#its a fascinating documentary i watched today and it was a good watch

[psykopaths]

The Hidden Life of Trees, (2020)

#its a fascinating documentary i watched today and it was a good watch #movie scenes #good movie #movie quotes #movie stills #movie aesthetic #movie art #movies #documentary #trees and forests #trees #forest #climate change #climate crisis #global warming #green aesthetic #green #landscape #cinema #cinematography #nature #plants

[tragicbeauty1991]

Today I got called a “murder apologist” (and other not so nice names) by someone who apparently does not like the fact that I love a good villain redemption arc. Let me explain a few things…

First off, welcome to my blog. We believe in the inherent goodness of humanity here. We believe in love and forgiveness and that people can change. We believe in kindness over bitterness, in hope over despair, and in reconciliation over revenge. And if that’s not your thing, maybe this isn’t the best blog for you to check out. And that’s okay. People are allowed to have different opinions.

Second… We recognize that there is a difference between fiction and reality. Just because I like a character and want to see them come around to the side of good does not mean that I approve of any or all of their actions. Murder is bad, kids. I think we can all agree on that point. I don’t support the character’s evil deeds. I support the idea of them working through the reasons they got to the point of doing them and then coming out on the other side of it as a better person who wants to try to make up for their past. I also recognize that there is a distinct difference between a fictional villain and a real-life serial killer in jail. I’m not that person who’s gonna be caught sending love letters to violent men in prison. I am, however, fascinated by them and am the kind of person who will listen to podcasts and watch documentaries that investigate the psychology of such people. I like to see what makes people do the things they do and I firmly believe that in the vast majority of cases, there is more than a little bit of nurture lacking in the “nature or nurture” cause of evil. People aren’t born evil. Learning how and why they became teaches empathy. And yes, I can empathize with them and still think they’re a terrible person. Maybe I’m naive, but I think the world can use more empathy, and I’d rather be a little too kind to someone who might not deserve it than bring more hatred into the world. Real people often don’t change their ways, but it does happen. And fiction allows a safe environment for us to play around with that idea.

Third… In the words of Wonder Woman, “It’s not about deserve.” Do I think these characters who have done awful, horrible things deserve to be redeemed? Probably not. But that’s the thing about grace and mercy…they are inherently undeserved gifts. And that doesn’t mean you don’t set boundaries. It doesn’t mean you put up with abuse. It doesn’t mean that actions don’t have legal or emotional or financial consequences and everything is automatically all rainbows and butterflies. Forgiveness isn’t a feeling. It’s a choice. It’s choosing to allow the legal system (and God, if you believe in Him) to do its work and taking yourself out of the equation in terms of offering vengeance. It’s not allowing yourself to get walked all over, but it’s also choosing not to go walking all over your enemy when you have the chance. Also…redemption isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s hard work. It’s a long process of the person slowly coming to realize that they were in the wrong, grieving deeply over the wrongs that they have done, and doing the best they can to make up for it by living a different sort of lifestyle. It’s not a single choice to do one good thing. It’s a million little choices to do the right thing instead of the easy thing over and over and over again. It’s stumbling along the way and making mistakes and getting back up and trying again. It’s learning to control anger and to accept that love and friendship and fear and heartbreak aren’t weakness. It’s learning to put others before themselves when before they only ever had to worry about looking out for Number One. To use a recent quote from the Loki series, “Raze it to the ground. That’s easy. Starting over is hard. Hope… Hope is hard.” Redemption doesn’t always mean a totally happy ending. It means becoming a better person, and there is often a lot of pain involved.

Finally, I’d like to conclude with the words I once heard from an Orthodox priest that really stuck with me and which I think are especially relevant to how I approach my thinking in both fictional villains and my actual fellow human beings… “Other sinful human beings are not the enemy. They are slaves of The Enemy. And you don’t hurt your enemy’s slaves. You try to set them free.”

#rant post #villain redemption #redemption arc #Christianity #religion #faith

[jeannereames]

There is this question/idea that has always kinda fascinated me and I wanted an opinion of a historian on this.

Imagine someone wanted to makes a tv series/movie about a historical person/event/time period/..., and they wanted to make it as historically accurate as possible while still keeping it interesting and captivating enough for modern, non-historian audiances. I feel like getting the costumes, events and characters 99% historically correct can be possible. However one thing might be a lot more difficult: choosing what language(s) to use.

Do you go for

A) The actual historical languages that were used (but nobody speaks anymore today). Which would be both the hardest to implement and to reach modern audiences.

B) The modern versions of the historical languages. Which would be easier and more accessible but still a bit limiting.

C) Just do it in English. Which is the least accurate but might reach the widest audience.

Which one would you recommend and which one would you personally prefer (if these are not the same)?

Several issues face anybody writing historical novels, or making films. I’ve talked about some of these in the following posts:

Writing Historical Fiction (Well): a 5-part series that discusses the challenges and pitfalls of historical fiction. This link takes you to part 1 with subsequent parts linked within.

A shorter post on common ways to approach historicals in film (or narration).

What (I think) needs to be shown about Alexander in an documentary and/or historical film to approach realism. I talk here about some of the attendant issues especially for making a film.

 Now, to your comment about costumes and events 99% accurate…you’d face two very real hurdles:

Funding…that was possibly the #1 problem for the Netflix docudrama. They didn’t have anywhere near the funding they really needed. Just because Netflix funded it, that didn’t make it “big budget.”

Not confusing your audience with a lot of unfamiliar names and seemingly repeating events. It would require judicious “weeding.”

Oliver Stone’s Alexander did quite well, for the most part, on costuming and sets. Yet it failed for two big reasons. First, he couldn’t resist throwing in too much, and a repetitive script, even while skipping material necessary to help an audience understand why the army followed Alexander to the ends of the earth. Second, he didn’t understand the basic mindset of the ancient world, and so imposed a bunch of modern ideas and attitudes. I wrote a fairly in-depth review not long after it came out. It’s still up on my website.

As for languages…

It would be an enormous mistake to try to use ancient Greek, or rather Attic and Doric Greek, Old Persian, Aramaic, Demotic Coptic, Prakrit, eastern Akkadian … etc., etc. That’s what you’re looking at. First, finding somebody able to write a script in all those languages is impossible. No single person reads them all, even among historians. We specialize for a reason. You’d be paying multiple experts to write a script that nobody living could understand—and would take a lot of coaching for the actors even to pronounce properly. Additionally, you’d narrow your audience to those willing to put up with subtitles.

The founding-of-Rome Italian TV series Romulus used Latin. This worked only because it was one language and was marketed originally to an Italian audience. Latin isn’t Italian by a long shot, but it wasn’t wholly unfamiliar in sound. That said, it was more of an “art film” type. I (an ancient historian) quit watching it after the second episode because it was too much work, tbh. (It was also a lot bloodier than I was in the mood for, in the midst of Covid.)

But if you want to see a (good) example of what you’re suggesting, that’s one. Another, similar, is The Fast Runner, which is entirely written and performed in Inuktitut, an Alaskan language (albeit not ancient), and set in the mythical past. Despite its awards, it’s virtually unknown outside indigenous and art-film circles. I did watch all of that one (and liked it), but it was a single movie, not a series.

(Yes, I’m aware of Apocalypto, but I consider that more an example of why you don’t make a film in a language people can’t understand. It’s in Yacatec Mayan, which is actually modern. In that, it’s not unlike the Inuktitut in The Fast Runner, but the latter works better, imo.)

If you want to make a movie that will be watched and understood by non-specialist, non-art-house audiences, you will have to use English (or whatever language of the country it’s being marketed to). And you’ll need to think some about dialogue. How “archaic” do you want to get? Too much authenticity can send viewers into fits of giggles…probably not the approach one is going for. 😊

That’s why, in Dancing with the Lion, I opted to utilize fairly modern dialogue, then pepper it with a bit of Greek here and there. 1) Words easy to figure out. (“Idou!” = “Look!” as in, “Look, I know you think I’m…”.) OR 2) words difficult to render into English without it sounding silly or overly Christianized. (“Oimoi!” = “Woe!” but equivalent to “Damn!” which evokes Christian ideas.) Not every reader liked my choice, mind, but that’s why I made it.

Other writers, such as several in the newly popular “modern takes on Greek myths” employ something more akin to Mary Renault’s slightly archaizing approach. It’s also been used by Judy Tarr and Jo Graham in their historical fantasies. I like that option too, it’s just not mine.

But I wouldn’t get too complicated, or you’ll confuse (and thus lose) your audience.

But coming back to the number one hurdle to film authenticity in costumes, sets, quality actors, and crew … MONEY. To do it especially well, it doesn’t just take a commitment to authenticity, but an enormous budget. Oliver Stone’s Alexander cost 155 million dollars. I expect you could to it for less than that, but everything from good costumes to rentals of multiple sets used once (like a theatre for Philip’s murder), to horses and stunt actors, to quality CGI…to decent (if not A-list) actors, writers, historical consultants (more than just one as none of us can do it ALL)—that costs. You’ve got to be the likes of Stone to get investors to pony up for that. He started talking about making it way back in the early ‘90s, and it took him to the early 2000s to get the money.

Unfortunately, absolute authenticity is expensive in a story as far-flung as Alexander’s. It’s what a lot of the critique of the Netflix show really doesn’t get. There are still issues with it that doesn’t owe to money, but multiple compromises were made due to a lack of funds.

If you wanted to do Alexander, it might make more sense NOT to try to do it all. Do a portion of his life. See how that sells, then investors might be willing to kick in more money. Inevitably, I think showrunners want to do too much at once.

#asks #authenticity in historical movies #alexander the great #docudramas #historical fiction TV #language in TV historicals #Classics

[guesst]

doomscrolling down your blog and I love seeing all the hyperfixations surface and fade away over time I feel like an archaeologist uncovering each new layer

an excerpt

now as we begin our journey here lies another layer of iruma! now this one is more kirio colored, which is intriguing, definitely a specialized variant

ah yes the simarillon section. this one goes pretty deep. look alive men, while you may not know the fandom the art is beautiful and the takes fascinating so keep your thumbs at the ready

batfam, another classic. this one’ll go for thousands out there if you harvest it correctly. very easy to fill out a blog with, that sure is

oh surprise! a new manhua vein, right in the middle, what a lucky find! better remember where that one is to come back to

and here we have the common atla. despite its frequent appearance in many blogs, it is still cherished by many bloggers and goes for a pretty penny, especially if you find some of the really interesting variants, so be sure to share some of those

now if you’ve watched closely you may have noticed there’s been a lot of fan art by op herself mixed in with all the layers! now these are the real gems. the trick is to carefully extract them from the surrounding posts and then reblog them yourself to show off their beauty to the world! now that right there is the true joy that comes with the job

lots of good work done today mates. we’ve reblogged many posts, as well as stored some away in the queue for delayed enjoyment. we’ll be back for the continued excavation again tomorrow lads. now be on your merry way

JFJSN was so tempted to save this forever this was so fun to read but rhe urge to explain how you radiate the animal/treasure hunter documentary narrator vibe was stronger

this is how im seeing you . the magnifying glass

#yellow’s mailbox #nine the ninth #thank you for the compliments as well heehee

[crtter]

gonna sound like a bizarre request but WHERE can i learn more about the original incel movement. this is fascinating

I first heard about the incel community having had a much different start than how it is today from @musashi! A while ago, though, I’ve watched this YouTube video chronicling an unreleased documentary that was being made about incels in 2009 (it was eventually scrapped when the deeply unpleasant people that make up basically all of the community nowadays started to get notorious) that made its way into my recommendations and I found it did a pretty good job going over the overall history of the movement! It’s this one:

#answers #chepsi

[levisarelamprey]

Tagged by @indrid-hot

Rules: List 10 comfort movies (this is gonna be hard, what even are movies again?) and tag 10 people (yeah that ain’t happenin’).

1.) Avatar.  No, not The Last Airbender, don’t even mention that abomination after this sentence. James Cameron’s Avatar. Probably has a lot to do with the music and special effects. It’s almost like I’m watching a documentary instead of a movie, which is a pretty dope mindfuck. And that scene where Neytiri shouts “Eywa has heard you!”? *sobbing*

2.) Titanic. Yet another James Cameron flick. I must have a soft spot for perfectionist Canadians. At any rate, I like the movie not for the “romance” or young Leo (which doesn’t hurt), but rather just for it being about Titanic itself. I’ve always been fascinated by Titanic, the ship and its history and all that. And, once again, the movie’s music; James Horner’s soundtrack *chef’s kiss*/*violent sobbing*

3.) The Mummy. Stealing this one from you, @indrid-hot. I don’t care how often it’s on TV, how “overplayed” it might seem. It’s just a classic go-to that I never get tired of. Adventure, comedy, a touch of romance. Good times.

4.) Hocus Pocus. Need I even explain it? Halloween. Comedy. A catchy musical number. Adult themes/dialogue that went over my head as a child that I get to laugh at today. It’s a classic.

5.) Van Helsing. Another one of those The Mummy-esque vibes where it never gets old for me. Sure, the vampire actors’... well... acting.... didn’t do much for me, but hot damn if I’m not a sucker for young Hugh Jackman with long hair, or any other brooding dark-haired male protagonist with a traumatic/dark past. My friend Echo and I lovingly say in regard to myself “I have a type, I have a problem”, and it probably started with this movie.

6.) Tangled. Bruh, the first time I saw the scene for and heard the song “I See the Light”, I lost it. So beautiful. And Rapunzel PHYSICALLY standing up to Mother Gothel? Yaaasss queen!

7.) Corpse Bride. It’s short and sweet and Halloween-y and who doesn’t love the wrongdoer receiving eternal damnation while the one he wronged rests in peace at the end?

8.) The Land Before Time. The first seven, maybe first nine movies. Absolute childhood nostalgia. Sure, watching them now would probably make me cringe with embarrassment like “how the Hell could I have ever watched this?”, but when I was a kid they were some of the epitome of comfort movies.

9.) O.G. Pokémon Movies (particularly “The First Movie” and “3″ with Entei). Speaking of nostalgia, these. I will 100% watch these as an adult and NOT cringe with embarrassment. But I will bawl my eyes out because what hurt more to my traumatized 5 year-old self than watching Pikachu try to revive a stone-petrified Ash, or Entei sacrificing himself? And Mewtwo’s quote at the end? That was deep for a children’s movie; Hell, it’s deeper than a lot of shit being made out there right now.

10.) Schindler’s List. Yes, the movie depicts one of the worst times in recent history, possibly even in all of history. It’s dark and painful and to some it’s so incredibly traumatizing they can’t even bring themselves to watch it, but for me it serves as a cautionary reminder. It reminds me that history may be “written by the victors” as the saying goes, but victory can be stained and tarnished. It reminds me of humanity’s darkness, what we’re capable of, and how important it is to stand against that darkness. Not that I don’t see humanity’s darkness in today’s current climate (social, environmental, etc.), but we often lose ourselves in the world’s present or OUR SPECIFIC past, rather than see how knowing the world’s past can influence someone in the current time to make their present a better one. This movie is a wakeup call in a lot of sense, a painful reminder, a visual that helps reset myself when I’m feeling overwhelmed or don’t know how to feel at all. That’s why I find it “comforting”.

Tagging (just for the sense of y’all knowing I did this lol): @indrid-hot, @chemically-yours, @marilynnlew, @peechykeeny, @rainekittie87

#This took longer than expected #Oh well

[afatlotofchance]

As we get closer to Halloween, let’s talk about a random belly sighting in a spooky movie! 

“The Houses October Built” is one of my personal Halloween movies. I like it and consider it one of my favorite Halloween movies. Not THE favorite, but I think they nailed very well what they were going for and it is still a fascinating piece of almost-documentary. 

For those who don’t know about it, “The Houses October Built” is a found-footage style horror movie about a group of friends exploring the USA throughout October, going from one haunted attraction to another, exploring the various “scary events” and “spooky houses” that rise up for the Halloween season (the titular “Houses October built”) - all the while searching for a rumored “extreme haunt” called the “Blue Skeleton”. But as their journey goes on, more disturbing events keep happening that imply they are stepping into an unstage nightmare, and from fake scares they plunge into real scares... 

The sequel, “The Houses October Built 2″ is DEFINITIVELY not as good. In fact, as a sequel, it fails - the story is sloppy and stupid, with the plot twists very boring, so I definitively wouldn’t tell you to watch it to find more about the world built by the first movie.

HOWEVER the sequel does have its qualities - notably a very beautiful way of shooting, and a true “documentary” nature that makes the movie very interesting to watch. You see, in the first movie, the actors and the crew went into actual Halloween attractions, real haunted houses of the USA that they got a deal with to film in (the very movie was actually born of a previous documentary project about scary attractions of October). As a result, the movie got a big notoriety in the “haunt community”, and the sequel was actually sponsorized by a lot of haunt-attractions, who kind of fought to be in the movie as a way to promote themselves. This “sponsorized” side of the movie shows a LOT, in that it feels like you are watching a report or documentary much more than an actual horror movie, and it feels too profesionnal to have the “natural” side of the found-footage movie. But this also makes it, precisely, a fascinating documentary about scary attractions of the time (some of which don’t exist anymore today). 

Anyway - you’re not here to have a movie review, you’re here to have some belly! Well, in the sequel, there is a moment when the gang finds a “zombie eating contest”, that is basically a literal brain-eating context (cooked animal brain, of course). Members of the gang participate, but they have no chance against a world-renowned eating contest champion: Takeru Kobayashi, “the godfather of competitive eating”. And at the end of the eating contest scene, the triumphant Kobayashi lifts up his shirt to show everyone his bloated belly. If you ever wanted to see a zombie with a belly bloated by brains, here you go X)

For the anecdote, if you are not familiar with the world of competitive eating, yes Kobayashi is a real person, and yes it is him in the movie ; but no, he was not actually planned to appear. In fact, it is a very funny story: the crew basically met Kobayashi randomly in a pub as they were discussing their plans on filming the brain-eating contest scene, and decided to ask him if he wanted to be part of their movie - and as it turned out, Kobayashi had always wanted to feature in a horror movie, so he gladly agreed!

So yes, the bloated belly is a REAL bloated belly - no special effect, just Kobayashi’s eating art. A quick warning though, if you watch the movie, the shots of Kobayashi proudly showing his belly are cut short to a scene of one of the protagonists vomitting in a back alley. So... yeah, be prepared. 

#belly #bloated #man #male #eating contest #movie #real life #live action #stuffing

[hopeonmyphone]

"Hope On The Street" preview

Hope on the street Vol.1 - Interlude

Greetings

Hello, this is J-Hope. I have started a project called 'Hope on the Street' in earnest about dance, which is my roots and is very important to me.

You can see me dancing in the documentary of the same name, and the album contains many stories that were not included in the documentary. Everyone, J-Hope danced. Please like it a lot!  

Hello, J-Hope. I started a project with the genre of dance, especially street dance. What was it about street dance that you found particularly attractive? 

If you ask what Jung Hoseok's identity, or origin, is, you can say street dance. At that time, I danced as one with the music and focused on myself without worrying about what others thought, and the sweat I shed while dancing makes me look back. That's who I am today and one of the reasons I do street dancing. 

Do you remember the first time you decided you wanted to dance? I'm curious if there is a moment or memory that was a turning point in your life beyond your hobbies or interests.

When I was young, no one came out during the talent show time at a school retreat, so I went out and danced. That moment was so thrilling and memorable. I liked that all eyes, including the lights, were focused on me. The reactions and cheers that followed made my heart beat! Starting from this time, I think I am where I am today.

As street dance is covered in various programs, its awareness has increased compared to the past, but 'dancing' still feels like an area that is difficult to judge. Each person may have different standards. Do you have your own standards for this?

This is a really too much question for me. Dare I say it, isn't it time to make the music you're dancing completely your own and touch the hearts of those who see it? I think that explains why it's moving. (Laughs)  

As it started as a project about dance, you wanted to make ‘danceable’ music in this album. So what did you particularly focus on in terms of music?

The beginning itself was 'Let's make music that's good to dance to!' But when I think back, I came to the conclusion that ‘good music is good music to dance to.’ In other words, ‘good music ultimately makes people move.’ When I made music, I focused only on that music, and I think the dance was created and formed naturally according to that music.  

This album has been published in two parts, Ver.1 and Ver.2. I am curious about what direction each work took.

In Ver.1 Prelude, I tried to look back at my starting point, as in the title (Prelude). The person I am today started out as a child living in Gwangju, curious about Hoseok. I wrote songs and danced under the name of the team I played with when I was young. Seoul after coming to Seoul can be said to be a part of my roots, so I tried to capture that combination and express it with tension. For Ver.2 Interlude, I tried to approach it with a slightly more mature feel. We decided on the theme song style and dance accordingly.  

In New York, I danced hip-hop. It can be said to be the most ingrained and familiar genre, right?

I think popping and hip-hop are the most ingrained in me. In fact, I had that much confidence. But it was completely different from what I expected. If you watch the New York episode, you will know. You can vividly feel how I am losing my mind. (Laughs)  

Link can be said to be the creator of hip-hop dance. What did you think when you saw him dance?

I said that Haknam respects his older brother (Boogaloo Keen), and the person he respects is Link. wow! It was fascinating because it was history itself. I think even people who have not been exposed to street dance much will watch it with curiosity.  

I heard that Link sent a video before leaving for New York. I wonder what it felt like when I first saw that video.

Honestly, I was embarrassed. When we talk about party dance, there are many familiar movements. But while watching the video, I thought, 'Is this the same dance I used to do?' 'Am I dancing to a beat I know?' There were a lot of dances with really unusual beats that made me think: Nevertheless, the moment I saw Brother Link's movements, I realized that all the dancing I had done so far was nothing. For the first time in my life, I felt like I couldn't keep up. 'This is a new world.' It was a really new experience.

Aside from hip-hop dancing, what else did you learn from Link?

Every moment we spent together was a learning experience. I think there was energy I gained from being around him because he was history itself. I got really great inspiration and learned a lot about not only dance but also life by asking questions I was always curious about. What was really disappointing was that we didn't have enough time. There were so many things I wanted to ask. To Link, 'What if there was no dancing?' It was a time for me to ask myself this question.

What would it be like if J-Hope didn't have dancing?

I don't think I would be who I am today if I didn't have dancing. So, the statement that ‘there was no dancing’ cannot be true for me. J-Hope and even Jung Hoseok must have changed. Dancing has become life itself, and that is where it begins.  

Epilogue:

Haknam hyung! Thank you so much for joining us. You took the center stage of ‘Hope on the street’. Thank you again and thank you for your hard work. I was asked to join you so suddenly. How did you feel about participating?

Boogaloo Keen : It was such an urgent schedule that I was a little embarrassed. Since I didn't have anything planned, I was worried. But at the same time, I was also secretly looking forward to it. There are many documentaries about dance, but there are no programs that generally cover street dance such as popping, locking, hip-hop, and house. It is difficult to find a program that covers the right knowledge and information. If I had the chance someday, I wanted to produce a documentary that would let people in the world know in detail about this beautiful dance I am doing. But suddenly there was an opportunity to make my dream come true. What Hoseok recommended was raw, so even the slightest worry was unfounded. Raw, rough, as it is. It's nice to be able to capture that image.  

Hope on the street Vol.2 - Prelude

When to learn to dance, you learn about life. You learn about life by learning to dance.

What kind of project is ‘Hope on the steet’?

I think the most important thing in this project is ‘learning’. I think this is a project where I look back at myself again, learn once again the passion and inspiration I had when I first started, and receive another inspiration.

I danced around many cities, from Seoul and Gwangju to Osaka, Paris, and New York. More than anything, I think my fans really like me dancing. (Laughs) This is the most important reason. This is a project prepared to show my dance to many fans and to show in detail my true self and my roots.  

I actively participated in documentary production from planning to directing. Is there an intended directing direction?

Since it was my content, rather than doing something grandiose, I tried to stay focused and actively express my opinions. I think I got more involved in things like what kind of dance to do, what kind of clothes to wear in what location, music, background and camera composition and angles, etc. These are all important parts of dance.

It feels simple compared to other video content I usually see.

When you think of K-pop, the first thing that comes to mind is videos that use various angles of effects, editing, etc. The image inside is gorgeous and nice, but this time, I wanted to vividly capture the image as it is. So I tried to bring it out as plainly as possible. Above all, I thought that a simple appearance would bring out the charm of the documentary.

The idea for 'Hope on the street' first came up when we were shooting a behind-the-scenes video for the 2022 MAMA Awards. And filming began three weeks later. The preparation period was very short.

That's right! The preparation period for the project was only about three weeks. It didn't work out. At the time, I think I started blindly. I didn't know that there was a lot to organize and prepare in detail. But I think I handled it well by improvising. I don't regret it because I think I didn't express my raw feelings well in some parts. . Unpretentious comfort? Couldn't that be the charm? (Laughs)

Interview - Interview with Boogaloo Kin

Please briefly introduce yourself.

My name is Boogaloo Kin. I've been dancing for about 24-25 years. I am traveling around the world and doing various dance-related activities.  

I understand that I was suddenly asked to join the project. Nevertheless, I am curious about the motivation for joining this project.

I was asked to fly to Osaka in 3 days, so I was very nervous at first. I was embarrassed. (Laughs) I thought that working hard to ensure that the field of street dance I practiced would be properly spread to the next generation and the generation after that would be the driving force of my life today. Still, I accepted right away.  

I know that street dance originated in the United States, but as it spread around the world, it seems to have developed into various aspects in each region. It may be difficult to limit it, but to help readers understand, could you explain the regional characteristics of street dance?

Its origins are in the United States. Since then, it has developed into various forms in various regions such as Europe and Asia. In my personal opinion, there are many transformative movements in the European region due to the mixture of various cultures, countries, and races. Various genres Among them, freestyle hip hop and house are strong.

In Asia, Japan is the place with a well-established street dance infrastructure. What is most impressive is that different generations come together and communicate through dance. I was also very jealous. Japanese dancers, regardless of gender or age, have very solid fundamentals. And the unique details of Japanese culture are also evident in dance.

In the case of South Korea, the history of street dance is not that old compared to the regions above. However, I was influenced by dancers from various countries such as the United States, Europe, and Japan. Personally, I think that the unique ‘excitement’ that Koreans inherited from their ancestors has also influenced street dance. I believe that it has Korean originality by absorbing and fusing the unique excitement of Korea and the street dance culture developed in various regions.

There is another main character in the documentary. Why ‘Boogaloo Keen’?

This documentary is a journey of learning. That's why I thought Haknam should be with his older brother (Boogalukhin). Bukalu Kin is a person who is respected by many dancers in Korea and around the world, so much so that it is no exaggeration to say that he has been a part of the history of Korean street dance from the beginning. I felt like he would lead me and this project well. In the process of learning again, I thought that not only would it be more fun to do it together rather than alone, but I would also be able to learn dance and life again from Haknam. Even though I contacted him urgently, I am truly grateful that my brother, who has always been the object of my envy, willingly joined me.

Source: LuvBTS thanks for translating it

#jung hoseok #hoseok #jhope #BTS #정호석 #호석 #제이홉 #방탄소년단 #jhope news

[sparklingchim]

something domestic; m | knj

pairing: namjoon x reader

word count: 3.4k

rating: 18+

genre: smut, established relationship

warnings: blonde joon🥴, cockwarming, daddy kink, thigh riding, unprotected sex, breast play, cursing, multiple orgasms, cum swallowing, oc is an attention whore

summary: namjoon is invested in watching a  documentary, but you're just too needy and too impatient for him.

a/n: namjoon's thighs made me write this

masterlist

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

Today Namjoon texted you several messages of how excited he was that one of his most anticipation movie is finally coming to Netflix. He said that you have to watch it as soon as he comes home from work.

Namjoon didn't tell you what movie he meant - he was too busy to have more than two minutes to text you so his messages only consisted of hastily written words that showed his excitement - so you didn't have any clue what the movie was about.

When he came home all excited and you both cuddled up on the couch with a blanket draped over you, you weren't prepared for a documentary about the universe and its mysteries.

It's not that bad though, watching documentations is interesting, but you just expected a little more for your movie night. In addition to that, something - Namjoon's mysterious boner that popped out of nowhere - is giving you a hard time to focus on the movie. So why not try to spice it up a little?

,,Not now," Namjoon says after your fingers slowly grazed down to his crotch. His voice sounds distant, like his mind is elsewhere. When you look up at him you see that he is, indeed, not granting you a glance. Namjoon's full attention is captured by the documentary currently playing on the television.

,,I can literally feel your boner on my thigh, Joon."

You are cuddled up against his side, your head resting against his chest while your leg is wrapped around him.

,,My...oh." You're on the verge of rolling your eyes when you realise that he was unaware of his hard-on if you hadn't have pointed it out. How good could this documentation be that he neglected his boner?

,,Want me to suck you off?" you suggest, fingers now occupied with drawing little circles on his clothed chest.

,,Nah, I wanna watch this," he declines, leaning down to give your temple a short peck.

You pout, shifting your gaze back to the television. You get it, documentaries about the universe and the planets are really interesting and fascinating, but come on, how can he say no to a blowjob? And it's not only because you want to help him out with his boner - ever since you felt his cock on your thigh you're arousal stirred up and coated your panties.

,,Can I at least sit on you?" you ask, fully aware that Namjoon wouldn't say no to that. He isn't even answering to your question, just pulling his joggers and briefs down until his cock springs out and lays flat against his covered abdomen. You smile victoriously and slide your leg down from his body and lift your hips to get rid of your shorts.

Watching a movie together and sitting on Namjoon's cock was ordinary for you. You both felt warm and connected when he was inside you and you just loved feeling of his perfect girth, making you feel so full and complete. Namjoon treasured your tight walls wrapping them themselves around his length, hugging his veiny cock. Somehow cuddling together always ended up in cockwarming, so Namjoon instantly complied when you asked.

Namjoon's feet are resting on the coffee table. He spreads his legs so you have room to suit yourself between them, placing his hands on your waist to guide you on his lap. Your back is turned to him - of course only for the purpose of watching the movie with all the interest you could muster up - and you snatch your panties to the side, your other hand reaching behind to grab his cock. You glide his tip over your folds to gather your juices and lubricate your entrance with it. Once he's aligned on the right spot, you gingerly sit down on him, a moan leaving your mouth as you welcome the familiar stretch. He lets out a heavy breath, his legs tensing at the warmth of your pussy.

You grab the blanket and throw it over your lap, covering your and his bare legs with the fuzzy fabric.

Namjoon pulls you closer, your head falling on his shoulder and his hands stay put on your hips.

,,Always feels so good," you mumble, turning your head to meet the warm skin of his neck with your lips. He hums in agreement, gently squeezing your flesh between his hands.

Some time passes, it feels like eternity - in reality not even five minutes passed, but who could blame you for your poor sense of time when your only wish was to Namjoon fuck you - and Namjoon is still very much absorbed by the secrets of the universe while you're sitting on his lap and every passing second gets more suffocating.

It was odd having Namjoon's cock balls deep inside you while watching a documentary about the beginning of life and existence, getting reminded of how tiny you are compared to everything else, but your wish to feel some friction down there so big that it gets almost unbearable to withstand the urge to start grinding on his cock.

,,Namjoon," you softly mutter, eyes trained on his face again. He actual spares you a brief glance, a little - but still overly adorable - smile tugs at his lips, his cute dimple catching your attention as you focus on his handsome features. But then he's back at watching the movie again.

,,Hm?" Long fingers running patterns on your waist.

,,Can I fuck you?"

,,Babe, I really wanna watch this. We can fuck later," he answers casually, like you're talking about how the weather.

,,I'm really needy," you admit, talking in a pout.

,,I know, I can feel it, but," - he reaches for the remoter to check how much time is left - ,,There's only half an hour left."

As if that would help to keep your longing for him at bay in any way.

When your eyes land on the tiny bit of his  exposed thigh your hand immediately rests on his warm skin. His joggers still cover most of his legs, but your quick to tuck your hand under the fabric and graze his thigh with your digits.

,,Y/n," Namjoons says, his voice not signifying if it's a warning or rather an invitation.

,,Yeah?"

,,You need it that bad?"

,,Uh-huh."

,,Then get on my thigh," he instructs. The hold he has on your waist tightens as he turns you around and you naturally settle yourself on his thigh, his dick sliding out of you during the process. The blanket falls onto the floor, but your bodies pressed against each other is enough to embrace you in warmth.

When Namjoon notices your skittish smile on your face he titters amused, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

You raise your body to tug his pants and briefs down. As soon as his full thighs are exposed and you're eyes are granted with his muscular, toned flesh your mouth starts watering, the sight switching something inside you. You only end up needier than before so you sit down on him, hands planted on his shoulders.

Without hesitation you starts rocking your hips back and forth, your panties being a small boundary between his skin and your dripping pussy lips, but your too eager to fulfil your needs than to do something about it.

Tiny moans fill the air. Namjoon's ears immediately perk up at your sweet sounds, his cock twitching on his belly. You're too caught up in your own pleasure to notice it.

The first few grinds are uncoordinated, you're way too drunk on finally rubbing your pussy on something, but soon you find your pace, a steady grind on his thighs that just perfectly brush against your clit. Your head hangs low, your hair framing your head.

As you watch Namjoon's apathetic expression you get more keen in catching his attention and making him look at you and not the television. I mean, come on, who's currently rubbing their pussy against his thigh? It's unbelievable how he's so nonchalant about it. Nonetheless, it awakes your competitive side so now you're not only greedy to make yourself cum, but also finally get your boyfriend to look at you, to fuck you.

Your moans get louder, stretching the pitch so it starts sounding more like a whine, a raring tone that just screams daddy please, I need you.

Your wrap your arms around his neck, getting closer to his body. His body remarkably tenses when your gasp right beside his ear, muttering a prolonged "mmmh" after.

Namjoon is fully aware that you're exaggerating on purpose, he knows you too well and is too familiar with you dramatising everything when you want attentiveness. But still, you're whimpers are still affecting him. After all he's just stupidly in love with you and adores everything about you.

,,Get these off," he says, tugging at your panty.

You don't listen, too engrossed in riding his tigh and rubbing your clit against his delicious thigh. But your secretly giving yourself a high five - Namjoon finally showed some interest.

,,Y/n," he hisses, this time an obvious warning. ,,Daddy told you to get rid of your panties. Do what I say or I'll make you stop."

You whine, not wanting to stop, but you also know that Namjoon is ruthless when it comes to disobeying him.

A second later you throw your panties through the room while Namjoon tugs his sweatpants and boxers down, planting his feet on the ground. Soon you're straddling his thigh again, instantly starting right off where you left.

,,Want you to make a mess on my thigh, you hear me?"

,,Yes," you pant whiny, accelerating your tempo and closing your eyes when he flexes his thigh. Feeling his bare thigh on your exposed pussy feels so much better than the fabric of your panty keeping a thin border between you. Your clit rubs against his flexed muscle marvellously, waves of arousal drumming through you as your bundle of nerves get better access to feel pleasure.

Namjoon's hands are anchored in your hips, helping to guide you over his thigh. A brief glance towards him tells you that he's still very much watching the movie and not watching how your face twists into delight.

However, your approaching orgasm presses your competitiveness down and the only thing left in your mind is to finally cum.

Your forehead falls on his shoulder, hands tightly wrapped around his neck and hips rocking as fast you can. The coil in your stomach is about to snap. Your breath gets heavier and faster, heartbeat thundering in your ears while your toes curl in avidity.

,,Fuck, I'm gonna cum," you puff against his skin.

,,Cream all over my thigh, babygirl. Do it for daddy, yeah?"

With his words spurring you more on, your longing for your anticipated climax finally flushing your body in pure bliss. You squirm on top of Namjoon, legs tightly closing around his leg as you shakily try to steady your breathing.

,,Made such a mess on me," he comments after peering down at your quivering pussy.

His thigh was so wet, coated in your juices and letting his skin shine under the light.

Namjoon's hands wander to your back, soft fingers stroking your back while you try to calm down.

,,Everything settled now?" he asks, shifting his head to give you a kiss on the cheek.

You turn your head on his shoulder to look up at him, he's staring at you, an eyebrow arched.

Yeah, you just came and creamed all over his thigh but how could you not be wanting more? He's fucking Kim Namjoon, of course you want more even if only a few seconds have passed from your climax. You'd sit on his cock right now and start fucking him.

And it's not like you didn't notice how pre-cum dribbled out from his cock and is coating his stomach. His tip more red than before and just waiting for you to take him into your mouth.

,,Are you really going to be like this?" you whisper against his neck. ,,Paying more attention to a documentary than your girlfriend?" Your vicious hand reaches down to his crotch, fingers deliberately skimming over his hard cock. ,,I'm so horny, Joon. I want you so bad." Voice overflowed with theatrical desperation. You behold how is his usual warm orbs turn into a darker colour. He levels you with a piercing gaze that shoots right through you and makes you feel so small and helpless against his imperious radiation.

Namjoon's whole being emits pure...daddy material. His looks only support that appearance through his bulky body and that stare that makes you all tiny and wanting to obey him. (even though you're still acting like a brat for the most of the time, because you just loves playing with him.)

Suddenly his hands dart down to your waist, grasping them firmly. A startled gasp leaves your mouth as he forcefully pushes you down onto the couch.

,,You want it so bad?" he asks, stripping off his sweatshirt and tossing it away. ,,Can't wait for daddy to finish the movie because you're so fucking needy?"

,,The movie is fucking boring," you answer, removing your shirt. He curses when he takes your bare tits into sight.

,,If you weren't such a slut you would have enjoyed it." Well, you couldn't argue with that.

He squeezes your boobs, roughly kneading your flesh while he ducks down, his tongue trailing over your neck and leaving wet trails. He plants a few kisses here and there before leaning away, grabbing his dick and pumping his cock.

,,Fuck me, Namjoon. Please," you beg, eyes wavering between watching him stroking his cock and watching how he enjoys pumping himself by biting down his lip.

,,Want my cock?" He teases, rubbing his tip over your dripping folds, nudging your clit and smirking when you whimper.

,,Yes, daddy," you mewl.

,,Fucking take it then." And with that he jolts forward, his cock deeply buried inside you with one quick motion. You instantly moan and he simultaneously groans.

,,Shit, you're so fucking wet. Did you like getting yourself off on me?"

,,I loved it," you heave, eyebrows already furrowed as he starts moving with hard thrusts.

Your tits wiggle with every snap of his hips. Namjoon stares at them, not able to resist the itch to latch his mouth on your nipple. He's sucking and licking on your bud, his other hand keeping you down by the your waist so you won't fly off the couch. Your hands cascade through his soft blonde hair, roaming to his shoulders and then his back. When his tempo fastens your nails scratch his skin, red lines of pleasure now drawn on his body.

With a loud pop he withdraws from your nipple. Namjoon moans when you continue scraping his skin, he loves feeling your nails wound him.

He grabs your legs by your calves, letting them rest on his shoulders. Namjoon cages your head between his forearms, placing sloppy kisses on your jaw. The sound of his balls slapping against your skin rings through the room, drowning out the movie that still plays in the background.

You finally have Namjoon where you wanted him to be, balls deep inside you and fucking you just the way you both like.

,,You always need daddy's attention, don't you?" he asks through gritted teeth.

You nod frantically, eyes screwed shut when he somehow increases his speed and sends your body into another dimension - another universe.

Namjoon is not satisfied with your answer. He grabs your cheeks with his hand, squishing them and forming your mouth into a little pout. His fingers digging into your skin make you open your eyes again. Namjoon's dark eyes stare right into yours, a disdainful look displayed on his face.

,,Huh? Does babygirl need attention from her daddy?"

,,Yes - fuck - always need your attention, daddy."

,,Good girl," he praises you.

One hand reaches down to your clit and he starts drawing little circles on it, coaxing a loud moan out of you.

,,Gonna cum again," you whine, clinging onto his biceps.

,,Yeah? My cock is gonna make you cum again?"

,,Yes, yes," you gasp, his cock hitting the right spot over and over again.

,,Cum for daddy, show me how good I make you feel."

Namjoon watches you intently as you cum around his dick for a second time, he could never get tired of seeing how your beautiful face turns into something so delicate while your walls tighten and pulse around him.

,,That's right, babygirl. Cum for daddy."

Your body shakes, pleasure tickling every little pore of yours and overcoming your whole body. Your nails dig into his biceps, but Namjoon welcomes the pain. He stops fondling with your clit, looking down to see his cock coated with mixed arousal everytime he bottoms out.

,,Fuck, I'm gonna cum too," he says, hips briefly stuttering when your pussy doesn't stop clenching around him.

,,Don't cum inside me," you retort slowly and breathless, still coming down from your high.

,,What- why?" Your words snap him back to reality, popping the bubble he was currently absorbed in.

,,If you're not gonna clean up don't cum inside me," you explain.

,,I always clean you up," he defends himself.

,,You didn't last time."

,,Because we fucked for so long. I get tired too, woman."

,,You get tired too? As far as I can remember, you wanted to go again after like two minutes."

,,Shush now," Namjoon says, refocusing on his orgasm.

,,I'm just saying. Cum in my mouth if you're not gonna clean up."

,,You're mouth? Fuck, that sounds nice too." - Namjoon's thumb traces over your bottom lip, slightly drawing it down - ,,Didn't fill your mouth for a long time."

A few seconds later he's already pulling out, getting up from the couch and standing in front of it.

,,Come here," he mumbles, his hands stroking his cock in fast movements.

You instantly shuffle down on the ground, your knees digging into the hard laminate flooring. (You both really needed to buy some carpets, because you're tired of having bruised knees every week) You open your mouth obediently.

,,Suck," he demands, stopping his motions and holding the base of his cock.

You wrap your lips around him, immediately bopping your head up and down. You use your hand for the parts that you can't reach. Namjoon is probably not going to last long given his restrained moans and his hand tightly holding your hair.

His abs are covered in sweat and he looks so ethereal in his current state, so delicate and hot - and he's all yours.

You swirl your tongue around him, hollowing your cheeks and holding eye contact with him.

,,I'm cumming," he warns and a second later he's spurting all his cum inside your mouth, a low moan echoing through the room. You continue sucking him off, your hand tracing down his balls to caress them.

Once you sucked every little drop out of him he removes his dick from your mouth. He couldn't bare the warm feeling of your mouth anymore, everything becoming too sensitive for him.

,,Show me," he commands.

You dart you cum covered tongue out, waiting till you feel it almost dripping down before you close your mouth again. Namjoon came a lot, probably the outcome of going so long with a boner without touching it.

,,Swallow now." He cups your cheek and swipes his thumb over your skin while you swallow all of his cum. You stretch out your tongue once it's down your throat. ,,Good girl," he praises and a little smile tugs on your lips. You relish getting any kind of praise, enjoying every second he throws compliments at you.

Namjoon helps you to get up and you both sit down on the couch again. When you look at the TV it's currents playing the credits of the movie.

,,Fucking me was more fun than watching the movie, right?" you teasingly say.

,,You literally couldn't wait thirty minutes, huh?" Namjoon pulls you closer, your leg naturally wrapping around him.

,,No, I couldn't wait thirty minutes for your dick. That's just not possible," you answer.

,,Maybe I should teach you a lesson about that." You know the look that he shoots you and you also know that you don't like it.

,,No, Joonie, whatever you're thinking, forget it." Your lips are puckered and eyebrows concerningly furrowed.

He laughs throwing his arm around your shoulder.

,,Hmm, don't know about that, babygirl."

#bangtanuniversity #btscreatorscorner #namjoon smut #kim namjoon #namjoon x reader #bts smut #namjoon established relationship #kpop smut #knj #namjoon fic #namjoon scenarios #namjoon imagine #namjoon angst #bts scenario #bts fanfic #smut #bts imagines

[hldailyupdate]

Louis Tomlinson Announces He’s Working On New Documentary — Everything You Need To Know Get ready, Louis Tomlinson fans, because the singer just announced that he’s working on a brand new documentary about his life, and we have all the exciting details for you! While replying to some fan questions on Twitter, the One Direction member shared the exciting news.“ Have you already thought about making a documentary?” one fan asked him. He replied, “Already on it love.” But wait, when will the documentary come out, you ask? What exactly will it be about and what can we expect it to show? Not to worry, you guys, because we broke it all down for you. Here’s everything you need to know about Tomlinson’s upcoming documentary. What Do We Know So Far About Louis Tomlinson’s Documentary? So unfortunately, the “Walls” crooner hasn’t shared any other details about it, but some fans are convinced that they’ve uncovered the name of the upcoming doc! Get this — just a few days before he made the announcement, Tomlinson celebrated the 11-year anniversary since he first auditioned for The X Factor. As fans know, after he tried out for the singing competition show, he was put into the band by Simon Cowell (alongside Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik).

“11 years since my first audition! I had no idea on that day just how much would have changed between then and now. Thank you to everyone who’s been there for me along the way! We’re only just getting started!” he wrote on Twitter in honor of the big day. But it was his next message that caught everyone’s attention.“ Faith in the future,” Tomlinson added. And many people think that may be the name of the documentary!

What Else Has Louis Tomlinson Been Up To Lately?

This isn’t the only thing that the musician has up his sleeves! Yep, earlier this month, he revealed that he was starting his own management company, and everyone was pretty excited about it. For those who don’t know, he previously attempted to launch his own record label, but that didn’t work out.“

I always dreamed of having my own label, having an imprint never really worked for me because I still had to have someone else’s blessing to sign people. People I believed in massively but unfortunately didn’t fit the traditional pop role hence never doing the deals,” he explained via Twitter. “So I’ve decided to put it out there in the world today. I’m going to start my own music management company to help develop new artists. Watch this space.” He later verified, “I just wanted to take the first step of actualizing the idea but at this stage that’s all this is. An idea! Sometimes action is needed first to encourage the motivation and belief.” And when someone asked if this would effect his upcoming music, he replied, “No.”

And that’s not all! Tomlinson also told fans that he’s considering making a visual album!

“Seen a few that a really like. Potentially,” he replied when a fan asked if he was open to making one. So exciting! But despite having “lots of stuff” in the works at the moment, Tomlinson promised that music is still the most important thing to him.

“Lots of stuff in early stages. Music obviously remains my number one priority,” he tweeted. He also tweeted that he has new merch coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Plus, the 29-year-old is gearing up to go on tour — as soon as it’s safe, of course. He was supposed to head out on his debut solo tour last year, but when the pandemic hit he was unfortunately forced to postpone it. His European leg is now set to kick off on June 6, 2021, but it’s unclear whether or not those shows will go on as planned or get postponed again. As for the American leg, the new dates for those concerts have not been announced just yet. But Tomlinson is very excited to hit the stage again.

“Every day is a day closer to the first show back!” he tweeted recently. And when someone asked him what he was most excited about, he responded, “The next time I play a live show. Going to be an incredible atmosphere.” What Do We Know About His Upcoming Second Album? Back in May 2020, Tomlinson first announced that he was working on his second studio album.

“I’m doing good. Tried to be more creative these last few weeks,” he wrote to a fan at the time. The singer added that he had “lots of ideas” but that he didn’t expect to be “writing so soon” after his first album dropped. As fans know, his debut LP — Walls — came out in January 2020, and it was full of bops. Then, in October 2020, he gave us a much-needed update!

“Wrote four songs in  four days. It’s cooking,” Tomlinson shared. And when a fan asked what exactly was “cooking,” he explained, “Banger after banger.” And just this week, he revealed that he was working on another new song!

“Got a decent chorus idea down,” he said, when asked what he was up to. This is seriously so exciting! But when will his new tunes come out? Well, when a fan asked the star when we could expect the music to drop, he said it will probably come out sometime this year.

“Assuming ’21 [but] who knows,” he said.

What Will His New Album Sound Like? While chatting with Telegraph in a recent interview, the 1D heartthrob explained that the pandemic has given him time to “really get into what I want to say” on his new album.

“I’m very, very excited. I had basically penciled down a plan before corona took over our lives,” he explained. “And now it’s kind of given me a little bit of time to really get into what I want to say and what I want things to sound like.

”When asked about the sound, Tomlinson said that fans can expect it to be a lot like his hit song “Kill My Mind.”

“There’s a certain energy in that song, in its delivery, in its attitude, that I want to recreate,” he continued. “People are struggling at the moment, so I want to create a raucous, exciting atmosphere in my live show, not a somber, thoughtful one.

”According to the pop star, he’s been listening to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers a lot over the last few months, and they will have a big influence on LT2.

“I grew up on their album ‘By the Way’. And during lockdown I’ve been knee deep in their stuff,” he explained to Telegraph. “I’ve watched every documentary, every video. And I find their lead guitarist John Frusciante just fascinating.”

But don’t expect him to play any new instruments on the upcoming LP. He tweeted that “guitar was enough” for him when a fan asked if he learned any new instruments during quarantine. Plus, he also wrote on Twitter that he’s going to talk about more social issues in his lyrics!

#louis tomlinson #louis update #article #celebmag #april 2021

[izzyfandoms]

A Sleep So Sweet - Chapter Ten

When Emile discovered he was the soulmate of the prince of a magical species known as Beings, he did not know how to react. Beings were terrifying, powerful creatures, who often did not care for humanity, and, in their first meeting, his soulmate, the sleep prince, seemed to be no different.  

Will Emile fall in love with his soulmate, or are they simply not meant to be?

SHIPS: Remile (the whole fic is Remile, but it does not show up in this chapter), background Moxiety

WARNINGS: Loneliness, a type of hypnosis, forced love, mild violence, almost kidnapping

GENERAL TAGLIST: @quillfics42 @aj-draws @phantomofthesanderssides @phlying-squirrel @sly-is-my-name-loving-is-my-game @because-were-fam-ily @imtryingthisout @a-creepycookie @littlestr @spooky-scary-virgil @fuyel @mimsidoodles @soupgremlin @aroaceagenderfluid @birdsbookshiddeninrealbirdsskin @quirkalurk @gingers-trashy-stuff @iinyxtello @justaqueercactus @melodiread @mrbubbajones @pun-master-logan @gayturtlez @k1ngtok1 @yourneighborhooddisaster @alexxander-the-gay @full-of-roman-angst-trash @selfcarejanus

A SLEEP SO SWEET TAGLIST: @spellingwillbethedeathofme @unicornofdarknessstuff

Masterpost

A Sleep So Sweet Masterpost

“How was work today?” Logan asked over the phone as Emile walked down the street.

Emile hummed, thoughtful, his eyes scanning over the darkening sky. The sun was setting, making the sky a beautiful picture – oranges and pinks and blues surrounding the clouds – and he was enjoying getting to look at it as he walked home from work.

There were multiple people walking in the streets around him, and a few cars passed by, too. They all paid Emile no attention as he walked down the street, on the phone with one of his best friends.

“It was good!” Emile said. “Had some wonderful sessions with a few patients. Of course I can’t tell you any details, but they were good! How was your work?”

“Satisfactory. I had some disruptive students in class today, but I dealt with them easily.”

“I bet you’re the best teacher,” Emile said with a smile, though he knew his friend could not see the look on his face. “You’re so smart!”

“Thank you, Emile,” Logan responded, and Emile could only just hear the hints of a smile in his voice. Or, well, he could hear that almost smile that occasionally showed up on Logan’s face: a rare treat. It was even rarer to see a full smile appear on Logan’s face. “I’d like to hope that my students find my teaching satisfactory.”

“I’m sure they do,” Emile said, his words genuine. “Anyone would be lucky to have you as a teacher. I bet I would’ve loved school even more if I had you as my teacher!”

“Thank you,” Logan said. “I do think I am a rather adequate teacher.”

Emile smiled. “I think you’re perfect!”

“You have never seen me teach.”

“But I know you! And you’ve taught me plenty of things. You’ve told me all sorts of things about astrology that I didn’t know before!”

“Astronomy,” Logan corrected immediately. He paused. “But I suppose you make a good point.”

Emile smiled again. “I always make good points,” he joked.

“Perhaps a slight exaggeration, though you are mostly correct.”

Emile laughed. He stopped as he reached the end of the street, looking left and right and finding no cars in sight, before he crossed the road.  

“Thank you, thank you,” he said.  

He continued his walk alone down the street, paying more attention to the sky and its beauty than he was to the rest of his surroundings. He barely noticed the buildings around them, and the fact that the lights were now all off, and he didn’t notice that he was the only person walking down the street.

“Well, as nice as this conversation is, I have papers to mark,” Logan said, and Emile could imagine he was checking the watch he always wore. “I would like to finish them in time to watch a documentary on fonts that I have been saving for a free evening.”

“That sounds fascinating! You might have to send me the details,” Emile said. “It was nice talking to you! Bye!”

“Goodbye,” Logan said, before he hung up.

Emile lowered his phone, pocketing it and looking around himself.  

The sky was still pretty, with clouds everywhere against the background of oranges and pinks and blues, though Emile couldn’t see the whole sunset at that moment with the buildings around him in the way. The streets were empty, and there were no longer any cars driving down the roads.  

Wait.

The streets were empty? There were no people or cars?

Emile blinked, surprised, and then looked around himself again, scanning the streets. There was no one around him, when there previously had been a few only minutes prior. There were no cars, either, and it certainly wasn’t late enough for an area like this to be abandoned. The sky was still light enough to see without the street lights!

A sense that something was wrong appeared in the pit of Emile’s stomach as he looked around again, more panicked this time. He swallowed anxiously.  

Where was everyone? What had happened?

His eyes flicked to the buildings around him. All of the lights were off, and the sense of doom strengthened.

Should Emile knock on a door? Should he look for someone? Should he run away?

Something was clearly wrong. There was no other explanation. Was there some natural disaster coming that everyone had been alerted to but Emile had not been?

He pulled out his phone, checking for notifications, but finding nothing. He pocketed his phone again.

Was this... something supernatural? Was this the work of a Being?

Emile still did not really know what Beings were capable of. Could they make everyone disappear like this? Had someone done something to Emile, was he hallucinating? Or was he truly alone? Had someone done something to everyone in this area? That seemed even less likely. How could someone – even a Being – do something to everyone around him without him noticing?

Maybe that was what happened. Emile was still pretty unfamiliar with how Beings worked. Who knew what they were capable of?

Emile swallowed again, looking around even more frantically this time. There was still nobody around. He remained alone.

Emile’s heart began to pound, loud enough that he could hear it. His breath quickened. Panic began to set in and he clenched his hands into fists.

Okay. Okay. He needed to do something. He did not need to panic, he needed to do something else, though he wasn’t sure exactly what he needed to do.

He looked around once more, and his eyes landed on a nearby door. He rushed over to it, raising his fist and knocking rapidly against it. He waited, impatient and shifting his weight from one foot to the other, but no response came. He knocked a few more times, but still no response came.  

Emile’s head spun around frantically, and he rushed over to another door. He knocked again, but no response came. He went to another door, and there was yet again no response.

Just as he reached the fourth door – raising his hand to knock – a voice appeared behind him, so sudden that it made Emile jump and almost slip on the damp pavement.

“Hello, Emile.”

The voice filled Emile with a simultaneous fear and relief that clashed inside of him like two waves crashing into each other and filling him with swirling nausea. He froze for a single moment, before he spun around, unsure of what his eyes would land on when he saw the one who had spoken.  

It was a Being, unmistakably, with pink skin, red hair and red eyes with heart-shaped pupils.

There was a single moment where it felt like time was frozen, before the relief and fear was yanked out of him so rapidly that he almost threw up. It was immediately replaced with pure, unsullied adoration.

He loved the Being standing in front of him. Loved everything about them, though he knew nothing about them. It didn’t matter that he knew nothing, he loved them. That was undeniable.

Emile did not know what to say, he just stared at this Being – who he loved – for a few seconds, before they smiled at him, showing off two rows of sharp, pure white teeth.

“Hello, Emile,” they said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

They held out their hand for Emile to shake. Emile hesitated for a few moments. This Being was perfect, did he really have the right to touch them? But he wanted to touch them, he really, really, really wanted to be close to them. He wanted to be absorbed into their skin and never ever leave their side.  

How had he survived so long without them?

Emile took their hand, feeling their warm skin against his own, and allowing them to shake it firmly. They then released Emile’s hand, to Emile’s disappointment.

“What- what can I call you?” Emile asked awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

He stared at this Being, wanting nothing more than to be by their side forever. He wanted to hold their hand, to hold their body, to do whatever they said whenever they requested it.

The Being hummed, resting one hand on their hip and tapping their foot against the ground.

“You humans and your names. So strange, so... useless,” the Being said, seeming amused. “But I suppose it would do no harm to come up with something. Well, I’m a Being of love, so maybe Love works just fine.”

“Love,” Emile repeated. “Love. Love, Love, Love. I love that. I love you.”

Love laughed. “Oh, I do so love the effect I have on humans. It can be very useful. As can my friend’s abilities.” Love let out another little laugh. “Well, I say friend, but they’re not the friendliness of Beings. They’re made out of loneliness, after all!” Love tilted their head, giving Emile a smile that should have made him uncomfortable, but he instead adored it. They spread out their arms. “I mean, they’re the reason you’re all alone right now! Well, besides me. Isn’t that interesting?”

Emile nodded enthusiastically, eager to agree with Love.

Love smiled, reaching out with their hand, and Emile took it immediately. The skin was still strangely warm, like how it felt to hold a burning-hot tray with oven gloves on.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Love said, continuing to smile. “I mean, you want to do everything I ask, don’t you?”

“Of course!” Emile said. “I’ll do anything for you.”

“Of course you would. You’re good, you’ll do everything I say, won’t you?” Love let out a laugh. “Now come on, I have somewhere to bring you.”

Love began to pull Emile down the street – Emile going along willingly, eager to do absolutely anything that Love asked.  

But then, there was a thump behind Emile, and Emile barely even noticed it. But when Love turned to look, Emile turned, too.

And there was Virgil, wielding a sword and glaring fiercely at Love, like he hated them. Despised them. Wanted them dead. The moment Emile’s eyes landed on Virgil, the love for Love was gone, like it had been ripped right out of his heart, so violently that he wanted to throw up. It was replaced by fear, pure fear, and Emile could hear vomit rise in his throat. He barely managed to swallow it.

Then, Love squeezed his hand, and it was like he was sending pure love through their intertwined fingers. It swirled around the fear, and Emile’s head began to ache. He wanted to let go of Love’s hand, but he also despised the thought of it, and he was frozen in place.

His hand remained in Love’s and his eyes remained on Virgil.

Virgil’s eyes flicked to Emile. He seemed to think for a moment, before he turned back to Love.

“Let go of him,” Virgil commanded.

Love yanked Emile closer to him, which wasn’t enough to tear Emile’s eyes away from the Being of fear.

“He’s mine,” Love hissed, his grip tightening enough that it started to hurt, but Emile could hardly focus on that.

“He doesn’t belong to anyone,” said another new voice. It was familiar – soothing – but Emile couldn’t focus enough on it to figure out who was speaking. He couldn’t even turn his head to look at them.

Then, Virgil leapt towards Love, swinging his sword. Love jumped back, yanking his hand away from Emile, and the loss of Love’s touch and the sight of Virgil made the fear and love both spill out of Emile’s body like rushing blood, and he stumbled, feeling an emptiness inside of him that made him dizzy.

He stumbled, almost falling to the ground, but was caught by someone other than Virgil and Love.

A memory filled his head.

Watching Steven Universe with Thomas and Logan.

Talking. Laughing.

Gasping.

The memory was all that was left inside his head. There were no feelings attached to it – nothing else inside of him.

And the moment the memory left his head, everything went dark.

#me #writing #a sleep so sweet #remile #moxiety #cartoon therapy #sanders sides #sanders shorts #emile picani #logan sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #original character #original characters #soulmate au #human au #magic au

[dailytomlinson]

While many artists would jump at the chance to tell you how lockdown has been a fruitful opportunity for self-improvement, full of pseudo self-help books and pompous podcasts, former One Directioner Louis Tomlinson is adamant that he has done, well, nothing.

“I’ve just watched loads of s___ TV,” he says after a long pause. “The Undoing is decent, isn’t it?”

Twenty-eight--year-old Tomlinson from Doncaster was always the down-to-earth Directioner, frequently describing himself as fringe member who spent more time analysing the band’s contracts than singing solos, known for chain-smoking his way through several packs of cigarettes a day and swearing like a trooper. A rarity, these days, among millennials who’d rather suck on a stem of kale and tweet about their #blessings.

He's getting ready to rehearse an exciting one-off gig that will be live-streamed from a secret London location on December 12, announced today exclusively via the Telegraph. The proceeds of the night will be split across four charities: The Stagehand Covid-19 Crew Relief Fund and Crew Nation, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and Marcus Rashford’s charity FareShare, to help end child poverty.

The gig means a great deal to Tomlinson, whose first ever tour as a solo artist, to promote his debut solo album WALLS, was cut short back in March after just two concerts in Spain and Mexico. It was an album he’d spent five years working on: a guitar-led project that ruptured with the preppy pop anthems of One Direction, inspired instead by Tomlinson’s love for Britpop.

No doubt he was anxious to get it right following a decade “grown in test tubes”, as Harry Styles once described the band’s formation on the X Factor, where they came third before going on to make a reported $280,000 a day as the most successful band in the world. The pressure, too, was intense: all four bandmates had already released their own solo debuts.

Was he left reeling, I ask, unable to perform at such a crucial moment?

“The thing that I always enjoyed the most about One Direction was playing the shows, so my master plan, when I realised I was going to do a solo career, was always my first tour. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for the best part of five years now. I got so close, I got a taste for it, and it’s affected me like everyone else, but I’m forever an optimist,” he says down the phone, with what I can only imagine to be a rather phlegmatic shrug.

Sure, I say, but the last year can’t have been easy. Didn’t he feel like his purpose had popped?

“You know what,” he says, reflecting, “maybe because I’ve had real dark moments in my life, they’ve given me scope for optimism. In the grand scheme of things, of what I’ve experienced, these everyday problems...they don’t seem so bad.”

Tomlinson is referring to losing his 43-year-old mother, a midwife, to leukemia in 2016, and his 18-year-old sister Felicite, a model, to an accidental drug overdose in 2018. The double tragedy is something he has been open about on his own terms, dedicating his single, Two of Us, from WALLS, to his mother Johannah, while often checking in with fans who have lost members of their own family.

It’s not unusual for Tomlinson to ask his 34.9 million followers if they’re doing alright, receiving hundreds of thousands of personal replies. It’s not something he will discuss in interviews, however, after he slammed BBC Breakfast for shamelessly probing his trauma in February this year. “Never going back there again,” he tweeted after coming off the show.

“Social media is a ruthless, toxic place, so I don’t like to spend much time there,” says Tomlinson, “but because of experiencing such light and shade all while I was famous, I have a very deep connection with my fans. They’ve always been there for me.”

In return, Tomlinson is good to them. Last month he even promised some new music, saying that he’d written four songs in four days. Does this mean that a second album is on the way?

“Yeah, definitely,” he says. “I’m very, very excited. I had basically penciled down a plan before corona took over our lives. And now it's kind of given me a little bit of time to really get into what I want to say and what I want things to sound like. Because, you know, I was really proud of my first record, but there were moments that I felt were truer to me than others. I think that there were some songs where I took slightly more risk and owned what I love, saying, ‘This is who I want to be’. So I want to take a leaf out of their book.”

Fans might think he’s referring to writing more heartfelt autobiographical content such as Two of Us, but in fact, he’s referring specifically to rock-inspired Kill My Mind, he says, the first song on WALLS. “There’s a certain energy in that song, in its delivery, in its attitude, that I want to recreate. People are struggling at the moment, so I want to create a raucous, exciting atmosphere in my live show, not a somber, thoughtful one.”

He sighs, trying to articulate something that’s clearly been playing on his mind for a while. “You know, because of my story, my album was a little heavy at times and a little somber. And as I'm sure you're aware, from talking to me, now, that isn't who I am.”

It must be draining, I say, the weight of expectation in both the media and across his fanbase, to be a spokesperson for grief and hardship. To have tragedy prelude everything he does and says.

“Honestly, it’s part of being from Doncaster as well, I don’t like people feeling sorry for me. That’s the last thing I want.”

Too many incredible memories to mention but not a day goes by that I don't think about how amazing it was. @NiallOfficial @Harry_Styles @LiamPayne @zaynmalik . So proud of you all individually.

The problem is, says Tomlinson, he doesn’t have the best imagination. “I have interesting things to say musically, but what’s challenging from a writing perspective is that I write from the heart, and I can’t really get into someone else’s story. And right now, being stuck at home, you have so little experience to draw from. It’s actually quite hard to write these positive, uplifting songs, because actually, the experiences that you're going through on a day to day basis, you know, you they don't have that same flavour.”

There is something that’s helping, though: a secret spot near Los Angeles, where he divides his time. “It’s remote and kind of weird, and I’m going to go there for three days and write. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to it. I found it via a YouTube video. It’s got some very interesting locals who live there, it’s sort of backwards when it comes to technology. It feels like you’re going back in time when you’re there. But I don’t want to give it away.”

Another source of inspiration for his second album is the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ back catalogue. “I grew up on their album Bytheway. And during lockdown I've been knee deep in their stuff. I’ve watched every documentary, every video. And I find their lead guitarist John Frusciante just fascinating.”

Has he spoken to Frusicante?

“I f______ wish,” snorts Tomlinson.

Surely someone as well-known as Tomlinson could easily get in touch?

“No, honestly, I think he’s too cool for that. He’s not into that kind of thing.”

Tomlinson’s passion for all things rock is also spurring on a side hustle he picked up as a judge on the X Factor in 2018: managing an all-female rock band via his own imprint on Simon Cowell’s Syco label. While the group disbanded before releasing their first single, and Tomlinson split from Syco earlier this year, the singer is keen to nurture some more talent.

“I'm not gonna lie, my process with my imprint through Syco, it became challenging and it became frustrating at times,” Tomlinson says a little wearily. “The kind of artists that I was interested in developing – because I genuinely feel through my experience in One Direction, you know, one of the biggest f______ bands, I feel like I've learned a lot about the industry – they weren’t ready-made. So I had lots of artists that I took through the door that were rough and ready, but major labels want to see something that works straight away. I found that a little bit demotivating. I love her and she's an incredible artist, but not everyone is a Taylor Swift.”

Tomlinson spends much of his free time scouting new talent either on YouTube, Reddit or BBC Introducing – he’s currently a huge fan of indie Brighton band, Fickle Friends. His dream is to manage an all-female band playing instruments. “Because there's no one in that space. And I know eventually if I don't do it, someone else will!”

Before he drives off to rehearsals, we chatter about how much he's been practising his guitar playing, and how he can't wait to take the whole team working at his favourite grassroots venue, The Dome in Doncaster, out ice-skating after he performs there on his rescheduled tour. “Because I've got skills,” he says, and I can hear his chest puff.

And then I ask the question every retired member of One Direction has been batting off ever since they broke up in 2015, after Zayn Malik quit. Rumours that his bandmates saw him as a Judas went wild after some eagle eyes fans noticed they’d unfollowed him on Instagram. Payne, Tomlinson, Horan and Styles have barely mentioned him since. Recently, however, they re-followed him, and Payne has teased that a One Direction reunion is on the cards.

So: might 2021 be the year of resurrection?

“I thought you were going to ask something juicier!” say Tomlinson witheringly. “Look, I f______ love One Direction. I'm sure we're going to come back together one day, and I'll be doing a couple of One Direction songs in my gig. I always do that, so that's not alluding to any reunion or anything. But, I mean, look, I'm sure one day we'll get back together, because, you know, we were f______ great.”

#telegraph uk #press #louis tomlinson #241120 #its FULL of stunts as telegraph usually goes #stunt mention #Eleanor Halls

[bookitty100]

I must admit I have never been a fan of Marina Abramovic, until I watched the documentary: The Artist is Present- Marian Abramovic. I was quite moved by her, the way she interacts with world, how she managed to engage with every person who sat down with her in the museum over the course of 3 months. The dedication and commitment she had to the performance is inspiring. (Not to mention the years she has spent on perfecting and exploring her art)

Sadly I remember when that performance was happening and I didn’t go.

I think her upbringing had a lot to do with her not giving into the discomfort or pain for fear of failure, never wanting to disappoint. One of my favorite statements in the film is when they talk about the differences of theater and performing. "To be a performance artist, you have to hate theatre,"

That had never occurred to me but I now believe it.

There was also a connection I felt to one one of my other favorite still living artist/filmmaker/performer, Alejandro Jodorowsky. His belief and performance/practices of Psychomagic may have been a an influence. I am surprised that I just realized the similarities between these two since I have been a follower of AJ for years.

There is so much in this documentary, and it really made me think about what it is to become an artist and how you have to package/commodify yourself in order to be successful.

Roselee Goldburg- Hidden performance essay gave a good incite to the history of performance art, “ performance is the expression of artists who wish to challenge the viewers perception of art and the limits of those perceptions” it a great thing to remember and help to define what is performance art.

- Many things to digest

- Italian futurists

- The constructivists

- The dadaists

- The surrealists

After reading this I feel as thought performance art is also open to more of the mass and every level of social status. It’s something that can’t ,in the traditional sense be purchased since its a live event. And I love that every performance is different.

The Coco Fusco essay to say the least was a fascinating and at the same time deeply disturbing to me. Humans are are cruel and disgusting then and that continues to today, what Russia is doing to people in Ukraine, Black Lives Matter, the drug violence in Mexico and I can go and on. It is heart breaking to me every day, has society learned nothing?

It was also shocking to think that the performance the two artist put on at the Whitney was considered real. I did find it intriguing that museum staff was trouble by the Japanese tourist and the impression they might take home with them.

I truly enjoyed reading this essay, its has such a plethora of information and many levels of emotions.

[louistomlinsoncouk]

While many artists would jump at the chance to tell you how lockdown has been a fruitful opportunity for self-improvement, full of pseudo self-help books and pompous podcasts, former One Directioner Louis Tomlinson is adamant that he has done, well, nothing.

“I’ve just watched loads of s___ TV,” he says after a long pause. “The Undoing is decent, isn’t it?”

Twenty-eight--year-old Tomlinson from Doncaster was always the down-to-earth Directioner, frequently describing himself as fringe member who spent more time analysing the band’s contracts than singing solos, known for chain-smoking his way through several packs of cigarettes a day and swearing like a trooper. A rarity, these days, among millennials who’d rather suck on a stem of kale and tweet about their #blessings.

Far from aimless, however, today the singer is full of beans, cheerily shushing his barking dog as he potters about his North London home where he lives with his best friend from home, Oli, and his girlfriend, the model Eleanor Calder.

He's getting ready to rehearse an exciting one-off gig that will be live-streamed from a secret London location on December 12, announced today exclusively via the Telegraph. The proceeds of the night will be split across four charities: The Stagehand Covid-19 Crew Relief Fund and Crew Nation, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and Marcus Rashford’s charity FareShare, to help end child poverty.

The gig means a great deal to Tomlinson, whose first ever tour as a solo artist, to promote his debut solo album WALLS, was cut short back in March after just two concerts in Spain and Mexico. It was an album he’d spent five years working on: a guitar-led project that ruptured with the preppy pop anthems of One Direction, inspired instead by Tomlinson’s love for Britpop.

No doubt he was anxious to get it right following a decade “grown in test tubes”, as Harry Styles once described the band’s formation on the X Factor, where they came third before going on to make a reported $280,000 a day as the most successful band in the world. The pressure, too, was intense: all four bandmates had already released their own solo debuts.

Was he left reeling, I ask, unable to perform at such a crucial moment?

“The thing that I always enjoyed the most about One Direction was playing the shows, so my master plan, when I realised I was going to do a solo career, was always my first tour. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for the best part of five years now. I got so close, I got a taste for it, and it’s affected me like everyone else, but I’m forever an optimist,” he says down the phone, with what I can only imagine to be a rather phlegmatic shrug.

Sure, I say, but the last year can’t have been easy. Didn’t he feel like his purpose had popped?

“You know what,” he says, reflecting, “maybe because I’ve had real dark moments in my life, they’ve given me scope for optimism. In the grand scheme of things, of what I’ve experienced, these everyday problems...they don’t seem so bad.”

Tomlinson is referring to losing his 43-year-old mother, a midwife, to leukemia in 2016, and his 18-year-old sister Felicite, a model, to an accidental drug overdose in 2018. The double tragedy is something he has been open about on his own terms, dedicating his single, Two of Us, from WALLS, to his mother Johannah, while often checking in with fans who have lost members of their own family.

It’s not unusual for Tomlinson to ask his 34.9 million followers if they’re doing alright, receiving hundreds of thousands of personal replies. It’s not something he will discuss in interviews, however, after he slammed BBC Breakfast for shamelessly probing his trauma in February this year. “Never going back there again,” he tweeted after coming off the show.

“Social media is a ruthless, toxic place, so I don’t like to spend much time there,” says Tomlinson, “but because of experiencing such light and shade all while I was famous, I have a very deep connection with my fans. They’ve always been there for me.”

In return, Tomlinson is good to them. Last month he even promised some new music, saying that he’d written four songs in four days. Does this mean that a second album is on the way?

“Yeah, definitely,” he says. “I’m very, very excited. I had basically penciled down a plan before corona took over our lives. And now it's kind of given me a little bit of time to really get into what I want to say and what I want things to sound like. Because, you know, I was really proud of my first record, but there were moments that I felt were truer to me than others. I think that there were some songs where I took slightly more risk and owned what I love, saying, ‘This is who I want to be’. So I want to take a leaf out of their book.”

Fans might think he’s referring to writing more heartfelt autobiographical content such as Two of Us, but in fact, he’s referring specifically to rock-inspired Kill My Mind, he says, the first song on WALLS. “There’s a certain energy in that song, in its delivery, in its attitude, that I want to recreate. People are struggling at the moment, so I want to create a raucous, exciting atmosphere in my live show, not a somber, thoughtful one.”

He sighs, trying to articulate something that’s clearly been playing on his mind for a while. “You know, because of my story, my album was a little heavy at times and a little somber. And as I'm sure you're aware, from talking to me, now, that isn't who I am.”

It must be draining, I say, the weight of expectation in both the media and across his fanbase, to be a spokesperson for grief and hardship. To have tragedy prelude everything he does and says.

“Honestly, it’s part of being from Doncaster as well, I don’t like people feeling sorry for me. That’s the last thing I want.”

The problem is, says Tomlinson, he doesn’t have the best imagination. “I have interesting things to say musically, but what’s challenging from a writing perspective is that I write from the heart, and I can’t really get into someone else’s story. And right now, being stuck at home, you have so little experience to draw from. It’s actually quite hard to write these positive, uplifting songs, because actually, the experiences that you're going through on a day to day basis, you know, you they don't have that same flavour.”

There is something that’s helping, though: a secret spot near Los Angeles, where he divides his time to see his four-year-old son, Freddie, whom he shares with his ex Briana Jungwirth, a stylist. “It’s remote and kind of weird, and I’m going to go there for three days and write. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to it. I found it via a YouTube video. It’s got some very interesting locals who live there, it’s sort of backwards when it comes to technology. It feels like you’re going back in time when you’re there. But I don’t want to give it away.”

Another source of inspiration for his second album is the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ back catalogue. “I grew up on their album Bytheway. And during lockdown I've been knee deep in their stuff. I’ve watched every documentary, every video. And I find their lead guitarist John Frusciante just fascinating.”

Has he spoken to Frusicante?

“I f______ wish,” snorts Tomlinson.

Surely someone as well-known as Tomlinson could easily get in touch?

“No, honestly, I think he’s too cool for that. He’s not into that kind of thing.”

Tomlinson’s passion for all things rock is also spurring on a side hustle he picked up as a judge on the X Factor in 2018: managing an all-female rock band via his own imprint on Simon Cowell’s Syco label. While the group disbanded before releasing their first single, and Tomlinson split from Syco earlier this year, the singer is keen to nurture some more talent.

“I'm not gonna lie, my process with my imprint through Syco, it became challenging and it became frustrating at times,” Tomlinson says a little wearily. “The kind of artists that I was interested in developing – because I genuinely feel through my experience in One Direction, you know, one of the biggest f______ bands, I feel like I've learned a lot about the industry – they weren’t ready-made. So I had lots of artists that I took through the door that were rough and ready, but major labels want to see something that works straight away. I found that a little bit demotivating. I love her and she's an incredible artist, but not everyone is a Taylor Swift.”

Tomlinson spends much of his free time scouting new talent either on YouTube, Reddit or BBC Introducing – he’s currently a huge fan of indie Brighton band, Fickle Friends. His dream is to manage an all-female band playing instruments. “Because there's no one in that space. And I know eventually if I don't do it, someone else will!”

Before he drives off to rehearsals, we chatter about how much he's been practising his guitar playing, and how he can't wait to take the whole team working at his favourite grassroots venue, The Dome in Doncaster, out ice-skating after he performs there on his rescheduled tour. “Because I've got skills,” he says, and I can hear his chest puff.

And then I ask the question every retired member of One Direction has been batting off ever since they broke up in 2015, after Zayn Malik quit. Rumours that his bandmates saw him as a Judas went wild after some eagle eyes fans noticed they’d unfollowed him on Instagram. Payne, Tomlinson, Horan and Styles have barely mentioned him since. Recently, however, they re-followed him, and Payne has teased that a One Direction reunion is on the cards.

So: might 2021 be the year of resurrection?

“I thought you were going to ask something juicier!” say Tomlinson witheringly. “Look, I f______ love One Direction. I'm sure we're going to come back together one day, and I'll be doing a couple of One Direction songs in my gig. I always do that, so that's not alluding to any reunion or anything. But, I mean, look, I'm sure one day we'll get back together, because, you know, we were f______ great.”

#louis tomlinson #24nov20

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in March

Thought I’d chronicle the films I’ve been watching over the March period, from the 1st to the 31st, and how I’d rate them. If you’re looking for something to watch, perhaps this will help. A lot of these movies are available on streaming services also.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - 10/10

I hadn’t watched this in a couple of years but I was blown away. Peak Scorsese.

Rushmore (1998) - 7/10

Not the best Wes Anderson movie for me but still fun.

Lion (2016) - 8/10

I discussed this at length on my podcast: The Sunday Movie Marathon. Great movie!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10

Now this is one of the best Wes Anderson movies. I discuss this more on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Fantastic, funny and I watched it twice because it’s so much fun.

Inception (2010) - 10/10

Discussed on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Best Christopher Nolan movie for me, Inception is just breathtaking.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) - 5/10

This might be Anderson’s weakest film (at least from what I’ve seen) but it’s still not as bad as a lot of directors at their worst.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 10/10

I was really on an Anderson binge in March. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the most wholesome movies I’ve seen and certainly one of his best films.

Rome, Open City (1945) - 4/10

This was filmed in Nazi-occupied Italy and from that premise, the film enticed me. Despite having some interesting qualities, I do feel that initial pull is most of what the movie has going for it.

The Prestige (2006) - 7/10

I showed this to my brother and for what it’s worth, he enjoyed it. I do think this is one of Nolan’s weaker efforts but considering how much I like it, that speaks a lot to Nolan’s filmography as a whole.

Nostalgia (1983) - 10/10

I watched Nostalgia three times in the space of a week and reviewed it on The Sunday Movie Marathon. It’s phenomenal.

Kangaroo Jack (2003) - 1/10

Another one I watched for the podcast. Kangaroo Jack is truly terrible and it upset me a great deal. Avoid this movie.

Stalker (1979) - 10/10

Another Andrei Tarkovsky movie (director of Nostalgia). I watched this again during the day before my second watch of Nostalgia and while it’s hard to compare such different movies, I enjoy Stalker more. It’s a staple of Russian cinema for a reason.

Four Lions (2010) - 5/10

Watched for the podcast. I didn’t really gel with this comedy but it would certainly appeal to someone who enjoys the humour, as my co-hosts did.

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 6/10

This Sam Mendes joint was a tad too melodramatic but still boasted some great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Metropolis (1927) - 6/10

This silent film is a staple in cinematic history. Its themes are as painfully relevant today as they were in the 20’s, yet despite that I found a lot of it to be intensely boring. After it hit the hour mark, I started playing it at 1.5x speed.

Crimson Peak (2015) - 4/10

A lot of great set design and costumes and colours, yet the story itself was madly uninteresting.

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004) - 10/10

Who doesn’t love a good movie written by Charlie Kaufman? I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and after a third watch, it is as fascinating as it is gut-wrenching.

Godzilla (2014) - 3/10

If you wanted to see Godzilla fight a bunch of monsters for two hours, then this is not the movie for you. There’s maybe about ten minutes total of on-screen Godzilla action and considering that’s really all anyone’s watching this for, it’s amazing the titular sea lizard occupies so little of the movie.

Prisoners (2013) - 10/10

Brilliant mystery thriller by my favourite director, Denis Villeneuve. Discussed on the podcast.

Eraserhead (1977) - 7/10

David Lynch’s debut feature film went down in my estimations this time around. You can listen to why on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Still, Eraserhead is a very good movie.

Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981) - 6/10

The first Indiana Jones movie proved to be a fun romp and Harrison Ford plays the character beautifully. I’m just not a big fan of Spielberg and his average verging on pretty good but rarely ever great movies. Perhaps on a second watch, I may enjoy this more.

The Seventh Seal (1957) - 9/10

Watching this movie again was so much fun. So far, it’s my favourite Ingmar Bergman film. It’s a celebration of life and love, with an underlying sense of dread as death looms ever-present.

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984) - 5/10

I can tell why this generally looked on as the weakest in the trilogy. Harrison Ford is still great but the movie dragged a lot and felt more like a bunch of things happening for the sake of it rather than a fun action/adventure.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989) - 7/10

The Last Crusade was a lot of fun and maybe it was Sean Connery’s inclusion, or perhaps the bottle of wine I drank through the movie elevated my enjoyment. But alcohol aside, I still believe this to be the best in the series.

Justice League (2017) - 2/10

People really weren’t kidding when they said this was bad. I watched this in preparation for the Snyder cut and I was not happy. This took years off my life.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) - 3/10

Barely any better and double the run-time of the original. I discussed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and I was certainly not impressed. Better luck next time, Zack!

The Truman Show (1998) - 10/10

Brilliant movie and one I would highly recommend for a stellar Jim Carrey performance. This was another recommendation for the podcast.

Eighth Grade (2018) - 7/10

I was impressed with Bo Burnham’s debut feature. This is a coming of age story centred around a young girl growing up in the modern world and how it can affect the youth of today. Burnham shows a deep understanding of youth culture and a real knack for filmmaking.

Bad Education (2019) - 8/10

A real “yikes!” movie. If you want to learn a bit about the embezzlement that took place in an American school back in the early 2000’s, you need not look further than this tight drama with fantastic performances from Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney.

Twelve Monkeys (1995) - 8/10

One of the only movies where the time travel makes sense. I recommended this for The Sunday Movie Marathon and it’s pretty great.

Ready Or Not (2019) - 7/10

Despite a premise that is not wholly original and a super goofy third act, Ready Or Not is gory, violent fun with a lot of stylish art direction.

Dead Man (1995) - 3/10

Recommended on the podcast. I really did not get a lot out of Dead Man. It’s a very slow movie about Johnny Depp going through the woods and killing some people on the way, but it’s two hours long and hugely metaphorical and sadly it just didn’t connect.

Misbehaviour (2020) - 6/10

A big draw for me in Misbehaviour is Keira Knightley; I think she’s a great actor and I’m basically on board with anything she does. I’d been wanting to see this for a while and I was shocked to see just how relevant it is (being set in 1970) to the world we find ourselves in today, where women are still fighting to be heard and to be treated equally. While the film is not spectacular, I still got a lot from its themes, so recently after the murder of Sarah Everard and how women are being treated in their protest.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (1964) - 7/10

I was surprised at just how hilarious this early Kubrick movie is. While I can’t say it floored me or took any top spots, it’s still a great examination of the military and how they respond to threats or try to solve problems and the side of war we don’t often see in films: the people in the background sitting in a room making crucial decisions.

Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10

Wow! I can’t believe I’d never seen this before but I’d never really had access to it. Taxi Driver is a beautifully made movie with so much colour and vibrancy. De Niro puts on perhaps his best performance and Paul Schrader’s timeless script works miracles.

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - 5/10

Classic Tim Burton aesthetics in a pretty by the numbers, almost Supernatural-esque story eked out over an hour and forty minutes.

Seaspiracy (2021) - 6/10

Everyone’s going crazy over this documentary and I agree it tackles important issues we’re facing today surrounding the commercialization of the fishing industry, but a lot of what’s presented here is information already available to the public. The editing feels misplaced at times and the tone is all over the place. Nonetheless, it’s still quite fascinating to see good journalism being done in a way that exposes this side of the industry.

Pirates of The Carribean: The Curse of The Black Pearl (2003) - 8/10

Super fun and a great first instalment in a franchise that sadly seems to have peaked at the first hurdle.

My Octopus Teacher (2020) - 8/10

Great cinematography and a lovely premise, this documentary has garnered an Oscar nomination and I can see why.

The Sisters Brothers (2018) - 8/10

A really solid western I was happy to watch again. It’s a shame no one really talks about this movie because it is excellent with stunning visuals and great performances.

Pirates of The Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) - 5/10

A strangely massive drop in quality from the original. If I didn’t like the whole concept of this franchise so much, I might have had a worse time.

Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 8/10

On a second watch, Tarantino’s first feature is still wildly impressive.

Life of Brian (1979) - 7/10

This is perhaps my third time watching Monty Python’s Life of Brian and it’s still incredibly funny, however it never manages to measure up to its predecessor (and one of my all time favourites), Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

#march #movies #film #wrap-up #monthly #follow for more #the wolf of wall street #rushmore #lion #the grand budapest hotel #inception #the life aquatic with steve zissou #the royal tenenbaums #rome open city #the prestige #nostalgia #kangaroo jack #stalker #four lions #revolutionary road #metropolis #crimson peak #eternal sunshine of the spotless mind #godzilla #prisoners #eraserhead #raiders of the lost ark #the seventh seal #indiana jones and the temple of doom #indiana jones and the last crusade

[hlupdate]

While many artists would jump at the chance to tell you how lockdown has been a fruitful opportunity for self-improvement, full of pseudo self-help books and pompous podcasts, former One Directioner Louis Tomlinson is adamant that he has done, well, nothing.

“I’ve just watched loads of s___ TV,” he says after a long pause. “The Undoing is decent, isn’t it?”

Twenty-eight--year-old Tomlinson from Doncaster was always the down-to-earth Directioner, frequently describing himself as fringe member who spent more time analysing the band’s contracts than singing solos, known for chain-smoking his way through several packs of cigarettes a day and swearing like a trooper. A rarity, these days, among millennials who’d rather suck on a stem of kale and tweet about their #blessings.

Far from aimless, however, today the singer is full of beans, cheerily shushing his barking dog as he potters about his North London home where he lives with his best friend from home, Oli, [...].

He's getting ready to rehearse an exciting one-off gig that will be live-streamed from a secret London location on December 12, announced today exclusively via the Telegraph. The proceeds of the night will be split across four charities: The Stagehand Covid-19 Crew Relief Fund and Crew Nation, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and Marcus Rashford’s charity FareShare, to help end child poverty.

The gig means a great deal to Tomlinson, whose first ever tour as a solo artist, to promote his debut solo album WALLS, was cut short back in March after just two concerts in Spain and Mexico. It was an album he’d spent five years working on: a guitar-led project that ruptured with the preppy pop anthems of One Direction, inspired instead by Tomlinson’s love for Britpop.

No doubt he was anxious to get it right following a decade “grown in test tubes”, as Harry Styles once described the band’s formation on the X Factor, where they came third before going on to make a reported $280,000 a day as the most successful band in the world. The pressure, too, was intense: all four bandmates had already released their own solo debuts.

Was he left reeling, I ask, unable to perform at such a crucial moment?

“The thing that I always enjoyed the most about One Direction was playing the shows, so my master plan, when I realised I was going to do a solo career, was always my first tour. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for the best part of five years now. I got so close, I got a taste for it, and it’s affected me like everyone else, but I’m forever an optimist,” he says down the phone, with what I can only imagine to be a rather phlegmatic shrug.

Sure, I say, but the last year can’t have been easy. Didn’t he feel like his purpose had popped?

“You know what,” he says, reflecting, “maybe because I’ve had real dark moments in my life, they’ve given me scope for optimism. In the grand scheme of things, of what I’ve experienced, these everyday problems...they don’t seem so bad.”

Tomlinson is referring to losing his 43-year-old mother, a midwife, to leukemia in 2016, and his 18-year-old sister Felicite, a model, to an accidental drug overdose in 2018. The double tragedy is something he has been open about on his own terms, dedicating his single, Two of Us, from WALLS, to his mother Johannah, while often checking in with fans who have lost members of their own family.

It’s not unusual for Tomlinson to ask his 34.9 million followers if they’re doing alright, receiving hundreds of thousands of personal replies. It’s not something he will discuss in interviews, however, after he slammed BBC Breakfast for shamelessly probing his trauma in February this year. “Never going back there again,” he tweeted after coming off the show.

“Social media is a ruthless, toxic place, so I don’t like to spend much time there,” says Tomlinson, “but because of experiencing such light and shade all while I was famous, I have a very deep connection with my fans. They’ve always been there for me.”

In return, Tomlinson is good to them. Last month he even promised some new music, saying that he’d written four songs in four days. Does this mean that a second album is on the way?

“Yeah, definitely,” he says. “I’m very, very excited. I had basically penciled down a plan before corona took over our lives. And now it's kind of given me a little bit of time to really get into what I want to say and what I want things to sound like. Because, you know, I was really proud of my first record, but there were moments that I felt were truer to me than others. I think that there were some songs where I took slightly more risk and owned what I love, saying, ‘This is who I want to be’. So I want to take a leaf out of their book.”

Fans might think he’s referring to writing more heartfelt autobiographical content such as Two of Us, but in fact, he’s referring specifically to rock-inspired Kill My Mind, he says, the first song on WALLS. “There’s a certain energy in that song, in its delivery, in its attitude, that I want to recreate. People are struggling at the moment, so I want to create a raucous, exciting atmosphere in my live show, not a somber, thoughtful one.”

He sighs, trying to articulate something that’s clearly been playing on his mind for a while. “You know, because of my story, my album was a little heavy at times and a little somber. And as I'm sure you're aware, from talking to me, now, that isn't who I am.”

It must be draining, I say, the weight of expectation in both the media and across his fanbase, to be a spokesperson for grief and hardship. To have tragedy prelude everything he does and says.

“Honestly, it’s part of being from Doncaster as well, I don’t like people feeling sorry for me. That’s the last thing I want.”

The problem is, says Tomlinson, he doesn’t have the best imagination. “I have interesting things to say musically, but what’s challenging from a writing perspective is that I write from the heart, and I can’t really get into someone else’s story. And right now, being stuck at home, you have so little experience to draw from. It’s actually quite hard to write these positive, uplifting songs, because actually, the experiences that you're going through on a day to day basis, you know, you they don't have that same flavour.”

There is something that’s helping, though: a secret spot near Los Angeles, [...] “It’s remote and kind of weird, and I’m going to go there for three days and write. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to it. I found it via a YouTube video. It’s got some very interesting locals who live there, it’s sort of backwards when it comes to technology. It feels like you’re going back in time when you’re there. But I don’t want to give it away.”

Another source of inspiration for his second album is the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ back catalogue. “I grew up on their album Bytheway. And during lockdown I've been knee deep in their stuff. I’ve watched every documentary, every video. And I find their lead guitarist John Frusciante just fascinating.”

Has he spoken to Frusicante?

“I f______ wish,” snorts Tomlinson.

Surely someone as well-known as Tomlinson could easily get in touch?

“No, honestly, I think he’s too cool for that. He’s not into that kind of thing.”

Tomlinson’s passion for all things rock is also spurring on a side hustle he picked up as a judge on the X Factor in 2018: managing an all-female rock band via his own imprint on Simon Cowell’s Syco label. While the group disbanded before releasing their first single, and Tomlinson split from Syco earlier this year, the singer is keen to nurture some more talent.

“I'm not gonna lie, my process with my imprint through Syco, it became challenging and it became frustrating at times,” Tomlinson says a little wearily. “The kind of artists that I was interested in developing – because I genuinely feel through my experience in One Direction, you know, one of the biggest f______ bands, I feel like I've learned a lot about the industry – they weren’t ready-made. So I had lots of artists that I took through the door that were rough and ready, but major labels want to see something that works straight away. I found that a little bit demotivating. I love her and she's an incredible artist, but not everyone is a Taylor Swift.”

Tomlinson spends much of his free time scouting new talent either on YouTube, Reddit or BBC Introducing – he’s currently a huge fan of indie Brighton band, Fickle Friends. His dream is to manage an all-female band playing instruments. “Because there's no one in that space. And I know eventually if I don't do it, someone else will!”

Before he drives off to rehearsals, we chatter about how much he's been practising his guitar playing, and how he can't wait to take the whole team working at his favourite grassroots venue, The Dome in Doncaster, out ice-skating after he performs there on his rescheduled tour. “Because I've got skills,” he says, and I can hear his chest puff.

And then I ask the question every retired member of One Direction has been batting off ever since they broke up in 2015, after Zayn Malik quit. Rumours that his bandmates saw him as a Judas went wild after some eagle eyes fans noticed they’d unfollowed him on Instagram. Payne, Tomlinson, Horan and Styles have barely mentioned him since. Recently, however, they re-followed him, and Payne has teased that a One Direction reunion is on the cards.

So: might 2021 be the year of resurrection?

“I thought you were going to ask something juicier!” say Tomlinson witheringly. “Look, I f______ love One Direction. I'm sure we're going to come back together one day, and I'll be doing a couple of One Direction songs in my gig. I always do that, so that's not alluding to any reunion or anything. But, I mean, look, I'm sure one day we'll get back together, because, you know, we were f______ great.”

#louis tomlinson #241120 #lt livestream #e and f mentions from the journalist removed where there is [...] #nothing altered from louis #stunt mention #at the link