#louis creed icons

[slashericons]

Dale Midkiff as Louis Creed in Pet Sematary (1989)

[mccraecook99]

MGM-100 Years of Entertainment Tribute

After WB and Disney had their centennials last year and Columbia Pictures had it’s centennial last January this year,another legacy Hollywood powerhouse studio has finally reached it’s centennial today.

On This Day,100 years ago,Louis B. Mayer merged his company,Louis B. Mayer Pictures with Metro Pictures Corporation and Goldwyn Pictures Corporation to form the Hollywood studio powerhouse,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer(AKA MGM Studio),whose logo of a roaring lion opened almost every picture the studio has produced and released to this day.

It was the studio that defined ”More Stars Than They Are In The Heavens”,that gave us beloved iconic Hollywood classics like Gone With The Wind,The Wizard of Oz, The Philadelphia Story, National Velvet,On The Town,An American In Paris,Singin‘ in The Rain,Forbidden Planet,Ben Hur,Doctor Zhivago,The Dirty Dozen,2001:A Space Odyssey,Shaft,Network,Logan’s Run,Fame,Poltergeist,Diner,A Christmas Story,WarGames,Moonstruck,Spaceballs,Willow,A Fish Called Wanda,Rain Man,Child’s Play,Stargate,GoldenEye,Legally Blonde,Barbershop and others and modern hits like the Creed and Hobbit movie trilogies,Bill and Ted Face The Music,Dog,Cyrano,Licorice Pizza,Candyman(2021),The Hustle,Bottoms,and The Beekeeper, established some of the biggest stars in the world such as Gene Kelly,Judy Garland,Spencer Tracy,Katherine Hepburn,Lana Turner,Elizabeth Taylor,Lionel and John Barrymore,Lassie the Dog,Clark Gable,and many others, introduced to the world two of the most memorable seven-time Oscar winning cartoon characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera(Tom and Jerry)and produced a series of fast-paced,off-the-wall masterpiece cartoons by screwball director,Tex Avery in the 40’s and 50’s and also,released and produced several animated features such as How The Grinch Stole Christmas(1966),The Phantom Tollbooth(1970),The Secret of NIMH(1982),Rock and Rule(1983),and All Dogs Go To Heaven(1989),it also produced TV hits like The Man from U.N.C.L.E,Wednesday,The Handmaid’s Tale,Harlem Coben’s Shelter,CHiPs,MGM Parade,Flipper,FX’s Fargo,and various modern game and reality TV shows in the 2010’s and 2020’s,acquired the rights to United Artists in 1981 and other film companies such as Orion Pictures,Nelson Entertainment,and American International Pictures,now having them become part of the Lion’s den and the studio eventually got acquired by Amazon in 2021 for $8.5 billion.

Happy 100th Anniversary to the Lion of Hollywood and the studio that gave us the best lavish movie musicals and later, the James Bond series of films,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer(AKA MGM Studios). Here is a special commemorative drawing I did for MGM’s centennial anniversary featuring Leo the Lion(the studio’s roaring lion mascot)in a tuxedo.

Thanks for 100 Years of Entertainment,MGM.

[haunted-the-vagabond]

WHO IS THIS GUY?

Yo!

My name's Ryan, aka HAUNTED THE VAGABOND, aka HAUNTED, aka HAUNT, aka some other nickname that I have gained over the year, like... Fademan Haunt or something, call me what you like!

I'm a 28-year-old, asexual icon who goes by he/him pronouns, and I am a Canadian originally from Saskatchewan, but currently living in British Columbia.

I work as a Radio DJ by day, and I do a bunch of other stuff on the side, like streaming, podcasting, and being a pro wrestling announcer!

Big music guy, beginning to collect vinyl, hoping to get a sick setup soon. I do have a heavy leaning towards rock, metal, prog, punk, and hardcore, but I fuck with a lot of shit, and I'm always hunting for more stuff to listen to, open to all suggestions!

FIVE ALBUMS TO GET TO KNOW ME:

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here: Essential Floyd, everyone talks about Dark Side or The Wall, but Wish You Were Here is where it's at. Best album to put on and get lost in it

Deftones - Koi No Yokan: Top to bottom there isn't a song that isn't a bop or a banger on KNY. From "Swerve City" to "Tempest" to "Entombed", all heat

Pharoah Sanders - Pharoah: If you have a Sunday where you gotta do a bunch of housework, maybe it's raining, put on Pharoah, it's something you'll remember forever

Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?: I'm not a Fantano fan by any stretch, but I gotta thank him for putting me on Jessie Ware. A modern disco album that fucks this hard? That's rare as hell!

Death Grips - Powers That B: "Black Quarterback" is my Fuck Shit Up song, "On GP" makes me emotional, great album

SPORTS

Big sports guy, I'll watch damn near anything from Hockey to Darts, if there is competition, I'm in there.

TEAMS/ATHLETES I SUPPORT:

Hockey: Vancouver Canucks (Main), Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, PWHL Minnesota, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

Football: Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL), Seattle Seahawks (NFL)

Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays (Main), LA Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals

Basketball: San Antonio Spurs (Main), Toronto Raptors, Saskatchewan Rattlers (CEBL)

Soccer: Machester United (EPL), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS)

College Sports: Michigan Wolverines (NCAA), Saskatchewan Huskies (USPORTS)

Lacross: Saskatchewan Rush

Combat Sports: Israel Adesanya (UFC), Tyson Fury (Boxing), Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston (AEW), CM Punk, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn (WWE)

Golf: Tiger Woods

Video Games

I like them.

FIVE GAMES TO GET TO KNOW ME:

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartending Action: Easily my favorite VN, entertaining characters, engaging world, I wanna get lost in it.

Halo 3: ODST: What if the cast of Firefly were in Halo and listened to a lot of Jazz? Yeah, peak.

Transistor: This is a beautiful game, it has a wonderful story and, a lovely soundtrack, a must-play if you love Supergiant games.

Hotline Miami: Soundtracks go a long way to elevate a game, and Hotline Miami is no different. Hotline Miami also boasts some real fast-paced, addictive gameplay. #TonyTime

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne: Gameplay of a John Woo film fantastic noir story, Max Payne is one of the great characters in the medium.

Movies

I watch them.

FIVE MOVIES TO GET TO KNOW ME:

Clerks: Kevin Smith is one of my favorite directors, and Clerks is my all-time favorite comedy.

The Raid 2: If you loved the Raid, then you owe it to yourself to watch the Raid 2, it's just the Raid with a story, and it's fantastic!

Rocky: There are a lot of Rocky films, counting Creed as well, but nothing tops the first Rocky movie, the best top-to-bottom film in the series.

Porco Rosso: Everyone loves Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, and they are right to do some, Miyazaki is one of the GOATs for a reason. But in my eyes, his best film is Porco Rosso. The landscape shots showcase his love of the Adriatic and Italy, the characters are lovely, and the dub, oh my goodness Michael Keaton as Porco is *chef's kiss*

Treasure Planet: Peak Disney movie, hyper fixated on it as a kid, and still love it to this day.

Anime

They alright.

FIVE ANIMES TO GET TO KNOW ME:

BECK Mongolian Chop Squad: This is the quintessential HAUNT anime. Very down-to-earth, simple but engaging story about someone finding their place in the world. In Beck's case, it's Koiyuki becoming this amazing singer/rhythm guitarist, and helping Beck become a premiere band in Japan.

Gurren Lagann: It's mother fuckin Gurren Lagann man, go watch it.

Steins;Gate: The group chat between me and some of my closest homies is called Future Gadget Labs NA, if that doesn't tell you how much this show brought me and my friends together, then I don't know what else to tell you. Never played the VN but the Anime was great!

Samurai Champloo: Life-changing anime, changed my whole perspective on music and my relationship to it. Helps that the show is GAS, with one of the hardest dubs out there.

Eden of the East: Just a straight up solid show with some good movies attached to it.

Fandom Shit

I don't really participate in a lot of Fandom discussion, I just will reblog stuff I like from my interest. An avid fan of D&D, Wrestling, Fighting Games, Hockey, Football, Anime, and a bunch of other crap I'm forgetting about.

So that's me, if you like what you see, hit me up!

[magnusrosen-blog]

Jag vill önska dig en vacker och fin lucia med lite ljus i mörkret! We are together in a Merry Christmas song for you Link: https://youtu.be/TiyopRf6KsE?si=8RUcTpJD1Zi1b8-I

Då är världen än en gång samlad med BJ Sam från Afrika där vi visar att vi är bröder och systrar på moder Jord.

Det är hög tid att öppna dom vackra ögonen. Love peace ☮️ understanding är framtiden i en fri demokratisk och jämlik värld 🌍

BJ Sam has set the record as the first artiste to feature music acts from every corner of the globe, in his newly released song, Merry Christmas.

A sneak peek of the song’s visual reveals a global assemblage of over 22 music icons from different race, colour and creed united and singing joyfully in harmony offering their Yuletide wishes in their various native tongue. The featured vocalists, include Hollywood Oscar nominee, Paul Raci, who just premiered his new films "The Mother" with Jennifer Lopez and “Butcher's Crossing" with Nicholas Cage; Bollywood star Jaspinder Narula; Ghanaian legendary Singer Diana Hopeson the former President of Musicians Union of Ghana; Grammy member Dona Maria; Monaco international ballet star/actress-singer Lorena Baricalla; French singer Thieriki, Japanese actor SHINRYU, Australian screen legend Greg Poppleton, Brazilian songstress Nina Ximenes, Moroccan vocalist Meryem, and New Zealand singer Eddie Simon

Among the musicians are Swedish acclaimed music icons Magnus Rosen and Mikael Erlandsson, Singapore violinist Eileen Chai; American multi- instrumentalist John Heinrich who has played for most of the American music icons including Louis Armstrong, award-winning pianist and journalist for York Times Charu Suri, Canadian drummer Chad Melchert, German guitarist Klaus Vanscheidt, French multi-instrumentalist Pierre Baillot. A truly global assembly with a truly global sound – quite distinctive and an admirable departure from the usual Christmas fare.

Pat Weaver, the Head of Production for Warner Chappell Production Music (WCPM), also reach out to BJ Sam after listening to the song and said that Warner Music is interested in purchasing the material.

Kindly pulse for a minutes and check it out and add to your playlist. Link: https://youtu.be/TiyopRf6KsE?si=8RUcTpJD1Zi1b8-I

[adamwatchesmovies]

Pet Sematary (1989)

Ever since my high school self decided to make a film adaptation of Pet Sematary as part of a book report, this story has haunted me - mostly as intended. This 1989 take is a mixed bag. It’s a faithful adaptation of the work and Fred Gwynne is terrific in it. Too bad the other performances are dead on arrival and certain elements of the book just don’t translate well visually.

The Creed family – Louis (Dale Midkiff), Rachel (Denise Crosby), their daughter Ellie (Blaze Berdahl), and toddler Gage (Miko Hughes) – move into a new home whose forest backyard contains the local pet “sematary”. When their cat is killed, their neighbor, Jud (Gwynne), feels compelled to tell Louis about a place that will bring it back to life.

If you read the novel by Stephen King, everything in it is here. Too much of it, in fact. Throughout, the ghost of a jogger Louis tried to save (Victor Pascow, played by Brad Greenquist) attempts to steer the Creeds away from the doom that awaits them in the Mi’kmaq burial ground. Why is he here? What does he accomplish? To reinforce the theme of death, I suppose. Same applies to Susan Blommart’s character Missy Dandridge. She serve no purpose in the film, not really. Screentime they eat up could’ve been used to expand on the relationship between Jud and the Creeds or to show the effect of the cursed burial ground on those who visit it. Once you realize what the place does, it’s obvious no one in their right mind would encourage anyone to bury their cat there. You have to assume one trip to the damned place means you’re compelled to go back but that’s the problem. You have to ASSUME.

The main reason Louis chooses to bring the cat back to life is his wife, whose sister’s death as a child left her traumatized. Whenever the film flashes back to Zelda Goldman, she’s obviously played by a man (Andrew Hubatsek) under a slab of makeup rather than a woman. Why? To try and generate creepy imagery? Nobody outside the film crew knows.

In many ways, 1989's Pet Sematary is dated but it's most obvious during the climax, which might’ve freaked people who saw it as kids but will have anyone who views it now chuckling. It's not a complete disaster. There are some iconic ideas and visuals. The story’s good. Fred Gwynne is such a memorable actor he charms you even when his character is badly written. He fares much better than Dale Midkiff, who is awful as the lead. His character is not convincing, which doesn't help. At least he makes the film entertaining in a “so bad it’s good” kind of way, which means this Pet Sematary is sometimes legitimately enjoyable and often ironically fun. (July 18, 2020)

[goldenavenger02]

Susz's Halloween Recommendations Part 2: Books and Fics.

Books

Pet Sematary by Stephan King

Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, moved to Ludlow, Maine with their two young kids, Ellie and Gage, and their cat, Church. In the woods, near their home is a pet cemetery with a sign that was spelled sematary.

Notes: this book made me scared of my own cats for about two weeks. I really enjoyed it but that scene with the cat was very excessive.

Sadie by Courtney Summers

The book chronicles teenager Sadie Hunter’s quest to find the man who killed her sister. In alternating chapters, Sadie’s subsequent disappearance becomes the topic of West McCray’s podcast The Girls.

Notes: this audio book is so fantastic, especially the podcast elements! Trigger warnings for Sexual Assault and Child Abuse.

The Project by Courtney Summers

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire.

Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye.

Notes: a book about a journalist trying to learn more about the cult who took her sister from her. If you have siblings, this one hurts even more than if you don't. This has a frick ton of triggers, so please look into that before picking this up.

These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly By Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. 

Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly By Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. 

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire.

Notes: a queer witch book with plenty of action and magic throughout! This book is so important to me and I'm currently reading the second and final book!

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection.

Notes: one of my mom's favorites and this is one of the best mysteries I've ever read!

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman

On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening…

Notes: this author has been involved in some not great things involving being anti semetic (I hope I spelled that right), so if you still want to read this, please don't do it in a way that financially supports her. That being said, I read it before that stuff came out, and I liken it to a queer Teen Wolf season 3 type story.

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost. ...

Notes: an amazing murder mystery and one that I highly recommend! A bit slow at times, but the fast scenes make up for it.

The Assassin Game by Kristy McKay

At Cate's isolated boarding school Killer is more than a game-it's an elite secret society. Members must avoid being "killed" during a series of thrilling pranks-and only the Game Master knows who the "killer" is. When Cate's finally invited to join The Guild of Assassins, she knows it's her ticket to finally feeling like she belongs.

Notes: this takes place on an small island near Wales and it's one of the most atmospheric books I've ever read! The first chapter is really nasty, but after that, it's so good!

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen. M McMannis

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

Notes: this was like reading a CW show. That's all I can say about it.

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Jared, Simon and Mallory, who finds a mysterious Field Guide hidden in the attic, written by their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick, who studied Faeries — magical beings who hide themselves from Humans using a type of magic called glamour.

Notes: I can't say much about this because I barely remember it. But I remember it freaking the crap out of me.

Fics (all of these are MCU)

Pumpkins and Stitches and Monster Mash by @marvelous-writer

Notes: I told myself to pick one fic from one writer, but with Marvelous-Writer, I just couldn't do it. I'm not gonna give synopsis' for the fics, because you really just need to take my word for it and read them.

too sick for clowns by @hailing-stars

Notes: short and sweet. Hailing-Stars is an icon and everyone needs to follow her.

Vein Drain by @ciaconna on Ao3

Notes: absolutely fantastic and humorous.

Trick Or Treat (Or Traumatize) by @awesomesockes and @whumphoarder

Notes: I just freaking love this writing duo.

No doubts about it by @angels-creative

Notes: my queen, my bestie, and the fic she had to send me the link to cause I couldn't find it XD

And I think that's all for this year! Have a safe and happy Halloween everyone!

[seaofthesoul]

I was tagged by @hiccoops and @legoilas in two ask games, thanks lovelies! 🥰💝💖

—one

It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome work.

This really hasn’t been a productive year for me artistically speaking, so I’m only able to list three things 😂 The two first are the first and last sentences of two unpublished short stories I’ve written about Geralt of Rivia; the third is a few of my favourite words from the vampire language I’ve been developing on this blog 🌸

1. gloveless: “The blood on Geralt’s hands is so dark it seems to burn away at the black leather of his gloves. [...] Not making a single movement, he closes his eyes and matches the drip drip drip echoing in his ears to the cadence of his own  s  l  o  w  witcher’s heart.”

2. and all the stars flowered in the sky: “The morning sun was painting striking streaks of peach, apricot and lemon across the horizon. [...] The sun finally rose fully above the horizon, round and resplendent as a shiny coin of copper close enough to grab, and Geralt gave a contented sigh.”

3. vampire language: 

Ceisatni (”Butcher,” an epithet for Geralt of Rivia)

hueru (blood, lit. life-giver)

nosferat (melody, music, symphony, inspired by Murnau’s iconic vampire film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror)

—two

Share your 12 favorite songs from this year (one from each month or just your favorites overall) and tag 12 people!

I’m gonna go with songs I discovered in 2020, limiting myself to one per artist or soundtrack 💕 Did my best to match each song with a season which I think fits the song’s vibe and emotion ✨

January: The Beast of Beauclair from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt February: Jamie Bower - Paralysed March: I Was Lost Without You from Mass Effect 3 April: Happy Childhoods... from The Witcher Netflix May: Time of Which... from The Tudors  June: Louis Tomlinson - Always You July: Harry Styles - Sledgehammer (cover) August: ZAYN & R3HAB & Jungleboi - Flames September: Niall Horan - Arms of a Stranger October: Main Theme from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla November: Wardruna - Kvitravn (White Raven) December: Monster Theme from Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

Tagging @amantisegreti @technicallysideacc @micshiefmanaged @le-chardonneret @mugglemirror @lohrendrell @feanarofinwion @vilounelle @shiremaiden @spellboundzouis @west-moor @houseofmaedhros @et-earello @going-there-and-back-again to do any part of this you’d like 💗

[thefourthavenue]

Pet Sematary’s iconic couple: Rachel and Louis Creed !

[daleisgreat]

The Punisher (1989): Unrated Cut

This has been one I have been meaning to be covering for a few years now. Longtime readers here may remember my friend Matt I reference semi-occasionally when I review one of his gag gift movies here. Every now and then though he will legit surprise with me with an awesome movie gift as with today’s example. Matt knows I am a huge fan of the comic book character, The Punisher, and that all three of the live action Punisher movies are guilty pleasures of mine. Up until a few years ago I already owned both the Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson Punisher films on BluRay, but the original 1989 Punisher movie I only owned a bare bones DVD release that I thought was the only home video version of that film. Matt surprised me a few years back by tracking down an international release of an unrated director’s cut of The Punisher on BluRay. Turns out in North America, right on the precipice of the film’s released it got traded studios as its original studio was in the process of being acquired. Turns out the new studio was not confident in the drawing power of Dolph Lungdren anymore so the 1989 Punisher film was among the first wave of movies to hit the straight-to-video market. Internationally, The Punisher received theatrical releases, and performed well, which is why it landed an international BluRay release. Thank goodness my BluRay player recognizes international regions, but my only nitpick with it is the lack of subtitles. So this version of the film on BluRay is the ‘Unrated Cut’ which is how the director, Mark Goldblatt, originally envisioned the film. The 80s were the era of the gratuitously violent action blockbusters with the likes of Rambo, Robocop, Commando, Terminator and countless others dominating the box office. The Punisher was shot for that demographic, and Goldblatt stated in the commentary how he had to take the film to the MPAA nine times before toning down the movie enough to earn an ‘R’ rating.

The film wastes no time with a lengthy origin story as it kicks off with a gang leader being acquitted of all charges for murdering Frank Castle (Dolph Lungdren) and his family five years prior. A news reporter recommends the gang to be on the lookout for ‘The Punisher’ vigilante, which the gang laughs off the journalist’s warnings, only for the gang to instantly meet their demise mere minutes after arriving home from court. The Yakuza arrive in town to capitalize on The Punisher’s fallout, with Yakuza leader Lady Tanaka (Kim Miyori) forcing replacement gang leader Dino Moretti (Bryan Marshall) to partner up with her after kidnapping the children of Moretti and his allies. Trying to keep tabs on this whole mess of a situation is the ‘Punisher Task Force’ consisting of Frank Castle’s former partner, Jake Berkowitz (Louis Gossett Jr.), and fellow detective Sam Leary (Nancy Everhard). Following all this setup, The Punisher is essentially 1980s action film 101, with Castle tearing it up against the Yakuza in a couple of entertaining shootouts in a casino and later on in a funhouse, complete with Yakuza members firing away at Frank while breezing down a curvy slide. Completing the over-the-top 80s action formula is the cheesy one-liners, with my favorite featuring Berkowitz grilling Frank on his vigilante warfare, “What do you call 125 murders in five years?” to which Castle dryly retorts, “Work-in-Progress.” Eventually everything comes to a head when Punisher and Moretti team up to rescue Moretti’s kid in the Yakuza stronghold, where the most intense fighting sequences emanate from in the entire film. The unrated cut pulls no punches, with the most gruesome fatalities transpiring as Castle and Moretti work their way to the final confrontation with Lada Tanaka.

When I re-watched the film with audio commentary from Mark Goldblatt he made sure to pinpoint which parts he added back in as he originally envisioned for this unrated version, and how he stands behind this version being the definitive cut of the film. Other interesting tidbits from the commentary was how the film wound up being shot in Australia, regrets of not having the Punisher’s trademark skull icon on his shirt in the film and informing in-depth on the film trading studios and going direct-to-video in America. Goldblatt also mentions in the commentary how there is a workprint cut of the film, which he stated he does not stand behind since it was cut before the core movie finished filming. Said workprint cut is included as a bonus feature, and is actually eight minutes longer than the unrated cut. The main takeaway I had with the workprint cut is it has a whole new 17 minute opening on the origin of The Punisher that happens five years earlier where it shows Castle and Berkowitz making a bust on a routine stakeout that clues the gangsters in to Frank’s family location where they ultimately make a hit on Frank’s family. That whole 17 minutes is briefly alluded to in the unrated cut in the form of a five second flashback of the family’s demise. This prologue adds a whole new dynamic to the film, but I can see why Goldblatt wanted it cut since it brings a snappier pace to the overall film. Also worth mentioning is that the workprint is presented in its original adapted 35mm form, and how the editors did a commendable job cleaning it up for the HD version on the BluRay.

Other extra features is a 21 minute interview with Mark Goldblatt. If you do not have time to invest into the commentary track, then this interview is a recommended alternative as it hits most of the same beats and goes into Mark’s other Hollywood successes. Also included is a quick five minute interview with Dolph Lungdren where he has fond memories working with the stuntmen in the fight sequences and wishes the movie would have had a theatrical run in America. For those who are fans of reverse box art, I recommend taking advantage of that here, as this BluRay’s alternative artwork is pretty remarkable. Rounding off the BluRay is a gag reel…..which would not load on my BluRay player, so that will have to be my loss. The Punisher: Unrated Cut BluRay was a surprise hit gift from Matt! I will stand behind Goldblatt by safely assuring his unrated cut here is the must-see version of the film. A solid slate of extra features only helps makes this BluRay the definitive home video edition of this movie. If you dig the over-the-top action films of the 80s, then odds are this 1989 take on The Punisher will be right up your alley. Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers: Infinity War Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed I & II Deck the Halls Detroit Rock City Die Hard Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Grunt: The Wrestling Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Hell Comes to Frogtown Hercules: Reborn Hitman I Like to Hurt People Indiana Jones 1-4 Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Last Action Hero Major League Man of Steel Man on the Moon Man vs Snake Marine 3-6 Merry Friggin Christmas Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets Not for Resale Pulp Fiction The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VIII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Pilgrim vs the World The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Slacker Skyscraper Small Town Santa Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Sully Take Me Home Tonight TMNT The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild The Wizard Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Days of Future Past

[bella-alva-lovat]

Hey @eccentricmya thank you for tagging me

Rules: Ten favorite characters from ten different things, tag ten people

Let's just say you gave me a lot to think about; anyways I didn't prioritize I just went with my gut choosing between the most recent and the most beloved characters of mine. Here goes:

Eric Northman of True Blood

Why not start with the best of the best? And not to mention Alexander skarsgard's portrayal was iconic and on point. Loved him in the books and series. Eric is like all those things I seek in characters roled into one cunning bastard

Hermine of Steppenwolf

She is a force to be reckoned with, had every single one in the palm of her hand. I loved how she made harry feel so exposed and yet a strange impenetrable sense of trust was about it all. She is all those things I can never be, and in truth I don't really have to be. But I sure as hell need one in my life

Lestat, the Vampire

My oh my. I'm torn between him and Eric, but I gotta say, Lestat is truly something else. Tom cruise NAILED it btw. More like, who doesn't have a thing for Lestat?!

Nik Ryder of Nightbound

If you don't play choices - which I doubt you do - you have no idea who I'm talking about. However, I couldn't rule him out. I loved his character, the only time the writers gave a damn to actually create something unique with a lotta complex layers going on. He's a bit like Dean Winchester, from whom its character got the inpiration, but if you ask me they aren't really that similar. To me, he was a protecter, very caring, took everything so seriously to his heart, got attached despite knowing his terrible lot, and gave much more than he had to unconditionally. I like it when they are loyal, for no reason at all. He also had a very laid back and direct sense of humor. Honestly, I believe he's got a lot more in common with Geralt than anybody else

Erik, the Phantom of the Opera

Dark, brooding, shrewd, tactful, and evil for the right cause? Check, check, check, and also check. I got it hot for these. To them pain is not an ending point, it's more like a shelter, from which new genuine ideas are born. They take what they were given, and turn it into a world of possibilities. They may be demanding to take so much from you, but they earned it. I adore Erik, I feel for him. He is indeed my Angel of Music

Circe, the witch in the Odyssey

I like classics too much. And this woman really caught my eyes. She takes seduction to the next level, and for the person who hates being played, she sure as hell plays so many games (me af). I especially like her straightforwardness. You want this one on your side

Louis Creed of Pet Semetary

We shared the same taste in music (Ramones), and the same fuckin intuition. Louis played his cards right, only he stayed too long in the game and got lost in the end. LOVED the book, absolutely hated the adaption. They took all the good stuff out of it

James Bond

Like I already said, I'm weak for a man who uses his wits as weapon. Guns and swords are more than cool, but show me some strategy. All that and he never sacrifices his sense of style. Respect

Kurda Smalt of Darren Shan Saga

Couldn't live this one out either. Back in the day I used to take a liking to Darren's world. He is a good author. I got very upset when Kurda was sentenced to death. He deserved much better

Túrin Turambar

Let's end with a bang. I know what you think, has she even read a single word in that book. Yes I have, three times in a row. Thing is there's a lot more to Túrin than destruction and ruin. And I wouldn't call this one unfortunate no matter what anyone tell me. And I quote him: perhaps it is better not to tell what you wish, if you cannot have it; but I wish Labadal, that I was one of the Eldar.' He got what he wished for, earned a reputation, and I really love the fact that the reason it all went wrong was his own choice to return to what was long lost, not any curse

I loved doing this one. I got ahead of myself again, but that's merely because I love expanding why I have certain preferances. Anyways, I tag the following who are more than welcome to ignore

@wifeofdarklordsworld @givesauronakiss @maironsmaid @boredhumanfan @tar-melkor @haldanare

[brokehorrorfan]

Pet Sematary will be released on Digital on June 25 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 9 via Paramount Pictures. Based on Stephen King’s 1983 novel of the same name, the film hit theaters back in February.

Best Buy will carry an exclusive, limited edition Steelbook 4K Ultra HD edition, which is pictured below. It's available for pre-order for $32.99.

Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes) direct from a script by Jeff Buhler (The Prodigy). Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Hugo Lavoie, Lucas Lavoie, Jeté Laurence, Obssa Ahmed, and Alyssa Brooke Levine star.

The disc includes an alternate ending. A full list of special features is below.

Special features:

Beyond the Deadfall – 4-part making-of featurette

Resurrection – Directors, screenwriters and cast discuss bringing this classic back to life

The Final Resting Place—A deeper look into finding the right location for the terror to unfold

The Road to Sorrow— Inside the film’s tragic themes and creating the iconic cat Church

Death Comes home—Unearth the creepy elements behind the climax and final scenes of the film.

Night Terrors – Family Haunting Visions

Louis

Rachel

Ellie

The Tale of Timmy Baterman

Alternate ending

Deleted and extended scenes

After the Creed family relocates from Boston to rural Maine, they soon discover an ancient burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, the grief-stricken father is driven by the cemetery’s sinister power, setting off a perilous chain of events that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.

[hilarymp]

PET SEMATARY (2019) REVIEW

SPOILER WARNING! This review contains spoilers for Pet Sematary (2019), Pet Sematary (1989) and the novel.

    I’ll admit straight out of the gate that I went into Pet Sematary (2019) with a negative attitude. For whatever reason (one that I am still struggling to comprehend) the studio decided not only to make a rather large divergence from the source material’s plot, but to also spoil this “twist” in the trailer and promotional material. That alone was enough to convince me that this remake/reboot/reimagining/whatever the fuck you want to call it probably wasn’t going to win me over. So let’s discuss that first and foremost.

    I am not at all opposed to film adaptations making changes. Case in point, 2017’s new IT. IT and it’s miniseries predecessor are among some of my favorite horror films of all time, despite the fact that they were not 100% faithful to the novel, especially the more recent installment. For me changes are totally fine as long as they a.) maintain the spirit, themes, and tone of the original story and b.) make the film more frightening.

    With those rules in mind the change prominently displayed in the trailer for 2019’s Pet Sematary, the fact the Creed’s eldest child Ellie is the one who is killed and brought back from the dead instead of toddler Gage, already failed at rule b. Don’t get me wrong, any reanimated evil corpse is going to be scary, but why on earth would you deny us an evil murderous baby just to give us yet another creepy little girl. The ‘creepy little girl’ trope in horror is so tired and overused it makes my head hurt. The Ring, Orphan, The Exorcist, Silent Hill, The Shining, Alice Sweet Alice, The Bad Seed, Let the Right One In, Hereditary, Sinister, I could go on and on and on. The use of the trope isn’t inherently terrible, but why would you go out of your way to use it when something less used and much scarier (a straight up homicidal TODDLER) is an option? The simplest and most likely reason, in my opinion, was for convenience. Is directing a 2 year old more difficult to direct than an 11 year old? Yes, of course, obviously. But it’s definitely possible, as Mary Lambert proved while directing Miko Hughes as Gage in 1989. (Honestly, to this day I can not believe the performance she got out of that little boy.) So to me the change is not only a disservice to the film, but also an indication that the filmmakers were unabashedly lazy.

    So now that you know why I had set myself up for disappointment to begin with, let’s break down what the film succeeded at and how it failed.

    Whatever problems I have with the film, at least I can say that I loved the cast. John Lithgow was extremely endearing and likable. His performance as Jud was a refreshingly grounded and heartfelt departure from Fred Gwynne’s high camp in ‘89. Jason Clarke was as engrossing as ever. I always enjoy Clarke’s performances, and he often brings extra depth to characters that would have otherwise fallen flat (Dr. Price in ‘Winchester’ being a prime example). And Jete Laurance was nothing short of incredible. You would never expect that this little girl could transform into something to sinister so effortlessly. Her performance in the first half of the film is filled with such sweet sincerity, that her turn into undead Ellie is all the more frightening. Not as frightening as being terrorized by a little ankle biting toddler, mind you, but enjoyable nonetheless. ESPECIALLY compared to Ellie in the 89 film. Do you remember her? My God, she was so annoying. 

    Speaking of annoying, Amy Seimetz as Rachel was the only weak link in the cast. Instead of being deeply troubled and complex as Stephen King wrote her, Seimetz’s Rachel is so one dimensional that by the third or fourth time we see her crying, I wasn’t just unmoved, I was borderline irritated. ‘The weepy mother’ role in horror films are never especially fulfilling, but in this instance Rachel was meant to be much more than that. And the cheapening of the Zelda subplot doesn’t help matters either. 

    To me Zelda, Rachel’s late sister who suffered from spinal meningitis, was hands down the scariest part of the book and original film, so I was extra disappointed here. I’m fully aware that the character of Zelda is extremely problematic and portraying her as a monster is ableist as fuck. (Let’s be real, 99% of all Stephen King’s works are problematic but if we pull on that thread we’ll be here all day.) But the in the new film she is completely under utilized. Her appearances have been shrunk down to generic Conjuring-like jumpscares. Like most horror movies these days, the film relies on quick cuts, loud bangs, and obnoxious music cues to startle us instead of showing us anything particularly alarming. There is one prolonged sequence of incredible suspense, as Louis slowly walks through his basement in search of his daughters reanimated corpse, that filled me with so much dread that I was finally genuinely scared. Alas, *sad trombone*, it was undercut with a cheap jumpscare just like all the rest.

    On top of uninspired jumpscares, the filmmaking as a whole was ‘meh’ at best, especially the production design. The houses nearly hidden among the picturesque dense woods are definitely more visually interesting than the ones presented to us in ‘89. It also makes the danger of the nearby highway much more palpable, with the road being both closer to the house and more believably prone to accidents, with the thick foliage hindering the drivers’ ability to see. And the ‘pet sematary’ itself is serviceable enough, not much different from what we’ve seen before. But once we are taken beyond the dead fall to the cursed burial ground, the scope of the film shrinks drastically, making everything feel cramped and cheap like a paper mache Haunted house, even with cheap smoke machine effects to match.

    There are a lot of loose ends in the film as well, though it’s hard to tell if they were caused by the script or the editing. For instance, when Jud is explaining the burial ground to Louis, he mentions the wendigo that is suspected to be the source of the land’s power. But… that’s all he says about it. He doesn’t explain what a Wendigo is, what it does, or why it does it. If you’ve never read the book, or have never heard of a wendigo before, the word means nothing. Why bring up the Wendigo at all if you’re not even going to tie it into the lore properly. They could just have easily just said ‘cursed Indian burial ground’ (it in and of itself a tired trope, but still) and we would have just went with it. Another example is when undead Ellie is terrorizing Jud, she turns herself into Jud’s dead wife, and mentions that says something along the lines of “Your wife is “n hell for what you did to her before she died”. What? What the hell did he do? Why the fuck would you even put that out there with zero follow up?!

    Oh and let’s talk about Pascow. His role in the film is minimized so much, they might as well have left him out entirely. If I’m remembering correctly, late in the novel Pascow appears to Rachel urging her to come home. In the first film he appears to Rachel instead, who tells Rachel they need to come home. But in this film he appears to Gage. A toddler. Who can barely speak. Now as disturbing of a notion it is to have a very small child being haunted by such a gruesome image (and you all know how much I love disturbing shit), it’s also kind of pointless and dumb. If Pascow wanted to get Rachel to come home, why would he appear to Gage who, again, can’t talk, instead of just appearing to Rachel? One could argue that Gage’s crying and saying the name Pascow freaks Rachel out so much that it makes her want to go back, but you could just as easily say she left to get away from her memories of Zelda in her parents house, or the fact that Louis wouldn’t answer his goddamn phone

    We’re also missing out on some crucial motivations to explain Louis’ terrible decision making. No scene of Louis and the grandfather fighting at the funeral, no Louis being blamed for his child’s death, no knocking over of the casket. I might be biased since, for me, that sequence is one of the most upsetting moments of the 89 film. But on top of a missed opportunity to shock, it also takes away the debilitating guilt that motivates Louis to resurrect his child, despite knowing it won’t go well. The guilt is still vaguely implicit, but sometimes horror films need to explicitly illustrate cause and effect, if for no other reason than to keep the audience from screaming “Why the fuck would you do that!?” at the screen for 2 hours.

    Speaking of motivations, what are Ellie’s? What even is Ellie for that matter? The film can’t seem to make up its mind. Undead Ellie has Ellie’s memories, remembers how she died, and holds grudges against her parents for both her death and her resurrection. So there must be some part of the real Ellie in there, right? But when Rachel says “You’re not my daughter” undead Ellie agrees with her! So if it’s not really Ellie why does she keep trying to guilt and punish her parents? If she’s just an evil demon or spirit possessing Ellie’s corpse, you’d think it’d be glad that Louis was stupid enough to bury her up there. Free meat suit, hurray! The spirit clearly wants more bodies buried up there, seeing as it takes out the entire family just to bring them back like she was. Surely she just wanted to kill them all for funsies, right? Who the fuck knows. The screenwriter sure doesn’t appear to.

    Another super obnoxious thing about this film is it’s cheap fake-outs. It’s one thing to change iconic moments from the first adaptation, but constantly calling attention to it is another. Like the ominous close ups of Jud’s heel and him kicking the bed before Ellie gets him on the stairs. Yeah we get it. ‘The old movie had Gage under the bed, but watch out, we’re mixing stuff up in this one!’ Yup. Got it. Thanks for the reminder. Or the whole ‘Gage almost being hit by the truck’ fake out before Ellie is actually hit. This one is especially stupid since you already fucking showed us in the trailer that Gage isn’t going to die. Why even try to fake us out like that when we already know you’ve changed that too? You have successfully irritated and underwhelmed me, movie, no reason to draw more attention to it.

Here’s a quick list of some other petty little things that bugged me. These aren’t even necessarily the movie’s fault, some just come from the book itself.

If Rachel is so traumatized and adverse to talking about death, why the fuck did she marry an ER doctor?

You expect me to believe that Louis, pragmatic Louis who doesn’t even believe in an afterlife, would just follow Jud over the deadfall, through the woods, across a swamp and up a bunch of mysterious stone stairs, with zero explanation? No questions asked? I’d be asking “What the fuck are we doing?” about every couple of yards.

Why in god’s name would Rachel’s parents not only still live in the house where their daughter suffered and died, but also KEEP THE DUMB WAITER SHE DIED IN?

Why don’t movies ever address the fact that when you’re buried your eyes and lips are sewn or glued shut beforehand? And the scene where Louis is bathing Ellie and he sees the staples in her head and is all freaked out - wouldn’t she have huge fucking staples all across her chest and down her abdomen from the funeral home too??

    Despite my complaints, Pet Sematary isn’t completely devoid of entertainment value, not by a long shot. It’s not bad, it just could have been so so much better. Pet Sematary is riddled with missed opportunities,  and if you‘re an overly analytical jaded horror fan with a devotion to Stephen King like I am, they are much more obvious. I’m not mad, Pet Sematary, I’m just disappointed. To quote Tyra Banks, we were rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! You had so much potential, you just dropped the ball. Just like losing a loved one, there’s a mourning period that must be observed. Time to cope with the loss of what could have been. But rest assured, by the time you come out on blu-ray, I’ll be ready to try again.

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Pet Sematary

I believe that there is no other famous author out there who's literary works have been adapted to screen more than Stephen King. He truly is the best at terrifying the masses through his books and now with updated film adaptations. From the 80's on to the mid 2000's there have been nearly a countless number of adaptations to film, television and stage of his stories and many of them have become iconic and remain some of the pillars of the horror genre. Within the last 10 years we've begun to revisit his stories with updated technology and the abilities to get closer to the original source material. We've seen it work wonderfully and some haven't been that good. With this story, I felt the need to deviate from the source material was necessary for what the filmmakers wanted to accomplish, but I also felt that the film was not as great as it could've been. The iconic moments are still there and there are some truly terrifying and twisted moments that elevate the sinister tone.

Jason Clarke is one of the most charismatic character actors out there and I get excited when he is on screen. He always delivers a stellar performance and I thought he was great as Dr. Louis Creed. Amy Seimetz was great as his wife Rachel Creed and the moments when she is reflecting on her trauma with her sister Zelda were truly disturbing. John Lithgow was an excellent choice to portray Jud Crandell and I truly felt his guilt as he explained the terror behind the ancient burial ground. Jeté Laurence as the daughter Elle was truly a standout and when she comes back to life, she is truly twisted and horrifying. The evil in her eyes and voice was something truly sinister and evil.

The score by longtime horror composer Christopher Young delivers yet another chilling and haunting score that truly elevates the scares and dread. Visually the film is gorgeously grimmy and haunting. Overall, this was not the best adaptation of a Stephen King novel and not a bad remake, but it just felt a little empty and rushed at times. The film had some truly scary moments and it was an entertaining horror thriller, but when it comes to new adaptations and remakes, sometimes original is better.

[7anai]

answer these questions then tag 20 people you’d like to get to know better

tagged by @jojordan

nickname: jiji, ji-rah (pronounced the wrong way), mo jack.

height: 5’4

time: 1:51 am

favorite bands/artists: h.e.r, elijah blake, sango, 6lack, KWAYE, lil baby, future, THEY., brent faiyaz, etc. and more

song stuck in my head: i’m not ok - h.e.r

last film I saw: creed 2

last thing I googled: navy and air force

why I chose this user: i was originally @jvxix bc i been on tumblr for 5+ years and i wanted something new.

other blogs: nope

do I get asks: ehhh. i’m sometimes active

following: 200+ people

what am i wearing: tank top, and 3 sheets

dream job: i have multiple. i like baking and helping people mentally and just wanna be my own boss.

Dream Trip: Port Louis, Mauritius 🇲🇺

Favorite food: lemon pepper wings, bread, rice

Play any instruments: piano and guitar

Hair color: brown

Languages spoken: English & little spanish

describe yourself as aes things: dark alluring aurora (as light), gleam of energy, sparkles of love i guess🤷🏾‍♀️😭

most iconic song: my kind of love - emilé sandé

I’ll tag @zvoxo , @bitchyrising , @inickel , @sunflowerssanctuary , @louvrebliss , @leenfeels @sinjia @rockyygurl @t-aj95 @internetcumm @precam @36moons @ygaa @two9dex

[kuipernebula]

I’ve been thinking about that Captain Universe game idea

There was a whole string of comics where the Uni-Power’s primary motivation was figuring out what was wrong with it and fixing it - that feels like a real easy way to work in the upgrade system, as you try and regain its strength and lost memories.

Dunno who the villain is yet, mostly because Captain Universe doesn’t really have recurring villains. You could cast AIM as the villain to further base it on the previously-mentioned comics. Or you could have Mister E, that villain from the second Captain Universe comic, Marvel Spotlight #9. Baron Karza would tie it back to the Micronauts and the Enigma Force, if you wanna go that route. 

Regardless, the villains’ primary motivation is to capture and study, replicate, or weaponize the Uni-Power. Secondary villains could be one or more of these - if Mister E isn’t the primary villain, finding his shadow people and stopping him from making his spaceship would make a real neat side mission. 

Though you can choose your characters’ gender and appearance, to save on voice actors there will be only 2 voices - a masculine and a feminine one. I can maybe see 4 voices, but any more than that would be too much. These are not restriced to the gender of your character. (The selectable gender options are Male, Female, and Non-Binary, if only to keep the selection process streamlined.)

I’m not sure there’s any elegant way to let you choose to be trans at this stage in the process - what might work instead is to let it remain unstated either way in-game, but include top surgery scars as an option during the scar/tattoo placement stage of character creation? (There’s literally no reason to touch the bottom end during the game, so we just won’t go there.)

Other than that, we probably have to nail down an age and location for the purpose of doing some sort of writing. We could set it in New York to ease into the hero cameos, or put it in some other big city where it’s not impossible for at least some other heroes to show up in case of an emergency. (Chicago, St Louis, Seattle, and Los Angeles are good starting points) For age, the easiest would be late 20′s, living alone in a new city. You can probably make a choice for where you were from originally - in the city, a different city, or a small town - which changes some dialogue early on, like the backgrounds in Mass Effect.

Love Interests will be done more like Fallout, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, etc. where you just get the option to flirt with people sometimes. Maybe the beginning of the game lets you pick your orientation and uses that to open or close those options when available? There’s probably an elegant way to do that but I can’t think of it right this second. (Maybe the prologue has someone flirt with you as a way to open that up? Hm.)

For Body Types, I want one that’s like, unconventionally thin. Something where they aren’t like, Hollywood Thin where they’re lean but nice I guess. Like, Nerd Thin. And the feminine body type variant MUST keep the idea of “this isn’t Super Model thin - this is mousy and frail.” I also want to have the option of a conventional superhero physique for both, though the feminine variant is less Super Model and more Amazon. Because why not.

And you know me. You can be fat. For the sake of animations looking reasonably similar to the other body types, you’re probably not HUGE but, reasonably chunky. I dunno how else to describe it. Again, forcing realism from the feminine body type.

The thin and fat body types do have some different dialogue from some characters, remarking how they don’t look like a superhero.

There are also body hair sliders, to your preferences.

The default costume for the game is probably something like this - despite the many people who become Captain Universe, the white and Comic look is pretty iconic. But I think the completely enclosed face of most modern depictions of Captain universe will probably translate better than the classic open-mouth version. Other costumes might include a color-inverted costume, something more military - I’m thinking something like Flash’s Anti-Venom suit - and maybe something very casual looking that uses the color palette, among others. Personally I would also enjoy some costume that’s just unnecessarily sexy - running around shirtless for guys, at the very least. 

Powersets are a bit tricky. Given we’re leaning into the power fluctaution thing, I can go ahead and say you don’t start with flight but you might be able to get it later in the game. Arkham City, at least, was real good about giving you a few methods of movement and slowly opening up your options to something resembling flight. Spider Man also relies on its unique transportation method. 

For combat, I think this kind of game tends to ask you to fight hand-to-hand, which fits with how Captain Universe is usually portrayed. You have a combo tree system but the skill trees allow you to unlock a variety of energy-weapons, based on Ray Coffins’ time as Captain Universe. Similarly, you can also unlock a variety of ranged attacks, probably energy blasts OR telekinesis, depending on how we wanna flavor that. Either way, using abilities that aren’t hand-to-hand skills probably cost Uni-Power to activate.

Uni-Power has also shown the ability to sense danger, so just straight-up porting the counter system from Arkham and Spider Man is... really not a problem. Just go ham with that.

You do get a variant of Detective Vision with Uni-Vision, modified slightly from its original form. It does let you see through walls, identify hostiles and hazards, predict enemy movements, find weakpoints, etc. Like all other powers, it can be upgraded.

(I’m also considering throwing in something like the Memory-web thing from Prototype? Since that’s actually a way the Uni-Vision has worked in the comics, and could serve as a way of advancing plots and subplots? Depending on how its used.)

[filmstruck]

10 Fun Facts About Barbara Steele by Kimberly Lindbergs

Barbara Steele became a cult film icon thanks to her memorable roles in a number of low-budget horror movies, but her filmography also includes critically acclaimed art films and interesting British dramas. FilmStruck and Criterion Channel subscribers can currently stream four of Steele’s best movies and when viewed together they become a wonderful, rowdy and wild introduction to one of my favorite actresses and her small but impressive body of work.

I suggest kick-starting your viewing party with Basil Dearden’s neo-noir crime drama SAPPHIRE (’56), which includes Barbara Steele in one of earliest and briefest screen appearances playing a young college student whose friend has been brutally murdered. Follow that with Mario Bava’s Gothic horror classic BLACK SUNDAY (‘60) starring Steele in the dual role of Asa Vadja, a 200-year-old Moldavian Princess accused of practicing witchcraft and vampirism, and Katia, her much younger and gentle-hearted ancestor. The third film I recommend is Fellini’s autobiographical 8 ½ (’63) where you can see Steele dancing her way into cinema history and last but not least, finish with Volker Schlöndorff’s anti-fascist creed YOUNG TORLESS (’66). In the final film, Steele portrays a seductive prostitute who propositions students at a boy’s boarding school.

Her transgressive filmography isn’t for the timid or easily shocked, but adventurous audiences will find it especially rewarding. Unfortunately, Steele’s roles were often brief, ephemeral moments that haunt her fans, and you’re left wondering why she wasn’t given more screen time or additional opportunities to showcase her talents. 

To accompany Steele’s films, I thought I’d compile a list of fun facts about the actress to spark your interest and spur your imagination. 

Barbara Steele was born on December 29, 1938 and raised in the British seaport town of Birkenhead near Liverpool. Her parents encouraged her artistic pursuits and she studied dance, piano and acting at a young age but she was especially fond of the visual arts and longed to become a professional painter. A few other well-known Birkenhead residents include the Academy Award-winning actress Glenda Jackson (WOMEN IN LOVE [’69], THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN [’73], HOPSCOTCH [’80]) and Targon Egerton, the 28-year-old star of KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (’15) and KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (’18). 

Her interest in the visual arts and antiques drove Steele to study painting at the Chelsea College of Arts in London and in Paris at the Sorbonne. During this period, she was reportedly befriended and seduced by future film director Donald Cammell (PERFORMANCE [’70], DEMON SEED [’77], WHITE OF THE EYE [’87]). Steele has told interviewers that she “wanted to be Picasso” but fate had other plans for the aspiring artist. 

To make money while she was an art student, Steele sold copper jewelry and antique prints from a pushcart. During weekends, she could be found peddling her wares to passersby on London’s Portobello Road where she supposedly earned a reputation as a “shrewd dealer.” 

Steele was persuaded to become an actress after she was spotted by a director while painting sets for a stage production of Bell, Book and Candle in Glasgow, Scotland. The director was so taken by Steele’s otherworldly beauty that he encouraged her to audition for the role of Gillian the witch after the star of the play fell ill. The character of Gillian was made famous by Kim Novak who appeared in the film adaptation, but Steele would eventually become a star in her own right after playing another witch; the black-hearted Asa Vajda in Mario Bava’s Gothic horror classic BLACK SUNDAY.

After a brief career on stage and some modeling jobs, Barbara Steele was discovered by talent agents from Rank Organisation. They signed her on the spot but the British studio didn’t seem to know what to do with the budding actress so they sold her contract to 20th Century Fox. In Hollywood, Steele was put through a torturous star-making routine that involved dying her dark locks blond and pinning her ears. When it was over she was cast alongside Elvis Presley in FLAMING STAR (’60) but after some heated disagreements with costumers and director Don Siegel, Steele reportedly stormed off the set. Soon afterward the historic 1960 Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America strikes shut Hollywood down and during the interim Steele decided to return to Europe.

According to Steele, Mario Bava first spotted the actress in a photoshoot she did for a 1958 issue of Life and was struck by her saturnine beauty. Later, while pursuing a stack of acting resumes from the William Morris Agency, he decided to cast the saucer-eyed ingénue in BLACK SUNDAY, a role that made her a horror icon and earned her the nickname “Queen of all Screams.” .

Two of Barbara Steele’s most famous paramours were actors Anthony Quinn and Peter O’Toole. Steele’s affair with Quinn is rumored to have lasted for years and occurred while he was married to Katherine DeMille, the daughter of Cecil B. DeMille. Steele’s romantic fling with O’Toole was short-lived but passionate and roused the attention of the paparazzi who relentlessly pursued the couple in Italy. The situation reached a fever pitch in 1964 leading to a violent altercation between O’Toole and a photographer who had momentarily blinded Steele with his camera's flash. Steele and O’Toole were both subsequently arrested and questioned for hours by the Italian police but they were eventually let go. Afterward, the authorities attempted to press assault charges against O’Toole but he managed to avoid arrest with the assistance of his stunt double. 

During the span of her career Steele collaborated with many talented directors besides Mario Bava such as Basil Dearden, Roger Corman, Riccardo Freda, Antonio Margheriti, Michael Reeves, Volker Schlöndorff, Louis Malle, Jonathan Demme and David Cronenberg. Despite the impressive scope of her filmography, Steele regularly singles out her work with Federico Fellini in 8 ½ and talks about the Italian filmmaker in glowing terms. In a forward she wrote for the book Fellini: The Sixties, Steele described what it was like to work with the acclaimed director explaining that: “Everyone who worked with him felt they shared a private secret with him — that he and he alone could mirror their souls like a great, slightly ironic Buddha.” 

Steele’s only marriage has been to the screenwriter James Poe. The couple were together for nearly ten years between 1969-1978 and they had one child. Poe died in 1980 and today he’s best remembered as the man who wrote or co-wrote a number of Academy Award-nominated screenplays including AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (’56), CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (’58), LILIES OF THE FIELD (’63) and THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? (’70). 

The actress has often been a reluctant interviewee and is known to frequently tell tall tales, forget facts and spin entertaining yarns. She most likely does so in order to keep herself occupied while having to answer the same questions over and over again from dull-headed reporters or worshipful fans like yours truly. With that mind, any or all of these “fun facts” could be white lies so enjoy them but don’t assume they’re written in stone. Barbara Steele is an enchanter who weaves her own unique kind of magic and she has certainly cast a spell on this writer.