Movie Review Monday!

Hello neighbor! It's time for another Movie Review Monday. This week is special because we have two movies to review: "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" and "The Kitchen." Isn't that wonderful? 

"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" (Director: Marielle Heller)

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First off, let me do away with anyone thinking this might be another documentary: it's not. While I have not had the chance yet to SEE the documentary (something that I need to remedy very soon), please do not think you are getting a documentary with this movie. It's inspired by true events as well as the article "Can You Say...Hero?" that appeared in Esquire magazine by Tom Junod. This is all very well and good, but Mr. Rogers (played absolutely perfectly to a T by Tom Hanks) is merely a side character in this movie. Think of Mr. Rogers as Jiminey Cricket, coming in to offer life lessons when they are most needed, to the jaded writer who is interviewing him, Lloyd Vogel (played by Matthew Rhys). This story is more about Vogel, and how he takes the lessons that Mr. Rogers offers him, all the while seeing the effect that Mr. Rogers has on all those around him.

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The whole movie is meant to feel like an episode of "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" and it definitely gives off that feel: from the transitions that show travel on sets that are done in the likeness of the miniature landscapes that you can recall from the old show, down the details of the puppets like Daniel and King Friday. And to be honest, I SOOOOO wish that Mr. Rogers was still on, because a lot of his lessons make me feel like they could be relevant to our children today, especially in schools trying to incorporate SEL and Mood Meters. If you don't know what those things are, ask a teacher. It feels VERY much like what Mr. Rogers always tried to teach, about expressing your feelings. In today's day and age, this is something that a lot of us do not do, and it's something we should. Many of us don't take time to talk about how we feel, or someone doesn't listen properly because you have a hard time expressing your feelings. And expressing emotion is exactly what this movie is about, trying to get Lloyd to change his outlook on his relationships with his father, and his wife and newborn son.  This is something we should all take a lesson from and perhaps, open our ears a bit more and make ourselves be heard just a little bit louder.

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There were many times when I started getting choked up, although the part that got me the most was the part when Mr. Rogers was talking about special items from childhood, which seems extremely silly, but it's something I think many of us can relate to. I immediately thought of the teddy bear that I have had since I was 3 days old, Big Brown Bear, that still goes with me everywhere because I am so used to it's presence that this thing has caused the occasional fight between me and previous boyfriends--I was told by one that any time he tried to take away my bear when I had passed out, I would start beating him with it! LOL! 

Either way, this movie is well done, in my opinion, and a good way to enter into the season of giving.

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"The Kitchen" (Director: Andrea Berloff)

This was a movie I missed in theaters, but honestly, it was in and out of theaters so quickly, I wondered how it did. Cut to this holiday weekend, when I have a bit of time to relax, I decide to rent this movie. In doing so, I realized quite quickly WHY this movie seemed to go in and out of theaters quickly: it wasn't that great. It was very fast moving, which is the sort of thing I appreciate in a movie, but in this case, I felt like I was missing pieces because of how fast it was moving. Perhaps I should have looked into the graphic novel of this first before I watched this (that's right, apparently this is based on a graphic novel and NOT true events, like it appears to be.)

This movie has some great actresses (Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss) who are mob wives, whose husbands get sent away cause they get caught doing a job. The wives are told that while their husbands are away, they will get taken care of, but that doesn't amount to much. And when they try to get a little more, they get told to shove off, but only AFTER hearing that the reason their payments are light is because some people are not paying their fees. To get to the bottom of this, the wives head out to try and find out what's happening. Turns out, the mob isn't doing much to keep the neighborhood (set in 1970s Hell's Kitchen, NY), from having problems, and people don't like that. At this point, the women start to take over, and things seem like they are going good for a while. But things begin to take a turn, almost as quickly as their rise up the mob ladder.

While the movie itself has some great performances and great chemistry between the actresses themselves, and it's always great to see Melissa outside of a comedy role, this movie honestly is better if you just rent it. After seeing it, I am glad I didn't waste the money on a theater ticket, because it's pretty much like any other mob type movie. Decent if you want something to just put on, but not really something to go out of your way for. 

Happy Self-Promotion Sunday!

Hello everyone! Happy Self-Promotion Sunday and welcome to the beginning of December! That means HOLIDAY SHOPPING! And to start off December, I'm offering a discount! Use the coupon code SMALLBIZ to get 15% off your total order, STARTING TODAY for THIS WEEK ONLY! After that, I am offering another holiday discount from December 8th until the first of January! That coupon code is HOLIDAY20 which gives you 20% off any order over $25! So check out my store. 

Now, a reminder, check me out from December 6th to December 8th at AnonyCon! My last con for this year! The line-up for next year is already shaping up to be a good one! Check me out at one of the following cons:

CT GamerCon: March 21-22
IncrediCon: March 28-29
Hudson Valley CC: May 9-10
ConnetiCon: July 9-12
TrotCon: July 17-19 (Pending)
TerrifiCon: TBD

One last announcement before we go over what's new: I need a short break. Winter will probably be my break, or mostly break, but aside from going out to cons, I make take some time to relax a bit. I am feeling down a bit lately, and I also know that the next few months, many people around me are going to need my love and support. And I am going to do my best to be there for those people that need me the most. So I hope many of you will be understanding and supportive as my time doing customs make become limited.

However, you can show your OWN support by shopping small business, and even shopping in my store! And speaking of which, NEW MERCH IS UP!

That's right, I got three new pieces to advertise, although I was hoping to have a fourth. Maybe if tomorrow is a snow day, I will! But for now, let's start with BRAND NEW COUNTDOWN CALENDARS! These are inspired by Hearth's Warming Eve from My Little Pony, as well as the fact that MLP has lasted for ages, and there are so many different holiday inspired ponies. I did two of these for BronyCon this past summer, and decided to make two more (technically, I wanted to make a 3rd one, but the ornaments are becoming tricky, so it may not be done until after the holidays, which means it'll be better for next year.) But in the meantime, I have two more that are going up for sale. One is done with a vintage countdown calendar (the 13 is a bit loose but still works) and the other is hand painted. Both of them have their ornaments done using shrinky dinks, and on the back of each ornament, it says who the pony is. Great for anyone, whether you are a pony collector or getting something special for a little kid! They are perfect for anyone.

Next, and FINALLY, this piece has been a PAIN IN MY REAR for TOO FREAKING LONG! I FINALLY got this girl done. She was inspired by a piece I found on DeviantArt, that I am linking here, and I am so done with her! I sculpted parts of her armor on and added in a bunch of details that are a bit different that the original piece. But I hope you all like her! I am cannot believe she is FINALLY done! 

Movie Review Monday!!! Speeding In with Ford V Ferrari

Alright movie-goers! We have had a TON of movies come out lately, and I am going to my damdest to get to as many of them as possible--yes, this will include "Frozen 2" at some point. Preferably after all the little kids have gone. I have every intention of seeing "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" as well as "The Irishman," "Knives Out," "21 Bridges," and "Last Christmas." These are just the beginning. I will also spend my upcoming holiday weekend reviewing a movie I missed in theaters, but that's for this weekend. In the meantime, let me get to the movie I saw yesterday, the FASTEST two (almost three) hours I spent in a movie theater. And I do mean that both literally and figuratively: FORD V. FERRARI!!!!

"Ford v Ferrari" (Director: James Mangold)

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"Ford v Ferrari" tells the true story of Carol Shelby and Ken Miles as they put together the Ford GT40 in an effort to basically stick it to Ferrari, after the owner of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari, basically screws over the Ford company when they try to buy them since Ferrari goes bankrupt perfecting the ultimate sports car. And honestly, what person does NOT know Ferrari? I mean, it's like on almost every car fanatics bucket list! Heck, if I knew how to drive stick, I would want to drive one, if only JUST to say I did. To own one is pretty much for the chosen few, since the cars themselves are works of art. And I'm not kidding when I say that--they even talk about the process that Enzo Ferrari has his crew put into each car. A TOTALLY different perspective from how Henry Ford and the Ford Company do their cars--a fact that gets rubbed into the face of the current owner in the movie, Henry Ford II. 

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So what does Ford do? He asks for everyone to come up with a way to make Ford better. And what's the answer? A sports car. Cue Carol Shelby (played BRILLIANTLY by Matt Damon), who comes in and says that the only way to get a good racing car is basically to give him control and let him decide. Ford messes up the first time, with Shelby butting heads with executive Leo Bebe (played by Josh Lucas) and honestly if there was ever a non-obvious antagonist that existed, it was Lucas' character. I wanted to punch him SO HARD! And quite honestly, I am surprised that Christian Bale's character, the racer Ken Miles, didn't do so several times.

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I won't go into more details, because honestly, this is a movie EVERYONE should go see! If you aren't stuck going to see "Frozen 2" then this should be at the top of your list. And even if you are stuck seeing "Frozen 2" then go see this afterwards. It definitely didn't feel like an almost 3 hour movie, and quite honestly, that's the best kind of movie! The acting was great all around, with great chemistry between Bale and Damon, and quite honestly, an ending that made me want so much more. In short, there is really only one word to describe this movie:

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Self-Promotion Sunday

Hey everyone! It's getting close to that time of year, when I go into semi-hibernation mode, and don't do as many custom figurines. My hands can't take the cold very much lately. Makes me sound like an old woman, doesn't it? Like Granny Smith from My Little Pony. But until then, I am trying to do as much sculpting as I can so that during the winter months, I will be able to paint up a storm. I think next year, come November 1st, I am just going to be a sculpting machine, and then go from there. 

But in the meantime, remember I got one more con for this year coming up! Make sure you come check me out in Stamford, CT, the first weekend of December at AnonyCon and see what I got! You never know, you might even find some great gifts for friends (and yourself, too!)

And speaking of the holidays, I got a few more to show off, as well as some stuff in the works. So let me start off with what's in the works:

COUNTDOWN CALENDARS! Now, I am NOT calling these Christmas countdown calendars, because in MLP, it's not called Christmas, it's called Hearth's Warming Eve. But, I have been working on these since I started my charity pieces for BronyCon this past summer. I got three that I am hoping to sell soon, two of which should be done shortly, because the ornaments are these guys:

 

That's right, I am back at the shrinky dinks, and they are being annoying as hell! I am just lucky right now that I am getting to print the pages tonight, and that the printer is behaving while I print these suckers! Hopefully, within the next few days, I will have them all shrunk and I will at least have one of the two calendars using these guys up for sale. The other two will hopefully be done before the holidays.

I have one more princess finished, and that is Cadence. She will go up tonight, and I'll also be able to put up Celestia and the new Stranger Things AJ that I made as well. I like how this girl came out a bit better than the last one I made, using the Twilight base for the last one. This time I used a Celestia base. Hair looks better, I think.

Self-Promotion Sunday!!! One Last Con...And Cons for 2020

Hello my fellow readers!! It's been a minute I know, but I hope you have been enjoying what I have been posting. As the months get colder, I do fewer custom sculptures because I cannot be outside sanding. I am hoping to finish a few pieces before it's too cold for me to go outside. However, please note, no matter what, after Thanksgiving, I WILL NOT be taking any SCULPINTING commissions. By that point, no matter what, it will be too cold for me to do anything. They are calling for this to be a really cold winter! If it's a simple paint job, then I could probably swing it. But if it involves sculpting, it's going to have to wait until the weather warms up.

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In the meantime, I have at least two new pieces to show everyone, and remind you that I have ONE LAST CON of 2019 coming up. Remember, I will be doing AnonyCon in Stamford, CT in the first weekend of December. This is my first time doing this con, and I will be arriving later on Friday since I will still have work, but I will be there all three days!

Now, cons for 2020 are starting to line up. I have at least 2 already secured, one which I know I can't attend (sadly), and many which I have applied for. Here's the list of where I will (and hoping I will) be:

CT GamerCon: March 21-22
IncrediCon: March 28-29 (Pending)
Hudson Valley CC: May 9-10 (Pending)
ConnetiCon: July 9-12
TrotCon: July 17-19 (Pending)
TerrifiCon: TBD

Lastly, like I promised, I have a few new figurines. I have a few that are ALMOST done, but not done in time for today's promo, so you'll just have to be satisfied with these two girls! They will be up for sale by tomorrow on my Etsy page. First up, another princess, this time it's Celestia. We will see if she does as well as my Luna's in this style:

Next, a new variation of the Stranger Things Applejack, using a fakie for this girl. Had fun making her, but wasn't sure what to do for a while. Hopefully she finds a good home before she gets too worried!:

Movie Review Monday: Harriet

Hello fellow readers and movie goers and welcome to another Movie Review Monday! This past weekend, I decided to go and see the new movie "Harriet" which depicts the escape of Harriet Tubman from the south and how she continued to go back as a conductor on the Underground Railroad to liberate others. This woman was a major historical figure, and I am a sucker for historical pictures, so when I saw previews for this, I was genuinely excited. Let's see if the movie lived up to the hype. 

"Harriet" (Director: Kasi Lemmons)

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The movie "Harriet" depicts probably one of the most well known females of our entire history, no matter the color of our skin. I do not think there is a person alive today who didn't somehow learn the name Harriet Tubman in a history class. The woman was a force of nature when you read about her, and she obviously had such a major impact on many lives back then and now, that when I was watching this movie, I expected PASSION. Passion to show that this woman believed in her cause and believed in doing what was right, no matter that she risked her life over and over again to free those who were in the same situation she was once in. However, I didn't get passion. What I got was a well-written script with half-hearted performances.

Cynthia Erivo is depicted as Harriet Tubman herself, and there are plenty of times where she starts to show passion in some of the monologues she gives, but sadly, they fall flat. She has one expression for the majority of the film, and while I get that she has to remain bland in certain situations, I wanted more from this woman. In fact, I got more out of Janelle Monáe as Marie Buchanon in the extremely short time she was on screen.

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There were plenty of times when the script felt rushed along, and to an extent, I understood the need to rush it along, in order to show the passage of time. But honestly, I wish there were times when the movie SLOWED DOWN! I wanted more about her escape, I wanted more about maybe a time or two when she went back down to free more slaves. Heck, I would have even taken more at the very end, when they showed her at the Battle of Combahee Ferry. Instead, I got a not so rowsing speech and her showing her gun to the enemy.

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For real, while the content of this movie was FANTASTIC, and there was SOOOO MUCH that could have worked, it didn't come across. In all honesty, much of the movie felt disjointed, and shows that this movie has a long way to go before it could remotely win any sort of Oscar.

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Self-Promotion Sunday!

Hello my fellow readers and happy Self-Promotion Sunday! Today, while there is not much to preview, I do have a few cons to announce as well as FINALLY post my NYCC panel video! I hope that my fellow panelists and I get to do this again next year, we had such a good turnout for it this year. We were even asked by someone who missed it if we were showing on a second day. Hear that NYCC? We were THAT popular! So check out the panel below!

Anyway, so, real quick, I have one more con to close out the 2019 year. This is a last minute addition, and it's local to me, so not a huge deal in terms of overhead. It's called AnonyCon, which I have NEVER heard of, but apparently, it's been going for like 3 years, which surprised me! When I got the dealer packet, the dates were a bit messed up, but said it was from 2017. For real?? How had I never heard of this con before? And it's a 3-day con! 

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Anyway, so I have signed up for this con, and I'll let you all know soon if I am going to be there or not. I don't see why I wouldn't be, considering this is a con that takes your money up front. Usually that means, you good to go.

Also, once again I have sent off for CT GamerCon. This con is my kick-off, so to speak. I love this con! I am going to also try for TerrifiCon again next year, and I'm looking into ConnetiCon as well. But for real, make sure you come for CT GamerCon. Especially if you are not ready for the big cons yet, or you have a little one who WANTS to go to big cons, but again, isn't ready yet. It's cons like CT GamerCon that are made for those people.