A Favorite Doc MARIONETTE LAND Heading to Amazon Prime Jan 18, 2022

I saw this documentary during The Philadelphia Film Festival 2020 and fell in love with both its subject matter, Robert Brock and filmmaker Alexander Monelli‘s presentation of this world.  I see now MVD Entertainment will release the documentary on VOD and DVD January 18th. And it’s now available for pre-order on DVD at Amazon, iTunes and other digital streaming services.

Here’s T&T’s #MiniMovieReview of MARIONETTE LAND:

I feel like the only way to describe this film is to do it in the voice of Stefon, Bill Hader’s nightlife corespondent on SNL – This doc’s got everything, Judy Garland, puppets, lights, smoke, family dynamics, location, genius, gaiety, tap dancing, flip flops, muslin & COVID-19.

Robert Brock has been putting on performances and living above the Lancaster Marionette Theater for 30 years.  I’m so impressed with the fact that he’s a self-taught Marionette creator and master.  He says it takes him about 50 – 60 hours to make each one, but when you see the process and results, you’d imagine it taking much longer.  But I digress, because the Marionette’s are so completely secondary to this story. Brock is the story. He is a true character in every sense of the word! And the reason why this documentary is riveting; along with his mother and business partner Mary Lou.  He’s a gregarious old Queen, kinda reminds me of Robert Preston in Victor/Victoria only crankier and with more pizzazz.  And the Mom, Mary Lou looks like a typical, older, middle class white woman, but she fools you, she’s got this perfected dry sense of humor and will hit you with a spot on zinger. Could it be attributed to her customary 4pm cocktail hour?

My favorite parts of the doc are scenes of Brock putting together and rehearsing for the “grown up show” Divas & Dames: Kiss The Heels Goodbye  where he performs a drag show impersonating: Liza Minnelli, Carol Channing, Judy Garland, Bette Midler & Mae West. I wish we got to see more of the show and especially wanna know how long are the costume changes? Is there an intermission in between each act?

Filmmaker Alexander Monelli (At the Drive-In) met Robert Brock 6 years ago and decided to make a short about him and the Lancaster Marionette Theater, then later decided to expand the short into this Marionette Land. I think this is why there’s footage in the 3rd act that stretches things and some momentum is lost. I think it should go right from Divas & Dames to the present where the theater is closed due to COVID-19, featuring all the self-shot material from Brock himself. But otherwise, it’s a world you’ve got to visit.  Oh, and don’t forget to Subscribe to Robert & Mary Lou’s YouTube Channel, you know you can’t make money from YouTube without 10k Subscribers, so let’s help get them there!

An intimate portrait into the wonderful world of charismatic puppeteer Robert Brock and his magical marionette theatre.

Winner of Best Documentary at the 2021 Omaha Film Festival, “Marionette Land” will take you behind the curtain of the Lancaster Marionette Theatre and its eccentric owner Robert Brock, who lives above the tiny theatre with his 85-year-old mother, Mary Lou.

Brock has created his own world where he is in total control. He adapts and performs classic family shows like Peter Pan and Wizard of Oz but at the age of sixty-two he decides to bring back his grown-up cabaret show, “Divas and Dames.” The grown-up show features Brock dressing up and performing as Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Carol Channing, and other famous Hollywood stars of the past alongside a few marionettes.

The film chronicles Brock’s unique relationship with his mother and the revival of his grown-up show while trying to prepare for the puppet theatre’s big 30^th anniversary. But unforeseen circumstances threaten the charismatic puppeteer’s plans.

Philadelphia Magazine called it “eccentric and charming.”

“A lovely, bittersweet documentary… A little ‘Grey Gardens,’ a little ‘Waiting For Guffman,’ but with so much empathy.” – Jenna Scherer

The 84-minute film premiered at the Philadelphia Film Festival and they said, “This might be the first film to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.” -Philadelphia Film Festival, October 2020

Bonus features on the DVD include over 17 minutes of deleted scenes, two Q&A sessions from the Philadelphia Film Festival and Omaha Film Festival, and an audio commentary with director Alexander Monelli and star Robert Brock.

This is director Alexander Monelli’s second feature documentary. His previous film “At The Drive-in” is also available from MVD Entertainment Group.