Before clicking on play, please be aware that this video features flashing lights and comes with an epilepsy warning. If you watch, enjoy!
You don’t have to put on the red light, Those days over You don’t have to sell your body to the night You don’t have to wear that dress to night Those days are over You don’t have to put on the Redlight Those days are over You don’t have to put on the Redlight Those days are over You don’t have to put on the Redlight Those days are over You don’t have to put on the Redlight Those days are over You don’t have to put on the Redlight Those days are over You don’t have to put on the Redlight
In the immortal (at least by my admittedly inexpert estimation) words of the just-recently-reemerged Roland Orzabal, “Don’t you just love a happy ending? Yeah, well so do I.” And if I may add a caveat of my own to that lyric : I especially love them when they’re earned.
And if there’s anyone who has earned one, it’s our titular Acid Nun herself, Annie, who’s travelled through every level of cosmic hell and then some in her search for reunification with cohorts/lovers Elinore and (yes, that) Baphomet, and in many ways the worst is yet to come in the pages of the newly-self-published Acid Nun #3 — but so, thankfully, is delicious comeuppance and joyous homecoming. I know, I know — sic the spoiler police on me.
Still, in my defense, I’ll say that I’m deliberately treading lightly here in terms of specific plot details, and really the plot’s never been a complex affair in Halbert’s now-concluded trilogy anyway — its themes, however, certainly are, given that they revolve around abuse, alienation, longing, self-acceptance and self-love, and even (to the consternation of some, I’m sure) the “big two” of sex and death. Primarily, though, I think Halbet’s principal concern — one filtered through her own utterly unique view of various pagan and pagan-adjacent magickal traditions (most especially, this time out, the tarot) and genuinely decadent blend of the sexual and the psychedelic — is exploring what it really means to be your own, authentic self, and to make your metaphorical home within that inviolable sphere that you create.
Talking of home — they do say that’s where the heart is, and in Halbert’s case that means it’s right here in these pages. She mentions in her afterword (by the way, the “bonus” material here also includes stunning pin-up artwork by Haleigh Buck, Katie Skelly, and Dead Meat Design) that she put her all into this project, but with all due respect, there was no need to say so : the proof was there in every layout, ever line, every design, and certainly in every color choice. This has been one of the most visually arresting comics in recent memory from the outset, and the degree to which Halbert has seen each sumptuously-rendered page as a challenge to herself to keeping upping the creative ante is equal parts obvious and awe-inspiring. Flipping back through the first two issues in preparation for reading this finale was literally a process of charting and mapping one artist’s growth (both in terms of technique and, more importantly, confidence) right in plain sight.
I know, I know, I’m gushing like a fanboy, but my goodness, just look at the pages included with this review that I lazily (but legally) purloined from Halbert’s own website — is there any reason why I shouldn’t be? The care and craft that went into creating these images, these characters, this universe is really something to behold, as well as something to treasure. Sure, there is plenty on offer both in this issue specifically and in this series as a whole that will challenge and perhaps upset (before ultimately rewarding, I promise) survivors of awful shit and send the prudish and uptight to the medicine cabinet for a suppository, but most worthwhile art prods, protests, and provokes as a matter of course. Halbert has plenty to say about patriarchy, repression, subjugation, intolerance, and other oppressive forces — but in the end, she beats them all with love. For her story, for her characters, for her art, for her readers (yes, that means you) and, above all, for herself.
“And all your love will shine for everyone” seems the apropos thing to say at this juncture, just to bring things back to where we started this review. Halbert’s love is shining for everyone in this comic, so go on and be good to yourself. Buy it, read it, and love it right back.
Also, this review is “brought to you” by my Patreon site, where I serve up exclusive thrice-weekly rants and ramblings on the worlds of comics, films, television, literature, and politics for as little as a dollar a month. Subscribing is the best way to support my continuing work, so I’d be very appreciative if you’d take a moment to give it a look by directing your kind attention to https://www.patreon.com/fourcolorapocalypse
“First time in Croatia?” asks handsome taxi driver Zain (Ziad Bakri).
As soon as Beth (Leighton Meester) answers in the affirmative, we know that she’s in trouble. If you’ve seen enough thrillers, you know that any trip to another country is going to lead to trouble. Beth may think that she’s just going to be spending a week or two with her wild best friend, Kate (Christina Wolfe), but we know that something bad is going to down. And the minute that Kate insists that Beth dress up and go to a club with her, we know that someone is going to end up missing.
The next morning, Beth wakes up with a hangover, a cluttered villa, and an absent best friend. Where is Kate? Kate and Beth were supposed to go on bicycle tour but now, Kate is nowhere to be found! More than one person suggests that maybe she didn’t want to do the whole cycling thing. I don’t blame her. You go, Kate! Don’t let your friend guilt you into doing something that lame!
However, Beth starts to have flashbacks to the night at the bar. It turns out that Beth is almost as much of a lightweight as I am when it comes to drinking because a glass of wine has totally wrecked her memory. When Kate’s landlord mentions that Kate brought two men back to the villa with them, Beth starts to think that something terrible has happened to Kate! The police soon agree with her but they think that Beth is the culprit!
Teaming up with Zain, Beth starts to investigate on her own. Her husband (Luke Norris) is not happy to learn that, while he’s in London with their baby, his wife is running around Croatia with a sensitive and widowed taxi driver, Needless to say, it soon turns out that just about everyone involved has a secret that they’re trying to hide.
The Weekend Away is the latest Netflix original thriller. It starts out on a good note, with Kate and Beth catching up on their lives in Croatia. Leighton Meester and Christina Wolfe are convincing as old friends who have followed different life paths and Croatia itself looks both inviting and ominous at the same time. Unfortunately, once Kate disappears, the film gets a bit uneven and some of the characters do some things that don’t really make sense and the actors themselves sometimes seem to be struggling to find a way to make their dialogue sound credible. The film starts with a lot of promise but the mystery itself turn out to not be as interesting as one might hope. That’s my long-winded way of saying that you’ll figure out what happened long before anyone else in the film does.
Again, it’s an uneven film but I do like to focus on the positive so I will say that the film was nice to look at. The scenes in the club were well-directed and captured both the chaos and the fun of discovering an exciting city for the first time. Leighton Meester and Christina Wolfe were convincing as friends and Luke Norris kept you guessing as Beth’s husband. It’s the Netflix equivalent of fast food. It’s the type of film that you enjoy for what it is and then you forget about it a few hours later.
Yesterday was Texas Independence Day and the armadillo is one of our state’s unofficial mascots. I’ve taken better pictures but armadillos are shy and this is the best one I’ve ever been able to get of one of them. As soon as I snapped this picture, he disappeared into the nearby bushes.
This is an enjoyably atmospheric music video. It makes me want to read a paperback epic about intrigue in a royal court.
Enjoy!
I wanna burn in the fire below I wanna dance with the devil you know take me to heaven and don’t let me go I am the king of a tragedy
Waking up to hear the siren you’re the poison in my blood I could do without the violence god knows I’m not that tough
I keep loosing all my virtues ’ i’m a magnet to your pain Waking up to hear the siren
I wanna burn in the fire below I wanna dance with the devil you know take me to heaven and don’t let me go I am the king of a tragedy king of a tragedy
I wanna surrender and sacrifice the fear that I feel when I look in your eyes Please take me to heaven before I die I am the king of a tragedy king of a tragedy
Every word you say is fragile It’s like a walk on broken glass I’m like a deer, so scared of your headlights you got your right foot hard on the gas can we stay right here forever you make it hard to run away Every word you say is fragile
I wanna burn in the fire below I wanna dance with the devil you know Take me to heaven and don’t let me go I am the king of a tragedy king of a tragedy
I wanna surrender and sacrifice the fear that I feel when I look in your eyes Please take me to heaven before I die I am the king of a tragedy king of a tragedy
ooohh I wanna see what it feels like to run into your headlights oooh you know me I’m craving the spotlight
I wanna burn in the fire below I wanna dance with the devil you know Take me to heaven and don’t let me go I am the king of a tragedy king of a tragedy
I wanna burn in the fire below I wanna dance with the devil you know Take me to heaven and don’t let me go I am the king of a tragedy king of a tragedy
I wanna surrender and sacrifice the fear that I feel when I look in your eyes Please take me to heaven before I die I am the king of a tragedy king of a tragedy
Lawrence Phillips could have been one of the greatest professional football running backs of all time but he couldn’t outrun his demons.
Phillips was a great high school and college player. He led the University of Nebraska to victory in the 1995 Orange Bowl and the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. But even when he was playing under the legendary coach Tom Osborne at Nebraska, there were signs of the issues that would eventually end his professional career. In 1995, he was arrested for breaking into an apartment, grabbing his ex-girlfriend, dragging her down three flights of stairs by her hair and then smashing her head into a mailbox. At first, he was suspended from playing football but he was eventually reinstated by Coach Osborne. At the time, Osborne said that football was perhaps the only thing in Phillips’s life that could keep him on track.
The assault may have kept Phillips from winning the Heisman Trophy that he had been widely considered a favorite to receive but it didn’t keep him out of the NFL. In the 1996 Draft, the Rams selected him as the 6th overall pick. Phillips proved himself to be a talented running back but his life off the field continued to be erratic. When he showed up drunk for a pre-game practice, Phillips was cut from the team.
Phillips went to Miami, where he played two games for the Dolphins before he was arrested and charged with assaulting a woman in a nightclub. Again cut from the team, Phillips eventually ended up in NFL Europe, where he set records and proved that he could still play. Returning to America in 1999, Phillips was signed by the 49ers but he was cut after refusing to practice and missing a block that led to quarterback Steve Young suffering a season (and career) ending concussion.
With no future in the NFL, Phillips signed with the Arena Football League but was cut when he failed to show up for practice. He then went to Canada, where he had one good season with Montreal Alouettes before again getting cut after being charged with a sexual assault. The last team he played for was the Calgary Stampede. He was cut for arguing with the coach.
Phillips was 30 years old and washed up as an athlete. After his then-girlfriend tried to break-up with him, he grab her by the throat and nearly strangled her. A few days later, while driving around Los Angeles, he spotted three teenagers playing a pick-up football game. He joined their game but, after he became convinced one of them had stolen some money from him, Phillips ran the teen over with his car. Convicted of both domestic abuse and attempted murder, Phillips was sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison.
In prison, he originally kept his head down, refused to join any of the prison gangs, and stayed out of trouble. But, in 2015, Phillips’s cellmate was found strangled to death in their cell. Phillips claimed that he had accidentally killed him in self-defense. Charged with murder and facing the death penalty, Lawrence Phillips was found hanging in his cell. The official ruling was suicide.
What happened to Lawrence Phillips? How did he go from being one of the best players in the game to being an inmate in the California penal system? That’s the question that’s considered by the documentary, Running For His Life. Featuring interviews with his friends, coaches, teammates, and one of his victims, Running For His Life follows Phillips from his abusive childhood to his final days in prison. Almost everyone who is interviewed describes Phillips as being outwardly intelligent, friendly, and talented, except for when he was angry. That was when the other Lawrence would come out. Most of the people interviewed still seem to be shocked that Phillips’s life derailed the way that it did. Tom Osborne comes across as being particularly troubled that he wasn’t able to do more to help Phillips overcome his demons. The majority of the people interviewed say that Phillips’s problems were the result of growing up in group homes and spending his childhood being abused by the people who were supposed to be looking out for him.
It’s a compelling argument but Running For His Life could have used a greater variety of voices. Almost everyone who is interviewed was a friend of Phillips’s and, even though they acknowledge his crimes, it still seems that they are sometimes too quick to make excuses for him. Many of the women who he victimized were not interviewed and, as a result, the documentary feels incomplete. His victims deserved more than just a cursory mention. It may be a tragedy that Lawrence Phillips never lived up to his potential but the far greater tragedy is that so many people were hurt by his actions.
After two blissfully Rand-free episodes of Pam & Tommy, Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) returned to dominate this week’s episode. As soon as things opened with a close-up of Rand looking like someone had just run over his favorite pet, I groaned very loudly. Rand is such an unlikable character and the show insists on trying to make us feel sorry for this loser. Even if Seth Rogen wasn’t both miscast and intent on giving the worst performance of his career in the role, Rand would make Pam & Tommy difficult to watch.
Rand (or Reed or whatever his name is supposed to be) was basically upset because he wasn’t making any money off of the Pam and Tommy sex tape. Instead, the bootleggers were making all the money. Rand/Reed also got upset because cocaine addict Uncle Miltie (Nick Offerman) turned out to be a bad business partner. Meanwhile, Butchie (Andrew “Dice” Clay, acting up a storm with little to show for it) wanted his money and demanded that Reed/Rand turn into a debt collector. “I AM THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS!” a frustrated Rand declared as he collected a debt and seriously, what the heck? (Folks, I gave up cursing for Lent. Just go with me here.) The episode’s best moment was when Rand tried to blackmail Tommy and Tommy reacted by setting the money on fire while Randy Reed watched. What made this scene so great was that Tommy called Reedy Rand a loser. Again, I got the feeling that we were supposed to feel bad for Rand but …. eh. Who cares? Rand is a loser and the mullet isn’t making him look any better.
If the highlight of the episode was Tommy setting that money on fire while taunting Rand, the show’s second best moment was Pam appearing on The Tonight Show and having to deal with a series of disrespectful and infuriatingly sexist questions from Jay Leno. The actor playing Leno essentially played him as being the devil, which was kind of amusing. Watching the scenes with Leno acting like a member of the Spanish Inquisition, I found myself thinking about how Ken Russell probably could have done something amazing with this material. The scene ended with Pam having to talk Tommy out of beating up Jay Leno, which again was kind of amusing. Just imagine if Tommy had stormed onto the Tonight Show set and thrown a punch while Jay was introducing Hugh Grant. That would have been classic television.
As the Tonight Show debacle indicated, the release of Barb Wire was overshadowed by Pam and Tommy’s court case against Penthouse. The judge ruled that the 1st Amendment gave Penthouse the right to publish still from the tape. Tommy was too stupid to realize that the judge had ruled against him. Pam responded with a monologue about how the judge was actually saying that it was okay to exploit her because she wore a swimsuit on Baywatch and she also previously appeared in Playboy. Pam had a point but, as so often happens on this show, that point was somewhat negated by the fact that the real-life Pamela Anderson never signed off on having her life dramatized in Pam & Tommy and, as a result, the show is itself a bit exploitive.
The show also continues to feel a bit pointless, despite Lily James’s frequently excellent performance as Pam. Again, it’s hard not to wonder why exactly this story demands the limited series treatment as opposed to the 90-minute movie treatment. Indeed, by stretching thing out over 8 hours, Pam & Tommy just reminds us of how superficial this story really is.
One final note: early on in the episode, Butchie is shocked to discover that there’s a new coffee company in Seattle that’s called Starbucks. I’ve noticed this is a joke that’s popped up in a lot of movies about the 90s and it feels rather lazy. They should have made an AOL joke instead.
It’s March! March is the 3rd month of the year and it’s always been a favorite of mine, just because it has one of the best names of any month. March! It sounds so decisive and forward-looking. Who doesn’t love that?
Here’s what I’m looking forward to in March:
The Batman
Okay, honestly, I don’t know that I’m so much looking forward to The Batman as much as I’m just happy for everyone who I know can’t wait to see this movie tomorrow. I will say that I support anything that brings Paul Dano to the public eye. And I’m happy for Robert Pattinson, though I hope he will continue to also make challenging films like Good Time and Cosmopolis. The Batman seems guaranteed to become the first really big hit of the year. With Pattinson starring in this and Kristen Stewart having a decent chance to win an Oscar, it may be time to seriously reconsider the legacy of Twilight.
Critically, The Batman has been receiving the best reviews of the year so far. If I have any doubts about the film, that’s due to the fact that it’s a 3-hour film and Twitter, which is where I’ve seen the most enthusiasm for The Batman, tends to be an echo chamber when it comes to evaluating the box office potential of comic book films. If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that you really can’t use Film Twitter as a way to gauge how enthusiastic the general public may or may not be for a movie. If The Batman somehow does fail at the box office and we get yet another reboot, I guess they’re going to have to call it “A Batman.” It’s hard not to feel that we’re running out of titles here.
2. The Oscars
The Oscars will finally be handed out on the 27th and, as always, we’ve got a lot planned for that day here at the Shattered Lens. With all the controversy surrounding the show and the decision to do stuff like give out “Fan Favorite” awards, this year seems primed to be an even bigger fiasco than last year’s show. Every “fix” that’s been announced for the show feels like a “threat.” I mean, when you announce that the show is going to be hosted by Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, that also makes the promise of “time for more comedy bits” seem rather ominous. (You’ll notice that I didn’t mention Regina Hall because she’s the best and really, she’s the only host the show needs.) The Academy and ABC are so desperate to not go over that three-hour running time that I’m personally rooting for a four-hour show. I want people to ramble on interminably in their speeches. I want technical difficulties to slow things down. I want the ABC execs to freak out as the clock strikes ten and the show is nowhere near being over.
Of course, the only question that really matters is whether the ratings will improve or not. To be honest, I’m kind of hoping the ratings don’t improve because I don’t want the Academy thinking that “Fan Favorite” and less categories is the way to go. My hope is that less than 100,000 people watch and the Oscars move to a streaming platform. Next year, I want to see the Oscars on Peacock, with Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley hosting. Hmmm….maybe I shouldn’t watch this year….
3. A New Season of Survivor
Admittedly, the most recent season of Survivor was weird. Jeff Probts kept trying to be nice and every member of the cast had some big, dramatic story to tell about their life back home. There were a lot of emotional tribal councils. There was a lot of hugging. That’s not what we watch Survivor for. Survivor is not meant to be a show that makes you feel better about humanity. Survivor is supposed to be a show that celebrates betrayal and ruthlessness. Survivor is about great villains, not sob stories. Fortunately, a new season of my second-favorite (after The Amazing Race) reality show is starting in March and I hope it will be a return to the Survivor of old.
4. Deep Water
Finally, this Ben Affleck/Ana de Armas film will be getting its release! Earlier this year, it went from being a theatrical release to a movie that’s going to premiere on Hulu. Some people may think that’s a bad sign but personally, I think that indicates that the film will be enjoyably trashy. We’ll find out this month!
5. A Day To Die
Another Bruce Willis film? This will be Willis’s third film of the year and it’s only March! I’ve made it my goal to watch every Bruce Willis appears in this year. I still haven’t gotten started so I guess I’ll have to do an American Siege/Gasoline Alley/Day to Die marathon sometime this month. My hope is that, at some point this year, we’ll get the Nicolas Cage/Bruce Willis/Frank Grillo collaboration that VOD fans have been waiting for. (For the record, Frank Grillo is in A Day To Die but Nic Cage apparently is not.)
As for A Day to Die, I wonder how many people will accidentally watch it because they think it’s a Die Hard sequel. You have to admire the hustle, that’s all I’m saying.
6. American Song Contest
Wow, that’s a bland title! Anyway, this is America’s version of Eurovision. Singers from all 50 states will be competing and I’m sure our media will not use this as a way to push this whole Blue State vs. Red State narrative that they are so proud of. I’m looking forward to this because I can’t wait to hear how bad the songs are. Vermont’s song will probably be some sort old folkie nonsense and I can’t wait to ridicule it on Twitter. I know that’s kind of a negative way to look at things but fug it. It happens.
7. Lent
I gave up cursing for Lent!
8. After Yang
I’ve heard very good things about this film, which will be premiering this Friday on Showtime. I look forward to seeing it!
At some point, in the future, it will be realized that Paul Thomas Anderson’s Haim videos constitute some of the best short films of the decade. It’s the perfect collaboration between a group of artists. This is their latest and video and you better enjoy!
[Verse 1] Tryin’ to get on top But it’s never easy Mastered my own luck But it wasn’t easy I’m tryin’ to feel alright Around all these people I try, but I’m just numb This time
[Chorus] Deepest cut that I can’t feel Found a grip on the steering wheel I know a piece’s stuck You can sit down if you don’t mind me standin’ up (Mind me standin’ up) I know I was too good to pass (Too good to pass) So me and you caused a chain reaction (Chain reaction) I’ll take the smallest crumb But I’ll never get back what I lost track of
[Verse 2] Laugh when I’m still cryin’ Yeah, you know the deal Burn but it’s still fine (Huh) Yeah, you know the deal Can’t redeem my love That’s such a steal But you can’t say I’m not tryin’ This time
[Chorus] Deepest cut that I can’t feel Found a grip on the steering wheel I know a piece’s stuck You can sit down if you don’t mind me standin’ up (Mind me standin’ up) I know I was too good to pass (Too good to pass) So me and you caused a chain reaction (Chain reaction) I’ll take the smallest crumb But I’ll never get back what I lost track of Oh, I’ll never get back what I lost track of I’ll never get back what I lost track of I’ll never get back what I lost track of
[Outro] I’ll never get back what I lost track I’ll never get back what I lost track I’ll never get back what I lost track I’ll never get back but I’ve lost track
Through the Shattered Lens 