A hundred pounds worth of, drawings, ramblings, pictures and paintings are currently being boxed up and shipped to England, where a book is in the works...
An artistic book, that will feature pieces from the 2006 movie, "Master of Reality"
Along with the book, a web site will also be launched, http://www.masterofreality.net/, where Master of Reality can be seen free of charge.
When Master of Reality first premiered in 2006, I found it very difficult to sit inside of a crowded theater with a bunch of strangers, and watch a documentary about myself. It was the feeling of being exposed I didn't like, I would usually leave and come back once it was over. But at the end, after Matt had answered questions from the crowd, more than a few people would come talk to me and tell me how much they enjoyed the movie, all sorts of people that I would never have guessed, most of them were old grannies who would tell me about their grandsons and how I reminded them of him, and one was a guy who looked to be a business man in suit even asked me for an autograph, while he told someone on his cell phone, he was talking to the kid from Master of Reality. The funniest was a lady who was sitting directly in front of me, she asked Matt while on stage "What ever happened to Ronny? Is he alright? He seems disturbed." Something along those lines, to which he replied, "I wouldn't speak too loudly, as Ronny is sitting right behind you!" She turned around with a nervous smile, before abruptly making her way towards the exit. Haha. The book will also contain interviews conducted around the time the movie was shot in 2003. The book is really just a look at an explosive and bizarre childhood, and the subjects that kept it occupied.
Here is a media interview along with a review from the movie,
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Ten Burning Questions: Matthew Killip, MASTER OF REALITY
You know the saying, "You couldn't make this up"?
Well, you couldn't make a character like Ronny Long up.
He is a self-professed criptozoologist, founder of Texas Boneyard Wrestling, avant-garde filmmaker and artist of the macabre who enjoyed a fleeting 15 minutes of fame when a piece of video of Ronny bashing a light bulb with his forehead made the rounds on the nation's nightly network news - horrifying and confusing the people who actually pay attention to the nightly network news.
Director Mathew Killip gives Ronny Long all the close up he can handle in his short film MASTER OF REALITY (Screening as part of the Documentary Shorts Program on Thursday, 3/29 at 5:00PM and Saturday, 3/31 at 6:30PM) and you'll be both entertained and more than a little relieved that he doesn't live next door to you.
1. Who or what introduced you to Ronny Long?
I came across a website Ronny had created for his new backyard wrestling federation called Texas Boneyard Wrestling. The idea was to unite Ronny's twin interests of rasslin' and horror movies, but the project imploded shortly after its creation because of infighting amongst the wrestlers. It's a shame, as a lot of energy and imagination had gone into it and every wrestler had their own character complete with horrendous back-story (cannibals, mental patients, stuff like that). Ronny was 15 at the time.
2. Did he ever show you his cryptozoologist degree?
No, but Ronny did show me his T-Shirt from the Texas Bigfoot Research Center. Anyway, Cryptozoologists don't bother with bullshit like degrees. Saasquatch don't care about no academic qualifications.
3. What is the best thing about having your film at AFI DALLAS?
I really love Texas so I'm delighted to be showing our work in Dallas. And because Ronny lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area he can come to the screenings, which I'm very excited about. He'll be packing his light bulbs and giving on-stage demonstrations of pure wrestling heat in the Q&As. Ronny will also be handing out previews of his latest film, called Bad Breed. It's about a transvestite terrorist spy, some killer robots and a virus.
4. It took three years after you shot the film to complete the editing. Why so long?
Ahh. I'm very, very, very lazy.
5. What was the biggest challenge working with a subject like Ronny?
Keeping him supplied with Nachos and Dr. Pepper (which I like to call Prune Juice). Things could get ugly if Ronny didn't receive his regular dose of the good Doctor's beverage.
6. Did the two of you ever have to settle a disagreement by wrestling for it?
I'm not sure that would have been altogether wise on my part. Ronny is a young man whose commitment to the noble art of wrestling is such that he smashed a light bulb into his own face.
7. How many times did he try to get you to touch the scar on his forehead from the lightbulb?
You lot are creepy. We didn't do any scar touching.
8. Is Ronny more underrated as a painter or a filmmaker?
Ronny's just an amazing artist, and all his projects, in whatever medium (painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, film-making), are expressions of a unified creative vision. The fact that his work is largely unrecognized only contributes to the purity of his practice. He does it to please himself, and no one else, and that's one of the things I love about him.
9. I don't remember ever seeing his parents in the film. Are they in the Witness Protection Program?
You didn't see his parents in the documentary because Ronny Long doesn't have any. He's a feral child raised by ape-like hominids in the suburban wastelands around Dallas.
10. Popcorn or candy?
Popcorn.
Matthew Killip (and Ronny Long) will appear at MASTER OF REALITY's screening at part of the Documentary Shorts Program premiere on Thursday, March 29th.
By John Wildman, Staff Writer
Most of the reviews were good, it even won an award at the Britdoc film festival in 2006, best short I think it was, however then there was a negative review from a guy named Felix......
Posted on February 4, 2007 in Reviews by Felix Vasquez Jr.
MASTER OF REALITY
Year Released: 2006
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 21 minutes
Directed by: Matthew Killip
2007 SUNDANCE SHORT! Killip’s short documentary about a young man with imagination, and a somewhat disturbing sense of alienation is well intentioned, but ultimately tedious to sit through. Ronny is a fascinating young man, nothing short of average.
He lives in suburbia, loves horror movies, loves wrestling, is a bit mentally unstable, and really feels like a loner. That’s probably every single suburban boy I’ve ever met since I was a kid, so, “Master of Reality” is nothing but a short film that states the obvious.
Ronny is an outcast, Ronny is unusual, Ronny is disturbed. Why? Uh—he just is. I don’t know. Without much of an explanation, the focus on Ronny becomes curious and unusual in itself. Why is he so interesting? Because he has no possibility of breaking free from his shell? Or because he prefers fantasy over reality?
Killip leaves so many questions unanswered, and dissects much of Ronny’s imagination, which makes up the more interesting scenes here. Also, explained is Ronny’s infamous headline grab as a wannabe wrestler who cut his forehead with a light bulb. Why? I have no idea.
But Killip never extrapolates the bigger issues. What about his reality makes is so unbearable to Ronny? Does he have a history of mental illness? Why horror movies? Killip bears no real explanation for it, thus “Master of Reality” ends as simply a depressing and somewhat dull observation of a young man without many achievements or future to explore
I am also doing a limited number of " a Giant Scorpion Attacking the city" Model displays, that will be for sale. They will come with their own fancy display case made of glass and wood. Below is the origional from the movie.
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