Insidious

I'm not ashamed to admit that I loved the first Saw, written by Leigh Whannell and James Wan and directed by Wan. It was creepy, original and as I've often noted, one of the few modern horror movies that actually caught me off guard with its surprising twist ending. It may have spawned a series of increasingly lame sequels (and the exploitable "torture porn" movement), but the original film is actually quite good and well-deserving of the buzz it created at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

As is Whannell and Wan's underrated follow-up, Dead Silence. An original and creepy take on the evil ventriloquist trope starring "True Blood" alum Ryan Kwanten and "24" regular Bob Gunton, Dead Silence may well be lacking when it comes to comprehensive story-telling, but it manages to provide some genuinely creepy, atmospheric moments. And it features another twist that I didn't anticipate on my first viewing.

Wan would go on to direct the abysmal 2007 revenge thriller Death Sentence starring Kevin Bacon, while Whannell most recently voiced a character in Zack Snyder's 2010 CGI owl movie Legends of the Guardians.

Now, they've teamed up again for the possession-themed Insidious, about a young boy who has fallen into coma and his parents' attempts to rescue him from a supernatural realm. Starring Rose Byrne ("Damages;" 28 Weeks Later); Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) and Barbara Hershey (Black Swan); Insidious  is currently boasting a whopping 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is exceptionally high for a Horror movie. While the universally bad reviews for Sucker Punch have convinced me to delay spending my hard-earned cash to see it (though D still wants to), I will have no qualms plunking down $11.00 for Insidious. Wan and Whannell have yet to disappoint me when they work together and with this cast, I can only imagine a grand time at my local multiplex.

Yikes!

More, anon.
Prospero.

A Freudian Field Day

As promised...

Before I start telling you about this dream, I feel I have to let you in on some of the particulars of my waking life. First, I live in Bucks County, PA; also home to a certain bad filmmaker who shall remain nameless for now. Second, I have a deep love of theme parks, amusement parks, carnivals and church fairs. Third, I also have a fascination for abandoned places, particularly abandoned theme parks. And fourth, I have already talked about my proficiency for theatrical makeup. That's all you need to know to get where this particular dream may be coming from.

So... I dreamt that I had been asked to look at some makeups for an upcoming movie. Some friends (people I'd never seen before, but in the way of dreams, I knew) and I were ushered into a room filled with actors who were sporting half-completed clown makeups. Once we had chosen our favorites, we were then invited to watch the filming of a scene from a new movie about a haunted theme-park (a screenplay idea that's been percolating in my head for some tie, now).

As my 'friends' and I arrive on set, we quickly realize who the director is and I quip that said director "...couldn't make a good movie if Hitchcock was whispering in his ear throughout the shoot." Of course, by the third time I've uttered this phrase, said director is standing in front of me, glaring angrily at me. He looks away and calls "Action."

Amusement rides start up; neon lights flash and people scream in delight. But something is wrong. Screams of delight turn to screams of fear as gondolas begin to fly off of Ferris Wheels; rollercoasters careen out of control and actors are actually killed. I turn to the director and start to scream at him to cut, but he merely laughs and says "Aren't you scared?" It was then that I woke up; angry, scared and just a little out-of-breath.

So, what does it all mean? I'm not sure. In full disclosure, I've been dreaming about insanely dangerous rollercoasters for much of my life. Usually, I am in line for such a ride, but never actually get on. And in real life, I adore coasters. I once spent a vacation with a friend riding as many coasters along the East Coast as we could find. I awoke from this dream with a feeling of dread, but fascinated all the same.

So, is Uncle P completely insane? Does my inability to ride these potentially deadly dream coasters have some significance? Or is my waking life simply intruding on my subconscious? I remain confused...

Next time, we'll talk about the Murderous Mummy dream from last night...

More, anon.
Prospero

PS - I've actually ridden the coaster featured in the above clip, Universal Studios' "Incredible Hulk Coaster." It's awesome!

And So It Begins, Again

I know the JTMF summer show is right around the corner when our brilliant graphic designer, Brian Valachovic presents us with his always amazing poster. And this year's is no exception. Brian designed our gorgeously simple posters for The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and Sordid Lives.

Brian always manages to capture the show's essence in his posters and this year's poster carries on the tradition of excellence we've come to appreciate so very much. The scissors, the gun, the hot pink legs and the sploogy/bloody comma are all perfectly in tune with the show and what it's about. For those unfamiliar, Die Mommie Die! is Charles Busch's parody of soapy 1960's thrillers, most notably the 1964 Bette Davis movie Dead Ringer, co-starring Peter Lawford and Karl Malden.

Set in 1967 (during the so-called "Summer of Love"), Die Mommie Die! tells the story of former musical star Angela Arden, a has-been from the 40's and 50's who dropped out of the limelight to raise her children Edith (a spoiled Daddy's girl) and Lance (a gay hippie). When her husband, movie producer Sol Sussman dies under mysterious circumstances, Edith and Lance conspire to get the truth out of the woman they think is their mother. Angela's alcoholic maid Bootsie and gigolo Tony Parker also have their suspicions, but it's up to Lance, Edith and a tab of LSD to get to the truth. Inspired insanity from the author of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; Psycho Beach Party and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Die Mommie Die may well be the funniest and most twisted JTMF production yet.

For newer readers, The James Tolin Memorial Fund is an organization with which I have have been proud to be associated since its inception in 2003. We produce events which feature shows with an LGBT theme to raise money for AIDS, Arts Education and Suicide Prevention charities. Our beneficiaries include The Open Arms Foundation of Hilssborough, NJ: The James Tolin memorial Scholarship at Mercer County Community Collge and The Trevor Project. James was a local actor in NJ and a former Theatrer student at MCCC. Some of our past productions have included Jeffrey; Torch Song Trilogy; The Altruists; Psycho Beach Party; What the Butler Saw and Sordid Lives. Our annual June gala includes a catered reception and silent auction. Last year, we added a Winter Event with our December production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play and will present a staged radio version of A Christmas Carol this coming December. Yours truly appeared in our first two productions and has directed every production since, including this one and I will make an appearance as a few characters in A Christmas Carol.

Tickets are now available for Die Mommie Die! at www.kelseyatmccc.org. You can also visit our blog (where you can also see a super-scary pic of Uncle P in drag) for updates or join us on Facebook (search "James Tolin Memorial Fund"). You only have three chances to catch the show: June 24th & 25th at 8:00 PM (Silent Auction opens at 7:00) and June 26th at 2:00 PM (does not include reception or Silent Auction). If you are unable to attend (though we would love to see you there), you can always make a safe and secure donation via PayPal at our website, www.jtmf.org.

Here's a little video about who we are, from last year:

Okay - enough shameless plugging for tonight. Join me tomorrow when I let you into the deepest depths of Uncle P's psyche and share one of the strangest dreams I've ever had... (bet you're chomping at the bit to attempt to psychoanalyze this particular psycho... or not. I don't really care, as long as you keep reading).

More, anon.

Prospero

I'm Sick to Death of...

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is still over a month away and I am already sick of hearing about it. The impending royal nuptials have absolutely no bearing on my life, yet the media insists on bombarding me with mindless details about it.

I'm not British. My life is completely unaffected by their wedding and frankly, I just don't give a flying crap. Seriously, do you care about this? Does it have any impact on your day-to-day life? I didn't think so.

There are plenty of things I'm sick of seeing on TV these days. Most of them are really bad commercials for products and/or services I don't need; don't want and don't care about. yet there they are, blaring their nonsensical noise about every 15 minutes or so, reminding us that the world these days revolves around mindless consumerism. Infomercials, salacious "infotainment" and pointless gossip are everywhere. That's not to say things like the death of a legend aren't news. But spending hour upon hour covering them seems not only boring, but downright ghoulish.

Of course, the worst offenders are cable channel commercials. Honestly, I just want to smack these people in the face and tell them to go away forever:







And that's just the tip of the iceberg. These kinds of commercials are the very reason I DVR all my favorite Prime Time shows, just to zap past them. Occasionally, someone will produce a funny commercial that catches my eye:



But these are sadly few and far between.

So, what topics, commercials or "news" items are you sick of hearing about? I always love your comments.

More, anon..
Prospero

All I Ever Wanted

I haven't had a go-away-to-somewhere-warm vacation in almost two years. Repair issues with my house last year kept me from my usually annual trek to visit my sister in Florida. She lives in Largo, just outside Tampa. Not to be confused with Key Largo, Largo is a pleasant suburban community about 15 minutes from Clearwater, 25 minutes from Tampa and 90 minutes or so west of Orlando. It's warm; there are palm trees and ibises; it's rarely in the path of a hurricane and home to one of the people I love the most in the whole world.

I usually go down the first week of  May, right before the JTMF show starts rehearsing. But sister and her hubby are going on a Disney cruise that week, so I had adjust my schedule. Sis, as I may have mentioned, is a self-described "Disney Dork." She and the BIL (Brother-In-Law) have some super Disney deal where they get special discounts and admission and God only knows what else. While I became rather disenchanted with "The Happiest Place on Earth" after an unpleasant experience there in the mid-90's, Sis still adores the place. Personally, I prefer Universal Studios.

Of course, what really matters is that I'm going to be spending 9 glorious days in the Florida sunshine with my sister, the one person who "gets" me more than anyone else in the world. Yes, we were crazy siblings who fought like mad when we were kids. Yes, we have many differences. Still, when we're together her poor, sweet husband and our mother often exchange meaningful glances of "Here they go, again" distress, completely bewildered by things that only Sis and I understand (and often find hilarious). 

Anyway, my trip is about two weeks or so away and as it grows closer, I am getting more and more excited.  Of course, it could just be Sis's promise to make me a zombie cake*... I'm also hoping to visit my favorite work of art, Salvador Dali's "The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus" at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, while there. Last time I visited, it had been removed for a Dali film retrospective. I have no idea why this piece speaks to me so. It just does. I can look at it for hours on end and still find things about it that amaze me...

The plane tickets are purchased, the luggage has been dusted off and K has already promised to look after Skye while I'm away. And you have no idea how badly I need this vacation...

*I promise to post pictures...

More, anon.
Prospero

Musical Mayhem

Wow. Talk about wildly disparate topics. Yesterday I'm extolling the virtues of a gross-out Horror short and tonight I'm talking about movie musicals. Does anyone else think I might be just a little bit insane? Good. Glad it's not just me.

So, let's talk about movie musicals, shall we? The last big movie musical hit was Chicago, Rob Marshall's 2002 adaptation of the Kander and Ebb musical about celebrity murderesses. It was the first musical in a very long time to win "Best Picture," and (along with and thanks to Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge) paved the way for the return of the movie musical. Of course, Joel Schumaker's rather boring version of The Phantom of the Opera did little to help the cause...

Now comes word that not one, but two major Broadway musicals may well be making their way to the big screen.

First up, "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy is at the top of the short list of directors being considered for a 3D (damnit!) adaptation of the Stephen Schwartz musical Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire's novel, a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz." Wicked is still one of the hottest tickets on Broadway and features some of Schwartz's best lyrics, ever. The original Broadway cast featured Idina Menzel as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and Kristin Chenowith (my much beloved and sorely missed "Pushing Daisies") as Glinda. The latest news has Murphy casting "Glee" star Leah Michelle as Elphaba (very fitting, considering that Menzel played Michelle's birth mother on "Glee" last season). And while the show takes many liberties with Maguire's novel, eschewing much of its political satire for Steampunk aesthetics, I think Murphy is the perfect choice to direct an adaptation of the most successful Broadway musical of the last 10 years.

And now that he's won an Academy Award, director Tom Hooper is being considered to direct the film adaptation of the biggest musical of the late 80's, Les Miserables. I must admit to a certain bias for Les Miz, as it is not just the only musical that can make Uncle P cry every fifteen minutes or so, but my high school theatre director was chosen to help create the amateur version of the show, which premiered at my HS Alma Mater. Of course, casting rumors abound. Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean? Leah Michelle (again) as Eponine? Michelle Pfeiffer as Fantine? Jonathan Price as Thenardier? All excellent choices, if you ask me. While mega-producer Cameron Makintosh may be touting the film version as a go, I still have my doubts.

Still, it is my fervent hope that film adaptations of Broadway Musicals will continue to be a trend in the future, if only so that the shows from which they have been adapted can reach audiences which might otherwise not have a chance to experience this uniquely American form of entertainment.

More, anon.
Prospero

Brutal Relax

I found the 15-minute Horror movie Brutal Relax on Bits and Pieces, a site that usually posts humorous jokes, videos and assorted Internet flotsam and jetsam. Blogger Jonco usually keeps it light and occasionally a little naughty (though nothing you'd be ashamed to be caught looking at by your mother). His motto is "We Scour the Web So You Don't Have To."

Every once in a while, Jonco posts something extraordinarily insane. Such is the case with this short Spanish Horror film. Sr Olivares is obviously a disturbed individual who is advised to take a nice relaxing vacation by his doctor, and told to remain calm, no matter what happens. 

Of course, we know that something exceptionally uncalming is about to happen. And boy, does it ever. Influenced by and referencing everything from Peter Jackson's Dead Alive (known as Brain Dead everywhere else but in the U.S.) to Jaws; Blood Beach; Night of the Demons; Humanoids from the Deep and God only knows what else, Brutal Relax is gruesome, disgusting, hilarious and creepy all at once. Directors Adrian Cardona, Rafa Dengra and David Munoz go way over the top in their twisted little tale of Sea-Zombies (?) and dead battery rage. Utilizing some terrific low-budget physical and CGI FX, the team behind this short is now on my radar and I look forward to what they might come with up with given a full budget and 90+ minutes of story-telling time.

Ladies and germs, I give you the best 15-minute Horror movie I've seen in recent memory, Brutal Relax (may be NSFW):

That speaks for itself, don't you think? I know I'll be avoiding beach mud for quite some time...

More, anon.

Prospero