Tonight @fiotrethewey and I are participating in our new favourite pastime of Low Budget Dracula Adaptations. We’ve just discovered Wrath of Dracula, which was released this year. And DEAR LORD.

MINA HARKER LEARNS KUNG FU.

MINA HARKER DOES NOT KNOW WHERE ROMANIA IS.

MINA HARKER IS IN A BUDDY-COP COMEDY WITH VAN HELSING AND WE’RE HERE FOR IT.

Bruce Campbell, specifically the Evil Dead movies. They're objectively ridiculous, but at the same time, Campbell's acting is impressive, particularly in the second film. I mean, he carries the movie all by himself for a solid thirty minutes or more without it getting boring. (You can't really count Dead Linda as a character; she's a stop-motion puppet who gets chainsawed to bits early on.)

I'll tell you one thing: I'll never have a taxidermied animal in my home after watching that thing. That scene where the dead animals start laughing at him freaks me out every time. I can't stand to look at a trophy anymore.

I love the original Evil Dead movies so goddamn much. 😂

They're terrifying, innovative, groundbreaking for their time, and so gloriously campy that I don't think there will ever be anything to equal them. The impact of Sam Raimi's early work on the horror genre cannot be overstated. The man practically invented the "haunted cabin in the woods" trope as we know it singlehanded. And then in comes a then-unknown actor who carries this gory low-budget romp so flawlessly that it creates a genre and a franchise.

To this day, I squeal and point whenever I see Bruce Campbell in a movie. I will never get tired of watching that man stooge-fight monster puppets. His book discussing the long and gory history of his work in the film industry (the gloriously-titled "If Chins Could Kill") is one of the few autobiographies in my personal library. I gleefully binged the entirety of Ash vs the Evil Dead while holed up in a hotel room during a business conference. I still measure the wit of certain companions by how quickly they can recognize and respond to key lines from Army of Darkness.

You will pry my adoration for this wisecracking, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-handed grungy bastard from my cold Deadite hands.

Hail to the King, baby.

There's so much to be said about how huge corporations are destroying the media we consume, turning it into brainless mush designed to be binged in one sitting, so that by the end we don't know whether we really liked it or not.

But one of the things that worries me a lot is how it affects the preserving of culture. From the standpoint of actual archiving.

Let's say this: you want to watch an old film. You search and "oh, it's on this and this streaming site :)". Same with shows, if you're lucky to find them.

But we rely way too much on streaming sites already. I saw a post lately about the archiving of queer media (for the life of me I cannot find it, forgive me) and I think now that holy shit, that's it.

We need to be able to preserve traces of our culture, all of them. Not just books, not just movies and tv shows. Video games, board games, zines, all of it, we need all. Of. It. We need to be able to make our culture accessible for generations to come, past the rules of censorship and past individual decisions of a handful of people. We need to keep all of it alive outside of the slimy embrace of companies who care only to gain money and data from us.

I don't know how to do all of that. All I know is that it needs to be done. Being a creator myself I know how important it is whenever somebody interacts with the things I made. And if somebody a hundred years from now watches a forgotten, extremely-low-budget slasher film made by a bunch of college students, and thinks "oh my god that's awesome!", or just "ew", it's amazing either way.

Because culture, art, is made to be interacted with. Even if you create for yourself or your friends and literally nobody else has ever experienced the things you create, you still created. You still made something where there was nothing. You still made something worth preserving.

And I cannot overstate how important it is that we don't hand over our right to create freely. If we make only the things allowed by advertisers, if we adhere to the rules put in place by people who don't even know us and don't care about us... What will become of us? What will become of our creativity? Our art?

We need to let our creations be what they are. No sugar-coating, no beautifying. We need to let it stay raw and incredible and gross and amazing. And we needn't let our creations be forgotten. Corporations aren't our friends, and neither are streaming sites. If we let ourselves forget that, soon we will lose beyond saving things that should've been there for the next generations.

I love your art, it is very detailed in a neat way. Was wondering how you got started making it as a source of income? How did you get your first paid work, I'd love some advice on how to get started, if that's ok

Thank you. Of course it's okay, although I doubt I have enough work experience in art to really delve into this. I only went full freelance this year, and had been juggling art as a side hobby until then. If you're still interested in my somewhat narrow perspective, and are okay with my long-winded rambles, I'll give it a shot:

So to answer your question fully, I'll describe how I started and move into personal advice and learnings later on. As a disclaimer, I am a white cishet dude in my late twenties with a moderate cocktail of mental illnesses, but overall I can pass for a functioning adult so a lot I have to say may come laced with privilege I cannot fully identify.

So uhh I began drawing in around 2012? I think? Maybe halfway through 2011? And I mostly made fanart for things I enjoyed and tried to branch out in communities that felt nourishing to my style and interests (I caught a bug for alt posters and enjoyed mainstream movies so I spent a long time on posterspy early on). There were a handful of opportunities that came from there but I could only accept a couple because of primary workplace commitments. Still, it showed that networking in a focused community was definitely a good place to start; I myself have huge trouble committing to social networks and really staying socially active, but I knew it was an essential ingredient in succeeding so I tried to make myself be involved in challenges and art support trains etc. as much as I could.

In parallel to all that I also ran a few third party online stores (redbubble, teepublic) for disposable income and would sometimes, if rarely, hit around $100-150 a month from those sources combined. It is a sort of thing that requires helper accounts on other social media sites to promote it on, because the stores themselves have a huge volume of content that translates into low organic discoverability. Obviously it was never gonna be the way towards financial independence through art, and with community projects being few and far between, I opened private commissions in around uhhh 2017 I think, focusing on offering a few styles I knew I could do well, and sometimes operating in individual fandoms (it was mostly a bioware thing to be frank). But I had to close them back down after a year or so, again because of work-life conflict and how badly it was burning me out. The reason I kept trying to monetize this hobby is because I honestly hated what I did for my main job and wanted to see a way out in some shape or form in the future.

And then in 2020 I had to quit my main job altogether because of *gestures at pandemic* and deal with a mental breakdown from all the wonderful things it did to us and me specifically. I took a short break and decided to give art a shot full-time, and that was around May this year. I was planning on opening up commissions again (and I still am), but a few sudden opportunities that fell in my lap moved that timetable down and now I'm grateful to even be doing something I am getting adequately paid for.

So, with that somewhat limited perspective, here's what I've learned that I'd tell myself if I was just starting out:

1. Being a fan of something can be a shortcut towards effective networking kickoffs. Which are important evidently. If you love something and enjoy making content for it, join communities, settle into a combination of social media websites that feel right for those interests + your body of work + your inner rhythm, and try to play to content discovery as much as your mental health allows you to. Like I said, I know that I myself am incredibly bad at self-motivating to talk to people, so I found that synergizing common interests into fanart - which I enjoyed making anyway - could be a way to give myself a gentle nudge forward and build those bridges leading to community activities, which then net experience and coverage. Sometimes even freelance projects from official avenues. Again; picking the right spaces for what you're after is key. Companies roam twitter, concept art recruiters scour artstation or linkedin etc, instagram can land you private commissions and collab opportunities, so on and so forth. Find your niche and try to kick up dust. However...

2. I do not believe that any social profile can replace a good portfolio. The thing that made an immediate difference to me this year was building a coherent, simple website with my best work front and center and a contact form on top. Every single opportunity I got came from that form (maybe via twitter or instagram initially, but always sealing the decision after going through the website), so I firmly believe that showcasing your skills and portfolio in a visually arresting and user-friendly way is a big priority. I had some reservations about tackling that task but fortunately I had help from a savvy life partner and we slapped it together via wordpress in less than a day. Twitter/whatever social media is prevalent in your target groups is definitely important to get the right eyes on your shit, yes, but those eyes will then look for a second stop where your work and rates are more clear and concise. Simplicity is key imo, I cannot overstate this. So make a cute, simple portfolio!

3. Your skills and rates will grow and change as you do. Let them. Over the years I built several lasting professional relationships from my obsession over mass effect and kept getting opportunities both from bioware and their partner companies, some small and some a bit bigger. A one-off job earlier this year opened an unexpected door to another much larger commitment, and then the work I did there brought some attention from small businesses looking for commercial commissions. These were all incredibly different projects in terms of scope and budget, and I've been tackling them all on a case-by-case basis and slowly coming into my own irt my needs, rates, and SOW thresholds. It is still a work in progress (and a LOT of literal work as well), and very much a thing I struggle with in publicly marketing, which is why I felt a tad underqualified to answer your question in the first place (obviously I did not let that stop me). But what it means for me now is that I am rapidly developing into whatever my "version" of a functioning freelance artist is, and when the conditions for that guy are met, I need to be able to confidently plant myself and operate from that space despite past precedents. Do not let anyone bully you into downpricing what you yourself perceive as legitimate products of personal growth and development. Speaking of which...

4. The shitty challenge of turning envy into inspiration, and paddling outside your comfort zones in full riot gear. it is hard, but realizing that being a miserable, self-hating artist in my early days got me nothing but more misery back was the first real step I took and what truly blew the hinges off. I was just not pleasant to be around, I would badmouth my work all the time, and it all somehow made sense in my broken mind because the validation I sought was purely external and the way I sought it was through eliciting sympathy via self-victimization (even when I made something objectively nice). It all led fucking nowhere. Except perhaps to my own narcissism that I one day managed to identify and start managing. So I started looking at things that made me seethe with envy and calmly deconstruct and figure out their inner workings instead, do studies, and find nuggets of inspiration or discover new ways to approach rendering or building up specific elements. It was an application of analytical diligence to what I wanted to be a purely emotional, esoteric workflow, but that I deep down knew wasn't. Art is a discipline and a skill, and maybe it isn't a straight line, but you gotta find some line to thread nevertheless. Being self-hating was almost an identity I had to break out of, and despite it still being like, 4-5% there? I realize its cause and effect on me, my work, and those around me, so it is with a conscious choice that I gently set it aside when I work and especially when I learn. It won't always stay quiet, but the effort is the difference. Your doors towards accepting true growth and venturing into uncharted territories, art styles, and networking will really open from there. But there's a huge caveat...

5. Toolsets, accessibility, privilege, and all the good things that enable artistic expression and profitability are not given equal to all. you might do all the mental work I mentioned to be ready to rock and roll and learn and draw your way out of anything, but digital art is a fucking money pit that asks almost too much at times. I don't got a good case study here but identifying and ensuring accessibility to the tools you need to do your best work is, like, super important. The ergonomics can improve as you make money and settle into the job, but the basics have to be made available to you. And some of that might not even be under your direct control. That can be anything from pen tablets to software subscriptions to opportunities in hiring sullied by sexism or what have you. You gotta navigate all that through careful networking and money/time management. I don't do a good job of devoting specific slices of time to work/study, and my primary clutch is iPad software which went from a good deal to a nightmare scenario over the years. So all I can say here is do what I didn't; network, invest in a PC/tablet, and pick a software you'll learn that won't burn a hole in your pocket.

6. Be nice to work with? This one is hard to articulate and has landed my own ass in hot water in my early years because of how socially inept I am, but nothing is more worthwhile than being.. like. a good person to work with. That can be anything like meeting deadlines, or sometimes missing them but eloquently articulating why, being generous in early stages, being communicable and not too wordy in your emails, having a good grasp on abstract artistic concepts and how to describe them in simple terms, having a clear, laid out framework of your working rates in commercial and non-commercial projects and sticking to those guns with grace, understanding when you need to say no and saying it well, the works. Just being nice. Sometimes that might mean going headstrong with something you believe in, or simmering down and sucking up to the big man, all relative and adaptive. Part and parcel of the service provision dance that we all have to do in order to make bank. Know your lines here, obviously, and don't like. work for nazis. or uh.. *shudders* exposure. but be nice and empathetic and communicable and word will travel eventually. Skill may be in abundance these days, but good people are most certainly not, and capitalism has a way of bubbling up scarcity. Grim, but uh, them's the breaks.

I know I'm ultimately telling you to like. Have a body of work, make a portfolio, grow, and network. But that's really how I see it for now. And being nice can be a cherry on top that sets you apart, along with the inherent irreplaceable voice of your artwork. I think I rambled on enough, but if there is something specific you need my help with, even if you want to come off anon and talk in private, please feel free.

The Godzilla vs. Megalon of Jurassic Park Movies

My opinion on JW:FK hasn’t really changed so much as it has been refined.  I still think it’s a VERY flawed film, and that acknowledging and analyzing those flaws is beneficial to me as a person who cares about monster stories.  I also still love isolated parts of it, and in fact love them even more despite the fact that the flaws that sit alongside them in this film are just as glaring as they were before.  Sometimes you can both like a thing and yet also focus on its failings.

I was trying to think of a way to better articulate my feelings about the movie because I’m worried people have the impression that I hated it because, y’know, I talked a lot (and will continue to talk a lot) about it’s story telling problems.  I think I found a way to express my true feelings by way of comparison.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the Godzilla vs. Megalon of Jurassic Park movies.

Godzilla vs. Megalon was the first Godzilla movie I ever saw, and to this day it is one of my favorite entries in the franchise.  I loved this movie as a kid - absolutely adored it, to the point where it started a lifelong obsession that has only grown stronger with age.  I cannot overstate the profound emotional effect this movie had on my life.

It is also, objectively and inarguably, one of the worst Godzilla films ever made.  Probably one of the worst kaiju movies in general.  Some have even called it  one of the worst films of all time (though I think that’s incredibly unfair to Godzilla vs. Megalon and also woefully underestimates how bad movies can be.  I spent my teenage years actively seeking out shitty films, so I feel qualified to voice that as an expert opinion on the matter).

Godzilla vs. Megalon was shoddily made.  Its plot is cobbled together from pieces of previous Toho movies - a rehash of Godzilla vs. Gigan and Atragon, essentially - and in a way that is nowhere near elegant enough to keep you from thinking about the better versions of this basic story that already existed in Godzilla canon.  Its low budget results in an over-reliance on stock footage that is edited in an ridiculously clumsy manner.  None of the characters really develop, and a lot of the scenes don’t make a whole lot of sense.  It is campy as all hell and has some utterly absurd plot developments that make for a very inconsistent tone.  It is an indisputably bad movie.

And yet... I love Godzilla vs. Megalon.  I loved it at first sight, and that love endures to this day.  I have seen hundreds of better films than it, and yet I love it more than most of them.

I love Godzilla vs. Megalon because, for all its faults, it has some incredibly endearing qualities.  Some of them are objectively great - the shot of Godzilla and Jet Jaguar surrounded by a circle of fire while Gigan and Megalon menacingly watch them from outside it is an iconic visual, and one of the best special effects shots in the Godzilla series.  There are aspects of it that I think come down to personal taste - a lot of people hate the anthropomorphism of the kaiju in this movie, but honestly I love the idea of a Godzilla who heroically comes to humanity’s rescue from cackling villains at the bidding of a grinning robot named Jet Fucking Jaguar.

And there are some things in this movie that are, well, terrible, but also kind of glorious in how fucking crazy and ill conceived they are.  Is the infamous tail sliding scene a piece of high art?  No, it’s... it’s such a goofy, stupid decision.  Would my life and, indeed, the world itself be significantly less beautiful without that moment of cheesy insanity in it?  Yes.  I believe we would be less impressive as a species if that moment - that scene of Godzilla sliding on his tail to kick Megalon in the dick, TWICE - had never been made.  Humanity is greater for having made it.  It’s terrible, but wonderful.

And that’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom too.  It’s got moments that I genuinely believe are some of the best in the franchise.  It has moments that a lot of people would deride for being “goofy” or “weird” that I personally love because that’s the kind of person I am.  It has a REALLY bad script - just.... just a lot of REALLY big, glaring storytellling issues.  A lot of them.  Tons.  Many that are basic fucking aspects of story telling.

And it has a plethora of moments that are really bad but also really great at the same time - moments that are both horrible and wonderful in how stupid and insane they are.  Truly it is the Godzilla vs. Megalon of the Jurassic Park franchise.

And since I know some of you will ask about it:

Jurassic Park is the Godzilla (1954) of the Jurassic Park franchise.  Both are masterpieces that are landmarks in both the monster movie and horror genres, and also film in general.  Both have some very prevalent flaws (Jurassic Park, like all Spielberg films, has some truly staggering continuity errors, while Godzilla has a couple of scenes that were VERY sloppily edited because of the film’s rushed production schedule and limited budget), and yet both have virtues that are so strong they more than make up for it.  They are rightfully considered classics, and it is an unfortunate truth that none of the sequels will ever be able to shake off the shadow these two films cast.  There just isn’t a way they can be topped.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park is the Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster of the Jurassic Park franchise.  It has a way worse reputation than it deserves, and a lot of people - even fans of the franchise - will parrot the many criticisms they’d heard of the movie without actually critically watching it themselves.  Despite its reputation, the movie is actually a LOT better than you’d think, with a lot of creative ideas that take the franchise in a very different direction than the earlier entr(y/ies), and while the change in direction may feel a bit odd at first, it ultimately opened up the story to a lot of new possibilities.  Still flawed, yes, but worth far more than most give it credit for.

Jurassic Park III is the Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla of Jurassic Park movies, in that it’s a mediocre story whose main problem is that it doesn’t really have, like, a reason to exist beyond a desire to get more money from the franchise.  It does nothing to shake up the formula, going through the motions of previous entries except without any enthusiasm or soul.  There are worse movies, sure, but you can feel everyone’s lack of motivation while watching it - everyone and everything involved is keenly aware that there’s not really an artistic reason to be here, and as a result it feels like the movie equivalent of eating stale potato chips.

Jurassic World is... hard to place, honestly.  Maybe the Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II (i.e. the 1990′s one) of the Jurassic Park movies?  That’s at least apt for me - I absolutely loved that film when I first saw it, but upon repeated viewings I slowly realized that it was actually a lot worse than I wanted it to be, and that there was really only one element in the movie that made me love it so much when I first saw it - and unlike, say, Godzilla vs. Megalon, that aspect was nowhere near as prominent as it needed to be.  I still dearly love that one piece of the movie, but my opinion on the movie as a whole has soured considerably.

A Love Letter to Black Panther

Disclaimer: Y'all gon' get tired of hearing me scream, "WAKANDA FOREVERRRRRRR!"

Because I mean it. Bless this movie, man. This is everything I have ever dreamt of seeing from a black superhero with an all black cast. They couldn't have done a better job. This movie is a vision, fully realized. It's going to leave a very important impact on pop culture at large and I am so here for that. I've been a black nerd since birth, and to be given a big budget film with a 90% black cast that is backed by a studio giant is so gratifying I can see why some people left the theater in tears of joy. It's not that we haven't had black films before that did well. It's not that we're not giving credit to Blade for being a (mostly) successful film franchise with a black hero at the helm. It's all the elements lining up from having Ryan Coogler direct to grabbing actually African cast members to being marketed during the Superbowl--which is the most expensive ad time you can buy on television--to seeing an amazing integration of tradition, science fiction, and modern topics that are relevant to the black community. I sound like I'm overstating things, but I truly am so happy with how this film turned out. It wasn't a cheap cash grab. It was a genuine attempt to weave a story about African and black culture based around a whole lot of ass-whuppin' and I can't wait to dive in. Follow me, Wakandans.

Naturally, spoiler alert.

Let's start with the man himself, the King of Wakanda, T'Challa. First of all, I knew I'd love him since Civil War. Most people went for Tony or Steve and came out of that movie going, "OH MY GOD BLACK PANTHER IS THE FUCKING BADDEST I CANNOT WAIT FOR HIS SOLO MOVIE DUDE." We all knew he was a total badass, but what I left this movie with was a sincere love for the mercy and compassion he showed us in this film. It's very easy in a position with that kind of power to let it corrupt you and become jaded, but the gestures he made in this film were so lovely. I love that he was outraged by his father trying to erase history with what happened to his uncle and cousin. He was genuinely angry and hurt by it all and in the end, he showed so much kindness by letting Kilmonger see the sunrise before he died that it was honestly touching. I love T'Challa because he has such a big heart. It’s an incredibly important perspective to provide, as much of the world still sees black men as angry, dangerous thugs incapable of kindness. He has flaws as well, like his anger issues and naivete, and that's what makes his journey so compelling. It's very easy to write a royalty character as above it all, but that's why Thor: Ragnarok was so well received recently: they knocked Thor off his princely pedestal and brought him down to our level. We understand what T'Challa is going through even though we aren't royalty. He has a homeland to protect and a family to look after in his father's absence, much like we have our own responsibilities trying to tug us in a thousand different ways. I love that he challenged his father and brought about a new era, extending his help to the world. T'Challa is an excellent character and Chadwick Boseman did a hell of a job with him.

As a black woman, you know what's coming next. My girls Nakia, Okoye, and Shuri. Where do I even start? First of all, let me raise my fist for some lovely dark-skinned women getting the spotlight in a major superhero film franchise. Now, don't get me wrong--I absolutely freaking LOVED Tessa Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok. She slayed. But my heart is just bursting with pride at these beautiful badass women who are given weight, agency, and attention in this film. I have absolutely nothing against light-skinned women at all, but I do acknowledge that they tend to get roles easier than dark-skinned women because society still has this idiotic aversion to them because of the establishment's idea of beauty. It was such a rush to see each woman on screen having inner conflict and deciding what side of the line they would stand on. I love Nakia's stubborn nature and her hesitance to join the fray, but the second T'Challa was gone, she switched into spy mode and she did the damn thing. She saved the people who cared about her, she saved Ross, and she stood up for her country as well as the other people out there who needed her help. You are a diamond, Nakia. Okoye is probably going to come out of this film as the runaway favorite, if you ask me. I mean, Danai Gurira is already worshiped for her role as the amazing Michonne on The Walking Dead, but seeing her here, slicing and stabbing and beating the tar out of everyone while struggling with her loyalty to the Wakandan throne just gives me all the feels. I adored her sharp tongue and her grumpy frown and her impossible awesomeness. Then there's Shuri. I can't express my delight with her. She was such an adorable, witty addition to the team. I fully admit that I fell for the low-hanging fruit: the "WHAT ARE THOOOOOOOSE!" joke was hilarious even though I know no one over the age of thirty is going to have a single clue what she was referencing. I loved her calling Ross "colonizer." Shuri was throwing shade left and right and it was glorious. Furthermore, having her be the gadget gal of the film was brilliantly done. I loved her enthusiasm and her amazing tech. I loved that she bravely fought even though she was inexperienced. She was such a great character and I look forward to seeing beautiful little girls idolizing her mind and her strength in the future.

Kilmonger is definitely one of the strongest villains in the MCU so far. Most people ding Marvel for having thin villains, and that's not an unfair assessment. In my opinion, it's Cutting Room Floor issues. When you have to tell a story in two and a half hours, sometimes there's just too much content that you're excited to fit in and you just can't get it in there, so you take out chunks related to the villain to avoid the hero having an unsatisfying character arc. It's not a great idea, because then your villain isn't three dimensional and it can diminish the overall enjoyment of the film. Kilmonger is the answer to that problem. He had a reason for what he did, and while it wasn't an excuse for his cruelty, it definitely made you think about the fact that every good villain is a hero in his own mind. Kilmonger's plan even tempted someone in T'Challa's camp because it had a serious amount of relevance not only to Africans but black people all over the world. Wanting to stomp out oppression, especially in this day and age, is a trap I think a lot of people can fall into. I love the almost Shakespearean tragedy of it all, that maybe this could have been avoided if T'Chaka stayed behind and explained to the boy where he came from and that he had no choice. It probably wouldn't have worked, but just abandoning the kid with his dead father was ice-cold, and it's more tragic that it was done out of good intentions in T'Chaka's mind. I love that T'Challa sympathized with Erik and even offered to save him in the end. That has weight. That's excellent writing. I do admit, though, that Michael B. Jordan is definitely a young actor, because he was hamming it up pretty hard in certain scenes, but overall the kid did well with the role.

The costume design and scenery were just breathtaking. Man, I love the visuals we got to see. African culture is so vibrant and interesting. I'm really delighted knowing millions of people will get some exposure to all the different aspects and traditions it has to offer.

The soundtrack is killer. From the score to the tracks, it was done truly well.

Andy Serkis as Claw (although I don't appreciate the bait and switch, I can live with it; Marvel always kills their villains that are not Loki and even he is probably going to die in Infinity War). I knew he was an oddball in Age of Ultron, but damn, was he a complete nutcase. I appreciate how completely insane he was the whole time with no real explanation as to why. The simple glee on his face when he giggles, "I made it rain!" was just flawless. He might have the market corned for wackiest Marvel villain thus far. I'm sad that we only got to enjoy two performances from Serkis, but they were still entertaining as hell.

The action sequences had me floored. This is one thing I've always adored about Marvel films. The pacing is always excellent and they know how to wow you. If you follow me at all, you'll know one of the numerous reasons I hated the Justice League movie is that there was NO imagination in ANY of the fight scenes. Black Panther offers some of the best and most creative scenes to enjoy, from hand to hand combat to flipping cars with a fucking vibranium spear. I was cringing and twitching in my seat like I was playing a VR of Tekken, for God's sake. These fight scenes were so well done (though I will ding the film for lighting issues; the jungle scene suffered badly from that problem, as did at least one other one to my chagrin) and I loved everyone's various weapons and fighting styles.

MY BOY BUCKY AT THE END CREDITS YOOOOOOOO. I am infatuated with the idea that the Wakandans analyzed him and have been slowly helping him recover from being brainwashed and abused. It made my cold, petrified heart all warm inside when he smiled and looked out over the water. I just want Bucky to be happy, okay?! Leave me alone!

Well, I've gone on long enough, haven't I? I regret nothing, honestly. This is like The Dark Knight all over again: one of those rare instances when the hype for something was so crazy that we were sure it couldn't deliver, but not only did it deliver, it kicked the hell out of all expectations. I can't wait to see where the road will lead from here. My wish and hope is that this movie does so damn well that Hollywood opens its damned eyes and listens to what we have been saying since the beginning: we want diversity and we want it well done and we want it now. Stop relying on the old ideals of a market that we outgrew decades ago. Black people are just as complex and interesting as everyone else on the planet, and it's time you woke up. We've been doing it ourselves with all kinds of various projects from comic books to novels to short films and you can either lead, follow, or get out the way, as Jidenna once said. Your move, Hollywood.

WAKANDA FOREVER.

THIS IS NOT A TEST: Ranking THE PURGE Films from Best to Worst

It’s been 5 years since the release of The Purge. A groundbreaking horror film from Blumhouse where all crime in America is made legal for one grisly night a year. Since then, the world of the infamous crime night has been explored through 3 different installments; The Purge: Anarchy, The Purge: Election Year, and this year’s The First Purge. Four films in, I’m taking a look back through the murderous universe to determine where the movies rank in the series. Be warned, SPOILERS are abundant. Lets get into it!

  4. The First Purge (2018)

It’s hard to really expect greatness when viewing the fourth entry to a film series. Even with low expectations, The First Purge still felt like a missed opportunity. What’s truly missing in this film compared to its ancestors is anything unique. We’ve seen this movie before. The New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) once again play the villainous role, sending out mercenaries to “get the murderous ball rolling” so to speak. This time, they target a cast of economically-poor residents on Staten Island, who must power their way through the killing convoys.

Unlike The Purge, Anarchy, and Election Year, there’s no special plot device here to separate it from the pack, other than it’s the “first” purge night. Also lost, and perhaps most importantly, is James DeMonaco’s directing. DeMonaco took a politically-charged idea and turned it into horror in an expert fashion. The First Purge simply isn’t scary. In director Gerard McMurray’s vision, missing are the visually stunning & creepy environments, the claustrophobic set pieces, and the overall sense of dread. What’s left can only be defined as a political action film with slasher elements, with a sprinkle or two of horror.

  3. The Purge (2013)

The Purge films are a bit of an anomaly. How often does it happen where the first movie of a series come in at 3rd place? There’s no mistake here. The Purge plays out as a home-invasion suspense/thriller based on the concept that what the perpetrators are doing is legal. That’s really all that the idea of a country-wide “purge night” is needed for here. Fresh off of bare bones budget hits such as Sinister and Insidious, Blumhouse Productions continued the trend here. Unlike those films, however, you can really feel the $3 million budget constraints in this one. With an idea bursting with possibilities, we are stuck in Ethan Hawk’s house as his neighbors break their way in.

Don’t get the wrong idea, there are fantastic concepts here that birthed what we all know and love as “purge night”  (the unsettling masks, the AWESOMELY SPINE-TINGLING alert siren, etc.). The Purge just can’t outrank the following entries in my ranking because it is frustratingly contained in a world begging to be explored. In a way, Blumhouse and co. really nailed this one if their true intentions at the time were to launch a Purge film series.

  2. The Purge: Election Year (2016)

The change from #3 to #2 on this list is a huge one. In Election Year, the world of “the purge” is wide open. The American public is becoming disillusioned with the annual purge, and are about to elect a presidential candidate who has promised to put an end to the night. The NFFA see the writing on the wall, and make a nefarious change to the purge night “rules”; no one, including high-ranking government officials, are off-limits.

While the plot of the government trying to assassinate a political rival seems to fall into my complaints about The First Purge, there’s so much more to like here that I forgive it. Most importantly, action takes a backseat to horror in Election Year. The plot expands to include a shop owner and his immigrant protegé out to protect their deli from destruction, a vigilante ambulance service, and an underground resistance to the NFFA. In addition to a tight and fulfilling plot, Election Year may boast the strongest cast of the film series altogether, including the return of Frank Grillo and Edwin Hodge. Lastly, the film is shot absolutely beautifully and captures a horrific atmosphere. Director James DeMonaco’s importance to the Purge series cannot be overstated.

  1. The Purge: Anarchy

As a horror fanatic, I keep a ranked list of every horror film I’ve ever seen. Right along with the ranks of Halloween, The Thing, and Insidious sits The Purge: Anarchy. The second entry in the series, this film gets everything right. Breaking out of the claustrophobic home setting of The Purge, the second entry takes the story to the streets of Los Angeles. There, Sergeant Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) decides against seeking revenge against the drunk driver who killed his son, and instead guides a group of survivors through the infamous night.

Anarchy contains everything you ever wanted from a Purge film. The visuals are phenomenal, as the empty streets of LA at night make for a truly haunting setting. The “purgers” are terrifying. The cast puts together a great performance, as I connected with the characters and wanted them to survive the night. The climax of the film, playing out like a vicious game of laser tag, rates by far as the best of the series. Lastly, we get an extremely satisfying final sequence where it’s revealed Barnes spared the life of the man who took so much from him, and the man saves him in return. B-R-A-V-O. Anarchy realizes the Purge series’ full potential, and belongs among the great horror films of our time.

  How would you rank The Purge series? Let me know by following Nightmare on Film Street on Twitter and Facebook, and leave your rankings there!

The post THIS IS NOT A TEST: Ranking THE PURGE Films from Best to Worst appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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The Force Ricochets

In the beginning, there was the Word…or a bunch of words, anyway. They began with, “It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.” Once seen, it was impossible to forget.

Film historians will tell you the first blockbuster was Steven Spielberg’s Jaws in 1975. That’s true, but there’s a galaxy’s worth of difference between a blockbuster and a frickin’ phenomenon. On May 25, 1977, Star Wars changed everything. The brainchild of George Lucas erupted from theaters and soon laid claim to toys, books, music, clothing, and an absolutely godawful holiday special.

For a while there, Star Wars was bulletproof. It didn’t matter that Return of the Jedi was only two-thirds of a good movie. It didn’t matter that a large number of connected novels were poorly written. Hell, it didn’t even matter that the release of the Prequel Trilogy captured the imagination of the public like a wet fart. Ultimately, it was always understood that underneath it all was a strong core, the product of a vision.

Things changed in 2012 when George Lucas sold Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion to Disney. The Mouse House now oversaw his galaxy, and the legacy of his company was secure. Barely after the ink was dry on the contracts, plans were made.* Disney did what it excels at, which is pumping out content. A continuation of the Skywalker Saga began in 2015 with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That trilogy, along with 42 years of themes, narrative, and expectations comes to a close with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Remember Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)? When last we saw him, he had assumed control of the villainous Empire…I mean, First Order, tried and failed to stamp out the Rebellion…I mean, the Resistance, and did battle with his mentor Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who was revealed to be an exceptionally sneaky Force Ghost. Have those experiences seasoned young Master Ren into a wiser and cannier opponent? They have not, and he’s still the same old lovable scamp who enjoys wholesale slaughter and counterproductive temper tantrums.

After killing the hell out of a bunch of luckless chumps, Ren descends into the depths of a hidden planet. He finds Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who has been a busy little Sith lord despite the minor inconvenience of having been dead. It turns out he’s been creating clones and waiting for his long-lost heir. The plan is to activate a thing called The Final Order which will subjugate the galaxy, resurrect the Sith order, and cause everyone to have a pretty crappy day.

The good news is, there’s a band of plucky rebels on hand to stop them. Yes, still. Our old pal Rey (Daisy Ridley) has been diligently training to be a Jedi, and she’s become a dab hand at yanking stuff around with the Force and swinging around her lightsaber all willy-nilly. Daredevil pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) continues to buckle swashes whenever possible, while ex-Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) continues to have a frustratingly underwritten personality.

Their leader remains Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), who desperately seeks an advantage against the First Order. Due to the efforts of a spy, she just might have one. Now they must seek out a Sith artifact, the corpse of an assassin, his ship, and a mystical dagger emblazoned with clues leading them to the truth. Yep, there’s an awful lot of time spent seeking out things or people.

Let’s take a moment to imagine you’re seeing your favorite band in concert. You’ve gotten good seats and the sound quality is exquisite. They take the stage, and your musicians of choice play all the hits, but only the hits. Then, a tribute band joins them onstage, and they proceed to play the hits. That’s what The Rise of Skywalker is, and it’s designed to give the fans what they want and nothing else at all.

Look, I still believe that as much as The Force Awakens played it safe, it skillfully rejuvenated the Star Wars brand and was a fun time at the movies. I also believe that The Last Jedi took some big chances and did so with a high degree of skill. That film also was the most divisive film in the franchise, and going forward, the creators of The Rise of Skywalker had quite a job ahead of them. Their job was to bring audiences more adventures with characters they love, wrap up years-long storylines, deliver thrilling spectacle, and simultaneously close out a franchise while prepping audiences for more down the road. Unfortunately for them, the film that actually did all those things successfully this year is Avengers: Endgame.

So that must mean I loathed The Rise of Skywalker, right? Not at all? Give director J.J. Abrams credit for consistently making terrific-looking films that are impeccably cast and feature inventive set pieces. There’s a lightsaber duel in the midst of crashing waves that’s gorgeous, and an extended sequence that would be right at home in the world of Mad Max. There were many, many moments where I caught myself thinking, “Oh, that’s cool!” Problem is, I was only affected by surface pleasures.

As so often happens, the root problems are with the screenplay. Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow, Abrams, and Chris Terrio hammered out the story and script, and it’s a story written from fear. Sure, The Last Jedi made over $1 billion at the box office, yet The Force Awakens made over $2 billion, and last year’s Solo underperformed with a hair under $400 million. Making matters worse, The Last Jedi had a 49 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to a 91 percent critics score.** Abrams and his merry group of scribes needed to deliver a crowd-pleaser or die trying.***

Their screenplay feels desperate. It’s as if, with a slightly mad gleam in their eyes, Abrams and co. are vigorously fan-servicing the audience and yelling, “DO YOU LIKE THIS? WHAT ABOUT THIS? HERE’S A LIGHTSABER FIGHT AND A TON OF SPACESHIPS AND ANCIENT PROPHESIES! HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU LOVE!” Over and over they call back to the Original Trilogy, and it feels like they have so little faith in the present that they need to refer to the past. Speaking of the past, the script repeatedly sidelines, undercuts, or straight-up changes plot and character points established in The Last Jedi. In typical Abrams fashion, it also does so at high speed. By the time you’ve realized a thing doesn’t make sense, the film has rocketed you to a totally different thing that also doesn’t make sense—yet is awfully cool looking. This franchise succeeds when it melds mythic archetypes, swashbuckling adventure and, yes, low-key ripping off other movies. It’s always done so with high confidence, and if there’s one thing Star Wars should never feel like, it’s desperate.

For decades, it’s been fashionable to sneer at the Star Wars movies for stilted and amateurish acting. Like many commonly held beliefs, it’s wrong. You need only look at the performances by Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver for proof. At no point are either of them phoning it in, and while they know they’re in a big-budget space fantasy, they never wink at the audience. They take the emotion seriously and deliver acting that’s layered and intelligent. Oscar Isaac’s Poe is a creature of almost pure charisma, and while he doesn’t have quite as much to do from a performance standpoint as last time out, he’s still great fun. Supporting turns from Keri Russell and Richard E. Grant are great fun, and I particularly enjoyed Joonas Suotamo’s clever performance as Chewbacca.

Let’s also take a moment to mourn how, throughout this trilogy, John Boyega has been done dirty. The idea of him playing a Stormtrooper who goes AWOL and develops a conscience is a damn good one. The Force Awakens left his character in an interesting place. The Last Jedi never quite knew what to do with him and saddled him with a subplot that kept putting the brakes on the movie. That trend continues here, and Finn, unfortunately, becomes a third wheel. Boyega is a smart and creative actor who could have had a brilliant role if only the filmmakers knew how to capitalize on it.

In the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Star Wars means a great many things to a great many people, and I don’t begrudge them a little joy this holiday season. Perhaps you’ll walk out of the theater feeling that pleasurable rush of dopamine. If so, that makes me happy. What also makes me happy is, despite the considerable disappointment I felt towards The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars isn’t over. The cynical view to take is that it’s too big to fail, and too lucrative an IP to reject. The real view is that, right now, passionate and talented people are doing what matters. They’re devising stories,**** doing the brutally underappreciated work of illuminating the hidden corners of the galaxy, and igniting our imaginations. They’ll explore. We’ll follow.

    *Or “schemes were hatched,” if you prefer.

**This is subject to change, but as of this writing, The Rise of Skywalker has an 86 percent audience score and a 57 percent critics score.

***When it comes to big popular entertainment, filmmakers walk a tightrope. You have to deliver something that people enjoy. You also have to have almost sociopathic confidence in your story. I give George Lucas a perverse degree of credit for the Prequel Trilogy. He made exactly the movies he wanted to make, and he gives zero f’s if we like them or not.

****It cannot be overstated how much credit Dave Filoni is due. He’s responsible for creating The Clone Wars and Rebels TV series and is a co-creator of The Mandalorian.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/the-force-ricochets/

Dictatorship USA – Part 9A

Further elaboration of accomplices of the US secret political police (see Bought-And-Paid-For  Accomplices of the US Secret Political Police [Dictatorship USA – Parts 9 and 9AA])

The importance of the US secret political police in the political life of the United States can hardly be overstated.  We will further elaborate on the means and mechanism by which accomplices are recruited, directed and financed.  

Never having been on the inside, I obviously cannot know all the details. However, I have had decades of experience confronting the US secret political police directly in the United States as well as decades with their collaborators in the former Soviet Union and now in Russia (where the methodology is – in general terms – virtually identical with the US).  What follows is a description focused on the “glorious” US of A.

The well-cultivated and generally accepted image of collaborators of the secret political police is that the FBI, local and state police send a relatively small band of “informers” into movements and organizations to report on the activities of the “international communist conspiracy” (in former times) and “terrorists” and other “criminals” today.  This is a very partial and deliberately false portrait of the US secret political police and their accomplices.

Numbers:  The number of “informers” or accomplices in America is not numbered in the hundreds or thousands but at least in the hundreds of thousands and more likely low millions.  I cannot know the exact number, but it is certainly massive.  Likely about 1 - 2% of the working-age population of the US., or about 3 million people.

And not difficult to do.  Such an endeavor certainly requires a vast political police apparatus and ample funds.  All of which US imperialism has.  No problem there!

Ideology: The vociferously proclaimed assertion that the United States of America is a “democracy” is pure lie and deception.  Allegedly, this “democracy” would proscribe the US secret political police from recruiting and managing a vast “team” of accomplices in its vicious struggle against honest and progressive people.

This inherently false ideology is promoted by the pernicious idealization of the American revolution against British colonialism.  Vicious, ruthless mass slave-owners such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are portrayed as the heroic and nearly god-like founders of not only American democracy, but even democracy on a world scale!  In fact, the fundamental forces behind the American Revolution were (1) expansion and elaboration of the most brutal system of human exploitation known - human chattel slavery; and (2) massive theft of land from and concomitant horrendous virtual extermination of native American peoples.  While there were progressive elements active in the American  Revolution – motivated by opposition to the tyranny of kings and “royal” families and feudalism - the influence of more humane elements was virtually nil in the creation and further development of the American state.

This outrageously false depiction of the origins of American “democracy” serves as a backdrop for the phony proclaimed “freedom” of the US system.  The US secret political police are not guided by even the slightest hint of a hint of any concept of democratic rule.  Their objective: to protect and extend the anti-human, ruthlessly exploitative machinations of the multi-billionaire US ruling class. All and any methods are appropiate; the end always justifies the means.

Forget about any “democratic” prohibitions or inhibitions for the US secret political police!

Ideology among Americans: It would be absurd to think that the US secret political police have  significant diffculties in finding many MILLIONS of people who would wholeheartedly collaborate with the FBI, local police, etc.  A massive and permanent campaign is waged in the US to inculcate the concept that the “law enforcement” agencies are virtually sacred cows, which deserve – in fact, require – the “cooperation” of ordinary citizens.  Hollywood movies, major television programs and US political culture in general are devoted to glamorizing the “exploits” of the police – secret and otherwise.  All of this is augmented in the educational system, in religious institutions, the mass media, etc.

No doubt, some Americans would be moderately repelled by the idea of being an “informer” or a provocateur for federal or local police forces. But the great majority of even these potential “dissenters” would be swayed by appeals to “patriotism”, threats of “consequences” for refusal and/or rewards for cooperation.  Under current circumstances, it would be a dangerous illusion to believe that the vast majority of Americans would not cooperate with the US secret political police.

Funds: Ultra-reactionary and murderous Allen Dulles, the key figure in the establishment of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) of the United States, stated that as much money should be spend on “intelligence” as on the military (The Craft of Intelligence, Allen Dulles, New York 1963, p. 264).   How much is this?  The real US military budget was about 1.2 trillions dollars (Fighting Over Crumbs Left from Military Spending, Alternet March 3, 2011) and is even greater now, although the official sum is considerably less (700 billions dollars in 2018 – Military.com, March 22, 2018).

By rough comparison, the combined total for US intelligence activities (foreign and domestic – in total 16 acknowledged agencies) officially was about 70 billion dollars in 2016 (United States intelligence budget, Wikipedia). Compared to the military budget, this is an immense shortfall and far below what Allen Dulles demanded.  However, these kind of “intelligence” figures should be viewed with a great deal of scepticism, that is, as lies.   For one thing, the “intelligence community” and their administration and congressional proponents are habitual liars.  Lying is an essential aspect of this “profession.”  In addition to the  governmental budget, there are vast sources of funds additionally available to the CIA, FBI, etc.

One of the chief source of funds for the US “intelligence community” is the international trade in narcotic substances (drugs).  This aspect of the “work” of the CIA, FBI etc. requires a separate discussion.  

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Перед нами сейчас -  коварный и крайне опасный мошенник, расист, лжец и фашист Дональд Трамп, порочный Конгресс, нацистские ФБР - ЦРУ,  кровавые милитаристы США и НАТО >>> а также и лживые, вредоносные американские СМ»И».

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Правительство США жестоко нарушало мои права человека при проведении кампании террора, которая заставила меня покинуть свою родину и получить политическое убежище в СССР. См. книгу «Безмолвный террор — История политических гонений на семью в США» - "Silent Terror: One family's history of political persecution in the United States» - http://arnoldlockshin.wordpress.com

Правительство США еще нарушает мои права, в течении 14 лет отказывается от выплаты причитающейся мне пенсии по старости.  Властители США воруют пенсию!!  

ФСБ - Федеральная служба «безопасности» России - вслед за позорным, предавшим страну предшественником КГБ, мерзко выполняет приказы секретного, кровавого хозяина (boss) - американского ЦРУ (CIA). Среди таких «задач» -  мне запретить выступать в СМИ и не пропускать большинства отправленных мне комментариев.   А это далеко не всё...

Арнольд Локшин, политэмигрант из США

BANNED – ЗАПРЕЩЕНО!!

ЦРУ - ФСБ забанили все мои посты и комментарии в Вконтакте!

… и в Макспарке! …  и в Penzu!

… и в  WordPress!

Dictatorship USA – Part 9A

Further elaboration of accomplices of the US secret political police (see Bought-And-Paid-For  Accomplices of the US Secret Political Police [Dictatorship USA – Parts 9 and 9AA])

The importance of the US secret political police in the political life of the United States can hardly be overstated.  We will further elaborate on the means and mechanism by which accomplices are recruited, directed and financed.  

Never having been on the inside, I obviously cannot know all the details. However, I have had decades of experience confronting the US secret political police directly in the United States as well as decades with their collaborators in the former Soviet Union and now in Russia (where the methodology is – in general terms – virtually identical with the US).  What follows is a description focused on the “glorious” US of A.

The well-cultivated and generally accepted image of collaborators of the secret political police is that the FBI, local and state police send a relatively small band of “informers” into movements and organizations to report on the activities of the “international communist conspiracy” (in former times) and “terrorists” and other “criminals” today.  This is a very partial and deliberately false portrait of the US secret political police and their accomplices.

Numbers:  The number of “informers” or accomplices in America is not numbered in the hundreds or thousands but at least in the hundreds of thousands and more likely low millions.  I cannot know the exact number, but it is certainly massive.  Likely about 1 - 2% of the working-age population of the US., or about 3 million people.

And not difficult to do.  Such an endeavor certainly requires a vast political police apparatus and ample funds.  All of which US imperialism has.  No problem there!

Ideology: The vociferously proclaimed assertion that the United States of America is a “democracy” is pure lie and deception.  Allegedly, this “democracy” would proscribe the US secret political police from recruiting and managing a vast “team” of accomplices in its vicious struggle against honest and progressive people.

This inherently false ideology is promoted by the pernicious idealization of the American revolution against British colonialism.  Vicious, ruthless slave-owners such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are portrayed as the heroic and nearly god-like founders of not only American democracy, but even democracy on a world scale!  In fact, the fundamental forces behind the American Revolution were (1) expansion and elaboration of the most brutal system of human exploitation known - human chattel slavery; and (2) massive theft of land from and concomitant horrendous virtual extermination of native American peoples.  While there were progressive elements active in the American  Revolution – motivated by opposition to the tyranny of kings and “royal” families and feudalism - the influence of more humane elements was virtually nil in the creation and further development of the American state.

This outrageously false depiction of the origins of American “democracy” serves as a backdrop for the phony proclaimed “freedom” of the US system.  The US secret political police are not guided by even the slightest hint of a hint of any concept of democratic rule.  Their objective: to protect and extend the anti-human, ruthlessly exploitative machinations of the multi-billionaire US ruling class. All and any methods are appropiate; the end always justifies the means.

Forget about any “democratic” prohibitions or inhibitions for the US secret political police!

Ideology among Americans: It would be absurd to think that the US secret political police have  significant diffculties in finding many MILLIONS of people who would wholeheartedly collaborate with the FBI, local police, etc.  A massive and permanent campaign is waged in the US to inculcate the concept that the “law enforcement” agencies are virtually sacred cows, which deserve – in fact, require – the “cooperation” of ordinary citizens.  Hollywood movies, major television programs and US political culture in general are devoted to glamorizing the “exploits” of the police – secret and otherwise.  All of this is augmented in the educational system, in religious institutions, the mass media, etc.

No doubt, some Americans would be moderately repelled by the idea of being an “informer” or a provocateur for federal or local police forces. But the great majority of even these potential “dissenters” would be swayed by appeals to “patriotism”, threats of “consequences” for refusal and/or rewards for cooperation.  Under current circumstances, it would be a dangerous illusion to believe that the vast majority of Americans would not cooperate with the US secret political police.

Funds: Ultra-reactionary and murderous Allen Dulles, the key figure in the establishment of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) of the United States, stated that as much money should be spend on “intelligence” as on the military (The Craft of Intelligence, Allen Dulles, New York 1963, p. 264).   How much is this?  The real US military budget was about 1.2 trillions dollars (Fighting Over Crumbs Left from Military Spending, Alternet March 3, 2011) and is greater now, although the official sum is about one-half that amount (580 billions dollars in 2016 - Military budget of the United States, Wikipedia).

By rough comparison, the combined total for US intelligence activities (foreign and domestic – in total 16 acknowledged agencies) officially was about 70 billion dollars in 2016 (United States intelligence budget, Wikipedia). Compared to the military budget, this is an immense shortfall and far below what Allen Dulles demanded.  However, these kind of “intelligence” figures should be viewed with a great deal of scepticism, that is, as lies.   For one thing, the “intelligence community” and their administration and congressional proponents are habitual liars.  Lying is an essential aspect of this “profession.”  In addition to the  governmental budget, there are vast sources of funds additionally available to the CIA, FBI, etc.

One of the chief source of funds for the US “intelligence community” is the international trade in narcotic substances (drugs).  This aspect of the “work” of the CIA, FBI etc. requires a separate discussion.  

A crucial method of paying off the massive army of US secret political police stooges will be highlighted in the next discussion.

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Правительство США жестоко нарушало мои права человека при проведении кампании террора, которая заставила меня покинуть свою родину и получить политическое убежище в СССР. См. книгу «Безмолвный террор — История политических гонений на семью в США» - "Silent Terror: One family's history of political persecution in the United States» - http://arnoldlockshin.wordpress.com

Правительство США еще нарушает мои права, в течении более 13 лет отказывается от выплаты причитающейся мне пенсии по старости.  Властители США воруют пенсию!!   Всё это — ещё доказательство, что настоящий действующий закон в США — Закон джунглей.

ФСБ - Федеральная служба «безопасности» России - вслед за позорным, предавшим страну предшественником КГБ, выполняет приказы секретного, кровавого хозяина (boss) - американского ЦРУ (CIA). Среди таких «задач» -  мне запретить выступать в СМИ и не пропускать большинства отправленных мне комментариев.   А это далеко не всё...

Арнольд Локшин, политэмигрант из США

BANNED – ЗАПРЕЩЕНО !!

ВНИМАНИЕ: ЦРУ - ФСБ забанили мои посты и комментарии в Вконтакте!