Are you bored with being a generic fantasy character for Halloween? Spirit has rolled out an official Dungeons & Dragons line of costumes and accessories!
Well, maybe "rolled out" sounds a little ambitious. There's not much in the line for now but let's have a look.
First is fan favorite Drizzt Do'Urden from The Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A.
Salvatore. Arguably one of the best known characters from the Forgotten
Realms setting. If you like fantasy and haven't read his series, I highly recommend it! The costume looks a little weird on a white dude since Drizzt is a Drow, or Dark Elf, and he has dark skin.
Next is Human Fighter, and his love, Catti-Brie. It's nice to see a tasteful female costume.
Of course, weapons are sold separately! They would all probably look nice hanging on a wall if you're the kind of person that decorates by hanging weapons on your walls.
And finally, saving the best for last...
DungeonMaster from the D&D cartoon! I have to say, this looks a bit off on a taller person. But I'm thrilled that the cartoon is getting some kind of recognition. Maybe they'll put out other characters over the years. I wouldn't necessarily buy any costumes but I could be tempted to pick up a few replicas of the kids' magic items. Also, this opens the door for an adult Warduke costume which I'd totally be down for!
It's funny, I'm not quite at the point where I'm actively going out to look for Halloween stuff but it keeps showing up in my mailbox!
Last week, the latest Jackling arrived from The Cryptocurium.
Here is the lore behind the Surprise Jackling
"These rare Jacklings dwell inside forgotten bags of leftover Halloween
candy. Sustained by the lingering Halloween Spirit contained within,
they have been known to surprise unsuspecting children when they find
their treat bag months after the night of All Hallows Eve. Like a genie
in a bottle, Surprise Jacklings disappear once they are discovered as
the magic contained within vanishes."
It stands 3.5 inches tall. They're available in three different colorways and each style is limited to only 25 pieces. There's still some left if you want to snag one from The Cryptocurium.
Here's a little close up for you.
The lollipop is a bit more green than it looks here so it doesn't really blend into the the robe as much in person. It's also hard to see in my photo but the robe does have a hood on the back.
He's making some new friends, and maybe reuniting with old ones, on my new shelf.
In the "before times" of 2017, I backed a Kickstarter for a set of
trading cards based on the art of Dan Brereton. You can
see that post here. They recently did a second series based on his amazing comic series The
Nocturnals and I wanted to show off some of those goodies.
Image from Kickstarter
Last time, I just got the cards and kind of regretted not opting for something with an autograph. This go round, I splurged a little more since
it was the second series and I love the Nocturnals!
As this was the second series of cards, I figured why not get a binder to
hold them?
Included with the binder, is this tryptech card set.
It's three cards that
connect to make a big scene.
Each one is autographed on the back too!
Just like the first series, this one comes in it's own shelf display box sized for a single pack and wax wrapper. Also again, no bubble gum included.
These are the bonus and promo cards. Starting in the top left is a foil logo
card announcing the set. Top right is a "bubblegum card" which is a lot more
pink than it looks here. Bottom left is an autographed rainbow foil. And
bottom right is a Kickstarter exclusive promo.
And finally, a few of the cards from the main set. There are 18 total. They're
glossy on the front and have that nostalgic cardboard back featuring info on
the character or scene.
If you're not familiar with The Nocturnals, I'm sure just seeing the art on these cards will let you know why I love hem so much! The original comics aren't easy to find for sale online but if you're in need of something to
put you in that Halloween spirit, they're worth tracking down. Try your local comic shop, they can probably use the business!
Dan Brereton has another Kickstarter going for a new art book and
portfolio.
You can check that out by clicking the image below.
Did you know there was a Creature from the Black Lagoon Musical?!
I didn't either until recently, thanks to the YouTube channel
Expedition Theme Park.
If you're a theme park fan, the channel is definitely worth checking out!
Last week, he put up a video about the history of Universal Studios Hollywood Creature
Musical which, being a big Creature fan, blew my mind because I wasn't even
aware of it. The fact that it only ran for 2 months in 2009 probably has something to do with that.
If you want to see the musical spoiler-free, skip this history lesson for
now.
There was a big to do when the show opened. Julia Adams (Kay in the original movie) was there to help celebrate. Here's a short clip from the musical's press day of the Creature's arrival.
The show is only about 30 minutes if you want to check it out.
It's definitely...um...something to see.
Even if you don't make it through the whole thing, I recommend forwarding through to catch a swimming scene and the big finale, a couple of things they definitely deserve some credit for doing.
With this whole Corona thing, the unimaginable has happened.
I've actually caught up on all the shows I normally record!
Streaming
Schitt's Creek (Netflix) - Little late to the party on this one but I'm
so glad I got around to it! I've been a Eugene Levy fan since SCTV and he really is just getting better with age. The show itself is pretty simple but the
characters make it shine. Just waiting for the final season to come to
streaming.
Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix) - I didn't watch the original a whole lot
but I'm finding out true crime may be a favorite thing for me. There's only a
handful of episodes right now but I really hope there will be more. Each episode is devoted to a single mystery. If the first one doesn't hook you, I don't know what will. And how
did they manage to make the theme even spookier??
Warrior Nun (Netflix) - Based on the comic Warrior Nun Areala, a
teenage girl awakes from death with a religious artifact embedded in her,
making her the new chosen one. It's a little supernatural, a little superhero,
plus you've got kick ass nuns battling demons! What more could you want? A second
season, that's what!
Locke & Key (Netflix) - Yet another comic I haven't read turned series. It has the wonder of an 80s kids adventure movie but with a touch of dark fantasy to it. I guess it's sort of like Stranger Things but modern instead of in the 80s. If you're reading this, you should check it out.
Movies
Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999, Pluto TV)
Picking up from last month’s “Finish the Franchise.” I'm not going to even get
into this. It was a terrible way to leave the series. Doesn't seem like they
were interested in keeping continuity and Candyman seems to have the hots for
his descendant. I mean, she is a former Playboy centerfold and Baywatch babe,
but ew. Hopefully the reboot will return him to horror icon status.
A building full of workers is forced to quarantine when a virus that causes
you to lose impulse control breaks out. It’s like Office Space but instead of
a printer, the disgruntled employees bloodily battle their way up floors to
get revenge on the big cheese. Steven Yuen is great here and you’ll be rooting
for him if you’ve ever had “one of those days” at work. Plus, it's directed by
Joe Lynch!
I didn't like the look of this from the first trailer and my opinion hasn't
changed now that I've seen it. I actually didn't mind the idea of turning
Chucky into a home assistant gone rogue but the script needs to go to the
returns department. Also, whoever approved his design needs to be fired. Yes,
they succeeded in making him look creepy but it's not the good kind of creepy.
Oh. My. God. I LOVE this movie!! Everything about this flick is on point and
brimming with style. Not just the music but the sound design and the visuals.*chef kiss* I was hooked on the opening credits sequence alone. I
wish Edgar Wright had been allowed to make his version of Ant-Man.
Rating: 9/10
Blade Squad (aka Inline Cops, 1998)
Sorry I could only find a German trailer but it should give you an idea just how 90s EXTREEEEEME this wants to be. It was made in '98 but it feels like something made in the mid-80s that was trying to be futuristic. I don't know how anyone involved could take this seriously: Police on inline skates with rocket boost backpacks. Oh yeah, they operate out of the back of a seriously modified garbage truck. It's not quite "so bad it's good" but it's close! The drama is SO over the top. I blame this one totally on Kevin at Masked Library for making me aware of it.
Rating: 3/10
Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future (1985, YouTube. Watch it above!)
This is the original UK TV special that provides Max's origin story. It was reshot and became the pilot episode for the 1987 ABC TV series so if you're familiar with that, this isn't much different. The show was insanely ahead of its time in the 80s but would fit perfectly in today's cyber scene. If you're only familiar with Max as a talking head, check this out!
