With the exception of a certain 3rd party games that turned out to be a creative misfires respectively, the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase) was clearly a powerful showcase of future games on the Xbox ecosystem and the 1st party games of Team Xbox displayed is the most exciting bunch yet!
As mentioned before, we are now living in the age of Microsoft-owned Activision, Blizzard, King and Bethesda, and Team Xbox has many game studios as a result. The 2024 Xbox Games Showcase is just the taste of many exciting and fun 1st party games coming out in the near future (including the Game Pass services for Xbox and PC) with titles like the Perfect Dark reboot, the Fable reboot, South of Midnight, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and more.
Among the many 1st party games showcased was Gears of War: E-Day which turned out to be the most pleasant surprise as many people heavily anticipated Gears of War 6 and the Marcus Fenix Collection. On my part, I anticipated GOW6 and a Gears Tactics sequel to be announced but what was unveiled officially was both intriguing and captivating. To find out more what Gears of War: E-Day is about, watch the official unveiling below…
Being made by The Coalition using the Unreal 5 engine (the same engine used in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II), Gears of War: E-Day is the origin story that depicts the horror of Locust invasion on Emergence Day through the eyes of the iconic Marcus Fenix. For the newcomers reading this, Emergence Day refers to the event when the Locus Horde emerged from the depths of the planet Sera and started major assaults on human cities causing massive counts of deaths. Chronologically, Gears of War: E-Day is set fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War game.
As seen in the above trailer, Marcus Fenix looks younger and you can see him struggling in what seems to be his first-ever personal and physical fight with one of the Locusts. There is also a subtle reference in the video that sends gamers a message – the MK1 Lancer is here and it is NOT the chainsaw-equipped gun that became the iconic weapon of choice in the Gears of War franchise. Again, the story of this upcoming game is set more than a decade before the first GOW and The Coalition developers have planned some changes that will impact not only the interactive experience but also the storytelling.
Do you recognize the eyes of Marcus Fenix in this image? The high level of detail of Unreal Engine 5 combined with the digital artistry of The Coalition make a great combination!
Gears of War: E-Day is looking like a very welcome addition to not only its franchise but also for future releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC, as well as for Game Pass subscribers among Xbox and PC gamers. I doubt that a version of the game will be released on aging Xbox One consoles. As to when will the new game be released, I am speculating it would be in November 2026 as that month would mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the original GOW. It is also possible that Microsoft will release the next-generation Xbox console on that same month as well.
Gears 5 was the last main Gears of War game I played during the final months of the existence of my old Xbox One console. I played Gears Tactics on my Xbox Series X a few years ago which was fun experience. That being said, Gears of War: E-Day is the next GOW game to look forward to.
I certainly hope that The Coalition will STOP implementing wokeness, identity politics and foolish feminism (present in Gears of War 4 and Gears 5) into the new game and just make Gears of War: E-Day be much more like the original Gears of War of 2006…a war story about a band of brothers (the grunts) who risked their lives to accomplish mission objectives. The original Gears of War had the vibe of 1980s Hollywood action cinema – specifically from Predator (1987) – and I want to see that implemented in the new game.
Here is hoping that this prequel will be released within two years’ time. Xbox fans have waited long for 1st party exclusive games to be released in this current console generation.
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.
#1Movie reaction videos by You, Me and the Movies – When it comes to watching movie reaction videos, I enjoy what the YouTube channel You, Me and the Movies posted. Go watch the five videos of theirs that I selected for your enjoyment. I also encourage you to visit You, Me and the Movies’ YouTube channel.
#2 Minty Comedic Arts’ superhero trivia videos – In recent times, superhero movies from Hollywood became irrelevant and unexciting not because of the so-called superhero movie fatigue but because they are no longer made to be fun. That being said, now is a good time to look back at the enjoyable superhero movies from the past through Minty Comedic Arts’ trivia videos below. You will learn something new and do not forget to visit Minty Comedic Arts’ YouTube channel.
#3 Looking back at the Sega Dreamcast’s American launch and legacy – It has been almost 25 years since the Sega Dreamcast console launched in the United States. The American launch turned out highly successful with almost $100 million in sales revenue achieved during the first 24 hours. For the newcomers reading this, there was a time when Sega had consoles and the Dreamcast was the last one they had before going all-in with multiplatform publishing of games. That being said, watch these videos of the Dreamcast.
#4 Assorted videos of violations and reckless driving incidents of electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trikes) in the Philippines – For the international readers and newcomers reading this, the amount of electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trikes) here in the Philippines grew dramatically over the past ten years. Because of the many incidents as well as cases of careless or reckless driving of e-bikes and e-trikes that took place, authorities in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila took action to have such electric vehicles regulated as well as banned from traveling along major roads and highways. Hopefully in the future, e-bike and e-trike riders will be required to have their electric vehicles registered and get themselves licensed to drive. To see the incidents, watch the videos below…
#5 Rita Panahi and the Leftists who embarrassed themselves – We now move on to the more serious and real-world stuff. I can say that Rita Panahi and her segment titled “Lefties losing it” is easily the most engaging one to watch on Sky News Australia. Here you will see varied videos showing the recklessness, the shamelessness and craziness of the Leftists as captured on social media and news media. Watch and listen to the 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.
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.
#1Debunking the lies of the Palestinians and the Satanic Left – Israel has been all over the news for over a month now as the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked them on October 7, 2023, and committed acts of murder, kidnapping and torture of many innocent people (including foreign nationals). Israel responded by going into war with Hamas and already they have several soldiers operating inside the Gaza strip searching for the terrorists while trying to rescue the hostages.
Around the world, anti-Semitism has intensified as a lot of public rallies or protests events supporting the Palestinians and condemning Israel continues to happen. Unsurprisingly, the Satanic Leftist elements in governments, mainstream news media outlets and social media all organized a major misinformation campaign highlighting the Palestinians as victims while portraying Israel as the antagonists. Collectively these Communists, socialists, Marxists, liberal, diversity advocates and other anti-Semitic elements have been spreading lies repeatedly to attack Israel while lifting up the Palestinians.
Fortunately, YouTuber Oren who handles the channel travelingisrael.com published in-depth videos that debunked the Arab-Palestine-Hamas-Leftist propaganda complete with details and facts that the liars did not even bother to check. I stand with Israel and the Holy Bible confirms that Israel is the land that God designated to the Jewish people (read Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 35:10-12), not the Arabs and certainly not the Palestinians. There really never was an ancient Palestine and the Palestinian identity as a people did not even exist before the 20th century (not even during the time when the Ottoman Empire had authority over the land of Israel). That being said, I strongly recommend you watch the videos below and pay close attention to the details…
#2 Trustworthy look at Israel – Still on Israel, I want to tell you all that you cannot trust the mainstream news media outlets as they have an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic agenda in connection with their Leftist worldviews. You cannot trust CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, BBC, Vox and others as they are laser-focused on smearing Israel and putting the lives of Jewish people in danger. Those abusers of media and information are spreading lies and hate! If you want a clearer and more credible look at Israel and the developments that happened, I recommend you follow CBN News (the news program of the Christian Broadcasting Network) and TBN Israel. Posted below are some of their YouTube videos for you to see…
#3 Macross nostalgia videos – And new we shift into the world of entertainment. When it comes to the world of anime, Macross is my favorite franchise. To be more specific, the Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV series, Macross: Do You Remember Love? (read my retro movie review by clicking here), Macross Plus and Macross Zero are the ones I enjoyed replaying and there were some video game adaptations released along the way (read my retro game review by clicking here). If you share my Macross passion or if you are simply interested with anime and related video games, I recommend you watch the videos below…
#4 Cloak & Dagger (1984) nostalgia – A few months ago, I published my retro review of the 1984 movie Cloak & Dagger which remains a very unique film by today’s standards. For one thing, the film was the 4th cinematic adaptation of the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” written by Cornell Woolrich. It also had Henry Thomas (the same kid in Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) as the protagonist, a plot filled with strong elements of espionage, a video game as a key item in the story, and most notably, a very intense tone complete with shooting and killings. Cloak & Dagger, which is now available on 4K Blu-ray format, is the kind of movie that Hollywood does not make anymore. Of course, I do understand that Hollywood has so many Commies and SJWs (social justice warriors) among its screenwriters, actors and directors who could not understand Cloak & Dagger. To learn about the 1984 movie, watch the videos below…
#5Friday The 13th Part 3 reaction and retro review videos – Some time ago I declared in my retro review that Friday The 13th Part 3 is the 2nd best film of its franchise (note: Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter is still #1). Sure, it was flawed and the filmmakers struggled to make the movie as they intended to film it with 3D cinema viewing in mind, but the way things turned out it marked a crucial turning point in Friday The 13th’s general formula on storytelling and the presentation with Jason Voorhees as the enduring antagonist. This is the very movie when Jason first got his hockey mask and the actor’s muscular build gave him a more intimidating look than in Part 2. That being said, it is no surprise that the 1982 movie became the subject of multiple movie reaction videos and retro reviews on YouTube and you can watch some of them (plus one trivia video by Minty Comedic Arts) below…
Let’s be clear here – the Left is inherently evil. That being said, we should focus on the current state of conflict between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Left as the military announced recently that the Communists have been greatly weakened during the first eight months of this year, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The New People’s Army (NPA) and its allies have been greatly weakened after suffering heavy losses from January to August this year, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said Thursday.
In a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Brawner said the AFP has neutralized 2,658 NPA members and their supporters from Jan. 1 to Aug. 17 this year.
Of this number, 124 were killed during encounters with military forces, while 87 were arrested and 2,447 surrendered to the government, he said.
“As far as the communist terrorist group is concerned, we are again happy to report that we have already neutralized most of the guerrilla fronts operating in the country. We have weakened a lot of them and there are now just a few armed elements operating in the country,” Brawner said.
With these constant losses, he said, they are seeing a “downward trend of the number of communist coddlers” caused by the neutralization of many of their ranking leaders.
“We are very happy because since last year, with the neutralization of their top, their key leaders, we have seen a widespread surrender of fighters, and also with the death of (Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria) ‘Joma’ Sison, now we see that they (are) losing the ideology,” Brawner said.
“And with this decline, many of the surviving NPAs could be just classified as bandits as they are engaged in extortion rackets.”
He noted the possibility of the AFP “neutralizing” the NPA by the end of the year.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Satanic Left here in the Philippines are still a threat to your family and your local community? Are there many Leftists living in your local community right now? Are you aware that mainstream news outlets like CNN, The New York Times and MSNBC all emphasize Leftist concepts in their so-called news reports? Are you aware that Democrats in America are inspiring young Filipinos to become socialists, Marxists, Communists, SJWs, homosexuals and terrorist supporters?
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, 1970s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1977 when Marvel Comics had the license to publish comic books about Japan’s iconic monster Godzilla (Gojira in Japanese) and even integrated him into their shared comic books universe.
The mid-1970s saw a decline of Godzilla’s popularity in Japan as reflected in the commercial disappointment of the movie Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). The company Toho decided to put on-hold the production of its monster movies without permanently ending the Godzilla film franchise. The next Godzilla movie released was The Return of Godzilla (1984) which proved to be a solid rebound of the Japanese film franchise.
Sometime between the mentioned movies, there was interaction between Toho officials and Marvel Comics – including the late Stan Lee – when the Japanese company screened the movie Godzilla vs. Gigan (titled in America as Monster Island) to the comic guys in relation to the film’s American theatrical release. It turns out Stan Lee enjoyed the movie a lot and seated next to him was writer Doug Moench (the eventual writer for the Godzilla comic book series).
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1, published in 1977 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Doug Moench and drawn by Herb Trimpe.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in Alaska when a huge iceberg suddenly deteriorates unleashing a gigantic monster with sharp teeth, dorsal fins and immense strength – Godzilla. After instantly crushing a supply ship, the monster moves onto the land destroying structures and disrupting the lives of every person nearby.
In response to Godzilla’s rampage in Alaska, S.H.I.E.L.D. dispatches its agents to the site of destruction to take on the monster. Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Col. Nick Fury is transporting with him three Japanese individuals deemed important (with clearances from the Pentagon and the White House)…
Quality
Dum Dum Dugan, Col. Nick Fury and the Japanese characters.
To get straight to the point, this comic book not only marked the literary debut of Japan’s iconic monster under Marvel Comics’ banner but also his integration into the shared universe of the time. That being said, the story written by Doug Mench was pretty much a functional build-up of Godzilla’s presence within the realm of Marvel which includes a strategic choice of having S.H.I.E.L.D. and its characters encountering the monster. In short, the creative team decided not to literally pull out Marvel’s biggest guns (the more popular superheroes and teams) as such a move would have lessened the impact of Godzilla’s debut.
For the most part, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan had lively portrayals and the way they reacted to the rampage of Godzilla was believable. The introductions of the Japanese characters (who could provide breakthroughs on dealing with the giant monster) were clearly inspired by the Japanese scientists who were crucial in the plot of the original 1954 movie Gojira.
Going further, Doug Mench went on to efficiently establish Godzilla’s origin which creatively is a sensible reinterpretation of what was established in the 1954 movie. The giant monster’s rise as a result of humanity’s testing of powerful weapons on Earth is definitely here.
As expected, Godzilla is the unrestrained force of destruction but as this comic book was released in the 1970s, the destruction scenes lacked impact as they were creatively sanitized with deliberate moves of showing no casualties no matter what happened. This limitation on the part of Marvel Comics showed they were not willing to emulate the approach on destruction and death that was clearly emphasized in the first Godzilla movie of 1954.
As for Godzilla himself, Herb Trimpe’s visual approach is not really good. While Trimpe implemented the guy-in-a-suit shape on the giant monster’s form, he made Godzilla his own (took no inspiration from Godzilla’s cinematic designs) which resulted in making the icon look unrecognizable. There were inconsistencies on Godzilla’s head as well. In certain shots, Godzilla looked terrifying but in other shots, he looked weird or cartoony. The use of the color green did not make Godzilla look reptilian but rather comical.
Conclusion
I can only imagine the SJWs and the climate change extremists enjoying these images of an unrecognizable Godzilla wreaking havoc to the oil supply. Are there lots of people in your local community who were brainwashed to hate oil and gas?
Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1 (1977) is a serviceable approach on debuting the iconic monster within the fantasy realm of Marvel Comics and sparking a new wave of crossovers. There were uneven levels of quality here and there, and Herb Trimpe’s visual approach on Godzilla was alienating to say the least. Honestly, I did not really see Godzilla in this comic book but rather a green-colored dinosaur-like creature that was mislabeled as Godzilla. What works here is the writing by Doug Mench which proved to be entertaining enough.
Overall, Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1 (1977) 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 arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the wild 1990s and examine an alternate universe portrayal of one of Spider-Man’s many events told through the What If monthly series!
If you are looking for a portrayal of Spider-Man going over the edge and into the extremes emotionally, you are about to experience something in this retro review of mine. Some time ago, I reviewed a What If comic book about Spider-Man becoming a murderer which was compelling but ended on a whimper.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at What If #61 published in 1994 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Kirk Jarvinen, Andrew Wildman, Derek Yaniger and Jim Amash.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with Richard and Mary Parker (Peter Parker’s parents) arriving in the presence of Aunt May who happens to be visited by their son Peter (Spider-Man). Having learned something from a while back, Aunt May tells Richard and Mary that they are not genuine persons. Suddenly, Peter Parker’s spider sense intensifies and in an attempt to defuse the situation, he leads his aunt to walk out of the house with him. Richard and Mary watch them walk away.
It turns out, Richard and Mary are impostors and they have been working all the time for a secretive boss. Richard calls his employer under an emergency and reports that they have completed phase one of their assignment, that Aunt May knows the truth about them and is about to inform Spider-Man. Richard is then told that under no circumstances is the plan to be jeopardized and anyone who suspects must die. He is also told to flush Mary’s programming and reset her as she showed signs of acting odd to the situation.
A short time later, Richard and Mary – now in morphed forms with vastly different bodies and half their heads resembling their human selves – suddenly break into an apartment surprising Peter, his wife Mary Jane and Aunt May. Violent action by one of them accidentally ripped open Peter’s shirt, revealing his Spider-Man suit to Aunt May. Just as Peter’s aunt figures out the secret, he tells Mary Jane to grab her and get out.
However, the sight of the morphed Mary Parker shocked Aunt May and Mary Jane so much, they failed to move. Mary Parker then morphs her two hands into large, makeshift hammers, and swiftly killed Aunt May and Mary Jane. Peter is instantly shocked by their sudden deaths but deep inside, rage begins to burn…
Quality
Spider-Man already over the edge and reacting violently to the abusive Daily Bugle.
I can start by confirming that Kurt Busiek’s writing is very strong and his alternate take on the events of Amazing Spider-Man #388 (1994) is indeed very solid. In one way, I find the emotional stakes for Spider-Man has been raised a lot higher than what was portrayed in the canon story. The concept of losing his beloved family members to enemies who were impostors that looked like his long lost parents is indeed disturbing as well as emotionally charged. In relation to this, Busiek and the illustrators brought to life a Spider-Man who really went over the edge by taking matters into his own hands as the loss of beloved ones led to the blurring of the boundary between good and evil. Even the boundary between innocence and guilt gets blurred which adds more depth to the emotions of the story. As I read the story, there were moments when I felt that Spider-Man became as bad as the evil ones even though he is clearly the victim and his family was targeted.
Apart from showing Spider-Man getting outraged and pushed to the limits, Busiek inserted elements about how people perceive incidents without knowing all the facts and how easily they get manipulated by a news outlet – the Daily Bugle where Peter Parker worked as a freelance photographer – whose leader does not care about ethical journalism nor the pursuit of the truth. In this age of widespread fake news and liberal news media outlets in America doing propaganda for American Communists (read: Democrats, abortionists, LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter, Antifa, the terrorists, the climate change extremists and the socialist hordes), this particular aspect of the story makes this comic book strongly relevant to read today.
The story also sheds light on Spider-Man’s connections with other Marvel superheroes who happen to be in New York City. You will see Captain America and Johnny Storm express their concern about Spider-Man’s state of mind as they themselves still tried to figure out what really happened. In short, the superheroes here showed restraint even as Spider-Man goes to the extreme being a victim as well as a fugitive.
If there are any weak points in this comic book, it would be the art which has this cartoon-like aesthetic for much of the story. Considering the serious subject matter, the visuals are quite contradicting as they make this look like it was made for much younger readers. In fairness, the quality of the art improved during the 2nd half of the story.
Conclusion
Spider-Man takes on the impostors who looked like his parents.
As far as storytelling and characterization goes, What If #61 (1994) succeeded a lot on portraying the iconic Spider-Man as the superhero who went over the limits of his emotions and his reasoning which is the result of the tragic deaths of two beloved family members caused by individuals who pretended to be his parents. This is a very solid story which also has a powerful ending. Where What If #72 failed, this comic book succeeded and even exceeded it with Spider-Man truly becoming unheroic. I should state that this comic book should convince readers to go to the Amazing Spider-Man series and follow the Lifetheft storyline in issues #386 to #388 (which were released months before this comic book). Kurt Busiek’s script is indeed great and it is easily the driving force of the comic book.
Overall, What If #61 (1994) is highly recommended.
In recent times here in the Philippines, Cebu City has been getting a lot of attention with regards to the COVID-19 crisis we are all living with. This was because the City Government decided to loosen the face mask mandate within the city’s jurisdiction and the Department of Health (DOH) claimed that they were “never consulted” about it. Just yesterday, GMA Network reported that the City Government of Cebu announced that the voluntary face mask policy will be set on a trial period until the end of 2022. In case a COVID-19 surge, the said policy will be lifted automatically. Already, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has its attention on Cebu City.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA Network news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Cebu City government on Monday announced that its voluntary face mask policy will be on trial period until December 2022, and will be automatically lifted should there be a surge in COVID-19 infections in the city.
In reading the Executive Order (EO) No. 6, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s spokesperson Karla Henry-Ammann said that the trial period of the EO 5 which lifted the mandatory face mask use in the city, was set from September 1 to December 31, 2022.
“The same period is hereby referred to as the trial and observation period,” she added.
Further, Ammann said the EO will be automatically lifted and the wearing of face masks in the city will be mandatory anew if there will be a surge of COVID-19 cases in Cebu City, as verified by the government.
Rama signed the EO on Monday during the city government’s flag ceremony.
Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Vergeire on Wednesday said they were not consulted regarding the lifting of the mandatory face mask policy in Cebu City.
Vergeire stressed there will be a higher risk of infections in an area if the safeguards against COVID-19 are not in place.
The above article ended by stating that Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said they respect the mandate of the local government units (LGUs) over their respective jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, the Manila Times published an article regarding Cebu City’s move on loosening the face mask policy and the need for health experts to update the face mask policy. Posted below is an excerpt. Some parts in boldface…
CEBU City’s attempt to relax the rules on the wearing of face masks draws attention to an attribute needed in policymaking. That is, the crafting and tweaking of policies should keep pace with how quickly situations change. We remain firm in the belief that science, or more specifically medical expertise, should take the lead in devising the policies concerning Covid-19. But people struggle to understand why they take so long to adjust to developments.
Perhaps officials in Cebu have grown impatient with the national government, more specifically the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Last week, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama issued an executive order making the wearing of face masks in open spaces optional. But he later delayed the implementation of the order after talking to Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Abalos promised the mayor that he would bring up the need to review the health protocols with the task force.
Mr. Abalos sounded inclined to allow Mayor Rama’s executive order. The secretary said in a statement: “In fact, I am going to even further suggest to make Cebu City the pilot implementer of this measure since the city has always been first in espousing non-masking policies outdoors for the ease and benefit of its people amid the pandemic.”
The point in delaying the new order in Cebu seems to be about “harmonizing existing laws and policies” regarding the lingering pandemic. The problem is that the situation is not uniform across the country. Also, the Philippines has opened up its borders to tourists and foreign travelers, including those who come from countries where wearing face masks are no longer required. And doing so has not caused a spike in new or imported Covid-19 cases.
Indeed, a review of health protocols seems overdue. Earlier in June, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia clashed with national health authorities when she issued an executive order that allowed people not to wear face masks in open areas, like beaches and mountain trails. Her decision seemed sensible then, and so does the similar order issued by Cebu City.
Perhaps, the national government should listen more to local officials. They should consider giving them more discretion in setting health guidelines for their respective areas of concern.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction this latest series of developments? Do you think Cebu City’s approach on loosening the face mask policy within their jurisdiction makes sense? Do you believe that the national authorities – including the DOH itself – should listen more to the local government and provincial government leaders on how to deal with COVID-19 and implement health protocols? Do you think that the remaining restrictions are outdated and don’t make sense anymore? Do you think Cebu City’s move on loosening the face mask policy will succeed and inspire other LGUs – especially in Metro Manila – to follow suit? Do you think that the anti-vaccine fanatics and other anti-authoritarian activists will make moves to ruin the authorities’ moves on dealing with COVID-19?
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
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 arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 and explore a part of Marvel Comics’ universe through the reimagined tales emphasized in the What If monthly series.
Back in 2021, I reviewed What If #46 (1993) which told a compelling story about division between the mutants, the clash of beliefs between Professor X and Cable, and how terrorism affects everyone. The comic book was also a mesmerizing portrayal of how the X-Men would have organized themselves without Charles Xavier, Jean Grey and Cyclops.
Considering all the chaos that happened in What If #46 (1993), the time was just right for Magneto – the X-Men’s most dangerous enemy of all time – to come in and make an impact not only on mutants but on the world.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at What If #47, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Tod Smith.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with Magneto leading a huge legion of mutants to take overwhelm the remaining resistance – including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, the Avengers and the dedicated American soldiers – in Washington, D.C.
A fierce battle then took place with both sides hitting each other hard. After noticing Magneto’s lack of presence during the battle, Captain America then realizes that the long-time enemy of the X-Men took advantage of the fighting to penetrate the U.S. Capitol’s bomb shelters and got the nation’s leaders hostage. After easing some of his fellow heroes, Captain America decides not to escalate the fight against Magneto in consideration of the lives of America’s top officials…
Quality
A recap of the events in issue #46.
To begin with, I can say that this story is a well-planned follow-up to the events of issue #46. While Magneto’s presence has been magnified a lot here, there are still strong story connections to the previous issue.
With regards to what was emphasized on the front cover of the comic book, this story explores what would happen if Magneto took power to control the entire United States while leading a group of mutants with a platform focused on crushing anti-mutant racism even though it includes pushing the non-mutant people (which is the great majority of America’s people) as well as the dissenting mutants out of the way.
For one thing, this superhero fantasy concept is actually socially relevant with today’s geopolitics and the way America has turned out under the fake leadership of Joe Biden (who is NOT leading as US President but only following the modern-day American Communists and reckless SJWs dictating him to do their evil bidding. Biden also arrogantly denies reality when it goes against the desires of his administration and his Satanic Democrats) It should be noted that the US President visualized in this comic book eerily looks like Joe Biden complete with that absent-minded facial expression.
Next, a clear theme in this What If story is absolute power and why groups who crave for it would sacrifice so much and hurt others just to acquire it. Magneto, who carries deep hatred towards people he perceives to be obstacles or opposition for his quest of uplifting mutants, takes advantage of mutants who have lost hope and are depending on someone to lead them. Indeed, the long-time X-Men nemesis gains power to control America but finds himself facing a new force of opposition which leads the nation into a drastic series of change that clearly do not alight with his vision of a better future for mutants.
Still on the theme of absolute power, the US government in this story was portrayed to have developed technologies designed to overwhelm its citizens, as well as the means to establish infrastructure and protocols to transform America into an automated dictatorial state that enslaves its citizens and violate their rights without restraint. Once again, this aspect of the story makes it socially relevant.
Considering the epic concept and the dark turn of events the creative team prepared, this comic book does not have a clear good-versus-evil approach but rather it emphasizes chaos that comes with the pursuit and abuse of absolute power over the nation. You will see key elements from the classic X-Men storyline Days of Future Past here in relation to America’s deformation.
Conclusion
Wow! The US President in this comic book eerily looks so much like Joe Biden whose leadership led America into a lot of problems and hardship. Sky high inflation is just one of the problems that happened under Biden.
What If #47 (1993) is truly a very captivating read mainly because of its core concept which goes way beyond the scenario of Magneto taking control of America. Considering its portrayal of America and the exploration of dark themes about people getting overwhelmed by power abusers, the story is a warning about the fall of America told in superhero fantasy form. Considering the intense social degradation that rocked America the past few years (note: riots by the Black Lives Matter terrorists, SJWs disturbing the peace, Democrats allowing more illegal immigrants into the country, socialists in colleges continuing to brainwash students and more), this story is very socially relevant. It will keep you thinking and reflecting deeply, even if you strongly desire whatever superhero entertainment you seek in this comic book.
Overall, What If #47 (1993) is highly recommended!
Author Carlo Carrasco 