ST. GREGORY THE GREAT'S CARNIVAL 2026 (6/22-27), 420 NOTTINGHMAN WAY, HAMILTON SQ, NJ

 

COLLECTIBLE TIME: LAUGHING CLOWN VACCUM-FORM, CARNY/CIRCUS MASK

Oh me, oh my, did I ever land a colorful dandy! Considering that I've revered clowns since I was a little lad, this one was an Ebay no-brainer. 

I'm uncertain of the manufacturer, but from what I can gather, the featured mask was produced in the U.S. during the 1970s and is hand-painted, with a few chipped flecks standing as proof. There's even a smidgeon of inner brow-glue that I presume once kept the mask snug on the wearer's face. (Actually, I find these aged "flaws" endearing, and isn't that moist tongue just amazing?) 

I realize the design might strike some as creepy (those inclined to mistake all clowns for Pennywise), but try as I may, I just can't see it that way. To me, the piece recalls my favorite, televised, greasepaint characters, like Bozo, Clarabell, Philly's friendly, fan favorite, Happy and heck, even Cesar Romero's devilish but just-kiddin' Prince of Crime. In addition, the design invokes those poor, battered buffoons of Lon Chaney Sr., who were inclined to hide their pain behind bright eyes and stretched smirks. 

Well, this vintage work of art is now mine oh mine, and I'm jolly as jolly can be to cherish it. 

FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

DISCLOSURE & THE CRYSTAL SKULL

Received a contemptuous call from someone who ridiculed me for not mentioning Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in my Disclosure review (beyond, that is, a mere credit drop). I was told that I should've referenced the movie right alongside Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., the Extra-terrestrial and *batteries not included. 

About an hour later, I ran into someone who mentioned the same regarding my assessment. He wasn't as terse in belittling me, though this is the same nitwit who believes Son of Kong is an A.I. fabrication and never existed prior to 2023. What more can I say?

Okay, Crystal Skull may feature an "interdimensional being" in its final phase, but the concept is cut from a different cloth than the other Spielberg, alien flicks I referenced. It's not War of the Worlds, either (another movie that David Koepp scripted for Spielberg, along with Crystal Skull, Dial of Destiny and Disclosure Day). Crystal Skull is a throwback, chapter-play homage, rendered in the fashion of the other Indy movies. So what if it holds a Erich von Daniken subtext? It also has Commies, lots of them, in fact. It seems much more a Cold War, espionage adventure than not. Throw out the ancient-alien novelty, and its competitive, crazy-chase structure still clicks. 

For further differentiation, Crystal Skull, when it does finally get around to its alien factor, implies that humans couldn't have achieved as much as they have if not for their otherworldly visitors. It's not a matter of humans being influenced by aliens, but rather that they would've floundered and failed without them, and that always struck me as absurd, if not insulting, but hey, Crystal Skull is what it is, and in that respect, it's not in line with Disclosure, which has its own insolent, philosophical hang-ups. 

My post compared Disclosure to its most obvious and superior counterparts, which share a divine, Disney-esque view of non-humans. I stick with my choices and decided to compose this post for no other reason than to quell the stupid-ass, misconstrued derision and any further examples that may come. Thanks for reading and, I hope, understanding!👽

FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

DISCLOSURE: GLEASON, NIXON & ALIENS

As stated in my 6/11/26 post, I didn't favor all aspects of Disclosure Day, but some segments do linger with me, in particular the fabricated/"recreated" footage of President Nixon showing Jackie Gleason the preserved, Roswell extraterrestrials. 

The segment got me to thinking why a movie based on this reputed encounter hasn't been made. Sure, U.F.O. documentaries have covered it, but to do a feature-length melodrama on the urban legend seems a sure-fire win.  

It could even delve into the meeting's aftermath, when Gleason was said to have been long-time shaken by what he saw (based, that is, on claims made by his second wife, Beverly McKittrick). It could also cover Gleason's impassioned interest in U.F.O.s, which led him to finance a Robert Cika-designed. "Mothership" home, along with an accompanying, saucer-shaped guest house, in Courtland Manor, New York. 

Whether taken as fiction or fact (or a little of both), this one is ripe for a cinematic adaptation. Maybe Disclosure Day will inspire some diligent filmmaker to give it an at-long-last shot.👽 

PINUP TIME: MARILYN MONROE IS THE GIRL