'American Gods' season 1 spoilers: New character not in book appears in series

International Business Times

British author Neil Gaiman talks to a reporter as he arrives at the premiere of the animated movie "Coraline" in Portland, Oregon February 5, 2009. Reuters

Those who have read the book “American Gods,” which will serve as the basis of this upcoming series by Starz, have witnessed all sorts of gods that walked the earth because of worship though history. However, it looks like one crucial plot point that was not part of the books has found its way to the series -- guns.

Spoiler alert! This article contains “American Gods” spoilers. Read on if you would like to know what happens next before the next episode airs

Popular Neil Gaiman novel-turned-TV series “American Gods” will be addressing guns in a very real way. The show, which will debut in April 2017, gives another look at gods who roam the earth because people have made them real through their faith. However, in America, these gods have to fight for the attention of believers who are putting their existence at risk by worshipping newer gods that have risen out of newer habits. These include the gods of the Internet and social media.

Entertainment Weekly, in its exclusive first look, reveals a new character who roams through both worlds in the series -- Vulcan. This character is played by Corbin Bernsen and is loosely based on the Roman god of volcanoes and metallurgy. Therefore, this makes him the god of weaponry and fire which, if translated to a modern setting, equates to a god who does fairly well in a setting where guns rule.

Showrunner Bryan Fuller reveals that Vulcan is the god of the volcano and the forge, therefore, the modern-day extrapolation of what this god could do equates with America’s obsession with guns and gun control. He also reveals that, essentially, if one has a gun in his or her hand, it is a mini volcano; and there is a lot that this character could do.

Vulcan did not appear in Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel, which serves as the basis for the series. However, Gaiman himself finds this character to be an important and relevant addition. The idea first appeared when Gaiman was due to write an episode for the series. Fortunately, co-showrunners Michael Green and Fuller thought that such was a great idea and found a way to make the character appear on the show.

Viewers can see Vulcan and his companions when “American Gods” premieres on Starz on April 2017. It was originally planned for HBO, but the project was shelved. Its broadcaster in Australia is yet to be announced.

My favourite reviews on ChristianAnswers.net for 2016!!!

You all know how much I love this site! Well, as my gift to you, I have compiled some of my favourite Christian film reviews of the year.  You are going to LOVE these:-)

Doctor Strange - 

Marvel films have always had a profound respect for science and what they have done with “Doctor Strange” is take a very brilliant, scientific character who has built his entire life on the knowledge and boundaries that his science-based education has given him and put him in a compromising situation that forces him to explore the limitless spiritual side of the world that he has never given any regard whatsoever to before. That being said, it has more than its fair share of controversial material that is sure to offend those sensitive to signs of the occult. “Occult” can be defined by “supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena.” There is no masking the fact that a black-and-white thinking, logical doctor is led into a fantastical world of “occultism” and that, by default, creates lots of gray areas in his newly reforming points of view about the universe. He experiences spiritual journeys though different kaleidoscope-like places that he finds difficult to fathom. In short, the word that most critics are commonly using to describe this movie is “trippy.” It is that! Mixing up essences of several world religions, “Doctor Strange” has many uses of symbolism and fictitious emblems of opposing spiritual groups to give its story gravitas, but I am honestly not schooled enough in these things to tell if any of the symbols are actually made up for the comic only or are “real” occult images.

Obviously, different groups being assigned a symbol to identify its henchmen and whatnot does not make that symbol inherently evil. However, like many films before it, “Doctor Strange” does use its beguiling imagery to make witchcraft and the occult look powerful, appealing, and to seem like a positive thing to pursue. As Christians, we are called to heed Galatians 5:20 and run from all forms of witchcraft, sorcery, selfish ambition, factions, and strife. Put in a Galatians 5:20 frame, “Doctor Strange” is a film about being propelled by “selfish ambition” to discover the power of “witchcraft” and “sorcery” in order to participate in a spiritually based “faction” wrought with “strife.” I would highly recommend not bringing teens or those who are in the process of incubating young, still-forming, worldviews to the film.

Kubo and the Two Strings - 

"I just saw this movie with my daughter, and it was highly problematic. As usual, the effects and storytelling are used to make the antibiblical friendly and accessible (and to cause empathy) in the viewers. I had great doubts about seeing this movie when I saw the previews, so I regret that I did not stick to my feelings. First, there is the issue with communicating with the dead. Being that the religion of the characters is traditional, esoteric eastern Asian (or maybe Buddhist… I am not well versed in Buddhism), you have the main action begin when Kubo desires to speak with his dead father (like everyone else at some religious holiday they are celebrating with floating lights). 

Previous to that, Kubo seems basically like a warlock or witch or something with the paper show he creates. From there, you get a little Harry Potter and Voldemort’s horrocrux when the mom somehow cast her soul into a monkey talisman that later comes to life upon her death… But, like Voldemort, she isn’t dead, because… she cast her soul or a fragment of it or something into a monkey. Yeesh! That was absolutely even more shocking on top of the communicating with the dead..." Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
—Aletha, age 39 (USA)

Star Trek Beyond - 

"The particularly insidious part was the rewrite of Sulu’s character as a homosexual. I found it particularly hurtful that they involved an innocent little girl. I think promoting this is harmful to the most precious, innocent children that we are setting examples for. Boycott this film."
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
—Christian, age 33 (USA)

Moana - 

"I happened to be invited to this movie. This movie is filled with episodes of occultic nature. This is a typical scenario to brainwash our children into following false values. Believing in yourself, reincarnation, communication with spirits, false gods and nature worship are portrayed throughout the film.

The movie had a really good animation and storyline. I wish there was a movie with good moral story just like in old days.

Particular emphasis shall be made on communication with spirits. These spirits are not friendly spirits just like they are portrayed in the movie. Coming out of New Age occult, I can confirm that there are real demons behind the spirits that will manifest some day when a child starts calling on it to come. These kind of movies are particularly good in achieving its purpose of convincing little spectators and people with little or no discernment. One has to be born again in order to see the kingdom of God. Once we are born again, we get a special set of “spiritual eyes”. God truly reveals all hidden things behind what looks like innocent kids movie.

Can you ask yourself honestly? Have you been born again? Do you read the Bible every day? Have you stopped watching TV and all “worldly” entertainment taking you away from the truth of seeking Him diligently? Do you want to spend time with our Father by praying, fasting and knowing His Word as oppose to anything else? Do you like to evangelize and share the Word with everyone? Do you know His will for you? Do you have His Holy Spirit in you? Are you saved? Do you belong to any denomination? If you do not, please know that you are following a false Jesus. Repent and turn to the Bible for ALL answers to your life long problems. Ask and you will be given."

My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
—Olga, age 36 (USA)

Top Ten Witchy Nerd Moments of 2016

10) Wonder Woman is made a UN Ambassador, then not the UN Ambassador due to stupid and, oh yeah, she's bisexual which comes as a shock to no one. BTW, her movies needs to HURRY UP and not suck.



9) Azealia Banks comes out of the broom closet with a video and states she has been practicing “three years worth of brujería” (Spanish for Witchcraft)



8) "I am One with the Force and the Force is with Me."



7) Bucky, I am your Father!





6) "Hello, I'm the Doctor and I know a Super Hero. Super Heroes are cool."



5) Enchantress who???



4) Best. Cosplay. EVER!!!



3) J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter's Extending Universe (My daughter, the Hufflepuff, is very happy now that she can find Cosplay items in stores now;-)



2) Not even Witches could stop the Rise of Donald Trump


1) Fuck You, 2016

Yes, The Women’s March Is Still On — And It Has A Starting Location

Catherine Pearson Women & Parents Senior Reporter, The Huffington Post

John Woodworth / robertharding via Getty Images

The Women’s March on Washington is still due to take place the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration next month ― despite media claims that it’s been barred from nearly all of the capital’s major public protest spaces, rally organizers say. And they’ve secured a starting location.

“People from across the nation will gather at the intersection of Independence Ave and Third Ave SW, near the U.S. Capitol, at 10:00am” on Jan. 21, march organizers said in a statement on Friday.
Planning would continue right up to the march and for security reasons, organizers would not release more logistical details until a later date, the statement added.

News reports have made much of the fact that the march would not have access to the Lincoln Memorial, the site of many historic civil rights and Vietnam-era protests. Reports this week said that the National Park Service ― on behalf of Trump’s Presidential Inauguration Committee ― blocked the Lincoln Memorial, as well as large sections of the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The National Park Service confirmed on its Facebook and Twitter pages on Friday that the Lincoln Memorial may not be available for additional permitted events on Jan. 21, but that’s because the Presidential Inauguration Committee submitted its application first. The National Park Service “continues to work” with the nonprofit Gathering for Justice, which is helping to organize the march, the NPS added.

Rally organizers have said for weeks that it is not their intention to stage the event at the Lincoln Memorial.  In the early days of the march’s organization ― when it was just an idea coming together on Facebook ― there was discussion of the memorial, leaders clarified in a Nov. 30 press call.  But that changed soon after professional organizers came onboard to address logistical challenges, as well as concerns over diversity and inclusion.

To date, 140,000 Facebook users have indicated on the site that they would attend the march, and there is also now a website where people can register. Organizers indicated during the November press call that they were planning to accommodate 200,000 people.

“We know that some things in this process seem to move quickly and others will seem like they aren’t moving fast enough, but in order to accommodate the number of people that we anticipate, we want to do this right,” the website says.

“The Women’s March on Washington is happening.”

'Wonder Woman' Director Patty Jenkins: How to Make a Female Heroine "Vulnerable," But Not "Lesser in Any Way"

The Hollywood Reporter

by Patty Jenkins, as told to Rebecca Ford

The first feature about the invisible-jet-flying heroine, out next summer, also is the first studio superhero film helmed by a woman. Jenkins talks pressure — and why heroes should be nice.

I met with Warner Bros. right after I made Monster [her only previous feature, the indie hit] more than 10 years ago, and I said, “I want to make Wonder Woman.” I’ve always been moved by the idea of movies that are personal but still have a huge reach. Superman had that effect on me when I was a kid — it rocked my world. That kind of movie was always the brass ring of what I wanted to do with my career.

Because of my love of Wonder Woman and the genre, I felt this project was absolutely the right thing for me to do, though I definitely knew what I was taking on — that there’s a huge amount of responsibility that comes with it. I knew just making a movie about Wonder Woman for the first time was going to matter to people and what I was stepping into with that.

When I’m asked if I feel additional pressure because I’m a filmmaker who is female, I say that I think it’s important but there’s really nothing you can do about it. Every step of my career has been that way — every project is something no one has done before, male or female, the pressure is always high, and I’m always doing it as a woman, so I think you just have to learn to mute it out and just be a great director and give everything you can.

Our film really draws from the original [1940s] Wonder Woman comic book by William Moulton Marston. The goal was to tap into what always spoke to me about her — to honor who she was, her legacy, and to make her as universal as she was to all of us little girls who ran around pretending to be Lynda Carter when we were kids. Wonder Woman is the grand universal female hero who didn’t have to be lesser in any way. She wasn’t less powerful, she wasn’t less of a woman. She’s as beautiful as any woman and as strong as any man. That, to me, is so enduring. There have been so few female characters like that — who weren’t small, niche characters or sidekicks. She’s a full-blown superhero who lives up to all of your dreams in every way.

It also was important to me to make sure she was as vulnerable, loving and warm as she should be. It’s important for her to be multidimensional.

It’s been incredible to make something about a superhero that stands for a message of fighting for a loving, thoughtful government, especially in this current climate. It’s been a special process to make something with the beautiful message that it’s difficult to be a hero and stay kind and thoughtful in everything that you do. There’s going to be a lot of conversation about her being a woman in these times, but I think the greatest part about the character is that she’s so much bigger than all of that.

#WonderWoman #SuperHero #DC #Goddess #Amazon 

Witchcraft And Bees Help Recover Stolen Motorcycle

Autoevolution
by Gabriel Brindusescu

I know, right? That has to be the most bizarre title you've read here relating to motorcycles, but, allegedly, a man from Kenya whose motorcycle has been stolen asked the help of a witchdoctor do help him retrieve his machine. And apparently, it worked...

The story comes from Mbooni, Makueni in Kenia, where local news report that a witchdoctor has summoned a swarm of bees to scare off a motorcycle thief and help the owner retrieve it.

"A few days later, angry bees disrupted normal business at the local market before settling on the stolen bike," mpasho reports on the strange case."Fearing the dire consequences, everyone avoided getting close to it until the owner came and took it home. It is reported that the thief fled after he saw the bees approaching.”
That sounds like it's coming straight from the Middle Ages, isn't it? Well, after some digging, it appears that the witchdoctor who allegedly produced a swarm of bees from out of nowhere and send them on the bike took credit for a simple act of nature.

According to local Assistant Chief, Patrick Mwanzia, the swarm of bees has most likely arrived on the motorcycle after their queen got caught in the handlebars protecting foam. And that isn't an isolated case, as just days before, a similar event happened with another bike.

So, in case you were already looking for witchcraft ads to cast a spell on your bike that will punish a potential thief, we'd suggest you to stop searching and better invest in other deterrents to protect your two-wheeled machine.

Nothing will stop a highly-qualified thief from snatching your ride if he has enough time to do it, but at least you can make it harder by using disk locks, chains, and alarms. Ultimately, you can fit a small GPS tracking device to it and even if it gets stolen, you can send the police to the location.

#Funny #Witchcraft #Theft #Bike

Star Wars: Rogue One - 'Fans are going to lose their s***!'

Daily Mail
By Justin Enriquez For Dailymail.com

The Twitterverse was buzzing as the very first impressions of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hit the social network.

The highly-anticipated Star Wars spin-off had it's world premiere in Los Angeles on Saturday night and some of the lucky few in attendance were able to voice their opinions.

It seems as if most if not all who got the first look had nothing but glowing reviews of the picture starring Felicity Jones.

Heroine: The Twitterverse was buzzing as the very first impressions of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hit the social network

Actor and filmmaker Kevin Smith was among the first to get their word in on Twitter as he posted:  'Holy Sith! @RogueOneMovie is unbelievably wonderful! No lie: it is #EmpireStrikesBack great! An excellent chapter in the @starwars Universe!'

 Film critic for Access Hollywood, Scott Mantz, gushed over the film in several tweets.

He wrote: '#StarWars #RogueOne is AWESOME!! SO GREAT!! LOVED it even MORE than #TheForceAwakens!! Fans are going to LOSE THEIR S***!!!! 

 'It's so AMAZING how #StarWars #RogueOne ties into #ANewHope!! GREAT SURPRISES & many "HOW'D THEY DO THAT?" moments!! 100% FUN! Great ACTION!'

 Actor Rainn Wilson, best known for his work on NBC sitcom The Office was another star lucky enough to view the film.

The 50-year-old took to the microblogging site as he wrote: '1sr Rogue One review. It was actually AMAZING!!! Super fun & exciting. Ties in w/episode 4 perfectly. #StarWars'

In the flick Felicity Jones leads The Rebellion in a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star.

The Gareth Edwards-directed film co-stars Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn and Mads Mikkelsen.

It also features an all-star lineup including Forest Whitaker, James Earl Jones and Jimmy Smits.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is scheduled to hit theatres on December 16.