Fringe Day 0 Orlando Fringe Festival 2024 (33rd Year)

I am a volunteer so I saw some preview shows.

Confessions of a Theme Park Worker (Scarlett) – Terry tells the downs of working at the theme parks. We get her origin story and why in the end it was all too much. After it was done I still had questions.

Brain Bros Presents: Uber Chronicles (Brown) – Checkout some music while hearing stories of being an Uber Driver. The music is relaxing. The stories are interesting.

The Light Bringer (Blue) – Laila Lee tells us her story of coming to America from Riyadh. She faces being an outsider in Florida and challenges within her own family. She makes a life changing decision. There are scars when cultures clash.

Pride, Prejudice & Promposals – a modern-day re-imagining of a classic set to the music of Taylor Swift (Teal) – Betty Bennett meets Will Darcy on the first day of school. They both have strong opinions. Their school tries to crush the spirit of the students, yet they find ways to express themselves. A great combination of the classic novel, the modern high school story, and Ms. Swifts music.

Harlivy’s Bachelorette Whodunnit?! (Stardust) – Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are getting engaged and everyone from the multiverse is invited. There is a murder at the party. Who did it? One must be prepared to assist in the investigation. In between investigations, there is burlesque dancing.  A fun way to spend an hour.

Tiger Daughter (Renaissance) – Charlene Kaye does a one woman show on being raised by a tiger mom. It is a long journey of trying to find acceptance from her mother. There is pain and surprising instances of joy. Family is complicated and hopefully we work it out.

Micro Reviews April 2024

The Concierge (Florida Film Festival) -Akino is a young woman who is a concierge trainee at Hokkyoku Department store. All the customers are extinct anthropomorphized animals. She is under the watchful eye of a stern floor walker.. The costumers are looking to fulfill a desire, want, or need. Akino must meet up to task to help her customers. This is a dramedy. The setting is surreal with Akino dealing with talking animals. The fear of failure that Askino feels is all too believable. Akino wants to be as good as a concierge that helped her when she was a girl. The art is detailed as seen with the animal design. This film looks at something that we may have lost in an effort to get what we want directly rather than through intermediaries.

The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed (Florida Film Festival) – Ann is trying to find a relationship that works for her, deal with her parents, and keep her job. What she looks for is traditional but it works. This is a very episodic film but the episodes are great. One hopes that Ann finds what she is looking for.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper – Will Stanton discovers on Christmas time. There are dark forces near his English village. Can he collect all the Signs and stop the Dark? The is the second book in a series, yet it easy to get into. Will is interesting and goes to learn how to use his power and help his family.

Thelma (Florida Film Festival) – Thelma is over 90 and is scammed out a lot of money. She is determined to get her money back. Thelma sees old friends to get what she needs to fulfill her quest. An interesting look at aging. We all take different paths, but we deserve to be treated with respect.

Tuesday (Florida Film Festival) – Tuesday is terminally ill and lives were her mother Zora. Zora is in denial of her daughter’s illness and avoids facing it, Death comes to Tuesday in the form of bird. Something unexpected happens and Tuesday makes a deal with the bird. One that Zora cannot accept. Zora does something rash and there are worldwide repercussion. This film deals with how we react to death and what some of us would do if we could fight back. We do not want to lose our loved ones and given the chance we would do anything to save them. Zora is not a bad person. She is scared to face losing Tuesday. The CGI to make the bird is top notch. It looks on earthly but not out of place when it is full size. The responses to what is happening is believable. Fear and grief can makes us do reckless things.

Wildcat (Florida Film Festival) – This a biographical film about Flannery O’Connor. We see how life influenced O’Connor’s work. Maya Hawke brings O’Connor and her female leads to life. A mix of the writer’s life and their work is a great way to go for a biopic.

Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager (Florida Film Festival) – Bunny Yeager was a model turned photographer. She pioneered the art of pinup photography. This brought her great fame. It was a rocky ride in the 80s but Yeager saw a re-examination of her work which would be shown in galleries. She made her home in Miami Beach. This was great Florida documentary film.

Foxy Brown (Florida Film Festival) – Foxy’s boyfriend is murdered and she goes for vengeance. There is action, comedy, and romance. Sadly one of the stars of the film Terry Carter shortly after I saw the film. He was great as Foxy’s boyfriend Mike. It was of its time, but still engaging.

Witch King by Martha Wells – Kai the Fourth Prince of the Underneath (demon or Witch King) is resurrected and finds a new world from the one he left. He with allies both new and old find what happened and find a lost companion. This world is complex and does not have easy answers. The story has a feel of Lost since a significant amount of the story is told in flashback to the time before Kai was killed.

SpyxFamily: Code White (Theatrical Film) – The Forgers go north to find a recipe to help Anya in school competition. Things go sideways when a General eats the only sample of the dessert in town. Can they get recipe and the ingredients? What was in the chocolate that Anya ate? Another great combo of old school action and comedy. A nice appetizer before the next season.

Micro Reviews March 2024

The Color Purple ((Musical), Academy Award finalist in film) – This was an engaging film. The performances and musical performances were great. I never got around to seeing the original and now I think I should.

Perfect Days (Academy Award finalist) – This is a perfect slice of life. We follow a person doing their job and hobbies. There a few curves but nothing crazy.

Nyad (Academy Award finalists in film) – Great use of the documentary format. This is incredibly inspirational for everyone. Bening and Foster were powerful in the film.

May December (Academy Award finalists in screenwriting) – This is a deeply disturbing film We see a relationship that should have never happened and the attempted to dramatize it. Everything about this feels wrong. Was that the intention?

Rustin (Academy Award finalist in film) – A film about the man who coordinated the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin understood the logistics of political movements. His work expanded our views on freedom. This film needed to be made.

Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (mini series) – It is interesting in the the first 3 episodes but it gets repetitive afterwards. It could have been done as a film or only 4 episodes.

Echo (mini series) – This was a well done action series. I hope we see more of Maya in other Marvel projects.

Robot Dreams (Academy Award Finalist) – This was beautiful but it tears your heart out. We feel for an anthropomorphized dog and his robot. We need our connections to function.

Dune Part 2 (Theatrical Film) – Changes are made but it is in the spirit of the novel. The scenes with Feyd are engaging. Walken is a great choice for the Emperor.

Micro Reviews February 2024

Children of Time by Adrain Tchiakovsky (Reader’s Group Choice) – Dr. Kern was planning to infect a nano virus to uplift a group of monkeys. The monkeys were going to be sent to an Earth like world. This experiment is sabotaged and the apes are destroyed but the planet local spiders get the nano virus. The spiders become sentient and form a technological society. An AI guards the planet. The Gilgamesh is a starship with humans in suspended animation ready to colonize an inhabitable planet. The AI will not let them go to Kern’s world and interfere with the planet’s inhabitants but the ship’s crew must find a place to stay. There is a lot going on. We are switching between the spiders and the humans POV. Can something be worked for the benefit of both species? What kind of world do the spiders build? I will probably checkout sequels.

Anatomy of a Fall (Academy Award finalist) – A man falls of his house. Was he pushed? The wife says no but is charged and we follow the trial. One sees a relationship not doing well. Is this motive? We get a solution, is it the right one. Do not use your dogs as guinea pigs.

Zone of Interest (Academy Award finalist) – We follow the lives of the Commandant of Auschwitz and his family. This is a disturbing look of the banality of evil. Heinous thing go on nearby and they continue with the routines of light. This was scary. No one should cut off their empathy.

Drive Away Dolls (Theatrical Film) Marion and Jaime are trying to sort out their lives and go on a road trip. They grab the wrong car and find trouble. They also find love with each others. It is fun trip.

Elemental (Academy Award finalist) – This is a great look and the immigrant experience and how one needs to follow their own path. This world of earth, wind, water, and fire is beautifully realized. I am disappointed the city services do not fix a problem in their domain.

Nimona (Academy Award finalist) – Who is the good guy? Who is the monster? Not everything is what they seem. Nimona find her place in the end after being hurt and people get their act together and solve the challenge of injustice.

Micro Review January 2024

Godzilla Minus One (Theatrical Film) – We go to post war Japan were people are trying to rebuild their lives and have to deal with a kaiju. We follow a kamikaze pilot who survived the war and faces his fears. A great look into a painful era of Japan. People come to meet the challenged of times and Godzilla.

Bodies (mini series) – The same body shows up in three different times in London (Victorian era, World War II, and a few decades in the future). Investigator try to figure what is happening. There is a big timey-wimey plot that will change the world. At the end compassion saves the day rather than force.

American Fiction (Academy Award finalist) – Monk is writer and teacher who challenges the paradigms of the day. He faces family challenges and he needs money. Monk writes a trope laden book, the kind he hates. The book takes off, now what. Trying to find our place is always a challenge. This film shows what we must face as country but we do not want to.

Past Lives (Academy Award finalist) – A man and woman from South Korea separate and reunite in New York. The try to connect and they do in a way. This is shot beautifully. I did not feel tension, I guessed the ending. It is not bad but I never thought anything else would happened. I would see more films by Celine Song.

The Holdovers (Academy Award finalist) A teacher is assigned to watch over a student during Holiday Break at all boys boarding school in 1970. They and cook learn how to deal with their pain. Great performances from Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Paul Giamatti. They recreated a past time which had its high and lows.

FESTN4 Day 4

The City Beautiful, an Original Live Band Burlesque Musical (Main Stage) – A look at the city history of Orlando having the Blacklist Babes bring the story to life. There are some great facts here and some fun moments.

Men of Motown (Main Stage) – A group brings to life the classic songs of the landmark label. There is great choreography to go with the songs.

FESTN4 Day 3

My Grandmother’s Eyepatch (Black Box) – Julia tries to honor her grandmother at the funeral. Things go a little out of control but in a wonderful way. This has good choices of music.

Becoming Grandma Kat (Black Box) – An Internet influencer due to circumstances is placed into the Witness Protection Program. It is decided to disguise him as a grandmother. The main character is deaf and communicates through American Sign Language and a translator. This was an interesting way to present a play.

The Complete Works of Stephen Sondheim (Abridged) (Main Stage) – This was fun look at one of the greats in American Musicals. It is mash up of Sondheim’s works done with love and humor. Fun is had by all.

Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum (Main Stage) – Swedish singer Jenny Lind is brought on American tour by P.T. Barnum. We hear sing during her concert and argue with Barnum on the direction of the tour. This takes place in 1851 and the issue of the slavery effects everything. This brings out the conflicts of the time and her some beautiful singing.

Caught (Main Stage) – This is a complex look at the truth. Lies will eventually fall part without the mechanism to maintain them. If you cannot afford to be caught in a lie then maybe it should be avoided. There is no easy way to sum up this play.

The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery (Black Box) – A crow has been murdered. Horatio T. Crovus (Sorter Outer of Murders) is on the case. What have is a puppet show murder mystery and puns. Horatio is well designed and sounds great. The game is afoot.

FESTN4 Day 2

The Chair on the Door (Main Stage) – Travis grew up in apocalypse doomsday cult which rejected traditional pleasures and pursuits. This puts him at odds with his father a minister in this church and the world. Travis Abels does some great physical performing in this. There is also great use of sound effects. He conveys a desperation to fit in the world and yet please his parents especially his father.

SAK Presents Lights Up: The Improvised Rock Opera! (Main Stage) – The audience give a suggestion and our improv players work of the suggestion with a live band. It is wonderful insanity and all have fun.

Star Trek Animated: “The Jihad”

The Jihad by Stephen Kandel (January 12, 1974) -Kirk and Spock have been recruited by the foxlike Vedala, the oldest known space faring race. Someone has stolen the Soul of the Skorr, an important artifact to the avian Skorr. With it stolen, the Skorr will start a jihad against the galaxy. Kirk and Spock are joined by 4 specialists to help they find the Soul of the Skorr. They are the reptiloid Sord, lock pick insectoid M3 Green, humanoid tracker Lara, and Tchar of Skorr. The Soul of the Skorr is on a geological unstable planet. Three expeditions have already failed. Can this new team succeed? Vedala needs some safety specialists in failing to give our team a vehicle without seat belts. Kandel does a Mission Impossible in the Star Trek universe which is appropriate since the live action shows filmed across the street from each other. There is some good alien design. We get a little into their personalities. I would like to see them again in media or a novel.

FESTN4 Day One

A One Woman Titanic: Parody in 59 Minutes (Black Box) – Katie Thayer shares her Titanic fandom with us and it fun and educational.

Grabbing the Hammer Lane: A Trucker Narrative (Main Stage) – A father and son are estranged and we hear from both sides. Families are complex. Relationships have their peaks and valleys. We need to navigate through them the best we can.