Terror T.R.A.X

  Think you've got a tough job? 

Try being the "person in the chair" for a hunter of supernatural creatures in the field.

 

 

This horrific interactive audio drama puts the listener/player in the role of a dispatcher-supervisor at an X Files-type security agency that handles paranormal-related calls to 911 and instructs its agents how to proceed in encounters.

The calls are presented through the interface of the "T.R.A.X." (Trace, Research, Analyze, and eXterminate) computer system, a female-voiced A.I. who will solicit the player for input in the form of selecting which of two options to follow (by directly guiding them to the appropriate track in the CD listing.)

 

The T.R.A.X. series was released in 1994 by TSR. There were four "Track of the ___" CDs released: Vampire, Werewolf, Mummy, and Creature. And in '96, a Full Motion Video (FMV) computer game adaptation of Vampire was released. A few years after the CDs came out, Wizards of the Coast made the first two CDs available as online browser games. Unfortunately, they have since been taken down.

I actually owned the Werewolf CD and let me tell you, doing Choose Your Own Adventure by having to manually forward to specific audio tracks is not as fun as simply turning pages or clicking the corresponding number.

Originally, I had found the Vampire CD that I was going to make available. While researching this post, I found The Collection Chamber's post which includes a download of Vampire, Werewolf, and the FMV Vampire game! Because the game is so old, it runs in DOSbox to simulate Windows 3.1. I tested it and while I got it to install and run, I found I wasn't able to make choices for the live action part. It's still a fun, cheesy watch.

 

If you visit the site above and scroll down there's a Download link just before the screenshots. In the top left corner, click Download then Download as zip. Extract the file and run the exe. From the start menu, if you select Extras, it will take you to the Vampire and Werewolf audio games. 

If you don't feel like downloading, you can watch the full video on YouTube.

Click the image to see the full list of Countdown to Halloween blogs!

 

Halloween 2023 MA Lottery Ticket

 In last year's lottery post, I lamented that in the 10+ years that I'd been doing the Countdown, my state has never had licensed lottery tickets. Well, this year...we hit the jackpot with Universal Monsters!

Starting off with the eternal enemies: vampire vs werewolf. In case you were wondering, I am 100% Team Werewolf.

They did a great job with the graphics on these. While they're essential all the same under the surface, each one has icons unique to the monster.

I got lucky with the Bride! She's the only one I hit anything on out of this lot. 

Ten bucks, is ten bucks!

And I saved the best (my favorites) for last.

Do you have any fun Halloween themed lottery tickets in your state? 

I started an open Flickr album for people to post their state lottery tickets. If you have any, please feel free to add them to the album. Or if you send me pictures/scans I'd be happy to post them. 

 

Be sure to check out the complete list of Countdown bloggers by clicking below.

 

Archie's Weird Mysteries - Halloween of Horror

Archie's Weird Mysteries was an animated series that ran for 40 episodes between 1999-2000. It was distributed in the US by DIC Entertainment and first aired on the PAX network. Remember the PAX network? Yeah, I don't blame you.

The series focused on the Riverdale teens encountering all sorts of strange stuff like zombies, ghosts, and even UFOs after a lab accident goes wrong and turns the town into a weirdness magnet! It also spawned a tie-in comic series in 2000 that ran for 34 issues, although it eventually dropped the "Weird" and switched to mundane mysteries.

 

 

Among the 40 episodes were a few multi-part story arcs including a 3-parter called Vampire Night where the climax takes place at a Halloween Party!

Monthly Media Recap - January 2021

 Welcome to another year of Monthly Media Recaps! 

 

A few reminders:

You can find me on Letterboxd. I don't usually post reviews there but I do record my movie views so I won't forget any at the end of the month.

If a title is linked, it will take you to Amazon if you want to buy the movie, or anything else, and drop a few pennies in the coffers.

 

 

Streaming

Cobra Kai (S3, Netflix) - I don't want to say this season jumped the shark but it's definitely getting a little more soap opera-ish and how many times do you let kids beat each other up before you get the police involved?

 

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (S4, Netflix) - I am definitely going to miss this show! The overall story for the final season was great. The final couple eps were crazy but in a really fun way.

 

The History of Swear Words (Netflix) - Seriously, who could host this better than Nic Cage? OK, maybe Sam Jackson but still, this is a lot of fun and a good change from anything else you're watching.

WandaVision (Disney+) - Still airing new eps but it is a real treat! Not only am I interested to see how it unfolds but the work that went into recreating each sitcom style through the years has been top notch.

The Flight Attendant (HBO Max) - Love this show! Definitely a very Hitchcock vibe to it. It's even got a little bit of retro going for it with the title score and split screen shots. Kaley Couco was fantastic and had a lot to do with her character. It's nice to see do something other than "the blonde girl on the sitcom". I wasn't sure they were going to wrap it up by the end but they pulled it off while leaving the possibility for another season. However, it would have to be a really great story.

 

Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture - Horror

If you are ever in Seattle with a few hours to spare, you should...no, need...to visit the Museum of Pop Culture. You can thank me later. Plus, it's right next to the Space Needle.

Photo from Seattle Times

That is the actual building, it's not covered in giant tarps blowing in the wind. It used to be called the Explore Music Project and they do still have a couple of music exhibits. I don't know if/when they change the exhibits in the museum but right now they're featuring horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and indie video games. And that's not even everything!

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out where to start so I'm just going to take you through as I went with my photos.

Monthly Movie Recap - February 2019

Hey it's the first of March and you know what that means! Yup, 6"-12" of snow forecast for tomorrow. Sounds like a good time to get in some movies.

Streaming

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Finished it, loved it, can't wait for more!

Bloodsucking Bastards (2015, Amazon Prime)
The trailer pretty much tells you everything you need to know. It's your typical office workplace but with vampires. If you like the trailer's sense of humor, you should enjoy the movie. It's a good time, not overly violent and there's buckets of blood.

Rating: 7/10

Murder Party (2007, Netflix)
On Halloween, a lonely schlub finds an invitation to a Murder Party but it's not he kind of party he thinks. This is one of those dark comedies where things start going horribly wrong and don't stop. I don't think it's going to be for everyone but if you're reading this blog, check it out.

Rating: 6/10

Abducted in Plain Sight (2017, Netflix)
The crime doc that's all the talk around the internet water cooler. If you were to craft a fictional story I don't know that you could come up with something as weird as this true story. I could try to explain it but you'd think I was lying. I only give documentaries a pass or fail and while I give this a pass, I can't prepare you for the story. Even Jem would be jealous at how truly outrageous it is!

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016, Netflix)

Sometimes you spend way too long looking for something to watch on Netflix and out of frustration just pick anything so you can start watching something. Considering I had no clue what I was in for, this was a real treat! This is a great little horror flick. From the way the story is told to the almost claustrophobic haunted house vibe, I can't recommend this enough.

Rating: 8/10

Halloween (2018)
Full disclosure: of the Big Three cinema slashers, the Halloween series has always been my least favorite. Nightmare has Freddy, Jason has epic kills. Nothing comes to mind for me with Halloween that makes it stand out. Don't get me wrong, I liked the first two but couldn't tell you anything about any installment after 3.
My history with this series makes me the perfect audience for the most recent sequel. I don't need to remember anything beyond the original and that's why I really had a good time here. Not only do I think it's a worthy successor but it's still very much in that 80s slasher vein which makes it so much fun. There's talk of a sequel but honestly they have to do an even better job to make it worthwhile and not rob Laurie of her victory.

Rating: 8/10

Month
New: 5  Rewatch: 0

Year to Date

New: 14  Rewatch: 1

Monthly Movie Recap - October 2018

Here we are, fiends! It's Halloween! I always post the October recap on Halloween in case you're looking for something to watch later tonight. That, and November 1st is usually a Halloween in Salem recap post.

Streaming

• The Haunting of Hill House was amazing. It's not just a ghost story but also a family drama. There was one particular scene that creeped me out and I don't think I creep out easily.
• Creeped Out: a horror anthology aimed at kids. Not sure if I'll finish the season as the episodes have been hit or miss for me. Mostly miss but I'm not the target audience.
• The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I haven't gotten into it but am dying to see it!

On to the movies...

Scary Stories (2018)

As a kid that was into monsters and ghosts, I don't know how I never found these at the library. The doc looks at the controversy, the creepy art, and the influence they've had on people. Definitely recommended but also suggest re-familiarizing yourself with some of the stories before you see it. 

Wolfman's Got Nards (2018)

I'm nowhere near being a huge Monster Squad fan but this was definitely the better of the two docs for me. They talk to lots of people and you get to see how this little movie has meant a lot to the fans. Two monster thumbs up!

The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018, Prime)

I think I'm finding that, like Jeepers Creepers, this series is just not for me. The first one wasn't terrible but I was bored for most of this one. Again, for mortal beings, the Strangers have a supernatural ability to be waiting in the exact place where the victims try and hide. I don't think another one is coming but if it does, I'll probably skip it.

Rating: 5/10

What We Do in the Shadows (2014, Prime)

This has been on my Prime list since the dawn of time so I figured why not in October? And I'm guessing like most people that have seen it, I fell in love with it. It's such a good time! I'm not a big vampire fan (more of a werewolf guy) so it was fun to see them play with the mythology.

Rating: 8/10

Venom (2018)

Imagine going to a carnival and seeing a wicked looking roller coaster. You know the one with insane drops and twists that has health warnings on the sign at the entrance? You buy a ticket for that ride and when you finally get to the boarding area, you find that you're going on a fun house ride. While it's not as awesome and edgy as you wanted the ride to be, it's not a bad time and you have a couple chuckles. The biggest praise I can give this is that it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. However, I really would have liked an R-rated version that leaned more into horror territory than a sci-fi buddy cop/bromance romp.

We Are Not Amused: I have two major problems with the movie and I'm not sure which one is the bigger offender: that wig or Eminem's horrible theme song.

Rating: 6/10

The Fog (1980)

I don't know what movie I had in my head but I swear I'd watched this before. Loaded with atmosphere, this is a solid ghostly revenge story. There's not a lot (any?) blood but I think it's more effective being spooky without it.

Rating: 7/10

Slice (2018, Prime)

I'd never heard of this until it popped up in my Prime newsletter. The trailer got me more than a little giddy. Seems like it's got an offbeat humor to it plus Steve from Stranger Things and Domino from Deadpool 2? I'm in! It didn't quite live up to what I was expecting from the trailer. Which isn't to say it's bad, just that it's not what I personally wanted it to be. I really think this would be an awesome graphic novel.

Rating: 6/10

Fun Size (2012)
Don't let the Nickelodeon Movies thing deter you, this is a solid "teens have a crazy adventure night" flick. On top of that it takes place on Halloween in some fictional town where just about everyone dresses up for the night. If you're a Halloweirdo and haven't seen this yet, do it!

Rating: 8/10

Month Total

New: 8  Rewatch: 0

Year Total

New: 63   Rewatch: 4

Be sure to Trick or Treat at the participating Countdown blogs by clicking below!

2018 Halloween LEGO

Another surprise in the world of Halloween shopping this year. The LEGO store didn't have a little Halloween set this year. I mean, I guess you could count the Ghostbusters Brickheadz.

Luckily, interewb pal Reis O'Brien posted on Instagram about some spooky LEGO minifigs he found. Naturally, this sent me running like a bat out of Hell to my local shop.

I don't usually pay much attention to the build your own minifig display in the store so if not for Reis, I would have missed out on this frightful trio. It may be that they get "seasonal" minifig parts in throughout the year but there was no indication of it in the store.

Because the "build your own" parts are all mixed together, one of the employees was nice enough to help me fish out the Halloween pieces.

First up is a vampire! I don't know what, if any, parts are new but I know I don't have any other vampires that look like this one. He's got to be a pretty classy guy because he's got a pocket watch. Since the employee picked the parts out for me, I presume these are the correct legs for him. It might not make much sense for him to have a couple potions on his belt but it's better than plain black legs.

Next is a...vampiress? Spider woman? The spiders could just be decoration on her dress...or maybe they're alive! I like the little bat wing collar on the dress and the tiny necklace. And check out that Elvira-esque hairdo!

I should mention, the torsos for these two come with the opposite color hands from their heads. Vampire torso has white hands and vampiress has gray. It's easy enough to swap them if you're a little OCD and want your figures' skin color to match.

The final Halloween minifig is a bit of an odd one...

It's a witch...or with an extra accessory

a scarecrow! I don't know about this one. It doesn't quite fit either one no matter which head you use. The clothes don't look right for a witch and the green hands don't look right for a scarecrow.

This way works best for me! When you build your own, you get to pick one accessory per figure so naturally I took a broom for the witch. I didn't see any vampire-y things so I picked up a quiver of arrows for my Medusa to make her more like the Clash of the Titans version.

These three will be hanging out with the Lord of Halloween on a little custom set I picked up years ago on eBay. And you can see what accessory the vampiress came home with. That's one acessory I couldn't pass it up!

Be sure to Trick or Treat at the participating Countdown blogs by clicking below!

Comic Review - Vampironica

The Archie Horror imprint has slowly been making its way through the popular monsters. Afterlife with Archie started it all off five years ago with zombies taking over Riverdale (I even wrote about it!), then came a wicked twist on Sabrina followed by Jughead going full werewolf. Last week brought the newest member: Vampironica.

There are story spoilers ahead but I don't think it would ruin anything for you. This first issue isn't exactly packed with plot twists.

The book opens with some vamps crashing a party being thrown by Cheryl Blossom (how dare they!). Hot on their heels is vampire Veronica Lodge who has the fashion of Buffy Summers and the vamp-ness of Marvel's Blade. Undead butt kicking ensues.

After the bad-assery, we flash back three days for some Riverdale teen drama which results in a scorned Veronica making Reggie take her out. As Veronica is leaving the house that night for her date, she finds her parents on the floor, victims of a vamp attack. The vamp attacks her and she manages to fight him off, but not before he's able to bite her.

She hops in a car and starts speeding away only to see the vamp in front of her. She floors it and over the car he goes! She glances back at her victory only to collide head-on (apply directly to the forehead!) with Reggie! After the crash, she goes to check on Reggie only to have the first symptoms of her new condition manifest itself.

She keeps her appetite in check and stumbles off into the woods where she notices her wounds from the accident are healing themselves. Back at the wreck, Reggie starts to come to as the vampire approaches.
Dun-dun-DUUUUNNNNN!

And that's it. As a first issue, I was a tiny bit underwhelmed. I get it's an origin issue and things need to be setup but it just wasn't "there" for me. With Archie Horror's previous track record I have no doubt it will get more interesting as it goes on and we learn more about Mr Vampire Man.

 Also, a lot of the fun of these horror books is seeing familiar characters in new, unreal situations so I'm really looking forward to see how Veronica comes to terms with being a vampire. You don't have to know the regular Archie-verse to read this but it will definitely help if you're somewhat familiar with the characters.

The artwork is on point. It's appropriately dark, bloody, and creepy where it needs to be. There are some alternate covers out there including my favorite one by Francesco Francavilla, who does the art for Afterlife with Archie. I dig this one because it reminds me of Vampirella.

Vampironica #1 gets 3.5 out of 5 wooden stakes

If you want your Archie on the go, grab the Archie Comics app for Android and iOS.

Playmobil Haunted House (5638)

I don't remember how I found out about this set. I think a fellow blogger posted pics of it. If so, sorry I forgot who you are but thank you!

The official product name of this set is Haunted House Play Box. I don't think it's so much a haunted house as a mad scientist lab but I guess you can't market that to young kids? Either way, they packed a lot of fun into it.

I've seen a few different Playmobil Play Boxes but never got my hands on one. The whole set packs up into this case with room to spare. The doors snap shut nicely to keep it all in. ProTip: Put all the bits in a Ziploc bag, that way if a little monster opens it up in a hurry, the bits stay together.

You can choose not to insert the pumpkin piece at the top to make the handle easier to hold, but really, why would you not?

It comes with two figures: a vampire and a Frankenstein-like monster, which I thought was a zombie at first. After strapping him into the equipment, it's obvious he's a reanimated corpse. Although I guess a zombie is too, right?

In addition to the figures, you get all sorts of lab accessories. Check out that distiller in the top left, it's even got a little Bunsen burner! The "slab" the monster is placed on is pretty neat too, it's got a translucent plastic "crackling electricity" effect. Then you have an assortment of bottles, a skull and bone, along with a raven, mouse, and scorpion.

One of the silly things I really like is that the side parts are ribbed which allows you to put the shelves at any height you want. The graphics on the sides are a nice little touch to the lab.

I'm not clear on why a vampire would want to make a Frankenstein like monster. I mean, if you need more friends, wouldn't you go out an make more vampires? Maybe he just doesn't want the hassle that comes with new vampires. You have to train them how to feed, how to apply sunscreen, and probably have to get more coffins for them to sleep in. #TransylvaniaProblems

Mr. Vampire is sharply dressed with a bat-tie and is rocking an Elvis pompadour like nobody's business. I can't really criticize the monster's fashion sense, he's pretty much stuck with what he was buried in. Of course, I'm presuming he was dug up and not a cadaver Vampy picked up somewhere.

For $20, this is well worth it if for no other reason than it gives my other Halloween Playmobil people some place to hang out in October. If you can't find it locally, you can order from Amazon and get a couple bucks off.

Be sure to visit all the participating Halloween bloggers by clicking the link below!

Monthly Movie Recap - March 2017

2017 is shaping up to be a fun year for movies and we're just getting started!

If you're a fan of B-movies, check out Midnight Macabre Films on YouTube. They've posted a lot of greats like Chopping Mall, Spookies, and The Pit just to name a few. 

 

Logan (2017)
I don't think a lot of people like seeing their heroes get old and weak but this is probably the best way it could be done. There's a tiny bit of mystery here between figuring out what year it is and what happened to the other mutants. This is really the Wolverine movie I wanted...except a younger version...in Japan.

Cool: Wolverine is finally unleashed. Plenty of claw action! Daphne Keen is awesome, I hope she continues to act.
Lame: I'm assuming adult people brought the other kids to the meeting point. Did they just leave the kids there by themselves? I mean, they're mutants, but they're still kids.

Rating: 8/10

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016)
Not going to lie, as much fun as this is, it's definitely a bit sadder than it would have been a few months ago. Even if you're not a Star Wars fan (if that's possible) but are a fan of Hollywood, I'd still recommend this, it's a fantastic documentary about the relationship between two amazing women.

Rating: 9/10

Moana (2016)
I swear someone at Disney found a way to get into my brain and find out all the things to put in a movie that would make me love it! Everything about this was a home run for me: the plot of a mortal helping a demigod, Moana's journey and the theme of finding who you are, the Polynesian mythology...LOVE IT!

Cool: See above
Lame: Needed more coconut pirates!

Rating: 8/10

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
You hear "Disney magic" thrown around a lot, this is it right here. The effects are really magical. I like Emma Watson but wasn't sure she would be a good Belle. She's not, she's great!

Cool: Love the wolf scenes, very intense! Getting a peek into Belle's backstory.
Lame: New songs may need some time to catch on. Something about the design of Mrs Potts...creepy

Rating: 9/10

 Full movie on YouTube!

Rockula (1990, Amazon)
Nothing I say here can prepare you for the cheese that is Rockula. It's like 80s Mtv decided to make a vampire comedy. If not for the musical numbers, I probably would never have finished watching it. From the white boy vampire decked out like an 80s rapper (and rapping!) to Toni Basil's horny vampire mom doing a sexy number in front of her son and his girlfriend...this is Rockula.

Cool: Thomas Dolby is delicious as the bad guy. Toni Basil, just delicious. Some of the songs are actually pretty fun!
Lame: If you're not a fan of camp, steer clear

Rating: 5/10

If you want to read more about Rockula, head over to It Came From the Man Cave, which is where I lay the blame how I knew this existed.

Gantz:O (2016, Netflix)
I knew nothing about this going in other than the blurb in Netflix and the fact that it has a 4.75/5 rating. After the first 15-20 minutes I'm wanting to know where I can buy the RPG and/or video game for this universe. If you're a fan of action movies and monsters, get this in your queue! While I'm not going to read the manga this is based on, I am interested in seeing the anime and other live action Gantz movies.

Cool: Weird ass alien/monsters that can only come from Japan, like a 30' tall beast made from writhing naked lady bodies. Cool tech.
Lame: No real back story on how this whole Gantz thing came to be or why. It's not a huge deal for me though as it makes me want to know more. The lead female voice dub is just...ugh.

Rating: 8/10

Month Total

 New: 6  Rewatch: 0

Year Total

 New: 15  Rewatch: 1

Monthly Movie Recap - November 2016

Just a little over two weeks until Rogue One! I'm very interested to see how the first anthology movie is going to play out. The movie recap is dropping a day early because tomorrow is December 1st, kicking off the 13 Days of Creepmas!

Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015, Netflix)
You might have heard about this shot-for-shot Raiders fan film that some kids decided to make back in the 80s. This is the story of their adult selves returning to the project to get the final scene and finish the movie. It's a pretty great story, must watch for Indy fans.

You can achieve your childhood dream, even if it takes you 30+ years...and almost losing your job.

Rating: 8/10

Doctor Strange (2016)
Dr. Strange was definitely on my top 3 list of favorite Marvel characters I would never expect to see in a movie. I'm happy to say they handled it well! There was a lot more humor than I was expecting. I was kind of hoping for a little more of a horror angle from the director of Sinister but maybe we'll get there in the future.

Cool: The visuals are amazing!
Lame: The handling of time. Not in the magical sense, but the storytelling sense. The director said Strange's training for about a year. They do a poor job of conveying this so it doesn't feel like he's prepared enough to do what needs to be done at the end. And what is the villain doing during all this time?

Rating: 8/10, if you're even thinking about seeing this, do it in IMAX 3D. You can thank me later.

Sinister (2012)
Wanted to check this out after seeing Dr Strange to get an idea of what the director might have been able to do had he gone a with more of a horror vibe. I honestly thought I had seen this as I frequently confuse the Blumhouse horror movies like Insidious and The Conjuring. It's not often I see a horror movie that creeps me out to any degree so kudos to you, Sinister! More than scares, I like a horror movie that can give a sense of dread.

Cool: The concept/history of the entity. The 8mm home movies are fantastically eerie.
Lame: Bughuul sounds more like a bodily function that a wicked demon

Rating: 7/10

The Purge: Election Year (2016)
Not as action packed as the second installment but I still really enjoyed it. It's kind of similar to the last one in that there is a group trying to survive out on the streets on Purge Night. It does a decent job of wrapping up the series...at least until the President-elect sees the movies and thinks it's a good idea to start doing this for real.

Cool:Some good fights and one really amazing headshot effect.
Lame: Some may be turned off by the "political" theme

Rating: 7/10

Deadly Friend (1986)
I haven't see all of Wes Craven's movies but this has to be the worst! The trailer doesn't even do a good job of telling what the movie is really about. Having said that, this is a really fun bad movie!

Cool: If you never watch this movie, at least watch the graphic basketball scene.
Lame: The ending is a bit...weird

Rating: 3/10 (actual), 5/10 (so bad it's good)


Stake Land (2010, Netflix)
This could have been just another post-undead apocalypse movie but the characters and slight twist on the setting make it a good time. This is how I prefer my vampire films, where they are the threat! Although the group leader has a "been there, seen it all" attitude, you do get to discover the world through the young man he rescues at the start of the film.

Cool: Really like the ghoulish, feral look of the vamps.
Lame: Only just found out the sequel aired on SyFy last month. If I'd been aware of that I would have watched this sooner!

Rating: 6/10

Month Total

 New: 6  Rewatch: 0

Year Total

 New: 65  Rewatch:3

LEGO 40203 - Vampire & Bat

LEGO has been doing some fun little Halloween sets for the past few years. While I prefer the ones that have a scene and a minifig or two, I have to admit this one is pretty cool.

I'm really happy that LEGO started recognizing Halloween as an opportunity to get out a themed gift set every year. Like most holiday sets, this one retails for $10...if you can find one! When I went in to my LEGO store early September, there was only one on the shelf. And doing a quick search, it looks like people are hoping to cash in on him.

We'll start with the vampire's trusty sidekick...or maybe it's the vampire himself in bat form? This little guys is pretty cute with his big eyes. His wings are hinged so you can make him flap around the crypt to look for a snack.

Not surprisingly, they managed to put some great detail into the vampire himself. There's a streak of white hair, pointy ears, clawed hands, and the bow tie and ruffle on his shirt! Even the eyebrows are a genius touch.

You can almost see the bat poking his head up, "Hey! Down here!"

Blah, blah, blah!

It might be too late by the time you read this, but if you're even remotely interested in this set you should probably rush out to get one. You might luck out and still be able to find him in the LEGO shop online.

If you need some visuals to get you in the Halloween spirit, as it were, I'm going to post a link to one of my Halloween Pinterest boards for a few days. I have too many to put in one post!



Please check out Countdown to Halloween for all the participating bloggers!

Monthly Movie Recap - May 2016

Wow, June already! We are now 197 days away from the next Star Wars movie! I saw some pretty fun stuff last month, what about you? Got anything to recommend? Share in the comments.

The Running Man (1987, Netflix)*

I had to get  in on the Running Man craze that's sweeping social media! But really... I stumbled on this in Netflix and hadn't seen it in decades so I decided to give it a spin. Kinda scary but given the current Presidential race, I can almost see this future 2017 becoming a real thing. The reality TV show concept was way ahead of its time for 1987 which makes it hold up pretty well today. This pretty much boils down the essence of 80s action Arnold.

Cool: Richard Dawson! The high stakes reality show.
Lame: Arnold's one liners

Rating: 6/10

Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Awesome, awesome, awesome! Really liked Spidey's appearance even though it was kind of shoe-horned in there. Black Panther was also very well done, can't wait for hie movie. I can see both sides of the issue but I"m still firmly Team Cap.

Cool: More totally amazed by the airport battle after reading about how much effects work went into it
Lame: What is it with superhero movies and parental issues this year?

Rating: 8/10

The Purge (2013)

I was expecting a bit more from this based on the trailers. It's a step or two above an average home invasion but they could do sooo much more with the premise. I felt like the ending is where it really came together and it needed more of that vibe. Sadly, like The Running Man, I could see this in our future after the election.

Cool: Great concept
Lame: The family needs to throw their son out there

Rating: 6/10

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Now this is what I was expecting from a Purge movie! Mayhem out in the streets! Frank Grillo is just about playing the Punisher shepherding a small group of civilians through Purge night. The introduction of a resistance gives the series a place to go and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Cool: Bigger scope, you get to see just how crazy it is

Rating: 7/10

Next up is a Cannon Films/Tobe Hooper double shot! I decided to see both of these thanks to the Cannon Films documentary that was on Netflix.

Invaders from Mars (1986)
Despite my love of classic scifi and horror, I haven't seen the original movie that this is remaking. But I think if you enjoy the scifi of the 50s/60s, you'll like this. It does a wonderful job of capturing the feel of those movies from the sets to the bad acting. It's a body snatching movie that would have been just as relevant in the 80s as it was in the 50s.

Cool: The alien design is pretty rad.
Lame: Bad opening credits and ending

Rating: 5/10

Lifeforce (1985, UK cut)
Starts out like Alien and turns into Return of the Living Dead, which isn't surprising since Dan O'Bannon wrote all three! Definitely a crazy, fun movie!

Cool: Great practical effects; space vampires; Patrick Stewart with hair!
Lame: Never trust a strange, attractive naked woman that's not concerned about clothes

Rating: 7/10

Goosebumps (2015)
Great movie for those at the Goosebumps reading level or monster kids at heart. Not too scary and plenty of comedy. Even though I decided last year to start reading the books, I haven't gotten very far so I didn't recognize a lot of the monsters but it will be fun to go back and watch after reading more books.

Cool: Oodles of monsters (even though only a few get the spotlight)
Lame: I know it's a kid's movie but I had a handful of logic problems with the plot, but it's a fun ride so I don't really care.

Rating: 7/10

And while I won't count it as a movie, I finally got around to watching Kung Fury on Netflix and completely loved it! They need to make a retro-style beat em up video game based on it!

Month Total

 New: 6  Rewatch:1

Year Total

 New: 29  Rewatch:2

SummerSwap 2015 Update 6: The Dark Prince of Bel Air

The most recent host for the SummerSwap box is one of my the people that inspired me to start blogging: Mr. Shawn Robare who runs the awesome Branded in the 80s.

The box has now traveled around 7500 miles!

Shawn did a post about one of the cool things he pulled out of the Swap Box, the MASK-inspired Laserpunks. You can check that post out here.

He also sent along a few photos of Drac around Bel Air.

It was a sunny day around town, and Shawn just happened to have a pair of Drac-sized sunglasses he could lend.

Drac sampling the local cuisine.

Drac at the local armory, which reminded him of home.

That's a wrap for this update! 

The remaining stops for the box are on the East coast, but it's heading West next....

SummerSwap2015 Stop 5

The Swap Box made it's most recent stop in Terre Haute having travelled around 6900 miles! This stop was hosted by Morbius Kromwell. He's a fellow Halloween fiend and occasionally posts some fantastic mixes over on Gravecast.com. Here's some of the ghoulish goodies Morbius swapped in.

Morbius took Drac out and about for a few days.

Here's some of the highlights of his travel journal.

Day 1

Drac was a day late in arriving and was pretty tired from the trip. He met a couple of friends of mine and they seemed to hit it off.

My home town was the birthplace of the coke bottle. I offered Drac some special edition bottles but he told me he never drinks…Coca Cola. Maybe he is a Pepsi person.
I was a little embarrassed.

A photo with Drac and my wife and I in our casual wear. 

He said it made him feel “Velcome.”

Drac liked my Halloween themed Truck but couldn’t drive it without a license. He thought it was “Wary nice.” It was a bit sunny out and the SPF 1,000,000 didn’t help much so he spent most of the day inside.

Day 2

How nice that “Take a Vampire to Work Day” in our town was a dark and stormy day. You couldn’t have asked for anything better. He thought that the fact that my office is in Stalker Hall was “most appropriate.” 

 

 Drac pointing out an error I made in my Drupal programming. He said he is very familiar with webs and gave me a nice story about spiders. He said a former employee was quite the expert on the subject. Wow, he will chew your ear off if you let him. 

Day 3

Drac was a little bored the next day. He wanted to listen to some music. He asked about a band called Children of the Night but I didn’t have any of their stuff. He also had some issues with the ear buds.

We found some better headphones and he was happy listening to music. 

He loved my Halloween sound effects collection. 

 All in all, it was a nice visit. Drac really loves watching old horror movies. He especially loved Tim Burton’s Ed Wood. I guess he is quite the fan of Martin Landau. Thanks for letting me invite you into my home, Count. You are always welcome to drop in whenever you like. I hope the next person to get the Drac Pack finds his visit as delightful.