Car Show, Sideshow, Shitty Show Shimmy Sham

Oops, I think I missed a week in there! Karissa's got a couple ads up for her cleaning business, so we're eagerly awaiting any bites. It would be nice to just do massive advertising, but we don't have the means other businesses do. Luckily her boyfriend is a guerilla advertiser and is willing to help get the word out (as soon as they're printed, anyway).
We spent last saturday with Amber & Ben out behind their house. I'd never seen their fence before (I obviously didn't help build it), but it looks professionally done (that means good job, Ben, Kevin, Butto, and whoever else helped).
Last night I took Derek to Culver's, where every week a bunch of car guys park their classics & talk shop. We got to meet an auto tech teacher from Red River high who must have been somewhat popular in this circle, because quite a few people knew his name. Derek would probably keel over reading that this, but the car the guy pulled up in looked like a giant hotdog bun. It was built back in 1948 by a then-16-year-old, who later went on to enhance it for a Masters' thesis (in exactly what I didn't really pay attention to). The engine was from an old Mercury police car that was totalled in a previous accident (yeah Derek I at least caught that part).

What am I watching?

Dark Ride- Some college kids on Spring Break check out a re-opening carnival ride with a horrific past. At the same time, the serial killer that once dwelt within the ride escapes from his asylum and gets himself a sense of nostalgia. The acting is mediocre, and the 'girlfriend' is a huge bitch--I know, there's a backstory of the 'boyfriend' possibly cheating on her, but whatever. She's still a bitch. I don't care. Anyway, Patrick Renna s in this. Who the hell is Patrick Renna, you ask? Well, despite the fact that he's been pretty busy for the last 20 years acting, he's not terribly well-known except as the chubby kid, "Ham" from The Sandlot. His acting was actually pretty good, and the plot twist, though not really surprising, was pretty satisfiying. Unfortunately, I'm betting there'll be a sequel.

Varietease- 1954 film replicating Burlesque shows of years before. It says Bettie Page stars, but I only saw her in the first part of the show. The other dancers were so-so and didn't get naked. Lily St. Cyr came on last and seemed more like the main attraction, rightly so since she showed less and danced more provocatively. Seeing the last 1o minutes would have been better than having to watch the whole thing.

What About Bob?- A "multiphobic personality in a constant state of panic" leeches onto a psychiatrist whose book is just starting to take off. He gets along great with the "fam", much to the doctor's chagrin. While Bob gets better, the doctor gets worse. I saw this back when it was a new release, and a couple more times since. It's somewhat formulaic, very funny, but the ending is the best part--the protagonist & antagonist do not reconcile like in most comedies, even though Bob nevertheless becomes part of the beloved "fam". I wonder how many psychiatrists would actually side with Dr. Marvin on the issue of imposing patients, especially having one of those patients with you on Good Morning America?

Uncle Buck- After a woman's father has a heart attack, her husband is forced to call upon his shiftless gambling-addicted brother to come and watch the kids so they can go back to her hometown. Jean Louisa Kelly looks a bit old for her part of the 15-year-old daughter, but she plays the bitchy, say-anything-no-matter-how-hurtful teen very well, and John Candy & McCauley Culkin are in their prime (actually, 1989 was a pretty good year for movies). I've seen this movie more than a dozen times, and I still like it.
Mr. Jingles- Serial killer clown makes a supernatural comeback via self-spoken incantation. The synopsis on the cover said it was a sequel to S.I.C.K. (whose summary sounded better and less deceiving). The acting sucks, the special effects REALLY suck, and the clown isn't really scary. Watch Killer Clowns From Outer Space or The Clown At Midnight and you'll see some creepy shit. This was just not worth the effort I put into watching it. My attention started wandering not even halfway through and I got more action out of the crossword puzzle. Yes, there was some nudity, no, it didn't help.
She-Freak- A frustrated waitress starts her life over working at a carnival. She marries the boss, has an affair with the strong man which leads to the boss's death, and the freaks of the ten-in-one get their revenge. Sound familar? Except for a few character switcharoos (that's right I said it), this is pretty much a modernized version of Todd Browning's Freaks. The acting ain't half-bad, at least. Overall, it was okay, but didn't have nearly the substance or storytelling abilities Todd Browning brought to his. Th DVD I watched came with a neat little Sideshow short.