#taskmaster rom-com

[3dprintcess]

It looked so like a rom-com poster that I just had to. (Also an excuse to learn a new art package.)

#taskmaster #fan art #of sorts #taskmaster rom-com #little and lord #alex horne #greg davies #taskmaster new york

[appropriatelystupid]

Hello

Top 5 characters you would like KMcG to portray - or perhaps top 5 series/franchises/genres you would like to see her in?

oooo okay there’s so much potential here…

for a start, a proper run as a vampire (and not just the last 5 minutes of a cancelled show)

a member of the greek pantheon (pjo and your vancouver filming i’m looking directly at you)

a wlw rom com where she’s a bookstore owner or something (and fully irish let her accent live i’m begging)

an elizabeth carruthers-esque kingpin and/or businesswoman who takes over the whole market

something noir because we’ve got plenty of period but not that yet

#and for most i want her able to swear too #and for the rom com i want it a little steamy none of the hallmark chastity #edit: OH and not a roll but i’d love to see how she would handle taskmaster for a new year’s treat #kmcg #anon #top 5 asks #appropriatelyasked #stupidlyanswered

[anamelessfool]

Ribbons & Ties (AO3 Link) Chapter 2

GEN (Ch 1 Here) 2600ish words

Terzo x Omega, Terzo & Family, Terzo & His Ghouls, Cardinal Marian is in there for like ten minutes

Tags: Domestic Fluff, Commitment, Rom Com Energy, There's a Wedding, Secondo is Papa Emeritus, Gift Giving, The ghoul names are all messed up sorry it is for plot purposes, I can't have Fluff without some Angst sorry

For reasons beyond Terzo's understanding, he wants to give Omega a present for the ghoul's "birthday". It proves to be a lot more complicated than Terzo realizes.

Art by @kabukiaku used with permission

Chapter 2 Below the Cut! (We like Reblogs, Comments and Kudos omnomnom)

While preparing for the wedding of his brother Papa Emeritus Secondo, Terzo finally has the chance to spring his surprise on Omega. It's supposed to go perfectly.

2

“Bravo, my Ghouls!” Terzo clapped as his band completed a full rundown of the program they were tasked to create for the wedding. They were installed in the choir room, Terzo’s domain as the choir director of the Ministry. It was a title he barely took seriously until absolutely necessary and at the very last minute. He thought he was at his best when he worked that way, and somehow he always delivered. He exchanged a secret wink of triumph with Omega Ghoul nearby.

AGAIN. The words were hung in Terzo’s mind, directly from his servitor Alpha. The ghoul snorted and gripped his guitar, glaring into the carpet. I MISSED A NOTE THERE. YOU WERE OUT OF TUNE. He pointed a finger at one of Secondo’s ghouls, the bass player. The other ghoul jerked his head, a threat.

“Fine, fine, we’ll go through it again, please relax,” Terzo muttered.

Alpha Ghoul was summoned only four months ago, after Terzo had dragged his feet about adding to his team. Terzo had enjoyed the sole company of Omega for nearly a year, and in that time got nothing done for his future reign. Who the Void chose was a complete mystery to the summoner, and the arrival of Alpha hinted at an almost sentient impatience with Terzo personally. Alpha arrived, and suddenly boots were on the ground whether Terzo was ready for them or not.

For one, Alpha Ghoul decided that starting the day at four PM was not conducive to any sort of musical success, neither was procrastinating on song writing by making out in various closets. The ghoul had proven to be such a “tight-ass taskmaster” (Terzo’s words) that Terzo was pleading Sister Imperator to help him summon a third one right away. Earth was next, and Alpha immediately yielded to the ancient Ghoul.

Earth sat back at his drum set, silently taking the scene all in. It was a relief when he arrived from the Void. The Ghoul was one of the most experienced in recent memory, which meant all ghouls gave him respect and listened carefully to his words. This was his ninth tour. He had walked this plane for at least a thousand years, perhaps more, and yet somehow he had a lightness to his spirit. He had the lingering air of constant, quiet amusement, as if he was watching a favorite film play out over and over.

Terzo had the combined ghouls of the Ministry run through the dinner program again. In thirty minutes the selection of the choir of siblings would arrive and the group would work on the musical interlude planned for the middle of the ceremony, during the Cutting of the Ties. There was a knock on the door, and Terzo made a point to remove himself from the situation for a moment. Alpha and the other ghoul were posturing it out from across the room while Earth sighed at his charges.

“Oh! I finally ran into you!” It was Brother Copia, in his personal space at last. In his arms he carried a pile of sheet music and binders. His wet mousey eyes were filled with the usual worry mingled with eagerness to infodump his entire thought process onto his adoptive brother Terzo’s lap. “Are you still having problems with your office door?”

“Oh, locking unexpectedly? Yes, I cannot help it that it is locked when you try to reach me. Frustrating really,” Terzo threw at him.

“I filed er—a work order for you,” Copia replied. “But while I’m here, I have some questions em er—regarding the ceremony music program. Mendelssohn's em… seems to be a good, solid choice but maybe it’s a bit too…uh, obvious? But you know my fallback is always Bach, but I have yet to find something suitable from his catalogue.”

“Do we need to do this now, fratellino,” Terzo said through his teeth.

“But then if I choose Dies Irae, then which version? And even then, I know our brother likes darkness but is it em…perhaps ah, too dark for a wedding? Is it…inauspicious?”

Terzo tightened his grip on the door knob. “Honestly why do you care so much?”

“Secondo’s taught me everything I know. I want this to be perfect. I em—owe it to him.” Copia seemed to relax as he defended his mentor, smiling slightly into the pile in his arms. Since Copia had arrived at the Minsitry as a young child Secondo was always there, teaching him. Papa Emeritus II himself was a virtuoso pianist, and instilled that in his adoptive brother, who went on to be the equally skilled organist for the Church. The sincereity of the statement could not be ignored.

“It's the thought that counts,” grumbled Terzo.

“I know it's the thought that counts but ah er— all I do is think! And I can't decide!”

Earth gently tested the foot pedal of his drum. HE THINKS IN HIS HEAD. TELL HIM TO THINK FROM THE HEART.

“Oh how nice, put that on a mug, my ghoul,” Terzo snapped.

Invisible, aetheric flames of irritation swept across the floor, Alpha Ghoul at its epicenter. He was twisting a guitar peg and the metal string whined. DON'T DISMISS EARTH GHOUL’S THOUGHTS. HE HAS WALKED THIS PLANE LONGER THAN ALL OF US. LONG BEFORE HUMANS DECIDED TO STAMP THOUGHTFUL MESSAGES ON DRINKING VESSELS.

Earth Ghoul let out a hissing chuckle. MAYBE NOT THAT LONG, ALPHA. YOU DONT EVEN HAVE TO CREDIT ME, TERZO. GO ON, AT THE VERY LEAST THAT WOULD SEND THE MAN AWAY WITH ENOUGH TO CHEW ON TO LEAVE YOU ALONE.

“Why is it a crime to care?” The remark was devastating but it was delivered with Copia’s trademark bewildered, wide-eyed slump.

Which meant since Copia was too invested in his own anxiety that he wouldn't notice Terzo wincing in psychic pain. “It's not er…you know you're thinking from your head, Copia. You have to think from the heart.”

The center of Copia’s head creased as he struggled with this new information. “You're…” He lowered his arms, looking down at the pile there. “That's em…that's a good point.”

From behind them Earth suddenly drummed a few seconds of a haughty breakbeat. Alpha laughed and Terzo could almost feel his smirk behind his mask. Copia immediately snapped back to his duty.

“This is from her Excellency Cardinal Marian,” said Copia and from the pile of binders in his arms he handed Terzo a misshapen yellow envelope.

“I thought she'd send this InterOffice.”

Copia blinked. “I am InterOffice.”

“Fine,” Terzo muttered, and he undid the waxed thread on the envelope. A flat, small package beautifully wrapped and tied slid out into his hand. He flashed a private smile and stowed it in his pocket.

“Is that purchase from our um-- accounts or—”

“Oh, it seems that this door is closing, locking on its own, fratellino,” Terzo said, his eyes wide in feigned surprise as he closed the door across the Head Treasurer’s face.

***

Terzo had to always cross the arcade to reach the wing of Cardinal suites, and Omega always happened to be there. The ghoul held the door for him as they exited into the covered stone arcade. Terzo’s eyes darted across the scene; then, fearing no one, he gripped the ghoul around his waist and pushed him against a slightly hidden wall. The moment Omega felt his touch he collapsed into it as always, bringing his hands up to the sides of Terzo’s face and his own head down to meet his lover’s lips.

Terzo hungrily pulled the meat of Omega's neck into his mouth, gripping under the ghoul’s jacket and the flesh of his broad back. Omega sighed and shuddered, his feeling of pleasure rocking between them, a psychic feedback loop.

Omega wrapped his arm around Terzo’s shoulders. WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? Although that was a courtesy. Omega could plainly feel the waves of anxiety pouring from Terzo’s rough pawing.

Terzo still had the gift in his pocket, hidden from all the ghouls during their practice. He had spent the better part of that afternoon imagining every possible scenario in which he announced his intent and revealed his gift.

“Nothing on my mind,” said Terzo, pulling away. “Let's go.”

When they were alone, there was always some part of them that was connected. A little touch here, a tender pet there. Fingers unconsciously entwined as they moved through a space.

Terzo led Omega through the courtyard which was currently in the slow process of installing the wedding feast of Papa Emeritus II and Sister Sandra. The ghouls took a unique interest to the concept, observing it like foreign guests enchanted by how whimsically different the local culture was from their own.

DO HUMANS GET MARRIED OFTEN?

“Only the assholes,” said Terzo.

Omega’s shoulders shook in silent laughter. SO MARRIAGE ISN'T SOMETHING FOR YOU THEN.

“Ghouls don't do this.” To Terzo’s knowledge ghouls in the Void were a vast interconnected collective, a nest of corals, a bed of oysters. To fill a single body and experience things personally was exceedingly rare, and one of the reasons a tour of Earth was exciting.

NO. WE ARE TIED ALL TOGETHER, FOREVER. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE THOSE WHO CLING TO EACH OTHER. ORBIT EACH OTHER.

Terzo looked across the half-set up courtyard at the skeletons of bare folding tables. The wind settled on rocking the rows of paper lanterns above. This was the typical way to assemble a Ministry social function: tables, lanterns, small stage for music. As long as the weather held they would have them here. Terzo would often get a great thrill in the pit of himself thinking of the grand sins he would enact during such functions. But this one, the wedding of his frosty brother, was something he was hoping to avoid.

The ghoul was tall enough to reach up and lightly brush the surface of one of the larger lanterns with his fingers. He scratched the metal chin of his mask. I FEEL THE POSSIBILITIES. I THINK I UNDERSTAND.

Omega pulled Terzo’s hand into his, gently guiding him into his arms. LOOK AT ME. The ghoul had a strong grip on him, and yet there was hesitation hovering around him. He blinked behind his mask, slowly, searching Terzo’s face. For a moment Terzo felt a jab of concern and doubt flooded him. He reviewed the last few minutes, wondering what he did wrong. TERZO. The ghoul repeated his name, and shifted his footing.

“Yes?” Terzo gave him an encouraging smile. For a moment he wanted to laugh. The ghoul was ancient. He himself was admittedly middle-aged at this point. Why were they hesitating like youngsters?

Omega squeezed Terzo’s side with a hand, then breathed a deep sigh. TERZO, I LOVE YOU ABOVE ALL OTHERS. I LOVE YOUR SELF. EVERY MOMENT, I CHOOSE YOU.

And Terzo realized this was one of the most profound things a ghoul could say to another. They were fully embracing in the near center of the courtyard, surrounded by windows. Anyone could see them there. It didn't seem to matter anymore. “Likewise…” was all he could whisper back.

From that heartfelt confession Terzo did not feel any sort of searing heat or racing in his stomach, no moving of blood nor fire in his core. Usually he felt those things, and jumped the bones of whoever uttered words of tenderness. He felt, however, something supremely different.

He felt the earth rise up to meet his feet. The ground— unshakable, solid, eternal. He and his ghoul were rooted there, together, and nothing in this plane or the next could tear them from their footing. Some part of Terzo felt unlocked. He felt he could breathe in peace.

Terzo got his wits together again and flashed his ghoul a playful smirk. “This is a good opportunity then.”

Omega tilted his head like a thoughtful dog, waiting for Terzo to clarify. Terzo found himself grinning broadly, and pulled the little package from his pocket, placing it reverently in Omega’s hands. The words were a struggle, but if he kept his face sarcastic and silly he could power through. “A gift. For you.”

Omega held the little box in his hand. Waves of pleasure emanated from him as he admired the shine of the carefully tied metallic bow on top. TERZO. THANK YOU. IT’S BEAUTIFUL.

“Are you…going to open it?”

OPEN IT? IT HAS AN INSIDE?

“Yes, the gift is inside.” Terzo realized that even though he would constantly toss the ghoul mix tapes and photos and flowers, nothing was ever carefully wrapped before. Or given with this much reverence and ceremony. “The paper hides the gift. It's a secret.”

BUT I WOULD HAVE TO RIP THIS NICE PAPER.

Terzo shrugged lamely. “That's part of it.”

AH, THE SACRIFICE. HOW GENEROUS. BUT…WHY IS THIS GIFT SECRET?

“It's special. More special. It's for your birthday.”

BIRTHDAY? WHAT’S A BIRTHDAY?

“Today, one year ago, I summoned you to Earth. And…” Terzo furrowed his brow and touched Omega's arm. “And I love you and I want to honor you on the day you were born. So…Buon compleanno, mi caro.”

The ghoul looked as though he practically glowed, clasping his hands together as he considered Terzo’s loving words. And yet—

I LOVE YOU. BUT I DO NOT HAVE A BIRTHDAY.

Omega brushed his hand across Terzo’s chin, a cheap consolation for a disappointing reaction.

GHOULS WERE NEVER BORN, AND WE WILL NEVER DIE. DIE IN THE EARTHLY SENSE, THAT IS.

“Well, how old are you, then?”

I DON’T KNOW. Omega squinted. OLDER THAN EARTH. HOW OLD IS THE EARTH?

“Billions, er— fine, then perhaps it’s not a birthday.” Terzo felt anxiety roll in his stomach. This was more complicated than he had thought. The film that played in his head of this scenario was so vastly different from what was happening in this moment, and it was going downhill fast. “A birthday is the first day of life, so I assumed…today was your birthday.”

Omega shook his head then tilted it in thought. WHEN IS ELEVEN DAYS FROM NOW?

“Um…the 21st.”

The ghoul placed the present back into Terzo’s grasp, his large hands lingering over the human’s. THEN GIVE THIS TO ME ON THE 21ST.

“But—!”

Omega moved his hand to Terzo’s head, ruffling his hair. MY BIRTHDAY IS ON THE 21ST.

All at once Terzo felt cold. The rustling of the lanterns above them irritated his senses. They continued their brief trek across the courtyard, winding around stacks of chairs and boxes. He was certain that was the correct time to present the gift. Omega had poured his heart out to him, and he was anxious to reciprocate. He returned the gift to his pocket and tried to understand this sour taste he had in his mouth.

In a way he felt deeply embarassed.

Omega stopped him before they reached the other door. He corned Terzo, looking down at him, his big hand supporting his lean on the stone wall.

I HAVE NO OBLIGATIONS. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO DO BEFORE YOUR EVENING MEAL. Omega gently slid his heavy hand under Terzo’s cape, resting it over the human’s heart. He stared down at his lover, his eyes intense with desire. SHALL WE SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER? IN YOUR ROOMS?

“I…” Terzo was at a rare loss of words. And libido. He squeezed the small present in his pocket and gave Omega a weak smile. “I'm not feeling so well. I could use rest. Alone.”

Omega dropped his hand away, and instead gave Terzo a friendly, distant shoulder pat. VERY WELL. I WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW THEN?

“Yes. Last practice before the ceremony. Buona serata, my ghoul.”

My AO3 | Tumblr Fic List | My Terzo/Omega Fics

CHAPTER 3

#ghost scenes from the void #ghost band fic #domestic december #fluff fic #terzomega #terzo x omega #nameless ghouls #anamelessfool writes #papa emeritus iii

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I think even people who haven’t seen No More Jockeys deserve to see Tim Key name what Taskmaster contestants he has an hasn’t touched, so here that is. It’s an important list.

I Googled Aisling to see what he was talking about and it appears they did a rom-com together that came out in 2020 and starred Olivia Munn, among other people. Good for them. I wasn’t surprised about Aisling because I think I sort of know she’s put together a proper acting career with work in the States, but I didn’t realize Tim had been in movies. Besides Alan Partridge, obviously. Also, he’s touched Noel Fielding on a professional basis, when he married him to the duck.

Obviously this needs to become a regular thing. Videos getting released every week on the Taskmaster YouTube channel of different Taskmaster constants listing what other Taskmaster contestants they have and haven’t touched.

[sequinsmile-x]

people you'd like to get to know better ♡

Thanks for the tag @hancydrewfan, I don't always do these but I like the questions on this one haha

last song: No Complaints by Noah Kahan. His WHOLE Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever) album feels like a personal attack honestly and it's beautiful pain. BUT the lyric I can never get out of my head from this particular song is:

I saw the end, it looks just like the middle Got a paper and pen and a page with no space I filled the hole in my head with prescription medication And forgot how to cry, who am I to complain?

WHY Noah. WHY.

favourite colour: This changes more than I can possibly say, but right now I'd say light purple. Lavender!

currently watching: Re-watching Modern Family from the start and also TaskMaster. If you've never seen it and you like comedy panel type shows I HIGHLY recommend it. So SO funny.

currently reading: my brain won't let me read actual books, so I read mostly fanfic

last movie: Oppenheimer in the cinema, and this past weekend I did my monthly re-watch of About Time (it is the perfect rom-com and I will accept no feedback)

sweet/spicy/savoury: sweet. every dam time.

relationship status: as single as my left foot

current obsession: playing with the laser pointer with my cat. I genuinely couldn't tell you who it entertains more.

last thing i googled: Women's World Cup (Go Lionesses!!)

currently working on: about 1 million things at once as always, including: SGW 43, Surrender (Minimal Loss AU), The View Between Villages (Aaron's dad is alive AU)

no pressure tags: @ssamorganhotchner, @lukeclvez, @mrs-ssa-hotch, @whitecrossgirl, @rawr-jess, @ssa-sparks

#about me #vic speaks #not cm

[inspiteallthedanger]

hi beth, lots of weird stuff in your asks lately so I am here with some fluff:

what is your emotional support...

book

tv show

movie

album

snack

(p.s. I don't think I've sent you this ask before?? but if I have then pls ignore haha)

Thank you so much, this is so nice of you.

I would say:

Book - New Moon With the Old by Dodie Smith. She wrote 101 Dalmaions, but also a load of adult books. Her most famous is I Capure the Castle and no one that I've reecomennded it to hasn't loved it. It's so charming. But, New Moon with the Old just hits differently. I read it every other Christmas. It's so silly, yet grounded and lovely. Like a warm bath.

TV Show - Taskmaster. It's a sort of UK panel show, only not really. Just comedians doing silly tasks for no reason. Utter chaos, but with such a nice edge to it. And everyone involved is lovely. Can't recommend all of it enough (it's online if anyone fancies it). Our Flag Means Death is a close second at the moment.

Movie - While You Were Sleeping. I do like a rom com, and this is gorgeous. Help! is genuinely a runner up in his category, because I was infected as a child. Sorry.

Album - Folklore Long Pond Sessions. I miss Autumn so much, because I'm British, so this is like being transported there. Also, Songs of Love and Hate by Leonard Cohen because it's all so beautiful.

Snack - pop chips and Diet Coke. They aren't the same in the US, which has been very difficult for me. Thoughts and prayers.

Go on then, tell me yours. I'd love some recs for the rest of my trip :-)

#beth rambles

[widowsresolve]

I’ve compiled a list of some of the details I’m most interested in from the “Black Widow Official Movie Special.”

- The cast and crew basically all say that the heart of this film is a family drama around all the action/spy/thriller elements, and a story about familial love.

- In the 90s in Ohio, Alexei, Melina, Natasha, and Yelena act as a little spy family. David Harbour says Alexei took Natasha out of the Red Room for this and then brought her back after, and she’s accepted being told she was orphaned before all this without much interest in delving deeper. Yelena was brought to the Red Room after but recognizes their family as the only one she’s had. They both feel some betrayal from this family with Red Room stuff.

- Also, Melina apparently has a bit of a flame for Alexei, and in Rachel Weisz’s words: “Our relationship is quite passionate. We’re very into each other. We haven’t seen each other for almost twenty years, so we’ve been waiting a long time to kiss.” Pair that with David Harbour saying the film has some rom-com elements, sounds like there’ll be some fun Alexei/Melina moments.

- Yelena and Natasha are going to have such a fun relationship, there’s a lot of talk about how they play off each other very well in an older/younger sister dynamic, especially with the difference in their years of experience.

- Speaking of, Yelena’s a lot more fresh from the Red Room and looking to know herself more and the world. As we find Natasha post Civil War, she’s feeling kind of lost seeing all of her structure fall apart, and Florence Pugh says they kind of help to repair each other.

- In the film’s present, Melina is living on an isolated Russian pig farm as a scientist. Rachel Weisz enjoyed working with the pigs and says they were adorable.

- Unsurprisingly, there aren’t a lot of details about Taskmaster, but the fight director does use “him” specifically whereas everyone else is very careful to basically just use “Taskmaster.” They thought of Taskmaster like a pocketknife for coming up with fight stuff and how he responds, so that’s a fun and promising description!

- The Taskmaster vs. Natasha bridge fight sounds like it’s going to be kinda intense, and Taskmaster vs. Alexei is bound to be fun from available details and all.

- BUDAPEST. There are a few lines that make it seem like we’re going to get a more definitive answer, and then there are some that make it seem like we’re just going to get hints of the history of Budapest. Brian Chapek (co-producer) does specifically say that as Natasha “[walks] through her apartment you see evidence of things that had happened in Budapest so long ago.” Scarlett Johansson talks a little about the importance of Budapest, saying that there’s some unfinished business she carries some guilt about. “Black Widow is not about what happened in Budapest, but it’s a huge jumping-off point for us to understand the heaviness of Natasha’s burden.”

(Personally I think we’ll see a lot more of “present” Natasha and Yelena in Budapest and get more of glimpses/hints into the past than too much focus from all this, but theorize away!)

- Apparently the gulag/catwalk were based on a nuclear reactor to give that idea of basically just repurposing this space in Siberia for dangerous prisoners. Pair that with the trailer scene of Natasha swinging in via helicopter (plus Melina + Yelena in the helicopter) and a behind the scenes photo from this special of track suit Alexei hanging onto an airborne Natasha in her white suit, and it certainly seems like they’re specifically there to break Alexei out.

- O-T Fagbenle’s Mason character he describes as “a finder for people… who are part of the underworld. He can find anything you need as well.” He also comments that “there’s a sense that there’s more to [his and Natasha’s] relationship than it being purely work related.” He’s a really helpful person to have on her side, and he’s very generously willing to help her out, with Natasha not really paying in cash/credit and just telling him to put it on her tab.

- Brian Chapek’s final remarks: “This movie is very much about self-forgiveness... I hope audiences leave this movie instilled with a sense of hope for the future and the characters that Natasha has introduced us to throughout her journey.”

PROBABLY BIGGER SPOILERS BELOW

- Dreykov is confirmed as being the person in charge of the Red Room, albeit without being very hands on at all with the Widows.

- There’s a blurb for the movie that starts with saying “a deadly assassin is closing in on Natasha” and that she has to reunite with spies from her past “to survive and stop a lethal force from being unleashed on the world.” At first read I thought the deadly assassin was going to be Taskmaster, but then the last sentence of this blurb alludes to battling him on the way. Personally I’m suspecting Dreykov as the force going after Natasha, since he’s the one in control of the Red Room, and it’s not as though it’d be the first time some dialogue’s been sneakily arranged in the trailers. Add Ross trying to capture Natasha and she certainly is in a perfect storm of events.

#black widow movie #black widow spoilers #bw spoilers #natasha romanoff #yelena belova #alexei shostakov #melina vostokoff #taskmaster #black widow #monkeypost

[marcelock]

my biggest hopes and dreams for ben c’s career:

-no more depressing shows please benjamin

-gay rom com (heavy on the com)

-just more gay in general

-please let him play a real fucking buffoon

-anything that gives him khan hair again i am a simple homo with simple needs

-he as sherlock kisses martin freeman as john in some way my own human eyeballs can consume thanks

-be on taskmaster

-a documentary about him in some capacity that will finally allow everyone else to understand how fucking weird he is... imagine one of his interviews but over an hour long and with less restrictive questions/formats

[neon-green-bra]

Rules:

You can only have one answer to each question.

The questions are aimed generally at every single movie or TV Show you’ve ever saw in your life, so take your time and have fun.

Tag five people to learn about some more memorable movie experiences.

Tagged by @i-own-loki, sorry I’m so late at doing this you time traveller

Favorite movie: Chicken Run (2000)

Favorite TV show: Taskmaster

Favorite TV Show episode: The episode in Jessica Jones where she sticks it to Kilgrave

Two characters who never canonically met but you still ship them: I don’t really think about shipping characters unless it’s presented to me

Favorite battle scene: Does that scene in Jessica Jones count?

Favorite kiss: Nope

Favorite sex scene: Don’t really care about them

One iconic move: 

A plotline you hated: Any time a female character is validated by her love for a man

Favorite soundtrack: Star Trek AOS - all three of them

Favorite quote:  Don’t think I have one, maybe “You were my new dream” from Tangled

A character you think would have been better if they were from the opposite sex: How can you have this?

A character you think should have died for the sake of the story: Pass

A side character you think should have been the protagonist: Not a clue

A protagonist you think should have been a side character: No idea

A completely unnecessary and annoying character death: Lowell in iZombie, it didn’t really further the plot 

Favorite plot twist: I can’t remember any plot twists

The type of character you always go for and love: Anyone with backbone

A movie you would love to watch in another genre: Remake any rom com as an action film or a thriller and I’ll watch it

A side character who didn’t have their own movie, but if they had, you would love it: Black Widow, but not written by a man

[sseuregis]

As the year draws to a close, I thought I’d once again sum up my thoughts on (some of) the dramas I’ve watched and how the year went for dramas overall. In my opinion, the dramas in recent years have been pretty lacklustre and my patience in trying and enjoying bad dramas has really decreased, so I’ve been watching and enjoyed fewer dramas in recent years. 2017 was no different. 

I only finished 37 shows while I dropped or put on hold almost the same number (31). Four of my favourites were rom coms (Jugglers, My Only Love Song, This Life is Our First, 20th Century), three were crime-related (Godless, Mystery Queen, Tunnel) and two involved fantasy elements (Circle, My Only Love Song). Taskmaster was definitely my favourite show of the year, but in terms of non-variety, my favourite would have to be My Only Love Song. Underrated and a delightful surprise, it was the first drama in YEARS that I���ve marathoned desperately. Fun, dramatic and adorable, it certainly won the year for me.  

2017 COMPLETED DRAMAS AND SHOWS            

Watched/Yet To Finish (38) Favourites (11)

across the ocean to see you | age of youth 2 | because of you | the best hit | buamdong revenge social club | circle | dear prince | deserving of the name | first love again | general and i | go back spouses | godless | heart signal | jugglers | legend of the blue sea | love just come | love life lie | my only love song | my secret romance | mystery queen | ode to joy 2 | the package | the perfect match | the perfect wife | queen of ring | rush to the dead summer | skam | stay with me | strong woman do bong soon | surgeons | ten miles of peach blossoms | this life is our first | taskmaster | tunnel | weightlifting fairy kim bok joo | when a woman chases a man | yummy mummies | 20th century boy and girl

#drama year in review #sseuregis #2017 in review #kdramanetwork

[mrmichaelchadler]

Sundance 2019: The Mustang, Top End Wedding

The final days of Sundance are often given over to what could be called less edgy product, more crowd-pleasing fare than the Competition and Next titles that premiere on the opening weekend of the 11-day affair. This isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes truly delightful crowd-pleasers end up closing the fest like 2017’s “The Incredible Jessica James” and 2018’s “Hearts Beat Loud.” Some of this year’s late fest offerings include “Paddleton,” “The Tomorrow Man,” “Troop Zero,” and a pair of very different films that I got to preview before leaving Park City, both rich in the way they use setting and both reasonably able to overcome the inherent clichés in their narratives, even if one hurdles that obstacle a bit more cleanly the other.

The better of the pair is Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s “The Mustang,” a film about a program in which convicts work to train to wild mustangs so they can be sold at auction. While it’s a real program that has seen notable success in the way its participants often fail to become repeat offenders, it’s obviously a subject matter that’s just ripe for cliched storytelling. Even the Sundance description made me roll my eyes: “Roman must learn to tame not only the mustang but also the beast within.” Seriously? Another film that portrays the male prisoner as an animal waiting to be tamed is not exactly what the world needs right now. And yet “The Mustang” wore me down. It’s evidence of how new life can be breathed into clichéd concepts with the right focus on character and setting, and trust in your performers.

Matthias Schoenaerts leans into his strong, silent archetype as Roman Coleman, a resident of a maximum-security prison in Nevada that participates in a Wild Mustang program. Every year, mustangs are rounded up and trained by prisoners to take part in an auction. Of course, Roman first bristles at any sort of structure to his day, especially one that involves shoveling horse shit, but an irascible trainer named Myles (Bruce Dern) and a fellow convict (Jason Mitchell) soften Roman, as does the wildest horse in the program. Roman even learns how to talk to his daughter (a great Gideon Adlon, who is going to be a star very shortly).

It sounds like clichéd screenwriting 101 but it works because of how deliberately Clermont-Tonnerre handles the material. She allows scenes that would have been easy moments to strike sentimental chords to play out organically, and she lets the movie breathe, becoming more believable and moving in the process. “The Mustang” doesn’t feel the need to rush anywhere, allowing Roman to develop into a fully-formed character instead of just an archetype. It’s the patience with the storytelling that allows him to grow into something genuine. It builds instead of races, knowing that it’s the accumulation of minor character beats in a film like this one that really matter. Seek this one out when it opens in March. 

Less successful is Wayne Blair’s generic “Top End Wedding,” a movie that plays out like a mainstream romantic comedy until it finally gets to its last half hour, where respect for its setting and the people who live there add some much-needed weight to a film that was direly in need of it.

Lauren (the charming Miranda Tapsell, who also co-wrote) is a workaholic with a taskmaster of a boss (Kerry Fox) and a supportive boyfriend named Ned (Gwilym Lee). On the same day that Lauren gets a promotion and Ned quits his job—the kind of early-script stuff that just screams wacky movie!—he proposes to her. Hold on, the coincidences aren’t done. They race to Darwin, Australia, which is on the North side of the continent aka the “Top End,” only to find out that Lauren’s mother has left Lauren’s father. Like, literally left, hitting the road and not turning back. Lauren and Ned chase after Lauren’s mom, leading them into a mystery regarding their family past and the culture of the people who live in Northern Australia.

The first hour of “Top End Wedding” can be downright annoying in its simplicity and bad screenwriting, reminding me more of the kind of multiplex rom-coms that currently star people like Jennifer Lopez. Then it hit me. Most of this movie is just prologue to what really matters to Blair and Tapsell and that’s the arrival in a part of the world we haven’t really seen in a Sundance film before. There’s a genuine respect for the people of the Tiwi Islands that’s effective and even moving, and “Top End Wedding” really becomes a different film altogether when Lauren gets there—although even then Blair can’t avoid an airport revelation and other cheesy rom-com clichés. The Sundance description for “Top End Wedding” ends with “..making you wonder why you’ve stayed away for so long.” I too wondered why this movie stayed away from what works about it for as long as it does. 

from All Content http://bit.ly/2WI5H8u

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

About halfway through the podcast episode about Taskmaster s06e02, I started thinking… you know, Ed Gamble has taken a lot of opportunities to comment on how successful Russell Howard is, particularly compared to himself. To some extent this is fair enough. Russell is a very successful comedian, living what I assume is many comedians’ dream of being in charge of his own TV show and doing stand-up tours that sell well enough for him to take them across the world (which is relevant to me, as a Canadian who has tickets to see him next month, and I’m very excited about that). I guess the real dream is to act in Hollywood movies or whatever; jokes about how everyone on television is just biding their time until they can get into movies are pretty rampant and there’s probably some level of truth there.

But even if he's fallen short of that, Russell Howard has done very fucking well for himself. And, I mean, he’s sort of had movie roles. Sort of. He did write and star in a Christmas rom-com that looks so bad that even I haven’t watched it, despite the fact that my interest in following Russell Howard’s career from beginning to end led me to listen to 126 hours of his old radio show. To be fair that was also about my interest in following all of Jon Richardson’s career, but I’ve done that with both of them. From the radio show to 8 Out of 10 Cats to Catsdown to Ultimate Worrier and all three Jon Richardson stand-up DVDs. From the radio show and Mock the Week to Russell Howard’s Good News to The Russell Howard Hour and all five Russell Howard stand-up DVDs. I pretty much just decided I was going to go from the Russell Howard and Jon Richardson radio show that ran from 2006 to 2008, and then watch everything that has happened to both those men since. And still, despite all that, I have no interest in watching A Gert Lush Christmas. But I am mildly interested in hearing what that movie is like from anyone who’s seen it, so let me know if you have.

Anyway, I’ve gotten off the point. The point is that Russell Howard has had, and still has, an extremely successful career. So it’s reasonable for Ed Gamble to notice that. But it wasn’t until the most recent Taskmaster podcast episode (s06e02) that it really struck me how often Ed notices that. He mentioned it a lot of times in the first two episodes of the season 6 Taskmaster podcast episodes, and that made me think back to pre-season 6 Taskmaster podcast episodes and remember that actually, there were multiple times when he brought up Russell Howard’s fame totally unprompted. When they weren’t talking about season 6, but he just saw an opportunity to mention Russell Howard and how successful he is and how their shared agent would pick up the phone for Russell Howard but not for Ed Gamble in the same situation.

If I may digress a bit again – that’s one thing I find rather cool. In his old radio show, Russell sometimes referred to his agent as “James”. In that Taskmaster episode when he called his agent for help with getting out of a field, Russell called the guy “James” while on the phone. I don’t know, I just think that’s neat. That Russell Howard got much, much more famous between his stint on BBC Radio 6 Music and his stint on Taskmaster, but seems to have kept the same agent all that time. Same then-girlfriend/now-wife, too. This would all make him look quite down to Earth compared to lots of people at his level of fame, if it weren’t for that time when he called his manager for help with getting out of a field.

Okay, back to the actual point for real this time. The actual point is that during the Taskmaster podcast episode about s06e02, I started really noticing how frequently Ed Gamble comments on how famous Russell Howard is. And not just in that podcast episode, but in previous episodes, including in non-season 6 episodes when Russell Howard wasn’t strictly relevant to the conversation. This led me to think… professional jealousy was one of the major factors that broke up the second greatest love story of our age (after my girlfriend and I, of course), Jon Richardson and Russell Howard. But it is possible that Jon Richardson may not be the only British comedian to be jealous of Russell Howard. I mean, I realize Ed Gamble is telling these stories just because they’re funny. But there is enough of a pattern for me to think there’s an underlying genuine jealousy of Russell Howard involved in this.

I started thinking this a little more than halfway through the Taskmaster podcast episode about s06e02. At the end of the episode, Ed Gamble announced that next week’s guest, to discuss s06e03, will be Russell Howard. I was quite surprised by this, for reasons Ed had already discussed: to be honest, I sort of thought Russell was famous enough so he doesn’t need to do podcasts like this and therefore probably wouldn’t. But I’m very pleased to hear he will be there; I bet he’ll be an enormously fun guest. And I’m sort of looking forward to a significant opportunity to test my theory about basically Russell Howard’s entire existence genuinely bothering Ed Gamble.

Incidentally, I am also looking forward to Champion of Champions 2, for many reasons but one of those reasons is that I loved watching Liza Tarbuck and her effortless competence fuck with Russell Howard’s desperate competitiveness in season 6, and Ed Gamble has a desperate competitiveness that’s similar to Russell Howard’s, and I can’t wait to watch Liza fuck with that too. There definitely are similarities there.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

The premise of Rose Matafeo’s Starstruck show is that she takes the tropes and conventions of the famously unrealistic rom-com genre and deals with them in a somewhat more realistic way. Which is pretty cool, and it’s done very well.

But there are some missteps, like the way the whole “realistic rom-com” concept is completely ruined by the incredibly unrealistic scenario of having Rose Matafeo turn up to a party in a tuxedo and everyone there makes fun of her for wearing that. Instead of, you know, just staring at her in awe and saying “God damn” over and over because her shining beauty has rendered them all incapable of saying anything else.

I mean, I know Rose knows how people in real life react to the sight of her a tuxedo, assuming she’s used the internet since the Taskmaster season 9 finale aired. And that reaction is not to assume she’s a waiter and otherwise dismiss her, so writing this whole storyline isn’t very realistic of you, Rose.