#Like its not only Arthur becoming more. Inhuman and John becoming more human its also like

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

OK you have piqued my curiosity. What is Malevolent?

oh i'm so glad you asked :D

malevolent is a horror podcast based on lovecraftian mythos by harlan guthrie, who not only writes, edits, soundscapes, and composes the entire thing, he also voices every single character, by some force of alchemy i don't claim to understand.

the show is about arthur lester, a 1930s private investigator who is english but lives in arkham, massachusetts. he is simultaneously the saddest, wettest cat you'll ever meet, the most terrifying badass with a thirst for violence, the hugest cunt, and the kindest soul who refuses to give up on hope no matter what.

it opens with arthur (temporarily) unable to remember who or where he is. he's completely blind. a voice speaks to him, gentle but totally inhuman. the voice is inside his head, and tells arthur that his eyes belong to it now. there's a dead body at arthur's feet.

there's only so much i can explain without big spoilers, but basically, a book was sent to arthur's office, and when arthur opened this book, an entity from another world was released into him, where it took control of his sight. the entity can't leave of its own volition, and in fact isn't sure who or what it is either. they have no choice but to work together to figure out who sent the book and why, if they ever hope to be able to separate again.

things, of course, aren't that simple. arthur is now wanted for murder, and as arthur starts chasing leads, otherwordly things start chasing him back, including a powerful elder god known as the king in yellow.

arthur spends a month in a coma after being stabbed; when he wakes up, the entity - who has been awake and alone the entire time - tells him that the kind nurse who spoke to them every day called them 'john doe' and the entity... rather liked the sound of it. he asks to be called john.

arthur and john are both incredibly stubborn assholes who fight and bicker more often than not, who both tend to lash out and hurt each other when they're angry or afraid, but as they're forced to cooperate, as john learns about humanity through both arthur's eyes and arthur's extensions of kindness, they grow to care for each other. they grow to trust each other, even after they've betrayed each other.

they grow to love each other. it's explicitly not romantic and never will be, by harlan's statements, but it's also explicitly love. (i will die on the aromantic arthur hill.) they grow to become one whole, fucked up, multiply-divorced, utterly devoted symbiotic being, no longer desperate to separate but to keep each other. they are the dearest, most codependent, most bitchy, most beloved of friends.

truly terrible things happen along the way; the podcast definitely is not for the squeamish. arthur is more scar tissue than not by now, and really should NOT still be alive after how many times he's been punctured. it's genuinely quite scary at times, and genuinely heartbreaking in others.

but i think its key message is that no matter what we've been through, we must cling to hope with bloody fingers, and we must keep going, even if all we can do is crawl. no matter what we've been before, we decide who we're going to be today, and no one gets to tell us otherwise. love and self-determination is what will save us.

and just from a technical standpoint, i think the podcast is brilliant. because arthur is blind, john has to narrate what they are seeing and doing, which also allows us, the audience, to 'see' what's happening, and lets us feel like we're in arthur's shoes. when john gasps in horror at what he's seeing, we feel the same dread as arthur, because we don't know what's happening until john describes it to us. harlan's voice acting is truly astounding, both in the emotion he can convey and in just how many dozens of voices and accents he's able to pull off, often without listeners ever realizing it's all the same person.

another fun element is that because harlan is a big ttrpg guy, he allows patreons to actually vote on arthur's choices in the podcast, and he adapts the story to follow those decisions. (in some early episodes, this was represented by a rolling dice sound effect.) he does have a story planned, and set to end in season 6 (we're currently in season 5), but i think that level of audience participation is pretty cool.

so yeah, that's the thing i've been obsessed with for months! if you can't handle scary or gross situations then it probably isn't for you, but otherwise i very highly recommend it. 🫶

edit: i forgot that there's a trailer!

[twomystdunstans]

something about John becoming more "human" or "softer", gaining more compassion and humanity while Arthur becomes more bitter and cold, trying to "keep them safe" and immediately seeing the bad in people. not giving someone a chance and doing anything he can for answers.

something about when John said "we may very well end up switching places"

[shyeehaw]

Children of this Land: Ashes to Bone

Supernatural AU - Chapter I

I would like to thank @shethenightwolf , @famderlinde , @kaziklubaby  and @crabby-abby for bearing with me and helping me with my first long fic, hope yall like it <3

This is the story of your birth, my son. It’s an adventurous one, filled with love, but also great sadness and loss. It speaks to us as well, children of this land. We know no home, and neither do you. The same land that created us now is doing the hunt.

The wooden wheels were rolling, and that hellish sound kept screeching on their ears, a sound so cruel that reminds them why they are moving in the first place. A feud as old as time, ignited by the most primordial motive: food. Then, finally, a dead man lying on the road.

When on the run, there’s no time to feed, as fugitives don’t get any rest. Time unfolded as a yarn, and Hosea’s eyes were kept glued to the small portrait in his hands. They had infuriated too many people, both gangs and law. Still, the strong scent of the corpse got them jumping out of the wagon, facing its empty eyes. Dutch approached the dead man, assaying the state of his own skin over the new one. Fresher, better. A grip around his wrist and a screech of the harpy’s throat; That’s how they knew it was an illusion, a trick. There weren’t enough roads to put distance between the Driscoll's and the Van Der Linde gang. And now, as the evening shadows and he sits on his ragged tent, Dutch watches his sons as they heal, with growing hunger.

The flames licked Abigail’s legs, and still, she wouldn’t wish to be anywhere but there. It was a flesh-eating blaze consuming her feet, her core. Yet, the only hurtful sting was their piercing gaze. Her agonized figure was a reason to cheer, to chant, around her, hearts full of hate gleamed like burning coal. Their indifference allowed her to once more, feel the depths of cruelty. What they couldn't wrap their minds around was judged, and tonight, Abigail was the defendant.

She wouldn’t scream, wouldn’t give them that satisfaction, raising her chin up, Abigail breathed the smoke two or three times, the crescent moon as her single witness.

“We are gathered here tonight to send this whore back to her Master’s arms”, said the Cleric, holding a cross against her direction, “Begone, foul creature! Leave us, good people, free of your bewitched venomous words.”

The crowd cheered, oblivious to the ferocity of the fire, as she was reminded, once again, of how she was used, tricked. It was a savage world, and still, Abigail was no more inhuman than those who smiled upon her burning body.

“See! She won’t even deny it! Promiscuous! Sorcerer!”, those were the words used by simple-minded men to describe women who owned themselves, who dared to be free, only to have their freedom sworded by their hypocrisy. Speaking softly to the flames, she asked them to be done, to consume her. Ash and bones. Rolling her head back, and her eyes even further, Abigail chanted a last time, the old forgotten words folding her tongue in a familiar way, praying to whichever God birthed her to claim her soul. She embraced her fiery fate.

Red, carmine -  the vivid colors flashed through their collective mind. John was the first, howling at his packmate to stop, something wrong in those woods.

“What are you fools stopping for?”, Bill stomped his hoof, “Dutch is waiting on us!”

With a growling sound, Arthur followed John, his bent legs opening way between the dense forest.

“Ahh shit!”, Bill turned around, chasing the two immense shadows by the night. A smoke scent filling their lungs.

It was a sorry scene, indeed. Those creatures, those humans, once again burning what they couldn’t understand. Out of sight, out of mind.  How long until is us burning, John? the thought invaded his mind as if was his own. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, spreading quickly, bristling his fur. John jumped at the nearest peasant, munching on his torso, breaking bones.

“You goddamn idiot!”, Bill was furious, his horns now glazed on dripping blood, making his way through the crowd. And how they screamed, running in circles only to meet Arthur’s massive open jaw. Marston, you idiot! Dutch will geld us, those intrusive thoughts were buried under his primal goal, an instinct hard to refuse.

Fire shook his claw-hand as an agreement, John Marston slashed the ropes, freeing the witch’s body from the stake. She was alive, breathing. Barely.

Retreating to the camp, John was the one carrying the sorceress’s burnt body, his nose flaring to the smell. We should hurry, those Driscoll demons are still after us, he looked at his brother -  blood on his fur from the confront, humans and their damned guns, their own way to feel powerful. The night was as silent as death, just the sound of crickets guiding the weird party home.

“Absolutely not!”, Dutch said taking a single look at the wounded girl, “As far as we know humans are burning their own under the accusation of witchcraft. No!”. He left the tent in a hurry, only to stumble upon Hosea, who seemed very much concerned.

“What’s going on here, Dutch?”, He peeked through the open tent flaps, where Ms. Grimshaw avidly worked, the girl seemed like a rag doll compared to how big and feathery Ms. Grimshaw was.

“Is she a witch?”, Hosea asked.

“We reckon”, said Arthur, his beastly shape now a bit more under control.

“Dutch, we can’t just send her away! Are you so caught up with Colm and his demon hierarchy that you missed the news?”, Hosea looked at Ms. Grimshaw, as asking for her to back up his stories, “Night folk are gone!”

“They had it coming for them, going around attacking people.”

“And how do we feed again? We need to eat, and soon! Or we ain’t healing.”, Hosea crouched beside the girl, placing his hand with a cautious gesture on her forehead, “Saint Denis is just about the same, vampires being hunted down. Towns are being watched day and night, Dutch!”

“That’s exactly why I say to take no more folk, we have bad as it is!”

The gang was already used to seeing the pair arguing like this, Strauss was barely lifting his milky white eyes from his newspaper, watching their discussion with a detached interest.

“Alright Hosea! we’ll have her if she pulls her weight! And if she’s not some human mistook for one of us.”, he said putting a saddle on The Count, “Now, we need to tend to the urgent matters, these wounds! Strawberry?”

The face of his partner turned blank by the absurd proposition.

“Jenny, Mac, Davey… I miss them too, you know? They were fine people. But we can’t go looking for revenge, Dutch, Colm’s army is growing as we speak, I thought we was going to lie low”, Hosea said, placing his hand on Dutch’s shoulder, “I would rather we go to Valentine.”

His dark eyebrows furrowed, that livestock town was like going back to his origins, feeding on farmers and travelers. Still vexed, he nodded just to humor his partner, like he did so many times.

An eternal life granted them a non-verbal communication, much like John’s and Arthur. More than that, they merged into one. Hosea became more ambitious and lively, Dutch learned to consider risks, put others needs along his own. What one did the other was there to complement, like a synchronized dance, opposites, but working together. And how far they came, finding friends along the way, watching them turn into family.

As Ms. Grimshaw and Strauss helped them packing things to get to town, John stood still beside the girl, wondering what was her name, and if it was possible from the top of her slumber, to have cast a spell on him. People would soon start wondering why he wasn’t back to his original form, since there was no longer danger around. But the fear that was haunting him had nothing to do with something that could be fought using his teeth.

“Mister? What is you called?”, a crooked lady asked Dutch.

She was the only one still wandering through those muddy streets, stopping right on her tracks when she saw the man’s face. A frightful sight, they must have been. In a group of four, they walked in pairs, the wolves behind, as shadows enlarging the danger on the careless steps of the first two, who walked sure that nothing there could kill them. Except for each other.

“Aiden O'Malley is the name, my lady”, he said with a flourish, old ways never really died. Hosea glared, doubtful, at his partner.

“I’ve seen you before… but no, not with that name, I would recall.”, said the crone, her white tuft of hair escaping from the scarf. She looked so old her memory was doing a favor by still working.

“You must have mistaken me for someone else ‘mam, excuse me.”, a collective sigh and the group left, entering the dim-lighted alley on the right.

With a single gloved hand, Dutch raised the glass window, leaving enough space for him and Hosea to slither in the warm home. Gesturing for the boys to stay behind, they began their millenary ritual, plucking breaths as fruits from a tree. Glowing yellow eyes and fluid movements would never be seen by those who quietly slept. And if they were… their skin would become his.

But Hosea never liked that, the ugly crawling feeling he got when harvesting an innocent skin, no. He and then, Dutch pledged to only take the skin of those who had not done it right.

Still insatiable, drinking the slumbered breath, they heard footsteps. It was not unusual to find a restless human walking around their houses, but sharing a concerned look, the pair hid, mixing their silhouettes with the shadows.

“Who's there? Face me, ya cowards!”, the high-pitched voice floated across the room - disembodied.

With caution, Dutch draw his gun, human or not, a bullet would always slow it down. And the trigger was almost pulled when an almost toothless smile greeted him. And then headbutted him to the floor.

Gliding across the room, Hosea placed his barrel against the thing’s head.

“Easy boy! We are the same as you.”, he spoke slowly, trying to hold the creature still.

“Oh no, that’s my way of saying hello! Hello there!”, he pushed Hosea. And in a blink of an eye, the trickster vanished, leaving both men looking around, in a neurotic state. “Now ya see me!”, he resurged sitting on a chair, “Now ya don’t!”

“Alright! We are leaving!”, Hosea declared, having his sentence finished by Dutch, “We didn’t know this house was guarded…”

“Guarded? eh, not really. Folk here give me only musty bread and milk, that’s nothing if they want to count on me mighty protection.”, the red-head swung his legs from the bed, getting up on a jump, “ Give me beer, whiskey, would’ya? Back in Ireland, I was a fucking king! Know what? Eat them, I don’t care”, he spoke too fast, leaving Hosea’s ears buzzing.

“Ireland? So what are you? Leprechaun…?”, he asked, making his way to the door.

“Pff, ya american creatures! I’m irish so I can only be those fools? Nah, I’m a Clurichaun! Related to those famous bastards, yeah, but way better.”, he said, stuffing his chest as he followed them around.

“Alright, nice to meet you, mister. Goodbye now.”, Dutch said, meeting the inquisitive eyes of John and Arthur.

“I’m Sean!”, he said shaking their furry hands, unbothered, “Say, can I join ya fine fellers? It’s awful boring in that old house.”

Dutch was about to protest, but it took just Hosea dismissive gesture for him to not be bothered, for what he saw of Sean, he had the attention span of a puppy, and would be soon off their hair.

“Great, so as I was saying…”

With their ears filled by the heavy accent, in the length of one street, the gang learned all fae hierarchy, their taste for music and booze. When Arthur could swear his arms were going through the transition just to grab the boy’s neck, they stopped.

“Alright boys, keep your eyes open. Dutch and I are coming in.”

It’s hard to draw a clear distinction between good and bad, with that thought in mind, Hosea signaled to his sons to get working on the jail’s door. Arthur slashed the fragile doorknob, his paws kicking it open, their jaws clenching to the sound. The wolves and Clurichaun kept their guard outside the door, as the couple entered, greeted by moldy walls that held a quiet interior, where all prisoners snored just as much as the deputy on charge. All but one.

“Ay! What’s going on”, a whisper was heard, “Mary-Beth! Wake up!”

Dutch quickly found the source of it. The murmuring pair was sitting at the cold tile floor, ash crosses draw on their foreheads. His eyes lingered a bit on the man’s tied burnt hands. Sharing a look, Hosea and Dutch understood what that meant.

“If I were you, I would look away.”, Dutch said, much to Hosea’s displease.

“No need, sir. We both seen things that would shock you.”

“That I doubt very much.”

Squeezing through the bars, Dutch crouched on the asleep prisoner's chest, his long fingernail slicing the flesh, separating muscle from skin. He did that with precision, with a bored look of who committed this atrocity thousands of times, like he needed it to survive.

“Sir, you seem kind enough. Would you help us getting out of here?”, the soft voice of the girl pleaded to Hosea, “They… burned my tent, and I might be next.”

Ignoring the conversation, Dutch kept slicing.

“I…Of course, my dear”, he glanced at his partner whose frown was getting worse by the moment, “John, Arthur get over here and open this cell would you?”

Struggling but a moment with the lock, the two were free, rubbing the crosses off their heads.

“And then what Hosea? Are we keeping two more mouths to feed? We don’t even know if they are like us!”, Dutch was no longer keeping his voice low, which made Sean fidget with anticipation of that deputy’s sleep being interrupted.

“They clearly are! Look at their markings!”, his voice was firm, “We can’t leave them behi-”

The words were concealed under a freezing scream, one so excruciating and cold that sent shivers down their spines. Dutch’s sloppy movements as he argued caused the man to keep screaming, his skin being ripped off. It was like watching a stagecoach crash, in slow motion but yet unable to stop it.

An iron net, and guns. Hosea’s liquid fear, filling his eyes like never before, unable to move. Among the warning bell sound of the town, he searched for the portrait that he could swear it was on his pocket. He had but a moment to undo that, and failing to find it there was nothing left but to say goodbye.

But not Dutch, his nails went through the throat of the closest policeman, as his sons fought against the others. The girl, Mary-Beth, was unlocking a chest, weirdly enough grabbing a guitar and untying the hands of the man with her.

“There’s no point, my dear…”, Hosea talked above the confusion, “Take them and go, please. Do this, for me.”

With a second chime from the bell, Valentine was filled with it’s citizens. An angry mob following them, There wasn’t enough time for goodbyes. Fugitives don’t get to say “I love you” back. Their furious steps cracked the glass of the picture, Dutch’s smile immortalized beside a beautiful lady.

“I told you I knew you, mister.”, the crone said, accompanied by his old friend. His red mustache and unmistakable black hat. On top of that, the fiery sword embroidery stitched on his cassock.

“Hello, Dutch.”

[nilority-blog]

See this story at CaribbeanLifeNews.com.

By Buddy Hoosein

Hundreds of thousands of Americans and foreigners, including Guyanese and other Caribbean nationals, and unwary people from all over the world, are suffering unjustly in federal prisons, forever tarnished and destroyed by the stigma of a federal conviction, trapped in a vicious cycle of exploitation, modern day slavery and inhumane suffering. Many do not even understand why they were convicted and deprived of their freedom. Congress must open its eyes to this problem which disproportionately affects minorities and people of color.

Judge Frederic Block, a highly regarded federal judge with over 24 years’ experience, has exposed a serious flaw in our justice system. “[Federal] Prosecutors are responsible for holding people accountable when they violate the law, but what happens when the prosecutors are the ones who break the rules? In most instances, nothing.” (Daily News Op-Ed July 30, 2018). Political and legal expert Errol Louis also deserves kudos for his advocacy to “Rein in N.Y.’s prosecutors to prevent abuse” dated June 19, 2018.

Governor Cuomo did a great job when he signed into law the bipartisan bill to establish a “first-in-the-nation Commission” on prosecutorial misconduct in our State Courts, noting that it impacts people of color disproportionately. Assemblyman Nick Perry, of Jamaican heritage, and Senator John DeFrancisco have championed a worthy cause. However, a big sinkhole remains in our federal criminal justice system, and Congress must also pass similar legislation to review and punish federal prosecutors who similarly pervert the rules in the federal court system, immune from personal or professional consequences for railroading innocent people into prison. Indeed, it is more than the 60 percent of exonerations in New York state that involve “official misconduct” by government agents, such as police officers and / or prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors are just as rampant in withholding and destroying exculpatory evidence, stalling trials, coercing guilty pleas and witness testimonies, suborning perjury, and pushing the outer limits of legal boundaries, sometimes in conjunction with pro-prosecution judges, who, contrary to state judges, essentially enjoy life tenure.

These rogue prosecutors must also be reined in, and held accountable in their rat race for higher offices and statistics. Their egregious abuses hardly ever surface, and remain hidden in the 95 percent morass of indicted citizens who plead guilty in federal Courts, including the large ratio of the truly innocent who succumb for lesser jail time, closure and expediency, incapable of, or afraid of the consequences of fighting overzealous prosecutors.

America is losing its soul through over criminalization, passing and enforcing far too many stereotypes and criminal laws that are making criminals out of respectable, law-abiding citizens. We must collectively make a major effort to return the criminal law and prosecutors to their proper role in society-to ensure public safety and protect the innocent.

Our lives can be upended by the government, on a whim, using legally sanctioned methods. Modern federal criminal laws have exploded in number, and have also become impossibly broad and vague. The average American is unaware that he or she has likely committed several federal crimes in a routine day, as Harvey A. Silverglate explains in Three Felonies a Day. The integrity of our constitutional democracy is being destroyed with each broadening “crime.”

The dozens of insider trading and political corruption cases recently reversed by the federal appeals court confirm this. Similar action condemning lack of fair warning and overbreadth have animated the federal Courts, to reverse convictions, like the Arthur Andersen, Marinello, Skilling, Yates, Johnson, McDonnell, Bond, McNally, McCormick and Sun-Diamond Growers cases. Devyani Khobragade, an Indian diplomat, was arrested, strip searched and federally prosecuted for allegedly underpaying her domestic worker.

US v. Albert Baldeo, for example, a maverick grass roots advocate who frequently bucked the political establishment, was a case of selective federal prosecution for a civil, administrative violation that frequently occurs in hundreds of local campaigns annually. His prosecution for “major crimes carrying 20 years sentences” highlights these overreaches, especially since the Supreme Court, in Citizens United, noted that political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment, but only for corporations, and PACs and LLCs loop holes continue to make a mockery of our campaign finance laws.

In a recent Editorial, the Daily News opined in its June 1, 2018 edition: “Google-try it, Mr. President!-helps identify a few others who have been treated at least as harshly as [the pardoned Dinesh] D’Souza was,” citing “Albert Baldeo, a New York Democrat, was charged with crimes for soliciting approximately $15,000 in straw donations from seven individuals. Prosecutors pursued those allegations, ending in acquittal, and won conviction on related charges.” Baldeo suffered the injustice of being convicted of obstructing crimes he was acquitted of, a legal impossibility, but a real consequence a federal prosecution can cause.

Prosecutors have not used this statute again to indict the many hundreds of similar and even worse conduct amongst candidates running for office, and Baldeo’s selective injustice highlights a mere example of how federal, prosecutorial abuse can ruin lives.

The jury’s acquittals of all of Baldeo’s underlying charges confirmed that federal prosecutors abused federal laws to indict him on a false and fundamentally defective campaign theory that his use of his own money in a City Council election to repay his loans was somehow mail and wire fraud. Had prosecutors complied with their duties as ministers of justice and officers of the court, they would have fathomed that Baldeo’s contributions were not legally matchable and could not substantiate their bogus theory to indict, as decreed by the NYC Campaign Finance Act, Chap 49. S 1136.1 s. 3-702 (3) (d): “Money orders aggregating over $1,000 are not matchable.”

Baldeo, who was seeking to represent an emerging, ignored community, and his supporters and civil rights groups, have been crying out for justice since then with appeal after appeal, right up to the Supreme Court. Now, down to habeas appeal before the Second Circuit Federal Appeals Court, justice has been held hostage by prosecutorial misconduct. This precedent setting case now enables prosecutors to indict citizens on false underlying crimes, and convict them with impunity for ancillary tack-on crimes like obstruction, conspiracy and attempt. It stinks to high heaven that all of the evidence that convicted Baldeo in his remaining obstruction convictions came solely from immigrants who were threatened by the FBI with arrest and deportation.

Errol Louis had earlier warned in his Daily News Op-Ed back in Oct. 20, 2015, that the government should “Stop treating minor campaign violations like major crimes. By treating even minor lapses like Baldeo’s as major crimes, the CFB risks scaring away honest grass-roots candidates-the very people it is supposed to be helping take the plunge into public service…Regardless of the ultimate outcome, Baldeo’s case highlights the unsettling frequency with which candidates and their supporters get caught up in the ambiguities of the city’s campaign finance program and the arbitrariness of how violations get investigated and punished.” Once caught in their net, prosecutors routinely misled trial and appellate courts to preserve their putrid convictions.

Justified concerns that Baldeo was targeted by judicial and prosecutorial hypocrisy were ignored. Human rights groups protested that a federal judge was acquitted of worse conduct by his appellate peers in the 1995 Supreme Court landmark case, US vs. Aguilar, and where NYPD Officers were acquitted on more egregious charges of obstructing justice in the Abner Louima case, an Haitian who was assaulted, brutalized, and forcibly sodomized with a broken-off broom handle that caused his intestines to protrude, by 4 police officers of the New York City Police Department-Justin Volpe, Charles Schwarz, Thomas Bruder and Thomas Wiese.

These cases shine a light on this larger institutional problem in America, where federal prosecutors can rape our constitution and citizen’s rights with impunity, and not be held accountable for their conduct. We must remove this blight on all of us, more so, on our justice system.

Buddy Hoosein (Chairman)

United Communities Alliance, 190-25 Jamaica Ave, Hollis, NY 11423; (718) 529-2300

(Past President of the Long Island Board of Realtors (LIBOR), Director of the National Association of Realtors, Community activist for over 30 years, LIBOR Legislative Advocacy Award, Real Estate Broker, Registered Nurse).

Comment on this story.

Go to Source Congress must rein in federal prosecutors also! See this story at CaribbeanLifeNews.com. By Buddy Hoosein Hundreds of thousands of Americans and foreigners, including Guyanese and other Caribbean nationals, and unwary people from all over the world, are suffering unjustly in federal prisons, forever tarnished and destroyed by the stigma of a federal conviction, trapped in a vicious cycle of exploitation, modern day slavery and inhumane suffering.

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/marvel-roundup-inhumans-spider-man-homecoming-plus-size-thor/

Marvel Roundup: Inhumans, 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' and plus size Thor

Inhumans Trailer The Inhumans trailer is out. It does look as much as we can expect from an upcoming TV series except that the production has been upped a bit for theatrical release. I fondly remember the old Flash pilot starring John Wesley Shipp where at first I easily confused it for a movie, later to find out that it was the pilot for the first Flash TV series. It’s still a watchable TV film. The Inhumans trailer feels the same way only much clearer considering it’s hi-def and made for IMAX. The trailer is mostly narrated by the Inhuman Maximus the Mad, brother to the Inhuman king Black Bolt, talking about the threat the humans pose to their society currently on the moon. Maximus is basically making a speech to rouse a rebellion against his brother which basically leads to Lockjaw taking Black Bolt to Earth. We can expect a fish-out-of-water start to the series as to how Black Bolt and Lockjaw try to adapt. So it’s a series that focuses more on the Inhuman royal family and perhaps the first generation, so it makes sense not to show Daisy “Quake” Johnson for now, but hopefully, she and the cast of AOS will appear later on in the series. Sadly though, Medusa really doesn’t seem to look like much here, as she looks the same as the earlier released photos. She looks pretty cheap, and the others don’t have the same cinematic feel as the Asgardians in the Thor films, but I guess we’ll find out how the series is when it’s finally shown this September. Something to keep us busy between Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok. Plus-size Thor Speaking of Thor, in the comics, Marvel has recently added another political representative to its ever-expanding universe. We now have a plus-sized Thor who will be called War Thor. This is from the pages of The Mighty Thor number 20 which comics fans should pick up. So Marvel now has Jane Foster Thor, Odinson: The Unworthy Thor and now War Thor. In the comics, Odinson was made unworthy to pick up Mjolnir, and the hammer was later picked up by a cancer-ridden Jane Foster. Odinson discovers the existence of the Mjolnir from the defunct Ultimate Universe but decides not to take it. SPOILER ALERT! Skip the next paragraph if you’re the type. Meanwhile, Volstagg of the Warriors Three is on a mercy mission to help refugee elves in one of the nine realms (now ten, including Angela’s Heven). The refugee camp comes under attack from fire demons and everyone, including some children that came under his care are incinerated. Formerly a character for comic relief, Volstagg is known as a family man who is close to children. What happened in his mission has changed him, and gave him a more serious and somber tone. He decides to go after the Ultimate Mjolnir, a hammer that can kill anyone unworthy who tries to pick it up, and is deemed worthy. Volstagg becomes the new Ultimate Thor, aka the War Thor. Spider-Man: Homecoming The early reviews are out, and guess what? Spider-Man: Homecoming has a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It should probably come as no surprise considering the quality of most MCU films. This one, however, is produced by Sony under Marvel’s guidance. Hopefully, Sony and Fox change their tune should this film become a huge box office success. This is the character’s first solo film in the MCU, well, not exactly solo as Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man plays a big part. As of this writing, the 90 percent comes from 37 out of 41 reviews by film critics. “Tom Holland is the best movie Spider-Man ever. He finds the kid inside the famous red onesie and brings out the kid in even the most hardened filmgoer.” -- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone “You know what? Superhero cynicism aside, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is really fun.” -- Lindsay Bahr, Associated Press “It's pure exhilaration to watch this new, pitch-perfect version of the iconic hero swing high above the New York City streets, and if the movie's forthcoming sequels are as fun as this, Marvel Studios can keep 'em coming.” -- Bernard Boo, PopMatters And as for Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. recently expressed that he’ll be continuing his role as Iron Man as long as he finds the scripts handed to him to be worthy. Guess that statement means that he’ll live through both Avengers: Infinity War films and we might get to see him in an Iron Man 4 film. Hopefully so and in that film, he can truly cap off his saga by facing the true Mandarin, still in the form of Trevor Slattery but taken over by the spirit of the villain. Captain Britain Also, there’s talk of bringing Captain Britain, Brian Braddock into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is much like Captain America sans the shield and super soldier serum. He instead gets his powers from mystical sources, however, tied into the overdone King Arthur/Merlin legend. Kevin Feige spoke that bringing the character over was discussed but still in the back burner, perhaps in Phase 4 or 5 and that several actors have already offered their services. Taron Egerton perhaps? Things could still change given the Inhumans were bumped off Phase 3. Technically they’re still in it through their cinematic IMAX release.

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The Most Anticipated Movies Of 2017

2016 was another year that proved the geek shall inherit the Earth. Marvel Studios changed their entire landscape by splitting the Avengers apart in “Captain America: Civil War” while introducing magic via “Doctor Strange.” DC fans got their first tastes of Batman and Joker in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad,” respectively, while Fox had a hit and miss kind of year through the highly-acclaimed “Deadpool” and the disappointing “X-Men: Apocalypse.”

RELATED: 15 Comics To Look Forward To In 2017

This year’s shaping up to be even bigger, not only building on the groundwork laid down by these studios, but also by others aiming to achieve success by adapting comic, manga, anime and original properties for the big-screen. With the Justice League set to make waves, more cosmic drama is in the air due to Thanos’ impending arrival and, of course, the tale of the Skywalkers being set to continue, we decided to look at 2017’s most anticipated flicks.

SPOILER WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for several comic book movie franchises.

THE DARK TOWER (JULY 28)

“The Dark Tower” isn’t the easiest movie to get off the ground. This Stephen King story is one of his strongest adventures to date and mixes quite a few genres together. Danish director, Nikolaj Arcel, is charged with blending science, fantasy, western and horror into an epic wasteland sprawl that ends up being a battle for the very fabric of the book’s universe. What calms our nerves is the fact that Arcel has two of Hollywood’s biggest and most talented stars involved in Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey.

Elba will be starring as Roland Deschain, a mysterious sharpshooter and loner, who encounters young Jake (played by Tom Taylor), transported to this dimension called Mid-World. Both become embroiled in a quest to reach this Dark Tower so that Deschain can save Mid-World from extinction. However, McConaughey’s Randall Flagg won’t be making that journey so easy, being an evil sorcerer aiming to hijack the duo’s mission for his own nefarious purposes. The scope of this movie’s quite grand and fans knew to be patient in their demands because once it’s done right, there’s no limit to how jaw-dropping it can be.

THOR: RAGNAROK (NOVEMBER 3)

A buddy-cop movie on another planet where one’s a god and the other’s a… well, Hulk? Sold! That’s what we’re in for when “Thor: Ragnarok” rolls around. What makes this film so interesting are the various Marvel Studios threads being picked up. First, Thor has to deal with his wicked brother, Loki who, at the end of “Thor: The Dark World,” faked death to masquerade as their father and king, Odin.

With Odin apparently exiled as a homeless man in New York City, another plot point revolves around the mid-credits scene from “Doctor Strange,” which saw the mystical master being asked by Thor to help find his brother. Speculation’s rife that Strange will provide the doorway for (arguably the film’s biggest draw) an adaptation of the “Planet Hulk” storyline that would sees both Avengers going up as gladiators against aliens (in the comics, this was just the Hulk). How did Hulk end up there after “Age of Ultron?” How does Thor know what happened with his family? Director Taika Waititi has a lot to accomplish, not just to tie in his movie as a prelude (alongside 2018’s “Black Panther”) for  “Avengers: Infinity War”, but also for those eager to see how his first Hollywood blockbuster pans out.

LOGAN (MARCH 3)

If an unrestrained, violent R-rated “Logan” isn’t enough to put Wolverine fans in cinema seats, then we don’t know what is. There’s a lot of pressure on Fox and James Mangold’s follow-up to 2013’s “The Wolverine,” but looking at the trailers released thus far, everything from the score (especially that wicked Johnny Cash cover of “Hurt”) to the overall neo-Western vibe that the movie gives off have given fans have every reason to be very optimistic. Reassurance has also come via the positive buzz from the early few who’ve sampled it.

Several things have us pumped for this movie. We’re getting to see Logan cut loose in a bloodier way than the Berserker mode we were teased with in “Apocalypse,” albeit with a waning healing factor in a loose adaptation of Mark Millar’s “Old Man Logan.” We’re also seeing what appears to be a dying Professor Xavier and, of course, everyone’s favorite Wolverine clone, X-23. Given that this post-apocalyptic wasteland looks quite barren for mutants and that Hugh Jackman’s set for his final hurrah as the title character, comic purists can’t wait to see him go out on a clawing bang against Donald Pierce and his Reavers.

TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT (JUNE 23)

Michael Bay’s said that “Transformers: The Last Knight” will be his final movie in the franchise. If he stays true, then we can expect the most explosive spectacle of them all. His fifth chapter will be focusing once more on Optimus Prime, last seen heading off into space to meet the Creators, the alien beings that placed the bounty on his head in 2014’s “Transformers: Age of Extinction.”

However, from the trailers, Optimus appears to be corrupted on return, with a pivotal scene depicting him assaulting Bumblebee. Fans are speculating that this dark take on the Autobots’ leader could be tied to a subverted heritage as a Prime or to the villainous world-eating planet, Unicron. Also, hyping the excitement is the addition of cult-favorite Autobot, Hot Rod, as well as an expanded role for the beloved Dinobot, Grimlock. Megatron’s set to return as the evil Decepticon leader wreaking havoc, with Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro and Stanley Tucci also reprising their roles. Lastly, we’re salivating over the film’s King Arthur tie-in, especially with fan-favorite actor, Anthony Hopkins, added to the cast.

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST (DECEMBER)

“Fullmetal Alchemist” is a manga and anime that really sets the bar high. It focuses on brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric in a world where alchemy is a form of science and State Alchemists (the only ones licensed to practice it) are employed by the government. While still children, they attempt to perform the forbidden act of human transmutation to resurrect their dead mother, but  plans backfire, destroying Alphonse’s entire body, forcing his brother to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor, while also taking Edward’s arm and leg. Afterwards, Edward becomes a State Alchemist himself and both undertake a quest to find the Philosopher’s Stone in order to restore their bodies.

Sounds like quite a dramatic blast, right? Fumihiko Sori (best known for 2002’s “Ping Pong”) will be bringing the story to life, starring Ryosuke Yamada as Edward Elric, aged from 15 to 20 for the movie. As it ambitiously tries to condense the entire story into one film, several names from the original series will appear such as Winry Rockbell, Colonel Roy Mustang, and fan-favorite, Shou Tucker. This adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s popular action-fantasy manga has been anxiously awaited for months now, so expect a passionate response when it drops.

BATMAN VS. TWO-FACE (TO BE ANNOUNCED)

“Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders” was a wonderful, campy trip down memory lane that really paid homage to fans of the original ’60s television series. The reception of this hammed-up animated film was so good that a sequel was green-lit with William Shatner (Two-Face/Harvey Dent) joining the legendary dynamic duo, Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin). Fans lapped up last year’s nostalgic experience, which focused on the corrupted Dark Knight as he fended off the combined threat of Joker, Penguin and the Riddler; all with the help of Robin and Catwoman, played by another icon in Julie Newmar.

Details are sparse regarding the plot and release date, but theories are already abound. The television series featured many prominent rogues but Dent never made the cut. However, writer Harlan Ellison did a story with the villain, though the episode never aired, supposedly because he was too gruesome for kids to see. The story, “The Two-Way Crimes of Two-Face,” was eventually adapted in 2014 as a one-shot comic, “Batman ’66: The Lost Episode” #1.

KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (OCTOBER 6)

Matthew Vaughn has a knack for adapting comic book scripts for the big screen, directing amazing movies based off them and then not returning for the sequels, as per “Kick-Ass” and “X-Men: First Class.” Fortunately, he’s back for “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” continuing the excitement he first started when he brought Mark Millar’s “The Secret Service” to theaters with Fox. Details are scarce, but theories are that the Kingsmen will be aiding their American counterparts, the Statesmen, in pursuit of a dangerous adversary named Poppy, who destroys the Brits’ headquarters.

The first film was praised for its intense action sequences, elements of comedy, and unique reinterpretation of the spy-fiction genre, and hopes are that this movie follows suit. Taron Egerton returns as the lead, Galahad, with Mark Strong back as Merlin. The star-studded cast also includes Channing Tatum, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, Vinnie Jones and Elton John. Most of all, Colin Firth’s character, super-spy Harry Hart, who was presumed dead after the events of the original movie, is somehow back. With no comic lore to feed from, we can’t wait to see this new screenplay that Vaughn’s cooked up with Jane Goldman.

INHUMANS (SEPTEMBER 4)

“Inhumans” is a pioneer move for Marvel in the realm of cinema and television. The first two episodes, detailing the exploits of Black Bolt, Medusa and their Inhuman contingent, will premiere on Labor Day across IMAX screens as an 80-minute feature for two weeks before later heading to ABC, which will then show the series’ full run from September 26.

It’s not being regarded as a spinoff of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (which has already used Inhumans in its storyline). Its two-part premiere also obviously won’t have the same production values as the MCU films do, but the fact that the cinematic premiere was specifically shot in the IMAX format builds intrigue that makes us want to see how cinematic their start will feel and how “network TV” things will get thereafter. If you’re like us, then no matter what, you want to see Karnak, Gorgon, Maximus and hopefully Lockjaw the teleporting dog, have a role in the cosmic plot that’s unraveling due to Thanos’ hunt for the Infinity Stones. With no plot details yet, the possibilities are endless.

GHOST IN THE SHELL (MARCH 31)

Since Scarlett Johansson was announced in Rupert Sanders (“Snow White and the Huntsman”)’s live-action adaptation of the classic anime/manga property, “Ghost in the Shell,” it’s been blasted with stark criticism of Hollywood “white-washing” of yet another Asian property. However, from the badass trailers alone, it looks like this film’s ready to live up to the high expectations set by Mamoru Oshii, who directed the iconic anime film based on Masamune Shirow’s cyberpunk manga. Furthermore, it appears to be very loyal to the source material with Oshii himself already giving his seal of approval.

Sanders’ movie focuses on Johansson as The Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads Section 9. This task force is devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists but finds itself facing a huge challenge when a new enemy emerges with a singular goal of destroying the world’s artificial intelligence technology and robotic advancements. The movie’s visual tone, the riveting action sequences that have been teased and the alluring score all seem to be within the same vein of the original lore and once it stays faithful, even the biggest of doubters, will find themselves silenced.

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (FEBRUARY 10)

“The LEGO Batman Movie” is a spinoff of the Academy-Award nominated 2014 flick, “The LEGO Movie.” Such was the appeal of the Brick Knight, that it was decided he needed his own film, further capitalizing on the affinity for comic book characters at the moment. Chris McKay, who rose to prominence as a director of “Robot Chicken,” has been tasked with taking the helm with Will Arnett reprising his role as Bruce Wayne. Our hero will be squaring off against a bunch of iconic rogues, with McKay’s vision really packing in that Hollywood star power for good measure.

Michael Cera (Robin), Rosario Dawson (Batgirl), Ralph Fiennes (Alfred), Mariah Carey (Gotham’s mayor) and Zach Galifianakis (Joker) are all part of the ensemble cast. This time around, Batman realizes that if he wants to stop Joker’s hostile attack on his city, he’ll need to switch it up from his typical lone vigilante shtick and enlist some help. From what we’ve seen so far, the movie’s creators are well on their way to capturing the same upbeat tempo, musically and tonally, hamming it up like its predecessor. Since they’re stick to this, we’re certain that everything will be awesome.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (JULY 7)

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” is hopefully the start of greater things to come from Marvel Studios and Sony’s partnership. Fans are beyond stoked for this, yet another reboot of the franchise, due to quite a few factors. Despite the character (played by Tom Holland) being in high-school once more, he’s already made waves with the Avengers in “Civil War” and this film continues that arc with the genius Peter Parker as Tony Stark’s protege.

If that doesn’t whet your appetite, then surely Spidey tussling with the likes of new villains, such as the Vulture (played by Michael Keaton) and Shocker, will. In what’s shaping up to be quite a technology-heavy film, hopefully this leads to a scene with the infamous Iron Spider suit Stark gifted him in the comics. Wishful thinking aside, we’ve already seen Spidey’s charisma and the chemistry with Iron Man, so as long they don’t overdo it on making him a sidekick and focus on his coming-of-age, not just as a youngster, but rather as an aspiring superhero, then we can expect a lot of magic from this Marvel movie. Fingers are crossed that this sets him up to be included in “Infinity War.”

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (MAY 5)

Director, James Gunn, has a high standard to live up to with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2.” His blend of humor and action made the original an epic space opera and from what we’ve seen so far, he definitely believes that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We’re eager to see how Peter Quill (Star-Lord) and his band of ragtag, galactic misfits evolve and function as a family. The movie still seems like a Quill-centric film (not that we have a problem with that), with Drax, Rocket Racoon and Baby Groot being sure to draw just as many laughs.

Quill’s interactions with Thanos’ daughters, romantically with Gamora and as an antagonist to Nebula, will most likely to take front and center as part of his journey. His self-discovery will also cross paths with new characters, such as Ego The Living Planet (his father in the comics),  the empath Mantis, and lastly, Ayesha, The High Priestess. It may seem like a crowded cast, as Yondu (Michael Rooker) and the Nova Corps are also returning, but finding out just how Quill was able to harness the Power Stone the last time around should be key to how this cosmic film informs “Ragnarok,” “Inhumans” and eventually, Thanos’ arrival to Earth.

WONDER WOMAN (JUNE 2)

Director, Patty Jenkins, looks very much up to the challenge when it comes to crafting the inspirational and universally resonating tale that is “Wonder Woman.” The trailers have fans chomping at the bit due to how effective the movie looks as a period piece, set in a World War-era, with the relentless nature of its action sequences appearing nothing short of spectacular. Gal Gadot, as the titular character, and Chris Pine (Steve Trevor) are perched to steal our geek hearts due to how organic their on-screen relationship looks as well.

Expectations are definitely high as this film’s being viewed as the first major female comic book movie of the modern era, but after seeing how Wonder Woman handled herself in “BvS,” there shouldn’t be much to worry about. Watching her origins unfold on Themyscira and how she arms herself and leaves her Amazonian family behind  to enter the world of man, has us shaking with anticipation. Another plus is how vague they’ve kept the plot’s villains, with Ares rumored to be suiting up. Either way, we can’t wait to see her fight for justice to the backdrop of that badass Amazonian heavy-metal theme song.

STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII (DECEMBER 15)

Following J.J. Abrams taking a lightsaber stab at things, Rian Johnson (“Looper”) steps into the director’s chair. On the heels of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and the standalone “Rogue One,” the pressure will be even higher to move forward and tell this tale of the reclusive Luke Skywalker, former Jedi Master. We’ll be glued to our seats as we bask in what happened between him and his murderous nephew/former student, Kylo Ren.

The fallout of Ren killing his father, Han Solo, and rebounding as Snoke’s right-hand man to the Dark Side, will also be on the table, as well as the truth of Rey’s Force-sensitive origins. There are so many answers we want while we feast on the adventures of galactic bros, Poe Dameron and Finn, too. The last movie, despite script criticisms of being too similar to “A New Hope,” was visually majestic and, plot issues aside, we’re looking for Johnson to continue raising the bar and to deliver a truly immersive experience. Finally, on a bittersweet note, cinemas will be packed to see Carrie Fisher in her final role, as General Leia, helping save the galaxy, with a poise and style that only she could pull off.

JUSTICE LEAGUE (NOVEMBER 17)

Many comic book movie fans believe that the future of the DC filmverse hinges on how well “Justice League” will do on the big screen. While DC Entertainment’s direction has come into question with movies like “Man of Steel,” “BvS” and “Suicide Squad,” they’ve all raked in big box-office bucks and done their part to push Zack Snyder’s initial vision forward. Hater or not, you know you’re going to be lining up to see Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg stave off Darkseid’s first wave of attack via his general, Steppenwolf.

With the seeds already sewn for the invasion from Apokolips, fans are also excited to see how Superman will be resurrected following his death at the hands of Doomsday in the previous film. Indeed, there’s a lot riding on this, but Snyder’s passion, that of his cast’s, and what seems to possibly be a storyline inspired by Geoff Johns’ “Darkseid War,” are all ingredients to deliver a winner for comic purists. The trailer promises tons of bombastic action, without even giving away too much, and while the pressure’s on for Snyder and his squad, even if it’s a temporary pleasure, we’ll be basking in that glorious moment when the League assembles in full.

What movies are you looking forward to this year? Let us know in the comments below! 

The post The Most Anticipated Movies Of 2017 appeared first on CBR.com.

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