The Quote of the Month comes on the very last day of January from a Facebook poster responding to mental furball Candace Owens' latest idiotic comment (below):
The quote follows:
"Why do conspiracy theorists question everything but the conspiracy theory?"
Her followers did not find me amusing, as evidenced by the post above, and soon the novelty wore off and I decided to look into their leader. What I found was a hodgepodge of conspiracy theories with roots stretching back to anti-Semitic beliefs, Hollywood-inspired tales of aliens, and astoundingly odd misreading of the Christian Bible. Despite what was already enough to convince me the woman was mentally unbalanced, it was when I heard her speak that I knew for sure she was dangerous.
I listened to several of her podcasts and even suffered through one of her rambling, schizophrenic "books" because I just couldn't believe there were other people taking her seriously. Eventually, I started writing about her and her cult of adherents. I published the articles on Suite101 with the intention of trying to figure out if Shriner was a con artist or a true lunatic. I reached the conclusion that she was somehow, paradoxically, both. There really is such a thing as believing one's own bullshit, and no one excelled at it the way Sherry Shriner did.
After a while, it stopped being fun. People enjoyed the articles well enough, but they seemed to fall into one of two camps: The Dismissives, who felt Shriner deserved no attention at all, and the Popcorn Munchers, who looked forward to a good laugh. I was neither. There was something dangerous about this mush-mouthed individual, something dark and horrifying. I had gone from intense amusement at the outset to fascination to finally wariness.
While I looked in on Shriner's antics from time to time over the next decade, I didn't feel the need to write about her. Others were already doing that, some of whom were doing a good job. Still others were just out there as she, calling her a false prophet instead of dangerously mentally ill. Some even accused her of being the shapeshifting reptilian alien she labeled others as being. I was not the first person to write about her, but it seemed like most others were more concerned in proving she was wrong in favor of their own ideologies. Clearly a war was being waged between extremists in the world of self-righteous zealots.
The years passed and more dangerous paranoids took the stage, most notably Alex Jones. The QAnon movement seemed to encompass all ludicrous theories in a similar way to Shriner but with even more frightening effectiveness. Shriner was becoming a dinosaur in an era where her teachings were little more than an Internet footnote. Her voice had receded into the background of a rising cacophony of illogical, truth-bending, reality-denying imbeciles all believing their uninformed opinions to be equal to proven fact. I almost longed for the "charm" of her silly claims and assertions. Then I found out somebody was killed because of her and everything changed.
Actually, let's take a step back to 2012, not long after I had stopped paying much attention to Shriner and her wacked out cadre of supposed Orgone Warriors. Somehow, a story did not catch my notice that year, perhaps because it was a pivotal year of change for me. Apparently, a young woman from my home state who actually didn't live all that far from me committed suicide in a nearby park so she could be reborn as a spirit warrior in Shriner's so-called cause. Her name was Kelly Pingilley and she was, by all accounts, most likely an undiagnosed delusional schizophrenic who desperately wanted to understand the voices and urges in her head. Shriner preyed on people like her.
An event I did know about was the suicide and possible murder of former Shriner acolyte Steve Mineo in 2017. Mineo supposedly asked his girlfriend to shoot him in the head because he couldn't handle all of the online harassments from Shriner's followers coupled with his inability to expose her as a fraud. The details of the shooting are bizarre and covered in length on the Vice docu-series "The Devil You Know." But you can read a more detailed account here.
Shriner immediately went into self-preservation mode, blaming the girlfriend by branding her a vampire and a demon and shapeshifter and a clone and whatever else dropped out of her evil ass. She blamed NATO for Mineo's death, which she claimed was part of a psyop being waged against her because of her dangerous status as God's holy messenger.
First of all...NATO??? Secondly, how could Mineo's girlfriend be all of those things at the same time? She even used doctored photos to make it seem as if the woman had been replaced with an older-looking clone.
Who knows what other horrific things she caused during her time online? She was an unrepentant opportunist to whom human life clearly meant very little. Her "ministry" was her source of income and she milked it for all it was worth.
Shriner died of a heart attack on January 28th, 2021, most likely caused by her reported chain-smoking problem. One would think a movement so strongly identified with its originator would die off with that person gone. One would be wrong. The Facebook page devoted to Shriner continues under her daughter's moderation and many claim Sherry wasn't killed at all. One person even wrote that she was "disappeared" by NATO and will re-emerge brainwashed, refuting everything she taught. All I could write back was, "Now THAT'S how you keep a swindle going!"
That is most likely my final word on the subject of Sherry Shriner, warbley-voiced, poorly spoken, hostile and undeniably insane self-appointed Messenger of the Most High and purveyor of every batshit crazy conspiracy theory ever devised. May she fade into the background of collective memory until she is little more than footnote.
The Horror Zine has once again won several categories in the Critters annual poll. I am proud to have had my work published by them more than once over the years and look forward to working with them in the near future.
For instance, I thought everybody enjoyed "Attack of the Clones" as much as I did and considered it an improvement over "The Phantom Menace," which I also enjoyed. It wasn't that there weren't popular things I disliked, but most of the ones I was aware of were genre films that crossed over into mainstream popularity. It's much easier to dismiss something as idiocy when the masses embrace it, despite the opposing view regarding large amounts of people liking things.
So, the double lesson I have learned is as follows: I am not at home with my so-called fellow geeks because I don't agree with them on things they love or things they hate. Below are two lists based on my experiences with these groups:
Movies I Hate (and why)
The Matrix- I've only seen the first one, but I found the film pretentious, derivative, poorly acted, and over the top. When the only riveting scene involves a character wanting to go back to sleep, it probably means that's what I wanted to do also.
Deadpool- To be fair, I hate the character with a purple, unbridled passion. I consider him one of those Nineties creations that damn near ruined the comic book industry. And I hate the character so much that it has made me hate the actor portraying him. He isn't funny and he isn't cool or interesting. The character either.
Jurassic Park- My mother was obsessed with Michael Crichton's novel, so of course I had to take her to see it when her health started declining. The book she had talked up resulted in what for me was the first dull special effects blockbuster ever. Flat characters, by-the-numbers "suspense," and SFX that failed to impress. I never once cared what was happening.
The Dark Knight- A friend of mine was so convinced I would consider this the greatest comic book movie of all time, his normally cheap ass paid for my ticket. He was disappointed and angry when I told him how awful I thought the whole thing was. Bale's Batman was unconvincing, Ledger's Joker was too silly to be effective, the Two-Face subplot was lacking, and the supposed "real world" approach made the entire affair feel forced and interminable.
Joker- Much has been made of Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of mental illness in this film, and on that level alone, it is something to see. Sadly, the movie itself does not justify his performance no matter how much money it made. Todd Phillips, director of the increasingly unfunny "Hangover" films, decided to go all serious with this one. Unfortunately, he doesn't have an original idea in his head. "Joker" is four movies in one: Those movies are "Taxi Driver," "King of Comedy," "Falling Down" and "Fight Club," three of which were vastly superior.
The Hunger Games- Again, I only suffered through the first one, but that was one too many as far as I was concerned. I'm not fan of YA Lit as it is, so this one would have been a hard sell for me. Sadly, the one thing I demand from any type of drama was entirely absent from this film. I never cared about what was happening on screen. Also, the concept was well-intentioned but stretched the bounds of credibility even within its own internal logic.
It: Chapter One- Its sequel did not receive the acclaim its predecessor did, presumably because it was awful to the point of unintentional hilarity. Chapter One was awful as well, but in a not-at-all amusing way. Director Andres Muschietti turned an epic novel about childhood trauma and overcoming our fears as adults into a jump scare cliché fest replete with bad child actor performances and none of King's trademark dialogue. It's rare that I've actually been angry at the end of a movie.
Get Out- This is the film that competed in my mind with "It" for worst movie of 2017. It's a message movie, and that message is an important one. Sadly, the execution is absolute junk. Jordan Peele's comedy chops are well-established and I have tons of respect for him as an artist. This was not a film that worked for me. The acting was uneven, the pacing was agonizingly slow, the Big Reveal was laughable and not once did I care about anyone in the film. Worst thing that can said about a horror movie: It was boring.
Skyfall- When Pierce Brosnan was let go as James Bon 007, I was not exactly enthusiastic about the less suave and good-looking Daniel Craig taking over the role. I was also growing weary of "back to the beginning" reboots. Happily, "Casino Royale" put my fears to rest and gave us one of the best Bond films ever. But this isn't about that movie. This is about the uneven, poorly scripted disappointment that was "Skyfall," a movie that felt as if four separate teams of screenwriters all wrote portions of it without ever actually meeting. Why Roger Moore thought this was the best Bond ever made instead of "Casino Royale" is beyond me.
Godzilla 2014- I won't go into how much the character of Godzilla has meant to me since I sat in a theater at the age of five or six and watched a double feature. And while I've always questioned the Western ability to really understand kaiju eiga without defaulting to disaster movie mode, which is exactly what happened with the 1998 film, I held out hope for a superior American version. When I saw previews for the 2014 reboot, it felt as if it was over-compensating for the 1998 film's tone by taking itself too seriously and becoming a somber, listless affair. I turned out to be right. It's one of the few movies I nearly walked out on. Happily, the Monsterverse sequels have redeemed this film and made it slightly more watchable.
Movies I Love(and Why)
Thor: The Dark World- That's right, I included this one. I loved this film and its detractors don't make sense to me. There's nothing about this MCU installment that renders it inferior to the others. Is it the best film in the franchise? Of course not. But it continues Thor's and Jane's stories very well, it shows a different side of Loki, and the visuals are nothing less than stunning.
Ishtar- Much maligned at the time of its release, most of the harsh criticism seemed to focus on the then ungodly budget of $50 million. But shooting on location with two huge stars is costly. The result, however, is pure entertainment. Playing against type, Hoffman and Beatty have an incredible chemistry and the terrible songs they created for the movie are brilliant in their catchy awfulness.
Ghost Rider- The sequel was a mess, but the first Ghost Rider is a lot of fun. Nic Cage is at his scenery chewing best, the effects mostly impress, and the bad guy works. Also, Peter Fonda plays the Devil and Sam Elliot is the Old West Ghost Rider! What more do you people want, a plot???
Star Trek Into Darkness- I'm not a Trekkie, or "Trekker" as some prefer to be called. My mother was one of the originals, however, and I have a healthy respect for the franchise. JJ Abrams' films injected a much needed electric eel enema into a stagnating franchise. Sure, this one suffers from sequel bloat and too much action, but the sets, performances and stakes are outstanding.
Jupiter Ascending- I've never been a big fan of the Wachoskis. I enjoyed some of their films and hated others. This one intrigued me because it was a throwback to the days of pulp space opera but with unique twists that felt original. It was a breath of fresh air that is only made more special by the lack of a sequel.
Cloud Atlas- Despite what I wrote about the Wachoskis in the previous section, they nailed this adaptation of what I consider one of the greatest novels of modern times. If I may channel my inner hipster for a moment, most people who disliked this movie didn't understand it. And that's okay. It's not an easily digested piece of fluff entertainment, nor is it a dime store philosophy diatribe like their more successful "The Matrix."
Hudson Hawk- When Bruce Willis was at his hottest and it was still inconceivable that he would become a for-the-paycheck punchline, this vanity project was released to near universal disdain. Willis is clearly more in love with himself than the film at this stage in his career, and that just makes it more enjoyable. He mugs, he is still capable of being funny, and the "plot" is so far off the rails one can't help but watch to see what happens next.
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane- I know, I know. I don't distance myself from my Andrew Dice Clay fandom back in the day. But even if I hadn't been one, the movie about "Mr. Rock 'n Roll Detective" is a fun romp through the music industry and one of the most quotable comedies of all time. Dice could actually act, as he'd already proved on the NBC series, "Crime Story," making this film that rare combination of a comedian's on-stage persona and genuine moments of gravitas.
The Village- This movie had the unique distinction of being released when it became a recreational activity to attack M. Knight Shyamalan. To be fair, he wasn't helping matters by hinging every film on a Big Reveal. He got away with it several times, so it was inevitable that he would eventually be called out on his gimmick. This was not the movie to do it, though. That movie was "The Happening." This one actually works because it immerses the audience into a world it thinks it understands only to pull the proverbial rug out from under us.
Daredevil- While the Netflix series is vastly superior in every measurable way, that doesn't mean the movie is terrible. In fact, it's pretty damn good, especially the director's cut that restores an entire excised subplot. Ben Affleck is a comics fan and he gets this character. Read his foreword to Kevin Smith's Daredevil graphic novel if you doubt me. My only real issue was the casting of Elektra, which should have gone to someone different.
Movies I couldn't include in the "Hate" category because I've discovered many people who don't like them, too:
Avatar
The Amazing Spider-Man
Van Helsing
Titanic
Forrest Gump
The Suicide Squad
No commentary, no attempts to rationalize. Just gaze, if you dare, on the stupid!
