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![]() Established A.D. 2000, March 19. Now in our seventh calendar year! ![]()
By Nolan B. Canova
Fellow fan Terence Nuzum and I pulled in to the Doubletree Inn on Cypress (the location of the Con for years now) around 12:30pm. Parking was tricky since, inexplicably, some of the lot was cordoned off, but we found a decent spot anyway and made our way in. Tim greeted us enthusiastically and bade us in (he looks really good -- as far as I can see, he's totally recovered from last year's heart surgery).
Immediately I noticed they had switched the familiar halls from the last two shows, but the new location was not a problem, in fact, it lent a different perspective of the lobby and showroom (literally).
Tim pointed out a special-event table in the lobby where some kids were painting pictures outlined by adult supervisors, "Hands-On Painting Demo With Lady Picasso"...very cool.
Also in the lobby were two award-winning authors, Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc and Glenda Finkelstein. I got a very warm welcome from Andrea, a vivacious and personable goth lady who fondly recalled our meeting at The Halloween Horror Picture Show and subsequent write-up in PCR. Naturally, I was quite honored to be remembered thusly! She was here promoting her new book "Michael" as well as discussing plans for the movie version of A Man of Two Worlds.
Soon we were joined by Pinellas film guru Chris Woods who also found a lot to like in the dealer's area. Afterwards, us three PCR Musketeers pretty much stuck together.
I was stunned to see A Christmas Story's Scott Schwartz (the kid who got his tongue frozen to a pole) sitting at a table with old friends and local actors Mack and Machelle Beasley; I had absolutely no idea they were even aquainted, let alone booth buddies! We also had an exciting and verbose reunion! (I'm going to pass commenting on the persistent rumor/factoid of Schwartz's supposed involvement in porno movies -- I didn't personally check this out.)
A quick pass by the artists area revealed Pablo Marcos (Red Sonja), Jim Ivey (famous cartoonist), and Ethan Van Sciver (Superman/Batman) busily signing artwork for fans. The boys from Cadre Corner (amazing local comic artists-impressarios) say "Hi!" to readers of Crazed Fanboy.
I was very happy to see Bubba The Redneck Werewolf creator Mitch Hyman in attendance! Whence last we met (almost two yers ago?), Bubba was on its way to becoming a major motion picture starring Sig Haig. Unfortunately, due to some creative differences, Haig is no longer attached to the project, but Mitch assures me Bubba is still in production.
Creature Productions Film Fest VI First up was Chris Woods' Chameleon, a sci-fi film I'd seen back in the old Coffeehouse Review days. One of Chris's best, it deals with a shape-shifting alien presence on earth. Following Chameleon was Rick Danford's The Reaper, also a memory from the Coffeehouse. Starring Filthy's Krista Grotte as a woman who's hanging around with the wrong kind of guy! (Please Google those reviews until I can get time to locate them and link 'em up myself.)
Star Joel D. Wynkoop introduced the movie by way of a short eulogy for one of the main players, Noel Marie (Contact From Beyond) a specialist in aged roles, who'd died just a few days before. She was great and will be sorely missed.
I'd seen some of Wynkoop's footage of Angora months ago via John Lewis and was knocked out by it. What I didn't realize is how many takes, terribly entertaining in a party atmosphere, would seem rough, overly long, and repetitive in this semi-final cut.
Joel's character is devastated that his mom (Noel Marie) has died clinging to her last social security check, which arrived late. He freaks out and vows revenge on the government and the president for this offense. Beginning a nearly two-hour-long tirade at top-pitch screaming, Joel gathers a rag-tag band of misfits to help carry out his plan. He insists they refer to him as "The King". He continues to insist that during various robberies and heists over several days' duration all at the top of his lungs. Joel's patented nut-case hollering is extremely entertaining, but after a solid hour with virtually no plot development, I start to wonder who edited this.
Meanwhile, Angora, an exotic knock-out alien (or angel) space babe arrives to save the day. Her orders from the alien fearless leader (or God) is to stop Joel and his plan. (I like the actress, but I don't have the disc, so can't tell you her name 'cuz I don't remember it.)
Despite a fairly strong supporting cast including Cathy Holseybrook, 1DayFilms' legend Robert Elfstrom, a midget-from-the-'hood I'd love to've seen more of, and an amazingly convincing turn by our own William Moriaty as a special agent, and despite director Gus Perez's arbitrarily inserting himself into later shot footage in a rambling sub-plot that goes nowhere but is pretty funny, this is Joel D. Wynkoop's show. His repertoire of crazy-person is completely represented here. He owns every scene he's in. Which is good for Joel, bad for his supports, especially the women who cannot compete for audio level on the same soundtrack. Angora is virtually inaudible in every scene she's in with him as is Cathy Holseybrook (most of this is shot using the on-camera mic, natch).
Gus Perez has insisted to go on record saying that this is an incomplete and partially edited version of Angora, rushed onto DVD for this show. There are more girl gang scenes, some involving songs(!), sound effects, and background music to be inserted later on. Noted.
The Durango Steak House Revelation As Terence was pouring over the old Eeries and Creepys he bought, he stumbled onto a familiar-sounding title, GRUB, and remarked at the "coincidence" at the Creature Productions movie of the same name. "No coincidence," I remarked, "was it written by Nick Cuti?" Terence went ashen as he and I both realized he had completely by chance stumbled onto the issue with the original comics story the Creature Productions feature is based on! Naturally, he made a note to save that to get it autographed by Mr. Cuti at some future date.
"The Tampa Giant Comic Con and Creature Productions Indie Film Fest VI" is ©2006 by Nolan B. Canova
All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2006 by Nolan B. Canova.
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