth. The score written by the young Sherman brothers, who later went on to win awards for both Poppins and their other works? Left her cold.

Now, here’s the thing...do I agree with Ms. Travers? No. Do I like her as a person? No -- one would be hard-pressed to really admire a woman who decided to adopt half of a pair of twins from a poor family, raise the boy thinking he was her biological son, and then try to prevent her son from seeing his twin when the twin came to see him. (Yes, she really did that.) Do I think she was a malcontent who probably wouldn’t have been satisfied with anything? Absolutely. But at the same time, I must acknowledge, as a writer myself, it can be very difficult to share your creations with others. It can be hard even letting others read your works, given how personal and emotionally resonant the things you create often end up being, but it’s even harder letting others add onto your work. In a way, it’s like giving your child to a babysitter, except that unlike babysitters, most filmmakers who aim to adapt books don’t have a great track record in respecting the author or their vision. And in regards to Walt Disney specifically, his studio has never exactly been very interested in “staying true to the original story” -- the Walt Disney Company adapts the heck out of anything it touches. Even more modern Disney projects based on books like Ella Enchanted and Tuck Everlasting are great examples of this (if you’d like to delve into those films as adaptations, please look up Dominic Smith/The Dom’s wonderful Lost in Adaptation episodes for them -- they’re both fabulous!!). And in a way, Travers never saw her magical nanny as something light and cheerful -- this was an immortal woman who in later books once took the Banks children up into the Heavens on Midsummer’s Eve. Like the famous 1939 film adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, there was definitely some dry wit and edge lost in translation from book to screen...and just like with The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins the film has largely taken the place of the original novels in the public consciousness.

But you know something? For what it’s worth...I think that, just like The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins succeeds in being a well-written, well-directed, well-performed, classic film, even if it’s so different than the book it was inspired by. And honestly, the world seems to agree. Mary Poppins grossed over $28.5 million at the box office, making it the most profitable film of 1965, and completely won over both critics and audiences alike. Even now at Rotten Tomatoes, it still boasts a rare 100% Fresh rating. It was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won five (including Best Picture, which made it the first and only film Walt ever produced to win that honor) and also earned both a Golden Globe and two Grammys. Not only that, but the profits for the film were so high that they helped Uncle Walt fund his “Florida project,” which would eventually become Walt Disney World Resort. Mary Poppins later went on to inspire both a Broadway musical and a sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, and even today you can still meet both Mary Poppins and Bert in the Disney theme parks. So yes, “I recognize Ms. Travers had her opinion, but given that it is a stupid-ass opinion, I’ve elected to ignore it.”

PFFT, I’M KIDDING, ONLY KIDDING. Let’s talk about Mary Poppins.

Perhaps it’s appropriate that from the very beginning, the overture embraces us with the melody that will become the story’s main theme, Feed the Birds. The overture, like all the best Sherman brother overtures for films like Bedknobs and Broomsticks and The Sword in the Stone, is just a smooth, glamorous kaleidoscope of music. I also have to applaud the special effects team right off the bat with their overlaying of Julie Andrews as Mary onto the mat painting of London underneath our opening credits -- even now, when one can more easily guess how the trick worked, it’s still rather neatly done.

In this opening sequence, we also meet Bert, played by Dick van Dyke. The character of Bert was actually a compilation of several figures from the books, but that results in a very interesting, almost transient sort of character. This cheery, optimistic Jack of All Trades may have an accent that wouldn’t convince anyone, but is nonetheless unbelievably charming, and van Dyke’s physical comedy is so ridiculously on point. My mum and I have had a soft spot for Dick van Dyke for a long time because my late grandfather, although he was quite a bit older, resembled him quite a bit not just in appearance but also in attitude. Even now I look at Bert and fondly remember going to see the Broadway production of Mary Poppins with my grandparents, who ended up loving it and its music just as much as I did. It all the more makes me lament the end of the Soundsational Parade at Disneyland, which always concluded with a Mary-Poppins-inspired float covered in chimney sweeps and merry-go-round horses, one of which was ridden by Bert.

One of the changes that Ms. Travers was most disdainful of was the idea that the Banks family -- especially Mr. Banks -- had flaws that needed to be addressed and fixed by Mary Poppins. The flaw in the parents’ case is that they’re so focused on their own work and goals that they neglect their children’s emotional needs -- a plot point that would eventually get beaten into the ground in films that came later, but is not done half bad here. After all, the film doesn’t try to frame Mr. Banks’s job or Mrs. Banks’s activism as unimportant or bad in any way -- it’s just that the parents are solely focusing on those things. Mrs. Banks’s activism in particular, which is something that doesn’t appear either in the books or in the Broadway production, is something I really like. Sister Suffragette, which actually helped bring Glynis Johns on board to play Mrs. Banks, is just such a ridiculously fun song to sing. Although I wouldn’t ever say it’s the best song in the film by a mile, it’s still insanely catchy and entertaining, and I sing along to it every single time. WOMANKIND, ARISE!

David Tomlinson, who plays Mr. Banks, is easily the weakest link singing-wise, but fortunately he gives an acting performance that more than compensates for his poor vocals. From the very beginning, he comes across as incredibly pompous, self-centered, detached, and sexist, and yet he’s never shown to be an inherently bad person. He can be very cheerful, and even the way he’s framed makes it clear that a lot of his bluster is a front for his actual feelings, such as the way he falters when he realizes that Katie Nana has left the family. In the wrong hands, this role could’ve been despicable and shallow, but Tomlison handles it carefully enough that one can always see the emotion and suppressed softness in his eyes even long before he has his change of heart.

After an excellently paced entrance that involves effortlessly blowing away the line of nannies outside 17 Cherry Tree Lane, we are finally fully introduced to the magical lady herself, Mary Poppins. It is unbelievable when you remember that this was Julie Andrews’s first film role ever -- she’d previously only been a stage actress, but after finding success in both My Fair Lady and Camelot on stage and being denied the role of Eliza Doolittle in the film adaptation of My Fair Lady (which was later given to Audrey Hepburn), Julie accepted the role of Mary Poppins. Interestingly Julie was the only actor in the movie that P.L. Travers actually expressed some approval for, and honestly, I don’t blame her -- Julie is just flawlessly cast here. The role combines all of her performing strengths -- a great singing voice, expert dancing, inherent charm, sophistication, intelligence, pride, grace, and a touch of sass -- together in a cohesive, memorable character. Mary’s first song, A Spoonful of Sugar, really showcases Julie in her prime, spotlighting her flawless falsetto and precise pitch (as well as her impeccable whistling), and beautifully accompanies some of the at-the-time-revolutionary special effects. Although yes, it’s easy in the modern day to see how the effects were done, they’re never out-of-place or distracting, which is a testament to how much better practical effects can sometimes age in comparison to computer-generated effects. The things that tend to stick out most to my eyes are the green-screened stuff, simply because of how much that particular technique has been used in film and television since Mary Poppins’s release, but the nice thing is that it’s only one of many effects used, which helps in distracting the eye away from getting too used to one effect. Sometimes the effect will be stop-motion; sometimes the effect will be reversing the film; sometimes it’ll be green screen; sometimes it’ll be combining separate shots together. It makes it so that you would have to watch every scene several times and very carefully in order to pick out specific techniques, rather than just being able to go, “That’s fake, that’s fake, aaaaand...that’s fake,” the way you can while watching movies using only CGI.

Speaking of special effects, we have to talk about the sequence that made P.L. Travers the most upset -- the Jolly Holiday segment, set in an animated, living chalk drawing. Not only is the song just excellent, but the colors and energy of the piece are...well, practically perfect! It only serves to plus a song that was already pretty great and turns it into something amazing. Something else I like about Mary and Bert that I actually have to thank P. L. Travers herself for is that they are not romantically involved. Ms. Travers specifically indicated that that should be the case, and for a film made in the 60′s when male and female characters were almost always neatly paired off, it’s really neat that the two characters, despite some faintly teasing, flirty affects, never act like a couple. And really, having had both male and female friends since I was a kid, I really enjoyed seeing an attractive leading woman and man as friends. On the note of Mary, Bert, and songs I love singing along to, I would be very, very amiss if I didn’t also bring up Supercalifragalisticexpeliadocious. It’s really a very short number, but packed into it is so much energy that it feels like it never takes a breath. It’s like a sugar buzz, written into song form -- exuberant and big and loud and energetic...at least until the inevitable decrescendo as the rain wears away Bert’s chalk drawing and Mary, Bert, and the Banks children sadly return to the real world.

Our next adventure with Mary takes us to dear old Uncle Albert’s, where the aforementioned uncle, played by Mad-Hatter-voice-actor Ed Wynn, is rolling in the air laughing. This scene in particular showcases the various practical effects used in the film, whether hanging the actors on wires, putting them on one side of a seesaw, or even flipping the entire set on its side or upside down. Admittedly it’s very obvious that Katie Dotrice and Matthew Garber, who play Jane and Michael Banks, are having a harder time laughing convincingly than Dick van Dyke and Ed Wynn, which honestly is unsurprising given how many times they had to film this particular scene so as to get different shots. One story from the set of this film centers around Matthew Garber, after getting tired of recording the scene, receiving a nickle every time he had to go back onto the wires and in the end earning an “absolute fortune.” For child actors, Katie and Matthew aren’t awful, but it’s fortunate that they’re almost never the sole focus of a scene, as the more talented adult actors understandably overshadow them. And before you try to tell me it’s unfair to hold child actors to the same standards as adult actors, I grant that that’s true, but child actors can still give good performances that make them stand out as individuals...take Georgie Henley in The Chronicles of Narnia or Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire, for example. And as much as I’ll give Katie Dotrice and Matthew Garber credit for their performances, neither of them quite stands out that way. It’s admittedly a little harder for me to be that critical of Matthew’s performance, though, given that ten years after he retired from acting, he sadly passed away of pancreatitis at the age of 21. It’s very fortunate that thanks to his performance in Mary Poppins, Matthew will be remembered fondly for generations to come.

Walt Disney’s favorite song is frequently cited as Feed the Birds, and honestly, it’s little wonder why. As I touched on earlier, the song sort of sums up what the film Mary Poppins is trying to say -- that the smallest, seemingly insignificant gestures can mean so much. And isn’t that so integral to Disney, or even movies and entertainment in general? We all know of a character in a movie or TV show -- a line in a book -- a song someone wrote -- a simple smile from a stranger -- that somehow brightened up our whole world, that inspired us in ways we could never have imagined. And all of that comes back to sincere, gentle feelings, and how we can share those feelings with others. Mary Poppins, in short, is about compassion...and isn’t it little wonder why such a message resonated with so many people?

After an absolutely disastrous visit to the bank, the Banks children run out into the streets of London alone, where they’re fortunately found and walked home by Bert. Accompanying the jaunt back to Cherry Tree Lane is the Academy-Award-winning song Chim Chim Cheree, which is definitely catchy and, if I may say so, very fun to whistle. I admittedly am a little sour with Mrs. Banks that she doesn’t get a bit of a reality check when she ends up choosing to leave Michael and Jane alone with someone who’s effectively a stranger to her to go help her suffragette friends. It’s just fortunate that the “stranger” ends up being Bert and that Mary Poppins ends up coming back despite it being her day off, as otherwise Mrs. Banks’s negligent parenting could’ve had serious consequences. But the leap in logic does end up leading us into one of the best parts of the movie -- Step in Time!

Step in time, step in time, come on, matey, step in time! Hahaha, yes, this sequence easily has some of the best dancing ever recorded on film, right up there with the choreography in West Side Story and Singin’ in the Rain. It’s especially remarkable when you know that prior to Mary Poppins, Dick van Dyke had had no formal dance training, and yet he keeps up seemingly with ease with dozens of professional dancers. It blows me away every time. And despite the unending repetition of the song, it miraculously never becomes annoying due to the variety of the dance breaks and the high level of energy with which it’s performed. And really, despite the insane length of the song (it running over eight minutes all together), it amazingly never feels like padding. Perhaps it’s because the talent on screen is just so on display and integrated so perfectly with the building orchestrations and well-chosen special effects that it only serves to plus the musical action more and more and more until it finally culminates in the chimney sweeps escaping down the Banks family’s chimney and dancing off into the street.

As fun as everything has been with Mary Poppins and the chimney sweeps, however, Mr. Banks is now in danger of losing his job at the bank, and Tomlinson’s talent is made very evident once again in how, even after seeing all of his character’s mistakes and faults, we still feel very sorry for both him and for his family. Mr. Banks at first feels the impulse to blame Mary Poppins for his change in circumstances, but thanks to some pointed guidance from Bert and some compassion from his children, he comes to see the cracks in the foundation of his world view. And this goes back to the entire family needing help -- Mr. Banks is a very, very flawed man, but at the same time, as Bert brought up to Jane and Michael, he feels he has to handle absolutely everything on his own, and it’s largely thanks to the support of his children that he’s able to face the threat of losing his job with his head held high. Something I love a lot about the part where Mr. Banks makes his way to the bank alone is the Feed the Birds instrumental that accompanies his walk and that comes to a head when Mr. Banks reaches St. Paul’s, only to see the bird woman no longer there. Whether you choose to read it as the bird woman simply having left or having died or whatever else, it’s clear that every opportunity for charity and kindness we are offered is fleeting. Compassion is and will never be a passive thing.

Fortunately everything turns out for the best. Mr. Banks makes up with his children and he, Michael, Jane, and Mrs. Banks go fly a brand new kite in the park, alongside the film’s final song Let’s Go Fly a Kite. Mr. Banks even ends up getting his job back thanks to a joke that he told Dawes, Sr. the night we sacked. Even despite the cheer, however, it doesn’t feel completely saccharine and lacking of substance to me because Mary Poppins does still leave in the end. She doesn’t achieve the same kind of happy ending that she gave the Banks family -- instead she simply takes off into the air, presumably to give some other family help, with a faintly sad smile on her face. It’s remarkably mature of an ending for something that P.L. Travers thought was “all fantasy and no magic.”

Mary Poppins is not that much like the Mary Poppins books originally written by P. L. Travers. Perhaps at some points it sanitizes or misses out on what inspired Ms. Travers to write the books in the first place...but for all that is lost, I’m confident in saying that a lot was also found. There is a lot of heart in this movie, from a family growing and improving through the intervention of a wise, magical woman to finding deeper meaning in the seemingly insignificant things in our everyday lives. This movie is ridiculously fun to watch, but it’s not like the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, where there was never supposed to be a point and it was just there to entertain children. There are lessons one can learn here, and they’re not heavy-handed or pretentious in their delivery. One can learn the value of a sunny disposition, resilience, and empathy in less than stellar circumstances and see how a family full of love is the wealthiest and luckiest of all. And the best part? Those are lessons that both children and adults could stand to learn and re-learn through watching this movie for many, many years to come. Mary Poppins is an immortal figure, and even if this film was made by human hands and so couldn’t possible recreate P. L. Travers’s vision of her, the film is just as eternally relevant itself.

#d-views #disney reviews #mary poppins #disney #p.l. travers #opinion #analysis #reviews #walt disney #julie andrews #dick van dyke #pamela travers

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movedthechangingman · 5 years

Note

j’onn j’onzz and john constantine?

under a cut bc this is REALLY long!!! my two favourite johns

favorite thing about them

the thighs i like thats hes kind of the ‘serious jl member’ but hes always 80% nude for jack and shit reason. starfire has that dumb whole “needs sun exposure” excuse j’onn just wants to walk around in bootyshorts and a harness

least favorite thing about them

he hates ted which like OK i know everyone hates ted but like… ted

favorite line

“i have a confession to make, diane. the martian manhunter is not a hero… not yet.”

brOTP

i actually think him and bruce would be good friends if comics cared abt depicting friendships… i havent read them interacting really since the early 2000s so idk where they stand

OTP

red tornado!! i call it redmartian or tornadomartian. theres no basis i just think they deserve to fall in love and get married

nOTP

ive never seen anybody else care enough abt him to ship him with anyone

random headcanon

this is silly but i do think he like, doesnt wear pants. like ever. the longest he’ll go is mid thigh. hes never worn anything that goes past that unless hes at his earth job

unpopular opinion

ive never even seen anybody else form an opinion on j’onn so heres my noncontroversial feeling: he should be considered an essential JL member i dont care about main justice league lineups without him in them

song i associate with them

i dont have one… sorry j’onn

favorite picture of them

to shock everyone its not a photo with his thighs in it

john constantine

(im doing his rebirth/52 version not vertigo)

favorite thing about them

1. the everything

im extremely attracted to him and also he makes me feel better about myself as a person. additionally , i like him. hes horrid and terrible and i genuinely adore him… i almost went into a huge rant abt how while i think the 52 “i cant lie” thing was dc woobifying him if i do take it into account i think its just… sad and inchresting. maybe a bit relatable

least favorite thing about them

2. the everything

this isnt his fault but every line hes ever spoken about zatanna is annoying. i know its the writing. i know i already didnt like them. but oh my GOD dude get over it

favorite line

brOTP

legally i have to answer chas bc thats just canon but other than that, john and shade got along fine in that first crossover and i think they should be terrible people together

OTP

truthfully its bruce/john/boston they should ALL date

nOTP

johnzee :I scarily codependent and unhealthy for both of them

random headcanon

he had asa and boston there once but now they wont leave the house of mystery and now he has 2 roommates he cant get rid of. shade uses the madness to come and go from the house to bother him or just do you know, shade things. i dont think he actually has the house of mystery anymore but it turns out i dont care at all

unpopular opinion

controversial: i see people (esp adult men) act like hes not like. a horrible person and he doesnt deserve all this etc etc etc like.. hes a piece of shit who doesnt think about the consequences of his actions and when bad things happen as a result he just

noncontroversial: its good that hes not actually a team member of the jld in rebirth. he fits better as a jerk who just wont leave them alone

song i associate with them

like a friend by pulp… mostly in reference to him & chas (esp in the tv show,)

i like to purposefully misinterpret the lyrics of ocean breathes salty, also but it gets more into shade+john+kathy than john himself

favorite picture of them

this cover by riley rossmo PLEASE dont @ me i just think its such a graceful pic…. all primary colours in different saturated tones… AUGH

#taylorthegiant #iggyanswers #justixw league comix

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gloriadenton · 5 years

Note

⭐ for Tomorrow's Lovers Will Be Found please :)

Yesssssss, I loved writing this fic!

- Inspired by scioscribe’s totally wonderful Trick or Treat prompt for hurt/comfort after One-Eyed Jack’s turning into something tender and romantic. I absolutely love how Audrey and Cooper act around each other after One-Eyed Jack’s, how fragile and tender and careful everything feels, and I feel like it works so well as a moment in time for something to happen between them. It was so much fun to write for this part of s2.

- The title is from “50s” by House of Wolves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j0WtwlDwJA), a profound Audrey jam that I found through this 8tracks: https://8tracks.com/seaswallowme/kiss-me-like-it-s-the-fifties

- (Other tracks I had on repeat: Are You The One That I’ve Been Waiting For by Nick Cave, Lord Knows Best by Dirty Beaches, Fire to the Stars by Angelo Badalamenti, Fever by Meiko.)

- I really liked the idea of a first time/getting-together fic set as a coda to “Lonely Souls,” both for the emotional intensity and because Cooper’s very open to following mystic directives. I had the idea that one way for him to get past the high school issue would be for him to feel like he has permission to think of a relationship with Audrey as part of the magic, intuitive, mysterious side of his life, where he stops worrying about external codes of ethics and lets himself try to do good in other ways.

- Also it meant I could write an opening with Margaret, and I love their whole dynamic so much – how respectful Cooper is with her, and how she has to tell him when to be patient and listen sometimes. (And as a sidebar, I totally think Margaret would appreciate Audrey and Cooper as a couple: they’re maybe the only two people weird and otherworldly enough to match her and her husband, and somebody has to be that couple.)

- I tried to ease myself into Cooper’s POV with something vaguely like the cadence of his Diane tapes, but still wanted it to be a little more skewed and strange than his normal observations on evidence, so that’s when I had the idea of him reading the time from the beer bottles outside the Roadhouse.

- I love how much Cooper touches Audrey during and after the rescue from One-Eyed Jack’s, so I had to sneak in a reference to it when he sees her in the Timber Room.

- I’m low-key obsessed with One-Eyed Jack’s and the Black Lodge as mirrors of each other, and I love the idea that Audrey’s kind of come back from the underworld in a way that we usually associate with Cooper. (Also, I love how Audrey totally mythologizes herself with the Little Red Riding Hood story at One-Eyed Jack’s, hence “the girl with the pomegranates.”)

- I worried so much about the dialogue for this scene, oh my god. (I feel like I’m profoundly not a dialogue writer, so that’s always something that worries me, plus all of Audrey and Cooper’s conversations are so iconic and weird and beautiful.)

- I love the noir-typical imagery that comes with Twin Peaks. I really enjoyed trying to tap into that a little with lines like “a rotary dial to nowhere.”

- Also, I love that scene Audrey has with one of the other girls at One-Eyed Jack’s before she sees Battis (who I think is also the girl who comes onto Cooper when he’s undercover?), and I love the idea of her talking to them some more. I wanted it to be a little like a continuation of her relationship with Laura.

- I really, really love writing them kiss. I’m always weak for old Hollywood imagery, so I tried to get a kind of… lush 1940s credits feel with the description of the powered silk in her lipstick.

- I also spent a lot of time watching Hays Code era kisses and trying to figure out what makes some of them look so filthy and romantic for when they kiss again later.

- I love how awfulmazing the decorations in Cooper’s room are, and how very Ben Horne they are (there’s deer hooves holding up a decorative shotgun!) and I wanted to show Cooper being very careful and tender and considerate of Audrey as a counterpoint to the predatory atmosphere that Ben’s effectively set up around them.

- It’s my diehard headcanon that both of them learned to kiss from the movies. (Or moreso that both of them learned most of their social interactions from the movies. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH OKAY.)

- I love how thorough and precise Cooper is about everything, and I loved trying to write ways for this to come across during sex as well.

- I also really wanted to focus on Audrey’s sexual agency, how she has really intense ideas and desires even if she hasn’t had any practical experience.

- Cooper needs to always go down on her. That’s my considered opinion.

- I wanted to fit in so much more detail and injury porn when Cooper gets undressed, but then the deadline snuck up on me. NEXT TIME.

- I don’t know if it should have been an author’s note at the end, because I tried to keep their afterglow talk kind of canon-typical levels of oblique, but: the song they’re talking about is “Don’t Smoke in Bed.” I really liked trying to write a moment for them just as Audrey starts to become a part of Cooper’s life, so that’s where the discography for Diane came from.

- And just. DARLINGS. They’re one of my OTPs to the point where I feel like it’s very difficult to do them justice in fic, but it felt so good to post something for them, and I can’t wait to write them again.

#charlottenewtons #ask game

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spinstermag · 5 years

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Songs Inspired. It's Not Living if it's Not With You // 1975

Where do songs come from? And where do they go when we're not watching them? Although there's really no telling what can inspire a song into this world from nothing, one girl (I) takes on the responsibility that literally nobody asked her (me) to do- analyze your favorite songs for possible influences (and we'll all learn a little bit about ourselves on the journey there... cue the Full House sentimental underscore.)

To get this out off the bat- it's not shocking that synth-friendly soft rock band the 1975 has an overall tone of 1980s Miami workout video prompting you to jog in place with some bopping bass licks and metallic guitar; this is their overarching aesthetic. With them, you gotta learn to look past the 90s paper cup design outer layer, because this is a band with some authentic lyrical and melodic prowess that digs down to a deeper, more soulful level than they would have you think at first glance. When this particular song kicks off with its airy guitar licks, it's easy to assume that this bop could take a turn for "My girlfriend doesn't like the vodka I stole for her... eternal cute and mild angst!!" But to this reviewer's surprise, the 1975 put out a piece with richer layers than that (a fine baklava of sorts.) This is true of the entire album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships- "If I Believe You" will kick you in the neck if you're expecting another "Chocolate." Anyways, guard your loins, and let's get back to "It's Not Living-" As many who follow the 1975 know, this track is frontman Matt Healy's perspective on his feelings toward Heroin. Not that you would have to avidly follow the band to wrap your mind around the intent here; the song lyrics make the underlying subject transparent- "Got a 20-stone monkey that I just can't beat" pretty much tips any wayfaring listener off.

With it's upbeat ode to a drug-lationship- at first take of this song originally struck me as a darker nod back to McCartney's screamingly happy love song to weed "Got to Get You Into My Life." The thing is; while maybe initial inspiration could have come from "Got to Get You.." and while both songs do have in common (other than their long titles) is that they've written a song in a tone usually reserved for romance or sexual feelings toward a drug- the relationships with the drugs are foils, and so are the tones of the love songs themselves.

"Got to Get You Into My Life" is courting, the yearning and excitement of new romance, while looking forward to a new life together. "It's Not Living" has all of the yearning with none of the courting or excitement, and significantly seems to be dragging it's narrator back in time while they weakly plead to move on. And when it's put like that- the second layer of this song reveals that there are two deep influences at play here.

Generally, although the signature pastel cloud is on top of everything sonically; looking at the lyrics alone reveals a sardonic twist on classic 50s pop love songs (I need you! I want you! Can't live without you!) with the repeating and saccharine sweet hook "It's not living if it's not with you" and campy lead-ins "It's true that! All I do is sit and think about you!"

Meanwhile, the song rather shockingly kicks off with a third person story structure ("Danny ran into some complications") which inspires thoughts back to the power ballad story songs of the 80s (This is a story... of Jack and Diane...) Although upon some retrospective rationalization; I, too, would prefer to write something so raw as if it were someone else's story (This same tactic is also how Bundy finally admitted to murdering all those people, food for thought.)

And in the vein of this, it's worth noting that this track is not a parody of the old school pop love songs nor is it a parody of the 80s epic story songs, it's a genuine rib out of each, absolutely nailing the understated but screamingly yearning lyrics of the oom-bop classics with lines "distract my brain from the terrible news/ it's not living if it's not with you" (Seriously, sit with that one for a few seconds and tell me you don't feel a pang in your stomach) in a fully executed spin from the prior verse's longer form storytelling

“And Danny says we're living in a simulation/ But he works in a petrol station (Selling petrol)/ He says it all began with his operation/ And I know you think you're sly but you need some imagination.”

Surprisingly, neither tactic seems campy or hack; because the thing about music is no matter the genre sincerity comes through. And they nailed it here. Underneath all of the millennial glossing is the yearning, burning, humanity that brings great music into this world. Which, again, is true of not only this song but much of this album where underneath the shimmering production are true blue soul tracks that has the thirteen year old in me screaming for acoustic covers of this whole package (...Youtubers in music school with cameras on your pianos, where you at??) Is this one of my new favorite songs? New favorite album? When did this happen? Why am I lightly jogging in place and holding this 90s paper cup? And that's how they get you.

#the 1975 #it's not living (if it's not with you)#paul mccartney #got to get you into my life #music reviews #songs inspired

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replicarters · 6 years

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ooohhh tonight’s murphy thoughts are gonna be good because this was the one i attended, so i can spill some cut content!!! hell yeah!!! i’m actually really torn up about one of them because i loved it so much

okay first thing’s first the magic of editing is amazing. editors really out here doing the lord’s work making things pop. some things i actually thought were funnier live, like phyllis’s line about the ketchup marrying “not being as fun as it sounds”. i was dying, but this time i was just kind of like, “oh ok lol”. maybe that’s because we had to watch that about 4 times? just didn’t have the same punch this time around.

the whole thing with s-h-s is just so creepy and bizarre lol, i mean, this bitch out here right now lying her fool ass off and propping up this repugnant admin but hang on guys, let’s hear all about miles’s SEXUAL FANTASIES ABOUT HER???? aaaaahhhhh!!!! first of all miles you need help. second of all ugh don’t even give this propaganda overlord the benefit! this is the kind of situation i feel they need to be WAY more careful of and the kind that makes me fear a little bit of bubble-living going on among the staff. this craven demon is doing the worst RIGHT NOW. how much can you joke about it before it leaves a bad taste?

the scene between murphy and avery at home was everything, man. and poses a valid question. what is the right course of action for reporters right now? well they couldn’t have foreseen jim acosta calling s-h-s a liar to her face mere days ago, so has the question already been answered? one wonders. this is the territory i wish they would stay in as opposed to miles jacking it to his bad place femdom daydreams.

and now what i know you came for, the DELETED SCENES:

corky had lines cut in the beginning, she was lamenting... something, i think reacclimating to a morning schedule again. what made it stick out to me was it was very reminiscent of when she lamented early on in the show those times when you can’t remember if you locked the door before you left, so you go back, then you can’t remember if you locked it when you went back, so you go back... faith was gr8 and nailed it each and every time.

the stage manager had a line threatening death for... coffee pot misuse? i think? probably should have written this stuff down but i figured cuts were all probably made already. surprise! on the one hand it wasn’t a very funny line and we struggled every single time to force laughter for it but on the other hand let the man have a line! bring us a new john even if he’s a little vindictive and high-strung! he was the only black guy with a line too so give us all these fancy people of color you were talkin up hmm hmm hmm!

the scene with the secretary seemed shorter and didn’t really do that actress justice in the end. there was a little more of a moment devoted to when she was about to barf where murphy pushes the hell back from the table and it felt like they blew by that.

the scene between phyllis and the daca kid had a line that we actually saw cut right in front of us which is a shame because i think it told us a lot about phyllis as a character: exasperated, a little spanish slips out and the daca kid was surprised and delighted, she revealed she did know quite a bit from some time spent in........ mmm puerto rico? maybe? then she made him call her la reina and said it had a great ring to it.

at the very end when avery is playing the “i’m sorry” ringtone, murphy says, “you are such a brat.” he responds, “yeah, but i’m your brat.” i am GUTTED that this was cut. i remember that moment so clearly, i was ecstatic over it, and that was when i thought to myself, “yes, this is gonna rule, they still GET it.” what a horrible thing to have to cut for i’m assuming time. surely we could have tossed something else. there was a lot going on in this one, though. but STILL. out of everything, that’s what they tossed? i don’t know how i feel about that. but we had to have room for miles’s weird erections, you see.

diane english was wearing a new york times shirt about truth. it had a lot of words on it and we didn’t get a good look at most of them, but what we could catch we were big fans of. media and journalism is essential to a free society, you know, just some run of the mill stuff like that.

while setting up the last scene at murphy’s townhouse, it took a bit to get everything ready over there, so faith and joe wandered over and thanked us, the audience, so much for coming, shot the shit, revealed embarrassing wedding dance songs. it was very nice! felt like being welcomed into somebody’s home. my new friends, faith ford and joe regalbuto.

this was also not long after aretha franklin’s passing, and they were still feeling it. they played the clip (remastered!!) of murphy and aretha, and faith was sobbing the whole time. (she said afterwards she’d just been “verklempt” since they started production.) candice shook her head at herself like, “lord. me.”

for those of you still keeping track of this sort of thing, during the filming of the scene at phil’s, candice made a quick face at grant and got them both going. STILL AT IT.

i hope if you were able to go to a taping of an episode, you share your secrets with the crowd! how much more cut content am i missing from my life?!

#murphy brown

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wazafam · 3 years

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Even today, those working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry are a bit of an enigma and essentially Hollywood's unsung heroes. More often than not, they are the ones who find (or come up with) the film’s story. They secure funding. And most importantly, they bring the cast and crew together.

RELATED: 10 Groundbreaking Rom-Coms To Watch If You Love 500 Days Of Summer

Among these unsung heroes is Nancy Meyers, a woman responsible for a number of everyone’s favorite rom-coms from the last four decades, along with many that subscribers can stream on Netflix today. In case fans of her films are wondering about what goes on behind the scenes, here’s what we’ve learned.

10 Private Benjamin: The Movie Was Pitched To Goldie Hawn Prior To The Script Being Written

Private Benjamin was Meyers’ first foray into filmmaking. And while she may not have directed the film, she did write the screenplay and serve as one of its producers. The movie centers on a spoiled girl who decides to join the army on an impulse after her husband drops dead during their wedding night.

When it was pitched to Hawn, she thought it was “a dream role for any actress.” Unfortunately, she was pregnant when Meyers approached her. According to an excerpt from her memoir that was published by E!, Hawn was relieved upon learning that the script hadn’t been written yet.

9 The Parent Trap: ‘Hundreds’ Of Girls Were Auditioned Before They Cast Lindsay Lohan

Remakes of the 1961 film had been popular and Disney was determined to get things right when they made their own. Hence, it was a real challenge to find a young actress capable of convincingly playing two starkly different roles, that of easygoing Californian Hallie Parker and sophisticated London-bred Annie James.

RELATED: MBTI® The Parent Trap Characters

In the search for the right actress, casting director Ilene Starger met with “hundreds” of young girls. Lohan came in early on and after several tests, Starger told Bustle, “Lindsay was the front-runner, and we were all rooting for her.”

8 Something’s Gotta Give: Jack Nicholson Wardrobe Fitting Took Six Hours

The 2003 movie stars Jack Nicholson as a man who unexpectedly falls for someone his age (Diane Keaton) after only being in relationships with younger women. Jack Nicolson’s portrayal of the role partly depended on being dressed properly for the part and while speaking with DGA Quarterly, Meyers revealed that the whole process took six hours.

That said, she also recalled, “he tried very few clothes on, but we talked for hours about his character.” As it turns out, wardrobe fittings are a “helpful tool” because actors tend to talk about their roles while getting fitted.

7 The Holiday: Jack Black Improvised Parts Of The Video Store Scene

In The Holiday, Jack Black plays Miles, a Hollywood music scorer who partly uses music to woo Kate Winslet’s Iris later on. In fact, he goes on to compose a song for her, later saying his famous line, “I used only the good notes.”

Earlier in the movie, Black and Winslet also appear in a scene where they visit a video store together and Black was just supposed to hum to some of the song. While filming this scene Meyers told Indie London, “I didn’t know that instead of humming them, he would be ‘doo, doo, doo, dooing.’”

6 The Holiday: Cameron Diaz Asked If She Could Do The Ice Slipping Scene Herself

There’s a lot who believe that The Holiday is the ultimate Christmas movie and that’s may have a lot to do with the brilliant chemistry between Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. The two veteran actors headline the movie’s charming U.K. storyline.

RELATED: The Holiday: Every Character Ranked By Likability

Upon her arrival in the U.K., Diaz’s Amanda realizes that she has to walk (with luggage in tow) to reach the home. In the movie, she slips on ice as she attempts to make her way and, as Meyers told Indie London, Diaz preferred to do the stunt on her own, instead of employing a stunt woman.

5 It’s Complicated: The Movie Was Written With Meryl Streep And Alec Baldwin In Mind

The 2009 movie, It's Complicated, tells the story of a divorced couple who decide to carry out an affair with each other years later. That couple is brilliantly played by Baldwin and Streep. And it turns out, Meyers had always had the two veteran actors in mind for the roles.

“I saw the two of them in my mind when I was writing,” Meyers revealed while speaking with Indie Wire. “It’s helpful to attach my writing to another voice.” Baldwin and Streep are also joined by Martin who plays Streep’s other love interest.

4 It’s Complicated: Although Set In California, It Was Mostly Shot In New York

Throughout Meyers’ most successful films, fans note that she often puts her characters in tastefully decorated homes. That is the same case for the home of Meryl Streep’s Jane Adler in this 2009 rom-com. And while she’s supposed to be living in California in the story, Meyers decided that they were better off doing a lot of the production work in New York.

While speaking with DGA Quarterly, Meyers explained, “There are many reasons, but the tax break is a big one.” That said, she also shot the movie in Santa Barbara and L.A.

3 The Intern: It Was The Third Nancy Meyers Movie That Anne Hathaway Auditioned For

As it turns out, the third time was a charm for the Oscar-winning actress. The actress revealed to Entertainment Weekly that she had auditioned for The Holiday and the role of the daughter in What Women Want, but for some reason, the stars just didn’t align.

This time, though, it seemed that Meyers knew right away that Hathaway was the perfect actress to play the lead because of her work ethic. While speaking with Refinery 29, Meyers explained, “She wants to get it right. You can’t fatigue her. She’s not a complainer.”

2 The Intern: Natt Wolff Could Have Had A More Prominent Role In The Movie

While speaking with GQ, Wolff himself admitted that he’s only in The Intern “for about as long as I’m in the trailer.” As it turns out though, Meyers wanted the actor to have a more prominent role. It’s just that Wolff had very limited time for her movie since he was also working on the film, Ashby.

Meyers told ComingSoon.net, “So he’d come in for The Intern, but he really wasn’t available to be one of the interns. It’s very possible he could’ve been one of them.”

1 Father Of The Bride 3: Matty’s Canceled Wedding Was Inspired By Nancy’s Daughter Canceling Her Wedding

Meyers’ Father of the Bride movies are among everyone’s favorite wedding movies from the 90s, and for years, fans have hoped for a third movie. In 2020, that finally happened. Sort of. In the midst of lockdowns, Meyers manages to reunite the cast online to film a Father of the Bride 3 short.

In the film, the family gets together on Zoom and we learn that Matty canceled his wedding due to the current situation. As Meyers revealed to The New York Times, this was inspired by her daughter postponing her own wedding.

NEXT: Top 10 Romantic Comedies of 2020, Ranked According To IMDb

10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts From Nancy Meyers' Movies | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3sl8wvT

#Blogger

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thesinglesjukebox · 6 years

Video

youtube

KEITH URBAN FT. JULIA MICHAELS - COMING HOME

[4.22]

Zombie Uncle Kracker vs. Symphonic Robot Duck: coming to a theater near you!

Alfred Soto: Although he still sells records and, more importantly, reliably sells out stadiums, Keith Urban must be looking at Brad Paisley's recent returns and tugging at his collar. The banjo-as-sound-effect and sound-effect-as-sound-effect that are the hallmarks of the Sam Hunt woodshop swamp a song he would have sprinkled a shitload of guitars on in 2011. I hope Julia Michaels appreciated the payday. [4]

Will Adams: The formula of pairing massive country dude and up-and-coming female pop singer for as broad appeal as possible feels increasingly cynical. J.R. Rotem manages to do something interesting with the genre purée in spots -- namely, the breakdowns where the slide guitar and tuned kicks circle each other. The rest is Man of the Woods-level bilge which neither Keith nor Julia sound too invested in. [5]

Stephen Eisermann: Apparently, Keith Urban was one of the seven people who enjoyed Rob Thomas's solo albums; so much so, in fact, that he full on copied one of the tracks and slapped on Julia Michaels to make sure that nobody would notice. Jokes on you, though, Keith, as I was also one of the seven who enjoyed those albums and Rob did this style much better. [3]

Jonathan Bradley: "Coming Home" shuffles and handclaps with a sparse groove like it's the back half of the 1990s and Beck has just taught OPM and Primitive Radio Gods that dusty beats and looped guitar fragments deserve to belong on alternative radio. It's a neat sound -- and one entirely ill-suited to Keith Urban's over-earnest over-emoting. I just hope it's a big enough hit to garner copy-cats: country music should have its own "Steal My Sunshine," even if it has to endure zombie Uncle Kracker to get it. [4]

Edward Okulicz: This would be so much better if someone -- anyone -- just let loose a bit. The production is intricate and fussy and hard to grasp on to if you're looking for a hook, and Urban is stiff and unsympathetic, though it's quite a nice melody. He goes home to his famous wife and an enormous house but sounds too bored to live. I had to play Michaels's verse in isolation from the rest of the song to remember it. Someone put a real guitar on this thing! [4]

Maxwell Cavaseno: Quiet as kept, this is really just a Julia Michaels song featuring Keith Urban, but it's his attempt at negotiating with trying to go after some of that Rhett/Hunt money. Most ironically, the results is that this wall of cacophonous samples and gimmicks ends up feeling like Keith Urban's "Jack & Diane," albeit a bit too peacocky in the vocal performance. For all the whizzing about however, there isn't much of a solid song to land, and it's ultimately a waste of Michaels's time and talents. [3]

Nortey Dowuona: Flubbed guitar strumming doesn't stop the monkey drums and flat-nosed bass from saving this average Aussie rock from crumbling. Also, Julia Michaels slinks in at the last bridge and swipes the song away. [6]

Iain Mew: The text about wanting to go back somewhere where everybody knows his name is uninvolving, and Michaels's verse an unnecessary diversion, but "Coming Home" makes those minor concerns with its sound. I'm always likely to go for anything with a part scored for symphonic robot duck, and the cacophonous crescendo approach gives it the feeling of a big journey home with all of the exertion and anticipation involved. [7]

Tim de Reuse: The bait-and-switch rhyme in the chorus caught me off-guard, I'll grant, but Urban's complaints about the soul-sucking evils of city life are just too shallow and unconvincing. Come on, man, griping about the alienation of modern city life is the lowest-hanging fruit -- take thirty seconds with a thesaurus and get at least a little fake-deep, you know, make a show of it! Maybe it's just because I have too complicated a relationship with my own hometown to relate to the song's central premise, but there isn't a damn line in here memorable or thoughtful or catchy enough to justify the four-chord drama it so weepily indulges in. [2]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#Keith Urban #Julia Michaels

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theloniousbach · 4 years

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Couch Tour: Hot Tuna, Fur Peace Station, Quarantine Concerts #23-25, October 2020

Jack Casady came to Meigs County and so he and Jorma Kaukonen teamed up for three of the Kaukonen’s mostly weekly Quarantine Concerts that have sustained them and us since early April. As I have said time and again, it is Jorma who is the primary influence shaping my relationship with the guitar. That first Hot Tuna album, coinciding with “folk rock,” led me to buy an acoustic guitar and, from there, be drawn to finger picking and blues. I play lots of those songs. In the 1970s late night loud and long Hot Tuna shows were my way of accessing the San Francisco bands and, through the Further Festival in 1999, an Old Rock House show (Jorma and Barry Mitterhoff), and two in the 50th Anniversary year, he/they have been key. To have weekly Jorma is simply a treat.

The relaxed format--10 or so tunes over almost an hour and a half, interspersed with stories and questions from Vanessa Kaukonen--is very human. Jorma has blogged for a long time and has a real autobiography, so, through it all, he aspires and attains being genuine.As great as it is to have Jack Casady there completing musical thoughts, expanding the range and flavor of the chords and progressions, these shows simply stand out as a window on their friendship of more than 60 years.

Last night’s show (actually recorded the night before that) had a discussion of their speed skating hobby of the 1970s with Vanessa talking about how Jorma showed her his skates and togs when they were getting to know one another and, poignantly, Jack’s reflection that doing something healthy like that kept them alive in the fraught 1970s.

The week before (actually the first one recorded for screening as Jorma had an outside set of gigs that weekend) included stories about their teen years in the DC area, both early gigs and bands but also cars. They were teen agers/young men in formation together again.

The first week’s best tangent was their encouragement to Grace Slick to write songs, that they would come to her and play on recordings.

Their dynamic is, of course, that Jorma is the voluble one, but Jack felt at home pretty quickly and talked freely. These weren’t concerts, just friends playing music together. Jack spoke appreciatively of Jorma’s songs, both some of the lines but the possibilities the music opened up for him. That was interesting to me, because after the 2019 shows I was inclined to invert the t-shirt slogan (a t-shirt I now have); it’s not just “if you don’t know Jorma, you don’t know Jack,” but also that if you don’t know Jack, you don’t really know Jorma.

They sure did play music together. Jack had the latest iteration of his Diane series of Tom Ribbecke basses, IV. These are fully acoustic bass GUITARS. They are big with interesting sound holes and resonating strategies. They do amplify/mic it but they wouldn’t need to. So Jack can and did work his magic throughout the playing. Last night they opened with Been So Long and talked about how the original version had a glorious “mistake” that became an arrangement as Jack turned the time around on that last riff.

They mined that glorious first album playing seven of the ten tunes (not How Long Blues, Mann’s Fate, and, alas, New Song) but also Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning and most of the Reverend Gary Davis repertoire that was there from the start. Some of the Jorma tunes--like Ice Age, Watch the North Wind Rise, the rare but poignant Things That Might Have Been--were there and nicely explored. And, there was a Good Shepherd!!

Last night also featured Larry Campbell who was also teaching at the Ranch this weekend. That led to a nifty conversation of their meeting on a Dylan/Phil and Friends tour and how much fun Lesh’s bands have but how that music isn’t easy and how deep a thinker he is (so’s Jorma but it is an interesting mix--which is probably exactly what Phil is going for). Campbell sat in for a couple of tunes, including on mandolin for the Let’s Get Together Right Down Here closer. His solo guitar section was a reminder of how very good his Rooftops album is. He played an air not on the album he got from Johnny Cunningham before two Kevin Burke associated jigs and then the O’Carolan tune on the album. Campbell said he wasn’t getting the Burkean nuances on the jigs on fiddle so he tried them on guitar.

I realize how I miss acoustic music given the jazz/chamber music shift. Jorma nearly weekly has been there but I need more and I’m sure Ellen does too even more.

#2020 #couch tour #Fur Peace Station #hot tuna #Jorma Kaukonen #Concert Review

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tinuviel-undomiel · 7 years

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Until Proven Guilty Chapter 3: Down the Rabbit Hole

Woo hoo! I was thinking I wouldn’t finish this until next week, but boy was my muse on a roll! So here is a new chapter for all of you. I hope you like it.

Note, the book The Thirteenth Tale is a real book by Diane Setterfield and I highly recommend it.

Also found on ff.net and ao3.

The lights cut on a six o’clock, followed by the sounds of the guards ordering everyone to get out of bed, get dressed and be ready to head to the cafeteria. Gold had the bottom bunk on account of his knee so at least he had some reprieve from the harsh light. Still, it was a bit disorienting to be rudely awakened from sleep. It was his only escape from the nightmare he was now living in.

His cellmate was already getting his clothes in order and had claimed first dibs on their shared toilet. Antonio Zosorino was his name, but everyone called him Zoso. Gold rarely spoke to the man and he blessedly received the same treatment. Zoso was older than him, with thinning white hair and a heavily lined face. Despite that, he moved like a man twenty years younger. Even better, he wasn’t plagued with a bum leg.

Zoso quietly finished his ablutions and then let Gold have his turn. They both dressed and waited patiently for the guard to unlock their cellblock so they could get breakfast. The other prisoners weren’t nearly as silent as they were. Shouts were already echoing down the corridor. Someone accused another if stealing his socks. If this continued, the guards were going to have to interfere and God only knew when they would be let out for their meal then.

Thankfully, things quieted soon enough and they were released. Gold had been told by Jefferson, another resident on their block, to get in the back of the line, never skip ahead or he faced a beating. As one of the new guys, he was at the lowest end of the hierarchy. That meant he was not allowed to take the last carton of orange juice, and he couldn’t complain if they were out of sausage. He didn’t say a word as he got behind Jefferson and Whale, the only two people who not only acknowledged his existence, but were also friendly to him. He’d only been in prison for three weeks, so he couldn’t call them friends really, at least not yet. It was hard to imagine that he was contemplating being friends with a drug dealer and a man who’d sold organs on the black market, but this was his life now.

“Think they’ll have bacon today?” Jefferson asked.

Whale shook his head, “Nah, that’s only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today is oatmeal and toast.”

“They better not run out of grape jelly.”

Gold didn’t really care what was on the menu. His eyes kept drifting to the clock on the wall, counting down the hours until ten. Killian had promised to bring Bae to see him today. It has been difficult, finally deciding to let Bae see him in this place, but the longing to see his son was worse than the shame of knowing his son would remember him like this. However, Bae had begged to see him, terrified that he would never get to see him again like his mother, so it was better this way.

There was a bit of commotion up at the start of the line. Apparently, there was only one piece of sausage left and two other men were arguing over who had dibs on it. There was probably more being made in the kitchen, but considering the location, this was no guarantee. Jefferson had warned Gold that several years ago there had been a riot over cookies so it was best to keep a careful eye on these things in case one had to duck away from a flying tray or wayward fist.

Gold had pretty much decided lukewarm oatmeal wasn’t worth any broken bones, even if he was rather hungry, when both prisoners suddenly stopped. He watched as Zoso broke through the line, snatched up the last sausage and took a bite out of it in front of the two squabbling prisoners. He continued to chew, staring at them both. Neither man blinked. At last, they moved on with their trays, casting glances at Zoso who continued to stare them down. It was ludicrous that a man twice their age could intimidate two burly, tattooed men, but somehow this was the case.

He wondered over this, sneaking glances at Zoso who had taken his breakfast and sat down at the far end of one of the tables, completely alone. Gold took his food and was waved over to where Jefferson and Whale were. Jefferson was mixing his jelly with his oatmeal until it was a shade of lavender then spooning it onto his dry toast. “Don’t knock it till you try it,” he said when he caught Whale’s quizzical look.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“It’s not like we get sugar or cinnamon here anyways. I always hated oatmeal as a kid. Always reminded me of vomit.”

“Now it looks like grape vomit,” Whale said, wrinkling his nose, “Very appetizing.”

Gold hardly paid attention to their asinine conversation. He kept glancing over at Zoso who was quietly eating his oatmeal, completely alone. He used to think he was a tough-as-nails kind of person. Certainly he’d developed a reputation for being a hard on his tenants when they were late with their rent, but he was a kitten compared to many of the men in this place. Yet all of them had bowed to Zoso. Was he some sort of serial killer he’d never heard of? Why were they afraid of him?

He was wondering if he should be concerned about sleeping below this man, when Jefferson apparently noticed his gaze. “Don’t stare too long or you may not have eyes.”

That snapped his attention back to his breakfast. “Is he really that dangerous?”

Jefferson shrugged. “Usually he keeps to himself, but if you trip that wire…” he smacked his hand down on the table for emphasis. “Kaboom!”

Gold looked over at Zoso again, trying to be stealthy about it. It was still hard to be wary about a man older than him just quietly eating his oatmeal and sausage. “What is in for?”

Everyone had a story here. He was asked what he had done when he had first arrived. He wasn’t the only one saying he was innocent, so no one was really surprised that he said he had be wrongly convicted of murdering his wife, but he doubted they believed him. Some challenged him, most just said nothing.

“He’s got the biggest rap sheet here,” Jefferson said, “Guy has been convicted of killing nine people, probably more.”

Gold tried to hide his surprise as best he could, but Jefferson still grinned at him so he knew he had failed. Whale had obviously heard of this before because he merely shrugged. “I head it was closer to twenty.”

“Just who is he exactly?” Gold asked. Now he was seriously wondering if he was bunking with Ted Bundy.

“He was a hitman for the mob,” Jefferson said, “Worked for the Falconi family in Boston. Rumor is his grandfather was the big one himself, Capone.”

The latter Gold wasn’t sure on; since likely someone would also say his uncle was Vito Corleone, but the former actually made a lot of sense. There was a hierarchy in prison, and someone with a large body count and ties to the mob would certainly be on the top of that pyramid.

Gold went back to his breakfast, silently contemplating if he should be concerned that he had to share a cell with this man. Still, if Zoso wanted to kill him, he doubted there was anything he could do to stop him. Best to stay on his good side then.

There was some shame in knowing that he would only be able to glimpse his son through a glass wall, but Gold told himself he didn’t care. He hadn’t seen Bae in weeks. If this were the only way he could visit with his son, then he would do it.

The guard escorted him to the visiting station. Killian was already there on the side for those who were free with Bae perched on his lap. His son eagerly scrambled for the little black phone, speaking into it before Gold could even lift his own to his ear.

“Papa, I miss you!”

“I miss you too, Bae,” he said.

“When are you coming home?”

Gold looked over and Killian who gave him a sad shrug. So he did the only thing he could do for his son: lied. “Soon, very soon, how are things in pre-school?”

“Good. I learned French!”

Gold smiled at him. “French? Wow, what did you learn in French?”

“A song. Fray-er Jack.”

Gold chuckled a little. “Can you sing it to me?”

Bae nodded and began to sing “Fray-er Jack, Fray-er Jack/ Dom may voo, dom may voo.” He pressed his little hand up to the glass as he sang, reaching for his father. Gold blinked through tears, adding his voice to the song and placing his palm over Bae’s. He could almost feel the warmth of his son’s hand through the thick glass.

“That was beautiful, Bae,” he said when he had finished.

“Belle likes it too. She’s working at the library now.”

A rush of relief filled him at that bit of news. He had been wondering what had happened to Belle after he was convicted. Aside from himself and Bae, Belle was another victim who had endured so much because of all of this. The media had labeled her the “other woman”, with much speculation that she had been involved in the murder. Of course, this was absolutely ridiculous, but he knew that since he was gone now everyone would be talking about her.

He smiled a little though at the thought of Belle being surrounded by all of her beloved books. “I’m sure she’s happier there than she was at my shop.”

“She read me a book,” Bae said gleefully, “Horton Hears a Who.”

“Did you like it?”

“Uh huh. She promised to read me another one when we go back.”

“That sounds wonderful.” The clock was ticking away, betraying the fact that their time was quickly running out. No father should have to limit his time with his son to just four hours a month.

“Bae, can you hand the phone over to Uncle Killian now? I want to talk to him a bit.”

“Okay, Papa.” Bae dutifully passed the black phone over to Killian. His friend smiled at him and said, “Hey, you doing okay?”

“I’m fine, it’s an adjustment, but it’s not terrible.” It wasn’t a completely lie. Being away from Bae was torture, and he hated the fact that he was no longer free to do what he wanted, but he kept to himself mostly so the rest of the prisoners left him alone. Besides, Jefferson and Whale were decent guys. Granted, it wasn’t a picnic knowing he was sharing a bunk with a hitman.

“I’m glad you’re doing okay then, I worry about you,” Killian said.

“I’ll be fine. Is Bae doing all right?”

Killian shrugged, “Like you said, it’s an adjustment. He misses you and his mom like hell, but he’s a trooper.”

“That’s good. Is the town treating him okay?”

Killian nodded. “They haven’t bothered us. Belle on the other hand…Granny and Ruby are sticking by her, but a lot of the others have sort of ostracized her.”

He knew Ruby and her grandmother would have Belle’s back, probably Leroy too, but the rest…? Certainly Mother Superior and her nuns would be in full swing condemning her for her supposed sins, just as they did everyone else. Ms. Ginger and her gossip gang would be spreading rumors all over the place, no doubt spinning this whole thing into a clandestine affair that culminated in Milah’s death.

“Hopefully that will die down soon,” he said, though he didn’t believe his own lies. Maybe she could save up enough and move to another town where no one would know her. Oh God, her college. He had been helping her out financially with that. He knew Belle would love her job at the library, but it wouldn’t pay as well as he had. She’d have to take out loans if she didn’t drop out entirely. The thought of that twisted his gut painfully. She deserved so much more in life than that.

The treacherous clock told him their time was almost up. Gold glared at it, willing time to stop entirely. “I suppose it’s almost time for you to go. Thank you, Killian, I can never repay everything you have done for me.”

“Hey, there’s nothing to repay,” Killian said, “We’re practically family. You’d do the same for me.”

Gold nodded, knowing it was true but wishing that none of this had happened. “Can I say goodbye to, Bae?”

“Yeah, of course.” Killian handed the phone back to Bae.

“Papa?” Bae asked, “Do you have to go back to the playroom now?”

Ah, so that was what Killian called it. He nodded solemnly. “I’m afraid so, you be good for Uncle Killian now. You’ll be back to see me very soon, I promise.”

“Can’t I go with you?”

“I’m afraid it’s only for grown ups. But hopefully I’ll be out of here soon and I can be with you all the time.”

“Okay,” he said quietly, clearly not happy with the notion of having to wait, “Bye bye, Papa.”

Gold couldn’t blink back his tears. “Goodbye, son.”

It was nearly lunchtime, and the library was completely empty save for Belle. She didn’t mind the solitude, but this hour was always a little painful for her on Wednesdays. Mr. Gold had always bought her lunch on this day, usually from Granny’s. He always got her favorite, a cheeseburger with fries and extra pickles with a large iced tea. They would sit in the back of his shop, eating and talking about books, sometimes even arguing over which authors were superior (Jane Austen would always best Sir Walter Scott and nothing would change her mind on that). Mr. Collins enjoyed books too, but he was too mild-mannered to ever carry a lively conversation.

In these silences, her mind would more often than not wander to Callum and what he must be enduring in that prison. Did he have a library? Could he read books? Was he all right?” She longed to talk to him again. When Bae said he was going to go visit him, Belle had almost asked to tagalong. Granny had talked her out of a visit. “Everyone is watching you right now,” she’d said, “Don’t add fuel to the fire or you’ll wind up with third degree burns.”

But it felt so very wrong to sit here, listening to the clock tick on, knowing Callum was locked away for a crime she knew in her heart he didn’t commit. Did he ever think of her the way she thought of him? Surely his first thought had to be of Bae, of course, but…did he miss her?

The silence was starting to suffocate her, cloying at her throat and pricking tears in her eyes. She had to speak to him, or at least let him know that she was still his friend. The notion now too strong to fight, Belle rummaged through the desk for a pad of paper and a pen. She couldn’t call him, couldn’t see him, but she could write to him. He would like that. He’d always hated phones, calling them a “bloody nuisance”. A letter would be more fitting.

How to begin though? Dear Mr. Gold? Dearest friend? Nothing seemed right. Finally, she simply wrote, “Dear Callum,” and that felt like an okay place to start, though it fell short of what she truly felt.

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write to you. I wanted to see you the day after the trial, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted me there. Granny and Ruby told me it was better to let you and the rest of the town adjust before I did anything.

I am working at the library now. I remember when you offered to buy me the library once if I would deal with Ms. Ginger when she wanted to sell her collection of hatpins. She was so bitter when you told her that they were worth only fifty dollars all together. Those were good times.

Belle blinked back tears at the memory of them laughing in the back of the shop, mimicking her indignant shriek that she had not stumbled upon the metaphorical gold mine she’d been after.

I’m sorry, perhaps I shouldn’t bring up those times. I think of you quite often. I hope you are as well as you can be. Is there anything I can get for you? About all I can offer you would be books. Do you have a library there? If not, I’d be happy to send you some books to read. I just finished a wonderful Gothic story that I think you might like.

Bae came in the other day and told me about his visit. I think he is doing well. He loves coming here to see me every now and then. I think he’s adjusting well, but he misses you terribly. So do I. I miss my friend and the best boss in the world.

There was more to say, but Belle kept her pen from jotting down those private thoughts. He had lost his wife and was locked behind bars, what good would it do him letting him know that she had a silly crush on him? The thought of Milah sent a pang of guilt in her heart. She had never cared for Mrs. Gold, had even fantasized that she would leave Callum on a few occasions, but now the woman was dead. Surely she was the worst person in the world for having wished a man’s wife gone like that.

Would it be all right if I came to visit you soon? I miss hearing your voice and simply talking to you. I can let you know more about how school and Storybrooke is doing, perhaps even bring you something from Bae.

Please, write to me if you can. Know that I miss you and think of you all the time.

She gnawed on the top of her pen, mulling over how to close it. She was tempted to put “Love, Belle” but that felt like too personal, but “you’re friend” seemed woefully lacking. Instead, she signed it as “You’re friend and favorite employee,” hoping that would make him smile a bit.

Belle stuffed the letter in an envelope and addressed it. She hurried outside and put it into the public mailbox before she lost her nerve completely. Perhaps Joe, the mailman, would tell someone about her letter, but there were no secrets in this town anyways. Besides, she wasn’t ashamed of her friendship with Mr. Gold. She knew he was innocent, knew it in the bottom of her heart. There were other things in her heart as well, which had her musing that perhaps there was a secret of two in Storybrooke after all.

The letter from Belle had been a lovely surprise. Killian had sent him pictures Bae had drawn and notes fairly regularly, but Gold hadn’t heard from Belle since he was convicted. He hadn’t expected to hear anything from her. She was young, and certainly had to be embarrassed about her association with him, so he had figured she would do the expected and sever all ties with him. Despite his expectations, there was a warmth in his heart when he saw her name on the envelope. He had missed her, more than he had anticipated he would.

He took some of the plain paper he was given and used the back of a hardcover book as a desk. The pen he had was temperamental, but it was better than nothing. Zoso lay in his own bunk and showed no interest in what he was up to.

Dear Belle,

You have no idea how much it warms my heart to hear from you. Bae had said you were working in the library now. I suspect most of the shelves are empty since you have borrowed all of the books for yourself. I’m sure you must be relieved that you no longer have to deal with my accounts or my stock. Now you have your dream job: being paid to read.

It almost seemed mocking, but he knew Belle would understand when he was teasing her.

If you happen to look up from between pages, do send me some of your books. While we have a library here, it is even smaller than yours and filled mostly with bodice rippers. Some of the men here enjoy that material, but I have never seen the appeal.

I am well. While I wouldn’t say I’m not intending to be crowned Miss Congeniality of the cell-block, I’ve met some fellow prisoners who are not bad men, just made some mistakes. I miss you and Bae terribly. I find myself thinking of better times as well, and hoping that I can find them again.

I won’t bore you with the legal details, but my lawyer is planning on filing an appeal. She seems confident it will be reviewed, but until then I must wait patiently.

I hope school is going well for you. I’m sorry I won’t be of much help to you now, but promise me you won’t give up on it. You can do so much, Belle. I’ve always known that about you.

Be well, my dearest friend. I look forward to hearing more from you.

Ever yours,

Callum Gold

The letter was put in the next batch of mail. Less than a week later, Gold was handed over a package. Inside the pre-opened package was a book called The Thirteenth Tale and a letter from Belle.

Dear Callum,

I’ll have you know that the library is still quite full here. I’m very careful to borrow no more than five books at a time. I will say that I have learned quite a few things. Did you know that Mother Superior actually has a fondness for bodice rippers as well? Perhaps I should send you a list of her favorites so you can compare with your friends there.

I do hope you enjoy the book I sent you. It’s a twisted story of family secrets, and it has quite a twist in it that I certainly did not see coming. Tell me what you think of it when you finish. I miss talking about books with you.

The letters continued between them. Gold enjoyed receiving a letter from Belle at least once a week or so, and a book here and there. He got so used to this that he nearly missed the fact that he hadn’t heard anything from Killian and Bae in a while. After six letters from Belle, Gold realized that the last note he had received from his son was before Belle had sent him that first book. Shame and worry rocked through him all at once. Why had it taken so long for him to realize he hadn’t heard from his son? Worse still, why hadn’t he received any word from Bae or Killian in weeks?

The next day he went to make a phone call, a rarity since he was still new and hadn’t been given the privilege much. He dialed Killian’s number, but only received the three-note tone and the robotic voice telling him the phone number was no longer in service. That didn’t seem right. What the hell was going on?

He tried the number three more times, but it was the same message over and over again. Had Killian gotten a new number? Why? Had something worse happened? Where was his son?

Despite the pain he’d endured during the trial, it wasn’t until now that Gold truly felt helpless. He couldn’t do anything behind bars. All of his money had been turned over in trust to Bae and power of attorney belonged to Killian. He didn’t know how to get in touch with Killian now.

Gold worried over it, staying up all night. By breakfast, he’d decided that there was nothing to be terribly concerned about. Killian probably dropped his cellphone in the ocean on his boat. Maybe he and Bae had gone out for a nice little vacation on the Jolly Roger. They probably just had to get away for a little while. They’d be back and have lots of stories to tell.

When the guard told him that he had a visitor, Gold was relieved. It had to be Bae and Killian. He smiled broadly as he made his way to the visiting center. It faltered for only a moment when he saw it wasn’t his son at all.

Belle grinned back at him from behind the glass and waved. His smile returned, despite his disappointment, he was more than happy to see her. She wore a lovely green blouse with a blue skirt and matching green flowers on it, always managing to look better than any model on those glossy magazines. “Hey,” she said in her usual bubbly way.

“Hey back,” he teased her, “You look lovely.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, at this point anything would be lovely after being stuck with only convicts for company.”

Belle stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation.

“I’m surprised to see you,” Gold told her, “You didn’t tell me you were planning to visit.”

“That is the point of a surprise,” she said, “I missed talking to you, really talking to you.”

“So do I, but I am enjoying your letters.”

“And the books?”

“Of course. The Thirteenth Tale was particularly good.”

Belle grinned at him. “I knew you would like it.”

Their conversation quickly evolved into their usual debate on books. She had brought him three to read this time because she couldn’t decide which one he would like best. She also started talking to him about Storybrooke. Apparently the schoolteacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard, had been having an affair with David Nolan. It was quite the scandal, and the Nolans were definitely getting a divorce.

“How is Bae doing?” he asked her, desperate to know something.

“Oh, well I haven’t heard much from him, you know since he and Killian left.

Gold felt his heart drop into his stomach. “Left?”

“Yeah, they left, were headed down to Boston I think. Killian must have told you this, didn’t he?”

Gold swallowed back his growing panic. He couldn’t let her worry about this. Belle had far too much on her plate as it was. “Of course he did,” Gold said, hoping he sounded convincing, “I just hadn’t realized they’d left already. I hadn’t received word from them yet.”

“Oh, well I’m sure they are just busy getting things set up,” Belle said, “I’m sure Bae will tell you all about Boston soon enough.”

“Yes,” he nodded, “I’m sure you’re right.”

He returned to the phone the next day, this time making a call to the Storybrooke Post Office. Agatha Wiltshire was manned the phones at the Post Office and she was never that good at remembering people all that will. Gold did his best to hide his accent and hoped for the best.

“Hi, It’s Killian Jones. I haven’t been receiving any of my mail since I arrived and I just want to make sure I got the address and phone number right for my transfer.”

“Oh, no problem, Mr. Jones,” Agatha said. Good, she was as dense as he remembered.

Agatha hummed some asinine tune in his ear while she rifled for through the paperwork. He started looking at the clock, hoping she wouldn’t use up all of his time by giving him an off-key rendition of I Dream of Jeanie.

“Okay, I’ve got it.” Gold got his pencil and scrap paper ready. “I’ve got your new address as 732 Beaumont St N, Apartment 13. And your new number listed is 555-9771. Is that right?”

“Yes, that is correct, thank you, Agatha,” Gold told her, “You’ve been most helpful.”

He hung up quickly, grateful that he still had some time left, and quickly dialed the new number. It rang twice, then Killian answered with a cheerful, “Hello, who is this?”

“Killian, what the hell are you doing?”

“Callum?” the surprise in Killian’s voice would have amused Gold once, but not anymore, “Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me. Why are you in Boston? What the hell is going on?”

“I’m sorry, man, we just needed to get away for a while. Bae was having nightmares. I thought a change of scenery would be good, and I got this new job lined up. I was going to tell you, but it happened so fast.”

“Just put my son on the phone,” Gold seethed. The phone crackled a bit then he heard Bae’s tiny voice answer, “Papa?”

“Oh, Bae, it’s good to hear your voice, son.”

“Hi, Papa. We’re in Boston.”

“I know you are. Are you all right?”

“Yeah, but I miss you. Can you come visit?”

Gold blinked back tears. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. But I’m sure Killian will bring you by to see me soon.”

“But I want to go to the park with you.”

“I want that too, son, I really do. I’m trying to get out of here to see you. I’ll find a way, I promise.”

“Good,” Bae said, “Then it will be like it was before. You, me, and mommy.”

Gold swallowed thickly. “Bae, honey, I told you, mommy is in heaven.”

“No she’s not, she’s at the store.”

Gold frowned at the wall. “What?”

He heard the sound of a door opening, and then a familiar voice call out, “I’m home!” Gold felt all of the blood drain from his face. His heart stopped when Bae called out, “Mommy! Papa is on the phone!”

“M-Milah?” he gasped out. Then the line went dead.

For a full day, Gold was in shock. He didn’t think he said ten words to anyone. He ate his meals without tasting a thing. He crawled into bed, but stared at the top bunk with wide-eyes, trying desperately not to think about any of it. There was only one thing that resounded clearly through his muddled mind: Milah was alive.

The next day, he broke through. He tried to sort out the facts. 1. Milah clearly hadn’t been murdered. 2. Killian some how had found her. 3. The two of them were hiding out together.

Gold tried to piece all of that together into a clear picture. He had written down all of the crime scene evidence earlier while he tried to figure out the best approach for appeal. Now he added to that, trying to figure out how Milah was not dead and why she hadn’t come forward. He started positing various scenarios. Milah didn’t have any living family, saying her mother died of cancer when she was twelve and her father in a drunk-driving accident when she was in her twenties. Perhaps there was more to the story she had never told him. Was it possible she had been on the run? He’d heard of stories where people faked their deaths to hide form drug lords and crime bosses. Perhaps she had done that to protect him and Bae. Killian might have been digging into this and found her. Now they were in hiding together, trying to figure out a way to help him and bring their family back together.

He started listing any details he knew about Milah’s past, anything that might give a lead to this theory. He worked for days on it, crossing things out and starting anew. He barely ate, didn’t sleep. Gold didn’t even realize that he had an observer.

Gold had returned from a meeting with his lawyer to find Zoso sitting on his bed, leafing through his notes. “What the hell are you doing?” Gold demanded of him.

“Browsing,” the older man said casually like he was looking through a book in a library.

“That’s my personal information.”

“Nothing is personal in prison, you should know that by now.”

Gold reached out to take the notebook. “Give it back!” Zoso relinquished it without a fight. “I’m trying to find out what happened with my wife, it’s private.”

“Oh I can see that,” Zoso said with a shrug, “Not going very well.”

“It’s going just fine.”

Zoso let out a mirthless chuckle. “You’re so blind, Gold. You’re wife’s alive and you’re confused as to how all of this happened?”

Gold pursed his lips, desperately trying to control himself. This man was dangerous, but he’d always been a bit heedless of danger when his temper was at it’s highest. “I’m not confused. I’m working on it.”

He laughed again. “You’re a smart man, right? Went to law school. I bet you graduated at the top of your class.”

“Valedictorian,” Gold snapped at him.

“Well, Val, seems to me that a smart man like you would know the simplest explanation is usually the right one.” Zoso said. He calmly stood up from Gold’s bed. At his full height, he was a few inches shorter than Gold, but the way he looked at him made Gold feel like one of Snow White’s dwarves.

“The jury certainly reached that conclusion. Twelve average people with twelve average brains decided that the simplest explanation for a missing wife and a husband with a possible mistress and blood on his hands meant the husband killed her. I bet you would have thought the same thing if you were in their place.”

Zoso took a step towards him. “You know the truth, Gold. It’s been whispering in your above-average mind like a tiny little worm, but you’ve been trying to ignore. Just say it. Say what you already know to be true.”

Gold swallowed thickly, hating this man with every fiber of his being, and wishing he could deny it all.

“Say it!” Zoso demanded.

That worm he spoke of was screaming now. He was right. He couldn’t ignore it anymore.

“They set me up,” he whispered hoarsely, “Milah and Killian, they did it together. They knew I would make sure to put everything in Bae’s name, and that I would give custody over to Killian. Once everything was final, they would just have to slip away and they would have everything: my money and my son. They planned it all. They planned to put me in prison so they could take everything away from me.”

Bitter tears formed in his eyes, but he blinked them away. As much as the words hurt his throat, a weight had lifted from his shoulders. He could see everything so perfectly now. Killian’s remarks about his friendship with Belle were designed to make it look like he was having an affair. Milah had made sure to tell her friends how frightened she was of him. The getaway on their anniversary had been their idea. The sailing lessons…God, how could he have been so stupid to believe it all?

Zoso clapped his hands and gave him a mocking smile. “Welcome to fucking Wonderland, Gold. Guess that bitch the Queen of Hearts got you good.”

#until proven guilty #tinny writes fics #rumbelle #rumbelle fic #double jeopardy au

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catherineparrish · 4 years

Photo

FALLS FESTIVAL FREMANTLE DAY ONE @ Fremantle Oval 4/1/2020

Photo by Karen Lowe.

Falls Festival has wrapped for another season, with the final leg of the tour taking place at Fremantle Oval over the weekend.

Huge international acts such as Halsey, Disclosure and Vampire Weekend joined an array of Australian artists over two days in what has become one of the most popular annual music festivals in Western Australia. From power pop to psychedelic rock, Sampa The Great to John Farnham, Falls Festival Fremantle brings something to the table for everybody to enjoy.

Clear skies and a cool ocean breeze make Day 1 the perfect Saturday for a festival. Glitter and sparkles speckle the crowd like confetti, with high fashion in full swing for today’s mixed bag of performances. Bubbles float across the gathering crowd around Stage 1 and 2 and the air is thick with the aroma of market food and cigarette smoke. Early punters are able to catch Triple J’s Unearthed competition winners Death by Denim and ex-Unearthed artist Sly Withers, but it’s not until Adelaide rockers Bad//Dreems take the stage when things really start to heat up. A small circle pit breaks out during popular single “Dumb Ideas”, proving that Aussie fans aren’t really phased about breaking a sweat at the hottest time of day if you’re willing to play some good ole fashioned pub rock and roll.

Baker Boy at Falls Festival Fremantle. Photo by Karen Lowe.

Shortly after comes Young Australian of the Year Danzal Baker and his troupe of dancers and percussionist for Baker Boy. Full of smiles and gratitude, Baker’s set is high energy and well-choreographed, with loud whistles and cheering every time somebody drops to break-dance on stage. Tracks such as “Cool As Hell”, “Cloud 9” and “Marryuna” (a Yolŋu Matha word meaning to dance for fun) have heads bopping left right and centre. Following Baker Boy, Vera Blue takes the stage, her long ginger hair flowing in the wind as she sweeps backwards and forwards in a gorgeous orange mesh two piece. Her angelic voice ripples across Fremantle Oval, overpowering any other noise around her. She pauses during “All the Pretty Girls”, allowing the audience to echo the chorus back to her clear as day, and again during “Lady Powers”, which she dedicates to all the women in attendance today.

Vera Blue dances at Falls Festival Fremantle. Photo by Karen Lowe.

Meanwhile on Stages 3 and 4, Adrian Eagle opens his set with a rendition of Ocean Alley’s “Confidence” that is incredibly, even more relaxing and chill than the original. Jessica Cerro also known as Montaigne follows, a tiny but mighty powerhouse who can easily throw her voice out to the wind. She experiences a bit of audio feedback but doesn’t let it throw her off her game, belting out song after song to a smaller crowd than she deserves. Cerro wraps up her underrated set with a staggering performance of her new single “READY”.

Back to the main stage and John Farnham has drawn the older crowd out to dance. Even before setting a foot on stage, a backdrop of the Whispering Jack cover art already has people buzzing with excitement. Farnham begins with a hype anthem “We Will Rock You” by Queen and ends with AC/DC, appeasing his audience with all the favourites including “That’s Freedom”, “Age of Reason” and “The Voice”, complete with bagpipes and deafening “woah-ohs”. Farnham even indulged a little with a rare rendition of “Sadie the Cleaning Lady”, asking fans to “sing along or I’ll come around to your house.” He has recently received a bit of negative feedback for swearing like a sailor at previous shows, but the crowd seem to lap it up here in Freo, even when he tells everyone they can “piss off, you bastards!”

John Farnham at Falls Festival Fremantle. Photo by Karen Lowe.

All the way from Iceland, indie folk band Of Monsters and Men take things down a notch for their sunset time slot. In spite of Nanna Hilmarsdóttir and Raggi Þórhallsson’s perfectly harmonised vocals, much of the crowd seems to make their way to the side stages where rock duo Holy Holy were captivating festival goers. Montaigne joins them for a surprise Like a Version performance of Lorde’s “Green Light” before homegrown Crooked Colours bounce out in matching white jumpsuits, ready to party. A timely set with bright, multicoloured visuals as their backdrop was the perfect burst of energy that was needed just in time for the best performance of the night from brothers Nick and Sam Littlemore of PNAU.

Bursting onto the stage with “Are you ready Perth?” so loud it makes people jump, live performance vocalists Marques Toliver and Kira Divine ooze confidence as they take the main stage by the reins with “Solid Gold”, draped in reflective gold jackets and fluorescent pink tassels. While Toliver and Divine take centre stage, the Littlemores refrain from speaking and hang towards the back, showcasing a unique stage presence that is unlike most artists. Kicking off with the strongest start of all the performances today, the vibe remained consistent throughout the entire set, with punters with tired feet at the back of the venue standing up for hits such as “Go Bang”, “Changa” and “Chameleon”.

Kira Divine and Marques Toliver perform with PNAU at Falls Festival Fremantle. Photo by Karen Lowe.

A hard act to follow, Peking Duk don’t quite reach the mark in the same way that their predecessors did. Taking to the stage first with “Stranger”, Canberra producers Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles are highly acclaimed with a huge audience and welcomed with open arms. While the excess use of smoke cannons, laser beams and streamers gets the crowd going, a much more grounded performance is happening on the other side of the venue with electropop Aussies based in Europe, Parcels. This gives weary fans the choice to opt out for a groovier, less intense vibe. Closing the side stages for the day to a small but appreciative audience is Sydney trio Wave Racer, bubbling in their own unique style of electro-synth house music.

Vampire Weekend at Falls Festival Fremantle. Photo by Karen Lowe.

Last but not least, New York Indie rockers Vampire Weekend take the main stage and serenade Fremantle with a mix of new and old tracks spanning more than a decade. Opening with “Sympathy” from their 2019 album Father of the Bride, lead vocalist Ezra Koenig, dressed in light blue denim cotton threads and a matching jacket seems cheerful and relaxed despite the mass exodus from the crowd following Peking Duk. Crowd favourites like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Horchata”, “Diane Young”, “Cousins”, “A-Punk” and “Oxford Comma” have fans clapping and slow dancing on the side lines. An unexpected cover of SBTRKT’s “New Dorp. New York” is a treat for all.

Ultimately the band’s set favours new music over their older, more recognisable hits. Noticeably missing were from 2010’s album Contra is “White Sky”, “Holiday” and “Giving Up the Gun”, however new popular tracks such as “This Life”, “Harmony Hall” and ending the night with a catchy rendition of “Sunflower” feels like the first breath of fresh air since the band’s last visit down under. As a part of the finale, two giant inflatable globes are tossed into the crowd, bouncing across the top of the crowd as Day 1 at Falls Festival Fremantle comes to an end just before midnight. A wonderful day for all, and a huge hype for those returning tomorrow. 5/5 Stars.

Fans hold up their mobile phones during Peking Duk at Falls Festival Fremantle. Photo by Karen Lowe.

Originally published at amnplify.com.au

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