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While A Court of Thorns and Roses has spawned many discussions, including the theory that Morrigan is a banshee, she almost certainly isn't and her real power has been clear all along. Mor has been one of the main characters since A Court of Mist and Fury, the second book in the Acotar series. Even so, she's far less developed than the trio of Rhysand, Cassian, and even Azriel. While pieces of Mor's tragic backstory have been shared, who she truly is remains largely a mystery, hidden behind a sunny disposition and a friendly smile.

That murkiness extends to her powers. While, again, the formidable powers and abilities of the men of the Inner Circle have been well-documented, thus far, Morrigan has not come close to matching them. She can winnow, and she has some healing abilities. She's mentioned her power is Truth, but no explanation was given. She has plenty of prowess in battle,...

Warning: This list contains spoilers for Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City.

Sarah J. Maas' love interests often play into young adult fantasy tropes, sometimes creating questionable dynamics. Some of her love interests overcome initial shortcomings and become loving, supportive partners. Rhysand, Rowan, Hunt, and Dorian are examples of well-developed love interests that fans appreciate.

Readers of Sarah J. Maas' multiple popular fantasy series come for the romance, but doubtlessly prefer certain love interests from her books over others. The Throne of Glass books, A Court of Thorns and Roses books, and Crescent City books all feature strong female protagonists who are their respective worlds' salvation. However, a vital part of the arc of each Maas heroine is her relationship with one or several love interests, with some relationships ending disastrously. Should Hulu produce the A Court of Thorns and Roses TV show or...

Feyre saves Tamlin by completing tests, mirroring The Ballad of Tam Lin, which sees its lead doing something similar. Maas changes key elements from the ballad, adding more trials and making Tamlin one of the fae. Acotar also draws inspiration from Beauty and the Beast and fairy folklore, creating a unique narrative.

A Court of Thorns & Roses' ending sees Feyre solving Amarantha's riddle and breaking Tamlin's curse, and the book's finale should have been obvious as soon as the latter's name appeared on the page. Sarah J. Maas' first Acotar book focuses primarily on the relationship between Feyre and Tamlin, which revolves around a curse. Tamlin brings Feyre to the Spring Court as a punishment for killing his friend, but his real motive is the desire to break a curse — one that requires a human girl to fall in love with him.

This eventually happens, and Feyre manages to save...

Sales agent M-Appeal has released the trailer for coming-of-age title “Vera and the Pleasure of Others,” which was written and directed by the Argentinian duo Romina Tamburello and Federico Actis. The film will have its world premiere at Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia, in the First Feature Competition, it was announced Friday.

“Vera and the Pleasure of Others” follows 17-year-old Vera (played by Luciana Grasso), who divides her days between volleyball, school and a secret hobby: she rents out an empty apartment to teenagers looking for a place to have sex.

She steals the keys from her distracted mother (played by Inés Estevez), who manages different properties, and organizes everything. The teenagers come and go, using the apartment for a few uninterrupted hours. Playing invisible, Vera stays behind the closed door; her own sexual desires unfolding as she listens to other people’s pleasure.

“Vera and the Pleasure of Others...

Is Joseph Losey’s elusive, maudit masterpiece really a masterpiece? Stanley Baker’s foolish lout of a writer ruins his life pursuing the wanton Jeanne Moreau, and it’s hard to tell if she’s punishing him or he’s punishing himself. Losey’s directing skills are in top form on location in Venice and Rome for this absorbing art film. Pi’s overdue and very welcome disc sorts out the multiple release versions for the first time, and in so doing finally makes the show critically accessible. Co-starring (swoon) Virna Lisi and James Villiers.

Eve

Region B Blu-ray

Powerhouse Indicator

1962 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 126 109, 108 min. / Eva, The Devil’s Woman / Street Date October 19, 2020 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99

Starring: Jeanne Moreau, Stanley Baker, Virna Lisi, James Villiers, Riccardo Garrone, Lisa Gastoni, Checco Rissone, Enzo Fiermonte, Nona Medici, Roberto Paoletti, Alexis Revidis, Evi Rigano.

Cinematography: Gianni Di Venanzo, Henri Decaë

Film...

When critic David Ehrenstein told actor Sir Ian McKellen that there existed a photograph of actor Roddy McDowell (How Green was My Valley, Planet of the Apes) performing oral sex upon himself, the great stage and screen star's response was immediate: "Put it up on the internet!" he boomed, in the voice that breathed life in to Gandalf the Grey.

Alas, or not, the image under discussion still apparently lacks a public forum, and is as elusive as McDowell's sole film as director, Tam Lin a.k.a. The Ballad of Tam-Lin a.k.a. The Devil's Widow, starring Ava Gardner.

1970, of course, was the one year in the history of western civilization when the ability to self-fellate was alone enough to guarantee a directing career, and so it was that McDowell found himself in Scotland, filming Ian McShane (sweary Al Swearingen from TV's Deadwood) running screaming through a swamp on Lsd.

While MGM’s recent Pumpkinhead DVD celebrates one of Stan Winston’s greatest triumphs outside of his usual role of FX creator, this new disc reveals a chapter in his filmmaking history that has gone, if not unseen, than largely unacknowledged. One reason for that is the fact that while Winston shares a story billing on the actual movie with fellow makeup master Tom Burman and director Peter Foleg, the writing credits in The Unseen’s ad and press material, and thus almost all of the film’s reviews, and even the billing block on the DVD case cite Foleg and three different co-scribes (among them Texas Chainsaw Massacre veteran Kim Henkel). Add the fact that “Foleg” himself is actually a pseudonym for Danny Steinmann, who would go on to direct the fifth Friday The 13th, and there’s the clear suggestion of a creative history as tortured as any of the onscreen victims,...