Oddity Review & Interview with Amber Victoria from The Skeleton Key Odditorium

Synopsis Oddity is a morality tale about why you shouldn’t cross witchy women . When a blind woman’s sister is murdered in a remote country estate, she uses her arcane knowledge and abilities to uncover the true identity of her murderer. Review of Oddity I really liked this movie. It came under the radar and we almost didn’t review it, but I’m glad we did, because I think I actually did like this one better than Longlegs . The film starts out basically with a prologue of what you see in the trailer, and acts as a really taut short film. A Woman answers the door to a creepy one eyed man that says that she’s not safe inside and needs to let him in. We are given just enough information to make this situation plausible and build dread. That is a common thread through the film. We are given just enough information to constantly be uneasy and uncertain throughout the whole film. It really is structurally impressive, plot-wise. There isn’t a ton of character development, but there is a constant stream of revelations and situations that keep the film engaging. One criticism may be that there isn’t much of an emotional element in the film, the characters all seem very cold. However, each character has enough of a personality and backstory to make their interactions and decisions interesting. There are several moments and lines that had me laughing out loud, including the ending. There were also some really effective jumpscares. On the surface, this movie utilizes a lot of tropes that are crutches for a lot of supernatural horror movies. The spooky dark house. The strange sounds in the darkness. Stretches of tense silence leading up to jump scares. But for some reason, instead of rolling my eyes, I was truly engaged with this movie. I think it’s because all of the reality-based elements seem plausible, and all the supernatural elements seem interesting or novel. I think it’s a great movie, and honestly I don’t have any real criticisms or anything that bothered me with it. Score 10/10 Interview with Amber Victoria from The Skeleton Key Odditorium Bryce: Today, we welcome Amber Victoria, owner and operator of the Skeleton Key Auditorium Museum and Oddity Shop in Portland, Oregon. It’s a retail shop that specializes in oddities, antiques, curiosities, Gothic art, gifts, crystals, tarot cards, dolls, metaphysical items, clothing, and souvenirs. The auditorium is a historical museum designed to provide intrigue and a better understanding of the human experience through exploring the strange, unusual, and gloomy characteristics of our history. It was recently voted as the runner-up for Portland’s Best Museum, just underneath the multi-million dollar Portland Art Museum and OMSI. So, it’s pretty high praise for a museum. Anyways, welcome, Amber Victoria! Sydney: Welcome! Amber: Hello. Yay, thank you. Thank you for having me. Bryce: So, Amber, why don’t you tell us a little bit about how you got started? What’s the story with you and the Skeleton Key? Amber: Well, it kind of started almost 10 years ago. I’ve always loved old things and was more of a Ren fair kind of person. I was doing immersion events and collected a lot of odd things. Eventually, I started collecting too much stuff, so I began selling items at Curiosities Vintage Mall about nine years ago. It just evolved from there. People really liked my odd things, so I decided to open a brick-and-mortar shop in 2020. And here we are, still doing it. Bryce: So, when did you open the brick-and-mortar shop? Amber: I opened it in 2020 on Belmont. It was a small oddity shop, about 600 square feet. When the lease was up, we moved downtown, and I brought my partner along. We decided to open a museum because there was so much knowledge and so many items. People were always asking questions, and we wanted to educate and preserve these items in a fun, interactive space full of oddities. Bryce: Awesome. When you opened the brick-and-mortar, how much did you have to augment your existing collection to open the store? Amber: I literally brought everything from my house. I had been planning it for a long time. I would find things and think, “This is going to be the register table,” and it would sit in my garage until the moment was right. The pandemic really pushed me to do it because I was working in the service industry, and we lost that opportunity in 2020. So, I crowdfunded and finally opened up my shop. Bryce: That’s awesome. It must have been hard to start a business during the pandemic. Sydney: That’s so exciting. Amber: It was pretty brave, a bold move, but at that time, you were thinking, “I might just die, so why not?” Sydney: Yeah, exactly. Bryce: Nice. So, if someone comes into the shop—actually, my first question is, you said you watched “Oddity” last night. What’s your impression of the movie, and how accurate is it for an oddities dealer? Amber: I was curious why I was being interviewed for this movie, so I watched it and thought, “I see.” It was a good movie; I kind of figured out the plot early on. The fun part was the psychic character who claimed the items were haunted. I can understand that because these items have been around for hundreds of years, and there’s this law called the law of contamination. When you touch an item, it imprints your energy on it. Sometimes, you pick up an old, macabre piece and feel the sadness. While these items aren’t cursed, they’re definitely kind of haunted in a way. Bryce: Nice, creepy. Sydney, did you have any questions? Sydney: Yeah, what’s your favorite piece in either the store or the museum? Also, what’s the most haunted or cursed item, and are they the same? Amber: I don’t think haunted and cursed are the same. My favorite piece in the museum is a hair wreath from 1883 with the name “Grandma Elizabeth Sorensen” on the back. They used to take a person’s hair and weave it into flowers to make a wreath as a way to honor them after death. It’s a beautiful example of Victorian mourning practices. The most haunted object, in my opinion, is a Civil War-era child’s casket. When I brought it into my home, I had a dream about a little girl with curls holding her stomach, and I realized that might be the energy imprinted on the object. Haunted and cursed objects can affect people differently, depending on their intuition. Sydney: Interesting. Bryce: What’s the most common question people ask when they come into the store? Amber: The most common question is, “What is this place?” Many people don’t know what an oddity is. They ask why we’re selling these little things in jars, and I tell them it’s for fun and preservation. Bryce: Yeah, give our audience an idea of what kind of items they can find in your store. Amber: I’m an antique enthusiast, especially when it comes to odd antiques. An oddity is anything with an odd story. For example, a mundane item like a bell becomes an oddity when you attach a macabre story to it. We have items like branding irons, hair jewelry, and salt dishes. They might seem mundane, but with the right story, they become oddities. Bryce: Nice. Have you always enjoyed creepy stuff, or was there a moment when you started liking it? Amber: When I was about 11, my best friend and I would rent the goriest movies and watch “Tales from the Crypt” and “Faces of Death.” I’ve always been into it. I was a goth and a witch in my youth, and this is just who I am. It has evolved into this. Sydney: Hell yeah. Bryce: What’s your favorite horror movie? Amber: As an adult, I struggle with anxiety, so I prefer lighter stuff now. But “Killer Clowns from Outer Space” is my favorite. I love clowns. Sydney: That’s awesome. I’m actually going to Salem, Massachusetts tomorrow. There are some shops there with oddities, and some have a real presence. Do you have taxidermy in your shop, or is it more inanimate items? Amber: We have taxidermy, including ethically sourced animals from local preservation artists. For example, we have little mice dressed as fairies. We also have a baboon and raccoons. We sell some gimmicky things as part of retail, but we try to keep it authentic. I’m a picker, so I go out a few times a week looking for unique antiques. Bryce: I saw on your website that you have wet specimens. Do you have formaldehyde snakes and similar items? Amber: Yes, we do. For example, we have a puppy with gastroschisis in a jar, among other specimens. Sydney: That’s cool. I used to have a stingray in formaldehyde. It was our pet in college. If I ever move to Portland, I’m working for you because this is so cool. Amber: It’s a fun space for me. I definitely enjoy curating it. Bryce: Two questions: Is there any white whale or item you wish you had in the store but haven’t found yet? Amber: My dream pieces are an 1890 Ouija board, the original William Fuld board, and a first edition of “Dracula.” I’ve seen the Ouija board online for about $2,000, but I want to find it in the wild. The oldest Ouija board I own is from 1907. The first edition “Dracula” is a $28,000 book, but I’m always searching estate sales for it. Bryce: Nice. I wonder if PALS has ever had a first edition “Dracula.” Amber: If they did, they would know what they had. Bryce: And the last question: What’s the strangest thing you’ve come across or had in your shop? Amber: Everything’s pretty strange, but one standout is a two-headed calf from the 1930s sideshow circuit. A local oddity dealer walked in and sold it to me because he wanted to buy a two-headed kitten. Sydney: It’s a fair trade. Two-headed calves are cool and rare. Amber: Yeah, I want kittens too. Bryce: Where can people find you online, and how can our listeners support you? Amber: You can visit us at skeletonkeyauditorium.com. We don’t do much retail online because most items are locally sourced, but you can come into the space and explore. The museum is about 2,500 square feet. Bryce: If you’re in Portland, we’re located at 939 Southwest 10th Avenue, just down the street from the Art Museum. Check out skeletonkeyauditorium.com, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Skeleton Key Auditorium. Thank you so much, Amber Victoria, for coming on the show. I’ll definitely visit your store soon. Amber: We’d love to see you. Thank you for having me. Sydney: Yeah, thank you. It was nice to meet you. This was really fun. Amber: Nice to meet you too. Visit The Skeleton Key Odditorium oddities store and museum in Portland, OR.