The Ringmaster's Realm

The weather has been so dreary the past few days making me want to do next to nothing. Because of this blah feeling, I have had time to watch some movies. One that I picked yesterday was the 2021 entry, There's Someone Inside Your House. Plot : After moving to live with her grandmother in Hawaii, a teenager must confront her past after fellow students at her school are murdered. While it one started with some promise and interesting ideas,  it quickly disintegrates into another in the long line of Scream wannabes. Unfortunately,  this one doesn't come close to matching that classic on any level.  There are some decent moments, as the cast does a good job with some solid performances and the cinematography makes it easy to watch, but those suffer from an overall lack of pacing that drags the film down. Plus,  the film never builds on the interesting seeds planted early in the film and those elements disappear into the boredom. In the end, this one isn't terrible, but it'

As I said yesterday,  it was a lazy weekend.  Although,  I did get some stuff done around the shop,  making it somewhat productive. I also took a break between binging The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries and starting Kolchak: The Night Stalker to watch a few movies. Last night, being in the mood for some comedy,I decided on 2016s Brave New Jersey. Plot : A comedy about a small New Jersey town on the night of Orson Welles' legendary 1938 "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, which led millions of listeners to believe the U.S. was being invaded by Martians The real story of the war of the Worlds incident in 1938 is one thati am sure everyone has heard of. I still wonder how I would have reacted had I experienced it live. This one is a great comedic take on what it may have been like in a small Jersey town when it happened. The storyline is lighthearted and fun, but it is also a touch uneven with some strange changes in characterizations sprinkled throughout. The overall look

Yesterday, I decided to take a break from most of my electronics after feeling worn out from going to the midnight movie classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a live cast at the NARO. That was the first time I had gone out that late in quite some time and I felt it.  While I did do some sorting,  I spent a good bit of time relaxing.  During that time,  I decided to watch a few movies including this 1973 offering Messiah of Evil. Plot : A young woman goes to look for her missing father. Her trip takes her to a strange California coastal city ruled by a mysterious cult of the walking dead. This is one that i am surprised that i hadn't watched previously.  Found on Prime, i live the fact that these older pieces are available to stream.  I so miss the trips to the local video store to find something to watch.  Do 1973, this unique film does feel a touch dated and the over quality does suffer,  but,  don't let the results of the dated elements and v technology deter you from c

Yesterday was a day full of appointments and driving in traffic,  so when I was able to relax last night I wanted something interesting for my evening movie. After some thought, I decided to visit the horror icon, Vincent Price in 1987s From a Whisper to a Scream. Plot : Beneath the small-town exterior of Oldfield, Tenn., lies a history of shocking violence and terrifying phenomena, as recounted by local historian. Horror anthologies have been a mixed bag through the years ranging from dark to lighthearted comic entries. This one is on the darker side and one that is a lot better than I would have expected.  The four dark macabre stories are interesting and add a creepiness the is lacking from many anthologies of the era. The cast, performances, and look of the film are good for the time of direct to VHS horror. Unfortunately, Price plays a minor part as the narrator, while it was good, his talent could have added even more to the movie with more screen time. This is a good horror film

While I have been on a Sci-Fi kick lately,  I still love to go back to my youth for some of the horror movies that shaped my love for the genre.  To me,  some of the classic creature features from that era still hold their weight.  Yes,  there is some cheese and schlock,  but wasn't that part of what made the 80s awesome? Last night I went for one of those creature features, 1980's Alligator. Plot : A herpetologist helps a detective track her flushed-away pet, now a king-size mutant called Ramone. The creature features of the 70s and 80s were the best. Yes,  there are some duds, but there were also some classics that sprung up. While this one is not as memorable or as mainstream as Jaws or even Piranha, Alligator remains one of the better low budget creature features of the time.  Boasting an interesting storyline,  dark atmosphere, a solid cast,  decent performances, and some creative effects,  this one takes an urban legend to a new culture classic level. If you love classic

It was busy around my shop yesterday with 3 online sales on top of the two packages that I had to send out. Fortunately, I have the time to focus on that on days when that happens. So far today has been quieter, allowing me to start rebuilding the workshop after neglecting it during my transplant hiatus. Once I finished yesterday, I decided to dive into the world of Rutger Hauer with the 1992 flick Split Second. Plot : In a flooded future London, Detective Harley Stone hunts a serial killer who murdered his partner, and has haunted him ever since. He soon discovers what he is hunting might not be human. I love Rutger Hauer movies and it is still hard to fathom that he is no longer with us. Onereason that i have always enjoyed his films is that he always seems to enjoy the project he was working on. This movie again shows that side of him. While this is clearly a B-Movie and far from a classic like like Blade Runner, he played his character perfectly. This is a lower budget film that ha

Another Monday,  another early trip to the VA Medical Center for blood work. Unfortunately,  that is part of the new normal after receiving the love translated. At least,  or weather isn't that bad, so the drive isn't all that bad.  Knowing I had that this morning,  I wanted to watch something something mellow last night,  so I decided on the 2019 Sci-Fi mystery The Vast of Night. Plot : In New Mexico in the 1950s, two kids search for the source of a mysterious frequency that has descended on their town; they soon uncover more than they had counted on. I love movies that transport you to another time,  and this one did just TV that.  Another slow-burn, this Sci-Fi  mystery drama came off as almost a modern episode of the Twilight Zone or Night Gallery. The plot and storyline were solid,  the performances believable, and the overall quality was outstanding. Yes,  the movie could have been a little longer and a bit more captivating, but those are but minor flaws in what is a low

  These are some of the listings from the past week.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day focused on the toy store by searching out some new items and listing a few things. While that was productive, it also allowed time for some down moments. In that time, I was able to catch a few flicks. One of those was the 2020 Sci-Fi entry Block Island Sound. Plot : A fisherman's family encounter horrors and dark truths when an ominous force off the coast of Block Island begins killing wildlife. This was a movie that I had skipped over many times until yesterday and now I wonder why. This one was a lot more than the short synopsis suggested offering a lot of tense moments and elements of implied horror and good performances that demonstrate how less can be more in a film if it is done right. A slow burn Sci-Fi  mystery, this one features solid scripting, outstanding visuals, and textured and heavy atmosphere that with help from a solid soundscape create a dark and bleak tension throughout. This one definitely is not for everyone, especially those

Yesterday was a long day. If started with an emergency trip to the VA pharmacy for a needed prescription and she'd with a trip to see the classic Blade Runner at a local theater.  In between, I did watch some TV and a movie.  That movie was the 2022 flick,  Immanence. Plot : Radio astronomers discover a mysterious signal in the deep sea that could be contact with extraterrestrials. After several terrifying manifestations threaten their beliefs, the team must fight to survive the ultiImmanent. When this one started,  I had hope. Unfortunately,  after the initial sequences this movie deteriorates into simmering boring and teetering on unwatchable. The storyline and plot are a mess, pitting science/aliens against religion in a strange battle on a boat. The performances are alright, the scripting and dialog are all over, and the atmosphere and pace are barely noticeable. In the end,  this one seems like a bunch of friends got together and made a movie, which if that is the case, I appl

In the middle of my marathon of the original Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mystery Hour, I decided that I wanted to take a break and catch a movie (recovering from transplant surgery does have some perks). So,  after some debate with the voices in my head, I decided on the 1991 schlockfest Winterbeast. Plot : People are being killed off near a popular mountain lodge, with a legend claiming that the mountain is haunted by a deadly Native American demonic curse. I honestly don't know exactly what i watched and am quite torn.  On one hand, this no budget schlockfest offers very little fit the viewer. It has almost no plot, the scripting is incoherent, the effects teeter between bad and worse, and the performances are far from good.  Yet, i found this one rather entertaining on a so bad it's good level. This reminds me of what Mr. Lobo from Cinema Insomnia says,  "they're not bad movie,  they're just misunderstood." In many ways this is a movie that shows that anyone can

Last night as I was finishing my work Enigma's as a remebrance of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday,  I wanted to watch something Poe related. After since thought,  I decided on the new Netflix release from 2022, The Pale Blue Eye. Plot : Veteran detective Augustus Landor investigates a series of grisly murders with the help of a young cadet who will eventually go on to become the world-famous author Edgar Allan Poe. I will admit,  I am a huge fan of everything Poe related, so I may be a touch biased in this review.  For,  me,  this film was a blast to watch.  The tension and atmosphere drew me in right from the start.  Everything in this period piece worked: the set, the cast, the costuming, the cinematography, the acting, and the overall feel was perfect for a mystery/thriller. For me though, as a writer, the scripting was fascinating. The way the script was written and then transferred to the screen never felt forced and everything from the dialog to the presence felt extremely nat

  As a fan of horror,  mystery,  and suspense, there is nothing better than a great story.  And,  as a writer,  there is nothing more that I want than to craft a great story.  One of my influences, and reasons why I love these genres is Edgar Allan Poe. His words and storytelling abilities were amazing, which is why they have stood the test of time.  Poe was a flawed man,  but,  the real flaw in his life was that he was taken too soon. Today, on what would have been his 214th birthday,  I have come up with this little poetic tribute to one of my biggest influences and a true genius.  Enigma's I stand quietly upon the land, The vast countenance of oblivion staring into my depths, Lucid stairways alive at last; And illicit secrecies surround the silent enigmas once held dear, Blind but I can see, Dead but I can breathe, A final frontier of all that was, A dismal remnant of what will be, Random elements twist through the darkness, Creating life from the impossible, A lone specimen fro

As this week continues, I have found getting back to watching horror and returning to the blog has been really therapeutic and has helped me pass some time as I recover from my transplant. Luckily, there are a ton of movies out there for me to choose from. The next one I decided I was the 2022 independent flick All Eyes. Plot:  A disgraced podcast stumbles upon an eccentric farmer who claims to have a monster living in the woods near his house. When I read the premise of this one,  I was intrigued because I have been stuck in this podcast realm for a few days.  More of a drama than creature feature,  this movie is one that is a lot more layered than you would expect at first glace. The storyline is good,  the cast and performances are solid,  and the overall feel of the movie really works.  One thing that really stood out was the scripting. As a writer myself,  I found that the character development, the depth of the airline,  and the way everything was brought together was tremendous.

I know, I know, it's a lot earlier than it has been for this post. But, I was up early to head to the VA hospital for my weekly bloodletting. Being a transplant recipient, that is one of the costs of being alive and surviving cancer. While,  it has only been a month since returning home,  I have totally accepted the miserable traffic that comes with early morning blood work. Last night, I decided that I would watch something involving a podcast/YouTuber, something that I have come to really enjoy.  My choice was Deadstream from 2022. Plot: A disgraced internet personality tries to win back his followers by livestreaming himself at an abandoned haunted house. When he accidentally unleashes a vengeful spirit, his comeback event becomes a fight for his life. This is a flick that I wish I would have watched earlier.  This was an interesting story and a new perspective on the haunted found footage subsets that seem too have overtaken the horror genre. The performances are solid, the ef

After a long and tiring day yesterday,  I decided v to kick back and relax. While I had thought about doing side filming, I just didn't have it in me. My recovery from transplant surgery is definitely still ongoing; something I expected but I often forget about  because I do feel so much better already.  So, what did I watch? The 2000 Sci-Fi flick,  Supernova. Plot: Supernova is a science fiction thriller that chronicles the high-stakes adventures of a deep space hospital ship and its six member crew. When their vessel, the Nightingale 229, answers an emergency distress signal from a distant galaxy, the crew soon finds itself in danger from the mysterious young man they rescue, the alien artifact he smuggled aboard and the gravitational pull of a giant star about to go supernova -- the most massive explosion in the universe. During my recovery,  I have really been watching a lot of Sci-Fi. This movie was one that I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen or remembered. As a bi

It has been quite some time since I dove into my horror blog.  While I never stopped watching movies or feel out of love with horror. Unfortunately,  over the past couple years I have been dealing with some serious medical issues,  one that I hope are now finally in the past.  While I am not fully recovered from the last procedure, I do feel more alive and will in my way to a full recovery. So,  to get back into the swing of things,  I am going to drive into the 2022 film,  Smile. Plot:  After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality. I remember hearing about the movie before it came out, with their marketing campaign making headlines by strategically placing smiling people in baseball stadiums- genius. To be honest, while that wa