#this man sold his son and you expected an angel looking villain

[sednas]

not twitter complaining that he looks ugly 😭

[mewtonian-physics]

my ranking of the alex rider original series (stormbreaker through scorpia rising) from ‘book i least enjoy rereading’ to ‘book i most enjoy rereading’ let’s goooo

spoilers for all 9 books under the cut

9. Ark Angel

...He went to space. He went to space. Also the entire plot could have been avoided if Drevin had actually bothered to provide a photograph of his son. I’m sure he had one. I still like this book but it’s literally so insane that I just don’t know what to do with it. 

It is however really funny that Webber just goes and gives a speech insulting this super high-profile ecoterrorist group and acts like it’s no big deal and then they kill him. Shock of shocks.

8. Skeleton Key

Okay, points to this book for terrifying the shit out of me. God damn it does that shark scene scare me. Also, points for making me feel a little bit bad for a man who wants to nuke his own country because he thinks it will fix the place up. I’m still not entirely sure how that’s supposed to work, but that’s probably a good thing. I feel like understanding his thought process would say bad things about me. Still, I actually did feel sorry for him, if only a little. Dude was clearly mentally unstable and I doubt his son’s death helped at all. I also got sad about what happened to Carver and Troy. (Yeah, yeah, I’m a cringe fail American who has the American release. So sue me.) What a nightmare that must’ve been to endure... Otherwise, though, I’m not super into this book. The opening is just kind of meh and the way it leads into the rest of the plot seems a little bit unbelievable. Also, this might be an unpopular opinion, but Sabina annoys me. I would not get along with her at all and I can’t imagine her as a girlfriend. Skeleton Key does, however, absolutely excel at the emotional scenes. 

Also, why are all the spy agencies so comfortable with sending in a 14-year-old? Especially when they outright admit that the other attempts have all died horribly? Bureaucracy’s a bitch.

7. Point Blank

Boo, Dr. Grief! Boo! We hate your white supremacy! I’m so glad you got a snowmobile to the face, you deserved it. (Perks of books written by Jewish people--we aren’t afraid to give the neo-Nazis an unpleasant death.) Anyway, this book definitely isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t really say it stands out in the series. It definitely does hammer home the point of just how trapped Alex is, since MI6 isn’t going to just let him go after one mission, and let’s face it, the plot with the clones is creepy as hell, if highly improbable. But I’m largely just here to see the neo-Nazi get snowmobiled. That’s right, I just completely changed the definition of a pre-established word. I’m a rebel.

Also, I hate Fiona Friend so much and overall think she just didn’t need to be in the book, but the line about ‘I’d rather kiss the horse’ made me laugh so hard. Alex, you sass.

6. Snakehead

Okay, let’s talk about how genius the plan in this book is. I love it! I love how Yu wants to kill the people involved in the peace conference without making them into martyrs, so he comes up with this whole elaborate plan to stage a natural disaster. It’s incredible. This dude was thinking so far ahead. And he would’ve gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for that meddling kid... But anyway, I don’t see a lot of books where the villain really acknowledges that killing their enemies could just cause more problems for them via turning them into martyrs for a cause. Also, the way he’s so polite and soft-spoken while also being a complete monster... This book genuinely gives me chills. Extra bonus points for the part in the hospital, the absolute nightmare of having all your organs slowly removed and sold off and everyone around you is being so nice about it? ‘Oh, don’t worry, Alex, it won’t be so bad. Here, take your medicine. Do you need anything?’ Literally just. What the fuck. 

Also Ash can fucking fight me. You put your own godson in horrible danger on purpose! You killed your best friend! Bastard. 

...And just in case the book wasn’t disturbing enough, Yu’s fate at the end lives in my mind rent-free and I think about it on a concerningly regular basis considering that the chances of that happening to me are so low they’re practically in the negatives. Damn you, Horowitz.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention just how much I love the tagline ‘once bitten, twice spy’.

5. Crocodile Tears

Ah yes, the book that kickstarted my drift away from the church... I kid, of course. I drifted away from the church for completely separate reasons. But Desmond McCain is always going to scare the shit out of me. The ability to kill countless innocent people while blissfully quoting Bible verses (that he takes wildly out of context and uses for his own self-serving means) is... well, I could actually say a lot about what that reminds me of, but I’m here to rate books, not religion. Moving on. This book has some really stellar antagonists, and the plot is chilling in a way that feels a lot more realistic than most of the other books. Even if some of it is a bit farfetched (sabotaging a nuclear power plant? Really?), the idea of using disasters for your own profit... well. I’m sure I don’t need to elaborate on why that is so believable. The Poison Dome is also a really cool and chilling scene--even Alex, who has the luck of the devil, can’t get out of that one unscathed. Further scares come in with the fate of Harold Bulman--imagine having your entire existence wiped and your identity changed while you were asleep! The breakdown he has over it is almost enough to make me feel sorry for him, even though he was ready to exploit a teenager and make his life a living hell just to turn a profit. Note the word almost.

Also. The opening makes me cry. Specifically the line talking about how Ravi’s kids would ‘never meet Mickey Mouse’. I lose my goddamn mind every single time I read it. That little personal touch turns the scene from a statistic to a tragedy. Once again: Damn you, Horowitz.

4. Stormbreaker

Yeah, this one gets the special cover shot. And why not? What we are looking at here is the birth of a legend. Move the fuck over, James Bond, Alex Rider is on the scene now. Anyway, yeah, this book is pretty damn spectacular. It has its stumbles, but as the first book in a series, that’s to be expected. Still, it pulls you in from quite literally the first line and keeps you going right up until the end. (If you came here from my post of memes, you know how much the line ‘Killing is for grownups, and you’re still a child’ destroys me.) It has the debut of much-beloved characters such as, of course, Alex--but also Jack Starbright, and of course, the best MI6 agent of them all, which is to say Smithers. Hell, even Yassen Gregorovich, especially once you get through Russian Roulette... Man, that was a rough one. 

Seriously, though. This is a really good book. The scene with the Portuguese man-o’-war still gives me the chills to think about. (Have you ever looked up pictures of those things? They’re beautiful, but holy shit will they make you regret being born. Nature is funny like that.) 

We also get the introduction of, of course, Alex’s patented sass (his response to Sayle saying he relates to the man-o’-war is HILARIOUS) and we get the inherent humor of Alex screwing up an alias one time and then just going by Alex for the rest of the series so he doesn’t do that again. Really, kid, I know you’re not a trained spy or anything but did you never play pretend growing up? Ever? You can’t pretend your name is Felix for a little while? That sounds like a you problem.

3. Scorpia Rising

I distinctly remember when this book came out, actually. I was on vacation at the time, and I remember my brother annoying the hell out of the poor workers at a bookstore we frequented there to see if/when they were going to get it in. They did, finally, and we bought it immediately, and I was of course absolutely desperate to read it. He got to read it first, though. -_-

This is a great book, an absolute emotional rollercoaster all the way through. The way Blunt tricks Alex back into service by staging a shooting was exactly the kind of cold, brutal behavior I’d expect from him. Seeing Julius come back was shocking, but very exciting, too. And Razim makes an incredibly chilling villain, with his absolute disregard for human life and his desire to measure pain. Also, seeing Smithers’s house was so much fun. Smithers in this book was just really fun in general, but he’s really fun in every book, so... nothing unusual there. But also, I want an unwelcome mat. Please?

2. Eagle Strike

‘But Penny,’ you might ask, ‘why is this book so high on your list? It has so much of Sabina in it, and you said she annoys you.’ That is true. What does not annoy me, however, is basically the entire rest of the book. I love the tense opening, and then reading through Alex’s real-life ‘playthrough’ of Feathered Serpent is still one of my favorite scenes. Cray is absolutely incredible as a villain, with the way that he truly believes in his cause--which is undoubtedly a good one! Yet the extremes to which he will go for that cause, and the fact that he very nearly succeeds, are what elevate him to one of the most dangerous villains in the series. That scene with Charlie Roper and the nickels is something I can never seem to stop thinking about. Actually, I think about it basically whenever I think about large amounts of money paid in small increments... 

Also, I really enjoy how he gets into the whole plot in the first place, and I really enjoy Smithers saying ‘ah, fuck it’ and helping him out anyway. Go, Smithers. You once again prove me right in saying that you’re the coolest adult in MI6.

The revelation that Yassen knew Alex’s father is one that absolutely blew my mind first time around. The way his life was threaded into the lives of the Rider family--he worked with John Rider, was saved by him, killed Ian Rider, and then died for refusing to kill Alex Rider--wow. Wow. It gets to me. It really gets to me. This book is a masterpiece. I heard that it’s going to be what the second season of the TV series is based off of, and I’m so hyped for that. We love to see it, we really do.

1. Scorpia

I don’t believe anyone who says this book didn’t get to them at all. I just think they are lying. I don’t think it’s humanly possible to not be affected by this book. God. Just thinking about it reminds me of why I don’t think it’s possible. I mean, come on. We get all this backstory about Alex’s parents, we get tricked along with him into thinking MI6 killed his father, then bam, that was a lie, and Alex may have just fucked himself over big time. Also, that plot is terrifying! (And I bet anti-vaxxers had a field day with it, huh.) Julia Rothman is a really great antagonist, one of the only ones who didn’t go and explain her plan in great detail to Alex--the fact that she didn’t actually being a plot point was something I personally found pretty clever. In general, this book is... I tend to hate when people say they ‘can’t put it down’ because it’s usually an obvious exaggeration, but that really is how I feel reading it.

And again. If that ending didn’t get to you... Well, I just think you are lying.

[aion-rsa]

Val Kilmer Documentary Punctures the Actor’s Bad Boy Myth

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Leo Scott and Ting Poo’s new documentary feature, Val, is not a mortality play. It is a rehearsal for an upcoming act. During a tour of his one-man stage show, Citizen Twain, Val Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer. The actor underwent two tracheostomies, and now can only speak while covering a tube. The narration of the new film is thus done by his son Jack Kilmer, allowing the pair to share a non-verbal connection throughout the journey, and through time and expression itself. While there are flourishes of humor, the documentary is a serious study of an artist who has always struggled to be understood, told through the selective memory of Kilmer’s POV.

“I’ve wanted to tell a story about acting for a very long time,” Kilmer says toward the beginning of the documentary. “And now that it’s difficult to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever.” Kilmer is an artist, one who takes his vocation very seriously and introspectively. An actor’s voice is more than a tool, it is their primary source of communication. Non-verbal exchanges are important, but dialogue is the primary idea delivery system in staged and filmed works. Surgical procedures have split his throat, shredding the scope of his instrument. In the film, Kilmer is forced to project his story on the empty space between the notes.

Among Kilmer’s many defining roles, the one which appears to ring truest is his encapsulation of Jim Morrison, the poet and lead vocalist of the Doors in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic, The Doors. The young Kilmer is shown onstage in a small club, lost in the music, awaiting his cue to become one with the mic. Moments in Kilmer’s personal history, like how the actor was tagged with a “difficult” label, are consigned to rests. The most overt reference to Kilmer’s “bad boy” reputation comes from Robert Downey Jr., who smashes the notoriety to bits in a moment of impromptu dismissal.

There is no gossip here. There is no discussion of A-list-bad behavior. Kilmer sees it all as artistic license.  He was searching for honesty, he remembers. Choices like lying on top of a mattress filled with ice in order to feel a real pain during his last scene with Kurt Russell in Tombstone come across as perfectly valid. Kilmer is still bitter over spending four months learning to play guitar for Top Secret!, and his first note informs him the director thinks he looks funnier faking it. There is little evidence of unprofessionalism, only growing pains.

The bulk of Val comes from clips of 8mm home video footage Kilmer has been shooting most of his life. “I’ve kept everything, and it’s been sitting in boxes for years,” Kilmer informs us. The archive was intended to tell a story about “where you end and the acting begins.” We are gifted with moon shots of both Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn, which have nothing to do with the films Apollo 13 or The First.

Early self-directed screen tests provoke a series of what-ifs. A tortuous encapsulation of a Juilliard acting class is a lesson in what-nots. Val’s hand-held approach to The Island of Dr. Moreau is a highlight. The actor respectfully rocks his co-star and idol, Marlon Brando, on a hammock they both wish was strung to John Frankenheimer. Please turn off the camera, the film’s replacement director demands. But Kilmer only hits pause when it’s time to rehearse.

The behind-the-scenes camcorder footage from sets of Top Gun, Tombstone, and The Doors are treasure troves in themselves, and possibly underused. Most of the audience will be very interested in the candid youth and truth recorded over his career. Val uses the archival clips and unearthed b-roll to establish a chronology.

Many videos were made at home in Los Angeles with Kilmer’s younger brother Wesley, who had an epileptic seizure and drowned at age 15. His death casts a mournful pall following the news that Val was the youngest applicant ever accepted as a drama student at Juilliard. Kilmer calls his brother “an artistic genius,” and one of the most revealing things to come out of the documentary is how often Kilmer used this brother’s art to augment the backgrounds of the sets he is living through on film.

Seeing how Stone speaks about Kilmer now makes me wonder if Val would have been able to put in the same performances in his movies if he knew it at the time. In his audition tapes for Full Metal Jacket and Goodfellas, we see an actor who needs to be taken seriously. He flies 6,000 miles to hand deliver his tape to Stanley Kubrick in London.

While he makes no comment, footage reveals Kilmer’s favorite Batman was played by Adam West. “Every boy wants to be Batman,” we hear, and see the Caped Crusader in every era of Kilmer’s life. A short, animated film he and his brother made with what looks like crayon is a Batman spoof. He still glories in the moment he got deposited behind the classic TV series’ iconic wheels as a youngster visiting the lot. It appears Kilmer still can’t pass a grocery store Batmobile without feeding it quarters. He wears the classic blue Halloween ensemble expecting tricks and treats as a kid, and as a daddy with his kids.

Don’t expect to see Kilmer wearing his cinematic puffed rubber suit at home, and it’s not because he left it at the dry cleaners. Footage old and new, homemade or professionally recorded, presents the Batsuit as an albatross. Heavy rests the cowl. He has to be lifted from chairs, deposited on marks, and his only identifying feature on the set of Batman Forever is a chin and bottom lip. Anyone could have been behind the mask, and the human superhero envied the subhuman villains. Kilmer comes across as quite happy Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones are able to create fully formed performance art in their portrayals. But he wanted to play with those toys.

“Batman Forever,” Kilmer laments, “whatever boyish excitement I had going in was crushed by the reality of the Batsuit. I realized it was just my job to show up and stand where they told me.” As the captured past footage is juxtaposed with modern sequences, we get an unfiltered glimpse of how little this has changed. The sequence of Kilmer at the Comic-Con autograph booth is wrenching. He initially didn’t want to take the part of Iceman in Top Gun because he felt it glorified the military. So many fans ask him to sign “You can be my wingman” on their souvenirs. It turns his stomach. He throws up in a garbage can and wheeled through hallways with a blanket over his head. Trouper that he is, he returns to the booth to finish out the signatures.

Kilmer blurred himself into the role of Mark Twain. There is a beautiful sequence where the actor walks through town to the beach, in full stage makeup, dressed in the signature white suit and long mustache of his character. It is extremely telling when Kilmer tells the camera it’s hard enough writing a good screenplay, much less a great one, which itself doesn’t even match what he feels he needs to bring to a script of a film version of Citizen Twain. Kilmer sold his ranch in New Mexico to finance the project. The documentary only captures some of the frustrations.

Most of the anecdotes are guarded, and all the admissions are part of a subjective narrative. Kilmer’s arc has rough edges, these tales are too smooth, and leave little room for impressionistic interpretation. Kilmer met his former wife, Joanne Whalley, when she was starring in a West End play directed by Danny Boyle, but he didn’t approach her.

“She was brilliant, and I was in town making fluff,” Kilmer concedes. It’s all about the art, even appearances. The documentary hints that Kilmer’s dedication to character did the most damage to their relationship. Wearing the same pair of leather pants for nine months could almost be on the books as probable cause for divorce in Hollywood.

Similarly, Kilmer’s Christian Science upbringing is brought up, and dropped. There is a loving but ambiguous undertone to Kilmer’s relationship with his once-rich-and-powerful father, who put his son in debt after trying to become a southern California land tycoon. But a sequence on his Swedish mother which juxtaposes a car ride he took with her when he was a child with one of being driven to her funeral speaks volumes without words.

Val is about the next step. “What’s past is prologue” William Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest. Kilmer pondered the “too, too solid flesh” while rehearsing Hamlet, and the documentary opens after the actor faced his own mortality. Kilmer swears he feels better than he sounds and, while he finds little to regret in his memories, he expects less in the ones he has yet to create.

Val can be seen on Amazon Prime Video.

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from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2VvZ2lA

[bitletsanddrabbles]

Too Easy: First Draft, Working Title

This is what happens when we get the DA trailer and the GO release in the same month. Of course, having thoroughly reread GO, I’m going to be giving this a pretty hefty over haul before I put it up anywhere else - so many references that need making, etc. - but as an initial concept piece it pleases.

Fandom: Downton Abbey/Good Omens

Characters: Crowley, Thomas Barrow

Relationship: N/A

Warnings: Season 2. Characterization is probably not 100% there yet, but close enough for government work.

Crowley never would have imagined England being boring after a war. Really, even for the English ‘war’ was basically the antonym for ‘boring’ and there was always fuss and bother putting things back in order when one ended and yet here it was, the tail end of a war - The War, if the press was to be believed, which it wasn’t - and, while nowhere near a redeux of the fourteenth century, he was fighting to stave off monotony.  It wasn’t that there wasn’t plenty of room for corruption, mind. It was that he didn’t need to do anything to further said corruption. The men who had lost arms and legs to the German bombs sat on the street corners, begging for food, while the people who had sat at home through the whole thing hurried past pretending not to see them. Soldiers who had fought and come home in one piece looked down their noses at the less fortunate and the men who hadn’t fought at all with equal disdain. Girls who had been seduced by men in uniform worked the street corners, trying to feed children whose fathers denied their existence. It had taken him an age to hit upon a scheme to actually help things along.

Of course, if he was honest about it the black market didn’t need his help much either, but he wasn’t exactly trying to help. The real black marketeers already had their suppliers and their clients and had generally built up a tidy sum to live off of, assuming the government hadn’t caught them and shunted them into prison. No, the people who came to Crowley were the desperate and inexperienced lot, looking to get started. They were the men without hands or half of their faces burned off, men who had given the country everything they had to give and been left to starve as payment. Unable to find good, paying work, they turned to dishonest, risky work that had a great pay off, or so they’d heard.

If they’d found a different supplier, it might have done.

A soft knock, two taps in quick succession, followed after a long pause by a third, made Crowley look up from where the tip of his cigarette met the lighter he carried for appearances, adjust his dark glasses, and call, “Come in.”  The door swung inward. One of these times he was dead certain the knocker was going to prove to be Aziraphael, come to scold him for his misdeeds, but not today. Today the angel was off serving at a soup kitchen or acting as an orderly in a hospital or whatever it was he did to pass the time.

The man who slipped through into the dingy pub backroom was still a surprise. Unlike most of the men who came looking for him to supply their fortunes, this one was awfully respectable looking. Young, tall, well groomed, excellent posture, he looked every inch a respectable member of the English working class. Then he caught sight of Crowley, sitting at the table with his carefully judged rakish posture (looking devil may care was part of the look when one was a black market supplier, after all) and he paused, eyes drinking him in slowly.

That was it then, the demon thought with a private smirk. He was one of those. And wasn’t that just another shining example of mankind at it’s most hellish? All of that insistence that the populace be loyal, upstanding, law abiding citizens and they went and made laws assuring that certain members of that populace couldn’t be law abiding if they wanted to? If society had let him, this fellow might be anything from a spokesperson for public reform to a knowledgeable tailor, but Parliament couldn’t have that, could they? Instead he was here, angry, alienated, and more than ready to take some of his own back from the world.

Well, Crowley wished him all the luck in the world, where that was concerned. Just not today.

“Mr. Crowley?” the man asked, not taking more than a half step from the door. His expression was calmly confident, but his eyes gave him away, shifting from the shadows to Crowley and back. He was young, and probably a fool, but he wasn’t stupid.

Crowley stood, extending his hand and grinning broadly around his cigarette. “At your service, Mr….?”

“Barrow,” the man replied, crossing the room to take the offered hand. Despite the fact he’d apparently liked what he saw, there was no flirtation in his manner at all, meaning he either refused to mix business with pleasure, or he’d been bitten once recently and was now being twice shy. Not that Crowley minded. Flirting was easy enough, all told, but he didn’t feel like dredging up the energy and focus to exude anything resembling ‘sexuality’.

“And what can I do for you, Mr. Barrow?” Crowley asked, even though he knew full well what the answer was. He resumed his seat and gestured for his companion to take the one across the table.

Barrow sat, working the glove off of his right hand and fishing a pack of Black Cats out of his pocket. Crowley approved of the brand on general principle. He also noted that the left hand stayed gloved. “I’m looking to go into business,” Barrow replied, working a cigarette out of the pack and placing it between his lips. Since Crowley hadn’t gotten around to putting his own lighter away, he flicked it to life and held it out. His companion looked momentarily startled, then leaned forward and set the end of his fag in the flame. As soon as it was glowing sufficiently, he sat back and blew a ring of smoke into the air. “Dry goods.”

“Whereabouts are you looking to start this business?” Crowley asked, blowing a smoke ring of his own. The man’s accent placed him somewhere north of Cheshire, but south of Bolton, in the general vicinity of Manchester. Crowley considered that another point in his favor. (He was still quite proud of Manchester. He should stop past at some point before he left the country. See if there was anything he could improve while he was here.) Of course, they were in a pub in Leeds, so no telling where Barrow lived now. “Competition can be fierce.”

Barrow gave a light snort. “No competition in Downton, I promise you. There’s clientele, though. If nothing else, the Earl’s family is looking at a wedding soon. Can’t have a wedding without a proper cake, can you? Other toffs wouldn’t let you live it down.”

“And you’re certain you can get in to pitch your sale?”

“Used to be a footman for the family, back before the war.” The reply held a note of defiance, daring Crowley to look down on him for his service. There was also a spark of ambition, which fanned with his next words. “Not looking to go back to the job. And of course I served in the trenches with the heir, Mr. Crawley. He’s the one getting married. So yeah, pretty sure they’ll buy from me.”

The name caught Crowley off guard and nearly made him choke on a lungful of ash, but he caught himself. He always managed to forget that the name had somehow (he had no idea how) caught on as a human surname. Instead he concentrated on the implications of a wedding. Along with a cake, weddings meant feasts and any feast could benefit from sugar and flour. And when all of that went sour? Even the most lenient of aristocrat would have his nose out of joint at his son’s wedding being spoiled. He’d undoubtedly yell at the cook, possibly at the butler and housekeeper, and if his temper was bad enough, possibly the entire staff. Cooks were even less known for mild tempers than their employers were. All of this, of course, would eventually make its way down to Barrow, as the one who supplied the goods, making him a villain right when he’d be expecting to be everyone’s savior. By that time Crowley would be long gone. He’d already decided to take a trip to America after he’d sold off this lot. There were some interesting rumors coming from that direction in regards to alcohol. “Well then, sounds like the basis for a solid business,” he grinned. “How much do you think you’ll need to get started?”

“Sugar and flour for a start,” Barrow ticked the ingredients off on his fingers. “Sugar in particular. Butter if you can get it. Anything connected to baking, really. Even if it’s not rationed, I know Mrs. Patmore. She’ll be worried that this is going to continue and spread, even if she won’t let on, and if she’s not now, I can make sure she starts.”

“I have that,” Crowley promised. “Give me a time and a place and I can have it delivered.”

“I’ll give you a time and a place when you give me a price,” Barrow countered. So far he hadn’t shown much shrewd business sense, outside of being able to spot an opportunity and knowing what was needed for a cake, more or less. Crowley had no reason to believe he had much more beyond that, but even if his innate business sense began and ended at ‘toffs like cake’, someone had taught him a modicum of caution.

“Getting all of that past the police isn’t an easy job,” Crowley hedged, pretending to think it over. Instead he tallied what he knew of Barrow, adding it up to a crippling sum, but not too outrageous. As a footman he should have made a modest sum, given his height. As a soldier he’d have made spit, same as the rest of them. If he was trying to start a business, he must have squirreled some away for a rainy day. Either that or Crowley had sorely misjudged and he was the biggest idiot in England, but that didn’t seem likely. A fool, yes, or he wouldn’t be here, but a shrewd fool. “A good supply will cost ninety pounds.”

Barrow’s eyes narrowed. “What can you give me for sixty?”

He didn’t as much as say that was all he had, but Crowley could tell it was. “Less than I could give you for eighty,” he countered. “And that’s the least I’d recommend for starting a business like yours.”

For a moment the young man simply watched him through the haze of smoke. “Seventy’s worth, then,” he finally offered. “Sixty now and I’ll pay you the rest from my profits.”

Crowley debated. On the one hand, if he really had risked his neck for these goods, he’d want to get as much from them as possible. On the other hand, he hadn’t risked a thing. The goods were only a few years younger than the earth itself, give or take a century, and there would be no profit. He knew that, but he didn’t need Barrow to figure it out. Finally he smiled and held out his hand, “Deal.”

Barrow shook the offered hand and gave him the address of a vacant shed in the middle of the Yorkshire countryside. He then pulled out his wallet and, without a hint of hesitation, handed over a generous fistful of pound notes. Sixty, as promised. Crowley grinned. The boy had lots of promise, but in the end he was nothing but the shrewdest fool in the land, and now, whether he knew it or not, a penniless fool. “A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Crowley,” Barrow stood, working his right glove back on his hand and tipping his hat in parting.

“The pleasure’s all mine.”

[ultimate-miles]

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) - Or, what happens when you give a Black character to a Black writer

Miles Morales: Spider-Man follows the exploits of a now sixteen year old Miles Morales, setting the timeline of the story far beyond his earliest exploits and his then current title, Spider-Man (2016-2017) where he is fifteen going on sixteen years old.

 The Good Stuff

Miles Morales: Spider-Man is a story focused wholly on the boy behind the mask, the titular lead, Miles Morales. The book, no more than two hundred and sixty-one pages long (unfortunately), can probably be accredited with doing something Miles’ comic book titles (Ultimate Comics, The Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Men, and Spider-Man) really couldn’t or wouldn’t bother themselves with – which is focus on Miles’ life as student at Brooklyn Visions Academy and how he interacts with the people in his Brooklyn neighborhood.

Everything important that happens to Miles happens within the confines of the Brooklyn area. Miles isn’t off globe-trotting with the Ultimates, and he certainly isn’t fighting within the central New York City area with a villain-of-the-week, and there’s not even a mention of Peter Parker – clone, resurrected, or otherwise – present in his narrative here, which makes this one of the first stories focused on Miles where Peter Parker wasn’t lording over it like an intrusive shadow.

The most pivotal conflict that pushes Miles’ narrative forward in the book is his persisting (if not misplaced) guilt over the death of Aaron Davis, who killed himself in an effort to murder his own nephew. The re-visitation of Aaron’s death opens the narrative to the odd addition of a cousin, Aaron’s son, who contacts Miles from prison in the hopes of connecting with one of the few surviving members of the Davis family. Miles torments himself with the information, uncertain if the intent behind the letter is genuine or a stranger looking to talk to another stranger.

For the most part, I like how it was handled. It paints the actions of Aaron Davis in a completely different light. Maybe in a “not as bad as one thought” kind’ve way, and I’m not particularly sure how I feel about that considering it flies in the face of what the comics establish –which is an unrepentant man with no real affection for family – but it was an interesting angle to take with the Miles/Aaron dynamic nonetheless.

Reynolds’ use of language goes to a decent length to make Miles’ life feel lived in. The attention to detail to Miles’ internal observation of his life works to Reynolds strength as a poet. The author captures the mentality of a restless teenager, drowning in his own angst (often self-imposed) without falling into purple prose or wordiness. 

Brooklyn is the world that Miles lives in, so the people he talks to throughout the story deal the with circumstances of low-income areas, places people of more – I guess – “wealthy” circumstance have learned to dismiss as criminal despite the people who live there often not reflecting that.

Miles contemplates the projects where his uncle Aaron lived, the barber shop he goes to get his hair cut – where the older men recognize him as one of the more fortunate children with a chance to pull themselves out from the under violent cycle of gang and hustler life. He also contemplates the number of young and older residents who’ve been driven out of homes by the city looking to redevelop the area for white buyers. This is the kind’ve of stuff you’d read about in Milestone Comics stories for Static Shock, Icon, or Hardware.  

This is the kind’ve day-to-day life stuff that Brian Michael Bendis – as a white man – were so disconnected from, Miles as a character – in the comics – might as well have lived in New York City. I can only imagine that Jason Reynolds – as a Brooklyn native – used his own experiences, to a degree, to flesh out the story he was telling.

Another element I think Miles Morales: Spider-Man gets right is Miles and puppy love. This book is probably the only Spider-Man story featuring Miles to actually give him a crush that is neither – a creepy adult [white] woman for him to mack on (Diamondback and Gwen Stacy), a Plot Twist Nazi (Katie Bishop), or a really boring version of Mary Jane Watson (Barbra Rodriguez, who unfortunately appears in his recent series).

Alicia is a character I would’ve liked to have seen more of in the story, particularly outside of the purview of Miles’ heart-eyes. She’s nothing if not a brief exploration into the expectations that come with being born to “Old Black Money” and keeping up public appearances. 

Alicia’s want to stand against casual racism in the classroom is the kind of “young awakening” you see in teens who pull themselves out of apathy long enough to understand how the world functions around them, when they realize they can’t turn a blind eye to microaggressions any longer. 

But, her disadvantage is trying to churn up enough support from her classmates, who honestly just want to get through the day without conflict, or don’t give a shit, that she faces an uphill battle. And when her stance threatens her position in Brooklyn Visions Academy, her parents and the expectation that comes with their family’s reputation forces her to choose between her own belief system and her future.

Miles’ affection for Alicia is cute, and watching him struggle to make a connection with her amidst what he thinks his spider sense going off-kilter and dealing with a Mr. Chamberlain’s constant interference and need to diminish him among his peers, endears me to their [potential] relationship. 

Again, I really wish Alicia and Miles’ interaction, Alicia herself, had more time in the story to develop. Maybe with two hundred more pages (which could’ve knocked the page count up to 361 est.) this could’ve happened, but as it stands, what’s given isn’t bad and fairly enjoyable.

The Spider-Man content within the story is brief, and for me, that’s fine. The one thing about it that I did enjoy, when Miles donned the mask, is how Reynolds uses that persona to tackle the social structure surrounding muggings in Black communities. There’s a whole – and often misguided – unspoken rule wherein the victim cannot call out for help when being mugged. 

One loses the respect of the neighborhood (if you’re into that kind of toxic masculinity) and respect of your peers. Miles, afraid that the actions that led his father and Aaron down the path of crime and hustling is genetic, is faced with a situation where he can either ignore muggers who stole a kid’s sneakers, or use his alter ego to set things right.

He does the latter, and a lot about how Reynolds approaches the sequence reminded me a lot of how Peter David (the writer of Spider-Man 2099) handled Miguel O’Hara. Miguel isn’t what you’d call a “nice Spider-Man”. When he aims to teach you a lesson, chances are, a lot of his targets are left peeing on themselves. 

This is kind’ve the energy Miles uses when he utilizes the “strength of his street knowledge” on the muggers who attacked the kid. But, in the end, this really doesn’t change things. The cycle continues, and it kind’ve highlights the kind of futility Miles faces as a vigilante superhero.

 The Disappointing Stuff

Action sequences really aren’t Reynolds strong suit. I mean, writing action sequences are – in general – a pain in the ass, because a lot of it is a deliberation about how long a description needs to be, preventing things from becoming too wordy, and getting the point across without losing the audience’s interest. It’s difficult balance, one I don’t think even the best writers manage 100% of the time.

But, to his credit, I think his ability to use poetic language is a strong enough short hand that most of his descriptions don’t get lost in the soup. Additionally, because a lot of the Spider-Man sequences don’t occur until the very final climax of the story’s conflict, even when his weakness starts to show, the sequences don’t overstay their welcome.

I don’t think Reynolds really manages to marry the fantastic with the reality of systemic racism. There is definitely a way of creating a mythologized monster to represent the ugly realities of anti-Blackness as faced by Black youth within the general education system. Mythology is nothing if not one culture’s way of rationalizing or simplifying things encountered in their waking lives. But, I don’t think Reynolds manages to pull it off here. 

The idea that there is a supernatural “Mr. Chamberlain” for every Black male youth across the ages isn’t a bad idea. You can some really interesting things with that – like Crossroad Blues type stuff. But, here, it’s kind’ve ridiculous – or it’s presented in such a way that the suspension of disbelief strains to such a degree that I simply don’t buy the product being sold to me.

It feels like something that would’ve been a monster-of-the-week in the first season of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Angel: The Series even had an episode where a demon stoked the fires of racism against a fair-skinned Black woman, who trapped herself in a hotel room until her dying day). 

I mean, the fantastical version of Mr. Chamberlain even comes like Principal Snyder – the walking parody of the militant school authority who hates children – which is frustrating because the Mr. Chamberlain in Miles’ waking life is a proper representative of the unrepentant racist school teacher obsessed with the confederacy to a Hollywood degree.

Another sticking point: Judge still isn’t utilized in any way that makes him a character and less of a random extra that pops in and out of the narrative. I really fail to understand why writers refuses to make him and Miles friends, because at this point he needs someone else besides Ganke, the Lego obsessed non-Black character, to talk to. Honestly, the fact that Miles still lacks any Black friends his age – especially in this novel – is rather annoying.

Jefferson Davis is probably even less likeable in this story than he is in general in Miles’ comics. To be sure, he’s completely reflective of the overbearing Black father who doles out punishment with the excuse of helping his son “build character” – there are no lies detected in his characterization on that front – but his rationale is often narrow-minded and assumes bad faith on the part of his son, who is often caught in situations where he neither the aggressor or the cause of his problems. 

Like, he makes Miles clean the entire neighborhood block of trash left behind by the garbage men because he dipped out of school to play superhero. Again, I get Jefferson’s intent, but it was wildly misguided.

The situation regarding Aaron’s son, Miles’ cousin, is simply left hanging. There’s no real resolution following their official meeting in the prison, which is a shame, because it brought another kind of dynamic to the story itself. It offered a particularly ripe opportunity to use Jefferson and Aaron’s past just a little more – if only for the sake of exploring the history of the Jefferson family. 

It could’ve only  aided of Jefferson’s characterization and Aaron’s son, who needed more face-time in the story.  But, this also leads to the biggest issue with the young adult novel itself. How it ends.

The ending of Miles Morales: Spider-Man just kinda fizzles out. I don’t know whether it was due to time constrains (not really an excuse) – that Reynolds had to have the manuscript completed before a certain period of time – or Reynolds truly reached the end of his rope with the story and couldn’t think of any other way of ending things (other than how he did), but there’s no true resolution to the story.

The students, who’ve thus far shown the atypical apathy of a teenager toward one student being singled out by a racist teacher, suddenly rising up and protesting with Miles and Alicia against Mr. Chamberlain’s ritualistic dehumanization of Miles, is questionable. It’s idealistically something you want to see happen, but I feel like the story should’ve done more exploring of the students to really set this up.

 The Conclusion

Miles Morales: Spider-Man is a solid Miles Morales story. It’s the kind’ve Spider-Man story Miles Morales’ comic book series, past and present, should’ve been from the jump, and if Marvel was remotely interested, I could actually see a book series coming out of this (so long as the Black author(s) remain). The Spider-Man elements are few and far between, and perhaps that’s for the best. Anyone looking for superhero antics equivalent to what happens in a 19-to-20 page comic book, or a trade, should probably look elsewhere because that’s not the focus of the story.

The strength of the story is how Miles deals with the day-to-day issues of his life and how a Brooklyn-native author uses his familiarity with his home turf to do what Miles’ comic books honestly failed to do. Make Miles a part of the world he was supposed to be living in in-between his life as a superhero, which was the world of Brooklyn, New York.

Even with the shortcomings of the narrative, Miles Morales: Spider-Man is without a doubt the best story that has come out for Miles Morales in four years (like since issue #19 of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man).

This is the kind of storytelling, the kind of writer, which Miles Morales needs. But as long as Marvel continues to be allergic to hiring Black creatives for his comic book title – or anything for that matter – a milquetoast (and often inauthentic) Miles Morales is more or less what the consuming audience will be given.

If you’re a Miles Morales fan, I definitely recommend this book.

[benevolentsam]

prompt: Michael ends up possessing dean

Hello! Thank you for the prompt, sorry it took so long but this one kinda got away from me, aha! Hope you enjoy it anyway Warning: Major Character Death

With Zachariah dead, Dean knew it was only a few minutes before Michael would retaliate. He looked across at both his brothers lying on the floor; Adam was mostly okay, but there was blood coming from Sam’s mouth and he was struggling to breathe. He gave Adam a look of apology before rushing to pick Sammy up. There was no way he was going to leave Sam there for Michael to take, God knows what Michael would do to get him to say yes to Lucifer. He could go back for Adam, he could, but Sammy needed out right then.

Only as soon as he stepped foot outside the room, Sam on his shoulders, he felt it. Michael’s presence. 

The room was bathed in light, brighter than anything Dean had ever seen before. It was pure beauty, but all he could feel was a twisting pain in his stomach. The door had locked behind them. Adam was still in there. Dean dropped his brother and tried all he could to open the door. It wasn’t enough, he was no match for an angel. He sighed, he only had one tool left in his arsenal. “No no don’t you dare!” Dean yelled, banging on the door. Sam gave a weak yell of protest, knowing what Dean was about to do. Ge loved Sam, he did, but he couldn’t sell out Adam like that. “Take me instead! Michael I will kick your feathery ass back to Heaven don’t take him, take me!” His screams could barely be heard over the sound of Michael’s voice but he wouldn’t give up, he couldn’t.

Everything went eerily quite. And then the light disappeared, along with Dean.

Adam crawled out of the room, nails digging into the ground to drag himself along. Sam watched the pain on his face, and God he wished he could erase it. The kid didn’t deserve the hurt, the heartbreak, the hunt. This wasn’t his fight. Sam sighed, he couldn’t hold himself up, not with how his insides felt like fire, but he could hold up his little brother.

“What the Hell just happened?” Adam coughed. He pushed himself to stand, and though Sam could tell it was a struggle for him, Adam was certainly doing better than he was. 

“Dean sacrificed himself for you,” Sam said. There was a hint of bitterness, of how could Dean give up just like that? But he remembered the year Dean was in Hell and how he would have done anything to get him back. Dean doing this for Adam wasn’t surprising.

“What does that mean?” Adam asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“It means you’re family, kiddo.”

Sam remembered Bobby once saying that to him, back when they were kids. He’d been hurt by some teenager that Dean had pissed off, Bobby scared them off with a shotgun, and when Sam asked why he did it, he replied with that. The thought of bobby pulled him back into the real world. He didn’t want to do anything without Dean by his side, but realistically their best chance of survival was regrouping in Bobby’s library. Sam dared to take his hand off of his stomach; big mistake. Pain howled through him, and all Sam could do was silently scream. 

Adam was stood staring at him, seemingly worried. Sam gave him a dry smile.

“Look, can you drive?” He asked. Adam nodded, he hurried to the door of the Impala nodding all the way.

“Yeah, where’s the nearest hospital?” Sam limped towards the car, just barely managing to drop into the passenger seat without throwing up. Adam gave him an expectant look.

“Not to the hospital. To Bobby’s.”

When Sam turned up on Bobby’s doorstep, still hurt and with Adam in tow, Bobby had questions. He didn’t ask anything though, not until Sam was settled on the couch in the library and everyone had a glass of whiskey. God knows they needed it.

“So what happened?” Bobby broke the silence in the room bluntly, and both Sam and Adam winced.

“Michael took Dean instead of me,” Adam answered. His eyes were trained to the floor, and Sam recognised the guilt in him. The tense line of his shoulders, how downcast his eyes were, it was clear. Just how Sam felt when Dean sold his soul. Bobby made a sound of surprise.

“You should feel lucky, boy,” Bobby shrugged. “Dean don’t sacrifice himself for just anyone.” He does Sam thought, Dean was just that kind of person. The unsung hero of everything.

“Don’t need to remind me,” Adam bit out miserably. He downed the glass of whiskey in one and poured himself another. Sam hadn’t even touched his. The idea of anything entering his stomach made him feel sick. Everything made him feel sick.

“And where’s your angel?” Bobby questioned. That one no one could answer. Cas had also sacrificed himself, and Sam had no idea where to begin looking for him. He was weak anyway, Heaven had been halving his powers each day that went by. Sam had to swallow down the bile in the back of his throat.

“I don’t know, he’s not coming when I pray to him. I think he’s really hurt, Bobby,” Sam did all he could to stop his eyes from watering, to distract himself from it all. Bobby let out a sigh and rolled his chair to his desk.

“Dean, Cas, anyone else gonna go?”

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room as they all came to term with what was happening. Bobby had lost two of his sons, and from the looks of Sam he could lose another before the night was out. Adam felt the guilt of know Dean sacrificed himself for him. And Sam - Sam was at a loss. It was almost as if a limb had been cut off without Dean by his side. He found the courage to down his drink, despite the fire it sent down his throat. 

Adam was the first one to speak, though his face was pale and his voice trembled.

“What do we do about Michael and Lucifer?” And God the kid was already offering himself up to the fight. The apocalypse wasn’t any of his business, wasn’t his to deal with, he just happened to be caught in the crossfire. Sam choked back a sob.

“Well my plan went out the window,” Sam half laughed. It wasn’t funny, none of it was funny, but Sam couldn’t stop himself. “I thought maybe if I let Lucifer possess me-”

“Sam, no.” Bobby interrupted him, but Sam carried one.

“Hear me out,” Sam rolled his eyes. “If I let Lucifer possess me, then I could somehow regain control and let Lucifer destroy himself.”

“Sam, no!” Bobby yelled, like Sam was a child.

“Any plan that has the word somehow in, isn’t a good plan, Sam,” Adam interjected. Sam glared at them both.

“Well it’s not going to happen now is it!” Sam snapped. “I can’t sit back and let Lucifer hurt Dean. I can’t, Bobby.” Sam broke down, sobs racking through his body. No one made the move to comfort him, Adam stared on worried but unsure what to do. Bobby just shook his head, suggesting it was better to leave it.

“Well, we’ll have to keep thinking then,” Bobby announced. He flipped open a tome, hoping to magically find some semblance of an answer there. He gave Adam a pointed look. “You on board, Kiddo?”

You better not hurt Sam, I swear to God. Dean couldn’t really change his volume or tone, but he hoped that he sounded threatening enough. Michael chuckled, he sounded like a villain from a kids cartoon.

“Dean, Dean, you silly little child,” Michael chided. “I am God. There is no use asking for his help now.”

It’s a figure of speech dumbass.

“You’re the dumbass, Dean, you thought you could protect your brothers in doing this,” Michael spat out. “Sam will say yes, and then I will kill my brother and your brother all in one, and Sam will feel more pain than he ever thought imaginable. Picture every injury Sam has ever had, combine then and then triple the pain. That is how Sam is going to feel. And that poor poor baby Adam, caught in something so much bigger than he is. I am going to rip him limb from limb.

"The old man you call your father, blasphemy by the way, I’m going to turn him inside out, like he’s a common sock. He’s about as useful as one. And your precious rebellious angel, Castiel, I’ll have to come up with a creative punishment for him abandoning rank. My point is, everyone you love is going to suffer at the hands of you. And it’s your fault for saying yes, you pitiful fool.”

If you think Sam’s going to say yes, you’re more of an idiot that I thought.

Michael opened a window to Earth, a picture of Sam and Cas appearing.

Sam was glad to have Cas back. Sure, most of his angel mojo was gone but the comfort of having his friend there was good. Cas seemed to understand how Sam felt better than anyone else, even if he was an angel and was still figuring out human emotions. He offered Sam a place to vent whenever he needed it, when he needed to get away from Bobby and Adam’s phoney enthusiasm. Which is how Sam found himself lounging on the hood of a beat up car with Cas by his side.

“Cas, I miss Dean,” Sam admitted. His statement was swallowed up by the infinite darkness of the night sky. Cas petted Sam’s thigh in sympathy.

“As do I,” he gave a tight smile.

“I don’t know how to save him this time,” Sam sighed. “Our only advantage was Gabriel and he’s dead. Just like everyone else.” Just like Dean, and it’s all my fault. Cas turned his head slightly, just enough to give Sam a stern look.

“Sam, stop blaming yourself,” Cas scolded. 

“But it is my fault, isn’t it,” Sam bit his lip to stop himself crying. It wasn’t his turn to cry. “I opened that last seal. I’m the reason Dean’s being worn as a suit by freaking Michael!”

“Sam.”

“I know what I have to do,” Sam ignored Castiel, anything the angel had to say wasn’t important anymore. “I have to let Lucifer possess me and I have to get the drop on him.” Cas didn’t protest like Sam thought he would. In fact, he seemed to agree with Sam. It made things a Hell of a lot easier, Bobby and Adam couldn’t stop him if an angel thought it was the best idea.

“It won’t be easy but I’ll help anyway I can.”

Of all the stupid, dumb mistakes Sam had made, letting Lucifer possess him was the stupidest and the dumbest. How he thought he could take on Lucifer, regain control, Sam would never know. Like Adam said, any plan with somehow as a step is a bad plan. And yeah, this was a fucking bad plan.

He was stood in Stoll cemetery, Dean stood only a few inches in front of his face. Dean looked good, well rested and clean shaven, but that was all Michael - Sam could tell. He tried his hardest to reach out an arm or something so he could hug his brother, he missed Dean’s touch more than anything. But Lucifer would never allow that. There was a smirk, Sam could tell even if he wasn’t the one smiling, and Lucifer laughed at him.

“Michael, I’ve never seen you look so pretty,” Lucifer snickered.

“Brother, this is no time for foreplay,” Michael replied. It was Dean’s voice and Dean’s face but it wasn’t Dean. There was no wise crack, no joke, no chick-flick moment like Sam craved to hear.

“So you want to get right onto killing each other? That’s cool,” Lucifer said. To Sam, he kept whispering the most hurtful things. I’m going to tear your brother limb from limb, Sammy. That talking monkey’s had it coming for some time. Lucifer raised Sam’s fist to strike at Dean Michael.

“STOP!” Lucifer turned to look to his left. Cas, Adam, and Bobby were stood there in solidarity with the brothers. Sam wished he could fight against Lucifer, but he couldn’t. Cas continued talking, taking a protective step in front of Bobby and Adam. “Sam, Dean, you can fight them. You can.”

“Cassie, little bro, what are you doing here? Cheering on those pathetic humans?” Lucifer took a predatory step forward, but Castiel was not intimated. Sam begged Lucifer to be gentle with him.

“Lucifer, ignore them,” Michael chided. Reluctantly, Lucifer pulled away from Cas and back towards Michael. Lucifer readied his fist once more, but Cas’ gruff voice stopped them again.

“Michael, this has gone too far-” Castiel didn’t even finish his sentiment before Michael had clicked his fingers. Castiel exploded. Sam watched Dean’s face, could see a momentary break in Michael’s hold as guilt flashed over his eyes. Somehow, knowing that Dean was still in there, right below the surface made this all so much worse. Sam couldn’t do it- he couldn’t hurt his brother.

“He was right, Mikey. We don’t have to fight,” Lucifer reasoned. Michael slapped Lucifer across the face, so hard Sam felt it sting. The green in Dean’s eyes flashed again, before they darkened fully.

“Yes we do!” Michael screamed. “We wouldn’t have to if you weren’t such a petulant toddler but you couldn’t handle it when father brought the new baby home! You made him hate us all!" 

"So this is what it’s about, daddy issues? Someone couldn’t handle Dad being mad at them,” Lucifer teased. Sam could have laughed, these were the exact same fights him and Dean used to get into, about how much Dad actually loved them, about the fights Sam and John would get into. Despite anything, Sam had to laugh. No wonder it was him and Dean that were chosen as vessels. Lucifer didn’t like that though, the laughing. He punched Dean in the face to punish him.

Lucifer didn’t let up, beating Dean as much as he could. Michael cast Lucifer off of him, and Sam’s body was thrown far enough to knock out half the graves in the cemetery. Sam could take the beating though, didn’t care what Michael did to his body in trying to kill Lucifer. As long as Lucifer stayed away from Dean, Sam would be fine.

Is that how you’re going to play, Sam?

Lucifer lurched forward, tackling Michael to the ground. Strike after strike hit Dean’s face. It became unrecognisable, before Michael would heal himself only to have Lucifer wreck him again. Sam couldn’t take it, he couldn’t.

Every memory of Dean and him growing up flooded his head. The time they stuffed Lego in the Impala’s vents - God their Dad was mad at them for that. There was countless memories of Dean patching him up, the time when Sam broke his arm trying to fly and Dean biked them down to the nearest hospital. There were fights, mostly between Sam and Dad, and every time Dean had sat with him afterwards and comforted him. The time Sam got a girlfriend, and Dean gave him the talk. The time Dean got to go to prom in a second hand tuxedo, and Sam felt like a proud mama bird. 

Dean was Sam’s life. Sam couldn’t hit him any more.

“Dean! Dean I know you’re in there,” Sam pulled himself away from Michael and Dean. He fumbled around in his pocket for the rings. They were there he could remember them being there. He threw them on the ground and smiled at his brother. “I have him, Dean, I have Lucifer.” Despite every bit of resistance in his limbs, Sam dragged himself towards the edge of the pit. He felt a hand on his collar, pulling him back to Earth.

“Where do you think you’re going? I’m not done with my brother,” Michael growled out. The flash in his eyes came back, stronger than before, and suddenly his body shuddered. 

“Shut it, dickbag!” It was Dean’s voice, Dean’s tone, Dean’s everything. Dean was there, he was alive and there. “Sam, I’m here too. I’m so sorry, Man, but you ain’t walking into Hell alone.”

The brothers wrapped their arms around each other, the confirmation that they were home just under their finger tips. The angels were screaming inside their heads, but Sam and Dean could ignore that. They took hesitant steps towards the pit, teetering on the edge, before sending a sad look at their family. Bobby was crying, the first time either of them had seen the old man. Adam watched in awe of them, and they were glad to have the legacy of one brother left.They couldn’t stop themselves any longer. They jumped into the pit. 

Beating the two strongest angels in existence, saving the world. There really wasn’t anything the Winchester brothers could not do.

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/jeffrey-dean-morgan-negan-walking-deads-return/

Jeffrey Dean Morgan on Negan and 'Walking Dead's' return

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has always been a very busy actor, but as 2015 came to a close, his career warped into light speed hyperdrive. Most fans remember him fondly from his twelve episodes on "Supernatural" playing John Winchester, but while he was shooting the CW record-breaking show, Morgan was also filming "Grey's Anatomy." Both shows put him on the map where fans would recognize him. He frustrated "Supernatural" fans as the Winchester Brothers never could seem to unravel all of their father's secrets, but who could resist that grin? You'd think that would have been reaching the pinnacle of his success, but that was only just the beginning that kept Morgan busy becoming that guy you sometimes got confused with actor Javier Bardem. His luck was getting better as he landed quite the juicy role on the New York set of "The Good Wife" where he played Alicia Florrick's funloving cad who loved flashing that devilish grin at his co-star Julianna Margulies. He was on that series for nineteen episodes, but things were changing as AMC's huge hit show came calling for him to play the over the top bad guy Negan. During his "Good Wife" time he was also jetting down to the Georgia to sink his teeth into that pure evil role for the Season 6 finale of "The Walking Dead." Not to mention getting acquainted with Lucy. After years of fans wondering who would play the role, Morgan had landed Negan, that grinning, swaggering bully who, with his co-dependent worker bees, began terrorizing Rick Grimes (series star Andrew Lincoln) and his crew. While Morgan didn't know who he would be killing, he knew that it would be a "Walking Dead" favorite meeting their end at the end of Lucy, Negan's barbed wire wrapped baseball bat. That scene was a two-night shoot, but the producers weren't about to film who was killed this early in the game as it was of utmost secrecy...although it did slip out before the premiere which we had to report. It wasn't until May 2016, when Season 7 production started (just four weeks after that season horrifying Season 6 cliffhanger) when they were back filming that same bloody night did Morgan learn of the shocking reveal. He knew that he would be getting hate mail and plenty of online hate once it aired. Then 17 million fans watched the Season 7 premiere to witness two of their most loved characters, Abraham and Glenn, get their skulls pounded beyond recognition. The reaction was as expected and then some as many felt the show had gone too far. The scene with Glenn's eye was extremely gruesome, even for "The Walking Dead." The producers said they needed to establish Negan as one hardcore nasty guy that could tear tough guys, Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon, down to levels they'd never felt before. This one scene divided fans, and they are still split on their feeling of Negan. Some feel he's too cartoonish now, while others can't find themselves wanting to hate Sam and Dean Winchester's father. Some "Supernatural" fans aren't ready to let go of Dean Winchester yet. Ratings have dropped since the premiere episode with some wanting Negan gone, but for that group, Morgan's going to be around for a while yet to keep the carnage going. Producers have said the violence won't be as extreme coming back, but it's not just the violence that makes Negan's actions so uncomfortable. Playing such a polarizing character can be a blessing for the actor who plays him, but it can be mixed. "There are people out there who hate my guts, and I hear from them, too," says Morgan with that knowing laugh in a recent interview. "But overwhelmingly the fans have welcomed me as a part of this weird, dysfunctional family. "The relationship this show has with its fans," he adds, "is unlike anything I've experienced before." Morgan officially began acting in the early 1990's, but he's not forgotten his very first role and the struggle that all actors go through on their way to landing that role that changes your life. "It was in third grade, and it was a fairytale, the guy that falls asleep forever ... I remember I played the character that was asleep the whole time. I was the big leader of the show, mind you. But I spent the whole time lying on the floor asleep. It was awesome. That was first little theater thing in third grade. A friend of mine, Billy Burke, was my roommate in Seattle for a big portion of my life, and he's an actor—he was in all of the Twilight movies, and now he's on something called Zoo—and he was doing a movie in Seattle, I think it was the late '80s, and I was an extra as his best friend. That was my first time on a movie set. I had no intention of being an actor ever. I was an artist—I fancied myself an artist—I sold paintings at bars to pay my rent. And then four years later, I moved to Los Angeles and met a casting director named Eliza [Roberts] and went from there. Then I spent 20 years struggling trying to figure out how the fuck I was going to make a living and feed my dog. And now we're doing okay. Now we're Negan." He's played many memorable characters on tv shows that got fans worked up. John Winchester had so many secrets, some "Supernatural" fans and critics would get rather frustrated trying to figure out exactly what he was about. Morgan is still such a fan favorite that "Supernatural" Executive Producer Andrew Dabb let it be known that John Winchester could return to Sam and Dean's world. “I don’t really worry about that because by the time he comes back, I’m sure [Supernatural] will have been on for 20 seasons at that point, and The Walking Dead will be long over,” he says with a laugh before noting that “Jeffrey’s an amazing actor… He plays such a great bad guy. But at the same time… if you give him really good material, he can go back to being someone we know and love and someone we can empathize with. “I have full faith in him as an actor,” the EP adds, “and I’m excited to see [him return as John] if it ever comes to pass.” Since he's played his share of villains, some people have forgotten that he's also played many good guy roles too. "If you look at my résumé, I've more often than not played a very solid, decent human being. I've got back-to-back things that are super villainous right now with Desierto and this. I love playing a villain. I think that there's something freeing about that, and it's a different kind of challenge. More than anything, for me as an actor, it's about challenging myself and doing as many different things as I can. I don't know that I feel comfortable playing a villain; as a matter of fact I probably don't feel comfortable, which is why I like it so much. It's just an opportunity to try something different. And Negan, in particular, is unlike any character I've ever played. I don't ever look at these guys as villains per se; I always try to figure out, I wouldn't say the justification of them, but look for the reasons that Negan is Negan. I have to understand that, otherwise I don't think it works if I just play him as a bad guy—I think that's pretty one note and it would be boring for you as a viewer, and it wouldn't be that fun for me to play. So I just try to get into that character's skin as much as I can, and understand why he is who he is. Negan is a trip though, man. He's a brutal son of a bitch, but there are also parts about him that I find kind of endearing. We'll see if the audience responds to it. I think that the first episode is going to be rough, and people aren't going to be real fond of me or Negan, and I think as time wears on and you get to know him a little bit more and understand his way of thinking, there could be a shift in that. Maybe they'll love to hate him as opposed to just hating him." His many credits include love-her-and-leave-her freelance gumshoe Jason Crouse on "The Good Wife," a memorable stint on "Supernatural," two seasons as the harried Miami hotel mogul on "Magic City," and - keeping "Grey's Anatomy" devotees sobbing - as Izzie's bedridden lover who was desperately awaiting a heart transplant. Not one of these roles prepared him for "The Walking Dead" fan base. "It's a life-changing experience," says Morgan, who comes across much like you would expect with an easygoing manner and quite the magnetic smile. "I can't walk down the street anymore. I got to look in my rear-view mirror to make sure I'm not being followed home. Now, that's all part of my reality." Morgan was quick to learn that "Walking Dead" family can work as tightly, sometimes ever better than, the CIA when it comes to keeping things under wraps down in the depths of Georgia. "Everything," he marvels, "is shrouded in secrecy. We kind of live in a bubble. I hang out a lot with Reedus—Norman—we spend a lot of time together. Literally, we go to a fucking gas station in the middle of nowhere and within three minutes of us stopping to get gas, a couple of phone calls that people make, and there's 100 people blocking us, and we can't get out. We take pictures with everyone, and I've never seen anything quite like that. That being said, we do live in a bubble, as long as we keep our motorcycle helmets on and go about our business. " Since Morgan knew he was entering a very tight-knit cast that would soon be minus two major ones, he also knew there would be a shift in the dynamic upon his arrival. "Obviously, they're such a tight cast, and we've all heard stories about it and read about it for the last six years—even I had heard it was like that—and they certainly are. I knew that immediately walking in, and knowing what I'm about to do, there was a little bit of separation at first, but it was very brief. I can't tell you how great this cast is as far as bringing me into the fold, regardless of what my character has done and done to this show. They've totally embraced me and been nothing but supportive, on and off camera. Look, we've had some hard times—just as actors it's been hard—and I understand that there's been a great deal of pain for these guys as people. They're losing a friend that's been with them for a long fucking time. So it was a hard time initially, at first especially, and this year we've had some speed bumps as far as that kind of stuff. But I'll tell you, as soon as we say cut, there's lots of hugs going around for everybody, and we've managed to get through it. But it was a little a weird going in initially when I didn't know anybody really. I was careful not to be a dick, I guess. [laughs] Like, "Don't say anything inappropriate, Jeff." Now I can be inappropriate and tell jokes, and it's fine, but I was careful going in, because it was a fragile time for everybody, and I was very aware of it." That one horrific kill scene that Negan strutting and brandishing his bat, "Lucille," as he taunted Grimes and company with "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe": Each character was separately filmed being kill which was to help keep the "real" victim's identity a big secret, according to Morgan. Morgan learned that "The Walking Dead" producers also enjoy the art of misinformation too, "we leaked footage of me killing Maggie," whose quite vibrant and ready to take over. "That's a lot of time and effort to go through to try to save your story. But the cast and crew, they're all used to living in this world. "There's a real sense of family when you go through an experience like this," Morgan says. "It's why the cast is so tight. We put ourselves in this bubble while we're shooting - and while we're NOT shooting. Even now, I have to watch every word I say. I'm still not used to that." Speaking of family, have you felt Norman's pranks yet? [laughs] "No. Little stuff, but that's really the two of them, Andy [Lincoln] and Norman. I drive a motorcycle, and Norman will respect the motorcycle more than anything else. We're more in cahoots than anything else at this point, although I do kind of feel bad for Andy. I feel like I need to get Andy's back and help him get Norman at least once real good." Like many actors coming on the show, Morgan was a huge fan of the "Walking Dead" comics as well so he was well-versed in Negan before he even knew he'd be part of the family. "I'd watched the show for years. It was one of the few shows that I would DVR and pay attention to; I've been working so much the last few years that I don't watch anything very regularly, but that was one of them. I've also been involved in lots of comic book stuff; I've done numerous films based on comic books and TV shows. I remember five years ago when they had written the role of Negan—when [Robert] Kirkman first introduced Negan in the comic books—I was at a Comic-Con actually, I think it was in San Diego, when somebody came up to me and said, "Have you seen Kirkman's new book?" I said, "No," and they said, "There's this character Negan. You should be Negan." Probably three or four months later, I actually did pick up a copy of The Walking Dead comic book, which at that point I hadn't read; I had only followed the show. I picked up the introduction of Negan and thought, "Oh yeah, that would be fun to play." Cut to five years later, I was doing The Good Wife and got a call one night from my agent who said, "The Walking Dead is offering you the role of a villain." I said, "Well, what's his name?" And they were like, "You know, they won't tell us, it's a secret." And I knew immediately—I knew because I watched the show and knew where we were—and I'm like, "It's fucking Negan! And I'm going to fucking do it." [laughs] And really that was it. Then it was just about working that last episode last year into the schedule that I was doing on The Good Wife, and clearing a couple of days so I could go do it. We managed to do that and now here we are." Many fans still don't realize that Negan's backstory is he was a high school teacher and ping-pong coach. "That's right. That changed; Kirkman originally had said he was a used car salesman previous to the zombie apocalypse, and that made sense to me too. Then after I was cast, Kirkman decided he would do a kind of prequel—Negan's life before the apocalypse hit—with a little background on him. He became this PE teacher and ping-pong coach, married to a woman named Lucille, and it gave a good foundation for me to work on. I kind of like the ping-pong coach aspect; it somehow fits, and I don't know how because Negan is a weird character, but it fits." "I find him fascinating," Morgan says. "The most important thing to realize is how smart he is. That's easy to forget, because you see him come on with his bravado and the smart-ass quips. But whatever you're thinking, he's already two steps ahead of you. He's always poking at your rib cage and wearing that grin. Remember those assholes in high school? He's that guy! But on this show, you can't run home to mama. "He's a larger-than-life character," Morgan sums up with pleasure. "Still, at some point, Negan's gonna have to get his head cracked by Rick. I can't say when, or how, or even if I know. But he's gonna HAVE to!" This really makes Morgan light up as he knows it's going to be a killer scene to shoot shrouded in plenty of "Walking Dead" secrecy.

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[mixtapekings]

Listen Review of Future’s ‘High Off Life’ by djbooth.net

Future’s ‘High Off Life’ is a familiar journey through a terrain of toxic lust, sleepless paranoia, wealthy boasts, and deep-seated trauma.

Hip-hop recognizes Future, born Nayvadius Wilburn, as a multi-Platinum, GRAMMY-winning trendsetter who doesn’t follow anyone’s rules but his own. Instead of working inside the industry, Future works around it, doing as he pleases from a mountain top built upon his tireless work ethic. Consistency, as much as talent, made him into a superstar.

So it should come as no surprise that Future decided to release his eighth studio album, High Off Life, during a pandemic. While some of his peers are waiting until the storm passes, Future moves forward, releasing new music as if unphased by the world’s tragic predicament. With features from Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, DaBaby, and more, High Off Life is the biggest release of the week, but will it be the best?

In usual 1-Listen album review fashion, the rules are the same: no skipping, no fast-forwarding, no rewinding, and no stopping. Each song will receive my gut reaction from start to finish.

1. “Trapped In The Sun”

The atmosphere feels like the beginning of an epic tale of a man turned monster. “That yellow Lambo outside.” Boss talk. Future makes trap music sound like Greek mythology. The bounce is infectious. The production could score a remake of Scarface. Brags on top of brags. Future is a super-villain, and he does not hide it. Future is in his mixtape bag. He has mastered “Former drug dealer who made it out of that life” lyricism, but I heard this story before. Strong start. Will revisit.

2. “HiTek Tek”

Let’s see where he goes. Banger! ATL Jacob tag! The bass would devour a weaker rapper. Future is like a toxic Energizer Bunny who loves any beat that makes him sound like he’s in the center of chaos. “I started off po, but not no mo.” He’s flexing like the rich rapper that he is. A lot of tricks. Future still finds the fun in rap. ATL Jacob is a beast. This song is full of sound effects. I laughed at him bragging about having the Glock on him while sitting courtside. Why sir? Why do you have that on you? The production reminds me of What A Time To Be Alive. This one is good.

3. “Touch The Sky”

Southside production. This is good. “Off the top rope, Andre the Giant.” Future is full of wealthy stunts. Is he one of the best braggers in rap? [Editor’s Note: Yes.] I’m loving this. “I can tell she got a man by the way she text me, nigga.” This man is a monster. “I perform with my drum” is a robust double entendre. Yeah, we have a keeper. I’m a sucker for Future and Southside collabs. These two are mad scientists wreaking havoc. Doctor Robotnik meets Shadow the Hedgehog. Future is the Shadow of hip-hop, and Drake is his Sonic.

4. “Solitaries” feat. Travis Scott

How many collabs does Future have with Travis? Wheezy tag! Shouts to Lil Wayne, lol. Future sounds lively. This man just said, “Coronavirus diamonds you can catch the flu.” Future is his name, outlandish is his language. Travis is getting to it. Not mad, but not in love either. I would have loved it on Travis’ Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. Skip.

5. “Ridin Strikes”

Every Future album is a reminder that he’s richer than you. “Ridin Strikes” sounds like you should play it in a tank. He’s getting some bars off. My only issue with Future is, the subject matter starts to get stale. He overstuffs his album to the point where I crave a change. Can he hear my thoughts? The beat just switched. A news clip. Oh, this is something. I would watch Future in a bank robber movie. Give him a role like T.I in Takers. Alright, I’ll keep this one.

6. “One of My”

A simple build-up. He’s taking his time with this one. Yep! His vocal texture is the perfect tone for a ghost story. “One of my niggas ain’t got no soul.” YEP! We have the one. Future hangs out with some terrible guys. I wish we had a way of seeing a person’s karma. If Future lives his raps, I know his karma is in dangerous reds. I wish this were the intro. Imagine a Future styled GKMC; that was probably Monster. “One of my niggas ain’t got no soul” is the spookiest lyric of 2020.

7. “Posted With My Demons”

This beat sounds like a bottomless pit of despair. This is not what Tory Lanez meant by Demon Time. Future jumps on haunted beats and tells you about the monsters underneath your bed. High Off Life has been mostly about his past trails and his present riches. “All this dope I sold.” There’s a lot of darkness in this man’s heart. He looks like such a wholesome man. “If the streets don’t kill you first, it will make you strong.” Future makes trap music; real trap music; music that represents the inescapable cycle of darkness that will corrupt saints and cause angels to fall from heaven. Keeper.

8. “Hard To Choose One”

If you like trap Future, this album is for you. Future’s delivery sounds slower than usual. I wonder if that’s because Lil Baby raps so fast. The two have similar perspectives, except Lil Baby has a good heart. He’s practically the Little Mermaid compared to Future’s Ursula. Don’t mind me; I have animation on the brain. Love his flow here. “Load up my rifle; I don’t go to bed.” Future is haunted by something, and no one can convince me otherwise. The last three songs have all been killer.

 9. “Trillionaire” feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Jeff Bezos is going to make this song his ringtone. Youngboy is taking advantage of all the attention he’s garnished over the last year or so. Future aligns himself with young rappers who compliment him. Future is singing his heart out. I kind of missed him singing. Youngboy is singing, too. This is a started from the bottom rap ballad. “Trillionaire” might be the breakout record. YouTube views are going to be crazy.

10. “Harlem Shake” feat. Young Thug

I have a good feeling about this one. “Choppa make them do the Harlem Shake.” Future loves to rap over beats that sound like they would play in a strip club with a low health score. Just filthy. Thugger! I wish the tempo were a few BPM faster. Thug was cool. He didn’t explode as I expected him. That was mild. A cherry bomb, not an atomic one. Eh, not in love. Feels lazy. Skip.

11. “Up The River”

Maybe it’s because I’ve been in the house, but High Off Life sounds like an outside album, not a quarantine album. Future didn’t make this album for a world socially distancing. Okay! We got some heartfelt reflection. The super-villain dropped the act. Nevermind. “Got no room for mistakes.” Can someone please put Future in the studio with Mir Fontane. Those two would make something crazy.  I hope the second half leans into this direction.

12. “Pray For A Key”

Out of all the things Future could pray for, he prays for a “key.” Super-villain. There’s some premium trauma on this album, word to my boy Michael Penn II. “I been dying to go berserk.” Not a bad record. I like the production. The synth in the background is a nice touch. “Used to pray for a key.” This is… Cool.

13.  “Too Comfortable”

“Bitch, don’t get too comfortable.” Sheesh, that’s how you feel, man? I wish we could get a For The Love of Future reality show. That would be premium television. We got something here. I like the production; I also like the tone, flow, and energy. Future is such a subtle talker. No matter what he says, it never sounds as malicious as the words are. Who made this beat? It’s gorgeous. [Editor’s Note: Southside.] Oh, he just mentioned his son. He’s opening up. Dang, that was short-lived. What is Future’s real-life like? He’s a mystery. It’s part of the allure. “Better not get too comfortable.” I’ll keep this one—the most personal song on the album. Well, besides the one about his friends with no souls.

14. “All Bad” feat. Lil Uzi Vert

I love how shameless Future is. He doesn’t care if you judge him; his life is his life. Uzi brought a change in sound. All his beats sound like they belong in video games. Gotta love the colorfulness. “I’m from a whole different world.” I believe it, sir. “My nickname is Yung Spendit.” That’s a solid nickname haha. This one is a trampoline. I love that Uzi is back to releasing music. He’s a walking cartoon. “I am way smarter than you.” Baby Pluto and Pluto Sr. are a good combo. “If I hang up, don’t call back at all.” Future is a rap star who doesn’t dim his light for no one. I wonder when was the last time he apologized to someone. Probably never. You don’t become a superstar apologizing.

15. “Outer Space Bih”

The keys are gorgeous. Future has a solid beat selection. They’re distinctive, but only a handful stand out. This one does. “I’m a driving drug store.” I see “Outer Space Bih” being a favorite. “I got two G Wagons in my ears.” Future stunts are becoming more impressive. I see why he and Drake get along. They like to make us all feel poor. Keeper.

16. “Accepting My Flaws”

This title sounds like an outro. Who is that? Dang, someone is ranting. I wonder how Future would acknowledge his flaws? 808 Mafia tag. Yes! Man, this sounds like driving a hellcat in hell. Feels like a Future classic. HE’S GETTING TO IT. “Drink my blood, baby, we going digital.” I hope we never find out what Future does in his private life. I know it’s nothing good. Two minutes in and I’m ready to run it back. He’s on a roller-coaster. “Fuck them all, we don’t show them sympathy.” So far, not one mention of his flaws. I love it. “Lord forgive me I been on a rampage.” He has been fighting his demons; he’s been fighting the cup. Oh man, this is good. Easily the best record on the album.

17. “Life Is Good” feat. Drake

I like this record. It’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in rap form. “Baby got an ego twice the size of the crib.” Can’t imagine a woman with an ego bigger than Drake’s mansion. I can’t believe these two dropped this song in January, and life immediately got bad. How Future catches the beat switch is something serious. Lyrically, he sounds so alive. “Life Is Good” is one of his best rap performances on the album. He gets into a completely different zone when Drake is featured. Rap would sound completely different without Future. “Life Is Good” is a keeper, but this album doesn’t need to continue.

18. “Last Name” feat. Lil Durk

“I take care of families.” Oh, wait, we have something. This is sweet. Melodic Future bleeding it out. “I can’t go to sleep, I’m too paranoid.” I guess that’s why he wants a Draco in London. Being that famous can’t be fun. Lil Durk sounds great. Pray that all rappers get the healing they deserve. So many great songs inspired by deep sorrow. “Laughing to the bank got me running wild.” Future and Durk tag-teaming the last verse was sweet.

19. “Tycoon”

One day, Future will realize that we don’t need 21 songs. “Took that Draco on a PJ, I ain’t playing.” Man, this album is a paranoia parade. As much as I like confessional Future, I feel like he told us everything we needed to know about his life in the streets on “Sorry.” “Tycoon” is a good song, but this deep into the album, it’s not hitting as hard as it should. Bloated albums do a disservice to the deeper cuts. Admittedly, bloated albums are terrible for 1 Listens. It’s like being held hostage in a studio. [Editor’s Note: I apologize.] Okay, that was a little dramatic. Good record, though.

20. “100 Shooters” feat. Meek Mill & Doe Boy

Tay Keith tag! Okay! These hi-hats just woke me up. A nice Nas/Belly reference. Meek! I haven’t played any Meek lately. Hearing his voice is refreshing. I could use a new Meek project. [Editor’s Note: He’s working on one.] Man, Future does not care about these ladies’ broken hearts. I’m sure he breaks up with women just to rap about it. This is a good record. I would’ve liked this song earlier in the album. Doe Boy! This is a solid performance. I would like on a gym playlist. Nothing says leg day like having 100 shooters outside.

21. “Life Is Good [Remix]” feat. Drake, DaBaby & Lil Baby

This album is longer than the wait at Red Lobster on Mother’s Day. “Help me fight my demons.” At what age should you be expected to deal with your demons alone? I didn’t mean that. We all deserve a shoulder to lean on, no matter your age. I can’t wait until Future drops a gospel redemption album. It’s going to be glorious. “Halloween gang in this bitch.” Why is Drake credited on this? My man did not come back as a guest star. The beat switch is meaner than a classroom of toddlers on silent lunch. DaBaby! Such a great rap voice. He found a good pocket. He delivered a strong guest verse. “You a throwaway, baby, it’s okay.” Man, rappers can be so savage. Lil Baby! The pure-hearted gangster. His flow is something else—a rapping roadrunner. I hope Lil Baby will always rap like the cops are about to raid the studio, and he has to finish the verse before they kick the door in.

Final (First Listen) Thoughts on Future’s High Off Life

Future’s High Off Life is a journey through a terrain of toxic lust, sleepless paranoia, wealthy boasts, and deep-seated trauma. Mostly, it’s another chapter from the book of Nayvadius. We have a familiar gospel on our hands.

High Off Life features Future giving the people what they expect. We have a hopeless romantic who relishes the ghosts of his past and refuses to look away from the prosperity of his present. The 36-year-old rap innovator delivers another long-winded recollection of guns, glory, girls, drugs, and demons with suave flows and hypnotic cadences over hard-hitting production from the usual suspects.

To his credit, Future understands that he is a roller-coaster. The kind of artist who follows a designated path of loops, twists, and turns without losing the rush that makes each ride thrilling. High Off Life adds 21 new attractions to his dark, twisted theme park. It’s just that, we’ve all been here before.

Listen to Future on Audiomack.

from Listen Review of Future’s ‘High Off Life’ by djbooth.net