An image shared on Threads claims to show a bridge in Mumbai‚ India. Verdict: Misleading The image is from China‚ not India. Fact Check: Indians voted in the second round of national elections on April 26‚ according to The Associated Press. Around 60.9% of the 160 million eligible voters cast a ballot‚ the outlet reported. Social […]

'Doesn’t create unintended momentum toward ... offshore oil and gas'

A post shared on Facebook claims the U.S. Special Forces recently rescued January 6 prisoners. Verdict: False The claim is false and stems from an April 22 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” Fact Check: The Pentagon is set to withdraw 75 Army Special Forces personnel from Chad‚ according to The New […]

Oh snap&;#33; Devin Booker to the Knicks

'Relentlessly attacked Hunter Biden'

 What's Happening Inside AREA 51&;#63;The creator of a website collecting information on all things Area 51 believes the future of military tech is still being tested in the Nevada desert‚ with the most enigmatic activities occurring inside a secret base tucked inside the hidden base.The more secrecy surrounding Area 51‚ the more insatiable the public’s appetite for information on the secret Nevada base becomes. Take‚ for example‚ the dual raids on homes owned by an Area 51 watchdog 16 months ago‚ which has since roused the public’s curiosity and has many asking what is flying around.“[If] they don’t want you to see it‚ you’re not going to see it‚” said Joerg Arnu‚ creator of dreamlandresort.com‚ a digital gathering place for aerospace enthusiasts‚ aviation watchers‚ and some who have worked at the best-known secret base in the world. “They have years and years and decades of experience hiding things.” Read more at What’s happening inside Area 51&;#63; The website creator who was raided by federal agents believes he has an idea-----NESSIE Sighting 'Pivotal Moment'Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman weren’t expecting a “pivotal moment” in their sons’ lives when they visited Scotland’s Loch Ness earlier this month‚ but that happened.“Our youngest is turning three next week‚” said Wiseman from the family’s home in London. “And he tells everyone there have been two pivotal moments in his life: Seeing the world’s largest dinosaur‚ which he did at the Natural History Museum in January‚ and seeing Nessie.“He tells everyone he encounters. He tells the postman‚ he tells the guys in the shops and the cafes.”Malm and Wiseman have been thrust into the limelight after a photograph they took during their family vacation showed a shadowy figure poking above the waterline‚ something that the couple’s children — and others — firmly believe is the latest sighting of the famed Loch Ness Monster. Read more at ’Nessie’ sighting vaults Canadian couple into media spotlight after photo in Scotland-----Las Vegas UFO Video 'UNDENIABLE'A veteran crime scene recreation expert who’s analyzed the video that purports to show two creatures in a Las Vegas backyard says the video hasn’t been altered‚ and he believes he sees the images of not one but two beings.“Once you see it‚ you can’t deny it‚” said Scott Roder of “Evidence Room” Animation and Exhibits.“There’s no editing. That is an original video‚” he told NewsNation’s “Banfield” on Friday. “We tried to debunk it to see if there was something that was added to the video. All of our results came back as it was authentic.”It was April 30‚ 2023‚ when the Kenmore family called 911 to report something “not human” in their backyard. Police investigated in part because other officers had spotted a mysterious flashing light in the sky that same evening. Read more at Las Vegas alien video is original: ExpertTODAY'S TOP LINKSKona Blue Insiders Reveal How U.S. Agencies Allegedly Involved In Legacy UFO Programs Rattled Department of Homeland Security OfficialsAARO Has Only 'Moderate Confidence' in Findings From its Latest UAP InvestigationThe Mysterious ‘Dark’ Energy That Permeates the Universe Is Slowly ErodingBees Reveal a Human-Like Collective Intelligence We Never Knew ExistedDOPPELG&;Auml;NGERS: SHOULD WE FEAR THEM&;#63; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Doppelg&;auml;ngerLISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonHAVE A COMMENT&;#63; GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming&; FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LIST----------Access Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED&;#33; THANKS-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Finale-----Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonContact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Also available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

Here are two comment responses that I received from listeners of my DOPPELG&;Auml;NGERS: SHOULD WE FEAR THEM&;#63; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Doppelg&;auml;nger presentation:&;quot;Hey Lon‚ great show. I have a doppelg&;auml;nger tale. When I was attending College in Mississippi‚ my chemistry lab partner was a guy with whom I’d gone to high school‚ so we knew each other very well. Being lab partners‚ we worked side by side every Tuesday and Thursday morning for a year.On one Thursday morning‚ he came to the lab and wouldn’t acknowledge me. I turned to him and asked him why he wouldn’t speak to me that morning. He then went into a rant about how the night before he’d seen me at the college bar and came and sat with me‚ but I would t talk to him. He said the person he sat with answered to my name and was my exact twin even down to the way I spoke and the clothes I wore. It took me getting the people I was with the night before to finally make him believe that it was not me he’d sat down with at that bar. My friends and I started going with him on Wednesday nights after that but never ran into her.You spoke about them being a warning and it wasn’t long after he saw her that I was involved in a car accident where I lost 6 pints of blood before making it to the hospital. It has taken 12 surgeries to correct the damage done to my body in that crash. After hearing that the doppelg&;auml;nger may be a harbinger of something bad‚ I’m wondering now if it was connected. I also want to say that I love your show. Thank you for all you do.&;quot;  Bopp1961 - Pam‚ from Mississippi-----&;quot;For several years I worked security at a casino on the evening shift. I mingled with the guests regularly and was approached a few different times and was told that I looked identical to someone they knew.One guest‚ in particular‚ told me that I looked like a guy who did commercials promoting a North Dakota national park. He was a park ranger there. I looked it up‚ watched the commercial‚ and there I was. He walked and talked the same as me‚ and definitely looked like me.That was like seven years ago. The weird thing is‚ I live in Minnesota and probably could have gone and met the guy. I was apprehensive about it‚ so never did. You know‚ I didn't want to create some kind of vortex. LOL. Thanks‚ Lon‚ good show.&;quot; brucemunro7257DOPPELG&;Auml;NGERS: SHOULD WE FEAR THEM&;#63; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Doppelg&;auml;ngerLISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonHAVE A COMMENT&;#63; GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming&; FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LIST----------Access Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED&;#33; THANKS-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Finale-----Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonContact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Also available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

A remote outcrop in Scotland is covered with garden gnomes but nobody knows exactly how they got there. The gnomes beam their mischief from the rock of Swallow Craig which sits just off Inchcolm Island in the Firth of Forth. The gnomes first appeared there in 2010‚ with some people speculating they were left by […] The post Welcome to ’Gnome Island’ a Remote Scottish Outcrop Adorned With Mysterious Garden Ornaments – LOOK appeared first on Good News Network.

Movies &; TV Babylon 5 Rewatch Babylon 5 Rewatch: “The Parliament of Dreams” A festival of religions takes place aboard Babylon 5‚ while G’Kar tries to avoid an assassination plot. By Keith R.A. DeCandido | Published on April 29‚ 2024 Comment 10 Share New Share “The Parliament of Dreams”Written by J. Michael StraczynskiDirected by Jim JohnstonSeason 1‚ Episode 5Production episode 108Original air date: February 23‚ 1994 It was the dawn of the third age… It’s a festival of religions on B5. Each species on the station is encouraged to show off their primary religion to everyone else. In addition‚ both G’Kar and Delenn have new aides show up. In Delenn’s case‚ Lennier is very honored to be tapped for this duty‚ as he was just a novitiate prior to this. He also refers to Delenn by her title of “Satai‚” which she gently asks him not to continue to do‚ as her role on the Grey Council isn’t generally known‚ and she wants to keep it that way. She also urges him to stop looking down at the floor in her presence‚ as he’ll be constantly walking into things. G’Kar‚ meantime‚ has bigger problems. One of his greatest rivals‚ Du’Rog‚ has sent him a message via a courier: he’s dying‚ and his final act before death is to put out an assassination contract on G’Kar in revenge for all the indignities G’Kar has visited upon him. Du’Rog threatens that the assassin could be anyone‚ including someone very close to him. It’s right after he finds this out that his new aide‚ Na’Toth‚ shows up. We see a popular Centauri religious rite: a drunken feast‚ celebrating the fact that the Centauri survived their war against the other species that shared their homeworld‚ the Xon. When Ivanova asks about the statues on the table‚ Mollari explains that they’re the Centauri gods‚ and he climbs up onto the table and explains who they each are before he‚ as Vir says‚ “becomes one with his inner self‚” prompting Garibaldi to say that he’s passed out‚ and Vir says‚ without missing a beat‚ “That‚ too.” Catherine Sakai has come on board the station. Garibaldi warns Sinclair about it. It turns out that Sinclair and Sakai have a past‚ and Sakai insists that she had no idea until she arrived that Sinclair was in charge of the station‚ or she never would have docked‚ as she had promised to stay away. However‚ Sinclair says there’s no need to keep that promise‚ as he and Sykes have broken up. He invites her to dinner at Fresh Air so they can catch up. That dinner is a mix of amusing and awkward‚ as they both have done this dance before‚ going back to when they first met at the Academy and their time serving together: they catch up‚ they ask about each others’ families‚ they fall into bed‚ something goes horribly wrong‚ and they go their separate ways. Both question whether they should go through all that again. G’Kar decides to take Na’Toth into his confidence regarding the assassination. Na’Toth points out that‚ if there really was an assassin‚ they’d be from the Thenta Makur (the assassin’s guild)‚ and they’d leave a black flower to warn him. G’Kar has seen no such thing. Na’Toth also wonders why G’Kar is taking her into his confidence‚ since she herself is an obvious suspect for being the assassin‚ what with her assignment and the fact that Du’Rog was a sponsor of Na’Toth’s father. G’Kar quotes a human saying that he thinks Earthers stole from the Narn: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. The next morning‚ G’Kar awakens to a black flower in his bed. He charges Na’Toth with finding Tu’Pari‚ the courier who brought the message from Du’Rog‚ then he goes to N’Grath to hire a bodyguard. G’Kar can’t go to Garibaldi or report this officially‚ as his specific relationship with Du’Rog might come out. For his own part‚ G’Kar could give a damn if it does come out‚ but the revelations would compromise his position as Narn ambassador. Delenn‚ Lennier‚ and some other Minbari perform a Rebirth Ceremony for the station’s VIPs. Part of the ceremony involves Delenn giving piece of fruit to each of the audience. (G’Kar‚ notably‚ surreptitiously switches his fruit with Ivanova’s‚ just in case.) It ends with Delenn giving Sinclair a significant look and saying‚ “And so it begins.” That’s not ominous at all… G’Kar storms to his quarters‚ livid that the Riar bodyguard he’d hired from N’Grath never showed. He finds the Riar in his bedroom‚ dead‚ a black flower next to the corpse. Garibaldi and a security team arrive to investigate‚ with G’Kar playing dumb and claiming to have absolutely no clue why this total stranger of a Riar could possibly be in his room. When Garibaldi continues to question‚ G’Kar cites diplomatic immunity. Sakai finds out that her latest survey mission turned up large quantities of Quantium 40‚ which is apparently very valuable‚ and entitles her to a massive-ass commission. Not wanting to celebrate this largesse alone‚ Sakai goes to Sinclair’s quarters with a basket of food and a bottle of wine. After a few false starts‚ they wind up in bed together. Na’Toth finds Tu’Pari and brings him to G’Kar’s quarters. The ambassador immediately interrogates him‚ and Tu’Pari admits that the data crystal he delivered came from Na’Toth’s father. G’Kar contacts the Narn homeworld demanding that Na’Toth be recalled. The person on the other end apologizes for the lateness of the courier‚ as he met with a horrible accident while on his way to B5. At that point‚ the jig being up‚ Tu’Pari ambushes G’Kar. He takes G’Kar to a remote part of the station with a pain-giver attached to his person. If he gets too close to Tu’Pari‚ it goes off‚ plus the assassin has a control for it. He tortures G’Kar for a while‚ though the ambassador refuses to give Tu’Pari the satisfaction of a scream. Then Na’Toth shows up‚ claiming to be Tu’Pari’s backup. To prove what she says‚ she kicks G’Kar repeatedly. Tu’Pari is still skeptical‚ a skepticism that is justified when G’Kar jumps him‚ Na’Toth’s kicks having destroyed the pain-giver. Na’Toth injects Tu’Pari with a sedative that keeps him unconscious past the deadline for G’Kar’s assassination. In addition‚ G’Kar transfers money into Tu’Pari’s account. It will appear to the guild that he violated the contract‚ which is a big no-no. Tu’Pari leaves the station in fear and disgrace. Sakai goes off to her next gig‚ but promises to work out of the station going forward so she and Sinclair can make a go of it. Sinclair‚ who has been struggling with how to do for Earth what Delenn did for the Minbari and Mollari did for the Centauri‚ finally presents the command staff and the ambassadors with the Religion Receiving Line: the first person he introduces is an atheist‚ then a Roman Catholic priest‚ then a Zen Buddhist‚ then a Muslim‚ then an Orthodox Jew‚ then Oglala-Sioux‚ and so on down the line. Nothing’s the same anymore. Sinclair has a fondness for Alfred‚ Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses. He listens to a reading of it‚ and has been doing so since the Academy‚ to the point that Sakai can quote parts of it to him. Ivanova is God. Ivanova is the only non-Centauri who seems to be enjoying the Centauri feast. The household god of frustration. Garibaldi opens the episode confiscating a Drazi knife‚ refusing to accept the Drazi’s claim that it’s part of his religion. The security chief thinks the whole religious ceremony thing is a silly goose and he can’t wait for it to be over. If you value your lives‚ be somewhere else. The Rebirth Ceremony‚ at least according to Sakai‚ also can double as a marriage ceremony‚ which makes Sinclair and viewer wonder if anyone wound up married in the eyes of the Minbari after it was all over. In the glorious days of the Centauri Republic… The Centauri started the feast during their war with the Xon to celebrate those who survived the last round of battles with the enemy. The tradition continued after the Centauri won and the Xon were wiped out. Though it take a thousand years‚ we will be free. G’Kar‚ unsurprisingly‚ had some shady dealings with fellow Narn‚ and pissed off one of them enough to take out a contract on G’Kar’s life on his deathbed. Looking ahead. The Minbari ceremony is the latest in a series of occasions when Delenn is acting weird toward Sinclair. In addition‚ the notion of G’Kar refusing to scream while being tortured is one that will be revisited. No sex‚ please‚ we’re EarthForce. Sinclair and Sakai progress to the on-again phase of their on-again/off-again relationship. It’s established that‚ some time since “The Gathering‚” Sinclair and Sykes broke up‚ which Sinclair credits to his refusing to resign his commission and go into business with her‚ as she requested in that episode. In addition‚ G’Kar’s proclivity for human women‚ hinted at in “The Gathering‚” is seen twice here‚ once in Na’Toth’s dialogue‚ once when Garibaldi finds a human woman’s panties in G’Kar’s couch. Welcome aboard. Julia Nickson debuts the recurring role of Sakai; she’ll be back next time in “Mind War.” In addition‚ veteran character actor Thomas Kopache plays Tu’Pari. Mark Hendrickson plays Du’Rog—it’s one of dozens of alien characters he plays throughout the franchise‚ though it’s one of the few with dialogue. Trivial matters. After being in the opening credits since the start‚ Bill Mumy and Caitlin Brown finally make their debuts as‚ respectively‚ Lennier and Na’Toth. It’s established that G’Kar’s previous aide‚ Ko D’Ath‚ died in an unfortunate airlock accident‚ a rather nasty way to write out poor Mary Woronov‚ who couldn’t deal with the facial prosthetics or contact lenses and quit after one appearance in “Born to the Purple.” The Narn do not participate in the ceremony of religion-showing-off. We’ll learn more about the Narn faiths in “By Any Means Necessary.” The echoes of all of our conversations. “Are you Ambassador G’Kar&;#63;”“This is Ambassador G’Kar’s quarters. This is Ambassador G’Kar’s table. This is Ambassador G’Kar’s dinner. Which part of this progression escapes you&;#63;” —Tu’Pari asking a stupid question and G’Kar saying‚ “Duh&;#33;” The name of the place is Babylon 5. “Gods for all occasions&;#33;” Okay‚ I have two extremely minor pet peeves about this generally quite good episode‚ and I want to get them out of the way. One: why the hell is a Narn wearing Earth-style spectacles&;#63; Why would a species that doesn’t have external ears develop a device whose entire design is predicated on having ears that stick out on the side of the head&;#63; Why would a species that doesn’t have external ears use a device whose entire design is predicated on having ears that stick out on the side of the head&;#63; For that matter‚ how are Tu’Pari’s glasses being held onto his head&;#63; (J. Michael Straczynski explained online that Tu’Pari uses human spectacles because the Narn have a prejudice against mechanical improvements to oneself‚ which explains why G’Kar will later go around with only one eye‚ but that only answers my first question‚ not my other two. He should be wearing a pince-nez‚ if anything…) Two: Sinclair introduces the rabbi in the Religion Receiving Line as an Orthodox Jew. He and Ivanova then shake hands‚ and no&;#33; An Orthodox Jewish male would not touch a woman he was not married to or a very close relative of in so casual a situation. He’s very obviously neither of those things‚ because Ivanova’s reaction would be more direct and affectionate if it were the case. And you can’t explain it away by saying that maybe Orthodox Judaism has changed in the three centuries that B5 is in the future‚ because Orthodox Judaism hasn’t changed in the last five thousand seven hundred and eighty-four years. In fact‚ what defines Orthodox Judaism is that it hasn’t changed ever. If it does change‚ then it’s another form of Judaism‚ not Orthodox. Sigh. Okay‚ now that that’s all off my chest… This is a decent little episode. G’Kar’s plotline is pretty straightforward‚ although the misdirects are muted by Caitlin Brown being in the opening credits‚ making it extremely unlikely that she is either the assassin or the assassin’s backup. Still‚ Brown’s Na’Toth is much more compelling than Mary Woronov’s more stereotypical Ko D’Ath was‚ and she and Andreas Katsulas play off each other nicely. Seeing the different religious ceremonies was fun. It’s a little to Planet of Hats-ish to see only one Centauri ceremony and one Minbari ceremony but then have Earth show off how many religions there are. Having said that‚ the ceremonies are definitely appropriate: the Centauri eat‚ drink‚ and are merry because they’re not dead yet‚ and the Minbari are all ritualized and sedate and ceremonial and stuff. Each is very fitting. For that matter‚ the Narn not participating is also very fitting‚ as even at this early stage it’s obvious that the Narn play things close to the vest and don’t reveal much to outsiders. (Indeed‚ G’Kar’s reluctance to let any non-Narn in on his crisis is a plot point.) And Sinclair introducing representatives from all over Earth is lovely‚ as is his kicking off with an atheist (which is Straczynski’s own philosophy). I especially like that he put the Muslim and the Jew next to each other (which he has said was quite deliberate). Next week: “Mind War.”[end-mark] The post &;lt;i&;gt;Babylon 5&;lt;/i&;gt; Rewatch: “The Parliament of Dreams” appeared first on Reactor.

Movies &; TV The People’s Joker The People’s Joker Re-Mixes and Re-Mx-es Our Modern Myths with Sheer Trans Joy This movie definitely counts as a happy memory. By Leah Schnelbach | Published on April 29‚ 2024 Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence How to talk about The People’s Joker&;#63; The rest of this review could consist of the words HAPPY SCREAMING&;#33;&;#33;&;#33; repeated 1200 times and I could hit submit and call it a day and feel pretty good about myself. HAPPY SCREAMING&;#33;&;#33;&;#33; does sum it up. The People’s Joker is pure joy. Actual joy‚ not fake Smylex joy. Even the bits that are horrifying and upsetting are joy&;#33; If there was a way to get this movie into my bloodstream without fucking up my PH balance and going into a coma‚ I would do it. I think it’s something about the filmmakers’ commitment. The People’s Joker is equally about queerness‚ and transness‚ and comedy‚ and Batman‚ and being For The People. It is 1000% in on each thread—it’s a great Trans Joker Movie‚ but an equally great Exploration of Comedy In Modern Society. And it’s a really funny Trans Joker Coming-of-Age Comedy Emotional Abuse Fucked Up Childhood Batman’s Kinda The Villain Except Maybe There Are No Villains movie. It is also for the people. If I had a pink neon sign that said “Hello There” in my room this movie would come in and smash some letters until it said‚ inexplicably: FOR THE PEOPLE. Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence Perhaps I’m over-complicating this. The People’s Joker is about comedy. Editor and director Vera Drew has worked on I Think You Should Leave and Comedy Bang&;#33; Bang&;#33;‚ was nominated for an Emmy for Sacha Baron Cohen’s political satire Who Is America&;#63;‚ and worked with Tim and Eric—and that particular thread of 21st Century comedy is woven into every frame of the movie. The film was born from a half-joking request by (eventual co-writer) Bri LeRose for Drew to do her own edit of Todd Phillips’ Joker. The movie grew from there‚ becoming a pre-vaccine pandemic Monkey Man-esque labor of love that involved Drew‚ LeRose‚ Drew’s longtime collaborator Nathan Faustyn‚ and over 100 other contributors and animators. Our Joker (whose deadname is bleeped out‚ fuck yeah) begins life as a sad “boy” who can’t express why she feels so out of joint with the world. Like so many of us‚ she turns to comedy—and like so many of our parents‚ her furiously normie mother turns to pharmaceuticals. In this case a trip to Arkham Asylum‚ where the nefarious Dr. Crane (Jonathan‚ presumably‚ Frasier and Niles would never) prescribes a jolt of Smylex whenever conforming to an overbearing society becomes too depressing. Once she escapes to Gotham things are a little better—she can kind of be openly queer‚ finds some good friends‚ like Oswald‚ and embarks on a comedy career. But comedy‚ like everything in Gotham‚ is regimented‚ hierarchical‚ pretty fascistic‚ and under the watchful eye of the vigilante known as Batman. It’s also really binary: you can either be a Jokeman‚ and‚ you know‚ tell jokes‚ or a Harlequin who dances behind the Jokemen being pretty. Our Joker doesn’t like either option—and anyway she’d have to pay for months of expensive classes if she wants to be approved for the cast of the weekly variety show that’s been on TV for years‚ UCB. But is it worth it for the mentorship from Gotham City’s comedy legend‚ Ra’s al Ghul&;#63; Could there be a different way—perhaps involving an abandoned warehouse and an anti-comedy revolution—that would help Joker and her friends find success on their own terms&;#63; Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence Then there are her relationship issues with another trans comedian‚ the tattooed Marxist edgelord Mr. J‚ and the visits from Mom‚ who is just waiting for her to admit she’s failed and come back home to Smallville. The People’s Joker is about Batman‚ and the Joker‚ and the whole DC Rogue’s Gallery‚ and the movies and animated series that have been spun out of the comics like so much IP gold. If these characters are archetypes‚ and these stories are our modern myths‚ then don’t they belong to all of us&;#63;1 Can’t Drew and her ragtag team of comics nerds use them to tell a story about identity and belonging‚ as long as it credibly falls under parody and fair use laws‚ which it definitely seems to&;#63; Well‚ according to DC‚ maybe not. Which is why it’s been showing sporadically at festivals and brief runs in smaller theaters‚ rather than getting a big rollout like Todd Phillips Joker. (A movie Drew likes‚ by the way‚ but which‚ personally‚ I wish I could set on fire and then piss on when I get tired of watching the flames eat the celluloid. Kidding‚ kidding. They didn’t shoot it on celluloid—Warner Bros. thought shooting a film on film would cost too much money.) When i was in grad school (the first time) (I know‚ I know) people would talk about their “lenses”—they were studying through a “Lacanian lens” or “the les of Foucault”—and one of the reasons I didn’t do all that well (the first time) was that I never found my “lens”. I never saw one that helped me see any better. The People’s Joker is a trans coming-of-age story told through the lens of Batman. There are so many different Batman riffs in this movie&;#33; Like as many as you might think there are from seeing trailers or clips‚ there are MORE. And they’re good. All the of the supporting characters are reimagined in fun ways that are a joy to watch if you’ve ever loved a Batman movie. Do you love Dr. Chase Meridian&;#63; Do you love Poison Ivy&;#63; Did you ever wish that Riddler could get his own weird arc that plays out entirely in the background of a movie about a trans Joker in a dystopian Gotham City&;#63; Do you love it when Penguin eats a whole fish and pulls the skeleton out of his mouth&;#63; Goddamn do I have a movie for you.   Credit: Haunted Gay Ride Productions/Altered Innocence And the style is so maximalist and overstuffed and GREAT. Vera Drew’s costuming and make-up changes constantly‚ some sections are janky live action‚ some sections are animation of wildly varying styles‚ there are fight scenes that nod to the 1960s Pop Art Batman‚ and sequences that parody Suicide Squad. “Party Man” is rewritten. The Joker Stairs are danced upon. But possibly the very best thing in this no skips banger of a movie is its heart. Joker the Harlequin can’t really become funny until she knows herself better. Her whole life is a performance‚ so how the fuck is she supposed to perform onstage‚ too&;#63; Or really‚ more than that: if comedy comes from telling the truth‚ how can someone who has to lie all the time supposed to be honest in their work&;#63; When she does work up a successful routine‚ it’s‚ um‚ complicated. There are a lot of layers. Rather than making the ragtag band of outcasts also a bunch of oppressed geniuses‚ The People’s Joker is about people who might not be funny enough to be professional comedians‚ but who use comedy as a lifeline in a bleak world. And that’s good actually. As long as you’re being true to yourself‚ the jokes will probably‚ eventually come—and even if they don’t‚ at least you’ll know who you are. In Alan Moore’s BBC Maestro Class‚ our greatest living magus reminds us that writers are magicians. And while that makes me nervous (that’s the kinda shit that’ll go straight to my head and make me genuinely insufferable)‚ I mean‚ he’s not wrong. By talking about these archetypes and remixing them and re-mx-ing them‚ by claiming characters and using them to tell this story‚ Vera Drew and her collaborators have pulled off a powerful work of magic. Luckily for all of us‚ Alter Innocence has managed to distribute The People’s Joker in a few places across the US. See if there are any screenings near you‚ and if there are‚ throw some green dye in your hair‚ break out your purplest lipstick‚ and get to a theater&;#33; I assure you it will be an incredible time—and I’m an enby of my word.[end-mark] Speaking to The Daily Beast last year‚ Drew said: “If these are our modern myths‚ and if the purpose of myth is to learn about the human experience and grow and also chart your progress—the hero’s journey and all that stuff—let’s actually do that earnestly with these characters” ︎The post &;lt;em&;gt;The People’s Joker&;lt;/em&;gt; Re-Mixes and Re-Mx-es Our Modern Myths with Sheer Trans Joy appeared first on Reactor.