Back in November at Rhode Island ComicCon (read about here) one of my favorite artists I met was Matthew Lineham. He's a really cool dude with an obvious love for the 80s and that's what initially drew me over to his booth.
In addition to pins, prints, and even ornaments, he has packs of pop culture Valentines.
This is one of the New Wave inspired packs including Billy Idol, Simon LeBon (Duran Duran), Talking Heads, and Adam Ant. The other two packs have Blondie, Boy George, A Flock of Seagulls, Siouxsie Sioux, and more.
He also has two sets that are all Bowie, all the time.
How can you go wrong with Ziggy Stardust and Jareth from Labyrinth?
Not surprisingly, my favorite sets are the 80s horror ones.
These are just so awesome! Freddy and Killer Clowns on the left, Monster Squad and They Live on the right! There's a third set that has Hellraiser, Lost Boys, Basketcase, and Rawhead Rex. How's that for a deep pull?
And that's not all. He also has Twin Peaks, Rocky Horror, and Stranger Things. I'm going to make you visit his site to see those though.
You should also hit up The Spooky Vegan for a sweet list of horror Valentines.
Did you know that at one time there were two different Gremlins theme park rides operating? Did you also know that depending on which one you visited that you would also encounter Beetlejuice or Alf?
This isn't exactly breaking news but it's something I recently discovered thanks to the Expedition Theme Park YouTube Channel. I highly recommend it if you're interested in theme park history. Oddly enough, while researching this post, it seems a lot of big sites have picked up on the "news" from this video being recently released.
Check it out.
I found full ride-thru videos from each attraction. Both rides closed in the early 2000's so the video quality may not be great but these are the best ones I could find.
Here is the Australian version with Beetlejuice.
And here is the German ride with ALF. I'll be honest with you, this ALF creeps me out. Not only is he speaking German but he really needs a haircut!
If you had to choose, which one would you ride? As odd as it is to see "Old Man" ALF speaking German, I'd probably go with that version. I mean, it's ALF and Gremlins!
During the holiday period between Creepmas and Christmas, I got tow new additions to my Jackling family and wanted to show them off.
For those that disrespect the laws and customs of Halloween, retribution is swift. Lantern Jack has a specific breed of Jackling that he dispatches to mete out punishment on these occasions.
The Gremlin Jackling like its namesake, will disrupt the machinery and electronics of its intended target. With its root-like appendages the Gremlin Jackling can stop and destroy even the most complex of machinery. The degree of how much destruction the Gremlin Jackling causes is relative to the severity of the transgression. Not handing out candy on Halloween might earn the offender a broken phone or a minor fender bender while a more serious transgression such as a smashed Jack O'Lantern could result in an airline crash. Respect the traditions of All Hallows to avoid the wrath of Lantern Jack and his minions!
I really love these figures and the lore just makes them that much more special.
It's hard to see in the photo, but he is wearing a tie with the vest. The Gremlin was originally released in three varieties: Traditional (orange pumpkin/white vest), Ghost White (this guy), and Blow Mold Orange (all orange & black, just like a classic blow mold). I was going to pass on this one originally because he's bigger than the usual Jackling figure which means he costs more. But thanks to a holiday promo code I was able to get him at a discount and am so happy I did!
Up next is the Yuletide Jackling.
Just like the Gremlin, Yuletide is a bit taller and was released in three variants: Christmas Eve, Halloween (black & orange replacing red & white), and Candy Cane. See them all here. Unlike the Gremlin, there was no question of passing on this one! The hard part was picking between this one or the Halloween version. Ultimately, the juxtaposition of the two holidays won out. Plus, how often do you get to use juxtaposition?
Because of his squatting/sitting position, just about every time I look at him, I imagine him standing up and stretching his legs, ready for mischief.
I knew these figures were taller but for some reason, my brain didn't anticipate how much bigger they would be!
The one in the middle is about the same size as a LEGO minifig.
If you feel the need to add some Jacklings in your life (and really, you should!) visit The Cryptocurium on Etsy. You can also follow the_cryptocurium on Instagram to stay up to date on new stuff throughout the year.
I held off on posting this yesterday, presuming everyone would be too hung over to look at the internet. Happy New Year!
Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
I'm just here for the giant robots fighting things and the movie had enough of that to keep me interested. The plot is like something from a Saturday morning cartoon but again, give me giant robots and I'm set.
Rating: 6/10
This is an R trailer for nudity
Sorceress (1982, Prime)
This movie is not great. The acting is terrible. The beast-men costumes are laughable. There isn't even really a Sorceress in the movie, just a Sorcerer!
I pretty much fell in love with it after the first 15 minutes. It really is so bad it's good. Okay, maybe not good but definitely fun! It's got a cheesy sense of humor like it's laughing at itself which just makes it that much more endearing.
Rating: 7/10 for the fun factor. If that trailer doesn't get you all in, nothing will.
Slay Belles (2018)
I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about this one. On the one hand, I love Barry Bostwick's Santa, the Santa lore, and the Krampus. On the other, most of the time I can barely stand 2/3 of the leads and he occasional really terrible EDM music. It's a good time but it feels like a lot of the beginning is watching the girls frolic around before anything actually happens. If I'm thinking three attractive women in skimpy outfits wandering around an abandoned amusement park is wasting time, you're doing it wrong.
Rating: 6.5/10, if you want to learn more about the park where this was shot check this out
Hardcore Henry (2015, Netflix)
Straight up over the top, balls to wall, crazy sci-fi action flick all done from the first person view. Not much else to say other than it's a lot of fun.
Rating: 8/10
All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018)
An oddball holiday horror anthology. Each story stands on its own and most of them have a bit of humor to them, mostly dark. It's also got a weird wraparound story that frames the anthology. There are a couple of stand out stories, the rest are okay at best.
Rating: 6/10, give it a spin
Aquaman (2018)
Look, I don't know what you're expecting from a movie based on a comic book character that is primarily known for talking to fish but this was more fun than I was expecting. What it lacks in acting and logical story, it makes up for with visuals. The way Momoa delivers his one liners and strikes poses for a beefcake calendar, I feel like he's the only one that knows what movie he's in. Everyone else seems to think it's community theater Shakespeare.
Rating: 7/10
You Can't Do That on Film (2004)
As much as I watched this show, seeing the documentary makes me realize just how much of the show I never saw. A lot of the cast that show up for interviews came after I stopped watching. Not that it's a bad thing, I was just hoping for more from the likes of Christine and Lisa. I was very happy to see a lot of Les Lye. All in all, if you were a fan of the show at any point, I think you'd get a kick out of hearing the stories.
Into the Dark: Pooka! (2018)
I had a good time with this one. It was a bit odd but that's one of the things that kept me interested. I can't say too much without giving anything away, it's best you see it for yourself! Be warned, you will get an annoying song (and maybe even a dance) stuck in your head.
Rating: 7/10
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
For lack of a better word, amazing what they managed to do here. I was going to wait for home video but I saw so many people praising it, I had to see it. Happy to say it deserves all the praise! I thought the jerky animation would bother me but it really is like a comic book come to life. This had everything I could want in any superhero movie.
Rating: 9/10, hoping the end credits is a hint of things to come.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005, Netflix)
It's been a long while since I read the book bu from what I remember, it seems like they did a great job of adapting it. It definitely has that odd British sense of humor so if you don't know the book and hate Monty Python, you should probably pass on it.
