Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1 US President Trump’s address to Congress – Recently, US President Donald Trump addressed the joint houses of Congress and it came at a time when his 2nd non-consecutive term implemented so many reforms right from the start. Along the way, the Trump administration pushed back hard against illegal immigration, exposed the corruption of USAID, reinvigorated the USA-Israel alliance and more. Trump’s speech is a must-watch as it will give you a clear view on the direction of the current administration and the pathetic Democrats can only rebel and freak out. Clearly, America is back!
#2 Popcorn in Bed reacts to No Way Out – I never saw No Way Out in the cinemas when it was first released in 1987. I saw some parts of it on cable TV but decided not to watch it further since I missed the start of its showing. Recently, YouTuber Popcorn in Bed posted a reaction video about the film and I enjoyed watching how they (Cassie and Carly) reacted to several key moments of it. Oh yes, the late Gene Hackman is in No Way Out and the reaction video was posted not so long after his death.
#3 Varied developments and views about Trump’s address to US Congress – Going back to US President Trump’s address to Congress, there were lots of developments that happened along the way. One of the Democrats was so disrespectful, he got escorted out of the venue. Meanwhile, the Satanic Left mainstream news media networks ended up getting embarrassed as their own viewers reacted positively to Trump’s speech. Posted below are the must-see videos.
#4AVGN reviews the Gex game trilogy – Remember long ago when there were several Gex videos games released across multiple platforms during the 1990s? Gex is no longer remembered by most gamers today but the first game was successful enough, it led to the release of sequels. Recently, the Angry Video Game Nerd (AVG) posted a video about the Gex video games. Check it out.
#5 The rise and fall of the Halo game franchise – If there is any video game franchise that truly defined Xbox – not only as a brand but as a series of consoles and an ecosystem for gamers – it is definitely the Halo franchise. Bungie was the original developer of Halo and the first game was already in development even before Microsoft acquired the studio. Bungie went on to produce several Halo games (from the original Xbox to Xbox 360) before leaving Team Xbox and Microsoft. Of course, the aesthetics and quality of Halo games under Microsoft’s own control changed mostly for the worse. Watch and learn from the video below.
#6 The French Connection trivia by Minty Comedic Arts – Going back to the late Gene Hackman, the most memorable of his cinematic performances that I ever saw is his role as Popeye Doyle in The French Connection. The 1971 film won the Academy Awards that mattered the most and I was fortunate enough to have seen it on a rented laserdisc in the early 1990s. Recently, YouTuber Minty Comedic Arts posted his trivia video about The French Connection which is a must-see!
In its continuing fight against Leftist and terrorist forces, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) reminded the public that the National Democratic Front (NDF) is still the top “terror-groomer” in the country, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…
The National Democratic Front (NDF) remains the “foremost terror-groomer” among the various terrorist groups still operating in the country, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has said.
“Even in the CPP’s (Communist Party of the Philippines) 2016 Constitution, under Article 10, it shows that the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) is an integral and inseparable part of the CPP-NPA (New People’s Army). It is the core and most consolidated group that provides support to the armed and organizational expansion of the CPP,” NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said in a statement Tuesday night.
Torres said the pervasive threat posed by the NDF, established 51 years ago on April 24, 1973, undermines the very fabric of Filipino society.
The NDF’s orchestration of worker strikes, student boycotts, and protests aimed at destabilizing the government underscores the imperative to confront their malevolent agenda, he added.
“These duplicitous organizations thrive on the suffering of the Filipino people, deceiving innocent individuals to join their corrupted cause and needlessly perish for it,” Torres said.
He added that the CPP-NPA-NDF has methodically recruited innocent Filipinos into their armed components, perpetrating terrorist activities nationwide through its deceptive facade of front organizations.
Torres also said the insurgents’ exploitation of vulnerable sectors and their manipulation of social issues have sown seeds of violence and anarchy in marginalized communities.
He noted that the targeted recruitment of vulnerable sectors, such as students and youth for terrorist grooming, is part of the “intricate dynamics” of the Underground Mass Organizations (UGMOs) of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their front organizations.
He emphasized the overarching authority of the NDF across diverse sectors within the CPP-NPA-NDF network nationwide.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that there could be members of your local community who might be undergoing brainwashing under the NDF or any Communist-filled organization? Do you think there are a lot of secretive Communists among the teachers in schools around the country right now? Are you ready to report any Leftist or terrorist agents to the NTF-ELCAC?
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1X-Men (2000) movie reaction videos plus trivia and retrospective – When it comes to superheroes, I am fan of the X-Men and most of the engaging stories I read were comic books written by Chris Claremont who is also responsible with defining many key characters. The first-ever live-action X-Men movie was released in 2000 and I saw it on opening day here in the Philippines inside a cinema of Festival Mall and it was not even half-full. Today, a brand new live-action X-Men movie under Marvel Studios has yet to be released and now is a good time to look back at the first movie through the varied movie reaction videos, trivia video and retrospective video below…
#2 Flavors of NCR 2024 videos – If you love food and enjoy food bazaars or food festivals, then you should read my article about the 2024 edition of Flavors of NCRwhich I attended recently. Flavors of NCR is an annual food festival supported by the local governments of the National Capital Region (NCR) here in the Philippines which gives visitors opportunities to try the food and beverage products offered by different small businesses from each local government. This year’s Flavors of NCR was hosted by Muntinlupa City and Filinvest City Central Park was the venue. Watch and enjoy my videos below…
#3 The Leftists love terrorism, murder, destruction and genocide – On more serious matters, the Islamo-Leftist believers (people who hate Israel and support Iran, the Palestinian terrorists and other evil forces of the world) have turned more chaotic with their protesting and they don’t even care about the safety and concerns of the public. Here are the facts: Leftists/socialists/Marxists/Communists/liberals are consumed by evil and they took sides with the terrorists not realizing they are supporting evil forces. It is also a fact that many pro-Palestine believers don’t even have full knowledge of what they are campaigning for and their ignorance was exposed! Many pro-Palestine believers want to commit genocide against the Jewish people even as they blatantly blame Israel for genocide (a big lie). Observe the evil, the ignorance and recklessness of the people who hate Israel in the videos below. They are clearly very lost people who constantly fail to realize the evil of their ways.
#4 Wicked Iran failed to destroy Israel and got hit strategically – Iran is the heart of evil in this world we live in. Iran – which has a very wicked and unholy regime since 1979 – is Satan’s tool for spreading death, chaos and genocide through the form of terrorism. Iran’s massive attack on Israel turned out a major failure as their missiles (plus some from their terrorist proxies) were deflected by a rate of 99% by Israel’s defenses and assistance from its allies (including Saudi Arabia). Iran was humiliated not only because of the failed massive attack (which cost them many billions of Dollars) on Israel but also because a new coalition of Western and Arab nation was formed to defend Israel.
Shortly after that, Iran suffered from a strategic attack which was not even massive in terms of explosives but was more than enough to rattle Iranian systems. The attack on Iran happened the same day their supreme leader turned 85 and their evil regime got very humiliated. Watch and learn from the videos below…
#5 The Jessica Alfaro Story (1995) full movie – Here in the Philippines, the Vizconde Massacre case is one of the most controversial and most sensationalized cases ever. This is about the 1991 tragedy of three family members – mother, adult daughter and little daughter – who were found dead with multiple stab wounds in their home in BF Homes, Parañaque. In 1995, Jessica Alfaro emerged as the so-called star witness claiming she knew the suspects, was at the Vizconde home when the murders happened, and pointed to several suspects who happened to be members of prominent families. Conviction of the suspects happened in January 2000 followed by further legal disputes through the following years. In December 2010, seven of the nine accused were acquitted as a result of the Supreme Court reversing the earlier judgment of the lower court and the Court of Appeals.
Going back to 1995, believe it or not, a live-action movie dramatizing the life and times of Jessica Alfaro was actually released shortly after the star witness first emerged. The movie was The Jessica Alfaro Story (1995) which starred Alice Dixson which you can watch entirely (note: Tagalog language and several minutes of the film was muted on YouTube due to use of copyrighted music) below.
Take note that due to legal reasons, the Vizconde name was not used in the film which resulted in the use of an alternative name (examples: Vizconde massacre is called Ilagan massacre, Carmella Vizconde is referred to as Lorraine Ilagan), and do not expect to hear Hubert Webb’s name in the film. This goes the same with the other real-life suspects. The Vizconde Massacre case officially started in 1995 and the 2010 Supreme Court decision made The Jessica Alfaro Story’s overall value questionable by today’s standards. However, the movie should still appeal to people who love Alice Dixson, as well as film buffs who are interested to see how Filipino filmmakers dramatize reality and controversial cases.
#6 Elevator Action retrospective – Decades ago, I enjoyed playing Elevator Action games on console and at the local arcade. Specifically, I played the original Elevator Action game on the Family Computer (Nintendo Entertainment System in America) as a young boy. A decade later, I played the sequel Elevator Action Returns which was very fun and immersive arcade game! To learn more about the history of Elevator Action, watch the video of PatmanQC below…
#7 Stargate reaction videos – Before Independence Day (1996) and the atrocious Hollywood Godzilla (1998) were released, the creative duo of producer Dean Devlin and director Roland Emmerich made Stargate (1994). This is the very movie that served as the foundation of the eventual Stargate SG-1 TV series which itself was a sequel. To learn more about the Stargate movie, watch the selected reaction videos below…
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and look at the official comic book adaptation of the 1992 superhero movie Batman Returns.
Way back in 1992, I managed to watch Batman Returns in a movie theater here in the Philippines. It was entertaining but I noticed it had an even darker tone, more violence (although the quality of physical action went down) and was more adulterated compared, at least, with its 1989 predecessor. What really stood out for me in the Tim Burton-directed movie were the great performances of Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.
Even though I was already visiting comic book stores back then, I was not even aware that an official comic book adaptation of the movie was released by DC Comics. It was only recently I finally got to read a copy.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Batman Returns: The Official Comic Book Adaptation of the Warner Bros. Motion Pictured published in 1992 by DC Comics with the adapted story written by Dennis O’Neil and drawn by Steve Erwin.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins decades into the past in Gotham City. A wealthy couple (Cobblepot family) decide to reject and abandon their infant son (Oswald/Penguin) as he was born with freakish features. They placed their son into a metal container (which itself is contained in a large makeshift basket) and dropped it on a local waterway that leads deep into the city’s sewers. At the end of the journey, large penguins find the container.
Decades later in Gotham City, tycoon Max Schreck talks to the mayor about his planned power plant project that needs permits and tax incentives from the local government to be realized. The mayor is doubtful about the project as he believes that the city has more than enough energy sources to sustain growth into the next century. Schreck insists that the local government’s analysts don’t realize the big picture about energy and economic growth. Then Chip Schreck (Max’s only heir) arrives with Selina Kyle (Catwoman) carrying coffee near him.
Minutes later, Max, Chip and the mayor arrive at Gotham Plaza for the local Christmas tree lighting. Even though he forgot to bring his speech, Max Schreck delivers remarks pretending to be caring and charitable to others. As his speech ends, two over-sized objects looking like giant gift boxes arrived nearby giving the mayor the false impression that those are clever gimmicks by Schreck.
As soon as Schreck says that those objects were not his, the oversized gift box opens violently as thugs wearing circus costumes and masks suddenly come out causing violence and hysteria to the unprepared people.
The local police activate the Bat Signal to call Batman for his assistance. Nearby, the Penguin sees it and says, “Ooh, Batman. I’m trembling…”
Quality
Moments from Batman’s first fight with Catwoman.
To get straight to the point regarding the narrative, this comic book adaptation does have the same basic plot and concept of the movie but with noticeable differences (whether technical or creative) that happened here and there. For the most part, Dennis O’Neil captured the concept of the movie but with less of the flavor of Tim Burton’s creative touches (which should not be surprising).
Having seen the movie, it is clear that the comic book creators reduced the dialogue and took shortcuts on adapting scenes from the film not just for the sake of brevity but to ensure they could fill the limited amount of pages to work with. That being said, I can say that the reduced dialogue from the first conversation between Penguin and Max Schreck severely weakened the impact when compared to what was executed in the film. Speaking of dialogue, the comic creators had to down key words (think of it as creative censorship) to avoid offending readers.
This is a unique, alternate portrayal at the aftermath of Selina Kyle’s fall from the high window. When compared to the movie itself, this adaptation emphasizes how far the Schrecks would go to avoid being held accountable for crimes committed.
This particular scene did not appear in the movie at all. Perhaps it was based on an older version of the film script.
When it comes to scenes between the film and this comic book adaptation, I can say that the date between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle inside Wayne Manor does not appear in literary form at all. Ironically, there is one scene that appeared in this adaptation (the Penguin plotting chaos in Gotham while Catwoman mentions “An orgy of sex and violence,”) that never made the final cut in the movie itself. With regards to the aftermath of Max Schreck’s violent push of Selina Kyle through the high window, this adaptation showed Max’s son Chip present (implying he witnessed his father’s act just steps away) and he goes along with his father to ensure that none of them would be held accountable for Kyle’s fall (caused by “stress” and being “depressed”).
With the way the narrative was completed, this adaptation works well but much less of the theatrical touches of Tim Burton and without the power of the respective performances of Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken (Max Schreck). Ironically, I can easily imagine Bruce Wayne/Batman sounding like Michael Keaton through dialogue.
While artist Steve Erwin did not come close to capturing the likenesses of Christopher Walken as Max Schreck, and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, his take on Selina Kyle is better as she somewhat resembles Michelle Pfeiffer.
With regards to the visuals by Steve Erwin, he does a good job drawing the locations and help establish geography (albeit in limited scopes) for readers to grasp. In fact, there were drawings in which Erwin literally copied location spots, objects and even camera angles from the film which suggests he had confidential access to the footage. When it comes to visualizing action, Erwin’s approach is pretty simplistic and limited. There simply was no dynamism with the action which theoretically means he had no artistic freedom (sticking closely to script while working within the limits of images per page) or he simply had no intention to make the action look spectacular.
With regards to violence connected with the action, the comic creators had to resort to creative censorship apparently to make this adaptation more acceptable with younger readers. The fall of Selina Kyle from the high window had severely reduced intensity in comic form and the horrific moments of her being surrounded by cats in the film were completely gone. Oh yes, Batman’s use of the Batarang against multiple thugs on the street was executed with a simplistic and not-so-violent (read: little impact) manner by Erwin.
Consider this as a late-20th century portrayal of diversity and inclusion in America. By today’s standards, there are hordes of SJWs (social justice warriors), woke nuts, socialists, Communists, Marxists, and liberals who believe in diversity (racism in reverse) and inclusion (exclusion actually) so much, they intend to destroy families starting with the children.
When it comes to drawing the major characters, Erwin really falls short here. His Bruce Wayne never came close to resembling Michael Keaton and the same can be said about Max Schreck (does not look much like Walken) and the Penguin (does not resemble Danny DeVito at all and with reduced facial details, he looks nowhere as scary as the cinematic villain). Ironically, Erwin’s take on Selina Kyle comes a bit close to looking like Michelle Pfeiffer. Erwin does, however, did a good job drawing Batman and Catwoman in their fully costumed, masked appearances.
Conclusion
Very clearly, Steve Erwin had access to footage of the movie when making this adaptation.
Considering its flaws and compromises, Batman Returns: The Official Comic Adaptation of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture (1992) still works as an entertaining read and I myself have seen the movie many times. It captures the plot and several shots of the 1992 movie, but it certainly lacks Burton’s theatrical flavor and the powerful performances of DeVito and Pfeiffer. To its credit, this adaptation has several visual and literary differences compared with the movie which adds to its entertainment value. If you really want the full impact, full fun factor and artistry of Batman Returns at all, watching the movie itself is the best way. That being said, consider this adaptation as a cheaper accessible counterpart.
Overall, Batman Returns: The Official Comic Adaptation of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture (1992) is satisfactory.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from watching the movie and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, readers and movie enthusiasts! Chances are you must have heard about the controversy and debates over Sound of Freedom, a movie about the child trafficking which was made years ago but only got released this year after overcoming many hurdles. The film starring Jim Caviezel as real-life hero Tim Ballard and directed by Alejandro Monteverde, was released at a time when wokeness in Hollywood got so feverish a lot of movies were no longer interesting for me.
In case you missed the news, the low budget Sound of Freedom performed beyond expectations in the American box office and has since been making waves gradually in cinemas around the world. The film opened officially here in the Philippines on September 20 and I finally saw it in the local theater.
With regards to the controversy about Sound of Freedom, I urge you to reject the Leftists’ constant ranting against it and make the effort to see it yourselves. If you take into account the conceptualization of the movie, it is almost a decade old now and efforts to write the script happened years before QAnon even started (for context, watch Midnight’s Edge video by clicking here). Blatant accusations of QAnon conspiracy theory against this film are simply false and officially denied by Tim Ballard. Communist-filled Hollywood (Commiewood) and the woke mob are simply lying to stop people from seeing the movie.
With those details laid down, here is my review of Sound of Freedom.
The official movie poster.
Early story
The story begins in Honduras when a pretty lady visits the home of a father who has one young daughter and one young son, and convinces him to have them audition into modeling. The audition happened in a different location (filled with the man’s two kids and many others) and as the father was not allowed to be present, he was asked to return in the evening. By the time he returned, the place was empty and the children were kidnapped. They secretly shipped to another country.
In America, Tim Ballard and his time successfully apprehended a man for possessing and distributing child pornography. Tim’s teammate points out to him that although they have arrested many child predators, they could not even save a single child from exploitation and abuse…
Quality
I will start first by saying that this movie was not made to entertain viewers but to emphasize the real-life problems of child trafficking, kidnapping, the abuse of minors, sex trafficking and why slavery today still has many millions of victims (including minors).
This movie closely examines the struggles that come with fighting the syndicates (that kidnapped children and sell them) and the customers (who paid to illegally acquire children for their wicked desires) as told through the eyes of Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) who is clearly feeling the heavy stress of his US Homeland Security job (which takes a lot of strength, sacrifice and sheer will to do). Ballard himself has many kids with his faithful and supportive wife (Mira Sorvino) and therefore he can easily relate with the parents whose children got kidnapped and sold in other countries.
Caviezel is mostly subtle with expressing Ballard’s emotions as well as his verbal expressions with the other people he interacted with. This is not to say that Caviezel’s act is wooden, rather he is straightforward with portraying a man who feels disturbed by the collective stress of his duty (but still far away from the breaking low-point). Even though he is getting worn down, Ballard’s sheer determination to save a specific kidnapped-and-abused daughter for a Honduras-based father is nicely captured by Caviezel.
The efforts of fighting the criminals who pounced on children involves a lot of hurdles to overcome. I’m not just talking about Homeland Security agents taking down people in America who engaged in child pornography but also going after the very criminals overseas who kidnapped children, shipped them from one nation to another and sell them as “models” to pedophiles. As such, Ballard’s efforts involves spending time overseas (away from his family), making local connections and secretly working his way into different locations where the risks of getting killed are high.
Again, this tale is not about entertaining viewers as it works on emphasizing to them how extremely difficult it is to bring down the criminals in real-life. The good news is that this film is nicely directed by Monteverde whose cinematic style is simplistic and yet engaging to watch. There is a clear subtle approach on showing what little violence the film has. As for scenes of child abuse, there is nothing graphic to see (left ambiguous) nor was there anything intense about them. While I am certain that some parts of the story involved liberties in order to establish a functional cinematic narrative, this movie strives hard with realism while also avoiding becoming preachy with its message (expressed in subtle fashion) about human trafficking, child slavery and the business involving pedophiles and kidnappers.
Conclusion
Sound of Freedom was clearly made to inform the world that children are still being kidnapped, used for illegal transactions, transported around the world and sold to the predators. This real-world problem continues to happen somewhere every single day and there are simply not enough law enforcers who could fight the criminals and rescue the kidnapped minors. Nor do the law enforcers have the resources to stage major rescue operations while facing off with armed criminals and their bodyguards.
While it is told through Tim Ballard, this movie is not about him and his profession. It is about the extreme difficulties that law enforcers – both domestic and overseas – have to go through to save the very young victims. The story was told with consistent realism and subtlety which make it very believable to watch. Jim Caviezel is indeed a solid performer and his portrayal of Tim Ballard will easily remind you that true heroes are the ones who bravely face tremendous odds to achieve their goals (for good) while still maintaining their sanity no matter how hopeless the situations appeared.
Sound of Freedom is a cinematic call to action to make others aware about the ongoing menaces of sex trafficking, kidnapping, abuse of minors and the cartels (demonic people) that profited from their evil trade. Like Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, this film was made for reflective viewing and not for amusement. Indeed, God’s children are not for sale and this is the truth that the bashers of this movie do not want you to realize. There is also the biblical truth to the popular quote from the film. Read the holy scripture below…
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:1-10 (NKJV)
To put things politically, you must be wondering why the Satanic Left – Democrats, Communists, socialists, Marxists, liberals, the SJWs and the woke extremists – keep on bashing and hating Sound of Freedom. Here is why…because the Leftists are themselves pro-crime (example: “Defund the police.”) and they have made efforts to weaken law enforcement which emboldened the criminals such as robbers, murderers, kidnappers, smugglers, rapists, terrorists, molesters, illegal immigrants and, of course, the pedophiles. The Leftists are clearly wicked and they are lots of them present not only in government but also in showbiz, the mainstream media and other sectors of societies. The Leftists care less about the children and nuclear family, and this is why they want more drag queens and homosexuals to go after the children without law enforcers blocking them. The Leftists are okay with children getting kidnapped, abused and raped. In short, those in the Left are okay with being evil and doing what Satan wants.
I saw Sound of Freedom at the local cinema.
The Leftists are very afraid of Sound of Freedom and remember that it is the one notable movie that almost never got released. That being said, you must watch the movie whenever you have chance to do so.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 and explore a part of the Marvel 2099 comics universe through a tale of the Punisher 2099 monthly series.
In my previous retro review, the futuristic Punisher moved on from the deaths of his family members. Influenced strongly by the writings of the late Punisher Frank Castle, Jake Gallows begins operating as a vigilante even though he still has a full-time career as a law enforcer with Private Eye. Not only that, he gets opportunities to face off once again with Kron Stone (Venom 2099 himself) who is responsible for the deaths of Jake’s family.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Punisher 2099 #3, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner, and drawn by Tom Morgan.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins on one snowy night within the city. A lady who has grown very addicted with Total Reality makes a deal with a sinister merchant and makes her escape out of reality and into a living digital realm without caring about the consequences she will physically experience.
A black ambulance arrives and out comes the Punisher who hits the merchant hard enough with his weapon for a quick knockout. He then takes off the lady’s optical device (note: this should remind you somewhat of Microsoft’s HoloLens in terms of physical similarities) which brings her back to reality. Gallows knows fully well that Total Reality can actually kill users who do not practice any restraint, and he then crushes the lady’s device. Instead of thanking the Punisher, she expresses her frustration and anger to him before leaving.
Afterwards, Gallows brings the merchant into the black ambulance and puts him on stretcher. There are sharp devices nearby that can kill the merchant if he makes any attempt to escape…
Quality
Among his colleagues at work, Jake Gallows simply acts as he himself is the Punisher captured on video (but his face has been protected digitally).
While the first two issues of this monthly formed the origin and establishment of Punisher 2099, this comic book shows him doing vigilante work and acting as judge, jury and executioner all together. Going back to issue #1, the creative team made it clear that in 2099, justice can be bought and punishment for criminals is much softer compared to how it was in the 20th century. This alone serves as a powerful motivation for Jake Gallows to bring back old-fashioned, harsh punishment for criminals even if it means he has to do it by himself outside of the law. This is the core concept of this comic book and along the way, there is this build-up of the villain Fearmaster and his henchman Multi-Fractor.
More on the story, the creative team took their time to develop Jakes Gallows and emphasize how his mind functions each time he works secretly as a vigilante (who cannot be identified visually) and privately as a Private Eye cop (the organization’s psychologist noticed something about him). More on his secret as the Punisher, it turns out Gallows was able to establish a secret prison complex, equipment for crime-fighting and even a deadly chair underground.
As he continues to be obsessed with fighting criminals with the harsh ways of the past, the futuristic Punisher symbolically becomes a questionable protagonist. On face value, he seems to be good by simply opposing crime and yet he seems to be evil as he commits acts outside of 2099’s laws.
Conclusion
Clearly acting out of the law, the Punisher of the future imprisons criminals and acts as judge, jury and executioner without hesitation. This also shows his dark side.
With its simply concept, Punisher 2099 #3 (1993) succeeds in defining the futuristic Punisher’s motives, intentions and execution. Compared to Frank Castle Punisher, Jake Gallows lives in a society which has laws that are so weak to push back against crime, justice becomes hollow and even laughable. That being said, this comic book is very socially relevant (note: Leftists in America weakened laws which benefited criminals, supported illegal immigrants at the expense of citizens, and have varied movements of arrogant protesters and activists who intimidated people and caused serious damage around the country) and what has been happening in America under the influence of the Democrats makes the dark future of 2099 looking like it could happen. At the same time, the Punisher in this story incidentally became somewhat unlikable as his crime-fighting obsession is gradually turning him into becoming as bad as the bad guys. This is a lively reminder that even in a society that is plagued with crime and weak justice, vigilantism is still a big no-no and it is also very destructive. To be a vigilante means becoming wicked.
Recently in Parañaque City, police officers arrested an active member of the New People’s Army (NPA) who has been wanted for murder, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news report. The arrest took place at Barangay San Dionisio.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…
A member of the New People’s Army (NPA) facing murder charge was nabbed during a manhunt operation conducted by operatives of the Police Regional Office-Bicol (PRO5) in Parañaque City on Tuesday, a police report said.
In an interview on Wednesday, Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, PRO5 spokesperson, identified the suspect as Ferdinand Nolasco, 42, an active NPA member belonging to Platoon 3, Komite ng Probinsya 3 of the Albay Bicol Regional Party Committee (BRPC).
“He is being indicted with the crime of murder with no bail recommended issued by the court,” she said.
Calubaquib said Nolasco was tracked down after the conduct of surveillance and intelligence operations starting in April.
He was finally arrested around 5:20 p.m. in Barangay San Dionisio after the service of a warrant of arrest by joint personnel of the different units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army (PA).
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a Parañaque City resident, are you concerned that there could be more Communists/socialists/Marxists who previously committed murder and could be living within your local community? Did you notice if your family members seem to be under the influence of the Satanic Left?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Panda Express’ newest branch is located at the corner of the Alabang-Zapote Road and Madrigal Avenue. The said branch is located right beside Jollibee and are part of the Molito Complex. The commercial space occupied by Panda Express Alabang (also referred to as Panda Express Madrigal) was a Chowking branch.
Panda Express in Alabang at the corner of Alabang-Zapote Road and Madrigal Avenue.
For the newcomers reading this, Panda Express started in Glendale, California in the United States in 1983 and expanded worldwide with over two thousand branches. Within South Metro Manila, Panda Express has a branch at Doña Soledad Avenue in Parañaque City and also one at the basement level of SM Southmall in Las Piñas City.
With regards to food, Panda Express’ most notable food is its Orange Chicken (note: chicken nuggets with a unique texture and taste). They also offer Black Pepper Steak, Mongolian Pork, Kung Pao Chicken, Beijing Beef, Broccoli Beef, Eggplant Tofu, Fried Rice, Chow Mein and Mixed Vegetables to name some.
The food for customers’ to choose from inside Panda Express.
If you will be visiting a Panda Express for the first time ever, you will have to adjust yourselves to the restaurant’s use of terms such as entrées and sides when you select the meals you want to eat. Don’t feel intimidated as the restaurant has personnel who will explain things to you and guide you.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you excited to try out the food served by Panda Express now that they have a branch in Alabang? If you are an Alabang resident, do you think Panda Express has what it takes to compete and survive given the fact that the Alabang commercial areas are filled with lots of restaurants already? If you were able to eat at a Panda Express restaurant before, which particular meal did you enjoy the most from them?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Now that he has been proclaimed as 17th president of the country, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. appealed to Filipinos: “Pray for me. Wish me well.”
“Beyond that, I promise you that we may not be perfect but we will always strive to perfection. Thank you very much,” Marcos Jr. told reporters following his proclamation as winner in the May 9 presidential race at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on Wednesday.
“I am inspired by this responsibility that has been given me… Ask you all, pray for me, wish me well. I want to do well because when a president does well, the country does well. And I want to do well for this country,” he added.
Marcos Jr. further said: “I am humbled because for anyone in public service or in a public life, the most valuable thing you may receive from a fellow citizen is their vote.”
“Because embedded in that vote are their hopes and their aspirations for the future. But also embedded in that vote are the trust and the confidence that they give to you to take them to that aspirational future,” he also said.
For the newcomers reading this, President-elect Marcos is the son of the late President Ferdinand Marcos (he served from 1965 to 1986, died during exile in 1989 in Hawaii) who has a very controversial legacy to say the least. For decades, the Marcos family has been hit by criticism and hatred in relation to the legacy of the first President Marcos.
More on the incoming President of the Philippines, Bongbong Marcos’ appeal to the Filipino to pray for him and wish him well so that the entire nation will do well is a big reminder for all of us Christians to return to the Holy Bible which contains a very important scripture that we should pray for our leaders as it is acceptable and pleasing to God. I am talking about the holy scripture in 1 Timothy 2:1-3. To start with, posted below is the scripture from the New King James version of the Holy Bible…
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (NKJV)
Verse 2 of the above scripture emphasizes that we must pray for those who are in authority over us if we wish to reap the benefits of good government, which is a prized gift from the Heavenly Father for the church’s welfare and advancement of the gospel. While the word “kings” is mentioned in Verse 2, it is not limited to kings or monarchies here on Earth. In fact, 1 Timothy 2:1-3 applies to any form government and any head of state in this divided world we live in. That being said, we must pray for our leaders from as high as the top of the national government right down to the lowest parts of the national government, the regional government, the local government and the civic groups, the homeowners’ associations/federations and other forms of authorities on the community level.
As for the newly elected officials, we must also pray for them as they prepare themselves to take office. As it is acceptable and pleasing to God, we must set aside political ideologies, set aside favoritism and kill off idolatry to pray for current leaders and the next batch of leaders so that they will open their hearts to the Lord and look up to Him for His guiding light so that they can govern properly, make the right decisions and lead our communities and the nation to prosperity, opportunities, positive changes and happiness.
For more holy insight, posted below are versions of 1 Timothy 2:1-3 in the Message, Amplified Bible Classic Edition and The Passion Translation.
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (MSG)
First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men,
For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way.
For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (AMPC)
Most of all, I’m writing to encourage you to pray with gratitude to God. Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion. And pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. It is pleasing to our Savior-God to pray for them.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (TPT)
Always remember we only worship the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, not people, not paintings, not statues/statuettes and not whatever new forms of idols come out. Idolatry, which is common among fanatical and extreme followers of politicians when it comes to politics in any nation, is always an abomination to our Lord.
Going back to praying for our leaders so that we can reap the benefits of good government and more blessings from our Lord, posted below is a very meaningful and truthful holy scripture to pray with…
Now then, you kings, act wisely!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry,
and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—
for his anger flares up in an instant.
But what joy for all who take refuge in him!
Psalm 2:10-12 (NLT)
Psalm 2:10-12 clearly shows that our leaders are subject to our Lord who is absolutely watching them all the time. Community and government officials who wield power have responsibilities to live up to and they should make themselves transparent and accountable not only to the constituents but also to the Lord Himself. Any leader or official who becomes corrupt and gets crooked will be subject to eternal judgment by God. There is simply no hiding and no running away from the Lord no matter how big or how much government resources leaders wield.
Leaders who wield power over the people should always remember that the Lord is always the greatest authority over them and there is no way they can match His authority. As they serve the constituents, leaders are destined to serve the Lord high above them. Like all other people, leaders belong to the Lord as it is written in the Holy Bible. Learn from the four translations of Psalm 22:27-28 below…
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
Psalm 22:27-28 (NASB)
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations.
Psalm 22:27-28 (NKJV)
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
Psalm 22:27-28 (ESV)
From the four corners of the earth,
the peoples of the world will remember and return to Yahweh.
Every nation will come and worship him.
For Yahweh is King of all, who takes charge of all the nations.
Psalms 22:27-28 (TPT)
Finally, I want to encourage you to pray that the next batch of leaders are righteous people. If any of them is not yet righteous, pray for them to help them become righteous under the watch of our Lord. Righteousness on the part of the leader is essential. Wickedness is absolutely an abomination! Learn from the scripture below…
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
Proverbs 29:2 (NKJV)
For the future of the Philippines which will have several newly elected and re-elected government officials on all levels taking office on June 30, 2022, I encourage you all to pray for the incoming leaders starting from the top with Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos as President, Sara Duterte as Vice President, the Marcos administration’s Cabinet, the Senators, the House of Representatives members, provincial governors, provincial legislators, city government officials, town officials and others. I encourage you to let go off your biases, your emotions and pain to pray for the incoming leaders so that they will all look up to the Lord and follow Him accordingly so that they will govern cleanly, clearly and will lead the entire Philippines to a brighter, more prosperous future.
To the people who voted for the losing candidates of the 2022 Philippine general elections, I encourage you to let go off your bitterness and hatred, and pray for the incoming leaders to obey God as they take office and will function in the years to come. Pray for the leaders – the current and the incoming ones – so that the Philippines will rise stronger from the COVID-19 crisis and more new jobs will be created for the many people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Look up to the Lord for His guiding light and His path to the brighter future. Always remember that the Lord’s authority is always higher than that of the entire forms of government in the Philippines! The Lord’s authority is always higher than that of the Philippine President and any other government or civic leader. Come to the Lord as He is always worthy of all the praise!
From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Did a religious and idolatrous extremist ruin your life? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool you and abused you? Were you victimized by crook? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still addicted to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, Antifa, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt?
All of the darkness related to what were mentioned above can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from a pastor.
Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Father God,
I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord. Also, do not ever hail Mary (the mother of Lord Jesus) because all the praise and honor belong to God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit only.
With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).
The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers, the ritual practitioners and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! If you are sick and tired of the modern-day wokeness-filled garbage of Communist Hollywood (Commiewood) and if you are nostalgic about 1980s Hollywood cinema, then you should be interested to learn that the Red Dawn Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray will be released on August 16, 2022 and already pre-orders are being accepted online.
Red Dawn Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray is set for an August 16, 2022 release.
Discs – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Disc, Two-disc set (1 BD-100, 1 BD-50)
Packaging – Slipcover in original pressing, Inner print
Playback – 4K Blu-ray: Region free, 2K Blu-ray: Region A (B, C untested)
For the newcomers reading this, Red Dawnis a 1984 action movie directed by John Milius that explores what would happen in America – specifically at a Colorado town surrounded by wilderness – once World War III breaks out and the nation gets invaded by the Soviet Union (Russians) and their South American Commies. A small group of teenagers manage to escape the invasion of their town and moved into the wilderness with limited supplies to survive with. As the Leftists impose order in the town, the group slowly organizes itself into a force of opposition with one objective: freedom.
This movie starred the late Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson and Jennifer Grey when they were much younger. As the 1980s had lots of Hollywood movies about teenagers presented in comedies and drama films, Red Dawn easily stands out among them all as it deals a very serious concept related to the Cold War back then. Its story is a powerful reminder that Communists and the Satanic Left are essentially evil.
Given the fact that America today has several millions of young people brainwashed by socialists in schools, the fact that Leftist terrorists groups like Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa are tearing down American society, the fact that Hollywood has lots of Commies and SJWs among its members, the fact that gun owners’ rights are being attacked a lot by the Left, the fact that Democrats prioritize illegal immigrants over American citizens, and the fact that lots of politicians abuse their governmental powers to emphasize socialism, Communism, Marxism and other wicked values on the people, Red Dawn of 1984 is still highly relevant. This is the movie that liberals and people poisoned with political correctness cannot tolerate. Watch out for Red Dawn Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray on August 16, 2022.
In closing this Better than Streaming piece, posted below are Red Dawn-related videos for your viewing pleasure.
Author Carlo Carrasco 