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 make a true independent film, no matter hor good or bad, if they want to. With what I am sure is an extremely low budget (if any) and not a single know commodity (not to mention dated stop-motion effects), this one keeps you interested by wondering what features is coming next. Overall, yes, it is a bad film and a movie that on many levels, should necessarily be seen. But, in this case, check it out, you definitely find some of it hilarious.
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 natural and was something that I could see transpiring during that time period. Yes, the movie does run long for today's cookie cutter 90 minute box, which could turn some people off, and the opening sequences do move a bit slow as the characters and storyline develops, but this are the only very minor flaws (for some) that this movie has. This is a must watch for Poe fans and a movie most mystery/thriller fans should enjoy.
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 from the mind of the master, Edgar whispered; he lost his cat… …Is it here?
Is this hollow existence merely a dream? A spectral theory rising from a demonic abyss, Is anyone here? Can anyone hear me? No, just the nothingness of decay shrouded by exile, Trapped by a forgotten paradox once held as truth, Am I alive? Or, am dead? I can feel every sensation, but cannot touch the frigid memories, Paralyzed inside this void; no one answers my call, Failed experiments cloud my vision; my secrets remain unseen, Another string is strung… … And the cat cries from the wall.
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. Yes, there are some slow moments, especially at the beginning, and the monster reveal was sort of a letdown, but for a movie that I am sure had a low budget, some flaws are to be expected. In the end, this wasn't the horror movie that I expected, but it was a film that I am glad I discovered. Not for everyone, but worth the watch.
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 effects work well, and storyline is somewhat original while maintaining some of the constant elements known throughout horror. It was a really fun hour and a half (really 89 minutes) and a kibbutz that should be watched by every horror fan. In fact, I liked it so much that I am definitely going to keep track on the filmmakers in the future to see what they come up with next.
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 big James Spader fan, I didn't remember seeing it when it came out, although I was on active duty back then and was in and out of the US quite a bit. Now, after watching it, I can understand why. Honestly, there is nothing remarkable or memorable inside this one. Yes, it is not all bad, as the storyline had promise, the performances were solid, and there was a touch of atmospheric tension throughout. Unfortunately, it was riddled with clichéd moments (I could almost see four different films as main influences), the scripting is all over with uneven dialog, and the visuals were flat and uninspiring. In the end, this was not a terrible movie, but unless you are a huge Sci-Fi fan, you will get nothing from watching it. Its up to you, but I think you could find something more entertaining.
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 was impressive, I definitely feel it added something to the overall product. To me, this movie was outstanding (especially the ending). The characters were believable and the actors were amassing capturing the overall feel of the film. There was a heaviness throughout the movie that gave a sense of hopelessness; something that I love in horror. The storyline, the effects, and the cinematography worked together really well to create a film with a tremendous atmosphere where the subtle differences between reality and a tortured imagination were hard differentiate in the moment. Overall, this film is certainly worth watching and a movie that should appeal to horror fans. Check it out.
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!
