Maxx FX: If the Ken Doll was a Bad-Ass FX Artist from the 1980’s!!

A lot of people may have forgotten about Maxx FX from the eighties, or most likely never heard of the guy at all- and what a shame that is! Maxx Fx was the guy that Barbie would have ditched Ken for if she wasn’t a total lame-o back in 1989! Unfortunately Maxx had a short lifespan, and the special fx action figure / doll only had one official costume, that of horror icon Freddy Krueger!

But if you’re a little confused let me put it this way the Maxx FX doll came with the clothing, the mask and accessories to transform him into Freddy. This awesome idea was not supposed to stop with Freddy, it was supposed to continue on with many more movie monsters, unfortunately Matchbox put the kibosh on the action figure early on.

As the awesome Maxx Fx website states Maxx Fx was a make up artist and a crimefighter and could become anyone he wanted! I highly suggest getting the whole story and taking a look at what could have been with the entire toyline, it was a brilliant idea and Matchbox totally dropped the ball!! In the meantime enjoy this cool ass Maxx FX commercial from 1989! Eat it KEN! And Barbie you BLEW it!!

This one too!

‘Stitches’ Gives Freddy Krueger a Run for His Money!

I finally checked out Stitches which I’ve been waiting some time to see as it finally arrived on Netflix watch instantly. If you’re a fan of old horror icons like Freddy Krueger or Leprechaun then this movie will NOT disappoint! This cool little Irish horror comedy has got a pretty awesome little plot, based on a bit of a cliche. Clown goes to kids party, mean kids ridicule clown, clown dies by way of something one of the kids does.

Well though that seemed a little like previously trodded horror plot, the movie goes deeper into the evil clown mythos. It turns out that in this movie clowns get together in creepy dungeon like places and practice supernatural rituals. Which is one of the reason “Stitches” the clown comes back toget his revenge on this group of kids that are nowa bunch of jerk-off teenagers!

The vibe of the flick kinda gave me that Freddy feel, as Stitches is a full on wise cracker and comes up with the most inventive ways to get his revenge on with these kids. You’ll see him use a bunch of supernatural clown gadgets and you’ll see some pretty impressive special fx here as well. The movie is also pretty damn funny, picture if the kids in American Pie were hunted by a crazed undead clown at one of their wild ass parties-that’s pretty much how this one plays out. I was pretty surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. It’s got a nice simple premise and it’s a perfect party flick, beer, weed and cocktails are a must for viewing! Check it on Watch Instantly on Netflix! I’m hoping for a sequel!

 

Captain America’s Costume for Lease: The Falcon Joins the Growing List of Cap Wannabes!!

So it seems that ol’ Steve Rogers has got some problems again-as you all probably already know he’ll be passing the mantle of Captain America to he longtime buddy Sam Wilson, formerly The Falcon! Wilson arguably the first black superhero in mainstream comics, originally appearing in the late 1960’s and has been one of Cap’s best friends since. It seems Marvel’s trying to really shake things up there to generate new some interest, most recently, the company announced a new Thor that’d be a female version and also announced that Wolverine would be killed off in the coming months. Of course we all know, Wolverine will be back, Thor will be a man again and Steve Rogers will once again return as Cap, so really there’s nothing to lose here for Marvel, it’s not even a gamble in smallest possible way.

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But Man, Steve Rogers has a rough time being Captain America in the modern age doesn’t he? Being killed off in Civil War and having Bucky become the new Cap (I LOVED the Bucky version by the way) and now his super soldier serum being taken from his body?! Dang! Now Steve will operate from behind the scenes sitting at a desk as he’s now an old fogey! Ouch!! Anyway I think it’s a cool idea and I like the fact that the Falcon stepped to the plate to make some Cap history.

From what I hear too is that Wilson won’t be giving up his wings either-a good decision. Plus a winged flying Cap is a cool idea. My question is why realistically would Wilson decide to be Cap when he’s already a legend in his own right? I guess it’d be like if Spider-man died and suddenly The Black Panther decided he was going to be the Spider-man?!

Anyway there have over the years several others who’ve taken the role of Captain America besides Steve Rogers, here’s a list of the Cap wannabes!!

My fave the Bucky Cap…

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Then there’s the Isaiah Bradley, version, considered the second incarnation of Cap, he’s also black, sorry Sam …

 

The there’s William Naslund, also known as “The Spirit of 76”, he’s the 1950’s Cap with Fred Davis the second Bucky… Continue reading →

Comic Book Cover of the Week: Superman vs He-Man!! Who’s More MAN?!

Check out this awesome cover way back from 1982, us kids had our wildest fantasies come true with Superman and The Masters of the Universe! As a kid we’d always be pondering important things like “Who’d win in a fight He-Man or Superman?!” Well our wish came true in the form of this comic book! Of course the only reason the two fight is because of Skeletor taking control of Superman’s mind-DUH! It was a damn good fight too! Now if only we could see He-man Fight the Hulk!!

Elvenking Brings The Power Metal Back to the Dungeon Again!

I had to take a moment here to plug some new power metal that I’m really diggin’ at the moment! The new Elvenking album recently dropped and just as I was getting ready to write them off completely as a weak ass emo band, they bring us a super tuff new album in form of ‘The Pagan Manifesto’. The Italian band started out back in 1997 as a rad folk/power metal band and through the years shifted their style to something much more mainstream, even changing their look to something more like an emo mall metal band. They got some shit for their shift in appearance and sound, but now here they are in 2014 bringing back the fantasy themed metal the way it should sound when you’re fighting a vicious band of orcs on a trail in a wicked dungeon!

It’s funny because in my D&D group we always play power metal stuff like, Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden & Rhapsody when we do battle-yeah cheezy I know, but it really does get the blood pumping and the natural twenties rollin’! If you play D&D give it a shot-your PC’s will dig it. Anyway, Elvenking has several awesome albums, like Heathreel, Wyrd & The Winter Wake. Check these guys out if you’re jonesin’ for some good catchy fantasy metal-here’s their latest video, my guess is that the band got hardcore into Game of Thrones and decided it was time to bring back the fantasy!

Here’s another one of my faves from the album:

Son of The Dark Crystal: ‘Lessons Learned’ Brings Back the Magic!

I am thoroughly bummed out that “Lessons Learned“, the short film by Toby Froud somehow slipped through my radar here undetected! Being a huge fan of Both Labyrinth & The Dark Crystal this film is on my must see list and Mr. Froud I find also lives right here in Portland, Oregon! Now that’s not even the most interesting part, Toby is kind of a legendary guy, his parents created the puppets and landscapes of The Dark Crystal & Labyrinth, but get this, he also starred in Labyrinth as the legendary baby that David Bowie kidnaps!!

 

So these days he lives in Pdx and works on puppets at Laika Studios on movies like Paranorman and the upcoming Box Trolls.  Most recently however he’s completed his epic puppet short film, “Lessons Learned”, which was funded on Kickstarter. Now the film is complete and screenings are popping up. The movie looks pretty awesome & it really looks like it takes place in the same universe as The Dark Crystal!

So check out this trailer for the film which he teamed with Heather Henson (Jim Henson’s Daughter)! I think if he could follow this up with a feature length film, in the same vein it would excite legions of people all over the world. Lessons Learned will screen again as part of the Portland Film Festival in August. For those not in Portland, it has been selected as part of FilmQuest in Salt Lake in July, and will possibly play at festivals elsewhere pending acceptance.

Harbinger Down: The Real Prequel to “The Thing”!!

I just checked out the long awaited trailer for a movie I’ve been pumped about for quite some time time now, Harbinger Down! If you follow my blog at all you’ve probably heard me complaining a lot about CGI and how there aren’t nearly enough movies these days that utilize rad practical monster effects like they used to back in the 1980’s. Well Alec Gillis at Studio ADI announced a while back that he planned on making a full on monster movie utilizing all practical effects only using CG to eliminate things like rods or wires.

You see a while back they made a prequel to the classic John Carpenter Monster flick “The Thing” and Gillis and his crew were hired to do the special effects, they were told to use all practical monster effects to keep the same vibe as the 1982 classic. They went hard to work and filmed much of the movie with the effects but at the last minute the studio changed their mind, and CG’d over all of there work, claiming that people these days like their movies to look more like modern video games. The movie was bashed by fans of the original and did little at the box office. So here is Alec Gillis’ response to what happened to them, a movie that bears some resemblance to the premise of The Thing, as if him and his crew is giving the fans the movie that they were hoping for in The Thing prequel. So take a look at the trailer, this one is on the top of my list!!

Robert Kirkman Proves He’s No One Hit Wonder With “Outcast” #1!!!

Just read Outcast #1 last night, the new series by Walking Dead writer Robert Kirkman which is something that I’ve been quite curious about now for a while. As my interest in The Walking Dead has been waning steadily over the last couple years I’ve often wondered if Kirkman has just lost his touch or perhaps has just run out of good ideas to make the series as compelling as it once was. So Outcast I figured really could have went either way. It turns out that the first Issue of Outcast is pretty damn awesome! Within reading the first few pages (of the 48 page comic book priced at $2.99) I could tell I was in for a real treat.

 

First let me say that the artwork by Paul Azaceta is excellent and is perfect for the dark dismal tone of the story, instantly drawing me in before having a clue as to what’s brewing in the pages ahead. Without giving too much away I’d say that this one follows the story of a man who’s life has been affected by “demonic possessions” in nearly every way imaginable. Which has lead to many people, even family members labeling him a dangerous outcast of society. The main character Kyle Barnes lives a depressing life alone in a dark run down house seemingly almost cut off from the world outside. We get glimpses as the story moves as to why this man has become a hermit but we also realize that he’s not alone entirely as he’s asked by a local priest to come help him with a boy he believes is possessed by the devil. This sheds some light into his past as it’s clear that we know it’s no coincidence that Barnes was sought out.

 

Kirkman does an incredible job at drawing you in to this man’s life and makes you want more answers with every turn of the page. The comic book is also often times very frightening, which can be a tough thing to pull off in this medium these days. I’m certain that this series is going to be the next big thing, issue #1 is jam packed with enough mystery, scares, beautiful artwork and intense drama to have me eagerly awaiting issue #2! I suggest that you run out to your local comic book shop and grab this one, you’ll be kicking yourself in the ass if you don’t. Nice work Kirkman, I wasn’t sure you still had it in you!

Seth Rogan & James Franco VS. Kim Jong Un: Maybe Not So Funny?

The Interview, Seth Rogan’s & James Franco’s new upcoming comedy has made huge headlines as it’s pissed off the dim witted manchild Kim Jong Un causing him to declare the movie as an “act of war” if it is released! This is clearly a whole heap of ridiculous BS going here. Not to mention it sounds like the ultimate PR stunt, Kim is totally hyping the shit out of this movie by exploding into a child like tantrum-perhaps he’s in on the gag? In any event on the off chance that the little guy is really serious about his threats, the whole thing just kind of stinks. When I first caught wind of the movie’s trailer it kinda bummed me out. It made me wonder which of these guys were actually more idiotic, Rogan & Franco or Lil’ Kim?!

To me this movie/hype isn’t helping ease any tensions in the world. Franco & Rogan have in my opinion lost their charm some time ago, they kind of embody the pompous, cocky, spoiled American that a good portion of the rest of the world seems to think we are here. I technically should have loved “This is the End”, their apocalyptic comedy released a couple years ago, however, watching that whole crew of actors in that flick had me rolling my eyes at just how ridiculously awesome these guys think they are today. I think, they’ve gotten a little too big for their britches these days. Then reading the comments sections on the news stories online about their new movie “The Interview” from fellow Americans made me kinda sick to my stomach. It seems like the ol’ “Bring it on” mentality is back in effect, here in the USA as people don’t really seem to care at all about the tensions of the world increasing.

So as I agree that Kim Jong Un is a total piece of trash dictator who needs to go, I also see that Seth Rogan and James Franco right now seem like two cocky Americans hiding out in Hollywood having made a movie that taunts a potentially dangerous real life dictator, not really considering the gravity of their actions. Yeah it’s an interesting concept for a movie, but it doesn’t help this completely messed up world that’s far too full of war and violence at this point. The whole situation really isn’t that funny is it? I don’t think there’s anything funny about war or the possibility of war. Now I’ll say this too, I haven’t seen the movie, and perhaps I could be completely wrong  about it’s content and message. Hell, this movie just might change things and who knows maybe Lil’ Kim will even get a kick out of it? I guess it remains to be seen, but so far the trailer has just made the world an even more scary place for the time being. It’s a sad world when the USA’s best diplomat to North Korea is Dennis Rodman….

Comic Book Small Haul: The Savage Hulk #1 Goes Old School!!

Savage Hulk is a series I have been waiting for a long time and finally yesterday it graced the shelves of comic book shops everywhere. I have been seriously missing me some Hulk by way of new comic books lately. The last few Hulk titles have been pretty forgettable. I usually start off  buying the first few issues and then well just don’t really end up giving a shit what happens next. That’s a problem I seem to be running into more and more with Marvel titles these days.

So here we have Savage Hulk #1 which is a pretty decent first issue and pretty cool as it ties in directly with an old X-men / Hulk storyline from 1970. So what we have here is a full on old school Hulk story, which is a breath of fresh air. We’ve got some great artwork as well by  veteran artist Alan Davis, a favorite of mine in the 1980’s, which make this book even more legit. We’ve also got the X-Men in their old school 70’s costumes and The Leader in his old purple suit and my favorite look for him, his big long ass head! We also have a great alternate cover by Alex Ross which is downright amazing…

I think this series is headed for some fun, I’m not sure if they’re going to follow the old school story types but I’m kinda hoping they do. There’s a ton of fun in an old school Hulk story that’s been missing from a lot of the current stuff. So I’ll be back for issue #2 as it looks like we’re going to get some Abomination action as well. Savage Hulk is a solid start, but it by no means is gonna blow your mind as the story is very simple as we basically have the Hulk on the run from the Hulkbusters, Professor X determined to help free Banner of The Hulk and The Leader determined to screw up everyone’s plan. It’s also nice because we haven’t over the years really seen the X-men and the Hulk cross paths as much as they should. It also made me realize that The Leader and Professor X are perfect arch rivals, I hope we get to see them square off in a battle of the minds! So Hulk fans go check this one out!