#hippolyta faith

[hi-im-argos]

More Phoenix!

And some of his friends. Sammie, Jade, and Hippolyta.

[koroart]

I love drawing niche AU things that cater to ME — I’m just bringing y’all along for the ride 👌🏼✨

( scene is from Wonder Woman: Bloodlines )

[themyscirah]

I should make a post about how insane Diana being chosen as champion is at one point. Like yes ik in most versions it was an anonymous competition but like the sheer level of trust and hope and desire for reconciliation and peace that comes with that gesture is a so insane to me. Hippolyta the woman that you are...

[armed-with-a-waffle-iron]

Donna Troy vs "dC CoMIcs aRE sOoOO HarD tO GEt iNTo..."

I know it seems that way. Like yeah, they're not exactly a netflix mini-series with a pilot and everything and yes, walking into a comicbook store can be (or is) fucking daunting, but we have tumblr and multiple libraries worth of pirated comics online.

Tumblr's got blogs dedicated to specifics characters, metas to familiarise ourselves with characterisation and metatext and reading recommendations for newer readers.

It's ok to dive head first into continuity, there's never gonna be a perfect starting point. I think people, writers included, massively overthink the digestibility of comics.

Donna Troy's a good example of this. Our girl has had 5-6 different origins, each which confusingly contradict the last, written to make her continuity palatable for new readers. Who in the world is a fan of Donna because of the very first chapter of her story? I love Donna because of her unique voice and her capacity to love and her compassion and her relationships with others and her growth over the years, and I like her stories because they depict her reckoning with, not just the horrors of the world around her, but also herself. I couldn't give two fucks if she was adopted by Rhea or Hippolyta or if she's a clone of Diana. I read about her taking on neo-nazis while coping with the loss of her son, trying to hold on to faith in the face of the world's cruelty and searching for her truth in the mess of it, and I'm like fuck, I'm a fan! Who is Donna Troy? Well, for one, she's more than a digestible origin story.

Just gotta leap before you look sometimes.

Source: Wonder Woman: Donna Troy

[fastestmanalive333]

Earth-1987 Files: Donna Troy

Donna Troy

Age: 28

Relations: Roy Harper (significant other) Hippolyta (Adopted Mother) Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Adopted Sister) Terry Long (Ex-Husband, deceased) Robert Long (Son, Deceased)

Affiliation: Justice League of America, Teen Titans, Titans

Donna Troy was saved by Wonder Woman as a baby in a fire she was then taken in by the amazons, Hippolyta raised her, nourished her, trained her to be a hero.. she became her second daughter, until one fateful day at the age of 9 Donna went wandering in the woods where she came across a cave which laid the Titan Goddess Rhea... she snatched the child away.. the Queen and Diana were distraught, little did she know Donna was taken to New Chronus along with other abducted children to become Titan Seeds, there she was bestowed the power of the gods, until the age of 13.. she came to earth.. looking for her long lost sister, there she met the Titans the ones who would grow to be her family.. Dick Grayson, Roy Harper, Wally West and Garth... becoming a founding member of the teen titans even suggesting the name off a residual memory she adopted the identity of Wonder Girl, after their first mission and battle with the Antithesis she reunited with Diana who embraces her long lost sister, and allows her to continue on with the titans, together they went on many adventures, even falling in love with her fellow teammate Roy Harper, as they grew so did the team and the Teen Titans broke up.. Roy went to drugs and cut himself off from his team.. and Donna on her first year of college began a questionable relationship with older college professor Terry Long, she joined the New TeTitans became friends with Koriand'r... and ended up marrying Terry, before the wedding Roy came to her wondering if she is sure she wants to marry Terry, Donna is skeptical but goes through with it.... but before leaving Donna kisses her real love on the cheek and walks off, further the marriage went the more controlling and manipulative Terry became.. Donna was then pregnant with a baby.. her son Robert, this incited the Team Titans group from the future to confront her, claiming that her son would threaten the future as Lord Chaos. Donna voluntarily gave up her powers to prevent this, one day Terry would be revealed to have been beating Donna inciting kory to come in and kick his ass they would divorce soon after, terry as a result would take custody of her child away from Donna seeing her as a danger, Roy moves in with Donna along with Lian to provide her comfort.. she'd join the Darkstars and Roy's titans.. where she'd meet Kyle Rayner where they would start a brief romance, ultimately ending when Terry, Robert and his daughter Jennifer die in a car accident.. ultimately broken and torn.. the tragedy caused the Goddess Thia to appear.. she fled earth and returned to new chronus the titans of myth realizing that she was the child who was destined to save them from some impending threat, brought her to New Cronus and implanted false memories within her mind to make her she was the original Goddess of the Moon and wife of Coeus. The Titans of Myth incited war between other worlds near New Cronus in order to gain new worshippers. They used the combined power of their collective faith to open a passageway into another reality, where they would be safe from destruction. Donna was another means to that end, until she was found by the Titans and The Outsiders who restored her true memories. Donna would banish the Titans of Myth to Tartarus and return to earth, Roy Harper and Donna would begin their relationship anew.. wherever they go from here is up to them now..

[neutronstcr]

STARMAP OF MUSES — santa guadalupe edition.

A starmap is a celestial map that gives the positions and magnitudes of the stars. They are used to identify and locate constellations, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and planets. Celestial maps have been used for human navigation since time immemorial.

(insp)

✦ FOLLOW THE STARMAP.

Tiago Henrique McGowan is Fùěr (also known as Sigma Tauri) meaning Whisper, because this star is marking itself and stands alone in the Whisper asterism of the Net mansion. The Net mansion is one of the western mansions of the White Tiger, his representative animal.

Marcos Gabriel dos Santos is Sabik (also known Eta Ophiuchi), from the Arabic السابق al-sābiq "the preceding one". He's the love Auramere that came right before Tiago.

Helena Mariano is Antares (also known as Alpha Scorpii) meaning "rival to-Ares". Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. She was Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, until she found out about the Red Cult's true intention and fought against them.

Caetana Nascimento is Alkafzah (also known as Kappa Ursae Majoris), from the Arabic القفزة al-qafzah "the leap". She's the youngest of her friendgroup, and even when things are hard, she has a lot of faith that things will get better.

Brandon Mastriani is Achernar (also known as Alpha Eri) meaning "End of the River". Achernar is the brightest star in the constellation of Eridanus. Considering his presumed death and water deity, some part of his personality really did die. After his return, he connected with the air deity and became the eye of a storm above the river he once was.

Harriet Coleman is Electra (also known as 17 Tauri). Named after one of the seven Pleiades, Electra is also the designation of a comet. By way of explanation for the fact that only six of the seven stars in the constellation were readily visible, it was said that Electra, unable to behold the destruction of Troy, hid her eyes, or turned away; or, in another version, Electra, in mourning, let down her hair, and left her sisters altogether and became a "long haired star" (i.e. a "comet"). Harry has a lot of talents that she keeps hidden behind her "cool girl" mask.

Daniel Soares Prado is Aldebaran (also known as Alpha Tauri) meaning "the follower". The star comes right after the Pleiades cluster, and it's the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Daniel follows truth wherever he goes, not caring about the consequences.

Bloom Seong is Mukokseong (also known as Alkaid, Eta Ursae Majoris and the Seventh Star of the Northern Dipper) meaning "the most corner star". Alkaid derives from the Arabic phrase meaning "The leader of the daughters of the bier", also known as the mourning maidens. By being the seventh and youngest sacred flame priestess at her temple, she is represented by this star.

Elisa Topaz is Meissa (also known as Lambda Orionis) meaning "the shining one". She's the youngest of her friend group and her energized personality is represented by this star.

[wonderbatbvs]

If James Gunn doesn't tell a story about Diana pinning like crazy over Bruce until she sees HER Bruce Wayne again, I'll be very disappointed.

Imagine all the angst potential for WonderBat & Diana being on a warpath for Circe like a woman possessed. Circe reveals that she's been behind some Sosuke Aizen level manipulation, making Diana's life a living hell so she can rule over Themyscira.

Diana telling this version of Batman that he needs to have more faith would be a beautiful reference to her Batman. I love saying her Batman & her Bruce because BRUCE WAYNE BELONGS WITH DIANA PRINCE WE'VE KNOWN THIS SINCE JLU.

Diana mentoring Donna & Cassie at the same time. Diana telling the DCU Superman that sometimes the world won't understand, but he has to have faith in himself.

Diana just being super emotional whenever she thinks about never being able to see Bruce again.

There's sooo much potential for this possible mistake in putting Wonder Woman in DCU to be turned into a win/win situation if handled correctly. You HAVE TO lean fully into Diana being universe displaced by someone (Circe) & the mystery involving that. You HAVE TO address her feelings when she inevitably meets the DCU versions of Batman & Superman.

Ironically, you don't need to change her origin. Why change her origin anyway? It's entirely unnecessary in every way.

Her classic origin story is that she was made from clay & blessed by the gods (WW1 explains this & the creation of Themyscira)

Her other origin story is she's the daughter of Hippolyta & Zeus. Far less interesting imo.

You can just make WW3 the No Way Home of Wonder Woman movies.

You can have Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman & Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman teaming up with a new Wonder Woman (DCU)

I'd also cast Gina Carano as Big Barda because I think she'd be PERFECT.

[cosmicmordecai]

I guess it’s too much to ask for DC writers to be conscious about their writing of their PoCs when they have dark skin.

Throughout the storyline, Mamaragan has done nothing but play support to Hera despite the fact he’s more powerful than her. He doesn’t get an active role, no fight scene, etc. He only exists to depower & re-power Billy Batson and be the reason Hera can PRETEND to run everything for like 10 minutes before everyone got sick of her.

All to cumulated how he was acting “unworthy” because he lost faith in humanity and for Hippolyta to be on a high horse saying she doesn’t need his power bc Mary is not being in a man’s shadow despite the fact he is the VERY INVENTOR of that power and it is derived from his own adopted name he turned into a LEGACY. And just for her to use a similar pantheon Mary’s character was once given to.

Im just once more tired of it. DC rather use black or dark skin character of any origin as props. You’ll get it for major characters, supporting characters, minor characters…it never ends. The Wizard was respected a lot more as a white dude.

[wonderencyclopedia]

Name: Alkyone First Appearance: Wonder Woman 14 (2008) Creators: Gail Simone and Terry Dodson Abilities: Immortal, advanced hand to hand combatant, tactician and strategist with superhuman strength, durability, and stamina.

Backstory: Alkyone is best known as a zealot whose uncompromising faith turned into betrayal and conspiracy to murder. As the Captain of Queen Hyppolyta’s royal guard who pledged to protect the Queen’s life at all costs, she was also once married to the god Achilles (before she tried to kill him).

As a devout believer in the Amazon way, when she discovered that Queen Hippolyta was praying to the gods for a child, Alkyone believed it would destroy the island and the Amazons with it. As a result, she has always hated Diana, believing the new princess was the cause of all the Amazon’s difficulties and has endlessly plotted to murder her. Alkyone’s hatred for Diana is only matched by her praise for Queen Hippolyta, her delusions making her believe that every horror she committed was justified in Hyppolyta’s good name.

The first time she tried to murder Diana, she was an infant. Alkyone intruded in the Queen’s rooms to slaughter the child but Hippolyta woke up and punished her and her 3 co-conspirators by sending them to prison. Upon release, Alkyone then asked her friends to help her murder Diana once more, for the good of Themyscira, but failed to best the princess in combat. Alkyone ruled Themyscira for a short time in Hippolyta’s absence, but her loyalty was so strong that her intentions were always for Hyppolyta to regained her throne. Yet, when Ares gave her the soul of Genocide in an attempt to get her to finally murder Diana while she had the power, she tried again and failed again.

For the fourth attempt Alkyone summoned one of the Hecatonchires named Cottus, a monster from the depths of Themyscira, believing he was Diana’s true father. Alkyone was ultimately struck down by Hippolyta for her crimes and crushed by Cottus in a fall, but it was unknown if she died from her injuries or managed to survive.

[jminter]

Vancouver Opera's A Midsummer Night's Dream wakes in 2 weeks

In just two weeks, the Vancouver Opera 2022-2023 season continues with the company premiere of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. British composer Benjamin Britten’s romantic, atmospheric opera makes its Vancouver Opera debut for three performances starting February 11th at 7:30pm, followed by Thursday, February 16th at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 19 at 2pm. Adapted from the Shakespeare play, Britten’s Dream promises an evening of enchantment as some of The Bard’s most iconic and outright hilarious characters are swept up in a whimsical whirlwind of magic potions, love triangles and mistaken identities. Dream is the story of four lovers, a feuding King and Queen of the fairies, and a comedic ensemble of Mechanicals. Each group is beautifully captured by Britten’s contrasting sound worlds, resulting in an accessible operatic fairy tale complete with plenty of comedy. “Presenting this magical production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a thrill for us at Vancouver Opera,” said Tom Wright, Vancouver Opera General Director. “Audiences are familiar with the story and we hope that familiarity will encourage patrons to come experience this fantastical opera. In our cast for Dream we are thrilled to have a descendant of composer Benjamin Britten join our company; Spencer Britten will be singing in the role of Lysander. This is a treat for audiences to have a multi-generational connection to this production here in Vancouver.”

Conductor Jacques Lacombe makes his return to Vancouver Opera after conducting Turandot in 2017. Director Aria Umezawa makes her debut with Vancouver Opera bringing her innovative work to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre stage. Daniel Moody is cast in the role of Oberon, with his faithful servant Puck portrayed by Kunji Ikeda. Magali Simard-Galdes is Tytania, Queen of the Faeries. The four lovers are Spencer Britten as Lysander, Clarence Frazer as Demetrius, Jonelle Sills as Helena, and Hillary Tufford as Hermia. Royal Court members include Neil Craighead as Theseus and Stephanie Tritchew as Hippolyta. Peter McGillivray plays Bottom, who becomes entangled with Tytania as she falls under a love spell. Fellow Mechanicals include Ian Cleary as Snout, Jason Cook as Starveling, Luka Kawabata as Quince, Peter Monaghan as Snug and Asitha Tennekoon as Flute. For a deeper look at the composer and work, on February 2nd the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) and Vancouver Opera are presenting the second instalment of Opera Adventures.  Dreaming Wide Awake: Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a free event allowing audiences to learn about the Vancouver Opera production.  Visit the VPL Central Branch Level 8 from 6:30pm for an evening of performances and presentations by the artists and experts who make Vancouver’s opera scene come to life exploring the life and musical influences of the composer, Benjamin Britten. Vancouver Opera’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre; February 11 & 16 at 7:30pm and February 19 at 2pm. Find tickets online at vancouveropera.ca Performances are sung in English with English SURTITLES™ projected above the stage. Read the full article

[hopefulstarfire]

Okay but hear me out cause my boyfriend ans I have been talking about what we'd do with our own DC Cinematic universe;

The first phase is the Justice Society. We focus on Ted Grant (Wildcat), Jay Garrick (Flash), Alan Scott (Green Lantern), Kent Nelson (Dr. Fate), Carter Hall (Hawkman), Rex Tyler (Hourman), Jim Corrigan (The Spectre), Wesley Dodd (Sandman), Al Pratt (Atom) and Hippolyta (Wonder Woman). Johnny Thunder is also there, aged down to a teen that's kind of super intrigued by all these heroes who are different like him and kinda teams up alongside them.

They, for the most part, have their own solo films to explain who they are and how they become heroes during the late 30s and early 40s. The Justice Society movie shows how they are teamed up together and they go to fight Per Degaton. They get a follow-up show after this, where we get to see other characters join up in the 40s-60s; Dinah Drake (Black Canary), Giovanni Zatara, Terry Sloane (Mr. Terrific), etc etc. By the times the late 60s roll around, after they've all been put through the ringer too many times to count (nuclear scares, red scare fear tactics, heavy losses with death, i.e. Mr Terrific, and the public losing faith in them), the team finds themselves forced to disband and heroes quietly fade out of the public eye for a bit. There are some still active, but having to work in relative seclusion and silence, to avoid arrest.

The team hasn't seen each other in decades, the survivors all still around due to different scientific or magical means. They're too afraid to reach out. They think their time as heroes no longer means anything.

Until Giovannis daughter starts to use her magic to help people where she can. Then Dinah Drakes daughter (or granddaughter, depending on how realistically we spin this) shows up on Teds doorstep, demanding to be taught how to fight with the same fire as her namesake. He even gets another student under his tutelage, a street orphan working hard for everything she wants and with a past she's still trying to decipher.

Some teenage kid, a boy who lost his whole world in an alleyway at the age of 8, comes in to their lives. He wants to be a hero, to protect people from the same pain he had faced that fateful night. His lessons with the League of Assassins had shown him he needed to learn under actual heroes to do what he believed needed to be done.

He rallies the old gang back together. They get to help train the next generation of heroes and find themselves missing the days they stood up and fought themselves.

So, whenever this new League these kids are forming need a little help; when these kids are grown and now have a younger wave following in their footsteps; the Justice Society will be there. Acting as not just mentors, but returning as heroes to save the day and show the world they still got it.

[soshinysochrome]

Hoo boy it's a long list so here we go:

Kubrows: Alecto, Antiope, Apollo, Artemis, Boudica, Cerberus, Fluffles (Helminth charger), Hercules, Hippolyta, Megaera, Patroclus, and Tisiphone

Kavats: Andromache, Elvira, Tezcatlipoca, Thanatos, and Tyche

Vulpaphyla: Fox Moulder, Laelaps, Panhandle Vuvuzela, Teumessian

Predacites: Hecate and Phthisis

Hound: My Faith In Humanity

Kaithe: In Kaithe of Emergenthy

Reblog with the names of your kubrows/kavats in Warframe pretty please!

My kubrows name is Scratch N Sniff

[rosesnink]

Building a Dynasty

Author’s Notes: 

English is not my first language, so please forgive any typos/grammar mistake I could have made. 

This is my first TRM fic, so please be nice!! 

If you liked my TRM fic, and want to see more of my content, check out my masterlist! 

Summary: Queen Olive is in labor, and King Fabian worries about his future as a father of the Queen’s child. 

Characters: Olive Aster (MC), Fabian Rhys, Kayden Vescovi, Elise Aster, Zya Aster. 

Rating: G 

Word Count: 1.1k 

Reading Time: 4 min. 

Fabian paced anxiously on the hidden castle's grounds, his heart beating as he assumed the facts of today: twelve hours ago, Vasco sent word to the Noble Houses that the Queen had gone into labor. Although he did not love her that way, he couldn't feel but nervous: this was to be his first child! 

Though he and Lady Hippolyta had been together for a year now, his wife, Olive, had asked him not to be intimate with her until she expected. And so, he did, being a man of his word. Now, the Crown Shield, Kayden, and the Queen's lover watched him pace, and he started to ramble "What if she dies? What if the baby is born sick? What if they grow to hate me? Oh goodness, my heart is racing! Should I be there, beside Olive? I feel like it's my duty to—,"

Kayden placed a comforting hand on Fabian's shoulder, calming down his racing thoughts "Your Majesty, I understand well your fears and the wellbeing of Olive, but fearing the worst won't help her case. She is a strong, resilient woman, but in moments like these, she needs to be surrounded by those who can help her. You must trust in Vasco's choice for a midwife and that the company of Princess Annalisa and your mother will get her through the labor." 

He exhaled and nodded "You're right. Olive needs us to be her strength, and pace and ramble like a petulant child won't help. She has great faith in me, I must do the same." 

She nodded, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face "Olive has gone through many things. Childbirth will seem to her like a walk in the gardens by now." 

He chuckled "You have a point there." His face fell "But I never got to ask you personally about how you felt when Olive and I… conceived this child." 

Kayden looked around, her trusted guards turning a deaf ear, and sighed "While the idea was not amusing, Olive has a duty to the kingdom, and an heir must be the most important one as the Queen. She made that choice, and I know better than hold Olive Aster back. And, following Lord Percival's advice, I am trying to look at the positive outcomes for this: your marriage will be on solid ground, and so will your reign. A child borne by the monarchs means the kingdom's promise of prosperity made true. And, with the reparations of the Beltane fire, I think it will do good to the people of Cordonia to focus on the Royal Heir for a bit." 

He gave her a genuine smile "You prove me yet again your wisdom. You truly are worthy of Olive. I still can't believe she gave up the idea of having a life with you to rule beside me." 

"Don't forget, she also saw you worthy of share the crown together and be the father of her firstborn. You just are yet to see it. She speaks highly of you, you know. As both a king and a man, a friend even." 

They stood there, in a calming silence until Zya came into the gardens, panting and with a smile "It's here, the heir it's here! He's a boy! A healthy baby boy!" 

Fabian looked back hesitantly to Kayden "Go. If I go into that room, it may be suspicious, for I am not an official member of the royal family." 

He nodded and followed the woman through the labyrinthine halls of the palace to the royal bed, where Queen Olive Aster was holding a small bundle on her arms, sweaty and beaming at what seemed like a boy. Lady Hippolyta was also there, but she left as soon as Fabian entered the room. 

But he'd worry about that later: he was a father! He approached Olive and took a look at his son: he favored his mother in looks, though he could see his hair and factions on the boy. He chuckled, overwhelmed by everything. Olive gave him a knowing look "Do you wish to meet your son?" 

He gasped. She meant holding him! 

His mother, Elise, seemed to see through his expression, for she smiled at him "I shall guide you through the process, do not worry, my boy." 

He seemed more relaxed with his mother there. Olive passed down the baby, who slept peacefully. He chuckled again "Hello, son. It's me, Father." 

The baby seemed to recognize him, for he moved for a bit, a thing that made him chuckle and laugh. He looked at Olive and smiled at her gratefully. They had not only sired a healthy heir, but a boy, what the people had expected of them, they delivered. He sat down as he marveled at his son, so tiny in his tall, strong frame. 

"I think this is the time where we name him." 

"Well," said Elise "Crown Princes normally have six names. Fabian should be one of them." 

"Edward," Fabian said confidently "he should be named Edward. And Dominic, like the brave man-dragon." He passed his finger through his son's face, who moved slightly against him, making him chuckle. 

After nearly two hours of brainstorming the name, they finally came with the name: Edward Fabian Dominic Liam Percival Hunter Rhys, Crown Prince of Cordonia. He had several titles and lands, too. 

A week later, they celebrated his baptism, where nobles and common people alike gathered to see the Crown Prince and future king as well. Olive made Annalisa and Percival his godparents and named Lady Hippolyta her nursemaid. People celebrated his birth for five days, and many ambassadors from Europe came to meet the newborn prince from the kingdom of Cordonia.

A year passed by, and little Edward grew strong and healthy, with his mother's strong spirit and his father's love for arts. That year, Lady Hippolyta and Princess Annalisa became pregnant, which overjoyed both fathers. Fabian felt much confident in his parenting skills and his lover's pregnancy. He loved his boy very much, who had his eyes and his mother's tawny skin and lovely hair. 

The news of the new heir of House Beaumont gladdened the members of the court, but Lady Hippolyta was made to make a match so suspicions over the monarch's marriage wouldn't be at risk. Much to Fabian's chagrin, he accepted. He had a son and a kingdom to think of. 

With one last look before retiring to their royal duties, they left the gardens with a good feeling that they had not only saved Cordonia but bettered it for centuries to come. 

Both monarchs observed their son play with Lord Pompadour and the small cub, Aster, and Olive said to her husband "I have a good feeling about this, Fabian. Like we've built an everlasting dynasty and made a fine job despite the odds."

He smiled at his wife "I think so too." 

They only hoped the people of Cordonia would not forget easily about King Fabian and his prominent wife, Queen Olive.

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

I don’t tend to read many novels based on ancient mythologies but I am a big fan of Madeline Miller’s retellings as well as any story that thoroughly transports me. I knew nothing of the Ariadne myth but this book really pulled me in and refused to let go.

Ariadne is a Princess of Crete, daughter of Minos and Pasiphae. She and her sister Phaedra have grown up with the horrendous growls and stamps of their half brother, The Minotaur who is imprisoned in the labyrinth below the palace. Every year, this beast feeds on the blood of young Athenians until one year when Prince Theseus arrives with them. Falling in love with him, Ariadne helps Theseus defeat the Minotaur and escape Crete, thereby betraying her family and her people. Surely she will be rewarded with a wonderful life as his Queen?

The relationship between Ariadne and Phaedra is one of beautiful, unwaveringly loyal sisterhood. They know that their world is unflinchingly harsh to women and because of this, they naturally stick together. As the story progresses and the girls grow older, this changes slightly but I always had faith that the sisters would return to each other despite how unlikely it sometimes seemed.

Theseus is a handsome, brave hero and naturally, Ariadne is completely taken with him. Jennifer Saint managed to capture this all-consuming, innocent infatuation that all young women feel so expertly. However, I had a feeling that Ariadne’s bubble wouldn’t stand the test of time. Pretty eyes and tales of charm rarely lead to anything good!

The setting of the novel is truly breath-taking. Of course, recent times have meant that we can’t travel to all of these beautiful places at the moment but Saint’s prose was vivid enough that I could wander beside Ariadne on Naxos. I could feel the sun on my skin, the gentle breeze in my hair and the silence of the island around me. It was a complete treat!

In time, Ariadne meets Dionysus, god of wine, madness and frivolity. He is beautiful, kind and respectful of women and of course, this is something that Ariadne has never experienced at the hands of a male entity before. He shifts her perspective on what men can be and it’s no surprise that she falls in love with him.

Dionysus is thoughtful, passionate and appreciative but as the narrative unravels, we see that he is not immune from succumbing to the ways of his gender. His character development seeks to remind us that even those who appear to have actively shunned the dark side have the potential to return to it in the right circumstances. Not one being, either human or immortal, is either wholly good or bad. 

Phaedra’s struggles to bond with her babies struck me as startlingly modern but of course, this is an illness that always has and always will be a reality. Post-partum depression and mental health conditions of this nature have been present in mothers for thousands of years and yet women are often still being villified for it. Phaedra’s words here echo those of 21st century women and it really served to remind me that despite all the time that has passed, very little changes.

Hippolytus is an example of a man who has been raised with no male influence in his life. He is the result of Theseus’ rape of the Amazon queen Hippolyta, who has come to live with his father in adulthood, as he can no longer live within an all-female conclave. He has chosen to live a life of celibacy and dedicated himself to the goddess, Artemis. Therefore, he treats women as his equal rather than beings to be objectified or used for his own gain. Like Dionysus, he is an embodiment of what men could be when raised away from the violence and greed of men.

Ariadne is a beautifully written novel, telling a story of unspeakable tragedy but through the medium of wisdom. My heart broke several times during the final 20% of the book but I was fully aware of all the lessons I was learning in the process. Jennifer Saint’s prose paints some stunning pictures, which were all bathed in a warm golden glow. Ariadne and Phaedra’s stories sit next to that of Medusa, Scylla and Hippolyta to illustrate the horrors that women have suffered at the hands of men. The parallels between what happened to these women and the sufferings of my contemporaries are striking. Ariadne’s tale only goes to show how far we still have to go with achieving gender equality.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is available now in eBook and audiobook format and will be published in hardback by Wildfire, an imprint of Headline Publishing, on 4th May 2021.

[anonil88]

Pissed my entire lovecraft country episode 7 liveblog got deleted fuck. But imma try to summarize my thoughts.

My favorite episode of the season so far !

Dee is a badass just like her mom and dad and no matter what happens next episode that lil girl is amazing. She got snaps and claps from me for beating the jiggaboos ass and correcting those crooked ass cops.

"Hippolyta is greek assholes."

Christina and Tic are like Cain and Able. So it makes sense why Christina is so cold, if she cared about anyone but herself she would not be as motivated towards her goal of immortality or ascending magical heights. Because then she would have something/someone who she would have to consider in her decision. Tic is is similar in this way but its the reverse for him. Cousins not brothers but similar.

But lil miss Christina apparently got feeling strong as hell to subject herself to Emmet Tills exact death just so she can have some semblance of the pain it feels when black people look a member of the community so violently.

Ruby finally told Leti she is fucking her enemy. The pipe too good and honey pit too sweet to stop now lmfao.

Ruby had me wanting to cry though before and when that cop pulled up. William/Christina had to be like get off my woman. Which they are bold as hell being so publicly open in an interracial relationship.

That sex scene though:

We finally have seen the transformation from black to white to black Ruby and I wanna say the effects team brava.

The conversation they had about Christina feeling nothing toward's Emmets death anf not caring about anyone else is so crazy good. Everything Ruby said is exactly what it feels like dating a white person as a black person. You want them to relate and be sympathetic but they never will fully understand unless they go through it together. Which as I pointed to she did that.

Ruby is selfish, glad Christina pointed that out so bluntly, cause Ruby did not need to go to Christina after that funeral but she did. Cause she wanted some passionate, some strings, dick to numb her feelings.

I love how everyone could tell Leti was pregnant on Tics side, like pregnancy smelling noses.

Leti and Jiah that table conversation was tense as fuck. Tic is a p.o.s for how he treated Ji-ah and is treating Leti. Learn how to fucking communicate sir. He threw Ji-Ah out of that house like it was his but he don't pay no bills. Thats Leticia fucking Lewis' house. Ji-Ah was trying to help him and he was too dense and dumb to see she loves him.

Wild, that Tic saw the future and his sons book also i appreciate them tying the source material to the show in that way.

Montrose is actually being a good dad which is strange for me, but he never cheated on Tics momma. Also he is helping Tic use magic and is willing to sacrifice himself, there is so much about him that Atticus obviously doesn't know. Which is so sad.

That protection spell on Tic mirrored with the one Christina put on Leti and the baby. Which probably means something.

As I said in my original liveblog the Bible is a book of magic, spells, and faith in ways that people fail to see.

I found it funny that they gave Christina all the pieces she needed and she didn't even force their hands or coerce them, she just left the door open for communication. Which is something they all could learn.

Fuck these cops, fuck all of them. That mark of Cain (which is clever) came in handy completely. I wonder how Christina would react if Ruby had died. Yaknow what no i don't she a lil too powerful and bold for that.

Entirely and completely fuck that chief or sheriff or whatever the fuck he was. Nasty add spit.

So glad shoggoth puppy ripped him and all his goons to fucking shreds.

Speaking of which shoggoth puppy!!! What should we name him, im thinking shogo or crafty.

Does anyone know the significance of the lights being turned off in their town that night?

Next episode preview thoughts: I fucking love this show and I need more like it. Next episode looks wild. Leti is being all protective of her big sister because Christina and Ruby said:

And Montrose is playing captain save a legacy. I need more shows like this with black people ugh I feel so seen as a nerdy black person. Books are great but we shouldn't just be shoved into words without pictures and never seeing ourselves in realities we could only imagine.

[grigori77]

Movies of 2021 - My Pre-Summer Favourites (Part 2)

The Top Ten:

10.  ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE – one of the undisputable highlights of the Winter-Spring period has to be the long-awaited, much vaunted redressing of a balance that’s been a particular thorn in the side of DC cinematic fans for over three years now – the completion and restoration of the true, unadulterated original director’s cut of the painfully abortive DCEU team-up movie that was absolutely butchered when Joss Whedon took over from original director Zack Snyder and then heavily rewrote and largely reshot the whole thing.  It was a somewhat painful experience to view in cinemas back in 2017 – sure, there were bits that worked, but most of it didn’t and it wasn’t like the underrated Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, which improves immensely on subsequent viewings (especially in the three hour-long director’s cut).  No, Whedon’s film was a MESS.  Needless to say fans were up in arms, and once word got out that the finished film was not at all what Snyder originally intended, a vocal, forceful online campaign began to restore what quickly became known as the Snyder Cut.  Thank the gods that Warner Bros listened to them, ultimately taking advantage of the intriguing alternative possibilities provided by their streaming service HBO Max to allow Snyder to present his fully reinstated creation in its entirety.  The only remaining question, of course, is simply … is it actually any good? Well it’s certainly much more like BVS:DOG than Whedon’s film ever was, and there’s no denying that, much like the rest of Snyder’s oeuvre, this is a proper marmite movie – there are gonna people who hate it no matter what, but the faithful, the fans, or simply those who are willing to open their minds are going to find much to enjoy here. The damage has been thoroughly patched, most of the elements that didn’t work in the theatrical release having been swapped out or reworked so that now they pay off BEAUTIFULLY.  This time the quest of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to bring the first iteration of the Justice League together – half-Atlantean superhuman Arthur Curry/the Aquaman (Jason Momoa), lightning-powered speedster Barry Allan/the Flash (Fantastic Beasts’ Ezra Miller) and cybernetically-rebuilt genius Victor Stone/Cyborg (relative newcomer Ray Fisher) – not only feels organic, but NECESSARY, as does their desperate scheme to use one of the three alien Mother Boxes (no longer just shiny McGuffins but now genuinely well-realised technological forces that threaten cataclysm as much as they provide opportunity for miracles) to bring Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) back from the dead, especially given the far more compelling threat of this version’s collection of villains.  Ciaran Hinds’ mocapped monstrosity Steppenwolf is a far more palpable and interesting big bad this time round, given a more intricate backstory that also ties in a far greater ultimate mega-villain that would have become the DCEU’s Thanos had Snyder had his way to begin with – Darkseid (Ray Porter), tyrannical ruler of Apokolips and one of the most powerful and hated beings in the Universe, who could have ushered the DCEU’s now aborted New Gods storyline to the big screen.  The newer members of the League receive far more screen-time and vastly improved backstory too, Miller’s Flash getting a far more pro-active role in the storyline AND the action which also thankfully cuts away a lot of the clumsiness the character had in the Whedon version without sacrificing any of the nerdy sass that nonetheless made him such a joy, while the connective tissue that ties Momoa’s Aquaman into his own subsequent standalone movie feels much stronger here, and his connection with his fellow League members feels less perfunctory too, but it’s Fisher’s Cyborg who TRULY reaps the benefits here, regaining a whole new key subplot and storyline that ties into a genuinely powerful tragic origin story, as well as a far more complicated and ultimately rewarding relationship with his scientist father, Silas Stone (the great Joe Morton).  It’s also really nice to see Superman handled with the kind of skill we’d expect from the same director who did such a great job (fight me if you disagree) of bringing the character to life in two previous big screen instalments, as well as erasing the memory of that godawful digital moustache removal … similarly, it’s nice to see the new and returning supporting cast get more to do this time, from Morton and the ever-excellent J.K. Simmonds as fan favourite Gotham PD Commissioner Jim Gordon to Connie Nielsen as Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta of Themyscira and another unapologetic scene-stealing turn from Jeremy Irons as Batman’s faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth. Sure, it’s not a perfect movie – the unusual visual ratio takes some getting used to, while there’s A LOT of story to unpack here, and at a gargantuan FOUR HOURS there are times when the pacing somewhat lags, not to mention an overabundance of drawn-out endings (including a flash-forward to a potential apocalyptic future that, while evocative, smacks somewhat of overeager fan-service) that would put Lord of the Rings’ The Return of the King to shame, but original writer Chris Terrio’s reconstituted script is rich enough that there’s plenty to reward the more committed viewer, and the storytelling and character development is a powerful thing, while the action sequences are robust and thrilling (even if Snyder does keep falling back on his over-reliance on slow motion that seems to alienate some viewers), and the new score from Tom Holkenborg (who co-composed on BVS:DOJ) feels a far more natural successor than Danny Elfman’s theatrical compositions.  The end result is no more likely to win fresh converts than Man of Steel or Batman Vs Superman, but it certainly stands up far better to a critical eye this time round, and feels like a far more natural progression for the saga too.  Ultimately it’s more of an interesting tangential adventure given that Warner Bros seem to be stubbornly sticking to their original plans for the ongoing DCEU, but I can’t help hoping that they might have a change of heart in the future given just how much better the final product is than any of us had any right to expect …

9.  SYNCHRONIC – writer-director duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are something of a creative phenomenon in the science-fiction and fantasy indie cinema scene, crafting films that ensnare the senses and engage the brain like few others.  Subtly insidious conspiracy horror debut Resolution is a sneaky little chiller, while deeply original body horror Spring (the film that first got me into them) is weird, unsettling and surprisingly touching, but it was breakthrough sleeper hit The Endless, a nightmarish time-looping cosmic horror that thoroughly screws with your head, that really put them on the map.  Needless to say it’s led them to greater opportunities heading into the future, and this is their first film to really reap the benefits, particularly by snaring a couple of genuine stars for its lead roles.  Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) are paramedics working the night shift in New Orleans, which puts them on the frontlines when a new drug hits the streets, a dangerous concoction known as Synchronic that causes its users to experience weird localised fractures in time that frequently lead to some pretty outlandish deaths in adults, while teenage users often disappear entirely.  As the situation worsens, the pair’s professional and personal relationships become increasingly strained, compounded by the fact that Steve is concealing his recent diagnosis of terminal cancer, before things come to a head when Dennis’ teenage daughter Brianna (Into the Badlands’ Ally Ioannides) vanishes under suspicious circumstances, and it becomes clear to Steve that she’s become unstuck in time … this is as mind-bendingly off-the-wall and spectacularly inventive as we’ve come to expect from Benson and Moorhead, another fantastically original slice of weirdness that benefits enormously from their exquisitely obsessive attention to detail and characteristically unsettling atmosphere of building dread, while their character development is second to none, benefitting their top-notch cast no end.  Mackie is typically excellent, bringing compelling vulnerability to the role that makes it easy to root for him as he gets further out of his depth in this twisted temporal labyrinth, while Dornan invests Dennis with a painfully human fallibility, and Ioannides does a lot with very little real screen time in her key role as ill-fated Brianna.  The time-bending sequences are suitably disorienting and disturbing, utilising pleasingly subtle use of visual effects to further mess with your head, and the overall mechanics of the drug and its effects are fiendishly crafted, while the directors tighten the screw of slowburn tension throughout, building to a suitably offbeat ending that’s as devastating as anything we’ve seen from them so far.  Altogether this is another winning slice of genre-busting weirdness from a filmmaking duo who deserve continued success in the future, and I for one will be watching eagerly.

8.  WITHOUT REMORSE – I’m a big fan of Tom Clancy, to me he was one of the ultimate escapist thriller writers, and whenever a new adaptation of one of his novels comes along I’m always front of the line to check it out.  The Hunt For Red October is one of my favourite screen thrillers OF ALL TIME, while my very favourite Clancy adaptation EVER, the Jack Ryan TV series, is, in my opinion, one of the very best Original shows that Amazon have ever done.  But up until now my VERY FAVOURITE Clancy creation, John Clark, has always remained in the background or simply absent entirely, putting in an appearance as a supporting character in only two of the movies, tantalising me with his presence but never more than a teaser.  Well that’s all over now – after languishing in development hell since the mid-90s, the long-awaited adaptation of my favourite Clancy novel, the origin story of the top CIA black ops operative, has finally arrived, as well as a direct spin-off from distributor Amazon’s own Jack Ryan series.  Michael B. Jordan plays John Kelly (basically Clark before he gained his more famous cover identity), a lethally efficient, highly decorated Navy SEAL whose life is turned upside down when a highly classified operation experiences deadly blowback as half of his team is assassinated in retaliation, while Kelly barely survives an attack in which his heavily pregnant wife is killed.  With the higher-ups unwilling the muddy the waters while scrambling to control the damage, Kelly, driven by rage and grief, takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a violent personal crusade against the Russian operatives responsible, but as he digs deeper with the help of his former commanding officer, Lt. Commander Karen Greer (Queen & Slim’s Jodie Turner-Smith), and mid-level CIA hotshot Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell), it becomes clear that there’s a far more insidious conspiracy at work here … in the past the Clancy adaptations we’ve seen tend to be pretty tightly reined-in affairs, going for a PG-13 polish that maintains the intellectual fireworks but still tries to keep the violence clean and relatively family-friendly, but this was never going to be the case here – Clark has always been Jack Ryan’s dark shadow, Clancy’s righteous man without the moral restraint, and a PG-13 take never would have worked, so going for an unfettered R-rating is the right choice.  Jordan’s Kelly/Clark is a blood-soaked force of nature, a feral dog let off the leash, bringing a brutal ferocity to the action that does the literary source proud, tempered by a wounded vulnerability that helps us to sympathise with the broken but still very human man behind the killer; Turner-Smith, meanwhile, regularly matches him in the physical stakes, jumping into the action with enthusiasm and looking damn fine doing it, but she also brings tight control and an air of pragmatic military professionalism that makes it easy to believe in her not only as an accomplished leader of fighting men but also as the daughter of Admiral Jim Greer, while Bell is arrogant and abrasive but ultimately still a good man as Ritter; Guy Pearce, meanwhile, brings his usual gravitas and quietly measured charisma to proceedings as US Secretary of Defence Thomas Clay, and Lauren London makes a suitably strong impression during her brief screen time to make her absence keenly felt as Kelly’s wife Pam. The action is intense, explosive and spectacularly executed, culminating in a particularly impressive drawn-out battle through a Russian apartment complex, while the labyrinthine plot is intricately crafted and unfolds with taut precision, but then the screenplay was co-written by Taylor Sheridan, who here reteams with Sicario 2 director Stefano Sollida, who’s also already proven to be a seasoned hand at this kind of thing, and the result is a tense, knuckle-whitening suspense thriller that pays magnificent tribute to the most compelling creation of one of the best authors in the genre.  Amazon have signed up for more with already greenlit sequel Rainbow Six, and with this directly tied in with the Jack Ryan TV series too I can’t help holding out hope we just might get to see Jordan’s Clark backing John Krasinski’s Ryan up in the future …

7.  RAYA & THE LAST DRAGON – with UK cinemas still closed I’ve had to live with seeing ALL the big stuff on my frustratingly small screen at home, but at least there’s been plenty of choice with so many of the big studios electing to either sell some of their languishing big projects to online vendors or simply release on their own streaming services.  Thank the gods, then, for the House of Mouse following Warner Bros’ example and releasing their big stuff on Disney+ at the same time in those theatres that have reopened – this was one movie I was PARTICULARLY looking forward to, and if I’d had to wait and hope for the scheduled UK reopening to occur in mid-May I might have gone a little crazy watching everyone else lose it over something I still hadn’t seen.  That said, it WOULD HAVE been worth the wait – coming across sort-of a bit like Disney’s long overdue response to Dreamworks’ AWESOME Kung Fu Panda franchise, this is a spellbinding adventure in a beautifully thought-out fantasy world heavily inspired by Southeast Asia and its rich, diverse cultures, bursting with red hot martial arts action and exotic Eastern mysticism and brought to life by a uniformly strong voice cast dominated by actors of Asian descent.  It’s got a cracking premise, too – 500 years ago, the land of Kumandra was torn apart when a terrible supernatural force known as the Druun very nearly wiped out all life, only stopped by the sacrifice of the last dragons, who poured all their power and lifeforce into a mystical gem.  But when the gem is broken and the pieces divided between the warring nations of Fang, Heart, Spine, Tail and Talon, the Druun return, prompting Raya (Star Wars’ Kelly Marie Tran), the fugitive princess of Heart, to embark on a quest to reunite the gem pieces and revive the legendary dragon Sisu in a desperate bid to vanquish the Druun once and for all.  Moana director Don Hall teams up with Blindspotting helmer Carlos Lopez Estrada (making his debut in the big chair for Disney after helping develop Frozen), bringing to life a thoroughly inspired screenplay co-written by Crazy Rich Asians’ Adele Kim which is full to bursting with magnificent world-building, beautifully crafted characters and thrilling action, as well as the Disney prerequisites of playful humour and tons of heart and soul.  Tran makes Raya an feisty and engaging heroine, tough, stubborn and a seriously kickass fighter, but with true warmth and compassion too, while Gemma Chan is icy cool but deep down ultimately kind of sweet as her bitter rival, Fang princess Namaari, and there’s strong support from Benedict Wong and Good Boys’ Izaac Wang as hard-but-soft Spine warrior Tong and youthful but charismatic Tail shrimp-boat captain Boun, two of the warm-hearted found family that Raya gathers on her travels.  The true scene-stealer, however, is the always entertaining Awkwafina, bringing Sisu to life in wholly unexpected but thoroughly charming and utterly adorable fashion, a goofy, sassy and sweet-natured bundle of fun who grabs all the best laughs but also unswervingly champions the film’s core messages of peace, unity and acceptance in all things, something which Raya needs a lot of convincing to take to heart.  Visually stunning, endlessly inventive, consistently thrilling and frequently laugh-out-loud funny, this is another solid gold winner once again proving that Disney can do this kind of stuff in their sleep, but it’s always most interesting when they really make the effort to create something truly special, and that’s just what they’ve done here.  As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the studio’s finest animated features in a good long while, and thoroughly deserving of your praise and attention …

6.  THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES – so what piece of animation, you might be asking, could POSSIBLY have won over Raya as my animated feature of the year so far? After all, it would have to be something TRULY special … but then, remember Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?  Back in 2018, that blew me away SO MUCH that it very nearly became my top animated feature of THE PAST DECADE (only JUST losing out, ultimately, to Dreamworks’ unstoppable How to Train Your Dragon trilogy).  When I heard its creators, the irrepressible double act of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), were going to be following that up with this anarchic screwball comedy adventure, I was VERY EXCITED INDEED, a fervour which was barely blunted when its release was, inevitably, indefinitely delayed thanks to the global pandemic, so when it finally released at the tail end of the Winter-Spring season I POUNCED. Thankfully my faith was thoroughly rewarded – this is an absolute riot from start to finish, a genuine cinematic gem I look forward to going back to for repeated viewings in the near future, just to soak up the awesomeness – it’s hilarious to a precision-crafted degree, brilliantly thought-out and SPECTACULARLY well-written by acclaimed Gravity Falls writer-director Mike Rianda (who also helms here), injecting the whole film with a gleefully unpredictable, irrepressibly irreverent streak of pure chaotic genius that makes it a affectionately endearing and utterly irresistible joyride from bonkers start to adorable finish.  The central premise is pretty much as simple as the title suggests, the utterly dysfunctional family in question – father Rick (Danny McBride), born outdoorsman and utter technophobe, mother Linda (Maya Rudolph), much put-upon but unflappable even in the face of Armageddon, daughter Katie (Broad City co-creator Abbi Jacobson), tech-obsessed and growing increasingly estranged from her dad, and son Aaron (Rianda himself), a thoroughly ODD dinosaur nerd – become the world’s only hope after naïve tech mogul Mark Bowman (Eric Andre), founder of PAL Labs, inadvertently sets off a robot uprising.  Cue a wild ride comedy of errors of EPIC proportions … this is just about the most fun I’ve had with a movie so far this year, an absolute riot throughout, but there’s far more to it than just a pile of big belly laughs, with the Mitchells all proving to be a lovable bunch of misfits who inspire just as much deep, heartfelt affection as they learn from their mistakes and finally overcome their differences, becoming a better, more loving family in the process, McBride and Jacobson particularly shining as they make our hearts swell and put a big lump in our throat even while they make us titter and guffaw, while the film has a fantastic larger than (virtual) life villain in PAL (Olivia Colman), the virtual assistant turned megalomaniacal machine intelligence spearheading this technological revolution.  Much like its Spider-Man-shaped predecessor, this is also an absolutely STUNNING film, visually arresting and spectacularly inventive and bursting with neat ideas and some truly beautiful stylistic flair, frequently becoming a genuine work of cinematic art that’s as much a feast for the eyes as it is the intellect and, of course, the soul.  Altogether then, this is definitely the year’s most downright GORGEOUS film so far, as well as UNDENIABLY its most FUN.  Lord and Miller really have done it again.

5.  P.G. PSYCHO GOREMAN – the year’s current undeniable top guilty pleasure has to be this fantastic weird, thoroughly over-the-top and completely OUT THERE black comedy cosmic horror that doesn’t so much riff on the works of HP Lovecraft as throw them in a blender, douse them with maple syrup and cayenne pepper and then hurl the sloppy results to the four winds.  On paper it sounds like a family-friendly cutesy comedy take on Call of Cthulu et al, but trust me, this sure ain’t one for the kids – the latest indie horror offering from Steven Kostanski, co-creator of the likes of Manborg, Father’s Day and The Void, this is one of the weirdest movies I’ve seen in years, but it’s also one of the most gleefully funny, playing itself entirely for yucks (frequently LITERALLY).  Mimi (Nita Josee-Hanna) and Luke (Owen Myre) are a two small-town Canadian kids who dig a big hole of their backyard, accidentally releasing the Arch-Duke of Nightmares (Matthew Ninaber and the voice of Steven Vlahos), an ancient, god-tier alien killing machine who’s been imprisoned for aeons in order to protect the universe from his brutal crusade of death and destruction.  To their parents’ dismay, Mimi decides to keep him, renaming him Psycho Goreman (or “P.G.” for short) and attempting to curb his superpowered murderous impulses so she can have a new playmate. But the monster’s original captors, the Templars of the Planetary Alliance, have learned of his escape, sending their most powerful warrior, Pandora (Kristen McCulloch), to destroy him once and for all.  Yup, this movie is just as loony tunes as it sounds – Kostanski injects the film with copious amounts of his own outlandish, OTT splatterpunk extremity, bringing us a riotous cavalcade of bizarrely twisted creatures and mutations (brought to life through some deliciously disgusting prosthetic effects work) and a series of wonderfully off-kilter (not to mention frequently off-COLOUR) darkly comic skits and escapades, while the sense of humour is pretty bonkers but also generously littered with nuggets of genuine sharply observed genius.  The cast, although made up almost entirely of unknowns, is thoroughly game, and the kids particularly impress, especially Josee-Hanna, who plays Mimi like a flamboyant, mercurial miniature psychopath whose zinger-delivery is clipped, precise and downright hilarious throughout.  There are messages of love conquering all and the power of family, both born and made, buried somewhere in there too, but ultimately this is just 90 minutes of wonderful weirdness that’s sure to melt your brain but still leave you with a big dumb green when it’s all over.  Which is all we really want from a movie like this, right?

4.  SPACE SWEEPERS – all throughout the pandemic and the interminable lockdowns, Netflix have been a consistent blessing to those of us who’ve been craving the kind of big budget blockbusters we have (largely) been unable to get at the cinema.  Some of my top movies of 2020 were Netflix Originals, and they’ve continued the trend into 2021, having dropped some choice cuts on us over the past four months, with some REALLY impressive offerings still to come as we head into the summer season (roll on, Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead!).  In the meantime, my current Netflix favourite of the year so far is this phenomenal milestone of Korean cinema, lauded as the country’s first space blockbuster, which certainly went big instead of going home. Writer-director Jo Sung-hee (A Werewolf Boy, Phantom Detective) delivers big budget thrills and spills with a bombastic science-fiction adventure cast in the classic Star Wars mould, where action, emotion and fun characters count for more than an admittedly simplistic but still admirably archetypical and evocative plot – it’s 2092, and the Earth has become a toxic wasteland ruined by overpopulation and pollution, leading the wealthy to move into palatial orbital habitats in preparation for the impending colonisation of Mars, while the poor and downtrodden are packed into rotting ghetto satellites facing an uncertain future left behind to fend for themselves, and the UTS Corporation jealously guard the borders between rich and poor, presided over by seemingly benevolent but ultimately cruel sociopathic genius CEO James Sullivan (Richard Armitage).  Eking out a living in-between are the space sweepers, freelance spaceship crews who risk life and limb by cleaning up dangerous space debris to prevent it from damaging satellites and orbital structures.  The film focuses on the crew of sweeper vessel Victory, a ragtag quartet clearly inspired by the “heroes” of Cowboy Bebop – Captain Jang (The Handmaiden’s Kim Tae-ri), a hard-drinking ex-pirate with a mean streak and a dark past, ace pilot Kim Tae-ho (The Battleship Island’s Song Joong-ki), a former child-soldier with a particularly tragic backstory, mechanic Tiger Park (The Outlaws’ Jin Seon-Kyu), a gangster from Earth living in exile in orbit, and Bubs (a genuinely flawless mocapped performance from A Taxi Driver’s Yoo Hae-jin), a surplus military robot slumming it as a harpooner so she can earn enough for gender confirmation.  They’re a fascinating bunch, a mercenary band who never think past their next paycheque, but there’s enough good in them that when redemption comes knocking – in the form of Kang Kot-nim (newcomer Park Ye-rin), a revolutionary prototype android in the form of a little girl who may hold the key to bio-technological ecological salvation – they find themselves answering the call in spite of their misgivings.  The four leads are exceptional (as is their young charge), while Armitage makes for a cracking villain, delivering subtle, restrained menace by the bucketload every time he’s onscreen, and there’s excellent support from a fascinating multinational cast who perform in a refreshingly broad variety of languages. Jo delivers spectacularly on the action front, wrangling a blistering series of adrenaline-fuelled and explosive set-pieces that rival anything George Lucas or JJ Abrams have sprung on us this century, while the visual effects are nothing short of astounding, bringing this colourful, eclectic and dangerous universe to vibrant, terrifying life; indeed, the world-building here is exceptional, creating an environment you’ll feel sorely tempted to live in despite the pitfalls.  Best of all, though, there’s tons of heart and soul, the fantastic found family dynamic at the story’s heart winning us over at every turn. Ultimately, while you might come for the thrills and spectacle, you’ll stay for these wonderful, adorable characters and their compelling tale.  An undeniable triumph.

3.  JUDAS & THE BLACK MESSIAH – I’m a little fascinated by the Black Panther Party, I find them to be one of the most intriguing elements of Black History in America, but outside of documentaries I’ve never really seen a feature film that’s truly done the movement justice, at least until now.  It’s become a major talking point of the Awards Season, and it’s easy to see why – director Shaka King is a protégé of Spike Lee, and together with up-and-coming co-screenwriter Wil Berson he’s captured the fire and fervour of the Party and their firebrand struggle for racial liberation through force of arms, as well as a compelling portrait of one of their most important figures, Fred Hampton, the Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the BPP and a powerful political activist who could have become the next Martin Luther King or Malcolm X.  Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya is magnificent in the role, effortlessly holding your attention in every scene with his laconic ease and deceptively friendly manner, barely hinting at the zealous fire blazing beneath the surface, but the film’s true focus is the man who brought him down, William O’Neal, a fellow Panther and FBI informant placed in the Chapter to infiltrate the movement and find a way for the US Government to bring down what they believed to be one of the country’s greatest internal threats.  Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You, Knives Out) delivers a suitably complex performance as O’Neal, perfectly embodying a very clever but also very desperate man walking a constant tightrope to maintain his cover in some decidedly wary company, but there’s never any real sense that he’s playing the villain, Stanfield largely garnering sympathy from the viewer as we’re shamelessly made to root for him, especially once he starts falling for the very ideals he’s trying to subvert – it’s a true star-making performance, and he even holds his own playing opposite Kaluuya himself.  The rest of the cast are equally impressive, Dominique Fishback (Project Power, The Deuce) particularly holding our attention as Hampton’s fiancée and fellow Panther Akua Njeri, as does Jesse Plemmons as O’Neal’s idealistic but sympathetic FBI handler Roy Mitchell, while Martin Sheen is the film’s nominal villain in a chillingly potent turn as J. Edgar Hoover.  This is an intense and thrilling film, powered by a tense atmosphere of pregnant urgency and righteous fury, but while there are a few grittily realistic set pieces, the majority of the fireworks on display are performance based, the cast giving their all and King wrestling a potent and emotionally resonant, inescapably timely history lesson that informs without ever slipping into preachy exposition, leaving an unshakable impression long after the credits have rolled.  This doesn’t just earn all the award-winning kudos it gained, it deserved A LOT MORE recognition that it got, and if this were a purely critical rundown list I’d have to put it in the top spot.  As it is I’m monumentally enamoured of this film, and I can’t sing its praises enough …

2.  RUN, HIDE, FIGHT – the biggest surprise hit for me so far this year was this wicked little indie suspense thriller from writer-director Kyle Rankin (Night of the Living Deb), which snuck in under the radar but is garnering an impressive reputation as a future cult sleeper hit.  Critics have been less kind, but the subject matter is a pretty thorny issue, and if handled the wrong way it could have been in very poor taste indeed.  Thankfully Rankin has crafted a corker here, initially taking time to set the scene and welcome the players before throwing us headfirst into an unbelievably tense but also unsettlingly believable situation – a small town American high school becomes the setting for a fraught siege when a quartet of disturbed students take several of their classmates hostage at gunpoint, creating a social media storm in the process as they encourage the capture of the crisis on phone cameras. While the local police gather outside, the shooters discover another threat from within the school throwing spanners in the works – Zoe Hull (Alexa & Katie’s Isabel May), a seemingly nondescript girl who happens to be the daughter of former marine scout sniper Todd (Thomas Jane).  She’s wound pretty tight after the harrowing death of her mother to cancer, fuelled by grief and conditioned by her father’s training, so she’s determined to get her friends and classmates out of this nightmare, no matter what.  Okay, so the premise reads like Die Hard in a school, but this is a very different beast, played for gritty realism and shot with unshowy cinema-verité simplicity, Rankin cranking up the tension beautifully but refusing to play to his audience any more than strictly necessary, drip-feeding the thrills to maximum effect but delivering some harrowing action nonetheless.  The cast are top-notch too, Jane delivering a typically subtle, nuanced turn while Treat Williams is likeably stoic as world-weary but dependable local Sherriff Tarsey, Rhada Mitchell intrigues as the matter-of-fact phantom of Zoe’s mum, Jennifer, that she’s concocted to help her through her mourning, Olly Sholotan is sweetly geeky as her best friend Lewis, and Eli Brown raises genuine goosebumps as an all-too-real teen psychopath in the role of terrorist ringleader Tristan Voy.  The real beating heart and driving force of the film, though, is May, intense, barely restrained and all but vibrating with wounded fury, perfectly believable as the diminutive high school John McClane who defies expectations to become a genuine force to be reckoned with, as far as I’m concerned one of this year’s TOP female protagonists.  Altogether this is a cracking little thriller, a precision-crafted little action gem that nonetheless raises some troubling questions and treats its subject matter with utmost care and respect, a film that’s destined for major cult classic status, and I can’t recommend it enough.

1.  NOBODY – do you love the John Wick movies but you just wish they took themselves a bit less seriously?  Well fear not, because Derek Kolstad has delivered fantastically on that score, the JW screenwriter mashing his original idea up with the basic premise of the Taken movies (former government spook/assassin turned unassuming family man is forced out of retirement and shit gets seriously trashed as a result) and injecting a big dollop of gallows humour.  This time he’s teamed up with Ilya Naishuller, the stone-cold lunatic who directed the deliriously insane but also thoroughly brilliant Hardcore Henry, and the results are absolutely unbeatable, a pitch perfect jet black action comedy bursting with neat ideas, wonderfully offbeat characters and ingenious plot twists.  Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk is perfect casting as Hutch Mansell, the aforementioned ex-“Auditor”, a CIA hitman who grew weary of the lifestyle and quit to find some semblance of normality with his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), with whom he’s had two kids.  Ultimately, he seems to have “overcompensated”, and his life has stagnated, Hutch following a autopiloted day-to-day routine that’s left him increasingly unfulfilled … then fate intervenes and a series of impulsive choices see him falling back on his old ways while defending a young woman from drunken thugs on a late night bus ride.  Problem is, said lowlifes work for the Russian Mob, specifically Yulian Kuznetsov (Leviathan’s Aleksei Serebryakov), a Bratva boss charged with guarding the Obshak, who must exact brutal vengeance in order to save face. Cue much bloody violence and entertaining chaos … Kolstad can do this sort of thing in his sleep, but his writing married with Naishuller’s singularly BONKERS vision means that the anarchy is dialled right up to eleven, while the gleefully dark sense of humour shot through makes the occasional surreality and bitingly satirical observation on offer all the more exquisite.  Odenkirk is a low-key joy throughout, initially emasculated and pathetic but becoming more comfortable in his skin as he reconnects with his old self, while Serebryakov hams things up spectacularly, chewing the scenery with aplomb; Nielsen, meanwhile, brings her characteristic restrained classiness to proceedings, Christopher Lloyd and the RZA are clearly having the time of their lives as, respectively, Hutch’s retired FBI agent father David and fellow ex-spook half-brother Harry, and there’s a wonderfully game cameo from the incomparable Colin Salmon as Hutch’s former handler, the Barber.  Altogether then, this is the perfect marriage of two fantastic worlds – an action-packed thrill ride as explosively impressive as John Wick, but also a wickedly subversive laugh riot every bit as blissfully inventive as Hardcore Henry, and undeniably THE BEST MOVIE I’ve seen so far this year.  Sure, there’s some pretty heavyweight stuff set to (FINALLY) come out later this year, but this really will take some beating …