L.A.: Kevin Smith’s Fatman Beyond show & The It Chapter 2 Funhouse Experience
This week, I had spent most of my days in L.A. (not until having a bit of fun in San Jose with my Bay Area buddies!) visiting friends, with highlights including attending the Kevin Smith podcast show at the Scum & Villainy Cantina and also entering the Pennywise It Experience Funhouse on Hollywood Blvd (you can find Pennywise giving me a good scare in that link) in promotion of the release of It: Chapter 2.
For Kevin Smith’s Fatman Beyond podcast show that we (me, Bo!, Jackie Dallas, and Jasper) attended, you can find it up on Kevin Smith’s YouTube. We were sitting to the right side facing Kevin and Marc, so, I’m not sure you can actually see us in the video. We were given an opportunity to put a question in a raffle for Kevin to answer, but the Catina said if it’s a stupid question, it will not be chosen. I didn’t get chosen, but I’m unsure if it’s a stupid question or not. I asked,”Where would Fatman fit in the Star Wars cinematic universe?” You decide. #ChasingKevinSmith
#TooMuchContent of the week
Spider-Man: Far From Home in 4DX: We (Bo! & April, and Jackie Dallas) went over to L.A. Live to grab some quick grub & brew at the Yard House, and then we checked out the latest Tom Holland Spider-Man flick in 4DX. It’s my first time checking out the film (I was avoiding the film because of superhero fatigue, but I heard great things about it), and I can’t say I’m a fan of the 4DX. I’m being whipped, sprayed, punched in the back, and web (air pump) shot in each side of my ears. These become a distraction because I’m trying to focus on the film, and when something gets “jizzed” on my face and other body parts, it causes a momentary flinch, so I miss parts of the film. Although, I agree that it’s a fun movie, I want to experience it as an intended visual medium, not ride a roller-coaster. My favorite parts of the flick is when Mysterio entrances Spider-Man in a surreal induced dream-like sequence. Kinda sucks that a missed parts of it because I was flinching.
It (1990) original TV mini-series and It (2017): In preparation for Chapter 2 of It, I rewatched the TV incarnation and the first part of the It films. I have never finished the book. It still sits on my desk next to Stephen King’s The Stand, waiting for me to just be disciplined and read these tomes through. #TooMuchContent
I fondly remember the original mini-series on ABC spread over two-parts on two nights on ABC. Because I was a youngin’ still finding any opportunity to enjoy horror on basic TV, I remember anticipating seeing John Ritter’s appearance because of my love of Three’s Company sitcom show. As I was rewatching the mini-series, it still is as cheesy as I remember seeing it for the first time as a kid, but surprisingly retains the creepy, bloody moments, esp. with Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise.
As for the 2017 flick, I recall watching it in Oregon with Andres and Wes Fonc, with a bit of reservation on how good can a mainstream horror movie be. With most flicks compromised to the PG13 rating in recent times, I was expecting a cheap, “pop out” scare popcorn movie that will prob be forgettable. I was surprisingly entertained with how Bill Skarsgård was effective as Pennywise. Rewatching It shows how much value the film has continued with it’s influence on pop culture, and eventual lasting power. And, the film reinvigorated my interests to read (and watch more flicks based on) Stephen King again. I really need to get to finishing those tomes he wrote.
It: Chapter 2 (2019): My love of horror, and having met Jessica Chastain and the rest of the cast at Comic Con 2019, had me excited up to the seconds of this film’s release. While still in L.A., I got to catch this 2 hour and 50 min “fear of clowns” flick, on a late night screening. I found the horror movie to be a bit more comedic in tone during some overdramatic scenes (ironic, these are a cast of seasoned actors), but I still enjoyed it nevertheless. The best scenes being with the Pennywise creature effects (insects with human heads weird me out, just sayin’), with some homages to The Thing and Aliens, which got me doing the “creepy clown” smile. Everyone’s question, who wants to see this film, seems to be,”Does this one have a giant spider too?” This is in reference to the original series hokey ending reveal. I’d just say watch and see, as this film does bookend and brings It to a conclusion.
I had a discussion with some friends, recently… Why are clowns scary? They do magic tricks and make cool balloon animals! Pennywise, itself, is only creepy because IT transforms into dark creatures and monsters that represent your deepest anxieties and phobias. Even then, I think that’s cool!
Uzumaki Teaser: I’ve seen various films based on Junji Ito’s work like Spiral and the Tomie films. But, I still have not seen the film of or read Uzumaki itself. I was fortunate enough to have gotten a copy from Eric Ignacio when he gave me a tour of Viz about a month ago. Another tome I need to consume. But, this teaser trailer for a new animated film is haunting. Can’t. Get. It. Outta. My head! But, must watch!
As I am spending most of my time these days learning how to defeat Pennywise, here’s my extended cut of the It Experience Funhouse. I tweaked it with better music, and you can actually hear me scream at the end, compared to the previous IG post. Although, a lot of the footage was too dark for some parts, I could only do so much…
