#'action' jack barker

[starleska]

starting to believe i was just born with daddy issues

[tomwambsmilk]

Question for any fellow Silicon Valley fans who might be lurking in the ether. How do the rest of you feel about season 3

[rockislandadultreads]

Nonfiction Thursday: LGBTQIA+ History Month

The LGBTQ+ History Book by DK Publishing

Exploring and explaining the most important ideas and events in LGBTQ+ history and culture, this book showcases the breadth of the LGBTQ+ experience. This diverse, global account explores the most important moments, movements, and phenomena, from the first known lesbian love poetry of Sappho to the Kinseys' modern sexuality studies, and features biographies of key figures from Anne Lister to Allen Ginsberg.

The LGBTQ+ History Book celebrates the victories and untold triumphs of LGBTQ+ people throughout history, such as the Stonewall Riots and first transgender surgeries, as well as commemorating moments of tragedy and persecution, from the Renaissance Italian “Night Police” to the 20th century “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. The book also includes major cultural cornerstones - the secret language of polari, Black and Latinx ballroom culture, and the many flags of the community - and the history of LGBTQ+ spaces, from 18th-century “molly houses” to modern “gayborhoods.”

The Gay Revolution by Lillian Faderman

The fight for gay and lesbian civil rights - the years of outrageous injustice, the early battles, the heart-breaking defeats, and the victories beyond the dreams of the gay rights pioneers - is the most important civil rights issue of the present day. In “the most comprehensive history to date of America’s gay-rights movement” (The Economist), Lillian Faderman tells this unfinished story through the dramatic accounts of passionate struggles with sweep, depth, and feeling.

The Gay Revolution begins in the 1950s, when gays and lesbians were criminals, psychiatrists saw them as mentally ill, churches saw them as sinners, and society victimized them with hatred. Against this dark backdrop, a few brave people began to fight back, paving the way for the revolutionary changes of the 1960s and beyond. Faderman discusses the protests in the 1960s; the counter reaction of the 1970s and early eighties; the decimated but united community during the AIDS epidemic; and the current hurdles for the right to marriage equality.

Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker & Jules Scheele

Activist-academic Meg John Barker and cartoonist Julia Scheele illuminate the histories of queer thought and LGBTQ+ action in this groundbreaking non-fiction graphic novel. A kaleidoscope of characters from the diverse worlds of pop-culture, film, activism and academia guide us on a journey through the ideas, people and events that have shaped 'queer theory'.

From identity politics and gender roles to privilege and exclusion, Queer explores how we came to view sex, gender and sexuality in the ways that we do; how these ideas get tangled up with our culture and our understanding of biology, psychology and sexology; and how these views have been disputed and challenged.

Along the way we look at key landmarks which shift our perspective of what's 'normal', such as Alfred Kinsey's view of sexuality as a spectrum between heterosexuality and homosexuality; Judith Butler's view of gendered behavior as a performance; the play Wicked, which reinterprets characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; or moments in Casino Royale when we're invited to view James Bond with the kind of desiring gaze usually directed at female bodies in mainstream media.

Fire Island by Jack Parlett

Fire Island, a thin strip of beach off the Long Island coast, has long been a vital space in the queer history of America. Both utopian and exclusionary, healing and destructive, the island is a locus of contradictions, all of which coalesce against a stunning ocean backdrop.

Now, poet and scholar Jack Parlett tells the story of this iconic destination - its history, its meaning and its cultural significance - told through the lens of the artists and creators who sought refuge on its shores. Together, figures as divergent as Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, James Baldwin, Carson McCullers, Frank O'Hara, Patricia Highsmith and Jeremy O. Harris tell the story of a queer space in constant evolution.

Transporting, impeccably researched and gorgeously written, Fire Island is the definitive book on an iconic American destination and an essential contribution to queer history.

[zackthebrown2]

because i have an incessant need to curate lists....

i feel like short films, in general, get sort of overlooked. so for halloween, here are some horror/horror-adjacent recommendations. i split the list between animation and live action, and i ordered them by length. also, a general tw: blood, gore, etc... not all of them have any of that, but just a heads up.

Animation: Perihelion (2013) - dir. Nick Cross (2:51) [Nick Cross was the art director on Over the Garden Wall] There's a Man in the Woods (2014) - dir. Jacob Streilein (3:35) Teeth (2015) - dir. Tom Brown & Daniel Gray (6:02) Winston (2017) - dir. Aram Sarkisian (6:24) 100.000 Acres of Pine (2020) - dir. Jennifer Alice Wright (7:13) The Backwater Gospel (2011) - dir. Bo Mathorne (9:32) Coyote (2021) - dir. Lorenz Wunderle (9:55) Ghost Dogs (2022) - dir. Joe Cappa (10:45) Jack Stauber's OPAL (2020) - dir. Jack Stauber (12:30) [this one's a mix of live action and claymation]

Live Action: The Cat with Hands (2001) - dir. Robert Morgan (3:31) Portrait of God (2022) - dir. Dylan Clark (7:30) Creep Box (2022) - dir. Patrick Biesemans (9:16) Curve (2016) - dir. Tim Egan (9:51) Unedited Footage of a Bear (2014) - dir. Alan Resnick & Ben O'Brian (10:28) Eyes of Eidolon (2020) - dir. Davi Pena (11:02) This House Has People in It (2016) - dir. Alan Resnick (11:55) Angel (2022) - dir. Dicky Chalmers (16:10) Moshari (2022) - dir. Nuhash Humayun (22:05) Zygote (2017) - dir. Neill Blomkamp (22:23) The Chair (2023) - dir. Curry Barker (24:22)

[mad-bird-writes]

The Lost Souls' Revival Characters: Umber*

The Revival's jack-of-all-trades, acting as a roustabout and general handyperson, running errands and generally keeping the "machine" well-oiled and operating as smoothly as possible. During the evenings, they can often be found manning the ticket booth at the entrance, though no actual transactions take place here; instead, it is their job to speak with confused visitors and explain the price of admission. This is only necessary for the less-easily enthralled patrons, with everybody else merely walking through the gates without a thought as to the cryptic words on the flyer that drew them here in the first place.

When the Revival is "on the road" (so to speak), they are responsible for distributing the posters and flyers that draw people in, and laying out the circle of stones that holds the Revival (I'll explain that later…)

They are easily recognized by their debonair style of dress and theatrical manner, but in truth, they are a great deal shyer than their outward appearance would indicate, hence their preference for behind the scenes work. However, in more recent years, they have intermittently taken up the role of emcee, filling in for the Barker when he cannot muster up his usual energy. They find this to be utterly nervewracking, though you'd never know it if you saw them in action, and they've never uttered a single word of complaint - they are utterly devoted to him, far beyond what you would expect for a working relationship.

(* - consider this one side of a coin, I'll flip it when the time comes...)

[tweedledee-and-tweedledumb]

Idly doing crafts and thinking about how Freddie Lounds unknowingly made a symbiotic deal with the devil.

There's so many fics out there where Hannibal or Will (or both of them) kill Freddie and that's all fine and dandy and she totally deserves it, but I love remembering that Freddie Lounds out-lives everyone involved.

Despite being in MANY precarious situations, Freddie not only manages to avoid death or the promise of death at a later time, but she fulfills her chosen purpose and reports on a lot of fucked up stories. She reports on stories that end up involving her personally, and many that she forces her way into. She gets kidnapped, gets assaulted, gets threatened, but no matter how many tricky situations as she gets herself into, Freddie Lounds manages to walk away both alive and more physically (and arguably mentally) unscathed than any other character in the show.

In truth though, the two are so symbiotic that it's wild and borderline laughable to me that anyone thinks she can actually be killed.

Freddie Lounds, as a character, wants nothing more than to dig up good stories. To slap them down and offer up glimpses of 'the truth' as sensationalist shock value that really does reveal a number of unseen (or unrecognized) truths. It's her entire purpose and that alone allows her safe passage through the entirety of the narrative, despite the fact that Freddie canonically dies in the source material.

Her commitment to journalism, and her unflinching desire to be at the heart of it all, is an unspoken Soul Selling type Wish that gets granted by Hannibal's greed and his desire to have his art recognized.

Because Freddie is his voice.

The controversial, prone to libel, journalist with her grubby fingers forcibly crammed into every pie out there somehow captures his work. In all its horrific, macabre glory.

Is she frustrating, dramatic, and always reporting at the wrong time? Yes. But she's also Hannibal's barker. The one who reminds everyone that he's out there. The one that forces everyone that sees her site to sit back and wonder, 'Who the fuck is this guy? This fucked up artistic genius that Does All This Crazy Shit while evading detection of any kind.'

Because, realistically, in this universe we don't see any news coverage of the Chesapeake Ripper's crimes outside of Tattlecrime. Obviously people know he's still uncaught, but you'd think that if someone was out there turning people into into cherry blossom trees and leaving them in parking lots, it would've be a LOT bigger news. Was that a creative choice? Was it because other news outlets were irrelevant to the show? Or because the FBI was effectively covering up the spread of the details of those crimes? We can't and won't know, but what we do know is that Freddie manages to not only tell the world about every single one of the Ripper's tableaus, but that she plasters multiple photos of the crime scenes onto her website with alarming regularity.

And, because of that, Hannibal will never let her go.

She's allowed a level of audacious leeway that is incredible considering her blatant and continuous rudeness. Toward Hannibal certainly, but toward Will and Abigale as well.

But, in this particular case, Hannibal's narcissism allows her near borderline immunity from the consequences that would normally befall anyone that acts the way she does in Hannibal Lecter's presence.

His distaste for her, no matter how rude, how bothersome, how inconvenient, is ignored in favor of allowing her to live so that the world may continue to be shocked by the Ripper's vision and his messages. His art.

And, with that immunity, Freddie commits to her life long dream, and the unknowing gift she's been given, and jumps recklessly into danger after danger as she chases after sensationalist stories. She's in a position to be killed SO many times but the axe never seems to meet her neck. Not from Gideon, or Hannibal, or Will, or even Jack and all his threats of legal action, because Freddie has become metaphorically untouchable.

She's outside of the consequences of the narrative, all because she inadvertently became an essential part of Hannibal's ability to be Seen and to communicate.

So yeah, I understand the desire to kill her off in a Murder Husbands bonding moment, but I also think it's comical that anyone thinks that she's capable of being killed when she's safe from both The Biggest Bad in the show as well as The Narrative.

[andersonvision]

Sci-Fi and fantasy enthusiasts, mark your calendars for June 25th as Unearthed Films is set to release a must-have collector's edition of the cult classic "The Guyver." For the first time ever, this action-packed film starring Mark Hamill will be available in a Limited Collector’s Edition 4K UHD and Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, each boasting a new 4K restoration and loaded with an array of bonus materials. The Guyver (1991) Clip from Unearthed Films on Vimeo. "The Guyver" centers around college student Sean Barker (Jack Armstrong), who discovers an alien device that transforms him into a powerful cyborg known as the Guyver. This transformation makes Sean the target of the sinister Chronos Corporation, which will go to any lengths—including kidnapping his girlfriend Mizuki (Vivian Wu)—to retrieve the device. Sean's only ally is the enigmatic CIA agent Max Reed (played by Mark Hamill). Together, they embark on a thrilling mission to rescue Mizuki, protect the Guyver, and thwart Chronos' plans for global domination. Directed by the innovative Screaming Mad George (Freaked) and Steve Wang (Drive), and produced by Brian Yuzna (Re-Animator, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids), "The Guyver" is celebrated for its unique blend of superhero action and adventure, making it an unforgettable experience. The comprehensive 4K UHD + Blu-ray + CD Soundtrack Limited Collector’s Edition includes exciting new commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, a fresh interview with Brian Yuzna, and a host of other extras such as outtakes with commentary, a new gag reel, a production and artwork gallery, an alternate title sequence, trailers, and the complete soundtrack by Matthew Morse. Additionally, the Blu-ray Collector’s Edition offers similar new enrichments including commentary, interviews, outtakes, gag reels, and galleries to enhance your viewing experience. For those preferring the classic format, the DVD Edition features commentary by the co-directors, moderated by Dom O’Brien, author of "Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films." Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the saga of "The Guyver," these editions are designed to deliver a comprehensive viewing experience that enhances the original adventure. Get ready to dive back into the action with enhanced picture quality, insightful commentary, and a treasure trove of extras. Don't miss out on this exclusive release from Unearthed Films.

[zonerobotnik]

I know you like Good Omens, but the original book of Terry Pratchett? That author wrote lots of great books, I especially like the three witches.

Or would you give Clive Barker's books for adults a try? The Hellbound Heart or The Books of Blood?

I haven't read the original book, just seen the first season of the series. The last book, novel-wise, I read was the Jack Reacher series, a story about a Military Police-turned-wanderer that gets involved with stuff whether he likes it or not. On that note, that's also got a live-action series I've been watching for. Oh, and I've also been watching The Great British Baking Show on Netflix.

[rayne-storm]

Tell ya Why, Jack the Ripper, Tell ya Why

AUgust 4 - 1800's

Fandom: Sweeny Todd

Summary: Sweeny Todd, a rather successful barber, has taken a distasteful notice of the horrific crimes happening right under his nose, in lovely and terrible London. He can't help picturing his Lucy - or worse, his Johanna - when he sees the faces of the brutalized women. For her part, Nellie Lovett fears that the crimes continuing will just ruin business.

We all deserve to die, but not that way. Sweeny's "friends" hunger for a particular throat.

(yes it's a century later than Sweeny Todd is set idgaf)

***

"You know, with all these women dying in the streets, our business has plummeted," Nellie Lovett sighed, idly washing out a glass.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the look Todd gave her - harsh and cold enough to wither glass - was not it. She shrunk slightly, turning her attention more fully to her dishes.

For his part, Sweeny Todd (nee Benjamin Barker) was deeply troubled by the string of horrific murders. Not that they were occurring, necessarily. He understood a man may have needs that could only be met in ruby and scarlet. But the way these were done - sloppy, careless - and the victims chosen (prostitutes) bothered him. Every horrified face he saw in the newspaper, or at the crime scene, turned his stomach as he envisioned yellow hair and beautiful eyes staring out, glassy and vacant.

Of course, his Lucy was dead, and precious Johanna was currently in the home of that disgusting Judge Turpin (a situation to be rectified in short order). That didn't stop his bleak imaginings. And, frankly, he hated that this madman was targeting women of any profession.

This needed to stop.

The police were, as ever, incompetent at best. When they bothered to show any interest in the situation at all. Beadle Bamford certainly didn't bother himself with the trivialities of whores dying. Judge Turpin likewise could simply not be buggered enough to care. No, no, they were far too busy with their own self-importance.

He recalled the sailor boy - Antony? Anthony? - had a navy background. Maybe he could be persuaded to aid in the… investigation. The boy was completely head over heels for Johanna, and that could be used as persuasion, to be sure. If Todd could get the sick feeling out of his stomach long enough to make the insinuation that these men tended to escalate to finer ladies than harlots. He would know - there was no place like London for depravity, after all.

Perhaps Sweeny could use his unique gifts to end this problem. His friends began to hunger at the notion. Dripping rubies from a Ripper's throat…

-*-*-

It was almost too easy. But then, given how little anyone had actually been trying to catch the villain up to that point, it was just as likely that the man got bold. And a monster could catch a monster far easier than any lay-person. The fellow had a black cloak on, and the remainder of his face had been hidden behind a handkerchief. It had been suspicious the moment Todd had seen him from the shadows of the street, and further actions had only proven that suspicion correct.

Todd wasn't sure if he was shaking, as he dragged the fellow back to Fleet Street, because of pride or joy, or because the beasts chosen prey that night had been achingly familiar. Long golden hair. Blue eyes. Nearly the picture of his Lucy. A spitting image of his Johanna as he imagined her now.

She was alive, and remarkably uninjured, given the state the pair had been in when Todd had finally found them, rolling and yowling like feral cats. The claw marks on the man's arms indicated that she'd been on her guard when he'd approached. Her dress had suffered, but an expensive piece of corsetry had luckily stopped the monster's blade before it could do anything serious.

Currently, she was back at her home, and Todd was having the boy - Toby? - and Anthony watch over her. The pair wouldn't likely be able to do much should any real trouble come along, but Todd could at least trust that they would try. And the boy had a calming presence. He could do his work in peace, knowing the young lady would sleep well that night and thereafter.

As he tossed the fellow into his chair, strapping him in soundly, Todd wondered if he would recognize the face he uncovered from its hood and kerchief.

"Is it him, Mister Todd? The Ripper?"

He started slightly at Nellie's voice, but nodded as she poked her head in.

"All signs point to the affirmative, Missus Lovett."

"Oh how exciting! A real monster under our roof! Oh and with him caught, business will be booming once again," she cheered, going back down to whatever she did when she wasn't pestering him.

She didn't even want to see the man's face? What a strange woman, with her odd priorities.

Ah well. At least she knew to leave him alone when he was working.

As Todd pulled back the coverings on the man's face, he could feel his own twisting into a feral grin, a proper monstrous visage to meet the murderous Ripper.

"Well, sir… I must say, this is a surprise," he purred.

"How about a shave?"

[horrorportraitmag]

Whispers of a Gypsy: A Supernatural Dark Thriller of Suspense by J.T. Patten

REMEMBER WHEN A BOOK COULD SCARE YOU?

Deeply dark with harrowing twists and mystery, a uniquely gifted boy falls into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the arrival of a monstrous protector...searching for something of the past within a unique bloodline. Whispers of a Gypsy brings fear back to horror and psychological suspense the way we remember classic Jack Ketcum, Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Thomas Harris novels, while adding Patten's trademark penchant for the unexpected in a fast-paced emotional and fear-driven rollercoaster ride.

Publishers Weekly BookLife

"This is a dark, haunting read, not for the faint of heart, but with humanity at its core. Readers of action-packed dark horror will be onboard. Takeaway: This polished horror story explores family obligation and the overwhelming costs of revenge. Great for fans of: Dan Simmons’s Carrion Comfort, Bari Wood’s The Tribe."

SummaryNeurodivergent, young Dwight Skinner considers his mental challenges to be a superpower, but it's a pure bloodline that will put him in danger. When a tragic event brings a mysterious Romani neighbor, Mr. Mortimer, out of seclusion and into the Skinner family's lives, Dwight and his emotionally overloaded mother find an unsuspecting protector in this dark lurking whisperer. Death and horrific secrets trail the unfolding life of Mr. Mortimer's past, and questions soon arise as to who has the more sinister of intentions, Dwight or the "Gypsy" he unconditionally trusts. The whispers have the answer.

READERS SPEAK!

"Whispers of a Gypsy is an engrossing read from start to finish. JT Patten has conjured a real winner in this tome. From an engaging opening to the creation of a fantastic cast of characters laced with a historic rehash of one of the darkest parts of global history, Mr. Patten draws you in and doesn't let go.

Fantastic job, Mr. Patten. Bravo."

"Whispers of a Gypsy is one of the scariest and darkest horror thrillers I’ve read and it’s a magnificent experimental blend of genres to appeal to most readers. Tackling social issues with history, science, politics, and horror, JT Patten has something for all readers and it’s a book that you’d shudder at reading at night even under the comfort of your bedside lamps switched."

"Whispers of a Gypsy by J.T. Patten is an extreme horror novel in every sense of that word. This is a work for those who need something that turns all the dials up to 10, and then dares you not to cover your ears." - Scott Kenemore, author of Lake of Darkness, The Grand Hotel, and Zombie Ohio

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

About the author

Former government intelligence and special mission advisor working across terrorism, financial crime, and cyber threats, JT Patten is a published author of six dark fiction novels that relate to his prior world of lies and deception where he witnessed both the best and worst in humanity.

He is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers. His initial best-selling works have gained acclaim for their "blacker than black" brooding narrative that illuminate the blurred lines in life and twist traditional tropes on their head. He has a degree in Foreign Language, a Masters in Strategic Intelligence, graduate studies in Counter Terrorism from the University of St. Andrews

[dkmbookworm]

Definitely would recommend getting into some older musicals, especially Sondheim! He’s one of the most prolific names in musical theater. Very well known for lyrical artistry and the complexity of his music composition, his most popular ones are

Sweeney Todd

This is the story of Benjamin Barker, a barber who was sent to work on a penal colony by judge Turpin so he could steal his wife while he was gone. Upon returning 18 years later, he has found that his wife is gone and his daughter has been taken in as his ward and future wife. Because of this he has decided that he will take his revenge on Turpin and the rest of the world by killing them and turning them into pies with his Neighbor Mrs. Lovett.

There is also Into the Woods

This is a musical comedy that combines multiple fairy tale stories and characters such as little red riding hood, Cinderella, rapunzel, and jack and the beanstalk. Following the original characters of the baker and his wife we see these characters stories play out and crossover as they chase after their desires and it culminates with them forced to face the results of their actions and choices

Other great picks for older musicals include

Little Shop of Horrors

The story of a meek Seymour Krelborne as he comes across a mysterious plant that brings him fame and fortune at great cost. Based in the style of 1950s and 60s music and a pastiche of sci fi movies of the period

Cabaret

Based on the book “I am a camera” it follows characters in Berlin’s Weimar Republic. Giving focus to the famous night life of the period and the creeping threat of fascism in Germany.

Chicago

You might have seen some of this from the audios and edits in TikTok with “they both reached for the gun”. Here the story follows the media circus around Roxxie Hart after she kills her lover. An ode to the 1920s jazz scene

All of these are classics of musical theater that would be great to get into if you’re interested!

genuinely are there musicals out there that are as good as epic??? i had gotten into pjo the musical, bmc, heathers, and mean girls before epic and i can’t listen to any of them the same anymore they just don’t hit like they used to cause epic is just SO GOOD it has actually changed my brain chemistry

[starleska]

so my partner and i have been watching a lot of Silicon Valley...and to no one's surprise, my favourite characters are concentrated autism (Peter Gregory) and Colin Robinson ('Action' Jack Barker) 🙈💖 if they're ragingly neurodiverse and look like teachers, you know i'm there!!!

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Do you give recs? I'm looking for some woke-free medias to consume (books particularly, but it can be anything)

It's hard to give recs without knowing your taste, but I'll try. Necessarily, many of these will be older things, so sorry if that bothers you

Books:

The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell (sci-fi)

The Nightside series by Simon R Green (urban fantasy/detective noir)

The Deathstalker series by Simon R Green (there are gay side characters in a few of the books, but the books themselves aren't woke. Just good sci-fi/space opera)

Any Conan the Barbarian story written by Robert Howard or Robert Jordan (fantasy)

The Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson (disclaimer I'm only up to book 4 out of 15 and the last book was published in 2020 so it may have gotten woke or started to suck later on, but right now it's pretty good and pretty pro-American. Alternate history action sci-fi)

The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher (urban fantasy)

Any Dune book by Frank Herbert or Kevin J Anderson and Brian Herbert (sci-fi)

The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik (only read the first three out of nine so same disclaimer as Destroyermen. Alternate history fantasy. Napoleonic Wars with dragons)

The Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell (also the excellent film adaptations of the books with Sean Bean if you can find them. Historical fiction. You follow Richard Sharpe through the ranks of the British army during the Napoleonic Wars)

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (the grandfather of modern fantasy)

The collected works of HP Lovecraft (definitely not PC or woke. His cat makes an appearance in one of his stories. Horror)

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker (horror. Hellraiser was based on this novella. tentative rec because it's good, but there's a lot of mentioned sex and very liberal attitudes towards sex so I don't know if you'd consider that woke or not. The sex obsessed characters are the bad guys though)

Any of the pre-Disney "canon" Star Wars expanded universe books.

Any of the Star Trek books written by William Shatner (they're all a connected series though so read them in order)

If non-woke is your main criteria, I'd suggest giving the Witcher books by Andrzej Sapkowski a try. I personally hated the little bit of the first one I read, and I hate the Witcher series in general, but no one can argue that the Witcher is in any way woke, lol

Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher (fantasy)

Phantoms by Dean Koontz (also recommend the movie with a very young Ben Affleck, but if you rent it on Prime use headphones. Audio is all fucked up through a surround sound system. At least it was when I rented it a few years back. horror)

The Legend of Drizzt series (and the associated sub-series) by RA Salvatore (fantasy. I stopped reading at the Transitions series--books 20-22--because I personally didn't like them and the way they changed the characters and the setting, but YMMV. I'd highly recommend books 1-19 though. Great fantasy series in my favorite D&D setting, the Forgotten Realms)

The Giver by Lois Lowry (young adult book, but has a great message of individuality and anti-government)

Since you wanted books mostly I'll just breeze through movies, shows, comics and games with a few of my favorites:

Movies - Equilibrium, Lord of the Rings, pre-Disney Star Wars, Alien, Aliens, Predator, Predator 2, Hellraiser 1 + 2, Friday the 13th series, Halloween series, The Patriot, In the Mouth of Madness, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 + 2

Shows - Jericho, X-Files, Star Trek (OS, TNG and DS9 especially. Anything nu-Trek is easily skippable), Chernobyl, Avatar The Last Airbender, Lost (it's not confusing if you just pay attention!)

Anime - Fullmetal Alchemist (both series are good but Brotherhood follows the manga more closely), Death Note, Bungo Stray Dogs, Yowamushi Pedal, Ace of Diamond, Yuri on Ice (super gay but funny and heartwarming and not woke beyond the two male leads being stupidly in love with each other even if it's never mentioned explicitly), Street Fighter II V. Honestly most anime isn't woke at all, so just look around for things that seem interesting to you and you're probably good there

Comics - Batman: No Man's Land, Batman: Knightfall, Batman: Bruce Wayne Murderer/Fugitive, Batman: The Killing Joke, any Marvel Masterwork collection, any Dark Horse Alien or Predator or Alien vs Predator comic, Spawn. Special mention: Isom and the Rippaverse. The Rippaverse is a new shared comic universe created by Eric July, self-described anarcho-capitalist and contributor to The Blaze that's specifically designed from the ground up to not be woke and offer a customer first mentality. They promise that the various books they're planning on releasing will focus on story and characters, not politics or social justice crap. So far, only Isom #1 has come out, and I haven't gotten my copy yet, but most people who've read it seem to love it, and that one comic alone has already sold over 43,000 copies and made $3.7 million so early adopting is probably a safe bet.

Games - Metal Gear Solid series, Batman: Arkham series, Halo 1-3, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Greedfall, Dishonored series, Edge of Eternity, Metro series, Mafia 1+2, Elden Ring. Pretty much any game before the mid-2010s is a safe bet for non-woke, so like anime, you should just look at older games you think you might like, or their remasters, and go from there.

So that's my list. It's by no means complete, and there's no real order to the recs, so just look them up and see what, if anything, appeals to you. If you, or anyone else, want more specific recommendations or an opinion on a certain title or series that I mentioned or even ones I didn't, feel free to ask. I'll help if I can. Mostly what I read and watch are sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and things like that. I don't really read typical bestsellers or westerns or comedies. So I might be much help with those genres.

[castiel-kline]

once upon a birthday

Birthdays haven’t always been Jack’s friend, but he’s starting to realize that every May 18th he reaches is a miracle rather than a tragedy.

May 18, 2017.

Jack saw that combination of letters and numbers everywhere on his first day of life. He saw it on the corner of the newspaper on Sheriff Barker’s desk, watched her scribble it on a page of notes she was writing up about him, saw it light up on Clark’s phone when he opened it to show Jack something “cool.” 

It would be a while before he realized that date’s significance.

-

May 18, 2018

Jack was seated around a campfire with the other kids of the rebel camp, staving off their fear of the incoming dark by telling them a story. It was just the plot of Clone Wars, but since it didn’t exist in this universe no one called him out on it. 

Bobby’s voice carried over the sounds of the camp settling down for the night, low but still decipherable. 

“...our supply’ll run out by the 25th. We have to keep moving, get some more.”

Jack never did learn what they were about to run out of, because Mary’s response snared his attention even tighter.

“Remind me what day it is now? I lost track while I was… you know.”

“Right, I get it. It’s May 20th.”

And Jack stopped short in his tale, the realization that he’d been alive more than a year hitting him like a blast from one of Michael’s soldiers. The little girl next to him nudged his elbow and asked if he was okay.

“I’m fine,” he said, smiling gently. “It’s just that my birthday was two days ago. I only realized now.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. We could sing to you now?” All the children nodded their agreement, but Jack shook his head.

“Thanks, but it’s okay. Besides, I need to finish telling you about Ashoka’s rescue mission, right?” They leaned in closer around the fire, and Jack went back to his narrator voice. “Now, she knew it would be a dangerous journey, but…”

That night when Jack was trying to sleep (Mary made him promise to attempt four hours, even though he didn’t really need it) he wondered if birthday celebrations lived up to their reputation. He wondered if his was ever going to be worth celebrating, given all the pain and death that day had brought.

With the new knowledge that he was a year old, Jack dreamed of his mother- wafting through hazy gold memories of a furniture warehouse, Castiel beside her, in the days before Jack was capable of hurting anyone because he couldn’t control his powers. In the days when he still felt safe.

-

May 18, 2019

“How’s it goin’, kiddo? Enjoying the quiet?”

Jack whirled around to face the Empty head on, unwilling to show just how much its appearance had startled him. It didn’t bother him much, per Billie’s instructions, but sometimes it liked to taunt him. Usually it appeared as his mother, sometimes Cas, but today it looked just like him.

“What do you want?” Jack asked, lifting his chin. His doppleganger mirrored the action, before smirking and sauntering closer.

“Oh, calm down. I don’t bite, I’m just delivering a message.”

“A message from who?”

Billie would just deliver a message in person, and no one else could contact him in here. Maybe Cas could-

“Hmm, I don’t know,” it interrupted Jack’s thoughts. “Time? The Universe? Anyway. Happy birthday, sport. Enjoy the official start of your terrible twos.”

With that the Shadow vanished, leaving Jack alone in the dark once again. He sat down and curled his knees to his chest, wishing there was a corner or a wall he could press his back against. He felt exposed and vulnerable in the vastness of the Empty’s nothing, and it was making him uneasy.

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what his family was up to down on earth. Would they be sad? Too busy fighting Chuck to notice? Were they even alive?

He wished with all his might that they weren’t alone. Alone wasn’t what you should be on somebody’s birthday.

-

May 18, 2020

As endings went, Jack’s was shaping up to be okay. He’d finally had a good birthday- even if it was both impromptu and a few days early. He laid in bed, belly full of his first ever birthday cake, for once not thinking about his upcoming demise.

A soft knock on the door sounded, and Jack sat up in surprise. A glance at his phone confirmed that it was nearing four in the morning, which only thickened his confusion.

“Come in?”

When Cas pushed open the door, Jack smiled.

“You’re back!” he exclaimed, pushing off the blanket and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Cas pushed the door to a close behind him and shuffled further into the room. “Sorry, I know it’s late, but I had a feeling you’d still be awake.”

“Is everything okay? Nothing went wrong with talking to the angels, did it?”

“Don’t worry, everything’s fine,” Cas assured him. “The angels are going to keep an eye out for Amara, but that’s not why I wanted to talk to you.”

Jack frowned. Then why…?

“Happy birthday,” Cas said, pulling a gift bag out from behind his back. “I know it’s early, but I heard you celebrated while I was gone. So I picked something up on the way home.”

“Thank you,” Jack breathed, taking the gift and settling it on his lap. His first birthday gift.

Cas took a seat next to him, giving Jack’s arm a gentle nudge.

“You can open it now, if you’d like.”

Jack didn’t need to be told twice. He tore into the tissue paper, eagerly unveiling the surprise it hid from view. At the bottom of the bag was a teddy bear, clad in overalls that smushed down its soft brown fur.

“Your mother always wanted to buy one for you,” explained Castiel. “We placed the order, but it didn’t arrive before…”

“Before.” Jack sighed, throat suddenly tight with emotion.

“If you don’t like it I can take it back-”

“No, Cas, it’s great. I love it. Does it have a name?”

The question didn’t faze Cas in the slightest.

“Well, the official name according to the store is Marvelous Marvin. But I believe it’s customary to name a stuffed animal anything you’d like.”

Hmm. Jack studied the bear’s face for a moment, tilting his head. “Marvin’s good,” he declared. “I like it.”

“I’m glad.” Cas smiled, then stood up. “You should get some rest.”

“Wait!” He hadn’t meant to say anything, but as soon as the word was out he realized he really, really, didn’t want this day to end. “I saved a piece of cake for you. And I’m not tired, so…”

It only took about ten seconds before Cas gave in with a fond shake of his head.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Jack followed him to the kitchen, Marvin under one arm.

His third birthday, and his first good birthday.

What would almost certainly be his last birthday.

-

May 18, 2021

There were many things in life Jack had learned to think of as little miracles. Some seemed utterly insignificant, like the flowers that managed to grow between cracks in the sidewalk. Saying hello to his mother should have been just as beautiful and commonplace, but to Jack every chance was more wondrous than the sun shining through a storm.

He whispered it now, breathing another miracle into being in two precious little words.

“Hi, mom.”

Kelly looked up from what she’d been reading, face lighting up in joyous surprise. She came forward and swept him up in her arms, and Jack allowed himself a moment to be grateful. In spite of everything, the universe allowed him to have this.

“I didn’t think you’d be back yet,” she said as she pulled away, her hands clasping his. “I mean, you said you had to fix all the parallel universes, and Cas said there’s hundreds of them…”

“I’m not done yet,” he said. “Amara’s still out there, and I’ll have to go back soon, but... I really wanted to spend some time with you today.”

Kelly frowned, concern taking over her features. “Is everything okay? Do you need help, or-?”

“I’m fine,” Jack assured. “It’s -on earth, anyway- it’s May 18th. 2021.”

Realization struck. “It’s your birthday.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d even want to celebrate, because my being born wasn’t a good day for you, and-”

“Jack, baby.” Kelly put a hand on his cheek, swiping away the tear he hadn’t known was falling. “My death was not your fault. Okay? Of course I want to celebrate your birthday with you.”

“Really?”

“Really. We can call Cas down here, watch some movies, make a cake-”

Kelly was already moving to the kitchen, all ready to start baking.

“Mom, wait. I… I had a birthday cake once,” he told her. “And that was… special. Could we think of something else to do? Just you and me and Cas?”

“Of course, honey. It’s your day. Cookies?”

Jack nodded, and he smiled. Because in that moment it was crystal clear that each year spent growing older, especially those spent with the people that he loved most, were little miracles too.

And he had plenty more birthdays to look forward to.

[thenightling]

Show and movie recommendations for people who like Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman

This morning someone asked me for some movie recommendations that are like Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.  There’s really nothing quite like The Sandman but I will list similar films and shows here.

1.   Over The Garden Wall.  

Over the Garden Wall was an animated mini-series that aired on Cartoon Network in 2014.  It is a very unique mini-series that was shown as ten minute shorts. When compiled together the shorts tell a full length movie about two brothers lost in a surreal forest known as The Unknown.  Most of the visuals are inspired by early twentieth century Hallowe’en greeting cards.   This is a very, very underrated mini-series.  I actually consider it my comfort food of media.  I watch it when I’m not feeling well and it makes me feel better.   

2.   Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas.

I know a lot of people might think of this one as overrated and far too common place but when I was eleven-years-old I felt like I was the only one in the world who loved it.  I saw Nightmare before Christmas in the threatre in 1993 and was fast obsessed.  The King of Halloween is weary of his routine and feels like something is missing from his life so he discovers and attempts to do Christmas.  It has a beautiful score by Danny Elfman and many surreal and wonderful imagery.  

3.    Jim Henson’s Labyrinth.

Labyrinth is a fantasy film from 1986 featuring David Bowie as The Goblin King.  A young girl named Sarah wishes away her half-brother.  After the baby is actually abducted by goblins Sarah must solve an intricate maze within thirteen hours to save him before he is transformed into a goblin. The film is full of goblin creatures created by Jim Henson and you can see how it had some influence on certain aspects of The Sandman including Barbie’s dream world in the A Game of you story arc.   

4.   The Company of Wolves.

The Company of wolves is a horror film based on the short story collection The Bloody Chamber and other stories by Angela Carter.  It was directed by Neil Jordan, director of Interview with The Vampire.  Most of the film is set in the mind of a sleeping pubescent girl who is apparently having her first period.  In her dream world she is Little Red Riding Hood.  And her grandmother tells her various stories about werewolves.  Werewolves fast become a metaphor for puberty, masculinity, and sexual awakening and all those confusing and frightening emotions that come with them.  For all its symbolism and subtle beauty this is still very much a horror film.   

5.   Clive Barker’s Nightbreed   

Sometimes sold as Night Breed or Nightbreed I strongly recommend tracking down the Cabal cut or director’s cut of this movie.  It’s not just longer.  Some scenes are entirely different from the theatrical release. It even has a different ending.   The plot deals with a man named Boon who has been having strange dreams of a place called Midian.  An underground city entirely inhabited by monsters.  He yearns to be a part of that world.   Meanwhile Boon’s own therapist frames him for murder and manages to even convince Boon that he might be the killer. But things get even more strange when Boon discovers that Midian and it’s monstrous inhabitants are, in fact, real.  This film is based on the book Cabal by Clive Barker.  This one is very much a horror film.   

6.   Pan’s Labyrinth. 

 Not to be confused with Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, Pan’s Labyrinth is a Spanish language film about a young girl in a very unpleasant situation so she escapes into a fantasy world where she is a lost princess.  Beautiful, surreal, and very well made.  Pretty much any film by Guillermo del Tor can fit on this list.    My only complaint about this movie is that it is ONLY available with subtitles with no dub option.  I understand that Guillermo del Toro does not like badly dubbed movies but this is very inconsiderate for the visually impaired.  I am visually impaired and have to sit very close to read those subtitles.  Either that or learn Spanish...

7.   The Dark Crystal and it’s one season prequel series: Dark Crystal / Age of Resistance.  

Similar to Labyrinth only with a surprisingly more serious tone and no song numbers, The Dark Crystal is a movie that takes you into a surreal fantasy world inhabited entirely by puppet creatures. The prequel series recently aired on Netflix and has the same charm and beauty as the original.

8.   Swamp Thing.  

The 2019 Swamp Thing series for DC Universe (now on HBO Max) only got one season but it features a character you might recognize from The Sandman.   Matthew Cable.  After Matthew’s death he becomes Morpheus’ raven in The Sandman. There’s actually a lot of atmosphere in this show and it is very underrated.  

9.   Lucifer.

Though not faithful to the comics the premise of Lucifer is based on events from The Sandman: Season of Mists and The Sandman: The Kindly Ones where Lucifer quits ruling Hell, moves to Earth, opens Lux and takes up playing piano. 

10.   Justice League: Action episodes Trick or Threat and Supernatural Adventures in babysitting. 

The Justice League: Action episode Trick or threat features the first TV animated appearance of Cain and his House of Mystery as they appear in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.  The Supernatural Adventures in Babysitting episode features the Magdalene grimoire. This is the spell book that was used to summon Morpheus in the very first issue of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.  

Bonus mentions:

MirrorMask Stardust Howl’s Moving Castle Princess Mononoke The Wizard of Oz Return to Oz (features a character Jack Pumpkinhead who helped inspire Mervyn Pumpkinhead on a superficial level) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (animated or TV mini-series)

10th Kingdom (TV mini-series)

Gulliver’s Travel’s TV mini-series (features a young Tom Sturridge)  Rise of the Guardians  Maleficent 

Faust (1926 silent film) Tales from the Crypt (TV series) Tales from the Cryptkeeper (animated series)  Carnival Row (TV series) Sleepy Hollow (1999 film) Neverwhere Good Omens  @sex-and-games-in-new-york-city​​

[grigori77]

Summer 2021′s Movies - My Top Ten Favourite Films (Part 1)

The Runners-Up:

20.  LUCA – I’ll admit I really wasn’t sold on Disney/Pixar’s coming-of-age fantasy comedy, which revolves around a pair of young sea monsters living off the coast of the 1950s Italian Riviera, who discover they can assume human form when they dry out and go on land on a quest of discovery.  Thankfully the strong reviews convinced me to give it a chance – this is a frothy and irreverent romp through an exotically nostalgic world filled with Vespas, pasta-eating contests and found families that’s fun for kids of all ages.

19.  FAST & FURIOUS 9 – the high concept action franchise may be bursting under the ever-increasing weight of its own ludicrousness, but it’s still TONS of fun, packed with stunning over-the-top action, colourful globe-trotting and a loveable bunch of misfits we’ve grown incredibly fond of over the past TWENTY YEARS.  This time Dom (the irrepressible Vin Diesel) and the team are up against ruthless hi-tech mercenary Jakob (John Cena), a lethal jack-of-all-trades with a dark connection to the Toretto name.

18.  REMINISCENCE – Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy’s attempt to make it on the big screen looks set to go down as one of the biggest cinematic flops of 2021, which is a shame because the feature-debuting writer-director has crafted a genuinely fascinating speculative sci-fi noir detective thriller.  Set in a darkly dystopian future in which Global Warming has caused the sea levels to rise and society to start breaking down, it tells the story of Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman), a former soldier who ekes out a living using revolutionary tech to help the idle rich relive their fondest memories, until a life-changing mystery from his own past resurfaces, threatening to tear his whole world apart.  Frustratingly, it looks like most audiences are going to bypass this, which is a criminal loss.

17.  FREE GUY – after a seven year hiatus, Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy returns to the big screen in fine form with this deliriously inventive fantastical comedy adventure about Guy (a typically on-fire Ryan Reynolds), an NPC in an anarchic, Grand Theft Auto style MMORPG called Free City who discovers his own sentience after falling in love with Millie (Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer), a player with a hidden agenda that puts them both at odds with the game’s nefarious creator, Antwan (a thoroughly hilarious Taika Waititi).

16.  EVANGELION 3.0 + 1.01: THRICE UPON A TIME – visionary anime creator Hideaki Anno brings his long-running sci-fi saga to a close with this fourth instalment to his wildly ambitious cinematic “Rebuild” of cult TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s as frothy, melodramatic and bonkers as ever, packed full of weighty themes and crazy ideas, while the animation maintains this series’ ridiculously high levels of quality and the action is as explosive as ever, and Hideaki brings the whole mad mess to a climax that’s as rich, powerful and thoroughly befuddling as the saga deserves.

15.  THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD – Sicario writer Taylor Sheridan returns to the director’s chair (after impressive debut Wind River) with this intense and enthralling suspense thriller adapted by bestselling author Michael Koryta (along with Sheridan and Blood Diamond’s Charles Leavitt) from his own acclaimed novel. Angelina Jolie is (ahem) fiery but fallible as haunted smokejumper Hanna Faber, whose PTSD drives her to protect a desperate boy (Finn Little) who’s being hunted through the wilds of Montana by a pair of relentless assassins (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult).

14.  CRUELLA – far from the clunky cash-in retcon many were predicting, Disney’s ambitious black comedy crime caper does a thoroughly admirable job in delivering this fascinating and deeply compelling reimagining of the story of rogue fashion designer Cruella de Vil (one of the best performances I’ve ever seen Emma Stone deliver, hands down), the dastardly villainess of 101 Dalmatians. She’s certainly far more complex here, no longer a raging monster, but far from a whitewashed PC apologist, either, much more of a morally grey antihero with a very wicked dark side – then again, with I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie at the helm it’s not really a surprise.  Richly designed and dripping in spectacularly adventurous period detail, this is an divine romp from start to finish.

13.  THE GREEN KNIGHT – the latest feature from writer director David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saits, Pete’s Dragon, The Old Man & the Gun) is as offbeat and unusual as you’d expect from a visionary filmmaker with such a wildly varied CV.  Adapting the fantastical chivalric romance Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, he’s crafted what’s surely destined to be remembered as the year’s STRANGEST film, but it’s a work of aching beauty and introspective imagination that sears itself into the memory and rewards the viewer’s patience despite its leisurely pace.  Dev Patel is unbearably sexy and wonderfully complex as Gawain, while Sean Harris delivers show-stopping support with stately charisma and world-weary integrity as King Arthur.  This film is sure to divide opinions as well as audiences, but I think it’s a bona fide masterpiece that must be seen to be believed.

12.  CANDYMAN – after watching this wildly imaginative and frequently gut-wrenching soft-reboot/sequel to Bernard Rose’s acclaimed adaptation of Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden, I feel supremely confident about emerging writer-director Nia DaCosta’s coming MCU breakout with The Marvels.  Wisely papering over the clunky previous sequels, this streamlined trailblazing deep dive into the pure horror of the legend of the righteously mad spectral killer haunting the Chicago housing ghetto of Cabrini-Green sees a daring modern artist (Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) find his latest project turning into a dangerously self-destructive obsession. Writer-producer Jordan Peele’s fingerprints are all over this, but DaCosta clearly shows signs that she’s going to be a hell of a talent to watch in the future.

11.  THE WITCHER: NIGHTMARE OF THE WOLF – I wouldn’t normally shout about an animated spinoff to a TV series like this, but I was SO INSANELY IMPRESSED with this brilliant prequel to Netflix’ popular fantasy show (which clearly intends to lay some origin story groundwork for the impending second season) that I just can’t help myself. Recounting the backstory of Geralt of Rivia’s own Witcher mentor Vesemir, this beautifully expands on the already compelling universe the series has created, as well as delivering some breath-taking thrills and chills through some of the most exquisite cell animation I’ve ever seen outside of the greats of anime.  A must-see for Witcher fans, then, but one I’d also highly recommend to anyone who likes their animation a bit more grown-up and edgy.