IT Chapter 2 – 5 Scary Clowns To Watch Out For

Originally published on Set The Tape

IT Chapter 2 finally comes to big screens, bringing the epic tale of horror to a conclusion as the Losers Club come back together to fight Pennywise for a second time. Whilst Pennywise can make itself look like anything it often chooses a clown, in part because children like clowns, and in part because it knows clowns are scary as hell. Here are five clowns from film and television that give me the creeps.

Pennywise/IT – IT

Let’s get him out of the way straight away. Pennywise is one of the scariest clowns around. Unlike most of the other entries in this list Pennywise isn’t the natural form of IT. IT is actually an ancient entity from outside the known universe, a place referred to as the Macroverse. IT spends great deals of its life sleep, often for 27 to 30 year periods, before it awakens to feed on the fear of children. IT uses its shape-shifting ability to lure in and then terrify its victims.

Pennywise the clown is one of IT’s favourite forms, but it’s revealed that the creature is actually an otherworldly monstrosity. When the Losers Club actually see IT’s true form they see a giant spider-like creature, as that’s the closest the human mind can perceive it.

Twisty The Clown – American Horror Story

Twisty the Clown, portrayed by John Carroll Lynch, is one of the main antagonists of American Horror Story: Freak Show. A retired clown who is also a serial killer and kidnapper of children, Twisty is a terrifying sight in his dirty clown costume and prosthetic face piece. He wears a face mask to hide the horrific gunshot wound that blew away his bottom jaw.

Over the course of the season viewers learnt that Twisty was a mentally ill man who worked in a circus in the 1940s, and was very popular with kids. Driven by jealousy, the ‘freaks’ of the circus spread rumours that Twisty was molesting children. After he was driven out of the circus he tried to take his own life, resulting in the missing lower jaw. This series of trauma helped to push Twisty into becoming a killer.

What makes Twisty all the more scary is the fact that he is loosely based upon the real life serial killer and kidnapper John Wayne Gacy, who murdered more than 30 men and children.

The Rakshasa – Supernatural

The main antagonist in an early season two episode of Supernatural, the Rakshasa is a creature from Hindu mythology that eats the flesh of its victims, sleeps on a bed of insects, and can shapeshift to disguise itself as a human. In this case, disguising itself as a blind knife-thrower in a circus, where it selects its victims.

Whilst the Rakshasa doesn’t appear as a clown often, the opening scene of the episode, where it follows a family home is one of the creepiest in the show’s history. Convincing the family’s daughter to let him into the house he allows the little girl to lead him to her parents bedroom, where he then brutally murders the parents. It’s a hell of a creepy scene, and takes its time in building up the tension and fear as the clown lurks in the shadows, and the image of him looming over the sleeping father that’s shown in his POV is terrifying. Whilst scary clowns make more appearances in the series, this first time is easily the creepiest.

Clown Doll – Poltergeist

Not much of an entity or antagonist, the Clown Doll in the Poltergeist movie is an inanimate object that gets possessed by the evil forces at work in the Freeling house. Despite not being in much of the movie the Clown Doll is often cited as one of the most iconic entities.

The Clown Doll is set up early in the film, lurking in the background of the kids’ room. Robbie Freeling even gets creeped out by the doll and covers it with his jacket so that he can sleep. When the doll finally does come to life towards the end of the film it’s something of a relief as it feels like the threat of it doing something has been hanging there for ages. The scene where the clown is suddenly missing, and Robbie has to peek under his bed in order to find it is one of the tensest in the film, and helps to ramp up the horror of the final scenes.

If you’re not against the idea of clown dolls already, this one will certainly help to put you off them.

The Joker – Batman

One of the most iconic clowns in the world, The Joker was created in 1940 by Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson, and Bob Kane, appearing in the debut issue of Batman. The character was originally planned to be killed off in his first issue, but thankfully was spared this fate and went on to become one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time.

Over the years The Joker has gone through many evolutions, ranging from a goofy prankster to a terrifying psychopath. One of my personal favourite versions of The Joker was in Batman RIP, where he was depicted as a cold blooded killer, dressed in a doctor’s gown, gunshot wound to the forehead, and his tongue slit to look like a snake as he stalks his way through the halls, killing everyone in his path. Whatever version of The Joker you prefer, he’s sure to send shivers down your spine.

One of the few non-powered super-villains in the DC Universe, he has managed to hurt a number of heroes in ways that others haven’t, having murdered Jason Todd when he was Robin, crippled Barbara Gordon, and even mentally broken Alfred, making him one of his lackeys. Other versions of the character have been just as destructive, driving Superman to commit murder, and brainwashing Tim Drake. The Joker is one of the most destructive forces in the DC Universe, and one that’s hard to predict. This, along with an unknown origin make his one of the scariest comic book villains of all time.


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Playmobil: The Movie – 5 Other Toys That Could Have A Movie

Originally published on Set The Tape

Playmobil: The Movie becomes the latest toy franchise to make it to the big screen, joining such hits as The Lego Movie, Transformers, and Battleship. It’s not clear yet if Playmobil: The Movie will be remembered as an all time cinematic great, but for fans of the toys it’s sure to please. With so many toy franchises in existence with fans waiting for their favourite childhood past-times to make the leap to the big screen, we wondered – what could be adapted next? Here are 5 suggestions.

Hot Wheels

Kids love cars. It’s one of the things that is always a certain. The bright paint jobs, the fast speeds, and the run of the races – cars appeal to kids and adults alike. Which makes it an ideal toy to make the switch to the big screen. There are a number of options open for a film based on Hot Wheels, any of which would work.

It could take inspiration from the Disney Cars movies, where the vehicles themselves are alive and have their own personalities. The film could be a story that focuses on the drivers, focusing on an up and coming young racer trying to break their way into the sport, or a rivalry between two racers as they compete for a championship. It could even make itself a kid orientated Fast and Furious film, with crazy stunts and big action sequences. As well as the previously released animated TV movie, there is, apparently, a Hot Wheels film in development with Warner Bros, but no details about what it’s going to be like have been released yet, other than that it is set to be live action.

Furby

One of the most iconic toys for the last twenty years, Furbies, if we’re being honest, are pretty weird: mechanical ‘pets’ that speak gibberish and sing to each other. A lot of people in their twenties and thirties probably had one growing up, and their kids might even have one too. Furbies have appeared in film before, in a television movie from 2005 called Furby Island. Being a TV movie it kind of slipped under the radar, and the cheap CGI actually makes the film scary more than anything else. The Furbies in that film are the stuff of nightmares, so they could really do with another crack at it.

Taking a leaf from popular animation such as My Little Pony, a Furby film could be quite a cute little adventure, featuring magic and mystical creatures that inhabit the world of the Furbies. You could even address the fact that there have been multiple versions of the toys, and feature the original Furbies, Furby Babies, and the Crystal Furbies, helping to ignite interest in the franchise as a whole and getting people wanting to collect as whole range of toys.

Teddy Ruxpin

Okay, Teddy Ruxpin is creepy as fuck. I think it’s important to get that out in the open straight away. My husband has one, and it has to be shut away in the attic because I’m convinced it’s haunted. And that’s totally my pitch for a Teddy Ruxpin movie.

Haunted and possessed dolls and toys have been a thing that’s been around for decades. Whether it’s Chucky from Child’s Play or Annabelle from the Conjuring universe, kids’ toys coming to life and trying to harm people has been a very popular niche. Let’s put Teddy Ruxpin into this category too. For a start, he already looks pretty creepy, and the fact that the toy speaks and has cassettes in its back could make for some great scary moments too. I’m 100% convinced that my husband’s one is haunted, and a film that highlights this possibility would do a lot for my argument that we should get rid of it. This film would have to be a separate entity from the upcoming Teddy Ruxpin television series in development from The Jim Henson Company, as I doubt that they’d want to scar their pre-school audience that much!

Monopoly

This one was actually a pitch my husband made, and I think if done right it would make a great film. Monopoly meets The Wolf of Wall Street. It could be about a young, up and coming businessman who has to navigate his way through the world of property management whilst competing against others who are trying to get rich and screw him over. I can see it as a film that tries to get the idea across to the audience that capitalism is a bad thing, something that exploits people, punishes those who get bad breaks, and ultimately corrupts. Then again, it could go full on The Wolf of Wall Street and be a bizarre comedy that highlights the ridiculous lives of the super rich. Plus, I’ve got the image of the Monopoly Man snorting cocaine off a hooker’s tits in my head now and kind of want to see it on the big screen. The fact that the film is already in development with Kevin Hart set to star means that there’s no telling what direction it’s set to go in, though it’s sure to contain some comedy.

Action Man

This one kind of has had a movie (aside from animated and direct-to-video), as Action Man was the UK reworking of the original G.I. Joe way back in the 1960s, but the two franchises have evolved over the years to become completely different entities, so I’m pretty confident in saying that the G.I. Joe films don’t count at all. To be fair, they struggle to count as good G.I. Joe films either, but that’s a different point.

Over the years Action Man evolved to become less of a soldier and more of a super spy, complete with an arch nemesis, Dr. X. A lot of the Action Man toys and characters became a little goofy and over the top, especially during the 90s and early 2000s, and I’d propose a movie that would lean into this.

Have Action Man be this super spy, part of Action Force fighting against Dr. X, a cybernetic mad scientist. Action Man travels the world, taking part in crazy missions to thwart the plans of Dr. X, but then discovers that it’s all fake. There is no such thing as Action Force, and Dr. X is made up. It’s all been done by Action Man’s parents to let him have his childhood dream of being a super spy. The outraged Action Man turns his back on this fake life and tries to become a real secret agent, but discovers that the weird gadgets aren’t real, the bad guys don’t have elaborate plans, and people will try to kill him.

Part Archer, part Mission Impossible, have the film be this silly, over-the-top super-spy thrown into a very real and grounded world where his crazy way of doing things just won’t work. James Bobin, a director on the cult hit comedy series Flight of the Conchords, was announced to direct an Action Man movie over a year ago, so my hopes of a film that would contain some comedy are high; but unfortunately there’s been no news on the film since it was announced over a year ago.


Honourable Mentions

Whilst I wanted to keep this list just at five, there are so many toys that would make for great films, especially from the 80s and 90s, where toys had such mad designs, and usually an awesome television series to accompany them. Give us films based on Mummies Alive, Visionaries, Sky Commanders, Micronauts, Brave Starr, Dino-Riders, Mighty Max, Street Sharks, and M.A.S.K. to name but a few of the amazing toys that made up our childhoods.


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The Last Unicorn - Comic Review

'Whimsical. Lyrical. Poignant. Adapted for the first time from the acclaimed and beloved novel by Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn is a tale for any age about the wonders of magic, the power of love, and the tragedy of loss. The unicorn, alone in her enchanted wood, discovers that she may be the last of her kind. Reluctant at first, she sets out on a journey to find her fellow unicorns, even if it means facing the terrifying anger of the Red Bull and the malignant evil of the king who wields his power.'

The Last Unicorn was one of my favourite films growing up. One of the few films that I'd watch again and again that was actually designed for children, there was something about it that grabbed my imagination. Whilst today unicorns seem to have been relegated to being all about sparkles and seen as 'girly', back when the film came out they were still viewed as the awesome fantasy creatures that they are, and were often depicted as pretty cool. The recent IDW adaptation of the original book goes back to this kind of feel, presenting the unicorn as a creature that is graceful and beautiful yes, but also filled with wisdom and courage.

The Last Unicorn tells the story of a unicorn that has been living alone in a forest for hundreds of years, until one day she hears a pair of hunters talking who suggest that she may be the last unicorn in the world. Despite being solitary creatures the unicorn is disturbed by this notion, and sets out to try and discover what happened to the rest of her people. She soon hears of a story about The Red Bull, a vicious creature that drove all of the other unicorns out of the lands.

Along the way to find The Red Bull the unicorn is captured by an old witch, and put into a circus show. It's here that she befriends Schmendrick the wizard, who helps to set the unicorn free and joins her on her journey. Later the pair meet a woman named Molly Grue, and the three travel to the land of King Haggard, the place where legend says The Red Bull came from.

The trio are beset by the vicious bull, and Schmendrick transforms the unicorn into a woman in order to save her. The three of them must then work out a way to find the lair of The Red Bull so that they can find the unicorns, before the unicorn forgets who she really is in her new human body.

The Last Unicorn has a lot of fairy-tale like qualities to it. It features magical creatures such as the unicorn, and even a terrifying harpy. There's wizards and witches, talking skulls, and ancient curses. However, it doesn't present these ideas in a way that's been sanitised for children. The world of The Last Unicorn is dark. There's a grimness that fills the lands seen here that makes the story feel somewhat depressing a lot of the time.

This actually helps to improve the story, as many things that could at first feel too fantastical feel much more grounded, as it's not all sunshine and happiness, but a world where people can be victims of curses, where communities suffer, and magic and wonder are leaving the world.

The book has been adapted from Peter S. Beagle's original work, and contains a lot of elements that people who only saw the movie will find new and surprising. There's a subplot involving Hagsgate, a town nestled in the shadow of King Haggard's castle. The town and it's inhabitants suffer from the same curse that befell King Haggard, and there's even a subplot here to kill the King's son, Prince Lir. I was also surprised to learn in this version of the story that Schmendrick wasn't just a bumbling young wizard, but a man much older than he appears, having been cursed with immortality until he 'stopped being a fumbler'. These inclusions bring the comic adaptation closer to the original story, and provide a few surprises for readers that aren't familiar with the original.

The artwork in The Last Unicorn is beautiful, and some of the splash pages are presented in such a way that it feels closer to a work of art than a normal comic page. Here panels flow into each other, with beautiful borders and tiny details that make it something a little more special. Renae de Liz
 really outdoes herself on this book, and brings a level of beauty in her artwork that doesn't just compliment the story, but elevates it. Whilst the book would have still been good under another artist, de Liz seems like the perfect choice for bringing this world to life.

Whether a long time fan of The Last Unicorn, or a newcomer, this book is sure to entertain and impress. It's a perfect gateway into a story that has been adapted into a number of mediums, and is sure to encourage people to check out the original novel and the film adaptation. A wonderful addition to the legacy of The Last Unicorn.

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Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab - Book Review

'Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual. She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.

'When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter -- and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.'

Tunnel of Bones sees a return to the wonderful Cassidy Blake series, as author Victoria Schwab takes the young ghost hunter to the streets of Paris, a city teeming with a history of haunting, and beneath to the terrifying catacombs.

Tunnel of Bones tells the story of Cassidy Blake, a girl that almost drowned to death, but was saved by Jacob, a ghost of a boy not much older than her. Since almost dying Jacob has become Casidy's best friend, and she has discovered that she has the ability to sense other ghosts, and to cross over into The Veil, a place between life and death where the spirits remain trapped.

Cassidy's parents are filming a television series about the most haunted places on earth, and Cassidy has been brought along on the trip. In the first book of the series, City of Ghosts, Cassidy and her family travelled to Edinburgh in Scotland, where she met another girl with similar abilities. She learnt that she not only senses ghosts, but has the ability to free them from The Veil, sending them on to the afterlife.

When Cassidy and her family travel to Paris she discovers that not only is the city more haunted than she first thought, but that there are vast tunnels beneath the city that house the remains of more than six million dead; the Paris Catacombs, the largest mass grave in the world. When she travels beneath the streets into the catacombs Cassidy accidentally awakens a powerful spirit and sets it loose upon the city. Now it's down to her and Jacob to set things right.

Much like the first book, I found Tunnel of Bones to be incredibly difficult to put down. It's the kind of book that's so easy to read, and has a story that's so engaging that you'll want to read the whole thing in one sitting. Whilst I did with the first book, I ended up being too ill and tired to manage it with this one. The spirit was willing, but my flesh was way too weak to do it. Thankfully, I carried on soon after and read the end within a day of starting. This is one of the things I love about the Cassidy Blake books. Of all the Victoria Schwab books I've read they're easily my favourite.

The book is aimed at younger readers, and as such it's very easy to read. It's not bogged down with complexity and overly wordy (and I don't mean that Victoria Schwab writes really simply or anything like that), it's a book that's very accessible, that gets on with the story and moves with a brisk pace that means you don't get a chance to get bored or for your mind to wander.

The characters don't suffer for this either, and even though there's not a whole amount of time given over to characters outside of Cassidy and Jacob, you still get a great sense for who people are. Her parents have distinct personalities that compliment each other well, and it's easy to see how good a relationship they have with their daughter, and how they helped to shape her personality. Even characters that only show up for this one book, such as Pauline, their local guide, gets background information teased out, and a character arc.

The people who really shine, however, are the dead ones. Whilst the book is about Cassidy, we learn so much more about Jacob here than we did in the first book. He gets really pushed during Tunnel of Bones, and we get to see a whole side of his personality that we never had before. There's a scene at the end of the book where he even opens up to Cassidy about his old life and how he died, something that was never spoken about before, that's one of the most touching moments in the whole series, and easily one of my favourite scenes.

The main villain of the book, a poltergeist by the name of Thomas is also incredibly well crafted. He's not a one dimensional 'evil' ghost. He isn't a villain in the sense that the Red Raven was in the first book. Over the course of the story we learn a lot about him, and even come to care a great deal about him.

Schwab has created a story that not only acts as a good sequel, but helps to build up the world started by the first book. Whilst there's no indication here where in the world Cassidy and her parents will be heading next in their journey to haunted locations, it's clear that there is more planned. There is a moment in the final pages of the book that indicate that there is more to come, and that Schwab is setting up something interesting and rather sinister. Whatever happens next for Cassidy and Jacob, I'm sure that I'm going to love it as much as this book, and that I will read it as quickly as possible.

Tunnel of Bones is not only one of my favourite books from Schwab, but one of the best books for young adult readers that I can think of. The series has mystery and spectacle, horror and hope, and tells a story of an amazing friendship. An absolute must read.

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New Resident Evil Game Teased

The latest game in the Resident Evil franchise has been teased ahead of a bigger reveal at the Tokyo Game Show this coming Thursday 12th September.

Project Resistance, possibly the game's title, possibly a working name, appears to be an online multiplayer game. The teaser trailer, whilst impressive, doesn't give too much more away. It's unclear if this will be in a similar vein to Left 4 Dead, where a team of four will face off against AI controlled monsters, or if it will follow other recent horror games like Friday the 13th: The Game and Dead by Daylight, and one player will control some of the scarier Resident Evil monsters, such as the Mr X tyrant featured in the trailer.

Hopefully more will be revealed later this week.

This will not be the first time that a multi-player game has been a part of the Resident Evil franchise. Resident Evil Outbreak and it's sequel were the first games in the franchise to focus on multi-player, and were fairly well received by fans. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Umbrella Corps were the most recent multi-player entries, but were less popular with fans (for the record, I really enjoy Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City).


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The Girl The Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

When I was offered The Girl The Sea Gave Back to review I immediately grabbed it up as I’d already read Adrienne Young’s previous novel, Sky In The Deep, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I received the new book and was intrigued by the blurb on the back, and found it to be enjoyable once I started reading it. The one thing I wasn’t expecting, however, was that this was a direct sequel to her last book. Not once was this mentioned in the description, and once I realised several characters were making a return I was overjoyed.

The Girl The Sea Gave Back isn’t the kind of sequel where it’s absolutely necessary to have read the previous book, however, as much of what happened in the last book is given in background detail here, during events more than a decade later. It takes the world that Young created in Sky In The Deep and expands upon it in new and interesting ways, yet tells a story that also stands on its own as a great book. Because of this I felt a little torn over how to review this book. Is it its own separate entity, or should I talk about it as a sequel? Well, I’m going to try and do both.

The Girl The Sea Gave Back tells two stories that interweave with each other: one that follows the titular girl the sea gave back, Tova. Tova, a member of the Kyrr tribe was thought dead by her people, and cast adrift into the sea in a burning boat. However, when the boat fails to burn fully, and the alive Tova is found by a villager from the Svell tribe, she’s taken in to act as a Truthtongue, a woman who is able to read the future through rune casting. The Svell use her abilities when they choose to attack a neighbouring tribe, the Nadhir.

This is where the second narrative kicks in, and where the book is a sequel to Sky In The Deep. The Nadhir are the remnants of the Riki and Aska tribes that came together to fight a common enemy in the previous book, and have now been a unified tribe for ten years. We follow one of their leaders, or soon to be leaders, Halvard. Halvard has been chosen to take over as the chief of the tribe, and finds that he is having to take on these responsibilities sooner than expected when the Svell declare war. Halvard is also a returning character, one who was much younger in the last book, and more of a secondary character.

The narrative jumps between Tova and Halvard every chapter, not only following their journey through these events, but also key moments from their past that helped to shape them into the people they are. This is a big change to the narrative style of the previous book, where we centred on just one character. This change, however, is great, and we get to see two sides of certain events, and Young uses these jumps in narrative to create peaks in tension and mini cliffhangers.

The two narrative viewpoints also work in helping to show that these two characters aren’t just tangled up in the same series of events, but that their destinies are tied together. Each of them helps to shape where the other ends up, and they ultimately rely on each other in order to survive what happens.

One of the other big changes to this book over Sky In The Deep is the pace. The last book was set over a number of months, and followed a much longer, and more personal journey. This book happens across a few days, a week at most. The action starts much earlier here, and there’s a sense of tension and pace that doesn’t let up throughout. Because of this the book grabbed me a lot quicker, and I found myself desperate to find out what was going to happen next. If Sky In The Deep was a character study, The Girl The Sea Gave Back is a roller-coaster action tale.

I was hugely surprised and impressed with The Girl The Sea Gave Back. It stands on its own as an exciting action story in a beautiful and well crafted world, but it also builds upon the world created by Sky In The Deep to tell an even bigger story. Whether this is your first introduction to Adrienne Young’s work, or if this is a return, it’s sure to keep you hooked throughout.

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Power Rangers Actor Robert Axelrod Passes Away

It's with sadness that I'm reporting that Robert Axelrod, the actor behind iconic Power Rangers villain Lord Zedd, has passed away.

The news was released early this morning, September 8th 2019, by Barbara Goodson, the actress behind the voice of Rita Repulsa, a friend and colleague of Robert's. Robert had been fighting illness for more than a year following complications from spinal surgery. Robert was immobile from the waist down and unable to work.

A GoFundMe was set up by Zachery Taylor McGinnis to assist Robert with his medical expenses, and many Power Ranger fans donated. Robert also signed a number of photos that fans could buy to help raise money. The GoFundMe reported that he only had the energy to sign 140 photos, and that these were likely the last signings he made for his fans.

Robert voiced a number of characters in Power Rangers, including monsters of the week. However, he is best known for Finster, the creator of Rita Repulsa monsters from the very first episode onward, and Lord Zedd. Lord Zedd was introduced in the second season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as the new lead villain, and was the first major character created for the franchise that had no counterpart in the Super Sentai series the show was based upon.

Robert was 70 at the time of his passing.

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UK Judge Rejects Gay Asylum Seeker For Not Acting Gay

A British immigration judge has been reported as having rejected a gay asylum seekers application to enter the UK because he 'lacked a homosexual demeanor' and 'did not look around the room in an effeminate manner'.

Rehana Popal, the lawyer for the asylum seeker, has complained that the unnamed judge was guilty of stereotyping their client, and rejecting them based on prejudice. Their client, who has also been unnamed in the report, comes from a country where homosexuality is illegal and was seeking asylum in the UK through fears that they will be targeted for being gay.

According to the report made by Ms Popal to The Guardian the judge compared her client to previous applicants, who they claimed 'wore lipstick' and were 'effeminate'. The judge compared this man to the other applicants, and deemed him not to be gay as he was not effeminate.

'He has taken a stereotype, used it as a benchmark and compared my client to it,' said Ms Popal, in relation to the judge's ruling. 'That is totally wrong. You do not need to dress a certain way, carry yourself a certain way or look a certain way to be homosexual. The only thing that makes a person gay is if they are attracted to someone of the same gender.'

Ms Popal also claimed that the judge made comments about the man's older partner, who has been successful in their asylum application a month earlier, claiming that 'younger men are highly valued' in homosexual relationships. A comment that Ms Popal believes falls into the myths that gay men are connected to paedophiles.

Ms Popal and her client have challenged the judge's ruling on this case, and an appeals court granted her client a second hearing. They also criticised the judge's ruling.

This has not been the first time that a judge has been criticised regarding a ruling concerning asylum from members of the LGBTQ+ community. In the past judges have ruled against lesbian asylum seekers due to them having previously had male partners, believing that they cannot be lesbians if they had been married to a man in the past.

Ms Popal also said that she has encountered a number of cases where asylum seekers have been refused by the Home Office because of 'absurd' reasons to deny their sexuality. She said that it has happened so often to become routine. Most disturbingly, many of these rulings are upheld by judges in the appeal stage.

'The system has definitely become harsher in recent years.' She explained. 'The quality of decision-making has reduced. You come across decisions that are genuinely absurd. You think, how did anyone write this?

'One that comes up a lot is when they say to gay Muslim men that being gay is unacceptable in Islam, and therefore it’s implausible that they can be gay and Muslim. Or when they say to a woman who was previously in an arranged marriage with a man that she therefore cannot be gay. The Home Office do not abide by their own policy guidance. If they followed them we wouldn’t have a problem. But they don’t.'

When asked about these incidents a Home Office spokesperson said, 'The UK has a proud record of providing protection for asylum seekers fleeing persecution. Each case is considered on its individual merits by experienced caseworkers, with all available evidence carefully and sensitively considered in light of published country information.'

Despite these assurances from the Home Office the director of the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group, Leila Zadeh, said that these kinds of cases are not isolated incidents.

'The biggest challenge facing LGBTQI+ people in need of international protection is proving their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.' She said. 'When someone appeals against a refusal, they should be given a fair hearing without expectation that they should fit a stereotype. We urge the tribunals to ensure all judges follow the judiciary’s guidance on equal treatment of LGBTQI+ people.'

These kinds of incidents seem to be far from isolated, however, and there have been reports from asylum seekers across the world who have had similar experiences. Recent reports came out that the Australian government asked offensive and invasive questions regarding the sex lives of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.

In documents that the Australian government spent over a year trying to suppress, it was revealed that two gay men from Bangladesh were asked questions regarding how often they had sex, how long their sex lasted, where and when they had sex, and if they 'drink cum'. The interviewers repeatedly asked them questions regarding their sexual activities in order to try and 'trick them' into revealing conflicting details that would prove they weren't actually gay.

The interview occurred in 2012, but the Australian government spent eighteen months trying to prevent the release of transcripts and audio recordings of the interview following a freedom of information request from Buzzfeed News. The government claimed that it did not want to release the files as it would 'violate the men's right to privacy' (ironic considering how they invaded their privacy, and because they felt it would cause a 'negative media reaction'.

It's clear that there are still many problems in regards to LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum because of their sexuality and gender, and that the practices and views of those conducting these cases needs to be updated as soon as possible. Sadly, many of these people are fleeing their own countries as they are actively in danger because of who they are, and who they love. There are still more than 70 countries where it is illegal to be LGBTQ+, and close to a dozen where the death penalty is in place.


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Tabatha - Book Review

Tabatha is a graphic novel published by TPublications, written by Neil Gibsion, and featuring artwork by The Artist. The book tells the story of Luke and his friends, and the awful series of events that they find themselves in. 

Luke is a mailman in Los Angeles, and has been using his job to scope out houses on his route that can provide an easy target. Luke and his friends have been moonlighting as thieves in order to raise funds for an operation that the mother of two of the group needs (thank you once again shitty American healthcare system). When the group comes across the home of a movie special effects technician they think they've hit the jackpot, but come across the remains of more than a dozen brutal murders. Obviously shaken by what they find the group's lives are forever altered when the killer targets them, and draws them into his crazed plots.

Tabatha is, at it's core, a story about how things can spiral out of control, and how simple decisions can have huge, life changing repercussions. But, it's also something of a horror story. Gustav, the man behind all of the awful events of the book, is a scary figure because of how real he is. Okay, so he's trying to bring his sex doll companion to life by putting her 'consciousness' inside a real woman, which is obviously not a real thing, but his motivations and his journey to that point are.

He's scared to get out and meet people. He's shy and tucked away in his own world. He's unlucky with women, views himself as unattractive, believes he deserves love and sex, and resorts to physical violence when he thinks these things are beyond him. He's an Incel. Now, Tabatha was first published in 2014, the same year as the mass killing by Incel Elliot Rodger, and so this story would have been worked on long before Incels became as known to the general public as they are today; as such I can't say whether the creators intended for Gustav to be an Incel, or if his behaviour just happened to fall inline with them. Either way, the fact that there have been at least four mass killings by men like him, with dozens of deaths, makes him an antagonist that's more frightening than most horror characters. He's not a monster or some kind of creature. He's the same kind of person as some who are out in the real world, ready to hurt and kill others because of their unhappiness.

It's in part thanks to this very real scenario that makes Tabatha feel oppressive when you're reading it. The artwork and colouring also adds to this, with many of the panels having little to no background other than dark colours. The result is a book that's dark in not just tone but in look too. There's a simplicity to the art style used that doesn't clutter the panels, that doesn't provide distractions to give the reader a break from the horrors that are happening. Yes, there are a few panels that have wonderfully intricate views of Gustav's home, filled with movie nods and references, but once the terror begins the backgrounds fall away, forcing you to stay in the horror of the moment.

Tabatha isn't a groundbreaking story, it doesn't do anything that challenges the genre or wows the reader, but it does entertain. Which is the most important thing. The characters don't get a huge amount of development, outside of the antagonist, and whilst that's something of a shame you do find yourself caring about their survival. Tabatha is a fun little read that proves to be an entertaining way to spend an hour or two.

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Marvel Action: Avengers #7 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Marvel Action: Avengers issue seven gives readers a peek behind the curtain as we discover who has been pulling the strings behind everything that has happened in the last six issues, and gives us terrifying hints at what is yet to come.

There are two main storylines in this issue, which appear separate at the moment, but I’m sure will come together in the next issue. We return, once again, to A.I.M., the Advanced Idea Mechanics, who were responsible for brainwashing Iron Man in the first story-arc of the series. We learn that not only were they behind that attack on the Avengers, but were responsible for the recent troubles with Count Nefaria too.

Thanks to their leader Modok, we learn that both of these events were A.I.M. trying to prepare a defence of the planet, trying to secure supplies and possible soldiers. However, as they were unsuccessful, they’re leaving the planet behind. The threat that they were worried about is clearly made out to be extraterrestrial in origin, but we know little else about it at this point. However, the fact that A.I.M. is willing to flee earth in order to avoid this invasion, it’s sure to be a threat that is going to push the heroes to their limits.

Thankfully, it would appear that Madame Masque and the U-Foes are prepared to break their alliance with A.I.M. rather than flee the planet, and it looks like Matthew Manning is setting up something of a team-up between them and the Avengers in order to face this coming invasion.

The Avengers, however, are experiencing a slight issue themselves. During the course of the book Black Panther has to face off against a villain named Killer Shrike, who appears to be suffering from some kind of paranoia or psychosis. This appears to be far from an isolated incident, as we later see Black Panther and Captain America talk about another villain, Whirlwind, who was experiencing something similar. It appears, however, that it’s not just the villains who are being affected, but the heroes too, as Black Panther experiences visions of his deceased father.

It’s not completely clear what threat the Avengers are going to be facing in this invasion, despite the small glimpse of the creature Captain America has, but the way that A.I.M. is reacting to their coming, and the way that they’re affecting powered individuals is all setting the stage for something that feels a little special.

The series has been clearly building to this storyline, and it’s nice to see that the past adventures have been a part of a bigger whole, rather than isolated incidents. Hopefully the next few issues will prove to live up to the hype that’s being built up, and deliver on the epic invasion that we’ve been promised.


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