Ren Faire

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.

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.

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.

Todays documentaries always seem to have this fancy presentation about them and frankly artificial feel.

They all require a film filter, heavy editing and overly dramatic music.

Although this one is well shot and looks great, I can't help but feel misled by the whole thing.

The story is presented like a movie with deliberate scenes that show each of the people as if it were some drama. And it begs the question, why wasn't this simply filmed as such?

I say this because it seems fake overall, as if the story doesn't have the weight it's presented throughout the three episodes.

It boards on being simply a reality tv show with a stronger budget.

I wish we saw more of the fair itself too! The inner workings, the shows, fellow actors and vendors.

Their thoughts on the whole matter and their jobs. But instead it was about management and their "king." Personally I felt that would've been a better choice for a theme here.

The fair seems to be more of a background than anything else. For three hour long episodes, it felt like a bait and switch.

George is the center of all this and boy is he probably one of the worst bosses you could have. Abusive, narcissistic, sexist and most of all, deranged! The way he talks to people and then claim he's some martyr. He really is alone in all of this.

Clearly past his prime, he seeks out a successor in his three top employees. It turns into a wannabe Succession, minus the razor sharp dialogue and acting.

A few players enter the game, only one will win. You can probably guess who it will be with the first outing and again I wonder why this was three episodes instead of two. I think George just liked the power play and using others for his own amusement. Sad individual.

It certainly kept me intrigued and the pace was steady. Yet it felt extra all around, filler that could've been more concentrated.

Again, the moments of almost fourth wall breaking where we see a dream like scenario of some of these people imagining things or hearing voices. It should've been a film. Just take the story that happened and turn it into a movie. Clearly these takes were set up and the people in on it. It was hard to take seriously.

I really thought this was a mockumentary, because of how absurd things were getting by the end.

Things end with a whimper and you're not surprised at the outcome for any of these folks here.

The whole thing is a fluff piece and I felt that this was a waste of time. Documentaries used to have a more traditional way of being shown More classy back in the day. Now it's made for the mainstream and spoon feeds you everything

I dare say this is a faux film about a true story. That's the best way I can describe it. Fascinating, yet frustrating.

You may like it more than I, but I don't recommend.

5 for the presentation and music. 2 for everything else.

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!