#Roman is kind of a dark shadow of Bruce

[shadcwforged]

This interpretation of Sionis is an interesting take on his ties to Bruce Wayne. In some comics, Bruce and Roman were 'friends' as children (or at least the Sionis parents wanted to associate with the Waynes to boost their own social standing), which leaves to Sionis becoming the criminal version of Batman with varying degrees of skill. In this adaptation, while Sionis sets out to present an intimidating persona to Gotham's criminals in his 'Black Mask' guise, in practice he is a petty spoiled playboy who represents what Bruce Wayne could be if he really was the rich idiot he pretends to be while having absolutely no thought for the consequences beyond what benefits him.

IMDB trivia page for Birds of Prey (2020)

[daedalusdavinci]

“Wow, someone is in a good mood! You look like you slept five full hours this time!” riddlebat

"Well, someone is in a good mood. You look like you got a full five hours of sleep for- what, the first time in years? It must be."

Bruce could feel the start of a headache pulsing behind his eyes, as he so often did when dealing with the Riddler. He would say he was beginning to regret the decision to allow Edward to assist him on this latest project, but it would be a lie. He had regretted it ever since he'd first asked, nearly a week ago now. "I can take it back," he said, pulling the coffee back out of Edward's reach.

Edward, who had been about to eagerly take it from him, let his hand fall again with a pout. "Perhaps I spoke too soon. You're as testy as ever."

Bruce hummed, carefully perching on the edge of the table so as not to accidentally sit on any of Edward's notes, or cover them with his cape. He recognized several different languages in Edward's handwriting, scribbled across the mess of pages scattered across the desk. It made it more difficult to read his notes, but not at all impossible. He suspected Edward got a kick out of making him decipher them.

"Batman," Edward said, holding out his hand again imploringly. The pout was still in place, as theatrical as ever, but there was a genuine exhaustion underneath it. While Bruce might have slept, it didn't appear as though Edward had at all. The shadows under his eyes were dark, his hair ruffled and quickly coming loose from the product's hold, likely from him running his fingers through it too much. He was wearing the same suit from yesterday, albeit with the jacket and tie missing and the suspenders hanging loose around his waist. He'd rolled his sleeves up past the elbows and unbuttoned a generous amount of the top buttons, so Bruce could see fading bruises and scars on his chest.

Bruce handed him his coffee. Edward didn't bother to hide the way his shoulders sagged in relief. He took a deep drink from the mug, before finally leaning forward over the desk again. He tapped a set of ciphers, written into the margins of a picture printout. "I think I've got something, here."

Bruce sipped from his own mug, waiting for Edward to continue. He always did.

"You remember, of course, our earlier discussion about the possible use of Roman imagery in our mystery thief's clues. However, nothing we were running was bringing anything up. Until..." Edward pushed a different picture toward him, looking smug. "Centuries pass, a kingdom laid claim. Though different in nature, what is the same?"

Bruce studied the picture, picking out the telltale symbols in it. "Apollo shares a name in Greek and Roman mythology. You think it's Greek."

"I know it's Greek. I've already cross-referenced everything without you. In fact, I even know where he's going to strike next." Edward tapped the blueprints in the middle of the table. "And you were sleeping." He scoffed.

"You didn't sleep," Bruce noted.

"There were mysteries to be solved, Batman." Edward leaned back in his chair, offering a small, tired smile over his mug. It was the kind of smile that made Bruce want to do stupid things, like touch his cheek and feel the desperate way he leaned into it, or force him to take a damn nap. "I can sleep later."

Bruce sighed. He pulled Edward's blueprint closer, studying it as he sipped his coffee. "You didn't, by chance, happen to identify our thief?"

Edward scowled. "That mystery is proving a little more elusive."

He hummed. "We'll keep looking. But, with luck, we may not need it. This is good."

Edward preened, lighting up at the praise. Bruce almost regretted saying anything. "I guess we make a pretty good team, partner."

No, Bruce definitely regretted saying anything.

[stardancerluv]

Gotham Surviving the Pandemic 2021

Part 4c

Summary: Storm rolls in and Roman’s past haunts him.

Note: This brings in some canon for Roman Sionis….his parents were awful to him. In one telling…he was bit by a rabid raccoon and that is what made him an angry & cruel man. Also there are some seeds planted to establish that there is no love loss between Roman & Bruce Wayne. I tweak some of this as you will see. And its a bit of a chapter! Enjoy!

Gently Roman held you as you both floated in the large pool, his warmth was comforting in the coldish water.

You pressed a kiss to his shoulder where a scar marred the smooth skin. Over the last few years of being with Roman, he had picked up a few scars. “I remember when you got this one.” You pressed another kiss on it.

“That asshole had ruined my white suit.” From the angle you looked at him, you could see he made a face.

“But you got him.” You smiled. He had really loved that white suit. It had been one of the first suits he wore when the two of you became an item.

“I certainly did.” A dark chuckle came from him.

“This is really nice, Roman. You outdid yourself.” Lifting your head, you looked him over. Water droplets clung here and there to the shadows of growth on his face.

He smiled. “You and I needed a place we could run to.”

“Well, this is certainly it.”

He caught you up in a kiss then, your heart began to beat faster.

You barely heard the low rumble from the sky above, but you did feel the icy rain that slashed across the two of you. You both practically leapt apart. “Let’s go inside.” Roman urged.

******

Roman shivered under his fluffy robe as he poured a fresh glass of champagne for the two of you. He eyed the outside, it had grown considerably darker.

“You don’t think the hurricane makes it up here, do you?” You called.

“It had better not.” He called back. The lights flickered, he stopped pouring. Not now, he thought. Putting the bottle down he turned and looked at the mass of cabinet doors behind him. Where would they have put candles and such?

You came padding in, wrapped in your own fluffy robe.

“More champagne?” You hopped back onto the counter and finished pouring some into the one glass. Still a little bubbly from the glass earlier, you took a sip from the one that had been yours.

He smiled at you lightly distracted. “Of course.”

He spotted a door near the fridge, he figured he’d look there. He opened the door and sighed. He had been right.

The lights flickered, he glanced back at you. Your eyes met. “Roman?”

“We’ll be ok.” He gestured to the fire place. “Baby?”

“Yes.”

“Grab some blankets and pillows. We’ll, “He smiled. “we’ll camp out here.”

“Uhm, ok!”

While you walked away, he looked things over. He grabbed a lantern of some kind, pushing the button. He was happy to see that it worked. Next, he took a lighter and a few candles and went over to the fireplace. He retrieved the champagne and glasses.

He placed the things near the cold, darkened fireplace. Just in case, he mused. Walking back to the bedroom he met you halfway. You smiled around the blankets and pillows, but it dropped as the lights flickered but this time stayed off a little longer before snapping back on.

“Grab a few more. Then we’ll be all set.” He tried to say brightly. As he walked back with what you brought, he saw that the wind had really begun to pick up.

He laid the blankets and pillows down. He gritted his teeth. He did not want to be stuck looking at the storm right now, so he closed the curtains which would block the view to the pool.

“Is this enough?”

He turned and smiled. “Yeah. Fluff them with what we have.” He needed to distract himself. He doesn’t know why, but today the past was threatening to come for a visit.

Once back in the kitchen, he took a large bowl out the cabinet. Scanning the fridge, he took out some tasty foods. Looking in another cabinet, he smiled broadly. They had enough fixings for s'mores.

Bringing over the tasty morsels, he came back to you. “When I got my special artifacts-”

“Those shrunken heads and masks?” You looked up at him as he came to kneel down near you.

“Yeah, a lot of driving around. I stayed in local places. I wasn’t brave enough to camp in the wilds of Africa.” He admitted.

“I don’t blame you.” You looked at what he brought over. “You brought a feast.”

He shrugged. “I’m just going to grab a loaf of that crusty bread.”

“Ooh!” You cooed. “Please do.”

He would not give into his past. He gritted his teeth harder once he grabbed the loaf of bread. Going back to the fridge, he grabbed some cheese. That was when the lights went out. “Fuck.” He muttered.

“Roman?” He heard the pitch your voice took and made his way quickly over to you.

“I’m here, baby.” Placing the food down, he pushed the button and the lantern lit up. As he pulled you close, a loud rumble burst above the two of you. He squeezed his eyes shut as he kissed the top of your head. “It will pass.” He whispered.

You wrapped your arms around him.

As a rumble once again exploded above the two of you, the house shook and the lantern clattered to its side. Roman flinched; the past came back and filled his imagination.

******

He hummed, then hummed harder as the thunder grew louder and the streaks of lightning appeared closer. His humming ceased as he saw a large shadow fall over him.

“Bernard, grab my cowardly weasel of a son for me.”

“What… What did I do?” He had managed to sputter out. He tried to back away from his father. He bumped right into the legs of Bernard, who easily scooped him up.

He began to struggle. But his six year old strength was little compared the monster of a man who was their butler.

“Scared of a fucking storm.” He heard his father mutter. “Take him outside, let him see what he is cowering from. Don’t you dare let him back in until the storm passes.”

“Put me down!” He howled.

“Can’t do that, Master Sionis.” Bernard gave him a look.

Bernard walked him a fair distance out. “It will pass.” He said before walking back towards the house.

Roman stayed standing till there was a crack of thunder that exploded above him. He crouched down and covered his ears once again.

The heavy rain soon soaked through his clothes.

Another loud rumble of thunder exploded above him once again. He could not contain the scream in fear that came from deep within him. The ground shook under him. It made him open his eyes. He scrambled backward when he saw half a tree smoldering in front of him. His shoes slipped and slid as he struggled to stand.

“Don’t let him back in.” He heard his father bellow.

He doesn’t know what compelled him then, but he ran. He ran not towards the house, but away. He ran and ran till his lungs hurt. Coming up against a tree to finally catch his breath, he looked and realized what he had done. It stilled him.

He had run so far and fast, that he managed to get to the Wayne grounds. Thunder rolled in above him as he looked into the window and he saw Bruce. He managed to not shut his eyes at the sound. It wasn’t as loud as it had been.

He spotted a splotchy red face. Tears streaked the cheeks. He was scared of the storm too, Roman realized. But when the thunder came again, he buried his face into his mother’s side.

Roman leaned forward holding onto the tree. His stomach churned at the sight as she reassuringly stroked his hair.

Anger boiled in him then. He ran away. This time as he ran, he went another way. A scream erupted from him as he tumbled and fell, then rolled down a hill.

He swallowed the tears that threatened to spill. A snarl filled his ears. Startled, he looked to his side. It was there. On the hill above him, he saw it. A raccoon looked down at him and snarled again as it stepped closer.

******

“Roman… Roman?” You shook him. The far-off look and the way his lips had curled upset you. “It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me any more.” You said softly. You searched his blue eyes, they were so far away.

He shook and looked at you. He blinked. “Baby?” His eyes came back from far away.

You smiled. “I’m here.”

@spn-obsessed-dean @vintagemichelle91 @xxxeatyourh3artoutxxx @ewanfuckingmcgregor @zodiyack @angel98624 @frenchgirlinlondon @emyliabernstein @thepeachreads @nebulastarr @itsknife2meetu @omghappilyuniquebouquetlove @poe-kadot26 @babydoll97-blog1 @hazel-nuss @vcat55 @feelthemadnessinside @johallzy @foreverhockeytrash @frostypenguinoz @professionalclown123 @chogisss @xxinvisiblexx @shantellorraine @xxvisionsxx @blondekel77 @saphic-stories @drarrylov3r @i-cant-hear-you16 @deadlymistress24 @yesqueenofthelight @generallj @venomousionis @thebeckyjolene @mrskenobi19 @bdffkierenwalker

[grigori77]

2019 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)

20.  FROZEN 2 – so, another year, then, and once again Disney doesn’t QUITE manage to net the animated feature top spot on my list, but it’s not for lack of trying – this long-awaited sequel to the studio’s runaway hit musical fantasy adventure is just what we’ve come to love from the House of Mouse, but more importantly it’s a most worthy sequel, easily on a par with the much beloved origin.  Not much of a surprise given the welcome return of all the key people, from directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (who also once again wrote the screenplay) to composer Christophe Beck and songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, as well as all the key players in the cast.  It’s business as usual in the kingdom of Arendelle, where all is seemingly peaceful and tranquil, but Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) is restless, haunted by a distant voice that only she can hear, calling to her from a mysterious past she just can’t place … and then she accidentally awakens the four elemental spirits, sending her homeland into mystical turmoil, prompting her to embark on a desperate search for answers with her sister Princess Anna (Kristen Bell), ice harvester Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his faithful reindeer companion Sven, and, of course, living snowman Olaf (Josh Gad). Their quest leads them into the Enchanted Forest of Northuldra, a neighbouring kingdom, ruled by simple, elemental magic, that has remained cut off from Arendelle for decades, where they discover dark, hidden truths about their own family’s past and must make peace with the spirits if they’re to save their home and their people.  So, typical Disney family fantasy fare, then, right? Well, Frozen 2 certainly dots all the Is and crosses all the Ts, but, like the original, this is no jaded blockbuster money spinner, packed with the same kind of resonant power, skilful inventiveness and pure, show-stopping WOW-factor as its predecessor, but more importantly this is a sequel that effectively carves out a fresh identity for itself, brilliantly taking the world and characters in interesting new directions to create something fresh, rewarding and worthwhile on its own merit.  The returning cast are all as strong as ever, Menzel and Bell in particular ably powering the story, while it’s nice to see both Groff and Gad getting something new to do with their own characters too, even nabbing their own major musical numbers; there’s also a welcome slew of fresh new faces to this world, particular Sterling K. Brown (This is Us, Black Panther, The Predator) as lost Anrendelle soldier Mattias and former Brat Pack star Martha Plimpton as Yelena, leader of the lost tribe of Northuldra. Once again this is Disney escapism at its very best, a heart-warming, soul-nourishing powerhouse of winning humour, emotional power and child-like wonder, but like the first film the biggest selling point is, of course, that KILLER soundtrack, with every song here a total hit, not one dud among them, and there are even ear-worms here to put Let It Go to shame – Into the Unknown was touted as the major hit, and it is impressive, but I was particularly affected by Groff’s unashamedly full-bore rendition of Lost in the Woods, a bona fide classic rock power ballad crafted in the fashion of REO Speedwagon, while the undeniable highlight for me is the unstoppable Show Yourself, with Menzel once again proving that her incredible voice is a natural force all in itself.  Altogether, then, this is an absolute feast for the eyes, the ears AND the soul, every inch the winner that its predecessor was and also EASILY one of Disney’s premier animated features for the decade.  So it’s quite the runner-up, then …

19.  ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD – since his explosion onto the scene twenty-seven years ago with his runaway smash debut Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino has become one of the most important filmmakers of his generation, a true master of the cinematic art form who consistently delivers moving picture masterpieces that thrill, entertain, challenge and amuse audiences worldwide … at least those who can stomach his love of unswerving violence, naughty talk and morally bankrupt antiheroes and despicably brutal villains who are often little more than a shade different from one another.  Time has moved on, though, and while he’s undoubtedly been one of the biggest influences on the way cinema has changed over the past quarter century, there are times now that it’s starting to feel like the scene is moving on in favour of younger, fresher blood with their own ideas.   I think Tarantino can sense this himself, because he recently made a powerful statement – after he’s made his tenth film, he plans to retire.  Given that OUATIH is his NINTH film, that deadline is already looming, and we unashamed FANS of his films are understandably aghast over this turn of events.  Thankfully he remains as uncompromisingly awesome a writer-director as ever, delivering another gold standard five-star flick which is also most definitely his most PERSONAL work to date, quite simply down to the fact that it’s a film ABOUT film.  Sure, it has a plot (of sorts, anyway), revolving around the slow decline of the career of former TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo Dicaprio), who languishes in increasing anonymity in Hollywood circa 1969 as his former western hero image is being slowly eroded by an increasingly hacky workload guest-starring on various syndicated shows as a succession of punching-bag heavies for the hero to wale on, while his only real friend is his one-time stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), a former WW2 hero with a decidedly tarnished reputation of his own; meanwhile new neighbours have moved in next door to further distract him – hot-as-shit young director Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), riding high on the success of Rosemary’s Baby, and his new wife Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie).  Certainly this all drives the film, along with real-life events involving one of the darkest crimes in modern American history, but a lot of the time the plot is largely coincidental – Quentin uses it as a springboard to wax lyrical about his very favourite subject and pay loving (if sometimes irreverently satirical) tribute to the very business he’s been indulging in with such great success since 1992.  Sure, it’s also about “Helter Skelter” and the long shadow cast by Charles Manson and his band of murderous misfits, but this is largely incidental, as we’re treated to long, entertaining interludes as we follow Rick on a shoot as the bad guy in the pilot for the Lancer TV series, visit the notorious Spahn Ranch with Cliff as he’s unwittingly drawn into the lion’s den of the deadly Manson Family, join Robbie’s Tate as she watches “herself” in The Wrecking Crew, and enjoy a brilliant montage in which we follow Rick’s adventures in Spaghetti westerns (and Eurospy cinema) after he’s offered a chance to change his flagging fortunes, before the film finally builds to a seemingly inevitable, fateful conclusion that Tarantino then, in sneakily OTT Inglourious Basterds style, mischievously turns on its head with a devilish game of “What If”.  The results are a thoroughly engrossing and endlessly entertaining romp through the seedier side of Hollywood and a brilliant warts-and-all examination of the craft’s inner workings that, interestingly, reveals as much about the Business today as it does about how it was way back in the Golden Age the film portrays, all while delivering bucket-loads of QT’s trademark cool, swagger, idiosyncratic genius and to-die-for dialogue and character-work, and, of course, a typically exceptional all-star cast firing on all cylinders. Dicaprio and Pitt are both spectacular (Brad is endearingly taciturn, playing it wonderfully close to the vest throughout, while Leo is simply ON FIRE, delivering a mercurial performance EASILY on a par with his work on Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street – could this be good enough to snag him a second Oscar?), while Robbie consistently endears us to Tate as she EFFORTLESSLY brings the fallen star back to life, and there’s an incredible string of amazing supporting turns from established talent and up-and-comers alike, from Kurt Russell, Al Pacino and a very spiky Bruce Dern to Mike Moh (in a FLAWLESS take on Bruce Lee), Margaret Qualley, Austin Butler and in particular Julia Butters as precocious child star Trudi Fraser.  Packed with winning references, homages, pastiches and ingenious little in-jokes, handled with UTMOST respect for the true life subjects at all times and shot all the way through with his characteristic flair and quirky, deliciously dark sense of humour, this is cinema very much of the Old School, and EVERY INCH a Tarantino flick.  With only one more film to go the implied end of his career seems much too close, but if he delivers one more like this he’ll leave behind a legacy that ANY filmmaker would be proud of.

18.  CRAWL – summer 2019’s runner-up horror offering marks a rousing return to form for a genre talent who’s FINALLY delivered on the impressive promise of his early work – Alexandre Aja made a startling debut with Switchblade Romance, which led to his big break helming the cracking remake of slasher stalwart The Hills Have Eyes, but then he went SPECTACULARLY off the rails when he made the truly abysmal Piranha 3D, which I wholeheartedly regard as one of THE VERY WORST FILMS EVER MADE IN ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY. He took a big step back in the right direction with the admittedly flawed but ultimately enjoyable and evocative Horns (based on the novel by Stephen King’s son Joe Hill), but it’s with this stripped back, super-tight man-against-nature survival horror that the Aja of old has TRULY returned to us. IN SPADES.  Seriously, I personally think this is his best film to date – there’s no fat on it at all, going from a simple set-up STRAIGHT into a precision-crafted exercise in sustained tension that relentlessly grips right up to the end credits.  The film is largely just a two-hander – Maze Runner star Kaya Scodelario plays Haley Keller, a Florida college student and star swimmer who ventures into the heart of a Category 5 hurricane to make sure her estranged father, Dave (Saving Private Ryan’s Barry Pepper), is okay after he drops off the grid. Finding their old family home in a state of disrepair and slowly flooding, she does a last minute check of the crawl-space underneath, only to discover her father badly wounded and a couple of hungry alligators stalking the dark, cramped, claustrophobic confines. With the flood waters rising and communications cut off, Haley and Dave must use every reserve of strength, ingenuity and survival instinct to keep each other alive in the face of increasingly daunting odds … even with a premise this simple, there was plenty of potential for this to become an overblown, clunky mess in the wrong hands (a la Snakes On a Plane), so it’s a genuinely great thing that Aja really is back at the height of his powers, milking every fraught and suspenseful set-piece to its last drop of exquisite piano-wire tension and putting his actors through hell without a reprieve in sight.  Thankfully it’s not JUST about scares and atmosphere – there’s a genuinely strong family drama at the heart of the story that helps us invest in these two, Scodelario delivering a phenomenally complex performance as she peels back Haley’s layers, from stubborn pedant, through vulnerable child of divorce, to ironclad born survivor, while reconnecting with her emotionally raw, repentantly open father, played with genuine naked intensity in a career best turn from Pepper. Their chemistry is INCREDIBLY strong, making every scene a joy even as it works your nerves and tugs on your heartstrings, and as a result you DESPERATELY want to see them make it out in one piece.  Not that Aja makes it easy for them – the gators are an impressively palpable threat, proper scary beasties even if they are largely (admittedly impressively executed) digital effects, while the storm is almost a third character in itself, becoming as much of an elemental nemesis as its scaly co-stars.  Blessedly brief (just 87 minutes!) and with every second wrung out for maximum impact, this is survival horror at its most brutally, simplistically effective, a deliciously vicious, primal chill-ride that thoroughly rewards from start to finish.  Welcome back, Mr Aja.  We’ve missed you.

17.  SHAZAM! – there were actually THREE movies featuring Captain Marvel out in 2019, but this offering from the hit-and-miss DCEU cinematic franchise is a very different beast from his MCU-based namesake, and besides, THIS Cap long ago ditched said monicker for the far more catchy (albeit rather more oddball) title that graces Warner Bros’ last step back on the right track for their superhero Universe following the equally enjoyable Aquaman and franchise high-point Wonder Woman.  Although he’s never actually referred to in the film by this name, Shazam (Chuck’s Eugene Levy) is the magically-powered alternate persona bestowed upon wayward fifteen year-old foster kid Billy Batson (Andi Mack’s Asher Angel) by an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou) seeking one pure soul to battle Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), a morally corrupt physicist who turns into a monstrous supervillain after becoming the vessel for the spiritual essences of the Seven Deadly Sins (yup, that thoroughly batshit setup is just the tip of the iceberg of bonkersness on offer in this movie).  Yes, this IS set in the DC Extended Universe, Shazam sharing his world with Superman, Batman, the Flash et al, and there are numerous references (both overt and sly) to this fact throughout (especially in the cheeky animated closing title sequence), but it’s never laboured, and the film largely exists in its own comfortably enclosed narrative bubble, allowing us to focus on Billy, his alter ego and in particular his clunky (but oh so much fun) bonding experiences with his new foster family, headed by former foster kid couple Victor and Rosa Vazquez (The Walking Dead’s Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans) – the most enjoyably portions of the film, however, are when Billy explores the mechanics and limits of his newfound superpowers with his new foster brother Freddy Freeman (It Chapter 1’s Jack Dylan Glazer), a consistently hilarious riot of bad behaviour, wanton (often accidental) destruction and perfectly-observed character development, the blissful culmination of a gleefully anarchic sense of humour that, until recently, has been rather lacking in the DCEU but which is writ large in bright, wacky primary colours right through this film. Sure, there are darker moments, particularly when Sivana sets loose his fantastic icky brood of semi-corporeal monsters, and these scenes are handled with seasoned skill by director David F. Sandberg, who cut his teeth on ingenious little horror gem Lights Out (following up with Annabelle: Creation, but we don’t have to dwell on that), but for the most part the film is played for laughs, thrills and pure, unadulterated FUN, almost never taking itself too seriously, essentially intended to do for the DCEU what Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man did for the MCU, and a huge part of its resounding success must of course be attributed to the universally willing cast. Eugene Levy’s so ridiculously pumped-up he almost looks like a special effect all on his own, but he’s lost none of his razor-sharp comic ability, perfectly encapsulating a teenage boy in a grown man’s body, while his chemistry with genuine little comedic dynamo Glazer is simply exquisite, a flawless balance shared with Angel, who similarly excels at the humour but also delivers quality goods in some far more serious moments too, while the rest of Billy’s newfound family are all brilliant, particularly ridiculously adorable newcomer Faithe Herman as precocious little motor-mouth Darla; Djimon Hounsou, meanwhile, adds significant class and gravitas to what could have been a cartoonish Gandalf spoof, and Mark Strong, as usual, gives great bad guy as Sivana, providing just the right amount of malevolent swagger and self-important smirk to proceedings without ever losing sight of the deeper darkness within.  All round, this is EXACTLY the kind of expertly crafted superhero package we’ve come to appreciate in the genre, another definite shot in the arm for the DCEU that holds great hope for the future of the franchise, and some of the biggest fun I had at the cinema this past year.  Granted, it’s still not a patch on the MCU, but the quality gap finally seems to be closing …

16.  ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL – y’know, there was a time when James Cameron was quite a prolific director, who could be counted upon to provide THE big event pic of the blockbuster season. These days, we’re lucky to hear from him once a decade, and now we don’t even seem to be getting that – the dream project Cameron’s been trying to make since the end of the 90s, a big live action adaptation of one of my favourite mangas of all time, Gunnm (or Battle Angel Alita to use its more well-known sobriquet) by Yukito Kishiro, has FINALLY arrived, but it isn’t the big man behind the camera here since he’s still messing around with his intended FIVE MOVIE Avatar arc.  That said, he made a damn good choice of proxy to bring his vision to fruition – Robert Rodriguez is, of course, a fellow master of action cinema, albeit one with a much more quirky style, and this adap is child’s play to him, the creator of the El Mariachi trilogy and co-director of Frank Miller’s Sin City effortlessly capturing the dark, edgy life-and-death danger and brutal wonder of Kishiro’s world in moving pictures.  300 years after the Earth was decimated in a massive war with URM (the United Republics of Mars) known as “the Fall”, only one bastion of civilization remains – Iron City, a sprawling, makeshift community of scavengers that lies in the shadow of the floating city of Zalem, home of Earth’s remaining aristocracy.  Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) runs a clinic in Iron City customising and repairing the bodies of its cyborg citizens, from the mercenary “hunter killers” to the fast-living players of Motorball (a kind of supercharged mixture of Rollerball and Death Race), one day discovering the wrecked remains of a female ‘borg in the junkyard of scrap accumulated beneath Zalem.  Finding her human brain is still alive, he gives her a new chassis and christens her Alita, raising her as best he can as she attempts to piece together her mysterious, missing past, only for them both to discover that the truth of her origins has the potential to tear their fragile little world apart forever. The Maze Runner trilogy’s Rosa Salazar is the heart and soul of the film as Alita (originally Gally in the comics), perfectly bringing her (literal) wide-eyed innocence and irrepressible spirit to life, as well as proving every inch the diminutive badass fans have been expecting – while her overly anime-styled look might have seemed a potentially jarring distraction in the trailers, Salazar’s mocap performance is SO strong you’ve forgotten all about it within the first five minutes, convinced she’s a real, flesh-and-metal character – and she’s well supported by an exceptional ensemble cast both new and well-established.  Waltz is the most kind and sympathetic he’s been since Django Unchained, instilling Ido with a worldly warmth and gentility that makes him a perfect mentor/father-figure, while Spooksville star Keean Johnson makes a VERY impressive big screen breakthrough as Hugo, the streetwise young dreamer with a dark secret that Alita falls for in a big way, Jennifer Connelly is icily classy as Ido’s ex-wife Chiren, Mahershala Ali is enjoyably suave and mysterious as the film’s nominal villain, Vector, an influential but seriously shady local entrepreneur with a major hidden agenda, and a selection of actors shine through the CGI in various strong mocap performances, such as Deadpool’s Ed Skrein, Derek Mears, From Dusk Til Dawn’s Eiza Gonzalez and a thoroughly unrecognisable but typically awesome Jackie Earle Haley.  As you’d expect from Rodriguez, the film delivers BIG TIME on the action front, unleashing a series of spectacular set-pieces that peak with Alita’s pulse-pounding Motorball debut, but there’s a pleasingly robust story under all the thrills and wow-factor, riffing on BIG THEMES and providing plenty of emotional power, especially in the heartbreaking character-driven climax – Cameron, meanwhile, has clearly maintained strict control over the project throughout, his eye and voice writ large across every scene as we’re thrust headfirst into a fully-immersive post-apocalyptic, rusty cyberpunk world as thoroughly fleshed-out as Avatar’s Pandora, but most importantly he’s still done exactly what he set out to do, paying the utmost respect to a cracking character as he brings her to vital, vivid life on the big screen.  Don’t believe the detractors – this is a MAGNIFICENT piece of work that deserves all the recognition it can muster, perfectly set up for a sequel that I fear we may never get to see.  Oh well, at least it’s renewed my flagging hopes for a return to Pandora …

15.  AD ASTRA – last century, making a space exploration movie after 2001: A Space Odyssey was a pretty tall order. THIS century, looks like it’s trying to follow Chris Nolan’s Interstellar – love it or hate it, you can’t deny that particular epic space opera for the IMAX crowd is a REALLY tough act to follow.  At first glance, then, writer-director James Gray (The Yards, We Own the Night) is an interesting choice to try, at least until you consider his last feature – he may be best known for understated, gritty little crime thrillers, but I was most impressed by 2016’s ambitious period biopic The Lost City of Z, which focused on the groundbreaking career of pioneering explorer Percy Fawcett, and couldn’t have been MORE about the indomitable spirit of discovery if it tried.  His latest shares much of the same DNA, albeit presented in a VERY different package, as we’re introduced to a more expansive Solar System of the near future, in which humanity has begun to colonize our neighbouring worlds and is now pushing its reach beyond our own star’s light in order to discover what truly lies beyond the void of OUTER space.  Brad Pitt stars as Major Roy McBride, a career astronaut whose whole life has been defined by growing up in the shadow of his father, H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), a true pioneer who led an unprecedented expedition to the orbit of our furthest neighbour, Neptune, in order to search for signs of intelligent life beyond our solar system, only for the whole mission to go quiet for the past sixteen years.  Then a mysterious, interplanetary power surge throws the Earth into chaos, and Roy must travel farther than he’s ever gone before in order to discover the truth behind the source of the pulse – his father’s own ill-fated Lima Project … this is a very different beast from Interstellar, a much more introspective, stately affair, revelling in its glacial pacing and emphasis on character motivation over plot, but it’s no less impressive from a visual, visceral standpoint – Gray and cinematographer Hoyt van Hoytema (who, interestingly, ALSO shot Interstellar, along with Nolan’s Dunkirk and his upcoming feature Tenet) certainly make space look truly EPIC, crafting astonishing visuals that deserve to be seen on the big screen (or at the very least on the best quality HDTV you can find).  There’s also no denying the quality of the writing, Gray weaving an intricate story that reveals far greater depth and complexity than can be seen at first glance, while Roy’s palpable “thought-process” voiceover puts us right into the head of the character as we follow him across the endless void on a fateful journey into a cosmic Heart of Darkness.  There is, indeed, a strong sense of Apocalypse Now to proceedings, with the younger McBride definitely following a similar path to Martin Sheen’s ill-fated captain as he travels “up-river” to find his Colonel Kurtz-esque father, and the performances certainly match the heft of the material – there’s an impressive collection of talent on offer in a series of top-quality supporting turns, Jones being just the icing on the cake in the company of Donald Sutherland, Liv Tyler, John Ortiz and Preacher’s Ruth Negga, but the undeniable driving force of the film is Pitt, his cool, laconic control hiding uncharted depths of emotional turmoil as he’s forced to call every choice into question.  It’s EASILY one of the finest performances of his career to date, just one of the MANY great selling points in a film that definitely deserves to be remembered as one of the all-time sci-fi greats of the decade. An absolute masterpiece, then, but does it stand tall in comparison to Interstellar?  I should say so …

14.  BRIGHTBURN – torpedoing Crawl right out of the water in the summer, this refreshing, revisionist superhero movie takes one of the most classic mythologies in the genre and turns it on its head in true horror style.  The basic premise is an absolute blinder – what if, when he crashed in small-town America as a baby, Superman had turned out to be a bad seed?  Unsurprising, then, that it came from James Gunn, who here produces a screenplay by his brother and cousin Brian and Mark Gunn (best known for penning the likes of Journey 2: the Mysterious Island, but nobody’s perfect) and the directorial big break of his old mate David Yarovesky (whose only previous feature is obscure sci-fi horror The Hive) – Gunn is, of course, an old pro at taking classic comic book tropes and creating something completely new with them, having previously done so with HUGE success on cult indie black comedy Super and, in particular, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and his fingerprints are ALL OVER this one too.  The Hunger Games’ Elizabeth Banks (who starred in Gunn’s own directorial debut Slither) and David Denman (The Office) are Tori and Kyle Breyer, a farming couple living in Brightburn, Kansas, who are trying for a baby when a mysterious pod falls from the sky onto their land, containing an infant boy.  As you’d expect, they adopt him, determined to keep his origin a secret, and for the first twelve years of his life all seems perfectly fine – Brandon’s growing up into an intelligent, artistic child who loves his family. Then his powers manifest and he starts to change – not just physically (he’s impervious to harm, incredibly strong, has laser eyes and the ability to disrupt electronic devices … oh, and he can fly, too), but also in personality, as he becomes cold, distant, even cruel as he begins to demonstrate some seriously sociopathic tendencies.  As his parents begin to fear what he’s becoming, things begin to spiral out of control and people start to disappear or turn up brutally murdered, and it becomes clear that Brandon might actually be something out of a nightmare … needless to say this is superhero cinema as full-on horror, Brandon’s proclivities leading to some proper nasty moments once he really starts to cut loose, and there’s no mistaking this future super for one of the good guys – he pulverises bones, shatters faces and melts skulls with nary a twitch, just the tiniest hint of a smile.  It’s an astonishing performance from newcomer Jackson A. Dunn, who perfectly captures the nuanced subtleties as Brandon goes from happy child to lethal psychopath, clearly demonstrating that he’s gonna be an incredible talent in future; the two grown leads, meanwhile, are both excellent, Denman growing increasingly haunted and exasperated as he tries to prove his own son is a wrong ‘un, while Banks has rarely been better, perfectly embodying a mother desperately wanting to belief the best of her son no matter how compelling the evidence becomes, and there’s quality support from Breaking Bad’s Matt Jones and Search Party’s Meredith Hagner as Brandon’s aunt and uncle, Noah and Meredith, and Becky Wahlstrom as the mother of one of his school-friends, who seems to see him for what he really is right from the start.  Dark, suspenseful and genuinely nasty, this is definitely not your typical superhero movie, often playing like Kick-Ass’ deeply twisted cousin, and there are times when it displays some of the same edgy, black-hearted sense of humour, too.  In other words, it’s all very James Gunn. It’s one sweet piece of work, everyone involved showing real skill and devotion, and Yarovesky in particular proves he’ll definitely be one-to-watch in the future.  There are already plans for a potential sequel, and given where this particular little superhero universe seems to be heading I think it could be something pretty special, so fair to say I can’t wait.

13.  STAR WARS EPISODE IX: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER – wow, this one’s proven particularly divisive, hasn’t it? And I thought The Last Jedi caused a stir … say what you will about Rian Johnson’s previous entry in the juggernaut science fiction saga, while it certainly riled up the hardcore fanbase it was at least well-received by the critics, not to mention myself, who found it refreshing and absolutely ingenious after the crowd-pleasing simplicity of JJ Abrams’ admittedly still thoroughly brilliant The Force Awakens.  After such radical experimentation, Abrams’ return to the director’s chair can’t help feeling a bit like desperate backpedalling in order to sooth a whole lot of seriously ruffled feathers, and I’ll admit that, on initial viewing, I couldn’t help feeling just a touch cheated given what might have been if similarly offbeat, experimentally-minded filmmaker Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World) had stayed on board to helm the picture.  Then I got home, thought about it for a bit and it started to grow on me, before a second viewing helped me to reconcile all everything that bugged me first time around, seemingly the same things that have, perversely, ruffled so many more feathers THIS TIME.  This doesn’t feel like a retcon job, no matter what some might think – new developments in the story that might feel like whitewash actually do make sense once you think about them, and the major twists actually work when viewed within the larger, overarching storyline.  Not that I’m willing to go into any kind of detail here, mind you – this is a spoiler-free zone, thank you very much.  Suffice to say, the honour of the saga has in no way been besmirched by Abrams and his co-writer Chris Terrio (sure, he worked on Batman V Superman and Justice League, but he also wrote Argo), the final film ultimately standing up very well indeed alongside its trilogy contemporaries, and still MILES ABOVE anything we got in George Lucas’ decidedly second-rate prequels.  The dangling plot strands from The Last Jedi certainly get tied up with great satisfaction, particularly the decidedly loaded drama of new Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) and troubled First Order Supreme Leader Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver), while the seemingly controversial choice of reintroducing Ian McDiarmid’s fantastically monstrous Emperor Palpatine as the ultimate big bad ultimately works out spectacularly well, a far cry from any perceived botched fan-service.  Everyone involved was clearly working at the height of their powers – Ridley and Driver are EXCEPTIONAL, both up-and-coming young leads truly growing into the their roles, while co-stars John Boyega and Oscar Isaac land a pleasingly meaty chunk of the story to finally get to really explore that fantastic chemistry they teased on The Last Jedi, and Carrie Fisher gets a truly MAGNIFICENT send off in the role that defined her as the incomparable General Leia Organa (one which it’s still heartbreaking she never quite got to complete); other old faces, meanwhile, return in fun ways, from Anthony Daniels’ C-3PO FINALLY getting to play a PROPER role in the action again to a brilliant supporting flourish from the mighty Billy Dee Williams as the Galaxy-Far-Far-Away’s own King of Cool, Lando Calrissian, while there’s a wealth of strong new faces here too, such as Lady Macbeth’s Naomie Ackie as rookie rebel Jannah, Richard E. Grant as suitably slimy former-Imperial First Order bigshot Allegiant General Pryde, The Americans’ Keri Russell as tough smuggler Zorii Bliss and Lord of the Rings star Dominic Monaghan as Resistance tech Beaumont Kin.  As fans have come to expect, Abrams certainly doesn’t skim on the spectacle, delivering bombastic thrill-ride set-pieces that yet again set the benchmark for the year’s action stakes (particularly in the blistering mid-picture showdown between Rey and Kylo among the wave-lashed remains of Return of the Jedi’s blasted Death Star) and awe-inspiring visuals that truly boggle the mind with their sheer beauty and complexity, but he also injects plenty of the raw emotion, inspired character work, knowing humour and pure, unadulterated geeky FUN he’s so well known for.  In conclusion, then, this is MILES AWAY from the clunky, compromised mess it’s been labelled as in some quarters, ultimately still very much in keeping with the high standards set by its trilogy predecessors and EVERY INCH a proper, full-blooded Star Wars movie.  Ultimately, Rogue One remains THE BEST of the big screen run since Lucas’ Original Trilogy, but this one still emerges as a Force to be reckoned with …

12.  JOKER – no-one was more wary than me when it was first announced that DC and Warner Bros. were going to make a standalone, live-action movie centred entirely around Batman’s ultimate nemesis, the Joker, especially with it coming hot on the heels of Jared Leto’s thoroughly polarizing portrayal in Suicide Squad.  More so once it was made clear that this WOULD NOT be part of the studio’s overarching DC Extended Universe cinematic franchise, which was FINALLY starting to find its feet – then what’s the point? I found myself asking.  I should have just sat back and gone with it, especially since the finished product would have made me eat a big slice of humble pie had I not already been won over once the trailers started making the rounds.  This is something new, different and completely original in the DC cinematic pantheon, even if it does draw major inspiration from Alan Moore’s game-changing DC comics mini-series The Killing Joke – a complete standalone origin story for one of our most enduring villains, re-imagined as a blistering, bruising psychological thriller examining what can happen to a man when he’s pushed far beyond the brink by terrible circumstance, societal neglect and crippling mental illness. Joaquin Phoenix delivers the performance of his career as Arthur Fleck, a down-at-heel clown-for-hire struggling to launch a career as a stand-up-comic (badly hampered by the fact that he’s just not funny) while suffering from an acute dissociative condition and terrible attacks of pathological laughter at moments of heightened stress – the actor lost 52 pounds of weight to become a horrifically emaciated scarecrow painfully reminiscent of Christian Bale’s similar preparation for his acclaimed turn in The Machinist, and frequently contorts himself into seemingly impossible positions that prominently accentuate the fact.  Fleck is a truly pathetic creature, thoroughly put-upon by a pitiless society that couldn’t care less about him, driven by inner demons and increasingly compelling dark thoughts to act out in increasingly desperate, destructive ways that ultimately lead him to cross lines he just can’t come back from, and Phoenix gives his all in every scene, utterly mesmerising even when his character commits some truly heinous acts.  Certainly he dominates the film, but then there are plenty of winning supporting turns from a universally excellent cast to bolster him along, from Zazie Beetz as an impoverished young mother Arthur bonds with and Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under, American Horror Story) as Arthur’s decidedly fragile mother Penny to Brett Cullen (The Thorn Birds, Lost) as a surprisingly unsympathetic Thomas Wayne (the philanthropic father of future Batman Bruce Wayne), while Robert De Niro himself casts a very long shadow indeed as Murray Franklin, a successful comedian and talk show host that Arthur idolizes, a character intentionally referential to his role in The King of Comedy.  Indeed, Martin Scorsese’s influence is writ large throughout the entire film, reinforced by the choice to set the film in a 1981-set Gotham City which feels very much like the crumbling New York of Mean Streets or Taxi Driver.  This is a dark, edgy, grim and unflinchingly BRUTAL film, frequently difficult to watch as Arthur is driven further into a blazing psychological hell by his increasingly stricken life, but addictively, devastatingly compelling all the same, impossible to turn away from even in the truly DEVASTATING final act.  Initially director Todd Phillips seemed like a decidedly odd choice for the project, hailing as he does from a predominantly comedy-based filmmaking background (most notably Due Date and The Hangover trilogy), but he’s actually a perfect fit here, finding a strangely twisted beauty in many of his compositions and a kind of almost uplifting transcendence in his subject’s darkest moments, while his screenwriting collaboration with Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter) means that the script is as rich as it can be, almost overflowing with brilliant ideas and rife with biting social commentary which is even more relevant today than in the period in which it’s set.  Intense, gripping, powerful and utterly devastating, this truly is one of the best films of 2019.  If this was a purely critical Top 30 this would have placed in the Top 5, guaranteed …

11.  FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS HOBBS & SHAW – summer 2019’s most OTT movie was some of THE MOST FUN I had at the cinema all year, a genuinely batshit crazy, pure bonkers rollercoaster ride of a film I just couldn’t get enough of, the perfect sum of all its baffling parts.  The Fast & Furious franchise has always revelled in its extremes, subtle as a brick and very much playing to the blockbuster, popcorn movie crowd right from the start, but it wasn’t until Fate of the Furious (yup, the ridiculous title says it all) that it really started to play to the inherent ridiculousness of its overall setup, paving the way for this first crack at a new spin-off series sans-Vin Diesel.  Needless to say this one fully embraces the ludicrousness, with director David Leitch the perfect choice to shepherd it into the future, having previously mastered OTT action through John Wick and Atomic Blonde before helming manic screwball comedy Deadpool 2, which certainly is the strongest comparison point here – Hobbs & Shaw is every bit as loud, violent, chaotic and thoroughly irreverent, definitely playing up the inherent comic potential at the core of the material as he cranks up the humour.  Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham take centre stage as, respectively, DSS agent Luke Hobbs and former SAS black operative Deckard Shaw, the ultimate action movie odd couple once again forced to work together to foil the bad guy and save the world from a potentially cataclysmic disaster.  Specifically Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), a self-proclaimed “black superman” enhanced with cybernetic implants and genetic manipulation to turn him into the ultimate warrior, who plans to use a lethal designer supervirus to eradicate half of humanity (as supervillains tend to do), but there’s one small flaw in his plan – the virus has been stolen by Hattie Shaw (Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s Vanessa Kirby), a rogue MI6 agent who also happens to be Deckard’s sister.  Got all that?  Yup, the movie really is as mad as it sounds, but that’s part of the charm – there’s an enormous amount of fun to be had in just giving in and going along with the madness as Hobbs and the two Shaws bounce from one overblown, ludicrously destructive set-piece to the next, kicking plenty of arse along the way when they’re not jumping out of tall buildings or driving fast cars at ludicrous speeds in heavy traffic, and when they’re not doing that they’re bickering with enthusiasm, each exchange crackling with exquisite hate-hate chemistry and liberally laced with hilarious dialogue delivered with gleeful, fervent venom (turns out there’s few things so enjoyable as watching Johnson and Statham verbally rip each other a new one), and the two action cinema heavyweights have never been better than they are here, each bringing the very best performances of their respective careers out of each other as they vacillate, while Kirby holds her own with consummate skill that goes to show she’s got a bright future of her own.  As for Idris Elba, the one-time potential future Bond deserves to be remembered as one of the all-time great screen villains ever, investing Brixton with the perfect combination of arrogant swagger and lethal menace to steal every scene he’s in while simultaneously proving he can be just as big a badass in the action stakes; Leitch also scatters a selection of familiar faces from his previous movies throughout a solid supporting cast which also includes the likes of Fear the Walking Dead’s Cliff Curtis, From Dusk Till Dawn’s Eiza Gonzalez and Helen Mirren (who returns as Deckard and Hattie’s mum Queenie Shaw), while there’s more than one genuinely brilliant surprise cameo to enjoy. As we’ve come to expect, the action sequences are MASSIVE, powered by nitrous oxide and high octane as property is demolished and vehicles are driven with reckless abandon when our protagonists aren’t engaged in bruising, bone-crunching fights choreographed with all the flawless skill you’d expect from a director who used to be a professional stuntman, but this time round the biggest fun comes from the downtime, as the aforementioned banter becomes king.  It’s an interesting makeover for the franchise, going from heavyweight action stalwart to comedy gold, and it’s a direction I hope they’ll maintain for the inevitable follow-up – barring Fast Five, this is THE BEST Fast & Furious to date, and a strong indicator of how it should go to keep conquering multiplexes in future.  Sign me up for more, please.

[jessielightyear]

Hopes, Dreams, and Future Schemes: Chapter Three

Read Chapter One here Read Chapter Two here Read on AO3 here

Meg is running out of time and so is the universe. The stakes have never been higher. 

Chapter Three 

           Batman exhaled when he heard footsteps land on the roof. As they moved toward him, he stood up to face the visitor.           “You’re supposed to be the real Batman, I mean the first one. I’ve seen history cubes about you.” His gray arm rotated into a buzz saw appendage. “Hard to believe someone stupid as you ever beat the Joker.”

           “Maybe I’m smarter than I look.” Ghoul rushed toward Batman, buzz saw raised high. The power tool gave Static and easy target and Ghoul was quickly brought down by the electric shock. By the time Ghoul recovered, Green Lantern, Warhawk, and Static had all landed. Terry stepped out from behind the rooftop door.

           “You’ve got some information we need Ghoul.” The younger Batman said.

           “You won’t find me the talkative sort.” Terry grabbed Ghoul by the leg.

           “Where’s Chronos, my arm’s getting tired.” Bruce’s voice cut into Batman’s comm.

           “The boy’s too green for this.” The old man cut in. Batman stayed silence and watched as Terry dropped his arm, trying to scare Ghoul into talking with the fake fall. “You know the best way to get answers from him.” Batman continued to ignore him. Terry let go, but not before Warhawk moved into position to catch him and bring him back up to the roof. “It’s the only way to save the princess.” The mention of Diana made something in Batman’s mind snap. He went over and grabbed Ghoul by the collar of his shirt and threw him across the roof.

           “You two are far too green for this.” He turned to see Ghoul getting up on his hands and knees. “This is how you interrogate someone.”

           It took 37 seconds for Batman to convince Ghoul to be helpful. About 10 seconds less than Green Lantern would have guessed. Ghoul hadn’t stopped talking since then, spilling information about troop units and movements, command leaders, heists that were currently being planned everything. He finally reached information about Chronos, John’s ears perked up.

           “I don’t know where Chronos is. He contacts us. He spends every night in a different one of those buildings. There’s no way of knowing ahead of time where he’s going to be. And that’s everything I know.” Batman leaned in.

           “Everything?”

           “I wet my bed until I was 14.” John suppressed a chuckle.

           “Losing my patience.” Terry put his hand on the Dark Knight’s shoulder, pulling him back.

           “I can’t control him much longer. You better give us something we can use.”

           “Wow, Batman playing good cop.” Static muttered to John.

           “Everything’s relative.” John pointed out. Static smiled and put his hand on John’s shoulder.

           “It’s good to have you back.”

           “With any luck, we’ll fix this and I’ll still be around to whip your ass in line 50 years from now.”

           “Good luck with that Gramps.” John sighed, still trying to wrap his mind around having not only a son, but a grandkid too.

           “You two ready?” Terry asked. “We’ve got our location

          The green bubble carrying the League landed outside the Titanic, where Ghoul had told them they’d find Edith. Edith would lead them to David. The bubble faded and the heroes spread out.

           “What are you doing here?” Batman asked. A sigh came from near the door and a shadow stepped forward. Warhawk grinned.

           “Batman, Green Lantern meet Phoenix.”

           Phoenix was a warrior. Her armor was clearly inspired by her mother’s, but the coloring was entirely her father. A golden tiara sat on her forehead with a matching belt hanging on her waist. Her breastplate was black where Diana’s had been red with a large gold bird emblazoned on her chest. Black armor covered her arms with golden bracelets on her wrists. Black leggings covered her legs and she wore boots with a little heal like her mother had with black and gold coloring. She didn’t wear a mask, but she wore a black cape like her father. She wore a black choker with a gold stone in the center. Physically, she looked nothing like Meg. Phoenix had long blond hair and brown eyes. Her nose looked longer and she had a scar on her cheek. She was clearly a fearsome hero. She stood there strong and bold like a demon of justice, an angel of vengeance.

 She locked eyes with Batman. “I’m finishing the mission.” She said simply.

           “You should-” she snapped at him.

           “What? Go home. I need to be here.” She took a breath, centering herself. “I don’t remember her, but I remember she was brave and kind and that she would be here.”

           “Yes, she would be.” Batman answered. Phoenix gave him a small smile.

           “Then I should be here. I am a protector of Man’s world and my place is here.” Batman nodded.

           “How are you doing this?” He asked. She pointed to her necklace.

           “Blessed by the gods, it’s easier than trying to keep one of those domino masks on your face.” Terry stepped forward, standing next to her.

           “I’m assuming the old man caught you up on everything?” She nodded.

           “This is your lead. How are we doing this?”

           “Simple, get to his wife.” Phoenix smirked.

           “I can do that.”

           “Static, lay down some fireworks.” Terry said. Static took to the air and electrocuted the two guards who were standing out there. Each of them buzzed before toppling over.

           “We’ve got drones!” He announced.

           “Perfect.” Terry said. “Let’s take them out.” The attack on the perimeter had drawn the attention of other guards in the building, but the drones were no match for six members of the Justice League. It wasn’t long before they made it inside. The stream of droids coming from one of the hallways gave them a path to where Edith was staying. The League made it to a set of large double doors. Phoenix and Warhawk each stepped forward and punched the doors. The doors crumbled beneath their combined strength and showed the large bedroom. Green Lantern stepped into the room.

           “Edith Clinton.” Suddenly he shimmered and a brown hair man was left behind. “We’ve got business with your husband.” Everyone looked at him for a moment. “What?”

           “John?” Static asked.

           “Hal Jordan, another time shift. I’m up to speed, carry on.” Phoenix flew over to Warhawk.

           “Are you okay?” She asked quietly. He nodded.

           “Looks like my dad just got assigned somewhere else. I’m okay. Are you?”

           “Don’t ask.” She said. “The more I think about the fact I’m a paradox, the harder it is to stay solid.”

           “This is starting to give me a migraine.” Terry complained.

           “Oh boo hoo, you have a migraine. I have 23 chromosomes!” Pheonix shot back.

           “Why is it always a contest with you?”

           “Because I can always win.” She smirked.

           “You have a clear unfair advantage.”

           “Don’t get jealous Bats.”

           “Enough.” Batman said, silencing both of them. “We have bigger things to focus on than your bickering. This is going to get worse before it gets better. Anyone of us could change or even cease to exist.” Batman said.

           “That’s why you need to tell us where he is.” Hal said to Edith. “We just want to undo the harm he’s caused. You have my word. We’ll do everything in our power to keep from hurting him.” Phoenix scoffed.

           “Yeah you might.” Edith looked past Green Lantern to the woman in black.

           “Between you and me, I wouldn’t mind one bit if he got a little roughed up.” Phoenix grinned and move so she was sitting on the bed with Edith.

           “Then tell us where he is. I promise, we’ll make him answer for everything he’s done to you and your mother.”

           “How do you know about-”

           “He’s not very subtle.” Terry answered. Phoenix gave him a look to get him to back off.

           “Where is he tonight? The Parthenon, the sphinx?” Edith rolled her eyes.

           “He just wants everyone to think he moves around. He always sleeps in the same place.”

           “Then take us to him and I promise I’ll set him up for you to sucker punch that I know you want to give him.” Edith smirked and stood up from the bed.

           “Let’s go get him.”

           With Edith’s directions, the made their way to a large Roman colosseum. In the center was the Old West jailhouse they had first met David. When the bubble popped, Phoenix stepped toward the building.

           “Who’s taking lead?” She asked.

           “You got us here, it’s your call.” Terry said. She nodded.

           “Lantern, check for bobby traps.” The Green Lantern scanned the old building with his ring.

           “No booby traps.” He said, then he shimmered leaving behind John Steward. “At least none that my ring can detect.”

           “Make up your mind” Static said.

           “Sorry, we’re good to go Phoenix.” She nodded and scanned the building for all entry and exit points.

           “If we don’t beat this guy. It’s the end of everything.” Rex said.

           “We’ve been there before.” Terry countered.

           “Not like this. What are you supposed to do when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?” On one side, his wife took his hand. On the other, his father put a hand on his shoulder.

           “Plant your feet.” The Green Lantern said.  The heroes stood there for a moment before Phoenix spoke up.

           “There’s one door and several windows he could use as entry and exit points. Not to mention the time belt itself. Bats, inside. Lantern, watch the sky. Static, watch the entry points and light him up if he comes out. Warhawk, watch Static’s back.”  Phoenix ordered. The heroes split up. Phoenix took the lead with a Batman on either side of her, flanking her. Edith followed behind the three of them.

           “How’s it feel to be back in the field?” Terry asked.

           “Ask me after this.” Phoenix muttered as they made their way to the back cells. She knelt down and picked the lock on the cell. The door swung open and they walked inside.

           “Why do you think he stays here?” Phoenix asked.

           “Because a loser with a kingdom is still just a loser!” Edith said, pushing her way through. She blanket off him to reveal the war lord asleep and sucking his thumb. The sudden change in light and noise woke him up.

           “What I…” Chronos jumped up, quickly taking in his surroundings. “Well well well” he said and opened a time portal. He jumped through and quickly closed it.

           “Nice going lady!” Terry said, pushing Edith back. The Bats ran out

           “Be advised, Chronos is going for backup.” Phoenix called out over comms. By the time the Bats had made it out, Chronos had returned with solders from several different time periods and the Jokerz gang. Static was nowhere to be seen, but Lantern and Warhawk were holding their own in the sky. Terry activated his suit and flew to the other side of the arena, toward a group of World War Two solders. Phoenix turned, standing back to back with Batman.

           Though he’d never fought with her, it was obvious he trained her. There was a bond, a connection. She moved left when he went right, she flew when he took the ground, she was a mirror to him. They fought as one unit, holding their own against the Jokerz Gang.  Terry was making his way back toward them when one of the DeeDee’s got her whip around Batman’s waist. DeeDee activated the whip and Terry’s screams were heard over the comms link.

           “Batman!” Phoenix flew over to him and took out one of the DeeDee’s but four others were attacking him. With their electric whips wrapped around his limbs, they pulled until the screaming stopped. The four women cackled until one of them was knocked out cold Phoenix.  

           With his partner gone, Batman was left to defend himself. He held his own against the simple solders until Bonk came up from behind him and slammed his hammer shapped fist into the Dark Knight’s back. Batman flew toward, catching himself on his hands and rolled out of the way of a second punch.  Bonk grabbed at the cape and Batman swept it away. With his left hand, Batman threw a smoke bomb at the clown. Bonk caught it and crushed it in his hand, causing smoke to go everywhere. He screamed and charged out of the cloud, grabbing Batman by the waist and tackling him to the ground.

           “You know, they used to say you were a demon… you’re just an old man playing dress up.” Bonk said. He grabbed the Dark Knight’s arm and started twisting it at the wrist. Batman groaned as the bones twisted out of shape. His free hand fumbled around the exposed part of his belt when suddenly the pale white face above him disappeared. Batman pushed himself up using his good wrist. Phoenix had knocked Bonk into a nearby wall.  

           “Are you alright?” Phoenix asked. Batman reached to one of the pockets in his belt. He pulled out a piece of a broken disk. Phoenix reached into her own belt and pulled out a second disk.

           “Daughter of the Bat” She handed it over to him. “End this. Bring her back.” Batman took the disk and nodded. Their eyes met; so much still to be said and so much not needed. The world around the was glowing as the evidence of time collapsing in on itself filled the sky. “There are three thing you need to remember.” Phoenix said before flying off to join Warhawk. Batman turned around and saw Chronos next to Edith.

           “You’ll love me next time!” Chronos cried out to his wife and opened another time portal.

           “Lantern!” Batman called out and pointed to the new time portal. John turned around and saw where Chronos was going. He scooped Batman up and the two of them flew in after him.

           “End this. Bring her back.” Echoed in Batman’s mind as the portal closed behind them.  

~*~ ~End of Chapter Three~ ~*~

[hexusproductions]

New Song, Same Musician

Title: New Song, Same Musician Summary: The maestro of villainy has changed his tune, and is now trying his hand at heroism Author’s Note: Ya’ll inspired me

His own feet were failing him as he stumbled backwards, back pressing against the wall.

“No, please, get away from me!”

What little light remained that peered through the windows caught the abnormal glasses and the gold music note pin on the tie of his persecutor.

“Now now, this has all been very amusing but you’ve given me more trouble than you’re worth.” He sauntered forward, giving a single twirl to the silver staff in his hand.

“I’ll give you whatever you want. I don’t have much cash yet but if you wait-“

“Oh please,” He waved his hand dismissively, “I stopped playing that number months ago.”

The pursued man felt the strength leaving his buckling knees, and he wracked his brain for anything else he could possibly bargain with.

“Mr Meister, I’ll do anything, just don’t hurt me!”

The Music Meister paused, an amused but still terrifying smirk pulling at his lips.

“I may not be the maestro of villainy anymore, Bartholomew, but that doesn’t mean I no longer appreciate a full title.”

Bart nodded quickly as he inched his way back up the wall, feeling for the tell-tale edge of a door or window.

“Music Meister, I’m sorry, I swear it won’t happen again.”

Meister’s smirk turned into a smile and he chuckled shortly before moving forward again, and Bart froze. The pointed end of the staff came under his chin, resting there and ready.

“Now, Bartholomew Barton, I think you know what this little tango of ours has been about,” The point moved upwards, tilting his head up to face the maestro as he leaned in, “Your plan, quite ambitious if I must say, to blackmail some very important people in this city. Mayor Hill, the police commissioner, and Gotham’s own Bruce Wayne.” Bart nodded again, swallowing before being able to find his voice again. He was still frightened, but the close proximity of the former villain was also making him uncomfortable.

“That’s right. It’s completely foolproof, the stuff I have on them could destroy their reputations.” Bart’s tone was confident, but it shrivelled away at the raised eyebrow he received in response.

“Your naivety would be amusing to anyone but the Riddler.” Meister smiled, but then added, “And unfortunately to me at this particular moment.”

“W-What do you mean?” Bart questioned, eyes widening slightly. Music Meister sighed, pulling away.

“Look at me, Bartholomew. Do I look like I can fly, or have several ridiculous bat-themed vehicles at my disposal?”

“No?”

“No.” Meister nodded, “I barely have a car, and you’ve forced me to jump and twirl all across the city after you.” Despite the light-hearted tone the maestro had maintained through all of his speech, Bart knew that it most certainly did not match the words he was speaking.

“I swear, I’ve barely moved around. I certainly haven’t run-“

“You’ve run. You’re a runner.” Meister confirmed, “You’ve panicked like the scared little mouse that you are, and forced this into an allegro piece as you’ve forced me to chase you.” Bart was happy to have his personal space back, but his relief was tainted by confusion.

“I thought it was Batman following me.”

“Ta-da.” Music Meister gestured lazily. The staff had moved away from his throat with said gesture, but Bart was barely able to gulp before it was there again, pressing with a veiled annoyance.

It actually explained all the questions Bart had when he had been running. Up until an hour ago he did think he was being tailed by the Dark Knight, that wasn’t a lie. But even with the costume change he had eventually recognised the glasses and the music theme, and Bart Barton had instantly become much more fearful for his life.

“Music Meister, I’m so sorry for wasting your time.” Bart tried, and Meister looked at him.

“Wasting my time? Trivial as this may be, what else do you expect me to do with it?” Meister was looking amused again, tapping the point of the staff where it lay, “What’s irritating, Bartholomew, is that you’re simply a sad and pitiful little Gothamite who thinks he can try things of the same stature as Carmine Falcone or our tact-challenged Roman Sionis.” Bart glanced around quickly before holding up his hands.

“I just need some more money, Music Meister, you know what that’s like.” Desperately he offered, “If you let me go I’ll split it with you.” Meister rolled his eyes.

“Again, I’ve tried all of that before,” He glanced up and down quickly, “And frankly, I was much better dressed…”  Bart looked at himself, suddenly feeling self-conscious. When he looked back up, he froze at the maestro’s frown.

“Bartholomew,” Meister leaned in again, and Bart moved his head back to avoid the staff now pressing in even more, “I now have to decide what exactly I’m going to do with you. And if you so happen to be thinking about trying for an escape…” A low mechanical humming reached his ears, originating from the staff. “I-I get the point.” He stammered quickly. The humming ended.

“Good.” Music Meister smiled, before continuing as if thinking aloud, “Now I could simply hand you over to the police, but that would then focus the spotlight on them and as someone who craves said spotlight that is something I simply cannot have.”

“I don’t want to go to jail.” Bart mewed.

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you started all this.” Meister told him, raising his eyebrows deliberately.

“What if I just forgot about the stuff I was going to blackmail them with?” Bart suggested, the words blurting out of his mouth, “If I just stopped and walked away would everyone stop coming after me?”

“I’m afraid you couldn’t simply ‘forget’, Bartholomew.” Meister replied, and gestured to himself with his free hand, “Once again, I’ve known about these kind of things for a long time, and I know that the things a blackmailer claims have to have physical evidence. Usually that means documents and photos.”

“There’s nothing.” Bart said, a little too quickly. Music Meister looked at him, and Bart realised that he’d just given himself away. His eyes widened again as the staff was taken away, and Meister’s hand placed itself on the man’s shoulder.

“Are you going to tell me where they are, Barton?” Meister’s voice lowered to almost a purr, the words smooth and dangerous. Bart shook his head quickly.

“No.” He replied defiantly, and Meister smirked.

“It’s your choice. But if you need me to make it for you…” He trailed off, and Bart’s mouth opened in shock as realisation made him attempt to pull away.

“No, anything but that. Please, I’m begging you.” He pleaded. While the grip on his shoulder was by no means firm, it was enough to keep Bart there as Music Meister tilted his head ever so slightly, towards Bart’s ear.

It started as a low hum, this one not from the staff, and then grew into long enchanting notes from a voice smooth and suave. Bart barely even tried to struggle before his mind clouded over, expression slackening and eyes glazing over.

“The evidence, Bartholomew…”

Bart nodded and stepped away from the wall. Music Meister grinned, quite pleased with himself as he watched the man walk calmly across the room. A dark shadow swept down in the still open entrance of the house as Bart left through another door.

“I was wondering if you’d ever arrive.” Meister remarked, turning around to face the shadow with a sly smirk.

“You looked like you had things under control.” Batman replied, stepping inside. Meister gave a shrug, twirling the staff in his hand once more.

“How are our poor targets?”

“They’re doing fine. Gordon didn’t seem fazed.”

“He never is.” Meister rolled his eyes with a smile. The door opened again and Bart walked back into the room, a cardboard box in his hands.

“Thank you very much, Bartholomew.” Music Meister took the box and handed it to Batman, taking the handcuffs the Dark Knight had previously been holding in the process. Meister turned to Bart and twirled his finger, and the man willingly turned around and put his arms behind his back.

“Funny, I’m not used to being on this side of the arrest.” Meister chuckled as he fastened the cuffs.

“Hopefully you’ll get used to it.” Bart marched towards the open entrance like a soldier, and Music Meister stepped forward quickly to walk beside Batman as the two of them exited.

“Does this mean I can take the ride back with you?” He grinned.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t.”

“Spoilsport.”

[higherfeed]

What's Coming to Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Hulu in November

This month all eyes are on The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s epic gangster drama. But until you can see it on November 27, there’s plenty of other highly-anticipated releases in TV and movies coming to Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Hulu, including shows like Jack Ryan, The Crown, and Silicon Valley October Streaming Guide: The ‘Breaking Bad’ Movie, ‘Glass’, and More to Watch This Month Along with those new options, movies like Creed II, Step Brothers, The Matrix Series, the James Bond collection, and Rounders will be streaming on various sites. The Best Adventure Movies, TV Shows, and Documentaries You Can Stream Right Now Here’s everything new you can stream in November 2019:

What’s Streaming on Netflix

the King / The Irishman / NetflixNov. 1 Apache Warrior American Son Atypical: Season 3 Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Go Team Roberts: Season 1 Billy on the Street Christmas Break-In The Christmas Candle Christmas in the Heartlands Christmas Survival The Deep: Season 3 Drive Elliot the Littlest Reindeer Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Fire in Paradise The Game Grease Hache Hello Ninja Holiday in the Wild Holly Star How to Be a Latin Lover The King Love Jones The Man Without Gravity Mars: Season 2 The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans: Seasons 1-2 Paid in Full Queer Eye: We’re in Japan! Rosemary’s Baby Rounders Santa Girl Sling Blade Spitfire: The Plane That Saved the World Step Brothers True: Grabbleapple Harvest Up North We Are the Wave Wild Child Zombieland Nov. 4 A Holiday Engagement Christmas Crush Dear Santa The Devil Next Door District 9 Nov. 5 The End of the F***ing World: Season 2 Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 4 Tune in for Love Undercover Brother 2 Nov. 6 Phillip Youmans Burning Cane SCAMS Shadow Nov. 7 The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open Nov. 8 Busted!: Season 2 The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 2 Greatest Events of WWII in HD Colour Green Eggs and Ham Let It Snow Paradise Beach Wild District: Season 2 Nov. 9 Little Things: Season 3 Nov. 10 Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj: Volume 5 Nov. 11 A Single Man Chief of Staff: Season 2 Nov. 12 Harvey Girls Forever!: Season 3 Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago Nov. 13 Maradona in Mexico Nov. 14 The Stranded Nov. 15 Avlu: Part 2 The Club Earthquake Bird GO!: The Unforgettable Party House Arrest I’m With the Band: Nasty Cherry Klaus Llama Llama: Season 2 The Toys That Made Us: Season 3 Nov. 16 Suffragette Nov. 17 The Crown: Season 3 Nov. 19 Iliza: Unveiled No hay tiempo para la verguenza Nov. 20 Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator Dream/Killer Lorena, la de pies ligeros Nov. 21 The Knight Before Christmas Mortel Nov. 22 Dino Girl Gauko Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings The Dragon Prince: Season 3 High Seas: Season 2 Meet the Adebanjos: Season 1-3 Mon frere Nailed It! Holiday!: Season 2 Narcoworld: Dope Stories Nobody’s Looking Singapore Social Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 8 Nov. 23 End of Watch Nov. 24 Courtesy of Bold Films Shot Caller Nov. 25 Dirty John: Season 1 Nov. 26 Mike Birbiglia: The New One Super Monsters Save Christmas True: Winter Wishes Nov. 27 Broken The Irishman Nov. 28 Holiday Rush John Crist: I Ain’t Praying For That Merry Happy Whatever Mytho Nov. 29 ‘Atlantics’ Courtesy of TIFF Atlantics Chip and Potato: Season 2 I Lost My Body La Reina del Sur: Season 2 The Movies That Made Us Sugar Rush Christmas

What’s Streaming on Amazon Prime

Jack Ryan Season 2 / Amazon Prime Video / Paramount TelevisionNov. 1: A View To A Kill (1985) Bad Santa (2003) Big Top Pee-Wee (1988) Chinatown (1974) Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Die Another Day (2002) Double Jeopardy (1999) Dr. No (1962) Escape From Alcatraz (1979) Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex * But Were Afraid To Ask (1972) Fatal Attraction (1987) Fire with Fire (2012) Flashdance (1983) For Your Eyes Only (1981) Freelancers (2012) From Russia With Love (1963) Gloria (English Subtitled) (2014) Goldeneye (1995) Goldfinger (1964) Kingpin (1996) LicenceTo Kill (1989) Light Sleeper (1992) Live And Let Die (1973) Moonraker (1979) Never Say Never Again (1983) Octopussy (1983) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) Overlord (2018) Reds (1981) Save the Last Dance 2 (2006) Soapdish (1991) Summer’s Moon (2009) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) The Firm (1993) The Living Daylights (1987) The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) The Ring (2002) The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) The World Is Not Enough (1999) Thunderball (1965) Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Training Day (2001) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (2012) Jack Ryan Nov. 6 Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) Nov. 8 One Child Nation (2019) Nov. 12 Angel Has Fallen (2019) Nov. 13 Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) Romans (2017) Nov. 14 Instant Family (2018) The Souvenir (2019) Nov. 15 Creed 2 (2018) The Man in the High Castle: Season 4 (Amazon Original) Nov. 19 Bottom of the 9th (2019) Nov. 20 The Fanatic (2019) Nov. 22 Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) (Amazon Original) Costume Quest: Christmas Special (Amazon Original) Nov. 29 The Report (2019) Nov. 30 Low Tide (2019) The Feed: Season 1 (Amazon Original)

What’s Streaming on Hulu

Nov. 1 America’s Cutest: Complete Seasons 2&3 (Animal Planet) Giada’s Holiday Handbook: Complete Seasons 1-3 (Food Network) Holiday Baking Championship: Complete Seasons 1-4 (Food Network) Into The Dark: Pilgrim: Episode Premiere (Hulu Original) Kids Baking Championship: Complete Season 4 (Food Network) Love Island: Australia: Complete Season 1 (ITV) Sex Sent Me to the ER: Complete Seasons 1&2 (TLC) Too Cute!: Complete Seasons 2&3 (Animal Planet) A Fairly Odd Christmas (2012) A Simple Plan (1998) Albert (2016) Big Top Pee-Wee (1988) Chinatown (1974) The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) Dinner for Schmucks (2010) Double Jeopardy (1999) The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain (1995) Escape from Alcatraz (1979) Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, but were Afraid to Ask (1972) Fantastic Four (2005) Fatal Attraction (1987) Fever Pitch (2005) Fire with Fire (2012) The Firm (1993) Flashdance (1983) Freddy Vs Jason (2003) Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) Freelancers (2012) Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) Gloria (2014) Head of State (2003) Home for the Holidays (1995) I Heart Huckabees (2004) In Enemy Hands (2003) Interview with a Vampire (1994) Kingpin (1996) Light Sleeper (1992) Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011) Madea’s Witness Protection (2012) Magic Mike (2012) The Mexican (2001) The Nightingale (2019) Overlord (2018) The Pink Panther 2 (2009) Reds (1981) The Ring (2002) Santa Hunters (2014) Shall We Dance? (2004) Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2002) Soapdish (1991) Spy Next Door (2010) Summers Moon (2009) Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) Terminator Salvation (2009) Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005) Tiny Christmas (2017) The Two Jakes (1990) Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) Undisputed (2002) Waiting… (2005) You Laugh but It’s True (2011) Available Nov. 4 Denial (2016) Nov. 5 Framing John Delorean (2019) Available Nov. 6 Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story (2017) The Biggest Little Farm (2019) Nov. 7 Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) Nov. 9 You’re the Worst: Complete Season 5 (FX) Nov. 13 Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) Ugly Dolls (2018) Nov. 14 Instant Family (2018) Veronica Mars (2014) Nov. 15 Dollface: Complete Season 1 Premiere (Hulu Original) Creed II (2018) Wings of the Dove (1997) Nov. 18 Booksmart (2019) The Tomorrow Man (2019) Nov. 19 Apple Tree Yard: Complete Season 1 (Fremantle) Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word is Power (2019) The Quiet One (2019) Nov. 20 Some Kind of Beautiful (2015) Nov. 22 The Accident: Complete Season 1 Premiere (Hulu Original) Holly Hobbie: Complete Season 2 Premiere (Hulu Original) Vita & Virginia (2019) Nov. 24 Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2010) Nov. 25 Love & Mercy (2015) Nov. 26 NOS4A2: Complete Season 1 (AMC) Astronaut (2019) Nov. 27 Meeting Gorbachev (2019) Nov. 28 Mike Wallace is Here (2019)

What’s Streaming on HBO/HBO Now

Movies Big (11/1) Blindspotting (11/1) Bruce Almighty (11/1) Chocolat (11/1) Crazy, Stupid, Love (11/1) Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops (11/19) Flawless (11/1) For Love of the Game (11/1) Forget Paris (11/1) Head Full of Honey (11/2) Hope Floats (11/1) Indignation (11/1) Jingle All the Way (Director’s Cut) (11/1) King Arthur (Director’s Cut) (11/1) Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season (11/26) Little (11/16) Look Away (11/4) Mr. Bean’s Holiday (11/1) Nine Months (11/1) Pan (11/1) Reversal of Fortune (11/1) Shazam! (11/30) The Apollo (11/6) The Condemned (11/1) The Condemned 2 (11/1) The Darjeeling Limited (11/1) The Darkness (11/1) The Day After Tomorrow (11/1) The Kid Who Would Be King (11/9) The Town (11/1) True Lies (11/1) Us (11/23) Very Ralph (11/12) Wes Craven Presents Wishmaster (11/1) TV Daniel Sloss: X (11/2) Entre Nos: Erik Rivera: Super White (11/1) Halfway — HBO Access pilot (11/1) His Dark Materials (11/4) Message Erased (11/1) Pajaros de Verano (aka Birds of Passage) (11/8) Papi Chulo (11/15) Santos Dumont (11/11) Sesame Street (11/16) Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration (11/9) Sobredosis de amor (aka Roommates) (11/1) Sterling — HBO Access pilot (11/1) Unimundo 45 — HBO Access pilot (11/1) Expiring 11/30 Blackkklansman Breakin’ All the Rules Captivity Crazy Rich Asians Darkman Darkman II: The Return of Durant Darkman III: Die Darkman Die The Darkest Minds Deja Vu The Diary of Anne Frank Disclosure Hop Insidious: The Last Key Legend Lions For Lambs The Lost Boys Macgruber (Extended Version) Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Manhattan Night My Friend Dahmer Paper Heart Paycheck Peter Pan Pride Ramona and Beezus Robin Hood Steve Jobs Stratton Read the full article

[stormyvixen]

Blog Tour with Excerpt! The Water is Wide (The Blue Bells of Scotland #3) Laura Vosika!

Pump Up Your Book is pleased to bring you Laura Vosika’s THE WATER IS WIDE (Book 3 of The Blue Bells Chronicles) Virtual Book Tour October 1 – December 14 2018!

Title: THE WATER IS WIDE Author: Laura Vosika Publisher: Gabriel’s Horn Press Pages: 451 Genre: Time Travel/Historical Fiction

BOOK BLURB:

After his failure to escape back to his own time, Shawn is sent with Niall on the Bruce’s business. They criss-cross Scotland and northern England, working for the Bruce and James Douglas, as they seek ways to get Shawn home to Amy and his own time.

Returning from the Bruce’s business, to Glenmirril, Shawn finally meets the mysterious Christina. Despite his vow to finally be faithful to Amy, his feelings for Christina grow.

In modern Scotland, having already told Angus she’s pregnant, Amy must now tell him Shawn is alive and well—in medieval Scotland. Together, they seek a way to bring him back across time.

They are pursued by Simon Beaumont, esteemed knight in the service of King Edward, has also passed between times. Having learned that Amy’s son will kill him—he seeks to kill the infant James first.

The book concludes with MacDougall’s attack on Glenmirril, Amy and Angus’s race to be there and Shawn’s attempt to reach the mysterious tower through the battling armies.

Author's Book Page -

http://www.bluebellstrilogy.com/Books.php#TheWaterisWide

Watch the Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1z7mHo-OxQ&list=PL1M7umb_F_hIUIeqM5z8oeaX4mGrj1afB&index=3

Add to your shelves -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13498120-the-water-is-wide

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-water-is-wide-the-blue-bells-trilogy-book-3-by-laura-vosika

The Water is Wide is the 3rd book in The Blue Bells of Scotland Trilogy -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/series/93431-blue-bells-trilogy

Author - http://www.bluebellstrilogy.com/Books.php

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BL4LW67?ref=series_rw_dp_labf

Includes - 

1 Blue Bells of Scotland 2 The Minstral Boy 3 The Water is Wide 4 Westering Home 5 The Battle is O'er

The Water is Wide is avialable in print or ebook -

Amazon - https://amzn.to/2ujdj3Z

Book Excerpt:

As the shadows lengthened, Shawn cleared his throat. “Any thoughts on where to spend the night? Is there a Holiday Inn around here?”

“There’s no inn of any sort.”

“Yeah, and that’s a problem,” Shawn said, “because last time I slept in the great outdoors, a wolf climbed into bed with me, and it didn’t really end well for either of us.” He rubbed his thigh, where a long scar would forever remind him of the night.

“You did well.” Niall cocked a grin at him. “It almost makes me glad to have you at my side, despite your infernal complaining.” The sky over the leafy canopy grew grayer as they climbed another hill.

“I haven’t complained for half an hour, and considering I’m stuck with you, that’s pretty impressive.” An owl hooted, low and mournful. “I’m pretty sure that knocks a couple months off any Purgatory time I’d racked up.” The river crackled, cold water splashing against thin ice on the edges, beside them.

“Any time?” Niall chortled, a candle against the darkening wood. “You’ll be fortunate to get as high as Purgatory, and if you do, you’ve racked up so much time there, they’ll have to kick the rest of them straight into Heaven to make room for all the Purgatory you need!”

“I don’t think it works like....” Shawn stopped at the top of the hill, staring at the sight before them. “Holy ruins, Batman. What is that?”

Niall and his pony halted by his side. The animal tossed its head, and nuzzled Niall’s arm. Before them stretched a wide expanse of broken stone walls, stone buildings with mouths and eyes gaping wide in the twilight, on either side of a long road. One vast length of wall held numerous niches. Thirty yards away, crumbling walls enclosed rows of short, stout, stone posts. Beyond it, a stairway led down into a dark maw. Bushes sprang from cracks. Trees grew in and among the abandoned structures. Shadows stretched everywhere, as the sun sank, sending fiery orange and pink rays down the center road, lighting the mist that swirled along it.

“That,” said Niall with a smile, “is our inn. God provides.” He touched his heels to his pony, starting down the gentle slope.

Shawn coughed loudly. “Uh, yeah, He sure does. The question is what has He provided? What is this place?”

“A Roman fort.” Niall led his pony down the center path, the remains rising on either side. A bird called somewhere in the trees.

“The Roamin’ in.” Shawn used English for the last two words. “God has a sense of humor.”

Niall smiled, pointing to the stairs leading down. “There. ’Tis indoors.”

“It’s a pun,” Shawn clarified. “It’s a whole lot funnier if you see it spelled out.”

“No doubt,” Niall agreed. “Shall we gather firewood? Keep any more wolves from climbing in bed with you?”

“Yes, let’s. And what keeps away the ghosts of the Roman legionnaires? Or their victims?”

“One sight of your face ought to scare any spirits back to the underworld.”

“If that doesn’t work,” said Shawn, “your pathetic attempts at music will.”

“Perhaps you could brag of your exploits with women.” Niall grinned. “Even Hades is better than having to listen to that.”

Shawn laughed. “You’re jealous.”

They picked their way over the darkening path strewn with stones. In the trees above, an owl hooted.

“What happens tomorrow?” Shawn nodded at the limping pony.

Niall’s mouth was taut. “We hope he’s better. If not, we let him rest, and spend the time learning to play the lute. We’ve shelter, walls and a roof, which is more than we expected.”

They stopped before their intended room. Shawn sighed. It would do no good to stay in the open, but the stone structure, with its empty eyes and stone stairs descending into darkness, was hardly welcoming.

“We’ll need wood,” Niall said. They tethered the ponies to a tree springing up near the ruin, left the lute beside them, and set out to gather branches.

The sky was now deep blue, the ruins cloaked in shadow. A wolf howled in the distance. The air grew chillier as they worked, till a night among ghosts looked inviting, even homey, as long as it was warm. They piled the kindling on the lowest step outside their chosen abode, where it would warm the room, but send its smoke up into the sky. Niall scraped flint, and soon, they had flickering light by which to eat their hard bread and berries. Shawn settled back, content with his stomach less than empty, and pulled out the lute. He adjusted a couple tuning pegs, tried a few chords, and began one of the songs he’d played on guitar. Niall relaxed against another wall, watching his fingers, humming along. “Let me try,” he said at last. Shawn handed it over, giving instruction as Niall leaned over the strings, working his fingers into unfamiliar positions for chords, and picking out melodies.

Outside, a pony whickered. Niall and Shawn froze, looking to the doorway, where they could see only black night beyond the glowing fire. Niall laid the lute down gently. “We've been careless,” he said softly. They reached for their knives.

“I’m kind of hoping it’s only a ghost,” Shawn whispered back. The familiar tingle of adrenaline began, a tremoring of the nerves in his arms. His muscles tightened. “Do we wait for whoever it is to come in?”

Niall shook his head. “And wait for a whole army to come in on us? If I’m to die tonight, ’twill be fighting for my life.” He rose, back against the wall, and inched around till he stood pressed by the doorway, where the fire crackled. On the other side, Shawn did the same, his heart pounding hard. Niall pointed to his chest, then to Shawn, and held up fingers in a silent count: One. Two. Three.

He sprang over the small flames, into the night. Shawn leapt behind him, knife ready, heart beating triple time, nerves screaming! The fire threw shadows across the pony, who balked against his tether. Shawn saw nothing. But he heard the crack of a twig just beyond the light. He and Niall lunged. The single crack grew into a panicked flurry of rustling leaves, cracking twigs, branches snapping back in their faces as they gave chase. Shawn ducked and swerved, saw Niall ahead, veered, and suddenly, there was a pile of arms, legs. He dropped his knife.

“Get down!” Niall roared. Shawn threw himself to the ground, hands over his head.

All became silent for a heartbeat...two.

Then the forest erupted with sound!

“I didn’t mean you!” Niall said indignantly.

“I’ve done naught, Milord! Don’t kill me!”

Then Niall was laughing, great gusty roars of merriment. “Shawn, get up! You’re hiding from a boy!”

“Don’t kill me! I can help you! I can help your hobin, Milord!”

Shawn inched his hand from over his eyes to see the dark shape of Niall sitting astride a boy who managed to flounder, fight, and cower, all at once, while protesting. He climbed irritably to his feet. “You said get down!”

“I meant him.”

“You staged this because your lute-playing sucks!” Shawn threw back into the night. “You needed a distraction.”

“Thank goodness at least you can play a lute, because the way you fight, a mouse would have gotten the better of us!”

The boy looked back and forth between them. He stopped struggling. “Milord?”

Shawn realized both their faces were showing. He recoiled into shadow. Niall climbed to his feet, his knife at the ready. “Get up.”

“He’s just a boy,” Shawn sighed. “Put your knife away.”

“Aren’t we sending boys to war?” Niall asked. “What makes you think a boy can’t kill?”

Shawn had no answer. He could think only of the boys to whom he’d taught trombone, so many years ago in the future—boys in sports jerseys, with trimmed hair, worrying about who to ask to prom. This boy stood before them in tatters. He wrapped his arms around his skinny body. His hair hung past his shoulders. Clarence. His father’s killer, as he’d last seen him, flashed through Shawn’s mind. Yes, boys could kill. He didn’t want to believe this one would. He just didn’t want any more ugliness in his world.

“What’s your name?” Niall demanded.

“I have none,” the boy said.

“No name? How can you have no name?”

The boy shrugged. “My parents died long ago, my mother in childbirth, and my father in battle. A farrier found me and took me in. He didn’t know my name.”

“Surely he called you something?”

“Red.” The boy’s shivering increased.

“Niall,” Shawn said.

Niall pressed the boy, ignoring Shawn. “And why are you not with him now?”

“He was....” Red’s teeth clacked together. He clenched them tight, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, and tried again. “He was killed when the soldiers came through. I ran into the forest and hid. They were afraid to follow me into the ruins.”

“Niall, he’s cold.”

Niall’s knife remained pointed at the boy. “Which soldiers?”

“They were English, Milord. Meaning no offense, Milord.” His teeth clattered again. “If you’re English.”

“Niall!” Shawn stepped forward, his anger growing. “He’s just a kid! He’s about to....”

Before he finished, the boy collapsed. Shawn was under him, catching his sagging body before it hit the ground.

Laura Vosika is a writer, poet, and musician. Her time travel series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, set in modern and medieval Scotland, has garnered praise and comparisons to writers as diverse as Diana Gabaldon and Dostoevsky. Her poetry has been published in The Moccasin and The Martin Lake Journal 2017.

She has been featured in newspapers, on radio, and TV, has spoken for regional book events, and hosted the radio program Books and Brews. She currently teaches writing at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

As a musician, Laura has performed as on trombone, flute, and harp, in orchestras, and big bands. She lives in Brooklyn park with 5 of her 9 children, 3 cats, and an Irish Wolfhound.

Her latest book is the time travel/historical fiction, The Water is Wide.

Website - http://www.bluebellschronicles.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/laura.vosika.author

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/lauravosika

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3057598.Laura_Vosika

Hosted by:

Pump Up Your Books - http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/

[pawprintsandthumbnails-blog]

Shadow Hunter

Like Orion, Gary Giddins is a hunter of shadows--time and again, he's drawn to those overcast aesthetic zones where the best alchemic prizes can be found, fondled, and fathomed. An admired critic with a remarkable body of work, his fondest preoccupations are jazz, that supremely shadowy realm of music, and movies, an art form that blooms most beautifully in the dark.

A native New Yorker, Giddins has been most prolific in his written scrutinization of jazz, a fascination that's kept him perceptively busy for decades. From 1974 to 2003, he wrote the jazz column Weather Bird for The Village Voice, and has authored eight highly-regarded books devoted to the topic. Among them are studies of Charlie Parker (Celebrating Bird, 1986) and Louis Armstrong (Satchmo, 1988); the monumental 700-plus pages of Visions of Jazz: The First Century (1998), winner of the National Book Critics' Circle Award, and hailed as a "the finest unconventional history of jazz ever written" [1]; and Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams (2001), a "must-read" [2] exploration of the singer's musical legacy, which includes a significant authority in jazz technique. (Two of Giddins’ eleven publications, the 1996 Faces in the Crowd and the 2006 Natural Selection, can’t be described as solely jazz books since they explore some of the other arts--films, literature, comic books--as well as a selection of their outstanding representatives.)

And on the subject of movies? Giddins’ output is less voluminous--only one of his books deals exclusively with matters cinematic, the 2010 Warning Shadows: Home Alone With Classic Cinema. But Giddins the movie scribe delves into film culture with such adept enjoyment that he all but promises to one day catch up with his musical self. Written with tireless flair and commitment, Warning Shadows has kept me gladly engaged of late and hoping there's another of its kind in the works.

Covering countless vintage productions released on DVD and Blu-ray, Warning Shadows is a compilation of reviews and profiles, most of which originated in The New York Sun, a daily broadsheet published from 2002 to 2009. Others found their place of introduction in DGA Quarterly, The New York Times Book Review, Film Comment, and The Criterion Collection. Commencing on a historical slant, Warning Shadows whisks us into a fifteen-page examination of how we've watched movies over the years, focusing on each cycle's ways and means of exhibiting filmed works. Thomas Edison's rudimentary but revolutionary kinetoscope (a peephole machine which allowed a single viewer to watch "moving pictures, fluid as life") gives way to a sweeping industrial shift toward theatres (with the popular storefront nickelodeons rapidly superseded by the early rococo picture palaces sporting domed ceilings and lobbies brightened by chandeliers). The current dominant practice of home viewing concludes the saga as television, videotape, laserdisc, and DVD get their moments of mass production and cultural influence. Approaching moviegoing in environmental terms, Giddins touches on the impact of various forms of motion picture display, our responsiveness from format to format, the resulting changes in how movies were made, the technological innovations, our expectations according to different mediums, and the alterations in our habits of consumption. Yet for all the art, science, and commerce that have shaped films, the most immersive approach was discovered early on when celluloid shows were unveiled for eager crowds of onlookers. "DVD and Blu-ray," Giddins states of the current phase, "are substitutes for the intended experience." The collective response, I agree, is the most emotive and memorable, and watching movies, no matter what the era or its controlling presentational modality, is ultimately a tribal sport.

Movies, like jazz, set Giddins alight as a writer, and Warning Shadows is an energizing read, divertingly pacey and alive with word sense and pictorial memory. Blending a scholarly informality with an addict's allegiance, Giddins can isolate filmed sequences, moments, and qualities with a deftness that accelerates one's remembrance of them. He launches the hues, textures, and design of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Tales of Hoffman (1951) into our quickened recollection when he states that "the décor and the actors are drunk with colour." In that potent bit of tribute he captures the fullness of the images as well as the riskiness of their abundance and the almost supernatural command the dancers have over their own physicality. Giddins has sharp antennae and a vigourous pen, and his writing can be winningly descriptive: his encapsulation of actor Simon Russell Beale's unpleasing mug in the 1997 British mini-series Dance to the Music of Time conveys a contemporary Dickensian prickle, and his appreciation of cinematographer Edward Cronjager's lustrous lighting in H. Bruce Humberstone's  I Wake Up Screaming (1941) may very well prompt you to check it out.

A true believer as well as a permissive fan, Giddins sometimes indulges movies almost as much as he reveres them, and their fealty to the formulaic and the endless happy endings they offer can, under the right circumstances, be as pleasing to him as the stylistic surprises and emotional ambiguities found in films of a higher order. Of Peter Watkins' ambitious structural technique in Edvard Munch (1976) he approvingly writes: "These are not explanatory flashbacks of the kind running amok in recent biopics. They are integrated glimpses of the past woven into a narrative mosaic, and they have the effect of flattening perspective, as Munch did on canvas." But: commenting on Sophia Loren's luxuriant appearance while languishing in a medieval prison in Anthony Mann's El Cid (1961), Giddins notes: "Clearly jailors have been smuggling in lipstick, rouge, mascara, and other concealers, and who would want it any other way?"

Warning Shadows covers a good deal of turf, zeroing in on the best and the brightest as well as the odd, the esoteric, and the awful. Influential classics get their due praise, seasoned with filmic associations, background data, and memorable summings up. Giddins surprises with an unexpected visual link between the Korda mounting of The Thief of Bagdad (1940) and Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959), and he tweaks one's curiosity with the statement that Orson Welles was never more charismatic than as the mystery figure of Carol Reed's The Third Man (1949), not even in one of his own films. (What was Welles unable to find in himself that Reed perceived, empowered, and snared for his own purposes?) Giddins' enthusiasm for buried beauties and neglected orphans has him finding noteworthy viewing in drive-in fare and grindhouse leavings. He bids welcome to Curtis Harrington's macabre resurrection of Ann Sothern and Ruth Roman in the little-seen The Killing Kind (1973), tips his hat with a slight tremble to the crawly Spanish curio Who Can Kill a Child? (1976), and allows an amused, tolerant nod for a series of silent films starring Harry Houdini, the King Kong of escape artists. A new cut from Criterion of Orson Welles' troubled Mr. Arkadin (1955), haunted for decades by its many multiplying versions and the attendant inconsistencies and convolutions, is, like all previous prints, "mangled, contentious, and undying." But this latest release nevertheless makes a case for itself as "a genuine Wellesian achievement." He also covers some Absolute Essentials of long ago: his entry on Buster Keaton's The General (1926) charmingly evokes the film's beautiful sense of movement, timing, surprise, and the director-star's creative ownership of the material. Even if you've habitually seen whatever film is under discussion, Giddins is likely to make it seem fresh again, which is almost like making it new.

Which isn't to say that he's without the occasional missteps. He sometimes makes his case by overstatement, such as: "No one knew more than the spellbinding Edward G. Robinson about how to hold and control a scene." It may seem that way when watching him, and there's no denying Robinson's power and distinction. But there have been plenty of actors who could go fifteen minutes in the thespic ring with Edward G. and match him, or even, in certain respects, knock him cold. (The list of contenders is probably too long and varied to bother with here, though Brando and Bogart leap promptly to mind.) But in such moments Giddins errs on the side of enthusiasm and aesthetic loyalty--not such a disgraceful guilt if you possess the critical skills to match your dedication. Fortunately, he does, and with much to spare. His wit and insight are as evident as his amazement at the power of films and his delight in understanding them. Gary Giddins is a bracing reminder that being overwhelmed by movies is irresistible, but figuring them out is sometimes the best fun of all.

Articles

[1] "All That You-Know-What," Alfred Appel, Jr., "The New York Times," October 18, 1998 http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/18/books/all-that-you-know-what.html

[2] "Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years 1903-1940 by Gary Giddins" Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes https://jazztimes.com/reviews/books/bing-crosby-a-pocketful-of-dreams-the-early-years-1903-1940-by-gary-giddins/

(Posted: 31/07/17)