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DS Story: Niggle

Title: Niggle
Author: Grey/Grey853
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Explicit
Tags: male slash, explicit language, explicit sexual content, casefic, alternate universe-canon divergent
Word Count: 14,773
Summary: Fraser has a tendency to niggle and live in his own world. Ray gets frustrated. Can they find a way to work together without driving one another crazy?

Link:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/75027586

Snippet:

″I think it’s time we talked about what happened earlier today.″

Ray sighed, wishing like hell they could just forget about it. ″Do we have to? We were having such a good time, eating and just talking about last night’s game. You haven’t niggled once since you got here.″

″Niggled?″

″You know, niggle, that thing you do where you question everything I say. It’s where you argue about the stupidest stuff.″

″I have no idea what you’re talking about. We discuss things and often disagree, but that’s not niggling. That’s just having a conversation. I rather enjoy our discussions.″

″I’m not saying I don’t like how we’re able to give and take, but sometimes you go too far. This thing with the littering is a perfect example.″

″How so?″

Ray took a long swallow of his beer and then poured the rest down the sink. He had a feeling if he finished it, he’d be too loose and he didn’t want that. He had to keep control of his temper and his words. He wanted to say what he needed without revealing too much.

″Let’s have a seat and I’ll try to explain.″

″Very well.″

Fraser walked over and sat down all stiff and prissy.

Well hell. Ray knew what that meant. ″I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.″

″You didn’t.″

″Did, too.″

″Well, how do you expect me to feel, Ray? You say that my conversational style is niggling, which by it’s very nature has a negative connotation. I’m at a loss. I had no idea you felt that way.″

″Look, I really don’t want to make you feel bad, but you’ve got to understand what I’m sayin’. You’ve got to rein in this zeal you’ve got to arrest any and everybody for the smallest infraction. That might work in a small town, but here it’ll just fill up the jails and get you blacklisted and me along with you.″

Fraser didn’t answer right away, but eventually said, ″It doesn’t work in small towns, either.″

″Say what?″

″My zeal, as you call it, has gotten me shunned more than once during my earlier assignments. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been reassigned so frequently.″

Entry tags:

Fannish 50 S3 Post 62: I Wake Up Screaming & Vicki (NOIRVEMBER)

Closing out NOIRVEMBER with a double feature! Both movies are not only based on the same story, but are from the same studio. I thought it'd be fun to do a comparison. :P

I Wake Up Screaming

A 1941 movie produced by 20th Century Fox and directed by H. Bruce Humberstone. It's based on the 1941 novel (of the same name) by Steve Fisher.

Frankie Christopher (played by Victor Mature) is a promoter/PR guy. One night, he's at a cafe with two male friends: a washed-up actor and a gossip columnist. All three are 😍😈🥴🤤 with Vicki (played by Carole Landis), their waitress.

While talking abt how beautiful Vicki is, Frankie starts to brag that he has the power to turn Vicki from a simple waitress and into a celebrity. The other guys are like PFFT, YOU WISH.

In any case, Frankie DOES manage to make Vicki v. popular, having her picture taken in society pages, etc. Along the way, he also meets Jill (played by THE Betty Grable), Vicki's sister. Jill and Frankie have a one-sided enmity (from Jill to Frankie.) She doesn't like how suave Frankie is, she doesn't trust them.

And then a murder occurs. . .

This is one of those movies that tends to pop up in Must-See Noirs lists. Funnily enough, I'd always thought I'd already watched it and had forgotten abt it. The ONLY reason why I watched it this time (which led me to realize that it was an actually brand new watching experience) is cuz I wanted to "refresh my (nonexistent) memory" before I watched Vicky.

IN ANY CASE, I was NOT READY for this movie. Oftentimes, when I'm watching a new-to-me noir, I'm having a good time. THIS MOVIE HAD ME ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT! Between the twists, turns, and general WTF-ery from some of the characters . . . OOOF!

I also loved the cinematography by Edward Crongjager was CHEF'S KISS.

Victor Mature was SOLID. He does know how to play a "cool" type of guy. As the movie progresses, he finds himself getting cornered and it's really neat to see Mature's Frankie react and figure out what to do when the rules of the game go against him.

And then, there's Laird Cregar as Ed Cornell, a detective whose single-minded pursuit of Frankie is quite O__o.

The film's pacing is great too. Everyone brings their A game. Plus you know it's gonna be a good time when Elisha Cook Jr. is part of the cast as Harry, the front desk guy at the apartment building Jill and Vicky live at.

Do I have any criticisms?

There are two.

Carol Landis as Vicki was mehhhhh. I didn't find her presence (which is supposed to be alluring AF) convincing at all.

The other thing is that this movie uses two songs so many times that it might drive you bonkers: "Street Scene" and "Over the Rainbow." To date, I don't think anyone knows why the producing team thought the latter song was a great fit for this movie cuz it wasn't!

At some point, I began to tune it out/ignore it cuz they legit play it a lot!

Do I recommend it?

Yeah, this movie has plot, acting, cinematography, pacing, etc. Although it does goes a bit off the rails during the last third AND I was kinda meh abt Landis PLUS the overusage of those two song, it's deffo worth watching. It tends to pop up on Mubi, TCM, plus the usual places.

I'm giving it a 3.7 out of 5

Queerness level:

Low.

Laird Cregar's version of Ed Cornell is not-quite-straight. There's nothing abt him that reads as straight. In addition, he's v. obsessed with Frankie. And whenever they interact, Cornell is sorta flirting with him. FWIW, Frankie always rebuffs him to which Cornell tends to reply with a "ah, you'll come around". Just lots of double entendre type of things.

Adding to that there's Larid Cregar himself. Now, I didn't know this until AFTER I watched the movie, but I did find out that he had a "complicated" sexuality (per his biographers.) He did have relationships with women, but he also had boyfriends.

When I watched this movie, I was kinda sure I was imagining things cuz Cornell gave me queer vibes. Go figure.

Le Trailer

Watch on YouTube

Vicky

A 1953 film from 20th Century Fox that was directed by Harry Horner. The script is based on the novel I Wake Up Screaming by Steve Fisher.

Since this movie pretty much follows the same plot as the 1941 film, I'm skipping over the summary.

This time around, we've got Jean Peters as Vicky, Jeanne Crain as her sister Jill, and Elliott Reed as Steve (instead of "Frankie") Christopher as the PR guy.

IMO, this movie has some good points when compared to the other film. The majority of the acting is good (there's one actor I was meh abt). Unlike I Wake Up Screaming, the soundtrack has variety.

Also, this version has a much more organic rhythm when it came to its plot. Frex, the way that Vicky and Steve meet felt a lot more natural. I wonder how much casting influenced their simpatico in this movie vs. the 1941 one. There are also a lot more scenes of Vicky and Jill where their sisterly dynamic is explored a ton this time around. It was v. clear how much they cared abt each other.

Jeanne Crain- - who I only know from A Letter to Three Wives and Leave Her to Heaven- - does really well in her role as Jill. She is, in some ways, the heart of the film.

One quirky note is that this movie has a mini reunion of male actors who have been in Marily Monroe movies. Elliot Reid (who played Steve Christopher here) was Jane Russell's love interest in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Meanwhile, Alexander D'arcy (who was Robin Ray in this movie) played one of Marilyn Monroe's suitors in How to Marry a Millionaire. He's the guy with the eyepatch (you'll know who I'm talking abt if you've watched the movie.)

Do I have any criticisms?

The tension (as far as finding out the murderer's identity) is way lower in this one. IMO, it has to do with two specific characters. Primarily Richard Boone as Det. Ed Cornell.

Whereas the Ed in the 1941 movie has a PRESENCE, someone who is tremendously good as a detective but also a Grade A WEIRDO, Boone's Ed never achieves the kind of brilliance and creepiness that's needed for that role. All that's shown is Boone's flat demeanor with random moments where he yells at ppl. He simply does not give out the same menacing vibes. *Hands* Because this is the first time I've ever seen that actor in anything, I can't tell if the fault lies on him OR on the direction he was given.

The other thing that made the movie lose momentum was when, right around the halfway point, the pacing just glides on. It's almost as if the plot didn't care abt building up any suspense.

Finally, in total opposition to how I felt during the last 20 mins of the 1941 film, the last 20 mins of Vicky went into full cheese, IDK.

Do I recommend it?

Not really? If you happen to catch a screening of it or find it somewhere, sure, maybe watch it. But it's not worth making any huge effort to experience it. OTOH, I don't regret watching it, BUT I liked having the chance to compare both films. I'm giving it a 2 out of 5.

Queerness level:

Nada.

Le Trailer

Watch on YouTube

Entry tags:

Monthly dS Art Digest (November 2025)

It was the Big Bang month, but there's plenty of other art, too!

ARTIST: capispaghetti

Red ship & green ship pin
https://www.tumblr.com/capispaghetti/801562034519031808

ARTIST: gjdraws

Favorite Paul Gross character

https://www.tumblr.com/gjdraws/800174457536790528

Ms Fraser in red (with Rays)

https://www.tumblr.com/gjdraws/800279681974796288

Cover art for "Something to you" by portlandwithyou (F/V)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/73609976

ARTIST: goddanmshinyrock

blowing up the Vecchio family group chat (F/V, the picture is at the end)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/74725141

ARTIST: lomelinde

Cover art for "The Burden of Prejudice" by wicked3659

https://archiveofourown.org/works/74205716

Cover art for "The Last Link" by AlexandraMRobertson

https://archiveofourown.org/works/74205501

ARTIST: mific

Art for KitKatt’s podfic of "Walking Forward Back to You"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/74430506

ARTIST: syrupmap

dS text animations (canon quotations but very much F/K)

https://www.tumblr.com/syrupmap/801085276295479296

ARTIST: theoriginofcarrots

Ray Kowalski fighter WIP

https://www.tumblr.com/theoriginofcarrots/799124898656174080

ARTIST: ThisAintBC

Clear Skies Ahead, art for "Full Fathom Six" by feroxargentea

https://archiveofourown.org/works/74683481

ARTIST: verushka70

Yet We Remember Him, art for "The Last Link" by AlexandraMRobertson

https://archiveofourown.org/works/74415616

Look! I remembered to post before December started this year!

Hello, friends! It's about to be December again, and you know what that means: the fact I am posting this actually before December 1 means

karzilla reminded me about the existence of linear time again. Wait, no -- well, yes, but also -- okay, look, let me back up and start again: it's almost December, and that means it's time for our annual December holiday points bonus.

The standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.

( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )

Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.

On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.

Entry tags:

Fannish 50 S3 Post 61: Smooth As Silk (NOIRVEMBER)

Smooth as Silk

A 1946 film directed by Charles Barton and produced by Universal Pictures. This is a version of the 1935 film A Notorious Gentleman (which was also produced by Universal Pictures.)

Paula Marlowe (played by Virgina Grey) is a moderately famous theater actress. Her boyfriend is Mark Fenton (played by Kent Taylor), a v. successful lawyer. At the beginning of the movie, Mark has defended Don Elliott (played by Danny Morton), the nephew of an extremely powerful theater produced named Stephen Elliott (played by John Litel.) Mark and Stephen had had a deal: IF Mark was able to succeed in keeping Don out of jail, THEN Stephen would consider Paula for the main role in his upcoming production.

HOWEVAH, Stephen reneges in the deal. This then leads Paula to start planning . . .

This is one of those obscure noirs that I was ultimately charmed by it. The story is pretty complete and the cast is decent talent-wise.

I liked Virginia Grey. Her version of Paula is not quite likable but not a character meant to be hated either. Her motivations and choices made sense for the time.

Do I have any criticisms?

Despite the fact that, since it's only an hour and 14 minutes, so much of the story is compressed. Like, there are scenes that hint at weeks and months going by, but viewers won't get a sense of the passage of time.

I didn't like Jane Adams as Susan Marlowe (Paula's younger sister.) She was there to be the one person representing morality, I guess? But i never understood what actual role she was meant to fulfill.

Do I recommend it?

I do! It's a short movie, everything abt it is solid. Even though there wasn't anything abt it that I'd call spectacular or a must-see, I didn't find much fault with it. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5.

Queerness level:

*Tumbleweeds*

Entry tags:

Fannish 50 S3 Post 60: Blind Spot (NOIRVEMBER)

Blind Spot

A 1947 film from Columbia Pictures. Directed by Robert Gordon.

This is the story of Jeffrey Andrews (played by Chester Morris), a prolific crime novelist who, nevertheless, is not financially successful. At the start of the movie, he lives in a run-down, basement apartment in NYC and has become a working alcoholic.

One day, after getting some "liquid courage", he marches to his publisher's office and demands to talk to Henry Small (played by William Forrest), the actual!publisher. Jeffrey demands a substantial advance cuz he's THAT broke. Henry shakes his head no and brings up that the publishing company has maintained the guidelines described in Jeffrey's contract. They go back and forth.

Watching all this unfold is Lloyd Harrison (played by Steven Geray), a fellow crime author signed to the same publisher.

Desperate for money, Jeffrey proposes telling Henry a full story that he (Henry) can then have someone else ghostwrite in exchange for a few hundred dollars. Jeffrey starts telling the story. The next scene has him leaving Henry's office.

Next thing he knows, Jeffrey is being accused of MURDERING HENRY. Unfortch for Jeffrey, he was totally blotto and can't remember a lot of what happened after he left Henry's office. So now he has to retrace his steps and figure out who had it out for Henry. Along the way, he teams up with Evelyn Green (played by Constance Dowling), Henry's former secretary.

At an hour and 4 minutes, this is another one of those super short movies. It's got great pacing, good dialogue, and is well acted, tho.

Do I have any criticisms?

Due to the time constraints, certain connections happen a little too fast for my taste (such as the one between Evelyn and Jeffrey). Keeping in mind that, at the start of the movie, Jeffrey himself makes a remark abt how Evelyn is the latest secretary that Henry's got. Only for the two of them having several PASSIONATE kisses the v. next day. O___o?!

I'm meh abt the ending, but *hands*

Do I recommend it?

Yeah? There are copies floating around online, but those have potato-recording levels of quality. IF you want to watch a pristine version, you either have to rent it OR hope that it'll run on TCM. I'm giving it a 2.6 out of 5.

Queerness level:
Medium.

The character of Lloyd is effete and has the type of dialogue peppered with tons of bon mots that read like a queer-coded character. Also, the way he reacts whenever Evelyn is present also adds weight to my guesstimation.

Entry tags:

Fannish 50 S3 Post 59: Fallen Angel (NOIRVEMBER)

Fallen Angel

A 1945 movie from 20th Century Fox that was directed by Otto Preminger. It's based on the novel Fallen Angel by Marty Holland.

Eric Stanton (played by Dana Andrews) is a swindler on a losing streak. Unable to pay the rest of his bus ticket to San Francisco, he's dropped off at the small town of Walton, CA. He ends up in a cafe, mulling on what he's gonna do next. While there, he notices Stella (played by Linda Darnell), a beautiful waitress, and goes gaga for her.

After pulling a small con and despite being invited to continue the scam in another town, Eric decides to stay cuz he's THAT gone for Stella. After starting to date her, he realizes that he's gonna need a lot of dough.

AT THE SAME TIME, he meets Clara (played by Anne Revere) and June (played by Alice Faye), two sisters who are v. wealthy. A plan begins to form . . .

Everyone's acting is on the level. Linda Darnell was LUMINOUS. I loved her every second she was on the screen. The story is pretty interesting and the directing is fine.

Fun fact: this was a reunion of sorts between Otto Preminger and Dana Andrews as they'd both worked together in 1941's Laura.

Do I have any criticisms?

Oh, do I!

The first thing is that pacing is a little off. For a movie that's an hour and 37 mins, the first 25 or so minutes are tedious. There were a few moments when I got close to quit watching. Though, thankfully, the movie made a fascianting turn at the 30-min mark and I was IN.

Also I was unable to warm up to June. Alice Faye did as good of a job as she could with such a wishy-washy role.

Which is related to a BIG SPOILER

Eric and June eventually get married and it's a v. strange relationship. He does woo her in a v. specific way that's also playful. It contrasts nicely with how lustful and turbulent his relationship with Stella is. And yet, after Eric and June get married, he resents having to go thru with his plan. As a result he takes it out on June. He becomes distant and brusque with her both in private AND public.

All this time, June is going alone with the mistreatment. She doesn't push back in any way. As a matter of fact, the one (1) time she yells at him is to let him know that she's his ride or die and she doesn't care who knows it. Her one goal in life now that she's his wife is to stick with him no matter what and no matter whatever it takes to protect him.

AND SHE'S DOING THIS FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN BEING IN LOVE WITH HIM!

Watching her become a doormat was irritating, NGL. It's clear that she's got a gentle personality from the moment they meet, but seeing her go all out for this guy was O__o. Even worse is that her yelling at him abt how much she loves him is what makes HIM realize that maybe June is a good person to be married to?!

I'd like to think that, in June's interior world, she was flattered that Eric married her. It was also a little unclear as to how much June wanted to gain some kind of independence from her older sister (they do care for each other, btw), IDK.

FWIW, I really didn't like June and Eric together.

Adding to that, I was never sure WHAT KIND OF CHARACTER Eric was? Not a good guy, not a villain, not an antihero . . . and yet, as the credits roll, he's REDEEMED by a woman's love because said woman never gave up on him or something. Especially given how poorly he treated her after they got married. 🤢

And that's what got me to lower the ranking by two full points. *Hands*

Do I recommend it?

I do? With the caveat that you HAVE to sit thru a full 30 mins for the movie to really kick in. OTOH, I'm SO at odds with this movie, NGL. On paper, it had a lot going for it: Otto Preminger in the director's chair, good actors like Linda Darnell and Dana Andrews, etc and yet, things never quite gelled this time around!

OTOH, it's not a trash movie. To me it's a C-level noir in my heart of hearts. Per what I know, you can find it streaming somewhere. I'm giving it a 2 out of 5.

Queerness level:

A whole lotta nothin'

2025 dS/C6D Big Bang collection is live!

Go check out all of this year's lovely fanworks here on AO3!

Entry tags:

How Are You? (in Haiku)

Pick a thing or two that sums up how you're doing today, this week, in general, and tell me about it in the 5-7-5 syllables of a haiku.

=

Signal-boosting much appreciated!

Entry tags:

venting

Life skills I ought to have learned earlier

Poll #33879 Proper lifting technique

This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 39

Did you, or did you not, learn the proper technique for how to lift heavy objects with minimal injury/strain in school?

View Answers

Yes
9 (23.7%)

No
29 (76.3%)

When in life did you learn this?

View Answers

0-20 years old
19 (48.7%)

20-40 years old
10 (25.6%)

40-60 years old
0 (0.0%)

60-80 years old
0 (0.0%)

80-100 years old
0 (0.0%)

I still don't know it
4 (10.3%)

I might know it, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right?
9 (23.1%)

I did not learn it in school. When I check the current PE curriculum, it sure looks like it's included. So either 1) it was not in the curriculum when I was in school, or 2) it was in the curriculum but my teacher did not cover it, or 3) they covered it but I did not learn it. I've known for a long time that you should not lift by bending your back and done my best to avoid this, but I only learned now that this is not all there is to it! You should not lift with your knees. You should lift by keeping your back and stomach braced and your spine straight (but hinged forward) and lift mainly with your butt (your knees can also bend if they need to, but the main bending should be at your hips). I am practicing it now, but it takes time to ingrain something like that.

I also did not learn, and am only beginning to learn now at the age of 47, the proper position/technique for doing common workout things like pushups, squats, etc. *facepalm* How can you go so long without learning such things, and without realizing that there is indeed a hole in your knowledge??

Entry tags:

Fannish 50 S3 Post 58: Sleep, My Love (NOIRVEMBER)

Sleep, My Love

A 1948 film from Triangle Productions that was directed by Douglas Sirk. It's based on a novel by Leo Rosten.

Allison (played by Claudette Colrbet) wakes up in a train headed to Boston. Her confusion turns into panic. Last night, she'd gone to bed in her home in NYC. Now she's going somewhere with no idea how she got on the train or WHY her husband's gun is in her possession.

At the same time, her husband Richard (played by Don Ameche) has called the police to report Allison missing. But, just before the investigation gets going, she calls Richard from the train station. He sends her a plane ticket for her to return home . . .

I'm gonna be vague in order to keep the mystery of the plot under wraps.

FWIW, I'm not super familiar with Colbert's work outside of It Happened One Night, so my impression of her when I started watching this movie was v. incomplete. Like the rest of the cast, she does a decent job in her role as a devoted wife of a rich architect. To my utter lack of shock, I liked Robert Cummings as Bruce, a friend of a friend of Allison's. He rocks it in his role.

A special shoutout goes to Hazel Brooks as Daphne. First of all, she's gorgeous. Secondly, her voice is surprisingly deep. And that, combined with her glamourpuss aesthetic elevates her dialogue to a deliciously campy level. EVERY LINE SHE SAYS has this undercurrent of vampiness that I LOVED. I do wished the movie had been from her point of view cuz she was a lot of a lot.

This next thing is something that really surprised me abt the movie. Because there was a moment where Bruce and Allison go to Bruce's brother's wedding. His brother, Jimmie (played by Keye Luke) is Chinese American. The wedding is fully Chinese. As far as I could tell, I didn't see anyone in yellowface. FTR, I'm not Chinese, so take my lack of squickiness because I didn't pick up on any blatant or oblique racism against Chinese folks with a tiny grain of salt.

Douglas Sirk and Joseph A. Valentine, his cinematographer, KNEW what kind of movie they wanted to shoot. The majority of the film takes place in Allison and Richard's 3-story brownstone that has a gorgeous terrace. Throughout the movie, there's excellent use of SPACE. Frex, there were scenes where characters would be looking for someone who happened to be hiding up on the 3rd floor. Also some scenes of ppl going up and down the stairs that truly worked. There's a good sense of how tall and expansive the home is (which includes a conservatory.)

The story is okay. It's watchable.

Do I have any criticisms?

I have 3, but two of them are SPOILERS.

Again, keep in mind that I'm gonna spoil HUGE THINGS abt this film

SPOILER 1

By the end of the first 10 minutes, it was super clear that the main plot was one of intense gaslighting. NGL, that made me lose some interest in the movie a little.

SPOILER 2

The potential romance between Allison and Bruce was poorly handled.

OK, so iMO, Allison did love her husband, but it was more of the kind of love someone has for a friend. However, she'd only known Bruce for abt a week. And yet they not only had excellent chemistry but, whenever they talked, Allison would GLOW. She'd come alive regardless of the conversation topic. It legit didn't matter if it was the weather, food, his friends, etc cuz it was their INTERACTIONS that livens her up.

OFC, since she's married, though, the movie gets as close to the edge of the line that she'd have to cross into infidelity as it can get. By the end, Allison and Bruce as holding each other and it's super clear that they'll be together, but they had so much sparkage that it drove me nuts that they never kissed. END OF SPOILERS

The third one has to do with Det. Sgt. Strake (played by Raymond Burr). As soon as he showed up, I perked the F up because he's one of my faves. Unfortch, he's deffo a background character who only pops up in two scenes. :|

Do I recommend it?

I do . . . if you have an hour and a half to kill? Some of the romantic aspects are much subtler than I'd generally liked and the mood was a bit uneven. It's online. I give it a 2.4 out of 5.

Queerness level

Zip.

due South fic I wrote that won Firewhiskey Fic Challenge 1st place in "Best Use of Prompts" category

Title: Things Counter, Original, Spare, Strange
Fandoms: due South x Wristcutters crossover
Rating: Mature
Category: Gen, M/M
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Characters: Robert "Bob" Fraser, Benton Fraser, Ray Kowalski, mention of Uncle Tiberius Fraser, mention of Diefenbaker, mention of Nanuk (from Wristcutters), mention of Raife Kneller (from Wristcutters)
Word count: 400 (quadruple drabble)

Summary: Dead!Bob knows first-hand that All Hallow’s Eve is when The Veil between the living and the dead is at its most thin...but he doesn't know anything about Halloween-themed sex toys until Ray Kowalski has something to say about it.

Fic on AO3.

new due South word search

Regina Keim created and posted a new due South word search over in the private Fraser/Kowalski Facebook group. As usual, there's an optional "guess the episode" question at the bottom, too.

You can access it here, if you can't see the group's posts because you're not a member.

Entry tags:

Fannish 50 S3 Post 57: Apology for Murder (NOIRVEMBER)

Apology for Murder

A 1945 movie from Sigmund Neufeld Productions that was directed by Sam Newfield. Based on Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler's script for Double Indemnity AND the James M. Cain novel of the same name.

Kenny (played by Hugh Beaumont) is a hot shot journalist who tries to land a surprise interview with businessman Harvey (played by Russell Hicks). He's brushed off but, while trying to interview Harvey, Kenny meets Toni (played by Ann Savage), Harvey's wife.

They have a type of ~connection.

Soon enough, they start having an affair. One night, Toni brings up how beneficial it'd be to get rid of her husband . . .

If the story sounds VAGUELY FAMILIAR, it's cuz this is a v. condensed version of Double Indemnity. Only, like, at a lower budget. This movie is abt an hour and 4 mins long.

A generous way to think of this movie is as an hourlong episode of a TV anthology show. Comparing it to the original movie is deeply unfair.

Do I have any criticisms?

Because of its length, it jumps over a lot of the actual!plot. Frex, Kenny and Toni's affair happens super fast. There's no time for anything to develop.

Do I recommend it?

Yeah. It might be a movie that's not amazing, but it's also a blatant rip-off of a much better movie. AFAIK, it's available on Amazon Prime Video, but I'm also sure anyone can find it elsewhere online. I'm giving it a 2.7 out of 5.

Queerness level:

Nonexistent.