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#maria farrell
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The true post-cyberpunk hero is a noir forensic accountant
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I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in TOMORROW (Apr 17) in CHICAGO, then Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!
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I was reared on cyberpunk fiction, I ended up spending 25 years at my EFF day-job working at the weird edge of tech and human rights, even as I wrote sf that tried to fuse my love of cyberpunk with my urgent, lifelong struggle over who computers do things for and who they do them to.
That makes me an official "post-cyberpunk" writer (TM). Don't take my word for it: I'm in the canon:
https://tachyonpublications.com/product/rewired-the-post-cyberpunk-anthology-2/
One of the editors of that "post-cyberpunk" anthology was John Kessel, who is, not coincidentally, the first writer to expose me to the power of literary criticism to change the way I felt about a novel, both as a writer and a reader:
https://locusmag.com/2012/05/cory-doctorow-a-prose-by-any-other-name/
It was Kessel's 2004 Foundation essay, "Creating the Innocent Killer: Ender's Game, Intention, and Morality," that helped me understand litcrit. Kessel expertly surfaces the subtext of Card's Ender's Game and connects it to Card's politics. In so doing, he completely reframed how I felt about a book I'd read several times and had considered a favorite:
https://johnjosephkessel.wixsite.com/kessel-website/creating-the-innocent-killer
This is a head-spinning experience for a reader, but it's even wilder to experience it as a writer. Thankfully, the majority of literary criticism about my work has been positive, but even then, discovering something that's clearly present in one of my novels, but which I didn't consciously include, is a (very pleasant!) mind-fuck.
A recent example: Blair Fix's review of my 2023 novel Red Team Blues which he calls "an anti-finance finance thriller":
https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2023/05/13/red-team-blues-cory-doctorows-anti-finance-thriller/
Fix – a radical economist – perfectly captures the correspondence between my hero, the forensic accountant Martin Hench, and the heroes of noir detective novels. Namely, that a noir detective is a kind of unlicensed policeman, going to the places the cops can't go, asking the questions the cops can't ask, and thus solving the crimes the cops can't solve. What makes this noir is what happens next: the private dick realizes that these were places the cops didn't want to go, questions the cops didn't want to ask and crimes the cops didn't want to solve ("It's Chinatown, Jake").
Marty Hench – a forensic accountant who finds the money that has been disappeared through the cells in cleverly constructed spreadsheets – is an unlicensed tax inspector. He's finding the money the IRS can't find – only to be reminded, time and again, that this is money the IRS chooses not to find.
This is how the tax authorities work, after all. Anyone who followed the coverage of the big finance leaks knows that the most shocking revelation they contain is how stupid the ruses of the ultra-wealthy are. The IRS could prevent that tax-fraud, they just choose not to. Not for nothing, I call the Martin Hench books "Panama Papers fanfic."
I've read plenty of noir fiction and I'm a long-term finance-leaks obsessive, but until I read Fix's article, it never occurred to me that a forensic accountant was actually squarely within the noir tradition. Hench's perfect noir fit is either a happy accident or the result of a subconscious intuition that I didn't know I had until Fix put his finger on it.
The second Hench novel is The Bezzle. It's been out since February, and I'm still touring with it (Chicago tonight! Then Turin, Marin County, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, etc). It's paying off – the book's a national bestseller.
Writing in his newsletter, Henry Farrell connects Fix's observation to one of his own, about the nature of "hackers" and their role in cyberpunk (and post-cyberpunk) fiction:
https://www.programmablemutter.com/p/the-accountant-as-cyberpunk-hero
Farrell cites Bruce Schneier's 2023 book, A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules and How to Bend Them Back:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/06/trickster-makes-the-world/
Schneier, a security expert, broadens the category of "hacker" to include anyone who studies systems with an eye to finding and exploiting their defects. Under this definition, the more fearsome hackers are "working for a hedge fund, finding a loophole in financial regulations that lets her siphon extra profits out of the system." Hackers work in corporate offices, or as government lobbyists.
As Henry says, hacking isn't intrinsically countercultural ("Most of the hacking you might care about is done by boring seeming people in boring seeming clothes"). Hacking reinforces – rather than undermining power asymmetries ("The rich have far more resources to figure out how to gimmick the rules"). We are mostly not the hackers – we are the hacked.
For Henry, Marty Hench is a hacker (the rare hacker that works for the good guys), even though "he doesn’t wear mirrorshades or get wasted chatting to bartenders with Soviet military-surplus mechanical arms." He's a gun for hire, that most traditional of cyberpunk heroes, and while he doesn't stand against the system, he's not for it, either.
Henry's pinning down something I've been circling around for nearly 30 years: the idea that though "the street finds its own use for things," Wall Street and Madison Avenue are among the streets that might find those uses:
https://craphound.com/nonfic/street.html
Henry also connects Martin Hench to Marcus Yallow, the hero of my YA Little Brother series. I have tried to make this connection myself, opining that while Marcus is a character who is fighting to save an internet that he loves, Marty is living in the ashes of the internet he lost:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/07/dont-curb-your-enthusiasm/
But Henry's Marty-as-hacker notion surfaces a far more interesting connection between the two characters. Marcus is a vehicle for conveying the excitement and power of hacking to young readers, while Marty is a vessel for older readers who know the stark terror of being hacked, by the sadistic wolves who're coming for all of us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I44L1pzi4gk
Both Marcus and Marty are explainers, as am I. Some people say that exposition makes for bad narrative. Those people are wrong:
https://maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/my-favorite-bit/my-favorite-bit-cory-doctorow-talks-about-the-bezzle/
"Explaining" makes for great fiction. As Maria Farrell writes in her Crooked Timber review of The Bezzle, the secret sauce of some of the best novels is "information about how things work. Things like locks, rifles, security systems":
https://crookedtimber.org/2024/03/06/the-bezzle/
Where these things are integrated into the story's "reason and urgency," they become "specialist knowledge [that] cuts new paths to move through the world." Hacking, in other words.
This is a theme Paul Di Filippo picked up on in his review of The Bezzle for Locus:
https://locusmag.com/2024/04/paul-di-filippo-reviews-the-bezzle-by-cory-doctorow/
Heinlein was always known—and always came across in his writings—as The Man Who Knew How the World Worked. Doctorow delivers the same sense of putting yourself in the hands of a fellow who has peered behind Oz’s curtain. When he fills you in lucidly about some arcane bit of economics or computer tech or social media scam, you feel, first, that you understand it completely and, second, that you can trust Doctorow’s analysis and insights.
Knowledge is power, and so expository fiction that delivers news you can use is novel that makes you more powerful – powerful enough to resist the hackers who want to hack you.
Henry and I were both friends of Aaron Swartz, and the Little Brother books are closely connected to Aaron, who helped me with Homeland, the second volume, and wrote a great afterword for it (Schneier wrote an afterword for the first book). That book – and Aaron's afterword – has radicalized a gratifying number of principled technologists. I know, because I meet them when I tour, and because they send me emails. I like to think that these hackers are part of Aaron's legacy.
Henry argues that the Hench books are "purpose-designed to inspire a thousand Max Schrems – people who are probably past their teenage years, have some grounding in the relevant professions, and really want to see things change."
(Schrems is the Austrian privacy activist who, as a law student, set in motion the events that led to the passage of the EU's General Data Privacy Regulation:)
https://pluralistic.net/2020/05/15/out-here-everything-hurts/#noyb
Henry points out that William Gibson's Neuromancer doesn't mention the word "internet" – rather, Gibson coined the term cyberspace, which, as Henry says, is "more ‘capitalism’ than ‘computerized information'… If you really want to penetrate the system, you need to really grasp what money is and what it does."
Maria also wrote one of my all-time favorite reviews of Red Team Blues, also for Crooked Timber:
https://crookedtimber.org/2023/05/11/when-crypto-meant-cryptography/
In it, she compares Hench to Dickens' Bleak House, but for the modern tech world:
You put the book down feeling it’s not just a fascinating, enjoyable novel, but a document of how Silicon Valley’s very own 1% live and a teeming, energy-emitting snapshot of a critical moment on Earth.
All my life, I've written to find out what's going on in my own head. It's a remarkably effective technique. But it's only recently that I've come to appreciate that reading what other people write about my writing can reveal things that I can't see.
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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/17/panama-papers-fanfic/#the-1337est-h4x0rs
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Image: Frédéric Poirot (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredarmitage/1057613629 CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
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protoslacker · 6 months
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I, quite frankly, am tired. I find myself yet again in a conversation dominated by beneficiaries of a dirty system while the conscience, critique and force of collective action for alternatives are provided by women, and women of colour, predominantly.
Maria Farrell at Crooked Timber. Silicon Valley’s worldview is not just an ideology; it’s a personality disorder.
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saraknite · 9 months
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So I decided to go in a project that I've been meaning to do for several years and that's make illustrations for EVERY mainline Final Fantasy game. Here is the first batch featuring the first four games. More to come!
You can also buy these as t shirts, mugs, and refrigerator magnets at my shop!
https://www.teepublic.com/user/artofsara
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superthatguy62 · 10 months
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“Know that you stand before the ruler of countless ages- the Lord of Time! Across the eons, several mighty warriors have stood before me as you do now, all wanting to acquire my powers. And in my labyrinth I test their minds, weeding the weak out from the strong. Kneel before me, brave souls! I bestow upon you an honor reserved only for the wisest of sages, I offer you the power of time!
“Indeed, the very power I possess-
shall be fed by your powers!”
_____________________________________________________________
“I am the flow of time itself.
I can come to no end.”
Remember Chronodia? What was up with it?
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burningmarsdenss · 10 months
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From "amazonfreevee: Instagram.
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roesolo · 3 months
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It's Multicultural Children's Book Day! Celebrate with Chocolate Milk, Por Favor!
Happy Multicultural Children’s Book Day! I love being part of this initiative and bringing you books from different cultures and cultural points of view. This year, I’ve got two great ones, starting with this book on empathy and kindness. Chocolate Milk, Por Favor: Celebrating Diversity with Empathy, Maria Dismondy/Illustrated by Donna Farrell, (Sept. 2020, Cardinal Rule Press), $15.95, ISBN:…
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perfettamentechic · 1 year
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6 maggio … ricordiamo …
6 maggio … ricordiamo … #semprevivineiricordi #nomidaricordare #personaggiimportanti #perfettamentechic
2022: Eugenio Allegri, attore e regista italiano. Primi passi nel teatro, diplomato alla scuola teatrale nel 1979. Era il direttore artistico della Fonderia Leopolda di Follonica. Morto all’età di 66 anni a causa di un malore all’improvviso. (n. 1956) 2021: Paul Van Doren, è stato un imprenditore statunitense, fondatore della Vans, azienda di scarpe negli Stati Uniti. Suo padre era un inventore…
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hotvintagepoll · 2 months
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Propaganda
Glenda Farrell (We're in the Money, The Mystery of the Wax Museum, I've Got Your Number)— Susan Slept Here is a terrible no good very bad movie but somehow she gets even hotter as she ages
Dolores del Rio (Flying Down to Rio, Flor silvestre)—to begin with, dolores is so RADIANTLY BEAUTIFUL, even more so in action then in images, its like she emits a literal glow. marlene dietrich (a close friend and rumored lover) considered her "the most beautiful woman who ever set foot in hollywood". she was the first mexican actress to become a major success in hollywood, rising to fame in the silent era and becoming an influential icon of beauty and glamor in the art deco age, though she was not thrilled with the exoticizing parts often pushed on her. in the mid 1940s having tired of the controlling hollywood studio system she returned to mexico, saying "I wish to choose my own stories, my own director and cameraman. I can accomplish this better in mexico", and proceeded to become a pivotal figure in the golden age of mexican cinema, making a string of masterpieces with directir emilio fernández and cinematographer gabriel figueroa. i love this anecdote about the insane art deco mansion she and her then-husband cedric gibbons lived in in the 30s, as related by david niven: "Dolores had a large sunny room on the first floor containing a huge and inviting bed. Gibbons lived in comparative squalor in a small room immediately below. The only connection between these rooms was by way of a stepladder, which could be lowered only when a trapdoor in the floor of Dolores room had been raised. There was a long stick with which, we conjectured, he signaled his intention or hopes by rapping out signals on the floor of his wife’s bedchamber." heres a pinterest album with a billion hot pictures of her
This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]
Dolores del Rio:
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There's so much! She started in Silent films and successfully transitioned to sound, She is the first woman to wear a two piece swimsuit on screen & popularized the bikini!, She transitioned back to Mexican Cinema in the late 1940s and was a leading lady of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema including staring in Maria Candelaria--the first Mexican film to win the palm d'Or at Cannes. She was literally studied for her beauty & was considered a beauty ideal in both the USA & Mexico--there's a whole section on her Wikipedia page about how beautiful everyone thinks she was. She never actually had a feud with any of the female stars she was rumored to feud with despite the fact that press & Hollywood culture attempted to pain them in competition... She remained a leader in Mexican theater & Cinema through her own production company. Mexican painter Diego Rivera: "The most beautiful, the most gorgeous of the west, east, north and south. I'm in love with her as 40 million Mexicans and 120 million Americans who can't be wrong" (quote source: Wikipedia)
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*fan self* Leading actress in silents and early Hollywood. Lover of Orson Welles until she got fed up with him, friend of Diego Rivera and Frieda Kahlo. When she got tired of Hollywood executives typecasting her as a stereotypical spitfire (and trying to force her to feud with Lupe Velez as a publicity stunt), she ditched Hollywood and became a major star of Mexican cinema, where she got to play rounded characters
Had a career in American cinema in the 20s and 30s and considered one of the most important figures in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema (30s to 50s).
Marlene Dietrich said Dolores was the most beautiful woman to set foot in Hollywood
Joan Crawford: "Dolores became, and remains, as one of the most beautiful stars in the world."
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One of the few Latin American women working in the Hollywood industry to make it big not just in hre home country but internationally. In 1931, Photoplay magazine declared that Mexican film actress Dolores del Rio had the "best figure in Hollywood." (which I know not necessarily a good barometer) but! it shows that many people looked at her for her beauty and sought to emulate her. Famous for her years-long love affair with actor and director Orson Welles, who was 10 years her junior if that's anything.
We need more hispanic representation in this!! Del Río is one of the most important actresses of her time as she was one of the first Mexican movie stars to break through to Hollywood! She’s unbelievably sexy and an absolute icon. Thank you :)
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bruciemilf · 1 year
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joey tribbiani fancast as thomas wayne? lee you're a genius it's PERFECT. i'm not gonna be able to picture him looking any other way now it just. fits.
As im being tormented by Thomas/Carmine thoughts, OG Gotham fam (plus CARMINE'S bitch ass) fancast LETS GOOOOO
Matt Leblanc as Thomas Wayne
Ana de Armas as Martha Wayne
Michael Fassbender as Alfred Pennyworth
Laura Harrier as Maria Kyle
Collin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot
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And Michael Marrone as Carmine Falcone
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saywha413 · 22 days
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rough drafts for fankids for my insane girl polycule… (kid deets under cut if you can’t read them)
Carmine/Amarys Namar she/her 16
Amarys/Lacey Maria she/they 15
Lacey/Penny Alex they/them 13
Nemona/Carmine Farrel he/him 18
Nemona/Amarys Kienna she/they/xey 16
Nemona/Lacey Zia he/she 15
Nemona/Penny Morgan she/her 17
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randomrichards · 1 year
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THE TOP 10 BEST FILM OF 2022
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
GLASS ONION
Rian Johnson proves he’s still got the touch with another subversively comedic addition to the Knives Out franchise. He delivers the twisty mystery, unique characters, and witty dialogue we know and love from the predecessor. There are side splitting gags galore from the characterizations (Dave Bautista as an MRA influencer who still lives with his mom) and the dialogue (“Please tell me you don’t think sweatshops are where they make sweatpants”).
DECISION TO LEAVE
On the surface, Decision to Leave is a modern film noir about a kind detective who develops an infatuation with a femme fatale after her husband falls off the top of a mountain. But as you would expect from a Park Chan-Wook film, the film becomes something much more.
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Decades after the original best picture winning classic, Edgar Berge adapts Erich Maria Remarque’s classic anti-war story of a small group of eager young Germans who enthusiastically sign up to fight during WW1 only to be destroyed by the horrors of war. Many films show the devastation of war and its traumatic effects, but this film showcases the terror of being in the battlefields.
PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH
Puss competes against a group of baddies to reach a wishing star in the sequel nobody asked for that ended up being way better than it had any right to be.
First, it uses Spider-Man: Into the Spider verse’s animation technique to create an animation style that resembles illustrations come to life and create some dazzling action scenes. It also gives Puss some unforgettable villains ranging from the hilariously sociopathic Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney) to Dreamwork’s most terrifying villain the Wolf (Wagner Moura). Finally, it gives Puss some depth as he is forced to confront his mortality and how his obsession with his legacy has kept him from forming meaningful connections.
TAR
Cate Blanchett gives one of the year’s best performances as a narcissistic and well-respected composer whose actions eventually comes back to haunt her.
THE TOP 10 LIST:
10)          THE MENU
Satirical Comedy and unsettling horror make strange bedfellows in this unique tale of a Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), an average woman who joins her foodie boyfriend (Nicholas Hoult) to an all exclusive dinner led by renowned chef Julian Slowick (Ralph Fiennes). What they don’t know is that Julian plans to deliver some just desserts for his latest customers.
The plot plays like a mystery. With each dish served, we try to guess what Slowick’s got planned for these elites. And Slowick’s motives grow more and more unsettling. It’s best to go in knowing as little of the movie as possible.
The actors are more than game for their respective performances. Fiennes is unsettling as a stern perfectionist who has a bone to pick with all of them. Taylor-Joy makes the perfect audience surrogate as she calls out the absurdity of the food arrangements. The rest of the cast play into the caricatures of their characters from Hong Chau as Slowick’s fanatical waitress to Janet McTeer as a pretentious critic. Hoult in particular relishes his role as a devoted know-it-all. Just the scene of him crying over tasting bread accompaniments without the bread is sure to bring a snicker.
This film ruthlessly mocks the elitist foodie culture. Most of the customers care more about the status than the meal, never just enjoying the dishes. With each dish, Slowick calls the customers out on their privileges.
Available on Disney+
9)            THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
In a small village in WW1 era Ireland, Padraic Suilleabhain (Colin Farrell) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) spend their days enjoying glasses of Guinness at the local pub. But then one day, Colm decides he doesn’t like Padraic anymore and cuts him out of life to focus on making music. But the daft and offended Padraic can’t seem to take a hint much to Colm’s annoyance and Padraic’s spitfire sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) chagrin. The locals aren’t much help, with many prying to know more about this incoming feud..
After earning acclaim (and some awards) with his Hollywood features Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, writer/director Martin McDonagh returns to his roots and reunites his In Bruges stars Farrell and Gleason. McDonagh brings his trademark dark comedy to a folksy environment from his biting dialogue (“If punching a policeman is a sin then we may as well pack up and go home”) and surprising violence.[1] It also fits into McDonagh’s reoccurring theme of men who are unable to handle emotional moments like mature adults. While it can be devastating for a friend to sever ties with you, but Padraic can be clingy. Colm isn’t helping matters by threatening self-mutilation. Farrell and Gleason’s performances prevent these two from being unbearable. Farrell stands out by bringing a childlike eagerness and naivety that makes Padraic likeable.
At the same time, McDonagh regards these characters with empathy. He shows as much understanding for Padraic’s gratefulness for his simple life as he does with Colm’s need to create a legacy through his music.
Also, McDonagh does an excellent job of creating a sense of environment with the village. There’s also a strong sense of community in this village, with everyone knowing each other. There is also a unique set of personalities in this village, from the eccentric old Mrs. McCormick (Sheila Flitton) to the timid Dominic Kearney (Barry Keoghan). This simple area feels like a warm and inviting home many would like to live in.
The Banshees of Inisherin is a dark delight.
8)             THE BATMAN
Who would have thought that there’d be a Batman movie that could pull off the feel of a David Fincher film? But Matt Reeves (along with co-writer Peter Craig) surprises the world with DC’s answer to Se7en and Zodiac. He brings the world a young Batman (Robert Pattison) in his second year who attracts the attention of the Riddler (Paul Dano), whose killing off key political figures in Gotham City. As he tries to get to the bottom of the Riddler’s murders, Batman comes to realize how corrupt Gotham’s world truly is and is forced to confront the sins of his father.
After two dark and gritty reboots of Batman and a post-pandemic world, this version really needed to impress. And it didn’t disappoint. Reeves delivers refreshing takes on every aspect of the iconic franchise. Gotham City has never looked seedier than it does in this film, with endless rain, decaying infrastructure and array of street gangs. This Batman we get is a young man who has let his Batman persona consume his life to the point where he barely has anything to do with Bruce Wayne.[2] But the most surprising update is the complete reinvention of The Riddler. This villain goes from being one of most mocked of Batman’s rogue’s gallery to being a Zodiac-like menace who seems to be constantly 10 steps ahead of everyone[3].
All these characters work because of the performances. Pattison proves himself a worthy Batman whether he’s interrogating Oswald (Colin Farrell) or taking down an army of muggers. Paul Dano weaponizes his everyman looks to hide an intimidating and sociopathic genius behind the green mask and distorted vocals. Farrell goes beyond the heavy makeup to create a ruthless, fast-talking version of the Penguin. Zoe Kravitz’ performance is probably the most comic accurate portrayal of Catwoman, especially when it comes to her dynamic with Batman. That’s not even getting into how Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis perfectly capturing the essences of Jim Gordon and Alfred respectively.
There’s also way more focus on the Detective aspect of Batman than in most versions. While we do see him in some kickass action scenes, for the most part, we see the World’s Greatest Detective use his sleuthing skills to solve the Riddler’s twisted riddles and investigate crime scenes. This brings more focus on the intrigue of the mystery.
And that score. That glorious musical score. Michael Giacchino delivers an epic, booming score worthy of joining the batman scores provided by Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer.
It’s not a perfect movie. The biggest problem is the running time, which can lead to some dragging scenes that will be too much for some audiences. But the strengths of the film make up for these flaws. Here’s hoping Reeves keeps this up for the inevitable sequel.
Available on Crave
7)             BOILING POINT
Writer/Director Philip Barantini seems to have taken a lesson from Uncut Gems on how to make a film feel like a relentless panic attack when he made Boiling Point; a tense drama about a stressed-out head chef (Stephen Graham) trying to get through the busiest night of the year.
Barantini and cinematographer Matthew Lewis make the risky move of shooting the whole film in a single take. It is easy for this to become gimmicky, but they use it effectively to emphasize how stressful it is to work in a restaurant. As the camera moves across the kitchen and into the dining area, it’s clear there’s no escape from the stress not even when head chef Andy Jones heads to his office to try and catch his breath. The rumbling of the kitchen as Andy sits alone in his desk makes it clear he has nowhere to hide.
Barantini also keeps the stress going by surrounding the environment with multiple clashes. The dishwasher’s upset that her replacement is hours late. The sous chefs and head waiter are at each other’s throats. Andy’s co-owner has invited a critic to dine with him. Barantini does an excellent job of balancing the multiple storylines within the short 92-minute screen time. He even manages to create some satisfying set ups and payoffs. One perfect example is a reoccurring arc with one chef whose constantly being told to roll up his sleeve. The revelation behind this arc with stay with you.
Boiling Point has a phenomenal cast who all deliver compelling performances as they scream over each other trying to get their point across. Usually typecast as the villain, Graham delivers his best performance as a man trying to keep it together while his life is going down the tubes. He makes you feel his hopelessness and overwhelming strain as he downs bottles of whisky, trying to get through the day. Even at his most self-destructive moments, you feel for him.
The result is a drama that does a better job of keeping the audience at the edge of their seat than most thrillers wished they could.
6)             RRR
With the growing interest in Tollywood films, RRR makes the perfect gateway drug. Rarely in recent years has there been an action film so unapologetically epic as RRR, which has broken into the mainstream.
As with many Tollywood action films, Director S.S. Rajamouli, co-writers Vijayendra Prasad and Sai Madhave Burra along with the cast and crew take every element of the epic action flick and turn them all up to eleven. In a time when there is a call for more flawed, relatable protagonists in movies, RRR gives us a duel of superhuman action heroes performing impossible feats of agility. The opening scenes alone have rebel leader Komaram Bheem (NT Rama Rao Jr) chasing a wolf and a tiger and misguided soldier Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan Teja) leaping over a fence and fighting a whole crowd to capture one suspect. Let’s see the Fast and Furious franchise have its heroes leap over a bridge on a motorcycle or a horse and swing on a rope carrying the Indian flag to rescue a boy from a fire.
While there is a pressure for films to keep any messages nuanced and subtle, RRR serves as a three hour middle finger to the British Empire. That empire is embodied by the mustache twirling Scott and Catherine Buxton (Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody) who literally kidnap a little girl and kill the mother in the first scene.  There would have been a danger of the villains being cringe, but Stevenson and Doody savour their villainy like a classic Disney villain. Even they get in on the over the top violence, with Mr. Buxton firing a machine gun while flying out a crashing car. It makes their downfall more satisfying.
If that isn’t enough, RRR also has musical numbers as epic as the action scenes. They manage to appear in the unlikeliest of moments like a motorcycle/horse race and one character being tortured with a whip. Most notable standout is a dance off between the heroes and one snobby British soldier.
But at its core, RRR is a story about a friendship between two men who don’t realize that one’s supposed to arrest the other and a tale about a tribal leader on a mission to rescue a little girl from rich captors. The fact this film makes us care about story and keep the audience hooked over its long screentime shows the power of this epic.
Available on Netflix
5)             THE NORTHMAN
After taking the horror genre by storm with The Witch and The Lighthouse, writer/director Robert Eggers gives us something completely different with The Northman. In contrast to his previous low budget A24 arthouse horror flicks, Egger’s latest is a big budget epic historical action flick. It may be his most accessible film, but that doesn’t stop him from bringing his boundary pushing style into this film.
The Northman is Hamlet-like revenge tale of Almeth (Alexander Skarsgaard), a Viking prince who seeks vengeance on his uncle Fjolnier (Claes Bang) who kills his father King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke) and marries his mother Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman). After years in exile, Prince Amleth disguises himself as a slave and enlists the help of an enchantress (Anya Taylor-Joy) to bring down the King Fjolnier the Brotherless.
Eggers brings a refreshing take on the Viking historical drama with his trademark style. Like his previous films, Eggers (along with his co-worker Sjon) goes out of his way to make his stories as historically accurate as possible. As a result, we get the ugliest side of the Viking life. The images of people in chains makes it clear that Amleth’s family owns slaves. When Amleth’s in exile, he joins a group of Vikings in pillaging and terrorizing innocent people. In one horrifying scene, those Vikings trap women and children in a cottage and burn it down. Keep in mind that the protagonist watches this happen.
What’s strange is that Eggers also includes fantastical moments that draws from Norse Mythology. The result is otherworldly imagery of Amleth meeting with the Seeress (Bjork). It doesn’t seem like this should work, but somehow these elements make strange bedfellows.
Unlike his previous films, Eggars doesn’t go for historically accuracy with the dialogue. As a result, the audience has a better grasp of what the characters are saying. The dialogue is still kind of Shakespearean but just enough to the characters are still easy to understand.
Of course, the action scenes are awesome with the blood and dismemberment you expect from an R-rated movie with Vikings. It leads to a most metal ending with Amleth and his uncle going head-to-head in a volcano in their birthday suits.
With this film bombing at the box office, it’s doubtful Eggers will ever have the means to make a film as epic as this one.
Available on Crave
4)            GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO
2022 was the strange year where we got three Pinocchio movies in a row. After listening to Pauly Shore butcher lines and Disney butcher their original classic, most moviegoers knew Guillermo Del Toro’s stop motion version would be the best one by default. But even without the other two films, there would still be major anticipation for Del Toro’s first animated feature film. With his trademark fleshed out mythology, creative character designs and compelling storytelling, many expected him to perfectly capture the macabre tone of Carlo Collodi’s tale. What we got is a refreshing take on the classic take on the wooden boy who longs to be a real boy.
Del Toro (alongside codirector Mark Gustafson and co-writers Patrick McHale and Matthew Robbins) perfectly balances capturing the story’s dark tone and core storyline while changing many elements of the story. This Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) is a lot closer to the disobedient troublemaker of the original story than Disney’s sweet but gullible character. Like Collodi’s tale, this story has our hero causing grief for his creator/father Geppetto (David Bradley), being led astray by crooks and trouble making teens only to suffer the repercussions before the climax of trying to escape from inside the whale. It even includes both the Christian undertones of the original story and even its dark comedy (among them a reoccurring gag of Sebastian the Cricket (Ewan McGregor) constantly being squashed.) It also borrows a bit from the Disney version with the Blue Fairy (Tilda Swinton) bringing the puppet to life and the cricket trying to guide him.
But this film also makes a lot of changes from the original story. First, Del Toro sets the film in Italy during Mussolini’s reign. Not only does this fit into Del Toro’s reoccurring theme of life under fascism, but it brings nuance to the original story’s message of obeying your parents. While the film does have Pinocchio deal with consequences for misbehaving, the film also shows the dangers of blinding obeying those in power and makes the case that disobedience is necessary when it involves doing the right thing. The film also fleshes out the characters to bring complexity. While Pinocchio is still a disobedient troublemaker, he also has his heart in the right place and will stick up for others. Geppetto is a broken man grieving the loss of his dead son Carlo (also Mann). Sebastian is a wannabe writer who makes his home in Pinocchio’s chest. Del Toro also brings in an array of unique characters from ruthless ringmaster Count Volpe (Christoph Walz) to terrifying fascist enforcer Podesta (Ron Pearlman). All the actors do excellent jobs of making their characters engaging, especially Mann.
Co-Director Mark Gustafson perfectly brings Del Toro’s trademark style into the animation world, resulting in some unique visuals. Pinocchio has never looked more wooden with spiky wooden hair, tiny black dotted eyes, and multiple nails in his back. The Blue fairy aka the wood sprite (also Swinton) is this otherworldly blend of Hari Krishna and a mermaid. Death is this sphinxlike creature in a world of blue sand. What’s most notable is how the settings and character design resemble classic storybook illustrations come to life.
The film is also a musical, with songs created by composer Alexandre Desplat alongside Del Toro and lyricist Roeban Katz. The old timey style perfectly serves to further the narrative and reveal more about the characters, but they don’t stand out the way Encanto’s songs did. The one exception is “Ciao Papa.” When Pinocchio pours his heart out to his long distant father, you can feel that longing so much it may bring you to tears.
No wonder many see this as the front runner for the Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Available on Netflix
3)            AFTERSUN
Most filmmakers try to make their films memorable. Aftersun is a rare film that feels like a memory.
On the surface, it’s a simple story of a single Dad (Paul Mescal) and his daughter (Frankie Corio) taking a trip to a Turkish beachside resort. There is no real plot. No central conflict. It’s just segments of a father and daughter on vacation. At least, that’s what it seems like at first. Hidden in plain sight are signs of the father hiding some personal pain from his daughter.
In her debut feature, writer/director Charlotte Wells takes us into segments of this vacation, even replaying some moments on camcorder. The result is a film that feels like we’re entering the daughter’s memories as she tries to understand her father.
The strength of Wells’ filmmaking is how she avoids the temptation to dramatize any element of the plot in favour of making it as naturalistic as possible. Never does she make it clear what the dad’s going through. You only get the most subtle of hints. She only applies any artistry with the ending that will stay in your mind long after the credits roll.
That’s helped by the performances by the two leads. Mescal and Corio bounce off each other perfectly, making us believe they are an actual family. They both also maintain low key naturalization throughout the film.
Put all these together and you get an unassuming drama that stays with you long after the credits roll.
2)             (TIE) BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND, GOLDEN DELICIOUS AND YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER
I admit that I have a habit of putting ties in my lists, not helped by me including a three-way tie in this one. But these 3 films have so much in common that I felt they deserve to be put together. Well, that and these are probably the least known films on this list, and I feel they deserve more attention.
All three are Canadian films centered on LBGT teens who move into new locations, which leads to developing deep relationships. They’re similar yet different. The most important commonality are the compelling stories of relatable, flawed young people trying to fit into their world and figure out what they really want in life in the process.
First, we have Before I Change My Mind. Set in 1987, the movie centres on Robin (Vaughn Murrae), a non-binary preteen who moves to a small Albertan town from the US with their father (Matthew Rankin). There are of course questions from the students what Robin’s gender is. To fit in, Robin tries to befriend the school bully Carter (Dominic Lippa). On one hand, it makes it easier for Robin to form friends. On the other, it leads to Robin making misguided decisions.  
Director Trevor Anderson and co-writer Fish Griwkowsky capture the everyday life of preteens as they make snide comments during music class, pick fights with each other and just hanging around in the living room. What makes this film special is how it captures the difficulties of being a preteen. Robin and their classmates try their best to fit in with their peers. Sometimes it can be found in healthy activities like hanging around in the mall. Other times it comes from misguided decisions including sneaking into their parents alcohol or in one student’s case, completely changing his personality after being bullied.
The film also captures the frustration of dealing with emerging emotions you have no understanding of and now healthy means of channeling them. That’s especially true with Robin who has no idea of their own gender identity since non-binary wasn’t a common term in the 80s. As a result, they become targets for fellow classmates who keep demanding to know if they are a boy or a girl.. Being non-binary themselves, Murrae makes the audience feel how lost Robin feels. Anderson and Griwkowsky do an excellent job of using subtext to capture this feeling. And they never offer any easy answers.
There are also some funny moments in the film. When gym class separates the boys and girls, Robin sits in the middle. Robin and Carter try to convince a drag queen (dressed like Madonna) to buy them beers. But the comedic high point is the school’s disastrous rock musical rip-off of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Next, we have Golden Delicious. Jake (Cardi Wong) seemed to be living the perfect teen life as a basketball player whose relationship with his girlfriend Valerie (Parmiss Sehat) is popular on social media. But he finds his life turned upside down when new student Aleks (Chris Carson) moves next door. As Jake and Aleks both train for the basketball team, Jake is forced to confront the pressure his father George (Ryan Mah) places on him.
Director Jason Karman (through Gorrman Lee’s screenplay) channels his youth to capture the pressure of having to live up to expectations. Jake tries his best to please his father, despite not being the best skilled in the team. Georges’s pressure is embodied by the old, decaying basketball hoop he forces Jake to practice on. Through Aleks, Jake’s confronted with the fact that he has never learned to live for himself.
Lee also fleshes out Jake’s family, who is dealing with their own pressure. George and his wife Andrea (Leeah Wong) are trying to keep their Chinese restaurant afloat, but the stress of running the restaurant has taken its toll on Andrea. When their daughter Janet (Claudia Kai) discusses her interest in being a chef, Andrea tries to forbid her. Janet has her own arc where Janet tries to create her late grandma’s dishes. This family feels so achingly human and relatable.
Of course, there’s excellent chemistry between Wong and Carson as their characters build from a friendship into a relationship.
And finally, we have You Can Live Forever. Rebellious teen Jaime (Anwen O’Driscoll) is forced to live with her aunt Beth (Liane Balaban) while her mother recollects herself after her husband’s death. Beth is a Jehovah’s Witness whose husband Francois (Antoine Yared) hopes to be the leader of his congregation. While being forced to attend sermons, Jaime develops a friendship with fellow devout Marike (June Laporte). Soon that develops into something more, which is risky in a homophobic fringe community.
A romantic film like these lives and dies on the chemistry between the leads. When two leads have such differing personalities/worldviews, it’s very important that the two leads have convincing chemistry for the relationship to make sense. O’Driscoll and Laporte pull that off beautifully, conveying a warm intimacy between Jaime and Marike as they hide in plain sight with little intimate gestures. It helps that both actresses make their characters feel like real people. O’Driscoll portrays Jaime as a typical teen whose big glasses and grunge wardrobe hides a slightly rebellious teen frustrated at being stuck in a situation outside of her control. Laporte makes Marike a timid girl devoted to her religion yet forms an infatuation with Jaime. Writer/Directors Mark Slutsky and Sarah Watts avoid the temptation of melodrama in favour of grounded empathy. They allow us to understand what Marike finds in her faith while showing how it can be stifling for Jaime.
All three deliver achingly human stories of young people trying to find what they truly want in life.
1)            EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
In a time when franchises consume movie theatres, Everything, Everywhere All at Once came out of nowhere to deliver an everything bagel the zeitgeist can sink its teeth into.
Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) finds herself dissatisfied with her life as a struggling Laundromat owner, further aggravated by her goofball husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), her contentious relationship with her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) and her overly critical father (James Hong). If that wasn’t bad enough, she’s being audited by the IRS, forcing her to deal with an austere IRS agent (Jamie Lee Curtis). Suddenly, Evelyn finds Waymond possessed by an alternate version of himself and Evelyn’s tasked with saving multiple universes from the mysterious and all powerful villain known as Jobu.
The Dynamic Duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert already proved their originality with their music video Turn Down for What and their feature film debut Swiss Army Man. Who would have thought they could create an existential tale of a mother daughter relationship involving googly eyes, hot dog fingers and a ratatouille parody?
As you expect from the Daniel’s previous works, it delivers on the weird and hilarious imagery (often involving leud objects). One minute, Waymond is gluing googly eyes on everything, and the next he’s taking down security guards with a fanny pack. That’s just one of many examples of the creative and well-choreographed fights scenes the Daniel’s have in store for the viewers. Only they could image fight scenes either involving Waymond intentionally giving himself paper cuts or henchmen trying to shove a trophy up where the sun don’t shine.
With moments like these, you would never expect anything profound in the film. And yet, the Daniels somehow balances these silly moments with deep, philosophical themes. Evelyn comes to realize how the little choices she made in life can have major outcomes after glimpsing versions of herself as a famous actress, a kung fu artist and a chef. Her journey also forces her to reexamine her perceptions of her husband and reconcile her relationship with her daughter. The battle between Evelyn and Jobu shows how perception can alter how one handles the meaningless of life. It’s surprising how deep this film can get.
The result is a cinematic miracle that delivers a truly unique experience.
Available on Prime Video
[1] When Colm threatens to cut off his fingers if Padraic talks to him again, you know a finger’s going to come off at some point.
[2] So consumed that he only has around 3-4 scenes as Bruce Wayne. It’s funny. In his Godzilla reboot, he barely showed the iconic monster on screen. For The Batman, we get all the caped crusader we could ever want.
[3][3] He also seems to be doing a better job of getting rid of corruption than Batman is.
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Silicon Valley ideology is using private equity to buy a new marketplace, flood it with capital to flush out competitors, and use economic dominance to eviscerate working conditions and the cost of labour before jacking up the prices again, this time with the surplus all going to investors -Maria Farrell
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glimpsesofeuterpe · 2 months
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felt obligated to list muses and their (known so far) alternates out now, oh no
The Cornelius(es)
Protagonist Cornelius, Classic Cornelius, Happy Cornelius, Space Pirate Cornelius (Neil), Composer Cornelius, Inspector Cornelius, Vampire Cornelius, Angel Cornelius (Corabael), Demon Cornelius (Corey), Inspector Cornelius, Archivist Cornelius, Winter Prince Cornelius, Librarian Cornelius, Lonely Cornelia, Alpha Cornelia (Emily), Beta Cornelius, Gamma Cornelius, Vampire Cornelia (Nelle), Russian Cornelius (Корнелий/Kornelij), British Victorian Cornelius (Dr Gratton), Gem Cornelius (Tiger Eye), Wizard Cornelius, Enthusiast Cornelius, Robot Cornelius, Skeleton Cornelius
The Deimos(es)
Antagonist Deimos, Narrator Deimos, Shadowy Deimos (Phos), Human Deimos (Damien), Demon Deimos (Demien), Mermaid Deimos, Captain Deimos (Captain Deimey Moss), Gem Deimos (Green Jadeite or Emerald), Cat Deimos (Demyaw), Princess Deimos, Farmer Deimos (Dahlia), Redhead Deimos, Wizard Deimos, Alternian Deimos, Mettaton Deimos extra: Arianna and Artemius, Deim's younger siblings extra extra: XJ10 aka Jade (Neil's assistant) extra extra extra: Deinelius (confusion au)
The Frankys
Grumpy: Strayed Franky, Dad Franky, Wizard Franky, Werewolf Franky, Gem Franky (Enstatite), Angel Franky (Frankiel), Female Franky (Franziska) Dorky: The Dork Maddison, Warlock Maddison (Adam), Captain Maddison, Cyborg Maddison, Pilot Maddison, Mechanic Maddison, Magic Maddison, Rick Maddison (Frederick) extra: Marcus Mayfair (employee 517) aka a beta-something-past version of Maddison extra extra: Ludolf Meier (Franky's Uncle) extra extra extra: Adam Smithson, which is clerly related to Franky(s), nuff said
Amelies:
Classic Amelie, Cyberpunk Amelie, Angel Amelie (Amaliel), Parable Amelie (Amber), Male Amelie (Albus), Possessed Amelie (Ambrose), Sinner/Demon Amelie
Sophies:
Fairy Sophie, Employee Sophie (006)
+ Cornelius' ex co-workers: Maria Mironova and Jack Waller
Narrators:
Bionic Narrator (Magnus), Bossy/Demon Narrator (Bernael), Narrator.exe, Beta Narrator (Norbert), Caelumirian Narrator (Augustin), Snapey Narrator, Gem Narrator (Brown Diamond?), Narrator Royce, MONIKA
Curators:
The Observer, Beta Curator (Norene), Angel Curator (Barrattiel), Human Curator (Beatrice), Curator.exe, Curator GLaDOS
Stanleys:
Stanley Freeman, Stanley von Sales, Thomas Stanley Porter, Severine Stanley, Stella Fiedler, Pastel Stanley, Stanley.exe, Gem Stanley (Gray Pearl) Not Stanleys:
Protagonist Chell, Ashley Davies (The Player)
Mariellas:
Classic Mariella, Dream Mariella (aka Doll aka Princess aka Melissa Noxire), Pastel Mariella, Not Mariella (Simona Petrikov), Mariella.exe, Gem Mariella (Peanut Pearl)
Employee 432 aka Settings Person aka Timekeeper aka Ceaseless Watcher:
Eric Nowak
Adventure Line (humanized-ish):
Ghost Adventure Line (Flavian), Gem Adventure Line (Yellow Spinel)
The Employee Lounge (humanized):
Lacey Fidelis, Lesley Fidelis
Ricks:
Narrator Rick, Dandere Rick, Detective Rick, Ava Rickinsocks, Bossy Rick, Hacker Rick
Mortys:
Protagonist Morty, Yandere Morticia, Nerdy Morticia, Captain Morty, Cursed Morty, Shadow Morty, Wizard Morty
OTHERS: Homestuck linked: Kostya Trollen, Nick Surname Presentable Liberty linked: Paul Viaton, Lenore (Eleanor) Farrell, Benjamin Smiley, Charlotte Addams, Barret Videll, Salvadore Marchetti, Morayne Johnson DST linked: Triumphant Wilson and a Willow (iguess?)
Wannabe big guys aka friends from the other side aka yet another aliens (divinedamnedgambles):
Endymion, Nelumbo, Nebula (aka Red and Blue), Mother Nature, Goodness (Agnes), Darkness (The Temptress), Inquisitiveness (aka Yellow aka Employee333), Lorelei, Oneiros, Helianthus (aka Deim's Grandpa), The Troubadour, Aurora
Men In White:
Elyon and Karael, Vega, Gadreel, Raziel, Seraphim
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glitter-troublewind · 2 years
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Sun + Ascendant = who you might look like
(extra celebrity bullsh*t) <3
xoxo gossip girl *try to ignore age and race, it could literally be similarity in eye shape or bone structure*
Aries Sun + Aries Rising - Heath Ledger
Aries Sun + Taurus Rising - Alia Shawkat , Scott Eastwood
Aries Sun + Gemini Rising - Kristen Stewart , Gregory Peck
Aries Sun + Cancer Rising - Mariah Carey, Paul Rudd
Aries Sun + Virgo Rising - Doris Day , Conan O'Brien
Aries Sun + Libra Rising - Elizabeth Montgomery , James Garner
Aries Sun + Scorpio Rising - Jessica Chastain
Aries Sun+ Sagittarius Rising - Leona Lewis , Marlon Brando
Aries Sun + Capricorn Rising - America Ferrera, Brendon Urie
Aries Sun + Aquarius Rising - Selena Quintella , Harry Houdini
Taurus Sun + Aries Rising - Barbara Streisand
Taurus Sun + Taurus Rising - Gigi Hadid, Robert Pattinson
Taurus Sun + Gemini Rising - Michelle Pheiffer
Taurus Sun + Cancer Rising - Cher , Rami Malek
Taurus Sun + Leo Rising - Al Pacino
Taurus Sun + Virgo Rising - Renee Zellweger , Roy Orbison
Taurus Sun + Libra Rising - Dwayne Johnson
Taurus Sun + Capricorn Rising - Megan Fox
Taurus Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Grace Jones
Taurus Sun + Aquarius Rising - Audrey Hepburn, George Clooney
Taurus Sun + Pisces Rising - Bettie Page
Gemini Sun + Gemini Rising - Judy Garland
Gemini Sun + Cancer Rising - Angelina Jolie, Mark Wahlberg
Gemini Sun + Capricorn Rising - Naomi Campbell
Gemini Sun + Leo Rising - Logan Browning
Gemini Sun + Libra Rising - Greg Kinnear
Gemini Sun + Scorpio Rising - Nicole Kidman, Chris Evans
Gemini Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Courtney Cox
Gemini Sun + Capricorn Rising - Colin Farrell
Gemini Sun + Aquarius Rising - Shia Labeouf
Gemini Sun + Pisces Rising - Maria Menenous
Cancer Sun + Aries Rising - Farley Granger , Lena Horne
Cancer Sun + Gemini Rising - Lindsay Lohan
Cancer Sun + Cancer Rising - Liv Tyler, David Hasselhoff
Cancer Sun + Leo Rising - Meryl Streep
Cancer Sun + Virgo Rising = Nicole Scherzinger
Cancer Sun + Libra Rising - Michelle Branch, Benedict Cumberbac
Cancer Sun + Scorpio Rising - Lana del Rey , Vin Diesel
Cancer Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Cheryl Cole
Cancer Sun + Capricorn Rising - Gisele Bunchen
Cancer Sun + Aquarius Rising- Cyndie Lauper
Cancer Sun + Pisces Rising - Shane Dawson
Leo Sun + Aries Rising - Taylor Schilling
Leo Sun + Taurus Rising - Halle Berry , Austin Butler
Leo Sun + Gemini Rising - Sandra Bullock, Mick Jagger
Leo Sun + Cancer Rising - Karlie Kloss, Ben Affleck
Leo Sun + Leo Rising - Gillian Anderson , Matthew Perry
Leo Sun + Virgo Rising - Madonna, Patrick Swayze
Leo Sun + Libra Rising - JLO
Leo Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Mila Kunis , Robert Plant
Leo Sun + Scorpio Rising - Iman
Leo Sun + Pisces Rising - Whitney Houston, John Stamos
Virgo Sun + Gemini Rising- Greta Garbo
Virgo Sun + Cancer Rising - Lauren Bacall , Jack Black
Virgo Sun + Leo Rising - Beyonce, Nick Jonas
Virgo Sun + Virgo Rising - Chris Pine
Virgo Sun + Libra Rising - Barry Gibb
Virgo Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Shania Twain
Virgo Sun + Capricorn Rising - Joan Jett, Richard Gere
Virgo Sun + Aquarius Rising - Zendaya
Libra Sun + Aries Rising - Cardi B, John Lennon
Libra Sun + Taurus Rising - Serena Williams , Josh Hutcherson
Libra Sun + Gemini Rising - Christina Millian, Will Smith
Libra Sun + Cancer Rising - Emily Deschanel
Libra Sun + Leo Rising - Rachel leigh Cook , Lindsay Buckingham
Libra Sun + Virgo Rising - Marion Cotilliard, Donald Glover
Libra Sun + Libra Rising - Doja Cat , John Mayer
Libra Sun + Scorpio Rising - Naomi Watts , Charlton Heston
Libra Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Kim Kardashian
Libra Sun + Capricorn Rising - Gwen Stefani
Libra Sun + Aquarius Rising- Alicia Silverstone, Matt Damon
Libra Sun + Pisces Rising - Gwenyth Paltrow
Scorpio Sun + Gemini Rising - Mathew McCoughney
Scorpio Sun + Cancer Rising - Hedy Lamar
Scorpio Sun + Leo Rising - Miranda Lambert
Scorpio Sun + Libra Rising - Anne Hathaway, Leonardo Di Caprio
Scorpio Sun + Scorpio Rising - Grace Kelly, Shah Ruhk Khan
Scorpio Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Yaya Decosta, Mark Ruffalo
Scorpio Sun + Capricorn Rising - Drake
Scorpio Sun + Pisces Rising - Demi Moore, Ryan Gosling
Sagittarius Sun + Taurus Rising - Miley Cyrus
Sagittarius Sun + Gemini Rising - Julianne Moore
Sagittarius Sun + Cancer Rising - Tyra Banks
Sagittarius Sun+ Leo Rising - Tina Turner, Jake Gyllenhaal
Sagittarius Sun + Virgo Rising - Sarah Paulson
Sagittarius Sun + Libra Rising - Keri Hilson
Sagittarius Sun + Scorpio Rising - Taylor Swift
Sagittaarius Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Jimi Hendrix, Xosha Roquemore
Sagittarius Sun+ Aquarius Rising - Nicki Minaj
Sagittarius Sun + Pisces Rising - Billie Eilish, Jay Z
Capricorn Sun + Taurus Rising - Issa Rae, Jared leto
Capricorn Sun + Gemini Rising - Naya Rivera , Ricky Martin
Capricorn Sun + Cancer Rising - Kate Bosworth
Capricorn Sun + Leo Rising - Ava Gardner , Jason Bateman
Capricorn Sun + Virgo Rising - Dolly Parton
Capricorn Sun + Libra Rising - Alison Brie, Denzel Washington
Capricorn Sun + Scorpio Rising - Hrithink Roshan
Capricorn Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Eartha Kitt, Nicolas Cage
Capricorn Sun + Capricorn Rising - Zooey Deschanel
Capricorn Sun + Aquarius Rising- Regina King , Orlando Bloom
Aquarius Sun + Aries Rising - James Dean
Aquarius Sun + Taurus Rising - Taylor Lautner
Aquarius Sun + Gemini Rising - Lana Turner, Ashton Kutcher
Aquarius Sun + Cancer Rising - Molly Ringwald , Chord Overstreet
Aquarius Sun + Leo Rising - Heather Graham
Aquarius Sun + Virgo Rising - Zsa Zsa Gabor , Michael B Jordon
Aquarius Sun + Libra Rising - Jennifer Aniston, Harry Styles
Aquarius Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Paris Hilton
Aquarius Sun + Aquarius Rising - Alan Cumming
Aquarius Sun + Pisces Rising - Brandy
Pisces Sun + Aries Rising - Rihanna, James Dean
Pisces Sun + Taurus Rising - Dakota Fanning
Pisces Sun + Gemini Rising - Drew Barrymore
Pisces Sun + Cancer Rising - Cindy Crawford, Kurt Russel
Pisces Sun + Leo Rising - Laura Prepon , Adam Levine
Pisces Sun + Virgo Rising - Lauren Graham, Kurt Cobain
Pisces Sun + Libra Rising - Jean Harlow , Sidney Poirtier
Pisces Sun + Scorpio Rising - Eva Longoria, Daniel Craig
Pisces Sun + Capricorn Rising - Rashida Jones
Pisces Sun + Sagittarius Rising - Elizabeth Taylor
Pisces Sun + Aquarius Rising - Nina Simone
Pisces Sun + Pisces Rising - Johnny Cash
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protoslacker · 8 months
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There’s something pathological about how coercion sucks in vast resources when care is more economical, not to mention humane, but is nonetheless starved and derided. This pattern is so obvious and ubiquitous that you’ll have noticed it too. I point it out because although it is everywhere, and supported by both UK political parties, it is not sensible, and nor is it inevitable.
Maria Farrell at Crooked Timber. Coercion versus Care
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ghoul-haunted · 9 months
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Hey! If you have the time/inclination, could you recommend some books on the social history of the Roman Republic? I mean, books that don’t focus on Senate politics or specific figures like Caesar, Brutus, Antony, so on (not that I hate them, just read a lot of biographies already lol). But, you know, on regular life, adminstration, infrastructure, art, culture. Thx in advance.
OOF uh. maybe??
I'm pretty much exclusively into specific historical figures and the politics of the late republic, so I'm not the person to ask for this kind of rec list. like. I read some books on roman households but it was so that I could justify saying that Crassus and Pompey were in a functional political marriage if you treat the body of Rome as a house, and retained none of what I read after I got done with that thought :/
as a result, this rec list might be. slightly to the left of what you were asking after, like jstor might be able to help you out more than I can with this, but here we go!
The Manhandling of Maecenas: Senecan Abstractions of Masculinity, Margaret Graver
The Construction of Etruscan 'Otherness' in Latin Literature, Maria Beatrice Bittarello
Masculinity, Appearance, and Sexuality: Dandies in Roman Antiquity, Kelly Olson
Roman Identity: Between Ideal and Performance
Statues in Roman Society: Representation and Response, Peter Stewart
Ancestor Masks and Aristocratic Power in Roman Culture, Harriet Flower
Augustan Poetry and the Roman Republic, Joseph Farrell and Damien P. Nelis
Empire and Memory: the representation of the Roman Republic in imperial culture, Alain M. Gowing
Inconsistency in Roman Epic, James J. O'Hara
Freed Slaves and Roman Imperial Culture, Social Integration and the Transformations of Values, Rose MacLean
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