Latest news with #JusticeLeague
Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
‘I watched innocent man die in Death Row gas chamber – his last words haunt me'
Lawyer Clive Stafford Smith represented dozens of inmates on Death Row and claims he watched an innocent man die - and that US prisons are using black market drugs to carry out executions A former Death Row lawyer says he watched an innocent man choke to death in a gas chamber - and claims the US is now using illegal drugs to carry out executions. Clive Stafford Smith, who has represented dozens of inmates on Death Row, lost two clients to the electric chair, two to lethal injection and two in the gas chamber - including Edward Earl Johnson, executed in 1987 for the murder of a policeman and sexual assault of a woman. Johnson has always maintained his innocence. According to Smith, a woman later came forward claiming she was with Johnson at the time of the killing - but police ignored her statement. Though now retired from Death Row law, Smith continues to campaign against capital punishment. But the tragedy of Johnson, who was just 27 at the time, still haunts him today and he recalls the last thing he told him before 'choking to death'. Smith, who is British, said: 'I walked into the gas chamber with Edward. He choked to death over quite a long time, about 15 minutes. That's not really the issue, the issue was that he was locked up as a young black male in Mississippi when he was 18, and he was killed eight years later. 'I walked him into the chair, gave him a hug and he whispered in my ear 'is there something you know I don't know?' He genuinely thought they still wouldn't kill him. They then strapped him into the chair. They did it really tightly so that you couldn't see the poor guy thrashing around. 'The witnesses are behind the chair, so they can't see him. So they can't see what he's going through.' He added: 'I can see him in my mind's eye. He was the next person killed in Mississippi before they got rid of the gas chamber. I went to his funeral after his death and this woman, Mary, came up to me and she said 'well, I know Edward didn't do that because I was with him at the time'. 'I was really taken aback and I said, well, why didn't you tell someone? And she said, I did, I went to the police and they told me to buzz off and mind my own business.' Through his nonprofit, the Justice League, Stafford now works with young people and human rights. He says the recent news of botched executions doesn't surprise him. In April, South Carolina man, Mikal Madhi, suffered a prolonged death after being killed by a firing squad. An autopsy found that shooters had missed the target on his heart, causing the 42-year-old to suffer longer than the expected window of 10 to 15 seconds. Retired executioner Ron Andrews was left needing 13 years of therapy after watching Cuban refugee Pedro Medina, who claims he was innocent, 'burn to death' over a malfunctioning electric chair. In 2022 a report from the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) claimed a third of executions that year were botched or highly problematic. Smith says he's not at all surprised by a string of reports of botched executions. He claims because pharmaceutical companies do not want their drugs used for them, the US is turning to black market drugs for lethal injections. He added: 'I was surprised, when I first got involved, about botched lethal injections because that was sold to us back in the late 70s, early 80s as a gentler form of execution. 'I think a lot of us bought into that at the time, but then I had two of my clients who I watched die in front of me and I've had six who've died, but two were on the gurney. It became pretty clear that things weren't going as people advertised.' He added: 'It's totally true black market drugs are being used. This was done by a student without my permission. I'm so proud of her. The US states got so desperate to get the right drugs to kill people that they were going to China and India, and they're illegally trying to import them." 'And so this young woman called up the Chinese and pretended to be an executing state and said, 'could you get us some drugs?' This was all off her own bat. I didn't tell her to do this [...] but it turned out very well. She talked to this person and they said, 'we can send you some execution drugs, we'll send it in the diplomatic bag'. 'Then they went on to say - and you just can't make this stuff up - that if you want a special thing to make sure it doesn't get discovered, we could put it in some teddy bears and send it in the diplomatic bag that way.' The number of executions in the US hit 25 in June this year, matching the total for all of 2024, according to UK-based anti-death penalty group Reprieve. The organisation raised concerns over black market drugs used in lethal injections, as President Trump reintroduced the death penalty after returning to office. Matt Wells, deputy director of Reprieve US, said: "The message being sent from the top is clear: President Trump wants to see more people being executed, and with most federal death sentences commuted, in the short-term at least that means more executions at the state level. "As states rush to kill, ignoring red flags that their execution protocols are a recipe for torture, there is every danger we'll witness more prisoners dying in agony. Evidence shows that executions scheduled in haste are more likely to go wrong. Speeding up the machinery of death may seem politically expedient in the age of Trump, but in practice, it leads to more slow and painful deaths on the gurney.'
Geek Dad
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Review – DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #4: Justice League on Angel Island
DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #4 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: For the last issue, we got to see Sonic and his crew take over the DCU, with each fuzzy hero taking on the turf and style of one of the missing-in-action DCU heroes. Which raises the question of where the Justice League is – and the answer is, on Sonic's world! That means these more serious heroes are now tasked with protecting a world filled with anthropomorphic animals – especially since the Female Furies and Darkseid's other minions are still loose on it. That means they have to divide and conquer, with characters like Virman Vundabar and Granny Goodness cutting loose against these harmless talking animals. But they're not the only ones causing chaos – there are also some key Sonic villains taking advantage of the chaos, like the Deadly Six. And while the DC heroes are out of their depths in some areas, it soon becomes clear that they've got things in hand. A new war. Via DC Comics. There are a few segments that really work here. Batman taking on Metal Sonic in a silent segment, and Wonder Woman discussing the status quo with Blaze the Cat and getting the antihero to willingly give her the chaos emerald work really well. The one I really liked, though, was Superman taking on Eggman and dismantling his over-the-top robots. It's clear Superman has faced mad scientists like this before and more dangerous ones at that, and Robotnik's sense of outrage is very funny. It's great to see the other side of this equation, with both heroes taking charge of their new world and proving they can think on their feet. And much like the Sonic heroes, they're collecting chaos emeralds and working on opening the magic portal – which sets up a final showdown with Darkseid and his minions next issue. This has been a pretty solid crossover so far, and apparently it's just the start for these two properties. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Geek Dad
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Review – Justice League Unlimited #8: Time's End
Justice League Unlimited #8 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: It's the final chapter of 'We Are Yesterday', a cosmic epic that saw the Legion of Doom of the past make their way to the present, courtesy of a Gorilla Grodd upgraded with Martian Manhunter's psychic abilities. The last chapter saw both sides bring their big guns – the heroes recruited allies from across the past and future of the DCU, including Batman Beyond and a very confused Jonah Hex. Meanwhile, Grodd fully absorbed the leftover Omega Energy left by Darkseid and essentially turned himself into a God. And then there's Air Wave, who was tricked into betraying the Justice League and was seemingly killed – but now finds himself channeling the same energy that Grodd does, making him the only hope the heroes do. This is the setup for a packed final issue – one with a ton of combat and some surprisingly great character work that leaves a lot of potential for future stories. Dark rising. Via DC Comics. Easily one of my favorite bits about this issue is the way the heroes from the past and future interact with the present day, and given the ending, it seems like there might be quite a bit more of these fun bits going forward. You also have a surprising spotlight for Martian Manhunter, who unlike Barry Allen is staying active with the heroes and waging a real fight to get his powers back. Most of the Legion of Doom is out of focus this issue besides Grodd (and Joker getting a well-deserved beating), but Pythoness continues to be interesting. This character came seemingly out of nowhere, is dead in this timeline, and has her own agenda. I'm guessing Waid has some big plans for her. What intrigues me the most about this issue is the way it leaves so many unanswered questions, with the nature of time in the DCU being radically changed by the outcome. Fun, smaller-scale crossover that's likely leading up to something very big. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Superman fans still upset over David Corenswet's ‘terrible' flying face
Up Next Superman fans are still upset over David Corenswet's flying in a new snap from the upcoming movie about the beloved DC action hero. On seeing the picture, in which Superman looks like he's in an inspiring Amazon delivery ad, fans couldn't help but notice that David looked 'weird' in the wide-angle lens. 'The zoomed in fisheye lens look is so weird to me. I know everybody and their grandmother is obsessed with James Gunn and thinks he's some perfect filmmaker, but so much of the promotional material for this movie makes me want to not see it,' said @syaokuro on X. 'The close up shots look so weird,' said @Its_Me_Cole, while @ZibahTheCreator added: 'Why does it look AI generated than an actual studio work?' 'Probably gonna skip this one until it's free,' commented @Lbnumber34, while @adijain31 simply said: 'Looks funny af.' 'POV im waiting for you to give me my lil kiss on the forehead,' joked @Cuellar_Elissa about the hopeful facial expression on David's face. 'We need to retire this camera angle for good,' said @Rasheto. 'I know he REALLY wants this shot but man you gotta let this s**t go,' said @Jdemfoo. 'It looks terrible, unflattering and there's basically no right way to light this scene. Cutting room floor.' Some compared the moment to similar shots of Dwayne ' The Rock ' Johnson as Black Adam and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock in movies gone by. When the teaser trailer dropped in January fans had the same issue. 'I don't know why you would shoot a shot like this in that way. It's always gonna make a head appear bigger and give the shot a weird look – it also accentuates David Corenswet's strabismus eyes,' Reddit userDoctorBeatMaker reflected. 'I think there's something wrong with the cape too. It looks way too fake somehow,' equal-ad-2710 wrote. 'If I had to guess they've used this lens because it gives off a greater sense of speed and to be fair I definitely do get that feeling from it, even if it makes his face look a little weird because of the angle,' TheJosider defended. 'This shot looks so bad every time. why do filmmakers insist on it?' ProtectMeAtAllCosts complained. Over on X, many were comparing the flying sequence to Henry Cavill's version when he played Superman from 2013 to 2017 in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. 'Biggest downgrade in history of DC on screen,' chriwankenobi posted. 'The real issue isn't just the face it's the way he's flying the arms by his side just makes the flying look uncomfortable it makes David look ill at ease superman should look at ease when he's flying the flying should be graceful,' moviestvmad echoed. 'Seriously, what is up with these weird face-on lens distortion flying shots focusing only on the character's face lately? Black Adam, Adam Warlock, and now Superman. 'There are so many cooler ways to visualize flying; just look at anything in Man of Steel. These just look goofy,' @ColtonC_20 argued. For those worried about the use of computer graphics, however, the CEO of DC Studios and filmmaker James Gunn shut down speculation on Threads. 'Looks dope!! Great camera angle of Superman flying!! Except there's something with his face that looks a little off. I know there's plenty of time to refine the CG,' @blutattu commented. James replied: 'There is absolutely zero CG in his face. People's faces can look different when you put a wide angle lens up close. The background plate in Svalbard [a filming location in the Norwegian archipelago] is 100% real as is David.' For the most part, there is plenty of excitement for this new take on the age-old superhero, which also stars Rachel Brosnahan as heroine Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as villain Lex Luthor. 'Lives will be changed. I can't wait for this!' @silverscreen_re wrote. 'This movie is gonna be so f**king good…I actually can't wait,' @thecollectorn shared. 'Keep getting more and more hyped for this,' @theslyfox13 wrote. In a recent interview with Gizmodo, James reflected that the new movie was about the 'basic kindness of human beings' and even offered a rebuttal to the more toxic side of the internet. He continued: 'When I watch the trailer and the movie, we do have a sort of battered vision of Superman at the beginning. I think that is our country. 'I believe in the goodness of human beings. And I believe that most people in this country, despite their ideological beliefs [or] their politics, are doing their best to get by and trying to be good people, despite what it may seem like to the other side and what that other side might be. 'I think this movie is about that. It's about the basic kindness of human beings. And that it can be seen as uncool, and it can be seen as under siege when some of the darker voices are some of the louder voices. 'That's what happens when you let the internet seem like it's the world—when it's not the world. The world is us.' More Trending James Gunn confirms controversial scene from Superman trailer isn't in the final cut Film 4 days ago By Rishma Dosani 'I'm the 6ft 8in Alpha in 28 Years Later that's haunting your dreams' 28 Years Later director reveals 'nightmare' of shooting naked zombie scenes Friends and Spider-Man star Jack Betts dies aged 96 Meanwhile, the 31-year-old actor has previously opened up about the side-effects of bulking for the role. 'I wasn't 238 (pounds) when we started shooting. I was 238 at my max,' he told the Manly Things (Soft Of) podcast last year, as a result he 'didn't fit into any of [his] pants.' Superman arrives in cinemas on July 11, 2025. This article was originally published on January 27, 2025. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Pink Villa
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Is Ezra Miller Making Hollywood Comeback? Actor Teams Up With Lynne Ramsay for Bold New Film Project
After years away from the Hollywood spotlight, The Flash star Ezra Miller is considering a return to the film industry. Known for standout roles in Justice League, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Miller recently made headlines again, this time not for controversy, but for a quiet and cautious re-entry into the public eye. At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Miller made a rare appearance to support filmmaker Lynne Ramsay. Speaking with Lo Speciale Giornale, they revealed, 'I came to Cannes to support one of my closest friends in the world, who is Lynne Ramsay, who I think is one of the greatest living filmmakers.' Why did Ezra Miller step away from Hollywood? In 2022, Miller faced multiple legal issues, including assault and burglary charges, as well as allegations of inappropriate behavior. These controversies led to their absence from Hollywood, despite playing the lead in The Flash, which was released in June 2023 alongside stars Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, and Ben Affleck. Reflecting on this challenging period, Miller told Deadline, 'Not that I don't hold a lot of remorse and lamentation for a lot of things I did and a lot of things that happened in that time, but I'm really, really grateful for the lessons that came with that abyss.' They added, 'It was a tough re-entry point,' referring to their decision to attend Cannes. Ezra Miller and Lynne Ramsay's new partnership Miller's appearance at Cannes wasn't just for support. It also marked the start of a new collaboration with Ramsay. The two are currently working on a film together, which they are co-writing. "I'm working with her again, that will likely be the first thing I do, is a film that she and I are writing together," Miller confirmed. This project could be a significant step forward for both their careers. Ramsay, known for You Were Never Really Here, continues to build her reputation with Die, My Love, which competed at Cannes this year. Here's what we know about the Ezra Miller-Lynne Ramsay film project While full details about the film are under wraps, it's clear that this is a deeply personal project. Miller shared that they've spent time writing during their break from acting, as per Deadline. "I've been writing a lot, because you can do that in solitude, which has been friendly to me," they said. The collaboration between Miller and Ramsay, a respected figure in independent cinema, could bring a unique and artistic vision to the screen. Though no genre or plot details have been confirmed, the creative team behind it promises something significant.
