Recently, Super 7 had a big clearance blowout and had this series of blind boxes for 50% off! Unless it's a character I really, really like, I have a hard time spending $20 (or I guess they're now $25?!) for a carded, 3.75" 5 POA figure. But for $7.50 a pop on blind boxes? I'll take my chances.
Especially with a can't miss wave like this: Bert, Ernie, Guy Smiley, and Oscar. Three of the main stars plus Guy, who's also a favorite. Everyone has their favorites, but to be honest, I couldn't be upset at getting any of the Sesame Street cast.
First pull was Bert who comes with a pigeon, naturally! Everyone knows Bert, from the iconic pointed head to the striped shirt, but have you ever really looked at his outfit? Take it all in. Is he wearing a long sleeved turtle neck under the stripes? I have to give him props for sticking with those shoes throughout the decades.
Here's a closer look at the pigeon, which fits right in his hand. It's a good place to keep it. It tends to fall over a lot when standing on its own.
Next up was Oscar and a teeny, tiny Slimey who comes in a plastic bag because he's very easy to lose! I love the design on this one. There's a vertical slider on the back so Oscar can go into the can (closing the lid) or be popped up. The lid does go straight up which I didn't notice until after I took the photo.
It wasn't hard to tell this was Oscar when I felt the black plastic bag so I was a little bummed at first when I opened the last one and felt another Oscar, until I opened it...
and found that it was the glitter chase version of Oscar! Even Slimey has a metallic finish. It's hard to capture but Oscar is also glittery. I bet he would HATE that!
There's enough difference in their coloration that they could be different characters. Maybe the glitter one is a cousin that lives in rich people's trash of Beverly Hills?
The country (world?) may be going to hell in a hand basket but I'm still
here to bring the Monthly Media Recap! As usual, linked titles will take you
to a trailer.
Two estranged spouses — one a detective, the other a news reporter — vie to
solve a murder in which each believes the other is a prime suspect. Excellent
murder mystery! And you can't go wrong with Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson as
the leads, great performances.
The Muppet Show (2026, Disney+)
If this doesn't get a series order, people should be rioting! Not only did the
reproduce the original Muppet theater but they also captured the essence of
the original show. I think more than ever, the world needs the Muppet Show!
Part of Hulu's holiday horror series Into the Dark. This one has a bunch of
teens playing a haunted board game on Halloween night. There's some drama
among the friend group but I didn't really care. I didn't like any of them and
was pretty much waiting for the body count to rise. The kills aren't anything
memorable but they're okay.
Rating: 5/10
The Jester 2 (2025, Shudder)
I'm torn on this series so far. On one hand, they have some creative kills
inspired by magic tricks. On the other, they keep doing something to make me
not like it as much as I want. In this one, they redesigned the Jester's look
(probably to get away from Art the Clown) and it just looks like a mask on a
mask. At least the plot in this one is more straightforward and it falls an oddly specific sub-genre that I enjoy: kids getting roped into working with the evil.
Another entry in the Halloween horror anthology series. I went back to see
what I thought of the rest and found I've only seen the first! Of the four
stories, the first, Ejectdead, is my favorite. Imagine The Ring but instead of
Samara, you get a Jason like slasher. There's one other tale that's memorable even if the way they carried it out didn't make a lot of sense. Overall, not bad for an indie anthology.
This feels like it could be in the Fast & Furious-verse: it's loud, dumb, about family, has lots of action and for some reason I really enjoyed it.
Bautista and Momoa play off each other really well, milking the "at odds buddy
cop" trope for all it's worth. My two biggest issues were some sequences with
painfully obvious blue screen and the unbelievable civilian collateral
casualties they cause with no mention.
Some people won't like this because a Predator is the main character and it
removes some of the mystery around them. Me? I've been waiting for this movie
since the original AvP comics came out. Having a young Predator protagonist
allows you to see there's more to them as a species. Elle Fanning is great and
has a lot of lifting to do as she's the only "human" in most of the movie.
Between this, Prey, and Killer of Killers, we've been blessed with some of the
best Predator content since the original.
Rating: 8/10
Mrs Dex found the Six Million Dollar Man on Peacock and we're doing a series
watch. I can't really call it a rewatch because there's no way I caught a lot of these when they aired. Being Gen X kids, we both have nostalgia for the show so it's
interesting to go back and watch it now, especially with the gratuitous use of stock footage. Prior to the show proper, there were three
made for TV movies to get Col. Austin off the ground.
The Six Million Dollar Man (1973)
I've read this is a good adaptation of the original novel Cyborg by Martin
Caidin. I haven't read the book but I'm not sure how anyone saw this and said
"Yes, we need more!" Steve has mental trauma from his accident and replacement
parts which is understandable and is a great theme for a book. But here he's
very dour and the show just isn't that much fun. The fan-made season one
trailer above gives a little peek at how serious the pilot can be.
I'm lumping these together as there's not a lot to differentiate them. They
basically turned Austin into James Bond with bionics. He's got a sense of
humor and even drops a couple double entendre! They're dated, as anything from
the 70s will be, but they're a lot more fun to watch than the pilot. They
haven't got around to using the iconic sound effects yet so it's a little
weird seeing him in action without them.
This used to be an annual tradition but it looks like I haven't done one since 2022. At any rate, here's a look at some of the goodies left under my holiday tree by various supernatural beings.
We'll start off with these awesome gift tags that Mrs Dex found. Perfect for me!
Sadly, this art print from Spooky Cat Press isn't a full comic magazine!
Speaking of Krampus, here's a weird plush from the Pinhead Monsters line.
Throwing this in here because it's on theme. This was a gift to myself after we saw the author, Jeff Belanger, do his "The Fright Before Christmas" show. It's just him and some slides talking about the origin of Christmas as a holiday in addition to all the weird dark folklore from different countries. Can't recommend this enough if you want to dive into the darker side of winter traditions.
A great set of figures from Disney's Haunted Mansion. All the most popular characters are here and I found it interesting that they picked the mummy to round out the set.
And to go with them, a Disney Racers Haunted Mansion Hot Rod! Love the details on this: Mdme. Leota's headstone on the front and the pipe organ in the back.
The Indy Temple Trekker is sporting the famous hat and whip. The vehicle is based on the design used for the ride vehicle from the Disneyland attraction.
While we're talking Disney, Mrs Dex got me this very cool Tron: Ares light up popcorn...bucket? container? It's pretty sizeable at just over a foot tall!
I was very excited to unwrap this Funko of one of my favorite Muppets: Pepe the King Prawn. There's not enough Pepe merch out there! And he's flocked!
Rounding things out with a pair of Star Wars card games. This Solo Solitaire game comes in a tin that looks like Han in carbonite. It's basic "Patience" solitaire with a themed deck of cards. There's a Jedi Master mode where you add two additional cards: Carbon Freeze which "freezes" the lane when it reveals, preventing you from playing or moving cards there, until you play Save Solo on it to remove it.
Finally is the Stay on Target card game, which I really wanted because it comes in that cool Death Star! Each player takes a squadron color and battles their way through Imperial defenses to take a shot at that exhaust port to score victory points.
Mrs Dex has been telling me for years that I would love this show and she's
100% correct! She recently found two of the stars are doing a rewatch podcast
where they go episode by episode and talk about them. Since she was going to
watch anyway, I figured it was a good time to jump in. It is incredibly funny
and I think it's only improved by listening to the podcast after each episode.
Slasher: Solstice (S3, Netflix)
This season is focused on the occupants of an apartment building that are
being stalked by a masked killer known as the Druid. I have to applaud the writers for having so many characters with interconnected story lines. The series continues
to impress me with the brutality and gruesomeness of the kills.
Muppets Mayhem (Disney+)
Thank you, whoever had faith that you can make an entertaining Muppet thing
that doesn't include any of the "big name" cast. I've always liked the Mayhem
(who doesn't?) and it was really cool to see them center stage for an entire
series. The celeb cameos were all great too.
Black Mirror (S6, Netflix)
I can't believe it's been four years since the last season! This group of five
new shows is branching out a bit from what we've come to expect and I'm here
for it. The final episode, Demon 79, is a testing ground for possible
companion series called Red Mirror that would lean more towards horror.
It's time again for the annual tradition of cramming in as many holiday horror
flicks as I can...no matter how bad they may seem. There are a ridiculous amount of Christmas themed horror movies and a lot of them are the visual equivalent of
coal in your stocking. I found
this list
of what's on Tubi and after watching a couple, I don't think the author and I
have the same taste.
I've said this before and it's worth mentioning again given the upcoming
reviews. Indie, low budget horror can be a hard sell for me. I can get by bad
effects and/or acting if there's something for me to grab on to.
It's Christmas, it's got Muppets, guest stars, and most importantly, Pepe the
King Prawn. How can you go wrong? You can't!
Beauty & The Beast 30th Anniversary (2022, Disney+)
This was pretty cool! They showed the original movie intercut with live action
performances when the musical numbers come up. It was very well done,
especially the opening which looked to be done in a single shot while
traversing a backlot.
It's been so long since I first saw this, it was basically like watching again
for the first time. Murray is good but feels like he went off script a lot. By
far my favorite performance here has to be Carol Kane. She steals her whole
segment! The TV movie within the movie is great too. As a Christmas Carol
adaptation, I don't know that Murray's character quite experiences enough to
make him change his ways but it's still a good time.
On February 19th, Disney+ added all five seasons of the original Muppet
Show (1976 - 1981) to its streaming catalog. The is pretty amazing considering the last two seasons have yet to receive a home release. Featured in the very first
episode is the iconic (and infectious) musical number "Mah Na Mah Na".
No doubt, you know the tune, but do you know this wasn't the first Muppet performance of it, or where the song originated?
Join us as we go Behind the Music with Mah Na Mah Na...
The birds are singing, flowers are sprouting. Spring is in the air!
And it's once again that time of year when Hallmark sends out their annual Keepsake Dreambook that previews some of the upcoming holiday ornaments for the year.
I'm going to run down just a few pages of neat-o pop culture related things you can hang from, or put atop, your Christmas tree. Or whatever winter holiday related plant you may have in your home.
Hallmark once again flips the bird to collectors by making some really cool ornaments only available at Comic Cons where you can wait in line for hours and still not get one. Exclusive ornaments are what got me to stop being all in on Star Wars ornaments. Thank you, Hallmark for saving me money and space.
I can't even begin to image how much the Prototype Boba Fett is going to go for on the secondary market. I'm guessing $100 for the low end.
Continuing the Nightmare Before Christmas series is Dr. Finklestein. Next to him is The Muppets' Electric Mayhem tour bus which plays a snippet from "Can You Picture That?" I would have gone with "Movin Right Along" but that's just me.
And then we have three more additions to the Chevy Chase collection. Not really a thing, but they seem to be cranking out at least one Vacation and one Caddyshack ornament every year now. The gopher is one of those solar mover things.
Ladies and gents, I present to you Bugs Bunny from "What's Opera, Doc?"! Possibly the first and only time you'll see an ornament with a male cross dressing character. Although I'm not sure if they'd ever made a Mrs Doubtfire ornament.
Michigan J Frog is one you could probably keep on your desk year round just to annoy your co-workers. Yes, it has sound! Yes, it's exactly what you think it is.
Scooby-Doo's Mystery Machine plays the original theme song, of course! The Flintstones one also plays the theme but I"m really hoping it starts with the work whistle to complete the Fred leaving work scene.
Then you've got what's pretty much the Trinity of 80s youth: He-Man, Grimlock, and Jem. Who would have thought there would ever be a Jem ornament?
Sadly, she does not play any music.
Here are the Star Wars ones that you don't have to go to a con and stand in line for. BB-8 is a no-brainer but I can't believe he doesn't have sound! Han...yeah ok. I probably would have gone with FN-2187 or Rey, which I'm sure we'll get at some point.
Poe's X-Wing has "battle sounds" which might cause me to pass on it because it cranks the price up to $33. The stormtrooper head has "memorable dialog" and of course the Leia/Vader scene does as well. Very curious to see what the Rogue One ornament is going to be. Will it be a ship, character, or something else?
And if you've got an extra $100 burning a whole in your pocket, you can top your tree with a Death Star! It does come with its own power cord so you could sit it on a shelf too. It also has a remote control to start a light show synchronized with either the Main Title or Imperial March. Depending on how cool this looks in person, I may wait for a post-holiday clearance.
There's still a good amount of more pop culture ones including DC, Marvel, Peanuts, and more. July 9-10 is the ornament premiere weekend if you want to be among the first to see these in person.
No Countdown to Halloween would be complete without mentioning Mr. Vincent Price. Today marks the 22nd anniversary of his passing. If you want to keep up with all things Price-related, head on over to VincentPrice.com and join the mailing list. You'll get a weekly email from his a daughter Victoria and she always includes some type of family photo.
She also has a blog titled the Daily Practice of Joy where she writes about her experiences traveling and meeting her dad's fans. She has a great piece up today. It's long but absolutely worth the read. The world would be a better place if we all lived life like Vincent Price.
Here's a few clips
Price reads Poe's The Raven.
Kermit hosting the Tonight Show! Not only is Price here but Uncle Deadly makes a cameo. And it's classic Deadly, not the toned down version he is on The Muppets now.
Another winning duo. This clip is more Elvira (also very appropriate!) but Price's reactions also make it worth watching.
A montage of a clean-shaven Price riding roller coasters.
Wow, September already! For most of us, that means Halloween is just around the corner, but not Dinosaur Dracula! His countdown starts now and I love him for it.
This blog can only dream to be like his when it grows up.
If you see a title you like, click to order from Amazon. Even if you don't see anything you like, click a link and find something you do like and buy from Amazon. Every little bit helps!
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Full disclosure: I was in love with this movie from the first trailer and I've been a fan of Rocket since the 80s. I had ridiculously high hopes for this movie. It did not disappoint! I haven't had this much pure fun watching a movie in a long time. I can't wait to see them interact with other residents of the MCU. I need prequels! Rocket & Groot, Nebula & Gamora, Star-Lord & Yondu's adventures!
Cool: The characters, the soundtrack, the gorgeousness...too many things to list! Lame: It felt like there were throwing a lot of info at me and if I wasn't a comic reader, I don't know that I would have kept it all straight. Rating: 8.5/10, the only people that shouldn't see this are those that don't like a good time
This week the League of Extraordinary Bloggers has been tasked to hold their ultimate dinner party. Invited guests can be living, dead, and/or fictional.
I was good up until the fictional part. It's hard enough putting together just five people from real life people, never mind all of literature, TV, movies, and video games! So I'm thinking this may call for some creative interpretation, also known as cheating the topic.
For starters, here's my real world guest list. Not to be confused with the Real World, although it could be interesting to see these people living in a house together.
If you know me at all, it's no surprise that Vincent Price is numero uno on my guest list. I'm pretty sure I'd have no problem with him being my only guest for the evening! His daughter is coming to Salem in October and I'm hoping really hard that I"ll be able to attend her lecture. It'll be the next best thing to being able to actually meet him.
Second is Roger Corman, King of the B Movies! Not only do I love B movies, but he's worked with so many people during his career, he's got to have some fantastic stories.
The next two gentlemen should need no introduction. I'd love to pick Walt's brain about theme park design and attractions. Maybe even ask him to design his version of a Star Wars ride, after showing him the movie of course!
Jim and Kermit are a package deal. I wouldn't make Jim perform, technically. I mean, if I'm bringing people back from the dead, I'm sure there's some magic way Jim could "be" Kermit without having to be under the table, right? I don't even know where I'd start with them. Sesame Street and The Muppet Show have had such an impact on me. I'd probably be more star struck and tongue tied trying to talk to Kermit.
My last guest does need an introduction and his name is Howard Scott Warshaw. Maybe you've heard the name, maybe not. But if you owned an Atari 2600 as a kid, chances are you're familiar with at least one of his games: Yar's Revenge, Raiders of the Lost Ark, or E.T. Yar's is one of my favorite video games ever and the Atari was a big part of my childhood.
I promise not to bring up E.T.
Now we come to the fictional party list!
Right off the top, it has to be The Doctor, but which one? Maybe he'd start at 1 and regenerate into each version as the night wears on. Or he could just randomly rotate between 4, 9, 10, and 11 all night. Wouldn't that be fun? Or some (or all) could show up at once, not like that hasn't happened before.
Next is probably my most loved character in printed fiction, Tasslehoff Burrfoot from the DragonLance novels. He's like a halfling with ADHD and has a habit of "borrowing" things that aren't nailed down. He's pretty much fearless and if there's trouble to be found, he'll won't just find it, he'll find it and poke it with a stick!
From Marvel comics, a pair of distinctly different doctors: Doom and Strange. When it comes to comic characters, I tend toward the more mystically inclined. Doom might try to steal the TARDIS, but I'd bet Tasslehoff would be stowed away in there and drive him crazy. And Strange I've been a fan of almost as long as I've been reading comics. I'm much more into his extra-dimensional adventures than the Earth-bound ones.
I was going to put Rocket Raccoon in the last chair. But as much as I'm into Guardians of the Galaxy right now, I have to put Adventure Time's Finn as my final fictional guest. He knows how to party but if Tas isn't plundering the depths of the TARDIS, he and Finn will probably run off to find adventure somewhere. There's so much doctor going on at this party, I had to use this particular image of Finn, even though he's not a doctor.
A few little things to celebrate the 103rd anniversary of Vincent Price's birth today.
The entire Vincent Price/Halloween episode of the Muppet Show. Possibly the greatest ever episode because it has both Price and Uncle Deadly in it.
Below is Price as Dr. Anton Phibes as seen in The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr Phibes Rises Again. This is one of his favorite roles of mine. There may not have been a Saw movie without him! The creator of Phibes has released a trilogy of books based on, and expanding, the movies. He also released a novella last year about Phibes' assistant Vulnavia.
I know! I know! We're still just barely into Spring but the Hallmark Dream Book catalog for 2014 arrived the other day and there's some cool stuff in it. I know not everyone gets the catalog so I wanted to share some highlights with my fellow pop culture enthusiasts.
Two, count 'em, two Vacation ornaments! One Christmas and one original flavor. I'm looking forward to hearing what comes out of the Gonzo one when you push his button. And a flying DeLorean. I bet that will look cool hanging on the tree with its light up effects.
If you take a quick peek at the red text down by Bats' feet, it sure doesn't look like it says Holy Hit, does it?
I don't particularly care for this one but I had to share the sheer weirdness of the pose they used. Couldn't they have put his hand a little more over his face like he's doing that V thing over the eye? Instead it looks like he stepped on a LEGO someone left on the Batcave floor. It was probably Bane.
Ah, what a pair! There are a few Halloween themed ornaments in the catalog but I forgot to scan them! Poor Frankie doesn't have any special features. But then I guess most people probably don't want the scene with the little girl being re-enacted on their holiday tree.
Ok, they totally missed an opportunity here. Jaws plays the theme, great! Brady Bunch plays the theme, ok. General Lee does not have a feature to play the horn?!?! C'mon now!
Godzilla looks like he's wearing a holiday scarf but it doesn't tie around him? It's not going to keep him very warm! And then two things I would pretty much have never expected to see in ornament form: Cornelius and an Alien. I wonder if the Alien is the first character from an R rated movie they've ever done?
A decent assortment of Star Wars this year. I've been collecting the LEGO ones so I'm super excited to see Boba come along. And I must get the cantina band as well. I like them anyway but you throw a music feature on them and it's about perfect. The only thing that would make it better is if they put sections of both tracks on there, not just the one most people know. I'm not sure if I hope or dread that the Vader may say "NOOOOOOOOOO!"
And if you happen to be going to San Diego or NYC Comic Cons and feel like trying your luck, here are the exclusives only available there and nowhere else. Long time readers may recall a post where I explained these exclusives were actually a blessing for me. With their introduction, I could never have a truly complete set of Star Wars ornaments so I'm now free to pick and choose just the ones I really like. If they ever do a Star Wars LEGO exclusive I'm going to have to walk into Hallmark and kick someone in the no-no area.
I am a little disappointed there aren't any Adventure Time or Regular Show ornaments.
Wow is it April already? And I thought February was supposed to be the shortest month. I'm am totally ready for spring to start rearing its head whenever Mother Nature decides to get off her butt and get that going.
Not too bad this month considering the first week or so my movie time was taken up by the final season of the Clone Wars animated series. It's some of the best stuff they've done but I wish they'd leave the Force stuff alone. I don't need to know a lot about some things and the Force is a "less is more" area.
Spookies (1986)
A bunch of "teenagers" look for a place to party and stumble into a haunted house. How many times have I heard that one? This flick had extra footage added after it was already done in an attempt to make the story more cohesive, but it really makes it more of a standard what I call "oddball 80s horror" flick.
Cool: If you like creature effects/makeups, there's more than enough to go around Lame: Story, what's that? Yes, those mud men around 1:07 in the trailer are farting. Rating: 4/10
NSFW Red Band Trailer
The Watch (2012)
Ok, I admit, this was a lot better than I was expecting. I'm guessing it didn't do well on its initial release because I think I blinked and missed it being in theaters. Yes, the humor is mainly on the 13 year old boy level, but it worked for me.
Cool: The humor was pretty good and the guys work well together; The alien design is cool. Lame: The humor may not be for everyone; The "character stories" such as they are sometimes felt forced into the plot. Rating: 5.5/10
American Hustle (2013)
Really good, and not what I was expecting. When the ads first showed up, it looked like one thing. Then they started advertising it as comedy of the year. It's not quite a comedy. There are funny parts, but I wouldn't call it a comedy.
Cool: Love the time period; Some scenes were shot in Salem; If you're an Amy Adams fan, you'll be seeing a lot more of her in this than her previous movies. Lame: It did feel a tiny bit long. Rating: 7/10
*The Muppets (2011)
Just happened to be on the day after I saw Hustle. Very, very weird seeing Amy Adams here after that. Still love this movie. I have no conscious memory of The Muppet Movie, but Rainbow Connection still gets me every time.
Hangover Part 3 (2013)
I still haven't seen part 2, which I hear is a lot like the original. Characters return, we get to see the baby from the first one and everything seems wrapped up nice and neat with a bow at the end. A very disturbing bow.
Cool: Ken Jeong is off the rails and funny as hell, stealing every scene he's in Lame: Helms and Cooper take a backseat most of the time to Jeong and Galifinakis Rating: 6/10
Scanners (1981)
My first time diving in to this series. Sure, everyone knows the splodey-head scene, I just never got around to it before now. It really sucked me in from the get go. I can't explain why but the world seemed to be very real, almost X-Men in nature. Unfortunately, the series peaks right out of the gate. Rating: 8/10
Scanners II: The New Order (1991)
This was a disappointment after enjoying the first one so much. I get what they were going for with the story, it just didn't do it for me. There's also some epic "I'm using my Scanner powers" facial contortion going on that makes it silly. Rating: 3/10
Scanners III: The Takeover (1992)
Still not as good as the original but it was a heck of a lot easier to watch than II. It definitely strays into "stupid" comedy. Whether it was intentional or not, I'm don't know but it makes for a fun time. Rating: 5.5/10
Scanner Cop (1994)
Oh yes, there are more of them! The story is kinda cool in this one with a criminal brainwashing people to see something horrifying when they look at a cop, which causes them to attack the cop. It's a sequel in the same universe (obvi) but still feels removed from the reality of the original movie that I like so much. Rating: 5/10
Scanner Cop aka Scanners: The Showdown (1995)
Thankfully, the final Scanners. Continuing with the main character from Scanner Cop. This time he's up against an evil Scanner that can increase his own powers by killing other Scanners. Kinda like a vamp-Scanner. The "hero" makes innocent people appear to be him and the bad guy gruesomely kills them. Uh, not very heroic. Even more incredibly laughable "concentration" faces in this one. Best thing it has going: Khrystyne Haje, the redhead from Head of the Class. Rating: 4.5/10
Overall, I think one of the main reasons I didn't get into the sequels (aside from them being not very good to start with) is that most of the time even the protagonist gives into their violent tendencies that are linked to being a Scanner. They kill when they could just as easily knock someone out. None of the original three are tied together aside from being in the same world, so I'd recommend the original and 3 for a "so bad it's good" time. And maybe Scanner Cop.
Month Total
New: 9 Rewatch: 1
Year To-Date Final Total
New: 25 Rewatch: 4
As always, if you've got any recommendations of your own, feel free to drop them in the comments. I'm sure there's a few franchises out there I still haven't seen.
Despite a lengthy break that could have spelled the end of the League of Extraordinary Bloggers, we are back! Better, stranger, faster!
The topic for discussion this week is current obsessions. I don't really have anything I'm going absolutely crazy for right now, but these couple things are close.
Cherry Limeade
Whether it's a scorching summer day or the middle of March when we should be having more Spring-like weather (you HEAR me up there?!?), anytime is a good time for cherry limeade. I tend to average a trip to Sonic about once a week for the sole purpose of this beverage.
And I've recently discovered...
I don't think I've been so addicted to a "kids" drink since Ecto Cooler. I've been meaning to grab some Sprite to mix with the Kool Aid to give it the carbonation of its Sonic cousin.
Pepe and Rizzo Stop for Gas
My second obsession is a commercial I love and loathe at the same time. Although the Muppets were schilling on TV before I was born, I'm not sure how I feel about them selling cars. At the end of the day though, I don't think I'll care as long as they continue to be funny and entertaining. The fact that they with Toyota is far from my mind when watching this.
First, Pepe the King Prawn is my absolute favorite character to come out of Muppets Tonight. He's easily in my top 5 Muppets, maybe even right behind Uncle Deadly.
The parts I love:
0:26 - "It's not ice cream."
0:50 - Pepe beeping the horn. What he's hitting it with, I'm not sure.
1:20 - Teriyaki Towwwwwwn!
Welcome fantastic, first time poster The Dusty Shelf to the League! Monster Cafe wrestles with his obsession.
Things get a little creepy over at the Nerd Cantina.
Check out what other League members are obsessed with over here.
Well, the official Oscars have come and gone, not that I really care. I thought "We Saw Your Boobs" was pretty funny and very Family Guy-ish. I haven't seen Brave but I doubt it will move me like Frankenweenie or speak to me as much as Wreck-It Ralph. What do they know anyway? They effectively ruined action movies for a few years by giving Best Special Effects to The Matrix and forcing us to endure way too many bullet-time wannabes.
But that's not what I'm here to blog about today! The latest assignment from the League of Extraordinary Bloggers, in keeping with a recent theme, is just a couple words:
The Oscars
One image springs to mind when I hear the word Oscar.
One shining example of creative genius that has changed lives.
Something known across the world, that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers.
I am, of course, talking about Oscar the Grouch.
Oscar has been voiced by Carrol Spinney since day 1. He got the idea for the voice after talking to a NYC cab driver, go figure! I had the chance to meet Mr. Spinney at a local con a few years ago and he was just the nicest guy you could imagine, which is really more fitting with his other Sesame persona of Big Bird. How's that for dichotomy?
Carroll told me how during his time in the US Navy he went by his middle name (Ed) because...well, I think you can put that together on your own!
Here's a few things about Oscar that might come in handy on trivia night...
His trash can is like a TARDIS, it's bigger on the inside. Over the years, Oscar has claimed it to contain a farm, skating rink, bowling alley and a pool among other things.
Oscar was originally orange during Sesame Street's first season
Although he hasn't been seen in over a decade, Oscar used to get around via Bruno the Trash Man. If I were a city worker and found a foul-mouthed creature living in the trash, I don't know that I'd carry him around...unless someone was making an '80s movie about us.
He has also been seen walking with just his legs sticking out of the can in some early '70s episodes where he's played by none other than Hervé Villechaize!
Oscar's best friend is his adorable pet worm, Slimey.
I always liked Slimey as a kid. He was incredibly emotive for such a small guy.
"The Grouch" like "The Hutt" denotes Oscar's species. Yes, there's more of them!
