Rise & Shine

“I like to wake up each morning feeling like a new person, ready to conquer the world.” - Jean Harlow

Prior to the escape, I had concerns about what my schedule would look like in the future. While working a 9-5 job, often my schemes were hatched and experiments conducted under the pale moonlight. This left me with the feeling that my best work was only completed during the witching hour. I fretted that this would be cause for me to inevitably succumb to a vampiric schedule. At least with the departure from my day job I would now be able to remain in my coffin from DAWN to DUSK. Whereas, previously, I was known to run on literal fumes with copious amounts of coffee coursing through my veins due to lack of sleep.

Well… I was wrong. After completing my second week in my new role as Dabbler Extraordinaire I am happy to report that for quite possibly the first time in my life I enjoy getting out of bed in the morning. Much like Jean Harlow after a good night’s rest, I feel anew and ready to conquer my daily task list. This also means that my partner in crime and I will not be ships passing in the night. I will be a person (well kinda).

The escape has brought reinvention and new rituals. A routine that I now have on Sunday evenings is to create what I refer to as: me task list for the week (as shown above). Much like a sea captain charting the high seas, my task list helps me focus and ensures that I am staying on course. It is my road map. Sometimes there are detours and that is OK. There is always next week.

This week I met with man about town Hunter Bush to seek assistance and discuss one of my dreams from my schemes list: the creation of a web series

No one has ever said that I have a face for TV. However this has not stopped me from my desire to blast it into everyone’s home via the world wide web. With Hunter as my assistant, we will be creating a visual component to my movie pod, Cinematic Crypt. Each monthly episode will feature me as horror host, Batzina Belfry checking in a corpse of interest at the Cinematic Crypt Hotel & Lounge. The program will feature my examination of one of their films, antics & hijinks (compliments of Hunter, since I do not really do fun) as well as the occasional magic trick. It also gives me a reason to finally fulfill another ambition of mine: to dress as a cinephile bell hop.

All of this is sure to be a laugh riot while, at the same time, extremely educational. The goal is that it will transform everyone into cinephile grave diggers. After viewing an episode of Cinematic Crypt, no one will be able to resist prying open coffins of Hollywood stars in search of their forgotten films.

Here’s a rendering of me as Batzinia Belfry, please excuse the crudity of this model I didn’t have time to build it to scale or to paint it (said in Doc Brown voice). Additionally, it should be noted that I did not draw it at all… shout out to my pal, Roderick Towers for this prototype.

The plan is for the pilot episode to air free of charge September 13. Episodes thereafter will be available via my Cinematic Crypt patreon which will launch in September. I will provide more updates here and on my pod, Cinematic Crypt. Stay tuned!

I have two things I want to share this week that I am proud of:

• This review here at MovieJawn.com of a new horror flick, In A Violent Nature. It is an impressive feature debut that provides a new perspective on the slasher genre and is now playing in theaters. Maybe it is in my mind, but I feel that my writing has gotten somewhat better since the escape due to not just having the time to sit with my thoughts but to actually have the energy to produce something on to a blank page. If you like something I wrote or found a movie to watch because of my recommendations, never hesitate to let me know… it makes my day!

• I am really excited about this new app I found to create graphics for social media. Find a sample of them here on MovieJawn’s instagram. Prior to this week, I was suffering from fatigue in terms of creating artwork/adverts for MovieJawn social media. With the discovery of Adobe Express I feel alivvvve!

This week I recommend checking out the book: The Puppets of Spelhorstby Kate DiCamillo with illustrations by Julie Morstad

The Puppets of Spelhorst was the last book I read in 2023 and it has been safely tucked in my mind ever since. This story truly came into my life just when I needed it. In December, I was exiting the bookshop in Alma, Michigan, Ballyhoo! Books & Brews after purchasing a stack of books and I spotted The Puppets of Spelhorst in the window. I felt the urge to purchase it and am thrilled that I did, for it contained a world of magic inside!

When a brooding, aged sea captain purchases a trunk full of puppets, little does he know that they are actually sentient! Kate DiCamillo takes the reader on a journey with these puppets which, I must warn you, at times can get a bit stressful and scary. However, the ending makes everything worth it. This is the perfect book to devour when you find yourself with a rainy day, whether it be internally or outside.

Inanimate objects coming to life is a fantasy of mine. I would love to have a deep conversation with my dollz that assist me in my laboratory or take one of my plush friends to the cinema and maybe visit a diner for a cup of coffee and pie afterwards to discuss what we witnessed. What a dream that would be! After you read The Puppets of Spelhorst make sure to tell me which puppet you see yourself as… I of corpse see myself as the wolf with sharp teeth. Happy you are here. xx. goodbye.

Tell a friend.