JOHNGY'S BEAT
YOUR 316TH BEST SOURCE FOR POP CULTURE NUGGETS
Friday, August 19, 2022
Rachel Lewis and Athletes Unlimited Softball
Thursday, August 18, 2022
On the Beat With Andrea of Evkami Art
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
On the Beat With Abbey Cheek
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
On the Beat With Michelle Morris
Last week, I had the pleasure of being "On the Beat" with actress Michelle Morris. Over many years of talking at conventions, I am fortunate enough to have become friends with Michelle. That interview is at On the Beat With Michelle Morris.
I started the interview with a bit of name clarification. Michelle has gone by Portia Chellelynn at times, but is now using her real name. You can find her online under either name.
Michelle talked about her start in acting. Already doing several things like modeling and appearing in a music video, Michelle got her first part in an unlikely way. From there, she added acting to her already impressive resume.
Anyone who has met Michelle at a convention knows she is special. Many of her fans become her friends. She treats everyone like dear friends. It is always a special experience meeting Michelle.
From there, we got into the main focus of the interview. Written and directed by Bobby Easley, another friend, Witch House is based on the H.P. Lovecraft short story The Dreams in the Witch House. Michelle plays a grad student escaping an abusive boyfriend. After moving into the Hannah House, she faces strange and horrific events. What is reality and what is the fourth dimension? Does she know? Do we know what's real?
I won't reveal any spoilers, but I will say it is a fantastic movie. There's enough horror to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, without it becoming overdone and cartoonish. It's a psychological thriller. Some parts require a bit of thought. Others need a bit of imagination. The entirety gets the viewer to think and to keep thinking. I always like it when a movie comes back to me over the next few days and Witch House did just that.
Michelle did a wonderful job in her role. She talked about the challenges of some of the most emotional scenes. You can tell how much Michelle puts into those scenes. Even simply recalling some scenes is emotional for Michelle. It's that type of passion which adds to the movie.
Of course, Bobby did a great job, too. Like Michelle, I have known Bobby for several years. Having seen his other work, I figured I would like Witch House, but it surpassed my expectations. I highly recommend Witch House, as do many of my friends, including Tony Feddeler, also a long time pal through the convention scene.
Witch House is available streaming and on DVD through Amazon and elsewhere. Especially with Halloween fast approaching, I encourage everyone to check out Witch House if you want a scary, thrill ride.
I thank Michelle for her time and consideration. I also thank Bobby, Michelle and their whole crew for years of entertainment and friendship.
Monday, August 15, 2022
Friend Encounters: Kenny Rogers and Larry Freda
Sunday, August 14, 2022
Celebrity Jersey Cards #600 Matthew Modine & Jeff Daniels
Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing jerseys. Today, I continue my alphabetical march through all the MLB teams.
Saturday, August 13, 2022
On the Beat With Alejandra Lion
About a month ago, I saw Alejandra Lion wrestle in a four-person match at 2econd Wrestling. Very impressed, I reached out for an interview, which happened yesterday and is at On the Beat With Alejandra Lion.
Lion's journey started in El Salvador, but came to fruition in Dallas, Texas. Always a fan of wrestling, Lion debuted in 2018 and has earned a few titles already.
The interview started with Lion discussing her start. We moved on to her match at 2econd Wrestling. She explained the challenge of wrestling multi-person matches. She also expressed happiness at wrestling in Chicago and being able to explore the city a bit.
Lion named a few of her wrestling role models and how it feels to be on the other side, having fans of her own. She also spoke about soaking it in and how she feels entering the ring and wrestling.
She explained her wrestling style and her finishing maneuver. In the four-person match, she showed excellent brawling skills, along with solid technical wrestling. She also made a connection with the fans.
Of course, we had to discuss her hair, one of her distinctive features. The lion has an amazing mane, although sometimes her opponents use it against her. Undaunted, she's not going to change her look.
Lastly, Lion discussed her own animals. The queen of the jungle has quite a little personal zoo.
Still based in the Dallas area, Lion's appearance at 2econd Wrestling was her first in the Chicago area, but hopefully not her last. The fans really got behind Lion and all the women wrestlers at 2econd Wrestling.
I thank Lion for her time and consideration. Check back here and TheEveryDayFan.com for more of my wrestling coverage, including interviews.
Friday, August 12, 2022
Kris Statlander at New York Comic Con 2021
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Hannah Flippen and Athletes Unlimited Softball 2022
My coverage of Athletes Unlimited Softball Season Three continues on The Every Day Fan with AU SB Week Three Draft Recap. I look at the teams and the leaderboard implications.
On week One, I caught up a bit with former Chicago Bandits player Hannah Flippen. Currently sitting in 7th place in the standings, Flippen is positioned to make a move upwards.
Flippen was a star player at Utah, before playing professionally. She was also a member of Team USA 2016-18. Her mother was an All-American at Utah State and helped the Aggies to two national titles.
During her time with the Bandits, I had a fun exchange after one particularly hot day. When talking of the game, I said "at least the game was short." Flippen thought I said she was short. I quickly restated I was referring to the weather and we had a big laugh.
It's great seeing Flippen and all the players, especially former Bandits, back on the field. With the unique scoring system of AU, I still waffle on how to cheer, but I do lean towards rooting for my former Bandits, like Flippen.
Week three games start on Friday at 5:30 PM CST with Team Jaquish facing Team McCleney. Following at 8 PM CST, Team Chidester battles Team Mulipola. Saturday and Sunday feature two games each, with the week's final game seeing Team McCleney taking on Team Mulipola at 7 PM CST.