Uncategorized

Happy holidays! Are you already wrapping gifts? If you need some pretty gift tags, Leethal.net has provided some free printable gift tags featuring pretty watercolor images. Head on over to her site to grab the free printable files: [click here for free printable gift tags]

Looking for more free printables? Here are some you might enjoy:

• Free Printable Herb Jar Labels
• Free Printable Christmas Favor Box

The post Free Printable Watercolor Gift Tags appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Nerdist suggested that Michael Keaton should reprise his role as the Caped Crusader if there is ever a Batman Beyond film and all I have to say is an emphatic hell yes!

While Christian Bale in recent years has been the top favorite when it comes to live-action versions of the Batman, Keaton is usually close behind him, and my own personal favorite Batman. Batman Beyond is also one of my favorite cartoons and parts of the DCEU; in fact, Terry McGuinness is my favorite incarnation of Batman—which isn’t to say I don’t enjoy Bruce (depending on who’s writing him), but Terry was a more human Batman.

For those unaware, Batman Beyond was a television series that ran from 1999-2001 and took place 40 years after the timeline established in Batman: TAS—20 years after Batman’s in-universe retirement. Terry is a high school student who, after the death of his father, finds himself working under Batman.

Terry was kind of a juvenile delinquent turned good guy, like a well-written Jason Todd. Who could play Terry? Honestly, I think they should pick an unknown, because he’ll come in with a fresh slate, and there isn’t a long roster of other actors who he will be compared to in the role. When it comes to who would be perfect to play the older Bruce Wayne, yeah, Keaton is an easy choice to make.

Not only is Keaton loved and respected by the Batman fandom, but in this new stage in his career, he seems more willing to return to the role—from his performance in Birdman, where he plays a star trying to break away from being stereotyped as former superhero actor, to a return to comic book movies with Spider-Man: Homecoming, as one of the best MCU villains thus far.

Nerdist put it very well in their breakdown of what would make Keaton such a great fit for the role again, and how this will have something new for Keaton to work with even though he is the same character.

He’s angry, embittered, and lonely following decades shunning the Batman legacy (in the show, it happens when an aging Bats nearly has a heart attack during a rescue and his to pull a gun on the bad guy to save himself) and losing hold of his company. He’s still a wealthy man, but he’s lost, with only his dog as company. He then has to learn to re-enter the world through his begrudging friendship and mentorship of this teenage kid whose dad got murdered. That’s a lot to play, and Keaton is the best when playing someone with a lot going on.

Keaton is the perfect person to bring an older Bruce Wayne to life, and I think bringing him back into the DCEU world would do a lot to encourage fans who have been let down by the Justice League movie, or didn’t show up at all, to come back into the theater. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, especially 80s and 90s nostalgia, so what better movie than to bring in the Batman from that era to usher in the future of Batman on screen?

What’s more is that we’ve already seen Fox tap into the older superhero with Logan, and while I’m not suggesting that the DC movie universe take that idea entirely (they have already failed to properly understand The Dark Knight Returns so I’m not trusting them that much), going with an old Batman who has to know train a young person to take the mantle would be a great way to update the live-action storyline.

Batman as Bruce Wayne may be the most iconic version of Batman, but that character comes with a lot of baggage that the DCEU hasn’t been able to unpack. Ben Affleck’s “older” Bruce Wayne was good in terms of physicality and channeling the entitled persona of Bruce Wayne, but the script itself didn’t understand Batman. Or at least not the version of Batman I think most of us like.

While there is a definite fanbase that wants the gun-toting, clearly killing people Batman that is sort of campily done in the Burton and Nolan movies, BvS has a scene where Batman is legit gunning people down. This way of making Batman edgy doesn’t work because most people familiar with the mythos know that Batman doesn’t do guns.

If writers are struggling for a new way to reinvent Batman, especially if they do plan to use the “Flashpoint” storyline to clean up some of the rougher edges, then an older Batman is the way to go. Plus, we don’t know how long Affleck plans on being in this role, and with everything going on in his personal life I don’t think it is a priority for him.

The direction of making Bruce older is a good one and I think we need to go even older. The one role we’ve yet to see done right in the Bat live-action universe is Bruce as a true mentor. Batman Forever didn’t cut it. One of the best things about Bruce/Batman is the fact that he takes in lost children, that despite his harder edges he wants a family. LEGO Batman understood this.

So if the DCEU wants to reinvent itself, it’s time to go beyond and this is probably the best, and easiest way to do this while still giving the fans something to enjoy. Who doesn’t love a little Batman nostalgia?

(via Nerdist, image: Warner Bros.)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) rebuffed accusations of getting special treatment after a White passenger claimed she lost her first-class United Airlines seat because of the Congresswoman. On Tuesday, passenger Jean-Marie Simon attempted to board a flight from Houston to Washington, D.C. with a paper ticket, only to be told that it was no longer valid. She then complained to attendants, claiming they gave preferential treatment to Jackson Lee —who she recognized— because of her political clout. Jackson Lee addressed the incident in a series of tweets, explaining what happened in detail. “After receiving my boarding pass, I boarded the plane in the normal process," Jackson said on Twitter. "I did nothing wrong. I asked for nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary and received nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary. I proceeded to take my seat and work on legislative issues on my way to Washington." "Although I was not involved, I observed a disruption by an individual walking back and forth in the cabin. I could overhear her speaking with a flight attendant (an African American woman)." Jackson goes on to note that the upset passenger's ticket had, apparently, cancelled her own ticket.  "I noted that this individual came toward me and took a picture. I heard later that she might have said, 'I know who she is.' Since this was not any fault of mine, the way the individual continued to act appeared to be, upon reflection, because I was an African American woman, seemingly an easy target along with the African American flight attendant who was very, very nice." Adding, "This saddens me, especially at this time of year given all of the things we have to work on to help people." As reported by NBC, United Airlines in a statement Tuesday said Simon canceled her flight from Houston to Washington with the United Mobile app. And a spokesperson in an interview denied that Jackson Lee was given the first-class seat simply because she was a Congresswoman.

Tidal is gifting music lovers a taste of its exclusive streaming content for 12 consecutive days, which started on Dec. 25.

Tidal, a subscription-based streaming serviced owned by Jay-Z and a variety of other high-profile music artists, announced Friday that those interested in the promotion won’t even need a credit card to sign up. With just an email address, they’ll be granted full access to the global music platform. For free.

“Heading into 2018, we’re looking forward to giving Tidal members more access and a high-quality soundtrack to everyday life,” said Tony Gervino, Tidal’s vice president of culture and content, in a statement. “We value what music and music culture means to people and trust this preview will give music fans a taste of the elevated music experience that Tidal is offering its customers.”

The new promotion will allow the company to attract more subscribers with a 12-day preview period to its Hi-Fi and Premium services, ending on Jan. 5, 2018. During this trial, Tidal will release new music videos, give away tickets, and roll out new content each day, including a new Rap Radar podcast interview with West Coast hip-hop artist Nipsey Hussle. Potential members will also have access to Tidal’s full platform via mobile app, web player, and desktop app, according to the press release.

Since its re-launch in 2015, Tidal has provided subscribers with exclusive access to new albums, music videos, documentaries, artist-curated playlists, podcast interviews, intimate events, concerts, and listening parties. “In 2017 alone, Tidal has hosted nearly 40 livestreams, hosted more than 70 events, released 335 original videos and shared more than 40 exclusive tracks, albums and videos with members,” reads the statement.

On Wednesday, Tidal announced the launch of its first TV app for the Apple TV and Android TV devices, which will allow subscribers to watch Tidal content directly on their television.

The post Tidal Offers 12 Days of Free Music and Exclusive Content appeared first on Black Enterprise.