#David Marcum

[scientistofdeduction]

I respect Sherlockians who Play the Game (live as though Sherlock Holmes and John Watson were real and treat the canon as true stories), and admire the commitment of those who hold to that no matter what. It’s a fun and very unique experience across all fandoms that I don’t see anywhere else.

But I did see a post about the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R King (which is good fun though not without some stuff that does deserve questioning). In that thread, one of the comments was from David Marcum, who does the MX Publishing’s massive collections of Holmes stories and who is one of the more serious who Play the Game. He linked a post where he talked about how he rationalizes the series with The Game—specifically how can one rationalize a Holmes who is in retirement marrying a young woman in her twenties.

You can read it here

Basically what I find interesting is that Marcum firstly adheres to Holmes’ supposed age in the Game, making him in his very late 60s in most of the Russell years, instead of his early 50s as suits the story (Holmes remarks to Russell that he was often assumed to be older due to Watson’s stories). A woman in her 20s with a man in her 50s will still raise eyebrows, especially as he met her as a teenager, and yet that’s not the same gap as 70 and 20. Likewise Russell has gone through a lot of life experience by the time any romantic moves are made; her and Holmes are on fairly even footing by then. (Do I still approve of the age gap? No, but then again maybe that’s just my personal preference.

But my bigger qualm with Marcum’s rationalizing the Russell thrillers within The Game is how he rationalizes it all. Russell is a woman who is sick in the head after her family’s death, becomes obsessive over Holmes (fairly directly in opposite to the text where she doesn’t care if he’s a neighbor or a myth, and berates him to his face for assuming her intelligence—point in her favor, I might add), and further descends into madness creating a romance between them in her mind, a life well lived with family.

Here’s hoping I’m not the only one who is a little disturbed by this—yes, the way to rationalize an intelligent woman holding her own with Holmes intellectually, romantically, and as a crime solver, is that she’s insane and disturbed and creepy. Yuck.

He notes that he’s on board with Holmes having romance with Irene Adler, which is fairly bonkers to me. I can read stories where they’ve had a romance, in fact, if memory serves, the two had something brief pre-Russell era in that canon. But I do not like the idea that Holmes cannot be romantic with a “fan made” character. An argument can be made that many Dan made characters are Mary Sues, or John Does, for Watson, as many find the good Doctor difficult to write (and I agree, he is, but that doesn’t always warrant a stand in when Watson would’ve suited the same character actions). But it’s strange that when the newcomer is a woman, she’s hated or interrogated so thoroughly, especially when Mary Russell is so strong a presence and definitely holds her own as a unique character and not just a stand in (even if Watson is a bit dim in her stories compared to canon, we can forgive that because he is so loved by everyone in the Russell texts).

Instead, if I were playing The Game, i would submit this (and I plan on writing a fic to challenge Marcum’s own little story):

Russell is the neighbor of semi-retired Holmes and their meeting is unchanged, he begins to tutor her and saves her in his own way, and she him. The events of Beekeepers and O Jerusalem take place fairly close to recorded, save a few alterations.

Holmes in retirement is living with Watson, as a romantic partnership. Russell discovers this early and although taken aback at first, comes around to it quickly. She creates the stories as fabrications to hide their romance, and with permission from H&W, creates the romantic relationship on paper between her and Holmes to disguise what would’ve been illegal and perhaps reputation ruining for the pair.

The three remain their own sort of family and the series progresses as published to continue that fabrication of the truth.

No mentally disturbed Russell, but a Russell who’s still strong and sane and perhaps at times cleverer than Holmes. No creepy stalker behavior by a girl, but the same in canon amazing woman we get to see grow up. Same partnership, just no romance.

I wonder if this solution wouldn’t occur to a canon purist who plays the game— a purist up until the point where they play a game of rationalizing a non-canonical work to fit their version of Holmes. Not saying that to be scathing, just if one is to entertain the possibility of modern pastiche fitting into The Game, it would be fun to be a little more creative.

I wonder if queer H&W doesn’t slot into their version of the game, and so a clever woman protecting that deep love wouldn’t either. But it seems a far better solution to approach the Russell texts under The Game than Marcum’s rationalization. Again, I’d want for some more creativity than his version.

But then, My Holmes, when I finally write him, is queer, and I enjoyed the Russell series, so it wasn’t a difficult solution.

[margysmusings]

Review of my book “Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of Neb-Heka-Ra”.

[brokehorrorfan]

The Exorcist: Believer's original motion picture soundtrack is available on vinyl for $38 via Waxwork Records. Shipping in February, the score is composed by David Wingo (Barry, Midnight Special) and Amman Abbasi.

The 2xLP album is pressed on 180-gram black & white swirl colored vinyl. It's housed in a gatefold jacket designed by Matt Needle with a four-page booklet featuring and interview Wingo, Amman Abbasi, and director David Gordon Green.

[moviehealthcommunity]

The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

The Exorcist: Believer has several scenes of flickering lights. These vary from mild to extreme, and are not always predictable. A few scenes have cameras flashing, which is more mild than normal camera flashing effects. Some scenes have fast edits and flashes to brighter or darker images. Severe strobe light effects are caused by police car lights in multiple scenes.

Some scenes, most of which happen near the beginning, use handheld camera work. Some of the fast edits late in the film may cause some disorientation.

Flashing Lights: 10/10. Motion Sickness: 3/10.

TRIGGER WARNING: This entire film deals with demonic possession, and this includes unnatural body contortions, convulsing, and two instances of extreme on-screen vomiting. Two children are subjected to pelvic exams, and their faces are shown during these exams. There is one more major trigger that is a big spoiler for this film, and will only be included in a spoiler-friendly discussion in Admin Brandon's YouTube review of this film.

Image ID: a promotional poster for The Exorcist: Believer

[sweetsmellosuccess]

The devil, as they say, is in the details, or in the case of David Gordon Green's "Exorcist" extension, the lack thereof: The film's reasonably creepy first act laboriously sets up what might have been something good and jarring, only for the script to become a mishmash of barely considered ideas that mostly end up as demonic-hued piffle.

[moviesandmania]

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER (2023) Second trailer and reactions

Official blurb: “Exactly fifty years ago this fall, the most terrifying horror film in history landed on screens, shocking audiences around the world. Now, on Friday, October 6, a new chapter begins. From Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green, who shattered the status quo with their resurrection of the Halloween franchise, comes The Exorcist: Believer. Since the death of his pregnant wife in…

[geekcavepodcast]

The Exorcist: Believer Trailer **Graphic**

Victor Fielding has raised his daughter Angela on his own after the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago. One day Angela and her friend Katherine disappear into the woods. They return three days later with no memory of what happened to them. As Victor faces the emerging evil, he turns to the only person alive who has witnessed anything like what is happening to the girls - Chris MacNeil.

The Exorcist: Believer stars Ellen Burstyn (Chris MacNeil), Lidya Jewett (Angela Fielding), Olivia Marcum (Katherine), Leslie Odom Jr. (Victor Fielding), Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz. David Gordon Green directs from a screenplay by Peter Sattler and David Gordon Green, from a story by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and David Gordon Green.

The Exorcist: Believer hits theaters on October 13, 2023.

The Exorcist: Believer is the first in a planned trilogy. The second film, The Exorcist: Deceiver is currently scheduled to release on April 18, 2025.

[trailerreport]

COMING SOON | The first trailer for David Gordon Green's THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER has been rated and clocks in at 2 minutes 26 seconds.

[cultfaction]

The Exorcist: Believer (Special Edition Steelbook 4K Ultra HD Bluray)

50 years after the most terrifying horror film shocked the world, Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green bring a nightmarish new chapter, The Exorcist: Believer. Since his wife’s death, Victor has raised his daughter Angela alone. After Angela and her friend return from a three-day disappearance with missing memories, they begin displaying frightening behavior. Victor’s best hope is to find…

[cinemaquiles]

Assisti "O exorcista o devoto" (The exorcist believer, 2023), e deu pena... do satanás!

[alltrekvarnews]

Taquilla: 'El Exorcista:Creyente' recauda 2,85 millones de dólares en Preestrenos...

[jmunneytumbler]

Will 'The Exorcist: Believer' Make a Believer Out of You, or Is It a Devil of a Time? Let's Find Out!

Will 'The Exorcist: Believer' Make a Believer Out of You, or Is It a Devil of a Time? Let's Find Out!

Will this movie make you a true beLIEVer? (CREDIT: Universal Studios) Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, Ellen Burstyn, Okwui Okpokwasili Director: David Gordon Green Running Time: 111 Minutes Rating: R for Violent Contortions and Devilish Profanity Release Date: October 6, 2023 (Theaters) What’s It About?: Thirteen years after…

[brokehorrorfan]

The Exorcist: Believer will be released on Digital and on Peacock on December 1 before hitting 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 19. Best Buy ($38.99) and Walmart ($34.96) will each carry an exclusive Steelbook 4K UHD edition.

David Gordon Green (Halloween 2018) directs from a script he co-wrote with Peter Sattler (Camp X-Ray). Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, and Ellen Burstyn star. Blumhouse produces.

Special features are listed below, where you can also see the Steelbook designs.

Special features:

Audio commentary by co-writer/director David Gordon Green, co-writer Peter Sattler, special makeup FX designer Christopher Nelson, and executive producer Ryan Turek

Making a Believer - Filmmakers and cast reveal their collective approach to bringing differing perspectives into the film

Reunited - Witness a moment of cinema history as two Hollywood icons meet on-set for the first time in years

Stages of Possession - Actresses Lidya Jewett and Olivia O'Neill and special makeup FX designer Christopher Nelson detail the possession process

The Opening - Filmmakers and star Leslie Odom, Jr. discuss how the opening Haiti scene sets up the rest of the film

Editing an Exorcism - Director David Gordon Green and editor Tim Alverson explore the challenges of editing the final exorcism scene

Matters of Faith - Theology consultants discuss the accuracy of the film's religious ceremonies

Since his wife's death, Victor has raised his daughter Angela alone. After Angela and her friend return from a three-day disappearance with missing memories, they begin displaying frightening behavior. Victor's best hope is to find the only person who has seen anything like this before: Chris MacNeil, whose haunting experience with her daughter Regan may be the key to combating ultimate evil.

Pre-order The Exorcist: Believer.

[giantmetalrobotto]

El Exorcista: El Creyente

Este otoño, hace exactamente 50 años, la película de terror más aterradora de la historia aterrizó en las pantallas, impactando al público de todo el mundo. Ahora, el viernes 6 de octubre comienza un nuevo capítulo. De Blumhouse y el director David Gordon Green, quienes rompieron el status quo con la resurrección de la franquicia Halloween, llega The Exorcist: Believer. Desde la muerte de su…

[realjediverse]

The Exorcist: Believer Movie Review

The Exorcist: Believer is a 2023 horror film that serves as a sequel to the classic 1973 film The Exorcist. The film follows single father Victor Fielding (Colin Salmon), whose daughter Angela (Jennifer Carpenter) and her friend Katherine (Sydney Sweeney) show signs of demonic possession. Desperate for help, Victor seeks out Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), the only person alive who has witnessed…