The fantasy genre is packed with masterpieces, books that have truly changed the way we experience the genre. Think of the usual suspects — The Lord of the Rings, the Stormlight Archive series, the Earthsea Cycle — the books that have shaped fantasy on the page, creating some of the most daring, wondrous, and timeless worlds and allowing us to escape our reality for a few hundred precious pages. Not all fantasy masterpieces are as recognized as the genre’s titans; indeed, many become forgotten in the sands of time, which is what could be said of Joe Abercrombie‘s The First Law trilogy.

This gritty, subversive fantasy saga turns all the genre’s usual tropes on their head, focusing on flawed characters in a broken, politically corrupt continent. A defining entry in the grimdark subgenre, The First Law trilogy is not nearly as recognized as it should be, but all that can change if only readers picked up the first book, which will undoubtedly grab their full attention from the opening pages. The first book in the series, The Blade Itself, has some of the strongest opening pages of any fantasy book, throwing the reader directly into the action and refusing to let go. A book is only as strong as its opening pages, and The Blade Itself is a masterclass of how to open a fantasy saga.

What Is ‘The Blade Itself’ About?

As expected from a grimdark fantasy, The Blade Itself is set in a bleak, corrupt, deeply cynical world. The plot follows three characters as their paths collide, courtesy of a mysterious mage. There’s Logen Ninefingers, a barbarian who travels south after losing his companions in the north. There’s Inquisitor Sand dan Glokta, once a dashing hero who suffered mutilations as a POW, now a torturer investigating corruption in Adua, the capital city of the Union. Finally, there’s Captain Jezal dan Luthar, a vain nobleman whose self-interest clashes with his sense of duty as the loom of war approaches. The three characters find themselves joining the mage Bayaz, First of the Magi, who recruits them to go on a dangerous quest. Meanwhile, the Union is threatened by King Bethod in the north and the Gurkish Empire in the South.

The Blade Itself is primarily a character-driven story. There’s not much plot per se, rather the basis for what will eventually become the First Law trilogy. However, the book is exceptionally well-written, particularly regarding the protagonists’ characterization. Logen, Jezal, and Glokta are three of the most fascinating characters in fantasy, each one amoral, elusive, contradictory, and endlessly compelling. The Blade Itself also has some unexpected, pitch-black humor, making it a far richer, more engaging read.

‘The Blade Itself’ Hooks You in From the Opening Pages

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The Blade Itself opens with a prologue, ominously titled “The End.” Immediately, we are introduced to Logen Ninefingers, and from what we can read, he’s a fearsome warrior. The premise of these four pages is simple: in the freezing north, Logen becomes separate from his companions before being attacked by two enemies, whom he refers to as either “Shanka” or “Flathead.” Here, Abercrombie’s prose is incredibly vivid but economical: in a few well-chosen words, he immerses us in this barren, freezing place, setting the stage by describing key features — the earth, the wind, the trees — but without wasting too much time being overly descriptive.

Similarly, the action is muscular and fast-paced; much like an actual battle to the death, it avoids flourishes and sticks to the facts. Through it all, Abercrombie’s writing flows effortlessly; it’s sequential, almost messy, but incredibly effective at grabbing your attention and completely submerging you into this arctic hell. Although just four pages long, “The End” successfully makes you feel the stress, the life-or-death stakes; in just over a thousand words, you’ve come to root for Logen, despite knowing next to nothing about him. There’s an incredible effectiveness to this prologue; you don’t know anything about this world except that it’s dangerous and unforgiving, ideas that spread to the overall worldbuilding. It’s tremendously astute, worldbuilding by way of action rather than info dumps.

Two pages then separate the prologue from Part I, a quote from the Greek poet Homer that surely inspired the book’s title as the only content here. Then, we jump straight into the aftermath, in the four-episode chapter titled “The Survivors.” Logen’s journey continues, picking up after barely surviving the Shanka attack. Once again, Abecrombie brilliantly sets the scene, first by describing Logen’s battered state, then by putting us in his decision-making process. He survived, but now what? Surviving alone requires tools, the equipment he left at his camp when the attack began. Thus, he goes back to the place where the violence erupted, finding the remnants of the camp he once shared with his companions.

It’s here that we see another side of Logen, as he mourns his surely dead companions and expresses a sentimental attachment for an old pot that had accompanied him for the last decade or so, and which somehow survived the attack. There’s a haunting melancholy to the scene, as Abercrombie’s gloomy prose paints a somber portrait of a veteran of conflict realizing he might never escape the cycle of violence. That Abercrombie manages to do so much character work while actively progressing the plot is genuinely astonishing, and it’s something you can expect throughout the rest of the book. In The Blade Itself, the characterization is the main event, and worldbuilding comes through character beats. Not many fantasy books can say that for themselves.

‘The Blade Itself’ Is a Must-Read for Any Fantasy Fan

Image via  Gollancz

The restless, near-harrowing yet immersive quality of these ten opening pages is a perfect testament to The Blade Itself‘s overall approach and quality. These introductory chapters are a microcosm of what Abercrombie has in store for you: there will be action, ruthless and enveloping, messy yet consciously written; there will be humor, dark, bordering on macabre, but successful at bringing some much-needed levity; there will be a sense of sorrow, a pervading wistfulness that clashes against the bleak, oppressive environment to create a distinctly haunting atmosphere.

Above all, The Blade Itself will offer you a vivid portrayal of survival in the face of near-total amorality. You won’t find knights in shining armor here, but rather broken, profoundly flawed, self-serving anti-heroes doing what they can with the hand they’ve been given, playing a rigged game with one hand tied behind their backs. If you love the war-infested, political intricacy of A Song of Ice and Fire and the melancholy, character-driven storytelling of Kazuo Ishiguro‘s works, then The Blade Itself and the larger First Law trilogy are perfect for you.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 11 seconds ago

Once upon a time, it seemed impossible that we’d ever get a Deadpool movie. And we probably never would have if Ryan Reynolds hadn’t leaked test footage online, causing such a massive fan response that 20th Century Fox had no choice but to greenlight that first film. After they made one sequel, Disney bought Fox, and we got the crowdpleasing team-up Deadpool & Wolverine. At that point, the Merc With a Mouth was officially part of the MCU. This led fans to frantically speculate about when we’d get another movie featuring the raunchiest superhero ever made.

Historically, Reynolds has played coy with such questions, indicating that he wants plenty of space between Deadpool movies and that he thinks the character would work better in an ensemble than a solo film. It was therefore all the more shocking to hear the actor casually confirm over the weekend that Marvel Studios is working on a new Deadpool movie. That’s the good news for fans: we’ll be getting another solo movie featuring this popular character, probably sooner than anyone imagines. The bad news? Beyond the fact that the studio is working on it, there are basically zero details about this new movie.

The Merc With A Mouth Has Plenty More To Say

This information comes to us from Ryan Reynolds. Over the weekend, he was attending Fanatics Fest and dishing with his fans about all things Deadpool. He started talking about things from the character’s publication history that he would like to see in a future film. “There’s a few really deep cuts that I think are missing behind the movies. I think there’s a few deep cuts missing from some of the comics,” he said. “There’s certainly some stuff that, you know, I love that Fabian Nicieza wrote that is incredible. Gerry Duggan, who was a friend, was an incredible comic writer.” Nicieza co-created Deadpool, and Duggan was the writer for the 2013 Deadpool series.

For those in attendance, this initially seemed like nothing more than the actor’s wishlist of things he’d like to see in some hypothetical, future sequel. However, he ended his thoughts with a quiet bombshell of an announcement: “There’s stuff upcoming. There’s eventually, you know, remotely another Deadpool film. It’s going to be great.” Upon this announcement, The Hollywood Reporter reached out to their sources close to Marvel Studios. Those sources confirmed that the movie is in very early development and that no writer or director is currently attached to the project. It’s possible the movie will tackle the comics stories Reynolds alluded to, but he was vague (possibly deliberately so) about exact details.  

More Superhero Team-Ups Await

When and how Deadpool appears again in the MCU will likely depend on the resolution of Avengers: Secret Wars. That Doomsday sequel is supposed to reset the whole cinematic universe, paving the way for recasting characters and making it so that certain groups (like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four) have always been there. This may allow for a new version of Deadpool, one who has experience with the various iconic Marvel heroes. Alternatively, his uncanny ability to break the fourth wall might make him one of the only characters who understands that all of reality has been rewritten around him.

Of course, we can always cross our fingers he ends up in an adjacent multiverse, allowing for a big-screen adaptation of the infamous comic Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. Hey, a fanboy can dream, right? At any rate, we’ll likely know a bit more about the Deadpool movie by the end of the year. Until then, fans can enjoy their overloaded plates full of Marvel entertainment like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. Just be sure to take a page out of Deadpool’s book and leave room for some chimichangas!

Solomon “Bear” Brown has been granted a temporary civil protection order against a man in Washington for alleged stalking and harassment in the weeks after his brother’s tragic suicide.

“My eldest brother Matt recently ended his life,” Bear claimed in a July 2 court petition obtained exclusively by Us on Tuesday, July 21. “A witness reported seeing Matt‘s body floating down the Okanogan River; however, the volunteer search and rescue organization was unable to locate him.”

The former reality star claimed a man who was involved in a private search and rescue group allegedly located Matt’s body.

Bear claimed not to know this individual – who Us has chosen not to identify – aside from his association with the local Washington town and the recovery of his brother. He does, however, allege the man “vaguely claims to have been a very close friend of my brother – has since the search incessantly attacked me online, including on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.”

Related: Bear Brown Claims Brother Matt Struggled With Relapse Before Disappearance

Bear Brown has shared details of his brother Matt Brown’s past struggles amid the Alaskan Bush People alum’s disappearance. Posting via TikTok on Thursday, May 28, Bear, 38, claimed that Matt, 43, had been grappling with some tough situations in his personal life. “He has been struggling for a long time, you know, with alcohol […]

Bear requested the court schedule a hearing for a full protection order, which was subsequently granted and set for later this month.

“The incessant — and increasingly unhinged — attacks are extremely concerning. He has posted dozens of videos on social media, spewing hate, and vitriol against my family,” he alleged, per the documents. “In particular, he has targeted me repeatedly, making all manner of bizarre and strange claims, including that I sent people to harass his family – even though I do not even know this individual – and publicly defaming me by bizarrely claiming that I was responsible for the Palmer Fire in 2020.”

The Palmer Fire was a wildfire that began on August 18, 2020, in Okanogan County, Washington, scorching a total of 17,988 acres of timber, brush, and grasslands.

“After appearing for 14 seasons on the Alaskan Bush People reality TV show, I have become a recognizable personality; unfortunately, what comes with being recognizable is unwarranted criticism from fans, followers, and naysayers,” Bear continued in the docs. “The best way to handle it is usually to ignore it, which is what I try to do. However, I am afraid that [his] behavior has become too erratic and dangerous to ignore.”

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Related: Bear Brown Condemns ‘Hateful‘ Comments Amid Fears for Brother Matt

Bear Brown slammed people leaving disrespectful comments about brother Matt Bear amid the family’s concerns for his well-being. “First off, I’m not just making a video on rumors. It’s a very, very, very, very small chance it’s not him. It’s like 99 percent him,” Bear, 38, said of the family’s fear for Matt, 43, in […]

Bear claimed that a July 1social media post from this man “is perfectly representative of why I have become afraid for my life.”

He also asked the court to include protection orders for his ex-wife Raiven, mother Amora, brothers Noah, Josh, Gabriel, and sisters Snowbird and Rain.

He also requested the court to order the man to “stop posting, publishing, sharing, or encouraging the disclosure of any personal identifying information of me, my family members or any other protected person,” in addition to removing all information from the internet that has already been posted.

Under the temporary order, the man has to stay at least 1,000 feet away from Bear and his family. Part of the reality TV star’s request also includes a court ordered evaluations for both mental health and drug and alcohol, and that he surrender any and all firearms he may own.

Bear pointed to a concerning comment on the man’s most recent TikTok video.

“[It stated] with regard to me, returning to Washington to attend my brother‘s funeral that he is ‘locked and loaded, waiting with my dog,’” he wrote in the petition. “This rises above the behavior of some immature, petulant, blowhard, who will eventually tire himself out and occupy himself with the next shiny thing that catches his attention. This is an active threat to harm me with a firearm.”

He added, “I genuinely fear for my life. I likewise fear for the safety of my family members who will be around me while we attend my brother‘s funeral. I do not know what to expect, other than his own representation that he is ‘locked and loaded’ – and all that statement plainly implies.”

Bear said in docs that he also contacted the local police for any guidance and a deputy acknowledged that the man in question “may indeed pose a danger,“ and encouraged him to file a request for protection order.

Related: ‘Alaskan Bush People’ Family: A Comprehensive Guide

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The family of Alaskan Bush People showcased their unique lifestyle for viewers from 2014 until 2022. The Discovery Channel docudrama-style reality show followed Billy Brown and Ami Brown as they survived in the remote wilderness of Alaska — and later Washington state — with their seven children, Matt Brown, Joshua “Bam Bam” Brown, Bear Brown, […]

Bear also claimed that this man has publicly posted his cell phone number — along with phone numbers of most of his family members — and as a result his family has since been “subjected to an onslaught of unwanted text messages and phone calls, severely disrupting our daily lives, our privacy and our sense of safety.”

The former reality star also alleged that this individual “very recently engaged in increasingly strange, hostile and disturbing behavior involving my deceased brother, and my family. After locating my brother’s body [he] filmed and posted images of my brother‘s deceased body from the knees down, which I found deeply inappropriate and upsetting. He then took possession of my brother‘s truck, displayed it as a so-called memorial in town, allowed people to vandalize it in the name of ceremony, and repeatedly refused to return it when asked, even stating that he intended to keep it.”

Bear also alleged that this man “used copyrighted intellectual property and my brother‘s image to create and sell T-shirts, claiming the proceeds were for charity to help the family, yet we have not received any of those funds.

“When confronted about returning the truck or profiting from images that do not belong to him, [he] becomes enraged, abrasive, insulting, and threatening,” he continued. “Over time, his conduct toward me in particular has become increasingly aggressive, spiteful and unstable, including demanding an apology video from me despite my having done nothing to warrant one.”

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Bear claimed when he arrived in Washington on July 2 to assist with his late brother’s funeral arrangements and cremation, he was within miles of this individual.

“His most recent posts are threatening and unhinged, including statements that this was my ‘last chance,’ [and] that he was going to make me ’pay.’ Based on this escalating pattern of behavior, I am genuinely concerned that he may attempt to assault me or shoot me, and I fear for my safety and the safety of those around me.”

Because the man had not yet been served with court papers, Bear’s temporary protection order was reissued by the court on July 14 and the next hearing is set for July 28.

Netflix subscribers have shown they still have an appetite for ambitious international genre stories. Human Vapor, the streamer’s new eight-episode Japanese sci-fi thriller, racked up 24.3 million hours viewed, landing in Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV rankings shortly after its debut. It’s another reminder that some of the platform’s most compelling original series continue to come from outside Hollywood.

Premiering on July 2, Human Vapor revives a little-known Toho cult classic from 1960, but don’t expect a straightforward remake. Instead, the series borrows its central supernatural concept and builds an entirely new mystery around it, combining crime drama, political conspiracy, body horror, and science fiction into a thriller that’s as interested in corruption as it is in spectacle.

What Is Netflix’s ‘Human Vapor’ About?

Image via Netflix

The first scene features an action-packed moment: a well-known television professor is interviewed during a live broadcast when a mysterious force suddenly attacks him, causing him to explode right in front of the audience. The tragic incident gives birth to a new mysterious character called the Human Vapor, who can transform into gas and kill victims from inside.

The case leads detective Kenji Okamoto (Shun Oguri) back to work, while reporter Kyoko Kono (Yû Aoi) sees the attack herself. The pair has a complicated history and is getting more and more involved in each other’s investigation as they find out more murders. The issue doesn’t turn out to be a supernatural serial killer case but becomes something unpredictable and more significant. The Human Vapor is systematically targeting people connected to the mysterious White Center, an organization whose buried secrets stretch back decades and tie together politicians, organized crime, law enforcement, and a long-forgotten meteorite disaster.

Although Hollywood usually creates a negative impression of remakes, Human Vapor cleverly avoids the pitfall of remaking the 1960 film scene-for-scene. The 1960 original Human Vapor, directed by Ishirō Honda, tells the story of a man who became a victim of a scientific experiment and began using his powers to commit thefts, while relying on tragic love. The adaptation on Netflix retains the memorable supernatural theme but tells a completely different story, turning it into an eight-episode thriller about a conspiracy.

Rather than relying on nostalgia, writers Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Hellbound) and Ryu Yong-jae build an entirely new mythology that explores institutional corruption, revenge, and the abuse of power. The project also represents a behind-the-scenes milestone as the first collaboration between Netflix and Toho, the legendary Japanese studio best known worldwide for Godzilla. It’s an ambitious partnership that modernizes one of Toho’s lesser-known properties without abandoning its tokusatsu roots.

‘Human Vapor’ Balances Body Horror With an Expansive Mystery

Image Via Netflix

The gruesome opening sequence makes it easy to assume Human Vapor is primarily interested in shocking viewers. While the series certainly embraces graphic body horror, that’s only one piece of a much larger puzzle. The investigation gradually introduces journalists, corrupt officials, yakuza figures, livestreamers chasing internet fame, and survivors connected to the White Center’s dark past. Every new character expands the conspiracy rather than distracting from it, allowing the mystery to grow organically across all eight episodes.

The title villain also stands apart from many modern genre antagonists. Played by model Uta Uchida in his acting debut, the Human Vapor is an unsettling presence who often says very little, making his quiet demeanor almost as unnerving as his ability to drift through the air before violently dispatching his targets.

Visually, the series blends practical effects with CGI to bring the gaseous transformations to life. While some digital effects are more convincing than others, the show consistently finds inventive ways to build suspense, turning everyday smoke, steam, and lingering clouds into reminders that the Human Vapor could be anywhere.

Netflix Continues Finding Global Genre Hits

Image via Netflix

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Netflix’s Human Vapor is yet another case of its content surpassing geographical borders and reaching audiences across the globe. The show is similar to Hellbound, Parasyte: The Grey, and several other recent Asian genre productions in that it trusts its audience to understand unfamiliar contexts and appreciate original storytelling without diluting it to make it more universally relatable.

This conviction is what distinguishes the series from a host of competing shows. The audience is presented with neither yet another crime drama nor another superhero story, but with a breathtaking mixture of film noir, sci-fi, political thrillers, horror films, and emotional dramas. Its strong streaming performance suggests subscribers are responding to exactly that kind of originality. By transforming an overlooked 1960 cult film into a sprawling modern conspiracy thriller rather than a nostalgia exercise, Human Vapor demonstrates that some of the best reboots don’t try to recreate the past — they use it as a starting point for something entirely new.

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Human Vapor

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Release Date

2026 – 2026-00-00

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Network

Netflix

Directors

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Shinzo Katayama

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Several A-listers have decided to say goodbye to Los Angeles and grow roots elsewhere.

Years after This Is Us came to an end, for example, star Chrissy Metz relocated from the City of Angels to Nashville.

“I was in L.A. for 21 years, but my family is in Florida, where I’m from, and during the pandemic, I could drive to them from here,” Metz explained to People in April 2025. It’s just a better quality of life here. Everything is 15 minutes away, and it’s just so much less stress.”

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In December 2025, Joe Manganiello and fiancée Caitlin O’Connor relocated to their hometown of Pittsburgh.

Months later, Kirsten Storms reflected on moving from L.A. to Tennessee, calling it the “best choice.”

Scroll down to see which celebrities chose to move away from Los Angeles:

Tenisha Warner, the widow of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, is reportedly suing his mom, Pamela Warner, for $1.2 million in alleged unpaid prenup promises.

RELATED: Tenisha Warner, Widow Of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Shares First Public Message Since His Passing (PHOTO)

Tenisha Warner, Widow Of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Is Reportedly Suing His Mom For $1.2M In Alleged Unpaid Prenup Promises

According to TMZ, Tenisha Warner is suing Pamela Warner, as Pamela reportedly is the successor trustee of the Warner Family Trust. Per Tenisha, Malcolm-Jamal allegedly agreed to provide her with numerous financial benefits, disclosed in their prenuptial agreement. Per the outlet, they reportedly signed the prenup in May 2022, just days before they got married.

Specifically, Malcolm-Jamal reportedly agreed to maintain a $1 million life insurance policy on himself, with Tenisha as the sole beneficiary. However, he did not purchase or maintain the policy. Additionally, she says Malcolm-Jamal failed to give her annual tax-free payments of $16,000. Furthermore, she says Malcolm failed to fund a Roth IRA for her or to pay her a $5,000 monthly salary. This, for her allegedly “serving as his chief of staff and assistant” during their marriage.

Per the outlet, Tenisha says she is owed “at least $1,276,042.46.” Additionally, according to her, $1 million is owed for the life insurance policy; more than $50,000 is owed for the missed anniversary payments; more than $30,000 is owed to her IRA; and she is owed $195,000 in unpaid salary.

Per TMZ, Tenisha believes Malcolm’s estate does not have enough funds to cover her demands. Therefore, she reportedly wants a court to allow her to recover the money from a family trust. While she waits, she reportedly would like the court to bar Malcolm-Jamal’s mom from handing out money or property from the trust.

Social Media Weighs In Widow Suing For $1.2M In Alleged Unpaid Prenup Promises

Subsequently, Tenisha’s demands and reported suing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s mom, Pamela, sparked reactions in TSR’s comment section.

Tenisha Warner’s Suing Of Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Mom Arrived Amid The 1-Year Anniversary Of His Passing

According to TMZ, Tenisha Warner filed the lawsuit against Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s mom on Monday, July 20. The date: a year after her husband drowned.

As The Shade Room previously reported, Malcolm-Jamal Warner was reportedly swimming in the waters of Costa Rica when he drowned and died from asphyxia. Subsequently, it was revealed that no lifeguards were on duty while they were in the water. Furthermore, at the time, a second man was reportedly taken to a local facility in critical condition.

Notably, reports conflicted on whether Malcolm-Jamla’s 8-year-old daughter was also in the water at the time of the incident.

“Mr. Warner was playing with his daughter at the seashore at one point. He then left her out of the water, and he and a friend of his entered the sea. It was at that moment that they were swept away by the current, and the friend managed to get out. However, Mr. Warner was unable to get out and was pulled out by several people on the beach. He received care from Red Cross officials, but was pronounced dead at the scene,” Page Six reported.

In September 2025, Tenisha broke her silence on her husband’s passing, per The Shade Room. She revealed that she was launching a foundation to honor his legacy.

Then, also in September 2025, Pamela Warner confirmed that Malcolm-Jamal’s daughter was safely onshore when the fatal incident occurred.

“They were in the water, I think maybe chest-deep at, even at that — maybe waist-deep,” she explained, referring to his friend. “There was an undertow, and my son was not an experienced swimmer. He did not know how to deal with an undertow.”

At this time, Tenisha Warner has not shared a message amid the news of her lawsuit. Meanwhile, on Monday, June 20, Pamela Warner paid tribute to her son.

RELATED: Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Mom Shares Update On His Daughter While Setting Record Straight On Details Surrounding His Death

An Oklahoma woman was convicted of child sexual abuse after she allegedly forced her 11-year-old daughter to have her husband’s baby, without medical care. Cherie Walker was found guilty on six counts of child neglect.

RELATED: UPDATE: D4vd Accused Of Having “Significant” Amount Of Child Sex Abuse Images On Phone

Oklahoma Woman Convicted Of Child Sex Abuse

According to KJRH, Walker was convicted on one count of enabling child sexual abuse and six counts of child neglect on Friday, July 17.

A Muskogee County jury recommended that she serve life in prison after her husband raped and impregnated her 11-year-old daughter, per KFOR.

Dustin Walker pleaded guilty to six counts of child neglect as well as one count of sexual abuse of a child under 12. A judge sentenced him to life in prison in June. He also received another 43 years for the child neglect counts, according to News On 6.

Cherie Walker And Dustin Walker Were Arrested Last August

The Shade Room reported last August that Walker and her husband, Dustin Walker, were arrested after the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office discovered that the child had given birth at home.

A DNA test confirmed that Mr. Walker is the baby’s father. Furthermore, he is the 11-year-old’s stepfather.

Prosecutors alleged that Mrs. Walker forced her daughter to have her husband’s baby at home without any medical care. They also argued that she failed to protect her daughter from her husband.

The Child Hadn’t Been To The Doctor For One Year

In addition to not receiving medical care while giving birth, the child had no prenatal care.

She also hadn’t seen a doctor in more than one year, and Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson said she was traumatized.

“This child is traumatized,” Hutson said. “She’s been through a horrific ordeal. Not only has somebody gotten her pregnant, but she gave birth at home without medical assistance, and this will be her life for the rest of her life.”

Cherie Walker’s official sentencing will be at a later date.

Michelle Justus is the child’s grandmother and was also charged with child neglect. Her trial reportedly begins on July 23.

RELATED: Say WHAT?! 14-Year-Old Allegedly Forced To Be Surrogate For Oklahoma Couple’s Twins

By Robert Scucci
| Published 10 seconds ago

Confession time: I’ve only seen two films starring Jennifer Lopez. I’ve seen 2003’s Gigli, because why wouldn’t I? And one of my girlfriends made me watch The Wedding Planner, which is why I ended up marrying an entirely different person years later. I don’t have any real reason to not follow Jennifer Lopez’s career other than the fact that she’s really just not on my radar, and she doesn’t typically star in the kinds of movies I seek out. I know she’s good in rom-coms, and she’s been praised for her more dramatic roles, but that’s not the frame of reference I was working with when I recently fired up 2000’s The Cell, which is a total nightmare-fueled fever dream that’s more reminiscent of films like Altered States or Beyond the Black Rainbow than anything else.

The Cell is absolutely insane, and I’m saying this with love. At its core, it’s telling a simple enough story once its fiction is established, but it’s the photography, cinematography, score, makeup, and set pieces that truly push this thing to the next level. What starts out as a straightforward investigation quickly turns into a full-blown, kaleidoscopic descent into madness as seen through the subconscious of a schizophrenic serial killer.

Inception Meets Altered States

When we’re first introduced to Jennifer Lopez’s Dr. Catherine Deane, she’s seen working alongside doctors Henry West (Dylan Baker) and Miriam Kent (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) on a new technology known as the Neurological Cartography and Synaptic Transfer System. The technology allows her to enter a comatose patient’s mind and talk to them, with the end goal being to convince them to wake up. Her current patient, Edward Baines (Colton James), whose parents are funding the research, has a rare form of schizophrenia, and it’s her job to reach him and bring him back to reality.

We’re then introduced to Carl Rudolph Stargher (Vincent D’Onofrio), a serial killer who has the same rare form of schizophrenia that Edward has, fueling his constantly escalating killing spree and making him a danger to society. No sooner is he caught by the FBI than he falls into a coma as well, which introduces us to two very important key players: Carl’s latest, yet-to-be-found victim, Julia Hickson (Tara Subkoff), and FBI Agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn), who’s been trying to put Carl behind bars for as long as he can remember.

Knowing that he’s racing the clock due to Carl’s MO of throwing his victims into a cell that slowly fills with water, Peter seeks Catherine’s help and convinces her to use the Neurological Cartography and Synaptic Transfer System to infiltrate the killer’s mind, allowing him to find where a hopefully still-alive Julia is being held captive. Things don’t go as planned, however, as Catherine enters Carl’s mind only to bear witness to the ongoing nightmare that awaits her inside it.

When the data suggests that Carl is overpowering Catherine, Peter enters the killer’s mind, not only to gather the intel he needs to save Julia from a slow, agonizing death, but also to give Catherine the mental fortitude to overcome Carl’s influence over her psyche before he fully takes over and destroys her physical body too.

A Total Trip From Start To Finish

What happens inside Carl Rudolph Stargher’s mind while he’s comatose and Catherine and Peter are running through it is something you need to see to believe. My first thought was how much the visuals during the trippier sequences were strikingly reminiscent of Ken Russell’s Altered States. The idealized final form Carl has trapped inside his subconscious (King Stargher) wastes no time letting the viewer know just how troubled the man is, but not in a way that excuses all of the horrible things he did while still fully conscious and somewhat in control of his faculties.

As Catherine peels back layer after layer of his psyche, the whole world they’re living in consumes your entire being as if you’re experiencing these insane moments yourself. It’s the same kind of immersion I felt when I finally sat down and watched Beyond the Black Rainbow. Each sequence melts into the next, and just when you think you’ve had enough, we get sent back to the lab, where doctors West and Kent are toiling away to make sure nobody actually dies in the real world.

While a total mind-melter, The Cell was met with middling reviews, currently boasting a 46 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes against a slightly more favorable 57 percent approval rating on the Popcornmeter. It’s worth noting that Roger Ebert not only gave the film four out of four stars, but also placed it on his “Best 10 Movies of 2000” list.

That’s all to say that The Cell may not be the kind of movie you seek out for a casual viewing. You save movies like this for one of those days when you feel like getting a little weird and need something a little edgier than your typical serial killer procedural. I can’t think of anything more perfect than spending a couple of hours inside one man’s sick mind while his next victim is all alone, wondering if she’ll be rescued before she drowns.

As of this writing, The Cell can be rented or purchased on demand through YouTube, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango.