The World of Art TV- Jason O’Mara and Daniel Sunjata from One for the Money
January 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The World of Art – John Campbell Writer of The Iron Lady
January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Get to know some of the insight about the movie by the man who’s book helped make it the success it is today. Get his take on the casting and find out why she was called “The Iron Lady”.
Lizard Lick Towing on TruTV: Licking the Competition
December 30, 2011 By 2 Comments
It wasn’t too long ago that the reality show, Wife Swap, sought after Amy Shirley, co-owner of Lizard Lick Towing. Producers of the hit show were interested in Shirley because of her incredible story of being a world champion powerlifter, a mixed martial arts fighter, a licensed mortician and mother of four. After careful consideration, they simply didn’t feel it was the right path for them.
Instead, Lizard Lick Towing became one of the anchor segments for a new reality show, All Worked Up, on TruTV. From that point on, Lizard Lick Towing’s popularity grew, which spun them into their very own show. Lizard Lick Towing exposes all of what the crew does and what they deal with on a daily basis.
The show is currently in its third season and can be seen every Monday night at 10:00 PM (EST).
Lizard Lick Towing‘s popularity stems from a few elements. It’s taped in a real southern neighborhood -something many people can relate to. Also, the show’s lovable cast, with their “real” and “charismatic” personalities that we fall in love with, make each episode delightfully entertaining to watch. And, of course, there is plenty of the usual day-to-day drama that confronts the Lizard Lick team.
Ron Shirley, the co-owner of Lizard Lick Towing, takes his best buddy Bobby Brantley on some amazing adventures, deep into the North Carolina backwoods and repos cars from people, including the Army rejects. You never know what they will encounter next.
Throughout the years, the folks from Lizard Lick Towing have been threatened numerous times with various weapons- guns, knives, and even the occasional flame thrower. Under an extreme circumstance once, the crew was even held up in their office with a hand grenade. They’ve repossessed everything from high-end collectible cars to surfboards and even deer.
In Season 2 we saw an ex-fiancé of Bobby Brantley’s, Micky, return and woo Brantley away from Lizard Lick. Her first run-in with the team, even before the show aired, she stole thousands of dollars from Lizard Lick and broke Brantley’s heart.
When she came back, she put a real kink in the friendship between Brantley and Ron Shirley. Basically, Mickey tried convincing Brantley that he was better off without Lizard Lick. Brantely was eventually given an ultimatum by Shirley, and he chose to leave the team. That choice cost Ron and Amy Shirley a dear friend, and nearly their business.
“Me and Bobby are tight as a frog’s butt and that’s water tight,” says Ron Shirley, and with that statement and an act of friendship, Shirley accepted Brantley right back into the Lizard Lick family. They are now trying to save their ailing business.
One of the greatest aspects of the show is that it’s real. The Shirleys and Brantley are not paid actors. Lizard Lick Towing actually exists in Lizard Lick, NC. Unlike many other reality shows out there today, what you see is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
TruTV also allows the Lizard Lick crew to just “be themselves”. “When you see us bickering, it’s real, and when you see us loving, it’s real,” says Ron Shirley about the show. The owner adds, “I really like that TruTV allows us to be ourselves.”
That means that when you watch this show, they are not acting and it isn’t scripted in any way. The crew of TruTV tapes Lizard Lick as they are, as if no cameras are present.
Life of a Repo Man
Unfortunately, we’re in tough economic times. Even some of the most well-off individuals find themselves in tough times, struggling to pay their bills. When that happens, you may see Ron Shirley and Bobby Brantley come to your home, to take your ride.
“At one time, we were one of the most hated people in the community,” states Shirley. He recalls a time when he had to check over his food to ensure it was only food he was eating, and walking down the street meant being glared at with powerful stares. However, he didn’t blame them because his job requires taking from people at their lowest times.
Since the show, that has changed. When he pulls up in their driveways, he generally is met with a handshake and is asked for an autograph, especially at the local watering hole around town.
From episode to episode, we’ve seen many life and death attempts on their lives. Shirley states that what you see is the bad end of his job, but not all jobs are like that. Sometimes he’s in and out before the owner even knows the car is gone.
What you may not know is why Shirley and his team don’t pull a gun or taser out on these whack jobs that attack them when they are confronted. Well, the answer is quite simple. In North Carolina, repossession companies can’t carry a gun or knife in their car. The insurance company takes it to another level and says they won’t cover them if they have a bat, pole, taser or any other kind of weapon. So to avoid being blacklisted, they rely on their intelligence, a skilled plan, and a friend who can fight!
Because of the fact they are not allowed to carry protection, and Ron Shirley has a family who depends on him, he has no problem saying that he’s pulled back a bit. A few years ago he would have gone into location like a cowboy riding a tornado, without much care, but not when others are counting on him. You could say, his family has helped tame his wild side.
When I asked Shirley about the situations he’s run into he replied, “It’s not the people who wave guns and knives in our face and the loud ones that we really worry about, they are usually all smoke in the mirrors; instead, we worry about the silent ones who give you one warning and walk off.”
The repo business is a tough profession that takes a certain personality to master. It has its good days and its bad days, and what you see on Lizard Lick Towing are the days that we should be thankful we’re safe behind a desk!
If you want to see a true reality show, portraying the real lives of repo men in totally unscripted situations, then I encourage everyone to turn into Lizard Lick Towing on TruTV. It’s probably one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time.
If the Shirleys and Brantley show up to your residence, you can bet …. “You’ll get licked!”
The World of Art TV: Pizza Suprema
December 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The World of Art goes to Lutz, FL to find out how to make a REAL New York style pizza from two brothers, Joe and Frank, whose family’s been making pizzas for over 50 years. Their father started in Brooklyn, NY and now they take on his legacy.
Sitcoms: Oh How They’ve Changed
December 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I can still remember when I was younger, rushing home from school to get my homework done just so I could watch my favorite sitcoms on TV. Throughout the 80s the TGIF lineup (Thank God its Funny) on Friday night brought lots of enjoyment. I still remember my favorite shows like Punky Brewster, Mr. Belvedere, Full House, Family Matters and shows like that.
Now I sit down after work and watch TV and wonder “WOW, sitcoms have grown stupid”. Don’t get me wrong, they are good but they fall far short of the quality the sitcoms brought back in the 80s and 90s. To me it almost seems like these people are being so fake and acting so stupid on these shows; almost as if the writers and networks feel that they feel they need to downgrade the content to amuse a less intelligent audience. Just look at the commercials, they’re no different.
So what changed over the years?
Today I had the esteemed pleasure to talk with a star of one of my favorite sitcoms of all time, Soleil Moonfry, who played Punky in Punky Brewster. This particular sitcom undeniably defined my generation, and its a show that is still revered by people my age today.
In talking with the star we talked about her show and during that answer she said something that made me think, “Punky Brewster used to not only be funny, but it taught us valuable lessons, I don’t know if you remember when Cherry got stuck in the abandoned refrigerator but that show taught us the value of CPR” said Moonfry.
And that is what changed!
She hit the nail right square on the head. These shows had comedy in it, they were still fun and whimsical yet they taught a lesson. They also took real life situations kids, young adults and adults faced in real life and brought them to life giving them something to connect to.
Today’s shows seem to portray sex, broken families, disfuction at it best, glorify bad morals and values, and have actors playing roles that make them look too fake, like they are trying too hard to be funny. The morals in the story is usually “don’t do what they do” or “this is exactly why you don’t do drugs” etc…
Actors back in the day like Punky Brewster or Full House made it seem like they were an actual family, they acted so well it seemed like you put a camera in their home and watched them live their lives. Sitcoms were not all comedy, it had drama and sadness intertwined; and that was OK. You learned things, you cried, you laughed and you came away at the end of each episode feeling generally better about your life. Most importantly, families came together and spent quality time with each other watching these shows. Parents would talk to their kids after the show and explain what they watched.
Now parents are in other rooms watching one of several TVs in their house because they can’t stand to watch the “stupidness” their kids are watching. Mom doesn’t want to watch the skankilly clad shows her husband is watching and Dad doesn’t want to be bored by the chick shows his wife is watching. There is no togetherness and shows don’t cater to the whole family.
Sure, I like watching mindless stupidness from time to time, but I also enjoy learning things and actually thinking about what I am watching; but those days are a thing of the past.
Our society has changed over the years and maybe these shows have to keep up with the times to be more modern. I believe that these shows could tone down the disfunction, and implement learning and values with comedy as the older shows did and still stay modern.
Back when Punky Brewster blairing on televisions across the country, you couldn’t cuss or swear. I have yet to find shows, shy of children shows, that don’t include cussing or cursing – and even implied or full nudity and sex at times.
If we want to fix our tomorrow, maybe we should look at the shows of yesterday and expose our children to entertainment with a meaning!
Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files- Keeping it Real with Ben Hansen
November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
For over 20 years, I have been investigating the unknown. With that said, it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to paranormal television. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of entertaining and smartly written series out there to watch. However, I do believe that some are beginning to overlap and meld together a little too much. Personally, I wanted something fresh and different in this genre. On July 15, 2010, my paranormal prayers were answered.
Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files is a uniquely developed concept admist the more “typically done” shows on the unexplained. Fact or Faked isn’t just about a group of ghost hunters who go out and simply film their investigations in the darkened corridors of old, abandoned buildings. There’s a whole lot more to this series. In each episode, a team of paranormal experts review various viral videos and photographs which may possess unexplainable and strange phenomenon. The videos and photos are mostly submitted to the team, although some of the footage is searched out by the show via the Internet. The team, led by former FBI agent Ben Hansen, looks over the photos and videos in the hope of finding whether they might be faked, or possibly authentic, paranormally speaking. If the footage is deemed worthy enough for further investigation, the team will then travel to the destination at hand (which may be out of the country, in some cases) to try and replicate the paranormal activity reported. The group will also attempt to test out various theories through experiments to see if the phenomenon was manipulated in any way. Once the testing is complete, the members will discuss their findings back at their headquarters in Los Angeles. When investigating, the team of six will divide into two seperate groups, allowing coverage of more than one case. For instance, three members of the team may take on a UFO case out in a Nevada desert, while the remaining few will visit a notoriously haunted bed and breakfast in Vermont. In the end, all members will share what they have learned on their cases with one another in what is called The Situation Room.
On a show such as Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, good teamwork is crucial for obtaining significant research and evidence. I recently was given the great honor of catching up wiht the show’s team leader, Ben Hansen. Hansen enthusiastically discussed his role within the group, and how his esteemed colleagues help make the show so successful. Jael de Pardo is a journalist, Bill Murphy acts as a lead scientist, Austin Porter is the stunt expert, while Lanisha Cole offers her expertise in photography and Devin Marble gives support as a tech specialist. The team meshes well, and brings forth good chemistry and harmonious cohesion. Cole and Marble are the team’s newer members, replacing former photographer, Chi-Lan Lieu, and effects specialist, Larry Caughlan, Jr. According to Hansen, team members sometimes need to move on and so they must be prepared to let go and bring in new experts as needed. “We have open calls for new members all the time. You just never know when someone will need to leave, and so we are always looking for new additions to the team,” explains Hansen. Cole, the newest member this season, was the perfect fit in the area of photography. Hansen states, “She always has a camera with her. It’s great for a lot of behind-the-scene photos we are doing right now.”
Though some team members have come and gone, Hansen has no intention, himself, of leaving anytime soon. He loves where he’s at in regards to the show, and is looking forward to Season 3 with great anticipation. For Hansen, this is a dream job. “I have had a life-long interest in the paranormal,” confides the team leader. When Hansen was a child, he started to become passionate about the unknown, especially after watching a certain movie. “I was around eight-years-old and I watched E.T. After I saw it, I laid awake that night thinking about life on other planets. My dad bought me a book on extraterrestrials, but I hid it. I thought it was geeky, and I was embarrassed to show anyone else the book. I also very much became inspired by UFOs because of my grandfather. He worked at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Later on, while I was in college, I got into ghost hunting. I would go out on ghost investigations and it was then that I got my first EVP. I guess I probably should have been studying instead,” Hansen says with a chuckle. Post college, Hansen started working in law enforcement and investigated child sex crimes, among other things. “I love criminal investigations,” states the former FBI agent. “I always watched X-Files when I was growing up, so I thought, ‘Why can’t I do both?’” Hansen further states that he uses many of the same skills on Fact or Faked that he did while working in the FBI. He considers interviewing witnesses to be one of his strengths while investigating. “After doing an analysis of a video, I need to talk to the witness or the source. Replication of the video only gets you so far,” explains Hansen.
I asked the show’s leader what is the one place he would love to investigate that he hasn’t had a chance to as of yet. “I would go to Roswell. I am really into UFOs, and it would be amazing to investigate there,” answers Hansen. “There is a supposed autopsy video of an alien at Roswell.” Now, that would be quite a piece of footage for the team to review!
So, what does it take for Hansen and his team to analyze their submitted videos and photos back at their California base? “First off, I don’t like the word, ‘debunk;’ instead, I like to use the phrase, ‘verifying paranormal claims.’ As far as what to look for in footage, well, that’s a good question. The human mind has different levels of intellect. The mind can only keep track of four variables, including logic and emotion. To me, if I look at something and it just doesn’t feel right, then I break it apart logically. Then, there are the signs of c.g. (computer graphics) and there are also the psychological aspects. If I see a video where the camera is set to a certain spot in a room, to me, it looks like the person filming may be staging something; by getting the viewer to look in a specific area, as if something will be happening there. Also, majority of hoaxing videos are brought to us and not the other way around. If we go searching the Internet for footage, it’s different. If someone seeks us out to show their video, it very well could be faked.”
When it comes to hoaxes, some can be quite involved and elaborate. One case, in particular, comes to mind for Hansen. “On our show one of the most amazing hoaxes was that of the Dr. Jonathan Reed alien case out of Washington. We still get comments from Reed’s group, and he is still striving to revisit his case. What amazes me is the extent he goes through to talk about it,” states Hansen. Reed is infamous for his tales of alien encounters. Many in the field consider him to be a showman of sorts, and even worse, a fraud. Apparently, as one of Reed’s stories go, he was once walking through a quiet Washington forest with his dog. Suddenly, the dog became spooked and broke loose from his leash. Reed tries to chase after his pet, but can’t get to him. Eventually, he discovers a gruesome scene. Reed’s beloved pet is being ripped apart from limb to limb by an alien-like creature, only a couple of feet away. Reed runs up to the creature and smacks it on the head with a large stick, knocking it to the ground causing it to bleed. Soon after, Reed sees a floating object, much like a spaceship, that measures 3 feet by 2 feet. In addition, after the dog died, Reed claims that the alien turned its bloodied body into ash. So, he grabs a video camera and starts filming everything going on around him. Meanwhile, Reed starts vomiting in the background, and can be heard breathing heavily on camera. He then takes the alien back to his house, wraps it in a blanket, and puts it in a freezer. Shortly after, Reed decides to take a nap but is too restless to sleep. He goes back over to the alien body and starts to film once again. Most who view the footage adamantly believe it to be nothing more than a hoax, albeit an elaborate one. Some disagree, however, and claim the video to be legit, noting the convincing blinking of the alien’s eyes in one scene.
Hansen believes that paranormal hoaxers have been around for centuries. Doctored photographs of spirits and ectoplasmic images were commonly seen during the Victorian Era. “This was like an early version of Photoshop,” laughs Hansen.
Though there are plenty of fakes out there, Hansen also notes that there are videos and photographs that just cannot be explained, especially some of which are seen on Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files. “I like the cases that leave me perplexed, including one that will be seen in the spring season. It’s about a woman in the U.K. who disappeared. It involves alien abduction. I can’t really say too much about it, but you do know now that I never could understand the case and I am still intrigued by it,” confides the investigator.
As mentioned earlier in this passage, some footage needs a more detailed investigation, which warrants a visit to the actual site where the activity was experienced or recorded. Theories need to be tested in order to ensure the evidence filmed is indeed, authentic. Scientific gadgets and impressive pieces of equipment are used during this part of the research process. Everything from inflatable spaceships to high-tech thermal cameras are utilized, and many of these devices are worthy of a James Bond movie. Team members must be prepared for just about anything when investigating a para-claim. So, how do these guys think of such involved and highly detailed theories and experiments? “A lot of what you see is through our viewers’ suggestions which are found online. We try out their ideas, even if the experiments seem over-the-top and ridiculous,” explains Hansen. “We’ve even called Disney before for information on holograms.”
When the team is not looking for mermaids or is busy searching out life on other planets, they are spending time with people who love them best- their fans. For Hansen, meeting fans face-to-face is his other great passion. “I love to break away from filming and meet my fans. This brings me satisfaction.” Hansen and his teammates get to visit their Fact or Faked fans at a variety of national paranormal conventions set up throughout the year, and also by organizing ghost hunts with the public. Hansen, and sometimes other members from the team, will host paranormal investigations and allow their fans to participate. One of Hansen’s last ghost hunts was at the very haunted Ft. Mifflin in Pennsylvania. Hansen has worked with the cast of the hit show, Ghost Hunters, and is planning a large investigation set for March with Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango. Sometimes Hansen leads his public investigations alone, while other times he will join forces with other team members or paranormal celebrities. “It really depends on the size of the event ultimately,” states Hansen. “We love bringing the investigations to our fans and allowing them the the chance to learn.” Participating on an investigation with highly skilled researchers such as Hansen, is a truly great way to gain experience and insight as a paranormal investigator.
Though many aspects of the paranormal are not fully understood, and we often encounter numerous faked or hoaxed pieces of evidence in the field, one thing is for certain-Hansen and his team of experts are the real deal. Knowledgable, credible and highly professional, the cast of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files is one to be watched for many more seasons to come… and that, after all, is a fact.
Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files can be seen on the SyFy Channel on Wednesday nights, 10/9c.
There are only two weeks left of Season 2, so catch these last great episodes while you can!
If you would like to connect with Ben Hansen, look for him on Twitter at BenHansen00. Or, you can become a fan of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files by going onto syfy.com/factorfaked/twitter. If on Facebook, you may look for Ben Hansen or go to www.facebook.com/FactOrFaked
If you would like to make arrangements to do a ghost investigation with Ben Hansen, please contact Kim Rebman at penkavak@yahoo.com for more details.
For more information on the show or if you are interested in submitting a video or photograph to the team, please visit www.syfy.com.
Photos for this story were granted by NBC Universal. Copyright 2011 NBC Universal, All Rights Reserved.
Classic Beavis and Butt-head for the New MTV
November 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The pinnacle idols of MTV, these high school imbeciles ruled the early 90’s with hyperactive disorders, stupidity, an obsession with fire, and complete inability to function within society. We can all be thankful that the pair were incapable of breeding, but we as a generation can’t deny that without them, we don’t know how we would have survived.
From 1993 to 1997, Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-head ruled the airwaves with sarcastic jokes at music videos and soft-action antics that made us believe and wish that these things actually happened. Their next-door neighbor, for example, had his house graffitied, his lawn fricasseed, and his tool shed sodomized so often he changed his name and likeness and moved far far away. Tom Anderson grew hair and became Hank Hill, regional manager of Strickland Propane on the award-winning animated sitcom King of the Hill. Hank became an iconic character all by his Lone Star lonesome. But now, almost twenty years after the original premiere of Beavis and Butt-head, Mr. Hill will return to his roots because the lazy half-wit misfits next door are back and better animated than ever!
MTV will be airing brand-spanking new (heh-heh, spanking!) episodes of “Beavis and Butt-head” every Thursday night at 10 p.m. The premiere last week heralded the pair in the movie theater, making wise-cracks at “Twilight” much to the chagrin of the nearby girls. Later they learn in school that the rebelliousness and strength of the undead have always been attractive to women, so the boys stalk the town streets for werewolves. They find an HIV-ridden bum, bribe him to bite them, and the audiences are jumping out of their chairs in triumph, “Beavis and Butt-head are really back!”
But now that MTV is no longer about music but fluff and fake personalities, what will the boys make fun of? Oh, what indeed! “Jersey Shore” is expected to be a regular victim (“You’re the best grandma in the world, Grandma JWoww.” “Heh-heh, yeah…please don’t hit me again!”), as well as “16 and Pregnant,” “Real Life,” and, yes, music videos. The simplistic action will also stay true to the early 90s version, as the boys will continue to be inept at literally everything except self-mutilation and vandalism against unsuspecting townsfolk.
The new digital age, where the latest thing is the fad for only five minutes, could use commentators as simple and to-the-point as Beavis and Butt-head. The voice of the early 90s has now become the voice of the Internet, and while impaling their own hands with screws and seeking bites from hobos, many can agree that they match the intelligence of many Internet commenters and reality show stars, but are, like, way cooler.
The Doctor’s Cure
October 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Television has become so capitalized, so factory-stamped, that its creative content feeds my imagination like air from a fan fills a cardboard box. Every show, no matter what genre, ends exactly how it started: with all the characters somehow avoiding growth and development despite the life-changing events of the episode (assuming these characters had distinguishable traits to begin with). It’s a virus of predictability that plagues modern media, and while studios continue to make money, there seems to be no end in sight; it’s more profitable to keep this art sick, than it is to find a cure.
I know I should look away, but my brain needs these colors, these pixilated shapes flashing and dancing and telling stories that, however dry and overdone, still entertain. I am still able to forget my reality and stare at the screen, open-mouthed, my intelligence flopping to the floor with every drop of drool.
All of a sudden, a sound fills the room. It’s like an extremely old engine, an ancient machine straining to breathe. Wind gusts, blowing everything around in the living room. I recoil, clutching my couch, for my zombified state has me too inebriated to remember how to run.
An image fills my television: A wooden blue phone booth, with POLICE BOX written across the top. From it emerges a man who looks surprisingly attractive in a bow tie, suspenders, and slacks. His hair is short but he has long bangs, a wide smile, and wise eyes that reveal the depths of his fun-loving, nerdy soul. He holds out his hand to me and says in a smooth British accent, “We’re going to catch ourselves a monster.”
Filled with a refreshing fascination, I take his hand and enter the box. It is larger on the inside, containing a circular room with a massive computerized column in the center. He calls this whirring, sparking ship the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space).
The man’s name, as I would come to learn, is the Doctor (currently played by Matt Smith), the last of his species known as the Time Lords from the extinct planet Gallifrey. Since the show first aired in 1963 the Doctor and his TARDIS have travelled through the vacuums of time and the horizons of space. Since those campy low-budget classics, the Doctor has died and regenerated (i.e. change actors) eleven times, each incarnation befriending new and unique companions. Armed with his quit wit and intimate knowledge of literally everything, he has saved humanity more often than we’ll ever know.
Each of his incarnations has distinguishable appearance, style, and personality, ranging from cranky old grandfather to distinguished literary gentleman to elated mad genius. With outstanding special effects and unique, invigorating storytelling, Doctor Who is as unpredictable as hurricanes on the moon; a journey with him will never leave a person the same, fictional or otherwise. Characters turn up stranded on a parallel universe, heroes become corrupt and murder villains who had just learned compassion, and the Doctor’s past is literally his lover’s future. Before I realize it, I have subconsciously slid to the end of my chair and am no longer breathing. Nothing else matters to me than the Doctor saving Madame du Pompadour from clockwork robots and when he says not to blink or look away from the stone angels, I obey!
People continue to be drawn to the Doctor, even after almost fifty years on air, radio, and print. His is among the longest-running science fiction shows in television history, a cult phenomenon and a cultural icon in Britain. Perhaps it’s because of his unwavering faith and admiration in humanity’s ability to literally pick up the pieces and survive on whatever they can. Maybe it’s the fact that he has the answers but sometimes doesn’t pull through; the Doctor can’t always save everyone and often causes trouble for those who would otherwise be at peace. He is not a flawless being by any means, but his morals, determination, and personal depth are infectious. For television’s virus of predictability, the Doctor is most certainly in.
Obscura Antiques and Oddities: The Little Shop of Horrors
May 15, 2011 By 2 Comments
On East 10th Street, in New York City, sits a curious and strange little shop. Obscura Antiques and Oddities is home to unique science artifacts, the macabre and the just plain weird.
Like a freak show frozen in time, Obscura houses unusual and one-of-a-kind items; everything from a human skull to a taxidermied cryptid. Bizarre antique medical instruments, turn-of-the-century masks, Victorian hair jewelry and amusement park fortune teller heads make up just some of the shop’s inventory.
Co-owners Mike Zohn and Evan Michelson share a passion for these hard-to-find items, many of which are downright creepy. Zohn discovered his love for antiques back when he was just a teenager and was learning how to drive. While cruising down a quiet street, Zohn got lost and stumbled upon an antique store housed in an old barn. His curiosity led him inside and almost instantly he was hooked. Shortly after, Zohn started buying antiques and began learning about rare and strange artifacts such as taxidermied animals, circus and sideshow souvenirs, and natural history artifacts. Zohn didn’t just buy for his own personal collection; he supplemented his salary as a photo researcher and editor by purchasing items he could later resell as profit. Whatever money Zohn made, he then put towards antiques that he really wanted. And before long, Zohn had a plethora of artifacts collected. So much so, he knew he either had to seek help for a hoarding addiction, or open a shop. As it turned out, a shop was Zohn’s best option because the stock photo company where he worked, started to crumble. For the former photo researcher and editor, taking a job with antiques was just a temporary fix until Zohn could find a different, and perhaps better, job. That was fourteen years ago.
Today, Zohn wakes up before sunrise in order to find all the magnificently eccentric artifacts his Obscura Antiques and Oddities showcases. And when Zohn is not stocking up on femur bones and coffins, he gives lectures on 19th Century taxidermy automata.
Obscura’s other owner, Evan Michelson, is an avid collector and a museum aficionado. What many don’t know is that Michelson was a hardcore rocker back in the 1980s. Her first band was considered a goth/industrial/post-punk group known as Killer Weasel. The rockers were famous for being pyromaniacs and for dousing their audience with blood. And though the blood was fake, rumors began to abound that a few audience members died during Killer Weasel’s first show. According to Michelson, “it was all good from there.” During this time, the blood-loving rocker chick found her husband (a graphic artist/musician/composer/animator) while perusing through junk. Both were looking for instruments to add to their industrial bands. Michelson progressed from post-punk to cyber-punk in the 1990s, and then joined in with a fetish band, where she played in dungeons.
Michelson’s love for the dark and morbid came long before her gothic rock days. She has always had a fascination for anatomical/medical antiques and for artistic depictions of the extremes of human experience. Michelson became intrigued with how “art melds with pain and ectasy” and also the esthetics of grief. Funerals, cemeteries… Michelson loves them.
During the week, she attends various markets and auctions. With such a strong passion for the macabre, Michelson has earned the nicknames, Morticia Addams and the Death Lady. And when she is not presiding over the shop with Zohn, Michelson is acting as a scholar-in-residence at the Morbid Anatomy Library where she conducts weekly lectures.
Just where would a shop like Obscura Antiques and Oddities be without a knowledgeable buyer? Ryan Matthew is a collector and can trace his passion for finding artifacts all the way back to his childhood. He would go out into the woods as a young boy and find trinkets that he would keep as treasures. Eventually Matthew progressed to baseball cards and then went on to accumulating horror movie props.
Today, he keeps a prized collection of Victorian taxidermy, skulls, skeletons, and early industrial lighting. The avid buyer is intrigued by the medical field and taxidermy, and is very hands-on with his studies. Over the years, Matthew has collected various animal skeletons, some of which were made into skeletons by his dog. Matthew would clean the bones and then would attempt to rearticulate them. He would “figure” the skeletons out by studying the specific animal at hand. With a passion for osteology (a love of bones) and for Victorian taxidermy, Matthew has purchased at least one human skull off of Craigslist. He would then disassemble and rearticulate, making the skull a Beauchene or an “exploded” skull.
There is no surprise that, as a buyer, Matthew travels quite extensively, where he looks for great finds at flea markets, auctions, and even yard sales. Sometimes people will bring items to him.
Matthew’s best discovery was Mr. Woofles, a Victorian taxidermied house dog set in a glass museum case. Mr. Woofles was won at an auction after a very long and rainy drive, followed by an agonizing buyers’ battle. And though Matthew owns the much sought after Mr. Woofles, there is one other artifact he would do anything to own. “At Mr. Potter’s Museum of Curiosities, there was an amazing anthromorphic diorama of taxidermy kittens having a tea party that I would most likely faint if given the chance to buy,” gushes Matthew.
It isn’t just the owners and buyer that bring magic to Obscura Antiques and Oddities. More so, it’s the colorful and quirky clientele. The collectors selling and the curious buying, are often oddities in themselves. Though it may be obvious that a shop such as Obscura would strongly appeal to the Addams Family, it is not unusual to see soccer moms and business men scouring the shelves. For Obscura, there is no such thing as a “typical” customer. Zohn and Michelson routinely welcome tattooed artists, black-lipped goths, and pierced musicians into their shop, but also cater to school teachers and office professionals. Some of Obscura’s more famous clients include Ripley’s Believe It or Not, the Mutter Museum, Ralph Lauren, and Danny Elfman. Whether the customer is wildly eccentric or conservatively demure, one common interest is shared- an appreciation of the strange.
Some of the city’s more artsy and creative individuals will come in looking for an inspirational purchase. Buying a new pair of blue silk Manolo Blahnik heels can be great shop therapy for a girl feeling blah. Well, in this case, a mummified cat might be the perfect mood lifter for a struggling artist. Perhaps a buy from Obscura is intended as a gift, rather than something to just put near an easel or in a recording studio. Some visit the shop for birthday and Christmas gifts, while others look for anniversary presents for their special someones. After all, nothing says love like a set of rotted human teeth.
Obscura Antiques and Oddities is such a bizarre little shop, and is so popular with tourists and locals alike, that it has become the star of the hit series, Oddities, which airs on the Science/Discovery Channel every Thursday at 10:30 p.m. The show, which sparks great water cooler conversation, exposes what goes on behind shop doors daily. A friend of mine turned me onto watching it recently. I DVR-ed one episode, and that was all it took for me to get hooked.
I have always dreamed of owning a store much like Obscura. All of my life, I have had a strong appreciation of antiques. I feel that each period piece tells its own unique story. And I’m not just an antiques lover; I am also very much into all things morose and funereal. My favorite holiday has always been Halloween. Instead of going to a park for a picnic, I’d rather have lemonade and sandwiches in a graveyard. As a young child, my dream job was to work one day as a chambermaid at DisneyWorld’s Haunted Mansion. So, yes, Obscura would be the perfect shop for me to own. Sadly though, I would probably have to close as I would surely not be able to sell a single item; I’d want to keep everything for myself. How could one part with such delightfully ghoulish wonders?
So, here I am, giddy with excitement, watching my first ever episode of Oddities, living vicariously through Zohn and Michelson.
Genesis, a very eccentric but loyal customer to Obscura, came into the shop to sell a trumpet made out of a human thigh bone. The ceremonial instrument was said to be used in rituals to call upon spirits and also is considered to possess healing powers. It was unlike anything I had ever seen or heard of before. Zohn and Michelson felt it would make a perfect addition to the shop, however, they wanted Genesis to “play” it first. After a few very sour-sounding attempts, the bone trumpet blew out a semi-respectable note and a deal was made.
Next off, an artist came in looking for -you guessed it- an inspirational artifact. When offered a skull, the pierced, dark-haired dude disappointedly shook his head, denying the piece. Skulls were just too common for this guy. After shrugging off a few more medical antiquities, Michelson dangled the carrot, so to speak. There it was, looking the wide-eyed customer right in the face. A pig head with brain matter “exploding” out of the top of its head, covered by a glass dome. “This one is definitely speaking to me,” grinned the very pleased musician. This little piggy went “wee, wee, wee all the way home” with the rocker dude for the bargain price of $1,000.00 Who knew that pig brain matter could be so creatively inspiring? I’m so glad this guy held off for one of the rarest pieces in the shop. Skull, schmull…boring!
Obscura Antiques and Oddities collects and deals in the weirdest of weird; from the “medically interesting to macabre.” So, it was no wonder that shrunken heads would be inevitable on an Oddities episode. Considered to be one of the rarest objects in the business, shrunken heads are worth a pretty penny, at least for the real ones. There are plenty of fakes in the market right now, and many are hard to determine whether they are real deal. Typically a replicated shrunken head is one made of animal skin and hair.
A gentleman on this particular episode walks into the shop, presenting his most prized possession, a shrunken head. Though it’s an amazing, one-of-a-kind artifact, the customer did not wish to keep it and came to sell.
First, Zohn must make sure the head is authentic. If it is, it could fetch up to $30,000. With its dark skin, whiskery hair and sewed-up mouth, the tiny head is disturbing.
After Zohn had a shrunken head expert examine the artifact, its owner was updated with the exciting news that what he has is indeed legit. The historian felt the owner could easily be paid $10,000 for his find. Zohn would not be able to clear the purchase just yet though. He had to first get his lawyer’s approval. Dealing in real human flesh can be highly illegal and that is not something Zohn is prepared to get involved in. Depending upon what the shrunken head was used for at one time will determine its fate as of today. After doing some shrunken head research, Obscura’s lawyer found that this particular head was intended for commerce, considered to be a “tourist head.” If it was to be used ceremonially, then it would be forbidden to sell. However, since it was to be used for selling in the first place, Obscura could make the purchase.
Thrilled, Obscura announced the good news to a very happy and relieved client. Unfortunately, a $30,000 price tag could not be awarded. Neither was one for $10,000. Offered $5,000, the head strong owner wouldn’t take less than $8,000 and felt that a negotiation was in order. In the end, the gentleman left Obscura without his shrunken head, but did have $6,000 more in his wallet.
The episode didn’t stop there. One man, an obsessive taxidermist, called Zohn out to his residence to show off his mounted collection. His apartment looked like a hunting lodge. The man promised Zohn that he had found a cryptid, the elusive Jackalope. Not exactly the Chupacabra or Bigfoot, Zohn wasn’t too impressed when he saw the fuzzy, bunny-like creature with antlers staring back at him, expressionless and stuffed. The man excitedly recalled the day he found and then killed the strange hybrid. He claimed that he was in the woods, taking a potty break, when he heard rustling in the brush and saw a creature. He shot and killed the supposed Jackalope. Zohn, finding the humorous tale hard to swallow, got the so-called Jackalope hunter to re-hash his story and tell it the way it really happened. It was then that the slightly embarrassed man deflated, and admitted he found it for sale at a gas station instead. Still, Zohn made the buy for his store, and got a date besides. The taxidermist finagled lunch with Zohn, and in addition, got over $200 for his little critter. I could only wonder if Mr. Jackalope got to tag along for lunch, too? Seems only fair to me.
All in all, my first Oddities episode was well worth watching, and as I said before, I’ve been a fan ever since.
And if you should ever find yourself in New York City, be sure to stop by and say hello to those fun folks who make Obscura Antiques and Oddities so very weird and wacky. Whether you’re shopping for a new skull to add to your collection, a stuffed cryptid, or you desperately need a vampire killing kit, Obscura has just that morbid little piece. A nightmare to some; a dream come true for others, but one thing is for certain… Obscura Antiques and Oddities “ain’t your grandma’s antique shop.”
So kick the mudane to the curb, be prepared for the bizarre and open your mind; you’ll be pleasantly surprised once you enter into the world of the medically macabre.
For more information, go to: www.ObscuraAntiques.com , info@obscuraantiques.com, or at www.obscuraantiques.blogspot.com
If you have an item you may want to purchase from Obscura, or would be interested in selling, contact Mike Zohn at Mike@obscuraantiques.com.
Obscura Antiques and Oddities
280 E. 10th St., New York City
212-505-9251
Open 7 days a week, 12-8 pm
Special thanks go to the Discovery Channel’s web page.
Jersey Shore, Season Four: Now, THIS is a Situation
May 5, 2011 By 1 Comment
What would reality television be without a good fist pump? No more days of GTL? That’s unheard of. Could the orange glo tans soon be fading? Season Four most likely will be the final one for the Jersey Shore. Love them or loathe them, the cast of the hit reality series has been one of the most popular in MTV’s history. Snooki has become a household name, and most of us know that a grenade is not just a small explosive device.
So what if the Jersey Shore really is in its last season? For some, it is good riddance, while for others, it is just too sad; our guilty pleasure, no more.
Though the shore gang will entertain curious audiences once again with their newest season, some die hard fans believe that Season Three might have really been their last. For those not so familiar with the reality show, Season One started out on the famed Jersey Shore, but then producers brought the overly tanned twenty-somethings south. Season Two episodes showed the big haired New Jerseyans dancing and drinking all over the streets of Miami’s tropical South Beach. Season Three reunited the cast with their former home on the Jersey boardwalk.
Now, with Season Four set to film, producers are back to changing locales once again. This time they are looking abroad. Florence, Italy will play host to the reality stars this time around, so let’s all pray the Tuscan town is ready.
There is no doubt that drama is synonymous with the Jersey Shore, but this time the tension started way before the cameras began to roll. The first problem that arose was due to salary disputes among the cast. Shocker, huh? This season, Snooki, the Situation, and the rest of the gang demanded higher pay-per-episode than in previous seasons. The cast members had pushed their salaries to over $10,000 an episode, after threatening to shut down Miami’s Season Three production, even before it started. The Shore’s Ronnie, Sammi and Vinny were the first to come to terms with the established Season Four salaries and signed off on their contracts early on. However, the remaining five decided to put up a fight and hold out for more money. The dispute over episode pay resulted in the original April 18th film date being postponed to sometime in May. A recent report states that all cast members were finally able to come to an agreement on salary. It is unclear what the final negotiation was, but according to TMZ, everyone was “pleased with the outcome.”
In addition to their raises, some of the Jersey Shore cast will also be starring in their own MTV spin-off shows. Gee, I wonder how much they asked to be paid for those episodes. Well, in their defense, hair products have become expensive these days and we all can assume that seven nights a week of club hopping can be draining on the ol’ wallet.
It’s not just money that has caused issues with the MTV production. Italians living in Tuscany are not happy that the Jersey Shore crew will be walking their historic streets and dining in their five star restuarants. Those living in Italy claim to be outraged that MTV is bringing their “insulting show” overseas, 
possibly tainting their beautiful city of Florence. The locals say that Jersey Shore depicts Italians as “guidos” and “guidettes.” According to columnist Roberto Del Bove of New Notzie, “They embody the worst stereotypes of Italians, multiplied by thousands and Americanized.”
Florence, the capital city of Tuscany, is prided for being hip and fashionable. It’s a walking town and is easy to get around nearly everywhere by foot. Florence is beautiful, historical and so not, well, the Jersey Shore.
The mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi, has laid down some strict rules for the cast to follow while filming. Renzi simply wants for his city to be treated with respect and portrayed on television in a positive light. The mayor’s rules include the following:
1. No filming in bars, clubs or anywhere else that “promotes the reckless consumption of alcohol.”
2. The cast is prohibited from being filmed while drinking in public.
3. Florence cannot be portrayed as a “drinking town.”
4. The cast must interact with authentic Italians in Italian settings and promote Italy and its “culture and good food.”
In addition to the above, Renzi does not want historic buildings filmed with the cast, but does understand he cannot totally restrict MTV from using the city as a backdrop.
No public intoxication? No clubs or bars? We are talking about the cast of Jersey Shore, right? If JWoww can’t be filmed urinating behind a bar inside of a club, then what’s the point of watching this new season? And what about Snooki? No more sitting in the backseat of police cars? Maybe Season Three really was the Shore’s last season. What will get fans to tune in now? Authentic Italian culture, outdoor cafes and priceless works of art? Um, yeah. And without the clubs and bars, where will the Situation find all of his late night bedroom guests?
And speaking of bedrooms, MTV is keeping the cast members’ new residence a secret. All that is known is their new home will not be anything we’ve seen in the past seasons. There will be no beach house, nor will the group be staying in a hotel. Some viewers speculate the cast will be staying in a hostel, but mum is the word til the season’s official premiere.
It is hard to know at this point how Season Four will pan out for the Jersey Shore crew, but one thing is for certain, we’ll keep watching. For me, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself for an entire season without Ronnie and Sammi fights. Though one is to wonder, will they yell in Italian now?
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