Where Have All the People Gone (1974)

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.

Soylent Green (1973)

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.

Etsy Shop Now Open!

Vintage Weeble Blimp

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! 

1970s Matchbox Superfast Set

Hellraiser: Judgment (2018)

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!

2036 Origin Unknown (2018)

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.