This past weekend, we finished up vending at Monster Fest, in Chesapeake, VA. This was the first of three events for us at the Ringmaster's Realm and it was a great time. Not only were there a ton of cool vendors and costumes, there were some of my favorite Horror Hosts on hand. In fact, the Ringmaster's Realm was able to make a few sales to one of them with a couple items that may eventually make it into the show.
As always in the case, Rob put on a fantastic event and I cannot wait for the details for next year to come out. Hopefully, if you are in the Hampton Roads area, we will be able to see you there. If you are in SW PA, you can still make it out to visit us at one of our two remaining events, Creaturefest 2 on Sunday the 13th in Uniontown and Saturday the 26th at the Too Groovy Toy Show in the West Mifflin area.
A Blind Veteran’s Terrifying Ordeal in WHY MONA RAE?, Launches Indiegogo Campaign
A Cinematic Vision of Carnage Seeks Backers at All Levels
NEW YORK, NY - WHY MONA RAE?,,
directed by Lorenzo P. Adams and executive produced by Eric Hales has
officially launched its Indiegogo campaign. The indie creeper seeks to raise
$30,000 to complete the production budget that is set to start shooting this
winter in Essex, NY. Engaging perks and backer opportunities are available at
all levels including Producer and Executive Producer opportunities.
WHY MONA RAE?, Is a love letter from me to the horror fans of
today, yesterday, and some of the masters that helped advance the genre we know
today. The vision for WHY MONA RAE? is rooted in the concept of mental
and psychical trauma, tragedy, fear of the unknown, and the will to survive.
The film’s vision is loosely influenced by the suspense of classic thrillers
such as 1967's Wait Until Dark and 1990's Misery coated with the
intensity of 2016's Don't Breathe.
WHY MONA RAE? is a psychological horror thriller that tells
the story of a blind military veteran’s terrifying ordeal after being rescued
from a car accident by a pair of sinister Amish siblings.
The story is an intense and uneasy
rollercoaster ride of human emotions bottled up and exploding in front of
audiences. A front row seat to what trauma looks like when confronted with more
trauma.
Director/Writer Lorenzo P. Adams, coming off of his 2017/2018 period
piece horror short ROTARY which screened in genre festivals such as
Telluride, Frightfest UK, and Bloody Disgusting’s FEARNYC to name a few,
explains his impetus for creating for the horror audience of his generation. “I've
always been infatuated with things of the macabre, things that terrify us as
human beings and terrors that have a touch of reality. One of the themes in
this story is something that we all resonate with; fear of the unknown. Things,
people, and or environments that feel foreign or odd to us. We take this
journey with the protagonist as she is literally thrown into a world that is
unfamiliar to her in addition to the disadvantage of not being able to see the
world she has been thrown into. Creating a thicker layer of the unknown and
fear from the senses of Mona Rae.
The film will be shot at the vintage 1790 Crystal
Country Farm in Essex, NY. The production host a team of indie horror
filmmakers, such as Director of Photography and EP, Eric Hales, horror genre
darling Maria Olsen (Starry Eyes, Paranormal Activity 3, Percy Jackson),
Jeremy Gladen (I See You, The Theatre Bizzare), SFX MUA Rita Sylvester,
Co-writer/Associate Producer Ryan Lesica, and Associate Producer Connor Etter.
The film is anticipated to premiere Spring 2020
in NYC.
With your feedback, contributions, and support we
can fund a vision of carnage that you guys, the horror community will be proud
of.
It has been a crazy few days as I have been spending quite a
bit of time finding new items for The Ringmaster’s Realm and preparing for the
Too Groovy Toy Show in May. I have found some awesome items recently and should
have a wide variety of material available at the show. Fortunately, while I am
working on things, I can usually find some time to squeeze in a movie or two.
The next one up is the 2018 entry Winchester.
Plot/ Inspired by true events. On an isolated stretch of
land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the
world. Built by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a
house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day,
seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains
hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a monstrous monument to a
disturbed woman's madness. But Sarah is not building for herself, she is building
a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts, and the most terrifying
among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters.
When I first saw this was coming out, I was apprehensive.
Not only didn’t the commercials really inspire me, the idea of what the
storyline might be could go in many different directions. Both items that were
show stoppers for me. Now that I have watched it, I have found that my initial
feelings were justified. More of a supernatural drama, than horror movie, this
one just seems to plod along at a snail’s pace. Honestly, it lacks any type of
atmosphere and scares are non-existent. This one is more of a character study, focusing
one the back-stories of the characters and how they are woven into the
mysterious house and legend. Yes, the cast is good, and their performances are
solid, but they do really nothing to bring this one to life in a truly
entertaining manner. I will say that the cinematography and production values
of this film is top notch, with a ton of effort put into the authentic nature
of the period and the use of colors. Unfortunately, much like the performances,
those positives are drowned out by the slow storyline and the overall lack of
pace. In the end, I am sure that you can find a much better selection to suffer
through. Sure, it was good background noise while working, but other than that,
it did not hold my attention at all.
The last few days have been crazy since I recovered from
this stomach bug that had me down for a few. Not only did I have a handful of
sales at The Ringmaster’s Realm, I was also able to knock out the final
installment of The Ridge series for texties.lol. In some ways, I am sad to see
that specific story end, but at least, no one died, so there is hope for
the future.
Now, I have to refocus some to ensure that I have everything
in place for my first booth at a toy show in quite a while. Time is counting
down to the Too Groovy Toy Show that will take place on May 11, in Munhall, PA.
If you’re not busy that day, swing by and see what we have in stock or just say
hello!
I know that I keep
saying that I am going to make more of a concerted effort in writing reviews of
the movies I watch or at least, keep you updated on what is listed on the Ringmaster’s
Realm over at ETSY. Unfortunately, between kids and then being sick, I haven’t
been able to do everything that I wanted to do. That should all change soon, as
I am definitely ready to buckle down and knock some stuff out (it also helps
that I brought my Mac back to life). With that, the next movie for review is
the 2018 remake (reinterpretation) of Suspiria.
Plot/ A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned
dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young
dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare.
Others will finally wake up.
I had mixed feelings about this movie when I originally
heard about it. I am a huge Argento fan and next to Deep Red, the original Suspiria
were my first forays into his works. Because of that, I was unsure how I would
feel about this one and wanted to stay away. Now, having finally watched it, what
I found was something much better than I could have ever imagined it would be.
Yes, this film is not for everyone and will likely fall into the love/hate
spectrum of movies. For me, I loved it. While it does lack the transcending
beauty of a classic Argento film, the cinematography is amazing; capturing
every shot flawlessly, the atmosphere is dark and heavy, the performances are
strong, and the soundtrack was a perfect match for the darkness on the screen.
Sure, it isn’t the original (which will turn some people off) and some of the
elements are difficult to totally put together, but those are easy flaws to
overlook. In the end, this version of Suspiria will never overtake the status
of the original and shouldn’t. This is a different version of a great story and
it should be judged on its own merits. If you have not watched it yet, give it a
shot. There are other films out there that are much, much worse.
Over the past few weeks as I have spent more time building
up the Ringmaster’s Realms vintage toy store, I have found myself watching more
movies as I get things ready for either the online store or the Too Groovy Toy
Show in May. Of course, as usual, my selections have been uneven. That is
definitely the case with this one, the 2018 entry The Meg.
Plot/ Five years ago, expert sea diver and Naval Captain
Jonas Taylor encountered an unknown danger in the unexplored recesses of the
Mariana Trench that forced him to abort his mission and abandon half his crew.
Though the tragic incident earned him a dishonorable discharge, what ultimately
cost him his career, his marriage and any semblance of honor was his
unsupported and incredulous claims of what caused it - an attack on his vessel
by a mammoth, 70-foot sea creature, believed to be extinct for more than a million
years.
After sitting through this one the other day, I can say that
my decision to wait on it was completely justified. There really is nothing in
this one that makes it worth watching (unless you have a quest to watch every
shark themed movie ever made). This one is bad, honestly, I have very little to
say that could make it any better. The performances are uneven to be kind, the
CGI is terrible, the plot is predictable and completely laughable, and the dialog
is bad. It really came across as more of a shark themed chick flick than
anything else. In the end, I wish that there was something more positive to say
about this one, as I really wanted to like it, but honestly, it is not worth
your time. Stay far away!
Now that I have been caught up in building The Ringmaster’s
Realm online vintage toy store and preparing for our first toy show, I have
found myself spending more time in the super hero universes than horror or even
sci-fi in recent weeks. While this is a nice change, it has shown me that not
all super hero’s (or their movies) are created equal. That was definitely the
case with this entry Justice League from 2017.
Plot/ Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired
by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his new-found ally,
Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
I must admit that this has been my least favorite super hero
movie out of all the ones I have watched. There was really nothing in this film
that inspired any type of positive reaction. This one lacked emotion on many
levels and it didn’t appear that there was much thought put into the overall
feel of the film. The soundtrack is bland, the scripting predictable and rather
generic, it lacked character development, and the atmosphere felt out of place
throughout. Yes, some of the
performances were decent, the fight scenes had a couple of bright spots and it
was a nice flashback to my youth when I watched Saturday morning cartoons, but
other than that, the movie felt extremely forced and underdeveloped. In the
end, I am not quite sure why this one came off so poorly, maybe it was the
disjointed editing or uneven plot. All I know is that this one did nothing at
all for me and made me dread thinking about any other installment in this
franchise. I could never recommend this one to any super hero fan, it is just
too depressing.
While the pickings were slim this weekend in the great
vintage toy quest that I am working on and the weather was mostly miserable, I
decided that I would spend some time catching up on many of the films I have
watched in the past few months and have not reviewed. To get back in the swing of
things, I decided that the 1951 classic The Thing from Another World would be
my next film for review.
Plot/ Scientists at an Arctic research station discover a
spacecraft buried in the ice. Upon closer examination, they discover the frozen
pilot. All hell breaks loose when they take him back to their station and he is
accidentally thawed out!
This must be one of the best Sci-Fi films of the 1950s and a
movie that I believe every fan of science fiction must see. In many ways, this
film laid the foundation for everything we see in the genre today and as one
would expect, it holds up quite well after all these years. Produced (and likely
directed) by Howard Hawks, this film starts slow but rises beyond expectations featuring
solid performances, an outstanding script with near perfect dialog, and a heavy
atmosphere that does a great job at painting a picture of isolation. Sure, the monster isn’t seen near enough and
there is somewhat of a documentary feel, but those are easily overlooked in
films entire body of work. In the end, if you have not seen this one, you are missing
out. Find it and give it a shot, I highly recommend it.
After finishing my latest installment in The Ridge series for Texties, I was hopeful that the weekend would bring in some coll items. Unfortunately, this weekend was kind of a bummer, as I really didn't find much new for the store (which doesn't help my 18 month plan). Even with that, it has been a successful opening/kick-off with 2 Etsy Sales and some positive results on Ebay. Hopefully, those keep trending upward. So what was my major find of the weekend? A vintage Six Million Dollar Man Puzzle (complete - put it together last night).
Until my next update, here are some pics of the puzzle.
It was a night. After dealing with so many issues of
ineptitude and working on this mechanism for a 1949 alligator toy last night, I
was unable to motivate myself into working on any type of listing for the shop.
It sucks, as I was making such good progress on everything. I guess I will have
to do double tonight. As background noise, I put on the 1974 post-apocalyptic
made for television flick Where Have All the People Gone.
Plot/ Earth encounters a massive solar flare that decimates
almost all life on Earth. Only people who were underground during the solar
event are unharmed while the rest are dead or dying. A band of survivor’s cross
country to seek others in a world laid waste.
I must admit, the premise of this story even though it is
one that has been used quite a bit intrigues me. Ever since I was a kid and
watched Night of the Comet for the first time, the whole idea is fascinating. While
this one lacks the excitement and action factors of some of the more modern
incarnations, it pulls off the story in a thought-provoking way with solid
performances and a heavy and tense atmosphere. As usual, Peter Graves was superb
and an outstanding choice for the lead in this more dramatic attempt at an
apocalypse scenario. It is hard to believe that this was made for TV as
compared to the schlock that populates many of the movies today. Yes, some of
it may feel dated and the pacing somewhat slow, but those flaws are easily overshadowed
by the content of the film. In the end, this entry is much better than the modern
CGI infested films that are more mindless and background noise than quality.
Check this one out, it would be worth your time.
What a weird weekend it was and even though it doesn’t feel
like it, I was able to get a lot accomplished on my business plan. Incredibly,
I got five eBay listings and a few more Etsy Store listings in place for the Ringmaster’s
Realm stores. During that process, I was ale to have some solid background
entertainment, one of those being the 1973 classic Soylent Green.
Plot/ In 2022, Earth is overpopulated and totally polluted;
the natural resources have been exhausted and the nourishment of the population
is provided by Soylent Industries, a company that makes a food consisting of
plankton from the oceans. After called to investigate a murder, Detective Thorn
discovers a bizarre and disturbing secret of the ingredient used to manufacture
Soylent Green.
Soylent Green is
such an interesting film and one that takes the viewer into a world that they
probably don’t see coming. This one screams 1970s excess during what is a
complete nightmare scenario for those that live in the city during the 2022
time-frame that the plot holds. While not a perfect flick, it does have some of
the cult classic elements that popularize this eras movie. The sets and
costuming are strange, the performances solid, and the storyline is amazing. Most
importantly, the theme of the film does feel relevant today, and some of the
Sci-Fi elements are probably closer to reality here in 2019 than they were in
1973 when the movie was made. Yes, some of it feels dated, there are some head
scratching moments, and did I say the costuming was outlandish? I’m sure I did.
Overall, it is easy to see why this one
continues to be influential after all these years. In the end, while not
perfect, Soylent Green is extremely entertaining,
and the ending is perfect. It is worth watching (especially for fans of older
Sci-Fi films) and it should be an eye-opening venture for those that sit on the
fringe when thinking about some of the elements that plague us today.
It took some time this week, but I was finally able to get my new Etsy Shop for The Ringmaster's Realm up and running. While I only listed two items last night, it is definitely a start on what I am sure will be much more to come. Look out for updates, as we move forward with the business plan!
What a crazy week! What I had hoped to be a quiet and
relaxing business focused week decided to turn into some craziness featuring a
nice broken pipe in the kitchen. That was a watery mess and one that I could
have done without. I did need some down time to recover, so I ventured into the
world of the Cenobites with 2018s Hellraiser: Judgment.
Plot/ Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to
find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with
Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror
that may not be of this world.
I honestly was not quite sure how I would feel about this
one with the changes to the cast, but I gave it a shot anyway. Having been a
fan of Clive Barker for a long time, I had hoped that the film would do the
franchise justice. What I found was a flick that took the series back to its
roots and allowed fans a glimpse of what made the original such a classic. The imagery
was outstanding, and the direction and cinematography created a very tense and
atmospheric film. Even the new version of Pinhead felt right. Sure, some of the
performances were uneven and the storyline (especially the subplot) felt a
little too familiar, but honestly, this one was much better than I would have
ever guessed. I am sure that there will be some people who don’t like it (especially
because there is no Doug Bradley), but I would personally disregard them. If you
love Clive Barker and Hellraiser, give this one a shot!
I know, I know, I haven’t been around the blog as much as I
had intended, but that is all for a good reason. A few months ago, I got contracted
to start a series of stories for an Instagram based app called texties.lol and
I have been hard at work bringing my Man of Cloth character and the world of
Summit View to life. So far, it has been an extreme success and I signed on for
a second installment. I have also been busy working on my pop culture and
vintage toy store, something that I hope will take off and allow me more
freedom in the future. With that, you will be seeing some changes to The
Ringmaster’s Realm, as it will serve as the headquarters for both my movie
reviews as well as store announcements with cool finds and item listings, so
stay tuned. Well, enough on that, the next movie for review is the 2018 science
fiction entry 2036 Origin Unknown.
Plot/ After a failed mission to Mars, A.I./ARTI is now used
for the 2036 mission with a few human supervisors. A monolith of unknown origin
is found there. It will have a big effect on Earth.
Being a fan of the genre, I really wanted to love this one.
Unfortunately, I could not truly get into it as much as I thought I would. The
story and plot really don’t add anything to the genre that we haven’t seen
before. In fact, much of the movie sets up to be far more confusing than it
should have been. The pacing is slow, there is no real action, too many things
are left open to interpretation and are never explained in detail. I did like
the use of AI and found it interesting that this is another example of how
filmmakers turn the keys to everything over to a machine. Personally, I must
agree that it will end badly when that happens. There is also a solid baseline
of tension layered throughout, even if the entire storyline is predictable and
lacking depth. In the end, this is far from a perfect movie, but there is at
least some unanswered questions that make you think. While I would not completely
recommend it to everyone, it does make a good backdrop if you are trying to get
some work done.
