The Scottish actor is totally up for an Obi-Wan anthology series - and he may or may not already have talked to Disney about it...
Sarah Doran - RadioTimes
We briefly heard his dulcet tones in Rey's vision in Star Wars Episode VII but could Ewan McGregor make a full-bodied return to the franchise?
He certainly thinks so, though maybe not in the upcoming Episode VIII, but rather in another of the spin-off anthology films. The fans really want an Obi-Wan movie after all.
"I’d very much like to do one too. I think the story between Episode III and Episode IV, I think there’s a story there. I think that’s the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie, if there is one" said McGregor.
When The Big Bang Theory returns on Thursday, Amy and Sheldon will take the next step in their relationship.
As EW first revealed, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) will open up to Amy (Mayim Bialik) about a weird secret he’s never revealed to anyone. “They explicitly talk about that this is a new level of trust, and that’s really special,” Bialik tells EW, hinting as to what the secret is: “It’s along the interest in Sheldon as a spectrum-y person kind of information, and it’s a really sweet episode.”
While the revelation of a secret doesn’t sound as monumental as the duo finally sleeping together earlier this season, it is a big moment for the couple, whose relationship has moved at a relatively glacial pace since season 3. “The [writers] are doing one thing after another to keep that relationship advancing without shoving it into the future,” Parsons says. “This is one of those things that doesn’t necessarily change anything from a viewers’ perspective on a day-to-day basis of watching the show, but in a subconscious way and from the groundwork of the show in general, it adds a layer of something between them.”
Disney is continuing to tease videos that will be included in the Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens Blu-ray. This time we get to see a little bit of Daisy Ridley’s audition.
Buzzfeed shared the new clip which will be in “The Secrets Of The Force Awakens” documentary. This documentary will be over 70 minutes long looking at how the big budget movie was made.
J.J. Abrams explained that they wanted to find an actress with a lot of range, but also someone that hasn’t been heard of before. Abrams said they saw a lot of good actresses, but Daisy Ridley was the one that was perfect for the role of Rey.
Wizard 1/2 Limited Cloth Edition. Certificate of Authenticity.
Lady Death has faced her challenges in The Odyssey and still has little desire for war and yet she follows her former tormentor Valdana to Asgard where she will meet old and new foes as well as friends and allies, but more surprisingly more family than she ever knew she had.
Nightwing (the former Robin) confronts Batman about his decision to take on a new sidekick in "White Gold And Truth". Script by Jim Starlin, pencils by Jim Aparo, inks by Mike DeCarlo. Aparo/Bill Sienkiewicz cover.
Nightwing is not exactly pleased that Batman has taken on a new Robin, but realises that it is about time he patched things up with Batman at least. He hears the story of how Jason Todd came to be Robin and accepts the boy, helping him crack a drug ring; as he does so, he makes sure Robin has someone to talk to if his relationship with Batman should suffer. The first caption in this story is 'One Year Ago' and it is pegged at eighteen months since Dick Grayson's career as Robin came to an end.
Cover art by Bob Oksner. The Laugh Heard 'Round The World starring Superman, script by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Tex Blaisdell.
Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance are given a free week’s vacation at Squire’s In the Berkshires, the favorite resort of Jesse Tenzer, whose chocolate factory had been helped by Oliver’s publicity. The gift was the idea of Jesse’s quiet son, David. But four murders occur while Oliver and Dinah are vacationing, all committed by bludgeoning the victims with black rocks from a sling. Thurston Keane, the resort manager, tries to pin the blame on Green Arrow and Black Canary, but the two heroes discover that the real killer is Davy Tenzer.
"The Sins of the Secret Empire!" Script by Steve Englehart, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Vince Colletta.
Make way for the Marvel Age of Comics! Captain America, the Falcon, and the X-Men in deadly combat with the Nick Fury and his hell-raising Agents of Shield!
Direct edition. "Choices!" Written by Todd McFarlane. Art by Todd McFarlane, Greg Capullo and Danny Miki. Cover by Todd McFarlane.
Cogliostro explains to Spawn that if he uses his power any more, it could result in him being transported back to Hell because the suit will want to return home. Cog tells Spawn he needs to let the anger inside him die, as that is what is causing his suit to morph prematurely in its lifespawn.
Spawn heads to the hospital where Terry Fitzgerald is being treated. He thinks about not helping Terry since he never did anything but betray him by working for Jason Wynn and marry his wife.
The Doctor informs Terry his tumor is malignant and he only has a few months to live.
In Queens, New York, Spawn visits Granny Blake. She tells him that Terry is dying and to send a prayer his way. Spawn recalls how he promised to always protect Wanda. He heads to the hospital, and against Cog's warnings, uses his Magic to heal Terry. He's instantly transferred to Hell for using his power.
Script by David Michelinie. Art by Sal Buscema (layouts), Dan Green (finishes), and Frank Miller (assists). Cover by Frank Miller and Bob McLeod.
Inferno stalks a terrified Tim Turpin, the co-worker who caused Joe Conroy's death, finally causing the murderer's own demise when he is crushed by a drifting barge. The creature then menaces motorists on the Liberty Bridge, until Iron Man and Wonder Man, now joined by the other Avengers, resume their battle with the molten menace. Inferno's real target, however, is steel mill owner Vince Paretta, whose Maggia connections Conroy had suspected and who had ordered his death. Inferno follows the fleeing Paretta to his home, forestalling the Avengers' pursuit by smashing a trolley car and setting it aflame. The heroes swiftly rescue the endangered passengers, however, and arrive in time to hear Paretta's fearful confession, whereupon Inferno turns and walks away into the nearby river.
In the early 1970s’ Amicus Pictures (Owned by Milton Subotsky and Max J Rosenberg) decided to pump so life into the declining British fantasy film industry by bringing the works of Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs to the big screen. The company’s rival, Hammer, had abandoned its standard horror films for features starring half naked women in an attempt to put more bodies in the seats and the time seemed right for Burroughs strait forward action tales to fill the void.
The first of the four Burrough’s stories to be produced by Amicus would be an adaptation of the short story “The Land That Time Forgot” which was first published in Blue Book Magazine in 1918. Milton Subotsky had first penned a screenplay for the film back in the early 1960s’ but this first draft was initially rejected by the late Burrough’s estate. It was under their prodding that the script was rewritten by Jim Cawthorn and Michael Moorcock. Their dialogue heavy, light on the action script however didn’t meet Subotsky’s approval so it was reworked yet again.
The film began production at Pinewood Studios in April 1974 with a mere $750,000 budget that had been put up by American International Pictures in exchange for the American distribution rights. This extremely low budget forced the film-makers to settle for cost cutting measures in the effects department. Hand puppets were used for the films dinosaurs in many scenes where costly stop motion animation had intended to be used. The effect looks primitive when compared to modern CGI effects, but for the time period in which it was created the effects in The Land That Time Forgot faired well against most rival productions.
Batman and Superman. Gotham and Metropolis. Lex Luthor, Doomsday and—for the first time ever on the big screen—Wonder Woman. With its stellar lineup of heroes and villains and bigger and better battles with even more at stake than the destruction of the Earth, Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is an epic Super Hero journey like no other.
Pit the two greatest heroes in the world against each other and the unthinkable becomes inevitable in the form of a truly seismic clash: Batman, the underground vigilante, a knight in the darkness, and Superman, the unbeatable alien in the sky—who can possibly win such a war?
Nearly two years have passed since Metropolis suffered a battle unlike anything Earth has ever seen. Many lives were saved, but one man can’t forget those lost in the annihilation, and now Bruce Wayne lives with a simmering rage that has begun to boil over into a feeling of powerlessness, the kind that turns good men into vengeful warriors. Indeed, it’s the very stuff of nightmares that drives the Batman to leave his mark on the criminals of Gotham, even as he turns an eye toward the greater prize.
It was for the role of Wonder Woman that the filmmakers for "Batman vs Superman" felt perhaps the greatest responsibility when it came to casting. “Wonder Woman had just turned 75 years old, and we really felt it was time for her to grace the big screen,” declares Deborah Snyder. “She is one of the most powerful female heroes that we have, she symbolizes so much strength and passion, and she is a role model for women of all ages.”
So, no pressure, right?
“We searched all over the world, we looked at hundreds of actors for the role,” she continues. “When we met Gal Gadot, it was unanimous among us that she was special, that she personified Wonder Woman. And as we got to know her and saw how she interacted with everyone, we knew that she was the right fit. Wonder Woman represents love and truth and sexual equality. Gal really embodies those characteristics.”
Gadot’s first day on set as the heroine had an impact on everyone, especially one very young visitor—the niece of a crew member who had drawn a picture for Wonder Woman. “This sweet little girl gave me a beautiful picture she had drawn for me,” Gadot recalls, “and people just started to cry. It was very moving and it proved how important the character is. For little girls who can be inspired to be strong, independent and sophisticated women when they grow up and for little boys who learn they must respect women, Wonder Woman represents a lot of good values, and moral strength, too.”
Though her time in this film is somewhat brief, Gadot enjoyed bringing the Amazon warrior to life beside the iconic male Super Heroes. “She’s been around for a long time and she’s very wise,” Gadot observes. “She knows how to choose her battles and she can read a few steps forward. And there is a lot of difference between men and women in the way that we deal with conflict.”
Because the filmmakers were introducing both Wonder Woman and the mysterious Diana Prince in the film, they needed Gal Gadot’s physique to reflect the dual facets of the character. Having served in the Israeli army, the actress was no stranger to combat training. After discussing the role with the filmmakers, trainer Mark Twight says he trained Gadot with an eye to “develop the particular physicality of the character, who has to integrate into high society as well as being a total hitter when it comes to swinging the sword and battling the bad guys.”
Twight worked with Gadot for over nine months. “I noticed as she became more physically capable, her attitude changed from wondering about her ability to do the role to just knowing that she could sell this. That level of confidence was fascinating to watch develop, that she can be both beautiful and soft and caring when she needs to be and as hard as she needs to be to combat evil.”
Caro also put Gadot through her paces. “We did a lot of martial arts drills, working with her stances, footwork, punching drills, kicking drills, and so forth,” he says. “We mainly focused on her weapons training— specifically sword and shield.”
“Gal had to undergo such a rigorous training process,” Deborah Snyder adds, “yet she was always positive, always wanted to know what more she could do. Her commitment alone proved we really had our Wonder Woman.”
Snyder wanted Wonder Woman’s costume to be made of metal, which seemed like a great idea until Wilkinson began thinking about the demands of the film’s battle scenes and other special effects. “Metal is rigid,” Wilkinson explains, “but the choreography and the stunt requirements of our script called for incredible ease of movement. So instead we developed a material that looks like metal but was able to take a paint finish so we could create a wonderfully ancient feel to it, and still have it be flexible. I designed a sectioned breastplate that has expansion joints, allowing Gal to breathe and bend and do all her amazing stunt moves while looking like she’s outfitted in this incredibly strong, metal armor. We wanted to balance her power and intimidation with her grace and majesty.”
In designing Diana Prince’s civilian attire, Wilkinson says he was careful to resist the temptation to “go too high fashion or over the top. We wanted to create clothes for Gal that were very striking and individual-looking, but also grounded in her persona and the reality of the film.”
The designer strove for European elegance and sophistication, letting the beauty of the actress stand out through the use of minimal color. “She wears a lot of solid colors with confident silhouettes and statement jewelry, all of which convey her intelligence and, somehow, that she’s someone you don’t want to mess with. It was important that the clothes provide a sense of strength, rather than just being ornamental.”
Of course, we all know Wonder Woman is famous for some of her accessories, but neither she nor Batman would be truly ready for battle without their own, individualized arsenals.
With Wonder Woman at all times are her tiara, her Amazonian bracelets, and her lasso of truth, sword and shield. Designed and manufactured under the careful eye of property master Doug Harlocker, the sword, like Superman’s chainmail, surreptitiously incorporates a portion of the Joseph Campbell quote admired by director Zack Snyder—this time, etched in Venetian text into the grooves of the blade. An eagle, which is an integral motif in the character’s lore, decorates the uppermost part of the sword, and also sits, faded and almost ghostly, upon the front of her well-worn shield.
“Once we had Batman in the story, all I could think was, ‘Is it crazy to bring Wonder Woman in, too?’” Zack Snyder recalls. “For me, as a longtime fan, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are the comic book trinity, and I knew movie audiences have been dying for Wonder Woman. I thought it would be amazing to include her as a way to introduce the character into this world.”
Though the Amazon warrior’s appearance is brief, her timing is impeccable, and she definitely intrigues both men. Gal Gadot undertakes the role in the film, joining a powerful cadre of actresses in equally strong female roles: Amy Adams, reprising the role of journalist Lois Lane; Diane Lane returning as Martha Kent; and Holly Hunter as Senator Jane Finch, who goes toe-to-toe with both Superman and Lex Luthor.
Gal Gadot is rapidly emerging as one of Hollywood’s most engaging and sought-after talents. She is currently in production in the dual role of Diana Prince and Wonder Woman in the character’s first feature film, set for release in 2017.
Due out in February 2016, Gadot can next be seen in John Hillcoat’s “Triple Nine,” a crime drama about a crew of dirty cops who are blackmailed by the Russian mob to execute an impossible heist. She will also star in Ariel Vromen’s action film “Criminal,” alongside Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Costner and Gary Oldman, about a dangerous convict receiving the skills and memories of a deceased CIA agent. Also set to release in 2016, Gadot will star in the comedy film “Keeping Up with the Joneses,” opposite Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher and Zach Galifianakis.
In 2009, Gadot appeared in her first U.S. feature as Gisele, Vin Diesel’s love interest in “Fast & Furious.” She returned as Gisele in “Fast Five” and “Fast & Furious 6,” and was last seen in the seventh installment, “Furious 7.”
In 2010, Gadot was seen in the action-adventure “Knight and Day,” which starred Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. In the film, she played Naomi, a henchwoman to Tom Cruise’s enemy. The same year she was also seen in the crime comedy romance “Date Night” as Natanya, the Israeli girlfriend of Holbrooke, played by Mark Wahlberg.
Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Gadot won the title of Miss Israel and went on to represent Israel in the 2004 Miss Universe beauty pageant. She soon began her acting career, playing the lead role in the Israel TV series drama “Bubot” (“Dolls”).
Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India, Mahatma Gandhi studied law and came to advocate for the rights of Indians, both at home and in South Africa. Gandhi became a leader of India's independence movement, organizing boycotts against British institutions in peaceful forms of civil disobedience. He was killed by a fanatic in 1948.
"Where there is love there is life."
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.”
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
“When every hope is gone, 'when helpers fail and comforts flee,' I find that help arrives somehow, from I know not where. Supplication, worship, prayer are no superstition; they are acts more real than the acts of eating, drinking, sitting or walking. It is no exaggeration to say that they alone are real, all else is unreal.”
“Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.”
“I must say that, beyond occasionally exposing me to laughter, my constitutional shyness has been no dis-advantage whatever. In fact I can see that, on the contrary, it has been all to my advantage. My hesitancy in speech, which was once an annoyance, is now a pleasure. Its greatest benefit has been that it has taught me the economy of words. I have naturally formed the habit of restraining my thoughts. And I can now give myself the certificate that a thoughtless word hardly ever escapes my tongue or pen. I do not recollect ever having had to regret anything in my speech or writing. I have thus been spared many a mishap and waste of time. Experience has taught me that silence is part of the spiritual discipline of a votary of truth. Proneness to exaggerate, to suppress or modify the truth, wittingly or unwittingly, is a natural weakness of man, and silence is necessary in order to surmount it. A man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech; he will measure every word. We find so many people impatient to talk. There is no chairman of a meeting who is not pestered with notes for permission to speak. And whenever the permission is given the speaker generally exceeds the time-limit, asks for more time, and keeps on talking without permission. All this talking can hardly be said to be of any benefit to the world. It is so much waste of time. My shyness has been in reality my shield and buckler. It has allowed me to grow. It has helped me in my discernment of truth.”
Osaka Castle is best-known to Godzilla fans as the final battle site between Godzilla and Anguirus in Godzilla Raids Again (1955) (a.k.a. Gigantis The Fire Monster).
It appears Denise, Aiden and I added to the record number of visitors to Osaka Castle last October, in our small way.
Kyodo News reported:
The number of visitors to Osaka Castle in western Japan has set a new record in fiscal 2015 mainly due to a rise in foreign visitors, its operator said Monday.
The previous record was 2,124,790 people set in fiscal 1983, when an event was held to mark the 400th anniversary of the original castle's construction. The number of visitors surpassed the previous record Saturday ahead of the current fiscal year's end on March 31, the operator said.
Above, Denise and Aiden in front of Osaka Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Rubber Soul was the Beatles sixth studio album.. It was recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market, and was released on 3 December 1965. It was produced by George Martin. Unlike the five albums that preceded it, Rubber Soul was recorded during a continuous period, whereas the group had previously recorded albums during breaks in between tour dates or other projects. After this, Beatles albums would be made without the burden of other commitments, except for the production of short promotional films.
Rubber Soul incorporates R&B, pop, soul, folk rock, and psychedelic music styles. The album is regarded by musicologists as a major artistic achievement that continued the Beatles' artistic maturation while attaining widespread critical and commercial success. The album's name comes from the term plastic soul, which popular African American soul musicians coined to describe Mick Jagger, a white musician singing soul music. It was the second Beatles album – after the British version of A Hard Day's Night – to contain only original material; the Beatles would record no more cover songs for their records until 1969, with the "Maggie Mae" excerpt appearing on Let It Be.
Rubber Soul is regarded by fans and critics alike as one of the greatest albums in popular music history. In 2012, Rubber Soul was ranked number five on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2013, after the British Phonographic Industry changed their sales award rules, the album was declared as having gone platinum.
Virtually all of the album's songs were composed immediately after the Beatles' return to London following their North American tour. The Beatles expanded their sound on the album, with influences drawn from wide-ranging sources, such as African American soul music, the contemporary folk-rock of Bob Dylan and The Byrds, and the vocal harmony pop of The Beach Boys. The album also saw the Beatles expanding rock and roll's instrumental resources, most notably on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" through George Harrison's use of the Indian sitar. He had been introduced to it via the instrumental score for their 1965 film Help!. Although The Kinks had incorporated droning guitars to mimic the sitar after a visit to India on "See My Friends", "Norwegian Wood" is generally credited as sparking off a musical craze for the sound of the novel instrument in the mid-1960s – a trend which would later branch out into the raga rock and Indian rock genres. The song is now acknowledged as one of the cornerstones of what is now usually called "world music" and it was a major landmark in the trend towards incorporating non-Western musical influences into Western popular music. Harrison's interest was fuelled by fellow Indian music fans Roger McGuinn David Crosby of the Byrds, whom Harrison met and befriended in August 1965. Harrison would eventually be transfixed by all things Indian, taking sitar lessons from renowned Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar.
French-like guitar lines on "Michelle" and Greek-influenced ones on "Girl", fuzz bass on "Think for Yourself," and a piano made to sound like a baroque harpsichord on the instrumental bridge of "In My Life" added to the exotic brushstrokes on the album. Ringo Starr had frequently augmented Beatles tracks with non-standard percussion instruments such as maracas or tambourine, but on the track "I'm Looking Through You" unusually used taps on a box of matches, perhaps influenced by a similar trick as done by Gene Krupa in the 1941 film Ball of Fire.
Rubber Soul was the group's first release not to feature their name on the cover, an uncommon tactic in 1965. The 'stretched' effect of the cover photo came about after photographer Bob Freeman had taken some pictures of the group wearing suede leather jackets at Lennon's house. Freeman showed the photos by projecting them onto an album-sized piece of cardboard to simulate how they would appear on an album cover. The unusual Rubber Soul album cover came to be when the slide card fell slightly backwards, elongating the projected image of the photograph and stretching it. Excited by the effect, they shouted, "Ah! Can we have that? Can you do it like that?", to which Freeman said he could. The distinctive lettering was created by Charles Front (father of actress Rebecca Front), and the original artwork was later auctioned at Bonhams, accompanied by an authenticating letter from Robert Freeman.
Rubber Soul was commercially successful, beginning a 42-week run in the British charts on 12 December 1965. The following week it replaced The Sound of Music soundtrack at the top of the charts, and held the top spot eight weeks. On 9 May 1987, Rubber Soul returned to the album charts for three weeks, and ten years later made another comeback to the charts. - Source
Led Zeppelin: In Through The Out Door
In Through the Out Door is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, and their final album of entirely new material. It was recorded over a three-week period in November and December 1978 at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and released by Swan Song Records on 15 August 1979. In Through the Out Door was the band's eighth and final studio release to reach the top of the charts in America, and was the last released by the band before the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980.
The album is a reflection of the personal turmoil that the band members had been going through before and during its recording. For example, frontman Robert Plant and his wife had gone through a serious car accident, and their young son, Karac Plant, died from a stomach illness. All four band members also felt weary of dealing with record companies and other associates. Despite this, the release wound up being a huge commercial success, particularly in the United States (sitting at the #1 slot on Billboard's chart in just its second week on the chart).
The album was named by the group to describe its recent struggles amidst the death of Robert Plant's son Karac in 1977, and the taxation exile the band took from the UK. The exile resulted in the band being unable to tour on British soil for over two years, and trying to get back into the public mind was therefore like "trying to get in through the 'out' door."
In contrast to previous Led Zeppelin albums, In Through the Out Door features much greater influence on the part of bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones and vocalist Robert Plant, and relatively less from drummer John Bonham and guitarist Jimmy Page. Two songs from the album—"South Bound Saurez" and "All My Love"—were the only two original Led Zeppelin songs that Jimmy Page had no part in writing. With the exception of "Darlene," a boogie-woogie based song credited to all band members (which was eventually released on the 1982 album, Coda), Bonham did not receive writing credits for any of the songs recorded at Polar Studios. This diminished input by Page and Bonham is attributed to the two band members often not showing up on time at the recording studio, with Bonham struggling with alcoholism and Page battling heroin addiction. As Jones said, "there were two distinct camps by then, and we [Plant and I] were in the relatively clean one."
Many of the songs were consequently put together by Plant and Jones during the day, with Page and Bonham adding their parts late at night. According to Jones, this was
“... mainly because I had a new toy. I had this big new keyboard. And Robert and I just got to rehearsals early, basically. With Zeppelin writing, if you came up with good things, and everybody agreed that they were good things, they got used. There was no formula for writing. So Robert and I, by the time everybody turned up for rehearsals, we’d written three or four songs. So we started rehearsing those immediately, because they were something to be getting on with.”
Following the recording sessions at Polar Studios, the album was mixed at Page's personal studio at his home in Plumpton. "Wearing and Tearing", "Ozone Baby" and "Darlene" were recorded during sessions for this album, but were dropped because of space constraints. All later appeared on Coda.
The album was intended to be released before the band's twin concerts at Knebworth in 1979, but production delays meant that it was released shortly after their performances at this event. Plant jokingly referred to the delays at times during the performance on 4 August.
Despite receiving poor reviews, the album went to No. 1 on Billboard's chart in its second week on the chart. - Source
The Rolling Stones: Tattoo You
Tattoo You is the 16th British and 18th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1981. The follow-up to Emotional Rescue (1980), the album is mostly composed of studio outtakes recorded during the 1970s, and contains one of the band's most well-known songs, "Start Me Up", which hit second place on the United States's Billboard singles charts.
The album proved to be both a critical and commercial success upon release, reaching the top of the Billboard charts, and selling more than four million copies in the United States alone. It was also the final Rolling Stones album to reach the top position of the US charts, thus concluding the band's string of number-one albums there, dating back to 1971's Sticky Fingers. It is considered by many fans and critics to be the Rolling Stones' last great album.
Tattoo You is an album primarily composed of outtakes from previous recording sessions, some dating back a decade, with new vocals and overdubs. Along with two new songs, the Rolling Stones put together this collection to have a new album to promote for their worldwide American Tour 1981/European Tour 1982 beginning that September. Guitarist Keith Richards commented in 1993:
"The thing with Tattoo You wasn't that we'd stopped writing new stuff, it was a question of time. We'd agreed we were going to go out on the road and we wanted to tour behind a record. There was no time to make a whole new album and make the start of the tour."
The album's associate producer, Chris Kimsey, who'd been associated with The Stones dating back to Sticky Fingers (1971) said Tattoo You "...came about because Mick [Jagger] and Keith were going through a period of not getting on. There was a need to have an album out, and I told everyone I could make an album from what I knew was still there." He began sifting through the band's vaults: "I spent three months going through (the recording tapes from) like the last four, five albums finding stuff that had been either forgotten about or at the time rejected. And then I presented it to the band and I said, 'Hey, look guys, you've got all this great stuff sitting in the can and it's great material, do something with it."
Many of the songs consisted at this point of instrumental backing tracks for which vocals had not been recorded. Jagger said in a 1995 interview, "It wasn't all outtakes; some of it was old songs... I had to write lyrics and melodies. A lot of them didn't have anything, which is why they weren't used at the time – because they weren't complete. They were just bits, or they were from early takes". Despite the eclectic nature of the album, the Rolling Stones were able to divide Tattoo You into two distinct halves: a rock and roll side backed with one focusing on ballads.
The earliest songs used for Tattoo You are "Tops" and "Waiting on a Friend". The backing tracks for both songs were cut in late 1972 during the Goats Head Soup (1973) sessions and feature Mick Taylor, not Ronnie Wood, on guitar. Taylor, who was not credited, later demanded and received a share of the album's royalties.
"Start Me Up" was released in August 1981, just a week before Tattoo You, to a very strong response, reaching the top 10 in both the United States and UK, and number 1 in Australia. Widely considered one of the Stones' most infectious songs, it was enough to carry Tattoo You to No. 1 for nine weeks in the United States, while reaching No. 2 in the UK with solid sales. It's been certified 4x platinum in the United States alone. The critical reaction was positive, many feeling that Tattoo You was an improvement over Emotional Rescue and a high-quality release. "Waiting on a Friend" and "Hang Fire" became Top 20 US hits as well.
"Start Me Up" would prove to be The Rolling Stones' last single to reach as high as No. 2 in the US, while Tattoo You is their last American No. 1 album to date. - Source
Two Years Before the Abomination!, script by Steve Englehart, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Sal Trapani.
Bruce controls the ship that was mentally guided by the Leader and returns to Earth. Thunderbolt Ross orders to fire missiles to destroy the rocket. One of them is successful. Hulk and the Rhino (unconscious) fall to the desert. Meanwhile, the Abomination wakes up after 2 years in a coma. The army confuses him with the Hulk and locks him in a super cell. Ross frees the Abomination with the condition of killing the Hulk. The villain accepts and meets the Hulk in the desert. Both titans unleash their power. The Abomination is shocked and amused to find out in convesation the Hulk had knocked him out and he has been in a coma for two years. The Abomination turns his back on the Hulk, and in an act of cruel humor, the Abomination tells Hulk that his friend Betty has married Glenn Talbot and gone to Niagra Falls. The Hulk hits the Abomination from behind, knocking him out. Hulk leaps away heading for the Niagara falls. The honeymooning Glenn Talbot and Betty are oblivious to the events taking place. They think that Bruce Banner is dead.
"Urtumi the Image Eater" Starring the Flash (Barry Allen). Script by Cary Bates, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Joe Giella. "Mind Over Murder!" Starring Deadman. Script by Len Wein, pencils by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, inks by Frank Chiaramonte.
Vashnu succeeds in persuading Kronsky to remove the helmet and abandon his dreams of power. But now the helmet becomes sort of a hot potato as it exchanges several hands in the next several minutes. First, Deadman occupies Inga Brand's body, dons the helmet, and uses it to fashion him a new, solid body. However, the body disintegrates after a few seconds. Then, another man appears and steals the helmet, but Deadman occupies his brother's body, which causes the man to be thrown into a tank full of water, and die when the helmet explodes. With the helmet destroyed, Kronsky (who invented the helmet) feels that he has nothing left now, but Inga reassures him that he has a place with his new family, the circus people. Deadman, angered, asks Rama Kushna why was he taunted with freedom from his ghostly state. Rama appears as a face on a tree, and tells Deadman that he must adjust to his ghostly gift, and warns him that it may last for an eternity. Deadman screams in frustration.
Cover art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Bob Oksner. One Of Our Phantoms Is Missing featuring Superman and the Phantom Zone, script by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Tex Blaisdell.
Clark Kent returns home to find a strange, elderly man in his apartment. This is Jackson Porter, Clark's new neighbor. Porter claims that he came over to introduce himself and found the door open, but Clark grows suspicious. After an awkward conversation, Porter returns to his apartment.
Later, a strange phantom is seen terrorizing the streets of Metropolis. Morgan Edge is angry that the phantom was seen floating near the apartment of his "star reporter" Clark Kent, and Kent failed to put together a story on the incident. Clark decides to investigate the matter on his own as Superman.
He soon discovers that the mysterious phantom is actually Faora Hu-Ul, an escaped criminal from the Phantom Zone. Superman tries fighting her, but Faora escapes. She then flies to the apartment of Jackson Porter, where she has been masquerading as the ghost of Porter's late wife, Katie.
Cover pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Dick Giordano. The World on Fire!, script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Jerry Ordway.
The All-Star Squadron was a series that featured the Justice Society fighting both crime and Nazi superagents alongside various Golden Age-era independent heroes of their once-native Earth-Two universe in the time period of 1942, with the expanded team of heroes called the All-Star Squadron -- a concept later used in the DC Animated Universe's Justice League Unlimited series with modern-day heroes. Following the Crisis On Infinite Earths, Mekanique would show up and cause the new post-Crisis All-Star Squadron history to be held back until her mission was completed in 1942, then with the releasing of that history, the Golden Age versions of Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Speedy would be forever erased. It was followed by a sequel series called The Young All-Stars, which focused on a subgroup of young teenagers with powers and abilities similar to those of the erased Golden Age heroes mentioned. Buy This Comic Book Here
The SILENT MOBIUS manga has a special meaning to us, for it is the one who gave us, near the end of the 1980's, the first chance to see the incredible work of Kia Asamiya. We had already seen some other manga works (such as AREA 88 and NAUSICAA), but Asamiya's cover art for SILENT MOBIUS had a little something that was different. Maybe it is his choice of colors (he often uses a kind of purplish neon blue that we fine absolutely gorgeous) and the way he uses them to create a kind of weird atmosphere. Anyway, it was the cover art of SILENT MOBIUS #1 that made us want to buy this $40 manga at such a price (manga were costing LOADS of money in those days… Well, they still do, but as much as they used to…). The book was wrapped, so we were bracing for the shock of discovering that the interior art was not as good as the cover's. All this worrying proved to be useless, for the interior art, while a little simpler, was just as good as the cover's! Of course, the story was lost on us (we did not even have a basic knowledge of Japanese), but that was not really important to us in those days.
Then Viz decided to release the translated version of SILENT MOBIUS in 1992 and all became clear. However, Viz (in the hope of pleasing a North American readership) had decided to colorize the manga and let's just say that the results was not exactly wonderful, as Asamiya used a lot of Zip-A-Tone in his first works and the colors, applied over the Zip-A-Tone areas of the art, made for an horribly dark mess. Only a few parts were printed in color, then Viz went back to the original B & W. The publication of SILENT MOBIUS then stopped for a few years. It has re-started only a few months ago, but this time, things are as they should have been at the beginning: Graphic Novel format, more than 250 pages each and in black and white. Volumes 1 to 7 are currently available for purchase at http://www.viz.com/.
These GNs are exactly what we, North American Kia Asamiya fans, needed, as they collect the SILENT MOBIUS volumes exactly the same way the Japanese version did (except that the first few pages are not color, which is a shame). Let's just hope that Viz Comics will be able to publish the whole story (more that 10 volumes to date). For those who wonder if the story in the manga is similar to the movies', we are sorry to say that the two SILENT MOBIUS movies were, story wise, not as good as the manga, for they assumed that you had read it (which was not our case when we first saw them…). If you want to read this near-legendary manga, this is the time to do it!
It is well known that Japanese animation has been vastly influenced by the North American high budget Sci-Fi and Fantasy cinema. James Cameron's TERMINATOR, George Lucas' STAR WARS saga, Dino Di Laurentiis's CONAN THE BARBARIAN, the famous HEAVY METAL and Ridley Scott's ALIEN quartet have all had a TREMENDOUS influence on anime. However, none of them has had as much influence on anime writers, directors and designers as the latter director's masterpiece; the now famous BLADE RUNNER, one of the cult movies of the 1980's. Many animations, such as BUBBLEGUM CRISIS, AKIRA, and CYBER CITY OEDO 808, have simply borrowed the spirt of Ridley Scott's classic (Priss's band in BGC was named "Priss & The Replicants"!), but it was Kia Asamiya who borrowed the most from BLADE RUNNER, by making it both the visual AND spiritual inspiration for his own masterpiece, SILENT MOBIUS (we know, it is supposed to be written MOEBIUS, but the Japanese translated it as MOBIUS, so…)
The BLADE RUNNER feel, mixed with Asamiya's beautiful art and cool story, gained SILENT MOBIUS rave reviews from its readers, so much that in 1991, Kadokawa Shoten, the manga's publisher, decided to fund the production of a high quality motion picture, which was a total success at the Japanese box office. Beautiful animation and designs (Michitaka Kikuchi and Yazuhiro Moriki, who both worked on ZEORYMER, were responsible for both), as well as a cool story and an incredible soundtrack (the ending song, "Sailing", won the prize of best anime song of 1991) makes SILENT MOBIUS: THE MOTION PICTURE one of the best anime movies of the decade. A second movie, just as good as the first one (in our opinion, anyway…), was released in 1992, but was not as successful as the first one. Then SILENT MOBIUS sent silent (no pun intended) for years…
However, last year, there was a sudden revival, as the preparative and the arrival of a SILENT MOBIUS TV series were announced. The series was to be produced by Kadokawa and Bandai Visual and would be 26 episodes long. The basic story was going to be this…
At the end of the 20th century, the Lucifer Hawk, horrible creatures from Nemesis, another dimension where what we consider to be magic are natural laws, are trying to invade the Earth by opening a gate to our dimension. A vast secret program, called Project Gaia, is initiated to stop them. However, in 2006, the project fails to totally close the gate…
In 2026, 20 year-old Katsumi Liqueur, daughter of techno-sorcerer Gigelf Liqueur, the man who failed to complete the closing of the Nemesis gate, loses her mother, Fuyuka, and is offered, because of the fantastic magical powers linked to her family, a place in Rally Cheyenne's AMP (Attacked Mystification Police), However, Katsumi's efforts are totally awakened, placing her and her comrades in a dangerous situation. With time, after many adventures and the arrival of her mentor, friend and "assistant" Grosspoliner, the King Of All Swords, Katsumi will be able to face her enemies, the most powerful being Maximillian Ganossa, one of her father's ex-aides, who has now become a human minion of the Lucifer Hawk, and Rosa Cheyenne, AMP Chief Rally's little sister, who wants revenge on the human race for the mistreatments suffered during her childhood...
As we can see, this series directly follows the two movies, as it begins with Katsumi's enrollment in AMP. One of the most apparent transgressions from the manga is the presence of Mana Isozaki (a character that only appears around volume five of the manga) at the very beginning of the series. The Character designs, although slightly different in details (Lebia and Kiddy have their manga hairdo, etc.), are very reminiscent of the movies', with their small eyes and less complicated uniforms. This however, does not apply to Lum Cheng, who has the big googly eyes Asamiya is known for in his manga works. The animation is very nicely done for a TV series, with fluid movements and well detailed backgrounds. There are also a lot of well integrated CGI scenes (the opening uses these with great efficiency), even if the integration is not as flawless as, let's say, TENKU NO ESCAFLOWNE or COWBOY BEBOP.
The soundtrack, with its techno-like atmosphere, is excellent, even if somewhat different to that or the two movies. The opening song is not bad, but we found the ending song, with its English lyrics, to be rather weak (we are always a little wary of anime songs entirely performed in English…)
The TV series' story is somewhat better than that of the movies, mostly because there is more time for character development, something the two movies were incapable of doing because of time restraints (they were 50 minutes each, hardly enough time to establish proper characterization). In the TV series, each of the main characters gets one or two episodes (except, or course, Katsumi and Rally, who get more) to tell their personal stories and why they were chosen for AMP. In short, the TV series pretty much follows the story pattern of the manga and even gives us an idea of what the manga's ending will be like.
All in all, we are quite satisfied with this series. It develops the world of SILENT MOBIUS in all the points that the movies could not and gives us a rather well presented animated version of the manga. Our fears were that the animation would be low quality, due to Kadokawa's monetary problems, and that the series would only be a remake of the two movies. Thankfully, these fears proved unfounded. If you are a SILENT MOBIUS fan, this series is definitely for you!
This internationally popular British pop/funk quartet, fronted by Mark King and Mike Lindup, is best known for the hits “Lessons in Love”, “Something About You”, “The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)”, “Love Games”, and “Hot Water”. The genre-blending group started out on the Isle of Wight. Though their membership has fluctuated throughout the years, the original and perhaps best-known lineup of Level 42 consisted of Mark King aka “Thunderthumbs” (vocals & bass), Mike Lindup (vocals & keyboards), and brothers Boon Gould (guitar) and Phil Gould (drums).
Their first album, ‘Level 42’, came out in July 1981. Their first single, “Love Games”, became a hit, reaching #38 on the U.K. single charts, and has since been a fan-favorite. While the band didn’t quite break into the mainstream completely, this album and its follow-ups featured a spirited new wave sound that drew influence from jazz, funk, and rock.
After the success of the 1987 ‘Running in the Family’ album, the Gould brothers left the band, citing musical differences and nervous exhaustion. Said release, the seventh album from Level 42, included perhaps the group’s most popular and iconic single: “Lessons in Love”. ‘Running in the Family’ and their previous album, 1985’s ‘World Machine’, both brought them international stardom and critical acclaim, with ‘World Machine’ peaking at #3 on the U.K. album charts and staying on that chart for 72 weeks.
King and Lindup continued on after the brother’s departure, picking up replacement artists in Gary Husband on drums and former Go West and Kate Bush guitarist Alan Murphy. Murphy sadly passed away after suffering from an AIDS related illness in October 1989. The band released their then swansong album, ‘Forever Now’, in 1994.
At the end of the 80s, Mark King was recognized as one of the best bass players in the world, having partly pioneered the ‘slap and pull’ technique (treating the bass as a percussion instrument). His style and virtuosity still are hugely influential, considering he also sang while he played very difficult basslines. As time went on, the group’s singles continued to recieve major airplay, particularly the two international mega-hits “Lessons in Love” and “Something About You” - Source
Eurythmics: 1984 (For The Love of Big Brother)
1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) is a soundtrack album by Eurythmics, their fourth studio album overall, containing music recorded by the duo for director Michael Radford's 1984 film Nineteen Eighty-Four, based on George Orwell's dystopian novel of the same name. Virgin Films produced the film for release in its namesake year, and commissioned Eurythmics to write a soundtrack.
Lennox and Stewart worked as a duo for these recordings, with no contribution from other musicians. The music, while containing many electronic elements, was far from being "synth pop"; Stewart described some tracks as being like "Kraftwerk meets African tribal meets Booker T and the MGs."
Unknown to the group, Radford had commissioned his own orchestral score, and was not fond of Eurythmics' work. Two versions of the film were released, one featuring Eurythmics' music, and the "director's cut", which replaced most of Eurythmics' music by the orchestral score. When accepting an award for the film, Radford publicly complained of having Eurythmics' music "foisted" on him. Eurythmics issued a statement saying that they had accepted Virgin's commission in good faith, and would never have done so if they had known that it was not being done with the director's approval.
Most of the tracks are instrumental, with song titles and lyrics of two songs on the album being derived from Orwell's text. For instance, "I Did It Just The Same" is taken from a passage in the book where the protagonist, Winston Smith, relates how he committed "sexcrime" with a prostitute—initially deceived by her makeup, when he got close to her, he realised she was "about fifty – but I did it just the same". "Julia" was the name of Winston's lover. "Sexcrime" and "Doubleplusgood" are examples of Newspeak, the revised version of the English language spoken in Orwell's story. The track "Doubleplusgood" features a female announcer—the voice of the omnipresent Telescreen in the movie—reading out various memos which Winston had received at his job in the Ministry of Truth, where his role was to amend past and present newspaper articles so that they conformed to current Party dogma. The "Ministry of Love" was the government police and torture department, and included "Room 101", a room which contained "the worst thing in the world"—i.e. where each torture victim would be confronted with their own worst nightmare. - Source
Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Liverpool
Frankie Goes to Hollywood (FGTH), formed in 1980, were a Liverpool based band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson (vocals), with Paul Rutherford (vocals, keyboards), Peter Gill (drums, percussion), Mark O'Toole (bass guitar), and Brian Nash (guitar).
The group's 1983 debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and subsequently topped the UK singles chart for five consecutive weeks, going on to enjoy prolonged chart success throughout that year and ultimately becoming the seventh best-selling UK single of all time. It also won the 1985 Brit Award for Best British Single. After the follow-up success of "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love," the group became only the second act in the history of the UK charts to reach number one with their first three singles; the first being fellow Liverpudlians Gerry &; the Pacemakers. This record remained unbeaten until the Spice Girls achieved a six-single streak in 1996-1997. In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood won the Brit Award for Best British Newcomer, and the band also received Grammy Award and MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best New Artist.
Liverpool was their second and last studio album, released in October 1986 (see 1986 in music). It would be the band's final album of all-new material, and lead singer Holly Johnson would leave the band following the corresponding world tour, followed by a flurry of lawsuits from ZTT. The album's production was handled by Trevor Horn's engineer Stephen Lipson, who urged the band to play their own instruments on this album (Horn having replaced the band's performances and arrangements with his session musicians or his own performances on Welcome to the Pleasuredome.) Liverpool therefore features a heavier rock sound than its predecessor.
The album was a commercial disappointment compared to the band's previous effort, though it charted generally high at #5 in the United Kingdom, #7 on the Austrian and Swiss music charts and #8 in Norway. The cover photo was different depending on what format was purchased (LP, cassette, or compact disc). - Source
Part 2 of 2 - Guest starring the Uncanny X-Men (Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Sprite). Story by Bill Mantlo. Art by Sal Buscema. Frank Miller cover.
The X-men stand ready to defend the young Jimmy Marks who, unbeknownst to them, is actually the half-human half-wraith Hybrid. As the team springs into action, Hybrid uses his mental powers to usurp Storm’s control of weather and creates a blinding blizzard. While Sprite stays close to Jimmy Marks, Colossus, Nightcrawler, & Wolverine press an uncoordinated attack. Hybird launches a number of farm implements at Rom & Wolverine. Nightcrawler teleports Wolverine to safety and the implements impact harmlessly on the Spaceknight. Rom searches through the storm to find the hulking shape of Hybrid rising behind the young Sprite. As Rom approaches, Sprite turns and spots the horror and instinctively phases through the Galadorian disrupting his circuitry. Colossus grapples with Hybrid who uses his abilities to revert Peter to his human form and begin asphyxiating him. Nightcrawler keeps Peter alive while Wolverine once again confronts Rom. Sprite tells Wolverine about the TRUE enemy Hybrid as Rom once again grapples with Hybrid. His Neutralizer is knocked away. Wolverine picks the weapon up and is severely jolted when he tries to fire it. Sprite then in desperation picks up the Neutralizer and due to her unique phasing ability is able to fire it. Hybrid comes to destroy her but Rom holds him back and instructs Sprite how to retune the weapon to its highest setting. She fires again blasting apart Hybrid’s molecules but also opening the dimensional rift to Limbo where Rom, bathed in his own weapon’s beam then falls through. With the destruction of Hybrid, the storm ceases and the X-men regroup and depart, leaving Rom’s Neutralizer lying in the snow.
This story takes place after the events in Wolverine #64.
Aldo Ferro, the Psi Borg, drops Sabretooth off at his mansion in Vancouver. Ferro warns Sabretooth that there are multiple hostiles waiting for him. Sabretooth tells Ferro to leave because he does not need his help.
Sabretooth is surrounded by dozenes of Hand ninjas who want his head. Sabretooth slices up most of them but Birdy, his assistant blasts the rest away with a big gun.
The two go into to the mansion and there is a wall of pictures of people he has assassinated. Sabretooth tells Birdy to change the picture that looks like Silver Fox because she is now the head of Hydra.
Story by Steve Englehart. Art by Marshall Rogers and Joe Rubinstein.
Still trapped on Earth, the Surfer spends time examining different aspects of the environment he's trapped in. Running into the Fantastic Four, they begin a discussion about potentially freeing the Surfer from the Earth, when the Surfer is suddenly attacked by the Champion. The Champion is bested in battle with the Surfer, and concedes as he has come to the Surfer to warn him not to get involved with the Skrull's quest for conquest. He also tells the Surfer that Galactus' current herald, Nova, is the Skrulls prisoner. The conversation ends with the Champion explaining that the Surfer could possibly leave the Earth if he wanted too, before departing.
This gets the Surfer and the FF thinking of all the times they tried to free the Surfer. When Ben wonders if the Surfer ever tried to leave the Earth without his board. The group suddenly realize they never thought about it before, that perhaps it's the Surfer's board, not the Surfer himself that is held back by the barrier. Flying out into space aboard one of the FF's space shuttles, the Surfer is amazed when the plot really works. Converting his board into pure cosmic energy he manages to get it past the barrier as well. Thanking the Fantastic Four once more for helping him free himself from the Earth, the Surfer soars off into the vast universe.
Written by Frank Miller, with art by Todd McFarlane.
DC's Batman against Image's Spawn. It is a companion piece to Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Written by Frank Miller, with art by Todd McFarlane.
Batman travels to New York city, to investigate a series of brutal murders, who has apparently engaged in cutting the heads off of his victims. The killer, holds high tech weapons and equipment, and wants the brains of the homeless to operate his creations, thus the decapitations. When Batman meets Spawn, they mistake each other for the enemy, and engage in a series of battles, but upon realizing that they are after the same perpetrator, they work together operating on a strained relationship.
Cover pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Dick Giordano. 1st appearance of the new Supergirl in Now...Comes Zond starring Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Morgana, and Zond, script and pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Frank Giacoia.
When a girl is found in a zombie-like state on the Stanhope campus, Supergirl goes into a trance and probes her memories. She learns that she was terrified into catatonia by a being named Zond whom she met at a witches' coven. Supergirl tracks down the coven and confronts Zond, but his magic powers defeat her and shred her costume somewhat. Supergirl consults with Diana Prince, the former Wonder Woman, and has her ask her old foe Morgana the Witch for help. Since Zond is a common enemy, and her mother's former stable-boy, Morgana agrees. Supergirl gets a new uniform from Wonder Woman's boutique before she goes with the other women to the next coven meeting. Morganna takes care of Zond's magic, and Supergirl kicks him around the block. Morganna leaves with Zond, but not before releasing his victim from her fear-trance.
Script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Tom Palmer.
Dracula is furious that his son Janus has been killed by the treacherous Anton Lupeski. Domini attempts to calm the vampire lord, however Dracula can only rage on as he recounts the moment that led to his son's death. Dracula rages on about those who would try to destroy him and turns his fury toward the oil painting of Jesus Christ. He attempts to destroy it, but finds that it still has power over him and he cannot. Looking upon the throne he hoped to rule over, he finds it not a symbol of accomplishment, but one of mockery and smashes it.
As his rage subsides a little, Dracula thinks back to his many years of existence and thinks about his past. His thoughts turn to the years before he became a vampire, when he was merely Vlad Dracula, and he was forced into a marriage with a woman named Zofia, a woman he did not love and treated very poorly. He would recall how one night he attempted an affair with a chamber maid, when she refused because she was betrothed to someone else, Dracula would kill her. Dracula would wonder why he was brought to remember this memory, and he is visited by the memory of his daughter through Maria, Lilith, who mocks Dracula for his poor treatment of her mother, driving her to suicide so that Dracula could marry his second wife.
