Title: The Missing Butterfly
Author: Megan Derr
Genre: mm rockstar
Notes: 143 ebook pages
Website: Less Than Three Press
Summary: Cassidy Monarch had dreams—to sing, to be famous, to tour the world at the head of his own rock band. Then his parents were killed in a tragic accident, leaving him to raise his two siblings. Determined to hold on to what remained of his family, Cassidy settled into an ordinary life, his dreams of fame reduced to occasional nights of singing at karaoke dives. But his careful, ordinary life began to fray with his new job, and the beautiful, charming boss who reminds him of all the things he tried to stop wanting.
Malcolm Osborne is a classic rags to riches story, a foster child who wound up with the perfect family and more money than he knows what to do with. He’s wealthy, beautiful, successful, and completely miserable. Then he hires a new worker for his office, a young, hard-working man with a sadness in his eyes that Malcolm aches to banish, hoping that in doing so he will be rid of his own loneliness as well.
Cassidy had to give up his rock and roll dreams with the death of his parents, and his determination to keep his siblings together is really touching. At eighteen years old, he discovers that his parents have left debts he has to pay off and he has to change his life plans to keep his brother and sister with him. He doesn’t hesitate to make the sacrifice.
Nine years later, he’s working as an office drone with the hots for his boss. He goes out on occasion to sing karaoke or play pool, but basically he lives his life as though it’s already over. He’s “a never has been” and has given up any thoughts of being anything else. Except Malcolm Osborne has an eye on Cassidy.
Sweet man with a bad boy image he tries to hide behind a suit and tie, and the gorgeous millionaire that falls for him. Cute and touching, for those that love a romance with an HEA.
From the time I was a child I’ve watched “Star Trek.” I never got into the Original Series — other than the movies — but Jean-Luc Picard was totally my Captain. Then after that it was “Deep Space Nine” and “Voyager.” Each show had its own special charms. (“Kahn! Kahn! KAHN!”)
Your Highness
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman
Rating: R (for language, imagery, etc)
Storyline from Universal: Throughout history, tales of chivalry have burnished the legends of brave, handsome knights who rescue fair damsels, slay dragons and conquer evil. But behind many a hero is a good-for-nothing younger brother trying just to stay out of the way of those dragons, evil and trouble in general. As two princes on a daring mission to save their land, they must rescue the heir apparent’s fiancée before their kingdom is destroyed. Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure, adoration and the throne, he’s settled for a life of wizard’s weed, hard booze and easy maidens. But when Fabious’ bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), gets kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), the king gives his deadbeat son an ultimatum: Man up and help rescue her or get cut off…
It’s very sad that this movie did not do better in theaters or with audiences, but I think that might have been due to some misplaced marketing. Seeing the trailers on TV, I was kind of expecting it to be set in the Middle Ages and to be kind of an adventure thing with knights and going off to save the maiden fair. Though, considering the casting, I realized it would contain some rude humor. So basically Hot Tub Time Machine in a medieval setting.
Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the great costuming (Zooey Deschanel as Belladonna had the greatest dresses) and setting and the actually pretty awesome special effects. There were some f-words and rude humor, sure, but if I ever found myself in some of those situations, that’s exactly how I would talk too.
If you like DragonLance type adventuring, you’d probably find this movie perking your interest. It was kind of a cross between Willow/Labyrinth/PineappleExpress and is actually a lot more than just some “stoner movie” as one reviewer called it.
The story is actually very original and the world it’s set on is not Earth in the past–or so I deduced from the two moons. The characters each had their own personalities and didn’t fit into the typical fantasy type-casting of “mage, barbarian, or bad guy.” This was simply a great popcorn movie with lots of one-liners and visual humor paired with some great questing that isn’t just the typical rip off of Lord of the Rings.
From the opening credits of this movie, I was laughing. I enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end and I’m looking forward to watching it again and again. I’m fully planning on buying a copy of my own.
What it reminds me of: Krull, Willow, Pineapple Express, Let’s Go to Prison.
Quotables:
[Fabious is bitten by a snake in the thigh ] Courtney: SHIT! Fabious: You have to suck out the venom! Thadeous: I don’t want to suck it, you suck it! Fabious: I can’t suck my own venom! Thadeous: Yes you can! I’ll help you!
[pushes Fabious’s head down] Thadeous: Suck it! Suck your venom! Fabious: I can’t reach it with my mouth! Thadeous: Courtney, suck the venom! Courtney: But I’ve never… Thadeous: [pushes Courtney’s head down] SUCK IT!
Isabel: I must surprise a band of thieves and burn them alive in a symphony of shrieks
[the brothers get high] Fabious: [holding his head] Thadeous, are you seeing what I’m seeing? Thadeous: [calmly] You making a fool of yourself. Handle your shit, Fabious, please.
Leezar: I’m here to steal a beautiful virgin that looks just. Like. Her. Fabious: And how do you plan to do that? Leezar: Magic.
[cracks neck] Leezar: Motherfucker.
Thadeous: Not so fast, trickster. Isabel: Hello, Thadeous. Thadeous: The time for pleasantries is through; do you feel that tiny prick in your back? Isabel: Is that your cock? Thadeous: Ha! It is a knife but I’ll gladly penetrate you with it.
Title: Portrait of a Beauty
Directed by Jeon Yoon-soo
Screenplay by Han Soon-ryeon
Alternative title : “Beauty Island”
Synopsis borrowed from HanCinema: Born to a family of established court painters, seven-year-old Yun-jeong is a young girl gifted at painting. However, the pressure is on her brother to carry on the proud family tradition, as women aren’t allowed to become professional painters. While her brother trains to take his place in the court, Yun-jeong helps him out by secretly painting for him. The little girl’s life is turned upside down when her brother kills himself. In order to preserve the family honor, she is forced to take her brother’s name and lives as a man. Yun-bok’s genius and talent captures the heart of another great master of the time, Kim Hong-do. But her daring depictions of women are condemned by the royal institute as obscene. Yun-bok meets Kang-mu and falls deeply in love. For the first time, she feels the strong desire to abandon everything she has built and simply be a woman in front of the man she loves. Kang-mu sacrifices all for his love as well. Kim Hong-do, who loved the genius of his best student, ends up loving everything about her, and Seol-hwa, a Gisaeng at the courtesan house, possesses a love for Hong-do that turns into fatal jealousy. The secret behind Shin Yun-bok’s masterpiece, Portrait of a Beauty, is finally revealed after 250 years of silence.
Title: The Missing Butterfly