#arnold's laments

[arnold-layne]

not me here refreshing my inbox every five minutes waiting for that email from the agency i sent the test task to. yes they said it'll take a long time to check. yes it's only been 9 days since i sent it off. when will they reply to meeeeee

#i made a promise to myself not to bug them about my task until at least two weeks passes #but i am still anxiousssss #arnold's laments

[sarasanddollar]

"No offense buddy, but have you forgotten how weird things get when your cousin's around? It's like a nightmare!"

ARNIE WALKED SO FELIX COULD RUN 🙌🏼 if Miraculous Ladybug didn't have all the superhero stuff going on, it'd basically have the same kind of classroom relationship drama as in Hey Arnold... 🏈🐈‍⬛

1. Felix and Arnie are both based on "off-model" designs of their respective cousins: a concept version of Adrien and an animation error of Arnold 2. In the episode Felix is introduced in, Adrien's friends try to cheer him up on the day his mother "went away forever." This is the same plot as the opening of the Hey Arnold episode, "The Journal," where Arnold sits and laments the day his parents disappeared 3. Felix and Arnie are both cousins on the boys' moms' side. 4. Lila Rossi is constantly scheming to have Adrien as her boyfriend. Lila Sawyer distinctly doesn't do this, but her dream counterpart "Lulu" does when Arnold visits Arnie. 5. Helga and Marinette both have "unrequited" crushes on the respective male protagonists, and things get confusing when their identical cousin becomes involved

#miraculous ladybug #adrien agreste #hey arnold #arnold shortman #ml fanart #miraculous fanart #chat noir #cat noir #felix fathom #felix graham de vanily #weird cousin #sandy sketches #sanddollars stuff

[forabeatofadrum]

Hello! I may have missed Wet Rat Wednesday, but I have returned for another Out of Touch Thrusday. Thank you @blackberrysummerblog for the tag!

I published the 3rd chapter of Just Some Guy and my Class fic All of me loves all you this week, so YEET, writing. Have something more of Just Some Guy. Matt's friend Sam has feelings and others have opinions on those feelings:

One person who’s also glad to see Baz is Sam of all people. “What?” Sam says, “I have eyes. Baz Pitch might be an elitist arsehole, but man, he’s fine.” “Really, Sam?” Ryan asks, surprised. I scoff. I’m not gay or anything (or so I think), but I don’t think Baz Pitch is that attractive. “You could so much better,” Arnold also says, “Baz Pitch has this weird dead looking grey skin.” “And eyes that stare into your soul,” Scott adds. “And the slicked back hair makes him look like a posh git,” Luis also says, although Baz Pitch is already a push git. “Jeez, alright, guys, I get it. Baz Pitch isn’t hot,” Sam laments. “Whatever. I hear he’s into Agatha Wellbelove, like every straight guy,” Leslie says.

Here's the thing, dear readers. We know Baz is hot, but what if he isn't? I am very much on team "Baz isn't that hot, Simon is just in love and thinks everyone swoons over him, but no, it's just him" and Sam! Now, of course, Simon and Matt won't really interact, so Matt isn't aware of Simon's extreme interest in Baz, but imagine if they did and Matt would be so confused, because "Really, Simon Snow, really?"

(Johnson: For the record, I also think Baz is hot, but it isn't relevant to the plot so my friends will never know!)

And now, the weather: @quizasvivamos @coffeegleek @caramelcoffeeaddict @raenestee @tectonicduck @nightimedreamersworld @urban-sith @thnxforknowingme @captain-aralias @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @cerriddwenluna @bookish-bogwitch @confused-bi-queer @that-disabled-princess @special-bc-ur-part-of-it @larkral @cutestkilla ​ @wellbelesbian ​ @artsyunderstudy ​ @martsonmars ​ @facewithoutheart ​ @shrekgogurt @rockitmans @bitbybitwrites @whatevertheweather @theotherhufflepuff @shame-is-a-wasted-emotion @esilher @kurtsascot @nightimedreamersghost

#also to everyone who has sent me asks on this blog or my personal or who's tagged me in a challenge #I WILL GET TO THAT #THAT IS A THREAT #to me #this week is just a bit weird bc of my aunt's death #and i am not really feeling in the happy mood to answer 'name 5 things that make you happy rn' asks #wip wednesday #tagged in

[achillesreborn]

artist archive ; Arnold Böcklin (1827 - 1901)

Böcklin was born in Switzerland & during his life produced many beautiful paintings of religious events such as Jesus' crucifixion & the birth of Aphrodite, alongside country landscapes & portraits. his painting "self-portrait with death playing the fiddle (1872)" is undeniably his most popular work, but the rest of his collections are just as worthy of attention!

the shepherd's lament // idyll // self-portrait with death playing the fiddle // venus anadyomene // mourning under the cross // the elysian fields // will-o'-the-wisp // the sanctuary of hercules // odysseus and polyphemus

credit ;

#arnold böcklin #arnold bocklin #artist archive #dark academia #dark acadamia aesthetic #romantic academia #studyblr #light academia #dark academic #aesthetic #mlm #academia aesthetic #classical art #art archive #romance aesthetic #classical aesthetic #love aesthetic #light acadamia aesthetic #classical literature #classical civilisation #dark academia aesthetic #dark aesthetic #light academic #light academia aesthetic #light academism #beautiful academia #love academia #academic #classic academia #academia

[taraross-1787]

This Week in History: "Arnold has betrayed us!"

At about this time in 1780, George Washington discovers Benedict Arnold’s treachery. “Arnold has betrayed us!” he reportedly lamented. “Whom can we trust now?”

What a shock! Arnold was one of Washington’s most trusted generals, but now Washington knew that he’d been plotting to turn over West Point to the British.

What gave Arnold away? Mere days before, Arnold had met with British Major John André. Unfortunately for the conspirators, André was caught with incriminating papers on his way back to British lines. Couriers were dispatched to both Washington and Arnold, informing them of the capture. The story continues here: http://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-benedict-arnold-discovered

#this week in history #history #history blog #America #American Revolution #freedom #george washington #sharethehistory

[abuddyforeveryseason]

This isn't the Buddy for April 1st. April Fools, yes it is!

Seems like Buddy himself's been the victim of a prank today. He was so mad about it, he murdered the prankster.

The good thing about April Fool's day is that you can say anything you honestly believe no matter how unpopular an opinion it is, and just pretend it was a prank the following day.

Even if you admit beforehand that's what you're doing, you can just say admitting it was part of the joke.

Or, you can use that preface to make it look like what follows, a piece of comedy, is what you actually believe.

So, let's see what's a hot take…

I've been reading about the action boom of the eighties and nineties lately, back when Arnold Shwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone would rack up hundreds of kills under two hours. I've seen some of those movies. Some were good, some not so much. Remember when Rambo befriended those afghani freedom fighters? The Mujahideen? Yeah, that ended well.

But for a lot of cultural critics back then, they represented the end of the world. Even though some of the greatest movies of all time came out during that era, there were some reviewers lamenting the death of movies as an artform. And the one thing they would latch on was, the movies were so underwritten, the starts couldn't even speak english.

They were talking, of course, of Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Stallone himself was lumped in with those foreigners, but he had some laurels under his belt in the form of a few Oscar nominations, so most of the focus fell on the foreigners.

And that's the thing, really - it's not that those actors were stupid, exactly. They just had heavy accents. And, you know, a different cultural background that was dismissed as a lack of acting talent. So from the get-go, a lot of those movies were being dismissed thanks to xenophobia.

Sure, they were european, instead of coming from the "darker" continents of Africa, Asia and South America. But it's not like any big stars from those continents were offered as a contrast for the hammy musclemen of the eighties. The best you could find is the martial arts stars from Taiwan, and those movies weren't exactly high art either.

If you ignore the accent issue (and the difficulty that comes from acting in a different country), that trio wasn't exactly stupid. Schwarzenegger might not be a pleasant person, but he was pretty smart as a businessman and politician. He managed to build a good acting career and avoid a lot of acting pitfalls through business savy. He knew how to make money in Hollywood, even if it meant sacrificing his own dignity and suffering bad reviews. He was even aware of his shortcomings as an actor, which is he he kept choosing the action and comedy fare that paid the bills.

Van Damme, meanwhile, wasn't as clever, but had a lot more emotional intelligence. His french films, which aren't burdened by the abismal accent and acting, are more enjoyable and mature, and even show some introspection you'd never imagine from a martial artist.

Lundgren, meanwhile, wasn't as big a star as the others, but is a better fit for the clichè of genius strongman - Good grades, scholarship, a masters in chemical engineering… It's funny that if Lundgren had played a scientist in a movie back then, it'd be dismissed as a ridiculous thing (unless the critic was aware of his story) - a monosyllabic musclehead like that a scientist? Nonsense.

Of course, nowadays, these celebrities are all decadent half-forgotten gloryhogs. And those action movies of the eighties are just a piece of nostalgia, now. They only survive as inspiration for videogames (where the violence is more interesting because the player's the one in control, and there's actually a difficulty curve to consider), or as aspects of more nuanced stories.

The idea that movies were "dying" back in the eighties sounds like nonsense now. The indie boom that followed paved way to some amazing movies. And to this day, a lot of the best stuff coming out is informed by the movie culture of the eighties. Meanwhile, all the cultural critics who spelled doom for the movies have been forgotten, mixed up with the ones who worried about satanic cults and the gay revolution.

I'm not a huge cinema buff, and I won't pretend to know a lot about cinema, but I still get annoyed when people complain about the death of the movies. Maybe the issue is, you're the one getting old, Buddy.

#ab4es #drawing #hot take #murder #murderers #april fool's day #april fool's #april 1st #lying #prank #liar #movies #action #action movies #eighties #eighties movies #Arnold Schwarzenegger #Jean-Claude Van Damme #Sylvester Stallone #Dolph Lundgren #Rambo #Mujahideen

[lizisshortforlizard]

Living Dangerously - Chapter 24

Jurassic Park’s animal handlers: none of them ever mentioned by name in Michael Crichton’s original novel. Who were they? What were their lives like on Isla Nublar? Did any of them survive the disaster?

A year in the life of those responsible for the care of the dinosaurs. Many people would kill to have their jobs.

But would they die for it?

Jurassic Park novel/Jurassic Park film (1993)

Viewpoint: 3rd person female oc

Wordcount: I’m not keeping track anymore, its a novel at this point and I’m only 1/3 of the way there

Warnings: the usual swears and men being misogynistic aholes

Tagging: @heresthefanfiction @ocappreciation @arrthurpendragon @howlingmadlady @wordspin-shares @starryeyes2000 @themaradaniels (lmk if you would enjoy my sporadic updates, any and all welcome)

Read on Ao3 (ha. Hahaha. Good luck)

Chapter 23 | Chapter 25

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dennis Nedry was getting pretty goddamn desperate.

The habitually ignored stack of envelopes by his apartment door, no doubt overdue bills, was mounting higher by the day. He could just barely cover his rent, and was working nearly every waking second, taking on extra contracts at Integrated to scrape by.

He wouldn’t make the mistake of bidding low ever again, that was for damn sure.

Nedry cursed John Hammond and InGen as he tapped away at his keyboard in the darkness. Lamenting how only a year ago, his clothes had fitted him much better. He’d enjoyed getting some fresh air, a welcome break from his computer screens. He’d go jogging around Harvard Square on Sundays and play tennis with his friends. He'd had a life. He’d had a girlfriend.

Had. She was long gone.

Sure, maybe he'd been a bit frivolous with his spending, placed a couple of hefty bets on ball games he probably shouldn't have. These days, he was paranoid about leaving his apartment at all, just in case the debt collectors would show up and start liberating his furniture. He was worried they’d even take Unix away from him, an orange goldfish that was now his constant and only companion.

Nedry glanced up and noticed with shame that the glass of Unix’s tank was starting to get a little too green.

“Sorry, buddy. Clean you tomorrow. I promise.” He muttered.

His recent anxiety was made worse by the looming threat he’d actually have to venture out to Costa Rica to take a look at InGen’s system in person. The Arnold guy he'd been talking to was getting more and more pissed-off and sarcastic with each long-distance phone call. Hell, he'd probably have to pay out for his own flights. Hammond was cheap.

Humidity. Heat. Socialising. Urgh.

Things were bad. Real bad. He was in need of a miracle.

Nedry was considering calling it a night to step away from his console and microwave some leftover noodles when there was a quiet tap-tap on his door.

Strange. He hadn’t heard anyone ring the buzzer. How had they gotten in the building? A chill ran through him.

Please not the landlord.

As a rule, Nedry didn’t answer his door unless he was expecting someone, which was almost never. He didn't have guests over anymore. The apartment was too messy.

A creak of the floorboards outside, then he watched, holding his breath, as a single sheet of paper was pushed under his door. He waited for a long time as footsteps retreated down the hall, and he fought the urge to peer through the permanently drawn curtains to the street outside.

Nedry eventually heaved himself up from his desk chair with an effort, sending a stack of floppy discs tumbling like a Jenga tower. Grunting, he bent to pick up the slip.

Scrawled on it was the address of an all-night diner on the corner of his apartment block, and a single question:

Are you ready to get what you’re owed, Dennis?

***

“Uh, hi?” Armstrong’s smiling face swam into view, trying to make Muldoon acknowledge the cup of coffee she had pushed in his direction. “Welcome back. You were miles away.”

Baker glanced over, buttered toast halfway to her mouth.

Muldoon hesitated for a long moment, struggling for something, anything to reply with, before she had the chance to pry further.

”You’ve no idea.”

Oh, the usual. Just re-living Hell.

”Hey Lizzy, don’t let Ed see you bringing people drinks or you’ll never hear the end of it.” Kathy warned loudly.

Across the canteen, the red-haired Regis ducked his head, hiding his face under his baseball cap.

Lizzy shot Muldoon a worried look while everyone else turned to stare at the PR manager.

Are you okay?

He shrugged in return.

Been much worse.

The worst had nearly happened, for the second time in his life.

Before Armstrong had brought him back to the present day, he'd been dredging up old memories of the first time. He'd done his best to forget, drown it out, but it still got the better of him. Kenya, eight years ago, nearly to the day. The day he'd found a lioness crouched, snarling, over the motionless body of his wife.

The unthinkable had almost repeated again more recently when the ethologist had found herself at the business end of Triceratops horns, that day in the paddock. That had been his fault too, for dragging her into something so dangerous.

Muldoon was struggling to stop over-thinking the last few moments before the crash, when time had stood still. It hadn’t been the impact of the dinosaur smashing into the side of the Jeep that had propelled Armstrong into the drivers seat, practically on top of him.

No, that had happened before the collision.

In the milliseconds before the trike swung her head, Muldoon had wrenched the wheel away with one hand and virtually scruffed Armstrong by her shirt collar with the other, pulling her across the vehicle, likely saving her legs from being crushed in a jagged mess of metal and dinosaur horn.

She obviously didn’t remember any of that. Which was fine, he didn't want her gratitude. It had been a reflex, he’d have done it for any one of his staff. At least, the animal handlers. Even Kennedy, contrary to what Richardson seemed to believe. Who, by the way, was becoming unbearable in his accusations that Armstrong was spending a lot of time down on her knees, doing her utmost to get a promotion.

Not long ago, Muldoon had been taken aside by him for a “chat” that began with a warning.

“Careful.”

“Always careful.” Muldoon grumbled.

”Not what I meant. You and her…you two are up to something, and I don’t like it, not one bit. You’re far too involved. You know what’ll happen if you get caught messing around with someone…” Richardson sniffed in disdain. “-beneath you.”

“I’m fully aware. Are you?”

It was incredibly obvious Richardson had a thing for Hammond’s Haitian girl, which wasn’t mutual no matter how imaginative you were. Not to mention ironic, given the way he spoke about Baker. Or, in fact, any of the young women on the island.

Richardson bristled, refusing to let him have the last word. ”I hope I’m the one to catch you at it. She doesn’t belong here. Neither does the black one. Mucking around in the dirt is no place for a woman. Not even one as feral as Elizabeth.”

Muldoon had only shook his head and walked away before he did something he regretted. There was just no getting through to some people. He’d like to see how Richardson would cope if he were suddenly air-dropped into the middle of the Kenyan wilderness after darkness had fallen, ghostly eyes reflecting back at him in the torchlight and ungodly noises echoing from all around.

He’d even bet money on indoor-dwelling Arnold lasting far longer than the so-called Animal Supervisor, who seemed to be doing less and less of his job now the new recruits were trained up to standard. He barely went out in the park anymore.

Sooner or later, something important was bound to be missed.

Which would no doubt be my fault too.

***

Lizzy and Rico were on their way to the next task of the morning, Rico trying to teach her a few more words of Spanish en route when the voice she dreaded hearing the most on the island rang out from behind her. And, horror of horrors, it was trying to get her attention.

“Ah, Elizabeth!”

She already had been practicing mierda, idiota and carajo, all of which would have served her well at that moment.

“Adios amiga!” Rico nodded at her and zipped off, leaving her all alone.

”Shit, Rico! Get back here!” Lizzy hissed and picked up her pace, no intention of being left alone with the man she couldn't stand at the best of times.

She snuck a quick look behind and shit, he was following her. Fasterfasterfaster.

Richardson, puffing hard, gave up the chase and reached for his radio.

”Elizabeth, I can see you. Turn around.”

Lizzy. It’s Lizzy. LIZZY.

She stopped but refused to walk back to him, no, he could come to her. “What do you want?”

”A helper. For a special task.”

His choice of words made her skin crawl.

“Go on.” She was highly suspicious.

“Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, and well-“ he stopped to make room for a booming laugh. “-we can’t leave the island entirely unstaffed, now can we?”

”Can’t we? I thought that was the whole idea? Hammond’s vision? Full automation? Minimal workers?”

Richardson continued brazenly, still out of breath from catching up to her. “Not really possible, in case of any emergencies with the livestock. Welfare issue, or some jargon like that. And I thought you would be an ideal candidate, in spite of your, eh, unfortunate luck. Recently single, no children, no commitments at all. No problem agreeing to it.”

The matter wasn’t up for discussion. He was just framing it so it would seem like a privilege. An honour to be alone. Not at all a punishment.

And it stung like a bitch.

He wasn’t done. “If you can agree to anything Robert says, you can do as I ask just this once. Don’t be difficult.”

Double ouch.

Lizzy swallowed her instinctive colourful answer and tried to keep her blood pressure down, though she was brimming with rage. “Any reason you can’t stay here?”

”Of course not, I have a life.”

“I’m sure.”

“You needn’t worry. The park can function by itself for a full two days. But I have to ensure at least one animal handler will be around. To push a few buttons to keep things ticking over. Feeding routines and suchlike. Pull the meat out of the freezer. You have a doctorate, I’m sure you can figure it out. Do it for the dinosaurs."

”Great.” Lizzy replied flatly. “I guess.”

Just downright insulting at this point.

“Wonderful. Then consider yourself marooned.” Richardson laughed again, swanning off, while Lizzy was left stony-faced and trying to figure out which deity she may have caused offence to recently.

She heard a faint mechanical buzzing and looked up to locate the surveillance camera mounted in the palm trees, slowly zooming in on her.

Ray.

Well, at least one other person saw what happened.

”Can you believe this shit?” She spoke to the lens.

The faint red light on the camera blinked sympathetically in response.

***

Dr. Ruso's infamous infant raptor was finally making the journey to Isla Nublar after a small paddock had been hastily built. It was only temporary, as soon as more raptors were hatched and grown, the whole cohort could move into a bigger enclosure, which was still currently under construction.

Word had gotten around by the time the raptor was due to arrive on the transport, and the entire animal handler team had turned up to watch her being offloaded, curious to catch a glimpse of the fearsome beast who had relieved an embryologist of her digits.

Most were underwhelmed when they saw the size of the kennel she had travelled in.

"That's it?" Tom was incredulous. "That's the aggressive animal they can't handle on Sorna? It's not much bigger than a damn chicken!"

”Pretty cute.” Ed Regis muttered, not put off at all by the high-pitched snarling coming from the infant as she feinted charges towards the fence, tapping her curved claws on the soil between attacks. “Especially if it stays this small. Kids’ll love it.”

“The genomics programme estimates an adult height of ten feet tall.” Kathy deadpanned, quickly bringing him back to down from his PR buzz.

“Ten…feet…” Regis faltered.

”Roughly Ostrich size." Muldoon nodded. "I’ll be interested to see how fast it is full-grown. If it makes it that far.”

”I'm always blown away by your positive outlook.” Lizzy muttered.

“What do you mean by ‘makes it that far’?” Regis was naïve as ever.

"It's on thin ice. Any trouble and I wouldn't hesitate to retire it."

"You mean...?" Regis was horrified.

”Steady, Robert. We already talked about this. You can’t be so graphic when we’re open to the public-“ Richardson warned. "Someone will hear."

"I'm clearly joking. Isn't it obvious?" Muldoon's tone was so dry Lizzy had to turn away to hide her smirk.

The group turned to stroll back to the Jeeps, though Regis lingered behind, wishing he had brought his camera.

"Don't put your hand through, Ed." Kathy called over her shoulder as an afterthought. "I need to get some Danger, I bite signs made up to hang on the fence."

"Make extra. To stick on Elizabeth.” Richardson suggested.

"Oh no. My sides. They have split." Lizzy answered in monotone. Her superior had been strangely benevolent the past few days, trying his utmost to be her best friend since he'd asked her to stay on the island over Christmas, and she didn't like it at all. She found it far creepier than when he was trying to undermine and put her down constantly. "Please. Send help."

Lizzy reached one hand out to Muldoon dramatically, the other closing around her neck as she made an admirable act of pretending to choke. ”Get…Gerry…tell him…I love him…”

He just muttered something like I’ll get you a boot up the arse which turned Lizzy's appeasing smile into a genuine one.

She was about to answer back with a rude remark when there was a sharp yell from the fence behind them and she spun around to see Regis trying to wrestle something out of the raptor’s jaws.

"Seriously?!” Kathy was the first to start racing back to help him.

Regis gave a final tug and fell backwards into the dirt, scrambling away from the fence. He was white as a sheet, but seemingly unhurt.

“Jesus, Ed!” Kathy exploded, tucking the sawn-off wooden shovel handle she had taken to carrying around with her as an improvised breakstick back into her belt loop. “What are you playing at? I literally just told you! Don’t put your goddamn hand through!”

”I d-didn’t!” He denied, stammering.

”Then have some common sense and don't turn your back either!” Kathy added angrily. “The budget didn’t stretch to double fencing! Are you hurt?”

“No, no, sorry, I guess-aw, man!” Regis had looked down to assess the damage. A chunk was missing from his Trenton Thunder polo, now inside the pen and being toyed with by the baby raptor, who was stalking and pouncing on the scrap of grey fabric. “My lucky shirt!”

“Lucky?” Tom asked in disbelief. "Man, Trenton suck."

Regis went very red. "Take that back."

"Guys, please." Kathy tried, then put her head in her hands as the two men continued flinging sports-related jabs at each other. All Hell erupted when Regis brought Tom’s mother into the argument, and the other handlers had to pile on to hold him back, even diminutive Lizzy was hanging off his arm, digging her heels into the ground.

Muldoon found himself wishing that cleaning cupboards occurred naturally in the Costa Rican rainforest, to give him the means to knock all their heads together. This was ridiculous. He noticed with disgust Richardson was just standing there watching with amusement at the group turning on each other, like he was enjoying it.

"Help me." Baker turned to him. "Please. You gotta."

"You're more than capable."

"I can't, they won't listen."

"Then make them listen. You've got to make a noise."

"I..." She pointed then let her hand fall limply to her side.

"Prove him wrong about you, at the very least." Muldoon nodded towards Richardson.

That did the trick. Her face hardened and she nodded, planting her feet wide apart.

"Just...just s-shut up, all of you, or you'll be cleaning the toilets for the next month!" She nearly screamed the last part. Baker looked the most shocked of all of them at the volume she'd just produced.

Silence instantly fell.

"Woah." Tom whispered. "Go Kathy."

Well done, Baker.

She hesitated, amazed, then continued, voice trembling. “Nobody goes near this enclosure except myself and Muldoon. Us two alone will deal with the damn thing. No exceptions." She sounded braver now, looking each of them dead in the eye in turn. "Understood?"

A chorus of yes Kathy resounded from the handlers gathered nearby.

She was exhausted, but pleased. She'd done it.

Lizzy slyly peered into the enclosure, trying to see how the raptor had reacted to Kathy's yelling, before Muldoon caught her eye and gave a sharp look.

That includes you. Be patient.

She rolled her eyes in answer.

"I did it!" Baker murmured to him happily. "It was good, right?"

"Much better."

"Okay, coming from you, that's high praise. I'll take it!" She flashed her Hollywood smile and started back to the Jeeps with a definite spring in her step, most of the handlers following her lead.

Except for Armstrong. She remained near him, just the two of them lingering by the fence, still watching the raptor savaging the “lucky” shirt.

It was certainly a bit of a leap, but Muldoon liked to think the raptor had picked up on his instant dislike of city-slicker Regis, and given him a good scare on his behalf. It clearly didn’t like the way the PR manager smelled overpoweringly of cologne, judging from how it was growling and snapping at the shirt scrap. Armstrong’s legs were avenged, until the next time.

At least that was one small point in the animal’s favour. Maybe it wasn't entirely a waste of time, keeping it alive.

“Oh my God.” Armstrong muttered, in the middle of an epiphany.

“What?”

She glanced side to side, looking out for over-curious eavesdroppers before leaning in towards him, whispering knowledgeably. “You like her.”

”I don’t like it. It’s a damn animal.”

“Of course you do! She’s smart, fiesty, and she has a bite history! What’s not to like?” The ethologist was smirking up at him.

Well, she wasn’t exactly wrong.

“Hm. Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do.” Lizzy guessed it would pain Muldoon more than anyone to have to put the raptor down if she was involved in any more gory accidents. Vicious or not, it was still a waste of life. The dinosaur had no purpose except entertainment. “She’s dangerous.”

“You’re talking rubbish, woman.”

“Mm-hm. Careful, kid. He has good aim.” Lizzy turned back to the fence and spoke directly to the raptor, who cocked her head at the sound of her voice. “Better run.”

Her smile quickly faded when the young dinosaur chirped and turned tail, scuttling off into the undergrowth.

The game warden and the ethologist stared at the empty space where the raptor had been seconds before, then exchanged glances, having exactly the same thought.

How dangerous?

Lizzy spoke first, slowly shaking her head. “I’m very much hoping that was a coincidence.”

***

Kathy quietly took Lizzy to one side as everyone filed out of the canteen after dinner that night.

"Can we talk?"

Oh no.

That sentence never means good things.

"Sure." Lizzy replied hoarsely as she hopped up to sit on one of the tables, Kathy pulling up a vacant chair to sit in front of her. She tried to keep her expression calmly neutral, when all she could think was oh my God, she knows about the raptor behavioural plan, she’s mad I kept it from her for this long, shit-

"Nothing's decided yet, so don't panic, but I wanted you to be the first to know..." Kathy shifted nervously, then sighed deeply and dropped the bombshell. "I'm thinking about leaving InGen.”

Oh.

Well.

Lizzy gawped back at her dumbly before her system rebooted and she could speak again. "Don't you dare! Why? What happened? Tell me, who did it? I'll make them wish they were never born!”

Kathy chuckled and took her hand. "It's not just one person, or even one thing, hun. It's kinda…all of it. It's too difficult, not being taken seriously, like, ever. You can deal with it. But me, I can't. And besides, I don't want to anymore."

"You did it today!"

"Yeah, and now I'm exhausted!"

"It'll get easier-"

"I miss my mama." Kathy rubbed Lizzy's fingers as she spoke. "My buddy at the Smithsonian called. The Mammal Curator is retiring next year and I'm thinking about applying.”

A position like that came up about once a decade if you were incredibly lucky.

“The Thanksgiving announcement kind of sealed the deal.” Kathy shrugged. "I mean, we don't exactly work nine to five, but they’re taking advantage of us.”

Because of rising pressure to meet deadlines, time off requests for Thanksgiving had been denied. A management decision which was met with all five stages of grief from the American animal handlers. Kathy in particular had been very upset that she wasn't allowed to go home to see her folks, and morale was dropping lower by the day.

"Kathy, I don't think I can hold the fort without you. The gender ratio is downright appalling as it is!"

"Get real, Lizzy! How many times have we, well...you in particular, for some reason, gotten seriously hurt since we arrived here? Zoological institutions are supposed to take accidents involving the animals pretty damn seriously! We don’t even have any guests yet and it already feels like Gennaro gets paid commission!"

"I see your point, but this is the first time anyone's ever tried containing a dinosaur-"

”Lizzy, I’m scared.” Kathy's eyes were huge and pleading. “We’re just numbers. We're replaceable. It’s only a matter of time before something really bad happens.”

The Team Leader’s gaze dropped down to one side. She couldn’t shake the ominous feelings, and her bad dreams continued to plague her. She ran through contingency plans and emergency procedures over and over in her head, still worrying they weren't good enough. Her worst fear was the next time there was an accident, help would arrive too late.

Lizzy tried to lift the mood. "You can't leave me here with Marìa, she doesn’t ever bloody speak! Shit, imagine if they brought in Sarah Harding to replace you?"

"Then come with me?" Kathy offered. "For the low, low price of a flight to Washington DC, you too could be taken seriously by your peers!"

"Washington's a bit cold for my liking..." Lizzy fooled.

"They have elephants at the Smithsonian?" Kathy dangled motivation in front of her. "Pretty sure they'd leap at the chance to score you, Dr Armstrong."

"Hm. Same shit. Different day. Different part of the world."

"Yeah, but at least the piles of shit would be smaller!" Kathy scoffed. "You have a PhD, what the Hell are you even doing here, working as a glorified cleaner?"

Lizzy played the last card in her hand, changing the subject. "You realise if you walk, then Ray isn't hanging around either? You’re pretty much responsible for the last ounce of his sanity.”

Hell, she'd could probably wave goodbye to Isaac too. He adored Kathy nearly as much as the engineer did.

Her friend smiled sadly. "Good for him. It’s just a job.”

"Huh.” Lizzy didn’t agree. It was more than a job. She ate, slept and breathed the island. It was her life, and she’d already given up a career in Africa and a long-term relationship to get this far. But she didn’t like the sound of sacrificing her friends either, or getting attached to people if they weren’t going to be sticking around.

"Relax, the old curator hasn’t officially announced his retirement yet.” Kathy reassured her. “I’m just super prepared. I wouldn't be leaving until next summer, June or July at the earliest, if I got the job.”

"Of course you'll get the job. You're bloody brilliant." Lizzy moped.

”I can stick it out for the full year.”

”Work for InGen for a year, and you can work anywhere you want.” Both women said at the same time.

“I’d make history, I’d be the first female Mammal Curator at the Smithsonian, ever. Think Muldoon will give me a glowing reference?” Kathy quirked an eyebrow.

“Eh…I wouldn’t ask until after you’ve got an interview secured.” Lizzy replied warily. “And more like a mildly positive reference, if you catch him on a good day.”

“When does that man ever have a good day? Maybe I should ask Richardson instead?” Kathy asked solemnly.

Lizzy must have looked doubtful, because Kathy burst out laughing. “I’m kidding, jeez! But at least I wouldn’t have to sleep with Muldoon.”

Kathy rolled her eyes and Lizzy could almost see the animated lightbulb appear over her head when she realised the deep freezers were left unattended. “C’mon, let’s get some ice cream while nobody’s around.”

***

Thanks for reading!

One of the rare glimpses into Muldoon’s past provided by Michael Crichton in the novel, forgive me (or not) for h/c-ing one of the animal attack scenes he witnessed was the demise of someone close to him. I will be writing this in more detail later on, even though it physically pains me to hurt him this way. This fictional character who my life revolves around.

Also: Oh God. Now I’m consumed with guilt at the thought that Nedry never came back for Unix :( (spoiler alert?)

#jurassic park oc #living dangerously #welcome to jurassic park #jurassic park #oc: lizzy armstrong #oc: dr lizzy armstrong #jurassic park female oc #dennis nedry #robert muldoon #robert muldoon x female oc #ed regis #ray arnold #gerry harding

[arnold-layne]

the inescapable cycle of sleep deprivation

#im making this meme instead of showering #pain and suffering and pain and suffering and pain and suffering and pain #arnold's laments #hello the I Can Feel The Filth Of My Body And Its Driving Me Insane squad #sensory issues

[elizabethanism]

"I never understood what I had done to them to make them so malicious, so angry, so malicious, so aggressive...", Schoenberg lamented..., as he began his journey of no return towards atonality.

Arnold Schönberg, Erwin Stein, Anton Webern.

Alban Berg, 1914

#Arnold Schönberg #Erwin Stein #Anton Webern #Alban Berg #atonality

[classicalcanvas]

Title: The Lamentations of Mary Magdalene on the body of Christ

Artist: Arnold Böcklin

Date: 1868

Style: Symbolism

Genre: Religious Painting

#art history #art #painting #artwork #history #museums #culture #vintage #curators #symbolism #arnold bocklin #classicalcanvas

[forabeatofadrum]

Just Some Guy (6/9)

Notes: Chapter 6 of 9? Brah, 69? NICE lol - J.J.

AO3

–

Year 6

MATT

From 6th year on, Watford students can have student jobs. They aren’t a lot of work and you get paid minimum wage, but it’s something to do to pass the time. This is definitely needed now that the Mage banned mobile phones for some reason. He claims it’s for our protection.

Rumour has it that it has something to do with Simon Snow, as usual.

Goddamnit, Simon Snow.

Although John wonders if it’s a political move. The Mage uses it to prevent the Old Families from contacting their kids. Look, I don’t care for the Old Families either. I don’t even care for politics, but making it harder for parents to reach their kids is a dick move.

This whole civil war shit is getting eerily close. Man, I really wish I was living in uninteresting times.

Anyway I get a job in miss Possibelf’s office, which consists of cleaning and ordering. John decides to work out on the grounds. Leslie and Luis decide to work as kit managers for the football team. Ryan cares for the plants. Arnold helps in the kitchens. Scott also gets an office job, but at the Minotaur’s office. Sam is from a rich family (not an Old one, mind you!) and doesn’t see the need to work.

(I mean, my mum’s family also has money, but she still thinks I should have a job.)

“Do you know if Simon Snow got a job?” Arnold wonders one day. He’s staring at something and when I follow his gaze, I see the usual trio: Simon Snow, Penelope Bunce, and to my dismay, Agatha Wellbelove. (Yes, I am still not over Agatha.)

“Dunno, don’t care,” Sam says.

“He’s too busy trailing some bunnies, or something,” Luis says.

“Hares,” John corrects him, “The Six White Hares.”

“John, how do you always know so much about the Chosen One’s whereabouts?” Leslie asks and I have to admit, I have questioned the same thing several times.

John just shrugs.

“I know everything,” he says, cryptic as usual. We know John, so we’re not too bothered by it and Leslie lets it slide.

“So, does he have a job?” I ask.

John shakes his head.

“Makes sense,” Arnold says, “He’s so caught up in the Chosen One shit, I bet he and his friends don’t even know that Watford has jobs!”

“Must be nice not to have a job,” Ryan sighs, “Or not to be bored these days.”

“Simon Snow is always up and running,” Scott nods as well.

Just when Scott says that, I hear a small explosion coming from the Wavering Woods and on a cue, Simon Snow and Penelope Bunce run towards it. Agatha Wellbelove watches them leave. So do we. This is a normal occurrence. Even the smoke coming from the Woods doesn’t faze me anymore. I do feel back for John, who now also manages the Woods for his side job.

Can Simon Snow please let anything outside of Watford explode for once?

--

Leslie asks if I want to go to a football game with her.

Sure, why not?

Ever since Leslie and Luis have joined the team as kit managers, (“That’s what the ‘man’ in kit man stands for,” Leslie had explained, “Although I still like to say I am a kit woman.”) they’ve gotten more interested in football.

John and I show up at the game.

Leslie frowns when she sees us.

“What’s up?” I ask.

Leslie casts a quick glance at John, but then says it’s nothing. She walks us to the stands and gives us a basic explanation of football, since we’re woefully unfamiliar with the sport.

“It’s not hockey,” John laments.

“… Right,” Leslie says and continues her explanation.

Once we’re seated, she bids us farewell and goes down to the field with another word. I wonder what is up with her.

The team is already on, including Luis, who waves from below. After a few minutes, the game starts. The Watford football team is split into two and both sides are playing against each other. Baz Pitch is on the team, which I never knew, but I also don’t keep track of his whereabouts.

Unlike Simon Snow.

Since last year, everyone’s noticed that he’s been trailing Baz Pitch and today is no exception. I didn’t even notice him at first, but after ten minutes into the match I can feel his magic leaking over the stands in waves. It’s fucking annoying, honestly. It distracts me from the game.

I gloat at him, but he doesn’t seem the notice the visible discomfort of everyone. He had his head resting on his hands. He’s leaning forward and he’s staring intensely at Baz Pitch. Penelope Bunce, his trusty sidekick, is sat next to him, but she’s reading a book.

I am so annoyed by him, that I keep looking and therefore completely miss the first goal.

Fucking hell, Simon Snow.

--

My year goes on as usual. I go home for Christmas and when I go back to school, two things are discussed. First off, the Mage apparently got kidnapped over Christmas, and he had to be saved by Simon Snow.

That’s cool or whatever, but the second thing is more prominent. When you’re in 6th year, Watford also starts preparing you for your future.

We all need to attend a mandatory class in our first week after the vacation. Miss Bellamy is talking about all our options in the World of Mages. Most of us will attend Normal uni, if we even attend uni in the first place, but we can then use that knowledge for our world.

Honestly, I hadn’t given my future a lot of thought. I am just a 16 year old guy. What do I know? Adulthood seems scary, if I may say so.

“It’s fine,” John reassures me during our break.

“How would you know?” Scott bemoans.

“I’ve been an adult before,” John says cryptically, “Even went to college.”

All of us share a look before we collectively decide to let it go.

John’s words weren’t as reassuring as he’d hoped, because when we return to class, we’re reminded of the reality that in one or two years or so, we’ll be gone.

Miss Bellamy has decided to make this an interactive class, which is every student’s worse nightmare. She’s started singling people out to ask them a question. I try to keep my head low.

“You,” Miss Bellamy points in my direction, but then I realise she’s pointing towards the person behind me, “Mr. Snow, what are your plans for the future?”

Everyone turns around to face Simon Snow. This is another reason why interactive lessons suck. The focus is on one poor person, and it happens to be the Chosen One.

Simon Snow shrugs.

“Dunno,” he says. He’s as eloquent as ever.

“Mr. Snow, I know it might seem like you still have time, and yes, you do, but 16 is the perfect age to start thinking about your options,” Miss Bellamy says cheerfully, as if that would magickally motivate anyone to start thinking about their future.

“No, Miss, it’s just…” Simon looks around and sees everyone staring.

“Yes?” Miss Bellamy beckons him to go on.

Simon shrugs. I think he shrugs a lot.

“Use your words, Snow,” Baz Pitch sneers from behind us and some kids snicker. I roll my eyes. Of course that Pitch brat sees this as a moment to mess with him.

Miss Bellamy also tells him to be quiet.

Simon shrugs again. Is he addicted to shrugging, or something? What a weirdo.

“It’s just that I don’t expect to live past 18, that’s all,” he says casually, as if he didn’t just drop a fucking verbal bomb on us, “Don’t see the point of thinking. About my future. Or just, thinking.”

He shrugs yet again and I am not even bothered by it, because I am too shocked by what he just said.

The silence continues. Penelope Bunce looks upset and she opens her mouth as if she wants to say something, but then stops herself. Agatha Wellbelove has an empty look in her eyes as she stares out of the window. Even Baz Pitch isn’t cheering about the Chosen One’s inevitable demise, or something. The only one who doesn’t seem bothered is Simon himself.

This must be an everyday occurrence for him. The worst part is that he might be right.

Miss Bellamy awkwardly interrupts the even more awkward silence by asking Niall Kelly what he wants to do next.

--

The future.

It is a thing.

And unlike Simon Snow, I do expect to live.

Oh Merlin.

It hangs over me during the remainer of the year.

And then the academic year ends. I am hugging my friends goodbye. We’re all hanging out in the summer, but the realisation that another year at Watford is over, hits me. Two more years left, since I am planning on doing the optional 8th year. But what will I do next? I am just some guy, I don’t have a destiny. I don’t even have a girlfriend! That’s another Watford milestone. My parents met here.

Which… in hindsight doesn’t mean anything, but still. Even Simon Snow has a girlfriend and he spends more time saving the world than being with her. Not only that, but rumour has it that Agatha Wellbelove has been kidnapped several times since she started dating him. Yikes.

If I were her boyfriend, she’d never be on the bottom of a well.

Although, I must admit, ever since Agatha became unavailable, I’ve gotten less interested in her. It sounds bad, I know, but why dream for the unattainable. The other day, during Magickal History, I was paired up with her for a debate assignment, and it went alright. I wasn’t a mess.

Damn, does that mean I am not into her anymore?

“Shit, I need to reassess my plans,” I say out loud, like an idiot.

“What plans?” Leslie asks.

I try to bullshit my way out of it. I already knows how it will sound. But I give up, since Leslie’s icy stare is killing.

“My future with Agatha,” I confess.

“I swear to Merlin,” Leslie sighs and walks off.

I frown. I expected a longer rant from her.

But maybe I should count my blessings.

“Plenty of fishes in the sea, Matty,” John slings his arm around me. He then slightly turns me towards Leslie’s direction.

I look at Leslie, who has her back turned to me and she’s talking to Sam.

“What are you implying, John?” I ask.

“Have you ever wondered why Leslie is so bothered by your crush on Agatha?”

“Because I tend to use language that presents Agatha as an object I want to possess or a prize I deserve?” I say automatically. Those were her exact words once and they’re fried into my brain.

“That as well,” John says.

“Huh?” I look at John for an explanation, but he smiles. He lets go of me, but does give me a pat on the back.

“Happy summer, Matty Chris D.,” he says before saying goodbye to Arnold.

#holy fuck I wrote #story: just some guy #carry on #snowbaz #2024 #multichaptered

[danbenzvi]

On The Jukebox: “Asteroid City (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”

Time to head back to the 50′s.  Track listing as follows:

Alexandre Desplat - “WXYZ-TV Channel 8″

Johnny Duncan & The Bluegrass Boys - “Last Train To San Fernando”

Slim Whitman - “Indian Love Call”

Les Baxter - “April In Portugal”

Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys - “Ida Red”

Henk Bouman, Musica Antiqua Koln & Reinhard Goebel - “Canon and Gigue in D Major: I. Canon”

Alexandre Desplat - “Opening Ceremony With Awards Presentation (Keynote Speaker: General Grif Gibson)”

Tex Ritter - “Jingle Jangle Jingle (2000 Remastered Version)”

Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys - “Orange Blossom Special”

Tex Ritter - “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me) (1991 Remastered Version)”

Burl Ives - “Cowboy’s Lament”

Alexandre Desplat - “Viewing of the Astronomical Ellipses (Opening Comments: Dr. Hickenlooper)”

Slim Whitman - “Rose Marie”

Slim Whitman - “Indian Love Call (1944 Version)”

Tennessee Ernie Ford - “Sixteen Tons (2000 Remastered Version)”

Eddy Arnold - “The Cattle Call”

Alexandre Desplat - “Special Seminar at the Playwright’s Request (Saltzburg Keitel’s Classroom)”

Asteroid City Cast - “Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven)”

Johnny Duncan & The Bluegrass Boys - “Kaw-Liga”

Alexandre Desplat - “Emergency Assembly”

Alexandre Desplat - “A Bewildering and Bedazzling Celestial Mystery”

Les Paul & Mary Ford - “How High The Moon”

Bing Crosby - “The Streets Of Laredo”

The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group & Nancy Whiskey - “Freight Train”

Jarvis Cocker - “You Can’t Wake Up If You Don’t Fall Asleep”

#asteroid city #alexandre desplat #johnny duncan #the bluegrass boys #slim whitman #les baxter #bob wills and his texas playboys #henk bouman #musica antiqua koln #reinhard goebel #tex ritter #bill monroe #burl ives #tennessee ernie ford #eddy arnold #les paul #mary ford #bing crosby #the chas mcdevitt skiffle group #nancy whiskey #jarvis cocker

[chaoticunorigionalstranger]

BOM London 20/9/22 7.30pm

Cast: Stephen Rolley as Price, Oliver Jacobson as Cunningham, Stevie Webb as McKinley and Leanne Robinson as Nabulungi.

Finally got to see Rolley Price.

If anyone sees Rolley Price and are close enough to see his eyes - watch him. He really uses his eyes to portray Price's feelings and it's incredible (poorly used pun intended).

So, here is a summary of some of my favourite Rolley Price emotional eyes (I'm saving the best to last so these aren't in chronological order):

In TIO he looks really confused and a bit frightened by the whole thing. He mouthed to Arnold (Ollie) 'what's going on?'' in reference to the Elders all dancing.

He also was brilliant in the scene with him and Gotswana, his eyes really portrayed pain and fear. He also was gripping the gurney really tightly. He honestly looked in pain.

When Arnold meets him at the kafe he looks monumentally devestated. His eyes looked so sad as he lamented about Orlando and how he had been doing everything he was asked/told. When I say he looked devestated, I mean it. He looked like the world was crushing him and all the good things had gone.

IAHFY he looked so confused and then terrified by Cunningham.

And on that note: PRICINGHAM

Arnold almost kissed him. He tried to kiss him. In IAHFY Price looked terrified because after Arnold had tucked him in he was leaning over Price and moved to give him a kiss on the cheek, but Price put his hand in the way, and squeeked "what are you doing?"

And when they reconciled Rolley put his head in Cunningham's shoulder and Arnold stroked his hair.

Other notes about Rolley:

He played Price quite camp - from the hand gestures down to the way he walked. It was interesting to see because I've never seen Dom or Ben play up the question about Price's sexuality in that way.

McPriceley - not a huge amount tbh. But he grabbed McKinley by the face instead of shoulders, so McKinley leaning in seemed more of a natural response to the interaction. Ngl, my McPriceley trash heart got excited at that point.

His voice is the deepest I've heard in that role.

Ollie

Funny as always. I do love Ollie's Cunningham

Leanne

Amazing as always

Stevie

Without a doubt, he is one of the most talented people in the West End. That's all. Just insanly talented.

Special mention of Jed Hoyle (Poptarts)

He was really giving it his all. He had so much energy it was crazy. Honestly - I've seen Jed loads of times and he was on top form tonight.

He is now 2nd cover McKinley, third cover Price's dad/mission president and third cover Cunningham. I cannot wait to see him as Price's dad and Cunningham.

I honestly think he has an amazing career ahead of him.

#west end #bom musical #book of mormon #tbom musical #tbom #elder price #elder mckinley #jed hoyle #stephen rolley #pricingham #McPriceley

[byneddiedingo]

Robert Ryan and Barbara Stanwyck in Clash by Night (Fritz Lang, 1952) Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe, Keith Andes, J. Carrol Naish, Silvio Minciotti. Screenplay: Alfred Hayes, based on a play by Clifford Odets. Cinematography: Nicholas Musuraca. Art direction: Carroll Clark, Albert S. D'Agostino. Film editing: George Amy. Music: Roy Webb. There's a wonderful moment in the middle of Fritz Lang's Clash by Night that almost makes up for the talky melodrama of the rest of the film: Stealing from the romantic gesture executed by Paul Henreid in Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper, 1942), Lang has Earl Pfeiffer (Robert Ryan) light two cigarettes at once and hand one of them to Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck). She looks at it with distaste for a moment, then tosses it over her shoulder, takes out her own pack of cigarettes, and lights one herself. It's possible that the moment is spelled out in Alfred Hayes's screenplay, or in the play by Clifford Odets on which it's based, but it's the perfect embodiment of Stanwyck's great gift for playing women in charge. In fact, Stanwyck's character is hardly ever fully in charge -- Mae Doyle can't control her life because of the men in it, which she describes as either "all little and nervous like sparrows or big and worried like sick bears." The problem with Clash by Night is not the cast, which is uniformly watchable, or the direction, which does what it can with the material, particularly by exploiting the film's setting -- Monterey, the bay, the fishing fleet, and Cannery Row -- but the screenplay. It's full of Odets characters who can't resolve their internal conflicts but also can't stop talking about them. Even the secondary characters, like Jerry D'Amato's father and uncle, can't help putting in their two cents, often in florid Odetsian metaphor. The title of the film comes from Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach," in which the speaker laments the loss of faith in a world that has "neither joy, nor love, nor light, / Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain." It's a place where "ignorant armies clash by night." That bleak Victorian pessimism, however, doesn't translate very well to a story in which the clashing armies are men and women, a battle of the sexes that's a little too conventional in concept. Mae returns to her family home in Monterey, and immediately starts making a mess of things by attracting not only the good-hearted Jerry but also his cynical burnt-out friend Earl. Since Jerry is played by the somewhat schlubby Paul Douglas and Earl by the handsome Ryan, we can see immediately where this is going to go, and the wait for it to get there gets a little tedious. There's also a rather pointless secondary plot involving Mae's brother, Joe, and his girlfriend, Peggy, who are played by Keith Andes and Marilyn Monroe. The backstories that stars and their personae bring to the roles they play are often valuable. Here, however, Marilyn's presence in the cast has unbalanced our subsequent reaction to the film, which can never be watched without the irrelevant knowledge of the actress's skyrocketing career, troubled relationship with her directors (including Lang, who terrified her so much that she vomited before performing a scene), and pitiable demise. Peggy is a small role, and she plays it well, but it was never meant to be the principal reason many people watch Clash by Night.

#Clash by Night #Fritz Lang #Barbara Stanwyck #Robert Ryan

[docrotten]

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) – Episode 252 – Decades Of Horror 1980s

“What is best in life?” “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.” What about plunder? Does that include plunder? Join your faithful Grue Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Crystal Cleveland, and Jeff Mohr – as they visit Robert E. Howard’s world as visualized by John Milius in Conan the Barbarian (1982).

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 252 – Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! Click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Gruesome Magazine is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of Decades of Horror 1980s and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

As a young boy, Conan becomes a slave after his parents are killed and his tribe destroyed by a savage warlord and sorcerer, Thulsa Doom. When he grows up he becomes a fearless, invincible fighter. Set free, he plots revenge against Thulsa Doom

  Directed by: John Milius

Writing Credits: Robert E. Howard (based on the character created by); John Milius (written by), Oliver Stone (written by); Edward Summer (story) (uncredited)

Selected Cast:

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan

James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom

Max von Sydow as King Osric (as Max Von Sydow)

Sandahl Bergman as Valeria

Ben Davidson as Rexor

Cassandra Gava as The Witch (as Cassandra Gaviola)

Gerry Lopez as Subotai

Mako as The Wizard / Narrator

Valérie Quennessen as The Princess (as Valerie Quennessen)

William Smith as Conan’s Father

Luis Barboo as Red Hair

Franco Columbu as Pictish Scout

Leslie Foldvary as Sacrificial Snake Girl

Gary Herman as Osric’s Guard

Erik Holmey as Turanian War Officer (as Erick Holmey)

Akio Mitamura as Mongol General

Nadiuska as Conan’s Mother

Jorge Sanz as Young Conan

Jack Taylor as Priest

Sven-Ole Thorsen as Thorgrim (as Sven Ole Thorsen)

Kiyoshi Yamazaki as Sword Master (as Kiyoshi Yamasaki)

Can anyone else step into the legendary role of Robert E. Howard’s iconic Cimmerian like the one-and-only Arnold Schwarzenegger? Add James Earl Jones, Sandahl Bergman, Max von Sydow, and William Smith as Conan’s father and you’ve got a blockbuster. John Milius (Red Dawn, 1984) directs from a script co-written with Oliver Stone, and look out! Crystal wields her own weapon of mass destruction during the Grue-Crew’s discussion of Conan the Barbarian (1982). You won’t want to miss that!

At the time of this writing, Conan the Barbarian is available to stream from Amazon Prime and various PPV sources. In terms of physical media, the film was released on January 30, 2024, as a Limited Edition, in Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD, from Arrow Video.

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Crystal, will be PIN (1988). It’s a plastic nightmare!

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans – so leave them a message or comment on the Gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the Gruesome Magazine website, or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at [email protected].

Check out this episode!

[jonfarreporter]

A Pop up Nativity Scene Live…

Shepherds Surprise at a mobile home park

When long-time Sonoma resident Ellen Shepherd lamented to friends how much she missed not having the live nativity scene at her church St. Andrew Presbyterian on Arnold Drive in Sonoma this year, the cast and crew of the annual nativity scene showed by up at her door step. They surprised her unexpectedly the day before their Christmas Eve performance at the old Sonoma Mission complex near the historic Plaza in downtown Sonoma.

Neighbors near her home at Sonoma Oaks (just off of Sonoma Highway) were stunned and thrilled on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 23 to see a live nativity scene drive in and set up.

“This is amazing and wonderful,” exclaimed Shepherd, totally surprised as she walked out to greet the cast and crew who drove the menagerie of animals to Shepherd’s house enroute to prepare and set up the scene at the old Sonoma Mission barracks for Christmas Eve.

Brian Ness and Mike Weiss, operators of Vintage Kennel Club in Sonoma have been providing a live nativity scene in Sonoma at various churches since 2005. St. Andrew Presbyterian was one of several local Sonoma churches over the years that have had the rare opportunity to experience a live nativity scene presentation.

Back in 2018, Ness and his company of nativity performers made an appearance at St. Andrew to the delight of the congregation. Shepard who has been a member of St. Andrew Presbyterian for years (along with her late husband Harry) became very fond of Sahara the camel in the nativity scene. This past year, Sahara gave birth to a healthy baby camel calf.

“It’s only been in the past two years that we have performed the nativity scene at the Plaza,” said Ness. Previously, the nativity scene was not only performed at St. Andrew but at Sonoma Valley Community Church among other churches. Proceeds from donations gathered go to local charities helping those in need. This year donations/proceeds go to Sonoma Overnight Support (SOS - mission and outreach to feed the homeless and food insecure of the Sonoma Valley)

In 2021 Ness made arrangements with the Sonoma State Park, via the California State Parks Department to have the live nativity scene at the Plaza in an effort to make the experience more accessible to the public and easier to get to.

This year’s live nativity scene at the Plaza will be at the La Casa Grande courtyard at 20 East Spain Street, beginning at 1:00 PM, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. For further details visit the California State Parks website.

Seen in photos are Brian Ness, Steve Klingberg, Kitty Brennick

Cathy Collier as an angel along with husband Mike Collier. Joseph is portrayed by Scott Walford

#sonoma #Brian Ness #Ellen Shepherd #St. Andrew Presbyterian #live nativity scene