Saturday, October 31, 2015

Halloween Toy Review: Pumpkin King from Pop! Disney by Funko

It's Halloween! It's Halloween! It's Halloween! Today I'm giving you two super spooky reviews as an extra treat! If there has been a movie that has kind of defined Halloween 2015 for me, it's been The Nightmare Before Christmas. My little daughter has wanted to watch this movie pretty much non-stop since the middle of September. In fact, I think she'd watch the "This is Halloween" musical number over and over on repeat if we'd let her. It's OK, though, because I love it. I love this movie and I was thrilled to find this Pop! out in the wild on a Toys 'R Us run because Jack Skellington in his Pumpkin King scarecrow guise is one of my favorite character designs ever! I'm not a huge Pop! collector but when I first heard about this guy I knew I'd end up buying him. If you're taking a few minute out of your Halloween to stop by Action Figure Barbecue and read some of my action figure or horror movie reviews, just know that I really appreciate it! Now, onto the festivities...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Sadako Yamamura from The Ring/ Ringu by S.H. Figuarts/ Bandai

 Today is Halloween! For today's installment of 31 Days of Toy Terror Returns I wanted to find something very, very cool and very, very scary. After looking for a few months I finally decided on picking up this very cool figure of Sadako Yamamura from Ringu/ The Ring from Bandai's S.H. Figuarts range of products. While this figure is from the Japanese film and not the American version, I will admit that The Ring terrified me the first time I saw it and I still find it to be extremely creepy. There's nothing that quite compares to the image of Sadako or Samara crawling out of the television. I've seen the two American films and the original Japanese film and have read the manga, but I'd like to watch the rest of the Japanese films as well as the new upcoming American film. Ready for a closer look at this figure? No? Well, when you can summon the courage, join me after the break...

Friday, October 30, 2015

A New Batgirl Review: Batgirl from Batman Retro: First Appearance from Figures Toy Co.

Today I'm looking at an interesting Batgirl action figure: Batgirl from the Batman Retro: First Appearance line by Figures Toy Co. Figures Toy Co. has been around for a number of years and they've really become the leading name in Mego reproduction figures. You know what Megos are, right? As a child of the 1980s, Megos were a little before my time and I only learned about them because of how prominent they were in ToyFare magazine. If you've never held one, imagine the combination of an 8 inch Barbie doll mixed with the articulation of a Marvel Legends figure. That's kind of the Mego...charm? They always feel really cheap to me but at the same time there's an undeniable uniqueness to them. I really don't collect them but I did have to pick up their newest Batgirl release which is based off of the Carmine Infantino cover art of Detective Comics 359. Ready for a closer look at Batgirl? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from Universal Monsters Select by Diamond Select Toys

   As we creep ever closer to to Halloween, 31 Days of Toy Terror Returns continues to bring you glimpses of some of the spookiest, scariest action figures around! Today I'm looking at another figure from Diamond Select's Universal Monsters Select line: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What's rather interesting about this figure is that it's not based on one of Universal's straight up horror films. Instead, it's actually based on 1953's Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. While Abbott and Costello are nowhere to be seen in this line, Diamond did wisely pick this figure as it gives us a great version of Dr. Jekyll, a classic horror icon, portrayed by the legendary Boris Karloff. While we have Karloff in his Mummy and Frankenstein appearances, it's cool to have a version of him that's not in make-up. I should point out that there are two versions of this figure: This version, which was sold through the direct market and at comic stores, and a version that was sold exclusively through Toys 'R Us that is missing the Dr. Jekyll head and the lab equipment. Ready for a closer look at Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Then join me after the break...


Thursday, October 29, 2015

Action Figure Review: Rabbit Hole Batman from Arkham City by DC Collectibles

Quick!: What the most obscure Batman variant figure you own? I'm not talking some random toy; I'm talking about something that actually appeared in a game, comic, tv show, or movie. I'd have a hard time answering that as well but now my answer might just be Rabbit Hole Batman from DC Collectibles' Arkham City line. Based on a short side-quest in Arkham City where the Mad Hatter drugs Batman and uses a mind control helmet on him which causes Batman to undergo a bizarre hallucination, this figure takes one of Batman's now most well known looks (his Arkham City appearance) and alters it with a bizarre. This is Batman with some battle damage and a very bizarre rabbit appearance. Pretty odd right? This figure was released last year, a good few years after most of the Arkham City figures have come out, but DC Collectibles has continued to support the line by offering random figures here and there. Heck, this year we finally got Clayface. Ready for a closer look at Rabbit Hole Batman? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Behemoth from The Nightmare Before Christmas ReAction by Funko

 I absolutely love The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's without a doubt one of my favorite "animated" movies (it's stop motion animation, so maybe it doesn't count) and definitely my favorite musical soundtrack of all time. I love it's bright, cheerful depiction of Halloween and every character in the film is an absolute joy to behold. The Behemoth might not be in my top five characters but he's definitely in my top ten and I find that the older I get the more he appeals to me. I love how he mixes together a few different horror movie elements: He's got the body and pallor of Uncle Fester, the body shape and blank stare of one of the zombies from Night of the Living Dead, and the outfit and vibe of a killer from a variety of slasher films. He's everything and nothing, all at once. Plus, he's got that goofy ax stuck in his head. Last month I reviewed the Mr. Miyagi figure from The Karate Kid ReAction series, which I stated that I bought on sale at a flea market along with another figure. Behemoth here is the figure and I've been saving him for 31 Days of Toy Terror. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Action Figure Review: Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars Hero Mashers by Hasbro

 As of right now this is the last Star Wars Heroes Mashers figure I've picked up: Anakin Skywalker. While I've already reviewed the Episode II styled Anakin, I wanted to do a quick look at this figure as well because there are three differences between the figures. The biggest differences is the headsculpt as this is a Clone Wars/Revenge if the Sith styled Anakin. While the differences between the Boba Fett figures and the Darth Vaders are pretty minimal, this is a very different Anakin from the previous version. If you want an in-depth review of this figure, check out the Jedi Speeder & Anakin review. This is really just a quick glimpse at the differences in this figure. More after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: The Governor's Room from The Walking Dead Building Sets by McFarlane Toys

   Today I'm looking at another set from McFarlane Toys' The Walking Dead building sets based off of the award winning AMC television series: The Governor's Room. Governor Philip Blake is the primary antagonist of the third and fourth seasons of the television series and has become another recognizable and iconic character from the show. The Governor originally appeared in The Walking Dead comic series where he made quite the impression as a narcissistic, sadistic despot. David Morissey interpreted him a little differently in the TV series, creating an incredibly memorable and sinister character. The building set I'm looking at today depicts the governor and his daughter Penny during feeding time in the Governor's private chambers. Ready for a closer look at the horror this set unleashes? Then join me after the break...


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Action Figure Review: Bad News Barrett (Series 34) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

I'm afraid I've got some bad news!

Don't worry! Nothing's wrong! It's just that today I have a review of Bad News Barrett from Mattel's WWE Elite Collection for your reading pleasure. Hope you're cool with that! While he seems to be doing lots of mid-carding and pre-shows lately, for awhile Bad News Barrett was flying pretty high. Well, I guess he did compete in the 3rd most anticipated SummerSlam match, didn't he? This figure was released as part of the WWE Elite series 34 and came out earlier this year. He's starting to get a bit tougher to find, though, and I figured I'd better pick him up while he was still available on store shelves. Ready for a closer look at Bad News Barrett? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Daryl with Chopper from The Walking Dead Building Sets by McFarlane Toys

 It seems like an understatement to say that The Walking Dead has been a success. It's amazing how people have latched onto the show and its characeters. While there has been a steady stream of merchandise and action figures, I can't say that I've picked any of it up. I like McFarlane's figures for the line but the odd scale has kept me away so far. Last year these new construction sets were released and I definitely found them interesting. While you build them and they use Lego like pieces, they're definitely far more polished looking than a Lego kit. They're far more like model kits than a traditional building toy. I've avoided these for about a year but a few months ago my parents found some of these on clearance and snagged them for me to review as part of 31 Days of Toy Terror. I've been interested to see how these work. Ready for a closer look at today's set, Daryl with Chopper? Then join me after the break...

Monday, October 26, 2015

Action Figure Review: Cesaro (Series 33) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 In the aftermath of WWE's Hell in a Cell last night, today Action Figure Barbecue is turning into the Cesaro Section! I really like Cesaro. He's a great wrestler who just needs a bit more of a push. I liked his tag team efforts with Tyson Kidd and I loved his far too brief feud with Kevin Owens this past summer. He was doing great with the Owens feud but that story didn't last too long with everything else leading up to SummerSlam. This Cesaro, however, is from when he was on Raw the night after Wrestlemania XXX where he won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and was given this. Ready for a closer look at Cesaro? Then swing on by and check things out after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Zombies Outbreak from Call of Duty by Mega Blocks

Today I'm back with another terrifying legion of the undead from Mega Blocks' Call of Duty building series: The Zombies Outbreak! This is another set of six zombie minifigures and a brick built diorama to display them with. This is another set that was originally released last fall and which my parents found on clearance at a Target store. I'm always up for more zombies to roam my shelves! Ready for a closer look at the Zombies Outbreak? Then join me after the break...

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Action Figure Review: Brock Lesnar (Series 37) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 My name is Barbecue17 and I am the reviewer for this Brock Lesnar figure! From the most recent series of WWE Elite figures, series 37, comes this new and improved version of the Beast Incarnate decked out in his SummerSlam 2014 ring gear. Brock's a fearsome guy who has had a pretty big past couple couple of years including  putting John Cena through the ringer at SummerSlam 2014. Brock won the WWE Heavyweight Championship after delivering Cena 16 suplexes and 2 F5s. While the phrase Suplex City hadn't been coined yet, the concept was in full effect. Do you need an action figure to make the rest of your figures run screaming in terror? Just wanting to learn a little more about Lesnar before Hell in the Cell tonight? Then join me as we look at Bork Laser after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Zombies Horde from Call of Duty by Mega Blocks


   When I think of Call of Duty I think of special ops teams, black ops snipers, military specialists running through cities under siege, and the heroes of World War II. Of course, there's also zombies. While Mega Blocks has released a number of military influenced Call of Duty building sets, they've also released a few zombie based ones, too. Whether or not you care about the Call of Duty video game franchise, lovers of zombie toys will probably dig these small, menacing monsters. My parents ran across these on an extreme clearance sale (along with some other sets) and I happily accepted then. Ready for a closer look at the Zombie Horde? Then join me after the break...

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Action Figure Review: Dean Ambrose (Series 36) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

 Today I'm looking at the Lunatic Fringe himself: Dean "Unstable" Ambrose. From Series 36 of the WWE Elite Collection by Mattel, this figure represents Dean Ambrose in his outfit from Money in the Bank 2014. Personally, I think Dean is one of the most entertaining guys in WWE right now. Anytime he shows up you just know something fun is going to happen. Heck, Dean Ambrose manages to make Roman Reigns interesting (I really do like those two as a duo, though)! There has been an Elite version of Dean in his SHIELD gear and some basic versions of him, but this is the first Elite that captures his current look. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Goth Devil from Classic Favorites Bobble Heads: Goth Hotties by Entertainment Earth

How terrifying is it when something so bad can look so appealing....

 Today I'm looking at the last bobble head in Entertainment Earth's Goth Hotties line: The Goth Devil. After checking her out I am now convinced that these are indeed supposed to be regular women in costumes rather than actual monsters in gothic styled accouterments. See her horns? They're a headband. Her tail is also part of her pants and not a real tail poking through. I also want to mention something that I failed to notice on the first three bobble heads: Each Goth Hottie has a necklace that has the Entertainment Earth logo on it. Pretty clever little detail there. Ready to get down to business and check out the flaming hot Goth Devil? Then join me after the break...

Friday, October 23, 2015

Oh the Horror!: Village of the Damned (1995)



To expand his ever growing body of knowledge, Barbecue17 enrolled in a film appreciation class at his local college. He is posting copies of his class assignments pass the knowledge on to you.

Movie Thoughts by Barbecue17
The movie I watched: 
Village of the Damned
It was directed by: John Carpenter
It was released in: 1995

Please briefly summarize the plot: 
A mysterious event causes everyone in the small coastal town of Midwich, California to lose consciousness for a few hours. While government officials investigate the occurrence but find nothing, an unusual number of the town's women find themselves pregnant. Nine months later 10 women in the town give birth. While one of the infants is stillborn, the rest are healthy with white hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Something is wrong with the children, however, and the town soon learns that they might not be able to stop them...

Action Figure Review: Seth Rollins (Series 37) from WWE Elite Collection by Mattel

   Seth Rollins is one of my current favorite WWE Superstars right now. While I definitely was rooting against him since he betrayed Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, I now find myself cheering for him. I think that has to do with him going up against John Cena over the past summer and the Authority constantly giving him some tough booking (two fights back to back at Night of Champions?)  which makes him seem destined to fail. Rollins is an excellent wrestler, though, and puts on some amazing shows. I've been waiting for an updated post Shield era Seth Rollins figure and Mattel has finally delivered in the 37th series of the WWE Elite Collection. Wow he's currently the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. this figure represents his look from Hell in a Cell 2014 when he was still just Mr. Money in the Bank. Ready for a closer look at Seth Rollins? Then you probably should either visit Leighla Schultz's Twitter page or continue reading this review after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Goth Mummy from Classic Favorites Bobble Heads: Goth Hotties by Entertainment Earth

 Anticipation might be one of the most potent additives to terror! Take the mummy for example. Are we really afraid of ancient bandages or are we frightened of what lies waiting underneath...

 If you're keeping track, the Goth Mummy is the third bobble head figure in the Goth Hotties series that I've reviewed. I'm quite partial to mummies (not entirely sure why) and I have to admit that I really like the look of this figure. At first I was a little perplexed by the bandages over her mouth but after considering it a bit, it's actually a pretty reasonable look for a character in a costume. Like her fellow bobble head in the series, the Goth Mummy is made from resin and makes a nice little decorative knick knack for around the house. When prepping to do this review I learned something interesting about bobble heads: Did you know that the first mention of a bobble head might be in the 1842 short story "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol? While mummies are far more ancient than 1842, I thought you might appreciate that little bit of trivia. Ready to check out this mummy now? Then join me after the break...


Thursday, October 22, 2015

Oh the Horror: Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994)



I originally wrote this review in February 2014 for ThEpic Review.

     Next year for ThEpic Review's Hokey Halloween Horror marathon, I might just be focusing on the films of director Don Coscarelli. If you prefer horror films that relish in the utterly bizarre, almost to the point of having fever dream like levels of absurdity, Coscarelli is your man. It's tough to summarize any of his films succinctly and in all honesty, I'm not even going to try. This past weekend I was in the mood for something both strange and awesome so I popped my copy of Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead in my DVD player and just laid back to enjoy. Bizarre travels between dimensions? Check! Killer spheres inhabited by little brains? Double check!! Three nasty criminals getting stuck in a Home Alone inspired death house that utilizes clowns? Triple check!!! An ice cream man wielding a quadruple barreled shotgun? Quadruple check!!!! Seriously; if you're not already salivating over this 1994 film, the odds are that you just aren't going to like it. I'll give you a few more details after the break though....


Action Figure Review: Princess Peach from World of Nintendo by Jakks Pacific

 While I do hope that the Jakks Pacific World of Nintendo line goes on for a long time, I'm pretty content at this point with what we have. For me, having Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Toad, Bowser, Wario, Donkey Kong, Link, and now Princess Peach is pretty much everyone we really need. Everyone else is just gravy at this point. Princess Peach is part of the newest series of figures which also includes Pink Yoshi, Fire Mario, Fox McCloud, and a Goomba. I found Princess Peach at a Toys 'R Us, but they were already sold out of Fox and the Goomba. They had Fire Mario and the Pink Yoshi but I held off since Toys 'R Us wanted a few dollars more for these than Target and other retailers. I needed the Princess, however. Ready for a closest look at the best character to use in Super Marior Bros. 2? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Goth Vampire from Classic Favorites Bobble Heads: Goth Hotties by Entertainment Earth

 Sometimes the most terrifying combination is something both sexy and scary. Conflicted emotions can make one feel confused, lightheaded, and out of touch. Of course, blood loss can bring about those feelings, too...

   Today I'm looking at another Bobble Head from Entertainment Earth's Goth Hotties set: The Goth Vampire! If you remember my review of the Goth Witch, I paid $6 for the set of four of these on a sale at Entertainment Earth back in August. The Goth Vampire is fun, freaky, and ...fanged. This doesn't feel like the sort of review that needs a lot of introduction. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...


Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Oh the Horror!: Scary Movie 3 (2003)



To expand his ever growing body of knowledge, Barbecue17 enrolled in a film appreciation class at his local college. He is posting copies of his class assignments pass the knowledge on to you.

Movie Thoughts by Barbecue17
The movie I watched:
Scary Movie 3
It was directed by: David Zucker
It was released in: 2003

Please briefly summarize the plot:
Cindy Campbell (Anna Farris) is now a reporter trying to track down a cursed videotape. Tom Logan (Charlie Sheen) and his brother George (Simon Rex) are farmers being harassed by aliens. Leslie Nielsen is the President of the United States trying to keep the world safe. Honestly, the plot doesn't matter much in this movie. It's a loose continuation of the previous Wayans family films that parodies The Ring, Signs, 8 Mile, The Matrix series, and The Others. The plot is nonsensical and just an excuse for jokes and sight gags.

Minifigure Review: Super Hero by Toysmith

  I first saw John review these over at Robot Monster Space Super Hero. John saw these because Frank at Little Weirdos reviewed them. I'm guessing Frank either saw these directly at Target or heard about them from a friend who heard about them from a friend who heard it from another that these were on sale. Anyways, this is a very inexpensive little bag of 20 figures that can be found on sale at Target in their dollar bins up front by the entrance to the store. They are made by Toysmith and are simply called "Super Hero." Yeah, these are superheroes all right. Kind of. The faces are kind of superheroish but they seem more like wrestlers with vaguely superhero gimmicks or male exotic dancers who "cosplay" for bachelorette parties. I'm really not if I've decided yet. I picked these up because they were inexpensive and bizarre. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Mystic Seer Monitor Mate from The Twilight Zone by Bif Bang Pow!

 "The hand belongs to Mr. Don S. Carter, male member of a honeymoon team on route across the Ohio countryside toNew York City. In one moment, they will be subjected to a gift most humans never receive in a lifetime. For one penny, they will be able to look into the future. The time is now, the place is a little diner in Ridgeview, Ohio, and what this young couple doesn't realize is that this town happens to lie on the outskirts of the Twilight Zone."

   Today for 31 Days of Toy Terror I'm looking at something rather cool: A Mystic Seer Monitor Mate from Bif Bang Pow! Based on the Mystic Seer from the second season The Twilight Zone "Nick of Time" (written by the late, great Richard Matheson), now you can have a small Mystic Seer of your own to answer your questions about the future! Just like another Matheson penned episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," William Shatner also starred in "Nick of Time" as an obsessive man trying to rationalize his experiences to his wife. In the episode, the Mystic Seer is a penny operated machine located at a booth in a diner that answers questions with a positive or negative response. The Mystic Seer is a popular prop and has appeared in a variety of sizes. This version is quite a bit smaller than the actual prop and is instead designed to sit on top of a computer monitor. I actually bought it hoping that I could use it as a slightly over-sized companion to the Twilight Zone retro-action figures. Ready for a closer look at the Mystic Seer? Load up your penny and join me after the break...


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Oh the Horror!: ATM (2012)



To expand his ever growing body of knowledge, Barbecue17 enrolled in a film appreciation class at his local college. He is posting copies of his class assignments pass the knowledge on to you.

Movie Thoughts by Barbecue17
The movie I watched:
ATM
It was directed by: David Brooks
It was released in: 2012

Please briefly summarize the plot:
On the way home from an office Christmas party, three coworkers from a financial company (Brian Geraghty, Alice Eve, and Josh Peck) find themselves trapped inside of an ATM booth by a mysterious hooded stranger. As the temperature drops and the hour grows later, desperation sets in as the stranger shows that, whatever it is he wants, he's willing to kill to get it.

Minifigure Review: Revenge of S.U.C.K.L.E. from S.U.C.K.L.E. by DKE Toys

 A couple of years ago I reviewed the first series of S.U.C.K.L.E. minifigures (Simply Unimportant Kitschy Little Eyesores) and now, after a very successful Kickstarter campaign by DKE Toys, I'm finally getting a chance to check out the newest series: Revenge of S.U.C.K.L.E. (Sorry Unfulfilled Collector Keep Losing Everything)! Based on the popular range of action figure/ toy hybrids from the Sucklord of Suckadelic, S.U.C.K.L.E.s are a fun minifigure series in the spirit of M.U.S.C.L.E. and O.M.F.G.! In fact, they're sculpted by master sculptor George Gaspar of October Toys. The Kickstarter had a number of different backer levels but I went for the level that got me 42 figures (actually 44 because there were some bonus series 1 figures thrown in) for $45 dollars. That's a steal when it comes to minifigures like this! This was a great project filled with unique and fun figures and I'm excited to finally be showing these off. Ready for a look at Revenge of S.U.C.K.L.E.? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Goth Witch from Classic Favorites Bobble Heads: Goth Hotties by Entertainment Earth

 Some people are terrified of witches and the uncanny powers they possess. Some people are afraid of talking to attractive women. If so, they'll be doubly terrified of the Goth Witch...

Today I'm looking at the Goth Witch from Entertainment Earth's Goth Hotties bobble head line. Back in August Entertainment Earth had a sale where I ordered a. ton of awesome Halloween themed toys, including the full set of four of these for $6. Yup; I paid $1.50 each for these! These are essentially a series of goth girls dressed in Halloween Costumes. Or maybe they're actual monsters dressed in goth outfits. Or maybe they're just regular women dressed as goth versions of popular monsters. Who knows? All I know is that they're kind of fun and didn't cost very much, so I picked them up to add to your Halloween amusement. Ready for a closer look at the Goth Witch? Then join me after the break...


Monday, October 19, 2015

Oh the Horror!: The Crow: City of Angels (1996)



To expand his ever growing body of knowledge, Barbecue17 enrolled in a film appreciation class at his local college. He is posting copies of his class assignments pass the knowledge on to you.

Movie Thoughts by Barbecue17
The movie I watched:
The Crow: City of Angels
It was directed by: Tim Pope
It was released in: 1996

Please briefly summarize the plot:
Have you seen The Crow? Then you've basically seen this movie. The plot is almost exactly the same as the first film except with none of the charisma of Brandon Lee making it work and fewer interesting supporting characters. The little girl from the first film, Sarah, is all grown up now (played by Mia Kershner) and has moved to Los Angeles. On All Saints Day she is led by a crow and witnesses the resurrection of Ashe Corven (Vincent Perez), a father who was murdered along with his young son by a drug kingpin. He then goes on to seek revenge against the drug kingpin and his cronies: the yellow ranger, the Punisher, and Iggy Pop.

Action Figure Review: Saurod from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

   I'm absolutely amazed! Not only is Saurod an amazing figure (and one of my favorites from the vintage line) but he completes both the Masters of the Universe movie sub-set and the unique Evil Warriors). That's right! So long as we're not counting the two upcoming Skeletor variants, Saurod is the final Evil Warrior. We have all of them! What a victory! Anyways, I just had to mention that before diving in to talk about Saurod himself. While he really doesn't have much of a role in the movie, Saurod makes up for that by having the coolest costume and by having had a vintage figure. Played by Pons Maar (who sounds like a Star Wars character) who gives the character an excellent, lizard-like quality in his motions, Saurod is an awesome lizard bounty hunter who gets vaporized by Skeletor. While fans might forever wonder how Saurod made the cut for inclusion in the vintage line ahead of Karg, I'm still glad we have the guy! Ready for a closer look at the new MOTUC version of Saurod? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Vampire from Classic Friends Bobble Heads: Holiday Friends by Entertainment Earth

The terrifying thought of having your blood drained from your body is expedited by the frightening vampire...

   I'm looking at another bobble head from Entertainment Earth's Classic Favorites Bobble Heads line: The Vampire! The Vampire comes from the Holiday Friends subset and was another figure I picked up in August as part of an awesome sale at Entertainment Earth. Seriously, I paid $2 for this guy! You can never have enough Halloween decorations and the nice thing about these bobble heads is that I can display them on my regular horror shelves in my action figure room throughout the rest of the year. Ready for another vampire review? Then join me after the break...


Sunday, October 18, 2015

Action Figure Review: King Chooblah from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

 Today's review is the third figure in the Masters of the Universe Classics 200x sub-line: The Kulatak elder King Chooblah! King Chooblah first appeared in the Mike Young Productions (MYP) cartoon series in the early 2000s but never made it into Mattel's accompanying action figure line. He's not a major character by any stretch of the imagination but he is a pretty unique character design. Like other figures in the 200x subline Mattel used a combination of various overlays and uniquely sculpted parts to create a figure with an appearance that stands out from the average MOTUC figure while still feeling like it belongs in the line. Ready for a closer look at King Chooblah? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Wolf Nev from Shadowrun Duels by WizKids

 Yesterday we delved into the darkest depths of an ancient castle and visited an alchemist's experiment. Today we take to the darkened streets of some future city in search of a troll...
   
     Today I'm looking at an example of a massive, beautifully sculpted creature loaded with accessories that should absolutely take you back to the early 2000s: Wolf Nev from WizKids' Shadowrun Duels line. A hybrid between an action figure line and the popular HeroClix gaming system utilizing the Shadowrun universe, Shadowrun Duels never found the success it was looking for. That's unfortunate because it's one of the best looking action figure lines around. While WizKids produced the line the sculpting was handled by the awesome Plan B Toys of Special Forces fame. I'm specifically looking at Wolf Nev today. He's a Troll and a gang boss and was released in the second series of figures around late 2003/ early 2004. Does a horned troll in a leather vest help you get into the Halloween spirit any? Hopefully! Let's take a closer look (but not too close!) after the break...

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Toy Review: Batman: Arkham Knight Batmobile from Hot Wheels: Batman by Mattel

  It's time for the sixth and final review of the new Wal-Mart exclusive 2015 Hot Wheels Batman series: The Batman: Arkham Knight Batmobile! This is the newest Batmobile out there (although next year we'll inevitably get the Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice Batmobile) as it's based on the 2015 video game of the same name. If you've played Arkham Knight then you know that the Batmobile plays a huge role in the game. Huge. I mean, if Batman can find any excuse to use the Batmobile in the game, he does. It's still a fun game with a great story, though, and the Batmobile design is quite good. It's kind of a hybrid between a more classic Batmobile and the Tumbler. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

Toy Review: The Bat from Hot Wheels: Batman by Mattel

Batman Begins introduced the Tumbler, The Dark Knight introduced the Bat-Pod, and The Dark Knight Rises introduced the Bat. It's not a car but somewhat of a mixture between all of the flying vehicles from the various Batman incarnations, the Bat may not have really had too much time to shine but it was absolutely an impressive design. Want to own one for under $1? Then check out this new Hot Wheels vehicle from the Wal-Mart exclusive Batman series....

Toy Review: Bat-Pod from Hot Wheels: Batman by Mattel

 Let's be honest: The Bat-Pod is much cooler than any Batcycle. When it first appeared in The Dark Knight it absolutely blew my mind. There have been a number of various versions of the Bat-Pod released but the nice thing about this one is that it should cost you less than $1. This is the fourth in Hot Wheel's 2015 Wal-Mart exclusive Batman series of vehicles and while it's a re-release of a mold that has been around since 2009, it's still a cool little item. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: The Hunchback of Notre Dame from Universal Monsters Select by Diamond Select Toys

 How frightful to be a peaceful, caring being burdened with a terrifying appearance. Perhaps one of the most frightening thoughts is to be labeled as something you're not...

Today I'm looking at another figure in Diamond Select's Universal Monsters Select line: Quasimodo, the titular the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Based on Victor Hugo's 1831 gothic novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was turned into a silent Universal film in 1923. Of course by that point it had already been captured on film on another occasion (almost 10 years earlier) and it would continue to be returned to again and again for inspiration for films and television shows. Diamond Select has been releasing some excellent figures in this series but I haven't reviewed too many on here. I'm working on that! Today, though, let's check out ol' Quasimodo himself shall we? More after the break...

Friday, October 16, 2015

Oh the Horror!: The Ape (1940)


  I originally wrote this review for ThEpic Review on 8/14/2013.
   
   Boris Karloff made some fantastic and fun horror films during his long career. He also made some movies that are so delightfully insane that you can't help but enjoy them.  Of course, he also made some movies that are insane but simultaneously unenjoyable.  That's The Ape right thereReleased in 1940, The Ape seems like it should be a true classic: it features Boris Karloff as a scientist/mad scientist, a circus, an escaped killer ape, and Boris Karloff wearing said ape's skin as a disguise in order to kill people so that he can collect their spinal fluid to cure polio.  How could that go wrong?  Well, it just kind of does. It's not well-developed enough to actually be "good," but neither does it get crazy enough to actually be entertaining.  Don't believe me? Then read on for my review of The Ape after the break....

Toy Review: Batman Begins Batmobile from Hot Wheels: Batman by Mattel

    It's time for the third Batmobile in Hot Wheel's Walmart Exclusive Batman series: The Batman Begins Tumbler. That's what it called on the card anyways, but everyone just calls this the Tumbler, so I will to. The Tumbler was a pretty radical departure from previous Batmobiles but it really turned out being an incredible vehicle and inspiring a number of Batmobile designs over the past 10 years since it's release. The Tumbler sculpt was originally released in 2005 and has made a number of appearances over the years in both black and tan. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

Toy Review: Batmobile from Hot Wheels: Batman by Mattel

  It's time for another review from the Walmart exclusive Batman Hot Wheels series of vehicles! Having just reviewed the Class Series Batmobile earlier today I'm now jumping into what I believe very well may be the contender against that model as the most iconic Batmobile: The Batmobile from the 1989 Tum Burton film. Except that while this Batmobile clearly comes on a package inspired by the 1989 film, this isn't actually that model of the vehicle. This is actually what has been referred to as the "Hardnoze" Batmobile. While it's clearly inspired by Burton's Batmobile, it has a much different shape. First released in 2004 this version of the Batmobile has seen a few different releases over the years. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

Toy Review: Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile from Hot Wheels: Batman by Mattel

A few weeks ago I walked into Wal-Mart and found the complete set of their 2015 exclusive Hot Wheels Batman series. Over the next day or two I'll be offering a brief look at all of these as a bit of a treat during October! You know: Bats and Cats and Halloween. It fits the theme! The first car in this six car set is the Batmobile from the Classic 1966 TV Series. Commonly known as the '66 Batmobile or as the Barris Batmobile after the vehicle's designer, George Barris,  the argument could be made that this is the most iconic Batmobile in existence. Based off of a 1955 Lincoln Futura, the Barris Batmobile was first released in the Hot Wheels line in 2007. It has been repackaged in some fashion almost every year since it's introduction although with unique art. Ready for a closer look? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Bony Tony from Garbage Pail Kids Really Big Mystery Minis by Funko

 Everyone has a skeleton inside their body. Do you really want to see yours, though? Doesn't the thought terrify you...

   The creepy, gross, and icky Garbage Pail Kids have been a huge help this year in filling 31 Days of Toy Terror with plenty of horror themed toys and action figures. Today I'm looking at one of the coolest GPKs in Funko's first series of figures: Bony Tony. Bony Tony is a kid (the overalls remind me a bit of Stewie Griffin) who is unzipping his flesh to reveal the skeleton underneath. Is he a kid who can somehow unzip his skeleton? A skeleton in a kid costume? What's going on here? Read on and we'll see if we can find out together, after the break of course...

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Oh the Horror!: Sinister 2 (2015)


To expand his ever growing body of knowledge, Barbecue17 enrolled in a film appreciation class at his local college. He is posting copies of his class assignments pass the knowledge on to you.

Movie Thoughts by Barbecue17
The movie I watched:
Sinister 2
It was directed by: Ciaran Foy
It was released in: 2015

Please briefly summarize the plot:
Bughuul is back! In this sequel to the 2012 film Deputy So & So (James Ransone) is now a private investigator who spends most of his time investigating the strands of murders attributed to Bughuul. In the wake of the death of the Oswalt family, Deputy So & So is now striving to intervene in the case of the Collins family, a mother (Shannyn Sossamon) who is trying to keep her twin sons Dylan and Zach away from their abusive father. Unfortunately, has Courtney has fled to a home next to site of a previous Bughuul murder and thus the entity's former  victims are actively seeking to corrupt the minds of her two young boys to continue their nightmarish tributes to Bughuul.

Action Figure Review: Princess Celestia from My Little Pony Vinyl Collectibles by Funko

  A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had made a trade with someone over at Funko Fantatic for the regular Princess Celestia. Each of the figures in this series also ships in a crystal/ glitter variant which is very desirable to some collectors (those variants are rarer) but not to someone like me who just wants the figures to resemble the characters. I ordered her from Amazon and got a crystal variant. Rather than return her to the third party seller, I just arranged a trade. Now I have a Princess Celestia! Like so many other figures in this series, Celestia was offered as a pre-exclusive through Hot Topic. Unlike many other figures in the line, though, Celestia has become pretty difficult to find. Reader for a closer look at this royal ruler? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Skeleton War from Hunson

 We all have bones giving shape to our body. The site of bones, however, is a frightening prospect. A skeleton reminds us of ourselves but without flesh, personality, or life. How frightening would an army of skeletons be....

   Today I'm looking at a really cool set of minifigures from the Hunson toy company: Skeleton War! I picked these up from Amazon earlier this year to add to my ever-growing collection of minifigures. These guys are sold in a simple plastic bag with the cardboard topper that you see in the photo above. If you're a fan of Ray Harryhausen, Army of Darkness, Skeleton Warriors, the book of Ezekiel, or any other story involving armies of skeletons than check these guys out. As always, when reviewing bags of minifigures, I like to imagine that these guys are the enemies from a 1980s NES game called Skeleton War and that I'm writing the enemy descriptions in the instruction manual. It's bizarre but I'm having fun, so whatever. I imagine Skeleton War would be a sidescrolling fantasy themed beat 'em up, kind of like Golden Axe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Arcade Game, or Bad Dudes. More bony details after the break...


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Oh the Horror!: V/H/S: Viral (2014)



To expand his ever growing body of knowledge, Barbecue17 enrolled in a film appreciation class at his local college. He is posting copies of his class assignments pass the knowledge on to you.

Movie Thoughts by Barbecue17
The movie I watched:
V/H/S: Viral
It was directed by: Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Nacho Vigalondo, Justin Benson, and Aaron Scott Moorehead.
It was released in: 2014

Please briefly summarize the plot:
The third installment in the V/H/S series gives more weight to the wraparound story, Marcel Sarmiento's Vicious Circles, which was pretty bad. Typically the wraparound story is simply there to give some context to the short anthology films themselves but this time the wraparound took center stage. Too bad, then, that it was so week and almost incomprehensible. A man obsessed with filming his girlfriend attempts to cover a local car chase involving an ice cream truck that may have kidnapped his girlfriend. Randomly throughout this mess the other three films pop up (gone is any attempt to utilize the viewing of V/H/S tapes as a segue into showing the short films. Fortunately, the three short films are pretty good. Dante the Great is about a magician who can perform actual magic, Parallel Monsters is about a man who creates a portal to a parallel dimension in his basement and swaps places with his other dimensional counterpart for 15 minutes, and Bonestorm is about some teenagers creating a skateboarding video in Tijuana, Mexico who get attacked by a Mexican death cult of some sort.

Statue Review: Zatanna from DC Comics Bishoujo by Kotobukiya

  2015 has been a great year of Kotobukiya's DC Comics Bishoujo line! We got the excellent Batwoman earlier this year, Black Canary is slated for November, and Zatanna has just been released. I'm thrilled to finally have Zatanna join the ranks of this line. As one of the most powerful sorceresses in the DC Universe, Zatanna is a major character who can absolutely be counted on when the chips are down and things are getting weird. While she's currently a member of the Justice League Dark, she's been affiliated with the main Justice League in the past as well as with a number of magical groups and orders. Ready for a better look at Zatanna, Mistress of Magic? Then join me....kaerb eht retfa!

31 Days of Toy Terror Returns: Nasty Nick from Garbage Pail Kids Really Big Mystery Minis by Funko

 Blood is a normal, natural part of life. Why does the sight of it terrify us so much? While we need it coursing through our veins in order to live, the thought of someone or something feasting on it is rather unsettling...

   Today for 31 Days of Toy Terror Returns I'm looking at another terrifying toy: Nasty Nick from Funko's Garbage Pail Kids! Nasty Nick is a vampire. Actually, he's a very classic looking vampire. He's got the black suit, the cape, the widows peak, and the medallion. The only somewhat non-classic element he has are that his fangs are red and not black. Perhaps they're covered in blood? Anyways, let's take a look at this guy, shall we? After the break...

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Oh the Horror!: Sinister (2012)



To expand his ever growing body of knowledge, Barbecue17 enrolled in a film appreciation class at his local college. He is posting copies of his class assignments pass the knowledge on to you.

Movie Thoughts by Barbecue17
The movie I watched: 
Sinister
It was directed by: 
Scott Derrickson
It was released in: 2012

Please briefly summarize the plot: 
True crime author Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) moves his family to a small town to begin working on his next book about the murder of a local family of four and the disappearance of their youngest daughter. What Ellison fails to tell his family is that he has moved them into the murdered family's former home. While snooping around in the attic Ellison stumbles across a projector and five Super 8 film reels that each show a family being murdered in a different place and decade. As he works with a sheriff's deputy and a professor of the occult to try and connect the murders, Ellison and his family begin to experience inexplicable phenomena that point towards something far more malevolent than a serial killer.

Action Figure Review: Boba Fett from Star Wars Hero Mashers by Hasbro

 While I finished reviewing everything from my Force Friday haul a few weeks ago, I did pick up a couple more of the Star Wars Hero Mashers that I initially ignored on Force Friday shortly afterwards. The first one I picked up was the single carded deluxe Boba Fett figure. While I initially ignored him since I had purchased the Han Solo Vs. Boba Fett set, closer inspection made me realize that the two Fetts differ in two ways: Accessories and coloring. While the two-pack Fett's coloring looks more like his appearance in The Empire Strikes Back, the single boxed figure has a more Return of the Jedi inspired appearance. Since I've mostly reviewed this figure already just a few weeks ago, I'm simply adding on some thoughts about the differences. Check the main review for the more in-depth analysis; check this one for a flaming good time!