#the hallowed cage of nicholas cage

[jaebird88]

That brain-blast moment when the players are dressed as Nicholas Cage and their characters need to venture into the Hallowed Cage…

[full-of-mercy]

It wouldn't be the first time Nicholas murdered a man in his bed.

But how do you kill that which is not alive?

(How can he return to that not-life, that half-life, when he has seen, when he has been Perceived?)

The path to this point is a hazy scrabble-scratch, wild and wandering, something cold and irresistible in his blood and in his bones dragging him forward--something hard and sharp and ready to strike, to ring like steel.

But mired. Mired in something gelid.

Trigger finger swift. Not swift enough. (You can choose a different way, whispers the angel on his shoulder.) He strikes. He strikes something. The bark of the firearm echoes, echoes, ringing lost in the bellows hiss of vapor.

It's cold here. Cold in this place. Cold, cold. Conrad's blessings were always cold. Ice water in his veins. Cold metal, cold scalpels, liquid nitrogen cold blazing hallowed profanity on naked skin, the litany on his tongue. The heat of his breath curls like smoke from around bared teeth.

And Knives is there. Looming and towering even if they stand eye to eye, a presence like a smothering pall.

Terrible and beautiful. He's there, so like his twin, and yet uncannily not - more a figure carved of marble and diamond than a being of flesh and blood, demanding a different sort of love, a different sort of peace.

Knives is there, and the chains of conditioning command that Nicholas kneel. Prostrate. Bow. Avert his gaze, gouge out his eyes, because how dare. How dare he look on the immaculate--

(That isn't his voice. That isn't His voice either. Are there golden eyes looking on, seething with jealous fury, stayed only by proximity to this Angel of God?)

"...regular Annie Oakley," he rasps, finding his voice dragged guttural through the chill aching in his bones. He remains standing for now, somehow. Maybe thanks to the talisman holstered at the small of his back. An object recovered from a crater of glittering glass.

Maybe it is just Knives's whim. A few extra heartbeats. A few extra seconds for electrical flashfire and chemical to crash together between instinct and reason.

"Not like you to insult yourself."

You aren't a man, after all.

The psychic resonance is overwhelming. He can feel it in the hollows of his lungs, the gaps between his ribs, in his sinuses, between his ears. Finger off the trigger, he cannot seem to drop his gun arm and cannot wrench his eyes away. Transfixed.

Ensnared.

Trapped.

He never did well in cages despite how many months, years, he spent in them. He just learned to bide his time. Not that he has a choice in the matter here, now. If he is to survive.

"Did you keep me around for my charm? Here I thought I'm useful."

@full-of-mercy

He looks almost innocent as he rests, eyelids framed by long and pale lashes dotted with opalescent pearls of blue liquid, various tubes and pipes keeping the serum flowing in a constant stream around his body. The hum of machinery is punctuated by a metronome of vital signs, all recorded and monitored carefully by the good doctor Conrad and his circle. It all makes for a rather clinical tomb, no hewn and polished gems or statues handcrafted in gold, no mummified servants nor stacks upon stacks of double dollars to speak of.

There is the retreating form of a cat, a flash of wide green eyes and the curled tip of a tail disappearing behind a cloud of fog generated from the low temperature of the room- rising off of the surface of Knives' embalming fluid (of sorts). Even Wolfwood's breathing should be coming out in wispy trails of steam as he approaches, not even the metallic click of the human's revolver hammer cocking seems to disturb the angelic being in repose- His aura retains a haunting and terrific gloom, oppressive even as he sleeps.

However briefly the Punisher hesitates, it still remains a second too late. The bullet ricochets off coiled tendrils made up of curving blades, strikes a pipe that releases more steam into the room, obscuring the pool in which Millions Knives rests. He opens his eyes to nothing but humid white, a cheshire smile curling at the corners of his lips. His gate suit manifests around his body, the cloak he normally wears pooling around his waistline and draping around his lower body artfully. Like a saint immortalized in painstakingly carved marble mimicking flesh, his beauty is immaculate- Perfectly symmetrical, the golden standard of physical allure, dazzling in it's innate sensuality.

Yet there is a quality that feels off, that such perfection could exist as a living and breathing creature seems... wrong. Unearthly grace coupled with a predator's economy of movement, even with near floor-length tresses fanning out in loose waves down the broadness of both his chest and shoulders.

"Is that any way to greet your master, Nicholas? Has it been so long, you've forgotten basic politeness, or have you always lacked such social graces? I genuinely believe you to have been more charming than this, in the past..."

He presses in close, leaning to one side in an almost coquettish pose for someone being visibly threatened by a weapon. Knives' index finger trails along the barrel of the gun slowly, as though it's little more than a toy or a prop needed to complete Wolfwood's heartless Eye of Michael assassin act.

"Haven't you ever heard that 'you can't get a man with a gun'?'"

[100witches]

24- Miss Rose

24- Miss Rose (Diane Cilento). The Wicker Man (1973).

If you’re here for the 2006 Nicholas Cage remake of this movie, you can just leave right now.

The Wicker Man is a cult-classic cinematic masterpiece described as a British mystery horror film from 1973. The movie follows the story of a religiously devout detective who is called to the mystical island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance and possible ritual murder of a young girl. Unbeknownst to him, the islanders themselves manipulated him into coming to the island to partake in their own devoutly-held religious activities. Summerisle appears to be a final hold out of indigenous pagan practices, nature worship, and common local folklore that existed throughout the British Isles.

Over the course of the movie we see, better than any other interpretation I can think of, a relatively accurate illustration of a society with an integrated Pagan ethic. It is deeply engrained in the lives and minds of the population, from the schoolhouse to the once-hallowed church yard. Throughout the movie it is revealed that the island returned to these ancient practices only a few generations ago in an effort made by the past Lords of the island to help coerce the general population into continuing their agricultural sustenance—as in— the political power on the island used pagan motifs to keep the populace producing much needed exports that would keep the island alive.

There is a lot going on in this movie. We have Christopher Lee in ritual drag, raunchy sex going on in the cemetery, a lot of nudity, and a soundtrack that mirrors and incorporates religious beliefs and motifs through lyrics and verse. It really is unlike any other movie on this subject and, besides the unfortunate ending and overarching theme of human sacrifice, it does manage to convey some great insight into pagan philosophy and practices from the British Isles.***

For the sake of this project, I’ve chosen to highlight the character Miss Rose, played by Diane Cilento. Miss Rose first appears to us as the school teacher, instructing the young children of Summerisle in their magical correspondences and traditional May Day/Beltane lore. I’m sure the audience had mixed feelings when a classroom of young girls responded to Miss Rose’s question about what the May Pole represents with an unabashed “phallic symbol!” in unison, but I personally found it to be very progressive early sex education.

As the movie continues, it becomes clear that Miss Rose isn’t just a teacher for the young children. She’s also a kind of High Priestess of Summerisle (one of three) and further instructs young women in the art and tradition of a kind of pagan witchcraft. The rituals we see in the movie, particularly the fertility rite in which naked women are jumping over the fire to become imbued with divine energy, is highly reminiscent of some Alexandrian Wiccan rituals. Miss Rose, in many ways, reminds me of Maxine Sanders (#74) throughout this movie. It is said that the actress Diane Cilento herself jumped across the flames, allegedly identifying as a white witch at the time of filming. 

Miss Rose serves as a foil to the arrogant detective throughout the movie. Where he is cold and heartless, she is kind and giving. Where he is rude and offensive, she is informative and strong with conviction. He represents the modern Christian mentality, always looking to drive out the witch in the countryside. She is the witch in the countryside, but has no fear of weaker men (or wicker men, for that matter). Miss Rose illustrates the primary leadership role women naturally have in Paganism and witchcraft,  as both Summerisle’s lead educator and priestess.

Miss Rose is an adamant follower of her faith. She genuinely believes in its religious and ritual efficacy, and teaches the tradition to the next generation so as to continue its legacy. The version of Paganism that we see on Summerisle beautifully captures its seasonality, nature orientation, and the philosophy that human beings are creatures that fundamentally exist within nature, not above it. Through characters like Miss Rose, we see the full possibility of a society guided by nature-worship and magic. It truly is a beautiful thing, and the movie itself has become somewhat of a Pagan anthem/ occult-cult-classic. Apparently the movie is considered a horror, but I’ve always had a sense of perverse satisfaction from the story.

***Any mention of this movie when discussing actual Paganism or witchcraft would do itself a disservice if it didn’t address the Wicker Man/elephant in the room. The entire plot, and culminating scene, of the movie does involve human and animal sacrifice. The residents of Summerisle put the naive and arrogant detective, along with a hoard of livestock, into a human-shaped pyre called a Wicker Man. Historically, these were effigies allegedly built by the ancient Celts and Druids to be burned for religious sacrifice. There seems to be no consensus among historians as to whether or not the Druids and Celts actually performed human sacrifice, the belief being that the Romans and Greeks who made early contact with these cultures superimposed the outlandish rituals. The archeological record is inconclusive here, however, although more recently there does seem to be some evidence pointing to ritual sacrifice.

Modern pagans have largely re-embraced the wicker man for various holiday observances, of course without the human and animal sacrifice. Wicker men have been used as ritual effigies across Europe for centuries, and the practice continues to this day at events such as Burning Man. The possible historical past of Paganism and its association with human sacrifice is unforgivable, however it bares no hold on modern Pagan revivals. Contemporary groups have distanced themselves time and time again from ritual human and animal sacrifice, as the religious philosophy of most Pagan traditions celebrates all forms of life, promoting environmentalism, vegetarianism, and humanism.

[siiratriani]

Nonton

Saya sering nonton ulang film atau drakor yang pernah saya tonton, baik itu dari bioskop atau modal malak dari temen. Alasannya ada tiga. Pertama karena saya suka sama filmnya. Entah sudah berapa kali saya nonton Pride and Prejudice, Zootopia, Armageddon, Now You See Me 2, The Last Samurai, Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time, Divergent, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, atau yang Deathly Hallows Part 2, Inside Out, dan beberapa film yang lain. Saya tidak pernah bosan nontonnya.

Kedua karena saya tidak paham dengan cerita di film itu. Kali aja nonton kedua, ketiga kalinya saya jadi paham makna filmnya seperti apa. Baru-baru ini saya nonton ulang Arrival karena saya gak paham gimana jalan ceritanya. Sama kayak dulu film Knowing yang main om Nicholas Cage, saya sampe nonton beberapa kali supaya paham. Bahkan saya nekad nonton ulang Insidious karena gak paham setannya maunya apa. Saya mencoba nonton ulang Inception, tapi menyerah, saya tetep gak paham, ahaha.

Ketiga adalah karena saya tidak punya pilihan lain. Saya menonton ulang untuk mengusir sepi ketika sedang setrika baju. Biasanya korbannya adalah drakor yang ceritanya gak terlalu menye-menye atau lagi pengen liat oppa-oppa ganteng, ahaha. Kadang saya memilih film kartun yang durasinya tidak terlalu panjang, misal Penguin of Madagascar, Toy Story atau How To Train Your Dragon.

Jadi, serunya nonton ulang film itu adalah ketika saya bisa melihat hal yang baru saya temui, yang nonton sebelumnya belum saya lihat.

Semarang, 25 Maret 2017 ; 23:26