Ren Faire

While this docu-drama is specific to this particular renaissance fair, I found Ren Faire to be fascinating, interesting, and thought provoking.

As for the first episode, the cinematography is incredible, and the director's ability to film the festival, its audience, its family of workers, and then the main storyline of succession with George, Jeff, and Louie is balanced and well-done. George and this Ren Faire are intertwined as it is George who created this particular fair and continues to rule.

After watching the first episode, I plan on going to one of these fairs because it is a world that seems, at least in this film, to be so inviting to everyone.

I was worried this was going to be a "mockumentary" of Renaissance faires but it wasn't that, but maybe a bit so for some of the characters. That being said from the perspective of a woman who has been a long time patron of Renaissance Faires, this was so cringey but yet I watched the entire thing.. idk why honestly, I was hoping to feel some of the magic ✨ that I feel when I attend a renaissance festival- I think because the documentary was well done, I didn't feel like it was the waste of time that it probably was.

I was looking forward to seeing that juxtaposition of real life versus Ren Faire fantasy (cue the Red Bull can pouring into the chalice), but that aspect really fell flat for me. It was mostly the story of the creepy old senile narcissist "king," and who will take over next. I could not get over how horrible he was and felt terrible for everyone who had to work for him. Overall 5/10 a somewhat waste of time for me but gained an interesting perspective!

Not sure if the film makers are trying to paint a sympathetic portrait of a delusional megalomaniacal d-bag manchild or catering to whatever purse strings that funded it, but it's nothing more than a student film filled with fluffery and proselytizing by those seeking to gain some huge benefit by their dishonesty. I knew George for nigh on ten years and he's a creep, and I guess that's apparent, but nowhere is the mention of his child brides.

More importantly, nowhere is the mention of Toon Town, where a number of participants live, some of them year round. I realize this is a focus on the owner, but his multi-million dollar business would be nothing without all the little people who make it work. But they're just peasants, so who cares? Either they weren't asked or wisely declined to be part of this boring, pointless stroking of egos debacle.

And from the film's eventuality, one has to wonder if the entire thing wasn't a scam to push publicity and/or manipulate the players. There's an ironic phrase amongst people who work there who have realistic expectations about what the faires are like concerning the people who pathetically think of it as real life: living the dream. This film has the same pathos.

I feel deranged. I feel like we've just seen those segments of the Bible where it's just one person's story that wasn't witnessed by anyone else, suddenly before our eyes. And now we know how they kept all the tea underwraps: long live the king.

Louie and Darla maintained a composure far above and beyond what was known among the TRFamily. Fairetriarchs who garnered natural respect and love from those around them we're doing so much more than we ever knew. And now we know. Now everyone knows. And as someone in our FB group has already said: This year ain't gonna be cheap. George knows what this will do for the Faire.

Lift up thy pocketbooks, I guess.

Starting off this documentary, we meet this eccentric old man and his quest to find a companion and to retire by selling the Texas Renaissance Festival. Over three hours later, we're still in the same boat... George still owns the festival and is looking for a gullible companion. So what was the point? If the point was to show the world what a power hungry and sex crazed POS George is, then I guess it succeeded.

Don't expect to see any focus on the Ren Faire itself...this is nothing more than a behind the scenes look at this disgusting old man, his overly sensitive right hand man, an energy drink guzzling King wannabe, and a conniving vendor coordinator.

Why anyone would want to work for this old man is beyond me, unless they believe that he's going to hand the reigns of power over to them eventually, making them as rich as he has become in his 80 something years.

There is not a plot nor purpose to this documentary. I've wasted 3+ hours of my life watching this and I advise you to skip it.