#90's Bruce has to suffer though

[bess3714]

You can say you're having fun, Bruce. The world won't come to a screeching halt, I promise

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Some things I'm learning while planning my Gotham rewrite:

- Butterfly effects are very complicated. Rewrites always suffer with the ultimate question of what is a imutable plotiline especially in later seasons because as things deviate for canon more other things HAVE TO as well.

- Gotham vaguelly mentions mental dissorders all the time but I doubt the writes even read the DSM-V (that is the br acronom for the official diagnosys book used by specialists in most countries, it is a bit outdated, a new edition will soon take it's place, but still used) ONCE just as the basic of basic guidelines and it's SOOO hard to know who should have what and even harder to adapt it too a not steriotypical and somewhat ableist form ESPECIALLY ED'S DID. To the point where it would be easy to just pull DC Dark label themes and say Riddler is a demon and not an alter. Or the Cooblepot curse that Elijah mentions (cleary some form of bipolar disorder) and them the show NEVER acknowledges again. Or Gordon's convenient PTSD and suicidal idealization that only exist when the plot needs. Or whatever the fuck Barbara has. Honeslty this show.

- My hyperfixation on the batkids makes me want to put them in there and it makes NO SENSE. Help.

- English grammar is a fucking mess. I always though that specially as a non-native speaker but Jesus Christ how do you guys even live? The absolute lack of vowels where definitivally should be vowels annoys me the most and the sentence making... oh god. But the worst part is verbal time because for whatever the reason the way that time influenciate your verbs and sentences is way to different as how it does in portuguese and the lack of equivalency drives me mad.

- Writing Thomas and Martha actually having some screentime and developing Thomas as less the perfect martyr and more the flawed man looking for atonemed and Martha less the poor victim and more as an active participant on the things happening around her is extremely cathartic. Also writing a Gordon and Thomas brotop is fun.

- Comics ages never made sence and in Gotham makes even less but at least that means getting meta and exploring MAGIC DC my favorite DC. Dark Label rocks. Besides Gotham does plays well with the atemporal feeling, we cannot place it well at all. It's just somewhere between 40's and 90's and that actually hepls me a lot.

- I cannot live without acknowledging Bruce and Oliver childhood friendship. Sorry, not sorry. I can also not avoid being mean to the Luthors.

- By actually writing Gotham in a universe that aknowledge other DC properties but still feels like the weirdest most unique and violent city in the wolrd should be hard but it's just edgy and fun as hell.

- I may have illigaly dowloaded Gotham Academy because I want to use some aspects of the run but haven't had the chance to read it yet.

- I may be planning on illigaly acquiring other comic runs that talk about Gotham being cursed and I also may be planning on using this project as an excuse to change my reading of the Court of Owls saga to illigal dowload to spending money and waiting for the delivery. You know like a person who has money for comics usually does. Specially one who doesn't waste the few times they have the money in Silver Age comics like I do.

- I have issues. I knew that. But still I feel like I know that even more. Yeah.

- I also am too happy planing the Pengy parts to actually do the other ones (I did very few about Harvey (both Bullock and Dent); the GCPD, except Jim, in general; Fish non S1 plots, and I love Fish; Barbara and others but mainly they) except baby Bruce being babey.

- My hate for the Joker is a serious problem while writing the Valeskas because I end up being to harsh on them or making them OOC awfull.

- Gotham's Riddler is my least favorite Riddler. Don't get me wrong I love all Riddlers and Gotham's is not an exception BUT there are moments when he just acts like the not-all-man, nice boy, fedora dude who will acidentaly end-up in a rigth wing forun and became radicalized if no one helps him first. And like he also has his cute or douchbag but in a Batman villan way or charming and endearing or just pure comic Riddler please look at me moments and he is the little shit all Riddlers are. But goddamit he has this misoginist moments that just irk me soo much, more than most other misogisnistic Gotham moments and how does the show deals with them? By being ableist. And them by pretend it isn't a misoginistc show. God I hate this show sometimes.

- That being said. There is one extermely positive thing about Gotham Riddle Man: his speech pattern. I love it. To his absolute refusal to curse (this man genuinally cannot say fuck), to the riddiculous okie dokie, oh dear, chop chop, holey moley and amusing variants. It's just soo Riddler of him. It makes me want to write Ed in all scenes possible just so I can use his creative dialogue. I swear I smile so much every time Ed says something like that in the show. As someone who has read an unhealthy number of Silver Age comics it just reminds so much of silver age Dick and a bit of silver age Olsen and I love it. His riddles are also great. It givs me joy trying to solve them. It also gives me masisve headaches because I'm not good making riddles specially not in english but it's a fun challenge.

- I want to punch James Gordon. Gotham's one that is. Though I woudn't mind punching most versions of Gordon (I do like the characther a lot, outside of Gotham's one it is, but the copaganda is present so u know)

- Oswald is my favorite Gotham characther. Okah, that is not a thing I didn't know before. It's just that I was talking to my cousin about my whole rewatching Gotham then making a rewrite of the show and I discovered that when I was a dumb 12yo watching it out of order I told her that Oswald was my favorite and the whole reason I watched the show and that he was the best. And I just needed to congratulate dumb 12 years old me.

- Gotham ended in 2019. I actually never finished it, I just grow up and forgot about it to the point I though I had watched the whole show when actually I stoped somewhere in season 3. Probably when Isabellah died as I realized the show wasn't going to explain her but it could be in any point of season 3 honestly. My memory just sucks enought that I will never know. Witch means that I'm in a point on my rewatch where it hasn't been a rewatch in a while is just a watch.

- The show would benefit of NOT getting inspiration from the Animated Series. It hurts my soul to say that because the Animated Series is so freaking good (with the exception of BruceBabs and the implication Harley got her job by sleeping with teachers and bosses) but most times when Gotham tries to do an animated series reference just falls flat. They would thrive in originallity but they are always so afraid of deviate from the Batman lore and it's sad.

- Rene Montoya deserved so much better it phisically hurts. Most of the woman in this show did. But I don't think annyone suffered as mucn as Rene. She appeated in few episodes, failed at her job, had an interesting connection with Barbara mentioned and after dissapeared to never come back ever. It was depressing.

[rptv-starwars]

2016 Article: “Iconic Star Wars Actress Carrie Fisher Dies at 60: 'She Was Loved by the World and She Will Be Missed Profoundly'“

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PEOPLE MAGAZINE

By Lindsay Kimble  •  @lekimble

Posted on December 27, 2016 at 12:44pm EST

https://people.com/movies/carrie-fisher-dies/

[this article was updated after it was published, including adding another contributor]

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Carrie Fisher, the actress best known as Star Wars‘ Princess Leia Organa, has died after suffering a heart attack. She was 60.

Family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement to PEOPLE on behalf of Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd:

“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning,” reads the statement.

“She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” says Lourd, 24. “Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”

Fisher was flying from London to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 23, when she went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was treated for a heart attack. She later died in the hospital.

The daughter of renowned entertainers Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Fisher was brought up in the sometimes tumultuous world of film, theater and television.

Escaping Hollywood in 1973, the star enrolled in the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where she spent over a year studying acting.

Getty Images

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Courtesy Debbie Reynolds

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Just two years later, though, the bright lights of Hollywood drew her back, and Fisher made her film debut in the Warren Beatty-led Shampoo.

Her role in Star Wars would follow in 1977 – and she detailed the experience, including her on-set affair with costar Harrison Ford, in her latest memoir, The Princess Diarist. She was only 19 when the first installment of the beloved sci-fi franchise was filmed.

Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/REX/Shutterstock

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In addition to the second and third Star Wars films – and last year’s The Force Awakens – Fisher starred in 1980’s The Blues Brothers, The Man with One Red Shoe, Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986 and, later, When Harry Met Sally.

Steve Larson/The Denver Post via Getty

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Fisher wed musician Paul Simon in 1983. It was an explosive marriage, according to Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon author Peter Ames Carlin, and was cut short by swinging stages of depression, the actress’s drug use and an array of personal insecurities. The relationship continued, though, on-and-off for several years after the pair divorced in 1984.

Paul Simon and Carrie Fisher (Credit: Ron Galella/WireImage)

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Fisher was candid about her substance abuse issues over the decades, starting at only age 13 when she began smoking marijuana. She said she later dabbled in drugs like cocaine and LSD. Fisher explored her own issues with addiction in her 1987 bestselling, semi-autobiographical novel, Postcards from the Edge, which was later turned into a movie starring Meryl Streep.

“I never could take alcohol. I always said I was allergic to alcohol, and that’s actually a definition to alcoholism — an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind,” Fisher told the Herald-Tribune in 2013. “So I didn’t do other kinds of drugs until I was about 20. Then, by the time I was 21 it was LSD. I didn’t love cocaine, but I wanted to feel any way other than the way I did, so I’d do anything.”

In 1985, Fisher was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and she subsequently became an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness.

Throughout much of the ’90s, Fisher focused on her writing career, publishing Surrender the Pink and Delusions of Grandma. In addition, Fisher helped craft the scripts for numerous Hollywood films, going uncredited, for films like The Wedding Singer, Hook and Sister Act.

Billie Lourd, Fisher’s only child, was born in July 1992. The Scream Queens star’s father, talent agent Bryan Lourd, dated Fisher for three years and is now married to Bruce Bozzi.

Getty

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In 2005, Fisher was recognized with the Women of Vision Award by the Women in Film & Video – DC. Three years later, Fisher’s Wishful Drinking autobiography was turned into a one-woman stage show and eventually an HBO documentary.

Of returning to the role that launched her career – Leia – for The Force Awakens, Fisher told PEOPLE in 2015, “I knew that something enormous was likely going to impact my life from this film and that there was absolutely no way of understanding what that was or was likely to be.”

The film – which brought Fisher back into the spotlight – earned  her a nomination for the 2016 Saturn Award for best supporting actress. She had already filmed scenes for the next Star Wars installment, Episode VIII, due out in December 2017.

Just last month, Fisher also revealed her surprising on-set affair with Star Wars costar Harrison Ford in The Princess Diarist, telling PEOPLE of the three-month fling during the making of the 1977 movie, “It was so intense.” The memoir, which drew from Fisher’s old diaries and notebooks, brought up mixed feelings for the actress.

“I had forgotten that I’d written them, and I’ve never written diaries sort of like that,” she said. “I write when I’m upset … it was about two or three months of upset.”

Fisher added, “It was sad because I was so insecure, and it’s very raw and obviously I didn’t expect anyone — including myself, I suppose later on — to read it.”

She is survived by her mom Reynolds, daughter Lourd and beloved French bulldog, Gary.

[chris-evans-indian-fanfic]

Worthy

One-Shot

Description: What happens when Steve goes to collect the Soul Stone instead of Natasha and Clint?

Warning: Curse words, spoilers for Avengers Endgame

This is for the awesome, caring and super-talented @jtargaryen18 's writing challenge. She eased my mind about the plot. Thank you 😘 Click here to know the rules and participate!

Main Masterlist

I don’t consent to have any of my work published or featured on any third party app, website or translated. If you are seeing this fanfiction anywhere but tumblr, it has been reposted without my permission. In that case, please do share the link and let me know.

...

Who was he? Steve Rogers? Or Captain America? Are they both different people? Or are they two sides of the same coin?

Steve wondered as he gazed down the cliff at Vormir, home to the Soul Stone.

When he had first arrived alone on the barren planet, he had been shocked and angry to see Red Skull guarding the infinity stone. To think that he went under the ice all those years ago stood for nothing. To have lost his life, his partner, his best friend and for what? Hydra was still active, the world was still suffering from war and now Red Skull was still alive, floating in space.

But as he understood Red Skull's predicament, Steve realised that while he himself was a man out of time, Red Skull was stuck here in his miserable existence till the end of time, out of place, out of touch. That brought him some satisfaction.

He was glad they had decided to send Natasha and Clint with Tony, Bruce and Scott to 2012. There was just too much ground to cover with 3 infinity stones in the same city. It made sense to have more eyes on the ground.

There was no way Steve would sacrifice anybody from his team for the stone. They had lost too many lives already. And if they were successful, then they would need all hands on deck to manage the chaos that would follow once everybody was brought back. 

Steve sat on a rock and pulled out his compass. He sighed as he saw Peggy, "What do you think Peg?" he murmured, lightly running his thumb over the photograph. 

After a few minutes, he clicked a button on the rim and the compass flipped open, revealing the hidden compartment beneath. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from within. It was as old and worn-out as Peggy's photograph. He closed the compass and looked at the other image. A black and white Bucky laughed back at him while at his side, a thin, scrawny Steve was looking scornfully at the camera, his face bruised. Steve chuckled as he remembered the day this photograph was taken. He had gotten into another one of his infamous back-alley fights. Some drunken idiot had punched Bucky because he had been flaunting his Sergeant's uniform at the bar amongst the ladies. While Bucky could have easily mopped the floor with the guy, Steve had decided to step in and push the drunken idiot. Then, as it always happened, Steve was dragged into the back-alley to be turned into a punching bag, with Bucky finally saving his skinny ass.

This photograph was taken later that night, with Bucky laughing at the whole incident.

The cold Vormir wind brought Steve back to the present. Ever since he could remember, he wanted to do the right thing, save the innocent people and just help those who needed it the most. 

While the asthmatic 90-pound Steve Rogers couldn't do that, the 240-pound Captain America was able to do that and much more.

That's why he loved being Captain America. He could finally do what he had always wanted to do. It didn't matter whether the Government labelled him as a criminal or whether the press questioned his every move. He was able to help people, change lives for the better and protect the little guy. Isn't that what mattered?

He opened the compass again. Looking at both the photographs, he whispered, "Thank you."

He picked up his shield and faced the cliff.

"What are you doing?" asked Red Skull, as if guessing his next move, "How do you know this will work? You are Captain America," he declared. 

Steve looked at him, his mouth turned into a smirk, "How would I know? I am just a kid from Brooklyn," and with that, Captain America jumped into the abyss below.

…

Steve's entire body was shivering with cold as he lay in the water. With his teeth clattering, he barely managed to sit upright. He started breathing rapidly as he took in his surroundings. He was still on Vormir. As he tried to get up, he realised two things. One, he was completely naked except for his time travel bracelet and vibranium shield, and two, he was holding something in his right hand. He opened his palm to look at the yellow Soul Stone. Almost laughing in relief, Steve looked down at himself. He saw he had the same scrawny body as the Steve in the old photograph. Shivering further with cold, he pressed a few buttons on his bracelet.

…

One by one as the Avengers returned to the compound, they looked around excitedly at their peers, relieved to find them safe. Steve was the last one to return. His knees buckled as soon as he landed. Hiding his naked bony body behind the shield, he threw up on the floor, his body not able to handle the stress of the quantum time-travel.

"Oh my God who is that?!" Scott exclaimed as Tony, Natasha and Clint stepped tentatively towards Steve. As his body convulsed with pain, he held up the stone towards them. The second Nat took the stone, Steve collapsed.

…

Steve woke up two days later on a hospital bed. 

"We are trying our best to keep your bodily functions from collapsing onto themselves. You should be thankful that we have medicines to treat most of your ailments. What were you thinking?" Tony spat with frustration.

Steve saw large swollen bags under Tony's red eyes. Steve was willing to bet that Tony hadn't slept ever since his return. He smiled, "It had to be done Tony," said Steve, his voice flat, having lost its 'Captain America depthness'.

"What happened on Vormir?" asked Natasha gently. Steve tried to sit, "The stone demanded a sacrifice. A soul for the soul stone. So I sacrificed him."

"Yeah and left us without a leader. What are we supposed to do now? You are meant to rally the troops. You are meant to lead. How do you think you will do that if you need an asthma inhaler every time you try to take a walk around the compound?" Tony voiced his concerns. "Tony, calm down. Shhh now," Thor said from his chair. 

"You look like you need a sandwich," Rocket commented, seated besides Thor.

"Your vitals look good Cap... ahem I-I mean Steve," Bruce flustered while checking Steve's reports.

"Captain America was never about one person. It is about what the title stands for; Bravery to face any challenge, Courage to stand up against the greatest powers for the right reason and Having a clear sense of duty, of what's right and wrong. Captain America can be anyone," Steve said, pointedly staring at Natasha. 

He turned to look at the shield placed by his bedside table. Carefully, he picked it up with a bit of struggle and held it out for her.

"I can't think of a better person to lead us," Steve said decidedly. Wide-eyed, Natasha looked at him with bewilderment. "No Steve. I am a spy. I am not a soldier. I cannot be trusted with…"

"You are not a spy. Not anymore. You have been leading the Avengers not just on earth, but across the galaxy, especially when most of us had given up. You are right though. You are not a soldier. You are a leader, Captain."

Natasha looked at Steve, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice almost breaking "I have too much red on my ledger Steve."

"You wiped that ledger when you joined the Avengers Nat. You deserve this," Clint supported her.

As Natasha took the shield and tried it on, Tony asked her, "We will have to render your suit. Do you want black with Red, White and Blue?" Natasha nodded. As Tony left, Natasha mouthed the words, "Thank you," towards Steve as he brushed it off.

"Have we brought everybody back yet?" Steve asked. 

"No. We are just finishing the gauntlet. It should be ready by tomorrow," Banner said.

Clint looked at Natasha proudly. "We have a female Captain America now."

"No," Steve said. He grinned at Natasha, "We have a Captain America now."

…

2014 Nebula kept her attention at Antman near the Quantum Time Machine. In the last two days there had been a lot of activity in the compound thanks to Steve's return. It would have served as a good distraction, but unfortunately, there were people working around the time machine. She was itching to bring her father and his army to this future. However, for that, she would need to have patience. A lot of patience. They were planning to undo the snap tomorrow, that's when she planned to strike. She cannot afford to fail her father. She must not.

…

"All the best guys," said Steve as he sat in the car, ready to leave the compound. There was going to be a tremendous blast of gamma radiation from the snap. Steve understood that he might not survive the blast and instead, had offered to bring falafels from the nearby restaurant for lunch.

He reached the modest Middle Eastern eatery. Only two tables were occupied when he placed his large order to go. The server looked at him in suspicion. He doubted whether Steve would be able to carry all the packages by himself. Still, he shrugged, large orders such as these were a boon in the post-snap world. 

After 5 minutes, the restaurant shook with a wave of energy blast. Steve fell down from his chair with the impact. As he got up, brushing himself off, he saw black dust materialising in front of him. He looked on as the dust came together to form a person, a man. Steve noticed this happening all around the restaurant. Within a span of a few minutes, the entire restaurant was filled to capacity, with more people appearing on the sidewalk. 

He heard terrified screams of people around him. Then guns were fired into the air. Steve turned, trying to determine the source of the violence, when he felt the ground shake.

"EARTHQUAKE!" someone screamed and they all tried to take cover, mostly bumping into one another. There was a loud deafening sound of a missile exploding, then another 4-5 such sounds in rapid succession as the ground shook relentlessly with the impact of the missiles. 

Shit, Steve thought. Who would be attacking them now?

A few moments later, when everything went quiet, Steve stepped out of the restaurant and looked in the direction of the Avengers Compound. He could see dark smoke rising into the sky, with a huge spaceship eclipsing the sun. Thanos.

Without a second thought, Steve entered the car. "F.R.I.D.A.Y," he commanded, "Take me to the compound right now." "There has been an attack Mr Rogers, I am not sure if…" the AI tried to reason with him, but Steve interrupted, "Now!" "Yes Mr Rogers," she said in resignation.

…

He reached as close to the compound as the car could take him. The debris of the buildings and the gaping holes in the ground preventing the car from going any further. Steve stepped down, and started making his way to the centre of the ground.

As he used his asthma inhaler, he realised Tony was right. If he couldn't even walk this much without needing his inhaler, how can he help them? 

When Steve reached the centre, his heart broke at the scene before him. Tony was lying on the ground having sustained multiple injuries. Natasha was trying to get up, her arms and legs badly cut. Thor was fighting with Thanos, but it seemed that was a losing battle as well. Steve couldn't just give up. He never had.

Looking around him at the ground, he saw a big piece of concrete. Lifting it, he tried to throw out with all his strength, but the concrete didn't even fall within 10 yards of Thanos. His eyes then went to Thor's Mjolnir on the ground. He still had to try right? 

He rushed towards the hammer and pulled on its handle, Mjolnir feeling surprisingly light in his hands. He aimed and swung for the ugly purple head. With Mjolnir hitting the mark, the hammer dutifully came back to Steve. 

"I KNEW IT!" exclaimed Thor, his reaction earning him a kick from Thanos.

Thanos's surprise was short-lived. He charged towards the little guy. Steve threw the hammer again but Thanos easily deflected it with his double-edged sword.

Before he could reach Steve, Natasha attacked Thanos, diverting his attention. "F.R.I.D.A.Y," she screamed, "get Steve a sandwich."

This isn't the time for a joke, Steve thought as he summoned the hammer and threw it at Thanos again.

Thanos threw Natasha to the ground and headed for Steve. A back-handed smack sent Steve flying in the air. He wouldn't have survived the fall, if it hadn't been for the S.A.N.D.W.H.I.C.H.H- an iron-man suit in the darkest shade of blue. The suit wrapped itself around Steve as it broke his fall. "Welcome Mr Rogers," greeted F.R.I.D.A.Y, "Do you like your new suit? It stands for

S - Steve

A - Always

N - Needs

D - Dangerous

W - Weapons

I - In-order-to

C - Cover

H - His

H - Homies"

Steve was still panting from the impact of the smack as he lay on the ground in the suit. "Not one of Tony's best acronyms," he managed to say between breaths. "Yeah," agreed the AI, "but he only put this together last night."

Steve struggled to get up again. He heard Thanos mumble something, but he couldn't care less. He stumbled in the new suit, barely being able to walk towards the giant alien, but still, willing to fight till his last breath. Just then, the microphone in his suit crackled a bit, "C-Cap, you ther--re?" He heard Sam's voice…

…

Steve couldn't believe it. The entire universe had come to fight with Thanos. He looked at humans and aliens alike, pissed off and ready to face the biggest threat to the universe. He managed to make it to the front of the line besides Thor, summoning the Mjolnir.

Natasha smiled at the army behind her, then turned to look at Thanos with a deadly stare.

She raised her shield as she called out to the warriors, her voice bellowing on the battlefield, "AVENGERS, ASSEMBLE!" 

[aion-rsa]

5 underrated Richard Donner movies you need to see

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Richard Donner will forever be remembered as the filmmaker who created the blueprint for the modern superhero blockbuster with 1978’s Superman starring Christopher Reeve.

Yet that doesn’t tell even half the story of the Bronx-born filmmaker’s brilliant filmography.

Donner was in his late 40s by the time Superman came along, having made a name for himself in Hollywood two years earlier, with 1976’s suitably terrifying The Omen.

Prior to that, he was a budding director making the transition from the small screen to the world of cinema. Donner worked on everything from Gilligan’s Island to The Twilight Zone. Even then, it was clear he was destined for bigger things though, as anyone who saw  “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”, the iconic episode of The Twilight Zone he directed, starring William Shatner, can attest.

While a disagreement with producers ultimately saw him walk away from Superman II, the 1980s saw Donner establish himself as an incredibly versatile big budget director capable of handling everything from the epic family adventure fun of The Goonies to the balancing act of action and comedy found within the buddy cop antics of Lethal Weapon.

It was a skillset that drew admiration from the very best in the movie industry, including Steven Spielberg who was among the first to pay tribute to Donner after learning he had passed away, aged 91.

“Dick had such a powerful command of his movies, and was so gifted across so many genres,” Spielberg, who worked with Donner on The Goonies, said.

“Being in his circle was akin to hanging out with your favourite coach, smartest professor, fiercest motivator, most endearing friend, staunchest ally, and – of course – the greatest Goonie of all.”

Donner may not have had the same impact in the 1990s and early 2000s but he still enjoyed major success with the Lethal Weapon franchise and as a producer with movies like Free Willy and X-Men.

More importantly, the other films he made during that period and in the years between some of his biggest hits remain well worth revisiting or seeking out for the first time – starting with these five.

Ladyhawke

Coming hot on the heels of The Goonies and two years prior to Lethal Weapon, Ladyhawke represented another major departure for Donner. A dark medieval fantasy, it centred on Rutger Hauer’s mysterious Captain Etienne Navarre and his female companion Lady Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer), a pair of star-crossed lovers on the run from a vengeful bishop who has placed a demonic curse on their heads. While Navarre transforms into a wolf by night, Isabeau exists as a Hawk by day. Teaming up with petty thief Philippe Gaston (Matthew Broderick) they embark on a quest to overthrow the evil bishop and break the spell.

Something of a passion project, Donner had attempted to get Ladyhawke off the ground several times before finally getting the green light from Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox in the mid ’80s. The film then suffered another setback when Kurt Russell, originally cast as Navarre, dropped out during rehearsals. 

That ultimately proved a blessing in disguise with Hauer going on to deliver arguably his best performance since Blade Runner. Not everything about Ladyhawke works – Broderick’s character feels a little too close to Ferris Bueller while the runtime could be trimmed down – but it remains a beautifully realised fantasy epic, full of memorable action set pieces, stunning cinematography and a spellbinding turn from Pfeiffer.

A box office bomb upon release, Ladyhawke has stood the test of time too, garnering a cult following as an authentic and fresh take on the sword and sorcery formula. 

Maverick

Maverick is the film Will Smith must have hoped Wild Wild West would be; a funny, clever action comedy based on a classic TV show. Coming in an era when most westerns were deadly serious, Donner’s film also felt like a breath of fresh air and benefited hugely from a masterful William Goldman script that was both witty and unpredictable.

The latest in a series of films featuring Donner’s muse-of-sorts, Mel Gibson, this time out Mel plays Bret Maverick, a brilliant card player and equally impressive con artist trying to collect enough money to earn a seat at a high-stakes poker game. Along the way he is forced to contend with a fellow scammer in the form of Jodie Foster’s Annabelle Bransford as well as lawman Marshal Zane Cooper, played by James Garner, who starred in the original TV series.

While the glut of cameos from country music stars and the likes of Danny Glover can be a little distracting, there’s something wonderfully charming about Maverick with Gibson, Foster and Garner all on top form and boasting an undeniable chemistry that helps keep things entertaining. 

The climactic poker game which sees Maverick face off against Alfred Molina’s psychopathic Angel is also expertly handled by Donner, who cranks up the tension as Maverick reveals his final, decisive, hand with a slow-motion toss of the final card towards the camera. A critical and financial success, Maverick has been largely lost in the shuffle since its release but should be sought out.

Conspiracy Theory

There’s something strangely prescient about Conspiracy Theory given the current predilection for such thinking on the internet at large. One of Donner’s most inventive and intelligent outings alongside Gibson, this time out Mel plays Jerry Fletcher, a New York City cab driver with a penchant for paranoid conspiracy theories.

Jerry’s life takes a turn for the strange when he finds himself being targeted by a set of shady government goons led by Patrick Stewart’s Dr Jonas. He quickly realises one of the conspiracies he has been promoting in his weekly newsletter (this was the ‘90s) is based more in reality than he thought. The question is: which one?

An engrossing thriller featuring Donner’s trademark dashes of witty humour, Conspiracy Theory is bolstered significantly by the presence of the ever-reliable Julia Roberts as a government lawyer with a soft spot for Jerry. Despite a lengthy run time, Donner also keeps the action moving along at an engaging pace while Gibson’s performance is just the right side of manic to keep you rooting for him.

A first foray into the kind of deep state conspiracy thrillers that were commonplace in Hollywood at the time, the film also boasts some genuinely striking moments, not least the sequence where Jerry undergoes “psychotic testing” at the hands of Dr Jonas, which wouldn’t have looked out of place in A Clockwork Orange.

Though it was a hit with audiences, Conspiracy Theory earned mixed reviews but appears increasingly worthy of reappraisal.

Timeline

Some movies are big, dumb but lots of fun. Timeline sits firmly in that category despite what many naysayers would have you believe. It’s a brash, simplistic sci-fi flick to rival the likes of The Core and Geostorm and thoroughly entertaining to boot.

The fact that it features Gerard Butler, as well as the late, great, Paul Walker only adds to that sentiment.

Walker plays Chris Johnston who, along with Butler’s Andre Marek and a team of fellow archaeologists travel back in time through a wormhole to 14th century France to rescue their professor, Dr Edward Johnston (Billy Connolly), who just happens to be Walker’s character’s dad too.

Based on a book by Michael Crichton, Donner had been in the running to direct Jurassic Park a decade earlier and jumped at the chance to adapt Timeline for the big screen. While filming went off without a hitch, Donner repeatedly clashed with Paramount Pictures in post-production and was forced to re-cut the film three times in a development that saw the release date pushed by nearly a year. The resulting edit did not sit well with Crichton either, who disliked it so intensely he stopped licensing his work for a few years after.

Whether Donner’s original cut would have earned better reviews or Crichton’s approval remains to be seen but what remains of Timeline is still a well shot, enjoyable sci-fi yarn with some neat medieval action flourishes. 

16 Blocks

Donner’s final film also ranks among his most unappreciated. On the surface, 16 Blocks sounds like the perfect fodder for a game of buddy cop movie bingo.

It stars Bruce Willis as Jack Mosley, a worn-out NYPD Detective with a drinking problem tasked with transporting Mos Def’s trial witness Eddie Bunker to court. Problems arise when some of Jack’s fellow officers arrive to kill Eddie and prevent him from testifying. Eager for redemption, Jack decides to take the would-be assassins on and get Eddie to court on time.

A formulaic enough premise, 16 Blocks is emboldened by the fact it plays out in real-time with Eddie required at the courthouse by no later than 10am. In this sense, Donner found himself in new territory with an action thriller that thrives on a unique sense of urgency. 

While the filmmaker is no stranger to the action formula, this setup sees him imbue events with a renewed sense of chaos, as Jack and Eddie fight their way through armed adversaries, busy crowds and bustling traffic, all against a cacophony of shouts, car horns and gun blasts.

Ostensibly a chase movie on foot rather than four wheels, the action traverses 16 blocks in 118 minutes and rarely lets up for a second with Donner proving a dab hand at balancing the action with the engaging back-and-forth between Willis and Def who are both understated yet effective throughout.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Throw in the ever-watchable David Morse as the leader of the shady cops baying for Eddie’s blood and you have arguably one of the most underrated action thrillers of the early 2000s 

The post 5 underrated Richard Donner movies you need to see appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3AA61tK

[bigtimetired]

Softly, Softly

a one-shot in a wider (v unfinished i’m suffering help) au- nearly complete age-swap, set in the 90s for some godforsaken reason, this fic set not too long after damian moves in w bruce- i think that’s all that matters? just under 4k, mostly under the cut- anyway:

12th November 1990

Winter in Gotham is never easy.

It’s generally agreed that the going gets tough from the end of November to the start of February, and things are- not easy, never easy, but more doable- up until that point.

It’s early-ish November- the air is getting chilly, there’s frost on the ground in the mornings. It’s starting to get cold and sharp out, though at this point a person could get away with a regular jacket during the day.

It’s the easiest part of a Gotham winter.

Of course, Dick’s little brother doesn’t seem to have gotten this particular memo.

In retrospect, Dick blames himself for not noticing sooner and nipping it in the bud. The signs had been there for god knows how long; the quiet sniffles, late night rasps, sluggish reactions.

But anyway, the point is that Dick didn’t realise earlier, which is what has them where they are now; Jason bundled up in his hoodie and coat, Dick’s scarf and a hat they found lying around, shivering miserably, and Dick sacrificing his own jacket to act as a blanket.

Jason sniffs again and Dick winces- it sounds disconcertingly liquid.

“Don’t need all this,” Jason half-whispers, weakly waving his hand at his sickbed- his usual mattress, and a sofa cushion arranged in order to prop him up against the wall. It’s debatable how long he can actually sit up unassisted at this point.

Dick hums noncommittally and makes sure their meagre rations are within Jason’s reach- half a bottle of water, a squished bar of chocolate, and two tissues. This isn’t good. They need more.

Is Daly’s still open?

“’M serious,” Jason insists, and Dick nods.

“Whatever floats your ship.”

Jason blows out a heavy, congested, breath. “’s boat, Dickers.”

“Really? Why?”

Jason frowns for a moment, looking so concerned that Dick regrets asking.

“Dunno,” he admits eventually. “Prob’ly ‘cause it rhymes.”

Jason starts coughing then- a sharp noise which sounds like it’s being pulled out of him. The fit fades as quickly as it started- the ragged breathing and rosy cheeks do not.

Dick hands Jason the water bottle; helps him hold it steady when it becomes clear that his hands are still trembling too badly to do it himself.

When Jason’s breathing regularly again, Dick asks, “How’re you feeling?”, even though he already knows what his little brother will say.

Jason grins, pale green eyes blinking slowly. “On top of the world.”

Dick reaches out and tries to measure Jason’s temperature with his hand. Jason pulls the sort of face that only a ten-year-old can muster but stays put.

Dick frowns- Jason’s kinda clammy.

“Ew,” he says out loud, making a show of wiping his hand off on Jason’s sleeve. Internally he makes up his mind. I have to go.

Jason grins again and lets out a quiet noise which would ordinarily be a snort. “You’re ew.”

Dick settles down next to Jason’s mattress, even though he has no intention of staying put for too long.

“Go to sleep, Jay- you’re already nearly there.”

“Am not,” comes the weary reply.

“Uh-huh.”

“F’ck off, Dickolas.”

“Can’t- who else will wipe your nose for you?”

“Asshole,” smiles Jason, eyes already nearly closed. His expression changes then. “You’ll still be here when I wake up, right?”

Dick pauses- takes in the genuine worry wrinkling around Jason’s mouth, the uneven intakes of breath- and comes to the sudden, stomach-churning, realisation that Jason is too sick to be left alone.

It’s with a heavy heart that he abandons his plans to sneak out for a supply run.

“Duh. Now go to sleep, lil’ wing.”

Jason pulls another face, eyes closed now. “Gotta stop callin’ me that.”

“Nah.”

Jason tries to snort again and doesn’t say anything else. Dick keeps perfectly still for what feels like the longest time, watching Jason’s chest rise and fall.

His only reassurance is that, despite the audible wheeze of his lungs, Jason’s breaths are still perfectly regular.

Dick carefully pushes a slightly sweaty curl away from Jason’s face, trying not to focus on how Jason’s usually faint freckles seem a great deal more vivid at the moment.

He’ll be okay.

He has to be.

 Jason wakes up around when the air in the attic is getting cool enough for Dick to have to start stretching in an attempt to stay awake; the cold has always made him sleepy.

Jason’s breath stutters, once, twice, and Dick’s head whips around, heart pounding.

Jason’s breath resumes a noticeable pattern, and Jason peers over at Dick.

“Hey,” Dick smiles, trying to project a calm and certainty that he doesn’t feel. “How’re you now?”

Jason swallows, licks his lips. “Hurts,” he whispers, and Dick’s smile drops instantly.

“What does? What hurts Jay?”

Jason shifts slightly, wincing. “Everything.”

With no small amount of dread, Dick lays his hand on Jason’s forehead again.

Jason is burning up.

Dick exhales, and makes Jason drink some water as he thinks.

“Okay,” he says quietly, more to himself than to Jason, “it’s all okay.”

It isn’t really. Dick is nowhere near as calm as he’d like to be- as he needs to be.

He doesn’t know what to do- Jason’s never been this sick before, and Dick isn’t sure what’s wrong; if Jason needs medicine or if he can sleep it off, if they should be seeing a doctor or if they can get by on their own.

It’s a lot for a twelve-year-old to deal with but deal with it he must. For Jason’s sake.

Jason’s had enough water- Dick takes the bottle from him before he accidentally drops it.

“Have some of this,” he says, grabbing the bar of chocolate.

“Not hungry,” says Jason quietly, just as he did the last time Dick offered it.

“I know, Jaybird, but you gotta eat if you want to get better,” Dick says, rubbing Jason’s shoulder carefully. He seems terribly small and breakable all of a sudden.

Jason still doesn’t seem all that convinced about the whole ‘eating’ thing. Dick decides to pull out the big guns.

“Please, Jay.”

Jason nods reluctantly and begins the incredibly long endeavour of eating a bar of chocolate with as little effort as possible.

He’s sneezed a good eight times by the time the wrapper is empty, but Jason looks marginally more awake now and Dick hopes that the pink tinge to his cheeks is a sign of health.

The water is almost gone, the tissues are used up and absolutely disgusting, and they’re completely out of anything the least bit edible.

Jason is still far too hot, still sweating, and now starting to shiver.

Shit.

Dick doesn’t know all that much about illnesses but he’s fairly sure that shivering like that when you’re not cold at all isn’t a good sign.

“Jay,” Dick tries his hardest to sound both soothing and supremely confident and not at all afraid, “Jay, we don’t have enough things here for you to get better. I’m gonna have to- “

Jason’s eyes widen, and he moves the quickest he has in nearly three days to grab Dick’s wrist in an iron-grip.

“No,” he hisses, “no, you promised you’d stay. You promised.”

“Jay,” says Dick softly, “I- “

“Please, Dick, please don’t go- I don’t wanna be alone- please- “

There are actual tears welling up in Jason’s eyes all of a sudden, and Dick’s heart twists horribly.

“Hey,” he says gently, “hey- I’m not gonna leave you alone, okay? I- uh- “

Dick swallows and then makes what many people might call a terrible decision.

“I’m gonna take you with me,” he says as if he had planned this all along, “we just gotta pop out to the store and back- get some more water, some tissues, all that fun stuff. Okay?”

Jason relaxes, though he doesn’t let go of Dick. “Okay,” he half-whispers. “Just- just don’t leave me.”

“I promise.”

 Rather predictably, things are not going well.

Dick’s eyes are sore and gritty, and he can’t quite tell if his hands are shaking or not. He has Jason tucked under his arm in an attempt to keep him warm and stop him from tipping over- easier said than done on the ice-laced paths.

It’s dark out now, and the streetlights in this part of town are few and far between. Jason’s weighty breaths seem to echo in the mostly empty streets- they’re gonna start attracting attention soon.

“Dick,” mumbles Jason all of a sudden, “we nearly there yet?”

No. No they are not. All the nearest stores are closed and they’re starting to get uncomfortably far from home.

“Uh-huh,” whispers Dick, “just another few minutes, okay?”

“’kay.”

Jason lets out a tremendous sniff then, and Dick rubs his arm absently.

It’s way colder than Dick thought it would be- every breath in is sharp, every breath out creates a thick plume of condensation.

Dick isn’t good with cold- his head hurts, his chest aches, and all he wants to do is go to sleep for a while. When it’s really, really, cold, his nose bleeds.

“’m tired.”

“Me too, lil’ wing. Nearly there.”

“Can we sit down? Just for a second?”

Jason sounds exhausted.

Dick glances around carefully- no unsavoury characters too close by, though they’d be better off stepping in out of view.

“Yeah- we’ll sit down just around the corner for a few minutes, okay?”

“Okay.”

The two of them make their ungainly way around the corner- off the main street and into a more secluded area.

There’s a deep, surprisingly unoccupied, doorway here- Dick tucks his little brother into the corner in an attempt to block some of the cold out. He pulls off his jacket and gives it to Jason as a blanket.

Jason leans his head on Dick’s shoulder and lets out slow, heavy, breaths.

Dick looks up at the artificially clouded, orange-tinted sky and misses the stars for the umpteenth time.

Has Jason ever seen the stars?

Dick’s eyes are very, very, tired.

Don’t you dare fall asleep, Grayson.

There’s a song playing from a building nearby- words muffled, melody barely audible. A slow, soft, sad song.

Dick breathes in deep, lets it out slowly.

He watches his breath cloud and float up, up, up, until he can’t see it anymore.

“Dick?”, asks Jason drowsily.

“Yeah?”, Dick whispers back, still staring up at the sky.

“I don’t wanna get up.”

“Me neither, Jay. ‘nother minute?”

“Yeah.”

They’re quiet again, Dick knowing full well that they need to get up and keep moving but not quite able to do anything with that knowledge just yet.

Something begins to drift down through the orange-haze; Dick watches it distantly, rubs tiredly at his runny nose.

A feathery speck of snow falls softly to the ground before them.

Then another.

Then another.

Shit.

It’s not dry enough for the snow to lodge, but that won’t make their unfinished journey any less miserable.

Then there’s a thump from above- too heavy and solid to be anything other than a person.

Then another thump, and another.

Double shit.

 Damian is having a reasonably good evening, all things considered.

Is it colder than anyone would like? Yes, yes it is.

Did Kent call earlier like he said he would? No, no he did not.

But Damian isn’t letting any of that bother him- there’s crime to fight, justice to uphold, etcetera, etcetera.

Besides, he’s rather enjoying knocking the stuffing out of the would-be jewel thief before him.

Or at least, he would be, if the degenerate would ever show some consideration and stop running away.

Coward.

(Damian’s evening is, perhaps, not going as well as he is trying to convince himself it is.)

The thief clears the gap between two buildings with surprising ease, seeing as he has no grapple gun to support him.

Damian tails him still, grip tight on the non-lethal staff Father had insisted on.

They had argued about it (again) only earlier that evening, actually.

It’s understandable that Father would prefer that Drake abstain from lethal force- Drake hasn’t been trained in the art of death from birth, after all. Drake can barely be trusted to tell one end of a blade from the other.

But Damian is a master- the best of his generation, it had always been whispered. Damian can be trusted to kill quickly and efficiently- or slowly and painfully, as required.

Damian is more than capable of-

The thief swerves suddenly and Damian copies- but the rooftop is covered with a thin layer of treacherous frost and Damian perhaps hadn’t been paying quite as much attention to his surroundings as he should have been- what would Grandfather say?

Damian stumbles, temporarily drops to one knee, before regaining his balance.

It’s a tiny slip- a microscopic mistake in the grand scheme of things- but it’s enough.

America has made him soft.

The thief is further ahead than he should be- he hops down to the next building, and then down again into a dingy alleyway.

Damian continues his pursuit- trying his best to force down the little bubble of desperation- he must catch up in time- he can’t disappoint Father- he can’t.

Damian drops into the alleyway, head automatically snapping to the left to see the thief racing away. They’re on better terrain now- Damian can catch up. He can.

It’s then that he hears it; a quiet sniff.

Almost against his will, Damian turns his head away from the criminal’s retreating figure.

There are two people huddled together in the doorway next to him.

Two very small people watching him with wide, frightened, eyes.

Children- younger than Drake- tiny and alone and shaking with fear, cold, or both.

Instinctively, Damian reaches out to them and they flinch.

They’re afraid of him.

To the best of his knowledge, Damian has never frightened children before. The other children in the League might have been wary of him, but they were never afraid. Drake might have been uneasy when they first met, but soon irritation outweighed all other emotion.

But now one child is clearly trying to shield the other from him- as if Damian is likely to snap and rage.

As if Damian is likely to hurt them.

Something about this does not sit well with Damian- perhaps it’s the novelty of the situation, perhaps it’s the not-very-good day he’s been having, perhaps it’s Father’s philosophy winding around the recesses of his mind.

He remembers, very suddenly, that there are two parts to the Batman’s mission statement, though Damian does tend to only consider the first half.

To punish the guilty and protect the innocent.

Appearances can be deceptive, and youth is no indicator of nature, but Damian is pretty sure that it is the innocent who are staring up at him in mute terror.

He glances after the jewel thief- still visible at the mouth of the alley. If he ran now, he could probably catch up.

But there are two children alone in Gotham on a cold night who are absolutely terrified of him and seem rather lacking in the resources department.

Damian takes in how underdressed the older child is- his full-body shivers and bloody nose. The other child is bundled up and mostly hidden from view but from what little Damian can see, he doesn’t seem all that healthy.

It’s snowing.

Damian looks after the criminal- the guilty who must be punished- and comes to a decision.

He sheathes his staff, drops his shoulders, and looks down at the children, trying very hard to radiate non-threatening energy.

He isn’t sure if it’s working.

“What are you doing out here?”, Damian asks, trying to imitate the soft voice that Father sometimes uses when Damian is…uneasy.

The older child swipes at his nose, doesn’t seem to notice the blood left on his hand.

“Nothing,” he mumbles, still leaning away from Damian.

“It doesn’t look like nothing,” Damian counters, still trying to do the Voice. “It looks like you’re planning on staying there for a while, and not by choice either.”

The boy looks at him for a long moment, before admitting quietly, “Maybe.”

Damian mentally pats himself on the back for this minor victory.

Protect the innocent.

“Do you- “, Damian starts, but he is interrupted by the second child breaking his silence to let out an extremely unpleasant-sounding, wet, hacking, cough.

The first child turns away from Damian immediately to rub his brother’s back.

When the fit subsides about two minutes later, Damian catches the tiny whisper of “You okay, Jaybird?”, and the even tinier, breathless, “Yeah.”

“You need to see a doctor,” says Damian matter-of-factly.

“I know,” mutters the older boy, not looking at Damian.

“I know where to find a clinic with a fantastic doctor,” Damian offers, surprising himself with the realisation that he is willing to take these two all the way over to Dr Hopkins’ if necessary.

“We can’t- “, the boy starts, conflict clearly playing out on his face. Then his expressions hardens. “We don’t need your charity.”

Damian aches with the urge to point out that they very clearly need someone’s charity, but resists. That sort of barb rarely goes over well with Drake, never mind two virtual strangers.

He sighs. “I know you don’t.”

They’re in a stalemate then- Damian (for reasons which not even he entirely understands) unwilling to leave them as he found them, and neither of the two boys willing to accept his help.

Damian crouches down in a bid to make himself less intimidating, though both boys watch him cautiously. The older one tightens his grip on his brother.

“Do you know who I am?”, Damian asks quietly.

The children stare at him for a moment, eyes skittering all over his uniform and hopefully lingering on the bat symbol.

“You work with Batman,” whispers the smaller boy hoarsely.

Damian nods. “I do. And what does Batman do?”

“Fight crime?”, offers the sick child.

“And?”

The boy with the bloody nose sighs. “And help people who need it. Which we don’t,” he hastens to add.

Damian looks at them levelly and then repeats something that Pennyworth has told him quietly time after time, though Damian has never truly listened to the words until now.

“Everyone needs help sometimes, and everyone is allowed to get help.”

The words hang in the air for a moment, both children watching him with wide, considering, eyes.

“We can’t pay the doctor,” says the older boy, slouching.

“She won’t charge you.”

“You sure?”, whispers the sick one, squinting at Damian.

He nods, which seems to be enough for the sick boy.

“Le’ss go, Dick.”

The newly identified Dick looks at his brother again. “You sure?”

“Yeah. Why not?”

“I can think of plenty of reasons,” mutters Dick, before sighing. “Alright then, let’s go get our organs stolen.”

“She won’t take your organs,” reassures Damian.

“That’s what they all say.”

Dick stands up stiffly and rubs at his nose again. He notices the blood this time, but merely frowns at his hand in response.

“What happened?”, Damian asks, though Dick only shrugs before pulling on the coat previously wrapped around his little brother.

There’s a bit of difficulty then, as the younger boy very shakily stands up and nearly falls over, though Dick manages to save him and prop him upright under his arm.

Standing up now, it’s clear that the boys can’t be any older than about eleven and neither of them looks like he has regular meals.

“Lead ahead,” says Dick.

“Lead on,” corrects his brother tiredly. “’r go ahead.”

Dick shrugs again.

Damian starts walking, though he’s only made it a few feet before realising that the boys are still behind him and only slowly shuffling forward.

They both look exhausted, and whilst Dick may be in better shape than his brother, he’s still trembling ever so slightly and walking stiffly.

Damian tilts his head for a moment, considering.

Then he stands on Dick’s free side- he thinks he knows better than to go near Dick’s younger brother given the sharp look Dick keeps giving him- and props him under his arm.

“Let’s go then,” says Damian, pretending not to see the strange looks he is being given.

Neither boy says anything in response but the three of them begin to make their achingly slow way forward, ungainly as one might expect such a convoy to be.

Damian can feel how horrifyingly cold Dick is under his arm and doesn’t even want to consider how cold his brother probably is.

He twists his cape around with his free hand and drapes it around the other two’s shoulders without breaking stride.

“Thanks,” mumbles Dick.

His brother makes a hoarse noise that may or may not also be a thank you.

“You’re welcome,” says Damian uncomfortably.

People do not often thank him.

(Damian wonders, briefly, if the children would have been willing to trust him at all if he had been carrying a more deadly weapon and doesn’t like how the answer makes him feel.)

They continue to walk in silence.

It’s going to be a long night.

 Many, many, hours later Damian is standing at his father’s side in the Batcave, as his father types away on the computer.

Drake is somewhere nearby, polishing something- Damian can hear his breathing.

Pennyworth is on Father’s other side, dutifully copying down a wall of text from a smaller screen- Damian can’t hear his breathing.

“The thief escaped,” Father says. It is and isn’t a question.

Damian nods, though adds, “I believe he will strike again in the financial district sometime in the next two weeks,” by way of a meagre apology.

“You last reported in from Leslie’s clinic.”

“Yes.”

There is a long pause, as Damian tries to compose his thoughts and Father waits- ever patient.

“I had to protect the innocent,” he says eventually.

Father stops his typing and Drake stops pretending to be doing whatever it is that he’s been doing.

“Oh?”, asks Father, the closest Damian has ever gotten to a ‘go on’ from him.

“There were two children,” says Damian, not looking at his Father. “They needed medical attention, amongst other things. I found them as I pursued the thief and- “

“And you chose to protect the innocent rather than punish the guilty,” Father finishes.

Damian nods. “I did.”

Father actually turns his head to look at him, which means that Damian’s gaze is drawn- magnetised- to his.

“I’m proud of you,” Father says, voice warm and soft.

There is a lump in Damian’s throat all of a sudden.

He nods and chokes out, “Thank you.”

They stay like that a moment, Father’s calm blue eyes on his own teary green.

And then Father says, “Jon Kent called whilst you were out.”

Damian finally looks away from his father. “Oh?”

“He wanted to ask you about your chemistry project.”

Damian clicks his tongue. “I told him I’d tell him tomorrow.”

“Best go to bed then- it’s been a long day.”

Damian nods again. “Goodnight Father. Goodnight Pennyworth.”

He pauses for a very long moment, before eventually adding, “Goodnight, Drake.”

Drake says from somewhere that may or may not be in the rafters, “Goodnight Damian,” and then Damian goes to bed.

Damian falls asleep and dreams of softly falling snow and orange-tinted skies and part of an old, slow, song.

Softly, softly turn the key And open up my heart.

[dustedmagazine]

Dusted Mid-Year Exchange, Part 2: Positive No to Yves Tumour

Six Organs got a lot of mid-year love this time

Welcome back to part two of the Dusted Mid-Year Exchange, in which we tackle the second half of the alphabet. If you missed part one, with its lengthy description of what we’re doing here, you can read it here. Or just muddle through. Cheers.  

Positive No — Kyanite (Little Black Cloud)

Kyanite by Positive No

Who recommended it? Tobias Carroll

Did we review it? No.

Tim Clarke’s take:

Positive No braid tight bursts of guitars, bass and drums into upbeat yet agitated shapes. There’s a touch of Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino in Tracy Wilson’s vocal delivery, or My Bloody Valentine’s Belinda Butcher, especially on expansive opener “Elevator Up.” At just under half an hour, the urgent economy of Kyanite’s songwriting makes all the more sense when you learn that it’s the band’s final album, released on Valentine’s Day this year. As their parting gesture, nothing is wasted, everything invested. As one of the song titles says, “Get In, Get Out. Don’t Linger. Go On.”

 Raspberry Bulbs — Before the Age of Mirrors

Before The Age Of Mirrors by Raspberry Bulbs

Who picked it? Jonathan Shaw

Did we review it? Yes, Jonathan said, “Even in its heaviest metal moments, on ‘Reclaimed Church’ and excellent closing track ‘Given Over to History,’ the record’s punk vibe cuts and grins. It insists on a deadly aesthetic seriousness, and at the same time, it’s tugging the rug out from under its own feet.”

Jennifer Kelly’s take:

Raspberry Bulbs splices punk’s antic venom with metal’s storm and roar, shifting from one mode to the other inside individual tracks, sometimes measure to measure. Consider “Doggerel” which kicks off in a pogo-ing furor, rattling violently over rapid oi band rhythms, everything clipped and percussive, even the vocals, though hoarse and splintered. Midway through, a sirening guitar riff intercedes and the singing turns ominous and measured; all the sudden it’s metal. “Midnight Line” pulls the opposite trick, beginning in clanging, feedback-morphing guitar and larynx shredding howl, then introducing a punk rock palm-muted chug and anthemry. It’s a volatile mix, at times nearly playful, at others agonizingly heavy, at still others (the “Intervals” mostly) surprisingly lyrical.  I lean towards the punk-er tracks—"They’re After Me” and “Doggerel”— metal fans may feel otherwise.

 Stephen Riley — Friday the 13th (Steeplechase)

Who recommended it? Derek Taylor

Did we review it? Yes. Derek said, “Knuffke and Riley are a directly collaborative pairing now and their partnership politely demands many more dates like this one.”

Justin Cober-Lake's take:

Saxophonist Stephen Riley has put together a quartet with a singular idea of playing these classic tunes on Friday the 13th in relatively straightforward and spacious renditions. Their take on Eddie Vinson's “Four” has Riley and cornetist Kirk Knuffke trading long solos. The rhythm section does its job, but it's a horn players' record. The album comes alive most when Knuffke and Riley interact more immediately. On Oliver Nelson's “Hoe Down,” they reveal how great a partnership they have, initially matching each other on the main melody before spiraling off. “Round Midnight” could have been too obvious a choice, but the combo's personalized take on the standard works out. Everyone sounds at ease enough within the song that they take a few more risks, and the horn players supplement each other nicely with more harmonic considerations. The album ends with a trio of spirited numbers, and in each case Riley and Knuffke play off each other's solos with a sharpness that by now makes sense. Riley's listening to Monk and playing like Rollins (hence the title track) as he and his group find ways to make old bop sound new.

  Gil Scott-Heron and Makaya McCraven—We’re New Again, A Reimagining (XL Recordings)

Who recommended it? Jenny Kelly.

Did we review it? Yes. Arthur Krumins notes, “McCraven lays down a lush musical backdrop that allows Scott-Heron’s words to have emotional impact.”

Jonathan Shaw’s take:

The word “reimagine” has a sexy resonance, and for that reason, it’s often too casually used. But in the case of We’re New Again, the word is warranted. Drummer and producer Makaya McCraven doesn’t just remix Gil Scott-Heron’s final record, I’m New Here (2010); McCraven shuffles the track list, adds some relevant recordings of Scott-Heron’s voice, and creates entirely new arrangements, moods, and musical accompaniment for the earlier album’s songs. It’s ballsy — I’m New Here is justly recognized as a masterpiece, and it’s marked by a stylistic austerity. On that record, Scott-Heron sang and spoke and recited his poetry over minimalist beats, a strummed guitar, or his own piano playing. McCraven attentively reimagines the tunes, working with polyphonic, post-Bop ensembles; busy hip-hop soundscapes; gospel and funk quotations. Remarkably, none of the richness of Scott-Heron’s vocals and none of the complexity of his poetry get obscured. More often, McCraven inventively intensifies the impact of Scott-Heron’s songs. And the reordering and recontextualizing of the tracks reveals a different narrative, grounded in the resilience and the suffering of Scott-Heron’s upbringing and too-short life. You listen and you feel it. It’s a terrific record.

Six Organs of Admittance — Companion Rises (Drag City)

Companion Rises by Six Organs of Admittance

Who recommended it? Jennifer Kelly

Did we review it? Yes. Jenny said it’s “straight-down-the-middle Six Organs, not as loud and abrasive as the first Hexadic disc, not as reticently wisp-y as the older folk-derived records.”

Patrick Masterson’s take:

Back when Dusted was still a dot-com, we talked about making a site-specific canon for our 10th anniversary, a kind of “Dusted 500” field guide. There was a shared spreadsheet and talk of a benefit show and a mixtape comp and so on that never amounted to anything for myriad reasons, but I can promise you Ben Chasny would’ve figured into it somehow — and nearly a decade on from that, my promise stands. The latest (30th? Let’s call it 30th) Six Organs of Admittance record is a beautiful slow burner that shows why, all astral spirits and slow-rolling starlight guitar plucks that is, as Jenny rightly notes, a Six Organs line drive. My belief after numerous spins since early February — mostly in the mornings, for which this music also seems suitable accompaniment — is that, like the rest of Chasny’s oeuvre, it will appeal to anyone who likes guitars or reads this. On the off chance you stumbled in here or haven’t heard this record yet: Welcome. It’s always been this way.

Patrick Masterson

 Spanish Love Songs — Brave Faces Everyone (Pure Noise)

Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

Who recommended it? Ian Mathers

Did we review it? Yes. Ian said, “it’s more a record of solidarity and mutual support than it is anything more prescriptive.”

Patrick Masterson’s take:

L.A. quintet Spanish Love Songs occupy a very specific point on what I like to think of as the Bar Band Spectrum, where one end is a bottom-rung covers-only collective found in just about any weeknight dive pre-COVID playing for beer money out of boredom and modest ambition… and the other end is Bruce Springsteen. This band isn’t as ramshackle as, say, Ladyhawk, nor have they yet hit a glass ceiling à la the Constantines; they sound to me more like Beach Fossils or Single Mothers, where everything from their songwriting to their slightly glossy production suggests they’re as ready as they’ll ever be for arena life. And what a record to make the case, too: Brave Faces Everyone is the sound of Run for Covers Records growing up or early onset Gen Z realizing a glass of wine after everything is, in fact, a coping mechanism for adulthood in a profoundly uncaring world. It’s got a big, young heart to match its big, old sound. It says, loudly, that in the increasingly untethered reality of 2020, we are all losers forever — but there’s still a “best of it” to be made if you wanna and the bravest face is an optimistic one. I’ll rock with that (from the quarantined confines of home and the other side of another lousy livestream, of course).

Patrick Masterson

Squirrel Flower — I Was Born Swimming (Polyvinyl)

I Was Born Swimming by Squirrel Flower

Who picked it? Patrick Masterson

Did we review it? Nope.

Arthur Krumins’ take:

Making the most of a dour mood, Squirrel Flower squeezes disaffection from her vocal delivery. The instrumentation is reminiscent of a less noisy Built to Spill, or maybe Julie Doiron, and is effectively now a retro indie rock sound originally from the late 90s or early 2000s. The jamminess of some of the drawn out riffs feel both pretty and sad, and could be a good soundtrack to a rainy drive. The heaviness is well developed without being bogged down. The lyrics catch your attention with their plainspoken narration of conflict (“You slap me, I’ll slap you right back” she repeats in “Slapback”). A fitting album for looking your troubles head on while still being totally surrounded by them.

 Waterless Hills — The Great Mountain (Cardinal Fuzz)

Waterless Hills - 'The Great Mountain' by Waterless Hills

Who picked it? Bill Meyer

Did we review it? No.

Arthur Krumins’ take:

A dissonant flow that steadily increases in intensity starts this record, which is a live recorded improvisation. The combination of aching, modal violin by dbh with slightly overdriven cascading electric guitar by C Joynes makes for a feel reminiscent of “Venus in Furs” by the Velvet Underground. The percussion by Andrew Cheetham, a drum kit plug some extras like a hung Chinese gong, creates texture and mood. Sometimes there’s just a steady counting of time in the background, at other moments waves of cymbals crash and make a cacophonous emphasis as the music rises and falls. The overall effect of the jams is hypnotic, like getting absorbed in a swirling light show. The players’ sensitivity to the musical interplay of their instruments, combined with a masterful looseness, makes it a trip worth taking.

Well Yells — We Mirror the Dead (Self-released)

Who recommended it? Ian Mathers.

Did we review it? Yes. Ian Mathers notes, “tipping towards the slightly industrial/EBM side of the genre, We Mirror the Dead gains a kind of gloomy propulsion without losing any of the atmosphere or intensity of [the band’s] prior work.”

Jonathan Shaw’s take:

The Gothic is not famous for stylistic restraint, and neither are the various contemporary subgenres that have inherited goth music’s romance of dark interiors, painfully fraught feeling and highly stylized self-fashioning. A few recent acts have cut against the grain of those established maximalist textures: see the grim industrial rancor of Street Sects, and the more experimental, sample-based austerities of Wreck and Reference. Well Yells’ music feels similarly stripped down to a pulsing electronic essence. But the record is more interested in the strobing spaces of Clubland than in decrepit factory ruins, and the darkwave gloss of We Mirror the Dead presents a more conventional relation to goth’s sensations. At its best—as on album opener “Kill the King”—the music of Patrick Holbrook, sole member of Well Yells, snaps and glimmers with compelling dread and arch sophistication. Holbrook’s breathy tenor is a useful counterpoint; his vocals are vaguely reminiscent of the best of those other habitués of Clubland, the British New Romantics (remember Bronski Beat?). It’s good stuff, somehow simultaneously polished and dirty.

  Lucinda Williams—Good Souls Better Angels (Thirty Tigers/Highway 20 Records)

Who recommended it? Justin Cober-Lake

Did we review it? No.

Bill Meyer’s take: I haven’t listened much to Lucinda Williams; the one record I have by her, Sweet Old World, is 28 years old. The first thing that hit me when I listened to Good Souls Better Angels is what’s changed. Williams’ voice is much rougher, and she’s adjusted the music correspondingly, adding Hendrixian guitar flourishes to “Bone of Contention” and coarsening the domestic violence scenario “Wakin’ Up” with bad-trip electronics. The next is how pissed she sounds. Violent boyfriends are bad enough, but having a charmless sociopath for president is even worse. Fortunately, bile hasn’t overwhelmed her writing chops. Big-sounding roots rock isn’t really my thing these days, but if I feel the need to change that, Good Souls Better Angels is a good place to start.  

  Wire — Mind Hive (Pink Flag)

Who picked it? Andrew Forell

Did we review it? Yes, Andrew said, “Mind Hive is concise yet full of restless intelligence, musical ideas and willingness to push boundaries.”  

Derek Taylor’s take:

I tapped Wire late and left early. That truncated exposure lends a narrow vocabulary in describing their music contextually, pre- and post-reunions. This latest missive sounds alternately like what I remember and at least several zip codes removed with a heavy lean into synths. “Be Like Them” and “Primed and Ready” fall in the former category, while “Off the Beach” trades gangly ennui and menace for what almost resembles instrumental optimism until the lyrics stack dutifully into another ode to the disaffected and disconnected. “Oklahoma” feels inscrutably weird. “Hung” drops as the album’s extended, incremental, post-industrial dirge. There’s additional insulation sheathing this Wire, an inevitable adjunct of ascendancy to elder status, but the current foursome is still dependably conducting current.

 Yves Tumour — Heaven to a Tortured Mind (Warp)

Who recommend it? Patrick Masterson

Did we review it? No.

Ian Mathers’ take:

Listen to music for long enough and you might realize that most of the time when you hope any artist goes in any particular direction with their work, you’re bound to be disappointed. But every so often, maybe after a promising album that you just didn’t fully click with, an artist does exactly what you were hoping for and fully manifests all the potential promise you thought you glimpsed. Yves Tumor’s 2018 album Safe in the Hands of Love was admirable in many ways, but it was really only on crucial single “Noid” that all the combustible elements were really brought together into something that properly bangs. Well, Heaven to a Tortured Mind might not have as many showcases for the ambient/noise chops that Tumor definitely has, but it does consistently bang for 36 minutes of should-be alternate universe pop hits, from the brassy “Gospel for a New Century” to the floaty duet “Kerosene!” For anyone who loved “Noid” and then found more to respect than the viscerally love on Tumor’s last record, this is the record you were waiting for, and it is magnificent and ferocious.

[ryanmeft]

Movie Review: Motherless Brooklyn

The greatest villains of noir are never the central antagonists. The corrupt cops, the slimy businessmen, and the small time hoods and assassins typified by the genre’s heyday are of course all vital to the seedy underrealms these movies sink us into, but the true villain is always the world itself, and specifically the rotten and festering systems whose waste drips down and creates the conditions for battered, weary detectives and crooks with no hope in the first place. This was implied in most classic noir, but Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn makes it explicit. It focuses on a man seen by others as a freak, trying to do a good thing in a city that exists because of bad things. He’s up against such a vital underpinning of his entire world that he might as well be trying to punch out the moon.

Lionel Essrog is not exactly the first person you might choose in such a fight, even if one overlooks his Tourette’s syndrome, which in the decidedly unenlightened 1950’s is unlikely. He’s one of several detectives working for the aging Frank Minna (Bruce Willis), whose particular skills would have been equally applicable on the other side of the law. Also under Minna, in a crew the older man pulled from the morass of an abusive orphanage and led through World War II, are the force-and-bluster tough guy Tony Vermonte (Bobby Cannavale), who has an interesting relationship with Minna’s widow (Leslie Mann); the sharp information-gathering Danny Fantl (Dallas Roberts); and the reserved and slightly bumbling Gilbert Coney (Ethan Suplee). The film opens with a terribly thrilling sequence in which Minna seems to be trying to make a deal with some underworld figures, and as one might expect the deal goes wrong, resulting in Minna’s eventual death.

Let’s take a moment and look at that sequence. It takes up the first half hour or so of the film, and it takes its time. Essrog, played by Norton, listens in for a signal from Minna, and you know something is going to go wrong. Yet where other movies might make that a quick and easy scene, Norton gets our hopes up that Minna might live, and it is genuinely affecting when he doesn’t, because of how much he clearly meant to our protagonist. This death is more than just a device to set off the plot of the film. It defines Lionel’s key character traits: loyalty to those he trusts, suspicion towards most everyone else, all of the wariness that a lifetime of being infantilized by others would give a man. His character is not defined by Tourette’s, which, for the record, is presented accurately as the repetition of tics and phrases rather than by the cliche and rare repeating of profanity. His photographic memory is a tool for detective work, but also a burden; imagine never forgetting anything, and if you’ve suffered at all in life you might realize that isn’t a superpower. He wears his boss’s old hat and coat, in tribute to the man rather than to try and be him. Lionel is a fully developed character, and not a gimmick. The film is patient with him and with the plot, the kind of patience lacking in modern films where audiences will sit for more than two hours only if computer effects are involved.

His case is no gimmick, either, but a fully developed and twisted web that goes, of course, up to the Very Top. The central question: why was Minna, ostensibly a licensed private eye, talking to mobsters as if they were dealing with each other? Lionel digs into this, and it becomes clear it involves the city’s powerful planning commissioner, Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin). He seems able to demand whatever he wants from the government, behaves like a Godfather instead of a public servant, and is involved in the demolition of slums. Ostensibly, the plan is to provide better housing for the mostly black residents, an assertion which is challenged by two people. The first is wary-but-idealistic housing activist Laura Rose (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who develops a connection with Lionel that feels true and complex and not like an obligatory screenplay romance. Mbatha-Raw is a seriously undervalued actress, and here she represents the counter-culture of jazz, which was primarily African-American and seen as degenerate at the time. Her uncle Billy (Robert Wisdom) and cool-as-ice trumpet-playing friend (Michael K. Williams) have some level of insight into what exactly is happening to Brooklyn’s poor black population, and they become allies. It must be noted that scenes in nightclubs are handled perfectly, feeling like the close, crowded, smoky places that jazz clubs should be.

The second is a ragged man with a frantic voice named Paul (Willem Dafoe), who appears at meetings and angrily whips the crowd into frenzies against Moses. He lays out what crooked deals are going on, but encourages Lionel to be the one to stop it; he cannot, for reasons that will be revealed. I found him the most fascinating supporting character on the canvas, and a perfect role for Dafoe. In movies, most of the good-aligned characters we meet will eventually abandon all self-centered interests and heroically join the cause at great self-sacrifice. Film noir is decidedly unsuited to such sentiment, but in the old days often suffered from it nonetheless. Paul is the apotheosis of that: he is legitimately angry at the conspiracies he sees, but has been too hurt by his own failures to fix them in the past, and now wants to pass the buck so he does not have to suffer any more losses. In our heart of hearts, most of us know we are more like Paul.

Earlier I mentioned the look of the jazz world, but I must mention the look of the rest of the world, as well. Regular Mike Leigh cinematographer Dick Pope films a mid-century New York reproduced by production designer Beth Mickie, that is lost, where boat-sized cars rumble down narrow streets and dark shadows are hidden in the eaves of bridges and corners of doorways. Lionel is at one point invited to meet with Moses to strike a deal, and Moses’ office is as spacious as the rest of the city is not; in an excellent wide shot, he patrols this throne room as a king, passing judgments and decisions entirely as it pleases him. This is not a man who will fall like a typical movie crook, and indeed the film leaves open whether Lionel succeeds at all.

Norton, who is friends with novelist Jonathan Lethem, has, with the author’s consent, done what a filmmaker should: used the parts of the book that suit, and changed those that did not. Most notably, he has moved the 90’s setting (this project has been long gestating) to the 1950’s and wrapped up the plot in one of our great modern national stains, the New York housing discrimination that still affects the African-American community today. The parallels are both obvious and buried, and though Norton has discussed the connections between Moses and Donald Trump, this is not an overtly political picture. It is instead a deeply involving mystery with highly engaging characters and an intriguing world, that happens to have greater points under the surface for those who are looking.

Verdict: Highly Recommended

Note: I don’t use stars, but here are my possible verdicts.

Must-See

Highly Recommended

Recommended

Average

Not Recommended

Avoid like the Plague

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[crap-i-need-a-username-blog]

The 3rd Wave feminist punk movement known as Riot Grrrl was centered on making women and girls feel welcome and empowered in a community that had historically claimed to provide a home to those who were disenfranchised and angry with the establishment. It makes sense that feminists and angry young women would find the idea of the punk community very appealing. The punk scene continues to promote those ideals but has adapted with the times and instead of focusing primarily of girls and women, though many do still find common ground in the scene, it’s evolved to help members of the LGBTQ+ community find a space where they can scream their frustrations with the establishment.

The Riot Grrrl movement began in the late 1990’s, born out of the American Pacific Northwest and was spearheaded by Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of her punk band Bikini Kill, which performed songs touching on topics like rape, domestic abuse, and the patriarchy. Hannah was an exceptionally angry and foul-mouthed stage presence, even for a punk rocker. Her indignant and even hostile performance style spread to other female-led bands like Bratmobile and Heavens to Betsy.

Queer people have been a part of rock and roll history since nearly the beginning, becoming especially more prominent in the 1970’s and 80’s with cultural icons like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Freddie Mercury, and Prince. However while many of these men dressed in gender non-conforming ways and had the occasional tune about having a same-sex relationship, much of their public face wasn’t openly flaunting their **queerness** Freddie Mercury famously didn’t even admit to the media that he was suffering from AIDS until literally hours before his death due to the stigma that surrounded the disease and homosexuality in the early 90’s.

Of course, those were much more celebrity figures than those playing basement punk shows, where one might expect a little more acceptance considering the mission statement of the community is the rejection of a status quo that oppresses minorities, women, and people in the LGBT community. That expectation is, sadly, not realized. The punk scene is often overpopulated with men who view punk as a community of people who are dissatisfied with the status quo, but in more of a male-centered viewpoint that does less to raise up women and minorities. Part of this narrow view of the problems with the status quo has also led to the rise of far-right and neo-nazi punk bands.

Queercore originally began in the 1985 with the publishment of the zine called “J.D.’s” by  G.B. Jones and Bruce LaBruce, out of Ontario. It’s interesting to note that this zine technically predates the Riot Grrrl movement but queercore remained largely underground for decades and so didn’t garner as much media attention as Kathleen Hanna screaming her manifestos did. However, I believe it’s survived longer for exactly the same reason. While queercore bands like Team Dresch and The Third Sex are often associated with the Riot Grrrl movement since queercore bands also touch on topics involving sexual freedom, gender politics, and patriarchal institutions, they were never as front and center of that scene as Kathleen Hanna was. Queercore survived because it provided a space for people to be themselves and make art that they felt represented them, rather than trying to become a societal influence as Riot Grrl did with their new, angrier brand of feminism.

During the 2000’s and 2010’s queercore has grew in popularity and influence, especially in its hometown of Toronto, the liberal art hubs of Olympia, Washington and Silver Lake, California and in London. It’s grown in ways that the Riot Grrrl movement never did, not including art exhibits and film festivals across the world. While Kathleen Hanna does still perform and many artists espouse “girl power” style lyrics, there isn’t a modern conglomeration of feminist artists who work together to promote their ideals, unlike what you see with queercore groups.

Whether or not queercore succeeded in making people in the LGBTQ+ community feel safer in the world they live or give them the respect that they deserve is debatable, but it’s impossible to argue the vitality of the genre. Riot Grrrl came and went in about a decade and even the more modern sense of feminism is concerned less with making woman and girls safe from violence, though that is clearly still happening with examples like Time’s Up or #MeToo, but on the whole feminism has broadened into proclaiming a desire for equality with men for all people who don’t have it, be it due to their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ethnicity.

[yarnzipangirl]

And now, from the rewatch of Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition because I love myself):

-I am reasonably certain that Clark’s emotional state during 98% of this movie is just ‘WHY THIS?’ with a dash of ‘CAN YOU NOT?’

-I can understand people who are annoyed we had to watch the Waynes die AGAIN, and yet, I cannot imagine this movie without this scene in it.  Because this movie is the very first time I feel like a Batman-having movie actually made Bruce’s motivation have any true meaning outside of kind of excusing why a man with that kind of resources would be Batman.  It makes it clear that the equation isn’t “boy loses parents, decides to fight crime”; it’s “boy loses his whole world, decides to fight LOSS” and that is a vital VITAL difference, especially for this movie.  

-also this is the most beautifully shot thing, and again I applaud Snyder’s tendency to reintroduce the importance of the mother in this situation.  Also that shell casing hitting the ground gets mirrored later and it kills me.

-and that Bruce’s father dies after curling his fist, dies in anger when he was a doctor, sworn to do no harm, feels like foreshadowing, like a warning; when a good man breaks his vows, goes darker, nothing good comes of it.  (And yes, I understand he was defending his family, totally reasonable, but we’re talking about this moment as metaphor, as how Bruce REMEMBERS it).

-oh god, I forgot Jimmy Olsen was Grant Gabriel on Smallville.  *FACEPALMS FOREVER*

-hey Bruce, when TEENAGE GIRLS are afraid of you, perhaps time to reconsider your life decisions.  The fact that he doesn’t even try to take care of them or comfort them says SO MUCH about where his head is.

-I feel like if there was justice in the world, every time someone described DCEU Superman as an ‘unfeeling god’ they would have to watch the 10 seconds where Clark comes in to see Lois bathing with his goobery little glasses and his grinny face like she hung the moon and his little bag of groceries to make her dinner and the flowers just for her and how he’s literally just so in love with her he can’t stand not stepping into the tub to kiss her Right Then.  Still didn’t get it?  Again.  Nope, you don’t get the abs.  You don’t DESERVE the abs.

-Alfred deserves all the scotch.  All of it.  And a raise, if only for dealing with this betta fish of a human being we call Batman.  I feel like Clark should have been able to hear Alfred screaming ‘fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck’ the entire movie at registers too high for others to hear because that is definitely how he feels.

-I will defend this Lex Luthor to my dying breath because this motherfucker scares me.  And he scares me because unlike the other kind, I’ve MET this motherfucker.  This motherfucker ran a company I worked for.  All douchbro and open door policy and casual workplace until you don’t give him what he wants and then the knives come out.  And I think the reason why he doesn’t work for a lot of people is that we’re still in the era where this kind of businessman villain hasn’t been villainized properly yet.  We have the mental templates for the oil tycoon or the 90s environmentally disastrous CEO, the 00s real estate-stealing asshole, and now the 10′s Wall Street wolf, but THIS kind of monster is the one we’re still getting a feel for.  The (I hate to make this comparison) Mark Zuckerbergs, the tech moguls who are increasing human suffering in less direct, less easy to define ways while always pretending to help us.  In ways that to some degree people still admire.  Lex Luthor as a competent-Donald-Trump analogy is easy and familiar in comparison.  This is one step forward and while I wouldn’t say it’s without it’s faults, it’s brave as hell and real as hell.  This is OUR monster, folks.  

-Following up on the ‘Perry totally knows’, I’m pretty sure Perry gave him the sports piece to try and take his mind off of All The Terrible and was fighting him because goddammit, son, you can’t take on the world, it is KILLING YOU.

-I was absolutely livid with the original cut, I’m gonna be honest, and the reason boils down to (well, the parts where the plot literally doesn’t make sense re: blaming Superman but mostly) the fact that without Clark investigating the Batman, meeting people who are scared, who feel cornered, who have lost a husband and a father to that brand... Clark would never actually fight him.  Clark doesn’t GET angry at personal slights or personal threats.  He gets angry because Innocent People Are Living In Fear From This Asshole, that innocent people are dying either because the Batman hasn’t noticed that his brand victims die or DOESN’T CARE.  Without these pieces, Clark’s rage makes literally no sense and even his ‘civil liberties’ argument makes so little sense since ‘how would he know?’

-Clark’s little smile as Lois is Lois at him, basically going ‘why yes, I’m going to throw myself into this pit of snakes to find a needle in the haystack UNDER these snakes’ mixed up with his concern and just UGH these two UGH

-the little sound clips of the world engine at various points, like when Bruce is going to the grave in his dream.  *SHAKES FIST TO THE SKY* AAAAAART

-and the angel in the stained glass with a blue tunic and a red cape.

-Okay, Bruce? Comparing Superman to the Joker is like... just flat unfair.

-Lex and Bruce both leave that little threeway meeting with purpose while Clark is just so clearly like ‘...what the fuck just happened?  What the- WHY ARE RICH PEOPLE LIKE THIS?”

-The amount of loathing Bruce has for the Bruce Wayne act conveyed purely through face acting is FABULOUS.  Bathroom excuse bathroom excuse OH MY GOD KILL ME I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS JACKASS I APPARENTLY AM.

-*insert me crying about How Unhappy Clark is re: all the people around him treating him like a savior and the whole reference to the skulls thing and just Clark, honey-*

-Clark needs to watch some cartoons.  Someone should just like... set his dial permanently to happy joyful things because the news is just Not Good.

-Once again, those people with the ‘unfeeling god’ nonsense, what with this unfeeling god calling his mother because he’s feeling lost and confused and he doesn’t know what’s the right thing to do.

-Bruce trying that Selina and Talia line on Diana: LOL.  Diana’s response: ALSO LOL.

-ngl, after certain things happened in GoT, I cannot imagine Clark standing in the flames at the capitol building without the subtitle of ‘...dammit Cersei’

-I will never understand how they ever thought cutting Clark bringing bodies/survivors out of the Capital Building was a scene they could cut.  It is So Vastly Important.  

-Alfred’s just... gonna stand here and watch Bruce become literally everything he hates, yup, up, this is great, this is Scotch scotch scotch scotch scotch scotch scotch and I Don’t Blame Him.

-Back to the ‘Perry White Totally Knows’ comment, that look at Lois while Lois begs for a helicopter?  Right after referencing that Superman is CLEARLY at the ship?  Hell yeah, Perry knows.  Also Perry is the man.

-I will also defend this fight to my dying goddamn day because Snyder knows how to do some beautiful things with cinematography and this is the ugliest, most brutal, painful fight to watch and it GODDAMN SHOULD BE.  Because heroes fighting heroes is ugly, because Bruce is ugly at this point, Clark is so lost and there is nothing really noble or ‘good’ in this fight.  Even Clark who’s fighting to try and save his mother is giving in to his frustration at everything, at the world, at this GUY who’s a giant douche to him in person and hurts people to make them do what he wants and doesn’t care when they die.  And I feel that’s a huge portion of this fight, that both of them feel the other one is apathetic to suffering and it makes them ANGRY.  

-...though I snerk every time at Bruce realizing the Kryptonite’s worn off.  Yeah.  Yeah, buddy.

-Also this most recent rewatch honestly completely changed my view on the Martha line.  I have, since the beginning, thought it was a good, meaningful scene that worked in the context of the movie, but I always thought it was clumsy.  It’s only now, watching it again, really taking in everything around it that I realize it DOES in fact make absolute sense, and it works perfectly.  Because Bruce has just been TALKING about Clark’s parents.  He doesn’t CARE that Clark has parents, doesn’t care that he has a mother and father.  Clark doesn’t say ‘save my mother’ because Bruce is That Far Gone.  But Clark called Bruce by name, KNOWS who he is: he doesn’t just say ‘Martha’ to save his own mother, he says ‘Martha’ because this is literally Clark’s last ditch effort to appeal to the human being named Bruce Wayne inside that batsuit.  He is trying to snap him out of this.  And he is trying to make his mother into a random bystander for Bruce to save so he WILL save her.  He is pointedly disassociating himself from his mother to try and save her; he is saying ‘fine, kill me, but you have to save this innocent woman’.  And it’s only the combination of these things that actually breaks through the 18 months of obsessive hatred.  Honestly, Lois telling him it’s his mother’s name is just icing on the cake, a quicker end.  Clark might have been on his back, with a spear in his face, but Clark Wins That Goddamn Fight because he pulled the play that made Batman into Batman again.

-you know, I’ve been looking forward to Clark coming back and seeing Martha see him and Lois and Bruce but DAMN if I can’t wait for Lex Luthor to see Clark returned to life.  *insert gif of Jason Momoa with the folding chair* 

-Martha waves to the Batwing flying away and that is adorable.

-You’d think the US government was dating Superman considering how many times they decide to fuck him.  FFS, guys.  Let him throw the monster into space without shooting him in the back just ONCE.

-Best. Enter. Player. 2. Moment. Ever.

-Watching Batman play ‘hoooooly shit, dodge dodge dodge dodge’ with Doomsday feels like a kind of karmic return like.  Look, asshole, THIS is what a Kryptonian monster who wants to raze the entire Earth is like and you are SO not even remotely prepared for that fight.

-...I forgot he actually pulls the spike in deeper so that he can stab Doomsday properly because I needed that heart, you know?

-Bruce trying to cover that hole in the suit as he bundles Clark up, totally not thinking about another suit in a glass case in his house, not thinking about the woman he just saved so she can bury her son.  Nope, nope, nope, Bruce Wayne is JUST FINE, thanks for asking.

-The Worst (read most painful) Look Ever between Lois and Diana and you know there’s a part of Diana that’s like ‘at least you get to bury him’.

-AND THERE GO THOSE SHELLS HITTING THE CONCRETE AGAIN, thanks symbolic things that hurt me down to my soul.

-you know, in the comics, Bruce REALLY REALLY hates Lex, like enough to be all right with helping to murder him (yeah, legit) but imagine, if you will, how much he’s gonna hate him NOW.

-Still a goddamn hopeful ending even if it breaks my heart.  ‘Men are still good’.  UGH.  UGH THIS UNIVERSE.

[rptv-starwars]

4 years ago Carrie Fisher passed away - 2016 People Magazine Article:

Iconic Star Wars Actress Carrie Fisher Dies at 60: 'She Was Loved by the World and She Will Be Missed Profoundly

People Magazine

By Lindsay Kimble  •  @lekimble (twitter)

Posted on December 27, 2016 at 12:44pm EST

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Carrie Fisher, the actress best known as Star Wars‘ Princess Leia Organa, has died after suffering a heart attack. She was 60.

Family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement to PEOPLE on behalf of Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd:

“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning,” reads the statement. “She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” says Lourd, 24. “Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”

Fisher was flying from London to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 23, when she went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was treated for a heart attack. She later died in the hospital.

The daughter of renowned entertainers Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Fisher was brought up in the sometimes tumultuous world of film, theater and television.

Escaping Hollywood in 1973, the star enrolled in the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where she spent over a year studying acting.

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Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher (Courtesy Debbie Reynolds)

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Just two years later, though, the bright lights of Hollywood drew her back, and Fisher made her film debut in the Warren Beatty-led Shampoo.

Her role in Star Wars would follow in 1977 – and she detailed the experience, including her on-set affair with costar Harrison Ford, in her latest memoir, The Princess Diarist. She was only 19 when the first installment of the beloved sci-fi franchise was filmed.

Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/REX/Shutterstock 

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In addition to the second and third Star Wars films – and last year��s The Force Awakens – Fisher starred in 1980’s The Blues Brothers, The Man with One Red Shoe, Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986 and, later, When Harry Met Sally.

Steve Larson/The Denver Post via Getty 

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Fisher wed musician Paul Simon in 1983. It was an explosive marriage, according to Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon author Peter Ames Carlin, and was cut short by swinging stages of depression, the actress’s drug use and an array of personal insecurities. The relationship continued, though, on-and-off for several years after the pair divorced in 1984.

Paul Simon and Carrie Fisher (Credit: Ron Galella/WireImage)

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Fisher was candid about her substance abuse issues over the decades, starting at only age 13 when she began smoking marijuana. She said she later dabbled in drugs like cocaine and LSD. Fisher explored her own issues with addiction in her 1987 bestselling, semi-autobiographical novel, Postcards from the Edge, which was later turned into a movie starring Meryl Streep.

“I never could take alcohol. I always said I was allergic to alcohol, and that’s actually a definition to alcoholism — an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind,” Fisher told the Herald-Tribune in 2013. “So I didn’t do other kinds of drugs until I was about 20. Then, by the time I was 21 it was LSD. I didn’t love cocaine, but I wanted to feel any way other than the way I did, so I’d do anything.”

In 1985, Fisher was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and she subsequently became an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness.

Throughout much of the ’90s, Fisher focused on her writing career, publishing Surrender the Pink and Delusions of Grandma. In addition, Fisher helped craft the scripts for numerous Hollywood films, going uncredited, for films like The Wedding Singer, Hook and Sister Act.

Billie Lourd, Fisher’s only child, was born in July 1992. The Scream Queens star’s father, talent agent Bryan Lourd, dated Fisher for three years and is now married to Bruce Bozzi.

Getty

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In 2005, Fisher was recognized with the Women of Vision Award by the Women in Film & Video – DC. Three years later, Fisher’s Wishful Drinking autobiography was turned into a one-woman stage show and eventually an HBO documentary.

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Of returning to the role that launched her career – Leia – for The Force Awakens, Fisher told PEOPLE in 2015, “I knew that something enormous was likely going to impact my life from this film and that there was absolutely no way of understanding what that was or was likely to be.”

The film – which brought Fisher back into the spotlight – earned  her a nomination for the 2016 Saturn Award for best supporting actress. She had already filmed scenes for the next Star Wars installment, Episode VIII, due out in December 2017.

Just last month, Fisher also revealed her surprising on-set affair with Star Wars costar Harrison Ford in The Princess Diarist, telling PEOPLE of the three-month fling during the making of the 1977 movie, “It was so intense.” The memoir, which drew from Fisher’s old diaries and notebooks, brought up mixed feelings for the actress.

“I had forgotten that I’d written them, and I’ve never written diaries sort of like that,” she said. “I write when I’m upset … it was about two or three months of upset.”

Fisher added, “It was sad because I was so insecure, and it’s very raw and obviously I didn’t expect anyone — including myself, I suppose later on — to read it.”

She is survived by her mom Reynolds, daughter Lourd and beloved French bulldog, Gary.

http://people.com/movies/carrie-fisher-dies/

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[supercultshow]

Howdy all you Supercultists out there on the interwebz! I’m Bad Movie Professor Cameron Coker (BS in “Keanu Reeves” with a minor in “The Matrix is better if you watch Bill and Ted first”) and I’ll be posting my hype-tacular speeches every week along with some long-lost speeches from past Supercult Shows!

This week Supercult makes some soup, rummages around in the kitchen for 10 minutes to no avail, then eats the soup with a fork because THERE IS NO SPOON in The Matrix Trilogy! That’s right, we watched all 3 films back to back…because there are no half-measures in matters of the heart. You’re either all in or all out.

Computer programmer Thomas Anderson, known by his hacker alias “Neo”, feels that something is missing from his life. Before long Neo is being hounded by mysterious men in suits, approached by mysterious women in clubs, and swept up in a life or death struggle that begins with the question: What is the Matrix? Will you take the red pill or the blue pill? Suffer and struggle with the truth, or sink back into a comfortable lie? It’s the ultimate sci-fi epic of transformation, freedom, martial arts, and revolutionary special effects. What is the Matrix? No one can be told what the Matrix is. I can only show you the door. You must walk through it.

Now, Supercultists, I could easily spend 20 minutes rattling Matrix trivia, history, and box office statistics at you. You might enjoy it. You might learn something. But it won’t be anything that anyone hasn’t said or heard before. The Matrix was a groundbreaking film that fused western and eastern visual and philosophical influences with the disenfranchisement of the 90s that fueled films like Fight Club and slathered it all in the high-octane action that coursed through Hollywood at the time (The Matrix was released in 1999, within cultural spitting distance from T2: Judgement Day, Bad Boys Die Hard, Rush Hour, and Supercult Classics like Con Air, The Rock, and Face/Off). You know that. I know that. Let’s put it behind us. No, Supercultists, instead I want to talk about Keanu Reeves.

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Born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon, Keanu Charles Reeves’ father abandoned the family when Keanu was 3 years old before his mother moved the family to Sydney, Australia, then New York, USA, and then finally Toronto, Canada. Reeves attended four different high schools in Toronto before dropping out without graduating at age 17, obtaining a green card, and moving to Los Angeles to joining the film industry full time. Early jobs included production assistant, stage work, and acting roles for commercials, TV episodes, and a few bit parts in movies. Keanu made a breakthrough in the 90s with films like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Parenthood, but his popularity began to rise with his roles in Point Break, Speed, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

The Matrix was not Keanu’s first role. It was more like his 40th in 15 years. He was popular, but not a superstar. He wasn’t even the first pick for the starring role. Will Smith was approached for the role of Neo but passed to rejoin the director of Men in Black, Barry Sonnenfeld, for his next project: Supercult Classic Wild Wild West. Instead, Keanu was one of the hardest working dudes on set. Even though he suffered a spinal injury before production (forcing most of his fight choreography to focus on his arms) Keanu still trained just as long and hard as the rest of the crew for the physically demanding film.

The Matrix would propel Keanu from ‘that baby-faced kid who played Bill S. Preston’ to a genuine action star who could pull off lines like, “I know you’re out there. I can feel you now,” and steal fight choreography from Bruce Lee without batting an eye. Hugo Weaving, was an amazing actor before the Matrix and he was and still is an amazing actor. For Lawrence Fishburn the Matrix was a high point in an eclectic career spanning voice acting, Emmy Award winning Television, and Theatre. Carrie-Anne Moss has scored starring roles in many films throughout the 2000s and 2010s, but none of her recent work can hold a candle to the prominence she gained through the Matrix. Meanwhile Keanu gained internet attention through his charitable actions, his humble lifestyle, and his general meme-worthiness all while cranking out film after demanding film. The Keanusance kicked off by the John Wick franchise and evolving into roles in Toy Story 4 and the video game Cyberpunk 2077 can be traced back to Keanu’s near unparalleled perseverance and work ethic. When Tank exclaims ‘He’s a Machine’ during Neo’s virtual training regimen, he’s not just talking about Neo (or foreshadowing Neo’s role in the Machine plot to control humanity), he’s talking about Keanu’s non-stop pace that hasn’t slowed since the 80s.

Hmm? What’s that? You thought you came here to listen to me bash the Matrix sequels because they’re hilariously over-written, over-philosophized, existential rants punctuated by increasingly over-the-top computer-generated slug fests with plot holes the size of Wyoming? Look, Supercultists, you know all that. I know all that. Let’s put it behind us. Instead I’d like to talk about the Wichowski’s and how amaz- what? I’m out of time. Oh, sorry…

Supercult is proud to present, The Matrix Trilogy!

The Matrix Trilogy Howdy all you Supercultists out there on the interwebz! I’m Bad Movie Professor Cameron Coker (BS in “Keanu Reeves” with a minor in “The Matrix is better if you watch Bill and Ted first”) and I’ll be posting my hype-tacular speeches every week along with some long-lost speeches from past Supercult Shows!

[junker-town]

Which NFL players held out from training camp in 2019?

Melvin Gordon, Ezekiel Elliott, and Jadeveon Clowney all skipped training camp in pursuit of contract extensions, with various results.

When NFL training camps opened in July 2018, many of the league’s biggest names steered clear. Le’Veon Bell, Aaron Donald, Khalil Mack, and Earl Thomas all refused to show up due to qualms with their contracts.

Bell never reported, opting instead to sit out an entire season after the Steelers franchised him in back-to-back years.

Donald’s holdout ended with a record-breaking contract from the Rams. And Mack’s ended when he was traded from the Raiders to the Bears and subsequently given the blockbuster deal he wanted too.

Thomas reluctantly showed up without a new contract from the Seahawks and wasn’t shy about voicing his displeasure — most notably when he suffered a broken leg early in the 2018 season that ended his time in Seattle.

There wasn’t quite the same level of star power on the list of holdouts in 2019. But skipping training camp is a common, and usually effective, tactic. A few players gave it a shot.

Here are the 2019 training camp absentees who stretched their holdouts to the regular season, and the notable players who opted against a holdout or got a contract along the way.

6 players who had holdouts

Trent Williams, OT, Washington

Williams signed a huge extension in 2015, but the guaranteed money has been paid, and his contract is down to its final two years. After it appeared as though he’d sit out the entire season due to his discontent with the team he plays for, Williams reported to the team just minutes after the trade deadline ended.

@nflnetwork Trent Williams just reported to Washington Redskins

— OG aka CAPTAIN 23 (@DeAngeloHall23) October 29, 2019

By showing up, Williams avoided his contract tolling over and leaving him with two seasons left on his deal in Washington.

He’s not in a bad spot with $11 million and $12.5 million in base salary for the next two years, although he’ll only see about $5.8 million of his 2019 salary after sitting out half the. season. But many offensive tackles have shifted the market in the last few years and Williams — who turned 31 in July — is running out of time to get another blockbuster deal.

The bigger part of Williams’ complaint has nothing to do with his salary, though. It’s reportedly due to frustration with the Washington medical staff. Williams had a growth on his head surgically removed, and coach Jay Gruden told reporters that the offensive tackle “wished the diagnosis had come a little sooner” from team doctors.

Williams explained his absence from offseason practices in a meeting with team president Bruce Allen.

“I’ve talked to Trent a few times,” Allen told NBC Sports. ”He’s explained some things to me and I’ll leave it at that.”

He’s so frustrated about the situation that NBC Sports Washington reported “he’s not coming back. Period.”

In spite of that hardline stance and a holdout that kept Williams out for the entire preseason, Washington has reportedly rebuffed trade offers and Allen was adamant all along that the offensive tackle would return.

"I THINK TRENT'S GONNA PLAY FOOTBALL"#Redskins team president Bruce Allen goes 1-on-1 with @SherreeBurruss to talk about the latest with Trent Williams' holdout. Tomorrow, Allen talks about Jay Gruden's job security as well as his own, only on @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/B14C09rDdp

— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) August 28, 2019

Williams has been to seven consecutive Pro Bowls, but he hasn’t completed a 16-game season since 2013. Most recently, he missed three games in 2018 due to thumb and rib injuries, and six games in 2017 due to a knee injury. Washington struggled to deal with the absence, and now has journeyman Case Keenum and rookie Dwayne Haskins to protect.

Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers

Los Angeles is in the thick of contention thanks in part to the ageless play of Philip Rivers, but he was without a key component of his offense in training camp and the beginning of the regular season.

It wasn’t until the end of September that Melvin Gordon finally ended a lengthy holdout and reported to the team facility.

Sources: The holdout is ending. #Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is, in fact, reporting to the team tomorrow. He won’t play this week, but he is planning to be back in the fold with his teammates.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 25, 2019

Gordon has been a big part of the Chargers’ offensive revival, recording nearly 4,400 yards from scrimmage the past three seasons. He’s also been a bit unreliable due to injury — he’s only played one full 16-game campaign in his four-year career. He’s currently on the hook for $5.6 million in the fifth year of his rookie contract, but made just under $5 million for the four years preceding it.

His contract demand was a little surprising, but it makes sense. Gordon comes into 2019 with some leverage after making a leap in 2018; his yards-per-carry average rose from a career mark of 3.8 to 5.1 as Los Angeles rose from the outside of the postseason picture and into a spot in the Divisional Round last January. He also contributed a career-high 4.2 catches per game, playing a massive role as headache-reliever for his aging quarterback.

The Chargers have an estimated $39 million in cap space to spend next spring, but a chunk of that will likely be devoted to Rivers, whose contract is up at the end of the year. Players like Joey Bosa and Keenan Allen will also need to be dealt with soon. If the club thinks Gordon’s jump in efficiency last fall isn’t sustainable, it may hold strong against Gordon’s holdout threat.

Los Angeles reportedly held firm at a $10 million per year offer — well behind the $14.375 million average of Todd Gurley — and that led to a trade request.

Chargers RB Melvin Gordon's agent Damarius Bilbo tells me he requested a trade last wk for his client, after the team remained at their initial offer of aprox $10M/ year. GM Tom Telesco told Bilbo, Gordon is still family, but Bilbo was not given permission to seek trade partners.

— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 1, 2019

One that the Chargers eventually gave in to:

Some potentially big news for the #Chargers: They have given the reps for Melvin Gordon permission to seek a trade, sources say. He’ll explore his options, which include returning. But big few days.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2019

Right after that, Chargers GM Tom Telesco announced that the team would not negotiate further with Gordon until after the season. So with no trade brokered, Gordon will evidently have to play 2019 on his current contract.

Given the young tailback’s importance to LA’s offensive identity, the flexibility he brings, and the team’s likely need to keep Rivers happy, an extension seemed logical. Now it appears unlikely.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys

In three seasons in Dallas, Elliott has clearly lived up to his top-five draft status — even if he’s had a few off-field incidents raise issues. He’s averaged 101.2 rushing yards per game with 28 touchdowns and two trips to the Pro Bowl. Keep in mind, Jim Brown is the only player to ever average more than 100 rushing yards per game over the course of his career.

It seemed inevitable that Elliott would be made the highest-paid running back in the NFL at some point. For a while though, he was stuck in the same boat as Jalen Ramsey — another top-five pick from 2016 who wasn’t a top priority because of the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

The Cowboys are also preoccupied with locking down Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, but Elliott wanted his discounted salary addressed. He privately said earlier in the summer that would hold out of training camp unless he gets a new contract, according to Pro Football Talk. Then he followed through on that and did not join the team at all during the preseason.

It was a long process for Dallas and Elliott to reach an agreement. First, Elliott was offered a deal that doesn’t top the one Todd Gurley received from the Rams in 2018.

Sources: The most recent offer in negotiations between holdout Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys came from the team. Elliott has been offered a contract making him one of the NFL’s 2 highest-paid RB. That would suggest team offering more than LeVeon Bell and less than Todd Gurley.

— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) August 22, 2019

After Cowboys rookie running back Tony Pollard rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams, owner Jerry Jones said “Zeke who?” — in a joking manner — when he was asked about Pollard being his best negotiator.

Yes, Jerry Jones said "Zeke who", when asked if Tony Pollard is his "best negotiator". But... this is the full "Zeke who?" sound bite from Jerry, complete with the necessary context of his follow-up to the joke, saying the #Cowboys need both Zeke Elliott and Tony Pollard. pic.twitter.com/yDiZnlwwke

— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) August 18, 2019

Predictably, Elliott and his agent didn’t find the joke all that funny.

It drew a few laughs but neither @EzekielElliott nor agent Rocky Arceneaux found @Cowboys Jerry Jones' quip "Zeke who?" as amusing. Arceneaux: "I didn't think it was funny and neither did Zeke - we actually thought it was disrespectful."

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) August 19, 2019

Pollard was impressive for the Cowboys this preseason and would’ve started if Elliott didn’t report by Week 1, though Jones wasn’t too worried about that:

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't seem unnerved on @1053thefan with possibility team could start 2019 without RB Ezekiel Elliott. "We've got a marathon here. We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we're in the dog days of the season."

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 28, 2019

Ahead of the start of the regular season, the Cowboys finally started making progress on a deal. The negotiations came down to the wire, though.

Then on Sept. 4, Elliott and the Cowboys agreed to a six-year, $90 million deal, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL.

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Texans

The No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft may not be the unstoppable sack machine that many expected him to be, but Clowney has emerged as a three-time Pro Bowler. He’s valuable enough that the Texans gave him a franchise tag that guarantees him $15.967 million in 2019.

That’s a good pay day for Clowney. The problem is that it lacks long-term security and is below market value for the position. He stayed away from camp and sat out all of preseason before he was traded to the Seahawks a week before the start of the regular season.

The situation was bungled by Houston, which got only a third-round pick and two backup linebackers in exchange for one of the NFL’s better defensive players.

It didn’t help negotiations when the Texans fired general manager Brian Gaine in June and bungled their attempts to replace him. That left interim general manager Chris Olsen and coach Bill O’Brien about a month to work on a deal with Clowney.

Bill O'Brien on Jadeveon Clowney and if Brian Gaine firing affects anything with his status going forward: 'He's been franchised. He's not here. It is what it is.'

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 11, 2019

With Clowney opting against signing his franchise tender, the Texans weren’t be able to fine him for missing training camp practices. Clowney took his holdout a step further by firing his agent Bus Cook just prior to the trade getting done.

Jadeveon Clowney fired veteran agent Bus Cook, according to league sources today. Texans unsigned franchise player extremely frustrated with situation has five days before he can hire new agent

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 27, 2019

Now he’s a member of the Seahawks.

Michael Thomas, WR, Saints

Not many people were expecting Thomas to hold out. Mostly because he was adamant all offseason that it’s not his style.

“I’m a football player first — I like being at work.” Thomas told ESPN in May. “I feel pretty certain that everything will get taken care of and handled professionally. This is how I approach the game and how I show up to work the same way, and everything else will take care of itself.”

So even though he was a surprising member of the holdout club, his gambit paid off in a big way. Thomas was set to make a laughably low $1.148 million for the 2019 season. His absence set new contract negotiations in motion in New Orleans — and he left the table with the richest deal a wide receiver’s ever seen.

Thomas and the Saints came to terns on an extension that will pay the young wideout $100 million over five years, with $61 million of that guaranteed. It’s the largest deal any wide receiver has ever earned in NFL history, eclipsing the five year, $90 million contract Odell Beckham signed with the Giants in 2018.

Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jaguars

Jacksonville appears to have prioritized an extension for Ngakoue ahead of a deal for cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

That makes sense, considering both were drafted in 2016 but Ramsey was the first-round pick. That means he had a fifth-year option on his contract that keeps him locked up through the 2020 season. Ngakoue is entering the last year of his rookie deal, so his contract situation is a more immediate hurdle for the Jaguars to clear.

Ngakoue sat out offseason workouts earlier this year for that reason.

Statement from Jaguars’ DE Yannick Ngakoue: “I will not be attending minicamp as my contract has not been resolved. I remain committed to Jacksonville, the fans and my teammates. My hope is to be with Jacksonville for years to come.”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 10, 2019

In three seasons with the Jaguars, Ngakoue has 29.5 sacks and one trip to the Pro Bowl. That kind of production should put him in the same tier as Demarcus Lawrence, Frank Clark, Trey Flowers, and Dee Ford — each of whom got a pricy five-year deal in 2019 that averaged between $17.1 and $21 million.

A training camp holdout started, and he looked like a player who could’ve considered dragging his contract dispute into September. But with no deal in sight and an upcoming risk of not reaching unrestricted free agency, Ngakoue decided to reverse course.

Now he’s not ruling out a contract extension with the team, but he doesn’t sound too optimistic.

#Jaguars DE Yannick Ngakoue: "They had a chance to sign me for a long-term deal but it didn't get done. It is what it is. I love football, love my teammates, and I'm here to play games." Could a deal get done before the season? "It's out of my hands. I don't even know."

— Phillip Heilman (@phillip_heilman) August 4, 2019

Ngakoue is scheduled to become a free agent in March.

6 notable players who opted against a holdout

Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs

Kansas City did some high-stakes tinkering with its pass rush during the offseason, shipping Dee Ford to the 49ers and filling his role by trading for Frank Clark. But the real centerpiece of the Chiefs’ defense is Jones, who had 15.5 sacks in 2018.

With his contract expiring after the 2019 season, Jones skipped offseason practices this spring. The Chiefs responded to the absence by playing hardball.

From Up to the Minute Live: The #Chiefs have mandatory minicamp without DT Chris Jones, who wants a new contract. Sounds like KC won't negotiate until Jones shows up. pic.twitter.com/k5EMeGFxyG

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 11, 2019

The good news for the Chiefs was that Jones had a reason to show up shortly after training camp opens. If he didn’t arrive to camp by Aug. 6, he would’ve been set to reach restricted free agency next year rather than unrestricted free agency.

Camp opens for the Chiefs on July 24, so Jones would have been rolling the dice if he didn’t show up within the first couple weeks. Aaron Donald faced the same situation in 2018 and blew through the deadline in pursuit of a new contract.

He still didn’t show up until the Rams gave him a record-breaking deal on the last day of August.

Jones took the opposite strategy and arrived for camp, although he made it clear that he isn’t going to get any cheaper.

Per the Katz. brothers regarding Chris Jones, who is now reporting to camp on time: “He knows his value and if he has to play out his deal in order to reach free agency, then that’s what he will do. For now, he’s focused on winning a Super Bowl for Kansas City.”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2019

Robbie Gould, K, 49ers

There aren’t many examples of kickers holding out, but Gould made it clear that San Francisco isn’t a place he wants to be. He requested a trade in April and told the 49ers that he won’t negotiate a long-term deal ahead of the July 15 deadline for an extension.

In a turn of events, 49ers’ franchise kicker Robbie Gould has pulled his contract proposals that he sent to San Francisco and told the team he will not negotiate or sign a long-term deal with them, and he would like to be traded, Gould said Tuesday.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 23, 2019

The 49ers didn’t take long to deny the trade request:

Will you trade Robbie Gould? “No.” - Kyle Shanahan

— Jennifer Lee Chan (@jenniferleechan) April 26, 2019

Kickers are often cogs that are easy to replace, but Gould has some leverage after leading the NFL in field goal percentage in 2019 by nailing 33 of his 34 tries. That was enough to more than double the average annual salary of his last contract and make him one of the highest paid specialists in the game this fall.

The 49ers were able to change Gould’s mind and avoid a holdout by inking him to a four-year deal to stay in the Bay Area.

Details on Robbie Gould’s extension with #49ers: It’s 2 years, $10.5M fully guaranteed at signing. Team must decide whether to fully guarantee half his $4.5M salary for 2021 before Week 16 of 2020 season, and the other half by the following April. Full deal 4 years, $19M.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 15, 2019

That resolved the issue before it ever reached training camp.

Bobby Wagner, LB, Seahawks

As far as holdouts go, Wagner’s hunt for a new contract has been as amicable as possible. The linebacker chose against practicing in OTAs, but still showed up at the facility and participated without going on the field.

“He handled it beautifully,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters, via 247Sports. “Bobby’s an incredible player in this program. Everything that he does, his presence is obvious. He’s been around for everything. He’s been involved with everything and he’s handled it exactly the way he should under these circumstances.”

Things may get a little more contentious when it gets closer to the season, though. Wagner is arguably the best linebacker in the NFL, but now he has serious leverage for a pay raise thanks to C.J. Mosley. The Jets gave Mosley a five-year contract that averages $17 million per year — waaaaay more than Luke Kuechly’s $12.36 million average that previously reigned as the top salary for an inside linebacker.

Wagner is entering the final year of his contract and remains an integral part of the Seahawks. The defense has undergone a transformation in the wake of the Legion of Boom’s demise, and Wagner’s been the player who has held the unit together through the transition.

But it’s going to be a tough negotiation, thanks in no small part to Mosley’s outlier of a contract.

Wagner’s expected to show up, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll fully participate. His previous strategy of staying off the practice field could extend into training camp too.

#Seahawks star LB Bobby Wagner is expected to show up for training camp tomorrow, sources say, because of the kind of leader he is and wanting to be there with his teammates. He may not put himself in harm’s way until a deal gets done, and he’ll be cautious. But he’ll be there.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 23, 2019

For now, he belongs in this bottom tier of non-holdouts, but that could still change depending on his participation.

Julio Jones, WR, Falcons

The Falcons placated Jones last year when he opted to skip out on the beginning of training camp. While the star receiver didn’t get the huge contract he was aiming for, the Falcons shifted money around on the deal to give him more money in 2018.

“We have come to an agreement with Julio, and we will re-address everything in 2019,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said in a statement at the time.

Well now it’s well into 2019 and the contract still hasn’t been re-addressed. There was a report in April that a deal was close to finished, but nothing came of that. Jones then sat out OTAs, setting the table for a training camp holdout. Instead, he showed up.

I want to be the best teammate I can possibly be, Julio says. That’s his focus right now, not the noise about his contract.

— Jeañña (@jeannathomas) July 24, 2019

After five straight Pro Bowl seasons with at least 1,400 receiving yards each, Jones isn’t going to come cheap. He’ll probably want a contract that eclipses the $18 million per year that was awarded to Odell Beckham Jr. last year.

There’s not much reason to believe the Falcons won’t pay up, so Jones trusted that he didn’t need to steer clear.

Darius Slay, CB, Lions

On the list of underpaid players coming up on the end of their contracts, Slay is in a different situation. He signed an extension in 2016 and still has two years left with base salaries of $12.55 million and $10 million on the way.

Since signing that deal, Slay has been to the Pro Bowl two times while several other cornerbacks got more lucrative contracts. He’s also gone through the guaranteed portions of the deal.

Now Slay’s angling for another contract that pays him like the elite cornerback that he is and gives him some security. And threatening to skip some of training camp was part of his strategy.

“Will I be there?” Slay said of training camp on a podcast in June, via the Detroit Free Press. “We’ll see. Time will tell.”

Ultimately, he decided not to follow through on that.

#Lions CB Darius Slay also will report, source said. Detroit at full strength for start of camp. https://t.co/6lycY14LLV

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 23, 2019

With two years left on his deal, Detroit doesn’t need to do Slay any favors and restructure it. But the Lions are also sitting pretty with over $23 million in cap space and can afford to kick one of their best players a little more. It just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen this year.

Duke Johnson, RB, Browns

Johnson is on the hunt for a new uniform more than a new contract. The Browns running back says his goal is “to be somewhere [where he’s] wanted.”

Duke Johnson Jr. explains his trade request & why he doesn’t feel wanted by #Browns anymore pic.twitter.com/EyRQ5MNiaY

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) June 4, 2019

The Browns — like the 49ers with Robbie Gould — haven’t been very receptive of the request:

#Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens minces NO words w/ us on unhappy RB Duke Johnson: “He wants to be traded. I want to win the lottery. It doesn’t matter. He’s under contract. He’s a Cleveland Brown he’s going to be used to the best of his ability in what benefits the team.”

— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) June 4, 2019

Johnson is currently set to be Nick Chubb’s backup in Cleveland, and his touches will likely decline when an eight-game suspension for Kareem Hunt is up. Johnson finished the 2018 season with just 40 rushing attempts, despite averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He contributed a little more in the pass game with 47 receptions, but that was down from 74 receptions in 2017.

While his trade demands haven’t gone anywhere, Johnson showed up for minicamp and now training camp too.

#Browns RB Duke Johnson, who has requested a trade from Cleveland, will report to the #Browns for training camp today, source said. His situation remains fluid, but he will be present.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 24, 2019

His presence at training camp doesn’t mean he’s happy with his situation in Cleveland, though.

Update: Johnson was traded to the Houston Texans on August 8 in exchange for a conditional fourth round pick that can be bumped up to a third round pick if he plays 10 games.

Browns trade RB Duke Johnson to @HoustonTexans for a conditional 2020 fourth-round pick. (via @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/kYx8JN2Dty

— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2019

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND March 15, 2019  - WONDER PARK, CAPTIVE STATE, FIVE FEET APART

Since I’m writing quite a bit about the wide releases over at my regular gig at The Beat, I’m not sure what more I can say here.  Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is clearly going to be the victor here, but I’ve only seen one of the new wide releases.

Probably the strongest of the new offerings is Paramount’s WONDER PARK, an animated family film featuring the voices of Jennifer Garner, Mila Kunis, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong, Matthew Broderick, John Oliver and many more. It’s also the only animated movie ever to be made without a director – at least, there is none credited, which is never a good sign for a movie, as it generally means problems in production. Generally, kids won’t care about that and it looks like a fun premise with a lot of talking animals that I personally will never ever see.

The young adult romantic drama FIVE FEET APART, the latest from CBS Films, stars Cole Sprouse from Riverdale and Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Haley Lu Richardson from Split and awesome movies like Support the Girls, The Edge of Seventeen and Operation Finale. This is a teen drama in the vein of Josh Boone’s The Fault In Her Stars to the point where I feel it might be a direct rip-off of it, but since I haven’t actually seen it, I’m going to assume that this is a romance between two young people who need to remain five feet apart, and I’m not sure you can even get to first base at that distance.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt returns with the sci-fi thriller CAPTIVE STATE (Focus Features), is the one movie of the weekend I did see, and that’s an interesting look at an alien incursion nine years after they’ve arrived. It takes place in Chicago and has an interesting cast that includes John Goodman, Vera Farmiga, Ashton Sanders and many more, and it’s a much slower cerebral affair than the typical alien invasion movie, one more dealing with an underground human rebellion wanting to take it to the aliens and their human government allies.

You can also read my interview with Wyatt over at The Beat.

Mini-Review: I was definitely intrigued by the premise for this sci-fi thriller since I’ve always found Rupert Wyatt to be a thoughtful and intelligent filmmaker, and this was something he conceived with his wife and co-writer Erica Beeney.

It starts with an alien invasion that’s shown in a rather quizzical way where we don’t exactly know what’s happening, but over the opening title credits, we get a lot of information about the alien incursion and how it affected the people of earth. The story is focused on Chicago nine years after the invasion with part of the city declared a Closed Area which the aliens have taken over as their own.

John Goodman plays a police detective who is trying to track down the mysterious “Phoenix” who is leading the rebellion against the aliens, while Ashton Sanders is a young man whose parents were killed by the alien invaders with his older brother missing. How these two will be brought together is part of what keeps the movie compelling, but Wyatt doesn’t go out of his way to make clear exactly what is happening or how the aliens affected those in the city. That’s stuff you learn as the film goes along, and it makes Captive State more of a challenging sci-fi films rather than the typical action movie in which the humans fight against CG aliens (ala Starship Troopers and Battle L.A.)

The casting is particularly interesting since it’s been a long time since we’ve seen John Goodman in anything close to a leading role, even though he used to do plenty of them in the ‘80s and ‘90s. (Who could forget Arachnophobia?) I also thought Ashton Sanders was much better in this than he was in Moonlight, where I thought his segment really suffered. It’s clear that he’s improved greatly as an actor, and he does decently as the film’s lynchpin to which audiences can relate. Personally, I love Vera Farmiga, and I wish there was more of her in the movie, but her role is one of the film’s bigger twists, so it makes sense that she doesn’t appear more.

It’s pretty obvious that (despite the way it’s being marketed) Captive State is not meant as science fiction film for the masses, but rather, one meant for dedicated sci-fi fans who read novels and want to be challenged intellectually. It may take a good hour before you can get into what Wyatt was trying to do, but he’s created a strong movie about revolting against oppression during a time when many are being oppressed on a daily basis, so in that regards, it’s fairly timely. Rating: 7/10

Lionsgate’s LatinX subsidiary Pantelion Films will release NO MANCHES FRIDA 2, the sequel to the 2016 comedy hit, which grossed about $11.5 million without ever being in more than 500 theaters. I never saw the original so I’ll probably never see this one, and we might as well just go straight to the…

LIMITED RELEASES

There are a few decent movies in select cities this weekend including Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s directorial debut THE MUSTANG (Focus Features), starring Matthias Schoenaerts as Roman, a convict in a Nevada prison with anger issues who tries to escape his violent past by joining the prison’s horse-training program. Led by Bruce Dern and bonding with a fellow inmate played by Jason Mitchell, Roman quickly takes to his horse and uses the bonding experience. This was a really wonderful movie, and it’s a shame that it didn’t come out last year with the other wonderful horse movies, Chloe Zhao’s The Rider and Lean on Pete, as it would have fit right in. But this also has the element of redemption and growth that I appreciate from modern-day prison movies, and this joins Shot Caller and O.G.as some of the better prison-related character dramas.  Exec. produced by Robert Redford, the movie will open in New York and L.A. this weekend and hopefully it will expand later. Good news! I just learned that Focus plans on expanding the movie nationwide (probably a couple hundred theaters) on March 29!

Another movie I quite enjoyed for reasons I’ll explain is the historical drama THE AFTERMATH (Fox Searchlight), directed by James Kent (Testament of Youth) and starring Jason Clarke and Keira Knightley as Col. Lewis and Rachel Morgan, a British officer and his wife who have moved into a luxurious mansion in Hamburg, Germany following WWII. The mansion is owned by a German widower, played by Alexander Skarsgard, who they allow to remain there with his daughter. As Lewis is pulled further and further into his work to uncover Nazi rebels, Rachel gets closer to the owner of the house. So yes, this is a fairly typical WWII drama similar to ohers Knigthley has done before, but I was particularly interested in it, since my father was born in Hamburg, and I had gone back there to see his childhood home, which had been rebuilt after being bombed in the British air raids. So I had this connection, but then I generally love Knightley and like Skarsgard anyway, and they were quite good in the film, which deals with the personal lives of these people while also dealing with the bigger story of the Germans and British trying to recover after a brutal war that left many dead. In other words, this is totally my kind of movie, and if it’s something that sounds interesting, it will open in select cities on Friday. 

My Interview with James Kent

Fresh off his “Saturday Night Live” debut, Idris Elba makes his directorial debut with YARDIE (Rialto Pictures), a movie set in ‘70s Kingston Jamaica and 19802 Hackney (a Jamaican community in London)that’s based on the novel by Victor Headley. It centers around the world of Jamaican narcotics syndicates and a courier named D (Aml Ameen from The Maze Runner) who wants revenge for his brother’s murder.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Chinese auteur Jia Zhang-Ke, but oddly, I really liked his new movie ASH IS PUREST WHITE (Cohen Media) when it played at the New York Film Festival last year. It’s more of a crime film ala the work of Johnny To looking at the jianghu gangs within a small mining town and the relationship between a mob boss and his wife, played by Lao Fin and Zhao Tao. It’s a really good film from China that’s especially memorable for the transformative performance by Zhao Tao as the film covers many decades in her life. The movie will open in New York, L.A. and San Francisco this weekend.

Opening at the Film Forum Wednesday is REZO, a wonderful Russian animated doc by Leo Gabriadze about his father, filmmaker and puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze, that’s exec. producer by Russia’ Michael Bay, Timur Bekmambetov. In the film, Rezo talks about his interesting life after WWII when the family takes in a German POW, much to the ire of his father, but the stories are told in entertaining ways with quirky animation to illustrate them, and I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would. The film is being shown with the Russian animated short Tale of Tales by Yuri Norstein, which is definitely a strange one, having been made in 1979 but not really appearing on the film festival circuit until 2002, as Norstein was caught behind the Wall of Communism and unable to travel to receive the awards the film received.

An odd release by Warner Bros is the sort-of-sequel Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, which normally would be straight to home entertainment but is actually getting a substantial theatrical release. Unlike the 2007 Nancy Drew, which starred a young(er) Emma Roberts in the title role, this one stars Sophia Lillis (Beverly from 2017’s Itmovie) and is directed by ‘80s and ‘90s genre filmmaker Katt Shea (Poison Ivy), so it should be an interesting bit of counter-programming for younger girls. Again, I have no idea how many theaters this will be in, as I’ve heard NADA about this from my Warner Bros. contacts, but hey, if you’re a fan of the character it’s another option.

I’m really interested in the Western Never Grow Old (Lionsgate/Saban Films), starring Emile Hirsch and John Cusack, mainly because I loved director Ivan Kavanagh’s earlier horror film The Canal. The film takes place in the frontier town of Garlow when a vicious Dutch outlaw (Cusack) arrives with his gang, and the local undertaker (Hirsch) has to decide whether to keep taking the blood money from burying their victims or do something about it. I expect this will get the usual Saban limited release but mainly be seen on VOD.

Hey, look! Alexander Skarsgard is in ANOTHER movie this weekend! The Hummingbird Project (The Orchard) from Canadian director Kim Nguyen (War Witch) stars Skarsgard and Jesse Eisenberg as New York cousins playing the high-stakes game of High-Frequency Trading who want to build a fire optic line between Kansas and New Jersey. It also stars Salma Hayek as their old boss who wants to stop the duo from making millions. Again, select cities and VOD.

Daredevil and Ghost Rider director Mark Steven Johnson returns with Finding Steve McQueen (not to be confused with the recent digital release Chasing Bullitt), starring Travis Fimmel, Rachael Taylor, William Fichtner, Lily Rabe and Forest Whitaker. It’s about a gang of thieves looking to steal $30 million in illegal campaign contributions to President Richard Nixon who become the subjects of an FBI manhunt. It opens in select theaters as well as On Demand.

Netflix is giving The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock’s Highwaymen, starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as the Texas Rangers who brought down Bonnie and Clyde, a release into select theaters on Friday before its streaming debut on March 29. Like last week’s Triple Frontier, I haven’t seen the movie yet, though I hope to see it before its streaming release. We’ll see if that happens.

Marc Cousins’ doc The Eyes of Orson Welles will open at the IFC Center on Friday, as Cousins was given unprecedented access to some of Welles’ sketches, paintings and drawings to help learn more about the enigmatic filmmaker’s inner life.

Opening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklynthis Friday and at the Landmark Nuartin L.A. on Friday 22 is Yann Gonzalez’s trashy sexploitation movie Knife + Heart, which premiered at Fantastic Fest last September. The former Mrs. Johnny Depp Vanessa Paradis plays Ann, a woman whose relationship with her editor (Kate Moran) is over just as someone is going around killing the actors in her low-budget gay porn production company. So she puts the murders into her new film “Homo-cide.”

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

This Friday, the Metrograph will open a restoration of the late Nietzchka Keene’s 1990 directorial debut The Juniper Tree (Arbelos Films), starring pop superstar Bjork while she was 21 and still a part of the Icelandic group The Sugarcubes. She plays a young woman on the run with her sister from persecutors who killed their mother as a witch. This week’s Late Nites at Metrographoffering is Catherine Breillat’s 2001 film Fat Girl, a fantastic drama worth seeing. Playtime: Family Matineesis going with Ishiro Honda’s 1954 monster movie classic… go-go-Godzilla! That will play on Saturday and Sunday at 11AM, and I will definitely be at one of those shows. (I guess the Metrograph are also showing The Last Unicornone more time since it did so well last weekend.

THE NEW BEVERLY  (L.A.):

Tarantino’s repertory theater has another amazing and varied week beginning with Joan Crawford’sMildred Pierce  (1945) on Wednesday, then double features of Cliff Robertson’s  J.W. Coop (1971) and Patrick Murphy’s 1972 thriller Riding Tall on Weds. and Thursday, Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (1975) and Carl Reiner’s 1982 comedy Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, starring Steve Martin, on Friday and Saturday, and then Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959) and John Wayne’s The Quiet Man  (1952) on Sunday and Monday. This weekend’s midnight offerings are Tarantino’s own Kill Bill Vol. 1  (2004) on Friday night and the 1976 comedyTunnel Vision, starring Chevy Chase, John Candy, Larraine Newman and more on Saturday night. The weekend’s Kiddee Matinee is George Miller’s 1982 filmThe Man from Snowy River, starring Kirk Douglas, while the 1999 survival thriller Ravenous will screen on Monday. Tuesday night’s Grindhouse double feature is The Slumber Party Massacre  (1982) and Sorority House Massacre  (1986).

FILM FORUM (NYC):

Bob & Wray: A Hollywood Love Story starts this Friday and running through April 2, looking at the films of married couple, screenwriter Rob Riskin and actor Fay Wray. It kicks off Friday with a double feature of Frank Capra’s 1934 film It Happened One Night, written by Riskin, and It Happened in Hollywood starring Wray. Friday will be a screening of The Wedding March (1928) introduced by Victoria Riskin (with live piano accompaniment). Saturday sees a double feature of King Kong with It Happened One Night, and then Sunday and Monday sees a double feature of Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and Platinum Blonde (1931), which I might go see. This weekend’s Film Forum Jr. is Frank Capra’s 1937 film Lost Horizon, which was also adapted by Riskin. (In theory, one could do a Frank Capra TRIPLE feature on Sunday.)

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

The American Cinematique’s rep theater is screening Norman Jewison’s Oscar-winning 1967 film In the Heat of the Night, starring Sidney Poitier, as part of the Greg Proops Film Club Podcast. The theater is also kicking off an Alex Cox retrospective (with Cox in person) including double features of Highway Patrolman (1991) and Walker  (1987) on Friday, and my personal favorite Repo Man  (1984) with Cox’s new film Tombstone Rashomon on Saturday. On Sunday, the theater will present the St. Patrick Swayze Day double featureRoad House  (1989) and Point Break (1991).

AERO  (LA):

Meanwhile, at the American Cinematique’s other theater, they’re doing a series of 3-D Favorites, including Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder  (1954) and The Glass Web (1953) on Thursday, Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), starring the late Julie Adams (with her son introducing the film) on Saturday. Also, Jean-Luc Godard’s 2014 film Goodbye to Languagewill screen Saturday, and then Sunday will be a special presentation of Walt Disney Animation Studios: Immersive Storytelling through 3-D Cinematography. Wrapping up the Hitchcock, Truffaut and Jones series with Kent Jones’s doc Hitchcock/Truffaut (see? I was right!!!) and Hitchcock’s 1942 movie Saboteur.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

The Quad is finishing up its Amour or Less: A Blier Buffet series in time for the new restoration of Blier’s 1978 film Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (Cohen Film), as well as showing Blier’s 1983 rom-com My Best Friend’s Girl on Thursday and Friday nights.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

This weekends offerings are: Waverly Midnights: The Feds  presents Mike Newell’s 1997 crime-comedy Donnie Brasco, starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. Weekend Classics: Early Godard takes another weekend off but the weekend’s Late Night Favorites is Bruce Willis’ Die Hard, as well as David Lynch’s Eraserhead and once again... Ridley Scott’s Alien.

MOMA (NYC):

This week’s Modern Matinees: B is for Bacallofferings are 1948’s Key Largoon Weds, Young Man with a Horn (1950) on Thursday and Sidney Lumet’s 1974 Murder on the Orient Expresson Friday. (I might actually go see the latter, so if you go, come over and say “Hi!”) William Fox Presents More Restorations and Rediscoveries from the Fox Film Corporation continues with John Ford’s 1926 movie 3 Bad Men and 1931’s Quick MIllions on Wednesday, While New York Sleeps (1920) and John Ford’s Riley the Cop (1928) on Thursday and much more running through the weekend.

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

On Saturday, MOMI is showing Creature of the Black Lagoon with a post-screening conversation with Mallory O’Meara who wrote The Lady from the Black Lagoonand my pal Grady Hendrix. Saturday also begins a Tribute to Bruno Ganz, the late Swiss actor with screenings of Wim Wenders’ The American Friend  (1977) on Saturday and Sunday, as well as Wnders’ Wings of Desire(1987) on Sunday.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

This Friday’s midnight offering is Sam Raimi’s 1987 horror classic Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, starring Bruce Campbell.

STREAMING AND CABLE

I still haven’t seen J.C. Chandor’s TRIPLE FRONTIER (thanks a lot, Netflix!), but the heist thriller, written by Oscar winner Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker), stars Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Garrett Hedlund and Charlie Hunnam as a group of special ops soldiers planning a heist, and it’s already on the streaming network. I’ve actually seen TV commercials for it, but it looks like I’ll have to watch this on my tiny television rather than in theater, which is a bummer since it looks like a good big screen movie. (Maybe Spielberg is right?) This Friday, the streaming network will also be debuting the fifth and final season of Arrested Development … but does anyone even care anymore? Netflix will also premiere the first season of Turn Up Charlie starring Idris Elba (he’s just everywhere!) as a struggling DJ.

I haven’t had a chance to watch Alex Gibney’s The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley yet, but it will premiere on HBO on Monday, and on Sunday, Showtime will present the new season of Billions, another show that I haven’t watched yet, but they shot some stuff for the new season on my block!

Next week’s big new release is Jordan Peele’s horror film Us, starring Lupita Nyong’o, which will hope to continue the success the filmmaker had with 2017’s Get Out.

[thewolfmancometh]

Glass (2019) [REVIEW]

I saw Unbreakable in theaters back in 2000 and instantly thought it was awesome, despite not being the horror movie I anticipated. I enjoyed Split even more, despite knowing the big reveal that the film was secretly a sequel to Unbreakable. In other words, I was stoked as hell to check out Glass, though I was also trepidatious given writer/director M. Night Shyamalan‘s 50/50 success rate. Having seen Glass, I can confirm that the film absolutely has some rad stuff in it, but it also completely squanders any potential it had been granted with Split and delivers an underwhelming conclusion to a series that kicked off nearly two decades ago.

David Dunn (Bruce Willis) discovered in Unbreakable that he was nearly invulnerable, as well as super strong, using his abilities to help those in need. He’s considered a “vigilante,” even if he manages to track down Kevin Crumb (James McAvoy) and rescue multiple girls that Crumb kidnapped in service of one of his many personalities, the supernaturally strong “The Beast.” Authorities don’t take too kindly to either activity, which gets them both locked into a mental institution with Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who’s smart as hell but has goddamn bird bones. As you can imagine, the bad guys work together to figure out a way to break free to fight the good guy, and–blah, blah, blah, you got your movie.

The first act of this movie, up until Dunn and Beast are incarcerated, is quite good. It gives us everything we liked about Split, with a bonus David Dunn, getting our hopes up that the entire movie will also be, as they say, “good.” Boy oh boy, we are then in for a ride on the “Boring Express.” All of the actors are giving their best, with McAvoy delivering even more wacky characters than we got in Split. Willis and Jackson are both fine, while Sarah Paulson makes a welcome addition, if for no other reason than to break up Willis’ glowering and Jackson being rendered catatonic due to all the drugs his character has been given. Anya Taylor-Joy just kind of exists and could have easily been cut from the movie. In fact, most things in the movie will make you say, “Well, THIS thing could have been cut from the movie,” but there’s absolutely an entertaining 90 minutes in there!

The film’s biggest failure is that it feels like it was written by a kid who wanted to explore the idea of “What if superheroes were real?” back in, say, 1995, when Marvel Comics was on the brink of bankruptcy and he hoped to inspire audiences to look within ourselves to see what we’re capable of while also promoting the effectiveness of comic books as a medium. Now, take that script, put it in a time capsule, and open it up in 2018, and some things might feel a little…off. In addition to this script likely having references to Surge soda and Chumbawumba needle drops, all of the dialogue would feel incredibly pandering and redundant. In the 20 years since Unbreakable came out, few things have become more popular than comic books and superhero movies, but Glass seems oblivious to that. Had this film and/or Split come out in the mid-2000s, it would likely have been much more effective, as we hadn’t been given things like The Dark Knight, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe, Sin City, Dredd, or dozens more comic book movie adaptations spanning all genres. In fact, we got a Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a month ago, which explores themes of everyone having the power inside them to be a hero, which used Miles Morales as its Spider-Man because we have so many Spider-Man movies that we’re all goddamn sick of them. Tell that to the Surge-drinking Chumbawumba-listener in 1995 and he might tweak his script!

I’ve been saying for years (though no one cares to listen) that Shyamalan is an incredibly talented director and a mediocre writer. Rather, when he’s earned success, he runs out of people trying to control him, and he leans into countless self-serving ideas. Even The Happening, for example, has some powerful moments, yet the story itself is wonky as hell. The first act of Glass shows audiences what made Shyamalan such a phenom, thanks in large part to the actions of The Beast. Once the character is taken out of the darkness, he’s a shirtless man huffing and puffing like a maniac in less of a terrifying way and more of a “Wow this dude in the Panera parking lot is still really worked up from his Crossfit class” sort of way. It just doesn’t work, but it feels like no one was there to tell Shyamalan it didn’t work because, “Hey, you made Split! Great job, go nuts!”

As a standalone film, Glass is completely harmless. It’s not great, but there are still a lot of fun moments buried in there, with McAvoy being the highlight. As a sequel to Split, the film is somewhat frustrating and suffers from setbacks that countless sequels suffer by trying to go bigger and forgetting what actually makes the film work. As the conclusion to a trilogy that started 20 years ago, it’s too little, too late, reminding me of a film like Scream 4 by being totally serviceable, yet the anticipation of a “final chapter” overshadowing the film’s actual merits, or lack thereof. This trilogy of films, which is reportedly called the Eastrail #177 Trilogy because that’s the train David Dunn is on in Unbreakable, runs parallel to a trilogy like the X-Men films. The first chapter is better than it has any right to be, the second film is quite good, and the third film fails as both the conclusion of a trilogy and as a movie in it of itself, making you wonder how things could go so wrong so fast.

In other words, Glass ain’t great, but there’s no reason to get too upset about it, because Split is still available and that movie friggin’ rips.

Wolfman Moon Scale

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[livinginlandmarketing]

At the heart of the state’s latest coronavirus stay-at-home orders, which Southern California triggered over the weekend, sits a single metric:

Available intensive-care unit beds.

That metric, established by the California Department of Public Health, is the most-recent wonky medical term to take a starring role in gauging the state’s fight against the coronavirus — and it is one that officials say is key to preventing the healthcare system from being overrun.

Under the new state policy in California, the stay-at-home order goes into effect within 48 hours of available ICU beds in a given region — of which there are five — falling below 15%. Southern California dipped below that threshold on Friday. The shutdown began late Sunday and will last at least three weeks, with indoor and outdoor dining banned, hair and nail salons shuttered, and retail stores capped at 20% occupancy.

Health officials say having enough ICU beds — a national challenge of late — is important in fighting the renewed surge in cases and hospitalizations that has battered California in recent weeks. That’s because, health officials say, those critical-care units are where the sickest coronavirus patients receive specialized attention with machines such as ventilators, and where only doctors and nurses with specific training treat patients.

But questions remain:

Why did state officials key in on ICU beds as the deciding factor for the new shutdown, rather than positivity rate and new daily case rate, the metrics used under the previous tiered system? And how does the state calculate available beds, a number continually in flux based on patients recovering or dying?

Primary objective

In the days since Southern California triggered the stay-at-home order, the region’s ICU bed capacity has only declined further, hitting 9% on Wednesday, Dec. 9, according to the California Department of Public Health. Before this current surge, Long Beach officials said Wednesday evening, ICU capacity at nearby hospitals was about 50%.

And ICU patients statewide increased from about 1,400 two weeks ago to 2,506 as of Wednesday.

But the decline in available ICU beds is just one of multiple signs that the winter coronavirus surge is worsening. Positivity rates and hospitalizations have been on an upward spike for weeks. Daily coronavirus cases regularly shatter records. Deaths have increased.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, however, public health officials have stressed the need to ensure hospitals have sufficient resources to treat patients, explaining that shutdowns and shelter-in-place orders are intended to slow the spread of the virus and prevent a situation where intensive-care units get flooded to the point certain patients can’t be treated.

Enter ICU bed capacity.

While state officials haven’t disclosed why they chose 15% as the threshold for triggering the regional stay-at home order, they have made it clear why having enough ICU beds is crucial.

“We are certainly worried that with so many new patients with COVID being admitted to (the ICU) system, that important-but-fragile system, may be overwhelmed,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s Health and Human Services director, said in a Tuesday, Dec. 8, briefing.

The state wants no more than 30% of patients in ICUs to have COVID-19, L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said on Tuesday. Intensive-care unit admissions across California were around 36% as of Wednesday, state data shows.

If resources become too scarce, healthcare providers may be forced to make decisions about who receives care and who doesn’t, a triage scenario more familiar to the battlefield or disaster zones. People could die unnecessarily for lack of care. Morgues could become overrun — like what occurred in New York at the pandemic’s onset.

With case counts and admissions higher than ever, officials say, such horrific scenarios could very well become real in Southern California this winter.

“I’m sorry it’s frustrating for people, but we don’t really have any other tools. There’s no easy answer,” said Dr. Brad Spellberg, chief medical officer at L.A. County+USC Medical Center, the county’s busiest hospital. “I sympathize. But you really don’t want your health system practicing battlefield medicine.”

Flexibility factored in

How the state calculates ICU capacity, though, is a bit nebulous.

The state’s calculation accounts for existing staffed critical-care beds and staffed ICU surge beds, but excludes those for newborns and children needing intensive care.

And the number of beds free at one time, health experts say, can depend a great deal on surge flexibility and a daily census that fluctuates as patients are released and admitted. State officials seem to realize this, since they will assess projections of Southern California’s overall intensive-care bed capacity twice each week, after the initial three-week shutdown, to determine when to lift the stay-at-home order.

When Southern California can begin reopening, though, remains an ongoing question.

Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 have hit at an all-time high throughout the region recently. L.A. County, for example, had 3,433 people in hospitals as of Wednesday, 793 of those in ICUs, based on a state dashboard that reports a day earlier than the county.

L.A. County had 462 available ICU beds on Wednesday, according to the state. But the number of staffed beds available immediately, according to the county’s Department of Health Services, was 112 out of roughly 2,500 as of Tuesday — or about 4%.

On Sunday, when the county reported a record-breaking 10,000 daily cases, officials said there was a real chance the county could need more than 1,000 additional ICU beds in two-to-three weeks. By next week, roughly 700 daily new admissions could be coming.

L.A.’s neighbor, Orange County, doesn’t face a situation as dire yet. But the number of patients requiring ICU treatment there has been spiking as well. Available ICU beds at several Orange County hospitals dropped into single digits on Sunday. The county as a whole had 111 available ICU beds as of Wednesday, state data shows.

Riverside and San Bernardino counties have also been setting hospitalization records lately — and ICU beds are filling up.

In Riverside County, 70% of licensed hospital beds and 90% of ICU beds were in use, county Emergency Management Director Bruce Barton told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

About 62% of San Bernardino’s total beds — including surge beds — were occupied as of Wednesday, according to that county’s dashboard; 75% of ICU beds were in use.

“All of our (county) ICUs are at capacity or just short of it,” Dr. Troy Pennington, an emergency care physician at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, said in an interview Tuesday. “We’re seeing what we feared would happen starting about 12 days after Thanksgiving.”

So things must change now, officials said — especially with the specter of Christmas and the new year weeks away.

“As difficult as things are right now,” Pennington said, “if they go up again for Christmas and New Year’s, a few more weeks of this would be catastrophic.”

In LA County, existing surge plans and shifting some resources will be enough to manage the spike in hospitalizations, Ferrer said, if residents alter their behavior — such as not gathering.

“We don’t have an overwhelmed healthcare system today,” Ferrer said. “We have some time, but very little, to get ourselves to a place where that is not the case in L.A. County. But it will take each and every one of us working together to make that happen.”

Those on the ground, meanwhile, have also expressed concerns about surging hospitalizations.

Sylvain Trepanier, chief clinical executive for Providence Southern California, said the health network’s hospitals across the region are stretched on critical-care capacity, though they remain fully able to care for anyone who needs it.

Respiratory Care Practitioner Cornell Coca sets up a ventilator at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, CA on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. An older ventilator is at right. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Because a hospital’s sum of staffed ICU beds ebbs and flows daily, Trepanier said, the bed count on a given day becomes almost “irrelevant” in the scope of complex surge strategies.

Providence hospitals update surge plans multiple times a day based on the latest patient traffic, in-house coronavirus test results, staffing and supplies, Trepanier said.

“We’ve been preparing for the longest time,” he added. “We still have additional room and capability to assist critical care patients and ventilated patients as of today.”

Hospitals also have permission from the state to be more flexible given the challenges, though they’ve run up against some labor groups. Nurses at Antelope Valley Hospital, in Lancaster, protested last week against a waiver request by the hospital to reduce nurse-to-patient ratios.

“Many of us have worked here for years, before we had staffing ratios and after,” said CNA Chief Nurse Representative Maria Altamirano. “We know what it’s like when we don’t have ratios. We become overworked and patients suffer. We are already exhausted. A waiver does not help anyone.”

Staffing shortages

That exhaustion underscores one of the primary reasons state officials homed in on available ICU beds:

Ensuring hospital staffers don’t get crushed under a stampede of patients needing critical care is paramount to keeping the healthcare system functioning — outweighing questions of physical space and ventilators.

By now, the state has more than 21,000 available ventilators. And while several field hospitals around the region are preparing for patients, including in Riverside and Orange counties, such precautions are not as widespread as during the spring. There are no plans to re-staff Los Angeles Surge Hospital, for example, or to resurrect the makeshift ward at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The U.S.S. Mercy will not cruise back into L.A. Harbor anytime soon.

But healthcare workers who are exhausted or sick — more than 1,700 tested positive last week in L.A. County — or are simply too few in number to handle the surge could prove fatal to coronavirus patients.

“That has a tremendous impact on the capacity throughout our healthcare system,” Ferrer said.

“The biggest issue we face as a county is not around having a physical bed,” she added, “but having the staff to support those beds.”

The state has several strategies, some in the planning and others under way, to respond to potential staffing shortages.

Officials are looking at a two-day training program for registered nurses to get them qualified to care for patients in intensive-care units, Gov. Gavin Newsom said recently.

The state has also contracted with a staffing agency for 815 healthcare workers, including 435 to support ICU teams, and about 300 at skilled nursing facilities and alternate-care sites. Roughly 560 will be available by mid-December.

The California Health Corps, made up largely of retired doctors and nurses, now has up to 900 members, some of whom have been deployed while others stand by.

And a plan was also in motion to provide home oxygen to coronavirus patients to help minimize hospital admissions.

“Fundamentally, staffing or human resources are going to be the most challenging for not just California but every state to address,” Newsom said Monday. “How do we get enough people who are not fatigued and exhausted?”

Related links

LA County posts stunning 10,000-plus coronavirus infections on Sunday

It’s official: Southern California stay-at-home order goes into effect late Sunday night

‘We’re inundated’ says chief medical officer at L.A. County’s busiest hospital

Southern California ICU capacity hits 13.1%, likely triggering stay-at-home order

California’s new regional coronavirus stay-at-home order: What you need to know

Surge plans ready

Hospitals throughout Southern California, for their part, have begun putting their surge plans into effect, shifting resources and creating additional ICU capacity — to boost their own dwindling resources.

At UC Irvine Medical Center, in Orange, all but two of the 68 ICU beds were taken on Wednesday morning — 34 with the coronavirus, 32 without. The hospital, however, still had some room to flex, said spokesman Tom Vasich.

“We have capability to double our ICU bed capacity,” Vasich said, “and have enough ventilators to staff them if needed.”

PIH Health’s Whittier facility, meanwhile, has seen the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 shoot up over about the last month. The hospital, in a Nov. 6 Facebook post, reported having 12 coronavirus patients. But by Tuesday, that number was 96 — with 54% of those getting admitted since Nov. 25.

Dr. Graham Tse, chief medical officer at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, said that facility had a large ICU and an emergency backup plan to increase capacity if needed. And, he said, patients with the coronavirus ending up in the ICU is not a fait accompli.

“Many of our COVID-19 patients,” Tse said, “are triaged to dedicated isolation rooms on other units in the hospital.

“Patient placement can change based on the level of care needed,” he added. “The number of ICU beds available, therefore, fluctuates based on patients’ needs.”

But the hope, health and elected officials have said, is that the demand for critical care doesn’t overwhelm the ICU system.

“The goal of saving lives becomes threatened,”Ghaly said, “when that system isn’t as robust and as strong as it can be to deliver care to as many Californians as needed.”

Staff writers Ryan Hagen, Chris Haire, Jeff Horseman, Hunter Lee, Haley Munguia, Mike Sprague and Ian Wheeler contributed to this report.

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-on December 09, 2020 at 09:13AM by David Rosenfeld