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thezanyarthropleura · 1 year

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March 11 (1995)

Happy 28 years to Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, the first film in the Heisei trilogy.

Nope, it’s not the one with Rocket Raccoon, or the one with Jack Frost, or the one with the owls, this is the film that reinvented and redefined Gamera! You will absolutely still hear me singing praises for the Showa films once we get to those, but any Gamera fan will most likely agree with me on principle, even if not always for the same exact reasons, that the 90’s Heisei trilogy is cinema on an entirely different level.

This film in particular is not quite the beginning of women taking on prominent roles in Gamera movies, as that honor goes to either the film prior, 1980’s Gamera: Super Monster, or, mainly on a technicality of how top billing is distributed when the main characters are children, the film before that, 1971’s Gamera vs. Zigra. It’s also, going by its own cast credits, arguably not one of the better examples, but the movie itself didn’t seem to get that memo, as the women in this film most definitely steal the show (and literally did, right from under the noses of their male co-stars, if you judge according to who was invited back for the sequels).

We begin with Nagamine Mayumi, an ornithologist who works at a zoo under a Professor Hirata and gets involved in investigating the Gyaos attacks after Hirata is killed. And if they’d found a way to include her in the second film despite Gyaos not being relevant, she’d probably be considered the unambiguous lead character of the trilogy. She’s determined, brave, and yet sensible and caring, her qualities brought out by the characters she’s contrasted with – Inspector Osako, a comic-relief policeman character whose main role in the film is to panic in fear of the Gyaos while Nagamine takes charge, and Commissioner Saito, an obstructive bureaucrat who insists on trying to capture the Gyaos alive and destroy Gamera despite the former being a predator of humans and the latter proving to be their ally. Her strengths show throughout the film, but after one of her most defiant and focused scenes – pursuing the Gyaos in a helicopter and risking her life to prove they’re a real and growing threat – we also see her at her most vulnerable, finally seeking a chance to rest and mourn after learning earlier about Hirata’s death, and frustrated at being continually confronted for information and assistance in spite of her neglected feelings.

The other leads of the film are the two men who end up investigating Gamera: Asagi’s father and the crewman from a ship that runs aground on Gamera at the beginning of the film. Both are dropped completely after this film (with ship guy’s set-up as Miss Nagamine’s love interest being kinda-sorta replaced by Inspector Osako in Gamera 3, and brief excuses needing to be made each time to explain Mr. Kusanagi’s absence from both sequels), leaving Mr. Kusanagi’s daughter, Asagi to continue being the face of the trilogy and the only character to have significant, non-cameo appearances in all three movies.

Asagi’s arc is really the heart of the film, and she’s a fun character from the beginning, outspoken and snarky and implied to be a bit of a troublemaker. And I’ll give you that in respect to her, her interactions with ship guy as he begs to be included in the plot are entertaining, and the conflict with her father (that she’s admittedly asleep for most of) is a highlight of character development and a realistic take on the ‘child hero’ story that would be revisited in Gamera the Brave. I think a large part of the film’s appeal and charm is that Asagi is just a normal girl, who goes to school and has friends, only now she has a telepathic and spiritual link to a giant flying turtle named Gamera. This element of the story is only touched on in brief scenes, and probably could have been expanded upon if this were a series and not a movie, but it’s felt throughout the film even as Asagi goes on her own journey to find Gamera (with the help of a meme-worthy taxi driver) and meets up with the adult characters in time to be present for the climactic battle.

It's significant that it’s specifically Asagi’s strength that helps Gamera win (we’re shown and told that several adult male characters touched the beads but weren’t chosen like Asagi was). Another side effect of the bond that we see throughout the film is that Asagi shares Gamera’s injuries, having bruises or beginning to bleed in the same place whenever one of Gyaos’s sonic beams cuts into Gamera’s hide. Asagi shows pain, but also her strength in pushing through each of these injuries and accepting them as part of her role as priestess. It’s also kind of cute that she feels sleepy because Gamera needs to rest, with her confused father covering her with a blanket after she just suddenly lays down on the hospital bed.

The special effects don’t include so much mixed-in CGI as the latter two, which keeps things interesting from a practical effects standpoint but also leads to a few relatively cheesy visuals with certain props. Just a few, though. As a rule, the monster action is well-done and the suits themselves look incredible, as does most of the combat including several brief fights that take place in the sky (one appears to have clouds as physical props, and they’re strangely captivating and beautiful). The miniature work especially is far superior to other films in the genre and in some scenes is indistinguishable from real filmed exterior shots until the monster shows up in frame or some other special effect happens (this would continue to be the case for the subsequent Gamera films).

Minor gross-out warning for a scene that involves digging through a Gyaos pellet and finding the personal items of someone it ate. Also a dog dies, but all we’re shown is a shot of the chain pulling tight on the pole after a Gyaos flies by. The woman who goes outside after the dog and gets in the sights of the next Gyaos does end up surviving, although later on we do explicitly see Gyaos eating people.

This is another fierce contender for my favorite Gamera film. The only real drawback is that while we get some wonderful, competent women leading the action and moral center of this film, they don’t say a single word to each other during the runtime, and are nowhere even close to shippable until they meet again four years later in the third film (and even that is a stretch, and one I personally tend to lean away from). But despite even that, I still rank this film highly in shippability due to one last, minor character I haven’t mentioned yet for worry of derailing the entire review…

Yukino, Asagi’s best friend from school, is in two scenes of this movie with a total screentime of about thirty seconds. And you’d be forgiven for missing her entirely here, it was mainly hers and Asagi’s interactions in the next film Advent of Legion (still less than 5% of that movie) that made me ship them. But in retrospect, they’re cute here as well, shown visiting the aquarium together where they discuss the legends of ancient civilizations (Atlantis and Mu are both namedropped in the US dub) while speculating about the recently-discovered floating atoll that would turn out to be Gamera. Later, Yukino is the one who calls out with concern when Asagi runs out of class unexpectedly, something that hits different when you know what Asagi goes through during the rest of the movie while Yukino is probably still wondering whether she’s safe.

Asagi/Yukino is my main ship in the Gamera fandom. There’s not much actual, on-screen content for them in this movie, or even in the sequel, but I think what makes the ship so appealing is that it’s familiar. All you really need to know is what’s shown on screen, that Yukino is a close, caring friend of Asagi’s, and it’s easy enough to extrapolate her feelings and reactions to the other events of the film in which only Asagi takes part. And the urban fantasy wlw friends-to-lovers dynamic where one character is put through a supernatural, traumatic experience, and the other acts as her support, comfort, and guide-to-interacting-with-the-world-again (more on that element in my upcoming Advent of Legion review), is at least personally, a story I could read in a hundred different versions.

And I’m certainly up for one that involves a giant flying turtle and kaiju fights.

#gamera #gamera guardian of the universe #nagamine mayumi #kusanagi asagi #yukino gamera #gyaos #super gyaos #gamera march #asagi x yukino #a lesbian reviews all the gamera movies

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fuzzhugs · 3 years

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Cycle - Redwall Midwinter Gift Exchange 2020-2021

Made as part of the @redwall-midwinter-gift-exchange. A gift for @autobot-scout-riella.

“Exactly how far north are we?” Dandin asked Mariel as he shivered against the cold wind blowing in from the sea. “I think my blood is about to freeze.”

The Pearl Queen had made ground along the sandy shores of the far Northlands. Together with Bowly Pintips, the three warriors had been sailing for nearly a season since leaving Mossflower, traveling wherever the wind took them, stopping at whatever island or stretch of mainland took their fancy.

None of them had any great experience sailing, and after floundering around for several days, they came across a group of sea otters who had spotted their vessel in distress. A dozen of the younger otters, keen to explore the oceans, joined Mariel, Dandin, and Bowly, bringing their knowledge of the ocean wind and waves, helping ensure the vessel didn’t sink or run aground.

Mariel responded to Dandin’s complaint by throwing another cloak at him. “I didn’t realize sailing around the tropics had made you soft.”

“I’m not soft, I just prefer having feeling in my footpaws.”

“Better wrap ‘em up then. We’re gonna be staying until we’ve resupplied.”

“Assuming we can find anything edible in a place this cold.”

“That’s why you and I are going to go scout around.”

“Abandoning ship, mateys?” Bowly Pintips came up to them.

“We’re going to go see if we can find food for the stores,” Mariel informed him.

“What about me? Just supposed to stay here and sit on my paws?”

Bowly was young and often stubborn. Mariel saw a lot of her younger self in him. Though he had been reliable in the past, he was not highly experienced in foraging or wayfinding on land, so Mariel found him another task to do.

“Help the otters set up a camp along the shore. We’ll probably be staying here a number of days. Keep the tents on the windward side of the Pearl Queen. We’ll stay a bit warmer that way. Scrounge for driftwood as firewood too. We’re going to need to keep a fire going.”

Bowly gave an exaggerated salute and marched off to issue orders to the otters, Mariel and Dandin fighting to stifle their giggles over his comically serious demeanor.

Before leaving the ship, both Mariel and Dandin bundled up against the cold, wearing multiple layers and wrapping up their footpaws in strips of cloth. With practiced skill, they shimmied down the ropes and landed on the beach, marching along the cold, wet sand.

As the beach transitioned into plains, the ground became hard. The dirt itself was frozen. The otters had spoken of lands where there was no summer and the earth was permanently frosted over. Dandin found the idea of a land without summer hard to believe, but Mariel, after everything she had seen in her life, found there was very little that was impossible.

While the two mice wandered, they found a few bushes that managed to grow despite the cold. The berries produced by the bushes were bitter, but edible. Mariel noted their location and began making plans to send a foraging party to gather them later.

A short time later, Dandin stopped and squinted into the distance. “I think I see a pair of trees up ahead. On top of that hill.”

Mariel stood beside him and squinted as well. They had not yet seen any other trees along the plain, so it would be strange to see any standing alone in the middle of nowhere. Nevertheless, there they were. Atop a distant hill, two of the oddest-looking trees Mariel had ever seen. The trunks curved upward in an unusual fashion and the branches that she could see were bare of leaves.

“They look dead,” Mariel said.

“I still want to have a look,” Dandin replied. “We’ll be able to see for miles if we make the climb.”

Mariel nodded, and the two mice set off toward their new destination.

The hill was covered in a layer of thick, brown grass, coated with a thin layer of frost like much of the rest of the landscape. Shortly after beginning their ascent, Mariel and Dandin began to notice there was something odd about the hill.

“This grass is strange,” Mariel told Dandin, running her paw up and down the wiry strands. “It doesn’t feel like a plant.”

“And have you noticed that the ground feels softer and warmer than on the plain? Do you think we should leave?”

“I’m not afraid of a hill. I’m going to the top.” Mariel continued toward the trees near the summit. Not wanting to be left behind, Dandin hurried after her.

“What manner of trees are these?” Mariel wondered aloud as she felt the trunks. “No bark, no twigs, no sign of any buds. This doesn’t feel like wood, it’s more like…bone.”

“Let me feel,” Dandin stepped forward and rapped his paw firmly against the strange tree.

The ground began to rumble and shake, and the hill seemed to sway from side to side. Both Mariel and Dandin were forced to hang on to the tree in order to stay upright.

“What did you do?!”Mariel shouted as the rumbling intensified.

“I didn’t do anything!” Dandin shouted back as he clung to the tree with his eyes shut tight.

Mariel glanced over the crest of the hill to see if it was collapsing, only to see the ground was getting farther and farther away. They were rising into the air.

“Dandin,” Mariel said, her voice nearly a whisper, “this isn’t a hill.”

“What do you mean this isn’t a hill?” Dandin said, still clinging to the tree.

“It’s not a hill, it’s a creature. Some enormous creature.”

The rumbling and movement stopped as the creature held still. Now that it was upright, Mariel could tell that she and Dandin were standing directly on top of its head, which was higher from the ground than the roof of the Abbey. The creature stood on four legs ending in hooves. Mariel opened her mouth to speak when a booming voice rang out from beneath them.

“K’to tam naverk’hu?”

Mariel’s ears rang. This creature was louder than even her father’s bell that now hung back at Redwall. Whatever the creature was saying, she didn’t understand it.

“Ch’to tii delayesh ‘s moyey golovoy?” the creature spoke again, just as loud as the first time.

To the side, there was what Mariel took to be an ear. She yelled at it as loud as possible. “I’m sorry! I don’t understand you! We don’t mean you any harm!”

“Ah, small-folk,” the creature said, now speaking more quietly. It lowered its head to the ground and Mariel and Dandin scurried off. “What are you doing upon my head?”

“We thought you were a hill,” Dandin explained. “We were going to climb those…trees on you head to look around the plain. We’ve never seen a creature like you before.”

“My antlers. My people are called ‘deer.’ You small ones are not from around here, I am thinking.”

“We are travelers. Our apologies for disturbing you.”

“It is no matter. It is time for me to rejoin my herd.”

“Your… herd?”

“My kind travels in groups. For safety. For companionship.”

“Can we see?” Mariel asked, ever interested in seeing new things.

The deer lowered his head and Mariel eagerly climbed back on. Dandin followed more cautiously.

“You never told us your name,” Mariel called down toward the deer’s ear.

“Rufus,” the deer said. “I am called Rufus.”

Every step Rufus took was jarring, but the mice could tell that the deer was moving slowly and trying to step gently. He brought them over hills and waded through what would have been an impassable river to creatures of Mariel’s and Dandin’s size. Rufus came to a stop above a broad valley, and Mariel and Dandin were breathless at what they saw.

The valley was filled with others of Rufus’ kind. Some had antlers, others did not. The sea of reddish-brown fur seemed to sway and flow like the ocean. The number of deer before them was uncountable. Steam rose from the valley floor out of great pits in the ground, further obscuring the true size of the herd in a thick fog.

“Even in winter, this valley is kept warm by the heat from the earth,” Rufus said, “but we often must leave to find foraging ground.”

“Why not live further south?” Dandin asked. “It is warmer there, and there are plenty of good things to eat.”

“I did once wander far to the south. I have seen your forests. While their beauty is clear, they are not suitable for a herd of deer. The trees would crowd us in and keep us from running.”

“Running?” Mariel questioned.

“We are not the only creatures of this cold and barren land. There are others. The wolves hunt us down and consume us.”

The thought of one creature eating another sickened Mariel. Eating a fish was one thing, but even among vermin, only the worst would consume the flesh of another.

Now in the midst of the herd, Rufus stopped as another deer stepped up to him. They rubbed their muzzles together in some form of greeting.

“My mate, Sylva,” Rufus said, introducing the female of his kind.

“Privet malysh’ki. Dobro pozhalovat’ v’ nashu dolinu,” the deer said in her own tongue.

Sylva does not speak your language,” Rufus said to Mariel and Dandin, “but she welcomes you to our home.”

“How is it that you speak as we do?” Mariel asked.

“I was once as I imagine you are. A traveler. An explorer. I wandered a great distance from the herd, eager to see the world. I saw many great things and learned much on my travels, but I eventually realized I had wandered enough, and I returned to my home. Perhaps one day you will feel the same and return to where you came from.”

“I don’t think we’ll ever tire of traveling and exploring,” Mariel said.

“Maybe so. At the time, I desired to return to Sylva,” Rufus nuzzled his mate affectionately, “but I see you travel with your mate. Perhaps this will be enough for you.”

“We’re not,” Mariel started to say while Dandin shifted his paws awkwardly, but a loud bellowing interrupted her and echoed across the valley. Every deer perked up its ears and spun its head in the direction of the call.

Before Mariel or Dandin could ask about the noise, Rufus had spun around and began to run alongside Sylva. Neither mouse had ever traveled at such speed. As the wind rushed by, Mariel and Dandin clung to Rufus’ antlers, fighting to maintain their position as Rufus bounded along, adding to the thunderous rumbling of countless hooves pounding the earth.

As the entire herd ran, Mariel glimpsed grey figures running near the edge of the herd, driving the deer one way and then another as they fought to escape.

“Rufus, what’s happening?” Mariel shouted, trying to make herself heard over the din.

“Wolves,” Rufus gasped as he panted. “The hunters. The killers.”

As the herd ran on, the mice managed to see the wolves more clearly. They ran on all fours like the deer. Ears back and fangs showing, saliva dripping down their sharp teeth the wolves looked like monsters.

Within minutes, the deer had crossed a distance that would have taken the mice most of the day, but still the wolves pursued.

There was a scream of pain, and as quickly as the chase began, it ended. The wolves swarmed around a fallen deer and began their carnage, ignoring all of the other deer as they ate.

The herd continued to run for several more minutes before all the deer halted their retreat and settled on a new stretch of grassland. Rufus was panting heavily, his breath steaming out of his mouth and nostrils. On his head, Mariel and Dandin were likewise breathing heavily, their hearts pounding and limbs trembling.

“Are you small ones injured?” Rufus asked once he had regained his breath.

Dandin helped Mariel to her feet. “We’re fine, Rufus. How long until the wolves come again?”

“They will not hunt again for several days,” Rufus said casually. “They have made their kill and will be satisfied for some time.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Mariel said. “Did you know the one who…fell?”

“No, but his sacrifice will be remembered.”

“Sacrifice?” Mariel asked, confused.

“One dies, the rest of the herd survives. This is the way it has always been.”

Mariel was shocked at Rufus’ seemingly callous to the loss of his comrade. “How can you say that? Those wolves are monsters!”

“They require food just as any other creature. They must consume meat in order to survive.”

“And why must their survival cost your people their lives!?”

“It would be far worse for us if the wolves did not chase us. If they did not take from us, our numbers would grow until we had consumed all of the plants in the land, and then we would all slowly starve to death, as would all the other creatures who call this land home. The chase ensures that we are strong enough to endure the harshness of the north. The old and inured who would otherwise perish painfully are given the dignity of a quick death. The death of one allows the herd to survive. Likewise, we encourage the wolves to be strong. If we did not run, the wolves would become fat and indolent. They would die as soon as hardship took hold. It is all necessary. The land needs us. The land needs the wolves. The wolves need us. We need the wolves.”

Mariel scowled, unhappy with Rufus’ explanation. “There must be another way.”

“What do you suggest? My kind do not have the clever paws to farm the land as you small folk do, nor are the wolves able to catch fish. While our way may seem unpleasant to you, it is nonetheless our way, and we must continue in it if we are to survive. Come, I will take you back to where we met.”

Rufus crossed the valley with the mice riding along. The wolves were still gathered around the fallen deer. Mariel made to look away when she saw the smallest of wolves nearby, running around and playing with each other as they stumbled on their inexperienced paws.

“Though they will grow to chase us done,” Rufus said, “I can still see value in their existence. Do the pups not deserve a chance to grow and thrive?”

Mariel did not answer. She was through arguing with Rufus. She remained silent until they reached the spot where they had mistaken Rufus for a hill. She gave him a cordial farewell, though she remained fuming inside. On the way back to the ship, Mariel and Dandin stopped to gather some of the berries they had spotted before.

Back at camp, the others were thoroughly impressed by the story Mariel and Dandin told them. Bowly was jealous that he hadn’t been along to meet Rufus. Mariel let Dandin do most of the telling as she warmed herself by the driftwood fire, staring into the flames as she regarded the northlands. She could not understand the casual way Rufus accepted the death of his fellow deer. Living and dying based on chance seemed an awful way to exist. Even as the fire died and everybody went off to sleep, the thoughts continued to run through Mariel’s mind until she too drifted off into slumber.

The next day, Mariel went off on her own, searching for other sources of food besides the bitter berries they had found the day before. She had wandered to the south where the grass was taller, hoping to find something edible hidden between the tall, leafy blades.

Late in the morning, Mariel’s ears caught the sound of some creature in distress. With a high jump, she was able to see over the grass into the distance where a pair of ravens were swooping down, harassing some creature who Mariel could not see. Pushing through the grass, Mariel made a beeline toward the ravens, getting her Gullwhacker ready to deliver a painful lesson to the disagreeable birds.

She came out of the grass swinging, delivering a solid blow to the skull of one of the ravens in mid-swoop. The birds gave a harsh cry and switched their attention to Mariel, diving toward her with talons outstretched.

With a whirlwind of blows, Mariel pummeled the birds with the knotted Gullwhacker, striking at the wings, heads, and beaks until they understood that their time would be better spent elsewhere.

Pushing through the rest of the grass, she came to where the raven’s victim lay. Mariel came to a sudden stop when she saw what it was. It was one of the wolves, but a young one. Though it was only a pup, it still stood as tall as a young badger. It was covered in scratches from the ravens’ talons, but it seemed unperturbed by its injuries now that the birds were gone. Its attention was now fully focused on Mariel.

Before Mariel could decide whether or not to run, the wolf shoved its face toward her a made a series of loud sniffs before it drew its tongue up the length of her body, leaving her clothes and fur slightly damp from its saliva.

“You’re welcome,” Mariel said, shaking herself dry. “I’ll just be going now.”

As Mariel turned to leave, she was suddenly lifted from the ground. The pup had grabbed the back of her cloak and was carrying her away, trotting along without a care in the world. Mariel thrashed about, trying to free herself, but the pup’s grip was too tight and Mariel was too small to have much of an impact on the pup’s behavior.

The pup continued carrying Mariel over several miles as she hung helplessly in its grasp. She had tried reasoning with the wolf, but either it did not understand her or did not care to listen to her, so Mariel waited, biding her time until she had an opportunity to run, though she had serious doubts that she would be able to outrun even this little wolf.

When they reached a clearing, Mariel spotted a fully grown wolf with several other pups nearby. When the adult saw the pup carrying Mariel, she bounded over and began to speak to the pup.

“Nikolas, ya zhe skazal tebe ne ukhodit. K’to eto? Chto vii nadelali?”

Though Mariel did not understand the words, she recognized the tone. At Redwall, she had heard Mother Mellus use the same sort of voice when scolding the dibbuns. Whatever this pup had done had evidently displeased its mother.

The pup responded, dropping Mariel as it did so, but its answer was more of a series of barks than an actual language. Nonetheless, the mother understood her pup and turned her eyes down toward Mariel.

“Tii ranen, malen’kiy?” the wolf asked, waiting for Mariel to talk.

“Sorry I…I don’t understand,” Mariel responded, fighting to remain calm while facing down the giant monster. “I don’t know your language.”

The wolf straightened up and closed her eyes for a few moments. “I speak…small tongue…little. Son say you… save son. This wolf… thanks you. My name… Sveta.” Sveta sniffed the air and looked back down at Mariel. “No need… fear. No harm you.” Sveta sniffed again. “You been with deer.”

“I met them yesterday,” Mariel said, finding her voice. “I saw them being hunted.”

Sveta nodded. “I not there. Hunters bring food… for mothers with pups.” She gave Mariel an appraising look. “I am feeling… you do not like this.”

“It is cruel,” Mariel said, unafraid to speak her mind. “Killing other creatures and… eating them,” she shuddered in disgust.

“Cruel to let pups eat?” Sveta asked. “Wolves no fish. No catch bird. No eat grass. Better to let pups die?”

“There must be another way. Some way for both deer and wolf to exist without all this killing.”

“You not first to think this. Grandfather Urgan try to abandon hunt. Leave pack. Not seen again.”

Mariel’s ears perked up at the name but she kept silent.

“Wolves not forget what deer give up. Come with Sveta. Sveta show you way of wolf.”

Sveta knelt down and allowed Mariel to climb atop her head. She barked something at her pups and led them out of the clearing along a trail which wound up into the hillside. The path took them to the bottom of a cliff that had undergone a rockslide at some point in the ancient past. Resting among the rocks and boulders were hundreds of deer skulls, some with antlers, other without. They were all perfectly aligned, obviously placed with care and purpose.

“Wolves not forget,” Sveta stated firmly. She stepped forward and brushed her face against one of the skulls an in almost intimate gesture. “Every moon pack visit memory hill. Remember prey. Thank prey,” she dug at a pile of dried vegetation, “bring offering to prey. Prey not only food. Prey are life. Life of pups. Life of wolves. Life of pack. Disrespect to prey, disrespect to pack. No kill without need. Punishment for wasting life high. Cherish life of prey. Cherish own life. Even pups know this.”

Mariel looked and saw that Sveta’s pups were walking up to skulls and imitating their mother’s gesture. Mariel had not seen any devotion to life this deep anywhere outside of Redwall, and though its form here was strange, it was not unrecognizable.

“The deer know of this?” Mariel asked.

“Deer know well. Deer know value. All have place in cycle. It is way. Small mouse understand?”

“I understand better than I did, but it is still difficult to grasp.”

“Small mouse need time to think,” Sveta proposed. “Sveta bring back to plains.”

Sveta gathered her pups and took them all back down the hills and through the clearing to where Mariel had fought the ravens. Sveta knelt down once again and let Mariel slide off her head and onto the ground.

“Thank mouse once again. Pup precious to Sveta and pack. Sveta remember mouse well.”

“Thank you, Sveta,” Mariel said. “I hope your pups grow up strong.”

Sveta nodded and called to her pups. Within moments, they were off, darting through the wilderness, no doubt going to rejoin their pack.

Dandin was visibly relieved when Mariel returned to the campsite. She had been gone much longer than she had intended, and with giant creatures roaming the land, it was no wonder he had been worried. Mariel didn’t say much, but sat by the fire, thinking about the way of life of the deer and the wolves.

“This is a strange land, Dandin,” Mariel said, “but perhaps not as strange as we first thought.”

#redwall #redwall midwinter gift exchange 2021 #mariel #dandin

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zerorock41 · 3 years

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Spider-Manga: Into the Spider-Verse

Peni Parker is your average 32nd century girl. She goes to school, hangs out on the web, and fights villains as the mecha heroine SP//DR. Okay, maybe that last one isn't so normal, but normal's a matter of perspective. Ever since Peni was accidentally whisked away to another universe by a version of the Kingpin, she's been keenly invested in the idea of exploring and learning about alternate dimensions, and other Spiders. So, in her spare time, she's been looking into quantum mechanics and looking for help from other heroes in her world to do so. A warning from the Sorceress Supreme worries her, and Peni decides to ask for help from her resident Avengers, just in case. The experiment is tried, and a stable path between dimensions opens. But she is a Parker. And that unfortunately means trouble happens. The appearance of Avengers villain Kang the Maoh, results in time-space going screwy and Peni gets sent to a nearby dimension. Now, three anime/manga-inspired Marvel Universes have run aground, and Peni has to answer for her curiosity. Thankfully, she's hardly alone, as she meets with two other Spiders who are just as worried and might very well be just as responsible for what's going on. Rachel Reilly, a 16-year-old Spider who styles herself like a magical girl and is Dr. Strange's talented protoge, and Takuya Yamashiro, a ninja of the Spider-Clan who seeks vengeance on the Sandman who killed his Sensei. Together, the three Web Warriors are gonna figure out how to fix their colliding universes (and get brief looks at some other heroes in their worlds). But where there's Spiders, there are inevitably villains, and in opposition to the Web Warriors stand the Sinister Six, two villains from each of their worlds, and all six are looking to take advantage of the chaos for their own ends, chief among them, a girl named Addy Brock who seems particularly angry at Peni for some reason. ------- So I read up on Marvel's Mangaverse experiment and was distinctly unimpressed, both as a (non-comics) Marvel fan and as an avid watcher of various anime. So I made this fic idea, which primarily follows up Into the Spider-Verse and is Spider-Man (or as close as possible) centric. But there's a bit of the whole Marvel verse here.

#spider-man #into the spider verse #zero writes #Fanfic ideas #peni parker #marvel

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espionageshitposts · 4 years

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once again i am baffled and blown away by the farce that is espionage.

quick history lesson: back during wwii the channel islands were occupied by the nazis. the population of the islands were the only british population living directly under nazi occupation, so as you can imagine churchill was pretty pissed about it. he devised a plan to fuck the nazis’ shit up by sending in spies to gather information and then dispatching men to create a ruckus in the dead of night -- attack strategic places, destroy anti-aircraft guns, kill or capture as many german soldiers as possible, etc. he called them “nuisance missions”, because he was good at naming things.

anyway, the spies got in surprisingly alright and gathered enough information to launch one of these missions, but in classic espionage fashion the operation itself went absolutely, comically wrong.

the objective:

two boatloads of men land on guernsey and meet up to attack the airport

a smaller boatload attack a machine gun outpost and kill or capture its crew

what actually happened:

one boat landed on the wrong island

the second boat saw the flashing lights of the spies they were supposed to meet on the beach and thought “oh fucc it’s the nazis” and just turned the fuck around and sailed back to their ship

the third boat made it but ran aground and everyone had to bail

these men then had to trek, soaked through in heavy clothing, up a 250-foot cliff and were fucking knackered by the time they got to the top

but still! the show much go on! they attacked the machine gun post... only to find it was empty

they did find a local old man though, who was so terrified at the sight of them that he couldn’t even tell them any information

annoyed, they did what they could to be a pain in the germans’ asses, and managed to cut a couple of telephone lines

“a youth in his teens could have done the same” -- lieutenant-colonel john durnford-slater, head of this group of men, probably while making the :/ face

they also kind of made a roadblock but somehow forgot all their barbed wire on the beach

this was all they managed before it was time to go and on the way back down to the beach someone slipped and accidentally fired his revolver into the air

the gunshot echoed all the way around the cliffs and a nearby german outpost was like “what the fuck” and started blindly firing out to sea

despite this a dinghy was sent to collect the 40-odd men who were waiting on the beach but it was thrown against the rocks and sank

everyone then realised they would have to swim

they all stripped naked and got ready to go

“uh, boss? i can’t swim” -- three men to lieutenant-colonel john durnford-slater, with impeccable timing

“go fucking hide” -- lieutenant-colonel john durnford-slater, leaving them for tomorrow’s problem

they left the fucking sunken dinghy and the discarded uniforms on the beach, as well as helmets and rifles

“vat the fuck is zis Scheisse?” -- the germans the next morning, probably

it was fucking clear a military operation had happened and within the day the three soldiers who couldn’t swim and a fourth who had fallen in when the dinghy sank and swam back to shore had been rounded up and sent to a pow camp in germany

they were still in their fucking uniforms.

churchill was reported to have been “unimpressed”.

#history #espionage #wwii #world war two #espionage history #wwii espionage #LITERALLY how are spies real

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thecomicsnexus · 5 years

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The Human Torch

MARVEL COMICS #1 OCTOBER 1939 BY CARL BURGOS, PAUL GUSTAVSON, BILL EVERETT, AL ANDERS, TOHM DIXON, BOB BYRD AND BEN THOMPSON

CONTEXT

Pulp-magazine publisher Martin Goodman founded the company later known as Marvel Comics under the name Timely Publications in 1939. Goodman, who had started with a Western pulp in 1933, was expanding into the emerging—and by then already highly popular—new medium of comic books. Launching his new line from his existing company's offices at 330 West 42nd Street, New York City, he officially held the titles of editor, managing editor, and business manager, with Abraham Goodman (Martin's brother) officially listed as publisher.

Timely's first publication, Marvel Comics #1 (cover dated Oct. 1939), included the first appearance of Carl Burgos' android superhero the Human Torch, and the first appearances of Bill Everett's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner, among other features. The issue was a great success; it and a second printing the following month sold a combined nearly 900,000 copies. While its contents came from an outside packager, Funnies, Inc., Timely had its own staff in place by the following year. The company's first true editor, writer-artist Joe Simon, teamed with artist Jack Kirby to create one of the first patriotically themed superheroes, Captain America, in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). It, too, proved a hit, with sales of nearly one million. Goodman formed Timely Comics, Inc., beginning with comics cover-dated April 1941 or Spring 1941.

While no other Timely character would achieve the success of these three characters, some notable heroes—many of which continue to appear in modern-day retcon appearances and flashbacks—include the Whizzer, Miss America, the Destroyer, the original Vision, and the Angel. Timely also published one of humor cartoonist Basil Wolverton's best-known features, "Powerhouse Pepper", as well as a line of children's funny-animal comics featuring characters like Super Rabbit and the duo Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal.

Goodman hired his wife's cousin, Stanley Lieber, as a general office assistant in 1939. When editor Simon left the company in late 1941, Goodman made Lieber—by then writing pseudonymously as "Stan Lee"—interim editor of the comics line, a position Lee kept for decades except for three years during his military service in World War II. Lee wrote extensively for Timely, contributing to a number of different titles.

Goodman's business strategy involved having his various magazines and comic books published by a number of corporations all operating out of the same office and with the same staff. One of these shell companies through which Timely Comics was published was named Marvel Comics by at least Marvel Mystery Comics #55 (May 1944). As well, some comics' covers, such as All Surprise Comics #12 (Winter 1946–47), were labeled "A Marvel Magazine" many years before Goodman would formally adopt the name in 1961.

SYNOPSIS (FROM MARVEL WIKIA)

Professor Horton is holding a conference with the press, ready to reveal his creation to the world - the first android. He reveals that there is a difficult problem with his discovery. Leading the press into the lab, Horton points to a man in an air-tight, glass cage whom he calls The Human Torch. When air is let into the chamber, the man's entire body catches fire. The press in the room demand him to destroy his creation "before some madman can grasp its principles and hurl it against our civilization!" Horton refuses. Later, he is contacted and visited by The Scientist Guild. They also recommend destruction of the android since the flames cannot be controlled.

They come to a compromise. The Human Torch is sealed within a steel tube which is then sealed in a block of concrete. Horton vows to find the secret to controlling the flame.

However, some time later there is an explosion outside Horton's bedroom window. He finds the Torch gone. It is revealed that there was a slow oxygen leak in the steel tube. The Torch runs through the streets of the city, confused as to why everything he touches catches on fire. Some firemen douse him with water, but it just turns into steam. Realizing he is causing damage, the Torch dives into a pool in an effort to put out the flame.

Inside the house with the pool, there are two men: Sardo, a racketeer, and Red, his not-so-smart lieutenant. Sardo realizes the Torch could be worth a lot of money, if used correctly. The two men go to Acmen Warehouses - Inc. to sell some fire insurance. Sardo threatens that if the company doesn't buy it, they won't have any steel left. Mr. Harris, the company's president, refuses the offer and kicks the man out.

Sardo and Red place The Human Torch in a glass tube filled with water and transport him to a warehouse. There, they place him inside and throw a weight at the glass. As it shatters, the Torch bursts into flame. He quickly realizes what they are up to, and escapes with a mighty leap. The flames make him lighter than air. He burns Sardo's house down, but can't seem to find the criminal himself, who is hiding in the steel underground lab. After taking care of Sardo's men, the Torch locates the lab. Sirens catch the attention of both men. Horton and the firemen arrive on the scene. The professor notices a nitrogen tank in the flames and rushes towards it, but the Torch gets there first and melts it before it can explode. The gas puts out his flames. The fire chief fires a gun at him, but the bullet melts on his super-heated skin. The Torch returns to Sardo, who attempts to bargain for his life. The man ends up throwing a tank of sulfuric acid at the flaming android, but it backfires and explodes before even reaching the target. Sardo is killed in the blast.

After using another tank of nitro, The Torch discovers he can now control the flames and throw fireballs. While walking down the street, covered in flames, he is surrounded by the police. The Torch apologizes and demonstrates his control over the fire. The police take him to headquarters where he explains Sardo's evil plans. They let him live with Professor Horton, who takes full responsibility. The Torch explains his control over the fire to Horton, who sees it as a money-making opportunity. The Torch realizes that humans will only continue to use him for their selfish purposes and escapes through the ceiling to be free.

THE ANGEL

The Six Big Men (consisting of; Dutch Hansen who specialized in extorting protection money from night clubs; Trigger Bolo, who controlled a protection racket for retail delivery companies; Mike Malone who controlled all the illegal gambling dens; Gus Ronson who extorted local restaurants; John Dillon who ran a racket on the subway system; and Steve Enkel who fixed politicians, judges and juries) are terrorizing the city.

Eventually Dr. Lang (really the gang's leader), pretending to be a civic minded citizen gathers a bunch of like minded individuals, and had them sworn in by a mayor as special investigators. They seek to hire the costumed hero known as the Angel to hunt down and eliminate each of the racket bosses. The Angel had already taken up the job and makes his presence known, leaving Dr. Lang to believe that his plan was coming to fruition.

The Angel first goes after Ronson who was acquitted of crimes thanks to a crooked jury. Unaware that the Angel had sneaked into the back seat of his car, Ronson is strangled to death by the vigilante. Going after Mike Malone next, Angel mashes the crook into a pulp. Witnessing this John Dillon attempts to flee the Angel, jumping out a window and falling to his death. Lil provides the Angel with the location of Trigger Bolo and but vigilante is captured by his thugs. However, before Bolo could mow the Angel down, Lil orders him and Steve Enkel to take the Angel out into the woods to be executed. There Lil double crosses Bolo and Enkel, freeing the Angel, and in the ensuring fire fight Bolo and Enkel ended up killing each other.

The Angel next catches Dutch Hansen before he could make a deposit of all the stolen loot and slays him as well. Curious about who would go and pick up the loot from the safety deposit box, the Angel stakes it out and catches Lil and Dr. Lang in the act. He captures them and turns them over to the authorities, learning of their plot to double cross their colleagues in the process.

THE SUBMARINER

A diver from salvage vessel finds wrecked ship's safe empty and just recently dropped knife from shipwreck's deck. Captain orders him back down to investigate with another diver. They are searching the wreckage when attacked by Namor, the Sub-Mariner! He savagely attacks both men, stabbing one and crushing the diving helmet of the other. Namor then turns his attention to the ship, wrecking the propeller and running it aground. He heads back to his underwater home, where he is greeted by the "Holy One" who commends him on his attack against the humans. Namor brings the bodies of the two divers as trophies. His mother, Fen, congratulates him on beginning his war of revenge in such a decisive manner. Namor asks her why their people hate the Earth-men so much.

She explains that in the year 1920, a research vessel called the Oracle had journeyed to Antarctica and was doing "experiments" with explosives that killed many of their fellow citizens. Since Fen looked most like a human, she was sent to find out more about what was going on. She fell in love with Commander Leonard McKenzie, and became pregnant by him. The sailors could not understand how she was able to swim in the freezing water. She learned their language and sent back messages to the undersea army that the white men were too strong for them, but they sent an army to fight those invaders anyway. The white men's bombardment annihilated most of their race, and now, 20 years later, they are ready once again to press an attack against Earth-people, and Namor will begin this war.

Later, he takes his cousin Dorma with him to the Cape Anna Lighthouse. Once there, they attack the guard who stands watch on the lighthouse and wreak havoc on the controls and equipment hoping to destroy some of the ships that use it's beacon for safety. Some naval men come on the scene, and in order to escape, Namor and Dorma commandeer a plane which flies nearby. Sub-Mariner commands Dorma to wreck the plane and swim back home as Namor continues his crusade against humans.

THE MASKED RAIDER

Cal Brunder, a big league rancher has become a menace of Cactusville, using his army of thugs to force the smaller ranchers into selling up their property. One night they attempt to coerce Jim Gardley into giving up his land but he refuses and fights back. Brunder's goons get the drop on him and take him to their boss, who gives Gardley one last chance to surrender his land, a request that is also refused. Cal calls the sheriff to have Jim charged on trumped up cattle rustling charges and he is locked in jail.

Realizing the old sheriff is not cut out for his job anymore, Jim feigns being sick, in order to trick the sheriff into opening his cell and so Gardley knocks him out. Stealing a horse and riding out into the wilderness, Jim lets the horse free and then raids his own ranch for supplies. He spends the next number of weeks practicing his shooting skills until he becomes a crack shot. Seeking a horse, he spots a white stallion running free and one day is surprised to see that it had been caught and penned in. Taming the horse, he names it Lightning. Jim then decides it is time to go after Cal Brunder, and swearing to fight crime he dawns a black mask and dubs himself the Masked Raider.

Meanwhile, back in town Cal Brunder gets opposition from the Bleck Ranch and sends his boys to shoot the ranch owner and burn the ranch to the ground as a warning to the other ranches to give up their properties. When the sheriff confronts Cal about it, Cal warns the sheriff against opposing him. Soon Brunder's reign of terror nets with success as the ranchers prepare to deal with him.

However, just after Cal hears the news he is alerted that one of his men has been shot. Pegged to his corpse is a note, a warning to Brunder and his men that they will pay for their crimes. After gaining the support of the sheriff the Masked Raider rides into Cal Brunder's ranch and begins dusting it up with the aid of the townsmen. As the Masked Raider deals with his goons, Cal attempts to escape on a horseback. However the Masked Raider ropes him in a lasso and pulls him off his horse. He then turns Brunder and his men over to the sheriff to be sent off to jail. After the Masked Raider leaves, the sheriff wonders if the Masked Rider will go after bigger criminals.

JUNGLE TERROR

After Professor John Roberts has been gone for three months searching the jungles of the Amazon to find a diamond that can supposedly enslave people, his friend Ken Masters and nephew Tim Roberts decide to travel out to find the missing scientist. As they fly out from Florida in their own plane, they soon become aware that they are being followed by John Crafton -- a rival plantation owner.

Unfortunately for Ken and Tim, their plane cracks up and they crash, and while they survive they are soon captured by some of the local natives. Crafton and his men land safely and when they are confronted by the natives as well, they try to fight them but one of John's men is killed before they can flee the scene.

In the native village, Ken and Tim are brought to the chief who sentences them to death and sequesters them in a prisoner hut until it's time to be executed. To their surprise Professor Roberts is there as well. The Professor explains that the natives were friendly to him until they realized that he was after the diamond and locked him up. However, he had just recently found a passageway hidden in the floor and the trio decides to use it and escape the natives.

They find themselves in a cavern that leads them to a massive stockpile of diamonds. Before they can start to collect those they are confronted by John Crafton and his goon Slug who have also fled from the natives through escape hatch in the prisoner hut. The natives catch up and kill Crafton and Slug with arrows. Ken, taking Crafton's pistol holds the natives at bay while Ken and the professor flee. Ken catches up to them just as they find Crafton's airplane and the trio uses it to escape unscathed.

When the boys lament being unable to collect the diamonds, the professor shows them a smaller diamond that he managed to grab before their escape.

KA-ZAR

John and Constance Rand, along with their three-year-old son David, are flying from Johannesburg to Cairo, when their aircraft crashed into a Belgian Congo jungle. All three survived the crash but later Constance died of the tropical fever. John decides to take the 200-mile trip back to civilization with his son but a terrible storm causes the mammoth baobab tree to fall at him. Permanently deluded after being hit by the falling tree, he makes the jungle their home. David grows up, strong and healthy, in harmony with the jungle and the creatures dwelling inside it, even saving Zar the lion from the cruel death, trapped in quicksand. One day, they encounter a group of natives led by a fat white man. John tries to make them leave the sacred jungle before they profane it. The white man, Paul De Kraft, is a vicious criminal on a treasure hunt and is not so easily convinced to turn back. He tries to shoot John in the back but David sends an arrow to his arm stopping him. Later De Kraft goes to the Rand's hut and shoots John Rand. Rand's son would have met the same fate if not for Zar. The lion, remembering the young man who saved his life, kills two natives and scares De Kraft away.

John Rand dies of his shooting wounds and the feline takes the boy into his lair, accepting him as brother. He would now be called Ka-Zar, brother of Zar, and earn the respect of all the jungle creatures.

REVIEW

Because comic-books either come from Pulp or funnies, stories in this era were very extreme in their points of view. Morals... were not a thing for heroes. Patriotism, on the other hand, would justify anything.

In this first issue of Marvel Comics, we get Namor, who is hard to relate to (to be fair, he is still hard to relate to). And other questionable heroes, like The Angel.

I think the result is ok. It brought something else to the table (although, Namor would probably be the one character here with more legacy). But I found the stories to be too long (and not that complete).

One quick note: This Ka-Zar has nothing to do with modern times Ka-Zar (X-Men).

I give this issue a score of 7

#marvel comics #golden age #1939 #comics #review #human torch #namor #the angel #ka-zar

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psychicadviceus · 7 years

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Important Solutions for Aliens from Another Planet

New Post has been published on http://aopsy.com/index.php/2017/08/16/important-solutions-for-aliens-from-another-planet/

Important Solutions for Aliens from Another Planet

Scientists think that the sound might have been the result of a massive iceberg that has run aground off Antarctica. If it’s true, you may be an alien. After all, as soon as the real aliens finally appear on Earth, you will be as prepared as possible. Not only that, but is known that those who believe they’ve been abducted by aliens are extremely fantasy prone. Alien abductees could also be regarded as similar to mystics. Several have speculated that UFOs could possibly be using some sort of electromagnetic propulsion.

Space exploration can signify an important leap for mankind. Science fiction has produced modern day heroes. It has no limitations. The Hills story was repeated many times. Heroes played an extremely huge part in ancient myth. My lover writes every month.

Xmas day is about my family members and mates. Several have entered the ghost life just because they are just afraid to visit God, thinking they wouldn’t be forgiven for things they’ve done. Uniting the world could possibly be cited as a benefit of space exploration. Among the most important resources in today’s world is petroleum. Yes earth has existed quite a long time. The moon and planets are pummeled. This planet’s orbit has to be nearly circular, not exceedingly eccentric.

The Battle Over Aliens from Another Planet and How to Win It

If it is just a bunch of malarkey, we’re left with the exact same old questions and a couple new ones. Some people would need to try out two or three times to have a single task completed. It is a little more dry, which might bring an extra edge to Space Jam 2. Although, it’s a bit simpler to comprehend why someone would want a mystical experience than it is to grasp why anyone would wish to be abducted via an alien. You complex being isn’t a mishap nor the life around us.

There are not any others, he replied. The same is true for the birth of humanity. These ones have never been judged yet. Should youn’t, you’re insane. You’re able to observe this happening even now. `So some people, a lot of us believe that we’re likely to findevidence that there’s life elsewhere in the universe.’ On closer examination, but this idea provides no help in any way in solving the distance and time troubles.

The One Thing to Do for Aliens from Another Planet

Something similar happens for animals. Sooner or later, the humans were shown to be an excellent workforce. MessageToEagle.com The notion that humanity isn’t from Earth is as controversial since it is intriguing. It appears that everything in the universe will gradually wear out. The presence of a 2nd white dwarf star in the Sirius system would appear to imply that the chance of life is extremely remote indeed. Despite all this, the essence of the Anunnaki is predominantly unknown. Before him, nobody could even visit the core essence of Father.

If you are not certain of how to correctly compose a word or term, you will see suggestions close to the search box. The most reasonable explanation for those accounts being so similar is that they’re based on the exact same movies, exactly the same stories, precisely the same television programs, and precisely the same comic strips. A potential explanation, besides aliens, is that many of our history was lost over time. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever. There’s no other evidence. In different times, nobody would have been in a position to take these claims seriously.

Like Total War, the game enables players to make the most of the surroundings. Thus, there is every possibility that life will have the ability to thrive on these bodies. A huge quantity of money is needed for traveling to space. If you take an actual interest, individuals love to speak about themselves, and it offers you less odds of saying the incorrect thing. The growth in UFOsightings is because of the boost in alien activity on Earth. It wouldn’t be hard to come across many individuals who believe they could be placed to sleep for a couple hundred or thousand decades and be awakened to search for life on some strange planet.

The problem is an issue of research and speculation. A exact considerable situation may develop at any moment with respect to the `flying saucers’. Though it sounds unbelievable, it may become a reality. It might be possible that this phenomena can be associated with the Jinn too.

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briggsps · 5 years

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Randy Bolton has been making prints for some four decades. Somewhere in the early stages of that trajectory he absorbed and refined a sensibility toward historical precedent. Evoking the European origins of printmaking, he embraced a keen sense of the relationships between words and images and exploited contradiction, irony, and irrational juxtapositions in his images, often insinuating critical observations about social relationships. His “Daumier-like” wit paralleled his use of popular subject matter in an image environment whose color and serial organization evoked obvious connections to Pop art and comic books. The serial qualities of Randy’s work not only connected his vision to the origins of printmaking and its later incarnation in Pop Art, but advanced narrative to the point where the relationships of images demanded extended attention and thought. The works are deceptively simple and conceptually complicated.

The other strain I want to mention has a technical dimension. Randy successfully mastered innovative printmaking techniques. Following on the footsteps of the 1960s and 70s, he engaged chromatic structure of commercial printing, tweeked it, and created work that on close inspection fostered an intense curiosity to uncover the details of his craft. Ultimately, Randy migrated into large scale digital printing on canvas combined with pithy and, at times, acerbic fully three-dimensional installations, my favorites of which featured acute environmental statements.

p.s.briggs

Hunters, 2007; screen print (521×465 mm)

Thanks for Nothing, 2007; screen print (436×593 mm)

Buy, Sell, Trade, 2007; screen print (429×589 mm)

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, 2007; screen print, diptych (435×1108 mm)

Good Night, 2008; screen print (371 x643 mm)

Adrift, Aground, 2008; screen print, diptych (555×998 mm)

Hard Lessons, 2008; screen print (626×448 mm)

Low Tide + High Tide, 2008; screen print, diptych (447×1280 mm)

Let Well Enough Alone, 2008; screen print (454×520 mm)

Space Available, 2009; screen print (630×453 mm)

Lost Horizons, 2009; screen print (560×454 mm)

Coming & Going, 2009; screen print (452×497 mm)

Yes, Maybe, No, 2009; screen print (460×558 mm)

Yes, We Can, 2009; screen print, triptych (645×1311 mm)

No, 2009; screen print (528×462 mm)

Slanted, 2010; screen print (441×656 mm)

Solstice (day), 2010; screen print (456×601 mm)

Long Winter, 2010; screen print (467×591 mm)

Superior + Inferior, 2011; screen print (458×1086 mm)

Thick + Thin, 2012; screen print (459×610 mm)

Have a Day, 2012; screen print (459×610 mm)

Big Trouble, 2013; screen print (459×639 mm)

We Sell + You Buy, 2013; screen print (608x 916 mm)

Exit, 2016; screen print, diptych (970×645 mm)

Happy + Sad, 2016; screen print, diptych (645×970 mm)

Recent Additions to the AP/RC: Randy Bolton Randy Bolton has been making prints for some four decades. Somewhere in the early stages of that trajectory he absorbed and refined a sensibility toward historical precedent.

#AP/RC #ap/rc artist #art history Museum of Texas Tech #Artist Printmaker Research Collection #Artist Printmaker/Photographer Research Collection #contemporary art #Museum of Texas Tech University #Peter Briggs #printmaker #Printmaking #Prints #Randy Bolton #screen print #Screen printing #screenprint #screenprinting #Texas Tech Museum #Texas Tech University #Visual Arts

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velichorus-k · 4 months

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The second installment of this comic right here. In which the gang hangs out :) pages under the cut!

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euroman1945-blog · 6 years

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The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Thursday 2nd August 2018

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you….Very hot in the southern most parts of Spain, and very windy also, lots of sand being blown about and like Oban, lots of yachts getting into problems, and as this is the season for the refugees to make the crossing from Africa to Spain, lots and lots of them getting into problems as they attempt the crossing.. helicopters and police and boarder boats are patrolling the waters off the coast of Spain and Gibraltar… a lot are not political or war refugees they are the new economic refugees trying to beat the system.. but the waters between the two continents are very dangerous and more so with the strong wind of the past few days…

COASTGUARD CALLED OUT TO FOUR YACHTS OFF OBAN….Four yachts needed coastguard assistance in the Oban area on Saturday night and Sunday morning after running aground. Three people were taken off one yacht near Puilladobhrain Anchorage at about 22:30 on Saturday. Two other yachts were refloated after dragging their anchors in Loch Feochan and Loch Aline. And a yacht with one person and a dog on board made a mayday call at midnight after running aground at Lismore. The vessel refloated on the rising tide. There are strong winds and big tides in the area, which is currently hosting the West Highland Yachting Week event. Graham Cay, senior maritime operations officer with HM Coastguard, said: "It's been a challenging night for yacht owners. "The weather's not been great and looks to continue like this today. "We advise yacht owners to take care when anchoring to ensure they have good holding - a number were caught out by stronger winds and big tides. "Also make sure you've got a means of contacting us if you get into trouble and adequate provisions and safety equipment."

SCOTS WINDSURFER AIMING FOR OLYMPIC GLORY…. A Scottish windsurfer hopes to eventually compete at the Olympics following her success at last weekend's 2018 Youth Sailing World Championships. Islay Watson, from Aviemore, won the gold medal in the girls' RS:X class in Corpus Christi, USA. The 17-year-old first took up the sport on Loch Insh near her home in the Cairngorms. She told BBC Radio Scotland: "The Olympic success of other windsurfers, that is what inspires me." The athlete added: "Hopefully I can achieve similar success. A gold medal is the goal." Watson, who is preparing for another world championships in Latvia, said she had not expected to win gold in the USA. She said: "It was pretty awesome. I didn't really think that was possible. It was a really tight race. I was just quite lucky in the end." Watson added: "I had trained hard all year for this event, and the prevailing conditions are really the ones I enjoy the most. "I thought if I really gave it my best shot I could do something, but I wasn't really expecting to win."

STUDY TO DELVE INTO CHEESY-BOTTOMS SPONGE BELT OFF SCOTLAND…. Scientists are preparing to make surveys of some of Scotland's most unusual marine features. The sites include the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt, where sponges gather in aggregations nicknamed cheesy-bottoms due to their appearance. The Wyville-Thomson Ridge is a rocky plateau where beds of sea spiders and sea cucumbers are found. Another of the survey sites, Rosemary Bank Seamount, is a 1,000m (3,281ft) extinct volcano off the Western Isles. One of only three seamounts in Scottish waters seas, previous surveys estimated that it provided habitat to about 88 million sponges. All three sites are types of Marine Protected Areas. Scottish government directorate Marine Scotland Science and UK organisation Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) are involved in the surveys. The work will be done from the Aberdeen-based, Port Glasgow-built fisheries research ship, MRV Scotia. It can carry a crew of 17 and accommodate up to 12 scientists. The Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area lies west of the Shetland Islands and is a large rift basin that separates the Scottish and Faroese continental shelves. Five different water masses meet in the area, bringing nutrients that help deep-living cold water species to thrive, including sponges, worms and long-lived molluscs called ocean quahog. The aggregations of sponges were given the cheesy-bottoms nickname by the Faroese.

WATER SCARCITY 'SIGNIFICANT' IN MANY AREAS OF SCOTLAND…. It will take a month of exceptional rainfall for Scotland's water levels to return to near-normal levels according to the latest water-scarcity report. The weekly document from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) shows that many parts of the country are now on the highest level of alert. North East Scotland, North Highland and the Clyde, Ayr and Irvine have moved to "significant scarcity". Scottish Water is continuing to appeal to people to use water "wisely." Despite rainfall experienced in some parts this week, it has not been enough to exceed the evaporation levels meaning rivers remain low. A deluge of rain is now forecast but Sepa says there is "a great deal of uncertainty" about how far inland it will fall. Inland rainfall would be the best way of topping up rivers and increasing water levels. Sepa suggests it is "highly likely" that by the end of July Scotland will have experienced its driest six-month period since 1984. Despite this prediction, it says there is still no threat to the public water network. Bottled water has been made available to residents in some parts of Moray who have private water supplies. This area of north east Scotland has been on red-alert for several weeks. River beds have become exposed and water temperatures have risen posing a threat to plants, fish and other animals.

REBELS AT HEART: THE BEANO AT 80…. The Beano's "rebellious attitude" has kept it relevant for new generations of readers, the comic has said on its 80th birthday. Its first edition on 30 July 1938 broke with the tradition of text-dense publications for children, in favour of pictures to tell the story. Along with the print edition there is a CBBC series, an interactive website and a new live-action series. David Walliams has guest-edited the 80th birthday commemorative issue. Dundee's McManus museum has been renamed the McMenace for a new exhibition celebrating 80 years of the comic. Head of Beano Studios, Mike Stirling, said the comic revolutionised the industry in 1938. He said: "It was a really rebellious approach to the medium. "The original team turned everything on its head and made the focus upon picture stories and humour. "The key point was that the heroes were all kids." The comic regularly consults its "Trendspotters" - a group of young people from different backgrounds across the UK - on their viewing and social media habits. Mr Stirling said "We speak to kids every single day and they'll tell us what they love about Beano. "But they'll also tell us right away something they don't like. "Some of the content you see today might inform something one of the comic characters does in six weeks time, so it's really important for us that we get that feedback. "All our best ideas always come from kids."

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of the Beano, this comic I grew up with and loved.. Happy Birthday Beano and Thanks…

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Thursday 2nd August 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus #Scotland #News #Spain

#robertmcangus #robert mcangus #scotland #bella #news #blog

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benrleeusa · 6 years

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[John K. Ross] Short Circuit: A roundup of recent federal court decisions

Please enjoy the latest edition of Short Circuit, a weekly feature from the Institute for Justice.

This month marks the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment, which is a super big deal. Sheldon Gilbert, the director of IJ's Center for Judicial Engagement, explains why in USA Today.

Also of note: This week IJ signed on to an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to reconsider the doctrine of qualified immunity. Submitted by appellate litigator extraordinaire (and past podcast guest) Cate Stetson on behalf of no fewer than 15 groups (of widely varying ideological orientations), the brief argues that QI prevents victims of unconstitutional conduct from obtaining justice and harms law enforcement by undermining the public trust necessary for officers to do their jobs. Click here to read it.

In 1935, Germany's Nazi government strong-armed Jewish art dealers into surrendering the Welfenschatz, a large collection of medieval relics and devotional art. Can the heirs of those art dealers bring suit in America to recover the art (conservatively valued at $250,000,000). D.C. Circuit: They can't sue Germany itself, but they can sue the museum that houses the art.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves natural gas pipelines. It's also statutorily required to recover its costs from regulated industries. Does this create an improper incentive to approve new pipelines, as environmental group claims? D.C. Circuit: FERC no!

A news editor submits a Freedom of Information Act request to the CIA, seeking documents he believes will shed light on the assassination of JFK. After 15 years of litigation and four trips to the D.C. Circuit, is he entitled to recover attorney's fees? D.C. Circuit: The district court said no, and we'll review that with "deference piled on deference," so no. Dissent: "In my view, my colleagues pile their deference far too high."

Boston union representing hotel and food service workers has collective bargaining agreements with multiple employers; a union member asks to see agreements with employers other than her own. Union: Nope. Feds: Let her see them. Union: Okay, she can read them, but she can't take notes or have copies of them. Retired Justice Souter, pinch-hitting at the First Circuit: Which is what Congress intended.

A one-woman play that imagines a grownup, comically dissolute Cindy Lou Who, of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, does so in the service of parody, says the Second Circuit. So the public's interest in free expression trumps the asserted copyright and trademark violation claims, and the show must go on.

Bronx, N.Y. man dishonorably discharged from the military, and thus banned from possessing guns or ammunition, is found with one round; he's sentenced to three years of supervised release. Does the ban violate the Second Amendment? The Second Circuit says no.

Man arrested after fight outside Winslow Township, N.J. bar is released pretrial but barred from leaving home except for work. Man: A recent New Jersey law that did away with money bail in most circumstances is unconstitutional. I have a constitutional right to pay money to a bail bondsman or insurance company and be released pretrial without this ankle bracelet. Third Circuit: Doubtful. Also, an insurance company that will lose money because of the law does not have standing to challenge it.

Allegation: TSA screeners falsely accuse woman of assault. She gets hit with lots of charges, spends 18 hours in Philadelphia jail, is ultimately acquitted. Can she sue the screeners? No can do, says two-thirds of a Third Circuit panel. TSA screeners are not "law enforcement officers" but "employees," and Congress has not waived sovereign immunity for employees accused of committing intentional torts, like fabricating criminal charges.

Videographer obtains the rights to film Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's 40-cannon flagship that ran aground near Beaufort, N.C. in 1718. State officials then make his videos publicly available. Videographer: Which violated my copyrights. (The parties settle, but the state allegedly reneges, puts the videos back online.) State officials: No matter, we'll just pass this new law declaring that footage of shipwrecks is public property. Fourth Circuit: The videographer can't sue. Federal copyright law doesn't waive the state's immunity to suit, and the state officials have qualified immunity.

Allegation: Man hits his wife, flees from Grand Prairie, Tex. police. On hearing canine approach, the man drops pocket knife, lies down spread-eagle. The dog bites him for one minute (until he's cuffed), during which time he cries out in pain, and the officers laugh. District court: Qualified immunity for the initial bite, but a jury might think the prolonged chewing (which tore muscle from bone, caused infection that required four surgeries) was unlawful. Fifth Circuit: Nope. That was fine, too. The man's mother told police he'd rather die than surrender, so the police reasonably feared for their safety.

Allegation: Decorated Iraq war vet suffers mental health crisis, enters woman's apartment, apparently thinking it's his own, at 5 a.m., carrying large knife. He leaves without harming her, tries to get back in. Columbus, Ohio police confront him outside, shoot at him; he flees; they give chase, shoot him dead. Sixth Circuit: Qualified immunity. Judge Stranch, partially dissenting: A jury might think shooting him again, after he'd collapsed on the ground, and then failing to render aid (other than calling EMTs, who arrived after his death) is unlawful. And while we're on the topic of qualified immunity, "I think we have embarked on the wrong road and the place to which it leads will prove detrimental to law enforcement, those with mental health issues, and our society as a whole."

Allegation: Ohio judge made vulgar remarks about female lawyer's sex life, retaliated against a court staffer who reported the remarks. District court: The staffer can sue the judge. Let's go to trial. Sixth Circuit: We don't have jurisdiction over the appeal because the judge's qualified immunity argument questions factual inferences drawn by the district court. Dissent from Judge Sutton: This is not what the Supreme Court meant when it held appeals courts lack jurisdiction over factual disputes in qualified immunity cases; it meant that defendants can't just say the plaintiff is lying.

Allegation: Wisconsin prison officials dither, delay, ultimately decline to provide hormone therapy to transgender inmate. After her release, parole officers forbid her from seeking such treatment or dressing as a woman. Seventh Circuit: Her claims against a prison doc and parole officers should not have been dismissed.

Allegation: Illinois inmate serving life sentence is confined alone 23 to 24 hours a day in dark, noisy, insect-infested cell that is cold in winter and hot in summer—for 11 years. Inmate: I'm suicidal. This is unconstitutional. District court: You've already filed three frivolous suits. We'll not appoint you a lawyer for this one. Seventh Circuit: Get him a lawyer anyway (though in point of fact he only has two strikes).

Indianapolis police investigate cop for stalking, rape, battery of his ex-wife (also a cop). The cop suspects there is a GPS tracker on his car, and a friend of his (another cop) confirms it. Ten days later, the cop drives to ex-wife's house in another car and kills her, himself. The ex-wife's estate unsuccessfully sues the city and the cop's friend. Seventh Circuit (over a dissent): The city doesn't have to pay the friend's legal bills.

Man takes hostages at Neenah, Wisc. motorcycle shop. Police enter, exchange gunfire, retreat. A hostage, the shop's co-owner, escapes out the back. The man fires at him; the co-owner takes cover, pulls out his own gun. Police shoot the co-owner dead. Can the co-owner's widow sue the officers? The Seventh Circuit says no. (Side note: The co-owner was suing police for a prior SWAT raid on the shop (an unsuccessful effort to find a large-scale drug operation), which was signed off on by a judge whose brother was on the task force that conducted the raid.)

In Illinois, sex offenders are prohibited from living within 500 feet of places—like playgrounds—where children regularly go. When the state added in-home day cares to the list of prohibited places, Chicago police ordered two sex offenders to move out of their homes within 30 days because one owned a home (where he had lived for 25 years) 475 feet from a day care and the other rented an apartment 480 feet from one. Can the sex offenders challenge the law as unconstitutionally retroactive and a taking of their property without compensation? No, says the Seventh Circuit, the complaint doesn't even state a claim.

Eighth Circuit: No need to reconsider $2.5 mil jury award to be paid by two St. Louis cops who framed man on drug, gun charges. (Click here for the man's profile on The National Registry of Exonerations.)

Arkansas state cop searches bag stowed in commercial bus's luggage compartment because it lacks a name tag, which is suspicious. But wait! The bag has a name tag. District court: The officer lacked probable cause, reasonable suspicion, and consent; the search violated the Fourth Amendment. But no need to suppress the evidence. A drug doggie's subsequent alert on the bus's luggage compartment (not on any particular bag) rendered sufficient probable cause (untainted by the previous search) to search the bag, which contained contraband. Eighth Circuit (over a dissent): Affirmed.

The feds spend two years investigating fowl murder, accuse Parma, Idaho farmer of leaving corn unharvested, spreading kernels about his field, which he then flooded, to attract ducks. A gov't witness says state officials even hunted there. Ninth Circuit: Conviction for illegal duck-baiting affirmed. (So 15 days in jail and a $40k fine.)

Among other misdeeds, Las Vegas softball coach takes explicit photos of himself with 17-year-old player. Distribution of child porn? Coach: No, I never shared the photos with anyone other than the player. Ninth Circuit: That's still distribution. But it seems the district court increased your sentence because you opted for a trial, so (over a dissent) resentencing is in order.

Allegation: Transgender inmate gets hormone therapy in Kansas prison but needs greater doses, gender affirming surgery. Can she sue prison officials for deliberate indifference to her serious medical needs? The Tenth Circuit says no.

Pima County, Ariz. police seize $120k from Florida man during traffic stop. He returns home and files claim for the money; he says he can't afford to travel back for deposition. Arizona trial court: Come back in person. No depositions via telephone or videoconferencing. Man: I couldn't do that (or comply with some other discovery requirements). Arizona appeals court: So you lose.

Friends, a startup called Vizaline provides a useful new service to small community banks in Mississippi. It uses publicly available legal descriptions of property to draw lines on satellite photos so that banks can visualize their property assets and identify issues that need to be looked into by a lawyer or assessor. (For instance, if a property's legal description doesn't describe a completed shape.) But the Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors has sued to shut down Vizaline and require it to return all its earnings to satisfied customers because it says the startup is engaged in "unlicensed surveying." This week, IJ and Vizaline countersued. Drawing lines on maps is not surveying, and Vizaline has a First Amendment right to use existing information to create new information to sell to willing customers. Click here to learn more.

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classicfilmfreak · 7 years

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New Post has been published on http://www.classicfilmfreak.com/2017/05/18/the-most-dangerous-game-1932-starring-joel-mccrea-and-fay-wray/

The Most Dangerous Game (1932) starring Joel McCrea and Fay Wray

Count Zaroff is an avid hunter, but exactly what he hunts is rather unique, as his guests soon discover.

Aside from both being horror films, King Kong shares numerous similarities with The Most Dangerous Game, released the year before in 1932. Both are produced by David O. Selznick, then head of RKO. Both are scored by Max Steiner. Both utilize some of the same sets, most strikingly the large one for the jungle. Both films star Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong in leading roles and a number of now forgotten supporting players, Noble Johnson, James Flavin, Arnold Gray and Steve Clemente, in minor parts.

The theme of The Most Dangerous Game, man hunting human beings for sport, is based on a short story by Richard Connell in a 1924 issue of Collier’s magazine. Connell (1893-1949) went to Hollywood and quickly became a screenwriter, most impressively for Frank Capra’s Meet John Doe (1941) and Two Girls and a Sailor (1944).

Presented at least three times as a radio drama, The Most Dangerous Game first appeared as an episode of Suspense, September 23, 1943, with Orson Welles as the notorious man hunter Count Zaroff, and Keenan Wynn as the American big game shooter.

Following 1932, the theme of Connell’s story surfaced in, first, two films of sharply contrasting quality. In A Game of Death (1946) an undistinguished cast, providing undistinguished performances, helps make a surprising dud for director Robert Wise. Much better, perhaps even superior to the ’32 Game, with a few additional plot twists and a more developed love story, Run for the Sun (1956) throws Richard Widmark, Trevor Howard and Jane Greer into the jungle. Now the chief villain is a Nazi.

In the next film incarnation of the man-hunting-man subject, Bloodlust (1961), it’s teenagers who become prey for a wealthy recluse. Then followed John Woo’s Hard Target (1993) with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Surviving the Game (1994) with Rutger Hauer, Pest (1997), a comic, bottom-of-the-barrel take on the story with Jeffrey Jones, and, most recently, The Eliminator (2004).

In any synopsis of The Most Dangerous Game, it would seem proper, even necessary, to include a running commentary on Max Steiner’s score. The music plays an integral part in the film, an equal participator, especially in the long jungle chase, where, with minimal dialogue, there is only the screen and the music.

The composer’s contribution here, coming in 1932, is early in the evolution of the extensive, nineteenth century style score that would, by the late 1930s and the further achievements of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, become standard procedure. King Kong, made at the same time as Game but released a year later, the delay owing perhaps to the time-consuming special effects required for Kong and the prehistoric creatures, has one of the first continuous, wall-to-wall scores in sound-on-film movie history.

Though music for Game occupies only about half of the film’s running time, the one sequence in the chase that lasts over four minutes demonstrates not only the competence and confidence of Steiner at this rather early stage in his film-scoring career, but shares a similar ambiance with the music he was simultaneously writing for King Kong. The composer would not reach his artistic peak until he joined Warner Bros. in 1936, beginning with The Charge of the Light Brigade, his inaugural score for that studio.

The main title is distinctive for the great iron door, and, unfortunately, the rather incongruously shy hand (why not a dramatic, insistent one?) that three times lifts the knocker, each timid knock bringing a new wipe of credits. First heard after the RKO telegraph-tower-atop-the-globe trademark is an ominous two-note motif on a solo horn, alternating with an uneasy disturbance in primarily the strings. Rather than the door opening, there’s a last wipe for a listing of the players.

The sinister music of the main title segues into a contrasting, soft lyrical theme, reminiscent, seven years later, of Steiner’s Dodge City score. On screen, it is night and a yacht is navigating a channel on the west coast of South America, guided by lights from several buoys.

The captain (William Davidson) is concerned that the location of the lights disagrees with his charts, but big game hunter Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea) persuades him to sail on. The yacht runs aground and quickly sinks. After two companions are eaten by sharks, Rainsford swims alone to an island.

After wandering through the jungle, he approaches a fortress-like edifice and knocks on the huge entrance door (from the main title). The door slowly opens and he steps into an enormous room as the score fades. A bearded man (Johnson) behind the door pushes it closed. Dressed in a white tunic, he doesn’t speak when Rainsford quizzes him.

Descending a long flight of stone stairs, a man in a tuxedo and smoking a cigarette on an extender says his servant, Ivan, is dumb. He introduces himself as an expatriate Russian, Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks in his talkie début). During World War I, the left side of his face was scared, an injury he adapts to his screen personas—for good guys, the left side is away from the camera; for villains, that side is toward the camera. Here he openly refers to the scare—“this head of mine”—and frequently touches his fingers to the mark on his temple, a sign of insanity, perhaps?

Rainsford meets two other guests of the count, Eve Trowbridge (Wray) and her inebriated, blasé brother Martin (Armstrong). Both, the count announces, were also stranded by a sinking ship. Eve seems to subtly warn Rainsford that things aren’t right here.

In the course of the evening, the four discuss the fine art of hunting. “Here on my island,” Zaroff says, “I hunt the most dangerous game.” “Tigers?” Rainsford asks. The count touches his temple. “My one secret. I keep it as a surprise for my guests, against the rainy day of boredom.” (The last phrase is a bit uncolloquial, clearly a writer’s line.)

After Rainsford and Eve retire for the night, the count offers to show Martin his trophy room. “I’m sure,” Zaroff says, “you’ll find it most . . . interesting.” (First time that adjective was used so ominously? Perhaps not!)

After almost twenty minutes of absence, Steiner’s score returns as Rainsford, from his bed, hears the sounds of dogs and a knock at the door. Eve says her brother is not in his room. The two creep downstairs, accompanied by stalking double basses and, at one point, the horn motif, now buried in the orchestral texture. Inside the trophy room, they behold a human head mounted on the wall. (Other heads and some gruesome dialogue by Zaroff were deleted after the premiere.) The count, carrying a candelabrum, enters with two servants bearing, on a stretcher, a dead Martin.

Now Rainsford learns which game Zaroff hunts, that Martin was his latest prey and that the madman has shifted the buoys to strand ship passengers on his island. By refusing to join the count in future hunts, Rainsford now becomes the hunted, provided with a woodsman knife and from sunset to sunrise to survive. Eve, rather than stay behind with Zaroff, joins Rainsford. The count himself won’t start “hunting” his two prey until midnight.

Rainsford first sets a Malay dead-fall or man-catcher, but Zaroff triggers the trip line with an arrow from his Tartar war bow, causing the dead tree trunk to fall harmlessly.

Next, a pitfall, with branches and brush over a crevice, fails to snare their pursuer. When Eve and Rainsford slip into a fog bank, making Zaroff’s rifle ineffective, the mad hunter signals on a hunting horn—the two-note horn motif from the score, no less. His dogs (Great Danes) are released, with Ivan holding the leashes to three or four of the animals.

Rainsford, at one point, sticks a sharp-ended branch in the ground, and Ivan is impaled upon it, leaving, now, Zaroff and only one servant in pursuit.

While most of the chase is music-accompanied, there are several long stretches where Steiner’s presence comes forth brilliantly. He gives the brass an amazing workout, especially the trumpets; the horn motif is sometimes heard as a solo, sometimes buried in the fabric of the orchestration. Much of the scoring, however, is standard action music, full of ostinato rhythms and various motifs in addition to the horn call, a montage suitable for any kind of chase, though nonetheless exciting. Some classical music “purists,” whoever they may be, would denigrate it out of hand as, “Oh, this is just film music,” as if that fact made it an automatic negative.

The chase climax, in screen action and music, occurs behind a waterfall. Rainsford kills the first dog, but Zaroff shoots and Rainsford and the second dog, locked in a death struggle, fall into the plunge pool of the falls. With a dramatically lighted close-up with deep shadows, the count’s eyes glare as he takes Eve back to the fortress as his prize. “Only after the kill,” Zaroff had said at the beginning of the hunt, “does man know the true ecstasy of love.”

The supposedly triumphant count now plays a waltz on his piano, a Steiner tune containing, persistently, the horn motif. Soon after Zaroff asks a servant to bring Eve to him, he is confronted by Rainsford, who says he took a chance and fell with the dog; it was the dog the count shot. Zaroff admits defeat, tossing the keys to the boathouse, but then pulls a pistol from a table drawer. The two men struggle, accompanied by Steiner’s fight music, and Rainsford stabs his opponent with one of his arrows. Even as Eve and Rainsford are fleeing in the motorboat, the wounded count staggers to a high window with his Tartar war bow, but dies and rolls out the window before he can shoot.

The small cast generally renders convincing performances, especially Joel McCrea, always excellent as the stalwart man of intelligence, and Fay Wray as the damsel in distress. For the chase, her nightgown attire, hardly improper today, would have been deemed too risqué if the then in operation Production Code had been doing its job, though strict enforcement did begin in 1934. There are no moments for an authentic romance between the two leads, so tied are they to the plot of their staying alive.

Armstrong often overacts, especially when he’s playing drunk. It’s hard to know whether he is the standard one-note comic relief in a generally humorless film or a bona fide actor trying to be serious. He may well be the weakest link among the leading stars.

Leslie Banks is the standout, if for no other reason than he, too, overacts, a little campy, but that somehow colors his identity as a suave, cultured villain. His Shakespearean training, with the somewhat old-fashioned cadenced tones, is misplaced, at least in this case. In Laurence Olivier’s Henry V (1945), he is relegated to being the chorus.

A MUSIC NOTE – For those interested, the excitement of both the film and the music may be “relived,” so to speak, through a NAXOS CD (8.570183), the only modern (2001) recording available of the Most Dangerous Game score. The disc is highly recommended for the excellent playing of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the sound engineering by Edvard Shakhnazarian, the extensive notes by Bill Whitaker and a generous thirty-two minutes from the score. Also included are forty-five minutes from another Max Steiner score, the 1933 Song of Kong, the sequel to King Kong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DXLTw22HOQ

#Fay Wray #Joel McCrea

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velichorus-k · 1 month

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I had to take a considerable break from the three's aground comic and now that I'm working on it again Ramon and Dolph are shockingly easy to draw still, but Bullfrog... oh Bullfrog...

#he is literally made up of Shapes but they befuddle me to no end #Im in the middle of exam season I really shouldnt be doing this but procrastinating on other things is like my main motivator LMAO #three's aground #personal

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velichorus-k · 3 months

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Okay but three’s aground comics? They’re so good ngl 🔥

Whoops, got to this a lil late. Thank you, I'm glad you like them!!

#Part 3 is going at a snails pace but I'm workin on it :)#three's aground #asks

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psychicadviceus · 7 years

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Important Solutions for Aliens from Another Planet

New Post has been published on http://aopsy.com/index.php/2017/08/16/important-solutions-for-aliens-from-another-planet/

Important Solutions for Aliens from Another Planet

The Battle Over Aliens from Another Planet and How to Win It

The One Thing to Do for Aliens from Another Planet

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