#brie watches love victor

[warningsine]

When the first season of GLOW ended, it was on a cliffhanger. Over 10 episodes, Ruth (Alison Brie) and Debbie (Betty Gilpin) had crafted new identities as Zoya the Destroyer and Liberty Belle, two women wrestlers with an intense, Cold War–inspired rivalry. In the final episode, Zoya and Liberty Belle faced off after weeks of training in a thrilling, meticulously choreographed bout. At the end, they took a minute to acknowledge how well it went. They both smiled. Ruth tentatively asked Debbie if she wanted to get a celebratory drink. Debbie’s smile immediately fractured. “No,” she said. “We’re not there.” Ruth’s face fell. The credits rolled.

It was an odd, disconsolate note for the series to end on given the triumphant nature of the final few scenes, as the stars of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling wrapped their first TV shoot. But it was a realistic one. In the pilot for GLOW, viewers met Ruth, an out-of-work actress, and Debbie, a soap star turned stay-at-home mother, only to discover at the end of the episode that Ruth had been sleeping with Debbie’s husband. Debbie, incandescent with rage, confronted Ruth in the warehouse where GLOW was rehearsing, prompting the show’s wily director, Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron), to imagine how sparks might fly between the two women in the ring. Debbie was cast as Ruth’s arch rival. The question underpinning the season was whether wrestling would bring the friends back together, or whether Ruth’s behavior was ultimately unforgivable.

Television has centered female relationships before, often in quartet form (Girls, Sex and the City, The Golden Girls), or in ways that are riven with tension (The Handmaid’s Tale) or codependency (Broad City, Grey’s Anatomy). Insecure thrives on examining the relationship between Issa (Issa Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji). But GLOW does something different. It treats the relationship between Ruth and Debbie like a romantic one, elevating it above any other partnership in the series. Their breakup as friends is the core event that precipitates their casting on the show, and it’s conceived as seriously and as thoughtfully as a romantic breakup. Debbie’s final “We’re not there” affirms that they might have made progress as coworkers, but they’re a long way from fixing the damage that Ruth has done—and they might not make it.

The second season of GLOW, which was released in its entirety late last month, continues to foreground Ruth and Debbie’s relationship, culminating in a moment of violence and a furious, ugly fight in a hospital room. One of the questions for the writers in Season 2, GLOW’s co-showrunner Liz Flahive told me, was whether Ruth deserves happiness, and if she does, whether Debbie, who is going through a divorce, should have to watch Ruth be happy. It’s a question that branches out from something the show considered in its first season: Can Ruth, who’s revealed so early on to have betrayed her friend so egregiously, still be sympathetic? As a character, Ruth defies simple likability: She’s ambitious, pretentious, and frequently ridiculous. But in Brie’s hands, she’s also engaging, insecure, neurotic, and brave enough to be rooted for. “Look, people do really mess things up,” Flahive said. “And watching a character try, for better or worse, is so compelling.”

For the first half of Season 2, the dynamic between Ruth and Debbie remains unchanged. Debbie, in addition to channelling some of her anger into her bouts as Liberty Belle, redirects her energy toward her professional ambitions, negotiating a raise and a promotion to producer. Ruth, for the most part, meekly takes whatever Debbie throws at her. At work, they interact politely but struggle to make eye contact. When Ruth is asked out by a cameraman, Russell (Victor Quinaz), she accepts a ride home with Debbie instead, taking whatever crumbs she can get. “Is it going to bother you if, um, I go out on a date? Do you mind if I meet someone?” she asks Debbie. “I don’t care what you do,” Debbie replies quietly, before going on to deride Russell in a way that makes it clear how much she does care.

As the season continues, the tension between the two women comes to a head first when Debbie rails at Ruth for running away from a casting-couch situation that might have saved their show. “Feminism has principles,” Debbie spits. “Life has compromises.” Then, after a furious, despondent Debbie encounters her ex-husband’s new girlfriend, she intentionally fractures Ruth’s ankle in the ring. The event restores a degree of balance to the relationship that enables one of the most excruciatingly realistic TV fights between two friends in recent memory, in which buried resentments are dug up and toxic patterns thrown out. Gilpin, conveying Debbie’s commingled rage and guilt, is hypnotic in the scene, equally furious at Ruth and at herself. Ruth, emboldened by a growing sense of her own victimhood (and by a Valium–Klonopin cocktail), strikes back. Their relationship, she poses, is built on how Debbie savors her success against Ruth’s failure. It doesn’t justify Ruth’s infidelity to her friend, but for the first time in the series it suggests how it could have happened.

The scene is so potent because it’s so familiar. Friendships between women rely, often, on the unsayable—the secret comparisons, the petty jealousies, the familiar patterns of behavior. A fight with a friend can feel as emotionally draining, as unbearably cruel, as a fight with a partner. By putting Ruth and Debbie’s tangled relationship at the center of GLOW, the show comprehends this dynamic, almost to the detriment of the supporting characters (it’s the rare Netflix show that has so many stories to tell that it could stand to be longer). It uses the tension between two former friends as fodder for both character growth and narrative progression. But it also takes a realistic view of female friendship that television often sugarcoats. TV friendships, Emily Reynolds wrote in the New Statesman in 2016, tend to be idolized and cherished in a cutesy Galentine’s Day, yas-queen, matching-bangs kind of way. Ruth and Debbie are different. GLOW never guarantees that their friendship will recover, or that it should. What it does do is assert its significance in the first place, and emphasize how devastating its breakdown is to each of them.

#since kpg mentioned that she watched the first episode i want to revisit the show too <3 #glow

[lesbianwithchainsaws]

Great news yall! I found even more horror movies with actors from Community in them! Here's the new ones I've found:

The Lazarus Effect which has Donald Glover in it. I've heard of this one before, but have never seen it so I'll have to check it out now.

Born. This one has really bad reviews, but Alison Brie is in this and I'm totally okay with watching trash horror movies. Also fun fact, Kane Hodder is in it as well!!!! (He plays Jason in several Friday the 13th movies. He's also Victor Crowley in the Hatchet movies and is in a ton of horror in general)

Come Play - has Gillian Jacobs in it. I'm surprised I've never heard of this because the plot sounds like it's one of those technology horrors and I genuinely love internet/tech horror

Visions - another one with Gillian Jacobs in it!

Also this isn't horror, but I have to share the fact that I was looking through Jim Rash's imdb to see if he's in any horror movies and apparently he voices someone in the Annoying Orange show...

[myrandom-fandomlife]

“victor + benji are soulmates that need to be endgame but also need to work on themselves” and “rahim is a sweetheart who shouldn’t be villainized just because he has feelings for victor” are two statements that can and should coexist

#tired of the rahim slander #you can ship venji and like rahim #i am proof #love victor spoilers #brie watches love victor #love victor #rahim lv #rahim #benji campbell #victor salazar

[lesbianfilms]

Title: Happiest Season Year: 2020 Language: US (English) Plot: Harper decides to bring her girlfriend Abby to her family’s house for Christmas after dating her for almost a year, but reveals during the trip that she is not out to her family as she had previously implied. Abby, who hates Christmas, reluctantly agrees to pretend she is Harper’s straight friend/room mate. When meeting Harper’s family, we learn of her father’s political campaign for mayor, her perfectionist mother, competitive older sister and wacky younger sister. We also learn of Harper’s first girlfriend who she denied and neglected when she was outed and bullied at their high school. Basic Review: • Clea DuVall (But I’m a Cheerleader) writes, directs and produces a lesbian themed Christmas movie with an star studded cast including Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen as well as BenDeLaCreme and Jinx Monsoon!

• I have heard mixed reviews from my queer friends but ultimately you have to see this film to make a judgement for yourself.

• There are some upsetting stereotypes and somewhat triggering moments in the film, having to hide the person you love, competition with an ex boyfriend, focus on heterosexual couples in a queer film, the sassy gay best friend and gender stereotyping. Although these themes put a real downer on the experience of watching the film, some of them are relatable and can help people connect to the experience of the characters.

• Some other issues I had with the film was that it lacked diversity in its cast and perspective. Although some of the cast are queer, the performances felt like celebrity virtue signaling and lacked depth. Kristen Stewart still feels awkward, especially in romantic moments and some competitive scenes between the siblings were more cringey than funny.

• Overall there were some wonderful things about the film. Some genuine comic relief to break the ice (thank you Dan Levy), a relationship that has realistic challenges but ultimately survives, unrealistically immediate but welcomed acceptance and lots of feel good moments.

• Ultimately it has some issues but lesbian representation in film is so rare, you have to sometimes look beyond the troubling nuances. If you’re looking for a feel good Christmas movie, that is easy to watch and equally relatable to both queer and non queer people, this film is perfect. 

#lesbian film #lesbianfilm #lesbian films #lesbianfilms #lesbian movie #lesbianmovie #lesbian movies #lesbianmovies #wlw film #wlw movies #wlw content #wlw #lesbian #lesbians #lesbian love #lesbian romance #gay #gay film #gay movies #queer #queerfilm #queer film #queer movies #lgbt #lgbt+ #lgbti #lgbtiq #lgbtiqa #lgbtiqa+ #happiest season

[avarogers021]

Updated List 2021 For Netflix Cancelled & Renewed Shows

Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime are watched by a number of people all over the world. Both of these platforms telecast movies, shows, and series which are related to different genres. From thriller to action, anime, mystery, documentaries, history, and more, everything can be seen on these platforms.

Before getting started let us first talk about the shows/series you like to watch? Friends, Riverdale, Game Of Thrones? Well, all of them has a huge fan following. I personally can never get enough of watching Riverdale and Friends. Whether I am back home after work or I wanted to spend some time, Netflix has always been a savior. However, lately I got a news and it just felt like the end of the world.

Were you aware of the fact that some of the Netflix shows have been going off air and cancelled real soon? Yes, you are reading this right. The reasons behind the cancellation of various reasons bring together a plethora of reasons. Of course some shows like Dear White People and Dead To Me have a huge fan following and will be missed for sure. However, since we know that sooner or later good things do make their way, all these shows also came to an end soon.

Have you been wondering which shows got canceled? This is the piece which is apt for you. You will be able to find out all of them here itself. Hence, let’s get started without any further ado.

Netflix shows that have been renewed and cancelled in the year 2021Below mentioned is a list of the top twenty shows that have been canceled this year. Check them out to find the reasons behind the big decision. In addition to this, you will also find out if they are coming back anytime soon.

Ozark: This one has been renewed for season four. The famous television series is coming to an end in 2021. You could find this series on Netflix. Even after gaining so much of popularity, the show is gong off air this year. The show did receive a number of nominations of awards and has also won numerou titles. Some of them are the Guild award, and Emmy award. To people who have watched this series, the fourth season has divided into two different categories. Each category consists of seven episodes. However, at present the director wanted to take a break and made sure that the series is remembered by the fans.

Cast of Ozark

Jason Bateman

Alik Bateman

Andrew Bernstein

Ellen Kuras

Daniel Sackheim

Amanda Marsalis

Benjamin Semanoff

Phil Abraham

Cherien Dabis

Dead To Me: This one has been renewed for season three. The series is known to end in the year 2021. However, the series finale is a big hit and funny. But, this one did not gain too much attention. Time changes, and so does the audience. This is why it is now time to bid adieu to this series, Jenny and Judy. Even though the series was loved by some of them till date, it is finally coming to an end yet not off air.

Cast of Dead To Me

Kat Coiro

Geeta V. Patel

Minkie Spiro

Abe Sylvia

Amy York Rubin

Tamra Davis

Jennifer Getzinger

Liza Johnson

Silver Tree

Elizabeth Allen

Lucifer: The series is renewed for season six. Another fantastic which is coming to an end is Lucifer. The series premiered on 25 January 2016. With time the first season received mixed reviews from critics. A number of them praised certain characters and Elli’s performance was no exception. With time more and more seasons were released. However, they did not gain much popularity. Platforms like Netflix also cancelled the pick up of the third season.

Cast Of Lucifer

Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar

Lauren German

Kevin Alejandro

D B. Woodside as Amenadiel

Lesley as Ann Branch

Scarlett Estevez as Beatrice

Rachael Harris

Kevin Rankin

Tricia Helfer as Mum

Tom Welling as Lieutenant Marcus Pierce

Inbar Lavi as Eve

You: This one got renewed for season three. There are only very few Netflix series that have grabbed the attention of people. However unfortunately, this famous thriller series has come to an end now. However, a statement was made by the director where he said that the series will be ending with a season three. The series is based on a novel which was written by Caroline Kepnes. The main role was played by Penn Badgley who was a bookseller. During the second season, the seller was a movie from New York to LA. Even though this is an irresistible show, the fans may not get to watch it anymore.

Cast of You

Penn Badgley

Victoria Pedretti

Ambyr Childers

Elizabeth Lail

Luca Padovan

Jenna Ortega

Zach Cherry

James Scully

Carmeta Zumbado

Nicole Kang

Shalita Grant

Scott Speedman

Travis Van Winkle

Atypical: This show has been renewed for season four. With the season finale, this show is going off air in 2021. However, it will still remain in the hearts of so many of them. No reasons have been found as to why the show is going off air. However, some of them are saying that the reason is because the show is very underrated.

Cast of Atypical

Keir Gilchrist

Brigette Lundy-Paine

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Michael Rapaport

Nik Dodani

Amy Okuda

Jenna Boyd

Graham Rogers

Fivel Stewart

Nina Ameri

Raúl Castillo

Ariela Barer

Graham Phillips

Sara Gilbert

Rachel Redleaf

Allie Rae Treharne

Eric McCormack

Casey Wilson

Angel Laketa Moore

Christina Offley

Kimia Behpoornia

Karl T. Wright

Major Curda

Marietta Melrose

On My Block: There is no official announcement related to the renewal of On My Block. However, it is going to end in 2021 mainly because of the pandemic. The show gained popularity but is still ending. Centered in Los Angeles, this one was based on high school teens who face different challenges.

Cast of On My Block

Diego Tinoco

Sierra Capri

Jason Genao

Brett Gray

Jessica Marie Garcia

Julio Macias

Ronni Hawk

Peggy Blow

Jahking Guillory

Paula Garcés

Danny Ramirez

Reggie Austin

Eric Neil Gutierrez

Eme Ikwuakor

Emilio Rivera

Lisa Marcos

Angela Elayne Gibbs

Ada Luz Pla

Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson

Shoshana Bush

Rob Murat

Mallory James Mahoney

Raushanah Simmons

Gilberto Ortiz

Dear White People: This series is renewed for season four. This one is coming to an end in 2021. The final episodes will show you the nest conversational end.

Cast of Dear White People

Logan Browning

Antoinette Robertson

Brandon P. Bell

Ashley Blaine Featherson

Marque Richardson

DeRon Horton

John Patrick Amedori

Giancarlo Esposito

Tyler James Williams

Caitlin Carver

Jeremy Tardy

Obba Babatundé

Brandon Black

Sheridan Pierce

Nia Long

Ally Maki

Quei Tann

Brant Daugherty

Wendy Raquel Robinson

John Rubinstein

Jeff Larson

Alex Alcheh

Francia Raisa

Rome Flynn

Luke O’Sullivan

Taylor Foster

John Paul Jones II

Tessa Thompson

Ratched: This series is renewed for season two but is going off air very soon. The series is about a nurse Ratched and is based on a real story. As of now it is twisted and ended with a superb episode.

Cast of Ratched

Sarah Paulson

Cynthia Nixon

Finn Wittrock

Sharon Stone

Judy Davis

Jon Jon Briones

Charlie Carver

Amanda Plummer

Corey Stoll

Alice Englert

Sophie Okonedo

Vincent D’Onofrio

Hunter Parrish

Brandon Flynn

Harriet Sansom Harris

Rosanna Arquette

Jermaine Williams

Michael Benjamin Washington

Don Cheadle

Linda Bisesti

Annie Starke

Teo Briones

Emily Mest

Liz Femi

Jeff B. Davis

Robert Curtis Brown

Kirk Bovill

Grasie Mercedes

Siaka Massaquoi

Ben Crowley

Elinor Gunn

Clayton Farris

Aaron Jay Rome

Patrick Duke Conboy

Zabeth Russell

Albert Malafronte

Jake McDermott

Heather McPhaul

Lita Lopez

Lucas Barker

Greg Ballora

Alfred Rubin Thompson

Germain Arroyo

Kristin Charney

Fred Maske

Casey James Knight

Glow: This one is straightaway cancelled. A very famous wrestling drama, this had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.

Cast of Glow

Alison Brie

Betty Gilpin

Marc Maron

Kate Nash

Jackie Tohn

Sydelle Noel

Sunita Mani

Britney Young

Gayle Rankin

Awesome Kong

Britt Baron

Ellen Wong

Chris Lowell

Kimmy Gatewood

Rebekka Johnson

Marianna Palka

Shakira Barrera

Rich Sommer

Bashir Salahuddin

Geena Davis

Victor Quinaz

Ursula Hayden

Alex Rich

Andrew Friedman

Elizabeth Perkins

Annabella Sciorra

Brooke Hogan

Breeda Wool

Kevin Cahoon

Horatio Sanz

Wyatt Nash

Joey Ryan

Toby Huss

Paul Fitzgerald (actor)

Eli Goree

Marc Evan Jackson

Phoebe Strole

Amy Farrington

Ravil Isyanov

Messiah: The series was cancelled because it had to go through ups and downs. However, for the year 2021, this high class show has been canceled. The reason behind this is the dropping popularity.

Cast of Messiah

Mehdi Dehbi

Michelle Monaghan

Stefania LaVie Owen

Rona-Lee Shimon

Sayyid El Alami

Melinda Page Hamilton

Wil Traval

John Ortiz

Fares Landoulsi

Jane Adams

Beau Bridges

Philip Baker Hall

Dermot Mulroney

Teenage Bounty Hunters: This one got cancelled too. Even though this was considered as one of the best teen comedy series, it came to an end. The series received amazing reviews from the critics and the jury.Sadly, the first season of this show fails to draw the attention of the audience. This is one major reason why the series ended.

Cast of Teenage Bounty Hunters

Maddie Phillips

Anjelica Bette Fellini

Devon Hales

Kadeem Hardison

Virginia Williams

Spencer House

Mackenzie Astin

Myles Evans

Charity Cervantes

Method Man

Eric Graise

Given Sharp

Shirley Rumierk

Randy Havens

Jacob Rhodes

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: The series got cancelled even after umpteen gigs and comedy episodes.

Cast of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

Anya Taylor-Joy

Taron Egerton

Nathalie Emmanuel

Mark Hamill

Simon Pegg

Jason Isaacs

Helena Bonham Carter

Andy Samberg

Natalie Dormer

Keegan-Michael Key

Caitriona Balfe

Alicia Vikander

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Mark Strong

Harvey Fierstein

Theo James

Toby Jones

Awkwafina

Lena Headey

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson

Shazad Latif

Donna Kimball

Harris Dickinson

Benedict Wong

Sigourney Weaver

Hannah John-Kamen

Neil Sterenberg

Louise Gold

Beccy Henderson

Kevin Clash

Dave Chapman

Warrick Brownlow-Pike

Helena Smee

Bill Hader

Theo Ogundipe

Kemi-Bo Jacobs

Dave Goelz

Eddie Izzard

Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj; This American show has grabbed the attention of so many of them during the lockdown. However, the show is now cancelled and no reasons behind the same have been found out yet.

Cast of Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj

Hasan Minhaj

Joyelle Johnson

Arnab Goswami

Andrew Yang

Cory Booker

Maeve Higgins

Adi Ash

Michelle C Bonilla

Rahm Braslaw

Julian Zane Chawdhary

Sean Hartman

Alexis Landry

James Adam Tucker

Rayan Zaim-Sassi

Emily Grace Buck

Vava

Vinod Chaproo

Joan Dickson

Michael Eric Dyson

Jann Ellis

Sonia

Lori Hammel

Smith Harrison

John Hodgman

Siraj Huda

Jacob Dylan

Aurea Jolly

Kevin

The Summary

These are some of the famous Netflix series and shows that got cancelled in the year 2021. As mentioned above, the reasons behind the cancellation differ from series to series. However, you need not lose hope. Netflix still have amazing series coming up. Whatever genre you prefer, keep that in mind and start searching for them. This way you will surely end up finding the ones that will be suitable for you. If not Netflix, then you can check out IMDB. This is a platform where you can search for various shows and movies. While doing do, what you can do is check out the ratings. This way you will find out whether or not the show should be watched or not. IMDB shows new series ans shows that are released every week or month. Search for the one you want to watch and get started without any further ado.

We hope this piece has helped in understanding which and why the shows got cancelled. However, you need not worry about anything. There are a plethora of shows you will come across on this platform, and something or the other will surely be worth watching. Thus, do not wait further and make use of the time this lockdown. Do not let the cancellation and lockdown spoil your mood. Your mood will be cherished and who knows you find out facts you never thought could happen? Also, exploring various genres never goes waste. So, why not make use of this wonderful opportunity?

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#neflix #netflix series #netflix series 2021

[wigwurq]

WIG REVIEW: THE HAPPIEST SEASON

You guys! I finally watched the lesbian holiday movie!! Though when I texted my mom to tell her I was finally watching this, she thought I was talking about The Prom and I laughed for a real long time about it (mainly because it will take me an even longer time to get around to hate watching that!) It already took about a month to get to this one. There is a lot to discuss here - and also one wig!

So this is the first (big budget) holiday lesbian movie, which I am very here for. However, most of the movie feels like a combination between My Best Friend’s Wedding, Meet the Parents, and The Family Stone but with lesbians. Those movies were made between 1997 and 2005 and this movie feels like it should exist somewhere in that time as well. The whole plot of the movie is basically that Kristen Stewart (Abby) has to pretend NOT to be Mackenzie Davis’s (Harper’s)  long-term girlfriend for the sake of Harper’s conservative family with local political aspirations while also spending 5 days with them during Christmas. It’s a conceit that exists solely in these brand of garbage holiday rom coms but definitely one that feels bizarrely antiquated as well. 

Anyway! There is only one wig in this movie which belongs to Davis, who had a vastly superior lesbian wig in that one episode of Black Mirror that made us all cry. We first see this under this hat where it should have hidden for the rest of the film! 

Sadly, the next scene involves the full emergence of this wig and truly: NO. This thing is dried out, bent, and disheveled in not a cool way (Stewart’s actual hair is disheveled in a cool way, though). The entire presence of this wig bothers me because: just have her have whatever hair she has? This is not a historical recreation (that I’m aware of?) and she is not playing a real person! This feels like when SNL cast members wear wigs in sketches for similarly non-existent reasons. However, SNL wigs are vastly superior to this mess!

So anyway, Harper invites Abby to have Christmas at her parents’ house in the heat of the moment during a very romantic (?) Pittsburgh Christmas lights tour which is apparently something that exists. Abby conveniently, and completely for the sake of this plot to work (?) does not like Christmas and also is an orphan, getting rid of any possible Christmas plan conflicts. And then literally on the way to visiting Harper’s family, she is all: by the way, they don’t know you’re my girlfriend or that I’m a lesbian and you have to go along with it for sake of this movie to exist even though this is absolutely a terrible thing to ask of anyone, periodt. But we are beginning to find out that Harper’s character is as full of garbage as her wig. 

So we meet the parents, who are Victor Garber, Mary Steenbergen, and also Mary Steenbergen’s iPad which vulture correctly identifies as the star of this movie AND IT IS. Especially during the end credits where we get to see all the pics the iPad takes! But I’m getting ahead of myself. The parents live in one of those cavernous houses that is definitely a mansion but tries to feel homey even though it probably has about 12 bedrooms and usually only exists in a Nancy Meyers movie. Despite its amount of bedrooms,  Abby has to sleep in a basement bunker which also doubles as a well organized rubbermaid storage unit. For the rest of the movie, Abby is treated like a subhuman trash person much in the way Ben Stiller is treated in Meet the Parents and Sarah Jessica Parker is treated in The Family Stone, except they don’t also have to pretend to not be in a relationship with the family member they arrived with. This conceit becomes so degrading that you honestly wonder why these people are still together!

Abby endures scene after scene of total nonsense and still looks better than the wig on her terrible girlfriend. Which starts actually looking better in a few of these scenes but still is very much a terrible and noticeable wig which is on par with Rachel McAdams’ wig in Mean Girls in that we are constantly told that these women are gorgeous and every single time I ask “YOU MEAN WITH THAT TERRIBLE WIG ON THEIR HEADS????” I suppose this wig was “necessary” because Harper’s two sisters also have long-ish brown hair so they were going for some sort of familial consistency except one daughter has a terrible wig and the other two have hair. Also one sister is Alison Brie, who plays a harpy so awful that she starts to make Harper look palatable and one sister is Mary Holland, who also cowrote the script, and definitely wrote herself the only character who I’d like to meet in real life. 

Along the way, we also meet Aubrey Plaza, who I usually hate because she is just one-note sullen, but here is actually great as Harper’s high school ex-girlfriend who Harper outted and allowed to be bullied and wow Harper - you have been terrible for decades!! Also compared to Harper, Aubrey has beautiful (real) hair, doesn’t lie to her entire family, and has actual chemistry with Abby. I very much wanted Abby to end up with Aubrey and I am not alone! Harper somehow avoids Abby for most of the time they are both staying in the same (albeit huge) house and there is even a dumb subplot about Abby being framed for shoplifting while trying to buy a gift for the parents’ very important white elephant gift exchange during their very important Christmas Eve party and I wonder if any of these people really knows what a white elephant gift is or how to exist in society? Meanwhile, as Harper reverts to being more falsely  heteronormative at her parents house, I started to wonder if her wig was trying to serve a larger purpose in showing how fake this character is but: no it’s just a bad wig. Also this movie really does the impossible: it makes me care about and feel bad for Kristen Stewart! 

Although I did find it highly questionable that though they are the stars of a romantic comedy, neither Kristen Stewart or Mackenzie Davis is funny AT ALL. Like not even a little! Which makes the “comedic” plight of Stewart all the more upsetting! All comedy is left to the one good daughter (Mary Holland) and also all gay men in the movie. This is mainly Abby’s bff and national (Canadian) treasure, Dan Levy and also Drag Race faves Jinxx Monsoon and Ben De-La-Creme in this one gay bar scene which is honestly truly inconceivable and except for further cementing the fact that Abby and Aubrey really should get together. 

In the end, Alison Brie finds out Harper’s TERRIBLE SECRET THAT NO ONE IN 2020 COULD POSSIBLY FATHOM (that she’s a lesbian) and they have a fight in the middle of the white elephant party which reveals that all the family has been competing for years for each other’s love which is really really messed up and now I kind of hate everyone in this family. And also Harper is outed to her entire terrible family and also Ana Gasteyer (and also a room full of other randos). And she denies her lesbian truth!  I recently watched Uncle Frank which is essentially everything Hillbilly Elegy wanted to be but is Shakespeare compared to that mess, and a similar scene occurs but that character bravely faces the truth - and in 1970s SOUTH CAROLINA!! I don’t know what time or space this movie thinks it exists in but it is baffling. Still, Dan Levy gives an emotional monologue about how no one can decide when anyone else is ready to come out of the closet so: FAIR. And then Harper does come out and the entire family kind gives absolutely no reaction to this until Victor Garber says it’s ok?? ABSOLUTELY AND TRULY BIZARRELY PATRIARCHAL. And then Harper and Abby get back together in the parking lot of a Love’s convenience store which is as cheesy and clunky as any garbage holiday rom com so I guess this is definitely a new holiday “classic” which I’ll probably watch 100 more times and hate Harper and her terrible wig each time about as much as I hate Laura Linney’s terrible life choices in Love, Actually. AS CONFOUNDING AS HARPER’S WIG OR THE CHOICE TO GIVE HER ONE AT ALL!

VERDICT: DOESN’T WURQ

#wigwurq #happiestseason #holidaylesbians #kristenstewart #mackenziedavis #danlevy #marysteenbergen #victorgarber #whywigtho #nope

[rye-views]

Kong: Skull Island (2017) dir. Jordan Vogt-Roberts. 7.5/10

Filmed very well. Good scenery, good shots, good effects.

Tom Hiddleston looks good here.

Love Brie Larson and the indigenous people taking photos and smiling. Imagine the photos that she has.

I like Cole.

Good cast.

Spoiler: [About an American pilot, Hank Marlow, and a Japanese pilot, Gunpei Ikari, crashing onto an island during WWII. They begin to fight each other to their death until they notice a 100 hundred foot ape. After 29 years, Bill Randa asks the government for a unit and permission to investigate a newly discovered island called Skull Island. He runs the organization, Monarch, which is close to being shut down, but he believes there are monsters on this island. The unit provided is led by Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard. Bill also goes to Vietnam to get an ex British, air service captain and tracker named James Conrad to join. An old friend of his, Mason Weaver, who is an anti-war photographer hears of the trip and also joins. Scientists and soldiers work together to plan the trip since they believe this mission to be to map out the island. The trip is joined by the biologist, Miss San, and the geologist, Mr. Brooks. They sail off and the entry into the island has severe weather conditions. They helicopter their way in and get past the storm. They begin to drop seismic bombs so that Brooks can map out the land. He discovers that this island confirms a theory he has yet to prove called the Hollow Earth Theory. They then get attacked by the hundred foot ape and they fight back. Several die, but they are now scattered. One group consists of Conrad, Weaver, an officer named Reg, Brooks, San, and a Landsat official, Victor. The other group consists of Randa, Packard, and the other soldiers. Major Jack Chapman is the only man wandering alone as he tries to write a letter to his son, Billy. Conrad scopes out the land to continue their plan to get to the rendezvous point that will come for their exit in a few days. Packard learns of the true mission through Randa. His group aims to get to the helicopter with weapons to kill the ape. Conrad’s group meets new creatures and they prevent the soldier from killing the peaceful ones as Weaver photographs everything. They eventually come across the Iwi natives and are spared their hostility when Hank Marlow shows up. He explains his life living with the quiet Iwis and how he’s been stranded here. He explains the history of the island and how the ape, Kong, is revered and protective of the island while the evil creatures are what he calls the Skull Crawlers. The Big Skull Crawler had killed Kong’s family, causing him to be the last of his species. The big one is hiding underneath and the Iwis believe that it will awaken when Kong dies. A skullcrawler had also killed Ikari, who eventually befriended Hank. Hank mentions that they can’t get to the rendezvous point within the specified time on foot. They fix up a boat he has and uses it. Packard’s group fight off dangerous creatures. Chapman is killed by a small skullcrawler after he had watched Kong bathe and fight off a large sea creature. Hank talks of a pregnant wife he had waiting for him. He wants to join them to get home. They say good bye to the Iwis and meet up with Packard’s group, who wants to go a different direction to find Chapman. They go and Hank warns that this place is a bad place. They go through and battle skullcrawlers as Conrad discovers Chapman’s dog tag come from the skullcrawler’s mouth. They escape after Weaver starts a gas explosion. Conrad and a few who want to go back do so while Packard decides to find their stuff to kill the ape. Hank argues that killing it will allow the skullcrawlers to reign, but Packard wants revenge. Conrad and Weaver come across Kong, who allows himself to be touched by Weaver. Packard’s group get to their weapons and plan a trap, causing Kong to be consumed by flames. Conrad and Weaver go back to Packard’s group to convince them to stop. Everyone is convinced besides Packard. Everyone goes back as the Skullcrawler awakens and Kong kills Packard. The Skullcrawler battles a wounded Kong. The humans help him after he’s entangled in chains and Kong kills the Skullcrawler. Weaver drowns during the battle and is saved by Kong. They get back home and Hank comes home to a grown son and his

wife. Weaver and Conrad are at Monarch and are being prevented from talking about the island. San and Brooks enter to tell them that the world doesn’t belong to humans and reveals footage of many other monsters that exist.]

#kong #skull island #kong: skull island #2017 #jordan vogt roberts #jordan vogt-roberts #7.5 #movie #film #review #commentary #rye-views

[theliterateape]

I Like to Watch | Promising Young Woman (2020)

by Don Hall

In the pantheon of films made, only a handful stand out as truly understanding and communicating its time. Not documentaries or those based on true events but fictional stories that likewise mirror the specific zeitgeist (yeah, I used that term with a straight face) of a given time period or social movement.

Fifty years from now, when discussing the Black Lives Matter movement in the country, Get Out will be among the films watched for context on the American experience. It grasps the indelible feelings of the movement without mentioning it and is a stand-alone epic horror film at the same time.

The French Connection (1971) is not only brilliant but perfectly tells a tale of the beginnings of the War on Drugs instituted by Richard Nixon.

Casablanca (1942), unlike the propaganda films of most pre- and post-WWII movies, demonstrates an incredibly timely portrayal of the horrors of fascism, the values that heroes like Victor Laszlo hold, and illustrates an America that is a place for refugees to find freedom.

The Graduate (1967) is both a wonderful film and also expertly captures the transitioning from the idealism of post-Kennedy assassination to the craven capitalist emerging from the ashes.

High Noon (1952) is a grand cinematic device using clocks and real time as well as a window into the hysteria and paranoia of the McCarthy Era.

The Deer Hunter (1978), Fast Times of Ridgemont High (1981), Norma Rae (1979), The Great Dictator(1940), Wall Street (1987), and American Psycho (2000). The list is almost exhausting but spectacular at the same time. No question that you will, upon reading this, think of ten movies that fit this particular bill that I haven't mentioned.

While I gravitate to the optimism of Rocky (1976), the film of that year that depicts the isolation and torment of a young man disillusioned by the trifecta of the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam, and Watergate is Taxi Driver.

Set in a decaying and corrupt post-Vietnam New York City, Travis—played by a stunningly grim Robert De Niro—dreams of ridding the city of the filth and perversion he witnesses during his overnight shifts as a cabbie. The more Travis drives, the more he questions his purpose in life and grows deranged, ultimately leading down a path of violence, hatred, and even redemption. 

SOURCE

If there is a modern parallel, while Joker is a DC comics version of Bickle's journey into madness (although it more accurately makes a case for the existing madness of Incels), the more appropriate equivalent is without question Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman.

I'll confess that I didn't really want to see it. These days so much of film has become a series of lectures on social justice that, after the insufferable reboot of Charlie's Angels and the ugly one-sided and exploitative Them I just couldn't bother with more of the same.

It didn't help that they wanted twenty bucks to watch it. Then, when Dana and I were flying back to Vegas from a visit with my father-in-law in Pennsylvania, she watched it for free on the inflight. She loved it and, being that Dana is a notoriously finicky critic of film, the recommendation did not fall on deaf ears.

The premise is not what I gleaned from the trailers (Carey Mulligan does not play a serial murderer so much as serial justice seeker) and, like all superior satires, everyone (including the protagonist) gets a bit of shade. 

In the opening minutes of Promising Young Woman, Cassie (a deeply sardonic and wearily angry Mulligan) walks down a street with blood dripping down her leg eating a hot dog. She’s just left the home of Adam Brody, a beta-male who couldn't resist the temptation. She must have murdered him. Nope. It's ketchup from her phallic snack. In a single moment, you realize that Fennell has decided to subvert the male revenge fantasy for something wholly different.

Cassie, a medical school dropout, lives with her parents and works as a barista. She lives with the trauma of her best friend Nina Fisher's rape by a classmate. As a response, Cassie spends a night a week pretending to be the drunk single hot chick in bars. She's looking for the 'nice guys' who invariably offer to take her home and instead take her to their home with the intent to rape the helpless inebriate. She lets them go far before snapping the rubber band and revealing she's completely in control.

Cassie has a book of names. In it she keeps track of every 'nice guy' she confronts as well as another list directly related to Nina's rape. The college dean (Connie Britton) who did nothing when Nina reported her rape; the med school friend (Alison Brie) who dismissed the accusation as crying wolf; the lawyer (Alfred Molina) who bullied Nina into dropping the court case. She plays twisted pranks on them if they haven't yet seen the Nina she knew. She wants them to understand the gravity of their collective action.

After a chance meeting with an actual nice guy (a disarmingly adorable Bo Burnham), Cassie sees a way out of her dark quest. From this point, Fennell does something unexpected and remarkably effective: the film bounces back and forth from dark revenge fantasy to heartwarming romantic comedy in a whiplash manner. It's hard to keep up and serves to keep us guessing throughout.

Fennell (who also wrote the thing) has described Cassie's rage as "like an ingrown toenail" and Mulligan portrays Cassie with the numb pain of that feeling. Fennell isn’t content to simply paint the men as the problem; everyone involved, men and women, are culpable agents. Certainly the men who rape are the actors of personal destruction but the men and women who do not rape yet cover-up or minimize the damage are equally as guilty and ripe for Cassie’s meted out justice.

Travis Bickle was a young man traumatized by war and the abandonment he felt as society realized he was fucked up by a system designed to fuck him up. Cassie Thomas is a young woman traumatized by a system in place designed to fuck her and discard her like a piece of trash.

In fifty years, when college students are watching popular culture for insight into the #MeToo movement, Promising Young Woman will be on the watchlist.

#I Like to Watch #Promising Young Woman

[thefilmsnob]

Happiest Season: ***1/2 out of 5

If you had to list the movies you’ve seen most in your lifetime, I bet the majority would be Christmas films. Is it because they’re fine works of art? Sure, there’s a few. The more likely reason, though, is that they remind us of simpler times, free from the responsibilities of adulthood. We watch them year after year to hold on to that piece of our childhood we miss so much, knowing even the worst ones can fill us with Christmas cheer. There’s a reason why Hallmark movies have become so damn popular and it ain’t the striking cinematography.

Happiest Season, the latest holiday helping, written and directed by Clea DuVall and co-written by Mary Holland, has better cinematography for sure. Not surprisingly, it has better lots of things, a luxury that a feature film production can afford. Yet, the standard holiday tropes are still present: a large family gathering, at least one romance, a shopping mall scene and even the oddly pervasive slapstick episodes (a certain one involving Peter Dinklage makes me cringe every time I watch Elf, an otherwise splendid film).

Within that framework, however, is a feature that few families have seen while cozying up on the sofa in front of the television, hot chocolate in hand with the fireplace crackling in the background. It has a lesbian couple. In fact, there are several gay characters. And, hallelujah, is it ever refreshing, especially in a year punctuated by so much divisiveness. Sure, there are many films with gay characters, but to release one during a season that showcases what many conservatives see as sacred ‘traditional family values’ seems like a bold move.

The love birds in question are Abby Holland (Kristen Stewart) and Harper Caldwell (Mackenzie Davis) and the casting for these marginalized women is fitting since Stewart is grossly underappreciated and Davis is tragically underutilized. Harper is trying to get Abby into the Christmas spirit to no avail; since her parents passed away, it’s hard for Abby to celebrate. Without thinking, Harper invites Abby to her childhood home for the holidays, which is a terrible idea for a few reasons: both girls are fairly introverted, the jittery Abby especially, and Harper still hasn’t come out to her parents, a ‘minor detail’ she only reveals on the drive up. She promises to tell her conservative family after Christmas and following her father’s mayoral race in her hometown.  

It’s an appropriately contrived setup for this type of seasonal rom-com, an eye-roller of a conflict that could’ve been prevented with slightly better planning. Yet, the two ladies and their writers navigate the scene with enough finesse that we’re willing to overlook some lazy plotting and tag along for the ride.

That ride takes them to the quintessential Christmas movie McMansion within the quintessential Christmas movie setting of Anytown, USA. This is where Abby meets Harper’s image conscious and fastidious parents, Ted (the ubiquitous Victor Garber), who’s tightly wound about his mayoral campaign, and Tipper (Mary Steenburgen), who’s tightly wound about everything else. We’re also introduced to Harper’s sister Jane (Mary Holland), who’s the quirky black sheep of the family, and her older sister, who’s vindictive and competitive and whose name, of course, is Sloane (Alison Brie).

It’s a real mixed bag of characters. Some, the leads for instance, feel like real people with layers and nuance. Other characters like those in Harper’s family feel almost cartoonish, a shame considering the talent involved. Riley (Aubrey Plaza) and John (Schitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy) belong in that first camp. The former is Harper’s ex-girlfriend and someone who can relate to Abby when she starts feeling isolated from the Caldwells and the latter is Abby’s best friend. Levy is the highlight of the film, effortlessly earning laughs while also providing some truly heartfelt moments. Yes, he plays the cliché gay best friend giving advice over the phone, but he has a fairly large role and his misadventures while tending to Abby’s fish are priceless.

Meanwhile, the ladies are just trying to get through the season without drama and that means hiding their sexual orientations while pretending Abby is a platonic roommate and orphan, an odd title for a 20-something which makes for some funny exchanges. Essentially, the story is a glorified sit-com with lots of sneaking around and making up stories, silly hijinks that nonetheless underscore some sad truths about society.

For the most part, DuVall and Holland balance the laughs, ranging from head-scratching to hilarious, with serious—even tender—moments that make us care for these girls. But, for some reason, they felt the need to include the generic slapstick bits that often accompany these films. Fortunately, they’re not as long, raucous, or goofy as they could be, but they still contribute to a tonally inconsistent film. A climactic scene featuring adult sisters roughhousing is the biggest offender, stealing the spotlight from several emotional truths trying desperately to emerge.

Yet, Stewart and Davis maintain their hold on us and keep things from turning into a complete farce. Take the Harper character for instance: Davis actually makes us dislike her for a time as she becomes increasingly cold toward Abby yet miraculously wins us back as she, God forbid, lets us see things from a different perspective.

I’ve known about this film for some time as I’ve been following Davis’s career closely since her brilliant work as Cameron Howe in the severely overlooked Halt and Catch Fire. I assumed the movie was a drama based on the plot summary. I think there’s a great film to be made still by taking a serious approach more suitable for this material. Then again, maybe a mainstream audience not inclined to seek out such fair would miss out on the important messages within. That truly would be a shame.

#happiest season #movie review #christmas movies #kristen stewart #mackenzie davis

[aion-rsa]

Best Romantic Movies on Hulu Right Now

https://ift.tt/3b4A8xH

Romance gets a bad rap at the movies. Until you behold the best romantic movies on Hulu.

Yes, Hulu is on the case with an expansive collection of romantic movies for you to connect with your softer side… or the side of you that screams in an eternal tormented shriek, desperately trying to find a mate whose shrieks match your tone in this expansive disappointing nothingness of existence. Love is hard. Anywho, here are the best romantic movies on Hulu right now.

Sense and Sensibility

This Jane Austen character really seems to have a handle on romance. The 1995 film Sense and Sensibility is adapted from the Austen novel of the same name and has a great deal of talent both in front of and behind the camera. Oscar winner Ang Lee directs while Emma Thompson (yes, that Emma Thompson) wrote the script.

Thompson stars alongside Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant. The movie, like the book concerns the Dashwood sisters and their sudden descent into non-stupendous wealth. Of course then the romance begins (not between the sisters, weirdos. Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant are in this thing too, remember?)

AWOL

AWOL is how indie romances should be – small, authentic, affecting. Joey (Lola Kirke) and Rayna (Breeda Wool) are two young women from a nowheresville Pennsylvania town. They meetcute at a local carnival and quickly fall for each other but circumstances threaten to crush their romance before it can even begin.

AWOL understands first and foremost that while love is easy, relationships (and arguably everything else in the world is hard). Sometimes what you want and what your environment is able to allow you to have are two very different things.

Margarita with a Straw

2014’s Margarita with a Straw is both a coming-of-age and romance film the likes of which you’ve probably never seen. This Indian film comes from director Shonali Bose and stars Kalki Koechlin as Laila, an Indian teenager with cerebral palsy, trying to achieve some independence in her life.

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That opportunity comes for Laila when she is accepted to New York Universtiy and moves to Greenwich Village. There she meets and falls in love with blind Pakistani activist. Miles from home, Laila must deal with her changing, burgeoning sexuality and live in a world not built for her. But it’s cool: she can always take her margarita with a straw. 

Hello, My Name is Doris

Between TBS’s (now HBO Max’s) Search Party and Hello, My Name is Doris, director Michael Showalter had a stellar 2016. Hello, My Name is Doris is a wonderfully sweet, equally tragic and completely hilarious romantic comedy. 

Sally Field stars as the titular Doris, a lively woman in her ’60s who after the death of her mother becomes infatuated with a younger man. With the help of cliched self-help materials she does whatever she can to get his attention. Hello, My Name is Doris is an empathetic romantic comedy that will change how you view age.

Cashback

Cashback wins a very important award on this list: most intriguing, provocative poster. But it’s more than just a pretty poster. Cashback is a British romantic comedy about the most mundane of topics: working at a grocery store.

For anyone who as ever been young and had an interest in the opposite sex (or any sex for that matter), however, they know that one’s place of employment is often an absolute fountain of sex and chemistry. If that simple exposition isn’t enough, Cashback comes along with a sci-fi twist and more importantly: Oliver Wood from the Harry Potter series. 

Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In may seem like another odd choice for a romantic movie on Hulu but it’s romantic and sweet in a way that few other movies are. Sure, the players involved are a little boy and a little girl vampire (though the fact that she’s a vampire may very well mean she’s centuries old, just try not to think about it).

It’s a spooky yet undeniably sweet movie that presents the female side of a romantic entanglement as the ultimate protector.

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50 First Dates

50 First Dates has a somewhat disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score. Ignore that. It’s probably partially due to many critics’ distaste for at least one of the actors in the above screengrab. Not that they can be blamed. The presence of Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider in any comedy can be a rough sign. In 50 First Dates‘, however, it’s not an issue at all.

50 First Dates is a legitimately funny and romantic romantic comedy. Drew Barrymore stars as Lucy Whitmore, a woman with short-term memory loss. Due to a car accident, every day she wakes up believing it is October 13, 2002. Sandler’s character Henry Roth meets her in Hawaii and the two must overcome this bizarre condition to establish a lasting relationship.

Date Night

What do you get when you take the male lead of a popular NBC sitcom and pair him with the female lead (and mastermind behind) another popular NBC sitcom? A pretty decent rom-com as it turns out! Date Night stars Steve Carell (The Office) and Tina Fey (30 Rock) as a disaffected married couple trying to spice up their love life with a romantic night out on the town. But when a reservation steal turns into a case of mistaken identity, the pair’s night gets quite dangerous.

Date Night‘s action-heavy concept isn’t anything new to the romantic comedy genre but the presence of Carell and Fey (along with Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, James Franco, Kirsten Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, and a whole host of other impressive talent) is enough to make this a pleasant viewing experience.

The Princess Bride

So you want to watch one of the most purely lovely and entertaining romance movies of all time? Well Hulu is here to say “as you wish.” The Princess Bride is a 1987 fantasy adventure film based on a book by prolific screenwriter William Goldman. The inspiration to the story infamously came from Goldman’s two daughters requesting conflicting stories about “princesses” and “brides.” So the writer decided to do two for the price of one.

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In this adaptation, Cary Elwes stars as Westley, a young farmhand who loves Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright). But when Westley is shipwrecked and left for dead and Buttercup is betrothed to Prince Humperdinck, the hero must embark on a sprawling adventure to rescue her. And of course this is a framed bedtime story being told to Fred Savage in bed…as all movies should be.

The Boy Downstairs

So much of what goes into a good romantic relationship is timing. Sometimes the chemistry is there but the timing is not. 2017’s The Boy Downstairs delves into this phenomenon from a millennial perspective.

Aspiring Brooklyn writer Diana (Zosia Mamet) and aspiring musician (millennials are always aspiring, you see) Ben (Matthew Shear) are in a happy, successful relationship. But Diana is forced to break things off after she moves to London. When Diana returns, she finds a new apartment through her friend and guess who just happens to be the boy downstairs? That’s right: Ben…and with a new girlfriend, no less. What follows is a funny, yet mature examination of what it takes to get the right one back.

Happiest Season

The setup for Hulu’s 2020 Internet-breaking comedy Happiest Season is very romantic…to a point. Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis) are in love. Yay! Not only that, but they’re going to Harper’s parents’ house for Christmas where Abby might propose. Woo! Also Harper has not told her parents she’s a lesbian and in a committed relationship with a woman. Oh. Oh no. Poor Abby!

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Questionable setup aside, this an excellent, personal effort from actress turned writer-director Clea DuVall. It’s an attention-grabber and conversation-starter to be sure. It also certainly doesn’t hurt that much of the cast is mind-meltingly hot. Stewart, Davis, Alison Brie, and Aubrey Plaza are like a who’s who of TV and movie crushes. Hell even Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen can absolutely get it. All in all, the charismatic cast and accessible concept makes for a surprisingly wholesome romance movie.

Plus One

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something really charming about erstwhile TV stars playing the lead opposite each other in a romantic movie. Such is the case with 2019’s Plus One, which stars Maya Erskine (of Pen15) and Jack Quaid (of The Boys).

Erskine and Quaid star as long-time friends Alice and Ben enduring the portion of their twenties where every friend seems to be getting married at once. Thankfully Alice and Ben have a longstanding agreement to always be each other’s “plus one” at every wedding. But such an arrangement couldn’t possibly lead to them discovering they have romantic feelings for each other, right? Right???

Palm Springs

“Time loop” movies frequently try to distinguish themself from Groundhog Day, the progenitor and most famous example of the form, by changing up the genre. Edge of Tomorrow is an action movie and Happy Death Day is a horror movie, for instance. What’s so impressive about Palm Springs is that it leans in to the romantic and comedic stylings of Groundhog Day and in many ways bests them.

In this movie, Andy Samberg styles as Nyles, a young man living through the hell of experiencing the same day (a wedding in Palm Springs) on a loop. In one particular loop, Nyles accidentally brings in the bride’s sister Sarah (Christin Milioti) and the two must confront the reality of living the same day over and over again forever together. You know…just like any couple.

LOVE AND BASKETBALL, Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, 2000, (c)New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection

Love and Basketball

And now we come to a movie whose title is the two greatest things in the world! Love and Basketball is about…well, what you’d think. Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) are two next-door neighbors in Los Angeles, California, who are both singularly focused on pursuing their respective basketball careers.

Love and Basketball is a film all about passions – both creative and romantic. The movie also does a surprisingly thorough job of marking all the important beats of a relationship from childhood through the adult years. There’s a reason Love and Basketball has become a modest cult classic – it’s a fine execution of both the romantic and sports movie genres.

The post Best Romantic Movies on Hulu Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[ablogcalledrevenge]

Tag Meme!

Rules: answer 20 questions then tag bloggers you want to get to know better

I was tagged by @babbushka​, though technically she didn’t. I just like talking about myself.

Name: Brielle

Nickname: Brie, Brielley, Briellezebub, Sunshine (my mom calls me that)

Zodiac sign: Cancer

Height: 5′0

Languages: English and some very basic French. I also know some Yiddish phrases I learned from grandparents.

Nationality: American 

Fave flower: Lilies

Fave season: Autumn

Fave scent: Vanilla, Caramel, Apples, Lavender

Fave Perfume: I’m in the process of picking my ~signature scent~ but I really love Bonbon by Victor & Rolf, and Pillowtalk Poet by Pinrose.

Fave designer: Kate Spade

Fave color: PURPLE, any shade honestly but i prefer pastels

Fave animal: Giraffes

Fave fictional character: Luna Lovegood

Personality: I have no idea how to describe that. INFJ I guess. I’m a shy romantic moody bitch 

Hobbies: Writing, watching and analyzing movies, shopping, baking

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: Tea

Average sleep: on days when i work, I get about 6-7 hours but on non work days, i can sleep 9-10 hours lol

Dogs or Cats: Cats, though dogs are absolutely wonderful

Number of blankets you sleep with: 1 in the warmer months, 2 when it gets cold

Dream trip: New Zealand

Blog established: May 2010, I’ve been here a very long time lol

Followers: again, i don’t know what you want here. I have wonderful followers that I’m very thankful for.

Random fact: I have never broken a bone, however when I was a freshman in college I did pull a muscle in my foot and ankle going down a bouncy slide. I had to use crutches and everything.

I’m tagging: WHOEVER WANTS TO DO THIS, IT WAS FUN!

#personal

[anonthenullifier]

So I was cleaning out my writing documents and re-discovered all of my notes for a SV roller derby AU. I had planned to write it last year for the Scarlet Vision Valentine’s AU event, but didn’t because I realized it was going to end up being a multi-chaptered ordeal and I just didn’t have the time or energy to do so. Sadly I will likely never write it  but did have fun brainstorming it, so I thought I’d share the world building and plot that I did come up with in case anyone might enjoy it. 

Rough Story Summary: Victor Shade recently relocated to upstate New York after accepting a cybersecurity position at Stark Industries. His boss, THE Tony Stark, refuses to accept Vision’s preference for living in peace and insists he attend a bout for the local roller derby team, the Thunder Dolls, for which Stark is both a patron and a ref.  What started as a begrudging placation to his over-enthusiastic boss, turns into genuine wonder as he takes in the brutal yet complex game on the track and finds himself drawn to the ethereal movements of one particular jammer, Scarlet Witch.

Below the cut are character summaries and a fairly rough plot. Hope you enjoy!

Brief note on terminology for roller derby:

Bout = a match between two teams

Jammer = this is the person who wears a helmet cover with a star on it. This is the person that scores points. They first have to make it out of the pack (see below) and then on each lap around the track after that during the 2 minute period they get a point for each player of the opposing side they pass. 

Blocker = the other members of the team on the track. Their job is to block the other team’s jammer while also helping their own jammer through the pack to help her score points. 

Pivot = a blocker that wears a helmet cover with a solid line down the middle. This gives them the ability to have the jammer helmet cover transferred to them and they then become the jammer. 

Pack =  the largest conglomeration of blockers from both teams currently on the track.

List of Characters

Note: each person may have multiple pieces of information: Their name, their derby name, a description of their non-derby life, and, when applicable, what the announcers would say for their character at the derby bout. Also...some characters have more info than others based on how important they were going to be to the story and how far I got in actually planning them out. 

The Thunder Dolls

Thor Odinson aka Thor: A professor of literature with a specialization in mythology and a hobby in astrophysics by day, and at night, he is the bench coach for the Thunder Dolls. He wears leather pants, a fur-lined vest with no shirt underneath, and a horned viking hat for bouts.

Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow: Former special ops (her partner was Clint) and currently runs a bootcamp style gym, though everyone suspects she is still a spy but are too afraid to ask her. She is one of the co-captains, the main strategist, and a blocker.

“Be careful ladies and gentleman, she’s quick, she’s silent, and she’ll eat you once she’s done, the co-captain of the Thunder Dolls, Black Widow!”

Okoye aka Wakondyass: Was a visiting Fulbright scholar in chemical engineering and was offered a position upon finishing her Fulbright. She is a blocker and co-captain of the Thunder Dolls. 

“You better never try to get between our co-captain and her team or else she’ll Wakondyass!”

Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch: She is a social worker who works primarily with refugee and immigrant families. On the team she is a jammer who many suspect can read minds and manipulate the people around her because of how seamlessly she weaves between all the skaters on the track. 

“I hope you brought your salt, because you’re going to want to throw it over your shoulders if you cross her path, next up we have the Scarlet Witch!”

Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel: Active in the Air Force and plays derby whenever she’s back home. She is a pivot.  

“Our next skater is a marvel to behold and has nothing at all to prove to you, put your hands together for Captain Marvel!”

Pepper Potts aka Rescue: CEO of Stark Industries and fiancee of Tony Stark. In her spare time she runs a rescue shelter for dogs. She is a pivot.

Other members of the team (forgive the rough names, never finished these):

Hope van Dyne aka Winsome Wasp: A jammer. 

Brie Hilde aka Valkyrie: A blocker

Maria Hill aka The Shield: A blocker

Gamora aka Xenomorph : A blocker. 

aka Nebula: A blocker.

aka Preying Mantis (called Mantis for short): A jammer. 

Peggy Carter aka MI #6: A blocker

Jessica Jones aka This Is My Alias: A blocker

Trish Walker aka Hellcat: A jammer.

Non-Skating Characters 

Victor Shade aka The Vision: a computer engineer specializing in cybersecurity. He finally attends a bout when Tony chips away at all of his excuses and he gets a free ticket in order to be a line-up tracker. Eventually he moves up to become a penalty box official.  Scott Lang aka Ant-Man: an electrical engineer by day and a derby announcer on the weekends. His entomology hobby got him his name.  Clint Barton aka Hawkeye: former special ops who now has a quiet life on a farm with his family. He is the other announcer for the derby bouts. Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier: Friend and former member of Steve’s original military unit. He now tries to live a normal life and has been trying to get Black Widow to notice him. He is a penalty box official. Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver: A professional speed skater who is often out of town for training and competitions. Wanda used to do pairs competitions with him but decided that speed skating was too linear and boring for her. 

Zebra Team (aka Skating Refs)

Tony Stark aka Iron Man: founder of Stark Industries and a jam ref for the Thunder Dolls.   

Clint: “We all love to hate him, it’s the genius, billionaire, playboy...”

Scott: “Former playboy, Hawkeye.”

Clint: “...former playboy, philanthropist, jam ref, Iron Man.”

Steve Rogers aka Captain America: current military member who is a jam ref when he is not on active duty. 

Clint:“ (Caw-Caw sound effect) Is that a bald eagle? You bet your stars and stripes it is, so please stand and pledge your allegiance to our head ref tonight, Captain America!”

Sam Wilson aka Falcon: former military, currently working towards his Ph.D. in clinical psychology while externing at the VA (Veteran’s Administration). Is an outside ref. 

James Rhodes (Rhodey) aka War Machine: current military, best friend of Tony Stark. An outside ref. 

“Our outside refs tonight are the dynamic, swooping duo of War Machine and Falcon!”

The Rough Plot

Event 1: Vision is invited to a bout by Tony because he “needs to get a life and meet people”. Tries to dodge it as best he can, eventually settling on the fact he doesn’t have the money with his recent move. Tony, who first points out how much he pays Victor, finally settles on the strategy of informing him they just happen to need a line-up tracker so he can get in for free if he’s willing to write down some numbers. Vision gives in because he can tell Tony will never drop it until he agrees. At the bout Vision finds himself engrossed in figuring out the strategy of the game and might also be a bit entranced by watching Scarlet Witch move on the track. He even messes up his lineups a few times because he can’t stop watching in awe. Tony invites him to the after party but Vision turns him down.  

Event 2: After Vision attends a couple more bouts and seems to enjoy it, Tony suggests he should go through the ref boot camp coming up because they can always use more skating officials. Vision admits he, quite unfortunately, doesn’t know how to skate and believes that will be the end of it. Except Tony swings by his cubicle later that day to invite him to the adult skate night at the local roller rink and informs Vision that no is not an acceptable answer. So Vision goes to the skate night and discovers that most of the derby team is there, as it is a weekly hang out for them. Vision tries to leave but Tony spots him and pays for his skate rentals (you know, since Vision claims to be so poor), even lets Vision borrow his wrist guards and knee pads since he’s a skating virgin. 

Vision is...not good at skating, at all, his limbs all want to go in opposite directions and he thinks he might be too tall, plus gravity is a cold hearted asshole. Additionally, Tony ditched him as soon as he saw Pepper. This leaves Vision clinging to the wall for support while he works his way to the exit until a woman appears in front of him skating backwards. It is Scarlet Witch and she offers to help him figure out how to skate. A bit flummoxed, Vision takes a few seconds too long to respond and not be socially awkward, but she doesn’t seem to notice or at least doesn’t care. Scarlet Witch (her derby friends call her Scarlet so he does as well) sticks with him almost the whole night, gently providing pointers and (after asking permission) touching his hips and knees to help him get into the best stance. The only time she isn’t with him is for the backward skate, which he sits out and watches as she glides effortlessly around the track. At the end of the night, Scarlet Witch comes over to him and hands him a flier. For the first time she’s a bit nervous as she says, “I don’t know if this applies to you, but if it does then...you should check it out. I’ll be there with some of the team.” After she leaves he sees it is a flier for a Valentine’s Day Singles Skate night. 

Event(ish) 3: Vision goes to the singles night and spends it with Scarlet Witch and three of the other skaters. He has a good time and gets dinner with all of them afterwards. From then on he goes to the weekly skate night, each time getting a tiny bit better, which is nice (mainly for his ass because he falls less) but it also means Scarlet Witch isn’t as close to him the whole time, though she checks up on him often and will slow down to skate with him throughout the night. Usually he goes out for food afterwards, one time it ends up just being him and Scarlet Witch. 

Event 4: Vision bumps into Scarlet Witch at a little diner near work and she asks if he wants to sit with her. When he calls her Scarlet, she for the first time smiles a bit embarrassed and informs him her name is Wanda when she doesn’t have skates on. They have a nice lunch and make plans to meet again in a couple weeks when she’s back in the neighborhood for work. 

Event 5: Throughout the months since his first bout, Vision has moved up to being a penalty box official alongside the Winter Soldier. In general, Wanda doesn’t talk to him during bouts, because she’s so focused, but she does share some banter with him when she tries to stand too soon during her penalty time and he has to politely tell her to sit down. It’s not long after she leaves the box that one of the blockers on the opposing team just blindsides  her and sends Wanda flying into a wall. When Wanda doesn’t immediately get up, Tony calls for a time out due to a downed skater, and Vision, without thinking, rushes across the track to check on Wanda. She’s fine, a bit discombobulated, but skates it off with a big smile and double handed wave to the cheering crowd. The thing is, no one is supposed to rush the track and Vision is (in a mainly friendly manner) made fun of the rest of the night by skaters being sent to the penalty box (quite a few Lover Boys and insinuations of him being under the witch’s spell...which isn’t exactly wrong). After the bout, Vision waits awkwardly near the concession stands in sight of the locker room exit so he can catch Wanda on her way out and apologize for his breaking protocol. When she sees him, she confidently walks over, ignores his stuttering apology, and kisses him. 

#scarlet vision #wanda maximoff #vision #the vision #roller derby au #i have no energy to write a multi-chapter thing #but i do miss playing roller derby and think about this story every so often #mine

[bbclesmis]

BBC’s lavish Les Misérables gives poverty a northern accent

Dominic West plays the outcast Valjean with a Yorkshire tone in the adaptation of Victor Hugo’s French revolutionary novel, which also stars Lily Collins as Fantine and David Oyelowo as Inspector Javert.

In Victor Hugo’s classic 19th century novel Les Misérables, the heroic lower-class protagonist Jean Valjean hails from the small town of Faverolles in the Brie region of France.

That left producers of the BBC’s lavish new adaptation with a dilemma: how to communicate the character’s peasant roots to British viewers unfamiliar with the class connotations of regional French accents.

Their solution was simple: ask Dominic West, who plays Valjean, to speak like a northerner, because that is how Britons expect working-class people to sound. “As we were making this for an English-language audience I think you are missing a trick if you don’t speak to that audience in the language that they understand,” Tom Shankland, who directed the six-part series, said.

“In Britain there are class divisions that we perceive on the basis of accents,” he said at a recent Q&A. “So the simplest rule that we found was really to nod towards those rules that we have in our own divided society, but without ever leaning into them very heavily.”

Although West, 54, went to Eton and Trinity College Dublin he was born and brought up in Sheffield, so a softened South Yorkshire accent became the starting point for his Valjean. West previously adopted American accents for his roles in the critically acclaimed US dramas The Wire and The Affair.

Shankland said he aimed to ensure that British viewers “understand the game we were playing” without going too far, adding that because the original dialogue was in French, “in a way you’re free to make any call”.

The BBC’s song-free adaptation of Les Misérables — the musical is the second longest-running show in the West End, behind The Mousetrap — begins on December 30 in the Sunday-night slot that propelled Bodyguard and The Cry to ratings success.

Turning Valjean into a northerner was not the only radical decision taken by producers as they sought to transform Hugo’s sprawling revolutionary novel into prime-time television. Valjean’s nemesis, Inspector Javert, is played by David Oyelowo, an English actor of Nigerian ancestry who is best known for portraying Martin Luther King in the Hollywood biopic Selma. He said that colour-blind casting in period dramas was entirely reasonable because it helped to make them more relevant to viewers’ lives.

“The thing I’m really proud of is that I grew up here in the UK watching period dramas that were relevant to my life with images that didn’t necessarily reflect who I am. But they still were resonant to me. Now my 12-year-old self can have the same experience, but more so,” he said.

The BBC adaptation also stars Lily Collins as Fantine, the working-class orphan who works as a prostitute to support her daughter, and Olivia Colman as the conning innkeeper Madame Thenardier. It was filmed in Belgium.

The screenwriter Andrew Davies, who also adapted Pride and Prejudice and War & Peace for television, said that the Les Misérables story had powerful contemporary relevance. “We live in society as divided into rich and poor as the society that Hugo was talking about,” he said. “A lot of people, like Fantine, don’t really have solid ground to stand on if something goes wrong. They’re on the street. It’s alarming.”

Davies also suggested that the plot had hidden homosexual undertones. Javert “may possibly be in love” with Valjean “in a strange, warped way”, explaining why he devoted his life to pursuing him, he said.

Les Misérables, BBC One, Sunday December 30, 9pm (x)

#les mis bbc #bbc les mis #tom shankland #dominic west #david oyelowo #Andrew Davies #Interviews #articles

[myrandom-fandomlife]

ayo for s3 let’s give rahim someone who will love him the way benji and victor love each other that way my favorite ship can get together without one of my favorite characters being unhappy

#love victor spoilers #brie watches love victor #venji #rahim love victor #rahim lv #lv #victor salazar #benji campbell

[nancywheelxr]

weird asks: 9, 12, 15, 47, 55, 58, 92, 98

Hey, thanks for asking!

9. Favorite smell in the summer?

Hm, here it nearly always rains in the evening during summers, so the smell of rain and fresh earth shortly after-- the absolute best!

12. Name of your favorite playlist?

I’ve been basically listening to the Umbrella Academy Soundtrack and the Magicians soundtrack lately, so that’s that, I guess.

15. Favorite book you read as a school assignment?

It’s definitely a tie between Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and As Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas ( The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas ) by Machado de Assis. I love both of these books so much, although o Cortiço ( The Slum ) by Aluísio Azevedo is a close second.

47. Favorite type of cheese?

Brie! All the way!!

55. Favorite fairy tale?

I loved the Beauty and the Beast as a child, and still love it to this day. Belle used to be my favorite Disney Princess until I watched Mulan.

58. Four talents you’re proud of?

Oh god, this is really hard, but okay, let’s see. 

I’m very good at math! I love it and I have always been good at it, which really helps considering my major.

Apparently, I can write? The jury still out on this one, but you guys seem to like it, so? Thank you, all of you.

I have a good memory! ( can you tell I don’t know how to finish this list? )

I used to be very good at street dance as a kid?????

92. Lamps, overhead lights, sunlight, or fairy lights?

Fairy lights all the way!!! Love me some pretty little lights!!! It gives everything such a dream-like vibe!!!!

98. Favorite historical era?

Ancient greece! I mean, everything’s just so natural and men haven’t really fucked up the planet yet, and it has such beautiful air. I’m sure it’s all very romanticized, but I still love it. ( That and also the French Revolution because I, too, would like to guillotine the rich. )

[goldenglobeawardsnews-blog]

Golden Globes 2019 Date, Host, Nominees, & News

'Tis the season to deck the Beverly Hilton Hotel lobbies with Hollywood's greatest stars. The truth is out, grants season has arrived, starting with the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

In spite of the fact that seemingly not as spectacular as the Oscars, the Golden Globes have for quite some time been a renowned honor function praising the best in TV and film. A year ago's victors included fan-top choices, for example, The Handmaid's Tale, Lady Bird, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Big Little Lies.

Performers — including a portion of our most loved ladies in Hollywood — scored huge, as well. Oprah Winfrey won the Cecil B. DeMille Award; Frances McDormand won Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Saoirse Ronan won Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Motion Picture for Lady Bird; Elisabeth Moss won Best Actress in a Drama TV Series for The Handmaid's Tale; and Allison Janney won Best Supporting Actress for I, Tonya.

Be that as it may, the 2018 Golden Globes weren't simply one more occasion for Hollywood to congratulate itself. Rather, ladies drove the vital energize to mix mindfulness about the Time's Up development by wearing all dark and tending to imperative subjects like sex and racial imbalance in the film and media ventures, and in addition inappropriate behavior. We'll perpetually value Winfrey's amazing statement that "another day is not too far off" for ladies and young ladies all over the place.

Things being what they are, by what method will the 2019 Golden Globes contrast from a year ago? Here's all that you have to think about the function.

At the point when are they?

The 2019 Golden Globes will happen on Sunday, January 6, 2019, and will air on NBC from 5-8 p.m. PST/8-11 p.m. EST.

Where are they?

The current year's function will happen at the remarkable Beverly Hilton Hotel situated in Beverly Hills, CA.

How might you watch the show live?

For those with link, you can watch the Golden Globes Live Stream on NBC. You can likewise stream the service on NBC.com or through the NBC application (accessible for telephones, tablets, PCs, and gaming supports).

On the off chance that you don't have link or the NBC application, you can likewise stream through Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Playstation Vue, Sling TV, DirecTV, and fuboTV.

Who's facilitating?

A year ago, Seth Meyers facilitated the occasion and earned for the most part positive surveys. This year, Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg will steer.

Who will distribute the genuine statues?

The HFPA has named 2019's Golden Globes Ambassador (a change from the already gendered title of Miss/Mr. Brilliant Globes): Isan Elba, the little girl of People's Sexiest Man Alive, Idris Elba. Isan is now putting her title to extraordinary use by sparkling a light on emotional well-being.

"Psychological well-being, explicitly among African Americans and my friends specifically, is something I truly need to be increasingly vocal about," she said in an announcement, as per Entertainment Weekly. "There's this apparent shame, and I've seen companions battle. We have to enable youngsters to not be reluctant to request help."

What did we say? Ladies complete poop.

Who's assigned?

Dick Cheney biopic Vice is the narrative of the year with six assignments, and ladies executives were closed out once more. Here's the entire list of nominees people, and the total list of censures. Befuddled regarding why A Star Is Born is contending in the dramatization class rather than melodic/satire? Here's the clarification.

What's the clothing standard?

Expect strong styles dribbling with charm at this ultra-formal occasion. Planners like Christian Siriano, Dior, Oscar de la Renta, and Versace are certain to dress a portion of the stars. Ideally, more creators will be as liberal as Sachin and Babi, Calvin Klein, Genny, and Prabal Gurung, every one of whom gave to the Time's Up store a year ago.

Will there be another celebrity lane power outage to help Time's Up?

There's no word on whether Time's Up is arranging another power outage at the 2019 Golden Globes. In any case, we wouldn't put it past Brie Larson and Tessa Thompson, two of the most dynamic Time's Up coordinators, to organize a little occasion. The ladies as of late joined USC's Stacy Smith for a ground-breaking talk about how to transform activism energetically in The Hollywood Reporter, and what better approach to get the opportunity to work than by spreading their message on the worldwide stage?

#Golden Globes #Golden Globes 2019 #76th Golden Globe Awards #Golden Globe Awards #Golden Globe Awards 2019 #Golden Globe Award #76th Golden Globe