Journey_with_a_Cinephile

This is one of the Disney cartoons that I grew up on. My sister and I would watch it regularly. I'll be honest, my favorite part was when Timothy Q. Mouse (voiced by Edward Brophy) and Dumbo got drunk. It had been decades since I'd seen this. I was able to get my daughter to sit down and watch it, after she received a book that showed it involved a circus. She isn't fully sure what that is, but bright colors seemed to do the trick. That and animals.

Now we are following a circus that looks like it is on break during the winter. Many of the animals receive babies from the stork. Dumbo's mother, Mrs. Jumbo (voiced by Verna Felton), really wants a child, but she doesn't get one. There was a storm which made the stork get lost before hiding the train. Mr. Stork (voiced by Sterling Holloway), then delivers the little bundle of joy. The issue is that Dumbo has giant ears.

We are getting a good story here about bullying and just needing to find your place. The Elephant Matriarch (also voiced by Felton), along with the rest of the lady elephants, aren't nice to Dumbo and Mrs. Jumbo. This ends up causing the mother to get locked away for attacking the Ringmaster (voiced by Herman Bing). Dumbo is ignored until he meets Timothy. These two then become good friends.

The part that I brought up as being my favorite is when Dumbo and Tim get drunk then you get this surreal scene of elephants that feels like the animation team was given free reign to have fun. This looked great streaming on my 4K television. It is interesting that Disney was on a bad run with Pinocchio and Fantasia before this one did great. This got them back on track. As a fan, I'm glad to hear that. The colors, drawings and animation are on point here. This is truly when it was an artform for the team.

I'll also then say that the voice acting is all uncredited, but still great. I guess this is the first appearance of Felton working with Disney. She would then become a regular. She's better as the mean Matriarch, but adds heart as Mrs. Jumbo. Brophy is great as Tim. I love the crows even though it feels a bit racist. Holloway is great in his cameo as Mr. Stork. I'll also credit the voices of the clowns. They're all great in bringing this one to life.

The last thing I'll bring up is the music. This isn't traditional in the sense that you have iconic songs. What I think this one does well is making songs that are distinct that when I hear them, I know what is from. Part of that would be 'Elephants on Parade' and the song when the circus is being put up after Dumbo has joined. That latter one is a song about working hard and it is set in the backdrop of the rain. It just fits so well.

In conclusion, this remains a heartwarming and technically impressive classic, showcasing Disney's artistry during a pivotal time. The film delivers a powerful message about acceptance and finding your courage, led by the charming duo of Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse. From the striking animation, especially during the surreal "Pink Elephants on Parade" sequence, to the fitting and distinct musical score, this movie succeeds as both a nostalgic favorite and a timeless piece of animated cinema. It's a definite recommendation, proving its enduring appeal even decades later.

My Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

This is a film that I had no idea about until reading through the Horror Show Guide Encyclopedia. I watched it a few years ago. The only thing that stuck with me was that it starred Gordon Currie, who starred in Puppet Master 4 and 5, as well as this being a low budget vampire film. I was intrigued to give this a rewatch for my Voyage through the FiVes.

Synopsis: a vampire falls for a woman working at a donut shop.

This film begins by showing footage of the moon landing. There is an interesting reason as to why and it involves the next scenes. A person who is hitting golf balls in the city. One goes through a window into an old building and hits a shovel. The shovel then causes the floor above to collapse. We then see a man emerge from it, Boya (Gordon Currie). He has long, brittle finger nails which he breaks off. He goes into the night, with the shovel. He goes to attack a homeless man, but stops himself.

We then meet a cab driver. His name is Earl (Louis Ferreira). He sees Boya and stops to pick him up. The passenger asks to be taken to a nearby cemetery. Another character we meet here is Rita (Fiona Reid). She seems to feel something, which we get solid editing to show that she's connected to Boya.

It then shifts over to the donut shop from the synopsis. The woman working behind the counter is Molly (Helene Clarkson). She is visited by two men, Pierce (Frank Moore) and Axel (Hadley Kay). They are looking for Earl, but she tells them that he is not there and she has not seen him that night.

Back at the cemetery, Boya digs up his belongings. We then see him go to a seedy hotel where he checks in. That earlier scene shows that he's hungry and stopped himself from feeding on the homeless man. It is here we see that he breaks holes in the wall, taking out a rat.

We then see Earl go to the donut shop and we see an interaction with Molly. She warns him about the guys looking for him. He flees the place and they anticipated this. Axel was waiting under his car. They force him to drive them to a job. He panics and Rita gets into his vehicle. She wants to go to the same cemetery that Boya did.

Things then start to converge on this donut shop. He interacts with Molly. He is attracted to her beauty and she finds him to be odd. Earl also comes back here. Across town, the two guys meet with their boss, played by David Cronenberg. They are told to take care of Earl. They try to, but Boya comes to his aid. It is here that we truly learn that Boya is a vampire. Earl comes back to his place to hide. Boya gets in the bath and here we see there's a connection with Molly. She cannot sleep and they both have an erotic experience.

Things become even more complicated when it is revealed that Rita was Boya's lover before he went into his long slumber. She is upset that he no longer finds her beautiful. This crime boss also learns about what Boya did and even more so now wants the problem taken care of. This all centers around this donut shop run by Bernie (J. Winston Carroll).

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this is an interesting little low budget vampire film. It has a few sets. I love the idea of this small, slum-like area where this creature used to live about 25 years before. What is interesting is the timeframe between when he went to sleep and then woke up. This is a bit of a time capsule, since there were technological advances, but not like it would be if this was made a few years later.

Now that I have that set up, let's look a bit more at the basic premise. We have this rough area. The crime boss has his two cronies who are going to collect a debt. They're using Earl as their driver. He gets spooked and flees. His life is increasingly in danger for decisions he makes, where he's not going to be to stay there. Molly fears for him, but due to his choices, there isn't much that she can do to help. An intriguing dynamic grows when Boya wakes up.

That character is where I'll go next. It's noteworthy that after 25 years asleep, the world hasn't drastically changed, but his love interest, Rita, has been waiting. It's a coincidence he woke up when he did. Boya appears heartless in love but is a good person for defending Earl. The bath scene was the first time I realized how muscular he was. Currie is a solid, suitably aloof lead vampire.

The themes explore Boya's vampire nature: lonely, cursed with immortality, and searching for connection. He finds friendship with Earl and love with Molly. He also found love in his last time with people through Rita. His extended life makes him indifferent to human aging, which Rita resents. Her being rejected as well factors in. Boya is largely a humanist, feeding on animals and seeking to protect those he cares about.

Let's then shift over to discussing the acting performances. The film has an amateur, 1990s indie feel. Currie plays the humanist vampire, and Ferreira (known from the Dawn of the Dead remake) is fine, despite a poorly executed New York/Jersey accent. Clarkson is the level-headed donut shop worker, and Reid is the resentful former lover. The cast is rounded out by Carroll as the shop owner and Moore and Kay as bumbling henchmen aiming for comedy. I enjoyed the Cronenberg cameo.

All that is left then would be the filmmaking aspects. Despite the low budget, the cinematography and framing are fine, with mostly real locations, though the donut shop felt staged. It effectively captured the setting. Limited but good effects were used, and the change in Boya when he goes feral was enjoyable. The soundtrack effectively used some big songs and fitting background music to evoke the past.

In conclusion, this is an intriguing, low-budget vampire film that offers a unique take on the immortal curse through the character of Boya. I appreciate the film's gritty setting, the interesting timeframe of Boya's slumber, and the blend of genres, despite its amateur indie feel. While the performances are generally solid, particularly Currie's suitably aloof vampire, the film's core strength lies in its thematic exploration of loneliness, the search for connection, and the indifference of immortality. Ultimately, Blood & Donuts serves as a solid, if flawed, cult entry in the vampire subgenre.

My Rating: 5.5 out of 10.

This sequel was one that I wasn't shocked to learn was coming out. This series of films was one that I stumbled on when working at Family Video. Since then I've kept up with the installments each year. Seeing that this year's version was themed around Halloween, I pushed this out for that episode. A fun thing as well, I got the chance to see this in the theater as part of Nightmares Film Festival. It kicked off day four.

Synopsis: a collection of Halloween-themed videotapes, unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.

Now this sequel's wraparound is called 'Diet Phantasma'. There is a corporation that is trying out a diet version of their most popular drink, having test groups give their feedback. The gimmick with this product is that it is supposedly made with real ghost extract. They're trying to get it right and it has dangerous consequences.

Then the first story we see play out is 'Coochie Coochie Coo'. This is the last hurray for two teens, before they go off to college. There is Lacie (Samantha Cochran) and Kaliegh (Natalia Montgomery Fernandez). They go off trick-or-treating, running amok. While they're out, we hear about a young woman who disappeared. There's also a local legend about a witch. These two come to realize that it is all too real.

We then go to 'Ut Supra Sic Infra', which is our next story. This one jumps back and forth between the past and the present. There were a group of teens that went into a room where a medium used to conduct seances. On the wall is a phrase. The only survivor, Enric (Teo Planell), read it. A black phone appeared in the middle of the room. What happens next terrifies everyone. It also happens again when the police investigate.

Our next story is 'Fun Size'. Another older group of trick-or-treaters-Haley (Jenna Hogan) and her boyfriend, Josh (Riley Nottingham), along with a newly engaged couple, Lauren (Lawson Greyson) and Austin (Jake Ellsworth)-face dire consequences. Lauren only agreed to marry Austin out of pity. Ignoring a sign to "take one" from a candy bowl, they encounter a severe punishment from Fun Size (Michael J. Sielaff).

Next up is 'Kidprint'. This is a service that a local company offers to help take an up to date video of your children in case they go missing. This is run by Tim Kaplan (Stephen Gurewitz). There is a string of disappearances in this town that is making the authorities all but cancel Halloween. A grisly discovery is made, not everyone is as they seem and evidence can be altered.

The last story before the wraparound ends is 'Home Haunt'. We see home videos of when Keith (Jeff Harms) and his son used to have a blast setting up a haunted house in the backyard. Now that Zack (Noah Diamond) is older and he's mocked in school, he doesn't want to help anymore. He does agree to one last one. Keith takes a strange record from a local antique shop. It will then create the most realistic iteration yet, but can they survive?

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Let me then say that I had a blast with this installment. Much like I do with the previous ones, I'll break down each segment, give it a score and then do an average in the end.

I'll briefly go over the wraparound of 'Diet Phantasma'. I think the concept is hilarious. It does get repetitive, but it reminded me of different versions of soda pop and the commercials for them when I was growing up. The acting is a bit over the top. That fits the campy nature. Tying in a bit more as to why we're seeing the other videos would help. Not necessarily required though.

Then to look at 'Coochie Coochie Coo'. I do love the overall idea. I remember the last time I went out before having children. There is that idea of clinging to childhood one more go before moving on to college or working. Cochran and Fernandez were solid as the leads. I did see this being compared to a movie that came out a couple years ago. That connection jumped out to me too.

This does go more supernatural. The woman, Elena Musser, is a witch. I did like the subtle reveal to explain why she's doing what she is. This is gross, I appreciated that. There is probably a bit of CGI here, but that didn't necessarily bother me. The practical effects were good. I also like the setting of this house, seeing a father and daughter walk by. With things that happen inside, it makes it scarier. This one set a good tone for the rest of the anthology.

We then go international with 'Ut Supra Sic Infra'. What worked here for me would be this different approach to a seance. Using a telephone is a cool idea. It is interesting that I've seen multiple reviews reference how this reminds them of The Black Phone. I can see that.

There's also an interesting use of the phrase, 'As Above, So Below'. That comes into play with what we see. This short goes darker, which is a good progression. The acting was solid across the board. It is interesting to correlate what is happening in the present by intercutting with how things happened the same way in the past. Another strong short.

Then probably my favorite short is one that actually goes whimsical with 'Fun Size'. I thought the group we follow was good. Greyson, Nottingham, Hogan and Ellsworth were solid. What I like about them is that they are showing off. Josh is ignoring the warning, believing since no one is watching he can get away with it. Something happens that is gross and I appreciate how mean spirited this went.

The filmmaking also helps here. I like the cinematography and framing. Going to this factory becomes a nightmare because no matter what they do, they can't escape. The effects were good. The Fun Size character and his helpers are terrifying. I love how campy and twisted this short is.

We then go to the darkest short of the group with 'Kidprint'. I saw this with my buddy Tony and he alerted me to the backlash about this segment. Dealing with children disappearing and then us seeing what happens to them, I can see how it bothers people. As a parent, even more so. I also don't think this goes over the top with what they do. I won't reveal what happened, but it reminded me of John Wayne Gacy.

The acting here is good. The premise, like I said, worked for me. The reveal didn't shock me. It makes sense. The cinematography and framing were good. We had a solid element of editing between the films that were made to protect the children, to a darker form. That was a good touch. Everything up to this point has been well-made.

That then goes to the final segment, 'Home Haunt'. This one was also strong. I love how we set this up so that this father and son have a great time doing this. That was when he was a child. Now that he's closer to high school, he gets mocked for it. The father also deals with a rude neighbor. There is that nostalgia of losing what he thought was something the family loved to do together. It is fitting the last one is one no one will ever forget, if they survive.

This one also has a fun concept that reminds me of Ghoulies or Waxwork. It is interesting that in trying to make this haunt as scary as possible, it has become something that could kill everyone. The cinematography and framing was good here. The effects were solid as well. I don't have a gripe here with anything.

In conclusion, this is a strong entry into the long-running found footage anthology series, delivering a solid Halloween-themed cinematic experience. The wraparound, 'Diet Phantasma,' sets a campy, intriguing tone, while the segments-'Coochie Coochie Coo,' 'Ut Supra Sic Infra,' 'Fun Size,' 'Kidprint,' and 'Home Haunt'-each offer distinct, well-crafted scares, ranging from supernatural folk horror and dark cosmic dread to whimsical mean-spiritedness and gut-wrenching darkness. While some segments push boundaries and touch on sensitive subjects, the overall technical execution, strong acting, and effective use of practical and digital effects make this a highly recommended watch for fans of the franchise and the horror genre.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.