Today Was Terrible. My Job Gets The Credit For That. I'm Genuinely Scared About Tomorrow And Am Probably

Okay, I'm taking a break from the movie and gonna share my ramblings thus far. Spoilers ahead!

The Moulin Rouge establishing number really is fun! It's just a headache when you're trying to tally screentime. I like Zidler singing and dancing.

The patrons singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was awesome. Gave me chills.

Toulouse has my heart! I feel like he's edited to be shorter or something though. Something feels uncanny when watching him. Idk.

Nicole Kidman's singing doesn't do it for me. It's much to soft and she's consistently drowned out by others or the background music.

"Spectacular Spectacular" sequence was really fun.

Satine abruptly trilling and saying "I feel like dancing" to the Duke got the first laugh from me. That was 30 minutes in.

"Your Song" sequence was magical. I felt transported.

Surely Zidler could tell from his telescope that Satine was unconscious while (from his pov) she was being fucked. He was okay with that. And also with spying on an intimate moment 🤢. That made me sad for Satine. Zidler might act like a silly uncle but he's still a pimp at the end of the day.

Hot take: I like the Duke. Why is he the bad guy? Cuz he has a moustache and funny accent we're supposed to understand not to like him? Are we supposed to think he's ugly therefore bad? I think the actor is handsome. He's doing a good job.

Another hot take: why does Christian love Satine? Because she's the most beautiful out of Zidler's sex workers? If Satine was a Diamond Dog instead of the Sparkling Diamond then what would happen? Does he love her because she made him think she loved him and he just couldn't get over it? I'm confused and feel like the movie doesn't want me to think about it.

I could understand Satine loving Christian easier than the reverse. He's innocent, naive, genuine, and handsome. He's the puppy and she's the master. He's completely infatuated with her. Like a puppy, he can't help but want to follow her and shower her with kisses and cuddles. If I were in Satine's place, I would appreciate that sort of blind and gentle worship when I'm sure it's not common amongst her patrons. It's still not enough for me but it makes more sense. Maybe I'll elaborate later.

What is Nini's problem? That smirk she makes behind the Duke after cluing him in to what is happening under his nose made me angry.

The Duke is genuinely trying to woo Satine and keeps getting shut down. Let us see why we shouldn't root for him! Why is Christian the better choice??? How do we know the Duke wouldn't treat Satine the same if he actually got the chance? I actually feel sorry for him because he thinks he has a shot and they're just playing in his face.

Okay, so did anyone else watch "Come What May" and think "oh my god these are their wedding vows!" 😭 I can't begin to describe how precious that gesture is. My heart!

I will agree with Zidler that rewriting the play when the show opens TOMORROW is demanding the impossible.

Satine truly loves Christian. She's not doing this because Zidler owns her, or because her coworkers are depending on her to keep their livelihood. She's doing this for him. I admire her.

I'm sorry but can anyone tell me when in the world a couple would perform the Argentinian's tango? The thought seriously has me cracking up 🤣

On a serious note: That™️ scene is viscerally powerful. I mean damn. They didn't hold back. I think I want to talk about that more later.

But while we're on the subject, let's go ahead and address the Duke. There's 36 minutes left in the movie and NOW we see he's not the right choice. 36 minutes! Also, I understand him being angry. He's right. Satine DID make him believe she loved him. She lied to his face for months. He tried to be understanding about her work. He tried to make accommodations. They were betrothed and he trusted that she was being faithful to him and honest when she said wanted him. That is not his fault. She played him and the rug was finally pulled out from under his feet. I think his pain and feelings of betrayal are understandable. Now, how he deals with that pain is not okay. And this is a bit of a parallel between him and Christian. It's not a perfect comparison at all because Christian was lied to for only 5 seconds unlike the Duke. However, I can't help but think about the difference between Christian's response to rejection and the Duke's. If we remember that Satine says her job is literally to make men fall in love with her then I imagine that the Duke's reaction is one she has dealt with far too often...

Moulin Rouge Thoughts

So guys, I've been watching Moulin Rouge, and well, I've been thinking. I've had a lot of thoughts while watching and should've done this earlier. Maybe I'll start doing it for the other Ewan reviews. But I wanted to jot down the things that cross my mind while watching because, oh boy, have things been crossing my mind. I'm just afraid that I'm going to come across as a psychopath at worst, and a dumb dumb at best. I'm trusting that y'all have better insight into this movie since it's so beloved. I only just watched it for the first time recently. Stay tuned...if you dare ☠️

Twins?

Movie: The Island (2005)

Character: Lincoln Six Echo

Oneshot/Ficlet

Word Count: 382

Synopsis: Lincoln Six Echo encounters twins for the first time.

A/N: I am thinking about making a collection of oneshots for this character centered around his first experiences in the real world. Maybe call it “Firsts” or something. I also want to challenge myself to write a fic once a week so that I can improve my writing.

Lincoln Six Echo was taking a morning stroll on his local park’s walking path. His best friend, Jordan Two Delta, was still asleep when he left the house. Although they normally did everything together, he loved how peaceful she looked while sleeping and didn't want to wake her. He breathed in the fresh morning air and smiled at the joggers that passed him by. At the Institute, the clones participated in daily morning exercises. The harsh overhead lights and frigid air conditioning of the Institute could never compare to the soft glow of the rising sun and the cool gentle breeze of the outside world.

He then saw a woman walking towards him and pushing two large connected chairs with wheels. A "stroller" he remembered learning from Jordan Two Delta who loved talking to mothers at the park. Each chair seated a young child and as the woman drew closer, he noticed the children were dressed in matching outfits. Oh, Jordan is going to love hearing about this! He smiled at the woman and then realized that the children weren't just dressed the same, they looked exactly the same!

"I have never seen a clone this young at the Institute before. And the Institute was destroyed weeks ago, so where did she get a clone?" Lincoln wondered.

The woman smiled back at Lincoln and he stopped her before she passed him.

“Excuse me, ma’am! Your-your child has a clone. How is that possible?”

The woman looked dumbfounded at Lincoln, then at her children, then back at Lincoln before bursting into laughter. “You know what?” She laughed, “I've never heard twins called clones before but I guess they technically are! I'm going to start saying that just to mess with people. You have a good day, sir! And with that, she continued on her way.

Lincoln was just as confused as he was before but he didn't want to chase the lady down for answers. "Twins, she said. Is a twin like a clone but not a clone? What is the difference?" Lincoln pondered. If only McCord was still alive. He always had the answer. Maybe Jordan could help him understand.

"The more I learn about this world the stranger it seems." He thought. Lincoln shook his head and started back home.

8. Ewan McGregor Movie Review: Emma (1996)

Genre: Comedy/Romance

Rating: PG

Director: Douglas McGrath

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette

Synopsis: "Emma" is a movie based on the Jane Austen novel of the same name. It boasts a large cast of talented and recognizable actors. Several of them will go on to work with Ewan again in future projects. The movie is about Emma Woodhouse, a young socialite. Although she is an available bachelorette, she enjoys secretly matchmaking couples in her town instead of finding love for herself. She believes greatly in her matchmaking skills, though her pride and naivety cause her to fumble more often than not. When Emma befriends Harriet Smith, a debutante with unknown family heritage, she makes it her mission to find her new friend a fitting husband. Instead, she finds herself more trouble than she knows what to do with.

Ewan Review: Ewan plays the character Frank Churchill. Frank is the stepson of Emma's friend and former governess, Mrs. Weston. He is a charming young man who thrives on being the center of attention. When he arrives in town to visit his father, the townswomen immediately become enamored with the handsome bachelor. Even Emma, who previously thought she was not interested in marriage, can't help being swept off her feet by the gentlemen's advances. Ewan wears a wig in this role I believe because his hair would still be short from filming "Trainspotting." It's not a bad wig but there were some moments where I had to squint and say "yeah, I don't think that's his hair" lol. He uses an English accent for this role and honestly, it doesn't sound very good. He's done English accents before but this one just doesn't sound natural, especially compared to his co-stars. He sings twice in the movie! He performs two duets and the first one always makes me laugh because of how he randomly jumps in. He's also in a dance scene which was really fun. As far as his performance, it's nothing special in my opinion. Again, maybe it's because he was surrounded by a large cast of talented actors, but he didn't seem to shine like he normally does. Or maybe he was tired from filming four movies back to back and the fatigue had begun to set in. Luckily, since his character is a minor one, it doesn't really matter and I still had a good time watching him.

Screentime Percentage: Ewan is on screen for a grand total of 13/121 minutes making his SP 11%.

To Ewan or not to Ewan: Is the movie worth watching for Ewan content alone? My opinion is no. He's a fun perk that you get with the movie but I wouldn't turn it on just to see him. Is the movie worth watching in general? Yes! It's fun. It's cute. It has a happy ending for everyone. It even won two Oscars for best movie score and costume design. It's a calm, low stimulating movie that's still entertaining.

Where to Watch: "Emma" is currently available for rent on YouTube and can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video if you have a subscription.

Conclusion: If you like period pieces then I think you'd like "Emma". It's a beautiful movie and a nice change of pace from the overstimulating movies of today.

PSA: Ewan McGregor Movie Review

The next movie on the list for review is "Black Hawk Down." A film about the United States' military conflict with Somalia. On principle, I do not watch war movies. I believe that there are much better ways to learn about the devastation of war than watching a movie that, despite even its best efforts, will glamorize the tragedy. For that reason, "Black Hawk Down" will be skipped. The next movie to be reviewed will be "Attack of the Clones."

basic "I wish Qui-Gon had trained me" Anakin moment that Obi-Wan hears that the fandom loves but he says it near Windu or Plo Koon, and they just respectfully rip him to shreds for it

"Skywalker, Obi-Wan has been more successful raising you than Qui-Gon ever was with any of his Padawans. He took a chance on you when no-one else would and I don't believe you are stupid enough to forget that."

Or, considerably worse

"Youngling, you're lack of respect and faith are why he is so unwilling to share with you his Padawan years. Obi-Wan suffered to reach the end of Qui-Gon's training. He is not underestimating your skill, he is trying to spare you the Padawan training he received."

You cooked then ATE! Fucking love this!

Chat please let me know if I cooked

This is my first poll! Something new I want to start doing before posting the EMSP.

Jonathan McQuarry Fic

Synopsis: Jonathan McQuarry comforts you during an anxiety attack

Gender Neutral Reader

Author's Note: this is my first ever fanfic! Jonathan McQuarry is dear to my heart so I felt he should be the first I write about. I couldn't think of an actual title so just went with something simple. I hope you enjoy!

The feeling hits you like cold water to the face. You feel your breath shorten and your muscles tense as if on auto pilot. You know this feeling all too well: an anxiety attack. You know the cause of the trigger. Having grown up in a big city you're no stranger to the hustle and bustle of New York City. The yelling and honking and screeching of subway brakes don't faze you. However, when you walked outside to throw away the trash at the exact moment an old beat up car backfired three times, you were thrust back to your home town. Yes, you grew up in a noisy city but the noise was from guns echoing down the street day and night. You were so used to the sound of gunfire that it was almost hard to sleep without it in the background once you moved. You thought you had gotten over it until this moment. You suddenly felt unsafe. No, not just unsafe, helpless. You scrambled back inside and for a moment thought you had calmed down until that familiar feeling rose in your chest. Now you sit in the bedroom closet curled up like a child hiding from the Boogeyman. Now matter how much you tell yourself that you're okay, your body refuses to respond. With tears in your eyes you hold yourself and bite your thumb. You don't know how long you were sitting there when you hear the front door open and close. Then the sound of a familiar voice reaches your ears.

“Darling, I'm home!”

It's your boyfriend Jonathan back from his accounting job. You weren't expecting him back for awhile since he usually works late. Ever since you moved in together last month he’s been cutting back on late nights to spend more time with you. You tried to protest as you didn't want to get between him and his job but he insisted that you were more important. Now, you're grateful that he's home early.

“Y/N, are you here?” He calls out.

You want to call out to him. To run into his arms and be comforted by the smell of his cologne but you're frozen in place. You hear him walk into the bedroom.

“Y/N?” He asks.

“H-here” you manage to squeak out.

You hear him softly walk towards the closet door and squint as light hits your eyes from the open door. As he crouches down to your eye level you rush to explain yourself.

“I thought I heard a gun and I didn't know what to do and I'm sorry I was so scared and-” Jonathan cuts you off with a big hug.

“Y/N, it's okay. You don't have to apologize. I know you're still sensitive to these things because of your past. It's okay. I'm here. You're safe.”

You lean into his warm touch as you rest your head on his shoulder and he gently rubs your back. You feel his lips tenderly place a kiss on your forehead. Under different circumstances, you’d think two adults huddling together in a closet wouldn't be the best way to relax. But wrapped in the arms of your gentle Jonathan, you couldn't imagine a better place to be than here with him.

I’m spiritually booping you

I feel so loved 🥹 thank you!

I'm spiritually booping you back 🐾💜

Two job-hunting resources that changed my life:

This cover letter post on askamanger.com. A job interview guide written by Alison Green, who runs askamanager.