#Marcus Hearn

[weirdlookindog]

Horror of Dracula (1958) - Poster art by Marcus Hearn.

[doctorwhogirlie]

My mum brought me a Doctor Who book today!

[downthetubes]

Coming Soon: Doctor Who: Print The Legend

Pre-orders have opened for Doctor Who: Print The Legend, due for release in newsagents and comic shops on 6th June 2024. This lavish, 116-page bookazine is the essential guide to Doctor Who novelisations

Pre-orders have opened for Doctor Who: Print The Legend, due for release in newsagents and comic shops on 6th June 2024. This lavish, 116-page bookazine is the essential guide to Doctor Who novelisations – hardback, paperback and audio adaptations of television stories.  Highlights include profiles of leading authors, a section on collecting rarities, a look at the recording of the audiobooks…

[thedoctorwhocompanion]

Out Now: Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition -- The Missing Doctor Who

Out Now: #DoctorWho Magazine Special Edition -- The Missing Doctor Who

The latest special edition from Doctor Who Magazine looks at The Missing Doctor Who, covering a range of interesting takes on lost parts of our favourite show. The issue includes exclusive features and rare photos, plus the results of the ‘League of Legends’ poll, which asked readers to name the ‘lost ’ episodes they’d most like to watch. Articles include filming locations that have disappeared,…

[david-talks-sw]

How the narrative framed Mace Windu, back in 2002

So there's this 2002 book written by Marcus Hearn, edited by J.W. Rinzler, titled Attack of the Clones - The Illustrated Companion. It was released a month before Episode II was released.

AKA, before EU material and anti-Jedi fanon could publicly reframe the meanings of the film... and before more recent narratives could reinterpret the character of Mace as a robotic, protocol-worshipping stickler who never bends the rules (when evidence shows he's anything but).

So how does Marcus Hearn - "untainted" by all the above factors, armed only with the Prequel films and their screenplays - frame the character of Mace Windu?

MACE & ANAKIN

Fandom: "Mace hated Anakin from Day #1 and never trusted him. Mace was probably jealous as he always thought he was the Chosen One, not Anakin!"

Attack of the Clones' - The Illustrated Companion:

"Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu lead the High Council in rejecting Qui-Gon's application to train Anakin, 'He is too old,' concludes Mace Windu. 'There is already too much anger in him.'

Hearn explains that the problem with Anakin wasn't that he was just too old, it's that because of that age he had become too filled with fear and anger to a point where taking on the Jedi training would be twice as hard for him as it already was for everyone else.

Hearn doesn't chastise Mace for this initial decision. On the contrary, he adds more context to it by using a line from the screenplay to explain where Mace is coming from.

He also goes further into Mace's view of Anakin throughout the book:

"[Mace] over-estimates Anakin Skywalker, paying little credence to Obi-Wan's protestations that the boy is too confused and disturbed to be dispatched on a solo mission."

"The Jedi Council is aware of Anakin's exceptional skills, and Mace Windu believes Anakin may fulfill the prophecy that says a being will one day bring balance to the Force. But Anakin still has a lot to learn…"

He's basically stating that Mace believes in Anakin, but that doing so is a mistake. Which, to be fair, considering how things turn out for Mace and the Jedi... is kinda true!

Mace's problem with Anakin is almost the opposite of what most of the fandom projects onto him.

It's not that he dislikes Anakin, on the contrary, he holds Anakin in too high of an esteem and is overlooking Anakin's glaring flaws because "hey, Anakin's the Chosen One. He's got this!"

That's not the only flaw Mace has, according to Hearn.

MACE'S (and the Jedi's) ONLY REAL FLAW

Fandom: "Mace and the Jedi had become too emotionally detached, they had lost touch with the common folk by spending too much time in their ivory tower. They focused so much on being selfless that they forgot how to care, they've become a bunch of elitist, righteous sticklers for protocol who care more about upholding laws than actually helping the people those laws are meant to protect!"

Attack of the Clones' - The Illustrated Companion:

"Although he is a senior member of the Jedi Council, little in Mace Windu's experience has prepared him for the looming threats of the dark side of the Force and Count Dooku's Separatists."

"Mace Windu's faith in the Jedi to protect the Republic is admirable, but it also blinds him to the true scale of the growing menace. He is aware that the dark side is growing, but still allows himself to be too easily reassured about the Separatists' ambitions. [...] Mace fatally misjudges Count Dooku, refusing to believe he could be behind any attempt on Senator Amidala's life. 'Dooku was once a ledi, he tells Padmé. 'He couldn't assassinate anyone. It's not in his character.'"

"Mace Windu's strengths are, in many ways, qualities shared by the Jedi Order as a whole - he is an accomplished diplomat and a fine swordsman. Such skills have served the Jedi well in their role as the galaxy's peacekeepers for a thousand generations. But such skills are not enough to save the Jedi from their own complacency, and the tumultuous changes that threaten to wipe them out forever."

Hearn perfectly grasps what the Jedi's only real flaw is, in George Lucas' intended narrative: they were unprepared, complacent, they were blind... and now they're stuck playing catch-up.

But when he's saying that, he's not blaming them for it. Because this flaw doesn't derive from some sense of elitism or superiority... it is an inevitable consequence of their qualities.

They've managed to stay out of politics as neutral diplomats... ... but that makes them vulnerable to the Sith's plot, which primarily takes place within the political arena, where they have no control or experience.

They are painfully aware of the corruption in the Senate... ... but as a result, they're too quick to trust the Separatist's talking points as well-meaning and genuine, instead of seeing the movement for what it really is: greedy big business trying to become the government.

They trust and agree with Dooku, believe in what he publicly stands for (after all this man used to be one of the wisest and kindest members of the Jedi Order, Mace's friend, Yoda's Padawan, etc)... ... but as such, they are blind to his true nature, that of a treacherous Sith who'd stoop to orchestrating assassinations.

The Jedi have their guard up, knowing that there's another Sith Lord still out there, orchestrating in the shadows... ... but they can't really find him, because the Dark Side has clouded everything, so only darksiders are able to sense the possibilities of the future! Them serving the good side is screwing them over, in this situation.

Flaws such as being too trusting or being unprepared, letting your guard down because you've established a 1000-year-peace, are flaws that kind, noble characters such as the Jedi are bound to have.

They may be flaws, but they aren't faults. And considering the way he describes Mace and the Jedi, it's clear Hearn grasps the nuance.

MACE'S RELUCTANCE TO JOIN THE WAR

Fandom: The Jedi joined the war out of arrogance, they thought they could swashbuckle their way through the problem and win, instead they didn't realize that they lost the very moment they joined.

Attack of the Clones' - The Illustrated Companion:

"Mace Windu believes in the Jedi as keepers of the peace - not as soldiers - but there comes a point when he reluctantly realizes that it is time to take affairs out of the realm of diplomacy."

Mace and the Jedi didn't want to start a war. If you read the script for Attack of the Clones, Mace and Bail keep grasping at straws to not engage with the Separatists up til the very end.

But when you consider that...

the Geonosians are about to execute Obi-Wan without a trial,

and the Separatists leaders have been unmasked as a coalition of unscrupulous corporate assholes who are willing to plunge the galaxy in chaos just to make more money.

... at some point, the Jedi have to come to terms with the fact that Separatist leadership (and Sidious) won't accept diplomacy because they want a conflict. A conflict will make them all richer. And the Republic, well, they're just dying to go to war too.

So the Jedi go save Obi-Wan and capture Dooku, hoping that in doing so, the conflict ends before it begins. They succeed in the former goal... but fail the latter one.

The Clone War has begun.

From there on, the Jedi are drafted to lead the war. Which is why - as Hearn points out - Mace was so reluctant to take action in the first place. The Jedi are ambassadors, they are not built for war... and now they've been forced into one.

Mace is by no means a perfect character... but he's someone doing his best. Just like Obi-Wan, just like Yoda, and all the other Jedi.

Overtime, Windu's character has been dumbed down to either "that one angry black man" or "the dogmatic emotionless dick who hated Anakin"... and I really think that that's not what we were meant to see him as.

The way Marcus Hearn (who also wrote The Cinema of George Lucas) refers to him is a much more charitable interpretation of how others (ahem Filoni ahem) do, nowadays.

[brokehorrorfan]

The Quatermass Xperiment will be released on Blu-ray on December 12 via Kino Lorber. The 1955 British sci-fi horror film includes reversible artwork featuring its alternate US title, The Creeping Unknown.

Val Guest (The Day the Earth Caught Fire) directs from a script he co-wrote with Richard H. Landau (The Black Hole), based on the 1955 BBC serial from Nigel Kneale. Brian Donlevy, Richard Wordsworth, Jack Warner, David King-Wood, Margia Dean, and Maurice Kaufmann star.

Special features - including an interview with master of horror John Carpenter - are listed below.

Special features:

Audio commentary by film historian Gary Gerani (new)

Audio commentary by director Val Guest, moderated by film historian Marcus Hearn

Interview with filmmaker John Carpenter

Interview with director Val Guest

QX: From Reality to Fiction featurette

QX: Comparing the Versions featurette

Trailers From Hell with Ernest Dickerson

Alternate main title

Theatrical trailer

A spacecraft returns to Earth with a frightening surprise on board. Two of the ship's three astronauts have mysteriously vanished, while the third is sick with an unidentifiable illness. While doctors try to help the third man recover, an investigation takes place to figure out just what happened to his comrades. As it turns out, the survivor’s body has been taken over by an alien fungus that needs blood to survive. After the astronaut escapes from the hospital, he transforms into a monster, attacking everyone who gets in its way. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard detective Lomax (Jack Warner) and Professor Bernard Quatermass (Brian Donlevy), a determined scientist, attempt to track down the creature before it finds new victims.

Pre-order The Quatermass Xperiment.

[mappingthemoon]

Books Read 2023

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations / Mira Jacob

A Grief Observed / C. S. Lewis

Grit Lit: A Rough South Reader / ed. Brian Carpenter & Tom Franklin

Two or Three Things I Know for Sure / Dorothy Allison

Weather: Air Masses, Clouds, Rainfall, Storms, Weather Maps, Climate (A Golden Nature Guide) / Paul E. Lehr, R. Will Burnett, Herbert S. Zim ; Harry McNaught (ill.)

Improbable Memories / Sarah Moon

Endless Endless: A Lo-Fi History of the Elephant 6 Mystery / Adam Clair

The Difference Between / Billy McCall

The Submissive (The Submissive #1) / Tara Sue Me

Last Night at the Casino [v. 1] / Billy McCall

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing / Marie Kondo ; Cathy Hirano (tr.)

Pnin / Vladimir Nabokov

My Heart Is a Chainsaw / Stephen Graham Jones

"Waltz of the Body Snatchers" / Alfred Bester, in Andromeda I: An original SF anthology / ed. Peter Weston

Blue Highways: A Journey Into America / William Least Heat-Moon

The Stars My Destination (The Gregg Press Science Fiction Series) / Alfred Bester

Laughter in the Dark / Vladimir Nabokov

Man and His Symbols / Carl G. Jung

Mysteries of the Unexplained / ed. Carroll C. Calkins

The Westing Game / Ellen Raskin

The Seven Ages / Louise Glück

The Wild Iris / Louise Glück

Vita Nova / Louise Glück

Doctor Who: Impossible Worlds: A 50-Year Treasury of Art and Design / Stephen Nicholas & Mike Tucker

Where's Waldo? (Where's Waldo #1) / Martin Handford

Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey (Where's Waldo #3) / Martin Handford

Doctor Who 50 Years #3: The Doctors / ed. Marcus Hearn

Rabbit, Run / John Updike

Mother Night / Kurt Vonnegut

Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books) / Bibliographic Standards Committee, Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, Association of College and Research Libraries, in collaboration with The Policy Standards Office of the Library of Congress

"Descriptive Bibliography" / Terry Belanger, in Book Collecting: A Modern Guide / ed. Jean Peters

The Essential Doctor Who #2: The TARDIS / ed. Marcus Hearn

Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited / Vladimir Nabokov

Chicago: City on the Make / Nelson Algren

Gustav Klimt, 1862-1918 / Gilles Néret

American Gods: A Novel / Neil Gaiman

Marcel Duchamp, 1887-1968: Art as Anti-Art / Janis Mink

The Empathy Exams: Essays / Leslie Jamison

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Three Tenant Families / James Agee & Walker Evans

Hallucination Orbit: Psychology in Science Fiction / ed. Isaac Asimov, Charles G. Waugh, Martin H. Greenberg

Dream Street: W. Eugene Smith's Pittsburgh Project / W. Eugene Smith ; ed. Sam Stephenson

Twilight / Gregory Crewdson ; Rick Moody

Magic Eye: A New Way of Looking at the World / N.E. Thing Enterprises

Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams / Steve Horton & Michael Allred ; Laura Allred (ill.)

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path / Jack Kornfield

The Gin Closet: A Novel / Leslie Jamison

The New Kid on the Block / Jack Prelutsky ; James Stevenson (ill.)

A Book of Common Prayer / Joan Didion

Mariette in Ecstasy / Ron Hansen

Camp Damascus / Chuck Tingle

The Mass Production of Memory: Travel and Personal Archiving in the Age of the Kodak (Public History in Historical Perspective) / Tammy S. Gordon

Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas / Rebecca Solnit & Rebecca Snedeker

Other Voices, Other Rooms / Truman Capote

Fabulous New Orleans / Lyle Saxon ; E.H. Suydam (ill.)

Weird Pennsylvania: Your Travel Guide to Pennsylvania's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets / Matt Lake

Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence (Griffin & Sabine #1) / Nick Bantock

Sabine's Notebook: In Which The Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues (Griffin & Sabine #2) / Nick Bantock

The Golden Mean: In Which The Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Concludes (Griffin & Sabine #3) / Nick Bantock

Breath, Eyes, Memory / Edwidge Danticat

Last Night at the Casino, v. 2 / Billy McCall

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions / Randall Munroe

Collection-Level Cataloging: Bound-with Books (Third Millennium Cataloging) / Jain Fletcher

Speaking Pittsburghese: The Story of a Dialect (Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics) / Barbara Johnstone

My Misspent Youth: Essays / Meghan Daum

Slender Intuition: Essays on Artist's Block / Brian Hitselberger

The Mister / E L James

Crapalachia: A Biography of a Place / Scott McClanahan

The Transcriptionist: A Novel / Amy Rowland

Explanations/Opinions below the cut:

Ok so I have several reading lists/stacks that I rotate through: my to-read spreadsheet (which has almost 300 titles listed in chronological order by date added, with the oldest being from 8/22/2014), my to-read bookcase/nightstand (which holds ~50 books I’ve acquired over the past few years but haven’t yet read), a stack of oversized unreads that don’t fit on the nightstand shelves (this gets its own list bc I need to read them and find a permanent home for them before the stack gets too tall), and “interruptions” (books that override the list order bc I didn’t want to wait to read them, for whatever reason).

Maybe it’s weird that I’m so attached to reading things “in order”? Idk. I’ve always been like this. It’s only a mild compulsion – obviously, I am perfectly capable of ignoring what’s supposed to be next on the list, in favor of reading something that catches my interest more strongly in the moment, but in general, I like to read things either in the order I added them to the list, or the order I personally acquired a physical copy (if I went by the list only, I’d be drowning in unread books [yay, college town thrift stores], so I gotta stay on top of that pile pretty regularly). So that is why I am often reading things that I first became aware of/added to my list nearly 10 years ago. Sometimes this practice results in feelings like, “Dang, I wish I would’ve actually read this 10 years ago,” but also sometimes, “WOW, I’m so glad I’m reading this RIGHT NOW, as opposed to 10 years ago when I first heard about it!”

I think my favorites this year were Mariette in Ecstasy; Other Voices, Other Rooms; Crapalachia; and Speak, Memory.

Mild disappointments were the essay collections by Leslie Jamison and Meghan Daum, two authors I’m pretty sure I discovered via popular and relateable quotes reblogged on tumblr ca. 2014, but the collections taken as a whole just had too many moments of cringe – casual classism, arrogant self-absorption, and other annoying and unrelateable qualities typical of privileged 20-something writers (this tone definitely appealed to me when I was a naïve and melodramatic snotty 20-something, so there’s that).

As a kind of memorial, Rachael and I read David’s three favorite books: The Stars My Destination, Mother Night, and American Gods. In all the time I knew him, including all the times we used to sit on the porch together, reading quietly while he drank whiskey, I never thought to ask him his favorites. I kept looking for pieces of him in the stories, wondering what lines stood out, what made a book memorable, what did it say about him that these were his favorites.

Being an elder Millennial, I’m in the stage of nostalgically re-acquiring important artifacts from my childhood, so that’s why there are some children’s books on my list. Where’s Waldo? was one of the most coveted books in my grade-school library! There was always a list of people waiting to check it out, but usually, whoever actually had the book that week would let the other kids gather around and look together.

My Heart Is a Chainsaw was a recommendation from my goth teenaged birthdaughter <3 which I probably read too much personal symbolism into but maybe not!

I thought John Updike was overrated, lol.

Favorite photography book: W. Eugene Smith’s Dream Street. His pictures made me so homesick, and it was wild because he took them from 1955-1957 but they still really, REALLY, to me, looked like the Pittsburgh of my ‘80s/’90s memories (bc Pittsburgh doesn’t change, and also the “idea” or “brand” of Pittsburgh in the ‘80s/’90s was ofc consciously referencing its industrial working-class past). He took over 10,000 photos but was never able to “finish” the project to his intense, obsessive standards of perfection (I KNOW THAT FEEL) and felt it failed to capture the multifaceted essence of the city. WELL, not in my opinion at least!

PS I'm moonmoth on LibraryThing.

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: June 1994

WHY BRING BACK THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS? HERE’S WHY… 

In the past few years, title opportunities for light heavyweight North American wrestlers have more or less evaporated. Considering the talent available, the major federations may be missing the boat. 

By V.J. Paterno

[At the Tokyo Dome recently, everyone kept an eye on the outstanding aerial moves of Tiger Mask (right) and Jushin Liger (opposite page). Light heavyweights in North America rarely get this kind of respect from their federations.]

“Don’t get me wrong,” 2 Cold Scorpio said over lunch in a suburban Atlanta restaurant. “I love teaming up with Marcus [Alexander Bagwell]. Tag team wrestling is lots of fun. But it would be great to have the opportunity to go after a solo title against wrestlers of my size.”

Unfortunately for Scorpio, that option isn’t currently available to him. 

True, he could pursue WCW’s U.S. or TV belt if he so desired. Remember last summer, when he nearly upset Barry Windham for the NWA title? But down the road, Scorpio would likely have to face a super heavyweight or two, and that isn’t fair. Neither the U.S. nor TV titles have weight restrictions.

[In your face! Even the sanctuary of a ring post isn’t enough to protect Liger, as he withstands an assault from this flying Tiger.]

If Scorpion suddenly bolted to the WWF, he’d be in the same predicament. The Intercontinental belt has occasionally been a de facto light heavyweight title, but at 291 pounds, current champ Razor Ramon certainly doesn’t fit that description.

The heavyweights are always going to hog the attention; there’s no getting around that. But WCW and the WWF are missing out on a great opportunity by ignoring the lighter wrestlers.

“People identify with guys like The Kid and Scorpio,” said WCW expert Donald Wayne. “They’re exciting to watch, and they win with brains, not with bulk. Properly promoted, I see no reason why a light heavyweight division couldn’t hold fans’ interest.”

If boxing shared wrestling’s disinclination toward lighter athletes, the world would never have become familiar with the ring artistry of Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, and Julio Cesar Chavez. Similar stars are awaiting recognition in wrestling’s squared circle. 

Several years ago, WCW had a light heavyweight division, and even imported Japanese aerial legend Jushin Liger to American shores. Scorpio wasn’t in the federation then, but he’s faced Liger in Japan.

[Photographers love the high flying light heavyweights, because there’s always plenty of action. With shots like these, who can blame them? It’s a macho aerial ballet.]

“What a talent,” Scorpio raves. “Such marvelous skills, and he never lets up. The public in Japan loves him. Maybe U.S. fans didn’t warm up to him because they found it hard to define the personalities of Japanese wrestlers like they can with the Americans. But we have wrestlers in this country who can fly nearly on that level, and fans here obviously can relate to them.”

In 1991, WCW instituted a light heavyweight title, and Brian Pillman won the initial championship by defeating Rick Morton in a tournament final. “Flyin’ Brian” lost the title to Liger on Christmas night of that year, but won it back the following February 29. Both bouts were thrillers. 

“Those were probably my happiest times as a solo wrestler,” Pillman recalled. “I was in an environment where I could realistically contend for a title, since I wasn’t taking on super heavyweights. And when you regularly wrestle guys like Liger, you know you’re going to improve your skills.”

Brad Armstrong held the title in mid-1992, but vacated it after suffering a knee injury and falling to defend the belt within the required 30 days. Pillman was scheduled to face Armstrong at Clash of the Champions, and in frustration called him a coward

“I’m still made at him,” Pillman said, “but I’m equally angered that none of us in the federation have had a chance to succeed him. The belt never even reached its first anniversary.

[Liger would later profess his respect for Tiger Mask, who withstood the pain of this submission hold and came back for more.]

WCW Executive Vice President Bill Watts promised a light heavyweight tournament for sometime in 1993. But he was dismissed early that year, so any plans he may have had never came to fruition. Perhaps new Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel will revive the division, but he has many other problems to solve, and the light heavyweight question may be on the back burner. 

“I’ve talked with Nick, and I think he likes the idea,” Scorpio said. “He knows the talent base we have, that in light heavyweights, junior heavyweights, whatever you want to call us, we have some great wrestlers. Guys like that deserve the recognition of their own division.”

“At the same time, the decision isn’t entirely his. The promoters will have to be convinced that it will work. Settling up something like this takes lots of time and money.”

A rival federation has already thrown its support to smaller wrestlers. Smoky Mountain Wrestling recently instituted a U.S. junior heavyweight title, and is planning to hold cards in WCW’s home base of Georgia. SMW may well force WCW’s hand.

“The fans in Smoky love seeing the smaller guys wrestle,” said Morton, who’s now concentrating on tag team wrestling with The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. “I like watching it myself. I can’t understand why any wrestling promotion ignores guys our size. Maybe if every super heavyweight had the skills of a big Van Vader, but let’s not kid ourselves. They don't.”

[Tiger Mask recovered to mount a counterattack and thrill fans with several spectacular dropkicks. Action like this could become common in America if federations would just institute light heavyweight divisions.]

YET ANOTHER TIGER MASK LOSES HIS STRIPES

Understandably, most Americans’ interest in the recent New Japan “Battlefield ‘94” card at the Tokyo Dome centered on matches involving Hulk Hogan, Rick and Scott Steiner, and Road Warrior Hawk. But there were other highlights as well, including one that showed just how impressive light heavyweight matches can be.

IWGP junior heavyweight champ Jushin Liger, whose matches with Brian Pillman are still fondly remembered by many WCW fans, challenged Tiger Mask in a non-title bout. It should be noted that this Tiger Mask was the third wrestler to carry the name. The first, Satoru Sayama, excelled in the early-1980s before unmasking himself and leaving pro wrestling. The next Tiger Mask also eventually unmasked on his own volition, revealing himself to be Mitsuharu Misawa. He is still regarded as one of Japan’s premier aerial stars.

The action was as good as promised. There were plenty of high-flying moves throughout, and for several minutes neither wrestler took command. Finally, Liger took the inactive, used a spectacular shooting-star press, and posted the pin at 12:26.

[A humbled Koji Kanemoto voluntarily unmasked in tribute to his conqueror, the legendary Jushin LIger.]

While this was not a stipulation match, Tiger Mask decided to unmask anyway, and was found to be Koji Kanemoto. He immediately challenged Liger to a rematch.

“Tiger Mask has always been a popular concept with Japanese fans,” said correspondent Koichi Yoshizawa. “The man who wears it has a great deal to live up to. Sayama and Misawa were true world-class wrestlers, and Kanemoto is good in his own right.”

“I have no idea if he’ll continue wearing the mask, or give it to someone else. I only hope whoever wears it is worthy of the honor.”

Hogan’s manager, Jimmy Hart, caught some of the match while awaiting the “Hulkster’s” Bout against Tatsumi Fujinami. “People like liger are among the reasons Hulk would like Japanese’ style wrestling to succeed in North America,” he said “While the light heavyweights don’t have the power of Hulk, they’re intense and athletic, really marvelous to watch.”

-Vincent Paterno

[janamelie]

“Horror Of Dracula”

Just watched the restored version of this 1958 film for the first time and really enjoyed it.  I was already aware that it departs significantly from the book in several ways so enjoyed it as basically fanfic.  Cushing and Lee are great and the female cast are as well despite being written with plenty of 1950s sexism.

There was a part of the audio commentary by Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby which annoyed me though.  They point out how clean this version of Dracula’s castle looks and how in the book the Count cooks and cleans for Jonathan Harker - “But of course, you couldn’t have Lee doing that!”  Laughter at the mere idea.

Of course, you couldn’t have your “master vampire” doing something which he does in the book.  Repeatedly, over two months.  *Eyeroll*

Personally, I think the scene where Lee bursts in, red-eyed and feral, to snatch his vampire bride away from Jonathan would have been even more of a shock if we’d seen more of him acting like a human beforehand.  Whatever, the film is still fun.

[vintage1981]

Doctor Who Magazine 584 On Sale Now!

THE FOURTEENTH DOCTOR’S ADVENTURES BEGIN – EXCLUSIVELY IN DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE!

David Tennant is the Fourteenth Doctor… and although it will be a year until we see his TV adventures, the story continues in Doctor Who Magazine issue 584.

An epic new comic-strip adventure, written by Alan Barnes and illustrated by Lee Sullivan, picks up directly where The Power of the Doctor left off.

Editor Marcus Hearn says, “Russell T Davies, our new showrunner, has long admired the DWM strip. And that’s why he’s granted us the honour of telling the Fourteenth Doctor’s first story in an adventure that dovetails with the most recent episode. For the first time in our 43-year history, the strip is now in lockstep with the television series’ continuity.”

Russell T Davies says, “From day one, I wanted to increase ties between the show and the magazine. I love it when we’re in sync! A lot of people will be thinking, David’s not the real Doctor, he’s a trick, an illusion, a flashback. But no. He’s real. And DWM can help us underline that.”

Other highlights of the new issue include:

Meet the New Team – the producers, directors and other crew members of Doctor Who tell us what they’re looking forward to in the 2023 Specials and beyond.

Letter from the Showrunner – in the first of his new regular columns, Russell T Davies reveals what brought him back to Doctor Who.

Production Diary – script editor Scott Handcock provides exclusive updates about forthcoming episodes, direct from Doctor Who’s HQ.

Reach up for the Sunrise – David Tennant, Russell T Davies, former showrunner Chris Chibnall, directors Rachel Talalay and Jamie Magnus Stone, and CG artist Ben Pickles describe shooting The Power of the Doctor’s regeneration sequence.

The Strip of a Lifetime – Russell T Davies, Scott Handcock, Alan Barnes and Lee Sullivan on creating the Fourteenth Doctor’s first adventure.

The Watchers ­– fans who were lucky enough to be granted studio visits in the 1960s and early 70s recall the thrill of watching Doctor Who being made.

Hack to the Future – an interview with artist Robert Hack about the new illustrated version of David Whitaker’s seminal novel Doctor Who and the Daleks.

Collectivity: The TARDIS – meet the fans for whom collecting police-box merchandise has been a lifelong passion.

Factory Records – the sets of 1966’s The Power of the Daleks are recreated, providing new insights into this mostly missing story.

The Fact of Fiction encounters Cybermen and Daleks as it looks back at 2006’s Army of Ghosts.

Other Worlds – an essential guide to forthcoming stories in the expanded Doctor Who universe.

Previews, reviews, news, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser, Sufficient Data and more.

Doctor Who Magazine Issue 584 is on sale Thursday 10 November from panini.co.uk and WH Smith priced £6.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from pocketmags.com priced £5.99.

[manuscruentas]

Okay, I'm gonna stick this under a cut because no one wants to read it all on their dash probably. But if you aren't inclined to go digging for info about the current muses here, here's a quick and dirty list:

Peter Osborne - From the Exorcist TV show - ex-marine, nearly 60, came back from Kosovo with severe PTSD. He worked through it, now he's got a boat, and he works for Fish and Wildlife in Washington State. Gay. Will talk to you endlessly about birds.

Mouse - Also from The Exorcist. She used to be a nun. Then Marcus Keane showed up, she fell in love a little bit, wound up possessed for six months, and promptly quit the nun business. She's still a nun, kind of, she just .... kicked the habit. Literally. Also she's happy to commit murder if it means she also beats a demon. She has set things on fire. She can use a gun. She loves you, but she'll also kill you, sorry. (And no, we don't know her real name).

Cassandra - An OC! An Ex-Nun. The other nuns thought she was possessed and tried to do an exorcism. It didn't go well. She may have been left tied to a crucifix for several days. She wears gloves to cover the scars, is definitely not a nun anymore, and spends her time investigating shitty miracles and exorcisms gone wrong.

Josephine (Jo) - Another OC! A mutant with the worst ability ever. Or maybe it's just magic, we're unsure. Either way, poor Josephine somehow got stuck with the ability to cleanse you of your sins just by touching you. The trouble is, the worst your sins are - the heavier the cost to her. The physical manifestation appears like stigmata. Some sins just cause her hands to bleed, the small ones, anyway. Worse sins cause a full manifestation. She wears gloves to avoid contact with people as much as possible. She's also a cupcake, don't touch her.

Jonah - An OC again! And a werewolf. And a widower. He has three kids, Stella (6), Wyatt (12), and Alana (18). He's a homicide detective, and also he's tired. Will dad you.

Hearne - Another OC! A hunter. Was really, really, exceptionally good at his job. Was taught to hunt from a very young age. In fact: he can probably fight a werewolf bare handed, but he can't read very well, because his parents had terrible priorities. He would've kept hunting, except he stumbled on an abandoned werewolf pup, had a whole entire crisis, and now he's trying to parent and also make up for the fact that all he did for 35 + years was murder, basically. Might still throw you through a wall, depends on the day.

[wikiblair]

42, please? :)

42. favourite book(s)

Wow tought question for the start :-). It´s hard to pick one. Honestly, I don´t remember if I ever read any book of fiction more than once.

But I love book series if that help :). My favorite book series are from historical detective stories from Lindsey Davis (series with Marcus Didius Falco as a main character), series of detective stories from 17th century in feudal Japan from Laura Joh Rowland. Or if you want some fantasy, I can recomend Harry Dresden stories from Jim Butcher, or Iron Druid chronicles from Kevin Hearne :-).

Oh and I really like fictionalized biography of Sapho from Siegfried Obermaier. That book coused me a little trouble in bookstore cause I´ve open it at particulary juicy part ehm :-).

Thank you! :-)

[frontproofmedia]

RICHARDSON HITCHINS: I DON’T FEEL PRESSURE HEADLINING

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Published: September 21, 2023

RICHARDSON HITCHINS: I DON’T FEEL PRESSURE HEADLINING

Brooklyn star says he was ‘born’ for the spotlight – and will light up the Sunshine State on Saturday night

Richardson Hitchins says he’s too good to feel pressure in headlining for the first time in his career on Saturday night – and will put on a dazzling performance against Jose Zepeda to prove it, as they clash at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, live worldwide on DAZN.

  TICKETS FOR ORLANDO ARE ON SALE NOW AT TICKETMASTER.COM

  Hitchins (16-0 7 KOs) is bearing down on the champions at 140lbs, and victory over former World title challenger Zepeda (37-3 28 KOs) would see the Brooklyn ace knocking on the door for a crack at the belts.   The 25-year-old joined promoter Eddie Hearn in visiting the School of Hard Knocks gym in Orlando to impart their wisdom on aspiring young fighters, and seeing the work done in the community by the gym reminded Hitchins of how far he’s come from humble beginnings to the edge of glory.   “I don’t really feel the pressure of headlining,” said Hitchins. “I was born to do this; I’m made for it. I think that there’s always been pressure for me for day one, but I handle it because I am confident in my ability and in who I am. I am a special fighter; at the end of the day, it’s boxing and I truly believe I’m one of the best out there.”   “Every opportunity is important, so I am looking at this fight like I have all my previous fights, it’s must-win. If you can master boxing and you can conquer the world, and that’s what I am in the sport for, to be at the very top.   “From starting out to headlining on Saturday, it’s been a crazy journey. I think back to being a kid that walked into a boxing gym after seeing Marcus Browne in the 2012 Olympics, I was probably 14, and following that was my first short-term goal to go to the Olympics.    “From there, to signing with Mayweather Promotions, fighting on Showtime, beating a former World Champion in Argenis Mendis, and now headlining my first show; it’s just destiny when you look at it.   “When you are chasing a dream, and you are on that journey, it’s easy for people to doubt you or think you aren’t that guy. There are always things on the outside that you may have to overcome, but when you have my focus, your eyes set on that goal, all you must do is focus on that because the storm always ends, and you will get to the sunshine.   “My family was homeless, I have come from a tough beginning, but I always knew boxing would be a way out. I am making sure that me and my family never have to go back to days that I couldn’t help. Period. I think I have a gift and I am using that to make like better for them. I’m able to help and the more I master my craft, I will use it to achieve more and more inside and outside the ring.” Hitchins' clash with Zepeda is part of a stacked card in Orlando, with co-main action in the form of the return of British star Conor Benn (21-0, 14 KOs) who faces Mexican Super-Welterweight Rodolfo ‘Sinaloita’ Orozco (32-3-3, 24 KOs) Jessica McCaskill (12-3 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (6-1 2 KOs) clashing in a unification battle for the WBA, WBC, WBO, IBO, and Ring Magazine Welterweight titles, and Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams (14-0 10 KOs) press his claims for World title action at Middleweight as he tackles Steve Rolls (22-2 12 KOs).  Orestes Velazquez (7-0 6 KOs) will defend his WBA International Super-Lightweight title to headline the Before the Bell action against Mohamed Soumaoro (13-1 6 KOs). Khalil Coe (6-0-1 4 KOs) continues to rise through the ranks at Light-Heavyweight, and ‘Big Steppa’ will be looking for his third KO win of 2023 against Kenmon Evans (10-1-1 3 KOs). Super-Welterweight Jeovanny Estella (12-0 3 KOs) and Super-Flyweight Jasmine Artega (10-0-1 5 KOs) tasting action over eight rounds while Bantamweight Roberto Rivera Gomez (3-0 2 KOs) kicks the whole night off over four rounds, with all three fighters to be matched imminently.

(Featured Photo: Melina Pizano/Matchoom Boxing)

[amyjsoba]

Based on everything RTD has said, it seems very unlikely to me that it’s a regression. He has called David 14 and Ncuti 15 which is very important because the number signifies where the character of the Doctor is as a whole. If something was out of order or switched I don’t think they’d give this incarnation a number. I don’t think they could. This bit is also important:

From Doctor Who TV:

Editor Marcus Hearn says, “Russell T Davies, our new showrunner, has long admired the Doctor Who Magazine strip. And that’s why he’s granted us the honour of telling the Fourteenth Doctor’s first story in an adventure that dovetails with the most recent episode. For the first time in our 43-year history, the strip is now in lockstep with the television series’ continuity.”

Russell T Davies says, “From day one, I wanted to increase ties between the show and the magazine. I love it when we’re in sync! A lot of people will be thinking, David’s not the real Doctor, he’s a trick, an illusion, a flashback. But no. He’s real. And Doctor Who Magazine can help us underline that.”

I think 14 was confused about the clothes because his regeneration included clothes, not because they were different from his old ones.

Same face and body = similar personality for sure. The Curator uses some of 4’s mannerisms in the 50th so there’s precedent for that.

I also think it would’ve been weird for David to be completely different. We haven’t seen much of 14 yet, but there will be some subtle differences to distinguish 10 and 14. 10 was completely manic and grief-stricken at the end of his run. 14 will not be. And there isn’t enough of 14’s voice yet to confirm this, but for all of his lines so far, David has pitched 14’s voice down, whereas he pitches his voice up for 10. The “what’s” for 14 are much lower. We’ll see if that is a constant when the specials air.

I do think we have to assume that something weird happened with the regeneration—the clothes regenerating for one. It’s most likely because of the toy maker but it could be because of the way 13 was forced to regenerate (though that doesn’t explain the clothes. Good luck with that one RTD).

It’s all so exciting. I can’t wait to see how everything shakes out!

I really wonder who 14 is. Is he tenth doctor again or a new doctor with an old face back, and with a new personality? Literally we saw him using "Allonsy" in the trailer which was Ten's motto, but the new outfit symbolizes someone different...

that's the question isn't it? honestly what makes me think that he is ten again is that david tennant has really good range, if he wanted him to feel like a different doctor than he would and he doesn't feel different. his mannerisms and such (whot?!/allonsy/etc) are all very tenth doctor.

but also the outfit is meant to be confusing. he seems very confused by it, and again- if it were just a simple regression then why not the regular old brown (or blue) suit?

nph's villian is probably the celestial toymaker (he's listed as much on letterboxed) who is a classic who villian. he likes to take people from different universes and take them into his own as play things (aka "welcome to the world premiere" thing in the trailer) so i would not be suprised if it's a mixture of both of those things-or neither.

i'm like 99% sure that whatever is happening is not like. a natural thing. he's being messed with.

[may8chan]

Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros Years

[justfilms]

Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros Years