By Geno McGahee
Setting a horror-based story at a carnival is gold, usually. The setting alone can be unsettling. The clowns, the lights and the unusual cast of characters make them an ideal location to tell a scary story. The 1989 episode of the Ray Bradbury Theater, “DWARF,” surrounds such a place and tells an interesting story of a little person just trying to fit in.
Amy (Megan Follows) works at the carnival for the owner, Ralph (Miguel Fernandes), but she avoids the flirtation from the balding older man. I guess he’s totally bald. It’s not fair to call a totally bald man “balding.” He’s can’t lose anymore. I immediately recognized Follows. She was the sister in SILVER BULLET. She’s got a great look and voice and she comes off very well here. It was nice to see her in something else horror-related.
Ralph gets excited about the arrival of “Mr.Big.” Mr. Bigelow (Machs Colombani) is a little person that comes to the carnival to look into the house of mirrors and see himself at a normal height. Ralph gets great enjoyment at the spectacle and looks in as if he’s expecting a glory hole. Amy refuses to find joy at the expense of Mr. Big and moves on, but she grows a curiosity. When she finds out that he’s a writer, she reads all of his work and becomes very interested in speaking with him.
He notices her trailing him one night and confronts her. That is when he takes her to his world. He lived in a warehouse-like place where he built a very small house. That house looked too small for him, but apparently it was just right. She looked from the outside at Mr. Big typed and said loudly that the “giant girl” was cool or something to that effect. I’m not sure if he spoke aloud every time he typed his stories or if he was just trying to impress her. I don’t think he had a girlfriend. So, I’m guessing he was subtly making a move on Amy. I think she wanted to remain just friends.
Ralph doesn’t like how Amy is paying attention to Mr. Big and plans to fix the little guy’s wagon. He switches up the mirrors. So, now, as Mr. Big enters, he will appear shorter and fatter, which devastates him. Ralph grins from ear to ear, happy that he made the little guy feel so poorly. In the end, he will live to regret that. Mr. Big comes back for revenge.
This was a very good episode. I really liked Megan Follows’s soft approach to this character. She was immediately endearing. Fernandes was great as Ralph. If you’re going to be a dick, you may as well do it in stone-washed jeans and suspenders. This tale has a great setting, great acting, and a fun plot. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 8/10
THE NEWEST HORROR COLLECTION IS UNLEASHED – ORDER NOW!
