Another One Off the Bucket List! Fan Expo 2016

We all have our bucket lists. Some items are secret. Some are obvious. I got to strike off a bucket list item this weekend. After nearly forty years, I saw Mark Hamill in real life. Thank you very much, Fan Expo!

I'm still in outer space and likely will be for another day from being star struck and from reading tarot for so many people! I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it means I'm not recognizing people or making sense so we'll see how this blog goes!

Fan Expo 2016
When I arrived on Thursday, I set up my booth on the last row of the Horror aisle. I was across from Troma and a Walking Dead photo op display. I was happy. I need a better umbrella but this one worked. I hung some banners from it, circus style, as I was going for a freakshow feel to match my presentations.

Many people came by for tarot readings. It was non-stop every time I came back to the booth, which was fantastic. I enjoy being busy.

On Friday, I had three presentations so I wasn't at my booth much at all. Dorian, Brandon, and Kish held down the fort for me all weekend. They were great at helping people wait their turn.

Denis O'Hare

I was returning from the bathroom when I spotted Denis O'Hare chatting to Nancy Kilpatrick at her booth, which was back to back to mine. Of course, I yakked with them as well and took some pictures. I returned to my booth and read much tarot.

Cast of AHS: FreakShow

I was able to look at the cast of AHS all day from my booth. It was pretty cool. I went to their panel even though I should have been at my booth. How often do I see people from one of my all-time favourite seasons of favourite shows? I never did go over to speak with them, I was so very busy running between buildings.

Mark Hamill

Well, I am very happy with how the weekend went with regard to my inner fangirl. I was able to get up close to him and watch him like he was a caged animal at the circus for a few minutes every couple of hours. I hope I didn't creep him out but he's used to black-clad figures lurking a few feet away. I just was in awe to see him in real life. Yes, I meet tons of celebrities and shouldn't be starstruck, but I am. 

I attended both of his presentations. One was on Friday and one was Sunday. He must have been exhausted all weekend, likely from shooting schedule then into these tours.He was in Salt Lake City on Thursday for ten thousand fans. I think we had about three thousand at each presentation.

He's a great speaker, and the time went way too fast.

I'd take a peek at him when I'd hit the rest room as he was on the other side of the building from me. It was so cool knowing he was there.

Tara
The daily ritual reminded me of the week I stayed in Culver City to oversee the photo shoot for one of my books and walked past Tara every day. Gone with the Wind was one of my fave movies and books when I was a teen and to walk past Tara every day was so cool. I'd never been to Culver City before or since.

Walking past Mark Hamill every day gave me that same sense of, "How cool is this?" This whole resurrection of Star Wars over the past year has given me a re-connection to parts of my teenage self that I'd lost for many years because of life stuff, like everyone else. The Force Awakens awakened my interest in all kinds of stuff and of course, launched my new obsession with Kylo Ren's character.

Kylo Ren at Fan Expo 2016
I was reading tarot when a Kylo came by and told me to take his picture. Of course, I asked Kish to do it and I felt so bad for the client waiting for a reading but heck look at this young man. He's a great Kylo Ren. And hey, if you're this Kylo Ren, please let me know who you are so I can tag you on FB or tag yourself!

Then another Kylo Ren in a cool corset came by so three of us posed. However, I wasn't done with poses I wanted with the first Kylo Ren I had spotted days before. I needed to get a grip though and get back to my client. I hoped he'd come back on Sunday so we could take a couple more posed pictures but he never did, not that I blame him. haha

Someone has to keep these Knights of Ren in Order!

I had two panels on Sunday so was away from the booth a lot for a chunk of time. I also had several media interviews over the course of the weekend, which was great!

It was an amazing weekend. Thank you to Fan Expo staff, all the staff on every level, especially Lance. Everything went smoothly for me from set-up to my programming and so on. The celebrities were all nice from all accounts. Venders rocked as always.  And I got to see one of my teenage crushes. What's not to like?

The Horror Writers Association also had a booth and it rocked as well. There were also three panels. I was on one and the rest were with other members of the Horror Writers Association.

One thing about living so long is that I get to knock things off my bucket list. Some things I did years ago but others I'm still trying to get done. And of course, like everyone else, I add a few items to my bucket list as life chugs along.

Here Are a Couple of Items I've Crossed Off My Bucket List Over the Years
See Mark Hamill in Real Life (he's been married forever so that's as far as that wish goes! lol but...there's always A New Hope according to my inner fifteen year old)
Stay at Stanley Hotel (finally did it Oct. 2015)
Be in a movie that premieres in NYC (Slime City Massacre)
Be reviewed in Fangoria
Be interviewed in Fangoria
Be published by Leisure
Meet Peter Straub
See Stephen King speak in Real Life
Meet Shirley Temple (and I got her autograph on her autobiography)
Meet Judy Blume (I got to see her speak and got her autograph in 2015)
Go to England and see Shepherd's Bush ( 1976)

American Horror Story Hotel: Finale Thoughts

I've been very busy lately with editing work, weekly tarotscopes, working on my new erotic astrology horror series, working at the college, getting ready to play Madame Something the Dust Witch as I read fortunes at The 1st Annual Something Strange Sideshow Circus Festival, and more. So I've been behind in my social mdia.

But I did see the finale of American Horror Story: Hotel. I have some thoughts about it but won't have time to relay all of them here. We'll see how far I get.

Liz Taylor
Yes oh yes, she wins the show this year. Last year, it was Dandy, this year, hands down to Liz. A complex, sympathetic character, a cartoon yet so real, you'd have to be made of stone not to have been sad at Liz's demise. The love between the Countess and Liz was very believable. They played one of my favourite Mari Anne Faithful songs. Magnificent. This last segment with Liz wasn't really a horror story but great dark romance.

Of course, we're all oh so happy as she is reunited with her darling Tristan for eternity. And she still has the option of her son and family visiting her at the hotel. Our Liz, for perhaps one of the first times in AHS history, is a moral character who did very little shit disturbing and receives reward in the afterlife.

Evan Peters
This young man deserves all the awards this time around. My goodness. How well he portrayed Mr. March and stuck to his character all the way through like Crazy Glue. He was genuinely a film noir character come to life, a ghost yet a person, a man who pulled no punches.

The storyline itself was uneven. His love story is sad; we all know the pain of unrequited love and to have to spend eternity together is Hell. So that part was fine.

His real life as a serial killer was great and of course, based on a real life hotel magnate serial killer.

But this whole Ten Commandments Killer plotline was horrible. There was no reason for his character to suddenly want that to happen at all.I hated it all so much that I'm not talking about it anymore.

Angela Bassett
The hottest most terrifying woman in the universe since Aunty Entity in Beyond Thunderdome, I don't know what I'd do if she came after me and ripped my neck out. I'd likely say, "Thank you," or swoon into a pool of blood.

She kicked ass in Hotel yet her character was dumb. There was no point to it. There was a vengeance against the Countess and she fulfilled it and now what? She runs around looking hot and ripping people to shreds.She needs a sequel.

Tristan
Was he really hiding from Liz to let her have her own life or was he off screwing the Countess and losing track of the years? Once the dust settles, will there be a love triangle of jealousy once more? Or will Countess be happy with the new Valentino look-a-like that she seduces at the end of the episode?
Does Tristan truly love Liz?
I wasn't sure that he did back when he had his throat slit so I'm not sure how much I believe there is a true happy ending the way that Liz wants it to be.

Queenie
So Queenie from Coven just wanders off to LA and gets killed in the haunted hotel. Really? She survives the witchcraft and voodoo madness of Coven but gets haunted to death? And no one ever came to look for her in those twenty years or so that the show covers?

Chloe Sevigny
Oh, Chloe, one day someone will know what to do with your haunting spooky beauty. They gave up on you yet again in this show. You could have been a killer sexy ravenous vampire like Angela, a killer team of aggression, but no, we just see you sleeping, and not even your beautiful face in a glass casket but just mashed into a drool covered pillow in a regular bed.

Scarlett
Poor Scarlett. If I were her, I'd refuse to go to the Hotel Cortez to hang out with serial killer dad, deadbeat mom, and ageless baby brother even once a year. Screw them. None of them gave a damn about her. I even mentioned it in previous blogs. She was just shuttled off to grandma's house. Mom chose her brother over her self. Her mom isn't even awake to see her for some reason. What's going on? This girl should have done something to fuck them over in the end. Why do they get what they want and she's the tormented one? I hope she has a great life in the outside world.

Reinvention
The reinvention theme was hammered home but worked. I liked how the empire was run from the hotel and there was a fashion show.That was cool.


Overall, I enjoyed the finale much more than other seasons. The storylines were wrapped up for the most part except for...

Bartholomew
What is going on with Bartholomew? Is that where the Countess was all the time when she wasn't having dinner with her first husband or chilling with Tristan?


I enjoyed the first half more than the last as it was unexpected. There was a lot of tenderness and happiness akin to Freak Show than anything we've seen in Hotel. But I guess I didn't enjoy the second half as much because I hate the Ten Commandments killer storyline and everyone in it. Sorry gang. That's time wasted that could have been put elsewhere.

And it's funny because even though that particular story line was a snoozefest and the most important arc, this is the first time AHS has felt actually cohesive. No real turns out to Albuquerque. Everything linked and made sense. Not much was forgotten. No magicians with haunted puppets suddenly popping in for mayhem. Good stuff.

American Horror Story Hotel Includes Finn Wittrock

SPOILERS FOR AMERICAN HORROR STORY FREAKSHOW AND HOTEL ALERT SPOILERS

The line-up for American Horror Story Hotel has been announced. At long last, Finn Wittrock fans don't have to wonder any more. He has been cast.

American Horror Story Cast News

I'm very excited to see what is in store at the Horror Hotel. I think a hotel setting will be very cool and allows for characters to come and go without as much notice as say, a house where one lives. I don't doubt there will be a lot of The Shining elements at play at well as Bates Motel.

Wittrock said many times in interviews that he hopes to play a character that isn't like Dandy. We shall see. We know he'll be insane in some way because that's the nature of the series. Can't wait.

Wittrock has the classic psychopath look, as I've opined many times. He has the kind of pretty face that can snap into ugly fury without warning. He plays androgynous sexy asexual narcissist wound tighter than an e-string as if he weren't acting at all. Hopefully he's acting! Only his wife knows for sure!

His acting was fantastic in Freakshow and he was a true breakout star. It will be exciting to see where his career heads next, beyond the American Horror Story circuit. Of course, he should appear on AHS as much as possible while the series is hot. But he will have a great life after-series as well. He's already done amazing roles such as starring on Broadway with the late Seymour Philip Hoffman, so the sky is the limit for this young man.

And now, let's remember a couple of moments from Freakshow as we wait MONTHS for Hotel to premiere.

See you in the fall, Finn!

American Horror Story Freak Show Finale: Curtain Call Recap and Thoughts

Spoiler Alert for American Horror Story Freak Show finale: Curtain Call

The curtain has come down on American Horror Story Freak Show finale. I must say, I'm going to miss my weekly ride. As many say, it's an uneven show but still wonderfully entertaining.

I loved the costumes, the way the clothes had tent stripe patterns and various other motifs. American Horror Story is luscious eye-candy every season between the amazing costumes, fabulous set designs, photography, and other nuances.

There are so many story-lines in FreakShow that it was frustrating to be on the ride sometimes. Almost every storyline could have done with more care and attention and could likely be an entire series unto itself. It almost felt like a hot-and-dirty one night stand, much like the sex lives of most of the freaks. However, life is frustrating. Being a freak is frustrating. Horror stories don't always tie up into a neat bow.

This is a good thing because it shows that the audience cares about the series. The audience wants more, and the best entertainers know you leave them wanting more.

In binge-watching a few episodes and then following the rest of the Freakshow season weekly, the season does indeed adhere to its original premise or arc. The idea of freaks taking care of each other mostly rings true except for a few random betrayals by the owner herself, no less, but is tied up in the end. There really is no place like home...? However, the concept of beautiful Dandy being the most ugly person on the show was faithfully followed from the very first episode to the very last. He was the (albeit hit-us-over-the-head-with-a-sledgehammer) symbol for what the freaks and all humans are all about. With him being an outsider, he provided another perspective of Elsa Mars' Cabinet of Curiosities.

There are many questions that fans want answered. We may never learn the answer. Or perhaps some loose ends will be tied up in Season Five.

There have been rumblings about Chester's non-appearance in the finale. Why should there be? He was likely thrown into a straight-jacket and tossed into a loony bin. In doing a background check, they'd realize he's wanted for a double-homicide if not more, and he's not going anywhere ever again. The writers didn't need to waste precious minutes showing us any of that. Besides, this leaves a gap for Chester to pop up again, depending on where the series heads.

What happened to Stanley and his giant...uh...appendage? Last we saw him was when Dandy found him with his arms and legs hacked off and his tongue ripped out. I thought Dandy would have shot him in that moment, or conversely, made him a centrepiece for his new show. You never know with Dandy. I wondered if Stanley still had his manhood or why no one mentioned once that he had a three foot schlong after they amputated him?

Even if you didn't notice that Freak Show had somehow morphed into two different shows along the way, the finale certainly hammered that one home. First we had the Dandy Show and then we had the Elsa Mars Show.

Dandy bought the freak show in the previous episode. We now learn that he's going to sing and dance as the star. As expected he's a prima donna in rehearsal and gets on the freaks' nerves. They mock him, Dandy is mean as usual, Paul the Seal spits on Dandy, and most of the freaks quit, even though, only a few minutes before they had all agreed they'd put up with any shit Dandy threw at them because he was rich. Dandy had one of his patented hissy-fits, and the freaks lost their meal ticket in their own stupid "oo you hurt my feelings" hissy-fits. Sucks to be them.

Well, we know you don't piss off Dandy.

Next we see Dandy walking through the freak-show grounds in a white suit, whistling Tchaikovsky and shooting any freak he sees. Haters online are complaining how Dandy didn't stop to reload. I myself have no gun knowledge so the thought never occurred to me as he was walking, whistling, hunting, bumping into stuff, and there was quite a passage of time between cut-aways. If him not reloading is the biggest complaint you have, well, this is a fiction story, after all. I personally think what's worse is that he should have whistled a Cole Porter tune or say, something from the previously referenced, The King and I, such as "Shall We Dance?" or  "I Whistle A Happy Tune" instead of The Nutcracker Suite but perhaps the writers didn't think a modern crowd would "get it."

Dandy takes his beloved twins hostage, almost the only freaks left alive. In a dizzying, happens way too fast and is unbelievable but they needed to cram all this crap into about five minutes manner, Dandy marries Bette in a fancy-ass ceremony in his playroom. I mean really. How did he get all these people together so fast? Who made this two-headed frou-frou dress so quickly? Hasn't anyone talked about the massacre at the freak-show over the few days it must have taken to pull this off? What did he do with his mom/Tupperware lady puppet? Are they rotting away behind the curtain? Is there a fly issue with all the blood in the tub or does the maid scrub it?

One thing leads to another and next thing you know, he's chained up in his tightie whities in a Houdini tank back on the freak-show stage ranting about he's immortal. Thank you, writers, for giving us one last look at lovely Finn Wittrock in angry naked Dandy-mode.

What I think would be really cool is that once everyone splits the freak-show and the cops come and discover the carnage, Dandy's body is lifted from the tank and he's still alive. He's immortal after all.

Once the Dandy Show concludes, we begin the Elsa Mars Show for the second half of the finale.
We watch Elsa's journey to be the star we already knew she'd be from that magazine that Pepper read a few episodes ago. Elsa has everything she ever wanted, yet she's bitterly unhappy. Yup, she's one of those people...never happy. At any rate, she thinks she has a plan for happiness, but yet, even that is thwarted. She decides to do something she had always refused to do since she left the freak-show. She performs on Halloween.

Elsa is whisked away by Mordrake, however, she isn't what he wants, but he does let her go to another dimension. In this world, she is reunited with her beloved Ma Petite and all her monsters. Her face, (god Jessica Lange is so amazing) betrays her confusion, happiness, love, hate, and dread at the idea of being in the freak-show again...forever.

The series ends as it begins. In doing so, my own theory is that the eternal freak-show is not the heaven that many views believe it is, but hell. Yes, Ethel tells her Elsa's the star of the show (just like Dandy was the star of his death-show, with Angela Bassett remarking, "That boy is a star," in case we didn't make the connection) with a full house every night but we know that Elsa didn't want to be star of a freak-show in real life, and even when she became a rich TV star, she wasn't happy so Elsa, no matter where she ends up, will not be happy.

I believe that the story of FreakShow is Elsa's endless hell loop.

Although the audience sees the surviving freaks leading happy lives in a montage while Elsa sings, is this really what happened to the others, or is Elsa having a fantasy?

I presumed that Bette and Dotte inherited Dandy's money. Of course, where is his body? Don't they have to provide a death certificate to get their hands on his inheritance which he may not even have yet from his own mom, depending on timelines and how smart or dumb he was?

Was the marriage even legal?

How come there's no mention of a millionaire being found in a water tank or however they found him?

How come Elsa never heard about the freaks in her many years in Hollywood, or had she and was just surprised that others found out? A freak show massacre would definitely make the news. As well as a dead millionaire, his mom, and who knows who else? I'm sure Dandy buried mom puppet in the garden. But was it found? Or did he dissolve them in acid?

How did Dandy drag Ima across the freak-show grounds for his macabre masterpiece? Yes, we know he's strong but can he really drag her around?

How can you call something a "snuff" movie when the star didn't die? Why is it bad to have survived a horrific "snuff" movie where your legs get sawed off? Wouldn't it be a GOOD thing you survived torture?

And isn't Jimmy wanted for a bunch of things like the murder of Tupperware ladies and some cops? Won't he be suspected of the freak-show massacre too? And Dandy's death? And perhaps whatever mayhem that's discovered at Dandy's house.? So how is Jimmy living a happy life with two-headed girls and presumably no one knows about them? They just cashed a whopper of a check and ran to a remote place and hid for decades, with two heads and lobster hands? Aren't the girls on the run for murder? Wouldn't they get thrown in the clink if they use Dandy's bank account as they would be discovered?

I'm sure that the frozen dinner Jimmy is eating is from Dandy's company. Jimmy's likely running it, maybe even as Dandy by phone?

Does Bette ever miss Dandy? I don't think she liked tricking him and still had a soft spot for him even though she said she hated him. She was being pressured by the others. Her sister got lobster boy but she gets nothing but to share lobster boy. Or maybe she loves lobster boy now too since she realizes that's who's she's getting and that's that. And let's face it, there are a lot worse fates than chilling with Evan Peters.

I have more random thoughts about this series that I'll post at another time. I really did enjoy the finale even though, as I said, I was very frustrated with some of the story lines that were rushed or not tied up as neatly as I desired. I like it when shows make me think about all the possibilities these fabulous characters can experience and Freak Show has done that.

Please share your comments and theories.

Oh, Dandy, How I'm Going to Miss You!

Superdeduper Spoileramas for American Horror Story: FreakShow

I began watching American Horror Story: FreakShow during the second part of the two-part Mordrake story arc. I didn't really like the Dandy character much and thought he was totally out of place in the FreakShow universe.

I eventually was able to finally view the series from the first episode right up until Tupperware Party in pretty much a two-day binge.

The character of Dandy made way more sense to me, obviously, and I fell in love with his man-baby, blood bathing, puppet-making ways.

When we first meet him, he's wide-eyed at the FreakShow and wants to become part of it. He knows he's "different" and hopes that maybe the freaks will accept him. He also wants to buy the twins who have two heads and one body. His mom gives it a shot but Elsa refuses to sell them. Dandy also wants to become part of the FreakShow but Elsa turns him down.

Dandy is bummed out and bored. He's well read and loves the theatre. He dreams of becoming an actor, a star, but his mom won't let him become common theatre folk. However, she attempts to cheer him up by renting him a clown that she finds wandering the road. Of course, she has no idea that Twisty the Clown is a demented serial killer.

Dandy plays with the clown a bit, but the clown isn't into his puppet shows. The clown is bored of Dandy and knocks him out. Dandy wakes up and follows him, likely for revenge, but he has the time of his life when he sees what Twisty is really all about.

It is around this time that the audience sees the character of Dandy evolve through an arc that is actually carrying into the final episode.

Along the way, Dandy finally gets to have his twins in his playroom and he's thrilled and spoils them rotten. One of the twins falls in love with him. The other twin loves Jimmy the Lobster Boy. The twins leave when Jimmy discovers where they are and takes them back to the circus.

Dandy is beyond despair at the loss of his loves. He wanted to marry them. Even worse, they lose their virginity to a crazy ventriloquist and Dandy has the pictures, provided by his P.I. We actually feel sorry for Dandy when he realizes what's happened. When he says, "They were supposed to be mine," we know that this isn't over by a long shot.

Now, at the end of the latest episode, "Show Stoppers" Dandy owns the circus and essentially, owns the twins, again. What a thrilling and chilling moment!

Storyline, character, actor, director, and photographer have combined to create a work of horror art/iconic psychopath that hasn't been done in a while. Dandy was already a costume this past Halloween and that was before the Dandy/Finn Wittrock fan base blew up.

Dandy is a perfect commentary of the modern psychopath/sociopath/narcissist. Material greed, selfishness, hovering narcissistic mom, unlimited resources, and boredom is indicative of many households in modern times. Even without unlimited resources in a family, a narcissist usually manages to find a way to get others to pay. Dandy is the modern man-baby, it's all about him. His bedroom is like a child's nursery though he's a grown man, perhaps early twenties? It doesn't matter that FreakShow isn't a modern story, the parable is, on many levels.

Fun things about Dandy is that he drinks booze from a crystal baby bottle. He's obsessed with his looks. He likes puppets and theatre. He likes learning new skills. He's not afraid of exotic adventures. It's all about what he wants though he doesn't know what he really wants except to be an actor, well, until he decides he's much more.

Where I went from not really like this character to thinking he was the best thing I'd seen in forever occurred when he was sawing off Matt Bomer's arm. Sure I loved seeing him running around in his undies, especially both of them together. Absolutely. But Dandy was just another pretty spoiled TV-show boy until that moment. That classic moment when he's sawing off the arm, and Matt is still alive. Dandy has the best moments there. I was laughing and horrified at actor Finn Wittrock's brilliance. How hammy that could have been (don't get me wrong, this character is over-the-top but it IS about freaks and showbiz) or how wooden as so many other "psycho" actors can be. Finn hit the mark and it rocked.

He had a couple of now classic lines that he delivered magnificently as well throughout the series that have been made into countless memes. Especially some of his comments to Twisty. They are priceless. That Julliard training paid off for Finn Wittrock.

Dandy's droll observations really make for great entertainment. And really, that's all I want in any show. To be entertained. So thank you writers.

When the curtain comes down tomorrow, Dandy will be gone. It doesn't matter if he dies or not, the magic of this character creation in this season is over. Dandy Mott will live on in reruns but we'll never see anything original about him again. I'm sure Murphy is well aware of how many new fans Finn Wittrock has garnered and will likely put him in Season Five and who knows? Dandy may make an appearance or Finn may play someone else, as he's stated he wants to do in various interviews. But Dandy will never be Dandy how we know Dandy now. So enjoy him tomorrow night no matter what happens in the plot.

I will miss Dandy and his crazy adventures.

Can't wait for tomorrow's final episode.



Added thought:
Long ago we saw the twins in a bottle at the museum. I guess that this was just a fantasy?

It would be kind of cool if somehow Dandy became curator of the museum as well and put his beloved twins in his collection after they meet their demise.

I also had high hopes that Stanley's appendage would end up in a bottle as well.

What do you think?