Sam, 20s. She/her, gay. Formerly science-side-of-hogwarts More fandoms than I have time for,Ā science (geology!) penguins, etc. Icon made by @luna-and-mars
I just got home from seeing the Hadestown movie, and it was utterly spectacular. Truly one of the most incredible pieces of art I have experienced.
I was lucky enough to get to see a live production a few years ago, and while parts of the experience couldn't quite be replicated in film, it was amazing to get to see the expressions up close in the movie.
I felt everything the characters were experiencing, their love and heartache and despair and hope ā all conveyed immaculately. But the micro-acting that really blew me away were the ensemble during Why We Build the Wall.
I don't know how they managed to do this, but the actors somehow conveyed expressions that were somewhere in between or a mix of fanatics and hostages being held at gunpoint to say what they were saying. They somehow looked like they believed every word of it, that they were desperately trying to believe in it because their sacrifices and suffering must be worth something, and like they were being forced to say it all at once. I can't even describe how they managed to do that, but all I can say is kudos. Holy cow
This is easily one of the CRAZIEST videos I've ever gotten. I was rafting down a river when a Yellow Jacket came, landed on my bright pink waterproof phone pouch, and started drinking from the water droplets that had gathered there.
The most amazing part is how the water droplet magnifies the Hornet's mouth parts, so you get to see them up-close!!!! It was FASCINATING to witness!
Here's some of my favorite still shots from that video:
I cannot get over how much Thaisha saved everyoneās asses by running the Halovars off in episode 31.
Because even if the dice gods had been on their side and the Magpies kicked ass, they still attacked two Halovars and a member of the Revolutionary Council. The rebellion would be officially kicked off, and they still donāt have the supplies theyāre waiting on from Timmony. Azune and Hal would have to go into hiding. There would be no chance of getting backing from the Council, because one of their members had been caught in the crossfire.
And in terms of public sentiment, none of the witnesses would have any context for what happened. All they saw was the Halovar forces walk up to a tavern and get met with a hail of crossbow bolts. The Photarch could spin that any way she wanted, and the Magpies would have a hard time countering that narrative.
But instead, what everyone saw was two Halovars, forty soldiers, and a Council member get sent scrambling by a stern word and a bit of lightning from Thaisha. Thereās no way for the crowd to interpret that beyond āThe Halovars donāt have as much control of the city as they want us to think. The Lloys, and the Druids, still hold more sway here.ā Itās an incredibly humiliating setback for the Halovars, and itās caused friction between them and the Council that the Schemers can exploit. And for the Magpies, itās bought them crucial time to wait for reinforcements and continue laying the groundwork for the rebellion.
So everyone say thank you, Thaisha, for being such a stone cold badass.
[id: art of orpheus and eurydice from hadestown. eurydice sits on the stage, crumpled back into orpheus and holding onto his arms. orpheus sits on his knees and holds her.]
I keep hearing āgrace wears science pun shirts to break the ice with his studentsā āaww grace wears those shirts to make science more interesting to kidsā. Bullshit dude, in all of the classroom scenes heās wearing business casual. His dumbass science shirts are for the love of the game and nothing else
Itās called The Kaleidoscope, itās a novel, and the thing Iām personally most excited about is that itās actually written by Jo Martin!!!!
Fans with more knowledge will have to chime in but I donāt know if weāve ever had one of the Doctors write a full novel before, and the writing of Dr Who (both for the show itself and for extended universe material) has been so dominated by writers who are white men, so itās incredibly exciting to have a writer come from a different demographic. Black fans - and Ncuti Gatwa too - have been saying for years that we need more diverse storytellers, not just to combat racism but for the sake of the art itself!
Itās coming out 3 September!
When memories lie, the truth can be fatal.
In the aftermath of an improbable mission, the Fugitive Doctor and Martha realise that something is interfering with their minds. Something that doesnāt want to be found.
Their investigation leads to a curious artefact in the British Museum: an apparently medieval toy known as the Kaleidoscope. But the object refuses to stay in one place, one time ā or one identity. And when the Doctor is repeatedly mistaken for someone sheās never met, fragments of unfamiliar memories begin to surface.
Across the Earth, a hidden pattern emerges; evidence of a secret that someone has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal. As ancient enemies close in and innocent lives are put at risk, the Doctor learns the hard way that some truths were buried for a reasonā¦
A key instalment of the Doctor Who transmedia event Circuit Breaker, this novel is written by the Fugitive Doctor herself, Jo Martin ā and also features Martha Jones (as played by Freema Agyeman) together with the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, or UNIT.
From https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/481708/doctor-who-the-kaleidoscope-circuit-breaker-by-martin-jo/9781911743101
When memories lie, the truth can be fatal.In the aftermath of an improbable mission, the Fugitive Doctor and Martha realise that something i
You can also go to this Cultbox article to see pictures of the sonic screwdriver they gave Fugitive Doctor.
The Fugitive Doctor wields a previously-eschewed sonic screwdriver as she teams up with Martha Jones in a new Doctor Who novel penned by Jo
Thereās also this really wonderful interview with Jo Martin where you can find out more about the premise. She talks about what it was like to be cast and how her son is a huge Whovian who helped give her pointers while writing the book. And this lovely bit:
I really did grow up with Doctor Who; I used to dress up my cousins in tin foil ā they had to be the Daleks! And I would fashion some kind of costume for myself and play the Doctor. And theyād be like, āOkay, now itās my turn to be the Doctor. You have to be a Dalek.ā And Iād always say, āNah, nah, nah! I want to be the Doctor.ā And theyād be like, āYou canāt be a doctor, youāre a girl.ā
Back then, the show had a long tradition of white males in that role, so it really was wonderful that we got Jodie. But, as you can imagine, I never saw myself represented ā and to be seen is so important. So to be standing on set the day when I had to say, āHello, Iām the Doctorā¦ā Well. I mean, we had to retake that a few times because Iād get really choked upā¦ I could see that little girl in me.
But now it is ā and, of course, the fans have always been very inclusive. So to have that acknowledgment from Brazil to America, from France to Australia ā from Aboriginal girls sending me a message ā means a lot. Itās great to be able to cosplay as someone without anyone look being able to look at them and say, āWell, you canāt be wearing that.ā You know? The girls can dress up as Jodie or anybody else; they can be who they like. And then, as a Black child, you can look on me and go, āYou know what? I could do this.ā Because Doctor Who is for everyone.
The thing Iām probably most excited about is that it sounds like the Fugitive Doctor being Black isnāt just ignored, there is some cultural diversity there or touching on how being Black might shape her experiences - and we are going to that written BY someone who is actually Black, which was one of the things I loved so much about The Storyteller and the Engine.
So we lean into a bit of the Fugitive Doctorās heritage; the fact that sheās a Black woman. Weāve gone into what happened when she left Gallifrey ā weāve also gone to Jamdown, my dear! So weāre in Jamaica in some of the story.
Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker and the Fugitive Doctor: In conversation with Jo Martin and James Page.
i made a post like this before but I can't find it now. so. I'll just redo it.
What's the first "big news story" you remember from when you were a kid?
It's something I love to ask mixed-aged groups sometimes because I think it's really interesting to see the responses. I've gotten answers from the Olympics of [whatever year] to Watergate to more recent stuff from my niblings.
My first news thing I remember is the OJ Simpson trial. I vaguely remember watching the news with my grandparents before that, but that's the first story I remember, in part because my second grade teacher had us go play so she could watch the verdict š
explained to an 8 year old that once a fruit is ripe you only have so much time until it rots so you have to eat it soon and she said so i'll never be able to keep it perfect like this forever? no and there are about a million pieces of art for you unrelatedly
The season 3 finale of Black Sails does such a good job of somehow still convincing me that this time the revolution will be won even though I know beyond a shadow of a doubt it wonāt.
