ring master movie review

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Jerry Springer 's "Ringmaster" creates an understandable audience anticipation that the film will be largely about Springer and his controversial talk show. But Springer appears more as a byproduct. He stands to one side, looking morose and regretful, while human flotsam occupies his stage. He's like a sorrowful deer caught in the headlights, except for a big speech where he lectures sternly that the poor have just as much right as the rich to be humiliated in public.

The difference is that the rich have humiliation thrust upon them, while the poor have to angle for it. The movie's plot is mostly about would-be guests who apply to the Springer show, hoping for free airline tickets. The movie wisely focuses on them, and that's the key to its occasional charm: It doesn't make the mistake of thinking we're much interested in Springer himself. What we want to know--what kind of people would want to be guests on that show? Was ever the word "guest" more cruelly misused than as a description of the victims of the Springer program? And yet that's how they see themselves. "This is the first family vacation we're ever had," says Connie Zorzak ( Molly Hagan ), the heroine of the film, who volunteers her daughter Angel ( Jaime Pressly ) and husband Rusty ( Michael Dudikoff ) for the Springer show after catching them in bed with each other. As a fillip, she throws in Angel's boyfriend Willie (Ashley Holbrook), who she (Connie) has been having sex with--as revenge against Angel, of course.

They all live in a trailer park near Miami. Connie and Angel are employed, Connie as the proprietor of a snack wagon that never seems to have any customers, Angel as a maid in a motel where the male customers all seem to know that, for a good time, they should see Angel. Rusty sits at home drinking beer and watching the dog races on TV. Occasionally he has to deal with Connie calling him up and telling him about openings for forklift operators. All three actors are effective at finding the note that passes caricature, but stops short of parody; I was reminded of scenes from "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom." They're accepted for the segment, "You Did WHAT With Your Stepdaddy?" Meanwhile, we meet other guests. Starletta ( Wendy Raquel Robinson ) has a straying boyfriend named Demond ( Michael Jai White) who has cheated on her with two other women: Vonda (Tangie Ambrose) and Leshawnette (Nicki Micheaux). They all qualify for the show ("My Traitor Girlfriends"), where inevitably some of these cheerful cheaters find new possibilities backstage.

You'd expect this material to be dealt with in a careless and seamy way, but "Ringmaster" is a better movie than I expected. The guests come across as pathetic but spirited, and are acted with some sympathy. And the show tapings look like outtakes from TV, including tongue-kissing lesbians and black-shirted security guards to pull apart hair-pulling guests. (The pre-show announcements have a charm of their own: "The No. 1 rule is: No weapons whatsoever. Can you be arrested for a crime you commit on 'The Jerry Springer Show'? The answer is, yes.") Hagan brings poignancy to Connie, the trailer-park mom. She was pregnant at 15, we learn, and blames herself for the shabby life she has created for her daughter. When she finds Angel in bed with her husband (her daughter's stepfather), she sees it less as a betrayal than as an opportunity for free airfare. Like Robert De Niro in " Taxi Driver ," she practices her lines in the mirror: "You did what with my husband?" Pressly has a good scene as she tries to cash her paycheck and is told she has the wrong ID; her lifestyle includes weekly challenges to accepted banking practices.

Jon Bernstein's screenplay has some nice lines ("I like to think of us as the Judds without the talent"). Jerry Springer probably supplied most of his own dialogue ("This is a slice of American life, and if you don't like it, bite something else"). At times he looks like he's trying to send us a telepathic appeal for forgiveness. True story. One day Springer encountered a Chicago news anchor. Out of a blue sky, he volunteered, "I know I'm going to go to hell for doing this show." He should learn to forgive himself (a current Oprah topic). Somebody must be watching. I watch sometimes. And so do you.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Ringmaster (1998)

Rated R For Strong Sexual Content and Language

Jerry Springer as Jerry Farrelly

Jaime Pressly as Angel Zorzak

Molly Hagan as Connie Zorzak

Michael Dudikoff as Rusty

Directed by

• Neil Abramson
• Jon Bernstein

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The Ringmaster (Review)

Entertainment knows no boundaries.

by Blacktooth Jul 11, 2021, 8:54 pm 0 Comments

Director – Soren Juul Ptersen Starring – Anne Bergfeld (The Artwork, The Last Warrior), Karin Michelsen (Jeg er David, Gennembrud), and Damon Younger (The Valhalla Murders, Outlanders) Release Date – 2018 Rating – 2.5/5

MVD has supported Horror Society for sometime now. Hell, they were the first company to really give me a shot when I first started writing reviews. I’ll never forget how nice they have been with me for almost a decade now. Over the years they have sent me some seriously amazing releases along with a few that wasn’t really for me.

Sometime back MVD hooked me up with a package with a dozen or films to review. Most were movies I had requested but MVD had tossed a few additional films to review. Among those were The Ringmaster. This 2018 Danish horror flick was originally titled Finale but the title was changed with Jinga and MVD released in the the U.S. I want to thank MVD for sending this one over to check out!

**Spoiler Alert** The film follows two gas station clerks working the night shift when two strange men come in recording them. They creep the pair out and they ask them to leave. Later, they feel as if someone is pranking them before they discover one of their boyfriends injured and left to die of his wounds. Soon they finds themselves abducted and tortured for the sake of entertainment. **Spoiler Alert**

I was looking forward to this one especially seeing the quote on the cover comparing it to Hostel and The Purge. However, that was not the film I have here before me. I really wish that was the movie but the movie here is nothing like either of those films. The movie had an interesting idea but the finished product wasn’t entertaining.

The acting in this one is very well done. The cast is absolutely fantastic with the two female leads doing a fantastic job carrying the film. They were likable and grounded but nothing forgettable. With that being said, Damon Younger does a fantastic job but I couldn’t stop noticing how much his character and performance reminded a lot of the character Malcolm McDowell brings to life in Rob Zombie’s 31. He does an amazing job but the mannerisms and tone is almost spot on.

The story for this one is editing in a way that is unique but it does put the story out of order which interrupts the flow of the film. The premise is basically two girls from a gas station get kidnapped and tortured on camera for views. This is pretty much a darkweb spin on Zombie’s 31 which, when mixed with Younger’s character, makes it feel like a Wish mockbuster. The flow of this watered down story is all over the place due to the editing sync.

Finally, the film has some impressive practical and make-up effects that made the film tolerable. There is some very bloody scenes that look great due to the effects. Overall, The Ringmaster felt like a Danish 31 with a patchwork story and no pacing. The bloody scenes were fun enough but the rest of the film was a struggle to finish. This is one I would skip unless you are in the mood for blood with no substance.

(Staff Writer) Lover of all things horror and metal. Also likes boobs and booze.

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© Horror Society - Your Voice For Indie Horror

• ENGLISH HINDI MALAYALAM TAMIL TELUGU KANNADA BENGALI  

Ring Master Malayalam Movie

Ring Master is a 2014 Indian movie directed by Rafi-Mecartin starring Dileep, Keerthy Suresh, Honey Rose and Kalabhavan Shajon. The feature film is produced by Vyshakha Rajan and the music composed by Gopi Sunder.

Prince (Dileep) loves animals very much as he has grown up among animals. His father is a trainer of animals in circus. ... Show more

Prince (Dileep) loves animals very much as he has grown up among animals. His father is a trainer of animals in circus. The dog Diana is very much attached to Prince.

Diana gets chance to act in movies. Prince goes with her with the hope of getting some chance to act, but in vain.

The heroine in the film too has the name Diana (Honey Rose), which creates confusion whether who is being called (heroine or dog) in the shooting set.

This results in many humorous situations; Prince and the heroine always quarrels and the similar name of the dog and the heroine leads to utter confusion.

Keerthy Suresh also does a prominent role in the movie. Her character is visually challenged and is guided and protected by her pet dog Toby.

‘Ring Master’ is written and directed by Rafi of Rafi-Mecartin team. Saikumar, Shajon, Suraj Venjarammoodu, Vijayaraghavan, Abu Salim, Guinness Pakru, Aju Varghese, Shiju, Mohan Jose, Basil, and Renjini also include the cast list.

Shaji wields the camera. Gopi Sunder composes music for the songs penned by Rajeev Nair, Harinarayanan, and Nadirsha. The movie is produced by Vysakh Rajan under the banner of Vysakh Release.

Director: Rafi-Mecartin Producer: Vyshakha Rajan Music Director: Gopi Sunder Cinematographer: Shaji Editor: Shyam Sasidharan Art Designer: Rajan Akkulam Original Story Writer: Rafi-Mecartin

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The Ringmaster Reviews

Capp's authenticity and enthusiasm, his desire to document a personal passion, makes "The Ringmaster" both an irresistible film-within-a-film and a cautionary tale.

Full Review | Feb 3, 2021

The Ringmaster - which in itself takes up newer meanings as it goes on, made me sit back and take notice.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jan 15, 2021

Sometimes plans go awry.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jan 14, 2021

A consistently resonant mishap madcap of mistakes and moments, all for the glory of film.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 31, 2020

[A] film about obsession, selfishness, capitalist blinders, and addiction that will stick with you for a lot longer than would have a 30-minute show about onions rings.

Full Review | Dec 9, 2020

It is this dual aspect of The Ringmaster that makes it interesting

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 24, 2020

It all adds up to a compelling watch, best accompanied, of course, by a suitable salty snack.

Full Review | Jun 15, 2020

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‘Parthenope’ Review: Paolo Sorrentino Drives Himself Crazy Trying to Imagine What Life Would Be Like for the World’s Most Beautiful Woman

David ehrlich.

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It’s no secret that Paolo Sorrentino is profoundly obsessed with the topics of youth and great beauty. Such preoccupations — and several more! — are self-evident in films like “Youth” and “The Great Beauty,” two unbridled displays of Italian maximalism that are every bit as subtle as their titles suggest. 

With “ Parthenope ,” which borrows its name from one of the sirens of Greek myth, Sorrentino is unusually preoccupied with the relationship between youth and great beauty. This isn’t the first time that he’s pitted those twin intoxicants against each other, contrasting the ephemeral nature of human lust against the eternal spirit of the poetry, architecture, and deities we create in retaliation to that fact. In “ Parthenope ,” however, the 53-year-old filmmaker dares to ask whether it’s possible to separate the two. More to the point: He questions whether people are capable of fully appreciating them both at the same time. 

But really, “Parthenope” is just a long movie made by a middle-aged man who almost drives himself insane trying to imagine what life would be like as an unbelievably hot woman. It’s a mystery that’s taunted male artists for as long as they’ve dreamed of possessing the beauty of their muses, Sorrentino’s efforts to make sense of it feel as anachronistic in 2024 as it might have been to give birth to a sea creature from ancient Greece during the summer of 1950. Then again, some compulsions may be more timeless than we realize. 

Played by newcomer/instant star Celeste Dalla Porta, whose striking but unforced beauty could easily sing men into shipwrecks, Parthenope is every inch a male fantasy made flesh. That’s less a criticism of Sorrentino’s film than it is a description of its premise, as the writer/director quickly admits to those terms as he goes about trying to solve Parthenope’s allure, and ultimately — with a bitterness disguised as the stuff of sublime revelation — debunk it. From the beginning, everybody wants to have Parthenope, but nobody will be able to keep her. “She’s always fleeing,” one of the movie’s endless catalog of suitors laments. “That’s why men love her.” 

Of course, “plot” is a loaded word to use in the context of a Paolo Sorrentino film, as the director often seems to be less of a storyteller than he is the ringmaster of a moving circus; as per Sorrentino tradition, the decades-spanning “Parthenope” doesn’t adhere to simple cause-and-effect so much as it swirls forward through the years like it’s trying to aerate some undiscovered meaning from them. “Parthenope” is considerably less dreamlike than some of the director’s previous work, but vast stretches of the movie seem to exist in nebulous pockets of non-time, if only because of their weird unreality. 

Needless to say, he takes up a lot of Parthenope’s time for someone who insists that he doesn’t want to waste a minute of her youth. A only more important exchange comes earlier, when a different older man asks Parthenope if she would marry him if he were 40 years younger. To which Parthenope, who prides herself on having an answer ready for everything, replies that the real question is if he would marry her if she were 40 years older. 

This is all a prelude to Parthenope’s time as an anthropology student, where she comes under the tutelage of a curmudgeonly old professor named Devoto Marotta (a wonderful Silvio Orlando). He’s such a good teacher that he refuses to even tell her what anthropology really is , a riddle that only he can answer. Sorrentino will put a pin in this as the movie’s skeleton key and circle back to it in the dying minutes with a gust of manufactured profundity, but his sensorial impulses refuse to let him stay with it for more than a scene or two at a time. 

Instead, he indulges himself on a walkabout through his own larger than life imagination, a journey to nowhere that includes unpredictable pit stops like a cholera outbreak, a “Great Fusion” in which Parthenope watches a priest bless the heirs of two mafia clans before they ceremonially have sex in front of their entire families, a decrepit acting teacher who refuses to show her face because of all her botched plastic surgeries, and a heart-stopping jump-scare courtesy of a grandfather clock. To Sorrentino, nothing could be more terrifying to a woman than the threat of time passing. 

By that logic, Naples’ supposed ugliness would liberate him to appreciate the virtues which its charm may once have obscured, as “Parthenope” — which builds to one of the most bizarre climaxes of any film in recent years — is ultimately of the belief that great beauty invites deceit, distracting from a truth too raw or painful for people to reckon with head-on. By the same token, the film maintains that young people are simply too gorgeous to appreciate life for its full splendor, as life is too gorgeous for them to appreciate its richness in return. And so Parthenope can only be happy when she is free from the curse of her own stunning existence, though by the end of Sorrentino’s film it can’t help but feel as if he is the one who is blind to everything else.

“Parthenope” premiered in Competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. A24 will release it in theaters later this year.

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The Ringmaster

An aging chef from Minnesota has his life turned upside down when a relentless filmmaker from Las Vegas tries to make the chef's onion rings world famous. An aging chef from Minnesota has his life turned upside down when a relentless filmmaker from Las Vegas tries to make the chef's onion rings world famous. An aging chef from Minnesota has his life turned upside down when a relentless filmmaker from Las Vegas tries to make the chef's onion rings world famous.

• Molly Dworsky
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• 24 User reviews
• 27 Critic reviews

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• Trivia Zachary Capp commissioned 15 different versions of the film's theme song, a cover of Republica's 1996 song, "Ready to Go." It was ultimately the haunting and poignant version performed by Los Angeles-based band, Sumeau, that was chosen as the theme.

User reviews 24

• marktowne82
• May 9, 2021
• February 26, 2021 (Australia)
• United States
• Official site
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• $200,000 (estimated)

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• Runtime 1 hour 28 minutes

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‘The Girl With The Needle’ Review: Magnus Von Horn’s Dark Fairytale Retelling Of Denmark’s Most Infamous Serial Murder Case Is Beguiling – Cannes Film Festival

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Dyrholm stars as Dagmar Overbye, the Danish serial killer convicted of murdering nine children — but suspected of many more deaths — between 1913 and 1920. One was her own; the others were handed to her by struggling mothers with babies born out of wedlock, who believed she was caring for the children and finding them new homes.

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The Girl With the Needle smartly follows one of those mothers rather than Dagmar herself, emphasizing the impossibly precarious situation women faced in the aftermath of the war. Karoline (Sonne) works as a seamstress in a factory making uniforms for the war effort. With her husband feared dead in service, Karoline begins an affair with the swarthy factory owner whose upper-crust family rejects her, and she meets Dagmar in a bathhouse when she attempts, unsuccessfully, to abort her baby. 

There are echoes of Victor Hugo in the struggles faced by Karoline, and each of the characters she comes across — including, we’re led to believe, Dagmar, whose matter-of-fact demeanor suggests a woman modestly trying to make her way through an impossible world; doing what’s necessary to hold her head high. Karoline cannot be blamed for aspiring to do the same. So, she carries her baby to term and hands her to Dagmar. “You’ve done the right thing,” Dagmar tells her, and the other women who cross her path, repeating it like a mantra. 

RELATED: Director Magnus Von Horn Steps Up To The Cannes Competition With ‘The Girl With The Needle’: “It Was A Story That Provoked Me Very Deeply” — Ones To Watch

In the story’s margins, a pair of fairytale princes present themselves to Karoline. The factory owner, Jørgen (Joachim Fjelstrup), is tall and dashing, and seems to truly love her, but a villainous stepmother will burst this impossible dream. And then her husband Peter (Besir Zeciri) returns from the war, his face disfigured beyond recognition by the injuries he has suffered. He has a good heart, but Karoline struggles to allow him back in. He is scraping by as a freak at the traveling circus, and a ringmaster dares Karoline, in the crowd, to kiss this frog. She wants desperately for him to turn into her prince, but theirs will not be a happily ever after. 

RELATED: Cannes Palme d’Or Winners: Photos From Every One Of The Festival’s Top Films Through The Years

Von Horn and his co-writer Line Langebek manage the impressive feat of balancing this story’s truth with its inspired fiction, and Michał Dymek’s sumptuous black-and-white photography somehow feels both dreamlike and documentary. This kind of delicate tiptoeing between extremes pervades all departments, with Jagna Dobesz’s sets — including a dripping attic room for Karoline caked in bird feces, and a glistening candy store above which Dagmar resides — similarly evoking both truth and fantasy. 

It is because this story’s truths are so stark that this high-wire work succeeds. Dyrholm holds Dagmar Overbye so precisely that she can reach moments of true pantomime villainy without ever sacrificing her reality. It is sometimes uncomfortably difficult to argue with Dagmar’s twisted logic, that she is taking care of a problem nobody else is willing to engage. Von Horn staunchly refuses to speculate on her motives beyond those she broadcasts to the people who catch up with her, and Dyrholm is as confident a salesperson for those face-value justifications as anyone could be. 

Sonne, too, deserves credit for navigating Karoline’s journey through its peaks and troughs. Karoline doesn’t exactly open the film as a wide-eyed dreamer, but Sonne makes us feel the genuine pull of her naive hope, such that we are as devastated as she is when it, yet again, collapses. 

Von Horn has earned his platform with The Girl With the Needle , and there is plenty of prize potential within his film. It is also the director’s third film in a new language — Danish — after working in Swedish ( The Here After ) and Polish ( Sweat ). On the strength of its commanding filmmaking, it does not seem far-fetched to imagine a future project in English might bring him to ever larger stages. In any language, though, von Horn is a masterful talent, and The Girl With the Needle is an unequivocal and beguiling triumph. 

Title:  The Girl With the Needle Section:  Competition Director-screenwriter:  Magnus von Horn Cast:  Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm Sales agent:  The Match Factory Running time:  1 hr 55 min

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