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mookie--jam · 2 years

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Chapter 19 (Part 1): Black (Empty Canvas)

“Lola, thank God you made it”, Johnny shouts at me so his voice will be heard over the music booming through The Vogue. He gives me a quick hug, finding it much more important to sip his Vodka Cranberry at that moment.

“Of course I made, though it was a bitch to get in. Where’s Corrine?” I ask as I try to signal one of the bartenders in the hopes of getting a drink.

“She’s still backstage with the guys, though she promised to come and watch the show here with us. So she’ll be here in a few minutes”, Johnny tells me and I nod in response as I order myself a rum and coke. Tonight is Mookie Blaylock’s second show ever. At first I didn’t want to come because every time I see Eddie it hurts like a motherfucker. But then Stone, Jeff and Mike kept telling me how excited they were for this gig. Mike even dropped by my job at the hotel to beg me to come to the gig. Apparently there’s a few guys from a record label in the crowd tonight interested in signing them. I couldn’t not come. That would make me a fucking horrible friend and I couldn’t do that to the guys. Also I still needed to thank Eddie for the flowers he sent me for my birthday. It had been two weeks and I hadn’t yet been able to muster up the courage to call him on the phone. I wonder if he’s okay. I hope his stage fright isn’t getting the best of him.

“Are you okay Johnny? You seem awfully quiet today”, I tell after a few moments of silence spent between us, which is a very rare occurrence. He’s aggressively stirring around the ice in his cup with a straw.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to go to the doctor tomorrow for a routine check up, but I know he’ll have to take blood and I just hate fucking needles”, Johnny tells me, sounding traumatized by the thought of it alone.

“Oh you big baby”, I chuckle and wrap an arm around his shoulders, gently squeezing the top of his arm.

“You’ll be fine, trust me”, I say and Johnny lets out a half whine besides me. I’m about to tell him that he doesn’t need to fucking worry but at that point Corrine appears in front of us and wraps her arms around both Johnny and I giving us a group hug.

“Hey, how are the guys? Are they nervous?” I ask Corrine and even though I say guys, I only care about one name. I’ve seen the other perform at least a hundred times and they’re always fine. It’s Eddie that I worry about.

“Most of them are okay. You know the normal preshow jitters”, Corrine tells me and I already feel that something else is coming.

“Eddie on the other hand. The poor guy is on the verge of a nervous break down”, Corrine tells me and my heart drops.

“That’s why I’m here. I know you guys to be on speaking terms and the last time you were able to calm him down. There’s a lot riding on this performance and the other guys are getting worried, because he’s nearly catatonic. Would you just please go and talk to him”, she continues. She practically begging me.

“Corrine, I don’t know…” I say. It could work and I could calm him down. Though the last time I did that was through kissing him, which isn’t and option now. But maybe I could be able to calm him down again. But maybe I could make him more stressed out and panicked than he already was.

“Please, Lola, I wouldn’t ask this of you if it wasn’t necessary”, Coco says. I know I could calm him down, I just need to trust my instincts.

“Okay, I’ll go. But I can’t promise anything”, I tell her and I start making my way through the crowd to get to the backstage.

“You’re a saint”, I hear Corrine shout. I shake my head at her commentary and continue to push my way through the crowd at The Vogue. The place is packed to mass capacity and there a bunch more people outside trying to get in. Most of them are here for Alice in Chains, that’s a fact. But over the last few weeks the Seattle Music scene has been buzzing with talk about Mookie. They’ve been working on a project with Chris and it’s already set to release in April of next year. So everyone is really fucking curious. Also because some of the old Mother Love Bone and Green River fanbase didn’t hear in time about Mookie’s first show. So even though people are here mainly to see the Alice guys, there’s more than a little curiosity towards the Mookie guys. I eventually manage to get to the back stage door.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” a guy asks me as I open the door. I turn around to look at him, judging from his clothes he looks like he could be part of the security crew.

“My name is Lola Carmichael. I’m here to see Eddie Vedder of Mookie Blaylock”, I tell the guy quite confidently. It’s something I picked up when I was dating Andy and needed to get backstage; just act like you belong her, because you do. So don’t be fucking nervous and stutter. The security guy however is not really having it.

“Why haven’t I heard your name mentioned before?”, he asks me and I practically want to roll my eyes, because for a hot second I think I’m gonna have to explain the whole fucking situation between Eddie and I and why I need to get backstage, preferably before they have to go on stage. But I’m saved by someone pulling me through the half open stage door.

“She belongs with us, it’s cool”, Stone tells the security guy who just shrugs, but I can’t help but give him a somewhat smug smile. Something along the lines of: told ya, motherfucker.

“Thank God you came”, Stone tells me as soon as he closes the door. He wraps me up in a hug that nearly squishes all the air from my body.

“You’re not the first one to say that tonight”, I mumble against his chest. Eventually he finally releases me from his grip and I’m able to breathe once again.

“So, where is he?” I ask him, wanting to get down to business. Also because I’m worried for him. I need to know that he’s doing okay. Because when Andy couldn’t handle stress in the past, he reached for fucking dope and that’s not what I ever want Eddie to do.

“He’s locked himself in the restroom”, Stone tells me sounding hopeless. I’ve been backstage at The Vogue before so I know where the restroom is. Without saying another word to Stone I make my way over to said restroom. I find Jeff in front of the door, softly knocking on it, though his voice isn��t exactly soft.

“Ed, get the fuck out here”, he mutters angrily. I shake my head and push Jeff aside. Jeff gives me a surprised look.

“That’s not gonna fucking work. He’s never gonna get out of that restroom out of free will”, I tell him and I rummage through my black satchel bag for something that will help the situation.

“Oh, and what do you intend to do then?” Jeff asks me. Oh Ament, you know me longer than today. you know I have a way of working around these things. Eventually I find a quarter at the bottom of my bag. I put it in the outside groove of the toilet door lock and turn it around, effectively unlocking the restroom door. I open it and give Jeff a look that says something along the lines of: I told you, never underestimate me. After that I close the door behind me and lock it again. I hear an aggravated moan from the outside, but decide to ignore it. The restroom is a bit bigger than a one person stall, but not much. Eddie is sitting on the toilet (thankfully he’s put down the seat and the cover and is very clearly using it as chair, rather than something else). He hasn’t even moved or flinched since I entered the room.

I kneel down in front of him and take his hands, which are in his lap, in mine. I use my thumbs to stroke the back of his hands.

“Eddie”, I softly say his name and nearly sigh out in relief when he slowly lifts his head to look at me.

“Hey, are you okay?” I ask him, not knowing what else to ask him at this point. He stays quiet for a second and I’m worried that Corrine wasn’t exaggerating when she said that he was nearly catatonic.

“Not really”, he eventually says. Good I’m making progress. My current plan of action is to keep asking him question so he’ll come out of his slightly catatonic state to then switch to a subject that always makes him happy and somewhat excited so that he’ll have the right energy to go on stage.

“What’s the matter? Why are you so nervous?” I ask him, making sure to speak calmly and softly because the last thing I need is for him to have a panic attack.

“There’s a lot riding on this show. There’s people from Epic records that are coming to see us, so it’s important we play well. And… I’m just scared to fuck up”, he tells me. I nod. I knew it was something along these lines. But I have a feeling there’s still some things that he’s holding back. But I know better than to try and get it from him all at once.

“I haven’t had the chance to thank you yet for those flowers you gave me on my birthday. They were absolutely beautiful. So thank you”, I tell him, trying to change the subject a bit and also because I really needed to thank him for them.

“You liked them?” he asks me, somewhat shyly. It always confuses me when he acts shy around me. I thought we were past shyness, but I guess when we came to the conclusion that we could never be together that it set us back in our friendship as well. So Eddie sometimes is shy around me now. I don’t get why, but I do find it really endearing.

“I loved them, thank you so much”, I tell him and I can’t help but lean over and give him a peck on his cheek as a sign of gratitude. He gives me a small smile.

“Come here”, he mutters, somewhat shyly, somewhat pleading and gestures to his lap. I’m in doubt of about exactly 0.3 seconds before I oblige to his order and straddle his lap. I take his head in my hands and place a soft kiss on his forehead, stroking his hair in the process. Eddie wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer. For the first time in a long time I feel good again. Why does this always happen? Why do I feel incomplete until I’m in his arms again?

“I’ve been such a fuck up lately. I just assume that this will go wrong as well”, he says, resting his head against my chest as I play with his hair. Oh my love, you weren’t the one to fuck up, I was.

“Eddie, would you look at me?” I ask him and he slowly raises his head until his baby blues meet my eyes.

“You’ll be fine. Because I’ve heard you sing many many times before and not once did you ever fuck up”, I tell him and I see a small smile form on his lips. Oh how I want to kiss him again.

“And if you get too nervous up there, just look in the crowd. Johnny, Corrine and I will be front row”, I continue.

“But there’s also about 300 other people and the guys from the record company. Those are the ones that get on my nerves”, he says somewhat hopelessly.

“Whenever it gets too much, just look at me. And imagine that you’re in the basement of the gallery, with just me there following rehearsal, like I’ve done before”, I try to reassure him.

“I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything”, he eventually says and I give him a little smile. He’s out of his catatonic state and just seems really nervous now. But it’s the kind of nervousness that he should be able to handle.

“Lola…” he says my name and is about to say something else when we’re interrupted by someone banging on the door.

“FOR FUCK’S SAKE GET OUT OF THERE! WE NEED TO GO ON IN FIVE!” Jeff shouts from the other side of the door. We both turn our heads towards the door. Eddie lets out a sigh.

“I guess it’s now or never”, he mutters and I turn my head back around to face him. I can’t help it, and tuck a strand of his hair behind his air.

“You’ll be okay, right?” I ask him, now more nervous than he seems. He is such a talented musician and so are the other guys. The though that they might miss out on an opportunity like this is nerve wrecking. Eddie’s voice needs to be heard. Heard by more people than all clubs in Seattle could hold and this could be his shot.

“I think so. And if I get too nervous I look for you in the crowd”, he says and I nod, shooting him another small smile.

“I’ll be there”, I tell him. Jeff is still banging on the door. He really needs to get out of here. I get off his lap and he gets up from the toilet as well. I’m about to turn around and open the door when Eddie pulls me in tight for another hug. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him close as well. Jeff is still knocking on the door.

“Come one guys, this isn’t funny anymore”, Jeff says helplessly from the other side of the door. I gently force a bit more distance between Eddie and I, even though I don’t want to. I don’t want to leave his arms ever again.

“Eddie, we have to go”, I tell him and I notice how dangerously close our lips are. One kiss and he’d be so much calmer already. But I can’t. We can’t. We’re not those people anymore. Eddie nods and loosens his grip on me completely. I turn around and open the restroom door.

Jeff’s arms were still on automatic pilot and he could barely stop himself in time so he didn’t hit me in the face.

“Finally”, he sighs out very much relieved. He gives Eddie a scolding look immediately, but stops it as soon as he sees the look on my face. We awkwardly stand there for a few seconds. The backstage has become more busy. People are running around, trying to find their instruments, tech guys running around with cords, the stage manager yelling that they have two more minutes.

“Well, I’ll see you guys after the show”, I tell them and give Jeff a quick hug. I then turn to Eddie and pull him tight one last time, hoping to let him know that everything will be alright.

“You’ll be great”, I whisper in his ear and before he can say anything in response, I remove myself from his arms and start making my way towards the backstage door again.

I walk back into the crowd and soon enough I’m able to find Johnny and Corrine again. They’re front row already and I manage to snake my way through the crowd until I get to them.

“And? Did it work?” Corrine asks me eager to know. Knowing her the suspense of it all has been killing her ever since I left for the backstage. She holding on to her her glass -what I assume to be rum and coke- for dear life. It’s surprising the thing hasn’t shattered under the pressure yet.

“He’s talking now, so I guess I did something right”, I tell her as I squeeze in between her and Johnny to secure my place in the crowd. I promised him I’d be front row if he needed me, so here I am.

“God bless your beautiful soul”, she shouts out and wraps her arms around me so aggressively I nearly get tackled to the ground.

“Corrine, you should thank her. Not fucking kill her”, Johnny tells her and I nod in agreement. He gives Corrine a push at her shoulder and eventually she does let me go. Why do I always take breathing for granted? Especially with the friends I have, who see near suffocation as a sign of affection.

At that point we hear the mike switch on and the MC comes to to announce the guys. I hold my breath the moment they walk out on stage. Eddie is the last one to walk on. He seems okay, somewhat hesitant, but okay. He makes his way to the mike and looks around him, checking if the guys are ready. They all nod or give a thumbs up. Now it all lies in Eddie’s hands. His eyes are still screwed shut, but eventually he opens them and scans the first row. His eyes lock with mine and I give him a small wave. It’s just us in the rehearsal space of the gallery, or just you and me in bed when you used tot sing me to sleep. It’s just us.

“One, two, three…” he softly says into the mike and behind him the band begins the first tune. I recognize it as Release. I’ve heard them rehearse it many times. I recall when it was written. It was in the week that Eddie slept on the couch of the gallery. One day after rehearsal he came upstairs to quickly take a shower. I remember opening the door to see a puffy eyed and runny nosed Eddie on the other side. He told me it was nothing and I decided to let it go, not wanting to intrude. But after everything that he told me during Thanksgiving, the meaning of the song is so much clearer to me. If his dad could see him now, he’d be so fucking proud. By the end of the song there are tears in the corners of my eyes and I quickly wipe them away before anyone else can see them.

After that they launch themselves into a setlist consisting out of uptempo, high energy songs. First Once, followed by Alive, Why Go, Even Flow, Alone and Porch. The set is going very well and Eddie is crawling more and more out his shell. There is more audacity in his voice and in his presence. He even manages to look into the crowd instead of keeping his eyes shut. Every now and then his eyes still find me and I give him some form of reassurance; wether it’s a smile or a thumbs up.

“So… Uhm… This is our last song”, Eddie says after Porch. Honestly, I’m so sad their set is already over. I could watch them for hours and hours on end. The crowd isn’t too happy that it’s over already either.

“But that means that Alice will be out in a few moments”, he continues and the crowd cheers. Knowing Jerry Cantrell, he’s probably grinning ear to ear back stage right now.

“But we have one more song to go. It was written in a dark hour, hence the title Black”, and with those words the band kicks in behind him. I’ve never heard them play this before. I can immediately tell it’s a more slow song, and I’m excited. I love their high energy stuff, but in my humble opinion you can only get to know the core of an artist in their calmer works, where the emotions are able to come to the surface.

I’m mesmerized by the beauty of his voice once again. I’m so entranced that I’m only vaguely listening to the lyrics. But then Johnny and Corrine start tapping my shoulders at the same time. They share a knowing look and I’m completely and utterly confused. What? I mouth at Corrine, not wanting my voice to was out Eddie’s.

“I think he wrote this about you”, Corrine says and a chill runs down my spine. What? That can’t be? Oh please don’t let it be so. But when Eddie gets to the final part of the song I know Corrine is right.

“I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky. But why, why, why can't it be, can't it be mine?” Eddie sings and for the first time during the song he opens his eyes and they immediately find mine. The pain in his eyes knocks the wind out of me.

They finish up the song and take their bows. In that moment I don’t think about what I do. I start to push my way through the crowd again. I hear Johnny and Corrine call my name, but I ignore them. The fastest way it is through the backstage and then through the emergency exit. I make my way to the backstage door. Luckily this time the security guy doesn’t stop me and lets me right through.

The moment I get into the backstage the Mookie guys are getting off stage. So I decide to make a run for it.

I hear Stone shout my name but I just ignore him as I run around the labyrinth that is the backstage trying to find the emergency exit.

Another person shouts my name. I know who it is. It’s the one person I can’t face right now. I can’t see him right now. I take a sharp turn around the corner and eventually see the emergency exit right in front of it. I push it open and run through it in one swift motion. Even though I’m impressed by my successful run so far, Eddie is by far faster. I’ve only been able to run a few yards when Eddie’s hand catches on my wrist, stopping me in my running and pulling me back.

“What?” I shout at him, only to realize my voice is cracking because of tears.

#pearl jam fanfic #pearl jam fanfiction #eddie vedder fanfic #eddie vedder fanfiction #grungefic #grunge fanfic #grunge fanfiction

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brokehorrorfan · 5 years

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Flowers in the Attic will be released on Blu-ray on November 12 via Arrow Video. Haunt Love designed the new cover art; the original poster will be on the reverse side.

Based on V. C. Andrews' 1979 novel of the same name, the 1987 psychological horror/drama film is written and directed by Jeffrey Bloom (Blood Beach) Victoria Tennant, Kristy Swanson, Jeb Stuart Adams, and Louise Fletcher star.

Flowers in the Attic is presented in high definition with the original lossless 2.0 stereo audio. Special features are below.

Special features:

Audio commentary by Diabolique Magazine editor-in-chief Kat Ellinger (new)

Interview with actor Jeb Stuart Adams (new)

Interview with cinematographer Frank Byers (new)

Interview with composer Christopher Young (new)

Interview with production designer John Muto (new)

Gallery of behind-the-scenes images, illustrations, and storyboards

Original, studio-vetoed ending

Revised ending with commentary by replacement director Tony Kayden

Theatrical trailer

When her husband dies in a tragic accident, widow Corrine Dollanganger (Victoria Tennant) takes her four children to the ancestral family home she fled before they were born. Locked away in the attic by their tyrannical grandmother (Louise Fletcher), it falls to older brother and sister Chris (Jeb Stuart Adams) and Cathy (Kristy Swanson) to care for their younger siblings. But with their mother growing increasingly distant and erratic and a mysterious sickness taking hold, will any of the Dollanganger children survive to escape the clutches of the house’s cruel matriarch?

#flowers in the attic #v.c. andrews #victoria tennant #kristy swanson #vc andrews #jeb stuart adams #louise fletcher #arrow video #haunt love #dvd #gift #jeffrey bloom #christopher young #80s horror #1980s horror

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aceandsparrow · 5 years

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The Amazing Race 31: Premiere

[S] Please please please no dumbass gimmicks this season. [A] I'm going to be honest: I wish I was more excited for this season of The Amazing Race. I 100% thought the last season would be it; it wasn't doing well and it had become a chore to watch and the past few winners have been forgettable/deplorable. I feel like this "reality all-star" season is a Hail Mary attempt and I am really hoping they forego the gimmicks and return to classic form.

[A] That said, I am always happy to see Phil again.

[S] Okay let's see how many of these people I know:

[S] Know Rupert and Laura. [A] Duh.

[S] Remember Leo and Jamal. [A] Vaguely remember them; love Leo’s shout out to his cat.

[S] Oh fuck Rachel is back. [A] OH GAWD RACHEL.

[S] Remember Tyler and Korey of course. [A] Why did they bring Tyler Oakley back...

[S] Remember Chris and Brett. [A] I was actually just scrolling through old posts and came across the one where Chris came out to Zeke.

[S] Don’t remember Colin and Christie. [A] I don’t know the season 5 AR couple (that was before my time).

[S] I remember Eliza (unfortunately) but not Corrine. [A] I remember both and am actually excited to see the villains.

[S] Don’t remember Art and JJ. [A] Art and JJ I remember but Art looks way different (was their season really THAT long ago?) [S] Oh, I don't remember Art and JJ cause Art looks completely different.

[S] Remember Becca, Floyd, and the bike. [A] Oh god the band nerds are back.

[S] Obviously know none of the Big Brother only people. [A] I know none of the Big Brother contestants and will 100% hate the all girl teams from there. And Nicole looks 12.

[S] 東京！すごい！[A] 日本! やった! Be prepared for lots of "omgwtfaretheydoing" and "I've been there" comments.

[S] Should I start a crying count for Amazing Race? [A] Yes.

[A] Someone said "Afghanimals" and I just had a bunch of flashbacks.

[S] OMG the Rachel team better go home soon. [A] Meanwhile, I hope the Survivor villains stay in. I love their commentary, especially re: Rachel and her sister. "Good luck, lips!"

[S] Did Phil say See-buya? [A] Phil did just say "See-buya" and I died a little inside.

[A] I like that they put them on a bus instead of letting them all take taxis from Narita like idiots.

[A] "None of the street signs are in English. I don't know what to do." Sweetie, you're in Japan. Street signs are in Japanese.

[S] They are so confused by Shibuya crossing. [A] Guys, you cannot just wander around Shibuya and find things. It ain't that easy.

[S] LOL that was actually clever of Leo and Jamal.

[A] OMG I love this challenge. Either of us could do it, but probably you because you like chocolate more. [S] Hell ya I'll bite the shoes!

[S] "Shabayou" - Rachel. [A] Tyler: "Shi-bayou." *cringe*

[S] You are climbing Fuji. [A] I'd climb Fuji and just be glad it's not a warped wall from that other Japanese game show.

[A] Oh god. They went into the station. And they were never heard from again (or not, that's a smaller station so they should be fine).

[S] Did she gag on chocolate? [A] Apparently?

[A] Me when Art and JJ are in front of a Uniqlo: "Oh, that's going down the left side by the movie theatre, in the building with the Hooters and the Rainier cafe." [S] I have been to none of the places they went this episode.

[A] Good redemption for Leo and Jamal.

[S] Watching everyone climb this so easily makes me wonder why the first team struggled so much.

[S] Brett WTF? You aren't gonna survive Amazing Race (pardon the pun).

[A] I love that they asked for water and brought Pocari Sweat.

[S] Rupert and Laura! No! [A] You know, I joked that Rupert would likely only make it like three episodes, but I'm starting to think they won't make it past the first episode and that makes me sad. Rupert and Laura spend a lot of time wandering and standing around. That is not the Amazing Race way, guys.

[A] HOW DO YOU SPEND 2 HOURS IN THE PARK AND NOT FIND THE FUJI SETUP.

[A] Poor Art. [S] Not gonna miss JJ. What a poor attitude. And yay Rupert and Laura are still around.

#amazing race #amazing race 31 #the amazing race #AR #tar31

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orbemnews · 3 years

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Amazon Moves From Film Industry’s Margins to the Mainstream Sacha Baron Cohen may have been going a little mad. It was August 2020, the pandemic was raging and his secret production had shut down. He was determined to reprise his role as Borat in a feature film designed to satirize the Trump administration ahead of the November election. But how? First he persuaded Universal Studios to allow him to shop his incomplete movie. Then he cobbled together an hour of footage. (The infamous scene with Rudolph W. Giuliani had yet to be filmed.) Hulu was interested. So was Netflix. But Amazon Studios was the one most committed to getting the movie out in time, no matter the cost. Amazon spent $80 million to acquire “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” a decision that incurred extra expenses because of Covid protocols, test screenings in New Zealand — one of the few places in the world at the time where the company could gather a group of people in a dark movie theater — and a last-minute dash to incorporate all the gonzo footage before the film’s release on Oct. 23. (Mr. Cohen was cutting it close, still shooting three weeks before he had to deliver the movie.) “They broke every rule for us,” Mr. Cohen said in a phone interview. “There was a certain delivery schedule that they felt was necessary, and they halved that time. They realized the imperative of getting this out before the election. And they changed their procedures completely to help us do this. I’m really, really grateful.” Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, is also grateful. When the Golden Globes air on Sunday, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” will be competing for three awards: best comedy or musical, best actor and best supporting actress (Maria Bakalova). Other Amazon acquisitions, including Regina King’s directorial debut, “One Night in Miami,” and “Sound of Metal,” starring Riz Ahmed, are also contending for prizes. Those accolades, coupled with the cultural impact “Borat” has enjoyed across the globe, have significantly altered the perception of Amazon Studios’s film division in Hollywood and among Amazon’s more than 150 million Prime subscribers. (The studio, which does not disclose viewer numbers, will say only that tens of millions of subscribers watched “Borat.”) Once a home for indie darlings such as “Manchester by the Sea” and “The Big Sick,” Amazon Prime Video is transforming itself into a place for commercial films with broad appeal that can travel internationally. It’s all part of Ms. Salke’s plan to turn Prime into a service people subscribe to for more than free shipping for their paper towels. “We had seen firsthand when Amazon gets behind a piece of content, just how big the muscle is that they are capable of flexing,” said David Ellison, chief executive of Skydance Media and the producer of Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” series. He recently sold the films “Without Remorse” and “The Tomorrow War” to Amazon. “With ‘Borat,’ they showed they could do that with films, too,” he said. Amazon has thrived in the last year, with profits increasing some 200 percent since the pandemic began. That success has extended to its film business. Like other streaming services, it has been able to snatch up big-budget, star-driven films that studios have been forced to shelve in response to the closing of movie theaters. Netflix, Apple, Disney+ and Hulu have all benefited from the studios’ woes, but Amazon has been one of the most aggressive in acquiring new movies. In September, Ms. Salke acquired “Without Remorse” — starring Michael B. Jordan and based on a Tom Clancy series — for $105 million. It will debut at the end of April. The following month, it paid $125 million for the rights to “Coming 2 America,” which will premiere on March 5. Eddie Murphy was initially hesitant about taking the sequel to his much-beloved film to Amazon, but Ms. Salke and others say he was reassured by the performance of “Borat.” In January, the company made its biggest bet yet, paying $200 million to acquire the Chris Pratt-led action film “The Tomorrow War,” which Paramount was set to release. To date, it stands as Amazon’s largest financial commitment in acquiring a feature film. The company hopes to debut it on Prime Video this summer. “We don’t have a huge bench of big blockbuster movies in the works,” Ms. Salke said with a laugh. “So for us it was opportunistic to be able to lean into that.” With more players than ever joining the streaming fray (Paramount+, anyone?), the pace at which new content is delivered is an issue every service worries about. Netflix threw down the gauntlet in January when it announced its 2021 strategy of delivering one new movie per week, which followed WarnerMedia’s announcement that all of Warner Bros.’s 2021 theatrical films would debut in theaters and on its HBO Max streaming service at the same time. With so much volume being offered by those two companies, along with Disney’s recent announcement that at least 80 percent of its 100 new projects would be earmarked for Disney+, the only way to compete is to go big. “It’s going to be really interesting over the next three years,” said Roeg Sutherland, one of the heads of media finance for Creative Artists Agency. “With platforms programming one new movie a week, this is fueling a competitive marketplace for high-end, independently financed films.” At the Sundance Film Festival last month, Apple paid a record $25 million for rights to the independent film “Coda.” Ms. Salke pushes back on the idea that her plans to broaden her offerings is a reaction to her competitors. Rather, she said, it’s the culmination of a strategy that began at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, when as a newcomer to the film world, she spent $46 million to acquire four films, including “Late Night” with Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling, and the feel-good movie “Brittany Runs a Marathon.” Before joining Amazon, Ms. Salke spent her career in television, shepherding hits like “Modern Family” and “Glee” at Fox and “This Is Us” at NBCUniversal. After her Sundance shopping spree, she was mocked by some film insiders as an out-of-touch television executive overspending to acquire niche movies. She was criticized for paying $13 million for “Late Night,” when it grossed $15.4 million at the box office. “Brittany Runs a Marathon” earned just $7 million. That commentary still seems to sting Ms. Salke, though she argues that she released the films theatrically only to appease the filmmakers. The movies’ real metric of success, she said, was how they played on the streaming service. “Those movies all kept coming out as No. 1,” said Ms. Salke, referencing the films’ performances on Amazon Prime. “Every time we launched one, the next one would eclipse the next one. We were training our audience to know that we would have big original films that were more commercial on Prime Video. It’s a little bit of an ‘If you build it, they will come’ strategy.” But what happens to that plan once the pandemic is over and studios are no longer willing to sell their movies to streaming platforms? Amazon has some 34 films in various stages of production around the world and Ms. Salke said the company was committed to spending upward of $100 million on a production if merited. (Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, is stepping down as the company’s chief executive later this year, but the studio isn’t expecting any big changes when Andy Jassy takes the reins.) The Culver City, Calif., complex is still being built and, if anything, investment has increased. Ms. Salke points to Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming film about Lucy and Desi Arnaz, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, as a potential hit. There’s also George Clooney’s film “The Tender Bar,” starring Ben Affleck, and an LGBTQ romantic drama called “My Policeman,” featuring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin (“The Crown”). “The new news is that you will see us embrace some bigger projects going forward that are self-generated,” she said. In Ms. Salke’s mind, this was always the place where Amazon Film was going to land. And there is a newfound confidence to her outlook as she celebrates her third anniversary as the head of the studio. In addition to her recent acquisition spree, she’s made overall content deals with Mr. Jordan and the actor and musician Donald Glover, which she says will reinforce her mission to burnish Amazon’s reputation as a talent-friendly place. With its healthy subscription base, Amazon is attracting those in Hollywood who are interested in the company’s global reach but also curious about the company’s other businesses that have the potential to expand a star’s brand beyond film and television. Mr. Jordan, for one, said his overall content deal would allow him to explore areas other studios can’t offer: specifically fashion, music and podcasts. His portrayal of the physical incarnation of Amazon’s Alexa during a Super Bowl ad was an example. And Ms. King got a kick out of just how pervasive Amazon’s marketing of her film was whenever she logged into the company’s e-commerce site. “When I’m on Amazon, buying doggie bags, and my film pops up at the top, that’s pretty amazing,” she said. “That’s like, wow! Every single day I am getting a text from someone who saw the movie that probably wouldn’t have seen it if it didn’t pop up in their shopping queue.” Source link Orbem News #Amazon #Film #Industrys #mainstream #Margins #Moves

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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/bachelor-paradise-premiere-dances-around-corrinne-demario-jackson/

'Bachelor in Paradise' premiere dances around Corrinne and DeMario Jackson

If you have caught any of the Bachelor-related headlines over the past few weeks, you are likely well aware of the drama that overtook the set of Bachelor in Paradise. During the very beginning stages of filming this year’s summer spin-off of the love-centric reality show, production was put on hold after allegations of sexual misconduct were made. However, after everything was cleared and the BIP crew got the go-ahead, ABC decided to continue on with season 4 of the hit show, which debuted on Monday (August 14th). Not surprisingly, ABC opted to really play up the whole scandal thing throughout the premiere episode of BIP. Prior to every single commercial break, Chris Harrison teased a particular situation that would shut down production (which we all know happened between contestants Corrine and DiMario). Prior to all the drama unfolding, the show began as it normally does, as the cast of this season made their way in one-by-one. So who [started off] on this season of Bachelor in Paradise? Chris Harrison helped welcome in: Raven Gates, Robby Hayes, Taylor Nolan, Derek Peth, Amanda Stanton, Ben Zorn, Alexis Waters, Alex Woytkiw, Lacey Mark, Nick Benvenutti, Corrine Olympios, Vinny Ventiera, Jasmine Goode, Kristina Schulman, Danielle Maltby, and DeMario Jackson. While most of the arrivals to Paradise came welcomed by all, there was one contestant this season that made waves right away (not in a good way). Chatting amongst each other, the initial few cast mates speculated about who they thought would be showing up next. Subsequently, this prompted several of the contestants – predominantly the women – to admit that they hoped DeMario (from Rachel’s season) wouldn’t show up. Inevitably, this is precisely when DeMario waltzed in, as he annoyingly continued to blow a whistle and beg his fellow contestants for a “new beginning.” As you may or may not know, DeMario was at the center of controversy while he was a contestant on Rachel’s season of The Bachelorette, as it was discovered that he had a girlfriend while he was on the show. Although DeMario denies having a girlfriend, he does tell Chris (as he walks into Paradise) that he did wrongfully lead the girl on. Right as DeMario joins the rest of the cast, Raven blurts out “Are you single?,” making it clear that his fellow Bachelor alumni were not willing to simply sweep his past [alleged] infidelity under the rug. Not long after DeMarco's arrival, Corrine shows up in Paradise. Right off the bat DeMario announces to the one-on-one camera that he is going to try and get to know Corrine, as he thinks she is the life of the party (and he is desperately looking for “Mrs. Jackson”). Meanwhile, various other contestants arrive to Paradise, including Amanda Stanton. As you may remember Amanda participated on last year’s Bachelor in Paradise, where she got engaged to Josh Murray. Inevitably, this didn’t work out and she returned her engagement ring to Chris Harrison as she made her way back to the show’s set. Of course, ABC eventually turned the spotlight onto the whole Corrine-DiMario situation. In the mid-afternoon, the two contestants are seen getting increasingly intimate in the pool whilst notably intoxicated. Fellow contestant Alex spent some time peeping on them and giving the audience a nice commentary on the whole situation. Always keeping Bachelor nation on their toes, ABC switched things up with the show’s resident bartender. For the past seasons, a nice man named Jorge has always served as the bartender/advice giver. However, he announced to the contestants that he is going off and starting his very own business, which left the spot open for Wells (from Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season). While Wells may have competed on a previous Bachelor show, he informed the cast that he is merely serving as a bartender on this season of Bachelor in Paradise and will not be going on any dates. During the first show, several small romances begin to blossom, including one between Taylor and Derek, Iggy and Lacey, as well as Dean and Kristina. In terms of firsts for this season of BIP, Nick and Jasmine was the first couple to go in for a kiss (which was prompted by several people egging them on and subsequently watching the kiss). Kristina was given the first date card, which she presented to Dean. The duo’s date went well, and Kristina even went on to admit that she already felt more chemistry with Dean than she ever did with Nick (note: she was a contestant on Nick Viall’s season). Robby, who was the runner-up on JoJo’s season, shows up in Paradise with a date card in tow. He winds up taking Raven on the date, which entails jet skiing. When they return, Robby goes off and tells the other men all about his wonderful date. Meanwhile, Raven rants on about how she doesn’t want to date someone who is prettier than she is - making her the most relatable contestant on this season so far. In terms of handling the scandal, ABC opted not to show any footage of what went down between DiMario and Corrine that caused for production to shut down. The next day (following the incident), things between the two contestants seemed fine. Corrine called him her “homie” and they even shared in a pleasantry fist-bump. However, just before the first rose ceremony production was instructed to stop. The contestants notice that both Corrine and DiMario are missing from the group. To the one-on-one camera, Danielle describes there being a “chill” all over Paradise, as everyone was left to wonder what could have possibly caused for the show to be stopped so abruptly. And that’s what ABC left viewers with…for now… Not surprisingly, the network is dragging out the Corrine-DiMario situation as much as they can. It is tough to say which of the relationships, which were beginning to form in this first episode, will last through the show’s hiatus and ensuing drama. However, based on what we were given, I think the couple with the most potential is definitely Dean and Kristina. The second part of Bachelor in Paradise’s premiere airs Tuesday, August 15th on ABC.

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#Bachelor In Paradise #Chris Harrison #Corrine Olympios #DeMario Jackson #Featured #TV Recaps

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