Good Morning, World

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This week's second episode of American Gods was even better than the pilot (which was already strange and wonderful itself), I thought, and not just because Ricky Whittle had a long scene showcasing... well,  Ricky Whittle. Even though we're just two episodes in I've been thinking a lot about why this show's working for me while Legion (a similarly flashy crowded show) did not... 

See, Legion remained vague incoherent to me; its big showstopping numbers were always exciting but nothing felt connected to anything else and I could never suss out the reasons why Noah Hawley was making some of the choices he was making in building that world. A show about schizophrenia maybe doesn't actually have to feel so schizophrenic. (I have hopes for the second season though.)

American Gods, on the other hand, even though it veers wildly between bizarre Godly landscapes, everything even at this early point feels of the same world. The story might not make sense yet (especially to those unfamiliar with the book) but you can sense where its leading. The storytellers don't feel overwhelmed by the story. Anyway that's just my quick two cents - to thank you for indulging my pre-caffeinated ramblings hit the jump for several more gifs of Ricky Whittle being Ricky Whittle...

Gratuitous Ricky Whittle

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Casting has finally begun being announced on the forthcoming adaptation of American Gods, and Neil Gaiman and Bryan Fuller have found their Shadow Moon -- his name is Ricky Whittle, and he is a British actor who can currently be seen on The CW's show The 100 and has previously graced the small screen with his gorgeousness on Hollyoaks and Single Ladies. And you guys?

He is astonishing to look at. Just a vision, from that beautiful bald head on down down down, deep down, very very far down. I'm shocked he'd never been on my radar before now. And I was even more shocked about that when I first googled his name a couple of hours ago and literally hundreds of pictures of him in various states of undress revealed themselves to me. Literally hundreds.

Okay let's set aside the gratuitousness just for the eensiest of split-seconds though - besides being drop dead perfect looking as a visual object, he is also drop dead perfect for Shadow Moon, right? Gaiman thinks so too, saying in this announcement that his auditions were "remarkable," while Fuller had this to say:

"We searched every continent and country and all the islands in between for our Shadow Moon, and we are lucky to have found Ricky. Fans of the novel will find he has every bit of the heart of the character they fell in love with."

Hooray! I'm sure now that the big dog's been cast we'll be hearing lots more names dropped now - they start shooting this thing in April and if it's true to the source material this thing will probably have a very large cast. I suppose it depends on how much book they cover over the first run of episodes, but still, there are lots of Gods up in there! Speaking of gods...

... enough talking! Time to get on our knees and... pray? Say thanks, more like it. You know how I mentioned "literally hundreds" of pictures a few sentences ago? Well I gathered up over one hundred of said pictures and I'm posting them here after the jump...

I Am Link

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--- Fifty Inches - ET talked to Jamie Dornan about a few things, including the next season of The Fall and his upcoming horror-drama The 9th Life of Louis Drax with Sarah Gadon, but of course the takeaway is the part where they ask him if he's gonna show his dick in the Fifty Shades sequel and he pleads the fifth. Oh Jamie, we've already seen the damned thing! What can it matter now? Just walk around without any pants on all the time at this point. Seriously. Do.

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--- Wiser Kid - Stephen Cone, the director of the terrific (and queer) two-some of films The Wise Kids and Henry Gamble's Birthday Party, is currently shooting his third movie, hurray! It's called Princess Cyd and it's about a girl from South Carolina who spends the summer with her aunt in Chicago and falls for a local tomboy. Cone gives good quote about his fascination about the relationships between young people and adults at that link so don't miss it; he's such an interesting and curious filmmaker.
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--- Dead Eyes - This is a pretty nerdy bit of business about John Carpenter's classic The Thing but if you're nerdy on that movie you'll want to click on over to the Blumhouse website where they've maybe gotten a handle on the movie's ambiguous ending thanks to cinematographer Dean Cundey, who did an interview for the new blu-ray release of the film where he talks about a lighting trick they used to denote who's a Thing and who isn't a Thing.
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--- Norma Jean - Assassination of Jesse James director Andrew Dominik has that Nick Cave doc coming out so he's doing press and he's talking about his next film, which is that Marilyn Monroe movie (I hesitate to call it a bio-pic because it sounds like he's doing something more interesting than that term implies) Blonde -- Netflix has picked it up so there is forward momentum but it sounds like Jessica Chastain's off of it; no word on the lady who'll step into her place. Playing Marilyn is a tricky business, so I hope she's sturdy.

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--- Learn Me Good - Harmony Korine is now set to direct Tampa, an adaptation of Alissa Nutting's apparently darkly comedic and controversial book about a teacher getting involved with a teenage student. Anybody read it? I could've sworn I'd posted about this story before because I went out and bought the book awhile back, but I can't find that post so I don't know what inspired me to buy the book way back when. Maybe one of you encouraged me to read it? I don't know. I still haven't read it though. But hooray for Harmony!
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--- A Monster Delays - One of my most anticipated movies remaining this year, JA Barona's A Monster Calls, just got delayed a full two months from October 21st to December 23rd! Damn damn damn! It's supposedly a good sign towards the quality of the film that the studio wants the movie in awards competition or something but I could give a rat's, I just want to see the thing already. It also seems like a strange bet to me - if the movie's as good as the book it will involve some fine acting but a movie starring a great big CG tree-monster isn't exactly in the Academy's wheelhouse. Here's the trailer, if you wanna cry.

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---  And Speaking of Movies I Am Looking Forward To, the folks over at The Film Experience (except not me, I missed this one) did a list of the movies playing film festivals this fall that they're most looking forward to and I can't really disagree with anything they included, so it seems my participation was moot anyway. I wouldn't change a thing! Okay my enthusiasm for La La Land isn't quite as high as theirs is (musicals, ya know) but I still plan on seeing it. Oh and PS I am seeing one of the movies listed here tonight! Whee!

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--- And Finally I don't really know what inspired Bryan Fuller to say these things while talking to the folks on a podcast about American Gods, his forthcoming Neil Gaiman adaptation... well, besides Bryan's brilliance when it comes to massaging the internet press (of which I include myself, cuz here I am!) ... but I gotta quote these passages here because... obviously.

"We have so many visual effects that involve digital erections... We have conversations, ‘Well, should we get [a] dildo and strap it onto the actors, is that going to be more cost effective? Or is it easier just to give them digital erections?"

Bryan, Bryan, Bryan! The cheapest boner is a real boner! Boners are free, and abundant. But seriously there are several candidates in this cast that I hope he's talking about becoming members of the Boner Club but mostly I  hope we're talking about lots of Ricky Whittle boner action (oh Ricky Whittle)... and PS to myself I should really be doing a better job keeping up with Ricky's Instagram, as that picture above makes abundantly clear. Goddamn, goddamn, goddamn.
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I Am Link

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--- Super Wolf - Now that he's been cast it totally makes sense that Tyler Hoechlin is playing Superman on The CW's Supergirl series (thanks Mac) - I don't know why his name didn't occur to me when the word was going around that the show was looking to cast the role in the first place. Supergirl is run by Greg Berlanti, the openly gay dude behind basically all of the DC superhero shows on the small screen, and it's clear he learned some vital lessons from watching the Teen Wolf series which co-starred Hoechlin. Anyway Tyler is sure gonna fill out that suit nicely!

--- Drinking Buddies - Orlando Director Sally Potter is about to start filming a new movie, which is cause enough to celebrate, but wait til you get a load of her cast - Kristin Scott Thomas, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy, Timothy Spall, Bruno Ganz, and Cherry Jones! That is a mad good buncha actors, people. The film is called The Party and much like the Peter Sellers movie of the same title is is set at a party. Imagine that.

--- Gods in the House - The first two pictures from American Gods have arrived! See them over at EW. The adaptation of Neil Gaiman's book, which we've already talked about a billion times, is being shepherded onto the small screen by no less than Hannibal and Pushing Daisies mastermind Bryan Fuller himself, so we expect greatness. In the picture you can see Ricky Whittle (dear lord look at Ricky Whittle) as Shadow Moon and Pablo Schreiber as Mad Sweeney the leprechaun; at the link you can see a couple of shots of Ian McShane in character too.

Oh and in the past couple of days there's been several roles cast, all men of color - the gorgeous Omid Abtahi (I've had a crush on him for ages) is playing Salim, while Orlando Jones and Demore Barnes have been cast as Mr Nancy and Mr Ibis, respectively. And here below is a picture of Omid, who you'll probably recognize from one of the thousand times he's been asked to play a terrorist (like Homeland or 24, for example):

--- The Ol' Oak Tree - The first poster for A Monster Calls, one of my most anticipated movies of the year, has arrived - get a look at it over at STYD. This movie is based on the heartbreaking and beautiful children's book by Patrick Ness, which I highly highly recommend. The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, and the rich deep baritone of Liam Neeson as a tree. Watch the trailer over here if you missed it.

--- Brain Drain - I haven't gotten a chance to read this one yet but The New York Times spoke with Charlie Cox about his currently-running play Incognito (oh I am sure they got a Daredevil question or two in there, if they know what's good for them) - you can read it over here. (Thanks Mac) There is a picture of him attached, to make the words go down smoother. I saw this play a couple of months ago and didn't love it, to be honest, but Charlie (everybody) was good.

--- Number Twos - I was going to just post this brief update (or rather non-update) from Winona Ryder about how she has no idea what's happening with Tim Burton and the Beetlejuice sequel right now (thanks Mac) but then I read this article at THR today talking about how Hollywood's current big problem is "Sequels That Nobody Wants" and I found that to be much more interesting a thing to share. And if that's the mindset that might put the brakes on a Beetlejuice 2 happening, honestly. Especially with the Burton connection, what with the Alice in Wonderland sequel being the reigning King of the Flops and all. Happy Childhood Memories be damned, I'd probably be willing to give up a Beetlejuice cash-grab if Hollywood promised to stop shitting out sequels. (HA.)
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The Woman Shadow Wed

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The gorgeous Emily Browning, who honestly only seems to get more stunning with age (I take notice of that because she's been quite stunning since childhood and sometimes these things go wrong), has just joined the cast of Bryan Fuller's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods! She's the third cast-member to sign on after the also-stunning Ricky Whittle (see how goddamned stunning here) and the professionally stunning Ian McShane. Browning will play Laura Moon, the wife of Shadow Moon, Whittle's character; here's how Deadline describes the character:

"[She] has been preparing for her husband’s pending prison release. Little does she know that she will go on an unexpected journey that leads her to an epiphany about her relationship and affords her a second chance to get things right."

I haven't followed her career terribly close (I still haven't seen Sleeping Beauty, somehow) but I've always found her likable (Sucker Punch was not her fault, you guys) and I've been waiting for Browning to tap into her clear potential. (She wasn't bad opposite Tom Hardy(s) in Legend last year; again, she wasn't the problem with that movie.) Anyway thankfully I have absolute faith in Fuller & Co giving her the material with which to do just that.
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Good Morning, World

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Okay is anybody watching the second season of American Gods? When Bryan Fuller left the show I decided not to keep watching it, out of solidarity with my man -- this might be the only thing that Gillian Anderson and I ever have in common so I'm gonna fucking embrace it -- but I am curious what they're doing. I have absolutely no idea! I have avoided the entire kit and the entire kaboodle. Or I had ignored it until I saw that they got Ricky Whittle naked on this week's episode anyway. Ya got me, American Gods. So if you are watching the show tell me how it is in the comments, and the rest of us after the jump we'll take in the full Whittle...

Good Morning, World

Ricky Whittle wants you to know he been working out.
Thank you, Ricky! We hear you. We see you.

Good Uhh Afternoon, World

Hey apologies I forgot I had a press screening this morning so I be running behind... but a happy Monday and here's some Ricky Whittle abs goodness to tide you over while I catch up. Thank you for the content, Ricky! (via)

Ricky Whittle Four Times

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I posted a couple other shots from this, Ricky's Men's Fitness cover shoot, over on the Tumblr last week or so, see those here. (thx Mac) But these are new! Speaking of "new" I am a week behind on American Gods so nobody say anything about what happened this week, please. I will watch it tonight, hold yer yap til then please and thank you. (I have seen pictures of Chenoweth going around though, whee!) That out of the way hit the jump for the rest of this shoot...

Pablo Schreiber One Time

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I should post a picture of Ricky Whittle here because he's supposed to be at the Apple Store event for American Gods that I'm currently headed out the door to while sadly there's no mention of Pablo being there, but Pablo shared this picture on Instagram himself and so he wins this round. Your move, Ricky!

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Good Morning, World

Indeed a happy New Year from both Ricky Whittle (via) and from all of us (meaning you know, me)  here at MNPP -- may your 2024 be as bulging with good tidings as Ricky's shorts are, well, you know. Anyway it's been ten days or so off and I need to reoreint myself to the whole "typing words" thing -- as opposed to the "sleep in and then not type words" thing -- so give us some patience today! We're going, but we're doing it slowly.

Omid Abtahi Seven Times

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I attended a Q&A with the cast and creators of American Gods last night here in NYC -- you can see a picture of Neil Gaiman & Bryan Fuller & Ricky Whittle and several more folks on my Instagram right here. It's been over a decade, at least, since I read Gaiman's book and I decided not to re-read it before the show premieres on April 30th - just to let the show take me on its own journey - so I don't recall the story of Salim in the book, but it came up during the Q&A and there was a whole lot of talk of hot gay sex and CG erections, and so we're pretty psyched that Omid here (who we've had a crush on for a long time) is the one playing Salim. In 2006 on the show Sleeper Cell Omid already gave us a couple of the hottest gay sex scenes ever put on a television screen (one of which is surprisingly up on YouTube -- don't miss it!) so we're not worried about him going for it. Hit the jump for a few more pictures...

That's Mr. Wednesday To You

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I think it's been pretty clear to those of us who have been paying attention that the actor Ian McShane has been a God in disguise all this time anyway, so the news that he's just been cast as Mr. Wednesday -- the co-lead alongside the previously cast (and gorgeously gorgeous) Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon in Bryan Fuller's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's book American Gods for the Starz channel -- isn't too shocking. It fits! It is perfect, perfect casting. I mean, my god. His God. All of them Gods!!!

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Liam Hemsworth Two Times

I guess Liam wanted some of what Chris was getting. (via)

Thank you for your service, Chris Hemsworth pic.twitter.com/UxfoMxbSad

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) October 10, 2022

ETA oh wait I posted too quickly!

Liam has posted more! And...

... he's dragged Ricky Whittle into the beefcake-fest!

These are from the set of something called Land of Bad.

Liam of Bad

I've posted previously about the upcoming action-thriller called Land of Bad because it stars Liam Hemsworth and Ricky Whittle (this morning's grautity) and Milo Ventimiglia amongst others and because the boys were posting lots of beefcakey photos from the set. Anyway according to the new promotional images from the film itself (via) seen here it seems the beefcake will be making it onto the screen too, which is heartening to know. Sometimes you see all these hunky set photos and then everybody's buttoned up the entire movie and you're like, "Why were y'alkl even in that kind of shape then? Just eat a damn cheeseburger." But not this time! We can all be glad they starved themselves now! Anyway I guess this movie is out here in the U.S. in about a month so I guess we don't have to wait too long. Be still, loins! Hit the jump for more hunky photos and the trailer...

Good Morning, World

Happy "Hump Day Pump Day" 

(hey he said it not me) from Ricky Whittle.

Good Morning, World

And now a message of Good Morning from Ricky Whittle.

Good Morning, World

A happy belated 33 (aka the Jesus Year) to Liam Hemsworth! I have been better about keeping tabs on his upcoming movie Land of Bad on Twitter (see here) than I have here on the site (see here), so let's make up for that now. I don't know if he ever wears that mustache seen above in the film (the first promotional image from it has him sans stache) but that video was taken on the set of the movie, so maybe it shows up at some point in the film. Or maybe him and his co-stars Ricky Whittle and Milo Ventimiglia were just doing some role-play in the film's make-up trailer. Whatever the case I dig it. 

Good Morning, World

The military action thriller called Land of Bad is out in theaters today -- now as you might know, "military action thrillers" aren't usually my cuppa. But when one stars Liam Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, and Milo Ventimiglia, I make exceptions. Especially when the boys just couldn't stop sharing photos of themselves half naked and bro-ing out together on set -- see here and here. That tends to catch my attention. Anyway I'm not writing a proper review of this movie but I will tell you that it actually surprised me -- it's totally solid? I get a lot of emails about these kinds of movies and they almost always look cheap and generic but Land of Bad does not -- the action scenes feel big and thrilling and well-choreographed and staged and I was 100% wrapped up in the movie's drama? Much to my surprise. I really genuinely thought I was just watching it for the beefcake -- and sidenote Liam spends the entire last half an hour or so of this movie in only boxers and so it delivers on that front too. There miiiight be some problematic stuff going on with its politics, but I wasn't allowing myself to think too hard about the movie -- I just took the ride, and I enjoyed it, brain shut off. Here is the trailer if you wanna give it a further chance. 

Dogs & Gods

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RESERVOIR DOGS 25th Anniversary Q&A -- Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi and Quentin Tarantino and Harvey Keitel and Michael Madsen #reservoirdogs #tarantino #quentintarantino #tribeca2017

A post shared by Jason Adams (@jasonaadams) on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:05pm PDT

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Just a quick check-in before good night and beddy-bye -- just got home from the 25th anniversary screening of Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs at the Tribeca Film Festival, as you can see above. I've been waiting for years and years to check QT off my "Starfucking Directors" list and the bastard's avoided me until now - he's finally got a big red check beside his name, thank goodness. 

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I'm not the world's biggest Reservoir Dogs fan but good god the Mr. Orange sequence is a Top 5 Tarantino Scene
(TIM ROTH FOREVER) pic.twitter.com/vTOGimKECy

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) April 29, 2017

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I've got a minute of video from a story he told that I'll upload next week and share but I did want to pop in and say howdy quick like since I've been so scarce. So howdy. The fest ends this weekend and I've still got a couple of movies to see and a goddamned ton of reviews to share, so stay tuned for those, and come Monday we'll be back up and running like normal. Have a nice weekend, everybody. 

Oh and let's all remember to watch  

American Gods on Sunday!!!

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Always fun with this amazing family @americangodsstz #facebooklive #americangods @yetide @officialpabloschreiber @brucejlangley

A post shared by Ricky Whittle (@rickywhittle) on Apr 24, 2017 at 11:30am PDT

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