Connect with us

Published

on

Join Jim Phoenix on What’s Kraken as he delves into the fascinating career of award-winning writer, producer, and voice actor Wren Valentino. Discover Wren’s evolution from penning short stories to crafting compelling screenplays and movies. Learn about his breakthrough projects, the impact of industry icon Felissa Rose, and Wren’s transition into voice acting. This episode offers a captivating look at the creative process and career development in the entertainment industry. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation with one of the most versatile talents in the business! #WrenValentinoCareer #ScreenwritingAndVoiceActing

Real skull. Don't ask. You wouldn't believe it if I told you.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Original Creations

Repaint Porcelain Figs Plus by Jennifer Weigel

Published

on

So I just keep on going… Here are some more repaint porcelain figurines and other madcap painting. OK maybe some of them aren’t porcelain, but still totally redone.

Pennywise It Clown repaint by Jennifer Weigel
Pennywise It Clown repaint by Jennifer Weigel

This Pennywise clown started as some plastic figurine from Italy. I was drawn to this because of the pretty marble base. It’s a nice touch, don’t you think? I’ve seen others in this series and honestly they’re all kind of creepy to start with, so they really lend themselves towards repaint prospects. Perhaps I’ll pick up more to redo in similar ways later on… Oh, and the eyes are blacklight sensitive, in case he wasn’t creepy enough already.

Lydia the Beetlejuice Bride repaint by Jennifer Weigel
Lydia the Beetlejuice Bride repaint by Jennifer Weigel

With all of the new movie hype, I couldn’t resist a throwback to the classic Beetlejuice, and this little bride figurine and teddy bear were just too perfect. Featuring more blacklight sensitive accents, like her veil flowers. And I don’t know why she only has one glove, I blame it on the 1980s… Or maybe she was just that drunk (you’d have to be for that wedding)…

Zombie Apocalypse Prepper repaint by Jennifer Weigel
Zombie Apocalypse Prepper repaint by Jennifer Weigel

So yeah, all those preppers ready for the zombie apocalypse – you know some of them are gonna get bitten. It’s in the script, what can I say? More blacklight eyes, cause why not?

Abigail vampire ballerina repaint by Jennifer Weigel
Abigail, vampire ballerina repaint by Jennifer Weigel

I admit I haven’t seen this film, but it sure looks fun. Mathilda, eat your heart out. Literally.

Sexy Sadie by Jennifer Weigel
Sexy Sadie by Jennifer Weigel

OK so this isn’t a repaint. Nor is it porcelain. What is it even doing here? Well, she’s cool and ready for a party and kinda reminded me of Abigail, so she sort of just tagged along. Sexy Sadie started as an Avon perfume bottle with a fragrance I didn’t care for (I think it was called Head Over Heels). Because honestly the bottle topper was all that mattered. And now she has her own disco dancing platform. What more could a vampish vixen want?

Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.

And feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or here on her website.

Continue Reading

Movies n TV

Agatha All Along, Maiden Mother Crone

Published

on

We’ve reached the final episode of Marvel’s Agatha All Along. And after an emotional week for those of us living in the States, it was exactly the heartfelt, funny and inspiring ending I think we all needed.

The story

We begin this episode in the 1700’s, with Agatha in labor. As she struggles in the woods alone, Rio comes to her. It’s clear that she’s there for the baby. But Agatha begs for the life of her child. Rio says she can give her only time.

We then see ten years of Agatha with her son. They play together. They sing together. And they lure witches to their deaths together.

But of course, Rio’s warning hovers over their lives. Because she was clear, Agatha wasn’t going to be able to raise her son to manhood. She only had some extra time. And it could never have been enough.

Advertisement
Kathryn Hahn and Abel Lysenko in Agatha All Along.

What worked

I want to start by pointing out that our two main characters, Agatha and Billy don’t exactly get happy endings. One of them, Agatha, is a horrible person so I’m kind of okay with that. And Billy gets a happy enough ending for now.

Jen, on the other hand, gets a happy ending. If you’ve already seen episode eight, I don’t think I’m ruining anything by telling you that she gets what she wanted and can now move on with her life. It isn’t flashy, it isn’t spectacular. But she has her life, and she has her powers. She deserves those things. All the other witches deserved them too, but at least Jen made it out alright.

I also loved the depiction of Rio as Death. While she was certainly not cuddly, she was comforting. I especially liked it when she sent Nick back to kiss his mother goodbye.

Abel Lysenko and Aubrey Plaza in Agatha All Along.

I think we like to write Death this way. As a friendly face and a caring companion who will someday come for us all. Think of Death from American Gods or Discworld. Rio felt similar.

There was something I enjoyed about this season that I frankly didn’t think I was going to enjoy. And it was unexpected.

Agatha is not a good person. Agatha has never been a good person. She’s a bad person who happens to have a soft spot for Billy because he reminds her of her son. She loved her son fiercely, but that didn’t stop her from using him to trick innocent witches. She continues to use his song after he dies.

Likewise, Agatha loves Billy and even sacrifices herself to save him. This shouldn’t be surprising, since she literally drank poison earlier in the season to keep him from doing so. But she’s still mean to him. She’s still constantly pushing his buttons.

Advertisement

I kind of love that they didn’t give her a redemption arch. Especially since I know Disney had a hand in this, and they tend to like black-and-white morality characters. Agatha is not a good person. But she is still capable of love. She is still capable of regret. She is, in short, more realistic a character than we tend to see.

Finally, I loved this ending. And let me explain why.

If this is all we get, and there’s a good chance it will be, this is a satisfying enough ending. I can live with this ending. But this ending also leaves the door open for a season two.

We never did find Tommy, after all. And Agatha was too afraid to move into the afterlife and see her son. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a plotline right there.

What didn’t work

Unfortunately, nothing is ever perfect. And this season has had one big plothole as far as I’m concerned.

Advertisement

Why did Billy care so much about Agatha? Right from the start, he wanted her to like him so much.

Part of this is because he wanted something from her. In that way, they are very much alike. Part of it is probably that he remembers her from his past life. But I don’t know that this is enough for him to be almost entirely loyal to her.

Yes, he has his moments. But she always manages to get him back on her side with a smile, or a moment of honesty. It just doesn’t make sense. But then, the show doesn’t work without it.

I think it would have been better to have a scene, or maybe a flashback, of him remembering some kindness from her in Westview. Maybe her tucking him in and singing The Ballad of The Road to him and Tommy. I think that would have gone a long way toward explaining why he always seems to be looking for a reason to forgive her.

All things considered, this was a great mini-series. It was funny, dark and touching. And for having such an unrepentant monster for a main character, it’s surprisingly inspiring. I hope they make another season. But even if they don’t, Agatha All Along was a wonderful journey.

Advertisement

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

Continue Reading

Book Reviews

Graveyard Shift, the new novella by M. L. Rio, was the 7 year wait worth it?

Published

on

After her 2017 debut novel, If We Were Villains, captivated readers and skyrocketed to Tik Tok fame readers have been holding their collective breath for anything from M. L. Rio. Seven years later we are presented with Graveyard Shift, another dark academic horror, though a novella this time around. The question is, was it worth the wait and why are readers split in their reactions to this story?

The Plot.

In the opening scene of Graveyard Shift readers encounter five people who often meet in a graveyard on smoke breaks from their various nocturnal jobs.

 On the night in question, they discover a freshly dug hole near where they regularly gather. This sounds unremarkable until they realize that no one has been interred in this graveyard for over one hundred years. With the mystery revealed each character returns to their night, each eager to find the purpose of the hole.

Highlights.

Writing a novella that includes the viewpoints of five main characters is a considerable feat. Despite allowing only two chapters for each character in the entire story M. L. Rio successfully juggles these viewpoints without dropping any balls. From the driven editor-in-chief Edie Wu to the enigmatic Tuck. Each character possesses a distinct voice and plays a crucial role in unraveling the mystery. Whether it’s the insomniac ride-share driver Hannah or the bartender at Rocker Box. Each character stands apart, making this novella a compelling read.

Advertisement

Another highlight of this novella is that this is not just another horror novel claiming to be dark academia because it’s set in or near a university. This story is soaked in the academic and the dark side of medical research.

Drawbacks.

The length of this story really went against M. L. Rio, there was so much expectation and hype around its release that when the 100-odd-page story was delivered there were many sighs of disappointment.

And it is not just reader expectation that caused the length to work against her. It must be said that the complexity of the story and the depth that Rio goes to to set up each character would have benefited from being rounded out by another, let’s say 200 pages. The last chapters seem rushed and the ending is ambiguous to say the least, but not in a good way.

I read this on a Kindle and was confused by the story ending at 85%, then slightly angry that the remaining pages were filled by a playlist, an excerpt of If We Were Villains and cocktail recipes??? Although I usually enjoy this type of extra content in fiction, I think Rio’s time might have been better spent writing a few more chapters.

The Final Take.

I approached Graveyard Shift with high expectations, but was ultimately disappointed. While the novel’s form, with its focus on multiple perspectives, initially drew me in, the abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion left me wanting more. Presenting this story as a novella did not do justice to the characters of the story. The mystery of the empty grave was intriguing, and following each character through their nocturnal routines was enjoyable. However, the rushed ending undermined the overall experience.

Advertisement

2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5)

Continue Reading

Trending